I Ching · Hexagram 15 of 64
Hexagram 15: Qian （谦） — Modesty
Earth above mountain: the mountain, naturally high, willingly lies below the earth. So does a person of lofty virtue lower himself, the greater he becomes the humbler he is. The hexagram teaches humility, non-contention and capacity, and the low-hearted service of sacrifice, so that one may prosper and gain a fitting end.
At a glance
| Hexagram | 15 of 64 |
|---|---|
| Name | Qian 谦 · Modesty |
| Upper trigram | Kun （坤）· Earth |
| Lower trigram | Gen （艮）· Mountain |
| Structure | Earth over Mountain |
| Lines | 6 lines |
The Judgment （卦辞）
Qian: success. The gentleman has a fitting end.
ExplainedWhoever yields, steps down from his rank and honors the worthy meets no obstruction. The whole hexagram turns on the gentleman having a fitting end: what matters in a life is how it closes and not the honors of a season. The best ending is to die and not perish, the body gone and the spirit living on in lasting remembrance, and not the fate of an emperor whose shell alone is dug out and put on display. Humility is not only a modest manner but the low-hearted willingness to sacrifice, serve and bear others.
Tuan Zhuan — Commentary on the Judgment （彖传）
Modesty brings success. The way of heaven descends and bestows light; the way of earth is low and yet rises up. Heaven abases the full and adds to the modest; earth reverses the full and flows toward the modest; spirits harm the full and bless the modest; human nature hates the full and loves the modest. The modest is honored and shines; though low, he cannot be surpassed. This is the fitting end of the gentleman.
ExplainedHumility prospers because the humble do not contend and the empty can receive; it is a quality of life and not a courtesy. Heaven, though high, sends down its light to rescue beings, and earth, though lowest, is where all things grow upward, for the lower one's heart the greater one grows, as a deep root lifts a tall branch. Heaven and earth level the full and supply the modest, spirits hurt the proud and bless the humble, and the human heart turns from arrogance toward kindness. Thus the humble is honored and bright and cannot be surpassed.
Xiang Zhuan — Image Commentary （大象）
Within the earth, a mountain: Qian. Thus the gentleman takes away from the excess to add to the lacking, and weighs out and shares evenly.
ExplainedThere is a mountain within the earth, and within the precious square inch of the human heart lies the spiritual mountain. Whoever recovers his nature is naturally humble and selfless, and then levels what he has in excess toward those who lack, giving where it is needed rather than where it is already rich.
The Six Lines （六爻）
The lines are read from the bottom upward. Each carries its own text, a Small Image commentary, and a plain-English reading.
Line 1 · YinLine 1
The modest, ever more modest gentleman: with this he crosses the great water. Good fortune.
Small ImageThe modest, ever more modest gentleman: by lowliness he herds himself.
ExplainedModesty on top of modesty, no amount of which is ever too much. Life is full of hardship, and the great water of birth and death is crossed only by the lowly heart; the modest and empty contend with no one, and heaven and people both protect them. Herd the unruly mind with lowliness, and self gives way to no-self, letting the true nature pour in.
Line 2 · YinLine 2
Modesty that resounds: steadfast good fortune.
Small ImageModesty that resounds, steadfast and fortunate: it is obtained in the heart.
ExplainedModesty in speech means leaving room for the other to speak and never crowing over one's own view. And the content of speech must be upright, urging people toward the good and not toward idle pleasure; everyone's heart honors the Way, so such words enter deeply even if the ear tires of them.
Line 3 · YangLine 3
Laborious modesty: the gentleman has a fitting end. Good fortune.
Small ImageThe laborious and modest gentleman: all the people yield to him.
ExplainedHere is the lord of the hexagram: to labor greatly and yet claim nothing, laying all merit to heaven's compassion and the virtue of others. Then all people yield to him and honor him for ages, and he enters the unceasing life of the holy ones.
Line 4 · YinLine 4
Nothing unfavorable: he wields modesty.
Small ImageNothing unfavorable, he wields modesty: he does not violate the rule.
ExplainedThough one may not possess modesty within, one can wield it outwardly in manner and courtesy and still meet success everywhere, as a ruler before his rise honored the worthy. It is not true humility, yet it is better than its absence, and worn long enough from the outside it becomes inward.
Line 5 · YinLine 5
He is not rich with his neighbors; it is favorable to invade and attack. Nothing unfavorable.
Small ImageIt is favorable to invade and attack, to subdue the unruly.
ExplainedThe modest person shares his wealth instead of hoarding it, and as in the old tale of buying a horse's bones his generosity draws the worthy of the world to him. With a heart that wide he may chastise those who will not submit and bring order to the land.
Line 6 · YinLine 6
Modesty that resounds: it is favorable to take the field, to chastise his cities and lands.
Small ImageModesty that resounds: his wish is not yet fulfilled.
ExplainedHere modesty is at last proclaimed in earnest: the goal is to teach the people sacrifice and to claim no credit, and so bring peace. Because it came from the outside in and others do not yet truly yield, force is first needed to subdue the domain and only then the teaching; the will is not yet fully won.
Key takeaway
The greater one is, the lower one's heart: humility that sacrifices and serves is the way to a fitting end.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hexagram 15 (Qian) mean in the I Ching?
Earth above mountain: the mountain, naturally high, willingly lies below the earth. So does a person of lofty virtue lower himself, the greater he becomes the humbler he is. The hexagram teaches humility, non-contention and capacity, and the low-hearted service of sacrifice, so that one may prosper and gain a fitting end.
What is the judgment of Hexagram 15?
Qian: success. The gentleman has a fitting end. Whoever yields, steps down from his rank and honors the worthy meets no obstruction. The whole hexagram turns on the gentleman having a fitting end: what matters in a life is how it closes and not the honors of a season. The best ending is to die and not perish, the body gone and the spirit living on in lasting…
What do the six lines of Hexagram 15 say?
Line 1: The modest, ever more modest gentleman: with this he crosses the great water. Good fortune. Line 2: Modesty that resounds: steadfast good fortune. Line 3: Laborious modesty: the gentleman has a fitting end. Good fortune. Line 4: Nothing unfavorable: he wields modesty. Line 5: He is not rich with his neighbors; it is favorable to invade and attack. Nothing unfavorable. Line 6: Modesty that resounds: it is favorable to take the field, to chastise his cities and lands.
What is the main lesson of Hexagram 15 (Modesty)?
The greater one is, the lower one's heart: humility that sacrifices and serves is the way to a fitting end.
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