家人

Hexagram 7: The Army → Hexagram 37: The Family

The Army
Earth / Water
家人
The Family
Wind / Fire
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 5 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 3, 5, 6).

Line 1

初六 師出以律。否臧凶。

shīthe militia
chūsets out
by
code
if not
zāngright
xiōngunfortunate

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。

zàiat
shīthe militia
zhōngthe center
promising
nothing
jiùblame
wángthe sovereign
sānthree times
grants
mìngdecrees

Nine in the second place means: In the midst of the army. Good fortune. No blame. The king bestows a triple decoration.

Line 3

六三 師或輿尸。凶。

shīthe militia
huòmay
輿to transport
shīdead bodies
xiōngunfortunate

Six in the third place means: Perchance the army carries corpses in the wagon. Misfortune.

Line 5

六五 田有禽。利執言。无咎。長子帥師。弟子輿尸。貞凶。

tiánthe fields
yǒuholds
qíngame
worthwhile
zhíto control
yánthe talking
no
jiùblame
zhǎngthe elder
son
shuàicaptains
shīthe militia
the younger
son
輿would only transport
shīthe corpses
zhēnpersistence
xiōngunfortunate

Six in the fifth place means: There is game in the field. It furthers one to catch it. Without blame. Let the eldest lead the army. The younger transports corpses; Then perseverance brings misfortune.

Line 6

上六 大君有命。開國承家。小人勿用。

the great
jūnnoble
yǒuassumes
mìngfull command
kāiestablish
guóthe domains
chéngand recognizes
jiāthe clans
xiǎothe lesser
rénpeople
are not at all
yònguseful

Six at the top means: The great prince issues commands, Founds states, vests families with fiefs. Inferior people should not be employed.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramEarth WindThe Receptive → The Gentle
Lower TrigramWater FireThe Deep → The Clinging

Yilin Verse

配合相迎,利之四鄉。欣喜興釋,所言得當。

A matched pair meets and welcomes; advantage spreads to the four quarters. Joyful, relieved; all words spoken hit the mark.

— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE

Commentary

Water hidden within the earth finds its natural partner, and the verse celebrates harmonious union. Well-matched partners welcome each other, bringing benefit to all four quarters. Joy and relief dissolve old tensions; every word spoken hits its mark. The verse captures the rare satisfaction of complete alignment: people, purpose, and expression all in accord. From The Army to The Family, wind issues from fire as warmth radiates outward from the hearth. The army's collective discipline is domesticated into family order — the general becomes the patriarch whose words carry weight precisely because they match his conduct. Institutional authority softens into the steady warmth of household governance.

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