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Hexagram 3 — Lin, Approach

Chronological no. 3 (binary-weight order) · King Wen no. (traditional) 19 · 臨

By Anibal Edelberto Amiot — Updated October 1, 2026

Magic square / tiling associated with hexagram 3 (Approach) — Tiling of the magic square associated with this hexagram, La Livrée d'Hermès.

☷

Upper trigram

Kun — The Receptive, the Earth
the mother

☱

Lower trigram

Dui — The Joyous, the Lake
the youngest daughter

Image

Approach

Above the Lake, the Earth: the image of approach. The earth leans toward the water, drawing near without ever fully dominating it — a movement of gradual approach, never abrupt. This is the figure of benevolence that advances step by step. Thus the noble one teaches without tiring and embraces the people without limit: truly approaching someone requires this patience that never forces the encounter.

Judgement

Growth

The benevolent approach of living forces spurs a patient rise. Nothing great is ever won all at once; everything that truly grows does so through successive approaches, each preparing the next. This line teaches that authentic growth is measured in steps, not leaps.

The six lines

First line

At the base of the earth, fullness stirs: the yang onset that carried the whole figure now yields its place.

Second line

The steadied earth reaches its limit: the solidity that upheld the structure is about to change its nature.

Third line

At the threshold between earth and man, suppleness gathers weight: what once yielded by nature is about to harden.

Fourth line

In the listening of man, the hollow fills: the openness that received is about to assert itself.

Fifth line

At the sage's seat, emptiness fills: the suppleness that governed with discretion gathers a new force.

Sixth line

At the summit, emptiness reaches its fullest extent and closes: the furthest opening turns toward its opposite.

Read the passage in the book (ch. 7.1) → See it on the interactive board → Create this hexagram's pattern →

Source: La Livrée d'Hermès, Anibal Amiot — chapter 7.1 (pp. 63–68). French version of this page.

For the notions used here — magic square, layer and casting, the Yi Jing — see the project lexicon.

The patterns of this hexagram

Eight 12×12 Jacquard patterns are generated from this hexagram, one for each admissible family of the system. Each has its own page: cell, tiling, recolourings and data.