King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Hexagram 36 明夷 changing to hexagram 19 臨

míng yí
→
lín

Changing lines (counted from the bottom): 2, 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 36 明夷, line 3

明夷于南狩,得其大首,不可疾貞。

The third line, undivided, shows its subject, (in the condition indicated by) Ming I, hunting in the south, and taking the great chief (of the darkness). He should not be eager to make (all) correct (at once).

Hexagram 36 明夷, line 2

明夷,夷于左股,用拯馬壯,吉。

The second line, divided, shows its subject, (in the condition indicated by) Ming I, wounded in the left thigh. He saves himself by the strength of a (swift) horse; and is fortunate.

The two hexagrams

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.

Hexagram 19 臨 — judgment

元亨。利貞。至于八月有凶。

Lin (indicates that under the conditions supposed in it) there will be great progress and success, while it will be advantageous to be firmly correct. In the eighth month there will be evil.

The changing lines of hexagram 36

LineChineseLegge
2明夷,夷于左股,用拯馬壯,吉。The second line, divided, shows its subject, (in the condition indicated by) Ming I, wounded in the left thigh. He saves himself by the strength of a (swift) horse; and is fortunate.
3明夷于南狩,得其大首,不可疾貞。The third line, undivided, shows its subject, (in the condition indicated by) Ming I, hunting in the south, and taking the great chief (of the darkness). He should not be eager to make (all) correct (at once).

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.