鼎 → 中孚
Hexagram 50: The Cauldron → Hexagram 61: Inner Truth
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 3, 4, 5).
Line 1
初六 鼎顛趾。利出否。得妾以其子。无咎。
Six at the beginning means: A ting with legs upturned. Furthers removal of stagnating stuff. One takes a concubine for the sake of her son. No blame.
Line 3
九三 鼎耳革。其行塞。雉膏不食。方雨虧悔。終吉。
Nine in the third place means: The handle of the ting is altered. One is impeded in his way of life. The fat of the pheasant is not eaten. Once rain falls, remorse is spent. Good fortune comes in the end.
Line 4
九四 鼎折足。覆公餗。其形渥。凶。
Nine in the fourth place means: The legs of the ting are broken. The prince's meal is spilled And his person is soiled. Misfortune. A man has a difficult and responsible task to which he is not adequate. Moreover, he does not devote himself to it with all his strength but goes about with inferior people; therefore the execution of the work fails. In this way he also incurs personal opprobrium. Confucius says about this line: "Weak character coupled with honored place, meager knowledge with large plans, limited powers with heavy responsibility, will seldom escape disaster. "
Line 5
六五 鼎黃耳金鉉。利貞。
Six in the fifth place means: The ting has yellow handles, golden carrying rings. Perseverance furthers.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
雙鳧鴛鴦，相隨君行。南至饒澤，食魚與梁。君子與長。
Paired wild ducks and mandarin ducks follow the lord on his journey. Southward to the bountiful marsh, they feed on fish and grain. The gentleman prospers and grows.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire over wind fills the cauldron; wind stirs above the lake in Inner Truth. Paired wild ducks and mandarin ducks follow the lord southward. Arriving at a rich marshland, they feast on fish and grain — the gentleman thrives and grows. The mandarin ducks, classical symbols of faithful partnership, travel together with their lord toward abundant waters. The 'rich marsh' (raoze) suggests a land of plenty where both birds and humans find sustenance. From The Cauldron to Inner Truth, the transformation reveals that genuine bonds attract genuine abundance. Wind over the lake: sincerity resonates across the surface. The cauldron's offering, carried by faithful companions, reaches the fertile waters. Inner truth does not grasp at wealth — it simply arrives where trust gathers.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store