Transformation · lines 2, 3, and 4

Good Manners becomes Opposites

Starting hexagram
Resulting hexagram

What this change means

When the second, third and fourth lines change, Good Manners becomes 38 Opposites, fire above and lake below. Three lines move, so both judgments speak equally. Good Manners wants courtesy and care with daily affairs. Opposites describes being among people quite different from you, yet needing to share with them, which keeps achievements small for now. Courtesy is the natural tool for this. You don't have to agree with everyone or become like them. Keep your own nature, let others keep theirs, and contribute from where you stand. Good manners make coexistence possible where agreement isn't. Don't give up on the shared project, and don't expect large results yet. Small, respectful steps keep the connection alive until more becomes possible.

What to read, in order

Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.

  1. The judgment of 22 Good Manners

    It's a time to be kind and courteous and to use good manners with others if you want good results in what you undertake. What might seem superficial at another time leads you to success now. It's a time to handle everyday matters, not great undertakings.

    Success. In small things, it is favorable to have somewhere to go.

  2. The judgment of 38 Opposites

    You're in a situation of opposition: the people around you are different from you, yet you need to share with them. This means that what you can achieve for now is small. Even so, don't give in. It matters that both you and they keep your own nature and contribute from there to a shared project.

    In small matters, good fortune.

  3. Line 2 of 22 Good Manners

    Pay attention to what is essential; combining it with good manners will bring you achievement.

    Adorning the beard.

  4. Line 3 of 22 Good Manners

    When well-being surrounds you, don't relax too much and lose yourself in it.

    Adorned, as if soaked through. Lasting constancy brings good fortune.

  5. Line 4 of 22 Good Manners

    A time of great well-being is coming, and you can allow yourself to enjoy it.

    Adorned and white; a white horse as if on wings. Not a raider: one who comes to ask for marriage.

The trigrams

Below Fire Lake
Above Mountain Fire

The way back

38 Opposites → 22 Good Manners
lines 2, 3, and 4

Other transformations of Good Manners

Make your own cast

The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.

Toss the coins