The Taming Power of the Small

復自道，何其咎？吉。

Returning by one's own path, how could there be fault? Favorable.

Return by one's own path belongs to firm Line 1; when it yields, lower heaven becomes wind and the figure is the doubled-wind Hexagram 57.

牽復吉。

Drawn back together. Favorable.

Line 2 returns in company with the first firm line, joining strength to a shared course. Changing it to yielding turns lower heaven into fire and produces Hexagram 37.

輿說輻。夫妻反目。

The cart loses its spokes. Husband and wife turn against each other.

At Line 3, the inner heaven trigram ends with a disabled cart and estranged spouses. A yielding line there makes the lower trigram lake and gives Hexagram 61.

有孚，血去惕出，无咎。

There is trust. Bloodshed is averted and fear recedes. No fault.

Line 4 is the figure's only yielding line, entering the outer trigram as the point of restraint. If it becomes firm, all six lines are unbroken and the figure is Hexagram 1.

有孚攣如，富以其鄰。

Trust binds closely. Wealth is shared with the neighbors.

Close binding and shared wealth occupy Line 5, the firm center; turning it yielding changes upper wind to mountain and forms Hexagram 26.

既雨既處，尚德載。婦貞厲，月幾望，君子征凶。

Rain has fallen and movement comes to rest. Honored virtue has accumulated to fullness. The wife faces danger even with constancy. The moon is nearly full. An exemplary person’s advance brings misfortune.

Rain marks the restraint reaching completion, and the nearly full moon gives the image of a limit. The line cautions against pressing onward after that point. Changing Line 6 to yielding turns upper wind to water and produces Hexagram 5.