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Hexagram 15: Modesty
謙 · Qiān
Modesty creates success. The noble one carries things through.Judgment 卦辭
Within the earth, a mountain: the image of Modesty. The noble one reduces what is too much and increases what is too little, weighing things to make them equal.Image 象辭
Core Meaning of Hexagram 15
Hexagram 15 is the only hexagram whose every line is favorable: modesty — a mountain hiding inside the earth. Real power that does not advertise itself. The image adds a social law: heaven fills the empty and empties the full; people hate arrogance and love humility. The modest person’s position may be low, but their weight is enormous.
Hexagram 15 in a Reading
In a reading, lower your profile and raise your substance. Credit, arguments, the last word — yield them. If you are accomplished, let the work speak; if you are struggling, modesty keeps allies. This is also a mandate to equalize: take from your surplus (time, money, attention) and give to what is starved. Uniquely, this hexagram cannot fail.
Common Questions
What does hexagram 15 mean?
Hexagram 15 is the only hexagram whose every line is favorable: modesty — a mountain hiding inside the earth. Read the full meaning above, or cast your own reading with our free online I Ching coins.
What is the structure of hexagram 15?
Hexagram 15 is built from the trigram Earth above and Mountain below — binary 001000 read from the bottom line to the top. Modesty is King Wen number 15 of the 64 hexagrams.
Related Hexagrams
Other Hexagrams with Trigram Earth Above
Keywords: i ching hexagram 15, hexagram 15 meaning, modesty, qian, humility, the mountain hidden in the earth