夬 → 未濟
Hexagram 43: Breakthrough → Hexagram 64: Before Completion
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 3, 5, 6).
Line 1
初九 壯于前趾。往不勝為咎。
Nine at the beginning means: Mighty in the forward-striding toes. When one goes and is not equal to the task, One makes a mistake.
Line 3
九三 壯于頄。有凶。君子夬夬。獨行遇雨。若濡有慍。无咎。
Nine in the third place means: To be powerful in the cheekbones Brings misfortune. The superior man is firmly resolved. He walks alone and is caught in the rain. He is bespattered, And people murmur against him. No blame.
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.
Line 6
上六 无號。終有凶。
Six at the top means: No cry. In the end misfortune comes.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
東失大珠，西行棄襦。時多不利，使我後起。
In the east, losing the great pearl; heading west, discarding the robe. The times are mostly unfavorable; they make me rise too late.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven wavers as fire hovers above water, not yet across. Losing a great pearl in the east, discarding one's jacket heading west. The times are mostly unfavorable, causing one to rise late and fall behind. The verse is a study in compounding loss: a treasure dropped in one direction, essential clothing abandoned in another, and the pervasive bad luck of an era that refuses to cooperate. Nothing is gained; everything slips away. From Breakthrough to Before Completion, the decisive moment fails to reach its conclusion. Fire above water: the two elements cannot yet achieve their proper exchange. The crossing remains unfinished, and the traveler — stripped of pearl and robe — stumbles forward into an age that has not yet found its shape.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store