Transformations of Hexagram 54
Every line of change out of Hexagram 54 歸妹 The Marrying Maiden, with the Yilin verse for each of the 64 resulting hexagrams, its translation, and the original ink brush artwork.
歸妹 → 乾
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 1: The Creative
Changing lines: 3, 5, 6
荊木冬生，司寇緩刑。威權在下，國亂且傾。
The thorn-tree sprouts in winter; the minister of justice suspends his punishments. Authority rests with those below; the state falls into disorder and ruin.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake, the Marrying Maiden, warns that endings must be understood from the start. Thorny jingmu trees sprout in winter, defying the season; the Minister of Justice suspends punishments. When authority drifts downward into the wrong hands, the state tilts toward collapse. Unseasonable growth signals that natural order has inverted: clemency exercised at the wrong time emboldens lawlessness rather than fostering virtue. From the Marrying Maiden to the Creative, the transformation is paradoxical: the Creative's self-generating initiative demands that power emanate from a single sovereign center, yet here it has leaked to subordinates. The verse warns that even heaven's inexhaustible strength cannot sustain a realm where command has been surrendered.
歸妹 → 坤
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 2: The Receptive
Changing lines: 1, 2, 4
喘牛傷暑，弗能成畝。草萊不闢，年歲无有。
The panting ox, stricken by heat, cannot finish the furrow. Weeds and brambles go uncleared; the year yields nothing at all.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake gives way to doubled earth: the maiden's ill-timed union yields to the Receptive's vast barrenness. An ox pants under summer heat, unable to finish plowing even one acre. Weeds and brush go uncleared; the year produces no harvest. The imagery is agricultural exhaustion, the land itself refusing to cooperate when conditions are hostile. From the Marrying Maiden to the Receptive, the transformation moves from a premature commitment into the earth's passive endurance, but here the earth receives nothing because nothing was properly sown. The Receptive thrives on patient cultivation, yet without timely effort, its infinite capacity remains empty. Barren fields mirror a union that yields no fruit.
歸妹 → 屯
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 3: Difficulty at the Beginning
Changing lines: 2, 4, 5
魚欲負流。眾不同心，至德安樂。
The fish would swim against the current. The multitude are not of one heart; through utmost virtue, peace and joy prevail.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake meets water over thunder: the maiden's hasty union confronts the turmoil of new beginnings. Fish try to swim against the current; the crowd lacks unity of purpose. Yet the verse pivots: through supreme virtue, peace and contentment arrive. The image of fish fighting the flow captures wasted effort when hearts are not aligned, but the resolution suggests that moral authority can unify what force cannot. From the Marrying Maiden to Difficulty at the Beginning, the chaotic energy of Zhun mirrors the initial disorder of any new undertaking. Clouds and thunder churn but rain has not yet fallen. The verse insists that virtue, not coercion, is what transforms discord into harmony at the threshold of creation.
歸妹 → 蒙
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 4: Youthful Folly
Changing lines: 1, 4, 6
春耕有息，秋入利福。獻豜大豭，以樂成功。
Spring plowing brings its rest; autumn's harvest yields profit and blessing. Offering a young sow and a great boar, they celebrate their success with joy.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake shifts to mountain over water: the maiden's impulsive energy settles into Youthful Folly's patient instruction. Spring plowing brings rest; autumn harvest delivers blessings. A great boar and a large sow are offered in sacrifice to celebrate success. The verse traces the full agricultural cycle from effort to reward to ritual thanksgiving, a rhythm of labor, patience, and gratitude. From the Marrying Maiden to Youthful Folly, the transformation redirects raw enthusiasm into disciplined cultivation. Meng's spring emerging beneath the mountain demands decisive nurturing action. The harvest feast confirms that when youthful energy is properly channeled through seasonal rhythms, abundance follows naturally.
歸妹 → 需
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 5: Waiting
Changing lines: 3, 4, 5
生有聖德，上配太極。皇靈建中，授我以福。
Born with sagely virtue, matched above with the Supreme Ultimate. The imperial spirit establishes the center and bestows upon us blessings.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake ascends to water over heaven: the maiden's earthly union opens onto the cosmic patience of Waiting. One is born with sagely virtue, paired with the Supreme Ultimate itself. The imperial spirit establishes the center and bestows blessings upon the worthy. The verse celebrates a figure of extraordinary moral endowment whose virtue aligns with cosmic principle. From the Marrying Maiden to Waiting, the transformation moves from impetuous commitment to the serene confidence of clouds gathering above heaven. Waiting's counsel is to remain composed before danger, nourishing oneself through feasting and joy while the right moment ripens. Here, sagely virtue does not rush; it waits, sustained by heaven's mandate, until blessing descends of its own accord.
歸妹 → 訟
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 6: Conflict
Changing lines: 1, 5, 6
右撫琴頭，左手援帶。凶訟不已，相與爭戾，失利而歸。
Right hand caresses the qin's head; left hand tugs the sash. Bitter litigation ceases not; they contend and quarrel with one another, returning home having lost their gain.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake gives way to heaven over water: the maiden's mismatched union devolves into open Conflict. The right hand rests on the qin's headstock while the left clutches a sash, a musician distracted mid-performance, unable to focus. Fierce litigation drags on without resolution; the parties wound each other in mutual spite and return home having lost everything. The image of the divided musician captures the fundamental disharmony: hands that should work in concert pull in opposite directions. From the Marrying Maiden to Conflict, where heaven and water move in contrary directions, the verse embodies the hexagram's warning perfectly. One who enters a dispute without clear purpose squanders both resources and reputation.
歸妹 → 師
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 7: The Army
Changing lines: 1, 4
炙魚枯斗，張伺夜鼠。舌不忍味，機發為祟。笮不得去。
Roasting dried fish on a withered brazier, setting the trap for the night rat. The tongue cannot savor the taste; the mechanism springs and brings calamity. Pressed tight, unable to escape.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake descends into earth containing water: the maiden's restless energy meets the Army's disciplined mass. Dried fish crackle in the pan while a trap is set for the night rat. The tongue cannot resist a taste, the trigger fires by reflex, and the quarry is crushed in the press with no escape. Every image speaks of entrapment through appetite: the fish is bait, the rat is lured by scent, and the one who reaches for a morsel springs the mechanism upon himself. From the Marrying Maiden to the Army, the transformation converts scattered impulse into calculated deployment. The Army's water hidden within earth is a trap concealed beneath still ground. Discipline weaponizes patience, and greed becomes the enemy's undoing.
歸妹 → 比
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 8: Holding Together
Changing lines: 1, 2, 4, 5
申酉說服，牛馬休息。君子以安，勞者得懽。
In the hours of Shen and You, persuasion prevails; ox and horse find their rest. The gentleman dwells in peace; the laborer finds his joy.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake meets water over earth: the maiden's turbulent beginning settles into Holding Together's communal rest. In the shen and you hours of late afternoon, work clothes are shed; oxen and horses rest from their labors. The gentleman finds ease, and the weary rejoice. The verse paints an evening of earned repose, the natural conclusion of a day's honest toil. From the Marrying Maiden to Holding Together, the transformation moves from an uneasy alliance to genuine solidarity. Water resting upon earth, the image of Bi, shows communities bonding through shared sustenance. The verse's harvest-evening calm embodies this: when labor is done and burdens lifted, people naturally draw together in mutual comfort.
歸妹 → 小畜
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 9: Small Taming
Changing lines: 3, 4, 5, 6
堯門尹爵，聖德增益。使民不疲，安无怵惕。
At Yao's gate, bestowing rank and title; sagely virtue ever increases. The people are not wearied; they dwell in peace without alarm.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake gives way to wind over heaven: the maiden's impulsive pairing refines into Small Taming's gentle cultivation of virtue. At the gate of Emperor Yao, offices and ranks are justly bestowed. Sagely virtue accumulates benefit for all; the people are spared exhaustion, dwelling in peace without alarm. The verse evokes Yao's golden age, where governance flowed so naturally that subjects barely felt its presence. From the Marrying Maiden to Small Taming, wild energy is not suppressed but gently channeled, as wind moves across heaven without force. Small Taming refines through culture and moral example rather than coercion. The transformation suggests that even a turbulent beginning can be civilized when leadership distributes its blessings wisely.
歸妹 → 履
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 10: Treading
Changing lines: 5, 6
孤公寡婦，獨宿悲苦。目張耳鳴，莫與笑語。
The lonely widower, the solitary widow, sleeping alone in bitter sorrow. Eyes wide, ears ringing; no one to share laughter or words.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake shifts to heaven over lake: the maiden's ill-fated union becomes the solitary grief of Treading. A widowed lord, a husbandless woman, each sleeping alone in bitter solitude. Eyes strain open, ears ring with phantom sounds, but no one shares a word or a laugh. The verse captures abandonment in its most visceral form: the body itself protests the absence, producing hallucinations of presence where none exists. From the Marrying Maiden to Treading, the transformation is stark. Treading places a lake beneath heaven, the small and joyous walking carefully beneath the vast and powerful. Here, joy has vanished entirely, leaving only the precarious vulnerability of one who treads alone, with neither companion nor comfort to steady the step.
歸妹 → 泰
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 11: Peace
Changing lines: 3, 4
外得好畜，相與嫁娶。仁賢集聚，諮詢厥事。傾奪我城，使家不寧。
Fine livestock gained abroad; families joined in marriage. The benevolent and worthy gather to deliberate on these affairs. They seize and topple our city, leaving the household without peace.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake opens into earth over heaven: the maiden's union encounters Peace, where heaven and earth communicate freely. Fine livestock are acquired; marriages are celebrated. The benevolent and worthy gather to deliberate on affairs of state. Yet the verse pivots sharply: invaders topple the city walls, and the household knows no peace. This captures Tai's inherent instability, prosperity that invites predation. From the Marrying Maiden to Peace, the transformation promises harmonious exchange between above and below, but the verse warns that openness creates vulnerability. The very gathering of talent and wealth that defines peace also attracts those who would seize it by force.
歸妹 → 否
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 12: Standstill
Changing lines: 1, 2, 5, 6
煎砂盛暑，鮮有不朽。去河三里，敗我利市。老牛盲馬，去之何悔？
Frying sand in fierce heat, few things escape decay. Three li from the river, our profitable market is ruined. The old ox and the blind horse — what regret in leaving them behind?
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake gives way to heaven over earth: the maiden's troubled union freezes into Standstill's total blockage. Sand scorches under summer heat, and few things survive unscorched. Three miles from the river, the market is already ruined. An old blind ox and a lame horse: what regret in abandoning them? Every image speaks of depletion and futility: heat that destroys, distance that defeats commerce, beasts too broken to serve. From the Marrying Maiden to Standstill, the transformation seals off all exchange. Heaven and earth no longer communicate; the gentleman withdraws into frugal virtue. The verse counsels letting go of what is already lost rather than clinging to ruined assets out of misplaced loyalty.
歸妹 → 同人
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 13: Fellowship
Changing lines: 2, 3, 5, 6
甲乙戊庚，隨時轉行。不失常節，萌芽律屈。咸達出生，各樂其類。
Jia, Yi, Wu, Geng — turning with each season. Never losing the constant rhythm, the buds and sprouts bend and straighten. All reach forth into life, each rejoicing in its kind.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake transforms into heaven over fire: the maiden's subordinate position gives way to Fellowship's grand communion. The Heavenly Stems jia, yi, wu, and geng rotate in due sequence, each following its appointed time. No seasonal rhythm is missed; seeds sprout, musical pitches bend and straighten, and all things emerge to flourish, each rejoicing in its own kind. The verse celebrates cosmic regularity: the calendrical cycle that ensures everything arrives on schedule. From the Marrying Maiden to Fellowship, the transformation elevates a private union into universal solidarity. Heaven and fire share the same upward direction, and the gentleman distinguishes categories to bring order. When each thing follows its nature, fellowship emerges spontaneously.
歸妹 → 大有
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 14: Great Possession
Changing lines: 3, 6
依宵夜遊，與君相遭。除解煩惑，使心不憂。
Leaning on the night, wandering abroad; encountering you by chance. Cares and confusions dispelled; the heart is freed from worry.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake ascends to fire over heaven: the maiden's constrained role opens into Great Possession's radiant abundance. Wandering through the night, one encounters a lord by chance. Anxieties and confusions dissolve; the heart is freed from worry. The verse captures an unexpected meeting in darkness that brings illumination and relief, a nocturnal encounter that resolves what daylight could not. From the Marrying Maiden to Great Possession, the transformation lifts fire above heaven, blazing with supreme clarity. The darkness of wandering yields to the brilliance of recognition. Great Possession's image demands suppressing evil and promoting good in accordance with heaven's mandate. The verse suggests that deliverance sometimes arrives not through planning but through a fortunate encounter that dispels accumulated doubt.
歸妹 → 謙
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 15: Modesty
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 4
死友絕朋，巧言為讒。覆白污玉，顏叔哀喑。
Friends dead, companions gone; clever words become slander. White is smeared, jade defiled; Yan Shu grieves in silence.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake descends into earth over mountain: the maiden's exposed position meets Modesty's concealed strength. Friends perish and companions vanish, destroyed by cunning slander that paints white as black and stains jade with filth. Yan Shuzi, the paragon of propriety who once held a candle through the night to shelter a woman without impropriety, is left mute with grief. According to tradition, when a woman sought shelter from a storm, Yan Shuzi burned candles all night to preserve propriety, yet slanderers still attacked his reputation. From the Marrying Maiden to Modesty, the transformation buries the mountain beneath the earth. True virtue, like Yan Shuzi's, endures beneath the surface even when slander strips away all visible recognition.
歸妹 → 豫
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 16: Enthusiasm
Changing lines: 1, 2
逐利三年，利走如神。輾轉東西，如鳥避丸。
Chasing profit for three years, gain eludes like a spirit. Rolling east then west, like a bird dodging the slung stone.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake gives way to thunder over earth: the maiden's impulsive energy finds outlet in Enthusiasm's mobilizing power. For three years one chases profit, darting like a spirit, rolling east and west like a bird dodging pellets. The verse captures relentless commercial agility, a merchant who survives by speed and instinct rather than by settling anywhere. From the Marrying Maiden to Enthusiasm, the transformation channels restless movement into purposeful momentum. Thunder emerging from earth shakes the world into coordinated action, as the ancient kings used music and ceremony to unite. The merchant's bird-like evasion resonates with Enthusiasm's thunderous release: energy that cannot be contained finds its proper expression in swift, decisive movement.
歸妹 → 隨
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 17: Following
Changing lines: 2, 5
隄防壞決，河水放逸。傷害稼穡，居孤獨宿，沒溺我邑。
The dike and dam break apart; the river runs wild and free. Crops and harvests ruined; dwelling alone in solitary night, our village drowns beneath the flood.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake becomes lake over thunder: the maiden's hasty commitment meets Following's yielding adaptability, but here what follows is catastrophe. Dikes and levees burst; the river runs wild. Crops are destroyed, and the poet dwells alone, submerged beneath floodwaters that swallow the settlement. The verse is pure disaster: infrastructure fails, agriculture is ruined, and isolation becomes total. From the Marrying Maiden to Following, the transformation should bring willing adaptation, thunder resting beneath the lake in evening repose. But when what one follows is a broken levee, adaptation means being swept away. The verse warns that Following without discernment leads to drowning, not harmony.
歸妹 → 蠱
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 18: Work on the Decayed
Changing lines: 1, 3, 4, 6
陰陽隔塞，許嫁不荅。旄丘新臺，悔往嘆息。
Yin and yang are blocked and sundered; the betrothal promise goes unanswered. The barren hill, the new tower — she regrets and sighs over what has passed.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake shifts to mountain over wind: the maiden's frustrated union mirrors Work on the Decayed's theme of inherited corruption. Yin and yang are blocked from each other; a betrothal goes unanswered. The Shijing odes 'Maoqiu' and 'Xintai' are invoked: 'Maoqiu' laments allies who fail to honor their promises, while 'Xintai' condemns Duke Xuan of Wei, who built a splendid terrace on the Yellow River to intercept his son's bride and take her for himself. The verse ends in regret and sighing. From the Marrying Maiden to Work on the Decayed, the transformation confronts corruption head-on. Gu's wind trapped beneath the mountain breeds decay that must be addressed. The marriage gone wrong here is precisely the inherited rot that Gu demands be repaired.
歸妹 → 臨
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 19: Approach
Changing lines: 4
伯夷叔齊，貞廉之師。以德防患，憂禍不存。
Orchid and angelica grow in the wild, unconcerned with market price. Their hidden fragrance carries far; only the discerning come.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake settles into earth over lake: the maiden's restless energy meets Approach's steady, expansive advance. The original verse reads: 'Boyi and Shuqi, teachers of integrity and purity. With virtue they guarded against calamity; worry and misfortune did not touch them.' The brothers who refused to eat Zhou grain and starved on Mount Shouyang rather than compromise their loyalty to Shang represent principle taken to its ultimate extreme. From the Marrying Maiden to Approach, where earth rests broadly over the lake, the transformation emphasizes authority that advances through moral example rather than force. Approach's image counsels boundless generosity in teaching and protecting the people. Boyi and Shuqi's uncompromising virtue radiates outward, approaching others through the gravity of their example alone.
歸妹 → 觀
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 20: Contemplation
Changing lines: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
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 BC
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.
歸妹 → 噬嗑
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 21: Biting Through
Changing lines: 2, 6
進士為官，不若服田，獲壽保年。
Advancing to serve as an official is not as good as tending the fields; thereby one gains long life and preserves one's years.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake meets fire over thunder: the maiden's subordinate role encounters Biting Through's decisive judgment. Advancing into officialdom is not as good as working the fields; tilling the land secures longevity and preserves one's years. The verse offers a clear-eyed choice: bureaucratic ambition versus agrarian contentment. From the Marrying Maiden to Biting Through, the transformation introduces fire and thunder together, the image of lightning that illuminates and punishes. Biting Through's mandate is to bite through obstruction with clear penalties and laws. Yet the verse sidesteps this mechanism entirely, preferring the honest simplicity of farming to the perilous clarity of the legal order. Sometimes the wisest judgment is to refuse the game altogether.
歸妹 → 賁
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 22: Grace
Changing lines: 2, 3, 4, 6
耕石不生，棄禮无名。縫衣失針，襦袴弗成。
Plowing stone yields no growth; abandoning rites leaves no name. Sewing clothes but losing the needle; jacket and trousers remain unfinished.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake shifts to mountain over fire: the maiden's improper arrangement encounters Grace's demand for proper form. Plowing stone yields no crop; abandoning ritual leaves one nameless. A seamstress loses her needle, and the garment cannot be completed. Every image pairs futile labor with missing essentials: stone cannot nourish seeds, ritual gives meaning to action, and without a needle no cloth takes shape. From the Marrying Maiden to Grace, the transformation places fire beneath the mountain, adorning substance with beauty. But Grace without substance is empty ornament. The verse warns that when the fundamental tool is missing, no amount of effort can produce the desired form. Correct means must precede correct ends.
歸妹 → 剝
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 23: Splitting Apart
Changing lines: 1, 2, 4, 6
靈龜陸處，一旦失所，伊子復耕，桀亂无輔。
The divine tortoise stranded on land, suddenly losing its place. Yi Yin returns to the plow; Jie's disorder finds no support.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake crumbles into mountain over earth: the maiden's fragile bond meets Splitting Apart's inexorable erosion. The sacred turtle, stranded on land, loses its home in a single day. Yi Yin returns to the plow; tyrant Jie's chaos leaves him without support. The turtle out of water is power removed from its proper element. Yi Yin, the sage minister who helped Tang found the Shang dynasty, once farmed before being recognized. The verse pairs his story with Jie's ruin: when corruption hollows out the center, even loyal ministers must retreat to basics. From the Marrying Maiden to Splitting Apart, the mountain erodes from below as yin lines consume the last yang. The wise respond by withdrawing to solid ground, as Yi Yin returned to his fields.
歸妹 → 復
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 24: Return
Changing lines: 2, 4
室當源口，溺漂為海。財產殫盡，衣食无有。
The house sits at the spring's mouth; drowned and carried off to sea. Wealth and property utterly spent; food and clothing gone entirely.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake gives way to earth over thunder: the maiden's premature commitment encounters Return's first stirring of renewal. The house stands at the mouth of a spring; rising waters drown it and carry everything to the sea. Property is exhausted; food and clothing are gone. The verse presents total material devastation, a dwelling placed at the worst possible location, consumed by the very source that should have nourished it. From the Marrying Maiden to Return, the transformation reaches the turning point where a single yang line re-enters at the bottom. Return's thunder hidden in the earth signals the solstice, the moment of minimal light before recovery begins. The loss described is complete, but Return promises that even from nothing, the cycle begins again.
歸妹 → 无妄
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 25: Innocence
Changing lines: 2, 5, 6
雞方啄粟，為狐所逐。走不得食，惶懼喘息。
The chicken pecks at grain; the fox gives chase. It flees without eating, panting and gasping in terror.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake shifts to heaven over thunder: the maiden's vulnerable position encounters Innocence's unforgiving impartiality. A chicken pecking at grain is chased off by a fox. It flees without eating, panting in terror. The verse captures the cruelty of innocent vulnerability: the chicken did nothing wrong, yet the predator strikes without cause. From the Marrying Maiden to Innocence, the transformation introduces heaven's thunder rolling across the earth, where all things receive what accords with their nature. Innocence means freedom from false intention, but it also means that disaster can strike the blameless. The chicken's panic embodies Wuwang's paradox: innocence offers no shield against misfortune when the cosmos is not yet aligned in one's favor.
歸妹 → 大畜
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 26: Great Taming
Changing lines: 3, 4, 6
家在海隅，繞旋深流。豈敢憚行，无木以趨。
Home at the sea's far corner, ringed by deep currents. Who would not dare the journey? Yet there is no wood to make the crossing.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake meets mountain over heaven: the maiden's restless energy encounters Great Taming's accumulated power. The home sits at the edge of the sea, encircled by deep currents. One dares not refuse the journey, but there is no timber to build a vessel. The verse captures impossible aspiration: the willingness to travel is there, but the means are absent. Surrounded by water, landlocked by lack of resources. From the Marrying Maiden to Great Taming, heaven stored within the mountain accumulates wisdom and strength through patience. Great Taming counsels studying the words and deeds of the ancients to build inner reserves. The verse suggests that before any great crossing, one must first gather the materials. Daring without preparation is courage wasted.
歸妹 → 頤
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 27: Nourishment
Changing lines: 2, 4, 6
他山之儲，與環為仇。來攻吾城，傷我肌膚。國家騷憂。
Stores from the neighboring mountain, allied with the ring-wall's foe. They come to attack our city, wounding our very flesh. The state is shaken with worry.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake descends into mountain over thunder: the maiden's precarious bond meets Nourishment's demand for careful sustenance. The resources of another mountain become an enemy at the gate. They attack the city, wounding flesh and skin; the state is thrown into anxious turmoil. The verse depicts invasion: external abundance, rather than being traded or shared, is weaponized against the homeland. From the Marrying Maiden to Nourishment, the transformation places thunder beneath the mountain, the image of the open mouth that must choose wisely what to consume. Nourishment demands caution in speech and moderation in diet. Here, what approaches from outside is hostile nourishment, a force that penetrates the body politic and injures rather than sustains.
歸妹 → 大過
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 28: Great Exceeding
Changing lines: 1, 3, 5
弊鏡无光，不見文章。少女不嫁，棄於其公。
The worn mirror has no light; it cannot show the pattern. The young woman goes unmarried, abandoned by her lord.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake shifts to lake over wind: the maiden's failed union encounters Great Exceeding's unbearable weight. A tarnished mirror has lost its light and reflects no pattern. A young woman goes unmarried, abandoned by her lord. The mirror's dimness and the maiden's rejection form a single image of diminished worth. From the Marrying Maiden to Great Exceeding, the ridgepole sags under impossible burden: the lake submerges the wind-wood below, and the lone individual must stand upright despite the world's collapse. Great Exceeding demands extraordinary measures in extraordinary times. The abandoned maiden, like the tarnished mirror, lacks the recognition needed to play her proper role. Her situation calls for the independent courage that Great Exceeding prescribes: to stand alone without fear.
歸妹 → 坎
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 29: The Abysmal Water
Changing lines: 1, 4, 5
大蛇巨魚，相搏于郊。君臣隔塞，戴公出廬。
The great serpent and the giant fish wrestle in the open field. Lord and minister are sundered; Duke Dai departs from his dwelling.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake plunges into doubled water: the maiden's turbulent bond descends into the Abysmal's repeated peril. A great serpent and a giant fish battle in the open fields. Ruler and minister are cut off from each other; Duke Dai of Wei is driven from his capital. The monstrous combat between serpent and fish evokes cosmic forces clashing beyond human control. Duke Dai of Wei briefly reigned around 660 BC after the Di barbarians devastated Wei, but died within months. From the Marrying Maiden to the Abysmal, water upon water doubles the danger. The Abysmal demands sincerity of heart to navigate repeated crises. The verse captures a state sundered beyond repair, where even a legitimate ruler cannot hold his throne against the churning abyss.
歸妹 → 離
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 30: The Clinging Fire
Changing lines: 2, 3, 6
絕世无嗣，福祿不存。精神渙散，離其躬身。
The line is severed, no heir remains; fortune and rank endure no more. Spirit and essence scatter and fade, departing from the living body.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake meets doubled fire: the maiden's troubled union encounters the Clinging's demand for something to adhere to. The line is cut off, no heir survives; blessings and prosperity cease to exist. Spirit and vitality scatter, departing from the body itself. The verse describes extinction at every level: biological, spiritual, and material. From the Marrying Maiden to the Clinging, fire must have fuel to burn, light must have a vessel to illuminate. The Clinging's nature is dependence, brilliance that requires attachment. When there is nothing left to cling to, no heir, no fortune, no animating spirit, even fire goes dark. The verse captures the moment when the last ember loses its hold and consciousness itself disperses.
歸妹 → 咸
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 31: Influence
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 5
文君之德，養仁致福。年无胎夭，國富民實。憂者之望，憎參盜息。
The virtue of Lord Wen nurtures benevolence and brings blessings. No infant dies untimely in the year; the state is rich, the people full. The anxious find their hope; hatred and banditry cease.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake ascends to lake over mountain: the maiden's subordinate position transforms into Influence's mutual responsiveness. The virtue of a cultured lord nurtures benevolence and brings blessings. No infants die young throughout the year; the state grows rich and the people prosper. Those in distress find hope; slander and theft subside. The verse celebrates governance so effective that even mortality rates decline. From the Marrying Maiden to Influence, the lake rests atop the mountain, the youngest daughter above the youngest son, an image of natural attraction and receptivity. Influence works through emptiness and openness, the gentleman receiving others with a hollow heart. The lord's virtue here radiates effortlessly, drawing contentment and loyalty through genuine moral resonance rather than compulsion.
歸妹 → 恆
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 32: Duration
Changing lines: 1, 3
合歡之國，喜為我福。東岳南山，朝躋成息。
A land of shared joy; happiness becomes our blessing. East Peak and South Mountain — we ascend at dawn and rest at the summit.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake becomes thunder over wind: the maiden's precarious union steadies into Duration's enduring constancy. A nation of joyful harmony brings blessings of its own. Eastern Peak and Southern Mountain are climbed at dawn, and one rests upon reaching the summit. The verse pairs communal happiness with the ritual journey to sacred mountains, climbing toward permanence. From the Marrying Maiden to Duration, thunder and wind reinforce each other in perpetual motion. Duration's counsel is to stand firm without changing direction. The mountain climb embodies this: each step upward is a commitment sustained until the peak is reached. What began as an uncertain maiden's union here solidifies into the enduring rhythm of seasonal rites and steady ascent.
歸妹 → 遯
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 33: Retreat
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
憂人之患，履悖易顏，為身禍殘。率身自守，與喜相抱，長子成老。封受福祉。
Grieving over others' troubles, treading error, changing one's expression; calamity mars the body. Guarding oneself in discipline, embracing joy — the eldest son grows old. Enfeoffed, he receives blessings.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake gives way to heaven over mountain: the maiden's entanglement meets Retreat's strategic withdrawal. The verse unfolds in two movements: first, worry about others' misfortunes leads to stumbling, facial distortion, and bodily ruin. Then the pivot: guarding oneself with restraint, embracing joy rather than grief, the eldest son grows old in peace, and blessings are received. From the Marrying Maiden to Retreat, heaven above the mountain commands distance from petty entanglements. The gentleman distances himself from small-minded people, stern but not hostile. The verse maps this transition precisely: over-involvement in others' crises destroys the helper, while measured self-preservation sustains both dignity and longevity. Retreat is not cowardice but the discipline of knowing when engagement becomes self-destruction.
歸妹 → 大壯
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 34: Great Power
Changing lines: 3
太公避紂，七十隱處。卒受聖文，為王室輔。
The Grand Duke avoids the tyrant Zhou, hiding for seventy years. At last he receives the sage King Wen and becomes the pillar of the royal house.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake surges into thunder over heaven: the maiden's subordinate patience transforms into Great Power's thunderous authority. Taigong, the Grand Duke, fled the tyranny of King Zhou of Shang and lived in obscurity for seventy years. At last he received the sage King Wen's summons and became the pillar of the Zhou royal house. According to tradition, Jiang Ziya fished with a barbless hook by the Wei River, waiting for the right ruler to find him. From the Marrying Maiden to Great Power, thunder roars above heaven in irresistible force. The seventy years of hiding were not weakness but the accumulation of power that, when finally released, established a dynasty. Patience stored becomes thunder unleashed.
歸妹 → 晉
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 35: Progress
Changing lines: 1, 2, 6
江漢上流，政逆民憂。陰伐其陽，雌為雄公。
The Yangtze and Han flow upstream; governance reversed, the people grieve. Yin attacks yang; the hen usurps the cock's authority.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake yields to fire over earth: the maiden's constrained role meets Progress, where light emerges above the horizon. The upper reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers flow in reverse; governance defies the people's welfare. Yin usurps yang; the female takes the male's authority. The verse describes political inversion: rivers running backward signal a world turned upside-down. The allusion to the hen crowing at dawn echoes the classic warning from the Book of Documents against women seizing governing power. From the Marrying Maiden to Progress, fire rises above earth in the natural advance of illumination. Yet the verse presents anti-progress: when yin overpowers yang, what should clarify instead obscures. Progress demands the self-illumination of bright virtue; without it, advancement becomes perversion.
歸妹 → 明夷
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 36: Darkening of the Light
Changing lines: 2, 3, 4
縮緒亂絲，舉手為災。越畝逐兔，喪其衣袴。
Pulling tangled thread from a knotted skein; every touch brings further disaster. Crossing the furrows to chase the hare, losing one's very trousers.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake descends into earth over fire: the maiden's troubled bond plunges into the Darkening of the Light. Pulling at tangled silk only makes the knot worse; every gesture invites disaster. Chasing a rabbit across the plowed fields, one loses one's very trousers. The verse pairs two images of misguided effort: the more one struggles with knotted thread, the tighter it binds, and the hunter who abandons propriety in pursuit of prey loses what he already had. From the Marrying Maiden to Darkening of the Light, brilliance sinks below the earth. The gentleman conceals his intelligence while enduring difficulty. The verse captures exactly this necessity: in a darkened world, frantic action only strips away what little remains.
歸妹 → 家人
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 37: The Family
Changing lines: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
臭彘腐水，與狼相輔。亡夫失子，憂及父母。
The stinking pig and putrid water; the wolf becomes one's ally. Husband lost and child gone; grief reaches the father and mother.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake transforms into wind over fire: the maiden's disordered union confronts the Family's demand for proper domestic order. Stinking pigs and rotten water keep company with wolves. Husband is lost, son is lost, and the grief reaches even the parents. The verse paints household collapse in the most visceral terms: filth, predators, and bereavement. From the Marrying Maiden to the Family, wind emerges from fire, the image of warmth radiating outward as consistent moral influence. The Family demands that words have substance and conduct have constancy. Here, both have disintegrated. The household has become a sty, and the family unit, which should be the foundation of all social order, is shattered beyond recognition.
歸妹 → 睽
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 38: Opposition
Changing lines: 6
刲羊不當，女執空筐。兔跛鹿踦，緣山墜墮。讒佞亂作。
Slaughtering the sheep, missing the mark; the woman holds an empty basket. The hare limps, the deer stumbles; along the mountain's edge they tumble and fall. Slander and flattery run rampant.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake shifts to fire over lake: the maiden's subordinate tension escalates into Opposition's estranged vision. The sheep is slaughtered incorrectly; the woman holds an empty basket. A lame rabbit and a limping deer stumble along the mountainside and tumble off the edge. Slanderers and flatterers stir chaos everywhere. Every image conveys mishandled ritual and botched endeavor: the sacrifice fails, the harvest basket comes back empty, even the animals cannot navigate the terrain. From the Marrying Maiden to Opposition, fire and lake pull in opposite directions, each element repelling the other. The verse captures Opposition's essential dynamic: when perspectives diverge beyond reconciliation, even simple tasks go wrong, and sycophants rush in to fill the vacuum of trust.
歸妹 → 蹇
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 39: Obstruction
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
拔劍傷手，見敵不善。良臣無佐，國憂為咎。
Drawing the sword, he wounds his own hand; facing the enemy, nothing goes well. The loyal minister has no support; the state's sorrow becomes its undoing.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake encounters water over mountain: the maiden's rash energy meets Obstruction's impassable terrain. Drawing a sword, one cuts one's own hand; facing the enemy, the situation looks grim. A loyal minister has no support; the state's anxiety becomes a curse. The verse pairs self-inflicted wounds with diplomatic isolation: the weapon meant for the foe turns on the wielder, and the capable minister stands alone without allies. From the Marrying Maiden to Obstruction, water pools atop the mountain, blocking all forward motion. Obstruction counsels turning inward to cultivate virtue when external advance is impossible. The minister's plight mirrors this exactly: surrounded by danger, lacking reinforcement, the only recourse is to reflect and strengthen inner resolve.
歸妹 → 解
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 40: Deliverance
Changing lines: 1
三羖五䍧，相隨俱行。迷入空澤，循谷直北。經涉六駁，為所傷敗。
Three black rams and five spotted sheep follow together in a line. Straying into the empty marsh, they follow the valley straight north. Passing through terrain of six-striped beasts, they are wounded and defeated.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake shifts to thunder over water: the maiden's muddled commitment meets Deliverance's promise of release. Three black rams and five castrated goats travel together, wander into an empty marsh, and follow the valley northward. Crossing through six dappled rapids, they are mauled by predators. The journey of the flock is a study in misdirection: entering a trackless waste, choosing the wrong route, and meeting destruction at the river crossing. From the Marrying Maiden to Deliverance, thunder and rain should clear the air and pardon past errors. Yet the verse shows deliverance failing because the flock cannot find the correct path. Deliverance demands swift, decisive action once the storm breaks; hesitation and wandering invite ruin.
歸妹 → 損
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 41: Decrease
Changing lines: 4, 6
爭鷄失羊，亡其金囊，利得不長。陳蔡之患，賴楚以安。
Quarreling over the chicken, losing the sheep; the gold purse gone, profit does not last. The troubles of Chen and Cai; they relied on Chu for safety.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake descends into mountain over lake: the maiden's tumultuous bond encounters Decrease's painful but necessary sacrifice. Fighting over a chicken, one loses a sheep and a money pouch; the profit gained does not last. Then the verse pivots to Confucius's ordeal between Chen and Cai, rescued ultimately through Chu's intervention. The two images pair nicely: petty contention squanders real wealth, while the sage's patient endurance through crisis is rewarded by external rescue. From the Marrying Maiden to Decrease, the mountain draws from the lake below, diminishing what is excessive to nourish what is essential. The sage willingly accepts decrease, trusting that genuine loss in the short term yields deeper gain.
歸妹 → 益
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 42: Increase
Changing lines: 2, 4, 5, 6
三驪負衡，南芷取香。秋蘭芬馥，盈滿神匱。利我仲季。
Three black steeds bear the crossbar, heading south to gather fragrance. Autumn orchids, rich and sweet, fill the sacred storehouse to the brim. Blessings upon our younger brothers.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake rises into wind over thunder: the maiden's constrained role expands into Increase's generous augmentation. Three black horses bear a yoke together; from the south, fragrant angelica is gathered. Autumn orchids fill the air with their perfume, overflowing the spirit's treasury. Blessings extend to the younger brothers. The verse celebrates abundance arriving through coordinated effort and seasonal harvest, the fragrance of virtue accumulating until it spills over to benefit the entire family. From the Marrying Maiden to Increase, wind and thunder reinforce each other, the gentleman improving upon seeing good and correcting faults. The transformation converts the maiden's subordination into shared prosperity: what was confined now overflows generously.
歸妹 → 夬
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 43: Breakthrough
Changing lines: 3, 5
孟夏己丑，哀呼尼父。明德訖終，亂虐滋起。
Early summer, the day Yi Chou; they cry out in grief for Master Ni. Bright virtue reaches its end; disorder and cruelty arise.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake surges into lake over heaven: the maiden's uneasy position confronts Breakthrough's decisive rupture. On a jiuchou day in early summer, cries of mourning rise for Father Ni. Confucius died in the fourth month of 479 BC, and the verse laments his passing: with the sage's bright virtue extinguished, disorder and cruelty flourish unchecked. 'Father Ni' is Jiao Yanshou's habitual name for Confucius in the Yilin. From the Marrying Maiden to Breakthrough, the lake rises above heaven and must burst forth. Breakthrough demands that truth be proclaimed in the king's court. The verse frames Confucius's death as the moment when moral authority was breached: without the sage's restraining presence, the dam that held back chaos gives way.
歸妹 → 姤
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 44: Coming to Meet
Changing lines: 1, 3, 5, 6
履不容足，南山多草。家有芳蘭，乃无病疾。
Shoes too tight for the feet; the southern mountain is thick with grass. The household keeps fragrant orchids; thus there is no sickness or affliction.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake gives way to heaven over wind: the maiden's vulnerable position meets Coming to Meet's unexpected encounter. Shoes too tight to fit; the southern mountain is thick with grass. Yet the household possesses fragrant orchids, and so no illness afflicts it. The verse juxtaposes external discomfort with domestic blessing: the road is difficult and the landscape wild, but within the home, aromatic herbs ward off disease. From the Marrying Maiden to Coming to Meet, wind moves beneath heaven as the ruler issues commands to the four directions. Coming to Meet warns against allowing a single yin to infiltrate and corrupt. Here the orchid within the home serves as protection, a natural ward against precisely the corruption that Gou warns against.
歸妹 → 萃
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 45: Gathering Together
Changing lines: 1, 2, 5
三足无頭，弗知所之。心強睛傷。莫使為明，不見月光。
Three legs, no head; not knowing where to go. The mind is stubborn, the eyes are hurt. Do not make it see; it cannot perceive the moonlight.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake descends into lake over earth: the maiden's disordered union encounters Gathering's attempt at assembly. A three-legged creature without a head does not know where to go. The heart is strong but the eyes are injured. It should not claim to see clearly, for it cannot even perceive moonlight. The verse presents a grotesque image of blind determination: vigor without direction, willpower without perception. From the Marrying Maiden to Gathering, the lake pools upon earth as communities congregate. Gathering demands preparation for the unexpected, removing weapons and guarding against contingencies. But the headless figure cannot prepare because it cannot see. The verse warns that gathering without vision produces only a mob, not a community.
歸妹 → 升
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 46: Pushing Upward
Changing lines: 1, 3, 4
戴堯扶禹。松喬彭祖，西過王母。道里夷易，无敢難者。
An immortal crane leads the way; clouds form a bridge. At Kunlun's Jade Pool, turquoise waters shimmer. The peaches of immortality fruit once in a thousand years — eating one extends life, joy and ease forever.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake ascends into earth over wind: the maiden's restless energy meets Pushing Upward's steady, rooted rise. The original verse reads: 'Bearing Yao, supporting Yu; Chisongzi, Wang Qiao, and Pengzu. Traveling west past the Queen Mother of the West, the road is level and easy; none dare obstruct.' The verse assembles a pantheon of sage-kings and immortals, pairing Yao and Yu's earthly governance with the transcendent longevity of Chisongzi and Pengzu. The journey westward to the Queen Mother encounters no resistance. From the Marrying Maiden to Pushing Upward, wood grows from within the earth, ascending methodically. The verse transforms the maiden's subordinate position into an unobstructed ascent: when one carries the sage tradition and walks the immortals' path, the way opens of its own accord.
歸妹 → 困
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 47: Oppression
Changing lines: 1, 5
式微式微，憂禍相絆。隔以巖山，室家分散。
Declining, declining — worries and misfortunes entangle one another. Sundered by cliff and crag; household and home are torn apart.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake plunges into lake over water: the maiden's troubled union sinks into Oppression's exhausted depths. 'Declining, declining!' echoes the Shijing ode 'Shi Wei,' the lament of exiles who ask why they must endure dew and mud for their lord's sake. Worry and misfortune bind together like shackles. Craggy mountains divide the household; families are scattered and separated. From the Marrying Maiden to Oppression, the lake has drained its water dry, leaving only the hollow basin. Oppression counsels committing one's life to fulfilling one's purpose despite depletion. The verse captures this desolation: separated by impassable terrain, the family fragments, and the speaker can only repeat the ancient refrain of diminishment.
歸妹 → 井
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 48: The Well
Changing lines: 1, 3, 4, 5
靈龜陸處，一旦失所。伊子復耕，桀亂无輔。
The flood dragon stranded on the sandbar; the phoenix lands on earth — mocked by chickens and dogs. Yesterday, a gold-sealed guest in the high hall; today, gathering firewood in the wilderness.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake meets water over wind: the maiden's fragile position encounters the Well's inexhaustible depth. The original verse reads: 'The sacred turtle stranded on land loses its home in a single day. Yi Yin returns to the plow; Jie's chaos leaves him without support.' This is the same verse as 54-23, reused here for a different transformation. The turtle out of water is talent removed from its element; Yi Yin's return to farming is the sage biding his time. From the Marrying Maiden to the Well, the transformation reveals the Well's fundamental nature: water drawn up through wood, an inexhaustible resource that nourishes without being depleted. Even when the turtle is stranded and the minister exiled, the well of inner virtue remains available, waiting to be drawn upon when conditions change.
歸妹 → 革
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 49: Revolution
Changing lines: 2, 3, 5
仁德覆洽，恩及異域，澤被殊方，禍災隱伏。蚕不作室，寒无所得。
Benevolent virtue spreads far and wide, grace reaching foreign lands, blessings covering distant places. Yet disaster hides within. The silkworm builds no cocoon; in the cold, there is nothing to be had.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake gives way to lake over fire: the maiden's premature bond meets Revolution's transformative fire. Benevolent virtue spreads far, reaching foreign lands and distant regions. Yet calamity lurks beneath the surface. The silkworm fails to build its cocoon, and when cold arrives, there is nothing to harvest. The verse pairs the outward glory of moral influence with a fatal neglect of practical foundations. From the Marrying Maiden to Revolution, fire within the lake transforms the old order. Revolution demands perfect timing and absolute sincerity. The verse warns that grand ambition without domestic preparation is like a silkworm that never spins: when the season of reckoning arrives, all the far-reaching virtue in the world cannot substitute for the cocoon left unbuilt.
歸妹 → 鼎
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 50: The Cauldron
Changing lines: 1, 3, 6
夏麥麩䵃，霜擊其芒。疾君敗國，使年夭傷。
Summer wheat turned to bran and chaff; frost strikes down its awns. Sickness plagues the lord and ruins the state; the year's young lives are cut short.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake shifts to fire over wind: the maiden's vulnerable position meets the Cauldron's transformative refinement. Summer wheat is covered in chaff and bran; frost strikes down the grain's awns before they can ripen. A diseased ruler ruins the state, cutting the year's harvest short and causing premature death. The verse layers agricultural blight onto political decay: just as unseasonable frost destroys wheat before maturity, a corrupt sovereign destroys the people's livelihood before its time. From the Marrying Maiden to the Cauldron, fire atop wood transforms raw ingredients into refined sustenance. The Cauldron demands proper leadership to nourish the worthy. Here that process is inverted: the ruler poisons rather than refines, and the cauldron's contents spoil.
歸妹 → 震
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 51: The Arousing Thunder
Changing lines: 2
火雖熾，在吾後。寇雖多，出我右。身安吉，不危殆。
Though fire rages fierce, it is at my back. Though bandits swarm, they emerge to my right. My body is safe and blessed, facing no peril.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake doubles into thunder upon thunder: the maiden's anxious energy intensifies into the Arousing's electrifying shock. Fire blazes fiercely, but it is behind me. Bandits swarm in great numbers, but they emerge on my right. The body remains safe and at ease, free from peril. The verse captures the extraordinary composure of one who stands at the center of danger yet is untouched. Fire and foes surround but do not harm. From the Marrying Maiden to the Arousing, doubled thunder shakes the world. The Arousing's lesson is that those who cultivate reverent caution through repeated shock emerge unscathed, laughing while others panic. The speaker's calm amid fire and bandits embodies this mastery: shock has been internalized, and external dangers cannot penetrate.
歸妹 → 艮
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 52: Keeping Still Mountain
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
遼遠絕路，客宿多悔。頑囂相聚，生我畏惡。
Distant and far, the road cut off; the traveler lodges in regret. The brash and the loud gather together, breeding in me fear and loathing.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake freezes into doubled mountain: the maiden's restless motion halts before Keeping Still's immovable mass. The road stretches far into desolation; the traveler lodges among strangers and accumulates regret. Unruly and obstinate people gather around, breeding fear and loathing. The verse paints a journey that has gone too far, arriving in hostile territory where the traveler is surrounded by those who wish him harm. From the Marrying Maiden to Keeping Still, twin mountains command absolute cessation of movement. The gentleman thinks without overstepping his position. The verse suggests that the traveler's suffering stems from not stopping in time. Had he recognized the boundary and held still, he would not be trapped among enemies.
歸妹 → 漸
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 53: Development
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
懸懸南海，去家萬里。飛兔褭駿，一日見母，除我憂悔。
Suspended far over the southern sea, ten thousand li from home. The flying hare, the swift steed — in one day he sees his mother, and all grief and regret are lifted.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake softens into wind over mountain: the maiden's impetuous bond matures into Development's gradual, steady progress. Suspended far across the Southern Sea, ten thousand miles from home. Yet a flying hare, a prancing stallion, carries one home in a single day to see one's mother, dissolving all worry and regret. The verse captures the ache of extreme distance resolved by extraordinary swiftness, the mythical 'flying hare' steed that collapses ten thousand miles into one day's ride. From the Marrying Maiden to Development, the transformation demands patience: trees grow slowly on the mountaintop. Yet the verse promises that steady longing, maintained across vast distance, eventually finds its vehicle. The reunion with the mother completes the arc of gradual return.
歸妹 → 歸妹
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 54: The Marrying Maiden
No changing lines — the hexagram is unchanged
堅冰黃裳，鳥哀悲愁。不見白粒，但覩藜蒿。數驚鷙鳥，為我心憂。
Hard ice and yellow earth; the bird mourns in sorrow. No white grain to be seen, only goosefoot and wormwood. Startled again and again by birds of prey; this weighs upon my heart.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake returns to itself: the Marrying Maiden unchanged, its pattern intensified. Hard ice and yellow garments; birds cry in sorrow. No white grain is visible, only goosefoot and mugwort. Raptors startle repeatedly, becoming a constant worry. The verse is bleak beyond measure: winter ice, mourning birds, famine food replacing grain, and predators circling overhead. When the hexagram transforms into itself, there is no movement, no escape, no resolution. The maiden's subordinate position deepens into permanence. The yellow garment evokes the Kun hexagram's line-six warning, while the ice recalls the hexagram's opening: 'Treading on frost, solid ice will come.' From the Marrying Maiden to itself, the pattern locks into place without relief.
歸妹 → 豐
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 55: Abundance
Changing lines: 2, 3
困而後通，雖危不窮。終得其願，姬姜相從。
Trapped, then at last set free; though imperiled, not brought to ruin. In the end the wish is granted; Ji and Jiang go forth together.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake brightens into thunder over fire: the maiden's constrained role erupts into Abundance's dazzling fullness. Hardship gives way to success; though perilous, the situation never reaches despair. At last one's deepest wish is fulfilled, and noble consorts of the Ji and Jiang clans follow in accord. The Ji and Jiang were the two great clan-surname groups of the Zhou aristocracy, and their women were the most desirable brides. From the Marrying Maiden to Abundance, thunder and lightning arrive together in overwhelming brilliance. Abundance's image is the zenith of power: the sun at midday. The verse traces the arc from extremity to fulfillment, where the maiden who once entered from a subordinate position now commands a household of noble lineage.
歸妹 → 旅
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 56: The Wanderer
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3, 6
西賈巴蜀，寒雪至轂。欲前不得，還反空屋。
Trading westward in Ba and Shu; snow buries the cart to its hubs. Wishing to press on but unable; he turns back to an empty house.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake meets fire over mountain: the maiden's hasty commitment encounters the Wanderer's rootless sojourn. Trading westward to Ba and Shu, deep snow buries the cart axles. Unable to advance further, the merchant returns to an empty house. The route to Ba and Shu, the ancient Sichuan basin, was notoriously treacherous, immortalized in Li Bai's later poem 'The Road to Shu is Hard.' The verse captures a commercial venture defeated by terrain and weather: ambition outpaces geography, and the trader comes home with nothing. From the Marrying Maiden to the Wanderer, fire perches atop the mountain, burning bright but impermanent. The Wanderer finds no lasting home, and the merchant's empty return embodies this transience perfectly.
歸妹 → 巽
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 57: The Gentle Wind
Changing lines: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
作新初陵，爛陷難登。三駒摧車，斲頓傷頤。
Building a new hillside road; the soft ground collapses, impossible to climb. Three colts wreck the cart; the axle shatters and strikes the jaw.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake subsides into doubled wind: the maiden's jolting energy dissolves into the Gentle's penetrating subtlety. A freshly built tomb on a new hill collapses into the mud, impossible to climb. Three young colts overturn the carriage, shattering it and injuring the jaw. The verse pairs two failures of new construction: the tomb that cannot hold its ground and the vehicle that self-destructs. From the Marrying Maiden to the Gentle, wind follows wind in repeated, subtle penetration. The Gentle's counsel is to issue commands methodically and follow through. Yet the verse shows the opposite: hastily erected structures crumble, and untrained animals destroy what they were meant to carry. The Gentle's penetration works only with patient, repeated effort, not with the raw force that breaks everything it touches.
歸妹 → 兌
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 58: The Joyous Lake
Changing lines: 5
延頸望酒，不入我口。深目自苦，利得无有，幽人悅喜。
Stretching the neck, longing for wine; it does not enter my mouth. Deep-set eyes, self-inflicted bitterness; profit and gain are nowhere to be found. The recluse finds quiet joy.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake meets doubled lake: the maiden's anxious energy settles into the Joyous's shared delight, yet the verse is bittersweet. Craning one's neck toward wine, it never reaches the mouth. Sunken eyes suffer from self-imposed deprivation; profit and gain come to nothing. Then, unexpectedly: the secluded person finds joy. The verse traces a journey from frustrated longing to quiet contentment, desire unfulfilled in the material realm but resolved inwardly. From the Marrying Maiden to the Joyous, paired lakes reflect each other in mutual illumination. The Joyous at its best is the joy of shared learning and discussion among friends. The 'secluded person's' delight suggests that true joy lies not in obtaining what one craves but in discovering serenity within limitation.
歸妹 → 渙
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 59: Dispersion
Changing lines: 1, 4, 5, 6
仲春孟夏，和氣所舍。生我喜福，國无殘賊。
Mid-spring into early summer; where harmonious energy comes to rest. It gives us joyful blessings; the state knows no cruelty or harm.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake disperses into wind over water: the maiden's turbulent bond diffuses into Dispersion's cleansing dissolution. In the second month of spring and the first month of summer, harmonious energy finds its dwelling place. Joy and blessings are born; the state knows neither cruelty nor crime. The verse captures the gentle transition between spring and summer when nature is at its most generous, warmth gathering without excess, life emerging without violence. From the Marrying Maiden to Dispersion, wind blows across water, breaking up frozen rigidity. The ancient kings worshipped the supreme deity and built ancestral temples to unite dispersed loyalties. The verse's seasonal harmony embodies Dispersion's ideal: when blocked energies are released through proper channels, peace and fertility follow naturally.
歸妹 → 節
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 60: Limitation
Changing lines: 4, 5
張羅捕鳩，兔離其災。雌雄俱得，為罝所賊。
Spreading the net to catch the dove; the rabbit escapes its doom. Male and female both are taken; the snare becomes their executioner.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake meets water over lake: the maiden's impulsive energy encounters Limitation's measured boundaries. Nets are spread to catch pigeons; the rabbit escapes its trap. But both male and female birds are caught, snared together by the hunting net. The verse shows a mixed outcome: one quarry escapes while another is caught, the net capturing what it was not set for. From the Marrying Maiden to Limitation, water rests upon the lake, establishing the proper level beyond which excess is harmful. Limitation demands measured restraint, knowing when enough is enough. The hunting net is itself a device of limitation, but here it catches indiscriminately. The verse warns that limits applied without precision trap the wrong targets while letting the real quarry slip away.
歸妹 → 中孚
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 61: Inner Truth
Changing lines: 4, 5, 6
三人俱行，一人言北，伯仲欲南，少叔不得。中路分爭，道鬭相賊。
Three men travel together; one speaks for north, the elder brothers wish south, the youngest cannot prevail. Midway they fall to quarreling; on the road they turn to blows and injury.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake shifts to wind over lake: the maiden's agitated union encounters Inner Truth's demand for genuine sincerity. Three travelers walk together; one insists on going north while the elder and middle brothers want south. The youngest cannot prevail. Midway they quarrel and attack each other. The verse depicts the collapse of consensus within a small group: what should be a journey undertaken in good faith devolves into violent disagreement over direction. From the Marrying Maiden to Inner Truth, wind blows gently over the lake, the image of the gentleman deliberating with compassion before passing judgment. Inner Truth demands the hollow center of genuine sincerity. The three travelers lack precisely this: without shared truth at the center, even companions become enemies.
歸妹 → 小過
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 62: Small Exceeding
Changing lines: 1, 2, 3
然諾不行，欺紿誤人。使我露宿，夜歸溫室。神怒不直，鬼欲求獨。刺擊其目，反言自賊。
Promises unfulfilled, deceit misleads. I am made to sleep in the open; at night I return to the warm room. The spirits rage at injustice; the ghosts seek solitude. They strike at his eyes; his own words become his undoing.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake rises into thunder over mountain: the maiden's unstable bond encounters Small Exceeding's warning against overstepping. Promises are made but never honored; deception misleads and harms. One is forced to sleep outdoors, returning at night to a warm room. The gods are angered by dishonesty; the spirits seek to punish the solitary offender. They strike at his eyes, and his own false words recoil upon him. The verse is a comprehensive study in broken faith: vows abandoned, trust exploited, divine retribution exacted. From the Marrying Maiden to Small Exceeding, thunder atop the mountain creates a sound that carries too far for its source. Small Exceeding demands exceeding reverence, exceeding grief, exceeding frugality. The liar who exceeds in the wrong direction invites heaven's judgment.
歸妹 → 既濟
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 63: After Completion
Changing lines: 2, 3, 4, 5
陳辭達誠，使安不傾。增祿益壽，以成功名。
Presenting words to convey sincerity, he brings stability and prevents collapse. Rank is increased, longevity extended; thus merit and fame are achieved.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake settles into water over fire: the maiden's disordered union finds resolution in After Completion's perfect balance. Presenting words with sincerity reaches the heart of the matter, securing stability and preventing collapse. Salary increases and lifespan extends; achievement and fame are established. The verse celebrates the power of eloquent, genuine persuasion: the right words, spoken with integrity, stabilize a situation that was teetering. From the Marrying Maiden to After Completion, water sits above fire in perfect but precarious equilibrium. Every element is in its proper place, the ideal moment of fulfillment. The verse captures this moment: sincere counsel has been received, the crisis averted, and the reward of a well-ordered life secured. Yet After Completion always warns that perfection is the beginning of decline.
歸妹 → 未濟
Hexagram 54 → Hexagram 64: Before Completion
Changing lines: 1, 6
火燒公床，破家滅亡。然得安昌，先憂重喪。
Fire burns the lord's bed; the household is shattered and destroyed. Yet in the end, peace and prosperity are found; first comes grief and heavy mourning.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BC
Commentary
Thunder over lake ends in fire over water: the maiden's troubled bond confronts Before Completion's unresolved crossing. Fire burns the lord's bed; the household is destroyed and the family perishes. Yet somehow, peace and prosperity follow. First comes worry and double bereavement. The verse embodies Before Completion's paradox: destruction precedes renewal, and the crossing is not yet accomplished even as new conditions emerge. The burning bed is the annihilation of domestic order, total and irreversible. Yet the verse insists that from this ash, stability arises. From the Marrying Maiden to Before Completion, fire sits above water, each element straining toward its natural place but not yet arrived. The final verse of hexagram 54's cycle leaves the outcome suspended between catastrophe and hope.