Fifteen

谦 :: Modesty / Humbleness :: Earth/Mountain

Channelled Mandala for Hexagram 15 of the I-Ching

"Among the sixty-four gua, only in Humbleness are all lines auspicious. It is very special in the I Ching. One can see how much value was placed on the quality of humility by the ancients. To them, humbling oneself did not mean to act negatively by holding oneself back. Instead one should act positively by doing something with other people cooperatively and harmoniously. The key is to respect people and treat them equally. Only in this way can true peace and harmony be established in a community."

- The Complete I Ching, Taoist Master Alfred Huang

The elemental stack for this hexagram is Earth over Mountain, so yes, the mountain is taller than the earth, but let’s not forget that the earth is vast and expansive and could easily be "scooped up" to form another mountain, one taller than the first. As a child, we frequently heard this really simple phrase repeated - "there is always a taller mountain" (一山还有一山高 ). That about sums up this hexagram in a nutshell.

"I have three treasures. That I guard and hold dear: The first is love; The second is contentment; The third is humbleness. Only the loving are courageous; Only the content are magnanimous; Only the humble are capable of commanding."

- Lao Tze, Dao De Jing

Again there is a beautiful progression of the gateways here - learning to live in accord to the virtues of the first 3 treasures, and to follow through and persevere, the outcome we deserve will unfold naturally.

Hexagram 13 - Seeking Harmony

Hexagram 14 - Great Harvest

Hexagram 15 - Humbleness

Hexagram 16 - Delight

"If you must boast to receive honors, then no one will truly see you as honorable. Nothing is more honorable than decency. Show temperance in your conduct, temperance in your speech, and moderation in all that you do. There is no need for assuming airs of dignity or self-importance. Do not exaggerate. When you strive to be undistinguishable, you become the most distinguishable.
…
Here, divining Hexagram 15 relates to greatness in status, accomplishment, or knowledge yet to be revealed or manifested. The philosopher-sage remains unaware of personal virtues. Exemplifying modesty, discretion, temperance, prudence, wisdom, and refinement grant you the powers you need to succeed in the great undertaking to come. True greatness is unaware of its greatness."

- I Ching, the Oracle, Benebell Wen

In Human Design, Ra describes this gate as "The quality of behaviour which expresses the proper balance between extremes", in the sense that people live out the extremes in their rhythm. It makes me think of how, when we honestly confront our highs and lows, we start to become clear about our strengths and also our weaknesses, and that keeps us in check, right? Modesty then becomes both a motivation and a shield, helping us to step up but also ensuring we do not overcompensate or oversell ourselves.

In the Gene Keys, the Shadow of Gate 15 is Dullness, associated with a low frequency of spirit. And yet the shift into the Gift is the acceptance of this ordinariness, and to be able to be modest without feeling it as a repression of any sort. The ability to BE activates the magnetism of this gateway, one that ultimately reveals to us that being "always the student" means there is a promise of continuity, because the infinite world out there will continue to bring endless possibilities, allowing us to continue learning, expanding, and evolving.

"When Dullness takes hold of someone with a naturally repressive nature it manifests as emptiness. This dullness is very different from boredom, which has a certain restless energetic quality hidden within it (see the 35th Shadow). This kind of emptiness is very close to depression and, in fact, will inevitably lead to depression. Such a person has at some level given up. It is a kind of negative acceptance or resignation. It is acceptance that has only gone to a certain depth within one’s nature and has become stuck."

- Gene Keys, Richard Rudd

Humility is one of the first virtues taught to children and it is greatly valued in Chinese culture. Adults would oftentimes refrain from ever praising their kids just to keep them in their place and prevent them from becoming too proud. This can lead to the Dullness sited in the Gene Keys, where oppression results in a defeatist attitude. As with all things in the Dao, Balance and Moderation is key.

As a personal note, I think the awareness that all things in the Universe evolve will keep us humble and continually striving to improve ourselves, but it is important that we learn to BE without judging ourselves (for being “higher” or “lower), as the acceptance of where we are will bring contentment and gratitude for what we are.

Back to the visual image of the elemental Earth over Mountain - as the mountain simply learns to BE, surrounded by lush, verdant, freely-growing earth all around it - together they make for amazing landscapes. The moss-covered mountains and lava fields of Iceland in Summer come to mind.

"A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms."

- Zen Shin

I’d take this contemplation one step further and offer the idea of

A quick snapshot of the description of the hexagram from various sources:

The Oracle: Modesty

The Rave I-Ching, Human Design: Humbleness

Book of Lines: Humanity - Extremes - "You find your role in all possible extremes and conditions that life offers"

Gene Keys: Dullness | Magnetism | Florescence

You can find most of my work-in-progress artwork and astrological musings on my daily posts on Instagram @lemuriandreamweaver and personal contemplation and applications @numinous_reverie

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