Skinning (49)
5
3
1
The Judgement
REVOLUTION. On your own dayYou are believed.
Supreme success,
Furthering through perseverance.
Remorse disappears.
The Image
Fire in the lake: the image of REVOLUTION.Thus the superior man
Sets the calendar in order
And makes the seasons clear.
Line Poems
- 6 - The superior man changes like a panther. The inferior man molts in the face. Starting brings misfortune. To remain persevering brings good fortune.
- 5 - The great man changes like a tiger. Even before he questions the oracle He is believed.
- 4 - Remorse disappears. Men believe him. Changing the form of government brings good fortune.
- 3 - Starting brings misfortune. Perseverance brings danger. When talk of revolution has gone the rounds three times, One may commit himself, And men will believe him.
- 2 - When one’s own day comes, one may create revolution. Starting brings good fortune. No blame.
- 1 - Wrapped in the hide of a yellow cow.
Commentary
The Chinese character for this hexagram means in its original sense an animal’s pelt, which is changed in the course of the year by molting.From this the word is carried over to apply to the “moltings” in political life, the great revolutions connected with changes of governments.
The two trigrams making up the hexagram are the same two that appear in K’uei, OPPOSITION (38), that is, the two younger daughters, Li and Tui.
But while there the elder of the two daughters is above, and what results is essentially only an opposition of tendencies, here the younger daughter is above.
The influences are in actual conflict, and the forces combat each other like fire and water (lake), each trying to destroy the other.
Hence the idea of revolution.
