9. The Taming Power of the Small (小畜)

幾 (nearly) is pronounced jī, the same as in Guimei (The Marrying Maiden).

Restraint reaches its culmination and is completed; yin and yang achieve harmony, hence presenting the image of 'it has already rained and already rests.' This occurs because honoring and exalting yin virtue has accumulated to the point of overflowing fullness.

Yin imposing upon yang means that even if correct, there is peril. Moreover, since yin is already at its peak and contends with yang, the noble person cannot undertake an expedition. The divination being such conveys a profound warning.

Nine, at the height of Xun's compliance, dwells at the top of the hexagram, situated at the conclusion of restraint; it follows restraint and comes to a halt, being halted by the Fourth line. 'Already rained' denotes harmony; 'already rests' denotes stopping.

When yin tames yang, it cannot halt it without harmony; once harmonized and halted, the way of restraint is complete. In Daxu, the restraint is great, so it reaches its peak and disperses; in Xiaoxu, the restraint is small, so it reaches its peak and is accomplished.

'Virtue accumulates and carries over' means the Fourth line uses the virtue of gentle compliance, accumulating until full and reaching completion.

That yin yielding tames yang firmness cannot be accomplished overnight; it comes about through gradual accumulation—how could one not take warning? 'Carries over' (zai) means accumulated to fullness. The Book of Songs says: 'Their voices filled (zai) the road.'

'Persistence brings peril to the woman': 'woman' refers to yin. Using yin to tame yang and using the yielding to control the firm, if the woman persistently adheres to this, it is a perilous course.

How could a wife controlling her husband or a minister controlling his ruler ever remain secure? When the moon is full, it rivals the sun; 'nearly full' means its peak is about to rival it. Yin is already able to tame yang, yet why does it say 'nearly full'?

This is using gentle yielding to tame its will, not possessing the sheer force to overpower it. However, if it does not cease, it will soon become more powerful than yang and bring misfortune.

Issuing a warning at the stage of being 'nearly full,' it says: The woman is about to become a rival; if the noble person acts, there is misfortune. 'Noble person' refers to the yang; 'expedition' means action.

'Nearly full' is the time when fullness is imminent; if the moon were already fully eclipsed by rivalry, yang would have already waned—what warning would then be left to give?

'Already rained and already rests' means that the way of restraint has accumulated to fullness and attained completion. Yin is on the verge of reaching its absolute peak; if the noble person acts, misfortune will follow.

When yin rivals yang, it inevitably extinguishes yang; when petty men contend with noble persons, they inevitably harm noble persons—how could one not harbor doubts and caution?

If one foresees this with doubt, caution, vigilance, and fear, seeking means to keep it in check, one will avoid reaching misfortune.

Dwelling at the culmination of Xiaoxu, it is the one capable of restraining. Yang does not achieve free circulation, hence 'it has already rained.' The firm cannot encroach, hence 'it has already rested.'

Embodying Xun and dwelling at the top, the firm dares not violate it, which constitutes 'honoring virtue.' Being the head of the yin, it can tame the firm and strong, so that virtue accumulates to overflowing fullness.

A wife controlling her husband, or a minister controlling his ruler, though correct, borders on peril; hence it says 'persistence brings peril to the woman.' The abundance and fullness of yin is never greater than this; hence it says 'the moon is nearly full.'

Once full, advancing further will surely lose the proper way; when yin suspects and rivals yang, warfare and battle inevitably arise.

Even if one is a noble person, advancing on an expedition will surely bring misfortune; hence it says 'the noble person going on an expedition meets misfortune.'

Now, dwelling below and being able to undertake an expedition without blame occurs only in the hexagram Tai. Kun's substance naturally lies below, and being compliant and weak, it cannot rival the firm; therefore it can preserve its kind, and setting forth brings good fortune.

From this point forward, however, advancing brings its own difficulties. Xun, although unable to tame as skillfully as Gen, is nevertheless unwilling to be compliant like Kun; thus a slight advance can be made, but complete encroachment is impossible.

This is why Nine at the Beginning and Nine in the Second Place can return, whereas Nine in the Third Place suffers 'the spokes bursting from the wagon wheel.' Daxu is the culmination of restraint.

Restraining without ceasing, when restraint reaches its limit it opens up; therefore its height of restraint lies in the Fourth and Fifth lines, and upon reaching Top Nine, the way expands greatly.

Xiaoxu must accumulate to the very limit before it can tame; therefore the Fourth and Fifth lines can advance, while Top Nine bursts the spokes of those on an expedition.

From 'Top Nine: it has already rained and already rests' to 'the noble person going on an expedition meets misfortune.'

The correct meaning states: 'Already rained and already rests': Nine in the Third Place wished to advance, but Top Nine was able to hold it fast; yin and yang no longer freely circulate, hence it obtains rain.

'Already rests': the Third cannot encroach, so it does not fear harm and attains rest.

'Virtue accumulates and carries over': embodying Xun and dwelling at the top, the firm dares not violate it; as the head of the yin, it can tame the firm and strong, and people admire this accumulation and carriage of virtue, hence saying 'virtue accumulates and carries over,' meaning they admire the accumulating carriage of this moral virtue.

'Persistence brings peril to the woman': Top Nine restraining Nine in the Third Place is a wife controlling her husband or a minister controlling his ruler; though upright and correct, it borders on peril.

'The moon is nearly full': a woman controlling her husband is like the moon approaching fullness, its brilliance rivaling the sun. 'Nearly' (ji) is a modal particle, already explained above, so it is not repeated here.

'The noble person going on an expedition meets misfortune': when yin harbors suspicion toward yang, battle inevitably follows; even for a noble person, taking action brings misfortune.

From the commentary 'Dwelling at the culmination of Xiaoxu' to 'the noble person going on an expedition meets misfortune.'

The correct meaning states: 'Dwelling at the culmination of Xiaoxu, it is the one capable of restraining' means that it occupies the extreme fullness of small restraint and is the one that shuts and tames.

'Yang does not achieve free circulation, hence it has already rained' means that if yang circulated freely, no rain would fall. Hence the hexagram statement says: 'The Taming Power of the Small: success; dense clouds, but no rain.'

Now the yang of Nine in the Third Place is held fast by Top Nine and cannot circulate freely, hence 'it has already rained.'

From 'The Xiang says: it has already rained and already rests' to 'there is doubt.'

The correct meaning states: 'Already rained and already rests, virtue accumulates and carries over' explains the meaning of 'it has already rained and already rests.'

The reason it attains 'already rained and already rests' is that Top Nine's moral virtue has accumulated to the point where it can be carried over, causing people to admire and exalt it; hence it says 'it has already rained and already rests.'

'The noble person going on an expedition meets misfortune; there is doubt' explains the meaning of 'the noble person going on an expedition meets misfortune.'

The reason an expedition brings misfortune is that yin qi is full and brimming, bringing suspicion and dread upon yang, which must inevitably lead to battle; hence 'an expedition brings misfortune.'

From the commentary 'Now, dwelling below' to 'bursts the spokes of an expedition.'

The correct meaning states: 'Xun, although unable to tame as skillfully as Gen' means that it cannot, like Gen above in Daxu, skillfully tame the Qian below; because Xun cannot tame as skillfully as Gen, its taming is small.

'Nevertheless unwilling to be compliant like Kun' means it is unwilling, like Kun above in Tai, to comply with Qian. 'Thus a slight advance can be made' refers to Nine at the Beginning and Nine in the Second Place being able to move forward.

'Complete encroachment is impossible' means Nine in the Third Place wishes to encroach upon Top Nine but is held fast by Top Nine; thus complete encroachment is impossible.

'Restraining without ceasing, when restraint reaches its limit it opens up; therefore its height of restraint lies in the Fourth and Fifth lines, and upon reaching Top Nine, the way expands greatly'—this discusses the principle of Daxu.

In Daxu, taming without stopping is called 'Great Taming.' Lines Four and Five represent the height of restraint without ceasing, and when restraint reaches its limit, it opens up.

Once the way of restraint culminates in the Fourth and Fifth, upon reaching Top Nine there is nothing left to restrain; hence Top Nine's way expands greatly, having nothing to hold back.

'Xiaoxu must accumulate to the very limit before it can tame': the way of Xiaoxu is weak, accumulating to its final culmination; only upon reaching Top Nine can it tame, referring to taming Nine in the Third Place.

'Therefore the Fourth and Fifth lines can advance': although the Fourth tames the Beginning and the Fifth tames the Second, their power of restraint is weak, so Nine in the Second Place can advance.

'Top Nine bursts the spokes of an expedition': Top Nine's restraint accumulates to the limit, so it can burst the wheel spokes of Nine in the Third Place on its march. Note: Nine in the Third Place only has 'the spokes burst' without the word 'expedition' (zheng).

Wang Bi says Top Nine 'bursts the spokes of an expedition' because a wagon has spokes so it can make an expedition; the line of Nine in the Third Place carries the meaning of 'expedition,' and now that the wagon's spokes burst, it bursts the spokes of an expedition, drawing upon Top Nine's text of 'an expedition brings misfortune'—an expedition is a march.

Though the text does not say it, in meaning it must contain it. Regarding 'spokes' (fu): Zheng Xuan's commentary states, 'It refers to the wood binding the bottom of the wagon box, linked to the axle, the wood that hooks to the hub.'

The Zixia Zhuan states: 'Fu means the wheel spokes.'

Top Nine, sixth line, Upper-Middle: Wishing to move, yet it is not yet time to move; beware lest joy entangle you in complications. If ahead you find a yin figure to guide the way, the fish transforms into a dragon, leaping out from the deep abyss.