Hexagram 49

革 Gé

Revolution

☱ Lake above ☲ Fire

Judgment 卦辭

巳日乃孚。元亨。利貞。悔亡。

革géseasonal change, divestment; shed skin

巳sìcomplete, conclude, finish

日rìa, the this, each day

乃nǎiand, only then; after this; precedes

孚fúbelieve(f), trust; be sure; reliance, assurance

元yuánfirst-rate, supreme, priority, the finest

亨hēngfulfillment, satisfaction, success, offering

利lìis worth, the harvest of; merits, rewards

貞zhēnpersistence, determination, resolve, loyalty

悔huǐregret(s), remorse; regret, repent and

亡wángwill pass, disappear, dissolve (s); move on

Commentary

On your own day you are believed. Supreme success, furthering through persistence. Remorse disappears. Revolutions are extremely grave matters—undertaken only under direst necessity when there is no other way out. Not everyone is called to this task, only one who has the confidence of the people, and only when the time is ripe. Proceed in the right way to gladden the people and prevent excesses. Be free of selfish aims, genuinely relieve the need. Only then is there nothing to regret.

Classical Text

革離下兌上革，已日乃孚，元亨利貞，悔亡。

Ge (Revolution): Li (Fire) below, Dui (Lake) above. Revolution. When the day is done, there is trust. Sublime Beginning, Success, Benefit, Correctness. Regret vanishes.

Image 象

澤中有火，革。君子以治曆明時。

Fire in the lake—combat and destruction. Set the calendar in order, make the seasons clear. In the course of the year, light and darkness battle, creating the revolution of seasons. Master these changes by noting their regularity. Order and clarity appear in apparent chaos; you can adjust in advance to the demands of different times.

Lines 爻辭

鞏用黃牛之革

鞏gǒngbound, wrapped, secured, girded, affixed

用yòngusing, with, by means of

黃huángyellow, yellow-brown, golden

牛niúcow

之zhī...'s

革gérawhide; hide

Wrapped in the hide of a yellow cow. Changes should be undertaken only when there is nothing else to be done. Utmost restraint is necessary at first. Become firm in your mind, control yourself, and refrain from doing anything for the time being. Any premature offensive will bring evil results.

Classical commentary

初九，鞏用黃牛之革。

Initial Nine: Bound firmly with the hide of a yellow ox.

巳日乃革之征吉無咎

巳sìcomplete, conclude, finish

日rìa, the this, each day

乃nǎiand, only then; after this; precedes

革géthe change, transformation, divestment ('s)

之zhīhas arrive(al), come (s, ed, ing); is here

征zhēngto expedite, assert, go boldly forward

吉jíis promising, auspicious, opportune, timely

無wúno; not; nothing; without, with no

咎jiùblame; is wrong; a mistake, an error

When your own day comes, you may create revolution. Starting brings good fortune. No blame. When every other way to bring about reforms has failed, revolution becomes necessary. But such thoroughgoing upheaval must be carefully prepared. A person with the requisite abilities and public confidence is needed. Go out to meet the new condition, preparing for it in advance.

Classical commentary

六二，已日乃革之，征吉，无咎。

Six in the Second: When the day is done, then carry out the revolution. Advancing brings good fortune, no blame.

征凶貞厲革言三就有孚

征zhēngto expedite, assert, go ing boldly

凶xiōngis ill-omened, inauspicious; has pitfalls

貞zhēnpersistence, commitment, steadfastness

厲lìis difficult, stressful, rigorous, hard

革géof change, transformation, divestment

言yánwhen talk, word, discussion, proposal (s)

三sānthree times, a, for the third time

就jiùhas, have gone, come around, circulated

有yǒuthen be; rest; have

孚fúconfident, sure; assured; confidence, faith

Starting brings misfortune. Persistence brings danger. When talk of revolution has gone the rounds three times, one may commit. And people will believe. Two mistakes to avoid: excessive haste and ruthlessness, or excessive hesitation and conservatism. Not every demand for change should be heeded, but repeated and well-founded complaints should not fail of a hearing.

Classical commentary

九三，征凶，貞厲。革言三就，有孚。

Nine in the Third: Advancing brings misfortune. Correctness brings danger. When the call for revolution is thrice affirmed, there is trust.

悔亡有孚改命吉

悔huǐregret(s), remorse; regret, repent and

亡wángpass, disappear, dissolve (s); move on

有yǒube, stay; rest; have, hold

孚fúconfident, sure, assured; confidence, faith

改gǎichange, alter, rearrange, reorganize, revise

命mìngthe mandate, highest laws, charter(s)

吉jípromising, auspicious, opportune, timely

Remorse disappears. People believe. Changing the form of government brings good fortune. Radical changes require adequate authority—inner strength as well as influential position. What you do must correspond with higher truth, not spring from arbitrary or petty motives. People support only those undertakings they feel instinctively to be just.

Classical commentary

九四，悔亡，有孚，改命吉。

Nine in the Fourth: Regret vanishes. There is trust. Changing the mandate brings good fortune.

大人虎變未占有孚

大dàa, the mature, complete, realized, great

人rénhuman being, character, one, person ('s)

虎hǔtiger(-like)

變biàntransformation, metamorphosis, evolution

未wèieven before, prior to; without

占zhāndivining, casting lots, prognosticating

有yǒube, stay; rest; have

孚fúconfident, assured, sure; confidence, faith

The great person changes like a tiger. Even before questioning the oracle, believed. A tiger's stripes are visible from afar. Large, clear guiding lines become understandable to everyone. You don't need to consult the oracle first—you win spontaneous support from the people.

Classical commentary

九五，大人虎變，未占有孚。

Nine in the Fifth: The great person transforms like a tiger. Without divination there is trust.

君子豹變小人革面征凶居貞吉

君jūna, the noble, worthy, honored

子zǐyoung one, heir, disciple ('s)

豹bàopanther, leopard(-like)

變biàntransformation, metamorphosis, evolution

小xiǎothe lesser, common, ordinary, average

人rénpeople, ones, folk, human beings

革gémerely change, alter, amend, replace, shed

面miànleather masks, faces, facades, personae

征zhēngto expedite, assert, go boldly forward

凶xiōngis ill-omened, inauspicious; has pitfalls

居jūto practice, abide, dwell in; abiding

貞zhēnpersistence, determination, resolve, truth

吉jíis promising, auspicious, hopeful, timely

The superior person changes like a panther. The inferior person molts in the face. Starting brings misfortune. Remaining persistent brings good fortune. After the large problems are settled, certain minor reforms remain necessary. Inferior people also 'molt' in conformity with the new order, though this molting doesn't go very deep. Be satisfied with the attainable. If you go too far, trying to achieve too much, unrest and misfortune will result.

Classical commentary

上六，君子豹變，小人革面。征凶，居貞吉。

Top Six: The noble person transforms like a leopard; the petty person changes only their outward appearance. Advancing brings misfortune. Remaining in correctness brings good fortune.