小過

Hexagram 62: Small Exceeding → Hexagram 31: Influence

小過
Small Exceeding
Mountain / Thunder
Influence
Lake / Mountain
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 5 changing lines (lines 1, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Line 1

初六 飛鳥以凶。

fēiflies
niǎobird
is on the way to
xiōngadversity

Six at the beginning means: The bird meets with misfortune through flying.

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 4

九四 无咎。弗過遇之。往厲必戒。勿用永貞。

avoid
jiùharm
it
guògo beyond
to greet
zhīanother
wǎnggoing
difficult
and require
jièprecaution
do not
yòngpractice
yǒnglasting
zhēnpersistence

Nine in the fourth place means: No blame. He meets him without passing by. Going brings danger. One must be on guard. Do not act. Be constantly persevering.

Line 5

六五 密雲不雨。自我西郊。公弋取彼在穴。

thick
yúnclouds
but
rain
coming from
our
西western
jiāohorizon
gōngeven a duke
bowhunts with tethered/harpoon arrows
preferring
that
zàiin
xuécave

Six in the fifth place means: Dense clouds, No rain from our western territory. The prince shoots and hits him who is in the cave.

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 LakeKeeping Still → The Joyous
Lower TrigramThunder MountainThe Arousing → Keeping Still

Yilin Verse

倉盈庾億,宜稼黍稷,年歲有息。

Grain piled like mountains — grinding never finishes. Fat chickens and stout geese fill the space between fences. Three jars of wine brewed, still seeming too few — borrowing bowls from the neighbor to send over fresh food.

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

Commentary

Thunder rumbles above the mountain, and the original verse speaks of overflowing granaries and billions in store — a season perfect for planting millet and grain, with harvests that yield surplus year after year. The granary metaphor is both literal abundance and social capital: when stores overflow, neighbors share across the fence, and community solidifies. From Small Exceeding to Influence, the mountain's thunder transforms into a lake resting atop the mountain — the image of mutual responsiveness, where what is above draws from below and what is below ascends to meet it. The verse's abundance is not hoarded but exchanged: grain piled high invites sharing, and sharing generates the emotional bonds that Influence represents. Prosperity circulates; it does not merely accumulate.

The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store

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