晉 → 遯
Hexagram 35: Progress → Hexagram 33: Retreat
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 2 changing lines (lines 3, 5).
Line 3
六三 眾允悔亡。
Six in the third place means: All are in accord. Remorse disappears.
Line 5
六五 悔亡。失得勿恤。往吉无不利。
Six in the fifth place means: Remorse disappears. Take not gain and loss to heart. Undertakings bring good fortune. Everything serves to further.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
千里騂駒，為王服車，嘉其驪榮，君子有成。
A thousand-li red-maned colt; it pulls the king’s chariot. Praising its splendid glory; the gentleman achieves success.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire rises above the earth, and a thousand-li sorrel colt is harnessed to serve the king's chariot. Its glossy dark mane is praised, and the gentleman achieves success. The verse celebrates a fine horse recognized and employed at the highest level — a metaphor for talent discovered and put to worthy use. The sorrel colt running a thousand li echoes the classical trope of the 'thousand-li horse' that requires a Bole to recognize it. From Progress to Retreat, the transformation adds nuance. Heaven above the mountain suggests the gentleman distancing himself from petty men. The horse that serves the king's chariot does so precisely because it knows when to advance and when to withdraw — its value lies not in ceaseless running but in the dignity of measured service.
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