Hexagram 62: Xiǎo Guò (Small Exceeding)

The Judgment

Xiao Guo indicates that (in the circumstances which it implies) there will be progress and attainment. But it will be advantageous to be firm and correct. (What the name denotes) may be done in small affairs, but not in great affairs. (It is like) the notes that come down from a bird on the wing - to descend is better than to ascend. There will (in this way) be great good fortune.

小过：亨，利贞，可小事，不可大事。飞鸟遗之音，不宜上，宜下，大吉。

Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)

In Xiao Guo (we see) the small (lines) exceeding the others, and (giving the intimation of) progress and attainment. Such 'exceeding, in order to its being advantageous, must be associated with firmness and correctness:' - that is, it must take place (only) according to (the requirements of) the time. The weak (lines) are in the central places, and hence (it is said that what the name denotes) may be done in small affairs, and there will be good fortune. Of the strong (lines one) is not in its proper place, and (the other) is not central, hence it is said that (what the name denotes) 'should not be done in great affairs.' (In the hexagram) we have 'the symbol of a bird on the wing, and of the notes that come down from such a bird, for which it is better to descend than to ascend, thereby leading to great good fortune:' - to ascend is contrary to what is reasonable in the case, while to descend is natural and right.

彖曰：小过，小者过而亨也。过以利贞，与时行也。柔得中，是以小事吉也。刚失位而不中，是以不可大事也。有飞鸟之象焉：飞鸟遗之音，不宜上宜下，大吉，上逆而下顺也。

The Great Image

(The trigram representing) a hill and that for thunder above it form Xiao Guo. The superior man, in accordance with this, in his conduct exceeds in humility, in mourning exceeds in sorrow, and in his expenditure exceeds in economy.

象曰：山上有雷，小过；君子以行过乎恭，丧过乎哀，用过乎俭。

The six lines

1. Line 1 (first): The first SIX, divided, suggests (the idea of) a bird flying, (and ascending) till the issue is evil.

   'There is a bird flying (and ascending) till the result is evil:' - nothing can be done to avoid this issue.

   In plain words: The flying bird meets misfortune by flying. The hexagram is shaped like a flying bird, and its judgment says it is not right to go up but right to go down; the first line is weak and low yet restlessly flies upward. The Small Image says nothing can be done about it.

   初六：飞鸟以凶。 象曰：飞鸟以凶，不可如何也。

2. Line 2 (second): The second SIX, divided, shows its subject passing by his grandfather, and meeting with his grandmother; not attempting anything against his ruler, but meeting him as his minister. There will be no error.

   'He does not attempt to reach his ruler:' - a minister should not overpass the distance (between his ruler and himself).

   In plain words: Passing by the grandfather, meeting the grandmother; not reaching the lord, meeting the minister: no fault. The second line is yielding, central and correct; it goes a little beyond, but in measure, without usurping the lord's place. The Small Image says a minister must not overstep his lord.

   六二：过其祖，遇其妣；不及其君，遇其臣；无咎。 象曰：不及其君，臣不可过也。

3. Line 3 (third): The third NINE, undivided, shows its subject taking no extraordinary precautions against danger; and some in consequence finding opportunity to assail and injure him. There will be evil.

   'Some in consequence find opportunity to assail and injure him. There will be evil:' - how great will it be!

   In plain words: Not taking extra care to guard against it, one may follow and be harmed: misfortune. The third line is strong and correct but trusts in its strength and does not guard against the petty. The Small Image asks what the misfortune will be.

   九三：弗过防之，从或戕之，凶。 象曰：从或戕之，凶如何也。

4. Line 4 (fourth): The fourth NINE, undivided, shows its subject falling into no error, but meeting (the exigency of his situation), without exceeding (in his natural. course). If he go forward, there will be peril, and he must be cautious. There is no occasion to be using firmness perpetually.

   'He meets the exigency (of his situation), without exceeding (the proper course):' - (he does so), the position being inappropriate (for a strong line). 'If he go forward, there will be peril, and he must be cautious:' - the result would be that his course would not be long pursued.

   In plain words: No fault: meeting it without going too far. Going on is dangerous and calls for warning; do not hold on for long. The fourth line is yang in a yin place, strong but flexible, and so without fault, but it should not push forward. The Small Image says its position is improper, and going on calls for warning because it cannot last.

   九四：无咎，弗过遇之。往厉必戒，勿用永贞。 象曰：弗过遇之，位不当也。往厉必戒，终不可长也。

5. Line 5 (fifth): The fifth SIX, divided, (suggests the idea) of dense clouds, but no rain, coming from our borders in the west. It also (shows) the prince shooting his arrow, and taking the bird in a cave.

   'There are dense clouds, but no rain:' - (the line) is in too high a place.

   In plain words: Dense clouds but no rain, coming from our western border; the duke shoots with a corded arrow and takes the one in the cave. The fifth line is yin in the place of honour: yin is too strong and yin and yang are out of balance, so no rain falls; it can only seek out a worthy person below. The Small Image says yin is already above.

   六五：密云不雨，自我西郊，公弋取彼在穴。 象曰：密云不雨，已上也。

6. Line 6 (sixth (top)): The sixth SIX, divided, shows. its subject not meeting (the exigency of his situation), and exceeding (his proper course). (It suggests the idea of) a bird flying far aloft. There will be evil. The case is what is called one of calamity and self-produced injury.

   'He does not meet the exigency (of his situation), and exceeds (his proper course):' - (the position indicates) the habit of domineering.

   In plain words: Not meeting but going too far, like a flying bird caught in the net: misfortune; this is called disaster. The top line is at the far end of going beyond, and does not know when to stop. The Small Image says it has already gone too high.

   上六：弗遇过之，飞鸟离之，凶，是谓灾眚。 象曰：弗遇过之，已亢也。

Line positions

3 of the six lines stand in their proper place (strong lines in odd places, weak lines in even places).

The second and fifth lines hold the central places of the lower and upper trigrams; both are weak, so they do not correspond.

Of the three pairs of corresponding places (first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top), 2 pairs are made of one strong and one weak line.

Strong lines belong in odd places and weak lines in even places; the second and fifth are the central places; first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top correspond, and they "respond" when one is strong and the other weak.

These are structural conventions, not scores of good or bad fortune. Commentators differ: Wang Bi treats the first and top places as beginning and end without fixed yin or yang positions. Read each line with its Small Image and the whole hexagram.

Place in Jing Fang's eight palaces

Jing Fang grouped the 64 hexagrams into eight "palaces" of eight, each headed by a doubled trigram. Changing the lines of the head hexagram one by one from the bottom gives the next five; the last two are the "wandering soul" and "returning soul" hexagrams. The Dui palace runs: Duì (head), Kùn (1st change), Cuì (2nd change), Xián (3rd change), Jiǎn (4th change), Qiān (5th change), Xiǎo Guò (wandering soul), Guī Mèi (returning soul).

A recorded case from Takashima

Xiao Guo to Qian (Modesty): ask small, not large: A friend about to borrow money received the fourth line of Xiao Guo, "no fault; meeting him without passing by; going on is dangerous, be careful". Takashima said the lender was the fifth line right beside him, and he should not go past him to anyone else; the fifth line's "dense clouds, no rain" meant a large favour was unlikely, but "shooting and taking it in the cave" meant a small one would come. Going past the fifth would bring nothing and put him at risk.

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English text: James Legge, The Yi King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882), public domain, as transcribed by the Chinese Text Project. Chinese: the received text. Offered for study and reflection, not as prediction.

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