小畜Small Accumulation
xiǎo chùAlso known as “The Taming Power of the Small” (Wilhelm/Baynes) and “Hsiâo Khû” (Legge)
In plain words
Wind over heaven: dense clouds but no rain yet. A small force restrains a great one for now; gather strength quietly, with success in small things.
The attitude it asks for
Refine, prepare and persuade gently; the big move waits until the clouds break.
Structure
卦辭 The Judgment
小畜：亨。密雲不雨，自我西郊。Hsiâo Khû indicates that (under its conditions) there will be progress and success. (We see) dense clouds, but no rain coming from our borders in the west.
小畜，柔得位，而上下應之，曰小畜。健而巽，剛中而志行，乃亨。密雲不雨，尚往也。自我西郊，施未行也。In Hsiâo Khû the weak line occupies its (proper) position, and (the lines) above and below respond to it. Hence comes the name of Hsiâo Khû (Small Restraint). (It presents the symbols of) strength and flexibility. Strong lines are in the central places, and the will (of their subjects) will have free course. Thus it indicates that there will be progress and success. 'Dense clouds but no rain' indicate the movement (of the strong lines) still going forward. The 'Commencing at our western border' indicates that the (beneficial) influence has not yet been widely displayed.
風行天上，小畜；君子以懿文德。(The trigram representing) the sky, and that representing wind moving above it, form Hsiâo Khû. The superior man, in accordance with this, adorns the outward manifestation of his virtue.
爻辭 The six lines
When one line moves, the hexagram becomes another:
- 上九Nine at the top
既雨既處，尚德載，婦貞厲。月幾望，君子征凶。
The topmost line, undivided, shows how the rain has fallen, and the (onward progress) is stayed;—(so) must we value the full accumulation of the virtue (represented by the upper trigram). But a wife (exercising restraint), however firm and correct she may be, is in a position of peril, (and like) the moon approaching to the full. If the superior man prosecute his measures (in such circumstances), there will be evil.
Its symbolism 既雨既處，德積載也。君子征凶，有所疑也。
'The rain has fallen and (the onward progress) is stayed:'—the power (denoted in the figure) has accumulated to the full. 'If the superior man prosecute his measures, there will be evil:'—he will find himself obstructed.
- 九五Nine in the fifth place
有孚攣如，富以其鄰。
The fifth line, undivided, shows its subject possessed of sincerity, and drawing others to unite with him. Rich in resources, he employs his neighbours (in the same cause with himself).
Its symbolism 有孚攣如，不獨富也。
'He is possessed of sincerity, and draws others to unite with him:'—he does not use only his own rich resources.
- 六四Six in the fourth place
有孚，血去惕出，无咎。
The fourth line, divided, shows its subject possessed of sincerity. The danger of bloodshed is thereby averted, and his (ground for) apprehension dismissed. There will be no mistake.
Its symbolism 有孚惕出，上合志也。
'He is possessed of sincerity; his (ground for) apprehension is dismissed:'—(the subjects of the lines) above agree in aim with him.
- 九三Nine in the third place
輿說輻，夫妻反目。
The third line, undivided, suggests the idea of a carriage, the strap beneath which has been removed, or of a husband and wife looking on each other with averted eyes.
Its symbolism 夫妻反目，不能正室也。
'Husband and wife look on each other with averted eyes:'—(the subject of line three is like a husband who) cannot maintain correctly his relations with his wife.
- 九二Nine in the second place
牽復，吉。
The second line, undivided, shows its subject, by the attraction (of the former line), returning (to the proper course). There will be good fortune.
Its symbolism 牽復在中，亦不自失也。
'By the attraction (of the subject of the former line) he returns (to its own course),' and is in the central place:—neither will he err in what is due from him.
- 初九Nine at the beginning
復自道，何其咎，吉。
The first line, undivided, shows its subject returning and pursuing his own course. What mistake should he fall into? There will be good fortune.
Its symbolism 復自道，其義吉也。
'He returns and pursues his own path:'—it is right that there should be good fortune.
Shown in the classical Chinese with James Legge's English (1882).
Read 小畜 Small Accumulation for a question about
古籍
From the classics
Two of the Ten Wings speak of every hexagram: the Sequence (Xù Guà) says why it follows the one before, the Miscellany (Zá Guà) sums it up in a phrase. Here is what they say of 小畜 xiǎo chù · Small Accumulation.
比必有所畜也，故受之以小畜。Drawing together, there is sure to be something to hold and gather; therefore Xiǎo Chù follows.
iching.tools translation (from the Chinese)
小畜寡也，履不處也。Xiǎo Chù is few; Lǚ is not resting.
iching.tools translation (from the Chinese)
The classical Chinese is the authoritative text. Translations are iching.tools' own from the Chinese unless another translator is named; several attributions are traditional rather than historical (託名).
Questions about this hexagram
- What does Hexagram 9, Small Accumulation, mean?
- Wind over heaven: dense clouds but no rain yet. A small force restrains a great one for now; gather strength quietly, with success in small things.
- Which trigrams form Small Accumulation?
- 巽 above 乾 — wind over heaven. Its nuclear hexagram (lines 2–5) is 睽 Divergence.
- What happens when a line of Small Accumulation changes?
- A moving line turns the hexagram into another one; the list above shows all six. With several moving lines, the guide to changing lines explains which text to read.
- How do I get Small Accumulation in a reading?
- Build six lines from the bottom up with three coins or yarrow stalks; the pattern — — — - - — — is Small Accumulation. You can also cast a reading here — the lines are decided by code, the text is this page's.
Chinese text: the received Zhouyi (Wuyingdian lineage). English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East XVI, 1882 (public domain).