The lines of hexagram 15

  Modesty, humility, balance or balance-seeking... It is very difficult to find the right translation for Qiān. Modesty is too modest, Qiān is rather about behaving in balance with surroundings and others, and creating a balance where this is not the case. One can very well behave in this humble way and yet be assertive or authorative where necessary. It can also mean to conceal one's true intent, which is a good or bad quality depending on the situation.
  Line 1. Qianqian Junzi can also mean a hypocritically modest person.
  Line 2. 'Expressing (or famous or known for) humility/balance'.'Expressing' or ' singing about': the character is a bird with mouth, a singing bird. Same character is used in hex.16.1
  Line 3. 'Accomplishing' can also mean laboring or wearisome or achieved or achieved merit.
  Line 5. Nobody will agree with my translation. So instead of 'cleaning and chopping etc' read: approaching and beheading: if you are starving and nobody is helping you, then get it by force, rather than dying by being a decent person?
  Line 6: 'Expressing' see line 2. March against: set right, bring in order.

More about hexagrams 15 and 16
Back to hex.15
Back to the story of hex.15