謙
“Humbling” — King Wen #15
Modesty prevails. The low is exalted; keep achievement quiet and it endures.
The Judgment 卦辞
亨，君子有終。
Qian indicates progress and success. The superior man, (being humble as it implies), will have a (good) issue (to his undertakings).— The I Ching, trans. James Legge, 1899 (public domain)1
The Six Lines 爻辞
謙謙君子，用涉大川，吉。
The first SIX, divided, shows us the superior man who adds humility to humility. (Even) the great stream may be crossed with this, and there will be good fortune.
鳴謙，貞吉。
The second SIX, divided, shows us humility that has made itself recognised. With firm correctness there will be good fortune.
勞謙，君子有終，吉。
The third NINE, undivided, shows the superior man of (acknowledged) merit. He will maintain his success to the end, and have good fortune.
無不利，撝謙。
The fourth SIX, divided, shows one, whose action would be in every way advantageous, stirring up (the more) his humility.
不富以其鄰，利用侵伐，無不利。
The fifth SIX, divided, shows one who, without being rich, is able to employ his neighbours. He may advantageously use the force of arms. All his movements will be advantageous.
鳴謙，利用行師，征邑國。
The sixth SIX, divided, shows us humility that has made itself recognised. The subject of it will with advantage put his hosts in motion; but (he will only) punish his own towns and state.
Reading the Picture
Hexagram 15 places mountain (艮) beneath earth (坤) —stillness holding its ground below, receptive ground holding all things above. This is why the tradition reads it as “Humbling”:modesty prevails. The low is exalted; keep achievement quiet and it endures Whenever you cast this figure, the classical reading points back to that turning of forces.
Questions About Hexagram 15
What does 謙 (qiān) mean?
Hexagram 15 of the I Ching is named 謙 (qiān), usually rendered "Humbling" in English editions. Its figure pairs mountain (艮) below with earth (坤) above.
Which trigrams form hexagram 15?
坤 (Earth) sits above and 艮 (Mountain) sits below — the classical picture is stillness holding its ground beneath receptive ground holding all things.
How is hexagram 15 related to the other hexagrams?
Changing every line of hexagram 15 gives hexagram 10 — 履 (Treading). Turned upside down it becomes hexagram 16 — 豫 (Providing-For). Its nuclear hexagram — the inner pattern of lines 2 through 5 — is hexagram 40 — 解 (Taking-Apart).
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1 Legge, James. The Yi King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI (1899), public domain. Classical Chinese from the received Zhouyi text. · For reflection and entertainment — not financial, medical, or life advice.