損 → 臨
Hexagram 41: Decrease → Hexagram 19: Approach
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 1 changing line (line 6).
Line 6
上九 弗損益之。无咎。貞吉。利有攸往。得臣无家。
Nine at the top means: If one is increased without depriving others, There is no blame. Perseverance brings good fortune. It furthers one to undertake something. One obtains servants But no longer has a separate home.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
元吉无咎，安寧不殆。
Supremely auspicious, without blame; peaceful and tranquil, free from peril.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Mountain above lake yields to earth above lake — Approach, where authority descends with benevolent oversight. 'Supremely auspicious, no blame, peaceful and free from danger.' The verse is among the shortest in the corpus, consisting entirely of formulaic blessings. No allusion, no narrative — only the calm assurance of safety. From Decrease to Approach, the mountain steps back and the earth advances to meet the lake from above. Approach means drawing near with care: a superior attending to what is below. The terseness of the verse mirrors the effortlessness of the transition — when Decrease has done its work of clearing away excess, Approach arrives without drama. Peace is not won but inherited, the natural consequence of prior restraint.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store