夬 → 師
Hexagram 43: Breakthrough → Hexagram 7: The Army
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 3, 4, 5).
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 4
九四 臀无膚。其行次且。牽羊悔亡。聞言不信。
Nine in the fourth place means: There is no skin on his thighs, And walking comes hard. If a man were to let himself be led like a sheep, Remorse would disappear. But if these words are heard They will not be believed.
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
青牛白咽，呼我俱田。歷山之下，可以多耕。歲稔時節，民人安寧。
The blue ox with white throat calls us to the fields together. Below Mount Li, much can be plowed. When the harvest ripens in season, the people dwell in peace.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven settles into the disciplined depths of water within earth. A green ox with a white throat calls out, inviting its companion to the fields. Below Mount Li — the very mountain where Emperor Shun once plowed — the soil is rich and much can be tilled. When the harvest is abundant and the season favorable, the people rest in peace. The verse recalls Shun's agrarian origins, connecting righteous labor to communal prosperity. From Breakthrough to the Army, decisive action is channeled into organized, collective endeavor. The army's image is water contained within earth: disciplined strength directed toward sustaining the multitude. Resolution here is not a single dramatic stroke but the steady marshaling of resources that brings abundance to all.
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