歸妹 → 觀
Hexagram 54: The Marrying Maiden → Hexagram 20: Contemplation
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 5 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6).
Line 1
初九 歸妹以娣。跛能履。征吉。
Nine at the beginning means: The marrying maiden as a concubine. A lame man who is able to tread. Undertakings bring good fortune.
Line 2
九二 眇能視。利幽人之貞。
Nine in the second place means: A one-eyed man who is able to see. The perseverance of a solitary man furthers.
Line 4
九四 歸妹愆期。遲歸有時。
Nine in the fourth place means: The marrying maiden draws out the allotted time. A late marriage comes in due course.
Line 5
六五 帝乙歸妹。其君之袂。不如其娣之袂良。月幾望吉。
Six in the fifth place means: The sovereign I gave his daughter in marriage. The embroidered garments of the princess Were not as gorgeous As those of the serving maid. The moon that is nearly full Brings good fortune.
Line 6
上六 女承筐无實。士刲羊无血。无攸利。
Six at the top means: The woman holds the basket, but there are no fruits in it. The man stabs the sheep, but no blood flows. Nothing that acts to further.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
陽為狂悖，拔劍自傷，為身生殃。
Yang turns to wild defiance; drawing the sword, he wounds himself, bringing calamity upon his own body.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Thunder over lake transforms into wind over earth: the maiden's reckless energy meets Contemplation's warning gaze. Yang energy turns wild and perverse; one draws a sword and wounds oneself, bringing calamity upon one's own body. The verse is terse and violent: unchecked aggression, turning inward, becomes self-destruction. From the Marrying Maiden to Contemplation, the transformation should elevate perspective, wind sweeping across the earth as the ancient kings surveyed the people to establish moral instruction. But here the subject has no such perspective. Unable to direct yang force outward with purpose, he turns the blade on himself. Contemplation's lesson is that self-observation must precede action; without it, power becomes its own victim.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store