15 Levelling, Even-Out In a context of self-restraint we utilise trust-in-others.

Trigrams : self-restraint (bottom), dual-mindedness (top) : with/from perseverence comes dual-mindedness. [earth over mountain]

The mud from which 15 has emerged is best described by analogy to the under-stated qualities of hexagram 22 - facade.

A situation reflecting a need for decorum and so to 'cover up', to reduce the basics, avoid exaggerations of lows or highs

• In the traditional sequence hexagram 15 pairs with hexagram 16.

  In this pairing we see a sense of imposing order, be it through reducing highs and lows or in actively planning events and so avoiding the 'unexpected' highs and lows.

  REDUCE EXAGGERATIONS:
  
  15 : reduce exaggerations - through re-distribution, even-out; 15 modesty comes out of a context described by hexagram 22 - facading, gloss over, cover up
  
  16 : reduce exaggerations - through planning, think beforehand; 16 foresight, planning comes out of a context described by hexagram 21 - problem solving, to chew over

• In the binary sequence hexagram 15 pairs with hexagram 52.

The overall focus in this pair is on the characteristics of quality control where for 15 the focus is on removing, or more so concealing, covering-up, all highs and lows, all exaggerations, no exceptions. This is an integrating act where we pull down or pull up to give an overall expression of 'modesty'. In 52 the focus is more differentiating through the use of blockage, to develop a sense of discernment and so recognition of qualities that 'stick out' naturally rather than as exaggerations.

• In the binary sequence hexagram 15 opposes hexagram 10.

In this pairing we see the focus on levelling-out in hexagram 15, where we reduce all highs and fill-in all lows, and so avoid any form of exaggeration, compared to the formal maintaining of highs and lows, and so a focus on hierarchy, in hexagram 10. A consequence of hierarchy is the need for everyone to 'know their place' in that the slightest movement 'away' from that place can be a threat to the overall structure. Thus with hexagram 10 we have a focus on treading, on conduct, following path 'carefully' where the path reflects the bounds of one's realm. In hexagram 15 the focus is more on modesty, on keeping "words close to the underlying facts".

At the LOCAL level in the binary sequence we here deal with a sequence of eight hexagrams with the trigram of MOUNTAIN as the base trigram. In this sequence hexagram 15 'opposes' hexagram 33 where in 33 the focus on avoiding exaggeration is replaced by the use of exaggeration to trick the enemy, to draw them into a trap. More so, the exaggerated sense of trickary/retreat in 33 is reflected in a more balanced format through the levelling-out (and so make things more 'fair') reflected in 15.

• In the traditional sequence hexagram 15 opposes hexagram 50.

With this pair the focus is on transformation but for 15 this is done through levelling-out whereas in 50 the focus is on 'cooking', on refining the raw to become the 'refined' and so transformed.

• The generic properties of hexagram 15 reflect the mixing of the generic properties of hexagram 52 with the generic properties of hexagram 22.

Combining a sense of facading, gloss-over, cover-up (22) with a sense of discernment (52) reflects the generic properties of 15. Hexagram 22 reflects the need to draw attention from what is behind the mask to the mask itself.

• In the variations on a theme sequence, hexagram 15 complements hexagram 36.

The overall focus in this pair is on 'hiding', be it through removal of highs and lows in the environment (15) or the covering-up of one's own 'light' in a context that is uncompromising (36). Both hexagrams thus emphasise not exaggerating oneself etc.

The I Ching is a language. Its 'letters' are in the form of images reflecting generic, holistic, organic, qualities of meaning. The set of images is finite and the language is at a level of being able to describe itself through reference to itself by the method of analogy (thus the I Ching is "autological"). This allows us to describe the details of a hexagram through a manipulation of logic and the use of analogy. The following thus describes the details of the current hexagram through analogy to each of the other hexagrams. The logic used is in interpretation of hexagrams as part/whole interactions - as such the following is like a hexagram's spectrum and so a 'parts list'.

( for earlier work in this area click here to see the Line Positions page)

00 :: (02) : What is this hexagrams's potential form? :: 15
01 :: (24) : How does this hexagram 'start', express 'beginning'? :: 36
02 :: (07) : How does this hexagram express uniformity, establishment of? :: 46
03 :: (19) : How does this hexagram express approaching the 'high'; defer to the 'low'? :: 11
04 :: (15) : How does this hexagram level things out, keep words close to facts? :: 2
05 :: (36) : How does this hexagram protect its 'light' when not its time? :: 24
06 :: (46) : How does this hexagram become more entangled with something/someone? :: 7
07 :: (11) : How does this hexagram balance/harmonise, mediate? :: 19
08 :: (16) : How does this hexagram express foresight/planning? :: 62
09 :: (51) : How does this hexagram express surprise, enlightenment, shock? :: 55
10 :: (40) : How does this hexagram express tension release through relaxing structure? :: 32
11 :: (54) : How does this hexagram expend early energy, imaturity? :: 34
12 :: (62) : How does this hexagram express overacting to establish unconditional loyalty? :: 16
13 :: (55) : How does this hexagram deal with abundance/overflowing? :: 51
14 :: (32) : How does this hexagram express commitment? :: 40
15 :: (34) : How does this hexagram actively invigorate others? :: 54
16 :: (08) : How does this hexagram passively attract? :: 39
17 :: (03) : How does this hexagram 'sprout'? :: 63
18 :: (29) : How does this hexagram assert containment/control? :: 48
19 :: (60) : How does this hexagram standardise? :: 5
20 :: (39) : How does this hexagram obstruct, go against, stand up to, the flow? :: 8
21 :: (63) : How does this hexagram complete, 'get it right'? :: 3
22 :: (48) : Where does this hexagram get its nutrition, what sustains it, keeps it going? :: 29
23 :: (05) : How does this hexagram wait for opportunity to come? :: 60
24 :: (45) : How does this hexagram celebrate its 'faith'? :: 31
25 :: (17) : How does this hexagram find a faith? What is its faith? :: 49
26 :: (47) : How does this hexagram integrate with the context, be it by choice or otherwise? :: 28
27 :: (58) : How does this hexagram express itself intensely, self-reflect? :: 43
28 :: (31) : How does this hexagram 'woo', express restrained enticement? :: 45
29 :: (49) : How does this hexagram reveal, unmask? :: 17
30 :: (28) : How does this hexagram express excess, go beyond what is required? :: 47
31 :: (43) : How does this hexagram 'seed', spread the word? :: 58
32 :: (23) : How does this hexagram 'housekeep', clear chaff to bring out the wheat? :: 52
33 :: (27) : What is the basic, skelatal form of this hexagram, The mud from which it has emerged? :: 22
34 :: (04) : How does this hexagram learn social skills? :: 18
35 :: (41) : How does this hexagram achieve clarity, concentration, distillation? :: 26
36 :: (52) : How does this hexagram express blocking, discernment? :: 23
37 :: (22) : What does this hexagram look like, how does it present itself to the outside? :: 27
38 :: (18) : How does this hexagram correct corruption, express that correction? :: 4
39 :: (26) : How does this hexagram express 'holding firm' to traditions? :: 41
40 :: (35) : How does this hexagram bring something into the 'light'? :: 56
41 :: (21) : How does this hexagram resolve problems? :: 30
42 :: (64) : How does this hexagram remain 'open', mis-sequence? :: 50
43 :: (38) : How does this hexagram 'mirror', deal with opposition? :: 14
44 :: (56) : How does this hexagram demonstrate conditional loyalty; loyalty at a distance? :: 35
45 :: (30) : How does this hexagram express guidance/direction setting? :: 21
46 :: (50) : How does this hexagram express conversion of the raw to the cooked, transformation? :: 64
47 :: (14) : How does this hexagram manage from the centre? Direct operations? Push ideology? :: 38
48 :: (20) : How does this hexagram elicit admiration and so invigorate others passively? :: 53
49 :: (42) : How does this hexagram reflect augmentation? :: 37
50 :: (59) : How does this hexagram make things clear, dispell illusions? lift the fog? :: 57
51 :: (61) : How does this hexagram express empathy? yielding, soft core, hard exterior? :: 9
52 :: (53) : How does this hexagram express gradual development, maturity? :: 20
53 :: (37) : How does this hexagram reflect rigid structure as a form of tension release? :: 42
54 :: (57) : How does this hexagram cultivate and become influencial? :: 59
55 :: (09) : How does this hexagram express making small gains to be noticed? :: 61
56 :: (12) : How does this hexagram neutralise attacks on its core beliefs? :: 33
57 :: (25) : How does this hexagram stand up to say its piece, ignoring consequences, disentangle? :: 13
58 :: (06) : How does this hexagram compromise, meet half way? :: 44
59 :: (10) : How does this hexagram traverse a path carefully? :: 1
60 :: (33) : How does this hexagram draw-in its enemies, competitively entice? :: 12
61 :: (13) : How does this hexagram express association with the likeminded? :: 25
62 :: (44) : How does this hexagram persuade/seduce? :: 6
63 :: (01) : How does this hexagram express singlemindedness, competitiveness? :: 10

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