明夷 → 觀
Hexagram 36: Darkening of the Light → Hexagram 20: Contemplation
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 3, 5, 6).
Line 1
初九 明夷于飛。垂其翼。君子于行。三日不食。有攸往。主人有言。
Nine at the beginning means: Darkening of the light during flight. He lowers his wings. The superior man does not eat for three days On his wanderings. But he has somewhere to go. The host has occasion to gossip about him.
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 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
德積逢時，宜其美才。相明輔聖，拜受福休。長女不嫁，後為大悔。
Virtue accumulated meets its time; fitting for one of fine talent. Minister and sage assist the holy king; bowing, they receive blessings and grace. The eldest daughter does not marry; later this becomes great regret.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire beneath the earth meets wind moving over the earth — Contemplation, where the ruler surveys the realm from on high. 'Virtue accumulated meets its season; how fitting for such fine talent.' The worthy person gathers merit in obscurity until the moment arrives: 'A brilliant minister assists a sage ruler; blessings are received and honored.' This is the Darkening of the Light's promise for the patient cultivator. Yet the verse pivots with a warning: 'The eldest daughter delays her marriage; later there will be great regret.' Timing is everything — virtue stored too long without deployment becomes wasted opportunity. From Darkening of the Light to Contemplation, the transformation teaches that hidden virtue must eventually be displayed, as wind must eventually blow across the earth for its influence to be felt.
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