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Hexagram 17

Following

隨Suí

Responsive movement that tests what deserves allegiance.

The Judgment

Great success. Constancy is beneficial. No fault.

元亨,利貞,无咎。

The Great Image

Thunder rests within the lake: Following. At dusk, the exemplary person goes indoors to rest.

澤中有雷,隨。君子以嚮晦入宴息。

Bottom to top

The six lines

  1. Line 1

    初九

    官有渝,貞吉。出門交有功。

    The office changes. Constancy is favorable. Going out through the gate to associate with others brings achievement.

    An office changes at Line 1, which is firm, and association moves outside the gate. When the line yields, lower thunder becomes earth and the figure changes to Hexagram 45.

    Read Line 1 in context
  2. Line 2

    六二

    係小子,失丈夫。

    Bound to the young boy, losing the mature man.

    Line 2 is yielding and centered, binding to the young boy nearby while losing the mature man above; firming this place turns lower thunder into lake and produces the doubled-lake Hexagram 58.

    Read Line 2 in context
  3. Line 3

    六三

    係丈夫,失小子。隨有求得,利居貞。

    Bound to the mature man, losing the young boy. In following, one gains what one seeks. Remaining constant is beneficial.

    At Line 3, the bond shifts upward to the mature man and releases the young boy below. A firm line there changes the lower trigram from thunder to fire, giving Hexagram 49.

    Read Line 3 in context
  4. Line 4

    九四

    隨有獲,貞凶。有孚在道,以明,何咎?

    Gaining a following: misfortune even with constancy. With sincerity on the right course and clear understanding, what fault could there be?

    The firm fourth line gains adherents directly below the ruler. Even a correct course can threaten that relationship unless loyalty and intentions are clear. Changing Line 4 to yielding turns upper lake to water and produces Hexagram 3.

    Read Line 4 in context
  5. Line 5

    九五

    孚于嘉,吉。

    Trust in what is excellent. Favorable.

    Trust in what is excellent occupies the firm center of the upper trigram, which changes from lake to thunder and forms Hexagram 51 when Line 5 yields.

    Read Line 5 in context
  6. Line 6

    上六

    拘係之,乃從維之。王用亨于西山。

    Held and fastened, then bound yet further. The king uses this in an offering on the Western Mountain.

    Binding and the Western Mountain offering appear at the yielding top line. Firming it changes upper lake to heaven and produces Hexagram 25.

    Read Line 6 in context

Structure

One line away

Changes to

  1. Line 1 45 · Gathering Together
  2. Line 2 58 · The Joyous (Lake)
  3. Line 3 49 · Revolution
  4. Line 4 3 · Difficulty at the Beginning
  5. Line 5 51 · The Arousing (Thunder)
  6. Line 6 25 · Innocence

One classical protocol

In practice

A cast determines which part of a hexagram governs the reading. When one line moves, that line is read as the focus; other moving-line counts use different focus rules.

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