What is Hexagram 15, Modesty?
Hexagram 15, Modesty (謙 Qiān), is built from Earth (坤 Kūn) over Mountain (艮 Gèn), and the Wilhelm-Baynes translation reads its themes as modesty, humility, balance. The classical sources describe it as a pattern in the Book of Changes (易經 Yìjīng), a situation to recognise, not a verdict to obey.
Key Takeaways
- Hexagram 15 is built from Earth (坤 Kūn) over Mountain (艮 Gèn).
- Its central themes, modesty, humility, balance, quiet strength, sit in the Wilhelm-Baynes lineage.
- The classical pairing matches the hexagram to Lepidolite as the meditation stone.
- Read alongside BaZi, Kua, and Compass School sector mapping for a fuller picture.
- This is a pattern, not a verdict, the I-Ching frames reflection, not prediction.
The Judgment
Modesty creates success. The superior person carries things through.
The Image
Within the earth, a mountain: the image of Modesty. Thus the superior person reduces that which is too much and augments that which is too little.
Master Wei Lin's Interpretation
Interpretation by Master Wei Lin, Chinese Metaphysics Scholar, pattern recognition, not fortune-telling
A mountain hidden within the earth, great strength that does not announce itself. Modesty is not weakness or false humility. It is the quiet confidence of someone who has nothing to prove. Your question is being met with this counsel: lower what is high in you, raise what is low. Balance yourself. The person who can hold power without displaying it has found something rare.
The Six Lines
When a changing line appears in your reading, its text carries special guidance for your situation.
Line 1 (bottom)
“A modest superior person may cross the great water. Good fortune.”
Line 2
“Modesty that comes to expression. Perseverance brings good fortune.”
Line 3
“A superior person of modesty and merit carries things to conclusion. Good fortune.”
Line 4
“Nothing that would not further modesty in movement.”
Line 5
“No boasting of wealth before one's neighbor. It is favorable to attack with force. Nothing that would not further.”
Line 6 (top)
“Modesty that comes to expression. It is favorable to set armies marching to chastise one's own city and one's country.”
🔮 Crystal for Hexagram 15
Lepidolite
Hold Lepidolite while meditating on Modesty. Its energy resonates with the themes of modesty, humility, balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Hexagram 15 (Modesty) mean?
In the Wilhelm-Baynes translation of the I-Ching (易經 Yìjīng), Hexagram 15, Modesty (謙 Qiān), is read through Earth (坤 Kūn) over Mountain (艮 Gèn). The classical sources describe its themes as modesty, humility, balance. This is pattern recognition, not prediction.
What is the Judgment for Modesty?
The Judgment reads: "Modesty creates success. The superior person carries things through.", the Judgment is the I-Ching's classical summary of the situation the hexagram describes, and what the present moment is asking of the reader.
What is the Image for Modesty?
The Image reads: "Within the earth, a mountain: the image of Modesty. Thus the superior person reduces that which is too much and augments that which is too little.", in the classical sources the Image is the elemental picture, the upper and lower trigrams in conversation, that the reader holds while sitting with the hexagram.
What crystal pairs with Hexagram 15?
Lepidolite is the traditional pairing for Modesty. The classical Chinese gemology lineage associates this stone with the hexagram's central themes, hold it during meditation on the reading. This is reflective practice, not divination-as-prediction.
How is Hexagram 15 read in BaZi or Feng Shui?
An I-Ching cast is one consultation. The fuller reading, Four Pillars (四柱 Sì Zhù), Kua personal feng shui, and Compass School sector mapping, reads the hexagram alongside the chart. Master Wei Lin's Master Reading section synthesizes the Book of Changes alongside BaZi and the other Chinese metaphysics traditions.
More Hexagrams
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