益 → 蠱
Hexagram 42: Increase → Hexagram 18: Work on the Decayed
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 3, 5).
Line 1
初九 利用為大作。元吉无咎。
Nine at the beginning means: It furthers one to accomplish great deeds. Supreme good fortune. No blame.
Line 2
六二 或益之十朋之龜。弗克違。永貞吉。王用享于帝吉。
Six in the second place means: Someone does indeed increase him; Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it. Constant perseverance brings good fortune. The king presents him before God. Good fortune.
Line 3
六三 益之用凶事。无咎。有孚中行。告公用圭。
Six in the third place means: One is enriched through unfortunate events. No blame, if you are sincere And walk in the middle, And report with a seal to the prince.
Line 5
九五 有孚惠心。勿問元吉。有孚惠我德。
Nine in the fifth place means: If in truth you have a kind heart, ask not. Supreme good fortune. Truly, kindness will be recognized as your virtue.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
去患脫厄，安无怵惕。上福喜堂，見我懽悅。
Troubles dispelled and hardship shed, peaceful and free from alarm. Ascending to the hall of blessings, we behold each other in joy.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Wind and thunder bestow increase, and the transformation leads to the mountain standing above wind — the corrective work of Repairing the Decayed. Troubles and perils are swept away; one rests free from anxiety and alarm. Ascending to the hall of blessings, the speaker is greeted with delight and celebration. The verse traces a clean arc from danger to relief: what was once a source of dread has been thoroughly removed, and the household can rejoice. From Increase to Work on the Decayed, the connection is precise. Gu represents corruption that must be addressed — the wind beneath the mountain has stagnated. The verse captures the moment after the repair is complete: the decay has been cleared, the patient healed, and the family gathers in renewed joy. Increase provides the resources; the work of restoration completes the cure.
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