"A humble gentleman, humble enough to shepherd himself" means that a person who is humble and strict with himself should be humble, self-sufficient, modest and prudent, and cultivate his character.

From the 15th hexagram "Qian" in the 64 hexagrams of "The Book of Changes" written by Jichang, King Wen of the Western Zhou Dynasty: "The sixth day of the lunar month: A humble gentleman. Used to cross large rivers, auspicious. The image says: A humble gentleman, humble. To feed yourself."

Translation: Chu Six: Be humble, no matter how humble you are, this is the demeanor that a gentleman should have. With this kind of character, even if you risk wading across a river, it will be auspicious. "Xiang Ci" says: A very humble gentleman starts with self-cultivation from humility.

Poetry Appreciation

This hexagram specifically discusses the moral quality of humility. The hexagram Qian symbolizes humility and humility. A gentleman with modesty will be able to prosper in everything, and his actions with modesty will have a beginning and an end. The Qian hexagram is the only one among the sixty-four hexagrams in which every line is auspicious. It also shows that humility is the most beneficial way to behave in the world.

Modility is a virtue, and it is a character that a gentleman with status, status, and education must possess. Starting from this premise, we can further deepen the connotation of humility from various angles and connect it with other qualities. Traditionally, attention to moral and ethical issues seems to be regarded as a patent of Confucian philosophy, which is also the intrinsic reason why the "Book of Changes" has become a Confucian classic.