中孚 → 明夷
Hexagram 61: Inner Truth → Hexagram 36: Darkening of the Light
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 2, 3, 5, 6).
Line 2
九二 鳴鶴在陰。其子和之。我有好爵。吾與爾靡之。
Nine in the second place means: A crane calling in the shade. Its young answers it. I have a good goblet. I will share it with you.
Line 3
六三 得敵。或鼓或罷。或泣或歌。
Six in the third place means: He finds a comrade. Now he beats the drum, now he stops. Now he sobs, now he sings.
Line 5
九五 有孚攣如。无咎。
Nine in the fifth place means: He possesses truth, which links together. No blame.
Line 6
上九 翰音登于天。貞凶。
Nine at the top means: Cockcrow penetrating to heaven. Perseverance brings misfortune.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
爭利王市，朝多君子。蘇氏六國，獲其榮寵。
Competing for profit in the royal market; the court is full of gentlemen. Su Qin of the six kingdoms; gained their radiant favor.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Wind stirs above the lake as men contend for profit in the royal marketplace, the court thronging with ambitious gentlemen. Su Qin unites the six states and wins their lavish favor. Su Qin was the great persuader of the Warring States period who forged the Vertical Alliance (合縱), persuading six kingdoms to unite against Qin. He wore the seals of all six states simultaneously — the pinnacle of diplomatic brilliance. From Inner Truth to Darkening of the Light, sincerity meets fire sinking beneath the earth. Su Qin's glory is the light about to be buried: the alliance fractured, the states fell one by one, and the rhetorician's triumph proved ephemeral. Brilliance that operates in a darkening world must eventually go underground.
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