Hexagram 53: Development → Hexagram 43: Breakthrough

Development
Wind / Mountain
Breakthrough
Lake / Heaven
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 4, 6).

Line 1

初六 鴻漸于干。小子厲有言。無咎。

hóngthe wild geese
jiàngradually advance
to
gānthe shoreline
xiǎothe little
child
having
yǒuthere is
yána talk
but no
jiùblame

Six at the beginning means: The wild goose gradually draws near the shore. The young son is in danger. There is talk. No blame.

Line 2

六二 鴻漸于磐。飲食衎衎。吉。

hóngthe wild geese
jiàngradually advance
to
pánthe cliff
yǐnand
shíand eat
kànand honking
kànand honking
promising

Six in the second place means: The wild goose gradually draws near the cliff. Eating and drinking in peace and concord. Good fortune.

Line 4

六四 鴻漸于木。或得其桷。无咎。

hóngthe wild goose
jiànadvances
to
the trees [on the mountain: ban xiang]
huòsomehow
to find
one
juéthe flat
no
jiùblame

Six in the fourth place means: The wild goose goes gradually draws near the tree. Perhaps it will find a flat branch. No blame.

Line 6

上九 鴻漸于陸。其羽可用為儀。吉。

hóngthe wild geese
jiàngradually advance
together to
the plateau
their
feathers
will be
yòngused
wéiin
the sacred dance
promising

Nine at the top means: The wild goose gradually draws near the clouds heights. Its feathers can be used for the sacred dance. Good fortune.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramWind LakeThe Gentle → The Joyous
Lower TrigramMountain HeavenKeeping Still → The Creative

Yilin Verse

逐狐東山,水遏我前。深不可涉,失利後便。

Chasing wind, pursuing the moon — horse exhausted, rider spent. The waystation has been passed; the road ahead is vast and featureless.

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

Commentary

Wind over mountain meets lake above heaven: gradual development pushes toward Breakthrough but overshoots. The original verse reads: 'Chasing a fox on the eastern mountain, water blocks the way ahead. Too deep to wade across, profit is lost and convenience forfeited.' The pursuer commits to the chase but encounters an impassable flood. From Development to Breakthrough, the lake rises above heaven, ready to overflow in decisive action. But the verse warns against reckless pursuit: the fox is clever, the water is deep, and the exhausted rider who has passed the last way-station finds only endless road ahead. Breakthrough demands resolution at the royal court, not blind pursuit into the wilderness. Gradual effort squandered on the wrong quarry leads to exhaustion, not resolution.

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