Hexagram 60: Limitation → Hexagram 57: The Gentle Wind

Limitation
Water / Lake
The Gentle Wind
Wind / Wind
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 1, 3, 6).

Line 1

初九 不出戶庭。无咎。

not
chūgoing out
the door
tíngthe chamber
no
jiùblame

Nine at the beginning means: Not going out of the door and the courtyard Is without blame.

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 6

上六 苦節貞凶。悔亡。

bitter
jiélimitation
zhēnpersistence
xiōngis unfortunate
huǐbut
wángpass

Six at the top means: Galling limitation. Perseverance brings misfortune. Remorse disappears.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramWater WindThe Deep → The Gentle
Lower TrigramLake WindThe Joyous → The Gentle

Yilin Verse

六目俱視,各欲有志。心意不同,乖戾生訟。

Six eyes all watching, each harboring their own designs. Hearts and intentions differ; discord leads to dispute.

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

Commentary

Water over lake should align diverse perspectives toward a shared measure, but this verse shows alignment shattered. Six eyes stare in different directions, each pursuing its own agenda. Hearts and minds diverge, and the dissonance breeds litigation. The 'six eyes' likely represents three people or three factions — each seeing differently, each wanting differently, unable to form consensus. From Limitation to the Gentle, the transformation doubles the wind: penetrating influence applied and reapplied. The gentleman issues his commands and carries them out — but when six eyes refuse to align, even the gentlest repeated instruction generates only more friction. The Gentle's power of gradual permeation fails against a group that has already fractured at the level of fundamental intention. Limitation without shared purpose produces not order but quarrels.

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