Transformations of Hexagram 43
Every line of change out of Hexagram 43 夬 Breakthrough, with the Yilin verse for each of the 64 resulting hexagrams, its translation, and the original ink brush artwork.
夬 → 乾
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 1: The Creative
Changing lines: 6
狼戾美謀，无言不殊。允厭帝心，悅以獲佑。
The wolf is cruel yet cunning in counsel; no word fails to prove decisive. Truly it pleases the emperor's heart; with joy one receives his blessing.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven — a single yin line at the top is about to be expelled. The verse invokes a wolf's cunning schemes, each plan more vicious than the last, yet none succeeds in dividing the court. The decisive leader sees through every stratagem and wins the confidence of the sovereign, earning lasting favor and joy. 'Allowing to fill the emperor's heart' echoes the rhetoric of loyal ministers whose frank counsel prevails over treachery. From Breakthrough to the Creative, the pattern is one of decisive elimination giving way to pure, self-generating initiative. Once the last trace of corruption is cut away, what remains is undivided strength — heaven doubled, the creative power that drives itself forward without external support.
夬 → 坤
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 2: The Receptive
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
歲暮花落，陽入陰室。萬物伏匿，絕不可得。
At year's end flowers fall; the yang enters the chamber of yin. The ten thousand things lie hidden; utterly beyond reach.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven descends into the deepest receptivity. As the year wanes and flowers fall, yang withdraws into the chamber of yin. All living things hide away, impossible to find. This is the winter solstice landscape — nature at its most withdrawn, the creative force gone entirely underground. The imagery of blossoms dropping and creatures vanishing evokes the seasonal death that precedes renewal. From Breakthrough to the Receptive, decisive action exhausts itself and yields to pure receptivity. The five yang lines that once pressed forward now give way to six yin: the field lies fallow, the earth waits in silence, and nothing can be forced from it. Even the most resolute breakthrough must eventually surrender to the season.
夬 → 屯
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 3: Difficulty at the Beginning
Changing lines: 2, 3, 4
雞鳴失時，君騷相憂。犬吠不休，行者稽留。
The cock crows out of time; lord and minister fret together. The dog barks without cease; the traveler is delayed.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake above heaven presses down as thunder stirs beneath gathering clouds. The rooster crows at the wrong hour, alarming both ruler and ministers; the dog barks without ceasing, delaying travelers on the road. Untimely signals and false alarms create confusion — no one can distinguish real danger from mere noise. The rooster crowing out of time is a classical sign of disordered governance, while the restless dog traps the traveler in anxious indecision. From Breakthrough to Difficulty at the Beginning, decisive clarity dissolves into primordial confusion. What was once a clean stroke of resolution becomes entangled in the stormy chaos of new beginnings, where every direction seems blocked and forward motion requires patient endurance rather than swift action.
夬 → 蒙
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 4: Youthful Folly
Changing lines: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
鳧鷖遊涇，君子以寧。履德不愆，福祿來成。
A jade-green lake, windless, flat as a mirror. A white egret stands on a rock, calling without alarm. Weeping willows half-conceal a thatched pavilion — one pot of clear wine, accompanied by the bright moon.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven yields to the spring that emerges beneath the mountain. The original verse reads: 'Wild ducks and gulls swim the Jing River; the gentleman finds peace. Walking in virtue without error, blessings and good fortune come to completion.' Waterfowl glide peacefully on clear water, embodying the naturalness of one who lives in accord with principle. There is no striving, only a quiet alignment with what is right — and from this, prosperity follows of itself. From Breakthrough to Youthful Folly, decisive force gives way to innocence and discovery. The spring emerging from the mountain's base does not force its path; it simply flows where the terrain allows. True peace comes not from breaking through obstacles but from the unstudied simplicity of correct conduct.
夬 → 需
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 5: Waiting
Changing lines: 4
薄為藩蔽，勁風吹卻，欲上不得，復歸其宅。
A thin fence serves as barrier; the fierce wind blows it away. Wishing to ascend but unable; one returns again to one's dwelling.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven meets the clouds that gather before heaven. A thin fence serves as shelter, but a fierce wind blows it aside. The climber reaches upward but cannot gain purchase, and falls back to where he started. The barrier is too flimsy to protect, and the ambition too slight for the storm it faces. From Breakthrough to Waiting, decisive action meets the necessity of patience. The cloud hangs above heaven but has not yet released its rain — the moment is not ripe. One who pushes forward against a headwind with only a grass screen for protection will inevitably be driven back. The verse counsels returning home to wait for better conditions rather than spending oneself against an unready sky.
夬 → 訟
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 6: Conflict
Changing lines: 1, 3, 6
東行破車，步入危家。衡門垂倒，无以為主。賣袍續食，糟糠不飽。
Traveling east, the cart breaks down; on foot one enters a house of peril. The crossbeam gate hangs near collapse; there is no one to serve as master. Selling one's robe to continue eating; even chaff and husks do not suffice.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven crashes down as heaven and water diverge. Traveling east, the cart breaks apart; one stumbles on foot into a dangerous household. The crossbar of the gate hangs crooked, about to collapse — there is no master here. Selling one's robe just to eat, yet even chaff and husks do not fill the belly. Every detail paints destitution compounding itself: transportation fails, shelter crumbles, sustenance runs out. From Breakthrough to Conflict, the clean stroke of decisive action gives way to the crossed purposes of heaven moving one way and water another. What should have been a liberating resolution instead leaves its subject stranded, dispossessed, and contending with forces that pull in opposite directions.
夬 → 師
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 7: The Army
Changing lines: 1, 3, 4, 5
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 BC
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.
夬 → 比
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 8: Holding Together
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 4
異國殊俗，情不相得。金木為仇，百賊擅殺。
Foreign lands with alien customs; their natures cannot accord. Metal and wood are sworn enemies; a hundred brigands slaughter at will.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven confronts the surface tension of water resting upon earth. Foreign kingdoms with alien customs — their hearts cannot meet. Metal and wood are natural enemies in the five-phase cycle, and a hundred bandits seize the power to kill. The verse depicts radical incompatibility: nations whose ways are so different that alliance is impossible, elements locked in destructive opposition, and violence filling the vacuum where trust should be. From Breakthrough to Holding Together, the irony is sharp. Holding Together requires genuine mutual affinity, yet this verse shows its dark inverse — forced proximity without shared ground. When the decisive stroke of Breakthrough fails to establish common purpose, what follows is not unity but predatory chaos.
夬 → 小畜
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 9: Small Taming
Changing lines: 4, 6
陰陽精液，高熟晚拆。治卵成鬼，肇生頭目。日有大喜。
The vital essences of yin and yang; nurtured at height, splitting late. The gestated egg becomes a spirit; head and eyes begin to form. A day of great rejoicing.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven disperses into the gentle taming of wind above heaven. Yin and yang essences mingle; what is high ripens and what is late unfolds. The incubated egg transforms, bringing forth a spirit; eyes and head begin to form. A day of great joy arrives. The imagery traces gestation — cosmic fluids combining, an embryo quickening, features emerging from formlessness. This is creation at its most intimate: the mystery of life assembling itself within the shell. From Breakthrough to Small Taming, the dramatic force of resolution refines into the wind's patient cultivation. The gentle breeze above heaven does not shatter; it shapes and nurtures, allowing what is nascent to develop in its own time.
夬 → 履
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 10: Treading
Changing lines: 3, 6
飢蠱作害，偏多亂纏，緒不可得。
Hunger and pestilence bring harm; confusion overwhelms on every side. The tangled threads cannot be found.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven gives way to treading carefully beneath it. Hunger breeds vermin that cause harm; complications multiply and twist together until no thread can be found. The verse is terse and bleak — famine invites pestilence, and pestilence breeds disorder so tangled that no clear path through it remains. The gu-worms of starvation eat away at every attempt to sort things out. From Breakthrough to Treading, the decisive break must yield to cautious, step-by-step conduct. Treading means walking on the tiger's tail without being bitten — it demands propriety and care. But here the ground is so corrupted by want and confusion that even careful steps find no purchase. The mess must first be acknowledged before any proper path can be discerned.
夬 → 泰
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 11: Peace
Changing lines: 4, 5
清冷如雲，為兵導先。民人冤急，不知西東。
Cold and clear as cloud, it leads the vanguard of war. The common people cry in anguish, not knowing west from east.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven meets the great exchange of earth below and heaven above. Cold and clear as clouds, the vanguard leads the army forward. But the common people cry out in panic, not knowing east from west. Military force sweeps through like freezing mist — effective as a spearhead yet devastating to those caught in its path. The people are disoriented, overwhelmed by the speed of events. From Breakthrough to Peace, the promise is that heaven and earth will eventually meet in harmonious exchange. But the verse captures the violent transitional moment when old order is shattered before new peace can settle. Resolution requires upheaval, and those on the ground suffer the chaos of forces they cannot control.
夬 → 否
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 12: Standstill
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 6
班馬旋師，以息勞疲。役夫嘉喜，入戶見妻。
The piebald horses wheel the army home, to rest from toil and weariness. The conscript laborer rejoices greatly; entering the door, he sees his wife.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven stiffens into the standstill of heaven above earth. The army wheels its horses and turns homeward to rest its weary troops. The conscript laborers rejoice — they enter their gates and see their wives again. 'Wheeling horses to withdraw the army' evokes the classical military order to stand down, the campaign concluded. From Breakthrough to Standstill, the decisive stroke has been delivered, and now heaven and earth no longer communicate. But the verse reads this withdrawal positively: the soldiers' joy at returning home reframes Standstill not as stagnation but as earned rest. Sometimes the most decisive act is knowing when to stop, pull back, and let exhausted forces recover behind closed doors.
夬 → 同人
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 13: Fellowship
Changing lines: 2, 6
坐爭立訟，紛紛匈匈。卒成禍亂，災及家公。
In the hall dividing the estate — bowls and plates smashed. In the courtyard, shouting and pointing, startling the neighbor's chickens. In the magistrate's court, kin become enemies — the family fortune scattered, each going their separate way.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven meets fire blazing beneath the open sky. The original verse reads: 'Sitting they quarrel, standing they litigate, voices raised in tumult, until catastrophe erupts and disaster reaches the patriarch.' Family disputes escalate from argument to lawsuit to outright ruin, consuming the household. The 'patriarch' who bears the final cost suggests a family head destroyed by factional fighting among his own. From Breakthrough to Fellowship, the transformation is bitterly ironic. Fellowship's image is fire under heaven — luminous unity — yet the verse shows its inverse: people who should be united tear each other apart. The decisive break that should have resolved tension instead fragments the household beyond repair.
夬 → 大有
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 14: Great Possession
Changing lines: 5, 6
鹿食美草，逍遙求飽。日暮後門，過期乃還，肥澤且厭。
The deer feeds on fine grass, wandering at ease to fill its belly. At dusk by the back gate, past the hour it finally returns; sleek, plump, and sated.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven opens into fire blazing high in the sky. A deer grazes on fine grass, wandering at leisure to fill its belly. As evening falls it lingers by the back gate, returning past its time, sleek and satiated to the point of surfeit. The deer knows nothing of urgency — it eats until it can eat no more, heedless of the hour. From Breakthrough to Great Possession, decisive cutting-away yields to overflowing abundance. Fire above heaven illuminates everything one owns, and the verse embodies this through effortless plenty. Yet 'past its time' and 'surfeit' carry a faint warning: even within Great Possession, there is a threshold where contentment shades into excess. The deer, fat and slow, may not see the hunter.
夬 → 謙
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 15: Modesty
Changing lines: 1, 2, 4, 5
田鼠野雛，意常欲去。拘制籠檻，不得搖動。
The field mouse and the wild chick, their hearts always yearning to flee. Confined in cage and pen, they cannot stir or move.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven descends into the mountain hidden within earth. A field mouse and a wild chick forever long to escape. Caged and penned, they cannot stir at all. The wild creatures are trapped — their instinct is to flee but the bars hold them fast. From Breakthrough to Modesty, decisive liberation meets the mountain submerged beneath the earth's surface. Modesty's image is a mountain concealed underground — power voluntarily lowered. But the verse shows the coerced version: not willing humility but forced confinement. The creatures' desire to escape is the yang impulse of Breakthrough remembered within a structure that denies it expression. Modesty taken to its extreme becomes a cage, and the wild heart endures its restraint without peace.
夬 → 豫
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 16: Enthusiasm
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 5
月趍日步，周遍次舍。歷險致遠，无有難處。
Moon by month and sun by day, circling through each lodge in turn. Traversing danger to reach the far; nowhere too difficult to pass.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven yields to thunder surging from the earth. The moon races and the sun strides, circling through every lodging in turn. Traversing dangers to reach distant goals, nowhere is impassable. The celestial bodies follow their ordained courses without hesitation, passing through every degree of the zodiac. No terrain — however perilous — can halt their progress. From Breakthrough to Enthusiasm, decisive action ignites the joyful momentum of thunder breaking free from the earth. The image is one of irresistible forward motion sustained by cosmic rhythm. Where Breakthrough cuts through a single obstacle, Enthusiasm carries that energy into continuous, exuberant advance across the entire circuit of heaven.
夬 → 隨
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 17: Following
Changing lines: 2, 3
天孫帝子，與日月處。光榮於世，福祿祉祉。
Heaven's grandson, the emperor's child, dwelling with the sun and moon. Glorious renown across the world; blessings and fortune abound.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven flows into the lake where thunder rests. The verse invokes 'heaven's grandchild and the emperor's child' — celestial descendants who dwell alongside sun and moon, radiating glory across the world, blessed with inexhaustible fortune. The language suggests the Weaver Maid and other stellar deities of Han cosmology, beings whose luminous station guarantees perpetual blessing. From Breakthrough to Following, decisive action dissolves into willing alignment with natural rhythm. Thunder rests within the lake at dusk, and the gentleman retires to rest — Following means adapting to the moment's call. The celestial heir does not force his glory; it emanates from his station, and others follow the light as naturally as day follows night.
夬 → 蠱
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 18: Work on the Decayed
Changing lines: 1, 4, 5, 6
晨風文翰，大舉就溫。昧過我邑，羿无所得。
Fallen petals follow the water — grab them and they crumble. A butterfly crosses the wall; the spider's web is torn and empty.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven meets the wind trapped beneath the mountain. The original verse reads: 'The morning hawk, patterned and elegant, rises in great flocks toward warmth, passing swiftly over my city — even Archer Yi has nothing to catch.' The hawks migrate in such speed and numbers that even the legendary divine archer Yi cannot bring one down. Swiftness and elusiveness defeat even supreme skill. From Breakthrough to Work on the Decayed, decisive force confronts a situation of accumulated corruption that resists direct assault. The mountain blocks the wind beneath it; decay festers unseen. Like the hawk that outruns the arrow, the root problem escapes every attempt at intervention. Repair requires subtlety, not force.
夬 → 臨
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 19: Approach
Changing lines: 3, 4, 5
旦生夕死，名曰嬰鬼，不可得視。
Morning dew gathers like pearls, but before noon arrives — sunlight comes, wind rises, and leaves bear no trace.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven meets the earth resting upon the lake's approach. The original verse reads: 'Born at dawn, dead by dusk — its name is infant ghost; it cannot be seen.' Something so ephemeral it perishes before it can even be perceived — a life that begins and ends within a single day, leaving no trace. The infant ghost is too fleeting for the eye to catch, a phenomenon that exists below the threshold of observation. From Breakthrough to Approach, the forceful descent of decisive action meets the gentle, encompassing quality of authority approaching from above. Yet the verse warns that what is approached may vanish before contact is made. Some things cannot be grasped by even the most resolute advance; they dissolve at the moment of reaching.
夬 → 觀
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 20: Contemplation
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
疾貧望仕，使伯南販。開牢擇羊，多得大䍧。
Sick with poverty, longing for office; the elder uncle is sent south to trade. Opening the pen to select sheep, he gains many fine large rams.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven opens into the wind sweeping across the earth. Afflicted by poverty, one yearns for an official post, and sends an uncle south to trade. Opening the pen to select sheep, one finds many fine large rams. The verse traces a pragmatic response to hardship: rather than lamenting, the family dispatches a kinsman to commerce and discovers unexpected abundance among the flocks. From Breakthrough to Contemplation, decisive action yields to the surveying gaze of the wind moving over the earth. Contemplation means seeing clearly — and what this observer sees, upon looking carefully into the pen, is wealth hiding in plain sight. The breakthrough was not a dramatic stroke but the simple act of opening the gate and choosing wisely.
夬 → 噬嗑
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 21: Biting Through
Changing lines: 2, 3, 5, 6
長城驪山，生我大殘。涉叔發難，唐叔為患。
The Great Wall and Mount Li, they brought us great ruin. She raised revolt with difficulty; Uncle of Tang became the scourge.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven strikes as lightning and thunder bite through. The Great Wall and Mount Li — those colossal labors that crushed the people under Qin Shi Huang's tyranny. The verse then pivots: 'She Shu raises revolt; Tang Shu becomes a scourge.' The commentarial tradition is uncertain, but the names likely evoke local chieftains or rebel figures whose uprisings compounded the destruction begun by imperial excess. From Breakthrough to Biting Through, decisive power becomes punitive force. Fire and thunder combine to enforce law through penalty — but the verse warns that punishment directed at the wrong target generates only more violence. The wall built to protect becomes the monument of oppression that provokes its own overthrow.
夬 → 賁
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 22: Grace
Changing lines: 2, 4, 5, 6
娶於姜呂，駕迎新婦。少齊在門，夫子歡喜。
The wedding sedan crosses the bridge — firecrackers crack. The red veil covers the bride's face, catching the morning sun. The groom rides his horse, smiling into the wind — at the gate, the old willow is tied with red ribbons.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven adorns itself as fire glows within the mountain. The original verse reads: 'Marrying from the Jiang and Lu clans, the carriage goes to welcome the bride. The young woman of Qi stands at the gate; the husband is overjoyed.' This is a proper aristocratic wedding — the groom dispatches his carriage to the bride's family, and the new wife appears at the threshold amid proper ceremony. The Jiang clan was the ruling house of Qi, suggesting a prestigious match. From Breakthrough to Grace, decisive action gives way to the beauty of proper form. Fire beneath the mountain illuminates without blazing outward. The wedding adorns raw desire with ritual, transforming the biological imperative into cultural splendor.
夬 → 剝
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 23: Splitting Apart
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
隨時春草，舊枝葉起。扶踈條桃，長大美盛，華沃鑠舒。
Spring grass follows the season; old branches put forth new leaves. The peach tree spreads its luxuriant boughs, growing tall, splendid, and grand; its blossoms rich and resplendent.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven settles onto the mountain resting upon earth. Spring grass returns in season, old branches put forth new leaves. Peach trees spread their luxuriant boughs, growing tall and magnificent, blossoms radiant and lush. The imagery is purely vernal — renewal so abundant it seems impossible that anything was ever barren. From Breakthrough to Splitting Apart, the pairing is deeply paradoxical. Splitting Apart's image is the mountain eroding upon the earth, all yang lines stripped away except one. Yet the verse fills this pattern with spring's return, suggesting that even at the moment of greatest structural loss, nature's regenerative power is already at work. The old wood splits, and from the split, new growth emerges more vigorous than before.
夬 → 復
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 24: Return
Changing lines: 2, 3, 4, 5
姬姜既歡，二姓為婚。霜降合好，西施在前。
The Ji and Jiang clans are pleased; the two surnames join in marriage. When frost falls they unite in harmony; Xi Shi stands before them.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven descends into the first thunder stirring underground. The Ji and Jiang clans celebrate, two surnames joined in marriage. As frost descends the union is sealed, and Xi Shi herself stands before them. The Ji were the Zhou royal house; the Jiang, the ruling clan of Qi — their intermarriage was the great diplomatic bond of the Western Zhou. Xi Shi, the legendary beauty of Yue, here serves as the archetype of feminine perfection gracing the occasion. Frost Descent marks the autumn season when marriages were traditionally arranged. From Breakthrough to Return, the decisive act completes its cycle and the first yang line re-enters from below. The wedding is itself a return — two ancient houses renewing their bond as the creative force returns at the darkest hour.
夬 → 无妄
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 25: Innocence
Changing lines: 2, 3, 6
戴笠獨宿，晝不見日。勤苦无代，長勞悲思。
Wearing a straw hat, sleeping alone; by day the sun cannot be seen. Toiling without relief; long labor and sorrowful thoughts.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven faces the thunder rolling under an open sky. Wearing a broad-brimmed hat, sleeping alone, unable to see the sun even in daylight. Toiling without relief, enduring prolonged sorrow and bitter longing. The solitary figure in his straw hat labors under overcast skies — the sun exists but is hidden, as if the heavens have sealed themselves off. There is no substitute worker, no respite, only the grinding repetition of unrelieved effort. From Breakthrough to Innocence, decisive resolution meets the condition of being without guile or protection. Thunder beneath heaven moves without premeditation, but here that rawness manifests as vulnerability. The innocent laborer has no shelter from misfortune — he simply endures, hatted against a sun he cannot see.
夬 → 大畜
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 26: Great Taming
Changing lines: 4, 5, 6
始加元服，二十繫室。新婚既樂，伯季有得。
First receiving the capping ceremony; at twenty, establishing a household. Newly wed and joyful; the eldest and youngest all prosper.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven is gathered into the mountain that stores heaven within. A young man first receives his ceremonial cap — the 'yuan fu' or capping rite marking adulthood at twenty. He then establishes his household in marriage. The newlyweds rejoice, and both elder and younger brothers share in the good fortune. The capping ceremony and wedding follow in proper sequence: maturity confirmed, then family founded, then sibling bonds strengthened. From Breakthrough to Great Taming, the decisive act of cutting away what is corrupt transforms into the patient accumulation of virtue and knowledge. Heaven stored within the mountain represents power held in reserve, cultivated over time. The young man's rites of passage mark the beginning of that lifelong project of self-taming.
夬 → 頤
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 27: Nourishment
Changing lines: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
二室靈臺，文所止遊。雲物備故，長樂无憂。
The twin spirit towers where King Wen would pause and roam. Cloud signs and omens all accounted for; lasting joy without sorrow.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven rests within the mountain that contains thunder below. 'Two chambers and the Spirit Terrace' — the Ling Tai was King Wen's observatory and pleasure ground, celebrated in the Shijing ode of the same name as a place where the people gathered joyfully. The verse pictures a ruler whose spiritual retreat is also a public gift: clouds and creatures are fully provided for, and long happiness knows no sorrow. From Breakthrough to Nourishment, the decisive cut gives way to careful sustenance. Mountain above thunder: the mouth that takes in, the jaws that chew slowly. The Spirit Terrace nourishes both body and spirit — the king's contemplative space feeds the commonwealth, and what enters through proper discernment sustains all without excess.
夬 → 大過
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 28: Great Exceeding
Changing lines: 1
久陰霖雨，塗行泥潦。商人依山，市空无有。
Long overcast with endless rain; the road is mired in mud and flood. The merchant huddles by the mountain; the market is empty with nothing to sell.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven overflows into the lake submerging the wind below. Long rains pour without ceasing, roads turn to mud and slush. Merchants huddle against the hillside, the marketplace stands empty. Prolonged downpour has paralyzed commerce and movement — the world drowns in excess moisture, and all enterprise grinds to a halt. From Breakthrough to Great Exceeding, decisive action tips into dangerous overextension. The lake floods the trees beneath it; the ridgepole sags under impossible weight. What begins as decisive resolution — the lake surging above heaven — becomes a deluge that overwhelms everything in its path. The merchants who should be trading are reduced to sheltering, and the empty market testifies to a system pushed past its structural limits.
夬 → 坎
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 29: The Abysmal Water
Changing lines: 1, 3, 4
城壞壓境，數為齊病。侵伐不休，君臣擾憂。上下屈竭，士民無財。
The walls crumble and crush the border; again and again Qi suffers this affliction. Invasion and attack without cease; lord and minister writhe in worry. Above and below are drained and spent; soldiers and people have no wealth.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven plunges into doubled water, the repeated abyss. City walls crumble, pressing against the border — an affliction that Qi has suffered time and again. Invasions never cease; ruler and ministers fret in turmoil. Above and below are exhausted; soldiers and people have nothing left. The collapse is total: fortifications, treasury, morale, resources — all depleted simultaneously. From Breakthrough to the Abysmal, decisive action falls into the pit from which there is no easy escape. Water upon water, danger compounding danger. The verse captures a state that has broken through one crisis only to plunge into another, deeper one. The walls that should protect now crush; the remedy has become the disease.
夬 → 離
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 30: The Clinging Fire
Changing lines: 2, 5, 6
南國盛茂，黍稷醴酒。可以饗養，樂我嘉友。
The southern land flourishes; millet and grain yield sweet wine. Enough to feast and nourish; to delight our cherished friends.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven brightens into doubled fire, light upon light. The southern lands flourish with lush growth; millet and grain fill the granaries; fine ale and wine flow freely. These offerings nourish and delight cherished friends. The imagery is a harvest feast in the warm south — abundance shared generously among companions. From Breakthrough to the Clinging, the single decisive stroke gives way to the steady radiance of sustained illumination. Fire doubled means clarity that perpetuates itself, great men whose virtue shines in succession across the four directions. The southern richness is not hoarded but distributed in fellowship, each cup of wine another act of light extending itself outward.
夬 → 咸
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 31: Influence
Changing lines: 1, 2
憂在心腹，內崩為疾。禍起蕭墻，意如制國。
Worry dwells in heart and belly; within, it festers into sickness. Disaster rises from behind the inner wall; Yi Ru seizes control of the state.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven descends into the lake resting upon the mountain. Anxiety lodges in the chest; internal collapse becomes disease. 'Disaster arises from within the screen wall' — this quotes Confucius's famous warning from the Analerta, Ji Shi chapter: 'I fear the trouble of the Jisun family lies not in Zhuanyu but within the screen wall itself.' The verse then names Yi Ru — Ji Pingzi, whose personal name was Yi Ru — the powerful Jisun minister who effectively controlled the state of Lu, driving Duke Zhao into exile in 517 BC. From Breakthrough to Influence, the lake atop the mountain should create mutual responsiveness. Instead, the sensitivity that Influence fosters becomes the very channel through which internal treachery spreads — the body politic, open and receptive, admits the poison already within.
夬 → 恆
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 32: Duration
Changing lines: 1, 5
朽根刖樹，花葉落去。卒逢火焱，隨風僵仆。
Rotted roots, a crippled tree; flowers and leaves fall away. Suddenly meeting a wildfire, it collapses stiff with the wind.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven withers into the endurance of thunder and wind. A tree with rotten roots and a severed trunk — flowers and leaves fall away. Then fire suddenly strikes, and the tree topples with the wind, stiff and dead. The verse traces a cascading collapse: internal decay first, then external assault, then final destruction by fire driven by wind. Nothing structural remains to resist. From Breakthrough to Duration, the irony is severe. Duration means standing firm without changing one's ground, yet the verse shows a tree that has lost every source of stability. Root, trunk, foliage, and finally the bare wood itself — consumed by flame and felled by gale. What should endure cannot, because the foundation rotted long before the fire arrived.
夬 → 遯
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 33: Retreat
Changing lines: 1, 2, 6
樹表為壇，相與期言。午中不會，寵名棄廢。
They raised a tree to mark the altar, and pledged to meet with spoken vows. At noon the other does not appear; the honored name is cast aside.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven recedes into heaven rising above the mountain. A tree is stripped and made into an altar; they make a solemn appointment to meet there. But at noon the other party does not appear — the honored name is abandoned and wasted. The stripped tree echoes the Maling Pass inscription, but here the context is a failed oath rather than a military trap. The altar-tree stands as witness to a promise broken, and the one who waited is left with nothing but the disgrace of misplaced trust. From Breakthrough to Retreat, decisive engagement gives way to strategic withdrawal. Heaven above the mountain draws upward and away; the gentleman distances himself from petty men. The verse suggests that sometimes the only resolution is recognizing that the appointment will never be kept.
夬 → 大壯
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 34: Great Power
Changing lines: 5
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 BC
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.
夬 → 晉
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 35: Progress
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
執轡西朝，回還故處。麥秀傷心，叔父无憂。
Gripping the reins, facing west toward court; returning to the old place. The ripening wheat stirs heartache; yet the uncle has no worry.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven emerges as fire breaking above the earth. Holding the reins, one makes a western pilgrimage to court, then turns back to the old homeland. 'The millet grows luxuriantly' — this is the Maixiu song of Viscount Ji, who passed through the ruins of the Shang capital and wept to see its palaces overgrown with grain. His lament for a lost dynasty's grandeur is one of the most famous elegies in Chinese tradition. Yet the verse adds: 'Uncle has no worries.' Someone — perhaps the Viscount of Wei, who accepted Zhou's patronage — finds peace rather than grief. From Breakthrough to Progress, the fire rises above the earth at dawn. The verse suggests that true advancement requires releasing attachment to what has fallen, letting the morning light illuminate the path forward rather than the ruins behind.
夬 → 明夷
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 36: Darkening of the Light
Changing lines: 2, 4, 5
長夜短日，陰為陽賊。萬物空枯，藏於北陸。
The sun sinks half a pole-height and it is dusk. Frost kills every grass, leaving no root. Ice seals the land — not a sign of life; only the north wind makes a weeping sound.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven buries itself as fire sinks into the earth. The original verse reads: 'Long nights and short days; yin becomes the thief of yang. All things wither to emptiness, hidden away in the northern darkness.' This is the winter solstice at its bleakest — the shortest day, the longest night, darkness preying upon light. Nothing grows; everything retreats into the frozen north. From Breakthrough to Darkening of the Light, the decisive expulsion of darkness reverses completely. The bright light that once cut through obstruction now descends into the earth, concealed and wounded. The verse captures the full arc: what was above heaven is now buried underground. Yet Darkening of the Light also means using darkness strategically — the wise man obscures his brilliance to survive, knowing the solstice will turn.
夬 → 家人
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 37: The Family
Changing lines: 2, 4, 6
鳴鳩七子，均而不殆。長大成就，棄而合好。
The cooing dove with seven young, rearing them equally without harm. Grown to full stature, they part and then reunite in harmony.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven flows into the wind that emerges from fire. The turtledove feeds its seven chicks, distributing food evenly without harm to any. The young grow up and succeed, and though they disperse, bonds of affection endure. The turtledove was proverbially fair in feeding — giving each chick its due portion, a model of impartial parenting. Once raised, the fledglings leave the nest yet remain connected through love. From Breakthrough to the Family, decisive external action transforms into the warmth of domestic order. Wind from fire: what burns within radiates outward as gentle influence. The verse presents the ideal family — nourishment distributed justly, children flourishing, separation accepted but harmony preserved. Words have substance; conduct has constancy.
夬 → 睽
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 38: Opposition
Changing lines: 3, 5, 6
三羊上山，馳至大原。黃龍負舟，遂到夷傷，究其玉囊。
Three goats climb the mountain, then gallop to the great plain. A yellow dragon bears the boat, arriving at last in foreign lands; there they find the jade pouch.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven splits into the opposition of fire above and lake below. Three rams climb the mountain and race to the great plain. A yellow dragon bears the boat — but it reaches a place of barbarian harm, where the jade pouch is finally examined. The imagery is riddling and disorienting: pastoral ascent, mythic transport by dragon, then injury in foreign lands. The yellow dragon bearing a boat recalls Yu the Great's legendary river crossing, when a dragon surfaced beneath his vessel. From Breakthrough to Opposition, decisive unity fractures into the tension of divergent elements. Fire and lake pull in opposite directions; what should combine instead separates. The journey that begins in pastoral confidence ends in foreign peril, the treasured contents exposed to hostile scrutiny.
夬 → 蹇
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 39: Obstruction
Changing lines: 1, 2, 4
手足易處，頭尾顛倒。公為雌嫗，亂其蚕織。
Hands and feet trade places; head and tail are turned around. The lord becomes an old woman, throwing the silkworm weaving into disorder.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven stumbles into the water pooling upon the mountain. Hands and feet are switched in place; head and tail are inverted. The lord becomes a crone, ruining the silkworm and weaving work. Everything is upside down — extremities transposed, authority feminized in the classical sense of disordered governance, and the fundamental work of civilization disrupted. Silk production, the domain of the inner quarters, collapses when an incompetent hand takes charge. From Breakthrough to Obstruction, decisive clarity gives way to the mountain blocking the path, water frozen on its peak. The verse embodies Obstruction's core: when the natural hierarchy is reversed and proper roles confused, every attempt at progress meets resistance, and the fabric of society — literally — unravels.
夬 → 解
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 40: Deliverance
Changing lines: 1, 3, 5
登高望家，役事未休。王政靡盬，不得逍遙。
Climbing high, gazing toward home; the labor of service never rests. The king's affairs are ceaseless; one cannot wander free.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven releases into the thunder and rain of deliverance. Climbing to a height, one gazes homeward, but the labor service is not yet done. The king's administration grinds without end — there is no leisure, no wandering at ease. The verse echoes the Shijing soldiers' laments: conscripts who climb a hilltop to look toward home but cannot return because the state's demands are inexhaustible. From Breakthrough to Deliverance, decisive cutting should bring release, yet the verse shows release tantalizingly close but not yet achieved. Thunder and rain have arrived — the storm that clears the air — but the laborer still stands on the ridge, longing. Deliverance means pardoning faults and letting go; the king's government, however, has not yet learned to stop.
夬 → 損
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 41: Decrease
Changing lines: 3, 4, 5, 6
畏昏不行，候待旦明。燎獵受福，老賴其慶。
Fearing the dark, one does not travel; waiting instead for the brightness of dawn. The torchlit hunt bestows its blessings; the elder receives that fortune.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven yields to the mountain standing above the lake. Fearing the darkness, one does not travel but waits for the light of dawn. When the bonfire hunt succeeds, blessings are received, and the elder enjoys his fortune in old age. Prudence before action: the traveler refuses to move in darkness, accepting temporary constraint. When morning comes, the hunt succeeds, and patience is vindicated. From Breakthrough to Decrease, the decisive overflow of yang is tempered by voluntary reduction. The mountain above the lake restrains anger and curbs desire. The verse models this discipline: by sacrificing the impulse to act immediately and waiting for proper conditions, one ultimately gains more than haste would have delivered. Restraint is not passivity but strategic sacrifice.
夬 → 益
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 42: Increase
Changing lines: 2, 3, 4, 6
孤獨特處，莫依无輔，心勞志苦。
Alone and solitary, dwelling apart; with none to rely on, none to help. The heart toils and the spirit suffers.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven disperses into the wind and thunder of increase. Yet the verse describes the opposite of increase: solitary and isolated, with no one to depend on and no support. The heart labors and the will suffers. This is a person who should benefit from the generous downward flow that Increase provides — wind and thunder working together, the ruler diminishing his surplus to enrich those below — but who remains cut off from all sources of aid. From Breakthrough to Increase, the decisive removal of obstacles should open channels for growth. Instead, the subject stands alone in the cleared space, finding that breakthrough without connection yields only emptiness. Increase requires both a giver and a receiver; here, the receiver has no one to receive from.
夬 → 夬
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 43: Breakthrough
No changing lines — the hexagram is unchanged
戴堯扶禹，松喬彭祖。西過王母，道里夷易，无敢難者。
Upholding Yao, supporting Yu; with Song Qiao and Peng Zu. Journeying west past the Queen Mother; the road is smooth and easy. None dares pose a challenge.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake upon heaven meets itself — Breakthrough returning to Breakthrough. The verse invokes the supreme figures of Chinese mythology: supporting Emperor Yao, assisting Yu the Great, accompanied by the immortals Chisongzi and Wang Qiao, journeying westward past the Queen Mother of the West. The road is smooth and easy; no one dares obstruct the way. This is the ultimate pilgrimage — sage-kings and immortals traveling together across the cosmos with effortless authority. From Breakthrough to itself, the pattern is pure decisiveness, undiluted and self-reinforcing. When the decisive principle encounters no contrary force, it becomes a triumphant procession through all of heaven and earth. The one who carries both royal legitimacy and celestial friendship passes unchallenged.
夬 → 姤
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 44: Coming to Meet
Changing lines: 1, 6
山石朽破，消崩墮墜。上下離心，君受其祟。
The mountain stone rots and crumbles, wearing away and falling down. Above and below part in heart; the lord suffers its curse.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven crumbles as the wind infiltrates from below. Mountain rocks decay and shatter, eroding and tumbling downward. Above and below lose trust in each other; the ruler suffers the consequences. The geological imagery is precise: weathered stone breaks apart under its own weight, cascading in landslide. This collapse mirrors the political body — when the bond between ruler and ministers fractures, the structure disintegrates from within. From Breakthrough to Coming to Meet, the decisive expulsion of the single yin line reverses: the yin line now enters from below, uninvited. Coming to Meet warns of the dark force that re-infiltrates after being expelled. The verse captures the moment that decisive victory unravels, as the very foundation one stands upon begins to crumble.
夬 → 萃
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 45: Gathering Together
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3
文母聖子，無疆壽考。為天下主，人受其福。
The wise mother, the sagely son; boundless longevity and long life. Ruling as sovereign of all under heaven; the people receive their blessings.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven gathers into the lake pooling upon the earth. A 'Cultured Mother' and a sagely son — boundless longevity and blessings. They become sovereign of all under heaven, and the people receive their bounty. The 'Cultured Mother' (wen mu) is traditionally identified as Tai Si, wife of King Wen and mother of King Wu, honored in the Shijing for her virtue in raising sons who would found the Zhou dynasty. From Breakthrough to Gathering, the decisive stroke evolves into the natural congregation of people around legitimate authority. The lake upon the earth draws everything to it — water seeks its level, and the people gather where virtue concentrates. A sagely mother's cultivation produces the sovereign whom all willingly follow.
夬 → 升
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 46: Pushing Upward
Changing lines: 1, 4, 5
倔傀加俄，前後相違。言如鱉咳，語不可知。
Stumbling and contradictory; front and back at odds. Speech like a turtle's cough; the words cannot be understood.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven sinks into the wood growing within the earth. Hunched and stumbling, contradicting oneself at every turn. Speech comes out like a turtle's cough — words that no one can understand. The figure is grotesque: a body twisted, tongue garbled, logic incoherent. Nothing this person says or does achieves its intended effect. From Breakthrough to Pushing Upward, the decisive clarity of the lake should channel into the steady, organic growth of wood rising through earth. But the verse inverts this completely: instead of measured ascent, there is confusion and failure. The tree that should push upward in patient increments is here a gnarled, voiceless thing. Growth without clarity of purpose becomes mere contortion.
夬 → 困
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 47: Oppression
Changing lines: 1, 3
五龍俱超，強者敢走。露我苗稼，年歲大有。
Five dragons all soar; the strongest dares to run. They bare our seedling crops; the year yields a great harvest.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven hovers over the lake drained of its water. Five dragons soar together, the strongest daring to run ahead. Dew moistens the crops and grain, and the year's harvest is bountiful. The five dragons may represent the five directional spirits of Han cosmology, their united flight signaling heaven's full engagement with the earth's fertility. Dew falling on the fields is gentle, nourishing moisture — not the violent rain of storms but the subtle gift of dawn. From Breakthrough to Oppression, the irony is complete: Oppression shows a lake without water, a condition of utter depletion. Yet the verse fills this depleted image with dragons and abundant harvest, suggesting that even within exhaustion, breakthroughs of celestial energy can replenish what was empty.
夬 → 井
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 48: The Well
Changing lines: 1, 4
虎除善猛，難為功醫。驥疲鹽車，困於衘箠。
The tiger, though fierce and bold, is hard for any physician to cure. The thoroughbred wearies at the salt cart, exhausted by bit and whip.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven descends into the well whose water rises upon wood. The tiger is fierce and brave, yet difficult to cure when it falls ill. The thoroughbred horse, exhausted on the salt cart, suffers under bit and whip. The verse pairs two images of magnificent power degraded by circumstance. 'The thoroughbred hauling a salt cart' is a famous metaphor from the Zhanguoce: Bole wept upon seeing a thousand-li horse laboring under a salt wagon, its talent wasted. From Breakthrough to the Well, the decisive stroke should reach the deep water that nourishes all. But the verse shows resources misapplied: the tiger's strength cannot be medically treated, the horse's speed is squandered on menial labor. The well exists, but those who most need its water cannot reach it.
夬 → 革
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 49: Revolution
Changing lines: 2
江南多蝮，螫於手足。冤煩詰屈，痛徹心腹。
South of the river, vipers abound; they sting the hands and feet. Grief and torment twist and coil; pain pierces to the heart.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven transforms as fire burns within the lake. The south country teems with vipers that strike at hands and feet. The injustice is galling and convoluted; the pain pierces to the very heart. Southern venomous snakes were a classical image of the dangers faced by exiled officials sent to the subtropical frontier — the real hazard compounding the political wound. From Breakthrough to Revolution, the decisive act meets the transformative upheaval of fire within the lake. Revolution remakes what was: it changes the calendar, redefines the era. But here the revolutionary energy manifests as venom — transformation experienced as torment. The pain is not abstract but visceral, biting into flesh and boring into the chest, a revolution endured in the body.
夬 → 鼎
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 50: The Cauldron
Changing lines: 1, 5, 6
心无所據，射鹿不得。多言少實，語成无事。
The heart has nothing to grasp; shooting at the deer, one misses. Many words, little substance; the talk amounts to nothing.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven settles into the fire burning above the wind. The heart has nothing to anchor it; shooting at a deer, one misses. Many words but little substance — speech accomplishes nothing. The archer fails because his mind has no fixed point of reference; the talker fails because his words have no weight. Both represent action without foundation. From Breakthrough to the Cauldron, the decisive cut should lead to the transformation of raw materials into civilized nourishment — the cauldron's proper function. But the verse shows the cauldron empty: no substance goes in, so nothing nourishing comes out. The Cauldron requires genuine ingredients — fire applied to real material. Words without deeds and aim without composure produce only the hollow sound of the bolt hitting nothing.
夬 → 震
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 51: The Arousing Thunder
Changing lines: 2, 3, 5
君明主賢，鳴求其友。顯德之政，可以履事。
The lord is wise, the master virtuous; the crane calls out to find its companion. Displaying virtuous governance, one may thereby carry out great works.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven sounds as doubled thunder. The ruler is enlightened and the sovereign wise; the crane calls out, seeking its companion. The virtue of such governance becomes visible in policy, enabling one to walk through affairs with confidence. The crane crying in the marshes, its voice heard far across the wilds — this is the Shijing image of hidden talent recognized and called forth. When ruler and minister find each other, governance gains both vision and execution. From Breakthrough to the Arousing, the decisive stroke reverberates as thunder upon thunder. Repeated shock demands self-examination and moral reckoning, but when the thunder encounters a worthy listener, it becomes a call and answer — the crane's cry met by its friend's reply, transforming fear into fellowship.
夬 → 艮
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 52: Keeping Still Mountain
Changing lines: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
安上宜官，一日九遷。踰群越等，牧在常山。
Secure above, fit for office; nine promotions in a single day. Surpassing peers and leaping ranks; appointed governor at Mount Chang.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven comes to rest as doubled mountain, keeping still. Secure in rank and suited to office, one is promoted nine times in a single day. Surpassing peers and leaping past rank, one is posted to govern at Changshan. Rapid advancement to a position of authority — the 'nine promotions in a day' is hyperbolic praise for swift recognition of merit. Changshan (present-day Hebei) was a strategic commandery. From Breakthrough to Keeping Still, the decisive action that cut through obstruction now settles into the mountain's stillness. The official who rose so fast must now stay in place — governance requires the discipline of remaining where one is posted, thinking within one's position rather than constantly seeking the next advance.
夬 → 漸
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 53: Development
Changing lines: 1, 2, 4, 6
俊辭解謝，除去垢污。驚之成患，嬰氏醳殘。
With fine words one begs pardon, removing filth and stain. But alarm becomes calamity; the infant suffers lingering harm.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven develops into the trees growing on the mountain. Eloquent words of apology and explanation wash away stain and impurity. But alarm creates complications, and the Ying clan's cruelty is only partially relieved. The verse traces a partial remedy: fine rhetoric clears the surface dirt, but the underlying disturbance remains. The 'Ying clan' may allude to the Qin royal house (whose surname was Ying), suggesting that even eloquent diplomacy cannot fully undo systemic violence. From Breakthrough to Development, the decisive break should lead to the gradual, step-by-step progress of trees growing on the mountain slope. But the verse warns that gradual growth still carries residual damage — the stain is washed but the wound lingers, and true development requires more than verbal elegance.
夬 → 歸妹
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 54: The Marrying Maiden
Changing lines: 3, 5
翁狂嫗盲，相牽北行。欲歸高邑，迷惑不得。
The old man raving, the old woman blind; they pull each other northward. Wishing to return to the high town, bewildered, they cannot find the way.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven staggers into the thunder above the lake. An old man gone mad and an old woman blind, they lead each other northward by the hand. They wish to return to the high city but, confused and lost, cannot find the way. Two figures whose faculties have failed — one has lost his mind, the other her sight — stumble together in the wrong direction. Their mutual dependence is touching but ineffective; neither can compensate for the other's deficiency. From Breakthrough to the Marrying Maiden, the decisive stroke gives way to the improper union of thunder upon the lake. The Marrying Maiden warns of relationships entered without proper standing. This couple is a dark parody: bound to each other by necessity, unable to reach their destination, wandering northward when they should go south.
夬 → 豐
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 55: Abundance
Changing lines: 2, 5
醉臥道傍，迷旦失明，不全我生。
Drunk, lying by the roadside; confused past dawn, losing sight. One's life cannot be preserved.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven collapses into the thunder and fire of abundance. Drunk, one lies by the roadside, vision blurred as if dawn itself has been lost. 'Not completing my life' — this may end fatally. The drunkard sprawled in the road has surrendered all agency; he cannot see, cannot rise, and is exposed to every passing danger. From Breakthrough to Abundance, the combination should be magnificent — thunder and lightning together bring the fullness of power and clarity. But the verse shows abundance's shadow: excess leading to incapacitation. The one who overindulges in the feast of Abundance loses not just his way but his life. The cup that should celebrate plenitude becomes the instrument of self-destruction.
夬 → 旅
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 56: The Wanderer
Changing lines: 1, 2, 5, 6
北登鬼丘，駕龍東遊。王叔御后，文武何憂？
Ascending north to the ghost mound, riding dragons on an eastern journey. The prince drives for the queen; what worry have the civil and martial lords?
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven wanders as fire atop the mountain. Climbing north to Ghost Hill, one mounts a dragon and tours eastward. A royal uncle attends the queen, and King Wen and King Wu have nothing to worry about. The imagery is mythic: ascending spirit-mounds, riding dragons, traversing the cosmos under divine protection. The royal uncle serving the queen suggests the Duke of Zhou or a similar figure whose loyal service freed the sage-kings from anxiety. From Breakthrough to the Wanderer, the decisive act propels one outward into unfamiliar terrain. Fire on the mountain: the traveler's campfire, bright but transient. Yet this verse's wanderer travels not as an exile but as a triumphant envoy of heaven, his journey secured by the very dynasty whose founders he names.
夬 → 巽
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 57: The Gentle Wind
Changing lines: 1, 4, 6
恬淡无患，遊戲道門。與神往來，長樂以安。
Tranquil and free from harm; roaming and playing at the gate of the Way. Coming and going with spirits; lasting joy and abiding peace.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven dissolves into doubled wind, the gentle penetrating. Tranquil and free from affliction, one plays at the Gate of the Dao. Traveling back and forth with the spirits, one enjoys lasting peace and security. The verse paints a Daoist paradise — no anxiety, no striving, only easy communion with divine beings at the threshold between worlds. The 'Gate of the Dao' (dao men) evokes both physical hermitage and spiritual passage. From Breakthrough to the Gentle, the forceful decisive stroke softens into the wind's repeated, penetrating influence. Doubled wind enters everywhere without violence, spreading its effect through persistence rather than force. The sage who wanders with the spirits has passed beyond the need for breakthrough; he simply abides where the wind carries him.
夬 → 兌
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 58: The Joyous Lake
Changing lines: 3
以緡易絲，抱布自媒。棄禮急情，卒罹悔憂。
Trading cord for silk, carrying cloth to propose in person. Casting aside propriety in haste of passion; in the end one suffers regret and sorrow.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven doubles into the joyous exchange of lake upon lake. Trading silk thread for woven cord, carrying cloth to arrange one's own marriage — this is the man from the Shijing's Mang ode who 'carried cloth to trade for silk,' using commerce as a pretext for courtship. But the verse condemns the outcome: propriety is abandoned in the rush of desire, and regret and sorrow follow. The Mang ode is a classic warning against unions that bypass ritual form. From Breakthrough to the Joyous, the decisive act meets the pleasure of mutual exchange. But joy without restraint inverts itself: the 'friends discussing and practicing together' that the Joyous should foster becomes a transaction that collapses when its informal foundations give way.
夬 → 渙
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 59: Dispersion
Changing lines: 1, 3, 4, 6
被服大冠，遊戲道門。以禮相終，身无殃患。
Wearing formal robes and tall cap, roaming and playing at the gate of the Way. Ending with propriety to the last; the body suffers no calamity.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven disperses as wind moves over water. Wearing grand robes and a tall official cap, one wanders at the Gate of the Dao. Conducting all things with propriety to the end, one's person knows neither calamity nor misfortune. Unlike the previous verse's reckless courtship, here formal attire signals respect for proper form. The Daoist wandering is conducted in full ceremonial dress — spirit and structure united. From Breakthrough to Dispersion, the decisive act scatters what has congealed, as wind breaks up the ice on the water's surface. But this dispersion is benevolent: the stiff formality of court dress accompanies the free movement of spirit, and the result is a life completed without disaster. Ritual form, far from constraining the spirit, protects it.
夬 → 節
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 60: Limitation
Changing lines: 3, 4
大麓魚池，陸為海涯。君子失行，小人相攜。
The great forest becomes a fish pond; the land becomes the ocean shore. The gentleman loses his way; the petty men lead each other on.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven meets the water held within the lake's measure. Great forests become fish ponds; dry land turns to seashore. The gentleman loses his proper conduct, and petty men lead each other by the hand. The landscape undergoes a catastrophic inversion — forests flood, land becomes ocean — and the social order follows suit: the upright lose their way while the base prosper in collusion. From Breakthrough to Limitation, the decisive overflow should be channeled into measured containment — water above the lake establishing proper boundaries. But the verse shows those boundaries overwhelmed: the landscape itself refuses to stay within its assigned form, and human society mirrors nature's collapse. When limits fail, the distinction between high and low ground dissolves entirely.
夬 → 中孚
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 61: Inner Truth
Changing lines: 3, 4, 6
淵泉溢出，為我邑祟。道路不通，孩子心憒。
The deep spring overflows, becoming a curse upon our town. The roads are cut off; the child's heart is bewildered.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven meets the wind over the lake, inner truth manifest. Deep springs overflow and become a curse upon the settlement. Roads are blocked; children's hearts are thrown into confusion. The underground water that should nourish instead erupts destructively, flooding paths and disorienting the young and vulnerable. From Breakthrough to Inner Truth, the decisive act should reach the condition of wind over lake — sincerity that moves even pigs and fish, credibility so deep it transforms. But the verse shows truth's dangerous excess: springs that breach their banks, sincerity that overwhelms its channels. Inner truth pushed past containment becomes the flood that blocks the very roads it should illuminate. Even genuine conviction, if it erupts without measure, brings chaos rather than clarity.
夬 → 小過
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 62: Small Exceeding
Changing lines: 1, 2, 5
十里望烟，散渙四分。形體滅亡，可入深淵，終不見君。
Gazing at smoke from ten miles away; scattered and dispersed in four directions. Form and body extinguished; one may enter the deep abyss, never again to see the lord.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven fades into the thunder atop the mountain, exceeding in small things. Gazing ten li into the distance, one sees only smoke scattering in four directions. The body dissolves and perishes; one may descend into the abyss and never see the sovereign again. Smoke dispersing at the horizon is an image of irreversible dissolution — whatever was solid has been consumed by fire and carried off by wind, leaving no trace. From Breakthrough to Small Exceeding, the grand decisive gesture shrinks into the cautious excess of the small bird that should not fly too high. The verse warns of overreach that ends in total disappearance: the form destroyed, the connection to authority severed, the person vanished into depths from which there is no return.
夬 → 既濟
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 63: After Completion
Changing lines: 2, 4
傳言相誤，非奸徑路。鳴鼓逐狼，不知迹處。
Rumors passed along become distorted; not the true and proper path. They beat drums to drive the wolf, but cannot find its tracks.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Lake risen above heaven settles into the water above fire of completion. Rumor compounds rumor, each transmission further from the truth — these are not the paths of cunning but honest errors. Beating drums to drive away the wolf, yet no one knows where its tracks lead. The verse describes a system where communication has degraded: messages garbled in relay, the threat real but its location unknown. The drums are loud but misdirected. From Breakthrough to After Completion, the decisive cut should lead to the perfectly ordered state where water sits above fire in balanced tension. But the verse shows the fragility of that balance: even after completion, misinformation circulates, the wolf remains at large, and the organized response misses its mark. Order achieved is immediately threatened by entropy.
夬 → 未濟
Hexagram 43 → Hexagram 64: Before Completion
Changing lines: 1, 3, 5, 6
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 BC
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.