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!'