Reading
Judgment
Preponderance of the Small. Success.
Perseverance furthers.
One may do small things, one should not do great things.
The flying bird brings the message:
It is not good to strive upward,
it is good to remain below. Great good fortune!
Extraordinary modesty and conscientiousness will certainly be rewarded with success; only it is important that these do not become empty formula and servile manner, but remain united with the right dignity in personal conduct, so that one does not throw oneself away. One must understand what the demands of the time are in order to find the right complement for the deficiencies and damages of the time. Nevertheless, one must not count on great successes, since the necessary strength for them is lacking. Therefore the message is so important, not to strive for high things, but to hold to the low. That this message is brought by a bird follows from the form of the hexagram. The four strong, heavy lines within, which are supported only by two weak lines on the outside in Ta Kuo, Number 28, give the image of the weighing ridgepole. Here the supporting light lines are outside and in the majority; this gives the image of the hovering bird. But the bird should not rise up and try to fly into the sun, but should descend to the earth, where its nest is. Therewith it gives the message that the hexagram proclaims.
Image
On the mountain is thunder:
the image of Preponderance of the Small.
Thus the noble one in their conduct places preponderance on reverence,
in times of mourning places preponderance on mourning,
in their expenditures places preponderance on economy.
The thunder on the mountain is different from that on the plain. In the mountains the thunder is much nearer, while outside the mountains it is less audible than the thunder of an ordinary storm. Thus the noble one takes from this image the call, in all things to fix duty nearer and more immediately in view than the people of everyday, although as a result of this their conduct from outside may appear petty. They take particular care with their actions. In mournings, inner emotion is far nearer to them than outer formal matters, and so in expenditures for their own person they are extraordinarily simple and unpretentious. All this causes that toward the people of the masses they are an exceptional appearance. But the essence of this exception lies in that it ends up, outwardly, on the side of the lowly.
Commentary
While in the hexagram "Preponderance of the Great" (Number 28) the strong lines are in preponderance, and indeed within, enclosed between the two lines at beginning and end, here the weak lines are in preponderance, likewise on the outside, while the strong are within. On this rests the exceptional state. If the strong lines are outside, we have the hexagrams "I, Nourishment," and Chung Fu, Inner Truth, both of which do not denote exceptional states. When the strong are in preponderance within, they must assert themselves. This creates struggle and exceptional states on the great scale. Here, on the contrary, the weak must of necessity take over the representation outwardly. If one stands in a decisive place to which one by one's being is actually not equal, extraordinary caution is necessary.
Changing Lines
Line 1
A six at the beginning means:
The bird comes through flying into misfortune.
Commentary
The bird should first remain in the nest until it is fledged. If it wants to fly before that, it draws misfortune upon itself. Extraordinary measures may only be taken when it is no longer possible otherwise. First one must accommodate oneself as long as possible to the customary, otherwise one consumes oneself and one's strength and achieves nothing.
Line 2
A six in the second place means:
She passes by her ancestor and meets the ancestress.
He does not reach his prince and meets the official.
No blame.
Commentary
Two exceptional cases are named here: In the ancestral temple, where the generations alternate, the grandson stands on the same side as the grandfather; therefore he has the closest relations to him. Here is depicted the wife of the grandson, who at the sacrifice passes by the grandfather and turns to the grandmother. This extraordinary conduct is, however, an expression of her modesty. She more readily dares to step before the grandmother, to whom she feels herself related by her sex; therefore this deviation from the rule is no mistake.
Another image is that of the official who first, in an orderly way, seeks audience with his prince. When, however, he does not meet him, he does not try to force anything by violence, but finds his way in conscientious fulfillment of duty, in that he fits himself into the number of officials. This extraordinary reserve is also, in exceptional times, no fault. (As a rule, every official first has an audience with his prince, by whom he is appointed. Here the appointment proceeds from the minister.)
Line 3
A nine in the third place means:
If one is not extraordinarily careful,
someone may come from behind and strike one.
Misfortune!
Commentary
At times extraordinary caution is absolutely necessary. But precisely in such life-situations there are straight and strong personalities who, in the consciousness of their good right, scorn to be on guard, because they hold this to be petty. Rather, they go their road proudly and unconcernedly. But this self-confidence deceives them. There are dangers that approach from ambush and to which they are not equal.
Still, it is a matter of a danger to which one is not unconditionally exposed, but which lets itself be avoided if one understands the situation of the time, which demands in an extraordinary way a turning toward the small, the insignificant.
Line 4
A nine in the fourth place means:
No blame. Without passing by, he meets him.
To go there brings danger. One must be on guard.
Do not act. Be lastingly persevering.
Commentary
The hardness of character is tempered by the softness of the position, so that one makes no mistake. One is in a situation in which one must hold back to the utmost. One may from oneself undertake nothing in order to meet the desired. And if one wanted to go forth in order to reach one's goal by force, one would come into danger. Therefore one must be on guard and not act, but lastingly preserve inner perseverance.
Line 5
A six in the fifth place means:
Dense clouds, no rain from our western region.
The prince shoots and hits the one in the cave.
Commentary
Since this is a high place, out of the image of the flying bird has become that of the flying clouds. But however dense the clouds may be, they fly away in the sky and do not bestow rain. So in exceptional times a born ruler may indeed be present who would be called to bring the world into order, but they are able to accomplish nothing and to bestow no blessing on the people, because they stand alone and have no helper.
In such times one must seek helpers with whom together one can accomplish the work. But these helpers one must seek modestly in the concealment into which they have withdrawn. Not on fame and great name does it depend, but on real accomplishments.
Through such modesty one finds the right person and is able to complete the extraordinary work despite all difficulty.
Line 6
A six at the top means:
Without meeting them, he passes them by.
The flying bird leaves him. Misfortune!
This means misfortune and harm.
Commentary
If one overshoots the goal, one cannot hit it. If the bird does not want to go to its nest, but always higher, it finally falls into the hunter's net. Whoever in times of the extraordinary does not know how to stop in the small, but restlessly wants to go ever further, draws upon themself misfortune from gods and people, because they distance themself from the natural order.