Hexagram 40 解 changing to hexagram 42 益
Changing lines (counted from the bottom): 1, 2, 4, 5, 6.
What to read
Five changing lines: read the one unchanged line of the resulting hexagram. (Rule set out by Zhu Xi in the Yixue qimeng.)
Hexagram 42 益, line 3
益之用凶事，无咎。有孚中行，告公用圭。
The third line, divided, shows increase given to its subject by means of what is evil, so that he shall (be led to good), and be without blame. Let him be sincere and pursue the path of the Mean, (so shall he secure the recognition of the ruler, like) an officer who announces himself to his prince by the symbol of his rank.
The two hexagrams
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.
Hexagram 42 益 — judgment
利有攸往。利涉大川。
Yî indicates that (in the state which it denotes) there will be advantage in every movement which shall be undertaken, that it will be advantageous (even) to cross the great stream.
The changing lines of hexagram 40
| Line | Chinese | Legge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 无咎。 | The first line, divided, shows that its subject will commit no error. |
| 2 | 田獲三狐，得黃矢，貞吉。 | The second line, undivided, shows its subject catch, in hunting, three foxes, and obtain the yellow ( = golden) arrows. With firm correctness there will be good fortune. |
| 4 | 解而拇，朋至斯孚。 | (To the subject of) the fourth line, undivided, (it is said), 'Remove your toes. Friends will (then) come, between you and whom there will be mutual confidence' |
| 5 | 君子惟有解，吉；有孚于小人。 | The fifth line, divided, shows (its subject), the superior man ( = the ruler), executing his function of removing (whatever is injurious to the idea of the hexagram), in which case there will be good fortune, and confidence in him will be shown even by the small men. |
| 6 | 公用射隼，于高墉之上，獲之，无不利。 | In the sixth line, divided, we see a feudal prince (with his bow) shooting at a falcon on the top of a high wall, and hitting it. (The effect of his action) will be in every way advantageous. |
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.