Hexagram 15, line 5
六五Line 5 of Humility
Six in the fifth place · 謙 qiān
爻辭 The line text
不富，以其鄰，利用侵伐，无不利。The fifth line, divided, shows one who, without being rich, is able to employ his neighbours. He may advantageously use the force of arms. All his movements will be advantageous.
利用侵伐，征不服也。'He may advantageously use the force of arms:'—correcting, that is, those who do not submit.
In plain words
Line five is the sovereign of a humble hexagram: 'not rich, yet with the neighbours; favourable to use attack; nothing unfavourable.' Yin in the honoured place, it is 'not rich' — it has no overbearing strength of its own — but the neighbouring lines come to it willingly, as they do to a modest ruler. Then the text turns: such a ruler may use force. The small Image specifies the target, 'to correct those who do not submit' (徵不服也). Humility in power is not weakness; when deference has been shown and some still refuse, the modest sovereign acts, and because the action is corrective rather than ambitious, nothing goes against it.
If this line is changing
Lead by drawing people rather than by force; but once your modesty has been met with refusal, act firmly to correct it, and do so without apology.
Where the line stands
- A broken line, yin — written 六 (six), the number of an old yin line that moves when cast.
- It is not in its correct place (不當位): a yang line in an even position or a yin line in an odd one, which the tradition reads as a line under some strain — often the reason a text sounds a warning.
- It is central (中): the middle line of its trigram, the position the commentaries read as balanced and most favourable.
- It belongs to the upper trigram 坤 Kun (the Receptive) (earth).
- It has no correspondence (無應) with line 2: both lines are yin, so this line must find its support in its neighbours or in itself.
之卦 When this line moves
謙 Humility becomes ䷦ 39 蹇 Impasse
Water on the mountain: a hard pass. Favourable to the southwest, not the northeast; see the great man — obstruction is a time to turn back and cultivate yourself.
What it becomes39 · 蹇 ImpassejiǎnThe six lines of 謙 Humility
- 初六Six at the beginninghumble upon humble · crossing the river · tending oneself low
- 六二Six in the second placehumility that sounds · from the heart · central and correct
- 九三Nine in the third placemerit with humility · ruler of the hexagram · all submit
- 六四Six in the fourth placenothing unfavourable · showing humility · not breaking the rule
- 六五Six in the fifth placenot rich, yet neighbours · correcting the unsubmissive · humility with force
- 上六Six at the tophumility heard · aim not attained · only one's own town
Read 謙 Humility for a question about
Questions about this line
- What does Six in the fifth place of hexagram 15, Humility, mean?
- Line five is the sovereign of a humble hexagram: 'not rich, yet with the neighbours; favourable to use attack; nothing unfavourable.' Yin in the honoured place, it is 'not rich' — it has no overbearing strength of its own — but the neighbouring lines come to it willingly, as they do to a modest ruler. Then the text turns: such a ruler may use force. The small Image specifies the target, 'to correct those who do not submit' (徵不服也). Humility in power is not weakness; when deference has been shown and some still refuse, the modest sovereign acts, and because the action is corrective rather than ambitious, nothing goes against it.
- What does hexagram 15 become when line 5 changes?
- Humility becomes hexagram 39, 蹇 Impasse: Water on the mountain: a hard pass. Favourable to the southwest, not the northeast; see the great man — obstruction is a time to turn back and cultivate yourself.
- Is line 5 of Humility in its correct place?
- It is not in its correct place (不當位): a yang line in an even position or a yin line in an odd one, which the tradition reads as a line under some strain — often the reason a text sounds a warning. It is central (中): the middle line of its trigram, the position the commentaries read as balanced and most favourable.
Chinese text: the received Zhouyi (Wuyingdian lineage). English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East XVI, 1882 (public domain).