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Hexagram 15: Modesty

䷎ 謙 (Qiān) · Modesty. Humility brings quiet, lasting success.

humility, balance, fairness, quiet success

Lower trigram: Mountain ☶ · Upper trigram: Earth ☷

The judgment

Modesty opens the way. The one who doesn't make much of themselves can carry things through to the end. Just as water fills hollows and wears down peaks, life tends to even out what is too high and too low; staying modest puts you on the side of that balance.

The image

A mountain hidden within the earth: great height that does not stand out. Take from what is overfull and add to what is lacking, weighing things so that each gets its fair share.

The six lines

Read only the lines that changed in your casting, counting from the bottom.

• Line 1 (bottom): So modest you don't even make a point of being modest. With nothing to prove, you can take on even a great crossing, and it goes well.
• Line 2: Modesty that shows naturally in how you speak and act. Staying true to it brings good fortune.
• Line 3: Real merit, held modestly. Working hard without seeking credit, you see things through to a good end.
• Line 4: Modesty that shows in action. Don't use humility as an excuse to hold back; do your part fully and openly.
• Line 5: No boasting in front of your neighbors. Still, when something must be done firmly, act; modesty doesn't mean weakness.
• Line 6 (top): Modesty that has become well known. Turn its strength inward and put your own house in order before anyone else's.

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