旅 → 漸
Hexagram 56: The Wanderer → Hexagram 53: Development
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 2 changing lines (lines 1, 5).
Line 1
初六 旅瑣瑣。斯其所取災。
Six at the beginning means: If the wanderer busies himself with trivial things, He draws down misfortune upon himself.
Line 5
六五 射雉。一矢亡。終以譽命。
Six in the fifth place means: He shoots a pheasant. It drops with the first arrow. In the end this brings both praise and office.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
蜲蛇四壯，恩念父母。王事靡盬，不我安處。
The serpent grows thick in its four limbs, yearning for father and mother. The king's service never ceases; it gives me no rest or peace.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire on the mountain, and a great serpent grows powerful in four directions, but the traveler's heart aches with longing for his parents. The verse echoes the Shijing soldiers' lament: 'The king's affairs know no rest; they will not let me dwell in peace.' Conscripted for endless state service, the wanderer cannot return to care for aging parents. The 'mighty serpent' (蜲蛇) may represent the sprawling demands of the state, growing in all directions and consuming the individual's loyalty. From The Wanderer to Development, wood grows slowly atop the mountain — gradual, methodical progress. Yet the wanderer cannot enjoy this steady growth because duty constantly uproots him. Development's patience is mocked by the state's insatiable appetite for service.
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