小過
Xiǎo Guò · Small Excess
In small things, lean toward the modest side; in great things, do not lean at all.
The judgment
小過：亨，利貞，可小事，不可大事。飛鳥遺之音，不宜上宜下，大吉。
Small excess succeeds. Stay true. Small matters are possible; great ones are not. The flying bird leaves its call: it is better to go down than up. Great good fortune.
Received text; plain English after the Chinese. Source: 周易經傳 (public-domain). Passage: hex62.judgment.
The image
象曰：山上有雷，小過。君子以行過乎恭，喪過乎哀，用過乎儉。
Thunder on the mountain: small excess. A capable person errs toward respect, toward grief at a funeral, toward thrift in spending.
Received text; plain English after the Chinese. Source: 周易經傳 (public-domain). Passage: hex62.image.
In small things, lean toward the modest side; in great things, do not lean at all.
The six lines
Each line is a stage, from the bottom of the hexagram to the top. Open any line to read it in plain English.
初六 飛鳥以凶。 The bird flies up and meets misfortune. Rising when you should stay low is the whole danger.
The bird flies up and meets misfortune. Rising when you should stay low is the whole danger.
六二 過其祖，遇其妣；不及其君，遇其臣；無咎。 Passing the grandfather, meeting the grandmother; not reaching the ruler, meeting the minister. No blame: the near connection is enough.
Passing the grandfather, meeting the grandmother; not reaching the ruler, meeting the minister. No blame: the near connection is enough.
九三 弗過防之，從或戕之，凶。 If you do not go a little beyond in guarding, someone may harm you. Misfortune: here, extra caution is the right excess.
If you do not go a little beyond in guarding, someone may harm you. Misfortune: here, extra caution is the right excess.
九四 無咎，弗過遇之。 往厲必戒，勿用永貞。 No blame. Do not go beyond; meet it where it is. Going is dangerous and you must be warned; do not hold rigidly forever.
No blame. Do not go beyond; meet it where it is. Going is dangerous and you must be warned; do not hold rigidly forever.
六五 密云不雨，自我西郊，公弋取彼在穴。 Dense clouds, no rain, from the western outskirts. The lord shoots and takes what is in the hole: the gain is small and hidden.
Dense clouds, no rain, from the western outskirts. The lord shoots and takes what is in the hole: the gain is small and hidden.
上六 弗遇過之，飛鳥離之，凶，是謂災眚。 You do not meet it; you overshoot. The bird flies off and away: misfortune, and it is called disaster.
You do not meet it; you overshoot. The bird flies off and away: misfortune, and it is called disaster.