睽 → 師
Hexagram 38: Opposition → Hexagram 7: The Army
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 1, 4, 6).
Line 1
初九 悔亡。喪馬勿逐自復。見惡人。无咎。
Nine at the beginning means: Remorse disappears. If you lose your horse, do not run after it; It will come back of its own accord. When you see evil people, Guard yourself against mistakes.
Line 4
九四 睽孤。遇元夫。交孚。厲无咎。
Nine in the fourth place means: Isolated through opposition, One meets a like-minded man With whom one can associate in good faith. Despite the danger, no blame.
Line 6
上九 睽孤。見豕負塗。載鬼一車。先張之弧。後說之弧。匪寇婚媾。往遇雨則吉。
Nine at the top means: Isolated through opposition, One sees one's companion as a pig covered with dirt, As a wagon full of devils. First one draws a bow against him, then one lays the bow aside. He is not a robber; he will woo at the right time. As one goes, rain falls; then good fortune comes.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
懿公淺愚，不深受謀。无援失國，為狄所賊。
Duke Yi was shallow and foolish; he did not deeply heed counsel. Without allies he lost his state; destroyed by the Di barbarians.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire above the lake exposes what others would conceal. Duke Yi of Wei was shallow and foolish, indulging his passion for cranes while spurning all counsel. According to the Zuo Zhuan, he granted his cranes noble rank and carriages while his soldiers starved for recognition. When the Di barbarians invaded in 660 BC, his own people refused to fight, asking bitterly: 'Let the cranes defend us.' The duke lost his state and his life, devoured by the invaders until only his liver remained. From Opposition to The Army, the lesson cuts deep: water stored within the earth represents a disciplined populace held in reserve. When estrangement between ruler and people festers through misplaced devotion, even the deepest reserves cannot be marshaled for defense.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store