What this change means
Earth comes to rest above a lake: the third and fifth lines move, Heaven becoming Lake and Water becoming Earth. The fifth leads. Keep your goal, relax and watch without acting; staying constant brings good fortune. The third line is its shadow: in the mud, haste invites raiders. Together they draw a clear line between waiting with ease and rushing into trouble.
The resulting hexagram, 19 Fleeting Success, says a period of luck and well-being is coming, but it won't last; it speaks of about eight months before conditions change. Making the most of it means reading the signs and taking precautions before the decline arrives. You can't avoid the change, but you can soften it. So enjoy the good stretch without rushing. Watch for haste spoiling it, and for complacency as it draws to a close.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 5 of 5 Inaction
It's important to keep your goal, but relax, rest and watch without acting.
Waiting with wine and food. Constancy brings good fortune.
- Line 3 of 5 Inaction
If you act in haste, you'll run into trouble.
Waiting in the mud. It brings the raiders on.
- The judgment of 5 Inaction
It's time to wait, not to act. Waiting doesn't mean standing still, though: it's a good time to prepare for the active period that's coming. A calm, relaxed attitude will lead you to success: look at the conditions without lying to yourself, and stay alert so you know when it's time to act. Destiny follows its own course.
There is sincere trust. Shining success. Constancy brings good fortune. It is favorable to cross the great river.
- The judgment of 19 Fleeting Success
A period of luck, fortune and well-being is coming. Make the most of it, because it will last only eight months; after that, conditions will change. If you can pay attention, read the signs and take care and precautions before the decline arrives, you won't avoid it, but you will lessen its effects while circumstances change.
Great success. Constancy is favorable. When the eighth month comes, misfortune.
The trigrams
The way back
19 Fleeting Success → 5 Inactionlines 3 and 5
Other transformations of Inaction
- 39Held Backlines 1 and 2
- 29Waterlines 1 and 3
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 2 and 3
- 28Excesseslines 1 and 4
- 49Renewallines 2 and 4
- 58Inner Peacelines 3 and 4
- 46Going Uplines 1 and 5
- 36Darknesslines 2 and 5
- 34Great Manifestationlines 4 and 5
- 57Gentlenesslines 1 and 6
- 37The Tribelines 2 and 6
- 61Inner Integritylines 3 and 6
- 1Activitylines 4 and 6
- 26Great Achievementslines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.