Sui, six in the second placeHexagram 17, line 2 · Sui (Following) · changing to 58
The line
In plain wordsHold on to the small one and you lose the big one. The convenience close at hand and the rightful one farther off can't both be kept — you can't hold firm, and you chose the near one.
The Image commentary on this line
係小子，弗兼與也。
"Tied to the little boy": one cannot be with both.
The small Image commentary is the earliest explanation of the line texts. It usually explains a line from its position: where it stands, whether it holds the center, and which line answers it.
Verdict
慎Proceed with care. The text gives no verdict, but the picture holds an obstacle and a warning. Slow down and watch the point it warns about.
How to read good fortune, misfortune, regret, humiliation and no blame →
Asking about work, love or money
- Work
- You cannot have both the small convenience in front of you and the direction you should follow in the long run. If you only go for what is near and easy, you will miss the people and the path truly worth following. Decide first which one you want.
- Love
- What feels comfortable right now and what is truly worth having cannot both be kept. If you settle for company and convenience in the moment, you lose the thing that matters more. Think it through before you choose.
- Money
- Small money and the bigger picture cannot both be had. Grab at small bargains and quick income in front of you, and you lose what would come in the long run. Be clear about which side weighs more before you reach out.
This is how to read it when this is the only changing line. With several changing lines, first see which text governs; for the hexagram as a whole, see Sui.
Line position
A yin line in a yin place: it is in its proper place; it holds the center of its trigram. Its partner is the fifth line, which is its opposite, so the two answer each other.
Second place: the center of the lower trigram, a place of praise. Stay centered and yielding.
When you get this line
If this is the only changing line in your cast (three inscribed sides, old yin), this line is your answer. The primary hexagram is Sui (Following); when this line changes it becomes Dui (Joy): hexagram 17 changing to 58.
Which text to read with several changing lines →
Resulting hexagram · Dui (Joy)
When people are amiable and enjoy each other's company, things go smoothly.