Hsiao Kuo / Preponderance of the Small
above: Ch^ en The Arousing, Thunder
below: K^ en Keeping Still, Mountain
The fifth [six], divided, (suggests the idea) of dense clouds but no rain coming from our borders in the west. It also (shows) the prince shooting his arrow and taking the bird in a cave.
Line 5, though in the ruler's seat, is weak, and incapable of doing
anything great. Its subject is called king or duke because of the ruler's
seat; and the one whom in the concluding sentence he is said to capture is
supposed to be the subject of 2.
The first part of the symbolism is the same as that of the Thwan under
hexagram 9. q.v. I said there that it probably gave a testimony of the merit
of the house of Kau, as deserving the throne rather than the Kings of Shang.
That was because the Thwan contained the sentiments of Wan, while he was yet
only lord of Kau. But the symbolism here was the work of the duke of Kau,
after his brother King Wu had obtained the throne. How did the symbolism
then occur to him? May we not conclude that at least the hsiang of this
hexagram was written during the troubled period of his regency, after the
ascension of Wu's son, King Khang?
The Khang-hsi editors find in the concluding symbolism an incentive to
humility: - 'The duke, leaving birds on the wing, is content to use his
arrows against those in a cave!'