家人 → 蹇
Hexagram 37: The Family → Hexagram 39: Obstruction
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 2 changing lines (lines 1, 6).
Line 1
初九 閑有家。悔亡。
Nine at the beginning means: Firm seclusion within the family. Remorse disappears.
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
五方四維，平安不危。利以居止，保有玉女。
The five directions and four quarters, peaceful and without peril. Fit to dwell and settle; he keeps and holds a jade-like maiden.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Wind from fire extends the family's protective warmth in all directions. The five cardinal points and four corners of the world are peaceful and free from danger. The place is favorable for dwelling, and one retains a precious daughter. This is a verse of comprehensive security — not dramatic triumph but the quiet assurance that all quadrants are stable and the household is complete. The 'jade maiden' may represent either a literal daughter or a metaphor for something precious kept safe within the home. From The Family to Obstruction, water gathers upon the mountain, blocking the path forward. Yet the verse suggests that obstruction need not mean suffering: when the home is secure and the family intact, being unable to advance is not hardship but contentment. Sometimes the wisest response to obstruction is simply to stay where one is and cherish what one has.
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