Hexagram 62 · Xiao Guo Small Preponderance 雷山小过

“Xiao Guo: success. It is beneficial to be steadfast.”

The meaning of exceeding lies in going beyond the ordinary. As when a crooked thing is bent past straight in order to straighten it, this exceeding is meant to make things right. When the times are not right, one uses the way of exceeding to set them right; this is where exceeding is fortunate. We must understand the way of exceeding and know the right moment to use it; only then can it work like this.

“Small matters may be done; great matters may not. The flying bird leaves its call behind. It is not fitting to go up; it is fitting to go down. Great good fortune.”

The way of exceeding is used in seeking centrality and correctness. Its limit is that it may be used in small matters; in great matters one may not exceed. Hence it says it is not fitting to go up but fitting to go down. To comply with this is fortunate: when exceeding accords with reason, the good fortune is all the greater.

“Xiao Guo: the small exceed, and there is success. Exceeding, with benefit in steadfastness: it moves with the time.”

The way of Xiao Guo (Small Preponderance) lies in exceeding in small ways. There are times when one should exceed, and when exceeding brings success, exceeding is fortunate. But the way of exceeding must match the moment: when one should exceed, one exceeds. This is not true excess; it is using excess to nurture what is right.

“The yielding holds the center, so small matters are fortunate. The firm has lost its position and is not central, so great matters may not be done. There is the image of a flying bird.”

In the way of Xiao Guo, exceeding in small matters can bring good fortune. But one must not undertake great matters, because the firm has lost its position and does not hold the center, so the way cannot be applied to great matters. Hence the image of a flying bird: a bird’s flight is a small thing; it passes by and its call lingers, but there is no disaster.

“The flying bird leaves its call behind; it is not fitting to go up, it is fitting to go down; great good fortune: going up is against the flow, going down is with it.”

When there is excess in affairs, one should follow what is fitting. A person may be excessively courteous, excessively grieving, excessively frugal; but if it goes too far, it is not acceptable. Exceeding should be like the call left behind by a flying bird: the sound comes out when the body has already passed. If exceeding in affairs is like this, it is fortunate and fitting, because it is exceeding that goes along with the way.

“Thunder above the mountain: Small Preponderance. The noble person accordingly, in conduct, exceeds in courtesy; in mourning, exceeds in grief; in spending, exceeds in thrift.”

Thunder shakes above the mountain; its sound arrives when the thunder has already passed, hence small exceeding. Observing the image, the noble person knows that in the affairs of the world there are times when one should exceed, but one must not exceed too much. That is why it is small exceeding: to exceed when one should exceed is what is fitting.

“A flying bird brings misfortune.”

A soft yin line in a low position is the image of a petty person. Petty people are by nature restless and easily stirred. Now, meeting a time of small exceeding, they become unforgiving once they think they are in the right, and their conduct goes too far. It will surely go fast and far, beyond any rescue; hence misfortune.

“A flying bird brings misfortune: nothing can be done about it.”

Excess that moves as swiftly as a bird is surely beyond rescue; nothing can be done.

“Passing the grandfather, meeting the grandmother; not reaching the ruler, meeting the minister. No blame.”

The second and fifth positions correspond, and the fifth is like the image of the grandfather. Now a soft yin line occupies the second place and passes over the third and fourth to respond directly to the fifth, which carries a warning against overstepping one’s place. But now, at a time when exceeding is called for, if it oversteps its place without losing the way of a minister, it can also be without blame.

In other hexagrams, overstepping one’s own position is unfortunate; but in Xiao Guo it means that when the time calls for exceeding, one may exceed without disaster. Above all one must not lose the proper relation of ruler and minister, nor exceed too far, which would instead bring misfortune.

“Not reaching the ruler: a minister must not overstep.”

When a minister meets a time when exceeding is needed, he may pass beyond those above him, but must not reach the ruler’s position. To come all the way before the ruler is too much; to pass beyond by one line can be without blame.

“Without taking extra precautions, someone following may kill. Misfortune.”

A yang line in its correct position, at a time of small exceeding, means that those under it are incompetent and that it is also being deceived by petty, yin people. At this time it must take extra precautions; if it does not strengthen its defences, it will surely bring harm on itself. The noble person’s way of guarding against petty people is first to correct himself and to hold firmly to the right way.

“Someone following may kill: what misfortune!”

When the way of petty people flourishes, it will surely harm the noble person. To fail to guard when one should will surely bring injury.

“No blame. Not passing beyond, but meeting. Going is dangerous; be on guard. Do not persist forever.”

A firm line in a soft position uses softness although it is firm, so its firmness will surely not go too far; hence there is no disaster or blame. When the firm yang way finds itself in a time of small exceeding, it must take care to adapt as is fitting and must not hold rigidly without change. So the noble person goes along with the time and does not cling to his usual ways.

“Not passing beyond, but meeting: the position is not fitting. Going is dangerous; be on guard: in the end it cannot last.”

A yang firm line in a soft position is not in its proper place. At a time when exceeding is called for, if it can avoid excessive firmness and turn to softness, it has found what is fitting, and this is enough to protect itself; but in the end it cannot grow to fullness. So going forward is dangerous, and one must be on guard.

“Dense clouds without rain from our western outskirts. The duke shoots with a corded arrow, taking one in the cave.”

Here a soft yin line occupies the ruler’s place at a time when exceeding is called for, but it is not yang and firm enough. So, although it wishes to exceed, it cannot succeed, like dense clouds that do not become rain. In this failure, even if it oversteps its place to seek a response from the second line, the third and fourth lines do not respond, and it is again like clouds gathering densely without being able to make rain.

“Dense clouds without rain: it has already gone above.”

When yang is below and yin above, their union makes rain. Now yin is already above; however dense the clouds, without yang there is no rain, and in the end nothing is achieved.

“Not meeting but passing beyond; the flying bird leaves. Misfortune. This is called calamity.”

The six is at the extreme of small exceeding. At the extreme of exceeding it disregards right principle and will surely depart far from the normal way; hence misfortune. It will surely bring on calamity caused by people. This holds alike for the principle of heaven and for human affairs.

“Not meeting but passing beyond: it has already gone too high.”

At the end of exceeding, it has badly lost right principle; exceeding has reached the extreme of overreach, and so it brings misfortune.