中孚

Hexagram 5: Waiting → Hexagram 61: Inner Truth

Waiting
Water / Heaven
中孚
Inner Truth
Wind / Lake
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 2 changing lines (lines 3, 6).

Line 3

九三 需于泥。致寇至。

waiting
in
the mud
zhìinviting
kòuthieves
zhìto approach

Nine in the third place means: Waiting in the mud Brings about the arrival of the enemy.

Line 6

上六 入于穴。有不速之客三人來。敬之終吉。

entering
into
xuéa pit
yǒuwith
no
invitation
zhīextended to
visitors
sānthree
rénpeople
láiarrive
jìngto respect
zhīto them
zhōngwill end in
good fortune

Six at the top means: One falls into the pit. Three uninvited guests arrive. Honor them, and in the end there will be good fortune.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramWater WindThe Deep → The Gentle
Lower TrigramHeaven LakeThe Creative → The Joyous

Yilin Verse

龍化為虎,泰山之陽。眾多從者,莫敢救藏。

The dragon transforms into a tiger on the southern slope of Mount Tai. Its many followers; none dare to rescue or hide.

— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE

Commentary

Clouds above heaven yield to wind over the lake — Inner Truth's hollow center that resonates with sincerity. A dragon transforms into a tiger on the southern slope of Mount Tai. Followers are many, yet none dares offer shelter or concealment. The dragon-to-tiger metamorphosis signals a shift from celestial to terrestrial power — from the sky-dwelling dragon to the mountain-ruling tiger. On the yang side of the sacred mountain, this transformation commands awe: many follow but none can protect. The image evokes a powerful figure whose very presence overwhelms those around him. From Waiting to Inner Truth, the transformation reveals that genuine power need not seek shelter — its truth radiates like wind over the lake, stirring responses from the depths without requiring any external support.

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