未濟 → 離
Hexagram 64: Before Completion → Hexagram 30: The Clinging Fire
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 3).
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 3
六三 未濟征凶。利涉大川。
Six in the third place means: Before completion, attack brings misfortune. It furthers one to cross the great water.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
被珠衘玉，沐浴仁德。應聘唐國，四門穆穆。蟊賊不作，凶惡伏匿。
Adorned with pearls, holding jade; bathed in benevolence and virtue. Answering the summons to the Tang kingdom; the four gates stand in solemn reverence. Pests do not arise; what is vile and wicked lies hidden.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire above water, the unfinished order. A figure arrives adorned with pearls and holding jade in the mouth — the ceremonial dress of a worthy envoy. Bathed in benevolence and virtue, this emissary answers the summons to the Tang state. The four gates stand solemn and reverent; pests and predators vanish; all wickedness hides. The 'Tang state' (唐國) likely refers to the domain of Emperor Yao, whose capital was at Tang. The 'four gates' (四門) evoke the Shujing's description of Yao's court where 'the four gates were open and clear.' From Before Completion to the Clinging, fire-over-water transforms into doubled fire — brightness illuminating brightness. The envoy's virtue resonates with the court's radiance; when both shine true, darkness has nowhere to hide.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store