大畜 → 鼎
Hexagram 26: Great Taming → Hexagram 50: The Cauldron
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 2 changing lines (lines 1, 4).
Line 1
初九 有厲。利已。
Nine at the beginning means: Danger is at hand. It furthers one to desist.
Line 4
六四 童牛之牿。元吉。
Six in the fourth place means: The headboard of a young bull. Great good fortune.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
鳧雁啞啞，以水為宅。雌雄相和，心志娛樂。得其所欲，絕其患惡。
Wild ducks and geese call softly, making the water their home. Male and female in harmony; their hearts' delight is contentment. They obtain what they desire; all affliction is cut away.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Heaven stored within the mountain transforms into fire above wind — the Cauldron. Wild ducks and geese call out contentedly, making the water their home. Male and female pair harmoniously, their hearts delighting in one another. They find what they desire and leave behind all trouble and evil. The image is of waterfowl perfectly suited to their element — an emblem of natural harmony. The Cauldron raises raw material through fire into nourishing transformation. From Great Taming to the Cauldron, the mountain's stored heaven becomes the vessel of civilized refinement. What was accumulated raw is now cooked and served: wild nature finds its home in cultivated order. The paired geese embody the Cauldron's promise — proper placement yields lasting contentment.
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