蹇 → 恆
Hexagram 39: Obstruction → Hexagram 32: Duration
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 2, 4, 5).
Line 2
六二 王臣蹇蹇。匪躬之故。
Six in the second place means: The King's servant is beset by obstruction upon obstruction, But it is not his own fault.
Line 4
六四 往蹇來連。
Six in the fourth place means: Going leads to obstructions, Coming leads to union.
Line 5
九五 大蹇朋來。
Nine in the fifth place means: In the midst of the greatest obstructions, Friends come.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
鳥鵲食穀，張口受哺。蒙被恩德，長大成就。柔順利貞，君臣合好。
Magpies eat grain, mouths open to receive their feeding. Covered in kindness and virtue, they grow to full achievement. Gentle and steadfast; lord and minister in harmony.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Water on the mountain nurtures what patience sustains. Young magpies eat grain with mouths open for feeding, receiving grace and nourishment from their parents. Covered in kindness, they grow to full maturity and achievement. The verse then declares: soft compliance and steadfast rectitude bring harmony between ruler and minister. The fledgling-to-adult arc mirrors the transformation of obstruction into enduring constancy. From Obstruction to Duration, thunder and wind reinforce one another in an unceasing cycle. Duration is not static permanence but dynamic continuity — the same pattern reproduced faithfully over time. The birds that began as helpless chicks, fed by another's grace, grow into creatures that will feed the next generation. Obstruction becomes duration when the nourishment received is transformed into nourishment given.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store