革 → 師
Hexagram 49: Revolution → Hexagram 7: The Army
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 5 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
Line 1
初九 鞏用黃牛之革。
Nine at the beginning means: Wrapped in the hide of a yellow cow.
Line 2
六二 巳日乃革之。征吉无咎。
Six in the second place means: When one's own day comes, one may create revolution. Starting brings good fortune. No blame.
Line 3
九三 征凶貞厲。革言三就。有孚。
Nine in the third place means: Starting brings misfortune. Perseverance brings danger. When talk of revolution has gone the rounds three times, One may commit himself, And men will believe him.
Line 4
九四 悔亡有孚。改命吉。
Nine in the fourth place means: Remorse disappears. Men believe him. Changing the form of government brings good fortune.
Line 5
九五 大人虎變。未占有孚。
Nine in the fifth place means: The great man changes like a tiger. Even before he questions the oracle He is believed.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
買利求福,莫如南國。仁德所在,金玉為寶。
Seeking profit and blessing, none compares to the southern land. Where benevolence and virtue reside, gold and jade are the treasure.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire within the lake transforms into water held within the earth — the hidden reserves of disciplined order. Seeking profit and fortune, nothing compares to the southern kingdom, where benevolence and virtue reside, and gold and jade serve as its treasure. Revolution overturns the old; the Army organizes what follows. The verse points south — in Chinese cosmology, the direction of fire, culture, and flourishing — and declares that true wealth lies not in plunder but in moral governance. From Revolution to the Army, the transformation shows that after upheaval, prosperity comes through disciplined administration, not through further raiding. Virtue itself is the treasury.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store