師 → 家人
Hexagram 7: The Army → Hexagram 37: The Family
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。
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.
Line 3
六三 師或輿尸。凶。
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。
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。
Six at the top means: The great prince issues commands, Founds states, vests families with fiefs. Inferior people should not be employed.
Trigram Changes
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.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store