09 story

The image of hexagram 09
Xiăo Chù, cultivate the small

Hexagram 09 has trigram Heaven below or inside, Wind above or outside. Heaven below is your inner set of rules and responsibility, your timing and strategy. Wind goes on and on in a gentle but persistent way.

What does it mean, 'inner' and 'outer trigram' (popup)

When trigram Heaven is below (popup)

When trigram Wind is above (popup)

Heaven below Wind: inside there are the big rules and laws of Heaven, its timing and truth and its strength and perseverance. Wind outside spreads these inner values and applies them to one's life and surroundings.

xu, cultivate

The old diviners gave this combination of trigrams a name: Xiăo Chù. It means the cultivation of your own life, mind and surroundings, of livestock or a crop, of virtue and honest work, responsibilties and the timing of your actions. The care for the fate and future of you and your people, animals and fields.

Ideogram of the hexagram name: the character above shows grains of rice: small. The character below is a skein of silk, dyed green, and a field (often with a crop): cultivate or tame. Small farms cultivated mostly vegetables, some silk and a few animals. Meanings: raise animals, domestic animal, (tending) livestock. Da chu, big cultivate (hex.26), is about big cattle and sacrifices. The gua poem talks about prosperity, because 'small cultivation' makes it possible to offer to the gods and spirits on a regular basis and from one's own dedication. Having a little farm was a blessing in times without any social security.

The 'Great Image' says: Wind moves high in heaven, small cultivation. The noble one makes use of perfect culture and virtue.

Hex.09 is the contrast of 16, which is about acting on your enthusiasm. There are many things which cannot be done or solved with the motivation or inspiration of #16. In a time of #9 you have to do things the way they are, according to their rules, so they will yield harvest.
Hex.09 is calm and filled with responsibility, with a deep knowledge of the ways of universe and of the meaning of culture. It is the attitude one needs to care for one's people, animals, farm, surroundings. Many small tasks which become meaningful by the respectful and conscientious way they are performed.

  A shepherd keeps his sheep calm through the calmness of his own mind. He lets his sheep find their own preferred kinds of shrubs and grasses, and just sees to it, every moment, that all are safe.
  Hex.9 is the opposite of hex.16, with its big images and motivation. Xiao Chu is the small harvest, the profit which comes from steady work, from seeds growing into plants. Being content with the small gains achieved.
  When one respects the slow and organic way in which nature works, one creates the space where one's true path can unfold.

The image of hexagram 09Xiăo Chù, cultivate the small

The image of hexagram 09
Xiăo Chù, cultivate the small