既濟 → 蠱
Hexagram 63: After Completion → Hexagram 18: Work on the Decayed
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 5, 6).
Line 1
初九 曳其輪。濡其尾。无咎。
Nine at the beginning means: He breaks his wheels. He gets his tail in the water. No blame.
Line 2
六二 婦喪其茀。勿逐。七日得。
Six in the second place means: The woman loses the curtain of her carriage. Do not run after it; On the seventh day you will get it.
Line 5
九五 東鄰殺牛。不如西鄰之禴祭。實受其福。
Nine in the fifth place means: The neighbor in the east who slaughters an ox Does not attain as much real happiness As the neighbor in the west With his small offering.
Line 6
上六 濡其首。厲。
Six at the top means: He gets his head in the water. Danger.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
冠帶南遊，與福喜期。徼於嘉國，拜為逢時。
Wearing cap and sash, traveling south, keeping an appointment with good fortune. Meeting with favor in the blessed land, bowing to receive the gift of perfect timing.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Water sits above fire, and a gentleman dons his cap and sash to journey south, keeping an appointment with fortune and joy. Arriving at a blessed land, he receives an audience and is honored for arriving at the right moment. The verse celebrates timely action: proper attire signals readiness, the southern journey suggests advancement, and the appointment fulfilled marks alignment with opportunity. From After Completion to Work on the Decayed, the orderly configuration gives way to wind stirring beneath the mountain — renewal of what has grown stale. The completed gentleman does not rest on accomplishment but ventures forth to restore and reform, arriving precisely when his skills are most needed.
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