蹇 → 需
Hexagram 39: Obstruction → Hexagram 5: Waiting
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 2 changing lines (lines 1, 2).
Line 1
初六 往蹇來譽。
Six at the beginning means: Going leads to obstructions, Coming meets with praise.
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.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
潔齊沐浴，思明君德。哀公怯弱，風氏復北。
Purified and bathed in ritual cleansing, contemplating a wise lord's virtue. Duke Ai was timid and weak; the Feng clan was driven north again.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Water lies upon the mountain as one purifies body and mind through ritual bathing, yearning for an enlightened sovereign's virtue. Yet Duke Ai proves feeble and irresolute, and the Feng clan retreats northward in defeat. The verse contrasts pious aspiration with political failure: the devotee prepares with utmost sincerity, but the ruler cannot sustain the mandate. 'Duke Ai' likely refers to a weak ruler archetype, and the Feng clan's northward flight suggests military collapse under poor leadership. From Obstruction to Waiting, water shifts from the mountain's surface to clouds suspended above heaven. Waiting demands trust that nourishment will come — but the verse warns that without capable leadership, even the most devout preparation yields only retreat. The clouds gather, but rain never falls.
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