I Ching hexagram
62. Small Gains
小過Xiǎo Guò
Thunder over Mountain
Also called Preponderance of the Small, The Symbol of Excess in Small Things, The Small get by, Slight Excess, Small Exceeding, Small Surpassing, Excess of the Small, Small gains, Conscientiousness, Smallness in Excess, Exceeding the Mean, Proliferation of Details, "Like a bird, do not fly too high or attempt too much because this will lead to disaster." -- D.F. Hook
Hexagram 62, Small Gains (小過 Xiǎo Guò) is formed by Thunder over Mountain. It is also known as Preponderance of the Small, The Symbol of Excess in Small Things, The Small get by, Slight Excess, Small Exceeding, Small Surpassing, Excess of the Small, Conscientiousness.
Legge
Read as
The judgment
Legge
亨，利貞，可小事，不可大事。飛鳥遺之音，不宜上宜下，大吉。
Small Powers indicates that there will be progress and attainment in small affairs, but not in great affairs. It will be advantageous to be firm and correct. It is like the song of a flying bird: It is better to descend than to ascend. In this way there will be good fortune.
The six lines
line 1 is at the bottom
- Line 1Yin
飛鳥以凶。
If you're contemplating an unusual plan, it's best to abandon it. The timing and circumstances are not right for such actions. Your path lies in conventional and safe choices; anything else could lead to danger.
- Line 2Yin
過其祖，遇其妣；不及其君，遇其臣；无咎。
Leverage any common connections you have with others to establish a secure position. The nature of your connections matters more than the specifics. However, try to stick closely to traditional methods.
- Line 3Yang
弗過防之，從或戕之，凶。
This serves as a warning. Because you've been right in the past, you might be tempted to ignore important details and become overconfident. Risks are present, but they can be managed with careful attention. Take precautions now.
- Line 4Yang
无咎，弗過遇之。往厲必戒，勿用永貞。
Be careful: Do not rush towards your goals or push issues right now. Stay grounded and focus on internal perseverance.
- Line 5Yin
密雲不雨，自我西郊，公弋取彼在穴。
You possess enough strength to achieve what you desire, but your current situation isn't ideal. Seek help from capable individuals modestly, and you can reach your goal.
- Line 6Yin
弗遇過之，飛鳥離之，凶，是謂災眚。
Your ambitions may be overly ambitious. Pursuing an unrealistic goal aggressively could lead to significant setbacks.
When this hexagram changes
These are the moves that have come up most often in readings. Each page keeps the book text.
Use this hexagram in a reading
These are the same judgment and lines that appear when hexagram 62 comes up in a cast. Ask a question to see which lines change, or keep a journal of your readings. The throw uses the odds of three coins: how a reading is cast.