Hexagram 15: 謙 (qiān)
Judgment
亨，君子有終。
Khien indicates progress and success. The superior man, (being humble as it implies), will have a (good) issue (to his undertakings).
Commentary on the judgment (彖傳)
謙，亨，天道下濟而光明，地道卑而上行。天道虧盈而益謙，地道變盈而流謙，鬼神害盈而福謙，人道惡盈而好謙。謙尊而光，卑而不可逾，君子之終也。
The image (大象)
地中有山，謙；君子以裒多益寡，稱物平施。
The six lines
| Line | Chinese | Legge | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 – – | 鳴謙，利用行師，征邑國。 | The sixth line, 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. | 52 |
| 5 – – | 不富，以其鄰，利用侵伐，无不利。 | The fifth line, 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. | 39 |
| 4 – – | 无不利，撝謙。 | The fourth line, divided, shows one, whose action would be in every way advantageous, stirring up (the more) his humility. | 62 |
| 3 — | 勞謙君子，有終吉。 | The third line, undivided, shows the superior man of (acknowledged) merit. He will maintain his success to the end, and have good fortune. | 2 |
| 2 – – | 鳴謙，貞吉。 | The second line, divided, shows us humility that has made itself recognised. With firm correctness there will be good fortune. | 46 |
| 1 – – | 謙謙君子，用涉大川，吉。 | The first line, 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. | 36 |
Lines are numbered from the bottom. Each line page shows the line text with its small image commentary; each “changes to” link opens the reading for that changing line.
Related hexagrams
- Inverse (lines in reverse order): hexagram 16
- Opposite (every line changed): hexagram 10 · reading
- Nuclear (lines 2–4 and 3–5): hexagram 40
Legge's notes
XV. An essay on humility rightly follows that on abundant possessions. The third line, which is a whole line amid five others divided, occupying the topmost place in the lower trigram, is held by the Khang-hsî editors and many others to be 'the lord of the hexagram,' the representative of humility, strong, but abasing itself. There is nothing here in the text to make us enter farther on the symbolism of the figure. Humility is the way to permanent success.
A weak line, at the lowest place of the figure, is the fitting symbol of the superior man adding humility to humility.
Line 2 is weak, central, and in its proper place, representing a humility that has 'crowed;' that is, has proclaimed itself.
Line 3 is strong, and occupies an odd (its proper) place. It is 'the lord of the hexagram,' to whom all represented by the lines above and below turn.
Line 4 is weak and in its proper position. Its subject is sure to be successful and prosperous, but being so near the fifth line, he should still use the greatest precaution.
All men love and honour humility, in itself and without the adjuncts which usually command obedience and respect. Hence his neighbours follow the ruler in the fifth line, though he may not be very rich or powerful. His humility need not keep him from asserting the right, even by force of arms.
The subject of the sixth line, which is weak, is outside the game, so to speak, that has been played out. He will use force, but only within his own sphere and to assert what is right. He will not be aggressive.
English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East vol. 16 (1882) — public domain. Chinese: Zhou Yi from Chinese Wikisource.
Character glossary
- 亨hēngprospering, going smoothly
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 終zhōngend; finally, in the end
- 謙qiānhumble, modest
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 涉shèsconcerned, involved; to experience; to
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 川chuānstream, river
- 吉jílucky, propitious, good
- 鳴mínga bird call or animal cry; to make a sou
- 貞zhēnvirtuous, chaste, pure; loyal
- 勞láoto labor, to toil; to do manual work
- 无wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 撝huīwave, brandish; modest, humble
- 富fùabundant, ample; rich, wealthy
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 鄰línneighbor; neighborhood
- 侵qīnto invade, to encroach upon, to raid
- 伐fácut down, subjugate, attack
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 師shīteacher, professional, master
- 征zhēngto summon, to recruit; levy, tax; journe
- 邑yìarea, district, city, state
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.