King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Hexagram 36 明夷 changing to hexagram 5 需

míng yí
→
xū

Changing lines (counted from the bottom): 2, 5.

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 5

箕子之明夷,利貞。

The fifth line, divided, shows how the count of Ki fulfilled the condition indicated by Ming t. It will be advantageous to be firm and correct.

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 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 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.
5箕子之明夷,利貞。The fifth line, divided, shows how the count of Ki fulfilled the condition indicated by Ming t. It will be advantageous to be firm and correct.

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.