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9) Xiaochu: Small Nurturance

Hexagram:

• C: Wind blowing up in the sky is small nurturance; superior people refine cultured qualities.

• L: Nurturance by the small is developmental. Dense clouds do not rain, proceeding from one's own western province.

• E: Nurturing inner strength by outward submissiveness, being firm but not impetuous, growing through humility.

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Lines:

1 Yang:

• L: Returning by the path-how could that be blameworthy? It bodes well.

• E: Being strong yet remaining humble by concealing one's light and nurturing it in obscurity.  Not injuring inward reality by outward artificiality is embracing the Tao and keeping settled.  Nurturing the great yet appearing small.

2 Yang:

• L: Leading back abodes well.

• E: Being sharp yet unashamed to humble oneself for learning is strength acting with flexibility.  This is associating with (following) superior people so as to benefit from the understanding of what is good, thus returning to the origin. Outside increases emptiness, inside increases fullness. Nurturing the great yet knowing the small.

3 Yang:

• L: The wheels are detached from the cart; husband and wife look away from each other.

• E: Selfishness brings misfortune. Nurturing the great and not knowing the small. 

4 Yin:

• L: If there is truthfulness, blood goes and fear leaves, and there is no fault.

• E: When the weak uses caution, the small is nurtured and the great is known.

5 Yang:

• L: There is truthfulness in companionship; prosperity is shared with the neighbor.

• E: The strength of yang (the small) advances gently into the center of balance, where the truth crystallizes into the golden elixir, the companion (the great). Hastening to transmute temperament into faith is sharing prosperity with a neighbor. Nurturing the small yet containing the great.

6 Yang:

• L: It has rained and settled. Esteeming virtue, putting the wife on top, though she is chaste there is danger. The moon is almost full; it bodes ill for the superior person to go on expedition.

• E: When cultivating the mind of Tao yin is used to control artificial yang.  Once artificial yang has ceased, real yang should advance. The end of nurturing of the small is precisely the time for the nurturing of the great. Ending up nurturing the small and never knowing the great, is yin injuring yang.