What this change means
Wind passes over the earth as lines two, three and six move, touching everything it crosses. The judgments are of equal weight. 48 Right Action asks you to use the opportunities in your favor and not lose them to postponement. The resulting hexagram, 20 Observing, says to observe before you act: you inspire others right now, and you also need to watch those who inspire you. The two meet in a kind of active attention. Look closely at what you have and what's around you; observation can show you which opportunity to take and when. But don't let watching become another way of putting things off. Once you see clearly, act. Your example matters too: how you use your resources can inspire the people who look to you, the way the image describes rulers learning from those they visit.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- The judgment of 48 Right Action
You're at a moment when opportunities are on your side. But if you don't know how to use them because you keep putting off decisions and actions, being in the right place at the right time won't do you any good. It's not about looking for new things but about making use of what you have, or there will be loss.
The town is changed, the well is not. Nothing lost, nothing gained. They come and go, and draw from the well. Nearly there, the rope does not yet reach the well; if the jar breaks, misfortune.
- The judgment of 20 Observing
Observe before you act. Right now you're a source of inspiration for others, and at the same time you need to observe those who inspire you. This will let things unfold at the right moment, and perfectly.
Hands washed, the offering not yet made. There is sincere trust, solemn and grave.
- Line 2 of 48 Right Action
You have good qualities for success, but you've grown slack and stopped pushing yourself; this makes it hard to hold on to what you achieve.
Down in the well, shooting at minnows. The jar is broken and leaks.
- Line 3 of 48 Right Action
You aren't using all your talents, and you have many, so the opportunities are there but you don't take them.
The well is cleaned, and no one drinks: my heart aches. Water could be drawn. If the king were clear-sighted, all would share in the blessing.
- Line 6 of 48 Right Action
You have all the talents and abilities to act and seize the moment, and you also want to contribute to those around you: there will be success.
Water is drawn from the well: do not cover it. There is sincere trust. Great good fortune.
The trigrams
The way back
20 Observing → 48 Right Actionlines 2, 3, and 6
Other transformations of Right Action
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 1, 2, and 3
- 49Renewallines 1, 2, and 4
- 58Inner Peacelines 1, 3, and 4
- 45Meetinglines 2, 3, and 4
- 36Darknesslines 1, 2, and 5
- 19Fleeting Successlines 1, 3, and 5
- 2Passivitylines 2, 3, and 5
- 34Great Manifestationlines 1, 4, and 5
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 2, 4, and 5
- 40Clearing Obstacleslines 3, 4, and 5
- 37The Tribelines 1, 2, and 6
- 61Inner Integritylines 1, 3, and 6
- 1Activitylines 1, 4, and 6
- 33Leaving Behindlines 2, 4, and 6
- 6Conflictlines 3, 4, and 6
- 26Great Achievementslines 1, 5, and 6
- 52Abidinglines 2, 5, and 6
- 4Immaturitylines 3, 5, and 6
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 4, 5, and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.