中孚

Hexagram 39: Obstruction → Hexagram 61: Inner Truth

Obstruction
Water / Mountain
中孚
Inner Truth
Wind / Lake
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 3, 6).

Line 1

初六 往蹇來譽。

wǎng(if
jiǎn(is) impassable
lái(then) coming (back)
praise(worthy)

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。

wáng(a
chénminister
jiǎn(is
jiǎn(and) interrupted
fěi(but
gōnga person
zhīone ...'s
cause

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。

wǎng(if
jiǎn(is) impassable
lái(then) coming (back)
fǎnturning around

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。

wǎng(if
jiǎn(is) impassable
lái(then) coming (back)
shuòripeness
promising

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

Upper TrigramWater WindThe Deep → The Gentle
Lower TrigramMountain LakeKeeping Still → The Joyous

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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