師 → 復
Hexagram 7: The Army → Hexagram 24: Return
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 2 changing lines (lines 1, 2).
Line 1
初六 師出以律。否臧凶。
Six at the beginning means: An army must set forth in proper order. If the order is not good, misfortune threatens.
Line 2
九二 在師中吉。无咎。王三錫命。
Nine in the second place means: In the midst of the army. Good fortune. No blame. The king bestows a triple decoration.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
淵泉隄防，水道通利。順注湖海，邦國富有。
Deep springs and dike walls; the waterways flow freely. Following their course to lakes and seas; the state is rich and prosperous.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Water hidden within the earth flows where it is directed, and here the verse celebrates proper hydraulic governance. Deep springs and embankments keep the waterways clear and functional; channels flow smoothly into lakes and seas, and the state grows wealthy. The image is both literal and political: well-managed water infrastructure creates prosperity, just as well-managed institutions create a rich nation. Yu the Great's legacy echoes here — the sage who tamed the flood by working with water's nature rather than against it. From The Army to Return, thunder stirs beneath the earth in midwinter renewal. The disciplined channeling of the army's resources enacts the first stirring of the yang return — latent energy guided along proper courses brings revival and abundance.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store