解 → 屯
Hexagram 40: Deliverance → Hexagram 3: Difficulty at the Beginning
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 4, 5).
Line 1
初六 无咎。
Six at the beginning means: Without blame.
Line 2
九二 田獲三狐。得黃矢。貞吉。
Nine in the second place means: One kills three foxes in the field And receives a yellow arrow. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Line 4
九四 解而拇。朋至斯孚。
Nine in the fourth place means: Deliver yourself from your great toe. Then the companion comes, And him you can trust.
Line 5
六五 君子維有解。吉。有孚于小人。
Six in the fifth place means: If only the superior man can deliver himself, It brings good fortune. Thus he proves to inferior men that he is in earnest.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
孟伯食長，懼其畏王。賴四蒙五，抱福歸房。
Meng Bo feasts on the eldests portion, fearing the kings displeasure. Relying on the fourth and fifth, he embraces good fortune and returns to his chamber.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Thunder over water releases into the gathering storm of new beginnings. The verse likely alludes to succession struggles among feudal lords: the eldest takes the larger portion but fears the king's displeasure. By relying on the fourth and fifth — perhaps loyal ministers or younger brothers — he secures blessings and returns safely home. The imagery suggests a political settlement where hierarchy is negotiated under pressure. From Deliverance to Difficulty at the Beginning, the release of one crisis births another: clouds and thunder churn as new order struggles to emerge. Yet the verse's resolution is positive — blessings are gathered precisely through alliance and deference.
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