Exact classical source
山上有泽，咸。君子以虚受人。
Yarrow editorial translation. A lake above the mountain: Xian. The noble person makes space to receive others.
Yarrow / Source Notes / 2026-07-17
Yarrow Image-to-Action note · 2026-07-17
Make Room Before You Reply
Read Hexagram 31 Xian as an open receiving posture, then make listening observable before offering a rebuttal.
䷞
Hexagram 31 · Xian · Influence
This page studies a supplied Xiang image. It does not claim this hexagram was cast for the modern scene.
Source image
A lake rests above a mountain, its open surface receiving the sky without losing the mountain that supports it.
Concrete tension
One person is still speaking, but the listener is already composing the sentence that will defeat the point.
Visible modern action
Close the reply window and place one blank card on the table. Write one exact sentence you heard, read it back, and ask, ‘Did I get that right?’ before giving your own view.
Why this action comes from this source
‘Receiving’ cannot be proven by a listening pose alone. The blank card must first hold the other person's actual words, making the source's open posture visible and accountable.
Reflection question
What must you receive accurately before you answer?
Audience value
Caring: the other person is heard in their own words before being corrected, classified, or persuaded.
Source boundary
The Chinese quotation is verified against Yarrow's bundled Yang Tiancai and Zhang Shanwen Zhouyi source text. The English translation, objects, tension, and action are modern Yarrow editorial work. The bowls, cards, timers, screens, and other modern objects are not claimed to appear in the classic. This note is not a fresh cast, a prediction, or a promise of outcomes.