HEXAGRAM 62: ORIGINAL, INTERPRETATION AND CASES

HEXAGRAM 62 - Hsiao Kuo - Preponderance of the Small

Above CHEN THE AROUSING, THUNDER

Below KEN KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN

While in the hexagram Ta Kuo, PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT (28),

the strong lines

· preponderate and

· are within inclosed between weak lines at the

o top and

o bottom,

the present hexagram

· has weak lines preponderating,

though here again

o they are on the outside,

o the strong lines being within.

This indeed is the basis of

the exceptional situation indicated by the hexagram.

When

strong lines are outside,

we have the hexagram

· I, PROVIDING NOURISHMENT (27), or

· Chung Fu, INNER TRUTH (61);

neither represents an exceptional state.

When

· strong elements within preponderate,

· they necessarily enforce their will.

This creates struggle and exceptional conditions in general.

But

in the present hexagram

it is the weak element that perforce must mediate with the outside world.

· a man occupies a position of authority for which

· he is by nature really inadequate,

extraordinary prudence is necessary.

THE JUDGMENT

PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL.

Success.

Perseverance furthers.

· Small things may be done;

· great things should not be done.

The flying bird brings the message:

· It is not well to strive upward,

· It is well to remain below.

Great good fortune.

· Exceptional modesty and

· conscientiousness

are sure to be rewarded with success;

however,

if a man is not to throw himself away,

it is important that they should

· not become empty form and subservience

· but be combined always with a correct dignity in personal behavior.

We must understand the demands of the time

in order to find the necessary offset for its

· deficiencies and

· damages.

In any event

· we must not count on great success,

· since the requisite strength is lacking.

In this lies the importance of the message that

one should

· not strive after lofty things

but

· hold to lowly things.

The structure of the hexagram gives rise to the idea that

this message is brought by a bird.

In Ta Kuo, PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT (28),

· the four strong, heavy lines within,

· supported only by two weak lines without,

give the image of a sagging ridgepole.

Here

· the supporting weak lines are both

o outside and

o preponderant;

this gives the image of a soaring bird.

But

· a bird should not try to surpass itself and fly into the sun;

· it should descend to the earth, where its nest is.

In this way

· it gives the message conveyed by the hexagram.

THE IMAGE

Thunder on the mountain: The image of PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL.

Thus

· in his conduct the superior man gives preponderance to reverence.

· In bereavement be gives preponderance to grief.

· In his expenditures he gives preponderance to thrift.

· Thunder on the mountain is different from

· thunder on the plain.

In the mountains,

· thunder seems much nearer;

outside the mountains,

· it is less audible than the thunder of an ordinary storm.

Thus

the superior man derives an imperative from this image:

he must always fix his eyes

· more closely and

· more directly

on duty

than does the ordinary man,

even though this might make his behavior seem petty to the outside world.

He is exceptionally conscientious in his actions.

In bereavement

· emotion means more to him than ceremoniousness.

In all his personal expenditures

· he is extremely simple and unpretentious.

In comparison with the man of the masses,

· all this makes him stand out as exceptional.

But

the essential significance of his attitude lies in the fact that

in external matters

· he is on the side of the lowly.

THE LINES

Six at the beginning means:

The bird meets with misfortune through flying.

· A bird ought to remain in the nest until

· it is fledged.

· it tries to fly before this,

· it invites misfortune.

Extraordinary measures should be resorted to only

when all else fails.

At first

· we ought to put up with traditional ways as long as possible;

otherwise

· we

o exhaust ourselves and our energy and

o still achieve nothing.

Six in the second place means:

She

· passes by her ancestor And

· meets her ancestress.

· does not reach his prince And

· meets the official.

No blame.

Two exceptional situations are instanced here.

1. In the temple of ancestors,

where alternation of generations prevails,

the grandson

· stands on the same side as the grandfather.

Hence

· his closest relations are with the grandfather.

The present line designates

the grandson's wife,

who during the sacrifice

· passes by the ancestor and

· goes toward the ancestress.

This unusual behavior is, however,

· an expression of her modesty.

· She ventures rather to approach the ancestress, for

· she feels related to her by their common sex.

Hence here

· deviation from the rule is not a mistake.

2. Another image is that of

the official who, in compliance with regulation,

first seeks an audience with his prince.

· he is not successful in this,

· he

· does not try to force anything

but

· goes about conscientious fulfillment of his duty,

· taking his place among the other officials.

This extraordinary restraint is likewise not a mistake in exceptional times.

(The rule is that every official should first have an audience

with the prince by whom he is appointed.

Here the appointment is made by the minister.)

Nine in the third place means:

If one is not extremely careful,

Somebody may

· come up from behind and

· strike him.

Misfortune.

At certain times

extraordinary caution is absolutely necessary.

But

it is just in such life situations that we find

· upright and strong personalities who, conscious of being in the right,

disdain to hold themselves on guard,

because

· they consider it petty.

Instead,

· they go their way

o proud and

o unconcerned.

But this self-confidence deludes them.

There are dangers lurking for which

· they are unprepared.

Yet such danger is not unavoidable;

one can escape it

· he understands that the time demands that

· he pay especial attention to small and insignificant things.

Nine in the fourth place means:

No blame.

He meets him without passing by.

Going brings danger.

One must be on guard.

Do not act.

Be constantly persevering.

Hardness of character is tempered by yielding position (1),

so that no mistakes are made.

The situation here calls for extreme caution;

· one must make no attempt of one's own initiative to reach the desired end.

And if

· one were to go on, endeavoring to force his way to the goal,

· he would be endangered.

Therefore

· one must

o be on guard and

o not act but continue inwardly to persevere.

Six in the fifth place means:

Dense clouds,

No rain from our western territory.

The prince

· shoots and

· hits him who is in the cave.

As a high place is pictured here,

the image

· of a flying bird

has become that

· of flying clouds.

But

dense as the clouds are,

they

· race across the sky and

· give no rain.

Similarly, in exceptional times there may be

a born ruler

· who is qualified to set the world in order,

but

· who cannot

o achieve anything or

o confer blessing on the people

because

· stands alone and

· has no helpers.

In such times

· a man must seek out helpers with whose aid

· he can carry out the task.

But

· these helpers must be modestly sought out in the retirement to which

· they have withdrawn.

It is

· not their fame

· nor their great names

· but their genuine achievements

that are important.

Through such modesty

· the right man is found, and

· the exceptional task is carried out in spite of all difficulties.

Six at the top means:

He passes him by, not meeting him.

The flying bird leaves him.

Misfortune.

This means bad luck and injury.

· one overshoots the goal,

· one cannot hit it.

· a bird will not come to its nest but flies higher and higher,

· it eventually falls into the hunter's net.

He who in times of extraordinary salience of small things

· does not know how to call a halt,

but

· restlessly seeks to press on and on,

draws upon himself misfortune at the hands of gods and men,

because

· deviates from the order of nature.

(1) ]See PP. 360 f.]

62 PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL

MANAGERIAL ISSUE:

The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small - when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives.

Hexagram 62 describes the wrong CEO, in the wrong position, surrounded by the wrong executives, dealing with a job for which he is not prepared. The I Ching warns the CEO that the present circumstances have come about by the "demands of the time" rather than by his own choice.

MANAGERIAL LESSON:

The NOT SUPERIOR CEO should:

1) Be prudent. When the CEO is Superior and strong, and surrounded by a team of strong executives such as when Jack Welch was CEO of GE, he need not be that prudent. When the CEO and the executives are all strong, they compete against each other creating a condition where everyone adds value to the development of all the corporation’s divisions. In this Hexagram, conditions require of the CEO’s prudence because this case is quite the contrary. This is the case of a weak CEO surrounded by weak executives:

The I Ching says:" If a man occupies a position of authority for which he is by nature really inadequate, extraordinary prudence is necessary.”

2) Accept he cannot accomplish great tasks. A CEO who is not adequate for the job should try small tasks. The I Ching advises the NOT SUPERIOR CEO that not doing could be much more beneficial than trying to do something that might go wrong because he would not know how to fix it.

3) Be humble. Humility is always the key to the CEO’s success particularly when he is not the right man for the job. Humility will lead him to seek good advice from both professionals and strong executives to make him look good in the eyes of the shareholders. But the I Ching warns the CEO that such humility must be accompanied by a "correct dignity in personal behavior". It is bad enough to be the wrong CEO for the company, but it is even worst to be perceived as a man without character or even worst still, as a clown.

4) Be aware at all times he is inadequate for the job. This attitude will keep him from overreaching. This is good advice because even if he surrounds himself with talented people, he should not strive for very high goals. He will not achieve them because he is missing the necessary greatness of great CEOs to achieve high goals. In the end, the same talented executives who helped him achieve high goals will recognize his weakness and drive him out of his job.

5) Be extremely careful with his words and his actions. Because he is perceived as inadequate for the job, every move he makes will be closely watched to look for errors. His position of privilege and his high place give him a unique place of responsibility. His high position creates resonance. Thus in a world of instant communications with Internet, satellites, or TV, every word the CEO says will be heard by everyone around the world. Because the whole world is watching and sharing through Social Networks, the I Ching recommends the CEO should:

a) Pay attention to duty even if this might seem petty. The investors have a high regard for CEOs who show a high sense of duty.

b) Be very much aware of his actions. To act or to speak on automatic pilot will surely lead him to make grave mistakes. If he meditates on what he is going to say or do before he says it, or does it, then he will make fewer mistakes. An expert in public speaking should always review the CEO’s speeches well before delivery.

c) Look for the essence rather than the superficial. It is more important to know what really lies in the hearts of his workers, consumers and shareholders. In this way, no flattery coming from his closest advisors will ever mislead him. And

d) Be "simple and unpretentious in all personal expenditures"

All of these recommendations will make the NOT SUPERIOR CEO “appear” as an outstanding executive in the eyes of others. He will appear as the perfect CEO who shows a sense of reverence, and thrift. Even though appear is not the same as real, the message is that a NOT SUPERIOR CEO can improve during the Preponderance of the Small if he imitates a Superior CEO.

The advice might seem complicated, yet in essence it is the same advice the I Ching repeats again and again like a mantra for the Superior as well as for the Not Superior CEO - humility, humility, humility.

INVESTMENT ADVICE:

For the investor, the Preponderance of the Small represents in general terms an unfavorable Time-Space to invest. Few CEOs can manage under the Preponderance of the Small - when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives.

By itself (no lines) the Time-Space points to Good Fortune provided the CEO executes small projects only:

PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL.

Success.

Perseverance furthers.

· Small things may be done;

· great things should not be done.

The flying bird brings the message:

· It is not well to strive upward,

· It is well to remain below.

Great good fortune.

Exceptional modesty and conscientiousness are sure to be rewarded with success; however, if a man is not to throw himself away, it is important that they should not become empty form and subservience but be combined always with a correct dignity in personal behavior. We must understand the demands of the time in order to find the necessary offset for its deficiencies and damages. In any event we must not count on great success, since the requisite strength is lacking. In this lies the importance of the message that one should not strive after lofty things but hold to lowly things.

The structure of the hexagram gives rise to the idea that this message is brought by a bird. In Ta Kuo, PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT (28), the four strong, heavy lines within, supported only by two weak lines without, give the image of a sagging ridgepole. Here the supporting weak lines are both outside and preponderant; this gives the image of a soaring bird. But a bird should not try to surpass itself and fly into the sun; it should descend to the earth, where its nest is. In this way it gives the message conveyed by the hexagram.

The lines, however, have no good possibilities. Two are very negative, one is negative and the rest are not positive enough to present an investment opportunity.

The following are cases of corporations under the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space:

· Alcoa, Inc. AA under CEO Klaus Kleinfeld

· Yahoo! Inc. YHOO under CEO Carol A. Bartz

· Stericycle, Inc. SRCL under CEO Mark C. Miller

(Read at the end of the Hexagram)

THE LINES

SIX IN THE FIRST PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small - when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives - when to make his move, when to stay put.

Managerial Lesson: Be patient.

Managerial Warning: At the first stage of the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space, the CEO must learn to accept the accepted corporate ways before attempting any changes.

Managerial Advice: The I Ching warns the CEO. he:

· Must go through a learning period.

· Should not make any changes, particularly drastic ones, at least until a few months after his original appointment date. This is particularly the case when the CEO does not represent the best fit for his corporation. To make his move without being properly prepared for it would be disastrous for the corporation.

· Should continue with the business-as-usual course. The new CEO is not prepared to deal with any drastic changes the corporation might require. This course of action would avoid waste of precious energy and corporate resources. It would be best to wait, listen, learn, get advice and formulate a proper plan.

Investment advice: Do not invest

SIX IN THE SECOND PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small - when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives - when to make exceptions to the rule.

Managerial Lesson: Be prudent.

Managerial Warning: At the second stage of the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space, the CEO must show extraordinary restraint even though this might be a time to make exceptions.

Managerial Advice: The CEO who is in the wrong corporation at the wrong time should be very careful when making any sort of exception. Exceptions imply a certain element of danger. The I Ching advises the CEO there are two basic rules for making these exceptions: Humility, and Prudence. Any exception made with a sense of humility has a good chance of being successful. The same is the case of prudence - it is said that prudence is better than wisdom. CEO’s must always be prudent but this must be specially the case when making exceptions.

Investment advice: Do not invest

NINE IN THE THIRD PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small - when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives - coping with the inevitable dangers caused by the seemingly harmless little problems.

Managerial Lesson: Be vigilant.

Managerial Warning: At the third stage of the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space, the CEO understands that the time demands that “he pay special attention to small and insignificant things.”

Managerial Advice: The I Ching warns the CEO one basic rule to follow is to accept that danger will always be present. One of the most common mistakes CEOs make is to feel contempt for danger thinking they are immune to it. Behind this attitude hides a lack of humility. And humility is the CEO’s best friend. A lack of humility leads inevitably to a lack of preparedness, which, in turn, invites danger. Humility demands the CEO recognize and manage any kind of problem not matter how small it might appear to be, particularly in this case. After all, elephants don’t bite, mosquitoes do.

Investment advice: Do not invest

NINE IN THE FOURTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small - when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives - balancing the YANG attitude with the YIN attitude - when to yield and when to wait.

Managerial Lesson: Be flexible.

Managerial Warning: At the fourth stage of the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space, the CEO “must be on guard and not act”.

Managerial Advice: The I Ching warns the CEO this is a time for resistance to his initiatives - to act will lead to destruction and not to act will postpone progress. This is a no win situation. The I Ching recommends the CEO be prudent and soften his position. This is not the time to overcome resistance by sheer will power. A strictly YANG attitude can only lead to the CEO’s destruction of the corporation. He may however, continue to be mentally and spiritually YANG in managing corporate issues, but in the outside he must combine it with a yielding YIN attitude. Not to do is as important as doing.

Investment advice: Do not invest

SIX IN THE FIFTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small - when he is the wrong CEO in the wrong position, with the wrong executives – the capable CEO in exceptional times.

Managerial Lesson: Be humble.

Managerial Warning: At the fifth stage of the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space, the CEO is capable but is alone and without qualified advisors. He is no longer acting on his own will but rather pushed by other forces that keep him from increasing revenues.

Managerial Advice: The I Ching advises the CEO of the utmost need to find able and talented executives to help him execute his bright ideas. Even the brightest of the CEOs cannot carry out important goals without the support of able and talented men. His primary goal must be to surround himself with capable men. The issue is how to find them. The I Ching warns the CEO that those talented men who can help him will not be easily found because they have retired from the world. The only way to bring them in is with humility. Humility attracts humility. A humble CEO will attract humble helpers not matter how retired they might be from the world. Good men respond to humble leaders

Investment advice: Do not invest

SIX IN THE SIXTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the Preponderance of the Small - when he is the wrong CEO, in the wrong position, with the wrong executives - knowing when to stop upon reaching a goal.

Managerial Lesson: Be disciplined.

Managerial Warning: At the sixth stage of the Preponderance of the Small Time-Space, the CEO risks falling into danger by not knowing when to call a halt.

Managerial Advice: The I Ching advises the CEO that to be successful he must know how to establish goals, how to reach them and how to stop once he has reached these goals. One of the greatest dangers CEOs face is the tendency to try and re-live their successes again and again. Professor Christianson is right when he says that successful CEOs keep on improving the same product even when their clients are asking for different products. While this CEO pays little attention to the disruptive technology that is undermining his corporation from below, there are other CEOs from competing corporations who are paying attention to their customers’ demands by creating these same disruptive technologies. This CEO is exposed to danger and lacks the humility to deal with these dangers.

Investment advice: Do not invest.

MANAGERIAL CASES

Alcoa, Inc. AA under CEO Klaus Kleinfeld

Klaus Kleinfeld’s Performance: ROI= (30.41%) Annualized Return= (20.68%)

SPY’s Performance: ROI= 5.24% Annualized Return= 3.32%

Klaus Kleinfeld became CEO of Alcoa in April of 2010.

Even though it is relatively early to comment on his performance, it is obvious that, since his appointment, he has not been able to outperform the SPY.

Points the investor should consider:

1) THE HEXAGRAM

HEXAGRAM 62 - Hsiao Kuo - Preponderance of the Small

While in the hexagram Ta Kuo, PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT (28), the strong lines preponderate and are within inclosed between weak lines at the top and bottom, the present hexagram has weak lines preponderating, though here again they are on the outside, the strong lines being within. This indeed is the basis of the exceptional situation indicated by the hexagram. When strong lines are outside, we have the hexagram I, PROVIDING NOURISHMENT (27), or Chung Fu, INNER TRUTH (61); neither represents an exceptional state. When strong elements within preponderate, they necessarily enforce their will. This creates struggle and exceptional conditions in general. But in the present hexagram it is the weak element that perforce must mediate with the outside world. If a man occupies a position of authority for which he is by nature really inadequate, extraordinary prudence is necessary.

THE JUDGMENT

PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL.

Success.

Perseverance furthers.

Small things may be done; great things should not be done.

The flying bird brings the message:

It is not well to strive upward,

It is well to remain below.

Great good fortune.

2) THE ADVICE

Thunder on the mountain: The image of PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL.

Thus in his conduct the superior man gives preponderance to reverence.

In bereavement be gives preponderance to grief.

In his expenditures he gives preponderance to thrift.

Thunder on the mountain is different from thunder on the plain. In the mountains, thunder seems much nearer; outside the mountains, it is less audible than the thunder of an ordinary storm. Thus the superior man derives an imperative from this image: he must always fix his eyes more closely and more directly on duty than does the ordinary man, even though this might make his behavior seem petty to the outside world. He is exceptionally conscientious in his actions. In bereavement emotion means more to him than ceremoniousness. In all his personal expenditures he is extremely simple and unpretentious. In comparison with the man of the masses, all this makes him stand out as exceptional. But the essential significance of his attitude lies in the fact that in external matters he is on the side of the lowly.

3) THE LINES:

Six at the top means:

He passes him by, not meeting him.

The flying bird leaves him.

Misfortune.

This means bad luck and injury.

If one overshoots the goal, one cannot hit it. If a bird will not come to its nest but flies higher and higher, it eventually falls into the hunter's net. He who in times of extraordinary salience of small things does not know how to call a halt, but restlessly seeks to press on and on, draws upon himself misfortune at the hands of gods and men, because he deviates from the order of nature.

4) THE MOVING HEXAGRAM

HEXAGRAM 56 - Lu - The Wanderer

The mountain, Ken, stands still; above it fire, Li, flames up and does not tarry. Therefore the two trigrams do not stay together. Strange lands and separation are the wanderer's lot.

THE JUDGMENT

THE WANDERER.

Success through smallness.

Perseverance brings good fortune

To the wanderer.

When a man is a wanderer and stranger, he should not be gruff nor overbearing. He has no large circle of acquaintances therefore he should not give himself airs. He must be cautious and reserved; in this way he protects himself from evil. If he is obliging toward others, he wins success.

A wanderer has no fixed abode; his home is the road. Therefore he must take care to remain upright and steadfast, so that he sojourns only in the proper places, associating only with good people. Then he has good fortune and can go his way unmolested.

THE IMAGE

Fire on the mountain: The image of THE WANDERER.

Thus the superior man

Is clear-minded and cautious

In imposing penalties,

And protracts no lawsuits.

When grass on a mountain takes fire, there is bright light. However, the fire does not linger in one place, but travels on to new fuel. It is a phenomenon of short duration. This is what penalties and lawsuits should be like. They should be a quickly passing matter, and must not be dragged out indefinitely. Prisons ought to be places where people are lodged only temporarily, as guests are. They must not become dwelling places.

Yahoo! Inc. YHOO under CEO Carol A. Bartz

Carol Bartz’s Performance: ROI= 12.68% Annualized Return= 4.56%

SPY’s Performance: ROI= 24.70% Annualized Return= 8.59%

Carol A. Bartz became CEO of Yahoo in January of 2009 and left in September of 2011.

In that short period of time she was not able to outperform the SPY and was fired by the BOD. Her Time-Space of the Preponderance of the Small was extremely difficult for her to manage.

Points the investor should consider:

1) THE HEXAGRAM

(Same as Above).

2) THE ADVICE

(Same as Above).

3) THE LINES:

Six at the beginning means:

The bird meets with misfortune through flying.

A bird ought to remain in the nest until it is fledged. If it tries to fly before this, it invites misfortune. Extraordinary measures should be resorted to only when all else fails. At first we ought to put up with traditional ways as long as possible; otherwise we exhaust ourselves and our energy and still achieve nothing.

4) THE MOVING HEXAGRAM

HEXAGRAM 55 – Feng - Abundance (Fullness)

Chen is movement; Li is flame, whose attribute is clarity. Clarity within, movement without - this produces greatness and abundance. The hexagram pictures a period of advanced civilization. However, the fact that development has reached a peak suggests that this extraordinary condition of abundance cannot be maintained permanently.

THE JUDGMENT

ABUNDANCE has success.

The king attains abundance.

Be not sad.

Be like the sun at midday.

It is not given to every mortal to bring about a time of outstanding greatness and abundance. Only a born ruler of men is able to do it, because his will is directed to what is great. Such a time of abundance is usually brief. Therefore a sage might well feel sad in view of the decline that must follow. But such sadness does not befit him. Only a man who is inwardly free of sorrow and care can lead in a time of abundance. He must be like the sun at midday, illuminating and gladdening everything under heaven.

THE IMAGE

Both thunder and lightning come: The image of ABUNDANCE.

Thus the superior man decides lawsuits

And carries out punishments.

This hexagram has a certain connection with Shih Ho, BITING THROUGH (21), in which thunder and lightning similarly appear together, but in the reverse order. In BITING THROUGH, laws are laid down; here they are applied and enforced. Clarity [Li] within makes it possible to investigate the facts exactly, and shock [Chen] without ensures a strict and precise carrying out of punishments.

Stericycle, Inc. SRCL under CEO Mark C. Miller

Mark Miller’s Performance: ROI= 3,024.16% Annualized Return= 19.31%

SPY’s Performance: ROI= 58.10% Annualized Return= 2.38%

Mark C. Miller became CEO of Stericycle in May of 1992.

Since then, he has been able to outperform the SPY many times over proving he is a Superior CEO.

However, because he has been CEO for almost two decades, we asked of the Oracle once more about his future Time Space which is the Preponderance of the Small.

Points the investor should consider:

1) THE HEXAGRAM

(Same as Above).

2) THE ADVICE

(Same as Above).

3) THE LINES:

Six in the fifth place means:

Dense clouds,

No rain from our western territory.

The prince shoots and hits him who is in the cave.

As a high place is pictured here, the image of a flying bird has become that of flying clouds. But dense as the clouds are, they race across the sky and give no rain. Similarly, in exceptional times there may be a born ruler who is qualified to set the world in order, but who cannot achieve anything or confer blessing on the people because he stands alone and has no helpers. In such times a man must seek out helpers with whose aid he can carry out the task. But these helpers must be modestly sought out in the retirement to which they have withdrawn. It is not their fame nor their great names but their genuine achievements that are important. Through such modesty the right man is found, and the exceptional task is carried out in spite of all difficulties.

4) THE MOVING HEXAGRAM

HEXAGRAM 31 – Hsien - Influence ( Wooing)

The name of the hexagram means "universal," "general," and in a figurative sense "to influence," "to stimulate." The upper trigrams is Tui, the Joyous; the lower is Ken, Keeping Still. By its persistent, quiet influence, the lower, rigid trigram stimulates the upper, weak trigram, which responds to this stimulation cheerfully and joyously. Ken, the lower trigram, is the youngest son; the upper, Tui, is the youngest daughter. Thus the universal mutual attraction between the sexes is represented. In courtship, the masculine principle must seize the initiative and place itself below the feminine principle.

Just as the first part of book I begins with the hexagrams of heaven and earth, the foundations of all that exists, the second part begins with the hexagrams of courtship and marriage, the foundations of all social relationships.

THE JUDGMENT

Influence.

Success.

Perseverance furthers.

To take a maiden to wife brings good fortune.

The weak element is above, the strong below; hence their powers attract each other, so that they unite. This brings about success, for all success depends on the effect of mutual attraction. By keeping still within while experiencing joy without, one can prevent the joy from going to excess and hold it within proper bounds. This is the meaning of the added admonition, "Perseverance furthers," for it is perseverance that makes the difference between seduction and courtship; in the latter the strong man takes a position inferior to that of the weak girl and shows consideration for her. This attraction between affinities is a general law of nature. Heaven and earth attract each other and thus all creatures come into being. Through such attraction the sage influences men's hearts, and thus the world attains peace. From the attractions they exert we can learn the nature of all beings in heaven and on earth.

THE IMAGE

A lake on the mountain: The image of influence.

Thus the superior man encourages people to approach him

By his readiness to receive them.

A mountain with a lake on its summit is stimulated by the moisture from the lake. It has this advantage because its summit does not jut out as a peak but is sunken. The image counsels that the mind should be kept humble and free, so that it may remain receptive to good advice. People soon give up counseling a man who thinks that he knows everything better than anyone else.