Takashima Ekidan · Hexagram 49 Lake over Fire, Revolution: On the day of self-restraint, trust is achieved. Great success; beneficial to maintain firmness; regret disappears.

Revolution: On the day of self-restraint, trust is achieved. Great success; beneficial to maintain firmness; regret disappears.

49　Lake over Fire, Revolution

The hexagram’s body is a marsh seeping downward and fire blazing upward. When the marsh moves, what is above tends downward; when the fire moves, what is below tends upward. When above and below struggle, they cannot attain one another; when they cannot attain one another, they cannot help but undergo change. The hexagram Revolution comes from the hexagram The Well. The Tuan Commentary on The Well begins by speaking of changing; changing is much the same as revolution. Revolution reversed becomes The Cauldron. The Cauldron’s third line says, “The cauldron’s handles undergo change,” showing that The Cauldron likewise takes its image from Revolution. Revolution, with its positions exchanged, becomes Opposition. Opposition’s fifth line says, “Bites through tender flesh”; revolution means hide, and flesh is also hide, so Opposition too contains the meaning of Revolution. The hexagram’s image is the marsh of Dui and the fire of Li. The upper nuclear trigram is Qian, called metal generating water; the lower nuclear trigram is Xun, called wood generating fire. Taken together, metal overcomes wood and water overcomes fire: above and below overcome each other, and what overcomes must undergo revolution. The Great Plan says, “Metal is called following and revolution.” Dui is the western trigram and belongs to metal, so the hexagram is named Revolution.

Revolution [51]: On the day of self-renewal [52], trust is attained. Sublimely prosperous; beneficial to be steadfast and upright. Regret disappears.



▲ Bronze inscription: Revolution

Revolution means reform. The sun represents Li; in the system of heavenly stems, Li receives Ji. Ji belongs to earth and occupies the center. The way of the I Ching values attaining the center; going beyond the center brings change. The ancients regarded Ji as containing the meaning of alteration. The Ceremonies says, “In the Lesser Sacrifice Feast, use the days Ding and Ji.” Zheng’s commentary says, “Ding and Ji are required because they take their meaning from self-admonition and changing oneself.” This book believes it should be read as Ji; that is merely the author’s personal view. Thus Ji already contains the meaning of revolution. Among the Five Constant Virtues, earth represents trust, and earth is Ji. When reform is about to occur, trust must first be shown. “The day of Ji” is the day when trust becomes established among people; hence, “On the day of Ji, trust is attained.” Li’s fire is generated by the second line of Qian, and Dui’s metal by the fourth line of Qian. Thus the hexagram comes from Qian, and all four virtues of “sublime prosperity, benefit, steadfastness, and uprightness” are present. Trust brings “the disappearance of regret”; this is the achievement of the day of Ji. Wang Bi said, “On the present day trust is not attained; on the completed day trust is attained. Ji should be read as the Ji in ‘once the matter is completed, proceed swiftly.’” Both the Commentary and the Correct Meaning follow his interpretation. Yet throughout the I Ching, the uses of Jia, Geng, day, and month each have precise meanings, so Wang’s explanation is probably not correct.

The Tuan Commentary says: “Revolution: water and fire extinguish each other; two daughters dwell together, but their aims do not accord—this is called Revolution. On the day of Ji, trust is attained: reforming and thereby gaining trust. Clarity joined with joy; great prosperity through correctness. When reform is appropriate, regret disappears. Heaven and earth undergo revolution, and the four seasons are formed. Tang and Wu carried out revolution, following Heaven and responding to the people. How great is the season of Revolution!”

The Commentary says, “Water and fire extinguish each other.” Fire is beneath the marsh; unable to blaze upward, it is dampened by the water. The marsh is above the fire; unable to flow downward, it is dried by the fire. Extinguishing means stopping and giving life. Mutual restraint brings stopping; mutual completion brings life. Extinguishing has the same meaning as Mencius’s “what is renewed day and night.” “Two daughters dwell together”: the second and third daughters both arise from Kun, hence “dwell together.” Li is the middle daughter and Dui the youngest. With Dui above and Li below, their positions are inappropriate; Dui is water and Li fire, whose natures also differ. Thus their aims do not accord. When aims do not accord, change must arise, hence Revolution. Yet water and fire, being mutually opposed, must obtain earth to regulate and harmonize them; only then can Revolution be accomplished and the people trust it. “Clarity” is the image of Li; trust and joy are the image of Dui; “great prosperity through correctness” embodies Qian’s virtue. When this is so, Revolution attains appropriateness, and only then can regret disappear. Correcting faults and moving toward goodness is Revolution within oneself; abandoning the old and following the new is Revolution in human affairs; winter passing and summer arriving is Revolution in the seasons; consoling the people and punishing the guilty is Revolution in Heaven’s office. The way of Revolution takes neither abstract meaning nor practical use as its sole basis; it lies only in attaining the right time. Hence it says, “How great is the season of Revolution!”

Applied to human affairs, this hexagram is marsh and fire—both are indispensable in human affairs. The middle daughter and youngest daughter are also ever-present in human affairs. Water and fire have different natures, wet and dry; although their functions can assist each other, they may thereby harm each other. The two daughters come from Dui and Li and each embodies the nature of water or fire. Thus although they initially “dwell together,” in the end they “do not attain one another.” This is the exhaustion of water and fire and likewise the exhaustion of human affairs. When things are exhausted, they cannot help but change; change is revolution. Qian gives birth to things, Kun completes them. Kun is earth; only earth occupies the center and can harmonize water and fire. Only earth represents trust and can carry through the intercourse of above and below. This is what the Tuan Commentary means by “On the day of Ji, trust is attained.” Revolution proceeds through trust, becomes manifest through clarity, and is followed through joy. Dui says, “Prosperous; beneficial to be steadfast and upright.” Li says, “Beneficial to be steadfast and upright; prosperous.” Together these express Revolution as “great prosperity through correctness.” These four virtues also come from Kun’s earth. Through them revolution is secure and regret disappears; all are the achievement of Ji itself. The most important thing in every human affair is first to seek trust. Once there is trust, change can occur without seeming to be change. Look up at Heaven and earth, and the transformations of the seasons are evident; look far back to Yin and Zhou, and the change of dynasties is clear. Affairs differ in size, but the Way reaches the same conclusion. Human, heavenly, and ruler’s ways can all be seen in the season of Revolution. Hence it says, “How great!”—it is the season of Revolution.

Applied to a state, this hexagram means that the changes under Heaven are brought about by circumstances. If a state could enjoy lasting order and peace, would the sages not gladly live together with the people in tranquility? Why would they delight in changing things for its own sake? It is only because laws grow lax with age, customs deteriorate with age, and accumulated inertia brews great disorder. Therefore, responding to change and exercising expedient authority, one has no choice but to begin anew with the whole realm. This is the pressure of circumstances. Yet when a state reaches revolution, it is a major and dangerous undertaking. Hasty, reckless action produces disorder between what comes first and what comes later; entrusting authority to one person alone readily gives rise to slander and contempt; planning without considering consequences makes it difficult to bring matters to completion; and plans that do not benefit the people cannot win their allegiance. The sage must therefore devise a comprehensive strategy: examine it clearly and carefully, gain compliance through joy, and bring it to completion through prosperity and correctness. At the first line, the time has not yet arrived: “Use the hide of a yellow ox to bind,” without fearing that this is too rigid. At the second, the time is exactly right: reform on the day of Ji and thereby obtain good fortune. At the third, the time is appropriate for revolution: one must “undertake it three times” to seek trust. At the fourth, the time is in the midst of reform: even when “changing the mandate,” one has no regret. At the fifth and sixth, the time is after the revolution: the great person governs through clarity, while the petty person follows and responds; thus the Way of Revolution is fulfilled. Consider the rise of Yin and Zhou, and one knows that revolution has genuine substance. “Following Heaven” means trust in Heaven; “responding to the people” means trust among the people. When Yin and Zhou overthrew Xia and Shang, the realm trusted their revolution and rejoiced in it, as though unaware that it had changed. Note: Tang rose on the day Yimao; Wu rose on the day Jiazi. Yimao is wood, combined to form metal and earth; Jiazi is wood and water, together also forming earth. From this we know that the Yin and Zhou revolutions used both the time and the earth lines: “On the day of Ji, trust is attained”—this is clear proof. As for the changes of the four seasons, wood, metal, water, and fire each govern one season, while earth truly flourishes in the center; this too shows earth’s power.

The Image Commentary says: “The noble man uses the calendar to clarify the seasons.” Only the noble man can grasp the greatness of the right time.

Viewed as a whole, this hexagram comes from Exhaustion: the time was exhausted and the world had long been distressed. Fortunately, it emerges from Exhaustion and enters The Well. The Well means nourishment. The Tuan Commentary on The Well says, “Change the town, but not the well”; this shows that towns may be changed, but nourishment cannot be changed. Since it cannot be changed, vital energy must first be nourished. Once nourishment is complete, one may undertake reform; therefore The Well precedes Revolution. The Miscellaneous Hexagrams Commentary says, “Revolution removes the old; The Cauldron takes the new.” To take the new, one must first remove the old, so The Cauldron follows Revolution. Of all those throughout history who faced an age of revolution and used it well, none equaled Tang and Wu. Their revolution was not made by Tang and Wu; it was made by the time. They followed Heaven and responded to the people; when Heaven and humanity mutually trusted each other, Revolution was accomplished. The three lines of the lower trigram reform through clarity. The first line has not yet reached the day of Ji and cannot reform; the second is centered and reaches the day of Ji, so reform is possible; the third has completed the affair of reform and has no need to advance further. The three lines of the upper trigram reform into joy: the fourth receives Heaven’s mandate, the fifth occupies Heaven’s proper position, and the sixth brings transformation to completion throughout the realm; all rejoice and submit. Thus water obtains earth and receives revolution from humanity, which is why the Tuan Commentary begins, “On the day of Ji, trust is attained.” In terms of the trigrams, Li reforms Dui; in terms of the lines, yang reforms yin. The first priority of Revolution is trust; the aim of reform is appropriateness. What makes revolution possible is attaining the right time. Therefore Heaven and earth cannot change spring into summer before spring is complete, nor autumn into winter before autumn is complete. The revolution of the four seasons all responds to the time: when reform is possible, reform occurs. This is why the season of Revolution is great.

The Great Image says: “Fire is in the midst of the marsh: Revolution. The noble man therefore regulates the calendar and clarifies the seasons.”

A marsh is naturally a place of water, but it changes and contains fire; this too is an image of the transformations of Heaven and earth, hence it is called Revolution. The noble man follows this model. “Regulating the calendar” means calculating the movements and changes of the sun, moon, and stars; “clarifying the seasons” means observing the coming and going of the equinoxes, solstices, cold, and heat. Hence, “The noble man regulates the calendar and clarifies the seasons.” The calendar concerns the affairs of Heaven, while the seasons concern human affairs: this means following Heaven’s way to govern human affairs. Day and night constitute one revolution of the day; new moon and full moon constitute one revolution of ten months; the equinoxes and solstices constitute one revolution of a year. This is the meaning of the Tuan Commentary’s “Heaven and earth undergo revolution, and the four seasons are formed.”

　　[Divination]
○ Asking about the trend of the times: It is like fire suddenly appearing where there is water—an abnormal reversal of the prevailing energy. One should follow the time and change accordingly; then it is auspicious.


○ Asking about warfare: At a military encampment, guard most carefully against fires starting among ravines, streams, and woods.

○ Asking about business: Dui is metal; when metal enters fire, it melts—an image of depletion. One should move location for trade; then there will be no trouble.

○ Asking about fame and rank: The image is of the Dragon Gate transformation and a carp burning away its tail—auspicious.

○ Asking about marriage: The hexagram has marsh above and fire below. Fire is in the marsh, meaning water is controlled by fire; the husband is controlled by the wife. Revolution indicates the possibility of divorcing one’s wife and marrying another.

○ Asking about the home: This residence should be guarded against fire; move urgently.

○ Asking about illness: This is a condition of depleted kidney water and blazing liver fire. One should change doctors and follow the seasons in adjusting one’s regimen.

○ Asking about litigation: This matter was fabricated from nothing; the trouble came from outside. Revise the legal pleading, assess the timing, and the facts will become clear and the lawsuit will be decided in your favor.

○ Asking about pregnancy: A girl will be born. In general, divining this hexagram indicates a female image; only if the month is exceeded and the time changes can it become a boy.

Nine in the first place: Bind with the hide of a yellow ox.

The Image Commentary says: “Use the hide of a yellow ox to bind: one must not undertake action.”

Li is the yellow ox; Revolution is oxhide. “Bind,” according to Yang Xiong’s Dialectics, means “dry with fire.” The hide has just been stripped of hair and is being dried with fire; it has not yet become finished leather. The first line is at the beginning of Li, and its image is exactly this. Revolution is fundamentally an undertaking of great action, but the first line is low and inferior; neither its time nor its position is suitable for reform, and its ability and virtue are insufficient to shoulder reform. It is just like taking yellow oxhide and beginning to dry it with Li’s fire: one must not act hastily and make reckless changes. The Image Commentary explains it as “one must not undertake action,” meaning that reform must not precede its time.

　　[Divination]
○ Asking about the trend of the times: Good fortune is just beginning to arrive; it is still best to hold firm and not act recklessly.


○ Asking about business: The business has just been established; first build a firm foundation, and do not yet undertake reckless restructuring.

○ Asking about fame and rank: One has just emerged to seek recognition; ability is not yet sufficient and the time is still early. Only after four or five years can one transform and rise to prominence.

○ Asking about marriage: The man and woman are still young; a match should not yet be arranged. Wait three years, and it can be fulfilled.

○ Asking about the home: This residence is newly built, and its buildings are sturdy.

○ Asking about illness: The illness is weak stomach fire and excessive spleen earth, causing distention and hardness in the middle abdomen, resembling jaundice. Treatment should remove stagnation and strengthen the spleen.

○ Asking about litigation: This must be a habitual litigant; the matter will not be easily settled.

○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.

【Case】 A certain friend came to me regarding a business making magnesium cement. He wished to invest capital and form a partnership with me, so he asked for a divination to decide profit or loss. The resulting hexagrams were Revolution changing to Influence.

My judgment: The hexagram has marsh above and fire below. A marsh is fundamentally a combination of water and earth, while fire can also generate earth; Revolution means combining water and fire to transform earth. Its image exactly corresponds to manufacturing magnesium cement. The first line was obtained, indicating that the business was at the very beginning of its launch. The line text says, “Bind with the hide of a yellow ox.” Yellow is the color of the center, the ox belongs to earth, and “hide” means leather; the outer surface of earth is also called hide. “Bind” means firm and resilient. Magnesium cement is made by taking clay, mixing it with lime, putting it into a kiln, and calcining it with fire. It contains water, earth, and fire; combining all three completes the revolution. The first line concerns the initial planning, so one cannot immediately carry out the transformation; it merely shows an image of firmness and resilience, like oxhide. Reasoning from the line, after one year the reform can be implemented; after two years it can be completed; after four years everyone will trust the product; after five or six years the transformed product will become refined and beautiful. What was initially called oxhide will later become tiger and leopard hide, with decorative patterns. The line text is detailed, clear, and perfectly fitting—credible and gratifying.

Six in the second place: On the day of Ji, then reform it. Advancing is auspicious; no blame.

The Image Commentary says: “On the day of Ji, reforming it: action brings what is admirable.”

The second line is the ruler of the inner trigram, occupying the center of Li. It truly corresponds to what the Tuan Commentary says: “On the day of ji, trust is established.” In the Tuan Commentary, “then trust is established” means that Heaven and humanity anticipate its being trusted; in the line text, “then it changes” means that the time and circumstances are precisely suitable for change. Once “trust” and “then it changes” are joined, trust need not be mentioned again, for it is already contained therein. The second line corresponds with the fifth. “Going forth” means proceeding forth to respond to the command of the great person, thereby jointly opening an era of civilization; hence it is auspicious and without blame. The Commentary on the Image explains this as “action brings what is excellent.” Li is fire, and fire governs ritual. Matters of national reform ultimately cannot depart from the great principles of establishing rites. This is what the Rites of Zhou means by “auspicious rites draw the myriad people into kinship”; therefore it says, “action brings what is excellent.”

　　[Divination]
○ Regarding the trend of the times: Operating under an earth cycle can promote undertakings and establish a career; it is greatly auspicious.


○ Regarding warfare: Choose a day of wu or ji; if the army marches and engages the enemy, victory is certain.

○ Regarding commerce: Businesses connected with cotton and earth are especially suitable. For any newly established trade, choosing an earth day to open the market brings great good fortune.

○ Regarding fame and rank: In a wu year or upon entering an earth cycle, you will certainly become renowned.

○ Regarding marriage: It may be called an excellent match.

○ Regarding the home: When repairing an old residence, choose an earth day.

○ Regarding a traveler: He can return on a wu or ji day.

○ Regarding illness: It can be cured when the ji day arrives; auspicious.

○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.

[Case] A certain gentleman came to request a divination about his fortunes and received the Revolution hexagram changing to Breakthrough.

The judgment said: The hexagram is called Revolution: removing the old and taking up the new, an image of reviving an enterprise. You obtained the second line; its position is precisely that of a time suitable for reform. I know your fortunes are now flourishing and that you can accomplish much. “Going forth is auspicious”: going forth means proceeding. The second corresponds to the fifth, and the fifth lies in the outer trigram; this means going outward and following the fifth, which naturally brings good fortune. “The day of ji” means that you should choose a wu or ji day to set out; proceeding forward will bring no blame.

Nine in the third place: Going forth is ominous; correctness is perilous. Discussions of the change reach completion three times; there is trust.

The Commentary on the Image says: When the words of change have reached completion three times, what more is there to do?

The third, fourth, and fifth lines all say “there is trust.” This follows the Tuan Commentary’s “then trust is established”: the announcement is repeated again and again to make clear the intentions and secure trust. The third is at the end of Li. Since the second has already carried out the change, its success or failure is revealed precisely in the third. Acting hastily in reform instead invites defeat, hence “going forth is ominous”; reform concerns a great matter, and if people do not follow it, it may open the way to disaster, hence “correctness is perilous.” Sudden change is dangerous, but refusing to change is also dangerous. The noble person seeks trust first. Thus, before the reform is carried out, its words are proclaimed first. Li governs speech, and this is the third line of Li, hence “three completions.” In the past, when Pan Geng moved the capital to Yin, and when the Duke of Zhou addressed the many regions and many officers, the announcements were repeated and explained in detail, without concern that they might be tedious; the only aim was to secure the people’s trust. Once the words have reached “three completions,” our sincerity can penetrate deeply into the people’s hearts, and at that time the people will surely have “trust, clinging like a bond.” Some say that “three completions” is like the saying in the Zuo Commentary: “Government must be exercised with care; there are only three essentials: first, choose people; second, rely on the people; third, follow the time. When these three are obtained, Heaven and humanity trust one another.” This interpretation is also sound. The Commentary on the Image explains it as “what more is there to do?” In divinatory images, as when Qian changes to Kun, the character “to” always means change. It says that once the reform has reached three completions, what further change could there be?

　　[Divination]
○ Regarding the trend of the times: In this season of important affairs, a single lapse in caution will bring misfortune and danger immediately. Deliberate repeatedly before acting, and only then will you gain everyone’s confidence. From that point onward, the trend of the times is greatly auspicious.


○ Regarding warfare: War is an ominous and dangerous matter. On the day troops are mobilized, first make the orders clear and repeatedly proclaimed; once they are trusted, people will take responsibility, and going forth will be favorable in every way.

○ Regarding commerce: Before calculating profits, first guard against losses. The way of trade is founded on trust; only after winning the confidence and support of all merchants can profit be gained.

○ Regarding fame and rank: It will be achieved after three examinations.

○ Regarding marriage: It can succeed if three people act as matchmakers.

○ Regarding the home: Three moves are advisable.

○ Regarding litigation: From the initial hearing through the second and then the highest hearing, justice will be obtained at the third hearing.

○ Regarding illness: The symptoms are inherently dangerous, but recovery can come after three days.

○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.

[Case] A former domain retainer came to ask about the direction of domain government and received the Revolution hexagram changing to Following.

The judgment said: This hexagram is remarkably suited to today’s matter. Water from the marsh is above and Li fire below; when fire is strong, it extinguishes water, and when water is strong, it extinguishes fire. The Tuan Commentary says, “Water and fire extinguish one another”—the word may also mean give birth. Extinction followed by renewed life is precisely the meaning of removing the old and taking up the new, hence the name Revolution. You obtained the third line. The third is yin occupying a yang place and is at the end of Li. According to number, completion occurs at three; the third line is the point at which the reform is properly completed. After the change, whether the result is ominous or auspicious also lies in the third line. Thus the success or failure of domain government will be determined at the time represented by the third line. “Words of change” means the proposal for reform; “three completions” means deliberating it repeatedly before carrying it out. Then people’s hearts will trust and follow, and the change will be without blame. Otherwise, sudden reform is certainly ominous, while refusing to reform is also dangerous. This clearly shows that domain government must be reformed, but that reform must not be implemented abruptly. Be cautious!

Nine in the fourth place: Regret disappears; there is trust; changing the mandate is auspicious.

The Commentary on the Image says: The auspiciousness of changing the mandate lies in trusting the will.

Changing something and deliberating it is called words; changing something and carrying it out is called a mandate. The fourth line leaves Li and enters Dui, standing at the transition of reform. The Tuan Commentary says, “When change is appropriate, regret then disappears,” and the fourth has this exclusively. The second line of Dui says, “Trusting joy is auspicious,” and its Commentary on the Image says, “The auspiciousness of trusting joy lies in trusting the will.” The fourth line says, “There is trust; auspicious,” and its image likewise says, “Trust the will.” This means that when undertaking a great matter and moving the masses, one must first win the people’s hearts, and only then can one fully accomplish one’s will. Thus Revolution’s fourth line is the same as Dui’s second line; therefore their wording and images are alike. “Changing the mandate” means receiving Heaven’s mandate above and complying with the people’s hearts below, renewing the realm through a transformation like the revolution of Tang and Wu. In later ages, those who merely invoked Tang and Wu while recklessly aspiring to change the mandate generally perished. Revolution is auspicious only when one has the will of Tang and Wu; without that will it is ominous. The auspiciousness of “changing the mandate” refers specifically to Tang and Wu. The Commentary on the Image’s “trust the will” means the same.

　　[Divination]
○ Regarding the trend of the times: “Regret disappears” and “auspicious” mean that disasters and regrets have ended and an auspicious period is arriving. Everything can be remade, and all will accord with your wishes.


○ Regarding commerce: An old enterprise will certainly be revived, bringing great profit.

○ Regarding warfare: Change the banners and alter the strategy; restore military discipline. You can found a state, expand territory, and turn defeat into victory. Auspicious.

○ Regarding fame and rank: Change from military pursuits to civil learning, and fame can be achieved.

○ Regarding marriage: The original engagement is unfavorable; remarriage is favorable.

○ Regarding the home: Altering and rebuilding it brings great fortune and profit.

○ Regarding litigation: The troubles and regrets have receded, so the lawsuit can end.

○ Regarding a lost object: It can be found.

○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.

[Case] A friend came to request a divination about his fortunes and received the Revolution hexagram changing to Completion.

The judgment said: Revolution is the hexagram of removing the old and taking up the new; in human affairs, declining fortune departs and flourishing fortune arrives. You obtained the fourth line, showing that your fortunes are now flourishing. Earlier disasters and regrets have vanished; henceforth your enterprise will begin anew, and if you advance to undertake matters, success is certain. Yet remaining as before is unfavorable; only making changes is favorable, hence “change the mandate.” “Mandate” means destiny; a person’s life destiny changes every five years. The Tuan Commentary uses “the day of ji,” taking earth as the operative element; trust likewise belongs to earth. After a bing-zi cycle, one enters ding-chou, when the earth cycle is at its height, hence the auspicious result. Whatever was ordinarily unfavorable will, once reformed, be favorable wherever you go. This indeed came to pass.

[Case] On January 31, in the twenty-eighth year of Meiji, our army captured Weihaiwei. The Qing state’s Northern Fleet held Liugong Island and resisted our forces. On February 5, a divination produced the Revolution hexagram changing to Completion.

In this hexagram, we are the inner trigram, belonging to Li fire, while Qing is the outer trigram, belonging to Dui metal; it shows fire smelting metal. The hexagram is called Revolution, meaning change. The fourth line is precisely at the time of transformation. Attacking ironclad warships with firearms is an omen of complete victory.

Later, our mines sank the ironclad vessel, and by the twelfth, the Northern Fleet had been completely defeated; the forts also came into our possession.

Nine in the fifth place: The great person changes like a tiger; before divination, there is trust.

The Commentary on the Image says: The great person changes like a tiger; his markings are brilliant.

The fifth line receives the qi of Kun; Kun is associated with the tiger. Dui belongs to the true west, and the White Tiger is the western stellar emblem, so the fifth line has the image of a tiger. “Tiger change” means the tiger’s fur and markings transform into patterns, becoming more beautiful the more they change. The fifth occupies the honored position, hence it is called “the great person.” As the ruler of Revolution, it is like wind following the tiger and clouds following the dragon, its transformations unfathomable—the fullest and most appropriate expression of Revolution. The revolution of Tang and Wu is represented by this line. “Before divination, there is trust” means that the great person’s virtue and position are both exalted. Personally undertaking the making of institutions, he will renew the world and greatly open the transformation of civilization; those transformed by him have already offered their loyalty and gladly submitted, not daring to fall behind. This is the meaning of “when there is no doubt, why divine?” There is no need to question ghosts and spirits, for trust precedes divination. He is trusted by people and, even more, trusted by Heaven: Heaven supports him and people return to him. One may see the trust without seeing the change. The upper nuclear trigram is Qian, and Qian represents the great person. Without being the great person of “the way of Qian transforms all things, each receiving its proper nature and destiny,” how could one reach this? The Commentary on the Image explains it as “brilliant markings.” The fifth is in the center of Dui. Dui is marsh and metal; the marsh means moistening and having pattern, while metal also has the image of pattern. Below it corresponds to Li fire; Li is light and brightness, so its pattern is even more distinct. Bing fire is Li, and bing is pronounced like “brilliance”; hence the character for brilliance combines fire and bing.

　　[Divination]
○ Regarding the trend of the times: Such a grand cycle cannot be borne by anyone but the great person who “emerges foremost among the myriad things.” If an ordinary person obtains this line, he will surely honor his ancestors, benefit his descendants, and greatly revive the family’s reputation.


○ Regarding warfare: A fierce tiger general has already made his reputation known; the enemy may surrender without a battle.

○ Regarding commerce: The White Tiger is a western stellar emblem, and west belongs to autumn; beware that commodity prices may change greatly by autumn. Set prices in advance, and profit can be secured. Auspicious.

○ Regarding fame and rank: Qian says, “Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger,” meaning that each meets its proper opportunity. Auspicious.

○ Regarding marriage: Custom regards the White Tiger as unfavorable. “Trust before divination” in marriage means following someone before marriage, an image of a woman lacking chastity.

○ Regarding the home: The tiger is active; this too is unfavorable.

○ Regarding illness: The tiger belongs to yin, and yin is wood; this must be a condition involving agitation of the liver wood. Since there is trust before divination, it will surely recover without medicine. Auspicious.

○ Regarding pregnancy: The image originally indicates a girl; after one change, it becomes a boy.

[Case] A certain feudal lord had his concubine’s son inherit a collateral family. A collateral family was a family of warriors under the shogunate’s banner. During the Wuchen Incident, several hundred banner warriors pushed the collateral heir forward as their captain and planned to launch an uprising; more than fifty of his retainers were involved in the plot. The main family became worried, sent an envoy to urge his return, and said: If you do not return to the domain, the court may suspect our domain, and disaster will be impossible to predict. Debate then erupted, dividing into two parties: one urging his return, the other opposing it. Nearly a month passed without a decision. One day they summoned me. I accepted the invitation and went there. Several hundred men from both parties filled the domain residence, each stating his view, and I listened to them all. I said: What you are deliberating today is truly a matter of national importance. Matters of national importance concern Heaven’s calculations and cannot be decided by private feelings. It would be better to ask the I Ching through divination. Everyone agreed, so we cast the stalks and received the Revolution hexagram changing to Abundance.

The judgment said: This hexagram can be called perfectly suited to today’s matter. What you gentlemen are debating today is that one side wishes to devote complete loyalty to the shogunate, while the other wishes to obey the imperial command and serve the nation. Is this not exactly what the Tuan Commentary calls “two women dwell together, but their aims do not accord”? As I observe it, the hexagram is named Revolution, clearly showing the image of using reform. The line is in the ruler’s position and says, “The great person changes like a tiger.” “The great person” means one who responds to Heaven, receives the mandate, and carries the destiny of the age. The tiger is the leader of all beasts; “change” means reform. This clearly indicates that the person is one who should reform and that the time is the time for reform. Since the time is right for change, how could one fail to respond to Heaven and follow humanity, thereby answering the change? Half of your arguments cling to maintaining the old and do not understand the hexagram’s image, which centers entirely on removing the old and taking up the new. Therefore, maintaining the old is wrong. You worry that if reform is undertaken, the people may not trust it, but you do not know that the second and third lines both say “there is trust”: before reform, one should first anticipate trust; by the fifth line, the way of reform is already complete, hence “before divination, there is trust.” Moreover, after this reform, not only will great trust be received, but the people of the entire realm will be led day by day toward the transformation of civilization. One will see age upon age of harmony and prosperity, with illumination spreading to the four borders; this can already be seen today. You should quickly leave this place and return to your original domain. This is the judgment I obtained from Heaven’s calculation through divination.

The people of both parties were all astonished when they heard this and no one dared utter another word. The lord was greatly pleased with my divinatory judgment and immediately made preparations and returned.

Six in the top place: The noble person changes like a leopard; the petty person changes his face. Going forth is ominous; remaining correct is auspicious.

The Commentary on the Image says: The noble person changes like a leopard; his markings are luxuriant. The petty person changes his face, obediently following the ruler.

The top line occupies the extreme of the hexagram. It has virtue but no position, so it must represent a worthy senior official who has left office; hence it is called “the junzi.” Leopard adornment was the clothing of a senior official, hence “leopard transformation.” The completion of Reform begins with the fourth line, is put in order by the fifth, and ends with the top line. Thus the sage ruler of the fifth line has already gained the brilliance of the tiger’s markings, while the senior official of the top line likewise gains the splendor of “leopard transformation.” “The petty people” means ordinary folk; “face” means turning toward, and “transforming the face” means turning toward moral influence. It says that the petty people are all subtly transformed; beneath the bright heavens, they reform their faces and cleanse their hearts, beaming with joyful expressions. This is what is meant by “the petty people transform their faces.” “Going forward is ominous”: the top line responds to the third, so the top line’s “going forward is ominous” is also the third line’s “going forward is ominous.” Once the great transformation has been settled, if one again makes confused alterations and creates trouble for oneself, one must instead be like King Tang, who made virtue manifest and established the Mean, seeking only to benefit later generations, or like King Wu, who cultivated culture and halted military action, no longer using troops. This is precisely what is meant by remaining steadfast and thereby attaining good fortune. The Commentary on the Image explains it with “the pattern is luxuriant.” “Luxuriant” describes something deep and dense. A leopard hides amid mist and rain, wishing to moisten its body so that its markings may develop; this is like saying that junzi associate with one another in a civilized government, enhancing the brilliance of their garments.

　　[Divination]
○ Asking about current fortune: The trend is at its peak, with brilliance fully displayed; one should merely preserve what has been achieved and avoid needless changes.


○ Asking about business: Since the enterprise was founded, it has gained both reputation and profit and has reached an excellent state. From now on, know contentment and guard it carefully.

○ Asking about recognition: The top line is at the end of the hexagram, so distinction has already reached its limit. One is advised to retire after success, as the saying goes, “When a person dies, the name remains; when a leopard dies, its skin remains.”

○ Asking about military campaigns: Military equipment often takes animal names—rhinoceros armor, tiger warriors, and so on—to enhance its appearance and proclaim its might. The sixth line is the end, indicating that the battle has been settled. The troops should be disbanded and held in defense; do not advance.

○ Asking about marriage: The top line responds to the third. The third is yang and the top is yin. The third says, “Three times they come together; there is trust.” After repeated union, the marriage can naturally be completed. Auspicious.

○ Asking about the home: The line is at the top, so the house site must be elevated. “Going forward is ominous” shows that moving is unfavorable; “remaining steadfast is auspicious” shows that staying will bring peace.

○ Asking about a lost object: The object has already undergone change; even searching will not find it.

○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.

【Example】 A certain gentleman came to request a divination about his fortune and received Reform changing into Fellowship with Men.

The judgment said: This hexagram represents removing old abuses and advancing toward civilization. Today the top line was obtained, which says, “The junzi transforms like a leopard.” “Junzi” means one with virtue but no position; the leopard is also an animal that lives in seclusion, exactly matching your withdrawal from office into private life. I imagine that in former times, when you assisted the reformist government and brought about the pattern of “tiger transformation,” you certainly shared in its achievements. A leopard is smaller than a tiger; the tiger belongs to the fifth line, representing the ruler, so we know that the leopard transformation refers to you. Since your accomplishments have become established and civilization has also become manifest, you may now preserve what has been achieved together with others, without seeking more or creating complications. Hence: “Going forward is ominous; remaining steadfast is auspicious.” With such fortune, you can live peacefully, prosper, and receive blessings.