Treading

素履往，无咎。

Treading plainly and going forward. No fault.

Plain treading begins at Line 1, which is firm. Its change to yielding turns the lower lake trigram into water, producing Hexagram 6.

履道坦坦，幽人貞吉。

The path trodden is broad and level. A secluded person's constancy is favorable.

The broad, level path belongs to the centered second place and its secluded occupant; a yielding line here changes lower lake to thunder and gives Hexagram 25.

眇能視，跛能履。履虎尾，咥人，凶。武人為于大君。

One-eyed, yet able to see; lame, yet able to tread. Treading on the tiger's tail, the person is bitten. Misfortune. A warrior acts as a great ruler.

Line 3 is yielding at the exposed top of the lower trigram yet assumes a role of greater force. Firming it produces Hexagram 1. The contrast concerns position and force, not the worth of disabled bodies.

履虎尾，愬愬，終吉。

Treading on the tiger's tail with fear and caution. In the end, favorable.

Fearful treading occurs at Line 4, just inside the upper heaven trigram. When this firm line yields, heaven becomes wind and Hexagram 61 results.

夬履，貞厲。

Decisive treading. Danger even with constancy.

The firm ruler at Line 5 acts decisively, but correctness does not remove the danger of relying on position and power. Changing this line to yielding turns upper heaven into fire and produces Hexagram 38.

視履考祥，其旋元吉。

Look back over the treading and examine its signs. When the circuit is complete, greatly favorable.

From the top line, the entire course of treading can be reviewed and its signs examined; changed to yielding, it makes the upper trigram lake and produces the doubled-lake Hexagram 58.