䷾After CompletionJì Jì

The judgment

亨小。利贞。初吉终乱

Water sits over fire and the pot is boiling on the stove. The work is finished and the arrangement is at its most fragile, so what happens next is maintenance.

The image

Water rests above the fire and the two are held apart by one thin vessel. Order at the top is order that is still being held.

The six lines

Read from the bottom up. A line that moves is read here, and read again in the hexagram it becomes.

1. 初九Line 1

   曳其轮，濡其尾，无咎

   Starting out dragging the wheel while the tail soaks; effort goes into hauling, not moving.

   Marked in the textno blame

2. 六二Line 2

   妇丧其茀，勿逐，七日得

   The carriage curtain is lost; no need to comb the streets—stand still seven days and it returns.

3. 九三Line 3

   高宗伐鬼方，三年克之，小人勿用

   The far hard ground took three years to subdue, and the leaders sent in changed more than once, nearly throwing away the strength already spent. Keep only those who echo whatever is said, and the work comes apart in their hands.

4. 六四Line 4

   𦈡有衣袽，终日戒

   A leaking boat patched with rags; the whole day spent watching the seep, unable to leave.

5. 九五Line 5

   东邻杀牛，不如西邻之禴祭，实受其福

   The east sets out a great beast, the west a simple rite; the substantial portion lands with the latter.

6. 上六Line 6

   濡其首，厉

   Crossing until the water covers the head; no way back, no bank in reach.

   Marked in the textdanger

Where each changing line leads

Flip one line and it is a different hexagram. These are the six it becomes.

• 初九→ObstructionHexagram 39
• 六二→WaitingHexagram 5
• 九三→Difficulty at the BeginningHexagram 3
• 六四→RevolutionHexagram 49
• 九五→Darkening of the LightHexagram 36
• 上六→The FamilyHexagram 37