What this change means
Thunder wakes under the Earth as the first and third lines of Simplicity move. The third line carries most of the weight: a noble person humble in toil, someone whose position and reputation could invite rivals, but who stays modest and so reaches a good end. The first line backs it up, describing great things done without pretension, with no opponents in the way. The resulting hexagram, 24 Coming Back, speaks of return after a stretch of adversity. Something comes back to life, people offer help, and projects start to find favor again. It also carries a warning: remember the mistakes that led you into the dark, because repeating them could pull you down once more. Here humility works as memory. Keep working hard without making a show of it, and stay honest about what went wrong before. That's what lets this new start hold.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 3 of 15 Simplicity
If, despite your position and fame, you stay humble, you won't create rivalries and you'll succeed.
A noble person humble in toil. Reaching the end: good fortune.
- Line 1 of 15 Simplicity
Doing great things without pretension or pride will let you bring what you want to a good end, because you'll have no opponents.
Humble in their humility, the noble person can cross the great river. Good fortune.
- The judgment of 15 Simplicity
This isn't the time to boast or show off. It's time to keep things simple and to make sure you act fairly; your qualities and talents will show on their own and be recognized.
Success. The noble person reaches the end.
- The judgment of 24 Coming Back
After a period of adversity and darkness, the return comes. Still, be aware of the mistakes that led you into the dark, because if you repeat them you could fall again. People will come to help you, and your undertakings and projects will be favored.
Success. Going out and coming in without harm; friends arrive, no fault. Back and forth along its way: in seven days comes the return. It is favorable to have somewhere to go.
The trigrams
The way back
24 Coming Back → 15 Simplicitylines 1 and 3
Other transformations of Simplicity
- 11Well-Beinglines 1 and 2
- 7The Armylines 2 and 3
- 55Abundancelines 1 and 4
- 32What Lastslines 2 and 4
- 16Passionlines 3 and 4
- 63After the Endlines 1 and 5
- 48Right Actionlines 2 and 5
- 8Unionlines 3 and 5
- 31Attractionlines 4 and 5
- 22Good Mannerslines 1 and 6
- 18Loss, Then Gainlines 2 and 6
- 23The Falllines 3 and 6
- 56The Travelerlines 4 and 6
- 53Gradual Progresslines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.