Hexagram 60: Limitation → Hexagram 55: Abundance

Limitation
Water / Lake
Abundance
Thunder / Fire
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 2, 3, 4, 5).

Line 2

九二 不出門庭。凶。

not
chūgoing out
ménthe door
tíngthe chamber
xiōngunfortunate

Nine in the second place means: Not going out of the gate and the courtyard Brings misfortune.

Line 3

六三 不節若。則嗟若。无咎。

no
jiéboundary
ruòsuch
and consequently
jiēlament
ruòsuch
no
jiùblame

Six in the third place means: He who knows no limitation Will have cause to lament. No blame.

Line 4

六四 安節亨。

ānsecure in
jiéthe boundary
hēngfulfillment

Six in the fourth place means: Contented limitation. Success.

Line 5

九五 甘節吉。往有尚。

gānsweet
jiéboundary
promising
wǎngto go ahead
yǒuis
shàngworth

Nine in the fifth place means: Sweet limitation brings good fortune. Going brings esteem.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramWater ThunderThe Deep → The Arousing
Lower TrigramLake FireThe Joyous → The Clinging

Yilin Verse

釋然遠咎,避患害早。田獲三狐,以貝為寶。

Leaving the boat and stepping ashore just as the waves arrive; folding the umbrella and entering the door just as the rain pours. Finding lost gold on the road and returning it to its owner — the owner rewards with fine farmland.

— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE

Commentary

Water over lake times every action precisely, and this verse illustrates perfect timing through its original text. The rewritten verse is modern; the original reads: 'Released from blame and distanced from error, one avoids disaster early. Hunting in the fields, three foxes are caught, with cowrie shells as treasure.' The imagery combines timely withdrawal with fortunate gain: leaving before the wave strikes, folding the umbrella before entering the door. Every action anticipates the turning point. From Limitation to Abundance, the transformation floods the scene with fullness. Thunder and lightning arrive simultaneously — the peak moment when clarity and power coincide. Limitation's careful timing becomes Abundance's decisive instant. The verse celebrates those who, by knowing exactly when to act, transform modest foresight into magnificent reward.

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