Hexagram 62, line 5
六五Line 5 of Small Excess
Six in the fifth place · 小過 xiǎo guò
爻辭 The line text
密雲不雨，自我西郊，公弋取彼在穴。The fifth line, divided, (suggests the idea) of dense clouds, but no rain, coming from our borders in the west. It also (shows) the prince shooting his arrow, and taking the bird in a cave.
密雲不雨，已上也。'There are dense clouds, but no rain:'—(the line) is in too high a place.
In plain words
Line five is a weak line in the ruler's place, and its first image is borrowed from Xiao Xu: 'dense clouds, no rain, from our western border' — a yin ruler at the top of the hexagram, with the strong lines beneath it and nothing above to make its influence fall as rain. The small Image says it is 'already too high' (已上也). The second image is modest achievement within those limits: 'the duke shoots and takes the one in the cave', reaching down to line two, its own kind in the lower trigram, with a tethered arrow. A small ruler in a small time can still gather a capable helper, though it cannot make the sky open.
If this line is changing
You are not in a position to make the big thing happen, however ready it looks; use your reach to secure one capable ally below you and be content with that.
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 震 Zhen (the Arousing) (thunder).
- 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
小過 Small Excess becomes ䷞ 31 咸 Sensing
Lake on the mountain: the mountain yields and the lake moistens it — mutual attraction. Success; taking a wife brings good fortune; influence that comes from genuine, emptied-out receptiveness.
What it becomes31 · 咸 SensingxiánThe six lines of 小過 Small Excess
- 初六Six at the beginningflying too soon · the bird rises · nothing to be done
- 六二Six in the second placepassing the grandfather · meeting the minister · keeping distance
- 九三Nine in the third placeno extra guard · attacked from behind · evil
- 九四Nine in the fourth placemeeting without exceeding · going on is dangerous · do not fix forever
- 六五Six in the fifth placeclouds without rain · too high · the bird in the hole
- 上六Six at the topovershooting · the bird flies off · self-made calamity
Read 小過 Small Excess for a question about
Questions about this line
- What does Six in the fifth place of hexagram 62, Small Excess, mean?
- Line five is a weak line in the ruler's place, and its first image is borrowed from Xiao Xu: 'dense clouds, no rain, from our western border' — a yin ruler at the top of the hexagram, with the strong lines beneath it and nothing above to make its influence fall as rain. The small Image says it is 'already too high' (已上也). The second image is modest achievement within those limits: 'the duke shoots and takes the one in the cave', reaching down to line two, its own kind in the lower trigram, with a tethered arrow. A small ruler in a small time can still gather a capable helper, though it cannot make the sky open.
- What does hexagram 62 become when line 5 changes?
- Small Excess becomes hexagram 31, 咸 Sensing: Lake on the mountain: the mountain yields and the lake moistens it — mutual attraction. Success; taking a wife brings good fortune; influence that comes from genuine, emptied-out receptiveness.
- Is line 5 of Small Excess 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).