I Ching Reading: Shi (The Army) changing to Kan (The Abyss)

師Shi · The Army

PrimaryShi

ResultingKan

Shi: Six in the fifth place

There is game in the field. It is favorable to seize it. No blame. The eldest son leads the army. If the younger sons cart corpses, persisting brings misfortune.

田有禽，利執言，无咎。長子帥師，弟子輿尸，貞凶。

慎Proceed with care

Reading

Yes, but carefully.This is a hard battle that takes a lot of people. What matters most is the leader and the discipline.

Governing text · Shi: Six in the fifth place

Text田有禽，利執言，无咎。長子帥師，弟子輿尸，貞凶。There is game in the field. It is favorable to seize it. No blame. The eldest son leads the army. If the younger sons cart corpses, persisting brings misfortune.

In plain wordsWild animals have come into the field, and catching them is right; no blame — others have attacked your door and you fight back because you must. But put your trust wholly in the one capable person. If you let him lead the troops and then let incapable people interfere as well, there is misfortune even with right on your side.

Now: It is like sending an army to war: the cause must be just, there must be method, and a steady, experienced person must be in command.
The key: Only one line is changing: Six in the fifth place. The answer is in that line. The text speaks of misfortune and also says it can be avoided. The danger lies in rushing and forcing. Stay steady, correct mistakes, and the bad outcome can be escaped.
Where it is heading: Things are moving toward Kan (The Abyss): One danger after another. This is a truly hard time.
What to do: First make sure the matter stands on solid ground. Set the rules, pick the right person to be in charge, then let go and let that person lead. Half-hearted trust and several people giving orders mean certain defeat.

Which text applies

One changing line: read that line of the primary hexagram.

Your six throws, bottom to top: 1: 8 yin · 2: 7 yang · 3: 8 yin · 4: 8 yin · 5: 6 yin (changing) · 6: 8 yin

The seven rules for changing lines →

Line position

Not in its proper place · central · answered by the second line

Fifth place: the center of the upper trigram, the ruler's seat, a place of achievement. This is where things are decided.

Verdict words in the text

利 favorable: a course of action that helps, under the stated condition
无咎 no blame: no fault attaches, often because a mistake is corrected in time
凶 misfortune: a bad outcome if you continue this way

Nuclear hexagram · Fu (Return)

The worst is over, and the turn has come.

The nuclear hexagram is formed from the four inner lines. It shows what is going on inside the situation.

Full texts

Shi (The Army): judgment and all six lines →

Kan (The Abyss): judgment and all six lines →

Begin

One who truly knows the Changes does not need to divine. The text is for reflection; what you do is up to you.