In practice
The judgment
This isn't a time for great things; it's a time for small achievements. Recognizing that will help you live in step with the moment. Trying to go beyond your present means and resources will lead you astray and waste your efforts.
The poetry
A Small Excess
Success. Constancy is favorable. Small things can be done, not great ones. The flying bird leaves its call behind: it is not fitting to rise, it is fitting to descend. Great good fortune.
The image
Thunder on the mountain: a small excess. So the noble person goes beyond in reverence when acting, beyond in sorrow when mourning, beyond in frugality when spending.
The lines
- Line 6上六
If you insist on chasing goals that are out of reach for now, you'll lose whatever you put into them.
Not meeting it, goes past it. The bird in flight falls into the net. Misfortune. This is called calamity and ruin.
- Line 5六五
Your humility will help you find people who will act on your behalf.
Thick clouds, yet no rain, out of our western fields. The prince shoots a corded arrow and takes what is in the cave.
- Line 4九四
It's not the time to act, but it is the time to stand firm, without straying from your purposes, until the time to act arrives.
No fault. Without going beyond, it meets it. Going is dangerous: be on guard. Do not act with lasting constancy.
- Line 3九三
Carelessness and excess bring trouble.
Unless one goes beyond in guarding oneself, someone following will do harm. Misfortune.
- Line 2六二
Recognizing your limitations right now and focusing on small achievements will bear fruit.
Passes the grandfather and meets the grandmother; does not reach the lord and meets the minister. No fault.
- Line 1初六
Failing to recognize your limits and trying to go beyond what you can do right now will bring you loss.
The bird in flight: so, misfortune.
Its 63 transformations
Depending on which lines move in your cast, Success in Small Matters turns into another hexagram. Pick the lines from your cast.
One moving line
6
Two moving lines
15
- 34Great Manifestationlines 1 and 2
- 51Shocklines 1 and 3
- 40Clearing Obstacleslines 2 and 3
- 36Darknesslines 1 and 4
- 46Going Uplines 2 and 4
- 2Passivitylines 3 and 4
- 49Renewallines 1 and 5
- 28Excesseslines 2 and 5
- 45Meetinglines 3 and 5
- 39Held Backlines 4 and 5
- 30The Flamelines 1 and 6
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 2 and 6
- 35Advancelines 3 and 6
- 52Abidinglines 4 and 6
- 33Leaving Behindlines 5 and 6
Three moving lines
20
- 54A Subordinate Rolelines 1, 2, and 3
- 11Well-Beinglines 1, 2, and 4
- 24Coming Backlines 1, 3, and 4
- 7The Armylines 2, 3, and 4
- 43Overflowinglines 1, 2, and 5
- 17Adaptinglines 1, 3, and 5
- 47Overwhelmedlines 2, 3, and 5
- 63After the Endlines 1, 4, and 5
- 48Right Actionlines 2, 4, and 5
- 8Unionlines 3, 4, and 5
- 14Wealthlines 1, 2, and 6
- 21Bitinglines 1, 3, and 6
- 64Transitionlines 2, 3, and 6
- 22Good Mannerslines 1, 4, and 6
- 18Loss, Then Gainlines 2, 4, and 6
- 23The Falllines 3, 4, and 6
- 13Gathering with Equalslines 1, 5, and 6
- 44Lack of Firmnesslines 2, 5, and 6
- 12Declinelines 3, 5, and 6
- 53Gradual Progresslines 4, 5, and 6
Four moving lines
15
- 19Fleeting Successlines 1, 2, 3, and 4
- 58Inner Peacelines 1, 2, 3, and 5
- 5Inactionlines 1, 2, 4, and 5
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 1, 3, 4, and 5
- 29Waterlines 2, 3, 4, and 5
- 38Oppositeslines 1, 2, 3, and 6
- 26Great Achievementslines 1, 2, 4, and 6
- 27Nourishmentlines 1, 3, 4, and 6
- 4Immaturitylines 2, 3, 4, and 6
- 1Activitylines 1, 2, 5, and 6
- 25Innocencelines 1, 3, 5, and 6
- 6Conflictlines 2, 3, 5, and 6
- 37The Tribelines 1, 4, 5, and 6
- 57Gentlenesslines 2, 4, 5, and 6
- 20Observinglines 3, 4, 5, and 6
Five moving lines
6
All six lines moving
1
The classical text
小過：亨。利貞。可小事，不可大事。飛鳥遺之音，不宜上宜下，大吉。
象曰：山上有雷，小過；君子以行過乎恭，喪過乎哀，用過乎儉。
初六：飛鳥以凶。
六二：過其祖，遇其妣；不及其君，遇其臣；无咎。
九三：弗過防之，從或戕之，凶。
九四：无咎，弗過遇之。往厲必戒，勿用永貞。
六五：密雲不雨，自我西郊，公弋取彼在穴。
上六：弗遇過之，飛鳥離之，凶，是謂災眚。
Related hexagrams
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.