Transformation · lines 3 and 4
The Vessel of Nourishment becomes Immaturity
What this change means
With the third and fourth lines moving, Wind becomes Water below and Fire becomes Mountain above. The fourth line leads, and it's a warning: losing sight of your aim and joining the wrong people can tip the whole vessel. The third adds that your gifts aren't being recognized now, and that integrity, not frustration, is the answer; things tend to come right in the end. The resulting hexagram, 4 Immaturity, puts both in perspective. You may not yet have the maturity you need to reach what you want here. That's not a verdict, just a stage. Act with humility: ask for guidance, seek good counsel, and apply what you learn. Being overlooked can tempt you toward the wrong shortcuts or the wrong company. Resist that. Learn, stay true to your purpose, and let recognition come once you've grown into it.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 4 of 50 The Vessel of Nourishment
If you stray from your purpose and get involved with the wrong people, you won't succeed.
The cauldron breaks a leg and spills the prince's stew. Its form is drenched. Misfortune.
- Line 3 of 50 The Vessel of Nourishment
For now you're in a place where your talents and qualities aren't recognized. There's nothing to worry about: if you stay true to yourself and act with integrity, success will come in the end.
The ears of the cauldron are altered; its going is blocked. The pheasant fat is not eaten. When the rain comes, regret wanes. In the end, good fortune.
- The judgment of 50 The Vessel of Nourishment
It's a time of change and adjustment, and it will happen naturally, without great upheaval, the way food cooks. Keep the flame lit: it's the enthusiasm that gives you the strength to keep going. And be clear about the resources you have, the way a cook chooses the ingredients. The change will come about little by little.
Great good fortune. Success.
- The judgment of 4 Immaturity
Be aware that you don't yet have the maturity you need to reach what you're after in the area of your question. Act with humility: ask for guidance, seek advice and counsel, and put what you're told into practice.
Success. I do not go looking for the ignorant youth; the ignorant youth comes looking for me. The first time the oracle is asked, I answer. A second and a third asking is an offense, and an offense gets no answer. Constancy is favorable.
The trigrams
The way back
4 Immaturity → 50 The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 3 and 4
Other transformations of The Vessel of Nourishment
- 30The Flamelines 1 and 2
- 38Oppositeslines 1 and 3
- 35Advancelines 2 and 3
- 26Great Achievementslines 1 and 4
- 52Abidinglines 2 and 4
- 1Activitylines 1 and 5
- 33Leaving Behindlines 2 and 5
- 6Conflictlines 3 and 5
- 57Gentlenesslines 4 and 5
- 34Great Manifestationlines 1 and 6
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 2 and 6
- 40Clearing Obstacleslines 3 and 6
- 46Going Uplines 4 and 6
- 28Excesseslines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.