King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Hexagram 10 履 changing to hexagram 5 需

lǚ
→
xū

Changing lines (counted from the bottom): 3, 4, 6.

What to read

Three changing lines: read the judgments of the original and the resulting hexagram; the original is the main one. (Rule set out by Zhu Xi in the Yixue qimeng.)

Judgment of hexagram 10 履

履虎尾,不咥人,亨。

(Lî suggests the idea of) one treading on the tail of a tiger, which does not bite him. There will be progress and success.

Judgment of hexagram 5 需

有孚,光亨。貞吉,利涉大川。

Hsü intimates that, with the sincerity which is declared in it, there will be brilliant success. With firmness there will be good fortune; and it will be advantageous to cross the great stream.

The two hexagrams

Hexagram 10 履 — judgment

履虎尾,不咥人,亨。

(Lî suggests the idea of) one treading on the tail of a tiger, which does not bite him. There will be progress and success.

Hexagram 5 需 — judgment

有孚,光亨。貞吉,利涉大川。

Hsü intimates that, with the sincerity which is declared in it, there will be brilliant success. With firmness there will be good fortune; and it will be advantageous to cross the great stream.

The changing lines of hexagram 10

LineChineseLegge
3眇能視,跛能履,履虎尾,咥人,凶。武人為于大君。The third line, divided, shows a one-eyed man (who thinks he) can see; a lame man (who thinks he) can walk well; one who treads on the tail of a tiger and is bitten. (All this indicates) ill fortune. We have a (mere) bravo acting the part of a great ruler.
4履虎尾,愬愬終吉。The fourth line, undivided, shows its subject treading on the tail of a tiger. He becomes full of apprehensive caution, and in the end there will be good fortune.
6視履考詳,其旋元吉。The sixth line, undivided, tells us to look at (the whole course) that is trodden, and examine the presage which that gives. If it be complete and without failure, there will be great good fortune.

English: James Legge (1882), public domain. Chinese: Zhou Yi.

Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.