Transformation · lines 2 and 4
Abiding becomes The Vessel of Nourishment
What this change means
Wind under fire, wood under the cauldron: the second and fourth lines move, and stillness becomes a slow cooking. The fourth line leads with calm trust; your whole being can settle and leave what's out of reach to forces larger than you. The second line tempers that: your restraint governs only you, and watching others keep going can trouble the heart. The resulting hexagram, 50 The Vessel of Nourishment, says change will come naturally, little by little, without upheaval. Keep your enthusiasm burning and know your ingredients, as any good cook does. So let go of managing everyone. Tend your own fire, trust the process, and let the change ripen at its pace. What cooks slowly, with a steady flame, tends to turn out well.
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 52 Abiding
You're able to stay calm and trust that the universe will take care of things.
Still the trunk. No fault.
- Line 2 of 52 Abiding
Right now you can only see to stopping yourself in the right place; you can't make sure others do the same.
Still the calves. It cannot come to the aid of what it follows; the heart is not glad.
- The judgment of 52 Abiding
It's a time of stillness, of staying centered and steady: that's the best way forward in your present situation. Sometimes you need to stop, calm and confident, and wait for outer conditions to show you it's time to act. Don't go beyond what's happening now. There's no action, only a harmonious stillness, and staying that way brings success.
Still at the back; the body is not reached. Walking in the courtyard; its people are not seen. No fault.
- 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 trigrams
The way back
50 The Vessel of Nourishment → 52 Abidinglines 2 and 4
Other transformations of Abiding
- 26Great Achievementslines 1 and 2
- 27Nourishmentlines 1 and 3
- 4Immaturitylines 2 and 3
- 30The Flamelines 1 and 4
- 35Advancelines 3 and 4
- 37The Tribelines 1 and 5
- 57Gentlenesslines 2 and 5
- 20Observinglines 3 and 5
- 33Leaving Behindlines 4 and 5
- 36Darknesslines 1 and 6
- 46Going Uplines 2 and 6
- 2Passivitylines 3 and 6
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 4 and 6
- 39Held Backlines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.