Hexagram of the Day Tuesday, August 25, 2026: #19 Approach (临)

Lin means advancing and encroaching upon things. The two yang lines gradually grow to press upon the yin lines; hence it is Lin. It is the hexagram of the twelfth month.

In its structure, Dui below is joyful and Kun above is compliant; Nine at the second position, firm and dwelling in the center, responds above to Six at the fifth position. Therefore, for the diviner, there is supreme success and it is advantageous to be persevering.

Yet 'when the eighth month arrives, there will be misfortune.' The eighth month refers to the period from the one yang of hexagram-24 to the two yin of hexagram-33, the time when yin waxes and yang retreats.

Some say the eighth month refers to the eighth month of the Xia calendar, corresponding to the hexagram Guan, which is the inverted pair of Lin. This is a warning given through divination.

'Chang' (grow) has the fanqie ding-zhang. Explaining the hexagram name through its structure. 'Yue' (joy) has the sound yue. Expressing the excellence of the hexagram through its virtues and structure.

Falling in a time when the firm is waxing, and possessing these virtues, its divination is like this. Saying that although this is the natural course of Heaven, the noble person should know to take heed.

'Si' (thought) is in the departing tone. Earth presides over the lake: the upper presides over the lower. Both are matters of presiding over those below. That which teaches without exhaustion is Dui; that which tolerates without bounds is Kun.

Lin in the Sequence of Hexagrams: 'When there are affairs, one can then become great; hence Following is succeeded by Lin. Lin means great.' Gu means affairs; having affairs, one can expand, hence it is followed by Lin. Han Kangbo says: 'Great enterprises arise from affairs.'

The two yang lines are waxing and becoming prosperous and great; hence it is Lin. As a hexagram, earth is above the lake; the land above the lake is the shore, bordering the water and approaching it closely; hence it is Lin.

Among the things of the world, nothing borders and approaches as intimately as earth and water; hence water on the earth is hexagram-8, while earth over the lake is hexagram-19. Lin means presiding over the people and presiding over affairs; all forms of overseeing belong here.

In the hexagram, it takes the meaning of the upper overseeing the lower and presiding over the people. Spoken from the hexagram's talent: the way of presiding, if matched with the hexagram's talent, brings supreme success and perseverance.

The two yang lines are waxing below, a time when the way of yang is approaching its peak. The sage cautions beforehand, saying: though yang is currently growing, when the eighth month arrives, its way will decline; there will be misfortune.

Generally, the sage's warnings are always given when things are at their peak. Contemplating decline while at the peak can guard against overfilling and plan for endurance; if one warns only after decline sets in, it is too late.

Since ancient times, no peaceful governance has endured without disorder, because people failed to take heed during prosperity.

At the peak, failing to take heed, they grow accustomed to peace and wealth, breeding arrogance and extravagance; indulging in reckless ease, order is destroyed; forgetting disaster, calamity sprouts. Thus, imperceptibly, they remain unaware of the arrival of chaos.

Joyful and compliant; firm, central, and finding response. 'Supreme success through perseverance': this is the Dao of Heaven. 'Immersing' means gradual; the two yang lines grow below and advance gradually. Dui below and Kun above are harmonious, joyful, and compliant.

The firm attains the middle way and finds response and aid; thus it achieves supreme success and perseverance, according with the Dao of Heaven. Firm, upright, harmonious, and compliant: this is the Dao of Heaven.

The work of nurturing and transforming never ceases precisely because of firmness, rectitude, harmony, and compliance. Using this to preside over people, affairs, and all under Heaven, there is nothing that does not attain supreme success and rectitude.

Dui represents joy, and joy is harmony. The Tuan of hexagram-43 says: 'Resolute yet harmonious.' 'When the eighth month arrives, there will be misfortune; decline will not be long in coming.' In Lin, the two yang lines arise; yang is gradually prospering.

Hence the sage gives warning: though yang is currently waxing, when the eighth month arrives, it will decline and there will be misfortune.

The eighth month means the eighth month from the rebirth of yang: yang first arises in hexagram-24; from hexagram-24 to hexagram-33 is eight months, from the Zi month to the Wei month. Two yin lines grow and yang declines; hence it is said that decline will not be long in coming.

Speaking in terms of yin and yang qi, waxing and waning circulate like a ring and cannot be altered. In terms of human affairs, yang is the noble person and yin is the petty person.

At the time when the way of the noble person is growing, the sage provides admonition, making him understand the principle that reaching the extreme brings misfortune, so that he prepares against it; by never reaching overflowing extremes, there will be no misfortune.

Above the lake is earth: the lake's shore, the margin of the water. Among things approaching and containing one another, none is like water on the earth; hence earth over the lake is Lin.

The noble person observes the image of intimate approach and therefore has inexhaustible thoughts of teaching: in approaching the people closely, he has the intention to instruct and guide them, inexhaustible because his utmost sincerity never tires.

Observing the image of containment, he harbors a boundless heart to protect the people, vast without limits. Containment implies vastness, hence conveying the meaning of being without exhaustion and without bounds.

Yang advances and grows, while the way of yin declines daily; the noble person flourishes daily, while the petty person worries daily: this is the meaning of 'supreme success through perseverance.'

In the eighth month, yang wanes and yin waxes; the way of the petty person grows while the way of the noble person declines, hence it is said, 'There will be misfortune.'

In the way of presiding over others, nothing surpasses joy and compliance. Not relying on awe or force, one wins the sincerity of all things, so nothing opposes. Therefore, 'the noble person has inexhaustible thoughts of teaching, and protects the people without bounds.'

From 'Lin: supreme success' to 'there will be misfortune.' The correct commentary explains: Examining the Sequence of Hexagrams, 'Lin means great.' Because yang gradually grows, its virtue becomes robust and great, capable of overseeing below; hence it is called Lin.

Since the firm is gradually waxing, joyful and compliant, and firm in the center with an external response, it attains great success and benefits rectitude; hence 'supreme success, perseverance is advantageous.'

'When the eighth month arrives, there will be misfortune' means that when things reach their peak they must decline; yin waxes and yang retreats.

Lin corresponds to the month of Chou; from the month of Chou to the seventh month of Shen, the three yin lines become full and the three yang lines retreat, the way of the petty person grows and the way of the noble person declines, hence the eighth month brings misfortune.

Because prosperity cannot be preserved forever, the sage composed the Changes to provide warning.

From 'The Tuan says' to 'this is the Dao of Heaven.' The correct commentary explains: 'Lin: the firm gradually grows; joyful and compliant' explains the hexagram's meaning. As a general rule across hexagrams, after 'joyful and compliant,' the character 'Lin' should conclude it.

That 'Lin' is omitted here is because 'firm, central, and finding response' also conveys the meaning of Lin, so 'Lin' could not be added atop 'firm and central.'

'Firm, central, and finding response; supreme success through perseverance: this is the Dao of Heaven' means that the Dao of Heaven uses firmness to dwell in the center and descend to respond to the earth, enabling all things to achieve great success and benefit from rectitude; hence hexagram-1 has 'supreme success, perseverance is advantageous.'

In this hexagram Lin, the meaning is identical; hence it says 'this is the Dao of Heaven.' From 'When the eighth month arrives' to 'will not be long.' The correct commentary explains: This confirms the meaning of 'there will be misfortune.'

Because the way of yang declines and cannot endure forever, there will be misfortune.

However, in hexagram-24, a single yang begins to return; its firm nature is still faint and does not attain the center, so it does not possess the four virtues of 'supreme success, perseverance is advantageous.'

In hexagram-11, the time of three yang, the three yang lines are below forming the Qian trigram; Qian is below and Kun is above, imaging Heaven descending and Earth ascending, where upper and lower interact smoothly.

When things are in smooth flux, they easily lose rectitude, so it does not possess all four virtues. Only in this hexagram do two yang lines gradually wax, growing robust and great, uniquely meriting the name Lin; thus the four virtues are complete.

Yet every hexagram where yang grows ought to face 'misfortune in the eighth month.' But this hexagram is named Lin, carrying the sense of flourishing greatness; therefore, the sage uniquely placed the warning here.

Broadly speaking, hexagrams of waxing yang all encounter misfortune at their close.

Regarding the commentary from 'the eighth month' to 'there will be misfortune': The correct commentary explains: Regarding the phrase 'eighth month,' Master He says: 'From the birth of yang in Zi to the month of Wei is eight months.'

Master Chu says: 'From Yin to You is eight months.'

Now, examining this commentary which states 'the way of the petty person grows and the way of the noble person declines,' it properly refers to the time of hexagram-12; thus counting from Lin in Chou to hexagram-12 in Shen makes eight months.

From 'The Image says' to 'without bounds.' The correct commentary explains: 'Above the lake is earth' shows earth presiding over the lake, expressing the meaning of the upper presiding over the lower; hence it says 'above the lake is earth.'

'The noble person has inexhaustible thoughts of teaching' means that in this time of Lin, none among those below fails to be joyful and compliant; the superior need only instruct and transform them, thinking without end, wishing teaching to continue ceaselessly.

'Protects the people without bounds' means accommodating and protecting the people without boundaries, imaging the vast breadth of the earth; hence it says 'without bounds.'