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#62

Preponderance of the Small

小過 · Xiǎo Guò

Judgment

亨。利貞。可小事。不可大事。飛鳥遺之音。不宜上宜下。大吉。

Image

山上有雷，小過。君子以行過乎恭，喪過乎哀，用過乎儉。

moderate· 4 correspondences

Correspondences

The Middle Way (Madhyamaka) — Neither Extreme

The Buddha's first teaching after awakening was the Middle Way between asceticism and indulgence. Nagarjuna extended this to a metaphysical principle: the Middle Way between eternalism (things truly exist) and nihilism (nothing exists at all). Neither existence nor non-existence but dependent origination. Hex 15 (Modesty) is the mountain hidden within the earth — excess is diminished, deficiency is filled. It is the only hexagram where every line is favorable precisely because it occupies no extreme. Hex 62 (Preponderance of the Small) adds nuance: 'In small matters one may be successful.' The Middle Way is not dramatic. It does not seek the grand gesture. It is the bird whose song says 'it is not fitting to strive upward, it is fitting to remain below.' The Middle Way is the most radical position because it refuses to take a position.

speculative
Middle Way — WikipediaMadhyamaka — WikipediaMiddle Way — Britannica
Xiǎo Guò (小過) — Preponderance of the Small
Judgment
小xiǎosmallness, commonness; littleness; the small
過guòin excess, extreme; surpasses; inundation
亨hēngfulfillment, satisfaction, success, completion
利lìworthwhile, rewarding, beneficial
貞zhēnto persist; be dedicated, resolved, steadfast
可kěsuited, fitted to; appropriate, fitting for
小xiǎominor, small, common, ordinary, everyday
事shìaffairs, concerns, business, matters at hand
不bùnot; ill-; un-; in-; less than
可kěsuited, fitted to; appropriate, fitting for
大dàgreat, big, major, important, critical, crucial
事shìaffairs, concerns, business, matters at hand
飛fēiin flight; on the wing; flying, soaring
鳥niǎobird
遺yíbequeaths, leaves behind, transmits
之zhīthis, these, its
音yīnmessage, news, notes, announcement
不bùif it is not, ill-; un-; less than
宜yífit, right; fitting; suited, adjusted, adapted to
上shàngto ascend, rise; ascent; above; heights
宜yíthen it is fit, right, suitable; adjust, adapt
下xiàto descend; descent; remaining below
大dàmuch, great, full of, a lot of; very
吉jípromise, hope, opportunity; promising
Image
山shānmountain
上shàngabove, over, atop, on top of
有yǒuis, there is
雷léithunder
小xiǎosmallness
過guòin excess
君jūnnoble, worthy, honored
子zǐyoung one, heir, disciple
以yǐaccordingly, therefore, thus
行xíngin action, behavior, conduct, movement
過guòwill exceed, surpass, err
乎hūin, with; on the side of
恭gōngrespect, courtesy, humility, reverence
喪sàngin loss, doing without, lamenting loss
過guòwill exceed, surpass, err
乎hūin, with; on the side of
哀āisorrow, sadness, grief, grieving, regret
用yòngin practice, practicality, function, work
過guòwill exceed, surpass, err
乎hūin, with; on the side of
儉jiǎneconomy, frugality, thrift, restraint
Line 1
飛fēiflies, on the wing; flying, soaring
鳥niǎobird
以yǐis on the way to; means; into, before
凶xiōngadversity, misfortune, trouble, bad luck
Line 2
過guòbypassing, passing by; going by, past
其qíone's own
祖zǔancestor, grandfather
遇yùto meet with, greet, face, encounter
其qíone's own
妣bǐgrandmother; late, departed mother
不bùnot; instead of, rather than; wanting, needing
及jíto reach, contact, come to, approach
其qíone's own
君jūnleader, ruler, noble, sovereign, superior, chief
遇yùbut meeting with, facing, encountering
其qíthe, that, another, his, her; somebody's
臣chénminister, retainer, subordinate, underling
無wúno; not; nothing; without
咎jiùblame; wrong; mistake; harm
Line 3
弗fúit, one is not, never; never be; do not be
過guògo beyond, past; too much, excessive
防fángto defend, guard, fortify, protect
之zhīoneself
從cóngfrom behind; following; follower
或huòsomebody, someone; might; sometimes
戕qiāngassault, attack, injure; do violence to
之zhīthis one; another; here; one here
凶xiōngunfortunate, inauspicious, unlucky, brutal
Line 4
無wúavoid; no
咎jiùharm; make mistake, error
弗fúit, one is not, never; never be; do not be
過guògo beyond, past; too much, excessive
遇yùto greet, meet, acknowledge
之zhīanother, the others, passers by, in passing
往wǎnggoing; progress, advance
厲lìdifficult, hard, serious, stressful
必bìand require, demand, necessitate
戒jièprecaution, heedfulness, care, vigilance
勿wùdo not; avoid; one must not; no
用yòngpractice, use, apply, employ, rely on
永yǒnglasting, sustained, unrelenting, prolonged
貞zhēnpersistence, resolve, focus, steadfastness
Line 5
密mìthick, dense, plump, plentiful
雲yúnclouds
不bùbut, yet, still no; without, with no
雨yǔrain
自zìcoming from, out of
我wǒour, my
西xīwestern
郊jiāohorizon, frontier, border, outskirts
公gōngeven a duke, prince, lord, high noble
弋yìbowhunts with tethered/harpoon arrows
取qǔpreferring, choosing, selecting, taking
彼bǐthat, those targets, quarry; the ones
在zàiin, within; inside of; dwelling, living in
穴xuécave, cavern, den, pit, hole
Line 6
弗fúwithout; with no, never, not; avoid, denying
遇yùgreeting, meeting, acknowledgement
過guòin, when passing by
之zhīthem, another, the others
飛fēiflying, soaring; in flight, on the wing
鳥niǎobirds; bird
離líabandon; depart, separate, get distance from
之zhīthis, that, such a one
凶xiōngill-omened, foreboding; bad omen, sign
是shìtrue, positive, surely; indeed; thus
謂wèisignalling, signifying; meaning; indication
災zāiof calamity, disaster, adversity, misfortune
眚shěngand harm, grave error, blindness, suffering
firm
I-Ching, Hexagram 62 — WikipediaThe I-Ching or Book of Changes — Wilhelm/Baynes, Princeton University Press
Thunder (☳) — Arousing

One of the eight fundamental trigrams. Thunder (☳) represents Arousing — the shock of movement that initiates action. A single yang line erupts beneath two yin lines, the first son, the sudden awakening that sets things in motion.

firm
Bagua — WikipediaThe I-Ching or Book of Changes — Wilhelm/Baynes, Princeton University Press
Mountain (☶) — Keeping Still

One of the eight fundamental trigrams. Mountain (☶) represents Keeping Still — the power of stillness, meditation, and the boundary that defines. A yang line rests atop two yin lines, the third son, the gate between worlds.

firm
Bagua — WikipediaThe I-Ching or Book of Changes — Wilhelm/Baynes, Princeton University Press

Traditions

BuddhismI-Ching

Marginalia — Cross-References

11Peace

References