蹇 → 隨
Hexagram 39: Obstruction → Hexagram 17: Following
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 1, 3, 4).
Line 1
初六 往蹇來譽。
Six at the beginning means: Going leads to obstructions, Coming meets with praise.
Line 3
九三 往蹇來反。
Nine in the third place means: Going leads to obstructions; Hence he comes back.
Line 4
六四 往蹇來連。
Six in the fourth place means: Going leads to obstructions, Coming leads to union.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
鄉歲逢時，與生為期。枝葉盛茂，君子无憂。
The village harvest meets its season, bringing life in due time. Branches and leaves flourish abundantly; the gentleman is free from worry.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Water on the mountain relents as the seasons turn favorable. The local harvest meets its proper time, and life aligns with the rhythm of growth. Branches and leaves flourish luxuriantly, and the superior person has nothing to worry about. This is one of the Yilin's simplest blessings: when the right season arrives, what was obstructed finds its natural course. No heroic intervention is required — just the patience to wait for spring. From Obstruction to Following, lake rests above thunder as the natural world responds to the season's call. Following means moving with the current rather than against it; the verse captures this perfectly. The blocked mountain path simply becomes a verdant hillside when the calendar turns, and the wise person follows nature's timing rather than forcing premature action.
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