恆 → 明夷

Commentary

Thunder above wind, Duration's enduring effort, sinks into earth above fire — Darkening of the Light. In winter one gathers faint orchids, but the ground is frozen hard. Fleeing north proves futile; by dusk, nothing has been gained. The verse captures effort misapplied to an impossible season: orchids cannot be picked from frozen soil, and the winter traveler returns empty-handed at nightfall. Duration's persistence meets a world where conditions fundamentally prohibit success — not through lack of effort but through misalignment with natural timing. From Duration to Darkening of the Light, the steady flame is buried beneath the earth. Light enters the ground and goes dark; the orchid's fragrance is locked in frost. Persisting when illumination has been extinguished yields only exhaustion.