漸 → 師
Hexagram 53: Development → Hexagram 7: The Army
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 2, 3, 5, 6).
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 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.
Line 6
上九 鴻漸于陸。其羽可用為儀。吉。
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
Yilin Verse
鑿井求玉，非卞氏室。身困名辱，勞无所得。
Drilling a well in search of jade, yet this is not the house of Bian. Body exhausted, name disgraced; toil with nothing gained.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Wind over mountain descends into earth containing water: gradual development meets the disciplined mass of the Army. One digs a well seeking jade, but this is not the house of Bian He. Body is exhausted, name disgraced, labor yields nothing. Bian He discovered the priceless jade disc that bore his name, but only after losing both feet to kings who refused to believe him. The verse warns that seeking treasure in the wrong place leads to ruin, not revelation. From Development to the Army, the transformation underscores a harsh lesson: the Army demands coordinated discipline under proper leadership, not reckless solo prospecting. Misapplied effort, no matter how persistent, earns only humiliation when one lacks the right ground to stand on.
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