夬 → 大壯
Hexagram 43: Breakthrough → Hexagram 34: Great Power
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 1 changing line (line 5).
Line 5
九五 莧陸夬夬。中行无咎。
Nine in the fifth place means: In dealing with weeds, Firm resolution is necessary. Walking in the middle Remains free of blame.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
四足俱走，奴疲在後。德戰不勝，敗於東楚。
Four hooves all running; the servant trails behind, exhausted. Virtue fails in battle; defeated in the east of Chu.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven charges into the thunder booming above heaven. A four-legged beast runs at full gallop; the servant, exhausted, trails behind. Virtue fights a battle and loses, defeated in the eastern reaches of Chu. The verse tracks a headlong rush that ends in failure — the mount charges ahead, the retainer cannot keep pace, and the final battle is lost despite moral conviction. From Breakthrough to Great Power, the thunder above heaven doubles yang energy into overwhelming force. But Great Power's danger is precisely the reckless charge: the ram that butts the hedge and gets its horns stuck. The verse embodies this trap. Raw power without strategic coordination — the horse outrunning its rider, courage outpacing capacity — ensures defeat even in a righteous cause.
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