家人 → 明夷
Hexagram 37: The Family → Hexagram 36: Darkening of the Light
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 2 changing lines (lines 5, 6).
Line 5
九五 王假有家。勿恤吉。
Nine in the fifth place means: As a king he approaches his family. Fear not. Good fortune.
Line 6
上九 有孚威如。終吉。
Nine at the top means: His work commands respect. In the end good fortune comes.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
騎豚逐羊，不見所望。經涉虎廬，亡身失羔。
Riding a pig, chasing a sheep, he never catches what he seeks. He passes through the tiger's lair; he loses his life and the lamb.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Wind from fire should light the family's path, but here the light is darkened by futile pursuit. Riding a pig to chase a sheep — the mount is absurd and the quarry elusive. What was hoped for cannot be found. Then the traveler passes through a tiger's den and loses both life and lamb. The verse layers absurdity upon danger: not only is the pursuit ill-conceived, but the path itself leads through mortal peril. From The Family to Darkening of the Light, fire sinks beneath the earth as brightness is deliberately concealed. The wise person uses darkness strategically; but this verse shows someone who stumbles into darkness through foolishness rather than wisdom. The light is not hidden for protection — it is simply extinguished by reckless choices.
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