小過

Hexagram 62: Small Exceeding → Hexagram 11: Peace

小過
Small Exceeding
Mountain / Thunder
Peace
Earth / Heaven
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 2, 3, 6).

Line 2

六二 過其祖。遇其妣。不及其君。遇其臣。无咎。

guòbypassing
one's own
ancestor
to meet with
one's own
grandmother
not
to reach
one's own
jūnleader
but meeting with
that
chénminister
no
jiùblame

Six in the second place means: She passes by her ancestor And meets her ancestress. He does not reach his prince And meets the official. No blame.

Line 3

九三 弗過防之。從或戕之。凶。

it
guògo beyond
fángto defend
zhīoneself
cóngfrom behind
huòsomebody
qiāngassault
zhīthis one
xiōngunfortunate

Nine in the third place means: If one is not extremely careful, Somebody may come up from behind and strike him. Misfortune.

Line 6

上六 弗遇過之。飛鳥離之。凶。是謂災眚。

without
greeting
guòin
zhīthem
fēiflying
niǎobirds
abandon
zhīthis
xiōngill-omened
shìtrue
wèisignalling
zāiof calamity
shěngand harm

Six at the top means: He passes him by, not meeting him. The flying bird leaves him. Misfortune. This means bad luck and injury.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramMountain EarthKeeping Still → The Receptive
Lower TrigramThunder HeavenThe Arousing → The Creative

Yilin Verse

三虵共室,同類相得。甘露時降,生我百穀。

Three serpents share a single dwelling, kindred finding kindred; sweet dew descends in season, nurturing all my hundred grains.

— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE

Commentary

Thunder rumbles above the mountain, and three serpents share a single chamber — creatures of the same kind finding natural affinity. Then sweet dew descends at the proper season, nourishing the hundred grains. The verse pairs two auspicious signs: like attracts like in harmonious cohabitation, and heaven responds with timely blessing. The three serpents sharing quarters without conflict suggest a community whose members recognize their kinship rather than competing. Sweet dew (甘露) in Han cosmology was heaven's endorsement of virtuous governance. From Small Exceeding to Peace, thunder above the mountain gives way to heaven and earth in full intercourse. The small excess that once agitated the mountain peak now becomes the generous exchange between high and low that makes all things flourish.

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