蹇 → 中孚
Hexagram 39: Obstruction → Hexagram 61: Inner Truth
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 3, 6).
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.
Line 3
九三 往蹇來反。
Nine in the third place means: Going leads to obstructions; Hence he comes back.
Line 6
上六 往蹇來碩。吉。利見大人。
Six at the top means: Going leads to obstructions, Coming leads to great good fortune. It furthers one to see the great man.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
登山代輻,虎在我側。王孫无懼,仁見不賊。
Climbing the mountain to repair a wheel spoke, a tiger at my side. The prince is without fear; the benevolent are not harmed.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Water on the mountain tests the traveler's moral nerve. Ascending the mountain to gather wood for wheel-spokes, a tiger appears at one's side. Yet the 'prince's grandson' shows no fear — the benevolent man sees no threat, for 'goodness perceives no harm.' The phrase echoes Confucian teachings on the power of ren (�ate benevolence): the truly virtuous person does not attract violence because his inner state radiates a harmony that even wild beasts respect. This may also echo the story of the filial son who walked among tigers unharmed. From Obstruction to Inner Truth, wind blows over the lake as sincerity touches what cannot be reached by force. The tiger at the traveler's side is the ultimate test of inner truth — one whose sincerity is complete need not fear even the most dangerous encounter.
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