Xiao Guo · Preponderance of the Small

Judgment

亨，利贞，可小事。

Success. Perseverance is rewarded. Small things may be done.

The Chinese above is the received classical text. The English below it is a plain-language rendering written for this site — not a scholarly translation. The classical wording is terse and genuinely open to more than one reading, so where interpretations diverge we follow the mainstream one.

The Image (Da Xiang)

山上有雷，小过，君子以行过乎恭，丧过乎哀，用过乎俭。

山上响着雷声，声音有所不及，这是小过卦，可稍有过度但不可行大事的卦象，君子行事应当恭敬、哀伤、节俭都稍过一些，以示谨慎。

The Six Lines

• First line飞鸟以凶。初六 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Second line过其祖，遇其妣；不及其君，遇其臣；无咎。六二 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Third line弗过防之，从或戕之，凶。九三 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Fourth line无咎，弗过遇之，往厉必戒，勿用永贞。九四 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Fifth line密云不雨，自我西郊；公弋取彼在穴。六五 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Top line弗遇过之，飞鸟离之，凶，是谓灾眚。上六 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.

Modern Interpretive Reference

Quality: Neutral

Tendency: Small matters may proceed; large ones may not.

Guidance: Modest overstepping is tolerable; keep your posture humble and your ambitions small.

This section is editorial reflection written for this site, not classical commentary. Hexagram qualities are not fixed outcomes — context and response matter more than the label. For cultural reflection only; not a basis for any decision.