咸 → 未濟
Hexagram 31: Influence → Hexagram 64: Before Completion
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 2, 3, 5, 6).
Line 2
六二 咸其腓。凶。居吉。
Six in the second place means: The influence shows itself in the calves of the legs. Misfortune. Tarrying brings good fortune.
Line 3
九三 咸其股。執其隨。往吝。
Nine in the third place means: The influence shows itself in the thighs. Holds to that which follows it. To continue is humiliating.
Line 5
九五 咸其脢。无悔。
Nine in the fifth place means: The influence shows itself in the back of the neck. No remorse.
Line 6
上六 咸其輔頰舌。
Six at the top means: The influence shows itself in the jaws, cheeks, and tongue.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
秋梁未成，無以至陳，水深難涉，使我不前。
The autumn bridge is not yet finished; there is no way to reach Chen. The water runs deep, hard to ford; it keeps me from going forward.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
A lake upon a mountain, but the crossing remains unbuilt. The autumn bridge is not yet finished, and there is no way to reach the state of Chen. The water runs too deep to ford, holding the traveler back from advancing. Every image is one of incompletion: the bridge half-built, the river uncrossed, the destination unreached. 'Autumn bridge' (秋梁) suggests a seasonal structure — perhaps a pontoon bridge that should be erected after the autumn floods recede but has not been completed in time. From Influence to Before Completion, the mountain's receptive openness becomes fire above water — the elements visible to each other but not yet in their proper relationship. The verse is a precise emblem of Before Completion's essence: everything can be seen, the destination is known, but the final step that would bring order has not yet been taken.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store