Smallness Tames
February 2, 2010
How hard it is for us to accept the idea that smallness can control us. We’re used to big things. We want to dream big, do big things. We want to light up the nigh! But often times, life requires us to work in times of privation. It’s important for us to know what to do then: don’t give up if you’re thwarted.
One of the best examples of this philosophy is in Hexagram 9, Smallness Tames. The I Ching approaches this situation obliquely. It portrays the circumstances and then implies the action. “Dense clouds, no rain at my western border” means that we are in a situation where the big reward of rain (to water crops, for example, or to break a drought) is there to be seen but has not yet arrived. Then there is nothing to do but to do small things, and wait for the big things to come.
Look at the Image: The noble one acts with restraint, culture, and morals. In other words, keep your dignity. Rely on your wisdom. Don’t waste your energy. Maybe luck doesn’t favor you yet. But it will in time, and then you will find that the small things you have piled up will be additional assets.
