豐 → 困
Hexagram 55: Abundance → Hexagram 47: Oppression
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 3, 5).
Line 1
初九 遇其配主。雖旬无咎。往有尚。
Nine at the beginning means: When a man meets his destined ruler, They can be together ten days, And it is not a mistake. Going meets with recognition.
Line 2
六二 豐其蔀。日中見斗。往得疑疾。有孚發若。吉。
Six in the second place means: The curtain is of such fullness That the polestars can be seen at noon. Through going one meets with mistrust and hate. If one rouses him through truth, Good fortune comes.
Line 3
九三 豐其沛。日中見沬。折其右肱。无咎。
Nine in the third place means: The underbrush is of such abundance That the small stars can be seen at noon. He breaks his right arm. No blame.
Line 5
六五 來章。有慶譽吉。
Six in the fifth place means: Lines are coming, Blessing and fame draw near. Good fortune.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
管仲遇桓,得其願歡。膠牢振冠,冠帶无憂。笑戲不莊,空言妄行。
Guan Zhong met Duke Huan, and gained what he wished and desired. The bond set firm, the cap straightened; capped and robed, without worry. Yet jesting without solemnity, empty words and reckless deeds.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Thunder and fire converge in Abundance, and the verse begins with a celebrated partnership. Guan Zhong meets Duke Huan of Qi and finds his heart's delight — the minister and lord unite in purpose. Bonds are secured, the ceremonial cap is straightened; cap and sash bring no worry. But the verse pivots: 'laughing and playing without dignity, empty words and reckless deeds.' The initial joy of partnership dissolves into careless indulgence. From Abundance to Oppression, the lake drains its water: what began as the most productive minister-lord bond in Spring and Autumn history degenerates into frivolity. Oppression strips away the surface, revealing that even the greatest alliances hollow out when discipline is abandoned.
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