Book Seven of the Clear Diagrams of the Book of Changes, compiled by Hu Wei of Deqing

推之於大小橫圖，兩儀四象八卦皆由太極而生，亦所謂從中起也。此邵子之數學，即邵子之心法，終日言而不離乎是，故托《易》以著為圖，不必與聖人之《易》盡同也（揚子《太玄》其圖亦由中而起，中為一元，自一元衍而為三方，自三方衍而為九州島，自九州島衍而為二十七部，自二十七部衍而為八十一家，故知先天與《太玄》均為老氏之學也）。邵子之心與太極為體，嘗作《無名公傳》以自寓，無名者，太極之謂也。贊曰：「借爾面貌，假爾形骸，弄丸餘暇（丸謂太極），閒往閒來。」則其所謂心法者可知矣。彼以圓圖為合乎「天地定位」之象、方圖為合乎「雷動風散」之次者，皆知其一而不知其它，得其皮毛而不得其骨髓者也。

Extending this to the large and small circular diagrams, the two principles, four images, and eight trigrams all originate from the Taiji, which is referred to as 'starting from the center.' This is Shao Yong's mathematics, or rather, his method of mind. He constantly spoke about it, so he used the name of the Book of Changes to create these diagrams. They need not be exactly the same as the sage's Book of Changes (Yang Xiong's Tai Xuan also starts from the center: the center is 'the original unit,' which evolves into three 'directions,' then into nine 'states' (the original text mistakenly says 'nine states'), then into twenty-seven 'regions,' and then into eighty-one 'families'; from this we can see that the learning of the Earlier Heaven is similar to the Tai Xuan, both being part of the Daoist tradition). Shao Yong's mind takes the Taiji as its fundamental principle. He once wrote an essay called "The Biography of the Nameless Gentleman" in which he compared himself to the Taiji. The term 'nameless' refers to the Taiji. The commentary following the biography says: 'Using your appearance and form, I move freely in the leisure of playing with balls (the 'balls' refer to the Taiji).' From this, we can understand his method of mind. Those who believe that the circular diagram corresponds to the 'positioning of heaven and earth' and the square diagram corresponds to the 'movement of thunder and dispersion of wind' are only aware of one aspect and not the rest, having only grasped the superficial without reaching the essence.

俞氏《易外別傳序》曰：《易外別傳》者，先天圖環中之秘，漢儒魏伯陽《參同契》之學也。人生天地間，首乾腹坤，呼日吸月，與天地同一陰陽。《易》以道陰陽，故伯陽借《易》以明其說，大要不出先天一圖。是雖《易》道之緒餘，然亦君子養生之切務，蓋不可不知也。圖之妙在乎終坤始復，循環無窮；其至妙則又在乎坤復之交，一動一靜之間。愚嘗學此矣，徧閱《雲笈》，略曉其一二，忽遇隱者授以讀《易》之法，乃盡得環中之秘。反而求之吾身，則康節邵子所謂太極、所謂天根月窟、所謂三十六宮，靡不備焉，是謂身中之易。

Yu Yan's "Preface" to "Yi Wai Bi Chuan" says: "Yi Wai Bi Chuan" discusses the secret of the Earlier Heaven diagram, known as "Huanzhong," which is the kind of learning found in the Han dynasty scholar Wei Boyang's "Cantong Qi." Human beings exist between heaven and earth, with their heads resembling Heaven (Qian) and their bellies resembling Earth (Kun). Their breathing corresponds with the sun and moon, and they share the same yin and yang principles as heaven and earth. The "Yi" discusses precisely the way of yin and yang, so Wei Boyang used the "Yi" to explain his alchemical methods. Basically, all of this does not go beyond this one diagram of the Earlier Heaven. Although this is only a continuation of the "Yi" tradition, it is also an essential matter for gentlemen to cultivate their health, and it is something that should not be unknown. The wonderful aspect of this diagram lies in its beginning with the hexagram "Fu" and ending with "Kun," forming an endless cycle. Its most wonderful aspect is the moment when "Kun" and "Fu" meet, the instant of one movement and one stillness. I once studied this subject, reading extensively works like "Yunji Qi Jian," and I understood a little. Later, I suddenly met a hermit who taught me the method of reading the "Yi," and only then did I fully grasp the secret of "Huanzhong." Looking back and seeking within myself, I found that what Shao Yong spoke of as the Taiji, the heavenly root and lunar cave, and the thirty-six palaces, were all present, which is called the "Yi within the body."

又書其後曰：先天圖環中之極玄，愚雖弗暇専志從事於斯，而丹之妙用非苟知之，蓋嘗試之者也，故敢直指方士之所靳，以破學者之惑。嘗慨夫世所傳丹家之書，廋辭隠語，使覽者無罅縫可入，往往目眩心碎而掩卷長嘆。如蔡季通、袁機仲嘗與朱子共訂正《參同契》矣，雖能考其字義，然不得其的傳，未免臆度而已。愚今既得所傳，又何忍緘黙以自私？乃述是書，附於《周易集說》之後，而名之曰《易外別傳》，蓋謂丹家之說雖出於《易》，不過依仿而托之者，初非《易》之本義也。

He also wrote in the colophon that the idea of the "circle in the center" in the Earlier Heaven diagram is extremely profound and subtle. Although I have no leisure to devote myself fully to this study, the subtle practices of alchemy are not something that can be heard casually, but rather something I have personally experienced. Therefore, I dare to directly reveal the secret teachings that alchemists have kept hidden, in order to dispel the doubts of scholars. I often feel sorrowful that the books passed down by alchemists are full of cryptic and obscure language, making it impossible for readers to find any entrance. They often read until they become confused and tired, closing the book with sighs of regret. For instance, Cai Yuan ding (whose name was Jitong), Yuan Shu (whose name was Jizhong) once collaborated with Zhu Xi in editing the "Cantongqi," although they were able to clarify the meanings of the words, they did not receive the accurate transmission, and thus their interpretations remained mere guesses. Now that I have received the transmission, how could I bear to remain silent and keep it for myself? Therefore, I have written this book and attached it to the end of "Zhouyi Jishuo," naming it "Yi Wai Bi Chuan." The meaning is that although the doctrines of alchemists come from the Book of Changes, they are merely dependent on the Book of Changes and寄托 upon it, and are not the original meaning of the Book of Changes.

《易外別傳》曰：《參同契》云「終坤始復，如循連環」，《皇極經世書》云「先天圖者，環中也」。愚謂人之一身即先天圖，心居人身之中，猶太極在先天圖之中，朱紫陽謂「中間空處」是也。圖自復而始，至坤而終，終始相連如環，故謂之環。環中者，六十四卦環於其外，即太極居其中也。在《易》為太極，在人為心，人知心為太極，則可以語道矣。

The *External Transmission of the Book of Changes* says: The *Supplement to the Supreme Concord* explains that "it ends with the *Kun* hexagram and begins with the *Fu* hexagram, resembling a continuous ring." The *Supreme Principles Governing the World* states that the *Earlier Heaven Diagram* is the "ring in the center." I believe that a person's body is like a *Earlier Heaven Diagram*: the heart is at the center of the body, just as the *Taiji* (Supreme Ultimate) is at the center of the *Earlier Heaven Diagram*. Zhu Xi's reference to "the empty space in the middle" refers to this. The diagram starts with the *Fu* hexagram and ends with the *Kun* hexagram, with the beginning and end connected like a circle, hence called "ring." The term "ring in the center" means that the sixty-four hexagrams are arranged around it, while the *Taiji* resides in the center. In the *Book of Changes*, this is called *Taiji*, but in the human body, it is called the heart. When a person understands that the heart is *Taiji*, he can then discuss the great Dao with him.

又云：冬至之後為呼，夏至之後為吸，此天地一歲之呼吸也。愚謂冬至後自復而乾，屬陽，故以為呼；夏至後自姤而坤，屬陰，故以為吸。呼乃氣之出，故屬冬至之後；吸乃氣之入，故屬夏至之後。大則為天地一歲之呼吸，小則為人身一息之呼吸。《參同契》曰「龍呼於虎，虎吸龍精」，又曰「呼吸相含育，佇息為夫婦」，蓋以呼吸為龍虎，為夫婦。千經萬論，譬諭紛紛，不過呼吸兩字而已矣。

It is also said that after the winter solstice, there is "hū" (exhalation), and after the summer solstice, there is "xí" (inhalation), representing the breath of heaven and earth over the course of a year. I believe that after the winter solstice, from the hexagram "Fù" (Return) to "Qián" (Heaven), it belongs to yang, so it is considered exhalation; after the summer solstice, from "Gòu" (Meeting) to "Kūn" (Earth), it belongs to yin, so it is considered inhalation. Exhalation is the movement of qi outward, hence it corresponds to after the winter solstice; inhalation is the movement of qi inward, hence it corresponds to after the summer solstice. Broadly speaking, this represents the breath of heaven and earth over a year; narrowly speaking, it is the breath of a person in a single inhalation and exhalation. The "Cāntongqì" says, "The dragon exhales to the tiger, and the tiger absorbs the dragon's essence," and also says, "Exhalation and inhalation mutually nurture each other, holding one's breath and focusing the mind is like the union of husband and wife." This compares breathing to dragon and tiger, and to husband and wife. Countless scriptures and discussions, with various analogies, all come down to the two words "breathing."

又曰：「一動一靜，天地之至妙者與；一動一靜之間，天地人之至妙至妙者與。」愚謂圖左自復至乾，陽之動也；圖右自姤至坤，陰之靜也。一動一靜之間，乃坤末復初陰陽之交，在一歲為冬至，在一月為晦朔之間，在一日則亥末子初是也。吾身之乾坤內交，靜極機發，而與天地之機相應，是誠天地人之至妙至妙者也。

It is also said: "One movement and one stillness are probably the most mysterious things in the universe; and the moment when one movement meets one stillness is probably the most mysterious thing among heaven, earth, and humanity." I believe the left half of the diagram, from the hexagram of "Return" to "Heaven," represents the movement of yang energy; the right half, from "Meeting" to "Earth," represents the stillness of yin energy. The point where movement and stillness meet is exactly where yin and yang converge at the end of "Earth" and the beginning of "Return": in a year, this is the winter solstice; in a month, it is between the last day and the first day; in a day, it is between the end of the亥 hour and the beginning of the子 hour. The yin and yang within my own body converge, reaching the utmost stillness and then the vital energy arises, thus resonating with the vital energy of heaven and earth. This is indeed the most mysterious thing among heaven, earth, and humanity.

又云：「無極之前，陰含陽也；有象之後，陽分陰也。」朱紫陽曰：邵子就圖上說循環之意，自姤至坤是陰含陽，自復至乾是陽分陰，坤復之間是無極。袁機仲曰：朱子謂坤復之間乃無極，其論察矣。又詩云：「忽然夜半一聲雷，萬戸千門次第開。若識無中含有象，許君親見伏羲來。」無中含有象，即是坤復之間無極而太極也。邵子之學，非朱子孰能明之？

He also said: "Before the state of Wuji, yin contained yang; after there was form, yang differentiated into yin." Zhu Xi said that Shao Yong was explaining the cyclical meaning in the diagram, from the hexagram Guo to Kun representing yin containing yang, and from Fu to Qian representing yang differentiating into yin. The space between Kun and Fu is Wuji. Yuan Shu said: Zhu Xi's view that the space between Kun and Fu is Wuji is very precise. Zhu Xi also wrote a poem saying: "Suddenly at midnight, a thunderclap echoes, and doors and windows open one after another. If you can recognize the image of 'having' within 'non-being,' you will be allowed to personally see Fuxi coming." The so-called "non-being containing image" is precisely the "Wuji giving rise to Taiji" between Kun and Fu. Who else besides Zhu Xi could explain Shao Yong's learning?

內煉之道，至簡至易，唯欲降心火入于丹田耳。丹田在臍之後、腎之前，正居腹中。丹家諱言心腎，謂心腎非坎離，蓋指呼吸為坎離，殊不思呼吸乃坎離之用，心腎乃坎離之體。人之一身，心為之主，故獨居中；腎為之基，故獨居下。丹家不言心腎而言身心，身即腹也，腎在其中矣，豈可舍腎哉？腎屬水，心屬火，火入水中，則水火交媾，如晦朔之間日月之合璧。

The principle of internal alchemy is extremely simple and easy; it is merely about bringing the fire of the heart down into the dantian. The dantian is located behind the navel and in front of the two kidneys, right in the center of the abdominal cavity. Internal alchemists avoid mentioning the heart and the kidneys, saying that the heart and kidney are not the坎 and 离, but instead take breathing as the坎 and 离. However, they fail to realize that breathing is only the 'use' of the坎 and 离, while the heart and kidney are the 'essence' of the坎 and 离. In the human body, the heart is the master, hence it is located in the center; the kidney is the foundation, hence it is located at the lower part. Internal alchemists do not speak of the heart and kidney but refer to 'body' and 'heart,' where 'body' means the abdomen, and since the kidney is originally within it, how can they ignore the kidney? The kidney belongs to water, and the heart belongs to fire. When fire enters water, water and fire unite, just like the conjunction of the new and full moon, where the sun and moon form a single circle.

《易》曰「山澤通氣」，又曰「二氣感應以相與」。愚按《參同契》云：「自然之所為兮，非有邪偽道；若山澤氣相烝兮，興雲而為雨。」蓋人身之陰陽絪縕交結于丹田，則升於泥丸，滃然如云，化為甘澤。陳希夷詩云「倏爾火輪煎地脈，愕然神瀵湧山椒」，與此同旨（神瀵出《列子》）。嘗謂山澤之氣相通，由其虛也，唯虛也故二氣感應以相與，不虛則窒而不通，安能相與？

The Book of Changes says, "Mountains and marshes communicate through their energies," and also says, "Yin and yang energies respond to each other and are mutually affectionate." I follow the Shentongqi in saying, "This is a natural occurrence, with no perverse or false methods; just like the energies of mountains and marshes rise and mingle, forming clouds that become rain." The yin and yang energies in the human body intertwine and condense in the dan田, then rise to the niwan, forming a dense cloud-like appearance, which then transforms into sweet bodily fluids. Chen Tuan's poem says, "Suddenly the fire wheel boils the earth's veins, and when startled, the divine spring surges up the mountain peak," which expresses exactly this meaning ("shenfou" is a term from the Liezi). I often say that mountains and marshes can communicate because there is emptiness between them; precisely because of this emptiness, the two energies can respond and interact. If there is no emptiness, there would be blockage, and how could they interact?

內煉之道貴乎心虛，心虛則神凝，神凝則氣聚，氣聚則興云為雨，與山澤相似。《離騷·逺遊篇》云：「道可受兮而不可傳，其小無內兮其大無垠，母滑而魂兮彼將自然，壹氣孔神兮於中夜存，虛以待之兮無為之先。」朱紫陽注云：「蓋廣成子之告黃帝，不過如此，實神仙之要訣也。」

The principle of internal cultivation lies in mental emptiness: mental emptiness allows the spirit to gather, the spirit's gathering leads to the accumulation of energy, and the accumulation of energy can summon clouds and cause rain, just as mountains and marshes communicate with each other. The "Chu Ci · Yuan You" says: "The Dao can be received but not transmitted through words; it is so small that it has no inner part, and so vast that it has no boundaries; do not disturb your soul and spirit, for it will naturally follow its course; concentrate your energy and reach its profound mystery, keeping it in mind at midnight; wait quietly for it, without rushing ahead before it begins." Zhu Xi explains in his commentary: "This is roughly what the broad-minded elder Guangcheng told the Yellow Emperor, and indeed, this is the essential secret of the immortal practices."

醫書云：人身有任、督二脈。任脈者，起於中極之下，以上毛際，循腹裡上闗元，至咽喉，屬陰脈之海；督脈者，起於下極之腀，並於脊裡，上至風府，入腦上顛，循額至鼻柱，屬陽脈之海。所以為任脈者，女子得之以姙養也；謂之督脈者，以其督領經脈之海也。鹿運尾閭，蓋能通其督脈者也；龜納鼻息，蓋能通其任脈者也。人能通此二脈，則百脈皆通。《黃庭經》云「皆在心內運天經，晝夜存之自長生」，天經乃吾身之黃道，呼吸往來於此，即任督二脈是也。

Medical texts say that the human body has two meridians, the Ren meridian and the Du meridian. The Ren meridian begins below the Zhongji acupoint, ascends along the edge of the pubic hair, runs along the inner side of the abdomen passing through the Guanyuan acupoint, and reaches the throat, serving as the convergence of all the yin meridians in the body. The Du meridian begins at the meeting point of the genitalia, runs alongside the inner side of the spine, ascends to the Fengfu acupoint, enters the brain, and continues upward to the top of the head, then follows the forehead down to the nose. It serves as the convergence of all the yang meridians in the body. It is called the Ren meridian because it is essential for women to conceive and nurture a fetus; it is called the Du meridian because it oversees and governs all the other meridians. Deer are good at moving their tail闾, which may be because they can open the Du meridian; turtles are good at breathing through their nose, which may be because they can open the Ren meridian. If a person can open these two meridians, all the hundred meridians in the body will become unblocked. The Huangting Jing says, "All things revolve within the heart according to the heavenly path, day and night one should maintain and guard naturally for long life." The so-called "heavenly path" refers to the Yellow Path on my body, through which breathing flows, which is precisely the Ren and Du meridians.

按：石澗，精於《參同契》者也，不徒心解之，且身試之，故知先天圖為老氏之易而非聖人之易，著書以闡其幽，名之曰《易外別傳》，以為丹家所依託，非《易》之本義。自有先天圖以來，知其妙而不使之混於《易》中者，唯石澗一人（明萬厯中有莆田林兆恩者，號三教先生，其徒述其說以成書，亦名《易外別傳》，而其指大異。石澗卻道家於《易》外，三教混釋老於《易》中，邪正相去懸絶）。

Hu Wei remarked: Yu Yan (with the courtesy name Shijian) was an expert in the "Supplement to the Supreme Ultimate," he did not only understand it in his mind, but also practiced it personally, so he knew that the Earlier Heaven diagram belonged to the Daoist school of thought, not to the Sage's "Book of Changes." He wrote a book to explain its subtle meanings, titled "An Extraordinary Transmission Outside the Book of Changes," believing that it was the Daoist alchemists who used the "Book of Changes" as a cover, and not the original meaning of the "Book of Changes." Since the emergence of the Earlier Heaven diagram, only Yu Yan was able to recognize its subtlety and prevent it from being mixed into the "Book of Changes." (In the Ming Dynasty, during the Wanli period, there was a person from Putian named Lin Zhaogeng, with the courtesy name Sanchiao, his disciples recorded his teachings and compiled them into a book, also named "An Extraordinary Transmission Outside the Book of Changes," but its doctrine was entirely different. Yu Yan placed Daoism outside the "Book of Changes," while the doctrine of the three teachings mixed Buddhism and Daoism into the "Book of Changes," thus being extremely different from the correct path.)

魏伯陽，丹經王也，希夷、康節乃其嫡派正傳，所言皆老氏之易也。康節橫圖以白代—、以黒代--，實本希夷。然《天地自然之圖》本謂龍馬授伏羲者如是，而伏羲則之以畫卦，變白黒為—、--耳；康節乃謂伏羲所作亦如是，然則伏羲之後更有何人變白黒為—、--如今卦首所列之六畫乎？

Feyi Yang is known as the king of alchemical texts. Chen Tuan and Shao Yong are his direct descendants and followers, and what they discussed was all based on the school of Laozi's "Book of Changes." Shao Yong's horizontal diagram used white to represent the yang line "—" and black to represent the yin line "--," which actually originated from Chen Tuan. However, the original "Diagram of Heaven and Earth Naturally" was said to be the pattern given to Fuxi by the dragon horse, and Fuxi took it as a model to draw the hexagrams, changing white and black into "—" and "--." Shao Yong, however, claimed that Fuxi's hexagrams were originally in white and black. Then, who after Fuxi changed white and black into "—" and "--," resulting in the six lines currently listed at the beginning of the hexagrams?

又兩儀四象八卦，希夷皆子在母中，康節卻子在母外，雖取法希夷，而實失先天之本意矣。希夷之圖止有八卦方位，而無其次序。康節既獨出臆見，於一竒一偶之上各加一竒一偶之三畫，而為乾一、兌二、離三、震四、巽五、坎六、艮七、坤八矣，又欲附會於希夷，乃以「天地定位」一章當希夷八卦方位，就中推出次序。

Now talking about the Two Principles, Four Symbols, and Eight Trigrams, Chen Tuan's diagram places the son within the mother, while Shao Yong places the son outside the mother. Though he took inspiration from Chen Tuan, he actually abandoned the original meaning of the Earlier Heaven diagram. Chen Tuan's diagram only includes the positions of the Eight Trigrams, without any sequence. Shao Yong, having formed his own independent view, added one odd and one even principle at each level, resulting in three lines and thus deriving the sequence: Qian one, Dui two, Li three, Zhen four, Xun five, Kan six, Gen seven, Kun eight. He also wanted to connect with Chen Tuan, so he compared the chapter "Heaven and Earth are positioned" from the "Shuo Gua" with Chen Tuan's diagram of the Eight Trigrams, and from there he established a sequence.

其左半乾兌離震適符橫圖之一二三四，遂以為「數往者順」；至右半坤艮坎巽，則與橫圖正相反，乃從中拗轉為巽五、坎六、艮七、坤八，以為「知來者逆」，斯不亦矯揉造作，失天地自然之妙乎？且次序與方位元不相謀，未聞乾坤三索之序由出震齊巽之位而定也，何獨於先天合之？故圓圖抽坎填離，猶是丹家之遺制，而橫圖則無謂甚矣。

The left half of the diagram, consisting of Qian, Dui, Li, and Zhen, exactly corresponds to the order of one, two, three, and four in the horizontal diagram. He therefore says this represents "following the numbers of the past." However, when it comes to the right half, consisting of Kun, Gen, Kan, and Xun, they are exactly opposite to the horizontal diagram. Therefore, they are reversed in the middle and arranged as Xun five, Kan six, Gen seven, and Kun eight, which he says represents "knowing the future in reverse." Is this not artificial and contrived, thereby losing the natural essence of heaven and earth? Moreover, the order and the direction are fundamentally different things. There has never been a mention that the order of the three sons generated by Qian and Kun is determined by the directional statements in the "Sayings on the Hexagrams" such as "The Emperor arises from Zhen and harmonizes with Xun." Why then, specifically in the Earlier Heaven diagram, are these two aspects forced together? Therefore, the circular diagram's "drawing out Kan and filling Li" is still a method left by alchemists, but the horizontal diagram is indeed without reason.

乃復引而伸之為六十四卦次序，遂至有四畫五畫之卦。夫此四畫五畫者，將名曰某卦乎？抑仍謂之兩儀四象乎？如以為兩儀四象，則八卦之後不應復有兩儀四象也。或曰此康節之數學，知來之道寓焉。然吾觀《皇極經世書》，其所推元會運世之數及天地萬物之變，恐別有方術，未必用加一倍法也。

He then extended and derived the horizontal diagram into the order of the sixty-four trigrams, thus producing trigrams with four and five lines. What should these four- and five-line figures be called? Should they still be called the two principles (two yi) and the four images (four xiang)? If they are considered as two yi and four xiang, then after the eight trigrams there should not be two yi and four xiang again. Some people say this is Shao Yong's mathematics, and the principle of foreknowledge is contained within it. But I think that in The Supreme Principles Governing the World, he calculated the numbers of the great cycle (yuan), great era (hui), great movement (yun), and great age (shi), as well as the changes of heaven and earth and all things, which probably involved another system of methods, not necessarily the 'doubling method'.

竒偶之上各加竒偶，只因錯解「易有太極」一節，遂以揲蓍生爻之次序為始作八卦之次序耳。然則大小橫圖，既戾於聖人之經，又絶非希夷之指，先天之贅肬也，安得冠諸經首以為伏羲不言之教乎？

Adding odd and even again upon odd and even was merely due to a misinterpretation of the passage in the Great Treatise "The Book of Changes has the Supreme Ultimate," which led to taking the sequence of divining with yarrow stalks as the original sequence for drawing the Eight Trigrams. In this view, both the large and small horizontal diagrams contradict the sages' texts and completely deviate from Chen Tuan's original intent. They are like a tumor on the body of the Earlier Heaven school, how can they be placed before the text of the Zhou Changes as the unspoken teaching of Fuxi?

右論邵子伏羲六十四卦方位。

The above section examines the diagram of the "Fuxi Sixty-Four Hexagram Directions" transmitted by Shao Yong.

《繋辭傳》曰：乾坤其易之縕邪？乾坤成列，而易立乎其中矣。乾坤毀，則無以見易；易不可見，則乾坤或幾乎息矣。

The Great Treatise says: The Qian and Kun hexagrams are probably the fundamental elements contained within the Book of Changes. Once Qian and Kun are arranged in sequence, the structure of the Book of Changes is thereby established. If Qian and Kun were destroyed, the Book of Changes would be invisible; and if the Book of Changes is invisible, then the functions of Qian and Kun would be nearly ceased.

南軒張氏曰：乾坤其易之門，言易出入於乾坤也；乾坤其易之縕，言易含蓄於乾坤也。

Nanxuan Zhang Shi said: The "Great Treatise" discusses "Qian and Kun are the gate of the Book of Changes," meaning the changes of the Book of Changes come in and out between the Qian and Kun hexagrams. It also discusses "Qian and Kun are the essence of the Book of Changes," meaning all the content of the Book of Changes is contained within the Qian and Kun hexagrams.

《本義》曰：縕，所包蓄者，猶衣之著（音灼）也。易之所有，陰陽而已。凡陽皆乾，凡陰皆坤，畫卦定位，則二者成列，而易之體立矣。乾坤毀，謂卦畫不立；乾坤息，謂變化不行。

Zhu Xi's "The Original Meaning of the Zhou Changes" says: "Wen" refers to the thing wrapped and contained, like the cotton stuffing in a piece of clothing (the character "zhuo" is read as "zhuo"). The content contained in the "Zhou Changes" is nothing but yin and yang. All yang aspects are categorized under Qian, and all yin aspects are categorized under Kun; by drawing the hexagrams and establishing their positions, yin and yang are arranged in order, and thus the essence of the "Zhou Changes" is established. What is meant by "the destruction of Qian and Kun" is that the hexagram forms cannot be established; what is meant by "the cessation of Qian and Kun" is that transformation cannot proceed.

《語類》曰：乾坤只是說二卦，此易只是說易之書，與「天地定位，易行乎其中」之易不同，行乎其中者卻是說易之道理。又曰：大抵易之言乾坤者多以卦言，易立乎其中，只是乾坤之卦既成而易立矣。又曰：乾坤只言卦，易只是陰陽卦畫。

The Zhu Zi Yu Leiu records: here, Qian and Kun refer only to the two trigrams, and the term "Yi" here refers only to the book of The Zhou Changes, which is different from the "Yi" in the sentence "Heaven and Earth are positioned, and Yi operates in the middle." The "Yi" in "operates in the middle" refers to the principle of change. It also says: generally speaking, the Yi discusses Qian and Kun mainly in terms of the trigrams; "Yi is established in the middle" merely means that once the trigrams Qian and Kun have been formed, the Yi is thereby established. It also says: Qian and Kun refer here only to the trigrams, and "Yi" refers only to the trigrams of yin and yang.

按：陰陽一畫，但可謂之剛柔，不可謂之乾坤。凡言乾坤者，皆純陽純陰之卦，非三畫則六畫，此經主三畫而言（《雜卦》「乾剛坤柔」主六畫）。《本義》云「凡陽皆乾，凡陰皆坤」，則似一畫亦可謂之乾坤，非經意也。易謂卦畫之交易而成變化者，乾坤成列，則六子及重卦皆在其中，故曰易之縕。乾坤毀無以見易，謂無乾坤二卦，則六十四卦無由而出；易不可見，乾坤或幾乎息，謂無易書，則天地變化之道不著，殆與滅息相似。此乾坤字義與上不同。

Hu Wei's commentary: The single line of yin or yang can only be called gāng (masculine) or róu (feminine), not Qian or Kun. Any reference to Qian and Kun refers to hexagrams that are entirely yang or entirely yin, which are either the three-line simple trigrams or the six-line compound hexagrams. This passage from the Great Treatise discusses the simple trigrams. The Miscellaneous Hexagram Transmission says "Qian is masculine, Kun is feminine," which refers to the compound hexagrams. The Original Meaning of the Zhou Changes states "all yang is Qian, all yin is Kun," which sounds as if a single line can be called Qian or Kun. This does not align with the original meaning of the text. "Yi" refers to the changing interactions of the hexagram lines that produce transformation. Once Qian and Kun are arranged in order, the six subsidiary trigrams—Zhen, Kan, Gen, Xun, Li, and Dui—as well as the sixty-four compound hexagrams are all included within them. Therefore, it is called "Yi's essence." "If Qian and Kun are destroyed, there would be no way to see Yi" means that without the hexagrams of Qian and Kun, the sixty-four hexagrams could not arise. "If Yi is not visible, then Qian and Kun might almost cease" means that without the Zhou Changes text, the way of transformation in heaven and earth would not be revealed, almost as if it were ceasing to exist. The meaning of the words "Qian and Kun" here is different from what was mentioned earlier.

乾坤其易之門邪？乾，陽物也；坤，陰物也。陰陽合徳而剛柔有體，以體天地之撰，以通神明之徳。

The Great Treatise also says: Qian and Kun are perhaps the gateways of the Book of Changes? Qian represents the Yang principle, and Kun represents the Yin principle. When the Yin and Yang principles combine, the qualities of firmness and flexibility take form, thus enabling the comprehension of the forms and conditions of all things in heaven and earth, and the harmonious union with the virtue of the divine.

南軒張氏曰：以卦言之，乾之三竒乃陽物也，坤之三耦乃陰物也。三竒三耦索而為六子，互體卦變積而為六十四，此陰陽合徳而剛柔有體也。

Nanxuan Zhang Shi said: In terms of the hexagrams, the three yang lines of the Qian hexagram represent yang substances, and the three even lines of the Kun hexagram represent yin substances. The three yang and three yin lines interact and generate the six subordinate hexagrams of Zhen, Kan, Gen, Xun, Li, and Dui. These are further developed through the concepts of 'mutual constitution' and 'hexagram transformation,' accumulating into the sixty-four hexagrams. This is what is called 'yin and yang combine in virtue and the firm and yielding have their forms.'

《本義》曰：諸卦剛柔之體，皆以乾坤合徳而成，故曰乾坤易之門。撰，猶事也。

Zhu Xi's "The Original Meaning of the Zhou Changes" says: The forms of yin and yang in each hexagram are all formed by the union of the virtues of the Qian and Kun trigrams. Therefore, Qian and Kun are the gateways of the Zhou Changes. The character "zhuàn" is equivalent in meaning to "shì", referring to the conditions and phenomena of the world.

按：陰陽合徳，謂一再三索；剛柔有體，謂六子成列也。因而重之為六十四，變化無窮，皆出於乾坤二卦，故曰易之門。自康節有伏羲先畫一竒一耦之說，世皆指乾坤為一畫，經旨鬱而不宣，茲特為正之。

Hu Wei remarked: "Yin and yang combine in virtue" refers to the generation of the six sons through the first, second, and third combinations of Qian and Kun. "Hard and soft have form" refers to each of the six sons forming their own sequence. By combining the eight trigrams two by two, sixty-four trigrams are formed, with infinite changes, all originating from Qian and Kun. Therefore, Qian and Kun are the gateways of the Book of Changes. Since Shao Yong proposed the idea that Fuxi first drew one odd and one even line, people have since regarded Qian and Kun as single lines, thus obscuring the original meaning of the classic text. Here, this is specially corrected.

《說卦傳》曰：乾，天也，故稱乎父；坤，地也，故稱乎母。震一索而得男，故謂之長男；巽一索而得女，故謂之長女；坎再索而得男，故謂之中男；離再索而得女，故謂之中女；艮三索而得男，故謂之少男；兌三索而得女，故謂之少女。

The *Sayings on the Trigrams* states: Qian represents Heaven, so it is called the father; Kun represents Earth, so it is called the mother. Zhen is the first to seek and obtain a male, so it is called the Eldest Son; Xun is the first to seek and obtain a female, so it is called the Eldest Daughter; Kan is the second to seek and obtain a male, so it is called the Middle Son; Li is the second to seek and obtain a female, so it is called the Middle Daughter; Gen is the third to seek and obtain a male, so it is called the Youngest Son; Dui is the third to seek and obtain a female, so it is called the Youngest Daughter.

南軒張氏栻曰：老陽為父，老陰為母。老陽能變，故自下而索震為長男，自中而索坎為中男，自上而索艮為少男；老陰能變，故自下而索巽為長女，自中而索離為中女，自上而索兌為少女。

Nanxuan Zhang Shi said: Old Yang is the father, old Yin is the mother. Old Yang can move, so from the lower line it forms Zhen, representing the eldest son; from the middle line it forms Kan, representing the middle son; and from the upper line it forms Gen, representing the youngest son. Old Yin can also move, so from the lower line it forms Xun, representing the eldest daughter; from the middle line it forms Li, representing the middle daughter; and from the upper line it forms Dui, representing the youngest daughter.

《本義》曰：索，求也，謂揲蓍以求爻也。男女指卦中一陰一陽之爻而言。

Zhu Xi's "The Original Meaning of the Zhou Changes" says: "Suo" means to seek or obtain, referring to the process of dividing the yarrow stalks to determine the lines. Here, the terms male and female refer to a single yin line or a single yang line within the hexagram.

《語類》曰：震一索而得男一段，看來不當専作揲蓍看，揲蓍有不依這序時便說不通。大概只是乾求於坤而得震坎艮，坤求於乾而得巽離兌，一二三者以其畫之次序言也。

Master Zhu says: "When the trigram Zhen is obtained by one count," this passage should not be understood solely in terms of divination with yarrow stalks, because in the practice of divination with yarrow stalks, such a sequence does not always occur, which would make the explanation inconsistent. Generally speaking, it refers to the trigrams Zhen, Kan, and Gen being obtained when Heaven seeks from Earth, and the trigrams Xun, Li, and Dui being obtained when Earth seeks from Heaven. The terms "one count," "two counts," and "three counts" refer to the order of the lines in the trigrams.

按：揲蓍之說本諸漢上，甚無理，故《語録》不從，而《本義》乃未及改正。李秀巖謂《本義》在前，《語録》在後，其間有十數條意義尤密者，此蓋其一也。

Hu Wei commented: interpreting "suo" as the process of divining lines by drawing stalks of chrysanthemum, this interpretation originally comes from Zhu Zhen's "The Transmission of the Zhou Changes from the Han River," which is very unreasonable. Therefore, Master Zhu's "Collected Sayings" did not adopt this view. However, since "The Original Meaning of the Zhou Changes" was written earlier, it could not be corrected. Li Xinzhuan (Xiuyan) said that "The Original Meaning" was written first and "The Collected Sayings" was recorded later. Among the dozens of sayings in "The Collected Sayings," several are more precise than those in "The Original Meaning." This is probably one of them.

朱子《荅袁機仲書》曰：自初未有畫時說到六畫滿處者，邵子所謂先天之學也；卦成之後各因一義推說，邵子所謂後天之學也。今來喻所引《繫辭》《說卦》三才六位之說，即所謂後天者也。先天後天既各自為一義，而後天說中取義又多不同，彼此自不相妨，不可執一而廢百也。若執此說，必謂聖人初畫卦時只見一個三才，便更不問事由，一連便埽出三畫以擬其象，畫成之後子細看來見使不得，又旋劃壁添出後一半截，此則全是私意杜撰補接，豈復更有易邪？

Zhu Xi in his letter "Answer to Yuan Jizhong" says: Starting from the beginning with no lines drawn, proceeding step by step until six lines are completed, this is what Shao Yong called "Earlier Heaven learning." After the hexagram structure is formed, interpreting and explaining it according to various meanings is what Shao Yong called "Later Heaven learning." The tripartite and six positions mentioned in the "Great Treatise" and "Explanations of the Hexagrams" in the present letter belong to the Later Heaven approach. Since Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven have each become their own principles, and the Later Heaven approach has various interpretations, they do not interfere with each other. One cannot fix on one interpretation and discard the rest. If one rigidly adheres to your interpretation, then one would have to say that the sage originally drew the hexagrams by seeing only the concept of the three elements, and without further consideration, drew three lines at once to imitate its image. After completing the hexagram, upon closer examination, it proved inadequate, so he hastily added the remaining half later. This would be entirely fabricated and pieced together, and there would be no "Book of Changes" left at all.

又曰：據邵氏說，先天者伏羲所畫之易也，後天者文王所演之易也。伏羲之易，初無文字，只有一圖以寓其象數，而天地萬物之理、陰陽始終之變具焉。文王之易，即今之《周易》，而孔子所為作傳者是也。孔子既因文王之易以作傳，則其所論固當專以文王之易為主，然不推本伏羲作易畫卦之所由，則學者必將誤認文王所演之易便為伏羲始畫之易，只從中半說起，不識向上根原矣。

Zhu Xi also said: According to Shao Yong's view, "Earlier Heaven" refers to the Book of Changes drawn by Fuxi, while "Later Heaven" refers to the Book of Changes interpreted by King Wen. Fuxi's Book of Changes originally had no written text, only a diagram used to express its images and numbers, and all the principles of heaven and earth, as well as the changes of yin and yang, were contained within it. King Wen's Book of Changes is the present Zhou Changes, which is the book that Confucius wrote the commentary for. Since Confucius based his commentary on King Wen's Book of Changes, what he discussed naturally should focus on King Wen's Book of Changes. However, if we do not trace back to the origin of Fuxi's drawing of the trigrams, scholars will inevitably mistake King Wen's interpretation of the Book of Changes for Fuxi's original drawing, starting only from the middle, and thus fail to recognize the fundamental source above.

故十翼之中，如「八卦成列，因而重之」，太極、兩儀、四象、八卦，與天地、山澤、雷風、水火之類，皆本伏羲畫卦之意；而今新書原卦畫一篇，亦分兩儀，伏羲在前，文王在後。必欲知聖人作易之本，則當考伏羲之畫；若只欲知今易書文義，則但求之文王之經、孔子之傳足矣。兩者初不相妨，而亦不可以相雜。來教乃謂専為邵氏解釋，而於易經無所折衷，則恐考之有未詳也。

Therefore, in the Ten Wings, statements such as "The eight trigrams are arranged in sequence, and then combined again" and concepts like the Taiji, two principles, four images, eight trigrams, as well as terms like heaven and earth, mountains and marshes, thunder and wind, water and fire, all originate from the intention behind Fuxi's drawing of the trigrams. In my newly written work, The Awakening of the Yi, the section titled "Original Meaning of the Trigrams" is divided into two parts, with the section on Fuxi coming first and the section on King Wen coming later. If one wishes to clarify the fundamental intent of the sages in composing the Yi, one should investigate the trigrams drawn by Fuxi. If one merely wants to understand the meaning of the present text of the Yi, then referring to King Wen's hexagrams and Confucius' commentaries would suffice. These two approaches do not interfere with each other, but they should not be confused. However, your letter says that I am merely explaining for the Shao school, and that my work does not provide a balanced interpretation of the Yi itself. Perhaps your examination has not been thorough enough.

按：伏羲胷羅造化，全體太極，仰觀俯察，近取逺取，三才之道了了於心目之間，便一連埽出三畫，有何不可，而必一生二、二生四、四生八，作巧推排計邪？一連埽出者為私意杜撰補接，然則逐爻生出者，豈反非杜撰補接邪？孔子之傳無一語推本伏羲者則已，既有推本伏羲者，則何以知兩儀四象為伏羲之所畫，而乾坤三索為文王之所演邪？先天後天強生分別，前第六卷中辨之已詳。知彼逐爻生出之為謬，則知一連埽出三畫而交易以成六子者，真伏羲之易而非文王之易矣。曉人自解，無庸辭費也。

Hu Wei commented: Fuxi's mind encompassed the creation of heaven and earth, fully possessing the whole of the Taiji. He looked up to observe the heavenly phenomena, looked down to examine the geographical features, drew near to study his own body, and looked far to observe all things. The principles of the three elements were clearly visible in his mind. Thus, he could draw the three lines in one breath. What is there that cannot be done? Why must there be a process of one giving birth to two, two giving birth to four, and four giving birth to eight, using that kind of clever and artificial reasoning? According to Zhu Xi's interpretation, drawing the three lines in one breath is considered an arbitrary fabrication. Then, if the lines are drawn one by one in sequence, is that not also an arbitrary fabrication? If Confucius' commentary does not trace back to Fuxi at all, that would be acceptable. But since there are indeed references to Fuxi, then on what basis can we determine that the two principles and four images were drawn by Fuxi, while the trigrams and their six sons were developed by King Wen? The distinction between the Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven is artificially divided into two parts, and this has already been thoroughly discussed in the sixth volume. Once we understand that the method of generating the lines one by one is wrong, we will realize that the true Yi of Fuxi is the one where the three lines are drawn in one breath and then interact and change to produce the six sons. This is not the Yi of King Wen. Those who understand naturally will comprehend, and there is no need to waste words.

右論邵子文王八卦次序。

The previous section examines the origin and the actual meaning of the name of the "King Wen's Eight Trigrams Sequence Diagram" transmitted by Shao Yong.

《說卦傳》曰：帝出乎震，齊乎巽，相見乎離，致役乎坤，說言乎兌，戰乎乾，勞乎坎，成言乎艮。萬物出乎震，震，東方也。齊乎巽，巽，東南也；齊也者，言萬物之潔齊也。離也者，明也，萬物皆相見，南方之卦也；聖人南面而聴天下，蓋取諸此也。坤也者，地也，萬物皆致養焉，故曰致役乎坤。兌，正秋也，萬物之所說也，故曰說言乎兌。戰乎乾，乾，西北之卦也，言陰陽相薄也。坎者，水也，正北方之卦也，勞卦也，萬物之所歸也，故曰勞乎坎。艮，東北之卦也，萬物之所以成終而所成始也，故曰成言乎艮。

The *Sayings on the Trigrams* says: The "Emperor" who governs all things originates from the trigram Zhen (Thunder), then reaches Xun (Wind) and becomes clean and orderly, then reaches Li (Fire) and things appear to each other, then reaches Kun (Earth) and nurtures all things, then reaches Dui (Lake) and things are joyful and speak, then reaches Qian (Heaven) and yin and yang contend, then reaches Kan (Water) and things are weary, then reaches Gen (Mountain) and the cycle of beginning and end is completed. All things sprout from Zhen, which is the trigram of the East. "Harmonized with Xun," Xun is located in the Southeast; "harmonized" means all things become clean and orderly. Li is "brightness," at which all things appear to each other, and it is the trigram of the South; sages face south to govern the world, probably taking this as a model. Kun is Earth, where all things are nurtured, so it is said "nurtured by Kun." Dui corresponds to autumn, the time when all things are joyful, so it is said "joyful speech is expressed in Dui." "Contending in Qian," Qian is the trigram of the Northwest, meaning yin and yang energies press against each other here. Kan is Water, the trigram of the North, also the trigram of weariness, where all things return, so it is said "weary in Kan." Gen is the trigram of the Northeast, where all things conclude one cycle and begin another, so it is said "completion is expressed in Gen."

白雲郭氏曰：自天地定位之後皆論八卦，此章獨異，復有重釋之辭。蓋上論八卦之位未明言其所，故下復明言之曰「震，東方也」「巽，東南也」，如是則無嫌於重釋之也。

White Cloud Guo Yong said: After the chapter "Heaven and Earth are positioned," the subsequent chapters of the "Commentary on the Hexagrams" all discuss the Eight Trigrams, but this chapter is different, as it is followed by a section of repeated explanation. Probably because the first part did not specify the directions of the trigrams, the second part clearly states "Zhen is in the East" and "Xun is in the Southeast." Thus, the repetition is not unnecessary.

石門梁氏曰：自東南至西，皆母與三女之位；自西北至東，皆父與三男之位。《本義》圖說：右見《說卦》。邵子曰：此文王八卦，乃入用之位，後天之學也。

Shi Men Liang Shi said: Going from the southeast to the west, all these positions belong to the mother (Kun) and the three female trigrams; going from the northwest to the east, all these positions belong to the father (Qian) and the three male trigrams. Zhu Xi's "The Original Meaning of the Zhou Changes" explains here that this is mentioned in the "Sayings on the Trigrams." Shao Yong said: This is the "Wen Wang Eight Trigrams," which belongs to the practical application of directions, that is, what is called "Later Heaven Learning."

按：以上二圖非古所傳，亦邵子作也。乾坤三索之次序、出震齊巽之方位，伏羲之易本是如此，而邵子獨以為文王之易，名之曰後天，以尊先天之學。序位皆是，而其名則非，九圖之中無一可存者也。

Hu Wei commented: The two diagrams mentioned above are not ancient ones, but both were made by Shao Yong. The order of the three trigrams of Qian and Kun producing the six sons, as well as the directional arrangement of "The Emperor arises from Zhen, and is harmonized with Xun," were originally the way they were in Fuxi's Book of Changes. However, Shao Yong deliberately called them King Wen's Book of Changes and named them "Later Heaven," in order to elevate his own "Earlier Heaven" theory. The order and direction themselves are correct, but the names given to them are wrong. Therefore, among the nine diagrams listed at the beginning of the "Yixue Guoming," none of them can be retained.

《觀物外篇》曰：至哉，文王之作易也！其得天地之用乎？故乾坤交而為泰，坎離交而為既濟也。乾生於子，坤生於午，坎終於寅，離終於申，以應天之時也。置乾於西北，退坤於西南，長子用事而長女代母，坎離得位，兌震為偶，應地之方，王者之法其盡於是矣。

Shao Yong said in his "Outer Chapters of Observing Things": What a great achievement, King Wen's creation of the Book of Changes! He must have grasped the functions of heaven and earth. Therefore, he arranged the trigrams Qian and Kun to form the Tai hexagram, and the trigrams Kan and Li to form the Ji Ji hexagram. Qian originates from the Zi position, Kun originates from the Wu position, Kan concludes at the Yin position, and Li concludes at the Shen position, corresponding to the heavenly sequence of time. He placed the Qian hexagram in the Northwest, and the Kun hexagram in the Southwest. The eldest son Zhen hexagram takes charge, while the eldest daughter Xun hexagram assumes the role of the mother. Kan and Li each occupy their proper positions, and Dui pairs with Zhen to form an even combination, corresponding to the directions of the earth. The principles of governance by a sovereign, perhaps, are all contained within this.

朱子《荅王伯豐書》曰：《說卦》「天地定位」至「坤以藏之」以前，伏羲所畫八卦之位也；「帝出乎震」以下，文王即伏羲已成之卦而推其義類之辭也。如卦變圖剛來柔進之類，亦是就卦已成後用意推說，以此為自彼卦而來耳，非真先有彼卦而後方有此卦也。

Zhu Xi in his letter to Wang Bo Feng says: The "Sayings on the Trigrams" from "Heaven and Earth are positioned" to "Kun conceals it" discusses the arrangement of the eight trigrams drawn by Fuxi. From "The Emperor arises from Zhen" onwards, it is King Wen's explanation of the meanings and categories of the trigrams already drawn by Fuxi. For example, terms like "Yang comes" and "Yin advances" in the trigram transformation diagram are interpretations developed after the trigram structure was already established. These explanations treat one trigram as derived from another, but they do not imply that one trigram existed before another.

林氏《易裨傳》法象篇曰：以造化之序論之，先天所以立體也，後天所以致用也。先天乾坤定上下之位，而天尊地卑之體立矣；坎離居左右之門，而日生乎東、月生乎西之象著矣；震巽對峙，而雷始於東北、風起於西南矣；兌艮角立，西北多山、東南多水之所鍾矣。後天震居東方，萬物出生之地；巽居東南，萬物潔齊之地；坤西南，萬物致養之地；兌正西，物之所說；乾西北，陰陽之相薄；坎正北，物之所歸；艮東北，所以成終成始者也。

Lin Zhi (Dejiu) in his "Yi Bi Zhuan · Fa Xiang Chapter" says: In terms of the order of creation, the Earlier Heaven diagram is used to establish the fundamental nature, while the Later Heaven diagram is used to carry out the functions. In the Earlier Heaven diagram, Qian and Kun determine the positions of upper and lower, thus establishing the fundamental principle that Heaven is exalted and Earth is humble; Kan and Li are positioned on both sides, making clear the phenomenon that the sun rises in the east and the moon appears in the west; Zhen and Xun face each other, thus causing thunder to arise in the northeast and wind to rise in the southwest; Dui and Gen stand at both corners, thus forming the situation where the northwest has many mountains and the southeast has much water, each accumulating in its own place. In the Later Heaven diagram, Zhen is located in the east, being the place where all things begin to sprout; Xun is located in the southeast, being the place where all things are purified and orderly; Kun is located in the southwest, being the place where all things receive nourishment; Dui is located in the west, being the place where all things are joyful; Qian is located in the northwest, being the place where yin and yang are in conflict; Kan is located in the north, being the place where all things return and hide; Gen is located in the northeast, being the place where all things complete and end, yet also begin anew.

以陰陽之體論之，巽離兌本陽體也，而陰來交之；震坎艮本陰體也，而陽來交之。伏羲之卦，得陽多者屬乎陽，得陰多者屬乎陰；後天之卦，得一陰者為三女，得一陽者為三男。先天之位，三女附乎乾，三男附乎坤，陰附陽、陽附陰也；後天之位，三男附乎乾，三女附乎坤者，陰附陰、陽附陽也。

If we consider the essence of yin and yang, Xun, Li, and Dui originally belong to the yang category (Heavenly category), but have a yin line coming to interact with them. Zhen, Kan, and Gen originally belong to the yin category (Earthly category), but have a yang line coming to interact with them. In Fuxi's trigrams, those with more yang lines are classified as yang, and those with more yin lines are classified as yin. In the Later Heaven arrangement, a single yin line is considered as three females, and a single yang line is considered as three males. In the Earlier Heaven arrangement, the three female trigrams are attached to Qian, and the three male trigrams are attached to Kun, which represents yin attaching to yang and yang attaching to yin. In the Later Heaven arrangement, the three male trigrams are attached to Qian, and the three female trigrams are attached to Kun, resulting in yang attaching to yang and yin attaching to yin.

黃氏《象數論》曰：離南坎北之位見於經文，而卦爻所指之方亦與之相合，是亦可以無疑矣。蓋畫卦之時即有此方位，易不始於文王，則方位亦不始於文王，故不當云文王八卦方位也。乃康節必欲言文王因先天乾南坤北之位改而為此，朱子則主張康節之說過當，反致疑於經文：曰曷言齊乎巽，不可曉；曰坤在西南，不成東北方無地；曰乾西北亦不可曉，如何陰陽來此相薄；曰西方肅殺之氣，如何言萬物之所說。

Huang Zongxi's "Discussion on the Imagery and Numerical Calculations of the Book of Changes" says: The orientation of Li in the south and Kan in the north is mentioned in the classic text of the "Transmission of the Commentary on the Hexagrams," and the directions indicated by each hexagram and its lines also correspond with it. This is originally not something to be doubted. Probably, this system of orientation was already established when the hexagrams were drawn. Since the Book of Changes was not started from King Wen, its orientation naturally also did not begin from King Wen, so it should not be called the "King Wen's Hexagram Orientation." However, Shao Yong insisted that this was King Wen who changed the original orientation of the Earlier Heaven diagram, with Qian in the south and Kun in the north, into this form. Zhu Xi further exaggerated Shao Yong's view, and even turned back to doubt the classic text: asking why it says "harmonized with Xun," which is hard to understand; questioning why Kun is in the southwest, as if there were no land in the northeast; questioning why Qian is in the northwest, as if yin and yang would be forced to meet there; and questioning why the west is associated with the cutting-off and withering energy, yet it is described as the place where all things rejoice.

凡此數說，有何不可曉？巽當春夏之交，萬物畢出，故謂之齊，觀北地少雨，得風則生氣鬱然可驗也。夏秋之交，土之所位，故坤位之，非言地也。若如此致難，則先天方位巽在西南，何不疑東北無風邪？其餘七卦莫不皆然。乾主立冬以後、冬至以前，故陰陽相薄，觀《說卦》乾之為寒為冰，非西北何以置之？萬物告成於秋，如何不說？朱子注元亨利貞之利曰：利者，生物之遂，物各得宜，不相妨害，於時為秋，於人為義而得其分之和，非說乎？顧未嘗以肅殺為嫌也。然則朱子所以致疑者，由先天之說先入於中，故曰主張太過也。

What is there that cannot be understood about these points? Xun corresponds to the time between spring and summer when all things have fully emerged from the earth, hence it is called "Qi" (harmonious). Observing the northern region, which receives little rain, once the wind blows, life qi becomes vigorous, which suffices to verify this. The time between summer and autumn is precisely when "Earth" is in its proper position, so using Kun to represent this position is appropriate, not merely referring to the earth itself. If we were to question it in this way, then in the Earlier Heaven arrangement, Xun is located in the southwest, so why should we not question whether there is no wind in the northeast? Similarly, all the other seven trigrams are subject to such scrutiny. Qian represents the period after the beginning of winter and before the winter solstice, hence it is said that yin and yang are in conflict at this time. Looking at the "Shu Guan Zhuan" which states that Qian represents cold and ice, if it is not placed in the northwest, where else should it be placed? All things are completed in autumn, so why cannot it be said to be joyful? Zhu Xi's commentary on the "Yuan Heng Li Zhen" explains the character "Li" (advantage) as meaning that all things are allowed to fulfill their nature, each thing finds its proper place without mutual obstruction. In the sequence of seasons, this corresponds to autumn; in human affairs, it corresponds to righteousness and harmony in the proper measure. Is this not precisely joy? Thus, Zhu Xi did not dislike the solemn and severe nature of autumn. Therefore, Zhu Xi's doubt arises only because the Earlier Heaven theory was previously accepted as authoritative, hence he overemphasized his position.

康節曰：乾坤交而為泰（言文王改先天圗之意。先天乾南坤北，交而為泰，故乾北坤南），坎離交而為既濟（先天離東坎西，交而為既濟，故離南坎北），乾生於子（先天乾居午而其生在子，故下而至北），坤生於午（坤居子而其生在午，故上而至南），坎終於寅（坎當申，交於離，終於寅），離終於申（離當寅，交於坎，終於申）。所謂交者，不取對待言之也。即以對待而論，則乾南坤北者，亦必乾北坤南而後泰之形可成也，今坤在西南、乾在西北；離東坎西者，亦必離西坎東而後既濟之形可成也，今離在上、坎在下，於義何居？藉曰再變而後為今位，是乾南坤北之後、離南坎北之前，中間又有一方位矣。乾位戌，坤位未，坎位子，離位午，於子午寅申皆無當也。

Shao Yong said: Qian and Kun intersect to form the hexagram Tai (this refers to King Wen's intention in modifying the Earlier Heaven diagram: in the Earlier Heaven, Qian is in the south and Kun in the north, and their intersection forms Tai, so in the Later Heaven, Qian moves to the north and Kun to the south). Kan and Li intersect to form the hexagram Ji Ji (in the Earlier Heaven, Li is in the east and Kan in the west, and their intersection forms Ji Ji, so in the Later Heaven, Li moves to the south and Kan to the north). Qian originates from Zi (in the Earlier Heaven, Qian is in the position of Wu but its vital energy is in Zi, so it moves down to the north), and Kun originates from Wu (Kun is in the position of Zi but its vital energy is in Wu, so it moves up to the south). Kan ends at Yin (Kan is in the position of Shen, and after intersecting with Li, it ends at Yin), and Li ends at Shen (Li is in the position of Yin, and after intersecting with Kan, it ends at Shen). However, what he called 'intersecting' is not based on opposing positions. Even if we consider opposing positions, if Qian is in the south and Kun in the north, they must become Qian in the north and Kun in the south for the hexagram Tai to be formed. But now Kun is in the southwest and Qian in the northwest. Similarly, if Li is in the east and Kan in the west, they must become Li in the west and Kan in the east for the hexagram Ji Ji to be formed. But now Li is above and Kan is below. Is this logically consistent? If we say it has changed again to reach its current position, then between the time when Qian was in the south and Kun in the north, and when Li was in the south and Kan in the north, there would be another set of positions in between. Moreover, the positions of Qian in Xu, Kun in Wei, Kan in Zi, and Li in Wu do not match the statements about Zi, Wu, Yin, and Shen.

康節又曰：震兌始交者也（陽本在上，陰本在下，陽下而交於陰，陰上而交於陽。震一陽在下，兌一陰在上，故為始交），故當朝夕之位；坎離交之極者也（坎陽在中，離陰在中，故為交之極），故當子午之位（四正皆為用位）；巽艮不交而陰陽猶雜也（巽一陰在下，艮一陽在上，適得上下本然，故為不交），故當用中之偏；乾坤純陽純陰，故當不用之位（東方陽主用，西方陰為不用）。夫氣化流行不息，無時不用，若以時過為不用，則春秋不用者子午，冬夏不用者卯酉，安在四正之皆為用位也？必以西南西北為不用之位，則夏秋之交、秋冬之交，氣化豈其或息乎？

Shao Yong also said: Zhen and Dui represent the beginning of interaction (Yang is originally above, Yin is originally below; Yang descends to meet Yin, and Yin ascends to meet Yang; Zhen has one Yang at the bottom, Dui has one Yin at the top, so they are considered the start of interaction), so they correspond to the early and late positions; Kan and Li represent the extreme of interaction (Kan's Yang line is in the middle, Li's Yin line is in the middle, so they are considered the peak of interaction), so they correspond to the Zi and Wu positions (the four cardinal directions are all useful positions); Xun and Gen do not interact, but Yin and Yang remain in their original positions (Xun has one Yin at the bottom, Gen has one Yang at the top, which exactly corresponds to their natural positions, so they are considered non-interacting), so they correspond to the biased positions among the useful ones; Qian and Kun are pure Yang and pure Yin, so they correspond to the unused positions (the East belongs to Yang and is associated with use; the West belongs to Yin and is considered unused). However, the process of qi transformation never stops, and there is no moment when it is not in action. If we consider a time as 'unused' once it has passed, then during spring and autumn, the Zi and Wu positions are considered unused, and during winter and summer, the Mao and You positions are considered unused; how can the four cardinal directions all be considered useful positions? If we must fix the Southwest and Northwest as unused positions, then during the transition from summer to autumn and from autumn to winter, would the process of qi transformation not continue?

康節又曰：乾坤縱而六子橫，易之本也（先天之位）；震兌橫而六卦縱，易之用也。由前之說，則後自坎離以外皆橫也；由後之說，則前自坎離以外皆縱也。圖同而說異，不自知其遷就與？是故離南坎北之位本無可疑，自康節以為從先天改出，牽前曳後，始不勝其支離。朱子求其所以改之之故而不可得，遂至不信經文，籲，可怪也。

Shao Yong also said: The trigrams Qian and Kun are arranged vertically while the six sons are arranged horizontally, which refers to the original arrangement of the Book of Changes (Earlier Heaven); the trigrams Zhen and Dui are arranged horizontally while the other six trigrams are arranged vertically, which refers to the function of the Book of Changes. According to the first explanation, in the Later Heaven diagram, except for Kan and Li, all others are arranged horizontally; according to the second explanation, in the Earlier Heaven diagram, except for Kan and Li, all others are arranged vertically. It is the same diagram yet the explanations differ before and after. He himself did not realize that he was adjusting the explanation to fit his own view. Therefore, the direction of Li in the south and Kan in the north has always been without doubt; since Shao Yong claimed that this arrangement was derived from the Earlier Heaven diagram, he pulled and pushed the positions, leading to a fragmented and disorganized system. Zhu Xi tried to find the reason why King Wen changed the diagram but could not find it, and he even doubted the authenticity of the text. How strange!

《魏志·管輅傳》注引《輅別傳》，謂劉邠曰：輅不解古之聖人何以處乾位於西北、坤位於西南。夫乾坤者，天地之象，然天地至大，為神明君父，覆載萬物，生長撫育，何以安處二位，與六卦同列？今按《說卦》之方位，秦漢諸儒未有疑之者，疑之自管輅始。蓋其時魏伯陽之學已行，乾南坤北之位略有端倪，輅心善之，因發難以導邠，而邠不能問，故未竟其說也。

In the "Records of the Three Kingdoms: Wei Annals: Guan Lu's Biography," the annotation cites "Guan Lu's Separate Biography," which records that Guan Lu said to Liu Bin: I do not understand why the ancient sages placed Qian (Heaven) in the Northwest and Kun (Earth) in the Southwest. Qian and Kun represent the images of Heaven and Earth, which are extremely vast and extensive, serving as divine sovereigns and fathers, covering and supporting all things, nurturing and cultivating them. Why then are they placed in these two directions, ranked equally with the other six trigrams? Now, examining the directional arrangement in the "Sayings on the Trigrams," the scholars of the Qin and Han dynasties never doubted it, and doubt began with Guan Lu. Perhaps at that time, the teachings of Wei Boyang had already spread, and the idea of placing Qian to the south and Kun to the north had already begun to appear. Guan Lu agreed with this idea in his heart, so he deliberately raised the question to guide Liu Bin. However, Liu Bin did not ask further questions, so Guan Lu did not finish his explanation.

朱子酷愛《參同契》，八卦之方位斷從先天，遂覺出震齊巽等無一不可疑，入者主之，出者奴之，勢所必至也。至謂此章與卦變俱是成卦後用意推說，則又儗非其倫矣。林徳久深斥劉牧之鉤隠，可謂卓識，而獨於先天方位則附會其意而為之辭，亦以康節非牧流輩耳。然二人品格雖相去懸絶，而圖學之無當於經則一也，徳久豈未之思乎？

Zhu Xi loved The Zhou Changes Treatise on the Combination of the Three, and when it came to the eight trigrams and their directions, he decisively adopted the Earlier Heaven theory. Therefore, he regarded statements such as 'Emerging from Zhen' and 'Harmonizing with Xun' as all doubtful, since the dominant ones were treated as masters and the excluded ones as servants, which was inevitable. As for his claim that the chapter 'On the Explanation of the Trigrams' is similar to the theory of trigram transformation, being an explanation developed after the trigrams were formed, this comparison is even more inappropriate. Lin Zhi (Dejiu) severely criticized Liu Mu's Hooking the Hidden Diagram, which can be considered as having excellent insight. However, he still forcedly interpreted the Earlier Heaven directions and rephrased them, merely because Shao Yong was not of the same caliber as Liu Mu. Yet, although the moral character of these two people differs greatly, their studies of the trigrams and their relation to the classics are equally irrelevant. Did Dejiu not consider this point at all?

右論邵子文王八卦方位。

In the above section, the authenticity and the name and reality of the "King Wen's Eight Trigrams Diagram" transmitted by Shao Yong are examined.