遯 → 復
Hexagram 33: Retreat → Hexagram 24: Return
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 5 changing lines (lines 1, 3, 4, 5, 6).
Line 1
初六 遯尾厲。勿用有攸往。
Six at the beginning means: At the tail in retreat. This is dangerous. One must not wish to undertake anything.
Line 3
九三 係遯。有疾厲。畜臣妾吉。
Nine in the third place means: A halted retreat Is nerve-wracking and dangerous. To retain people as men- and maidservants Brings good fortune.
Line 4
九四 好遯。君子吉。小人否。
Nine in the fourth place means: Voluntary retreat brings good fortune to the superior man And downfall to the inferior man.
Line 5
九五 嘉遯貞吉。
Nine in the fifth place means: Friendly retreat. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Line 6
上九 肥遯无不利。
Nine at the top means: Cheerful retreat. Everything serves to further.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
百足俱行，相輔為強，三聖翼事，王室寵光。
A thousand firefly sparks light the way for the returning traveler. Though the dark road is long, many small lights become a lamp.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Heaven above the mountain returns as thunder stirring within the earth — Return, the first pulse of renewal. The original verse reads: 'A hundred feet march together, mutual support makes strength. Three sages assist the enterprise, and the royal house shines with favor.' The hundred-footed creature thrives because each leg supports the others — collective action, not isolated retreat. The 'three sages' likely refers to the Duke of Zhou, the Duke of Shao, and Taigong, who together stabilized the young Zhou dynasty after King Wu's death. From Retreat to Return, the solitary mountain rejoins the rumbling earth. The verse insists that return is not a solo act: it requires allies, a network of mutual reinforcement, and the coordinated effort of multiple sages working as one.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store