明夷 → 履
Hexagram 36: Darkening of the Light → Hexagram 10: Treading
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 5 changing lines (lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).
Line 2
六二 明夷。夷于左股。用拯馬壯吉。
Six in the second place means: Darkening of the light injures him in the left thigh. He gives aid with the strength of a horse. Good fortune.
Line 3
九三 明夷于南狩。得其大首。不可疾貞。
Nine in the third place means: Darkening of the light during the hunt in the south. Their great leader is captured. One must not expect perseverance too soon.
Line 4
六四 入于左腹。獲明夷之心。于出門庭。
Six in the fourth place means: He penetrates the left side of the belly. One gets at the very heart of the darkening of the light, And leaves gate and courtyard.
Line 5
六五 箕子之明夷。利貞。
Six in the fifth place means: Darkening of the light as with Prince Chi. Perseverance furthers.
Line 6
上六 不明晦。初登于天。後入于地。
Six at the top means: Not light but darkness. First he climbed up to heaven, Then plunged into the depths of the earth.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
旦樹菽豆，暮成藿羹，心之所樂，志快心歡。
At dawn he plants beans and pulses; by evening they become a stew of greens. What the heart delights in; the will is glad and the spirit joyful.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire concealed beneath the earth steps forth onto the path of heaven above the lake — Treading, where one walks carefully among greater powers. The verse paints a scene of humble contentment: 'Plant beans at dawn, by evening enjoy bean-leaf soup. What the heart delights in, the spirit rejoices.' This is the satisfaction of self-sufficiency, where planting and harvesting within a single day symbolize immediate fulfillment from modest effort. No grand ambition, no dangerous climb — just the rhythm of earth yielding its gifts. From Darkening of the Light to Treading, the transformation shows that walking carefully through a darkened world need not be grim. The one who treads lightly finds joy in small harvests, stepping alongside greater forces without provoking them.
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