漸 → 未濟
Hexagram 53: Development → Hexagram 64: Before Completion
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 2, 3, 4, 5).
Line 2
六二 鴻漸于磐。飲食衎衎。吉。
Six in the second place means: The wild goose gradually draws near the cliff. Eating and drinking in peace and concord. Good fortune.
Line 3
九三 鴻漸于陸。夫征不復。婦孕不育。凶。利禦寇。
Nine in the third place means: The wild goose gradually draws near the plateau. The man goes forth and does not return. The woman carries a child but does not bring it forth. Misfortune. It furthers one to fight off robbers.
Line 4
六四 鴻漸于木。或得其桷。无咎。
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 5
九五 鴻漸于陵。婦三歲不孕。終莫之勝。吉。
Nine in the fifth place means: The wild goose gradually draws near the summit. For three years the woman has no child. In the end nothing can hinder her. Good fortune.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
陰配陽爭，臥木反立。君子攸行，喪其官職。
Yin usurps yang in contention; the fallen timber stands upright again. The noble man sets forth on his way; losing his official post.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Wind over mountain meets fire above water: gradual development faces the incomplete crossing of Before Completion. Yin and yang clash in contest; fallen timber stands upright again. The gentleman sets forth on his journey but loses his official position. The verse pairs paradoxical reversals: what was down rises, what was established falls. From Development to Before Completion, fire sits above water but they do not interact, each element straining toward the other without meeting. The young fox nearly crosses the stream but wets its tail at the last moment. Gradual progress that seemed nearly complete is undone at the threshold. The gentleman who undertook the journey loses his office precisely when arrival seemed certain. Before Completion is the eternal reminder that the last step is the most treacherous.
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