The Boy's Questions on the Changes, Song Dynasty, Ouyang Xiu

童子問曰：“‘乾，元、亨、利、貞’，何謂也？”曰：“眾辭淆亂，質諸聖。《彖》者，聖人之言也。”童子曰：“然則《乾》無四德，而《文言》非聖人書乎？”曰：“是魯穆姜之言也，在襄公之九年。”

A young student asked: "The Hexagram Statement of the Qian hexagram says 'Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen'. How should we interpret it?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "Throughout history, various interpretations have been chaotic. In such cases, we should take the words of the sages as the standard. Among the commentaries in the Yijing, only the Commentary on the Judgment is the words of the sages, and we should take it as the final authority." (The Commentary on the Judgment interprets the Qian hexagram, reading 'Yuan Heng' together as 'greatly smooth and unimpeded', and 'Li Zhen' together as 'favorable for upholding correctness', without splitting the four characters into four virtues.) The young student then asked: "If this is the case, then the Qian hexagram has no concept of the 'Four Virtues'. Then, the Wenyan, which interprets 'Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen' as 'the beginning of virtue, the meeting of goodness, the harmony of righteousness, and the foundation of affairs', is not a book written by the sages?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "That was actually what the Duke of Mu Jiang of Lu had said. The Zuo Zhuan records this in the ninth year of Duke Xiang of Lu: when Mu Jiang was moved to the Eastern Palace, she cast a divination and casually mentioned this interpretation of 'Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen' as the four virtues. That year was fifteen years before Confucius was born, so it could not have been said by Confucius."

童子問曰：“《象》曰‘天行健，君子以自強不息’，何謂也？”曰：“其傳久矣，而世無疑焉，吾獨疑之也。蓋聖人取象所以明卦也，故曰‘天行健，乾’，而嫌其執於象也，則又以人事言之，故曰‘君子以自強不息’。六十四卦皆然也。《易》之闕文多矣。”

A young man asked, "The Great Image says 'Heaven's movement is strong and unceasing, the superior man thus perseveres without ceasing.' How should this be understood?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "This phrase has been passed down for too long, and the people have never doubted it. Only I have questioned it. The sages selected natural phenomena to clarify the names and meanings of the hexagrams, so first they said 'Heaven's movement is strong and unceasing,' and below it should have followed the hexagram name 'Qian,' making it 'Heaven's movement is strong and unceasing, Qian'—meaning that the celestial body moves with unceasing strength, which is the meaning of the hexagram Qian. But he was afraid scholars would fixate only on the natural phenomena and fail to apply it to human affairs, so he added a sentence from the human aspect, saying 'the superior man thus perseveres without ceasing.' The Great Images of the sixty-four hexagrams all follow this format: the first part uses the natural phenomenon to explain the hexagram name, and the second part turns to human affairs to establish moral teaching. The present version of the Great Image of Qian, after 'Heaven's movement is strong and unceasing,' lacks the character 'Qian,' which is clearly a loss in transmission. From this we can see that there are indeed many missing characters in the Book of Changes."

童子問曰：“《乾》曰‘用九’，《坤》曰‘用六’，何謂也？”曰：“釋所以不用七八也。《乾》爻七九則變，《坤》爻八六則變。《易》用變以為占，故以名其爻也。陽過乎亢則災，數至九而必變，故曰‘見群龍無首，吉’。物極則反，數窮則變，天道之常也，故曰‘天德不可為首也’。陰柔之動，多入於邪，聖人因其變以戒之，故曰‘利永貞’。”

A young man asked: "Why does the Qian hexagram have an additional line called 'Use Nine' outside its six lines, and the Kun hexagram has an additional line called 'Use Six' outside its six lines? What is the purpose of this?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "This is to explain why divination only uses the numbers nine and six, not seven and eight. The method of divination produces yang lines with either seven or nine, and yin lines with either eight or six: the yang lines of Qian do not include seven or nine, and when they meet nine, they must change to yin; the yin lines of Kun do not include eight or six, and when they meet six, they must change to yang. The Book of Changes determines fortune and misfortune through change, so it uses the number that changes to name the lines: yang is called 'nine' and yin is called 'six'. 'Use Nine' and 'Use Six' mean that when making a divination, only these two changing numbers are used. Now looking at the statements: when yang energy becomes overly strong, it will bring disaster, and when the number reaches nine, it must change. Therefore, the statement for 'Use Nine' says 'Seeing a group of dragons without a leader, it is auspicious'—all six yang lines change together, and none of them strive to be the leader, which is why it is auspicious. When something reaches its extreme, it must reverse; when a number is exhausted, it must change. This is the regular pattern of heaven, so the Image Commentary explains 'Heavenly Virtue cannot be the leader'. As for yin energy once it is activated, it often tends toward wrong paths, so the sage warns about this by following the fact that it must change, hence the statement for 'Use Six' says 'It is advantageous to maintain constant uprightness'—it should remain steadfast on the correct path."

童子問曰：“《屯》之《彖》、《象》與卦之義反，何謂也？”曰：“吾不知也。”童子曰：“《屯》之卦辭曰‘勿用有攸往’，《彖》曰‘動乎險中，大亨貞’，動而大亨，其不往乎？《象》曰‘君子以經綸’，不往而能經綸乎？”曰：“居《屯》之世者，勿用有攸往，眾人也，治《屯》之時者，動乎險而經綸之，大人君子也，故曰‘利建侯’。”

A young man asked, "The meaning of the 'Hexagram Statement,' 'Commentary on the Judgment,' and 'Image Commentary' of the hexagram 'Zun' are exactly opposite. How can this be explained?" Ouyang Xiu replied, "I don't know about this." The young man pressed further, "The 'Hexagram Statement' of 'Zun' says 'Do not go anywhere,' which is telling people not to move forward. However, the 'Commentary on the Judgment' says 'Moving in a dangerous situation, great success through uprightness,' which implies that movement leads to great success. If movement brings great success, isn't that encouraging people to go forward? The 'Image Commentary' also says 'The superior man is careful and diligent,' but if a person does not go out and act, how can he manage and govern the world?" Ouyang Xiu then replied, "The two statements are not addressing the same kind of person. Those who are in a difficult situation and can only protect themselves are ordinary people, for whom 'Do not go anywhere' is appropriate. However, those who take the initiative to deal with the crisis are great men of virtue and position, who are precisely those who should act and display their ability in the dangerous situation. Therefore, the 'Hexagram Statement' concludes with 'It is advantageous to establish feudal lords,' because in the initial difficult period, it is necessary to establish feudal lords to govern different regions. This statement is clearly addressed to those who can take on responsibilities."

童子問曰：“《象》曰‘山下出泉，蒙。君子以果行育德’，何謂也？”曰：“蒙者，未知所適之時也，處乎蒙者，果於自信其行以育德而已。《蒙》有時而發也，患乎不果於自修，以養其德而待也。”

A young boy asked, "The Great Image says, 'Mountains below with spring water flowing out, this is the image of启蒙 (Mont); the superior person acts with decisive conduct and cultivates virtue.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "What is meant by 'Mont' is the stage where a person is still in darkness and confusion, not knowing where to go, just like spring water that has just flowed out from beneath the mountain and has not yet formed a stream or a river. A person in this state of ignorance can only do one thing: to act decisively along the path he has chosen, cultivating virtue through consistent conduct. Although the state of ignorance will eventually be overcome, the danger lies in not being decisive in self-cultivation during this time and not thickening one's virtue in anticipation of that day. The phrase 'decisive conduct' is precisely addressing the tendency of those in ignorance to hesitate and look around."

童子問曰：“《象》曰‘雲上於天，需。君子以飲食宴樂’，何謂也？”曰：“需，須也。事有期而時將至也。雲已在天，澤將施也。君子之時將及矣，少待之焉。飲食以養其體，宴安和樂以養其志，有待之道也。”

A young man asked: "The Great Image says 'Clouds rising above the sky, waiting; the superior man thus eats, drinks, and enjoys music and revelry.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "'Waiting' means to wait. Matters have already set a time, and the opportunity is about to arrive. The clouds have already risen into the sky, and rain is about to fall, which symbolizes that the superior man's time to realize his aspirations is approaching, and he only needs to wait a little longer. Since it is a matter of waiting, one should not be anxious or act recklessly, nor should one become despondent. Instead, one should use eating and drinking to maintain one's body, and use leisure and joy to cultivate one's mind, so that both body and mind are full and composed. This is the proper attitude for 'waiting.' Therefore, the Great Image does not instruct people to act busily at this time, but rather to 'eat, drink, and enjoy music and revelry.'"

童子問曰：“‘師，貞丈人’，何謂也？”曰：“師正於丈人也。其《彖》曰‘能以眾正，可以王矣’。”童子曰：“敢問‘可以王矣’，孰能當之？”曰：“湯、武是已。彼二王者，以臣伐主，其為毒也甚矣。然其以本於順民之慾而除其害，猶毒藥瞑眩以去疾也，故其《彖》又曰‘行險而順，以此毒天下，而民從之’。”

A young man asked: "The Hexagram Statement of the 'Military' hexagram says 'Military, the correct man of great age.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "Military refers to the act of mobilizing troops. 'The correct man of great age' refers to an elder of high moral standing and great reputation who can command respect. The whole sentence means that the act of waging war should be guided by such a man to prevent it from turning into chaos. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment says 'Being able to lead the multitude in righteousness, one can become a king.' This means that if one can lead the people without losing righteousness, such a person can achieve the status of a king." The young man asked: "May I ask who in ancient times was worthy of the phrase 'can become a king'?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "Shang Tang and King Wu of Zhou. These two later became kings, but they both launched military campaigns as subjects against their sovereigns. In terms of their actions, the harm they caused was not light. However, the root of their military action was to follow the people's will and to remove tyrannical rulers. This is like using strong medicine to cure a serious illness: the medicine may cause dizziness and great discomfort, but the illness is thus cured. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment continues: 'Proceeding through danger while maintaining harmony, thus using harsh measures to govern the world, yet the people follow him.' Though the path is dangerous and the measures harsh, they are in harmony with the people's will, so the people still follow him."

童子曰：“然則湯、武之師正乎？”曰：“凡師必正於丈人者，文王之志也。以此毒天下而王者，湯、武也。湯、武以應天順人為心，故孟子曰‘有湯、武之心則可也’。”童子曰：“‘吉，無咎’，何謂也？”曰：“為《易》之說者，謂無咎者本有咎也，又曰善補過也。嗚呼！舉師之成功，莫大於王也，然不免毒天下，而僅得補過、無咎，以此見兵非聖王之所務，而湯、武不足貴也。”

The boy asked again, "Then does the army used by Tang and Wu count as 'righteous'?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "Whenever a war is launched, it must be justified by the elder generation to correct the wrongs, which is the intention of King Wen. King Wen controlled two-thirds of the world but still served the Shang dynasty, never resorting to war. That is the true meaning of the hexagram 'Military'. As for those who used such 'poisonous' methods to finally achieve the throne, that was Tang and Wu. Tang and Wu can still be considered acceptable because their intention was to follow the heavenly mandate and the people's will. Therefore, Mencius said, 'Only those with the heart of Tang and Wu can do it.' If someone else had the same actions but with selfish intentions, it would be considered usurpation." The boy asked again, "Then how should we interpret the 'auspicious, no blame' in the line statements of the hexagram 'Military'?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "Those who interpret the Book of Changes usually follow a common rule: whenever it says 'no blame,' it originally implies some fault, but because they were good at correcting their mistakes, they ended up with no blame. Alas! When considering the greatest success of warfare, nothing surpasses achieving the throne. Yet even when achieving this, one still inevitably harms the world, and the final evaluation is only 'correcting mistakes' and 'no blame.' This shows that warfare is not the business that the sage kings intended to pursue, and the achievements of Tang and Wu are not worth special praise."

童子問曰：“‘地上有水，比。先王以建萬國，親諸侯’，何謂也？”曰：“王氏之傳曰‘萬國以比建，諸侯以比親’，得之矣。蓋王者之於天下，不可以獨比也，故建為萬國，君以諸侯，使其民各比其君，而萬國之君共比於王，則視天下如身之使臂，臂之使指矣。”

A young man asked: "The Great Image says 'Water on the earth, ratio; the former kings used this to establish myriad states and be close to the feudal lords.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "Wang Bi's commentary on the Zhou Changes says 'Myriad states are established through closeness and affinity, and the feudal lords are brought close through closeness and affinity.' This is a very accurate statement. Water flows over the earth, closely adhering to it without any gap, which is the image of 'ratio'—closeness and attachment. A ruler facing the whole world cannot personally be close to every single person, so he divides the world into myriad states, each with its own feudal lord as ruler, allowing the people to be close to their own local ruler. Then these myriad rulers in turn are close to the Son of Heaven. Thus, through this layered system of authority, the ruler can govern the world as easily as the body controls the arm and the arm controls the fingers."

童子問曰：“《同人》之《彖》曰‘唯君子為能通天下之志’，《象》又曰‘君子以類族辨物’，何謂也？”曰：“通天下之志者，同人也；類族辨物者，同物也。夫同天下者不可以一概，必使夫各得其同也。人睽其類而同其欲，則志通；物安其族而同其生，則各從其類。故君子於人則通其志，於物則類其族，使各得其同也。”

A young man asked: "The Commentary on the Judgment of the卦 of 'Union' says, 'Only the gentleman is able to harmonize the aspirations of the whole world.' The Great Image says, 'The gentleman acts by classifying kinds and distinguishing things.' One speaks of harmonizing, the other of distinguishing; how can this be explained?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "Harmonizing the aspirations of the whole world refers to harmonizing with people; classifying kinds and distinguishing things refers to harmonizing with things. To bring the whole world into harmony, one cannot impose a single standard to enforce uniformity, but must allow people and things to each find their own harmony in their proper places. People naturally belong to different classes and categories, but as long as their aspirations are consistent, their hearts and minds will naturally communicate. Things also naturally belong to different kinds and categories, but as long as each remains in its own kind and fulfills its own nature, they will naturally follow their own categories without disturbance. Therefore, the gentleman harmonizes with people by opening up their aspirations, and harmonizes with things by distinguishing their kinds: these two things seem opposite, but both aim to enable all things to find their proper place and harmony."

童子問曰：“‘天道虧盈而益謙，地道變盈而流謙，鬼神害盈而福謙，人道惡盈而好謙’，何謂也？”曰：“聖人急於人事者也，天人之際罕言焉，惟《謙》之《彖》略具其說矣。聖人，人也，知人而已。天地鬼神不可知，故推其跡；人可知者，故直言其情。以人之情而推天地鬼神之跡，無以異也。然則修吾人事而已，人事修，則與天地鬼神合矣。”

A young man asked: "The Commentary on the Judgment of the卦 of Humility says, 'Heaven's way is to reduce excess and benefit humility; Earth's way is to change fullness and flow towards humility; the spirits and gods harm excess and bless humility; human way is to hate excess and love humility.' The text mentions heaven, earth, spirits and gods, and humans all together. What is the purpose of this?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The sage is most concerned with human affairs, and rarely talks about the obscure and mysterious matters between heaven and human beings. Only the Commentary on the Judgment of the卦 of Humility slightly reveals his view. The sage is also a human being, and what he can truly know is only human affairs. The details of heaven, earth, spirits and gods are unknown, so we can only infer from the signs they display: when the sun reaches its zenith it begins to wane, when the moon is full it begins to wane, this is the sign of heaven; high places are eroded, low places are filled, this is the sign of earth; those who are arrogant and full suffer misfortune, while those who are humble and retreat gain blessings, this is the sign of spirits and gods. Humans are knowable, so we directly speak of human reason: the human heart hates fullness and loves humility. Using human reason to infer the signs of heaven, earth, spirits and gods, the result is the same. Therefore, what we should do is only one thing—cultivate human affairs properly. When human affairs are properly cultivated, we naturally align with heaven, earth, spirits and gods."

童子問曰：“‘雷出地奮，豫。先王以作樂崇德，殷薦之上帝，以配祖考’，何謂也？”曰：“於此見聖人之用心矣。聖人憂以天下，樂以天下。其樂也，薦之上帝祖考而已，其身不與焉。眾人之豫，豫其身耳。聖人以天下為心者也，是故以天下之憂為己憂，以天下之樂為己樂。”

A young man asked: "The Great Image says, 'Thunder arises from the earth, and it is the image of preparation; the former kings thus composed music to honor virtue, offering sacrifices to the Supreme Deity and pairing the ancestors in the worship.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "From this sentence, we can most clearly see the sincere intention of the sage. Thunder arises from the earth and stirs up all things, which is the image of 'preparation'—harmony and joy. The former kings thus composed music to honor virtue, offering elaborate sacrifices to the Supreme Deity and including the ancestors in the worship. See how this harmony is arranged: everything is offered to the Supreme Deity and the ancestors, without the ruler himself enjoying it. Common people's joy is merely their own joy; the sage, however, is one who carries the world in his heart. Therefore, he regards the world's sorrows as his own sorrows and the world's joys as his own joys. The same character '豫' signifies the difference between the sage and the common person."

童子問曰：“《觀》之《象》曰‘先王以省方，觀民設教’，何謂也？”曰：“聖人處乎人上而下觀於民，各因其方、順其俗而教之。民知各安其生而不知聖人所以順之者，此所謂神道設教也。”童子曰：“順民，先王之所難歟？”曰：“后王之不戾民者鮮矣。”

A young man asked: "The Great Image of the 'Observing' hexagram says 'The former kings observed the people by touring the land and setting up education.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The sage is above the people, but his eyes are looking downward: he travels through the four directions, examining the people's conditions in different areas, and then implements education according to the local geography and customs. The people only feel that they are living in peace and comfort, without realizing that the sage is educating them according to their nature. When education is carried out and the people do not feel controlled, this is what the Commentary on the Judgment calls 'the way of the divine is to set up education.' " The young man asked again: "Is it difficult for the former kings to follow the people?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The former kings could do it; but among later kings, those who can do it without opposing the people are already few."

童子問曰：“‘剝，不利有攸往’。《彖》曰‘順而止之，觀象也。君子尚消息盈虛，天行也’者，何謂也？”曰：“《剝》，陰剝陽也，小人道長、君子道消之時也，故曰‘不利有攸往’。君子於此時而止，與《屯》之‘勿往’異矣。《屯》之世，眾人宜勿往，而君子動以經綸之時也。剝者，君子止而不往之時也。剝盡則復，否極則泰，消必有息，盈必有虛，天道也，是以君子尚之，故順其時而止，亦有時而進也。”

A young man asked: "The hexagram statement of 'Bao' says 'Bao, it is not advantageous to go on a journey.' The commentary on the judgment says 'It is in the nature of things to follow and to stop, observing the signs; the gentleman values the alternation of increase and decrease, fullness and emptiness, which is the way of heaven.' How should this be explained?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The hexagram 'Bao' represents five yin lines below and one yang line above. The yin energy gradually erodes the yang energy, which is the time when small people's power rises step by step and the path of the gentleman becomes increasingly restricted. Therefore, the hexagram statement says 'it is not advantageous to go on a journey,' indicating that one should not move forward. Note that stopping at this time is different from the 'do not go' in the hexagram 'Zun.' 'Zun' refers to a time of initial creation and many difficulties in the world, when ordinary people should not act recklessly, but it is precisely the time for the gentleman to take action and carry out his plans. 'Bao,' however, even the gentleman should stop. Why can we be at ease in stopping? Because when the erosion reaches its end, it turns into 'Fu'; when blockage reaches its extreme, it turns into 'Tai.' There is always a loss followed by growth, and fullness followed by emptiness. This is the regular pattern of the operation of heaven. The gentleman values precisely this principle of 'increase and decrease, fullness and emptiness.' Therefore, he follows the current situation and stops. Stopping is not permanent inaction, but waiting for the situation to change naturally, when the time will come again for action."

童子問曰：“‘《復》其見天地之心乎’者，何謂也？”曰：“天地之心見乎動，《復》也，一陽初動於下矣。天地所以生育萬物者本於此，故曰‘天地之心’也。天地以生物為心者也，其《彖》曰‘剛反動而以順行’是矣。”童子曰：“然則《象》曰‘先王以至日閉關，商旅不行，后不省方’，豈非靜乎？”曰：“至日者，陰陽初復之際也，其來甚微。聖人安靜以順其微，至其盛然後有所為也，不亦宜哉？”

A young man asked, "The Commentary on the Judgment says, 'Does the hexagram of 'Returning' reveal the heart of heaven and earth?' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "The intention of heaven and earth is revealed through movement. The hexagram of 'Returning' has five yin lines beneath one yang line that has just begun to arise, which is exactly the moment when yang energy starts to emerge from the very bottom. Heaven and earth can nurture all things, and the root of this lies in this initial vitality, so it is called 'the heart of heaven and earth.' Heaven and earth regard nurturing all things as their innermost feeling. The Commentary on the Judgment says, 'Yang strength returns and moves in a harmonious way'—this refers to this very thing." The young man asked again, "Since the emphasis is on movement, then why does the Great Image say, 'The former kings closed their borders on the winter solstice, merchants did not travel, and the king did not visit the regions'? Closing the borders, stopping trade, and the king not touring the land—this does not seem to be about stillness?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "The winter solstice is the day of the longest night, the moment when yin reaches its extreme and yang begins to return. At this point, the yang energy is extremely weak. The sages remain quiet and inactive, precisely to follow its weakness and not disturb it. When it has grown and become strong, then they act. To cultivate the weak through stillness and wait until it becomes strong before taking action—is this not appropriate?"

童子問曰：“《大過》之卦辭曰‘利有攸往，亨’，其《象》曰‘君子以獨立不懼，遯世無悶’者，其往乎？其遯乎？”曰：“《易》非一體之書，而卦不為一人設也。《大過》者，撓敗之世可以大有為矣。當物極則反易為之力之時，是以往而必亨也，然有不以為利而不為者矣，故居是時也，往者利而亨，遯者獨立而無悶。”

A young man asked: "The hexagram statement of 'Great Excess' says 'It is advantageous to go somewhere, and it is smooth,' which suggests going forward. However, its image commentary says 'The superior man acts independently without fear, and retreats from the world without being distressed,' which suggests retreating. So, should one go forward or retreat?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The Book of Changes is not a book that only discusses one situation, and one hexagram is not specifically designed for one person. 'Great Excess' represents a time when the main pillars are bent and about to break, and the situation has deteriorated to its extreme. This is precisely a time when great achievements can be made: when things reach their extreme, they will reverse, and at this moment, effort is most effective, so going forward will certainly be smooth. However, within the same era, there are also people who do not see this as an opportunity for gain and are willing to refrain from action. Therefore, during the time of 'Great Excess,' those who go out to act will gain advantage and smoothness, while those who retreat and remain in seclusion can stand alone, fearlessly facing people's words, and live apart from the world without inner distress. The two sentences refer to two different kinds of people, and they are not contradictory."

童子問曰：“《坎》之卦曰‘習坎’，其《彖》曰‘習坎，重險也’者，何謂也？”曰：“《坎》因重險之象，以戒人之慎習也。習高山者可以追猿猱，習深淵者至能泅泳出沒以為樂。夫險可習，則天下之事無不可為也。是以聖人於此戒人之習惡而不自知，誘人於習善而不倦，故其《象》曰‘君子以常德行，習教事’也。”

A young man asked: "The name of the Kan hexagram is 'Xí Kǎn' (Practice of Peril). The Commentary on the Judgment explains it as 'Xí Kǎn, Chóng Xiǎn' (Practice of Peril, repeated peril). What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "'Xí' has the meaning of repetition and also of familiarity. The Kan hexagram has Kan above and below, with peril within Kan, and two perils overlapping, so it is called 'repeated peril'; the sage uses this image of repeated peril to warn people to be especially cautious in the matter of familiarity. Observe: those who often walk on high mountains have agile bodies that can even chase monkeys; those who often swim in deep water can move in and out with ease and take pleasure in it. They can become so familiar with perilous situations to this extent, showing that there is nothing in the world that cannot be mastered through practice. Because the power of habit is so great, the sage in this hexagram both warns people not to become accustomed to evil without realizing it, and encourages people to tirelessly cultivate goodness. Therefore, the Great Image says 'The superior man acts with constant virtue and practices the teaching of the people'—maintaining virtue as a constant practice and repeatedly exercising the affairs of education."

童子問曰：“‘咸，取女吉’，何謂也？”曰：“咸，感也。其卦以剛下柔，故其《彖》曰‘男下女’，是以‘取女吉’也。”童子又曰：“然則男女同類歟？”曰：“男女睽而其志通，謂各睽其類也。凡柔與柔為類，剛與剛為類。謂感必同類，則以柔應柔，以剛應剛，可以為咸乎？故必二氣交感，然後為咸也。夫物類同者自同也，何所感哉？惟異類而合，然後見其感也。鐵石，無情之物也，而以磁石引針，則雖隔物而應。《彖》曰‘觀其所感，而萬物之情可見’者，謂此類也。”

A young man asked, "The Hexagram Statement of the Hexagram Xian says 'Xian, taking a wife is auspicious.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "Xian means mutual感应. This hexagram has the trigram Gen at the bottom and Dui at the top. Gen represents a young man and is at the bottom, while Dui represents a young woman and is at the top. This is a case of yang being subdued by yin, so the Commentary on the Judgment says 'the man is below the woman.' When a man proposes marriage to a woman, if he is willing to lower himself to approach her, then mutual feelings can be communicated, hence it is auspicious to take a wife." The young man asked again, "According to your explanation, are men and women considered the same kind?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "Earlier, when discussing the Hexagram Hui, I said 'men and women are separated but their aspirations are connected.' That precisely refers to the fact that men and women belong to different kinds, yet they can communicate their hearts. All soft things belong to one kind, and all strong things belong to another. If感应 must be between the same kind, then it would be soft responding to soft and strong responding to strong. Then how could it be called Xian? Therefore, it must be the mutual movement of yin and yang that leads to感应, which is called Xian. Things of the same kind are already alike, so there is nothing to感应 between them. Only when different kinds come together can the function of感应 be clearly seen. Iron and stone are both lifeless objects, but a magnet can attract an iron needle even through something else. The Commentary on the Judgment says 'observe what they respond to, and the feelings of all things become visible,' referring precisely to such cases."

童子又曰：“然則聖人感人心而天下和平，是果異類乎？”曰：“天下之廣，蠻夷戎狄、四海九州島之類，不勝其異也。而能一以感之，此王者所以為大，聖人所以為能。”

The boy asked again, "The Commentary on the Judgment also says, 'The sage moves the hearts of people and brings peace to the world.' Are the sage and the common people not of different kinds?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "The world is so vast, with the four barbarians, the four directions, and all kinds of peoples within the four seas and the nine provinces. Their languages differ, their customs vary, and their differences are countless. In terms of 'difference,' there is nothing more different than this. Yet the sage is able to use the same sincere heart to move them, bringing peace to the world. It is precisely because the objects of his influence are so varied yet he remains consistent that we see the greatness of the ruler and the ability of the sage. This actually proves that the value of influence lies in its ability to connect with different kinds."

童子問曰：“‘恆，利有攸往’，‘終則有始’，何謂也？”曰：“恆之為言久也，所謂窮則變，變則通，通則久也。‘久於其道者’，知變之謂也。天地升降而不息，故曰‘天地之道久而不已也’。日月往來，與天偕行而不息，故曰‘日月得天而能久照’。四時代謝，循環而不息，故曰‘四時變化而久成’。聖人者，尚消息盈虛，而知進退存亡者也，故曰‘聖人久於其道而化成’。”

A young man asked: "The Hexagram Statement of the 'Constant' hexagram says 'Constant, advantageous for going somewhere,' and the Commentary on the Judgment also says 'After the end comes the beginning.' It speaks of duration and also of change and succession. How can this be explained?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The word 'constant' means enduring. However, enduring does not mean being motionless; rather, it is what the Book of Changes refers to as 'When things reach an end, they change; when they change, they become unblocked; when they become unblocked, they endure.' When things reach their limit, they change; through change they become unblocked; through unblocking they can endure. The Commentary on the Judgment says 'enduring in the way,' which refers to understanding change. Look at the things that are most enduring; none of them are motionless. The vital energy of heaven and earth rises and falls, never ceasing, so it is said 'The way of heaven and earth is enduring without end.' The sun and moon move forward and backward, following the heavens without stopping, so it is said 'The sun and moon receive the heavens' favor and can shine for a long time.' The four seasons follow one another in succession, cycling without end, so it is said 'The four seasons change and thus endure.' As for humans, the sages are those who value the principle of increase and decrease, knowing when to advance, when to retreat, when to exist, and when to perish. Therefore, it is said 'The sages endure in the way and thus achieve transformation' — only by changing with the times can their teachings endure and take effect."

童子問曰：“‘遯，亨，小利貞’，何謂也？”曰：“《遯》，陰進而陽遯也。遯者，見之先也。陰進至於否，則不正利矣。《遯》者陰浸而未盛，陽能先見而遯，猶得小利其正焉。”

A young man asked: "The Hexagram Statement of 'Dun' says 'Dun, success, small benefit in uprightness.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The Hexagram 'Dun' has the first two lines as yin and the last four lines as yang. The yin energy is advancing upward, pressing against the yang energy, which thus retreats. The value of 'Dun' lies entirely in 'seeing it in advance'—to leave when the signs first appear. If the yin energy is allowed to advance unchecked, it would reach the state of 'Po' where heaven and earth are not in communication and upper and lower are separated. At that point, the gentleman would be blocked by petty men, and there would be no benefit in uprightness. 'Dun' is different: the yin energy is gradually seeping in but has not yet become strong. The yang energy can detect the signs in advance and withdraw, so even though it is in a retreating position, it can still gain some benefit in uprightness—this is the meaning of the phrase 'small benefit in uprightness.'"

童子問曰：“‘明入地中，明夷。君子以蒞眾，用晦而明’，何謂也？”曰：“日，君象也，而下入於地，君道晦而天下暗矣。大哉！萬物各得其隨，則君子嚮晦而入宴息。天下暗而思明，則君子出而臨眾。商紂之晦，周道之明也，因其晦發其明，故曰‘用晦而明’。”童子曰：“然則聖人貴之乎？”曰：“不貴也。聖人非武王而貴文王矣。”

A young man asked, "The Great Image says, 'Light enters the earth, darkness; the superior man uses obscurity to attain clarity.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "The sun is the symbol of the sovereign. Now it sinks into the earth, meaning the sovereign's path is obscured and the world is in darkness. This principle is indeed profound! All things follow their time and place: when the hexagram of Following comes, it says 'turning to darkness and resting,' so when it is dark, the superior man returns home to rest. But when the world is dark and people long for clarity, the superior man comes forth to govern the people. The darkness of King Zhou precisely made the brightness of the Zhou dynasty possible. It was precisely through that darkness that this brightness was awakened, so it is said 'using obscurity to attain clarity': appearing to be concealed and not revealing, but the clarity within never ceases." The young man asked, "Then does the sage value such a thing?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "No, he does not value it. Within the darkness of the hexagram of Darkness, the sage affirms King Wen rather than King Wu: King Wen was imprisoned but remained concealed and did not rebel, while King Wu finally took action. One was guarding, the other was taking, and this is the sage's choice between the two."

童子問曰：“‘家人，利女貞’，何謂也？其不利君子之正乎？”曰：“是何言歟！《彖》不云乎：‘女正位乎內，男正位乎外也。’”曰：“然則何為獨言利女正？”曰：“家道主於內，故女正乎內，則一家正矣。凡家人之禍，未有不始於女子者也，此所以戒也。嗚呼！事無不利於正，未有不正而利者。聖人於卦，隨事以為言，故於《坤》則利牝馬之正，於《同人》則利君子正，於《明夷》則利艱正，於《家人》則利女正。”

A young man asked: "The Hexagram Statement of the Family says 'Family, beneficial to a woman's constancy.' What does this mean? Is it not beneficial for a gentleman to maintain constancy?" Ouyang Xiu replied: "What nonsense! The Commentary on the Judgment does not clearly state this: 'A woman holds the proper position within, a man the proper position without.' Both men and women have their proper roles. How could it be said only about women?" The young man asked again: "If that is so, why does the Hexagram Statement specifically mention 'beneficial to a woman's constancy'?" Ouyang Xiu replied: "Because the principle of a family is centered on the inner aspect. If the woman within is properly positioned, the whole family is properly ordered. Almost all family troubles begin with the female members. The Hexagram Statement specifically mentions this to issue a warning in this regard. Alas! There is nothing in the world that is not beneficial to constancy, nor is there anything that is not proper and yet can be beneficial. The sages express their words in each hexagram according to the particular matter of that hexagram. Therefore, in the Hexagram of Earth, it says 'beneficial to the constancy of a female horse,' taking its softness and constancy; in the Hexagram of Fellowship, it says 'beneficial to the constancy of a gentleman'; in the Hexagram of Diminished Light, it says 'beneficial to constancy in hardship,' taking its perseverance in difficulty; and in the Hexagram of Family, it says 'beneficial to the constancy of a woman.' Though the references differ, they all return to the one concept of constancy."

童子問曰：“《睽》之《彖》與卦辭之義反，何謂也？”曰：“吾不知也。”童子曰：“《睽》之卦曰‘小事吉’，《彖》曰‘睽之時用大矣哉’。”曰：“小事睽則吉，大事睽則凶也。凡睽於此者，必有合於彼。地睽其下而升，天睽其上而降，則上下交而為泰，是謂小睽而大合。使天地睽而上下不交，則否矣。聖人因其小睽而通其大利，故曰‘天地睽而其事同，男女睽而其志通，萬物睽而其事類’，其《象》又曰‘君子以同而異’。”

A young man asked, "The meaning of the Hexagram Statement and the Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram Kui seem to be exactly opposite. How can this be explained?" Ouyang Xiu replied, "I don't know about this either." The young man then provided evidence, saying, "The Hexagram Statement of Kui only says 'small matters are auspicious,' which brings it down to a low level; but the Commentary on the Judgment praises 'the use of separation is great indeed,' which lifts it to a very high level." Ouyang Xiu then answered, "Separation and discord, when applied to small matters, are auspicious, but when applied to great matters, they are ominous. The Hexagram Statement and the Commentary on the Judgment each speak from one side, so they are not contradictory. Whatever is separated on one side must be united on the other. For example: the earth is naturally below, yet it moves upward away from its position; the sky is naturally above, yet it moves downward away from its position. One rising and one falling, the energies of heaven and earth communicate, forming the Hexagram Tai. This is called 'discord in small matters but union in great matters.' Conversely, if heaven and earth each remain in their proper positions and do not communicate, then the Hexagram Po is formed. The sage explains the 'small separation' and leads to the 'great benefit,' so the Commentary on the Judgment says, 'heaven and earth are separated but their affairs are the same; men and women are separated but their aspirations are connected; all things are separated but their affairs are similar.' Although their appearances differ, their functions complement each other. The Great Image Commentary also says, 'the gentleman acts with both sameness and difference,' seeking sameness in great matters and maintaining difference in small matters."

童子問曰：“履險蹈難謂之《蹇》，解難濟險謂之《解》，二卦之義相反而辭同，皆曰‘利西南’者，何謂也？”曰：“聖人於斯二卦，辭則同而義則異，各於其《彖》言之矣，《蹇》之《彖》曰‘往得中也’，《解》之《彖》曰‘往得眾也’者是已。西南，坤也，坤道主順。凡居蹇難者，以順而後免於患。然順過乎柔，則入於邪。必順而不失其正，故曰‘往得中也’。解難者必順人之所欲，故曰‘往得眾也’。”

A young man asked: "Entering a dangerous situation is called the hexagram Jian, and resolving a dangerous situation is called the hexagram Jie. These two hexagrams have opposite meanings, yet their hexagram statements are the same, both saying 'favorable to the southwest.' How should this be understood?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The sages' statements for these two hexagrams appear similar on the surface but have different meanings. The differences are explained in their respective Commentary on the Judgment. The Commentary on the Judgment for Jian says 'moving forward and attaining the center,' while that for Jie says 'moving forward and gaining the support of the people.' One focuses on 'the center,' the other on 'the people.' Why do both point to the southwest? In the later heaven arrangement, the southwest corresponds to the trigram Kun, which represents the way of the earth, characterized by flexibility and compliance. Therefore, 'favorable to the southwest' means 'favorable in using compliance.' However, the same concept of 'compliance' is used differently in the two hexagrams: someone in a difficult situation needs to rely on flexibility and compliance to avoid disaster, but if compliance goes too far, it becomes weakness and may lead to wrong paths. Therefore, one must be compliant without losing the right path, just right, which is called 'moving forward and attaining the center.' As for someone who comes to resolve a crisis, they must follow what the people desire, gain their support, and only then can the matter be accomplished, which is called 'moving forward and gaining the support of the people.'"

童子問曰：“‘損，損下益上’，‘益，損上益下’，何謂也？”曰：“上君而下民也。損民而益君，損矣；損君而益民，益矣。語曰‘百姓足，君孰與不足’，此之謂也。”童子又曰：“《損》之《象》曰‘君子以懲忿窒欲’，《益》之《象》曰‘君子以見善則遷，有過則改’，何謂也？”曰：“嗚呼！君子者，天下繫焉，其一身之損益，天下之利害也。君子之自損忿欲爾，自益者，遷善而改過爾。然而肆其忿欲者，豈止一身之損哉？天下有被其害者矣。遷善而改過者，豈止一己之益哉？天下有蒙其利者矣。”

A young man asked: "The Commentary on the Judgment explains the hexagram 'Loss' as 'loss from below to benefit above,' and explains the hexagram 'Gain' as 'loss from above to benefit below.' How should this be understood?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The term 'above' refers to the ruler, and 'below' refers to the people. To exploit the people to increase the ruler's wealth is called 'loss'; to reduce the ruler's wealth to benefit the people is called 'gain.' The Analects contains a saying by Zi Fu: 'When the people are wealthy, how can the ruler be in want?' This very idea is what is being expressed. The names of these two hexagrams themselves contain a judgment of importance and lightness." The young man asked again: "The Great Image Commentary of the hexagram 'Loss' says 'the superior man acts by restraining anger and suppressing desires,' and the Great Image Commentary of the hexagram 'Gain' says 'the superior man acts by embracing virtue and correcting mistakes.' How should this be understood?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "Ah! The position of the superior man is tied to the whole world. His loss or gain is the calamity or benefit of the world. What the superior man needs to restrain from himself is nothing but anger and desire; what he needs to gain for himself is nothing but virtue and correction of mistakes. However, this cannot be considered only in terms of himself: if a superior man indulges his anger and desires, it is not only a loss to himself; people in the world will suffer as a result. If a superior man embraces virtue and corrects his mistakes, it is not only a gain to himself; people in the world will benefit as a result."

童子曰：“君子亦有過乎？”曰：“湯、孔子，聖人也，皆有過矣。君子與眾人同者，不免乎有過也。其異乎眾人者，過而能改也。湯、孔子不免有過，則《易》之所謂損、益者，豈止一身之損益哉？”

A young boy asked, "Does a gentleman ever make mistakes?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "Shang Tang and Confucius were both sages, yet each had their own mistakes. Shang Tang once blamed himself, saying, 'If all the people are guilty, the guilt lies with me.' Confucius also acknowledged his own mistakes and welcomed others to point them out. The similarity between a gentleman and an ordinary person lies in the fact that both are subject to making mistakes; the difference lies in that a gentleman, when he makes a mistake, is able to correct it. Since even Shang Tang and Confucius were not free from mistakes, it shows that 'mistakes' are common to everyone. The issue is whether one corrects them. From this perspective, the 'loss' and 'gain' mentioned in the Book of Changes are not merely about personal loss and gain, but relate to the gains and losses of the whole world."

童子問曰：“‘夬，不利即戎’，何謂也？”曰：“謂其已甚也，去小人者不可盡。蓋君子者，養小人者也。小人之道長，斯害矣，不可以不去也。小人之道已衰，君子之利及乎天下矣，則必使小人受其賜而知君子之可尊也。故不可使小人而害君子，必以君子而養小人。《夬》，剛決柔之卦也。五陽而一陰，決之雖易，而聖人不欲其盡決也，故其《彖》曰‘所尚乃窮也’。小人盛則決之，衰則養之，使知君子之為利，故其《象》曰‘君子以施祿及下’。小人已衰，君子已盛，物極而必反，不可以不懼，故其《象》又曰‘居德則忌’。”

A young man asked: "The statement of the Hexagram 'Gua' says 'Gua, it is not advantageous to go to war.' It says it is not advisable to use force, what does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "It means one should not go to extremes. When removing small people, one should not eliminate them completely, because the gentleman is the one who sustains the small person. When the power of the small person rises, it indeed becomes harmful and cannot be left unchecked; however, when the power of the small person has already declined and the virtue of the gentleman has already spread throughout the world, one should allow the small person to share in the benefits, so that they will understand the gentleman is worthy of respect. Therefore, the principle is only one: one must not let the small person harm the gentleman, yet must have the gentleman sustain the small person. The Hexagram 'Gua' is precisely the one that represents the decisive removal of the soft by the hard. With five yang lines opposing one yin line, it is easy to remove the yin; yet the sage does not wish to remove it completely, so the Commentary on the Judgment says 'the extreme of what is esteemed has been reached' — if one continues to emphasize removal, the path will be exhausted. When the small person is powerful, remove them; when they are weak, sustain them, so that they will understand that the gentleman's rule is beneficial to the world. Therefore, the Great Image Commentary says 'the gentleman acts by bestowing favors upon those below,' distributingofficial stipend and kindness to the lower ranks. Moreover, when the small person is weak and the gentleman is strong, this is the critical point where things reach their extreme and must be cautious. Therefore, the Great Image Commentary also says 'to dwell in virtue is to be cautious' — when one is in a position of great virtue, one must still maintain a sense of caution."

童子問曰：“‘困，亨。貞大人吉，無咎’，其《彖》曰‘險以說，困而不失其所，亨’，何謂也？”曰：“‘困，亨’者，困極而後亨，物之常理也，所謂《易》窮則變，變則通也。‘困而不失其所，亨’者，在困而亨也，惟君子能之。其曰‘險以說’者，處險而不懼也。惟有守於其中，則不懼於其外。惟不懼，則不失其所亨，謂身雖困而志則亨也，故曰‘其惟君子乎’，其《象》又曰‘君子以致命遂志’者，是也。”童子又曰：“敢問‘正大人吉，無咎’者，古之人孰可以當之？”曰：“文王之羑里，箕子之明夷。”

A young man asked: "The hexagram statement of '困' says 'Confusion, success. The upright adult is auspicious, no blame.' The commentary on the judgment says 'Dangerous but joyful, in confusion without losing one's place, success.' How should this be explained?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "First, 'Confusion, success' means that when one reaches the extreme of confusion, it turns into success, which is the common principle of things, that is, what the Book of Changes says 'When things reach their limit, they change; when they change, they become unblocked.' Then the commentary on the judgment says 'In confusion without losing one's place, success.' This is not about waiting for things to turn around by themselves, but rather that even while in confusion, one is already successful—this is something only a gentleman can achieve. The commentary on the judgment says 'Dangerous but joyful,' meaning being in a dangerous situation yet not afraid in heart. Only when one holds firm to inner principles can one remain fearless in the face of the outside; only when one is fearless can one not lose that success. So called success refers to the body being confined but the mind being open and unimpeded. Therefore, the commentary on the judgment ends with 'Is it only the gentleman?' The Great Image Commentary also says 'The gentleman uses his life to fulfill his aspirations'—to fulfill his aspirations, he is ready to sacrifice his life." The young man asked again: "May I ask who among the ancients could be considered 'the upright adult' as mentioned in the hexagram statement?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "King Wen, who was imprisoned in Youshi and composed the Book of Changes, and Ji Zi, who pretended to be mad and held to righteousness during the time of Mingyi—these two are worthy of that title."

童子問曰：“《革》之《彖》曰‘湯、武革命，順乎天而應乎人’，何謂也？”曰：“逆莫大乎以臣伐君。若君不君，則非君矣。是以至仁而伐桀、紂之惡，天之所欲誅而人之所欲去，湯、武誅而去之，故曰‘順乎天而應乎人’也。”童子又曰：“然則正乎？”曰：“正者，常道也。堯傳舜、舜傳禹、禹傳子是已。權者，非常之時，必有非常之變也。湯、武是已。故其《彖》曰‘《革》之時大矣哉’雲者，見其難之也。”

A young man asked: "The Commentary on the Judgment of the 'Revolution' hexagram says, 'Tang and Wu made a revolution, following the will of Heaven and responding to the will of people.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The greatest rebellion is to attack a sovereign in the name of a subject. However, one must consider both sides: if a sovereign is no longer a sovereign, he is no longer a sovereign. Therefore, using the most benevolent person to overthrow the tyrants Jie and Zhou is what Heaven desires to punish and the people desire to remove. Tang and Wu merely carried out the punishment of Heaven and the will of people, hence it is said 'following the will of Heaven and responding to the will of people.' " The young man asked again: "Then is this considered 'correct'?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "'Correct' refers to the constant way. For example, Yao passing the throne to Shun, Shun to Yu, and Yu to his son, these are the constant way. The actions of Tang and Wu were 'flexibility'—in times of extreme circumstances, there must be extreme changes, and only extreme measures can be used. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment specially praised 'the time of revolution is great indeed,' which is not merely praising, but showing that the sage regarded this matter as extremely difficult and important."

童子又曰：“湯、武之事，聖人貴之乎？”曰：“孔子區區思文王而不已，其厚於此則薄於彼可知矣。”童子又曰：“順天應人，豈非極稱之乎，何謂薄？”曰：“聖人於《革》稱之者，適當其事爾。若《乾》《坤》者，君臣之正道也，於《乾》《坤》而稱湯、武，可乎？聖人於《坤》，以‘履霜’為戒，以‘黃裳’為吉也。”

The boy asked again, "Did the sages highly praise the deeds of Tang and Wu?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "Confucius always thought of King Wen with deep longing, speaking of him with such sincerity; from this we can see that he regarded Tang and Wu with less importance." The boy asked again, "If 'following Heaven's will and responding to people's hearts' is already the highest praise, how can it be called 'light'? " Ouyang Xiu answered, "The sages praised revolution in the卦 of Revolution in a way appropriate to the matter itself, just as it is. But as for the卦 of Heaven and Earth, they speak of the proper way between ruler and minister. Now, would it be appropriate to praise Tang and Wu in the卦 of Heaven and Earth? On the contrary: in the卦 of Earth, the initial line 'Treading on frost, the ice comes' warns people to be cautious of ministers' overstepping at the very beginning; the line six in the fifth 'Yellow garment brings good fortune' praises the minister who stays in the middle and does not overstep. The intention of the卦 of Heaven and Earth is like this, so it is clear that taking the position of a minister to attack a ruler is only a temporary expedient, not something approved by the constant way."

童子問曰：“《革》去故而《鼎》取新，何謂也？”曰：“非聖人之言也，何足問！《革》曰去故，不待言而可知。《鼎》曰取新，《易》無其辭，汝何從而得之？夫以新易舊，故謂之革，若以商革夏，以周革商，故其《象》曰‘湯、武革命’者是也。然則以新革故一事爾，分於二卦者，其誰乎？”童子又曰：“然則《鼎》之義何謂也？”曰：“聖人言之矣，‘以木巽火，亨飪也。’”

A young man asked: "People often say the hexagram 'Gé' (Revolution) represents 'discarding the old,' and the hexagram 'Dǐng' (Tripod) represents 'taking the new.' How should this be understood?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "This statement is not at all from the sages, and it's not worth asking about! Saying that 'Gé' represents discarding the old is obvious, since the character 'Gé' itself means this. As for saying that 'Dǐng' represents taking the new, the Book of Changes has no such wording; where did you get this idea from? Replacing the old with the new is called 'Gé,' for example, the Shang replacing the Xia, and the Zhou replacing the Shang. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment says 'Tang and Wu revolution' precisely. Clearly, 'replacing the old with the new' is one thing and one word with two aspects. To force 'discarding the old' onto 'Gé' and 'taking the new' onto 'Dǐng,' splitting them into two hexagrams, is something made up by someone else." The young man asked again: "Then what is the meaning of the hexagram 'Dǐng'?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The sages have already explained it clearly—the Commentary on the Judgment says 'Using wood to assist fire, for cooking and preparing food.' Putting wood into fire to cook food. The original meaning of 'Dǐng' is cooking to sustain people, which has nothing to do with 'taking the new.'"

童子問曰：“《震》之辭曰‘震驚百里，不喪匕鬯’者，何謂也？”曰：“震者，雷也。驚乎百里，震之大者也。處大震之時，眾皆震驚，而獨能不失其守、不喪其器者，可以任大事矣，故其《彖》曰‘震驚百里，驚遠而懼邇也’，‘不喪匕鬯，出可以守宗廟社稷，為祭主’者，謂可任以大事也。”童子曰：“郭公夏五，聖人所以傳疑。《彖》之闕文奈何？”曰：“聖人疑則傳疑也。若《震》之《彖》，其辭雖闕，其義則在，又何疑焉？”

A young man asked, "The hexagram statement of the Zhen hexagram says, 'The thunder causes a shock over a hundred li, yet the sacrificial spoon and wine do not fall.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "Zhen means thunder. The sound of thunder shakes an area of a hundred li, which is the greatest effect of thunder. When such a great thunder occurs, all people are startled and frightened, yet there are some who do not lose their composure or drop the objects in their hands. 'Bi' is a spoon used for taking sacrificial meat, and 'Chang' is the sacred wine used in worship. The chief priest is holding these. Such a person is capable of being entrusted with great responsibilities. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment says, 'The thunder causes a shock over a hundred li, which startles those far away and frightens those nearby.' It means that both distant and near are shaken. It also says, 'The sacrificial spoon and wine are not lost, which means he can guard the ancestral temple and state altars, and serve as the chief priest in worship.' This means that such a person is capable of bearing the weight of the ancestral temple and state altars." The young man asked again, "In the Spring and Autumn Annals, there are broken phrases like 'Guo Gong' and 'Xia Wu,' which the sages left as they were without completing them, to show doubt. Now the Commentary on the Judgment of the Zhen hexagram also has missing words. What should we do?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "The sages kept doubts only when they had doubts. The words of the Commentary on the Judgment of Zhen, although the sentences are incomplete, their meaning is still clear and complete. What is there to doubt? There is no need to follow the example of 'Guo Gong' and 'Xia Wu.'"

童子問曰：“《艮》之《象》曰‘君子以思不出其位’，何謂也？”曰：“《艮》者，君子止而不為之時也。時不可為矣則止，而以待其可為而為者也，故其《彖》曰‘時止則止，時行則行’。於斯時也，在其位者宜如何？思不出其位而已。然則位之所職，不敢廢也，《詩》云‘風雨如晦，雞鳴不已’，此之謂也。”

A young man asked: "The Great Image of the Mountain hexagram says 'The superior man keeps his thoughts within his position.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The Mountain hexagram represents stopping. It refers to the time when a superior man should pause and refrain from action. When the situation does not permit action, one should stop in order to wait for the right moment to act again. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment says 'When the time comes to stop, stop; when the time comes to act, act.' So, when it is time to stop, what should a person in a position do? It is simply to keep his thoughts within the scope of his duties. However, it is important to note that not exceeding one's position does not mean abandoning one's responsibilities. The duties within one's own position should not be neglected at all. The Book of Songs, Zheng Wind, 'Storms and Rain' says 'Storms and rain darken the sky, but the rooster still crows at the right time.' This precisely describes the proper balance."

童子問曰：“‘歸妹，征凶’，《彖》曰‘歸妹，天地之大義，人之終始也’，其卦辭凶而《彖》辭吉，何謂也？”曰：“合二姓，具六禮，而歸得其正者，此《彖》之所謂歸妹者也。若婚不以禮而從人者，卦所謂征凶者也。”童子曰：“敢問何以知之？”曰：“《咸》之辭曰‘取女吉’，其為卦也，艮下而兌上，故其《彖》曰‘上柔而下剛’，‘男下女’，是以吉也。《漸》之辭曰‘女歸吉’，其為卦也，艮下而巽上，其上柔下剛，以男下女，皆與《咸》同，故又曰‘女歸吉’也。《歸妹》之為卦也不然，兌下而震上，其上剛下柔，以女下男，正與《咸》、《漸》反，故彼吉則此凶矣，故其《彖》曰‘征凶，位不當也’者，謂兌下震上也。”

A young man asked: "The Hexagram Statement of 'Gui Mei' says 'Gui Mei, seeking marriage is dangerous,' but the Commentary on the Judgment says 'Gui Mei, the great principle of heaven and earth, the beginning and end of human beings.' The Hexagram Statement judges it as dangerous, while the Commentary on the Judgment speaks of it as extremely auspicious. How can this be explained?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The two passages refer to two different types of marriage. When two families of different surnames unite, all the six rites are complete, and the girl marries according to the rites and in the proper way, this is the 'Gui Mei' praised by the Commentary on the Judgment. But if a girl marries without following the rites and runs away with someone, that is what the Hexagram Statement judges as 'seeking marriage is dangerous.' " The young man asked: "Please tell me the basis for your conclusion." Ouyang Xiu answered: "By comparing the structure of the hexagram it becomes clear. The Hexagram Statement of 'Xian' says 'Taking a wife is auspicious.' Its structure is lower mountain and upper lake, mountain representing a young man below, lake representing a young woman above. Therefore the Commentary on the Judgment says 'the upper is soft and the lower is strong,' meaning the man is below the woman, hence auspicious. The Hexagram Statement of 'Jian' says 'A woman returning is auspicious.' Its structure is lower mountain and upper wind, again the upper is soft and the lower is strong, with the man below the woman, consistent with 'Xian,' so it also says 'a woman returning is auspicious.' However, the structure of 'Gui Mei' is reversed: lower lake and upper thunder, thunder representing a great man above, lake representing a young woman below. This results in the upper being strong and the lower being soft, with the woman below the man, exactly opposite to 'Xian' and 'Jian.' Since those two hexagrams are auspicious, this one must be dangerous. Therefore the Commentary on the Judgment says 'seeking marriage is dangerous, because the position is inappropriate.' The term 'position is inappropriate' refers precisely to the structure where lake is below and thunder is above."

童子曰：“取必男下女乎？”曰：“夫婦所以正人倫，禮義所以養廉恥，故取女之禮，自納采至於親迎，無非男下女，而又有漸也，故《漸》之《彖》曰‘漸之進也，女歸吉也’者是已。奈何《歸妹》以女下男而往，其有不凶者乎？”

A young man asked, "Is it necessary for the husband to be subordinate to the wife when marrying?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "The relationship between husband and wife is used to regulate human relationships, and rites and propriety are used to cultivate shame and integrity. Therefore, the ceremonies of marriage start with presenting gifts, asking for the bride's name, conveying auspiciousness, presenting dowry, setting the wedding date, and finally the wedding itself, each step being initiated by the man going to the woman's side. There is no instance where the man is not subordinate to the woman. Moreover, these steps must proceed in order, step by step, and cannot be accomplished all at once. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram of Gradual says, 'The gradual progress of the gradual hexagram brings auspiciousness to the woman's return'—precisely because the progress is orderly, the woman's marriage is auspicious. The hexagram of the Maiden, however, reverses this order, allowing the woman to submit to the man and go directly, such a marriage, how could it not be inauspicious?"

童子問曰：“《兌》之《彖》曰‘順乎天而應乎人’，何謂也？”曰：“‘兌，說也’。‘說以先民，民忘其勞。說以犯難，民忘其死’。說莫大於此矣。而所以能使民忘勞與死者，非順天應人則不可。由是見小惠不足以說人，而私愛不可以求說。”

A young man asked: "The Commentary on the Judgment of the卦 of Dui says 'to follow heaven and respond to people.' What does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "The Commentary on the Judgment first says 'Dui, meaning joy' — 'joy' refers to happiness. Then it says 'using joy to lead the people, the people forget their toil; using joy to face difficulties, the people forget death.' Using the way of joy to lead the people ahead, the people toil without realizing their hardship; using the way of joy to lead them through danger, the people forget about death. When joy can move people to this extent, the power of joy has reached its peak. But if we ask: why can joy make people forget toil and death? It must be that above, it follows the principles of heaven, and below, it responds to the hearts of people. From this we can see that giving small favors is insufficient to truly bring joy, and relying on partial favor to win people's affection is certainly not feasible."

童子問曰：“‘萃，聚也’，其辭曰‘王假有廟’，‘渙，散也’，其辭又曰‘王假有廟’，何謂也？”曰：“謂《渙》為散者誰歟？《易》無其辭也。”童子曰：“然則敢問《渙》之義？”曰：“吾其敢為臆說乎！《渙》之卦辭曰‘利涉大川’，其《彖》曰‘乘木有功也’，其《象》亦曰‘風行水上，渙’。而人之語者，冰釋汗浹皆曰渙。然則渙者，流行通達之謂也，與夫乖離分散之義異矣。嗚呼！王者富有九州島四海，萬物之象莫大於《萃》，可以有廟矣；功德流行達於天下，莫大於《渙》，可以有廟矣。”

A young man asked, "The Commentary on the Judgment says 'Cui means gathering,' referring to the hexagram of gathering. The hexagram statement says 'The king comes to the ancestral temple,' meaning the king personally visits the ancestral temple. 'Huan,' however, is traditionally interpreted as dispersal. Yet the hexagram statement of Huan also says 'The king comes to the ancestral temple.' Why do the two hexagrams use the same phrase?" Ouyang Xiu answered, "Whoever interpreted Huan as 'dispersal' is mistaken. The Book of Changes does not contain such wording." The young man said, "Then please explain what 'Huan' really means." Ouyang Xiu replied, "I dare not make up my own interpretation. Let us look at the words of the primary hexagram. The hexagram statement of Huan says 'It is advantageous to cross a great river.' The Commentary on the Judgment says 'It is successful because it rides on wood.' The Great Image Commentary says 'Wind moves on water, Huan.' Wind moving on water causes ripples that spread out. Riding on wood to cross a river allows for smooth passage. Looking at common language, when ice melts it is called 'Huanran ice dissolves,' and when sweat comes out it is called 'Huanran sweat soaks through.' Both use the meaning of spreading and flowing. Thus, 'Huan' refers to spreading and flowing smoothly, which is not the same as 'dispersal' meaning separation and fragmentation. In this way, both hexagrams using the same phrase makes sense: the king possesses the whole world, and the image of gathering nothing is greater than Cui. When gathering reaches its peak, the king can establish an ancestral temple to win the people's support. The virtue spreads throughout the world, and nothing is more extensive than Huan. When it reaches its peak, the king can establish an ancestral temple to respond to divine blessings."

童子問曰：“《節》之辭曰‘苦節，不可貞’者，自節過苦而不得其正歟？物被其節而不堪其苦歟？”曰：“君子之所以節於己者，為其愛於物也，故其《彖》曰‘節以制度，不傷財，不害民’者是也。節者，物之所利也，何不堪之有乎？夫所謂苦節者，節而太過，行於己不可久，雖久而不可施於人，故曰‘不可正’也。”童子曰：“敢問其人？”曰：“異眾以取名，貴難而自刻者，皆苦節也。其人則鮑焦、於陵仲子之徒是矣，二子皆苦者也。”

A young man asked: "The 'Hexagram Statement' of the 'Moderation' hexagram says 'A harsh moderation is not proper.' Does this mean that one's own moderation is too harsh and thus loses the right path? Or does it mean that others suffer from the hardship of being moderated by him?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "First, we must distinguish one point: a gentleman practices moderation because he loves all things and cares for the people. Therefore, the 'Commentary on the Judgment' says 'Moderation is achieved through established rules, not damaging wealth, not harming the people'—using rules to practice moderation, neither wasting resources nor harming the people. This shows that moderation itself is beneficial to others. How could others suffer? Therefore, the 'Hexagram Statement' refers to the first meaning. What is called 'harsh moderation' is moderation taken to an extreme: when applied to oneself, it becomes unbearable over time; even if one can bear it, it cannot be imposed on others. Such moderation cannot become a lasting standard, hence 'not proper,' meaning it cannot be regarded as the proper way." The young man asked: "Then which kind of people are considered to practice harsh moderation?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "Those who deliberately act differently to gain fame, and who regard suffering as a virtue and torture themselves are practicing harsh moderation. For example, Bao Jiao who died by hugging a tree, and Yu Ling Zhongzi who avoided his elder brother and left his mother to live by working as a gardener for others, are both of this kind. Both of them are self-inflicting hardships."

童子問曰：“《小過》之《象》曰‘君子以行過乎恭，喪過乎哀，用過乎儉’者，何謂也？”曰：“是三者施於行己，雖有過焉，無害也。若施於治人者，必合乎大中，不可以小過也。蓋仁過乎愛，患之所生也；刑過乎威，亂之所起也。推是可以知之矣。”

A young man asked: "The Great Image of the hexagram Xiao Guo says, 'The superior man acts with excessive respect, mourns with excessive sorrow, and uses resources with excessive frugality.' Excessive respect in behavior, excessive sorrow in mourning, and excessive frugality in expenditure, what does this mean?" Ouyang Xiu answered: "These three things are all applied to oneself: restraining oneself slightly beyond the norm is not harmful, and actually shows sincerity and reverence. However, the same 'excess' when applied to governing others must be brought back to the great central way of moderation, and no excess is allowed. Consider this: if kindness is taken to excess, it becomes indulgence and partiality, and calamity arises from this; if punishment is taken to excess, it becomes harshness and severity, and chaos arises from this. From these two examples, the principle that governing others must not be excessive becomes clear."