Hexagram 9, Xiǎo Chù (Small Taming): Line 6 (top)

小畜卦上九 · 风天小畜 · 中文版

上九:既雨既处,尚德载,妇贞厉。月几望,君子征凶。

The line (Legge)

The topmost NINE, undivided, shows how the rain has fallen, and the (onward progress) is stayed - (so) must we value the full accumulation of the virtue (represented by the upper trigram). But a wife (exercising restraint), however firm and correct she may be, is in a position of peril, (and like) the moon approaching to the full. If the superior man prosecute his measures (in such circumstances), there will be evil.

Small Image commentary

'The rain has fallen and (the onward progress) is stayed:' - the power (denoted in the figure) has accumulated to the full. 'If the superior man prosecute his measures, there will be evil:' - he will find himself obstructed.

象曰:既雨既处,德积载也。君子征凶,有所疑也。

In plain words

The rain has come and the rain has stopped; virtue has been stored up in full. Even a wife's steadfastness is perilous; the moon is nearly full, and if the noble person sets out now there is misfortune. The judgment of this hexagram speaks of dense clouds but no rain; at the top line the rain finally falls, and the work of holding back is complete. Yin has reached its height, and one more step would let it overwhelm yang, so it is time to stop. The Small Image says the rain has fallen and stopped because virtue has built up in full, and setting out is unfortunate because there is cause for doubt.

Applying it to your situation

If something has been achieved and your store is full, this line suggests stopping while things are good rather than pushing further. What would going on now be for?

Position

A solid (yang) line in the top place, which is a yin (even) place, so it is not in its proper place. Its partner is line 3; both are yang, so they do not respond.

If this line moves

With this line moving alone, Xiǎo Chù changes into Hexagram 5 Xū (Waiting). The Jiaoshi Yilin verse for this change (Chinese): 焦氏易林·小畜之需.

The hexagram

Hexagram 9 Xiǎo Chù (Small Taming). The Judgment: Xiao Xu indicates that (under its conditions) there will be progress and success. (We see) dense clouds, but no rain coming from our borders in the west.

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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. Plain-English readings and position notes by this site.

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