King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Hexagram 34 大壯 changing to hexagram 40 解

dà zhuàng
→
jiě

Changing lines (counted from the bottom): 1, 3.

What to read

Two changing lines: read both line texts of the original hexagram; the upper one is the main one. (Rule set out by Zhu Xi in the Yixue qimeng.)

Hexagram 34 大壯, line 3

小人用壯,君子用罔,貞厲。羝羊觸藩,羸其角。

The third line, undivided, shows, in the case of a small man, one using all his strength; and in the case of a superior man, one whose rule is not to do so. Even with firm correctness the position would be perilous. (The exercise of strength in it might be compared to the case of) a ram butting against a fence, and getting his horns entangled.

Hexagram 34 大壯, line 1

壯于趾,征凶,有孚。

The first line, undivided, shows its subject manifesting his strength in his toes. But advance will lead to evil,—most certainly.

The two hexagrams

Hexagram 34 大壯 — judgment

利貞。

Ta Kwang indicates that (under the conditions which it symbolises) it will be advantageous to be firm and correct.

Hexagram 40 解 — judgment

利西南,无所往,其來復吉。有攸往,夙吉。

In (the state indicated by) Kieh advantage will be found in the south-west. If no (further) operations be called for, there will be good fortune in coming back (to the old conditions). If some operations be called for, there will be good fortune in the early conducting of them.

The changing lines of hexagram 34

LineChineseLegge
1壯于趾,征凶,有孚。The first line, undivided, shows its subject manifesting his strength in his toes. But advance will lead to evil,—most certainly.
3小人用壯,君子用罔,貞厲。羝羊觸藩,羸其角。The third line, undivided, shows, in the case of a small man, one using all his strength; and in the case of a superior man, one whose rule is not to do so. Even with firm correctness the position would be perilous. (The exercise of strength in it might be compared to the case of) a ram butting against a fence, and getting his horns entangled.

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.