既濟 → 離
Hexagram 63: After Completion → Hexagram 30: The Clinging Fire
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 4, 5, 6).
Line 4
六四 繻有衣袽。終日戒。
Six in the fourth place means: The finest clothes turn to rags. Be careful all day long.
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
震慄恐懼，多所畏惡。行道留難，不可以步。
The valley walls on both sides are smooth as cut iron; pebbles knocked loose by the foot fall without sound. Ahead, a sheer cliff bars the path — behind, the fog is so thick no lamp can be seen.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Water sits above fire, but this verse is a modern rewrite. The original reads: 'Trembling with fear, beset by dread. Terrors multiply on every side. The road ahead is blocked with obstacles; one cannot take a single step.' Paralysis grips the traveler: terror is physical, the path impassable, and movement itself becomes impossible. From After Completion to the Clinging, fire-and-water balance transforms into doubled fire — brightness upon brightness. Yet this brilliance is not liberating; it exposes every danger with merciless clarity. The Clinging's light reveals what darkness mercifully concealed. The completed person, now stripped of all cover, must cling to whatever offers support, for the illuminated path shows only how thoroughly surrounded one truly is.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store