懿文德，密雲不雨
先看圖像，再讀文字。Read the image before the words.
風行天上，小畜
(The trigram representing) the sky, and above it that for wind, form Xiao Xu.
君子以懿文德。
The superior man, in accordance with this, adorns the outward manifestation of his virtue.
風行於天上——小畜之象（風能蓄雲但未成雨）。君子由此體會：在尚未能大有作為之時，要美化自己的文德。
(The trigram representing) the sky, and above it that for wind, form Xiao Xu. The superior man, in accordance with this, adorns the outward manifestation of his virtue.
先讀經文，再讀《彖傳》如何解釋卦辭。The received text, then the Tuan commentary on it.
小畜：亨。密雲不雨，自我西郊。
小畜卦——亨通。密雲不雨——從西郊而來（陰氣未勝）。蓄止之力尚微，未能成大事。
Xiao Xu indicates that (under its conditions) there will be progress and success. (We see) dense clouds, but no rain coming from our borders in the west.
小畜，柔得位而上下應之，曰小畜。健而巽，剛中而志行，乃亨。密雲不雨，尚往也。自我西郊，施未行也。
小畜：柔（六四）得位而上下五陽相應，所以為小畜。內剛健（乾）外柔遜（巽），剛得中而志行，所以亨。「密雲不雨」是因為陽氣尚往；「自我西郊」是施未行。
In Xiao Xu the weak line occupies its (proper) position, and (the lines) above and below respond to it. There are the (qualities) of strength and flexibility.
六條線各有一句判斷。閱讀次序初→上；卦象由下而上，看左側的卦。One statement per line, read from the first line to the top. The figure is drawn bottom-up — watch the rail.
復自道，何其咎，吉。
從本道而返——有何咎？吉。剛得位、能自反。
The first NINE shows its subject returning and pursuing his own course. What error can he commit? There will be good fortune.
復自道，其義吉也。
從本道而返，其理當吉。
牽復，吉。
被牽引而返——吉。剛中、與初九同志。
The second NINE shows its subject, by the attraction (of the former line), returning (to the proper course). There will be good fortune.
牽復在中，亦不自失也。
在中位被牽引而返，也不失自我。
輿說輻，夫妻反目。
車脫輻條，夫妻反目。剛強與蓄止之力相爭，必致破裂。
The third NINE suggests the idea of a carriage, the strap beneath which has been removed, or of a husband and wife looking on each other with averted eyes.
夫妻反目，不能正室也。
夫妻反目，不能整治家室。
有孚，血去惕出，無咎。
有誠信——血光之災得以避免，恐懼得以解除——無咎。柔得位、得上下相應。
The fourth SIX shows its subject possessed of sincerity. The danger of bloodshed is thereby averted, and his (ground for) apprehension dismissed. There will be no error.
有孚惕出，上合志也。
有誠信而避免恐懼，與上合志。
有孚攣如，富以其鄰。
有誠信而互相牽連——富有並能惠及鄰居。剛中得位、能與眾共富。
The fifth NINE shows its subject possessed of sincerity, and drawing others to unite with him. Rich in resources, he employs his neighbours (in the same cause with himself).
有孚攣如，不獨富也。
誠信牽連，不獨自富有。
既雨既處，尚德載，婦貞厲。月幾望，君子征凶。
已下雨已停——崇尚德性而能載物。婦人守正有險。月將圓，君子前進凶。蓄之至極轉為陰盛。
The topmost NINE shows the rain fallen and (the onward progress) stopped. (We must) value the full accumulation of the virtue (represented by the upper trigram). A wife exercising restraint, however firm and correct she may be, is in a position of peril.
既雨既處，德積載也。君子征凶，有所疑也。
雨後而止，是德積載物。君子前進凶，是有疑慮。
把象套到你的情境，取一個可行的下一步。Apply the image to your situation; take one practical step.
蓄·懿·富以其鄰
Accumulation · refining · wealth shared with neighbors
小畜卦最大的應用：「懿文德」+「富以其鄰」。蓄之初宜美化文德，蓄之中宜分潤於鄰。最忌九三「夫妻反目」與上九「君子征凶」——前者剛抗蓄而裂，後者過蓄而衰。
Xiao Xu's deepest applications: 'beautify cultural virtue' + 'wealth shared with neighbors'. Refine inner virtue when accumulating; share when accumulated. Worst: line 3's 'broken alliance' (force vs restraint) and line 6's 'gentleman advance ill' (over-accumulation collapses).
九三「夫妻反目」是現代職場與婚姻最常見的失——一方剛強要進，一方蓄力要止，結果裂。讀此爻自警：蓄與進需有節奏。
Line 3 'spouses turn from each other' — the modern workplace and marriage's common failure. One pushes, one restrains — the alliance breaks. Accumulation and advance need rhythm.
王弼以為小畜之主在六四——一陰能止五陽，但力小不能成大事。所以稱「小畜」而非大畜。讀此卦最該記住大象「懿文德」——蓄之初唯能美化文德。
For Wang Bi the ruling line of Xiao Xu is six-in-the-fourth — one yin able to check five yang, yet with strength too small to accomplish anything great. Hence 'small accumulation,' not great. The thing to remember in this hexagram is the Great Image's 'refine cultural virtue' (yi wen de 懿文德) — at the beginning of accumulation, refining one's virtue is all that can be done.
程子強調卦辭「密雲不雨」之深意——氣已聚而未化為雨，是蓄之未成。蓄之力小，無以普施。學者觀此知：小有所成不可冒進。
Cheng Yi stresses the deeper meaning of the judgment's 'dense clouds, no rain' — the qi has gathered but not yet turned to rain: the accumulation is incomplete. Its force being small, it cannot yet be dispensed broadly. From this the student learns: with only a small achievement in hand, do not advance recklessly.
朱子直言：小畜者，所畜之小也。卦中六四一陰能止下三陽之健，但能止其進不能改其志。學者觀此知：以小制大之難。
Zhu Xi is direct: Xiao Xu means that what is accumulated — or restrained — is small. In the hexagram, the single yin at the fourth place can halt the vigor of the three yang below, but it can only stop their advance, not change their will. From this the student learns how hard it is for the small to restrain the great.
小畜是力量還小的階段。卦象一陰（六四）畜住五陽，攔得住一時，成不了大事，所以卦辭說「密雲不雨」：氣聚起來了，還化不成雨。這個階段該做什麼，大象一句話交代完：「君子以懿文德」。手上沒有大力量可施展的時候，先把自己的學問德性打磨好，雲總有下成雨的一天。爻裡一戒一勸。戒的是九三「夫妻反目」，明明被畜著還硬要衝，剛力和蓄勢對撞，最親近的關係先裂；勸的是九五「富以其鄰」，小有積蓄就分潤身邊的人，蓄的路纔走得寬。
Xiao Xu is the stage when your strength is still small. In the image, one yin (six-in-the-fourth) holds back five yang — it can check them for a while, but it cannot accomplish anything big, so the judgment says 'dense clouds, no rain': the qi has gathered but cannot yet turn into rain. What to do at this stage the Great Image settles in one sentence: 'the superior man refines his cultural virtue.' When you have no great force to deploy, polish your learning and character first — the clouds will fall as rain one day. The lines carry one warning and one encouragement. The warning is line 3, 'husband and wife turn against each other': being held back and still forcing the charge, hard strength colliding with stored restraint — and the closest relationship cracks first. The encouragement is line 5, 'enriching the neighbors': the moment you have saved a little, share it with the people around you, and the road of accumulation widens.
To accumulate and to restrain — both senses at once: storing up, holding back. The name of the hexagram (with 小, 'small').
Beautiful; to refine, make excellent. What the superior man does to his cultural virtue while waiting.
The spokes of a carriage wheel. Line 3's image: the wheel comes apart — forward motion breaks down.
Read as a loan for 脫, 'to come off, detach.' Not 'speak' here.
Sincerity, inner truthfulness. What averts bloodshed in line 4 and binds neighbors in line 5.
Bound together, linked as if by a cord. Line 5's image of mutual attachment through sincerity.
The moon nearly full. Yin at its peak of accumulation — the signal that further advance turns ominous.
第 9 小畜（小有蓄）與第 10 履（履行）為一對綜卦。先蓄而後行——蓄積到一定程度才能踐履。
Hexagram 9, Xiao Xu (small accumulation), and Hexagram 10, Lü (treading), are an inverse pair. First accumulate, then walk — only once enough has been stored can one actually tread the path.
卦辭此句歷代解為周文王時代——文王在西方積德但未能取代殷商，「氣已聚而未成雨」即此狀態。後世「鬱積待發」之語多源於此。
This line of the judgment has traditionally been read against the age of King Wen of Zhou — accumulating virtue in the west while not yet able to displace the Shang. 'The qi has gathered but not yet become rain' is precisely that condition. Later phrases about 'pent-up force awaiting release' largely descend from it.
大象「君子以懿文德」是中國「養精蓄銳」哲學的源頭——當沒有外在力量可以施展時，先在內心積累文德。
The Great Image's 'the superior man refines his cultural virtue' is a source of the Chinese philosophy of 'conserving strength and storing vigor' — when there is no outward power to deploy, accumulate cultural virtue inwardly first.
「懿文德」之意？為何小畜時宜美化文德？
What does 懿文德 (yi wen de) mean? Why beautify cultural virtue in a time of small accumulation?
「密雲不雨」之深意？周文王時代如何體現？
What does 'dense clouds, no rain' deeply mean? How is it shown in King Wen's era?
用九五「富以其鄰」評論一個你欽佩的「不獨富」之人。
Use line 5 to comment on someone you admire who 'doesn't enrich alone'.