Hexagram 35: Progress → Hexagram 40: Deliverance

Progress
Fire / Earth
Deliverance
Thunder / Water
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 2 changing lines (lines 2, 6).

Line 2

六二 晉如愁如。貞吉。受茲介福。于其王母。

jìn^ expansion
it may seem that v
chóu^ anxious
is to be
zhēnbut persistence
is promising
shòuaccept
these present
jièboundary
as (if
from
one's (own)
wánggrand-
mother [i.e. graciously and gratefully]

Six in the second place means: Progressing, but in sorrow. Perseverance brings good fortune. Then one obtains great happiness from one's ancestress.

Line 6

上九 晉其角。維用伐邑。厲吉无咎。貞吝。

jìnadvancing
one's
jiǎohorns
wéilimit
yòngthis practice
to subjugate
of the home town
that harsh
is promising
is not
jiùto be blamed
zhēnbut persistence
lìnis embarrassment

Nine at the top means: Making progress with the horns is permissible Only for the purpose of punishing one's own city. To be conscious of danger brings good fortune. No blame. Perseverance brings humiliation.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramFire ThunderThe Clinging → The Arousing
Lower TrigramEarth WaterThe Receptive → The Deep

Yilin Verse

解緩不前,慆怠失便;二至之戎,家无禍凶,刻水象形,聞言不信。

Slack and hesitant, not advancing; idle and lax, the moment is lost. Warriors at the solstice; the house has no disaster. Carving water to make a shape; hearing words but not believing them.

— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE

Commentary

Fire rises above the earth, but the pace slackens and forward motion halts. Laziness and delay cause opportunity to slip away. A military campaign reaches the solstice seasons without incident — the household escapes disaster. Yet someone carves on water to make a shape and, hearing words of warning, refuses to believe them. The verse juxtaposes complacency with futility: the sluggard who avoids catastrophe by luck, not skill, then ignores advice because nothing bad has happened yet. Carving on water — the perfect image of self-deception. From Progress to Deliverance, the transformation offers release, but only for those willing to act. Thunder and rain break the tension; forgiveness flows. Yet the one who will not hear warnings remains trapped in his own dissolving sculpture.

The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store

Related Pages