#33, line 2, #43
The tranquil Mountain towers overhead, yet remains this side of Heaven:
The Superior Person avoids the petty and superficial by keeping shallow men at a distance, not in anger but with dignity.
Such a retreat sweeps the path clear to Success.
Occupy yourself with minute detail. Retreat in this instance is not a desperate flight in disarray, but a conscious choice to distance yourself from forces that would rob you of your peace. It is not a surrender, but a regrouping. Retreat from this conflict is actually an advance toward your own center. You move toward balance, and thus a much stronger position.
Yellow is the color of the middle. It indicates that which is correct and in line with duty. Oxhide is strong and not to be torn.
While the superior men retreat and the inferior press after them, the inferior man represented here holds on so firmly and tightly to the superior men that the latter cannot shake him off. And because he is in quest of what is right and so strong in purpose, he reaches his goal. Thus the line confirms what is said in the Judgement:
“In what is small” – here equivalent to “in the inferior man” – “perseverance furthers.”
A Deluge from Heaven: The Superior Person rains fortune upon those in need, then moves on with no thought of the good he does.
The issue must be raised before an impartial authority. Be sincere and earnest, despite the danger. Do not try to force the outcome, but seek support where needed. Set a clear goal.
Your iron will must come to the forefront now. It will take great personal determination to resolve the situation in question. Your adversary would love to force you into an angry display. That would legitimize his pposition to you. Such a berserker rage would drag you down to his level. You must resolutely take a public stand against what he represents, but refuse to engage him. Without compromise, you show others the way to higher ground.
