小过 · 过
Judgement
亨，利贞；可小事，不可大事；飞鸟遗之音，不宜上，宜下，大吉。
Success. Furthered by steadfastness. Small affairs may be done; great affairs may not. The flying bird leaves its cry: not above, but below. Great good fortune.
The Image
山上有雷，小过。君子以行过乎恭，丧过乎哀，用过乎俭。
Above the mountain, thunder: the small exceeds. So the superior man, in conduct, exceeds in humility; in mourning, in grief; in spending, in frugality.
The Lines
飞鸟以凶。
The bird flies into ill.
“飞鸟以凶”，不可如何也。
The bird flies into ill: nothing can be done.
过其祖，遇其妣；不及其君，遇其臣，无咎。
Passing his grandfather, meeting his grandmother; not reaching his lord, meeting his servant. No blame.
“不及其君”，臣不可过也。
Not reaching his lord: a minister may not overstep.
弗过防之，从或戕之，凶。
If he does not guard against it, some will harm him. Ill.
“从或戕之”，凶如何也。
If he does not guard against it, some will harm him: how ill is that?
无咎，弗过遇之；往厉必戒，勿用永贞。
No blame. He does not pass but meets; going is dangerous and must be guarded; do not hold it steadfast.
“弗过遇之”，位不当也；“往厉必戒”，终不可长也。
He does not pass but meets: the place is not right. Going is dangerous and must be guarded: in the end it cannot last.
密云不雨，自我西郊；公弋取彼在穴。
Dense clouds, no rain, from my own western suburbs; the prince shoots and takes the one in the cave.
“密云不雨”，已上也。
Dense clouds, no rain: already above.
弗遇过之；飞鸟离之，凶，是谓灾眚。
He does not meet but passes; the bird flies into the net. Ill. This is called calamity and ruin.
“弗遇过之”，已亢也。
He does not meet but passes: already excessive.
Reading
雷在山上：鸟的嘱咐是飞低些。小者过之——大过允非常，此卦只要谦小。它的规矩很准：处上以卑，居下以顺；不瞄着上头的东西。