Hexagram 15
地山谦
Modesty
Upper Trigram
☷
坤 (土)
Lower Trigram
☶
艮 (土)
Palace
兑 Palace
Shi / Ying Lines
Shi: Line 5 · Ying: Line 2
The 坤 trigram (土) sits above the 艮 trigram (土), forming 地山谦. This hexagram belongs to the 兑 Palace.
Judgment (卦辞)
Modesty creates success. The superior man carries things through.
Image (象辞)
Within the earth, a mountain: the image of Modesty.
Line Texts (爻辞)
A superior man modest about his modesty. (谦谦君子)
Modesty that comes to expression. (鸣谦)
A superior man of modesty and merit. (劳谦君子)
Nothing that would not further modesty. (无不利)
No boasting of wealth before one's neighbor. (不富以其邻)
Modesty that comes to expression. (鸣谦，利用行师)
In-Depth Analysis
Hexagram 15, Qian (Modesty), is the only hexagram where all six lines are auspicious. Mountain below, Earth above - the mountain humbly places itself beneath the earth. This captures true modesty: not self-deprecation but genuine recognition of one's place within a larger whole. The judgment says modesty creates success. The hexagram teaches that the highest form of strength is the ability to lower oneself, that true greatness is compatible with genuine humility, and that reducing what is excessive and augmenting what is insufficient creates lasting harmony.
Historical Stories
📜 Zhou Gong (Duke of Zhou): after helping his young nephew establish the Zhou Dynasty, he voluntarily relinquished power. His modesty became the model of Confucian virtue for three millennia.
📜 George Washington refusing a third term and returning to his farm: by voluntarily giving up power, he established the principle of peaceful transfer that defined American democracy.
Practical Applications
Career: The most respected leaders credit their team and take responsibility for failures themselves.
Relationships: True intimacy requires the humility to admit when you are wrong without defensiveness.
Personal Growth: Compare yourself not to others but to your own potential. The mountain under the earth is still a mountain.