Transformation · line 3
Inner Integrity becomes Small Things
What this change means
Drumming, then stopping, weeping, then singing: the third line pictures someone thrown back and forth after meeting an adversary. Its practical meaning is close to home. If your security depends on other people's approval, you'll ride emotional highs and lows and won't fully enjoy what you gain. As this line moves, the Lake below becomes Heaven, and the hexagram becomes 9 Small Things. Success is promised, but not yet; there are obstacles to clear first, and for now small actions work better than large ones. The connection is steadiness. Each small step you take on your own judgment, without checking for applause, builds a footing that others can't knock away. Notice when your mood rises or falls with someone's opinion. That's the place to work on, quietly, while you wait for the moment to act on a bigger scale.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 3 of 61 Inner Integrity
If your security rests on other people's approval and acceptance, you'll ride emotional ups and downs and won't fully enjoy what you gain.
Meets an adversary: now drumming, now stopping, now weeping, now singing.
- The judgment of 61 Inner Integrity
When you're whole within, it shows on the outside, and you'll be able to do great things and to let your truth move others toward great undertakings.
Piglets and fish: good fortune. It is favorable to cross the great river. Constancy is favorable.
- The judgment of 9 Small Things
You're facing a situation that promises success, but it isn't time yet. There are still obstacles on the way that you need to resolve. For now you can take small actions and wait for the right moment to act on a large scale.
Success. Dense clouds and no rain, from my western outskirts.
The trigrams
The way back
9 Small Things → 61 Inner Integrityline 3
Other transformations of Inner Integrity
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.