Hexagram 21 噬嗑 changing to hexagram 36 明夷
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 21 噬嗑
亨。利用獄。
Shih Ho indicates successful progress (in the condition of things which it supposes). It will be advantageous to use legal constraints.
Judgment of hexagram 36 明夷
利艱貞。
Ming Î indicates that (in the circumstances which it denotes) it will be advantageous to realise the difficulty (of the position), and maintain firm correctness.
The two hexagrams
Hexagram 21 噬嗑 — judgment
亨。利用獄。
Shih Ho indicates successful progress (in the condition of things which it supposes). It will be advantageous to use legal constraints.
Hexagram 36 明夷 — judgment
利艱貞。
Ming Î indicates that (in the circumstances which it denotes) it will be advantageous to realise the difficulty (of the position), and maintain firm correctness.
The changing lines of hexagram 21
| Line | Chinese | Legge |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 噬昔肉，遇毒；小吝，无咎。 | The third line, divided, shows one gnawing dried flesh, and meeting with what is disagreeable. There will be occasion for some small regret, but no (great) error. |
| 4 | 噬乾胏，得金矢，利艱貞，吉。 | The fourth line, undivided, shows one gnawing the flesh dried on the bone, and getting the pledges of money and arrows. It will be advantageous to him to realise the difficulty of his task and be firm,—in which case there will be good fortune. |
| 6 | 何校滅耳，凶。 | The sixth line, undivided, shows one wearing the cangue, and deprived of his ears. There will be evil. |
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.