未濟 → 隨
Hexagram 64: Before Completion → Hexagram 17: Following
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 5, 6).
Line 1
初六 濡其尾。吝。
Six at the beginning means: He gets his tail in the water. Humiliating.
Line 2
九二 曳其輪。貞吉。
Nine in the second place means: He brakes his wheels. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Line 5
六五 貞吉无悔。君子之光。有孚吉。
Six in the fifth place means: Perseverance brings good fortune. No remorse. The light of the superior man is true. Good fortune.
Line 6
上九 有孚于飲酒。无咎。濡其首。有孚失是。
Nine at the top means: There is drinking of wine In genuine confidence. No blame. But if one wets his head, He loses it, in truth.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
犬畏狼虎，依人有輔。三夫執戟，伏不敢起，身安无咎。
The dog fears wolf and tiger; relying on men, it finds protection. Three warriors hold their halberds; the beasts crouch and dare not rise. Body safe, without mishap.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire above water, and the small creature seeks protection. A dog fears the wolf and tiger, so it depends on human support. Three warriors stand with halberds raised; the enemy crouches and dares not rise. Safety is secured, and no harm follows. The verse is a compact parable of alliance: the weak creature survives not through its own strength but by attaching itself to a superior force. From Before Completion to Following, fire-over-water transforms into thunder resting within the lake. Following's image is of the gentleman who, at nightfall, enters his house and rests — knowing when to yield to a greater rhythm. The dog does not fight the tiger; it follows the human. Strength here lies not in resistance but in knowing whom to follow.
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