15 · 地山谦

谦卦原文

谦。亨，君子有终。

象曰：地中有山，谦。君子以裒多益寡，称物平施。

白话文解释

谦卦：通泰。筮遇此卦，君子将有所成就。

《象辞》说：本卦外卦为坤为地，内卦为艮为山，地中有山，内高外卑，居高不傲，这是谦卦的卦象。君子观此卦象，以谦让为怀，裁取多余昀，增益缺乏的，衡量财物的多寡而公平施予。

《断易天机》解

谦卦坤上艮下，为兑宫五世卦。谦为谦逊，内卦艮和外卦坤都是谦虚之象，所以为吉利之卦。

北宋易学家邵雍解

谦和忍让，尊人自卑；利用谦虚，万事可达。

得此卦者，吉利平安，步步高升。谦虚忍让者前途大好，骄横者必招败。谦受益，满招损。

台湾国学大儒傅佩荣解

时运：眼前平顺，步步高升。

财运：物价合理，利益保障。

家宅：近山之居，合家平安。

身体：内郁之症，放宽心胸。

传统解卦

这个卦是异卦（下艮上坤）相叠，艮为山，坤为地。地面有山，地卑（低）而山高，是为内高外低，比喻功高不自居，名高不自誉，位高不自傲。这就是谦。

大象：山应在地面上，而今在地下，代表谦逊之德。

运势：吉利平安，前途无限，但必须去除骄横之气。

事业：尚未被人器重，但因品德高尚，终会为人发现。自己不必有意表现，尤其不可放弃谦虚的美德，埋头苦干，一定会得到他人的帮助，在事业上大有作为。

经商：较为顺利，但不会获暴利，须逐步积累，故应极其小心谨慎，诚心与他人合作，遵守商业道德，通过自己的勤劳努力，取得商业的发展。

求名：天资聪明，但因性格不善于表现自己，起初往往被埋没，自己只要不灰心，继续努力钻研业务，保持谦逊好学精神，更大的成功正在未来。

婚恋：美满的婚姻应由双方共同去努力争取。否则，恋爱不成功，家庭不能和睦。

决策：具有内高外低的谦虚美德，善于团结他人，也能得到别人的帮助，事业很顺利，遇到困难，很快可以化险为夷，有惊无险。由于能够认真吸取别人的长处，进步很快，会畅通无阻，但需要特别注意学业、德业和修养。

第十五卦的哲学含义

火天大有这一卦，从以下方面的含意而得其名：乾刚健，离光明，以刚健的行为，朝着光明的方向去奋斗，成功就大有希望，就会有所得。乾刚健，为内卦，

说明美在内心；离光明，为外卦，说明体现在外部的手段光明磊落。具备这种表里一致的美德，才是真正的大有。

火天大有卦位于同人卦之后，《序卦》中这样解释道：“与人同者，物必归焉，故受之以大有。”寻找到志同道合的人，大家齐心协力做事，物产自然丰富起来，所以接下来就是大有了。

《象》曰：火在天上，“大有”；君子以遏恶扬善，顺天休命。

大有卦的卦象是上卦为离为火，下卦为乾为天，火着到了天上便是大有卦的卦象。俗话说“众人拾柴火焰高”，大家围在一个火堆旁构成同人卦，可是众人聚在一起每个人给火堆添一把柴便可以让火焰烧到天上去，可见众人团结起来才会有更大的力量，才会有更大的收获。另外，离为日，乾为天，大有卦的卦象还有明日中天的形象。中午的太阳是最亮的，最热的，所以古代常以日中表示事物的鼎盛时期。

15.地山谦(䷎)-高岛易断

“谦”字本从

，谓心所念，常收敛向在氐下也。取心念常在下，而不自满亢，故屈己下物曰“谦”，贬己从人亦曰“谦”。《子夏传》作嗛，嗛与“谦”同。此卦《 艮》下《坤》上，是即山在地下之象。或曰：山各有脉，其形起于地上，其根发于地下，故山从地而上。盖山本高也，伏于地下，而不自以为高，是为谦之义也。遂以《谦》为卦名。《序卦》曰，“有大者不可盈，故受之以谦。”此《谦》之所以次乎《大有》也。

谦：亨，君子有终。

▲　篆书谦

《谦》者，卑退为义，屈己下物也。止内而顺外，《谦》之意也；屈高而居卑，《谦》之象也。守之以虚，行之以逊，故亨也。小人亡而为有，约而为泰，是自满也，满者故难保其终；君子则尊而能卑，高而能下，心愈小而道愈宏，志弥显。《坤》曰“大终”，艮曰“厚终”，故曰“君子有终”。今文曰终下当有吉字，盖本刘向《说苑》。《彖》辞曰“君子有终”，亦不言吉。盖不言吉，而吉自在也。

《 彖传》曰：谦亨。天道下济而光明，地道卑而上行。天道亏盈而益谦，地道变盈而流谦，鬼神害盈而福谦，人道恶盈而好谦。谦尊而光，卑而不可逾，君子之终也。

此卦下艮为山，上坤为地。山本在上，退而居于地下，如人去高位而降下位，能以谦退而居下也，故名此卦曰《谦》。“济”，助也。天道高明，其气下降而助乎地；地道卑俯，其气上腾而交乎天，是天地自然之道也。“天道下济”，“地道卑”，所以成谦也；天气光明，地气上行，所以为亨也。“盈”者“谦”之反，所谓谦受益，满招损，满则盈也。天之“亏盈”者，日月晦明是也；地之“变盈”者，山川河岳是也；鬼神之“害盈”者，奸雄末路，每为鬼神挪揄；人道之“恶盈”者，暴富起家，多为群情怨府。盖“亏”、“变”、“害”、“恶”，自从“益”、“流”、“福”、“好”中而出，循环自然，毫无偏私。谦则不自尊，而人愈尊之，故其道光也；卑则不自高，而其道弥高，故“不可逾”也。君子戒其盈而守其谦，体造化之功，察阴阳之理，万事咸亨，而终身可行，此所以为君子之终也。

以此卦拟人事，有谦逊卑退之义，为德之基也，即礼义所由生也，惟君子能之。若小人有位而自恃其显，有才而自夸其能，有功而自矜其劳，视人之有位有才有功者，则嫉妒之，谗毁之，惟期其颠覆倾败而后快，绝无相扶相助之情，偏多相轧相倾之意，何怪夫吉凶利害之相寻于无穷也哉？鲜克有终，此小人之所以为小人也。君子守谦逊退让之道，其心愈小，其德愈光，其志益虚，其道益高，人虽欲逾之，而卒不可逾也，故曰“谦亨，君子有终”。夫天下之事，始而亨者，十得八九，终而亨者，十不过一二而已，是终之难也，故其终为“君子之终”也。

以此卦拟国家，上卦者地也，下卦者山也，即以山之高，入于地中之象，是《谦》之义也。六五之君，虚己礼贤，不敢自作威福，一以委任臣邻，或用其“吉”以济险，或善其“鸣”以作乐，或取其“撝”以制礼，或尚其“劳”以兴师。有文德，又有武功，愈卑下，乃愈高大。尧之克明克兴，舜之舍己从人，禹之拜昌言，所谓恭己无为而天下治者也，其皆同行《谦》之道者乎？后世不察，君耽暴慢，臣溺骄盈，擅权而虐下，窃位而蔽贤，品尊而德《益》晦，名高而行益污，君不能终其位，臣不能终其禄，凶莫大焉。无他，在不知持《谦》之道也，故《 易》惟《谦》一卦，六爻皆吉，反此则凶，《易》之垂诫深远矣！

通观此卦，《谦》者兼也，卑而能尊，故曰兼。六爻之象，下《 艮》上《坤》，《艮》止《坤》顺，能止而不上，所以“谦”也。夫造化之理，不足者常益，有余者常损。君子以不足留有余，以有余待不足，故有余者终不至过盈，不足者终不至大损。此两兼之道，称平之权也。诸卦以第三爻为凶地，惟《谦》能保终；诸卦以第五爻为尊也，惟《谦》独用武。盖以《谦》为主，则卑者尊；以无为盈，则高者危；以平为福，则盈者留，是“裒多益寡”之理也。下卦三爻，皆吉而无凶，上卦三爻，皆利而无害。为君而利，为臣面亦利；处常而吉，涉险而亦吉；平治利，即勘乱而亦利。爻象初六《谦》之始，“卑以自牧．也”。六二《谦》之中，积中以发也。九三《谦》之至，以功下人也。六四《谦》之过，不失其则也。六五《谦》之尊，以武服柔也。上六《谦》之极，反而自治也。盖自初至三，自谦而进之；自四至上，自谦而反之。进至三而止，能济险，能扬善，能立功，一以谦行之，有以触退之象；反至六而止，能顺则能服人，能克己，自上反下之象。盖其谦也，非以不足而谦，正以有余而用谦也。故君子之谦，非委靡也，器大而识远，基厚而养定。震世之事功，处之以虚怀，及其当大任，决大疑，勘大乱，翦大恶，世之退诿所不敢任者，君子未常不兼任之也。有可为之才，而不敢为，象山之止，不得不为而后为，象地之顺，谓之“君子有终”也。

《大象》曰：地中有山，谦，君子以裒多益寡，称物平施。

山本高耸地上，今入地中，有谦退在下之义，故曰”“地中有山，谦”。夫地至卑也，百步而上丘陵，人以为高，此飓尺之见而已。四隅八极，相距万里，高山峻坂，不知其几也。千仞之山，自百里之外而视之，已没而为平地，岂其山之不高哉？以地之能谦也。盖上卦居夫多，多则裒，下卦居夫寡，寡则益，圣人设象，最有深意。君子见此象，称量品物，宜酌量贫富，使人各得其平，《谦》之道在此，谓之“裒多益寡，称物平施”。

【占】　问时运：目下平顺，有步步渐高之象。

○　问商业：物价均平，利益顺适，此业可保永远。

○　问家宅：此宅想近山麓，家道平顺，大利。

○　问战征：营屯宜近山，须整齐队伍，严明赏罚。至五爻进师，六爻可以攻取城邑，大胜。

○　问讼事：宜平和，不宜纷争。

○　问疾病：是内郁之症，宜宽怀调治。

○　问行人：舟行而归，吉。

○　问失物：须于积土中寻见。

○　问年成：风雨调顺，在不丰不歉之间，平平。

Judgment

Legge: Temperance indicates successful progress. Temperance brings a good issue to the superior man's undertakings.

Wilhelm/Baynes: Modesty creates success. The superior man carries things through.

Blofeld: Modesty brings success. The Superior Man is able to carry affairs through to completion.

Liu: Modesty: success. The superior man can continue to work to the end.

Ritsema/Karcher: Humbling, Growing. A chun tzu possesses completing. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of the necessity to cut through pride and complication. It emphasizes that keeping your words unpretentious is the adequate way to handle it...]

Shaughnessy: Modesty: Receipt; the gentleman has an end.

Cleary (1): Humility is developmental. The superior person has a conclusion.

Cleary (2): Humility gets through. A leader has a conclusion.

Wu: Humility is pervasive. The jun zi will have grace in death.

The Image

Legge: A mountain hidden within the earth -- the image of Temperance. The superior man, in accordance with this, diminishes his excesses to augment his insufficiencies, thus creating a just balance.

Wilhelm/Baynes: Within the earth, a mountain: the image of Modesty. Thus the superior man reduces that which is too much, and augments that which is too little. He weighs things and makes them equal.

Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes a mountain in the centre of the earth. The Superior Man takes from where there is too much in order to augment what is too little. He weighs things and apportions them fairly. [The component trigrams symbolize a mountain surrounded by flat earth, thus suggesting too much in one place and too little in others.]

Liu: The mountain within the earth symbolizes modesty. The superior man reduces the excess and increases the lacking; he weighs and then equalizes all things.

Ritsema/Karcher: Earth center possessing mountain. Humbling. A chun tzu uses reducing the numerous to augment the few. A chun tzu uses evaluating beings to even spreading-out.

Cleary (1): There are mountains in the earth; modesty. Thus does the superior person decrease the abundant and add to the scarce, assessing things and dealing impartially.

Cleary (2): … Leaders assess people and give impartially, by taking from the abundant and adding to the scarce.

Wu: There is a mountain inside earth; this is Humility. Thus the jun zi takes excess from the more to enrich the less and measures goods to ensure fair distribution. [To prepare oneself to accept what is fair among all his fellow men is the essence of humility.]

COMMENTARY

Confucius/Legge: It is the way of heaven to dispense its blessings downwards, and the way of earth to radiate its influence upwards. Both heaven and earth diminish the full to augment the lowly. Spiritual beings inflict calamity on the proud and bless the meek, and men resent ostentation and love temperance. Temperance enlightens an honorable office, and neither will men ignore it in lowly positions. Thus does the superior man attain his ends.

[Emphasis editor's -- Ritsema/Karcher translate "spiritual beings" [Kuei Shen] as: "The whole range of imaginal beings both inside and outside the individual; spiritual powers, gods, demons, ghosts, powers, fetishes.”]

Legge: An essay on temperance rightly follows that on abundant possessions. The third line, dynamic among five magnetic lines, in the topmost place of the trigram of Keeping Still, is the ruler of the hexagram. He is the representative

of Temperance -- strong, but self-effacing. The idea is that temperance is the way to permanent success. The Confucian commentary deals generally with the subject of temperance, showing how it is valued by heaven and earth, by spirits and by men. The descent of the heavenly influences, and the low position of the earth are both symbolic of temperance. The heavenly influences are seen in the daily fluctuations of the sun and moon, and the fertility of the earth correspondingly waxes and wanes with the seasons.

The Daily Lecture says: "The five yin lines above and below symbolize the earth; the one yang line in the center is the mountain in the midst of the earth. The many yin lines represent men's desires; the one yang line represents the heavenly principle. The superior man, looking at this symbolism, diminishes the multitude of human desires within him, and increases the single shoot of the heavenly principle; so does he become grandly just, and can deal with all things evenly according to the nature of each. In whatever circumstances or place he is, he will do what is right.”

NOTES AND PARAPHRASES

Judgment: Temperance means maintaining a dynamic/magnetic balance of forces to attain success. The Superior Man maintains equilibrium in all that he does. The most common translation of the title for this hexagram is Modesty, but I have chosen Temperance as a title more expressive of the ideas in the Image and Confucian commentary. The words “modesty” and “humility” often carry a connotation of weakness in western usage, and “temperance,” meaning to temper or regulate, is more expressive of the dynamic strength of will required to restrain and modulate the drive to dominate every situation. The Image shows a mountain hidden beneath the earth--the quiet, invincible power of sheer will is hidden from view, yet it influences everything. Who observing such a level surface would know that the bulk of Mt. Everest was buried beneath it? Temperance means that one's power is hidden, that the fluctuations of heaven and earth are kept in such dynamic/magnetic balance as to be invisible to ordinary vision. The temperate person is strong enough to bear the weight of the world when that is necessary for the Work. Marcus Aurelius, the Stoic Roman Emperor, was arguably the most powerful man of his time, yet his temperance and modesty showed him to fulfill the ideal of the superior man. Only the truly strong can be truly modest. And let this truth be present to thee in the excitement of anger, that to be moved by passion is not manly, but that mildness and gentleness, as they

are more agreeable to human nature, so also are they more manly; and he who possesses these qualities possesses strength, nerves and courage, and not the man who is subject to fits of passion and discontent. For in the same degree in which a man's mind is nearer to freedom from all passion, in the same degree also is it nearer to strength.

Marcus Aurelius

SUGGESTIONS FOR MEDITATION

Compare this hexagram with hexagram number forty-one, Compensating Sacrifice. What are the similarities between the two figures? Compare also with hexagram number sixteen, Enthusiasm. What basic principles of the Work emerge?