STUDY / OBJECTIVE
Record six line positions, component trigrams and a single-line change reproducibly.
PrerequisitesTrigram foundations
01 / STUDY
From trigrams to six-line figures
Number the six lines from bottom to top: first through sixth. Lines one to three form the lower trigram; four to six form the upper. Eight lower and eight upper trigrams yield 64 structures. Figure, received sequence number and name are distinct fields; one numbering convention should not silently stand for another.
02 / STUDY
Changing one specified line
In this structural exercise, changing a line reverses its form while keeping other positions fixed. Preserve the original, identify the changed position and draw the result. List all positions when several change. This operation demonstrates transformation without assuming a particular interpretive or divinatory rule.
03 / STUDY
Figure texts, line texts and interpretation
Record figure, associated classic text and commentary separately. The figure gives a structure, the text particular words and the commentary an interpretation. Text selection varies across methods, so the move from figure transformation to interpretation requires a specified edition and rule source.
WORKED EXAMPLE
Changing line one of an all-yang figure
Use the teaching string 111111, written bottom to top, and change line one only.
The original has lower 111 and upper 111, both Qian.
Replace the first position's one with zero, obtaining 011111.
Regroup as lower 011 and upper 111: Xun and Qian. Record the structure without adding an event prediction.
Exactly one position differs, matching the specified changing line.
BEYOND POLARITY · BRANCHES AND KINPalaces and changing-line experimentChoose the component trigrams, then select lines in the original. Circles mark the positions to reverse.
Original
Bottom → top111111
After change
Bottom → top011111
Changed positions: 1
Lower trigram: Xun · Upper trigram: Qian
Demonstrates structural change only; it produces no divinatory judgment. The worked example remains readable without scripting.
PRACTICE / REFLECTION
Exercises and answers
01What happens when the same line is reversed twice?
Read the explanation
It returns to its original form and leaves the other lines unchanged. This is a property of the operation, not a claim about events reversing.
02How do you encode upper Qian and lower Kun?
Read the explanation
Write lower Kun as 000, followed by upper Qian as 111: 000111. Consult the adopted edition and sequence separately for the name and number.
A distinction to retain
A figure alone cannot establish how it was generated, which lines should move or how to interpret it; those rules need separate sources.
Unit output
Three single-line change records, each with its original, position, result and component trigrams.
REFERENCES
Reading references
Summer 2021 archive · Appendices 1 and 2
Used to check figures and names; binary notation on this site is a teaching device for structure.Summer 2021 archive · introduction and interpretive traditions
A modern scholarly overview used to distinguish textual and interpretive layers.References reviewed: 2026-10-24. Examples, record templates and explanations are editorial teaching material. Fictional inputs are not historical events or efficacy evidence. Citations imply no affiliation.
Personal study record; not a grade, assessment or credential.
Connected study paths
Yijing: from figures to textsEditorial study material · 2026-10-24