益 → 鼎
Hexagram 42: Increase → Hexagram 50: The Cauldron
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 5 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 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 4
六四 中行。告公從。利用為依遷國。
Six in the fourth place means: If you walk in the middle And report the prince, He will follow. It furthers one to be used In the removal of the capital.
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
仁德孔明，患禍不傷。期誓不至，室人衘恤。
Benevolent virtue, bright as Kongming — disaster and misfortune cause no harm. The promised one does not arrive; the household grieves in quiet sorrow.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Wind and thunder bestow increase, and the transformation leads to fire above wind — the consecrated vessel of the Cauldron. Benevolent virtue shines bright as Kongming; disasters and calamities cannot cause harm. Yet the sworn pledge fails to arrive on time, and the household is filled with anxiety and grief. The first half celebrates the protective power of accumulated virtue — the luminous goodness that repels misfortune. But the second half pivots: despite this moral armor, someone expected does not appear, and worry overtakes the household. From Increase to the Cauldron, the vessel is properly positioned and the fire burns beneath it, yet the offering is incomplete because a crucial element is missing. The cauldron can transform raw into refined only when all ingredients are present. Virtue alone does not suffice if the anticipated commitment fails to materialize.
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