噬嗑 → 漸
Hexagram 21: Biting Through → Hexagram 53: Development
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 3, 4, 5).
Line 1
初九 履校滅趾。无咎。
Nine at the beginning means: His feet are fastened in the stocks, So that his toes disappear. No blame.
Line 3
六三 噬腊肉。遇毒。小吝。无咎。
Six in the third place means: Bites on old dried meat And strikes on something poisonous. Slight humiliation. No blame.
Line 4
九四 噬乾胏。得金矢。利艱貞。吉。
Nine in the fourth place means: Bites on dried gristly meat. Receives metal arrows. It furthers one to be mindful of difficulties And to be persevering. Good fortune.
Line 5
六五 噬乾肉。得黃金。貞厲。无咎。
Six in the fifth place means: Bites on dried lean meat. Receives yellow gold. Perseveringly aware of danger. No blame.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
鸋鴂鴟鴞，治成禦災；周公勤勞，綏德安家。
Wrens, shrikes, and owls bring order and ward off disaster; the Duke of Zhou toiled diligently, bringing peace and virtue to the house.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire and thunder enforce the law, and here the Duke of Zhou guards the fledgling state against predators. The 'owls' (鸋鴂鴟鴞) directly evoke the Shijing ode 'Chi Xiao,' attributed to the Duke of Zhou, where an owl threatens to destroy a bird's nest — a metaphor for the enemies menacing the young Zhou dynasty. The Duke labors tirelessly to quell rebellion and secure virtue, settling the household in peace. From Biting Through to Development, wind moves above the mountain in gradual, organic growth. The Duke of Zhou's defense of the state mirrors Development's pattern: not a sudden victory but the steady cultivation of conditions that allow the tree on the mountain to grow tall over time.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store