the sixth chapter of the "Shuo Guà Zhuan" (discussing the six sons separately from heaven and earth to show the workings of the divine)

第六章去乾坤而專言六子，以見神之所為。前即文王卦次，以明四時之序。後即伏羲卦次，以明對待之偶。蓋總先後天二圖言之，以見不可偏廢也。神也者，妙萬物而為言者也。動萬物者，莫疾乎雷。橈萬物者，莫疾乎風。燥萬物者，莫熯乎火。說萬物者，莫說乎澤。潤萬物者，莫潤乎水。終萬物始萬物者，莫盛乎艮。故水火相逮，雷風不相悖，山澤通氣，然後能變化，既成萬物也。

This chapter sets aside the trigrams Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth) and focuses exclusively on the six subsidiary trigrams, using them to illustrate the workings of "Shen" (the divine). The first part follows the order of the Later Heaven trigrams attributed to King Wen, explaining the sequence of the four seasons. The second part follows the order of the Earlier Heaven trigrams attributed to Fuxi, explaining the mutual relationships between pairs of trigrams. In general, it combines the Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven diagrams to show that neither should be neglected. The "Sayings on the Trigrams" states: "Shen" refers to the principle that makes all things mysterious and unfathomable. Nothing moves things more swiftly than thunder, nothing influences things more swiftly than wind, nothing dries things more intensely than fire, nothing delights things more joyfully than marshes, nothing moistens things more abundantly than water, and nothing concludes and begins things more profoundly than mountains. Therefore, water and fire pursue each other, thunder and wind do not contradict each other, and the energies of mountains and marshes connect with each other, thus enabling transformation and the creation of all things.

此去乾坤專言六子。由後天流行之用，而推本於先天對待之體也。以主宰言曰帝，以功用言曰神。八卦各有所在，神無在無不在，故曰妙萬物。乾坤合而為神，言神則乾坤皆在其中。去乾坤而專言六子，見六子之為皆乾坤之為也。五卦皆言象，艮獨不言者。終始萬物，不繫於山也。文王後天卦次順四時之序而兌震以長男合少女，艮巽以長女合少男，則非其偶。

This chapter sets aside the trigrams Qian and Kun and focuses exclusively on the six subsidiary trigrams, moving from the Later Heaven usage to the Earlier Heaven fundamental nature. In terms of sovereignty, it is called "Di" (Emperor), and in terms of function, it is called "Shen" (Spirit). Each of the eight trigrams has a specific directional position, but the Spirit has no fixed location and is everywhere, hence it is said to "mystically pervade all things." The combination of Qian and Kun constitutes the Spirit; when speaking of the Spirit, Qian and Kun are already included within it. By setting aside Qian and Kun and focusing on the six subsidiary trigrams, it is to show that all the actions of the six trigrams are the actions of Qian and Kun. Among the six trigrams, five mention specific natural phenomena, namely thunder, wind, fire, marsh, and water; only the trigram Gen does not mention a natural phenomenon, because the task of concluding and beginning all things does not belong to the "mountain" as a physical object. The sequence of the Later Heaven trigrams follows the four seasons, so Dui and Zhen become the pairing of the eldest son with the youngest daughter, and Gen and Xun become the pairing of the eldest daughter with the youngest son, which are not their original pairings.

陰陽不相對待，則無由生成萬物矣。故此章先欲言神運萬物之妙，即文王卦次，以明四時之流行。後則推原其體，必由陰陽對待，各得其偶。故又本於先天之卦，以見陰陽交合之妙，而後有此變化之神。蓋合先天後天之妙總言之也。右第六章。

Yin and yang cannot generate all things if they are not paired with each other. Therefore, this chapter first explains the subtle workings of the divine principle transforming all things, following the order of the Later Heaven hexagrams as arranged by King Wen. Then it goes on to trace back to the fundamental nature, which requires that yin and yang be paired with each other, each obtaining its counterpart. Thus, following the Earlier Heaven hexagrams, it reveals the subtle intermingling of yin and yang. Only with this can there be the miraculous transformations. In summary, this chapter combines the subtleties of both the Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven diagrams. This is the sixth chapter of the "Sayings on the Hexagrams."

乾，健也。坤，順也。震，動也。巽，入也。坎，陷也。離，麗也。艮，止也。兌，說也。

The virtue of Qian is strength and vigorous, the virtue of Kun is softness and compliance, the virtue of Zhen is movement, the virtue of Xun is penetration, the virtue of Kan is sinking, the virtue of Li is attachment, the virtue of Gen is stillness, and the virtue of Dui is joy. Before describing the symbolic representations of the Eight Trigrams in the "Sayings on the Trigrams," the text first defines the nature of each trigram with these eight characters. These eight characters do not refer to what the trigrams resemble, but rather what they inherently are—their intrinsic qualities and modes of operation.

此節言八卦之性情。因下文欲言其象，先別其性情如此。蓋象者其似，性情者其眞也。性者其本體，情者其作用也。乾純陽剛故健，坤純陰柔故順。震一陽生二陰之下，剛而進故動。坎一陽在二陰之中，剛為陰所掩故陷。艮一陽出於二陰之上，無所往矣故止。巽一陰藏於二陽之下，順而伏故入。離一陰在二陽之中，順而附故麗。兌一陰在二陽之上，順而見故說。

This section discusses the "nature" and "emotion" of the Eight Trigrams. Since the following chapters will elaborate on the physical objects associated with each trigram, it is first necessary to clearly distinguish their nature and emotion. The physical objects are merely things similar to the trigrams; the true essence of the trigrams lies in their nature and emotion. "Nature" refers to the inherent quality of the trigram, while "emotion" refers to its function or action. The Qian trigram, composed of three unbroken lines, is entirely yang and thus pure and strong, so its nature and emotion are "active." The Kun trigram, composed of three broken lines, is entirely yin and thus pure and weak, so its nature and emotion are "docile." The Zhen trigram, with one yang line above two yin lines, is strong and moves upward, so its emotion is "movement." The Kan trigram, with one yang line between two yin lines, is strong but concealed by yin, so its emotion is "entrapment." The Gen trigram, with one yang line above two yin lines, has no further path ahead, so its emotion is "stillness." The Xun trigram, with one yin line below two yang lines, is gentle and hidden, so its emotion is "entry." The Li trigram, with one yin line between two yang lines, is gentle and attached, so its emotion is "adherence." The Dui trigram, with one yin line above two yang lines, is gentle and revealed externally, so its emotion is "joy."

然乾健坤順。震坎艮三陽卦皆從健，巽離兌三陰卦皆從順。健則能動，順則能入。此震巽所以為動為入也。健遇上下皆順則必溺而陷，順遇上下皆健則必附而麗。此坎離所以為陷為麗也。健極於上，前無所往必止。順見於外，情有所發必說。此章以八字斷八卦之德，下章乃依類而分言之。自此以下乃以陰陽純卦及初中終為序，不用先天後天之序也。右第七章。

Heaven is pure strength, Earth is pure gentleness, which are the main points. Zhen, Kan, and Gen have one Yang line as their main feature, belonging to Yang trigrams, and their virtues all derive from "strength." Xun, Li, and Dui have one Yin line as their main feature, belonging to Yin trigrams, and their virtues all derive from "gentleness." Only with strength can there be movement, and only with gentleness can there be entry, which explains why Zhen is "movement" and Xun is "entry." If strength is surrounded by gentleness above and below, it will inevitably sink down; if gentleness is surrounded by strength above and below, it will inevitably cling and depend, which explains why Kan is "sinking" and Li is "adornment." When strength reaches the top line, there is no way forward, so it must stop, which explains why Gen is "rest." When gentleness is revealed externally, emotion arises naturally, leading to joy, which explains why Dui is "joy." This chapter uses only eight characters to determine the virtues of the eight trigrams, and the next chapter will elaborate on the various phenomena associated with each trigram. From this chapter onward, the order is first to present the two pure trigrams, Qian and Kun, then to divide them according to the first line, middle line, and top line into long, medium, and short lines, without following Fuxi's Earlier Heaven sequence or King Wen's Later Heaven sequence. This is Chapter Seven.

乾為馬。坤為牛。震為龍。巽為雞。坎為豕。離為雉。艮為狗。兌為羊。

The trigram Qian is associated with the image of a horse, Kun with a cow, Zhen with a dragon, Xun with a chicken, Kan with a pig, Li with a wild chicken, Gen with a dog, and Dui with a sheep. This section refers to "far-reaching reference to external objects," meaning that the trigrams are associated with animals outside the human body. The following text will explain the reasoning behind each association in turn, rather than listing them randomly.

此章言遠取諸物者如此。馬健行而不息，其蹄圓，故乾為馬。牛順而載重，其蹄析，故坤為牛。龍潛於淵在重陰之下，與地雷同其動奮，故震為龍。雞，羽屬，能飛。其性則入而伏。知時而善應，鳴於丑半重陽之時。

This chapter's statement "taking the distant things as symbols" is exemplified in this way. Horses are vigorous and tireless, running day and night, and their hooves are round and complete, resembling the heavens, so the trigram Qian is symbolized by a horse. Cows are gentle yet capable of bearing heavy loads, and their hooves are divided into two parts, symbolizing even numbers and representing yin, so the trigram Kun is symbolized by a cow. Dragons dwell in deep waters, corresponding to the first line of the trigram Zhen, where a single yang line is hidden beneath two yin lines; when they rise and move, their energy matches the thunderous power of the earth's tremors, so the trigram Zhen is symbolized by a dragon. As for chickens: they belong to the feathered class and can fly, but their nature is to hide in their nests, which corresponds to the virtue of "entering" in the trigram Xun. Moreover, they are sensitive to time and respond to changes, crowing at the midpoint of the hour of Chou when the yang energy is gradually increasing.

又其行則首動於前，足動於中，身不動而隨其後。能動象二陽在前，不動象一陰在後。故巽為雞。豕主汙溼，其性趨下。前後汙濁，中心剛躁。故坎為豕。雉性耿介。中心柔懦而外文明。故離為雉。狗外剛內媚。止於人而能止人。故艮為狗。羊外柔說群而中剛狠，故兌為羊。

Now looking at the way a chicken walks: its head moves forward and backward in front, while its legs step in the middle, and its body remains still, following behind. The moving head and legs resemble the two yang lines at the top of the Xun trigram, while the still body resembles the single yin line below. Therefore, the Xun trigram is symbolized by the chicken. Pigs like muddy and wet places, and they tend to dig downwards, appearing dirty both inside and out, yet their hearts are fierce and impetuous. This is exactly like the Kan trigram, with one yang line trapped between two yin lines. Therefore, the Kan trigram is symbolized by the pig. The wild chicken is upright and noble in nature, with a weak and timid heart but bright and colorful feathers. This matches the Li trigram, which is strong on the outside and gentle within, with civilization displayed externally. Therefore, the Li trigram is symbolized by the wild chicken. Dogs appear strong and fierce on the outside but are obedient and affectionate to their masters inside. They stay close to people and can guard and block others. This perfectly matches the Gen trigram's virtue of 'stopping' or 'resting'. Therefore, the Gen trigram is symbolized by the dog. Sheep appear gentle and sociable on the outside but are stubborn and fierce within. This exactly matches the Dui trigram's pattern of being soft on the outside and strong within. Therefore, the Dui trigram is symbolized by the sheep.

此章取象於經有不盡合者。周公以乾為龍，夫子以為馬。文王以坤為牝馬，夫子以為牛。變通以觀，可悟而不可執。八者之中，乾馬、兌羊、巽雞、離雉、坎豕，與卦爻間有合者。如大畜乾爻稱馬，大壯似兌稱羊，中孚巽爻稱雞，鼎三應離稱雉，睽互坎稱豕是也。至坤牛、震龍、艮狗，畢夫子所自取。善觀之，則萬物無非卦也。右第八章。

The imagery used in this chapter does not fully match the text of the Classic of Changes. When King Wen composed the line statements, he took the trigram Qian as a dragon, but Confucius here says Qian represents a horse; when King Wen composed the hexagram statements, he took the trigram Kun as a mare, but Confucius here says Kun represents a cow. This shows that imagery should be viewed flexibly, and one should grasp the underlying meaning rather than cling to a single object. Among these eight types of imagery, five correspond with the hexagram and line statements: for example, the trigram Qian as a horse corresponds with the line statements in the hexagram Da Xu; the trigram Dui as a sheep corresponds with the line statements in the hexagram Da Zhuang; the trigram Xun as a chicken corresponds with the line statements in the hexagram Zhong Fu; the trigram Li corresponding to the ninth line three in the hexagram Kui corresponds with the line statement referring to a pheasant; and the trigram Kan corresponding to the interacting trigrams in the hexagram Kui corresponds with the line statement referring to a pig. As for Kun as a cow, Zhen as a dragon, and Gen as a dog, these three are entirely new imagery established by Confucius. As long as one knows how to interpret, there is nothing in the world that cannot be included in the hexagrams. This is the eighth chapter.

乾為首。坤為腹。震為足。巽為股。坎為耳。離為目。艮為手。兌為口。

The trigram Qian is taken as the head, Kun as the abdomen, Zhen as the feet, Xun as the thighs, Kan as the ears, Li as the eyes, Gen as the hands, and Dui as the mouth. This section is "near taking from one's own body," meaning that the eight trigrams are matched with parts of the human body. This approach, together with the previous chapter which took imagery from external objects, forms two complementary paths: internal and external.

此言近取諸身者。首會諸陽，尊而在上。腹藏諸陰，大而容物。足在下而動。股兩垂而下。耳輪內陷，陽在內而聰。目睛附外，陽在外而明。手動在前。口開於上。此一身之合於八卦者也。

This section discusses "nearby taking from one's own body." The head is where all the yang meridians converge, located highest and most exalted, so it corresponds to the pure yang trigram Qian. The abdomen contains all the yin aspects, has great capacity, and can hold all things, so it corresponds to the pure yin trigram Kun. The feet are at the lowest part of the body and govern movement, so they correspond to the trigram Zhen, which represents a single yang moving downward. The thighs are two parts hanging down, resembling the lower broken yin line of the trigram Xun, so they correspond to Xun. The earlobe is inwardly concave, with yang hidden inside and capable of hearing clearly, resembling the central yang line of the trigram Kan, so it corresponds to Kan. The eyeball is attached externally, with yang manifesting outside and capable of seeing clearly, resembling the outer yang line of the trigram Li, so it corresponds to Li. The hands are always extended forward for activity, resembling the upper yang line of the trigram Gen, so they correspond to Gen. The mouth is located at the upper part of the face, resembling the upper broken line of the trigram Dui, so it corresponds to Dui. This is how the human body corresponds to the eight trigrams.

近取諸身者，六子皆反對。遠取諸物者，六子皆以序對。四者易而坎離不易也。首以君之，腹以藏之。足履於下為動，手持於上為止。股下岐而伏，口上竅而見。耳外虛，目內虛。各以反對也。在物，乾坤與二少皆取走。二長二中一走一飛。龍者走之飛，雞者飛之走。各以序對也。

When taking the images of the human body, the six subsidiary trigrams (震, 巽, 坎, 离, 艮, 兑) are paired according to the principle of "opposition" (the trigrams are reversed top to bottom). However, when taking the images of external objects, these six subsidiary trigrams are paired in the order of long, medium, and short. In these two systems, four pairs can be exchanged, but the trigrams 坎 and 离 remain fixed in both systems. First, regarding the human body: the head governs the whole body, the abdomen contains the organs; the feet are at the bottom and move actively, the hands are at the top and are used for stopping; the thighs are at the bottom and branch out while being hidden, the mouth is at the top and is open and visible; the ears are external and hollow, the eyes are in the eye sockets and hollow — each pair represents the concept of opposites above and below. Now regarding external objects: the trigrams 乾 and 坤, along with 艮 and 兑 (the two short trigrams), represent horses, cattle, dogs, and sheep, which are all quadrupeds. The trigrams 震 and 巽 (the two long trigrams), along with 坎 and 离 (the two medium trigrams), represent one that moves and one that flies (震 represents dragon and 坎 represents pig, which move; 巽 represents chicken and 离 represents pheasant, which fly). The dragon is a quadruped that can fly, and the chicken is a bird that tends to walk — this is how they are paired in the order of long, medium, and short.

夫子此章取象，坤為腹與明夷六四同，巽為股與咸九三互體同，兌為口與咸上六同。餘亦多自取，鮮所合者。其取義本先儒所解如此。而有可疑者：既言足，又言股。於面獨不言鼻。按《麻衣易》謂艮為鼻，巽為手。鼻者面之山。風能鼓舞萬物，手之所以舞也。其說似亦可叅。右第九章。

Confucius' imagery in this chapter coincides with the text in only three instances: Kun represents the abdomen, matching the fourth line of the Mingyi hexagram, which says "entering the left abdomen"; Xun represents the thigh, matching the ninth line of the Xian hexagram, where the line statement mentions "the thigh is touched"; and Dui represents the mouth, matching the sixth line of the Xian hexagram, which refers to the mouth with "the cheek, jaw, and tongue are touched." The rest are mostly Confucius' own interpretations, and few of them correspond with the hexagram and line statements. The above interpretations are explanations from previous scholars. However, there are questionable aspects: since the text mentions the foot, it also mentions the thigh, which seems redundant; and the facial orifices do not include the nose. According to the Ma Yi Yi, Gen represents the nose and Xun represents the hand. The nose is a raised mountain on the face, which fits the image of Gen as mountain; wind can move all things, and the hand is the part of the body used for movement, which fits the image of Xun as wind. This interpretation may also be considered. This is the ninth chapter.

第十章又即八卦而見其有父母男女之義也。蓋文王有父母六子之說，故孔子發明之也。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。

Chapter Ten discusses the inherent relationships of parent and child within the Eight Trigrams. This is because King Wen had the idea that Qian and Kun were the parents, and the other six trigrams were the six sons. Confucius elaborated on this idea. Qian represents Heaven, so it is called the father. Kun represents Earth, so it is called the mother. Zhen is the first son obtained by Qian seeking Kun, so it is called the Elder Son. Xun is the first daughter obtained by Kun seeking Qian, so it is called the Elder Daughter. Kan is the second son obtained by seeking again, so it is called the Middle Son. Li is the second daughter obtained by seeking again, so it is called the Middle Daughter. Gen is the third son obtained by seeking again, so it is called the Younger Son. Dui is the third daughter obtained by seeking again, so it is called the Younger Daughter. (The original text omits the character '得' in the phrase '坎再索而男,' and this version retains the original.)

索，求也。《本義》，揲蓍以求爻。後朱子語錄謂不當作揲蓍。大概陽先求陰，則陽入陰中而為男。陰先求陽，則陰入陽中而為女。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。以初中終三畫取長中少之序也。三男本坤體，各得乾之一陽而成男，陽根於陰也。三女本乾體，各得坤之一陰而成女，陰根於陽也。天地生萬物而人為貴，故以父母男女言之。然萬物亦皆有牝牡雌雄長少之分，則言人而物亦在其中矣。此卦畫已成之後，見有此象。猶之前後取象。不可以謂之二字，謂畫此卦以象人也。右第十章。

"Indexing" means seeking. Master Zhu in The Original Meaning of the Zhou Changes explains "indexing" as using yarrow stalks to determine the lines, but later in his Sayings, he says it should not be interpreted as using yarrow stalks. The general idea is that yang seeks yin, and yang enters into the body of yin to form a male hexagram; yin seeks yang, and yin enters into the body of yang to form a female hexagram. When Qian seeks Kun, it results in three male hexagrams: Zhen, Kan, and Gen. When Kun seeks Qian, it results in three female hexagrams: Xun, Li, and Dui. The terms "first indexing," "second indexing," and "third indexing" refer to the order of the positions where the lines are drawn: the line in the first position is the eldest, the line in the middle position is the middle, and the line in the upper position is the youngest. The three male hexagrams originally had the structure of Kun, and each obtained one yang line from Qian to become male, showing that yang is rooted in yin. The three female hexagrams originally had the structure of Qian, and each obtained one yin line from Kun to become female, showing that yin is rooted in yang. Heaven and earth generate all things, and humans are the most precious, so they are referred to as parents and male and female. In reality, all things also have distinctions of male and female, female and male, elder and younger, larger and smaller. By discussing humans, things are also included. These distinctions are seen after the hexagrams are drawn, just like the previous two chapters' imagery. One should not think that the sage first thought about human relationships and then drew the hexagrams to represent humans. This is the tenth chapter.

第十一章廣八卦之象。不必盡合於經，多夫子所自取也。乾為天，為圜，為君，為父，為玉，為金，為寒，為冰，為大赤，為良馬，為老馬，為瘠馬，為駁馬，為木果。

Chapter eleven greatly expands the symbolic representations of the eight trigrams. These symbols do not necessarily correspond with the statements of the hexagram lines, but are mostly established by Confucius himself. The symbolic representations of Qian (Heaven) include: Heaven, roundness, ruler, father, jade, metal, coldness, ice, bright red, good horse, old horse, thin horse, spotted horse, and the fruit on a tree. The following sections will explain the reasons for each of these symbols being associated with Qian.

純陽至健天。陽體動為圜。又天之體也居上覆下，尊無不統君也。乾知大始，又生六子，父也。其德至粹，爻剛而位以柔相濟，玉也。純剛，金也。金故寒，而位西北，卦氣又立冬也，冬水始氷。寒之凝，陰之變而剛者也。盛陽之色，又四月在夏，故為大赤。坎一陽在中為赤。乾純陽，故赤曰大。別於坎也。

The trigram Qian consists of three lines of pure yang, representing extreme strength and vigor, which is the nature of heaven. The form of yang is ever-moving, and its movement traces a circular path, hence it is called round. Heaven is high above and covers everything below, exalted beyond all others, which is the position of a ruler, hence it is called ruler. The Great Treatise says, "Qian knows the beginning of great things." Qian also gives rise to the six sons' trigrams, hence it is called father. The virtue of Qian is extremely pure; its lines are yang but the positions they occupy are tempered by yin, making it strong yet moist, which is the quality of jade, hence it is called jade. Pure yang is metal. Metal is cold in nature, and since Qian is located in the northwest in the Later Heaven arrangement, its energy corresponds to the beginning of winter, when water starts to freeze, hence it is called cold and ice—coldness solidifies into ice, which is a hard substance formed by yin. Bright red is the color of extreme yang energy, and since Qian corresponds to the fourth month, Ji, which marks the beginning of summer, it is called bright red. The trigram Kan has one yang line in the center and also takes the color red; Qian is pure yang, so the red is prefixed with a 'big' character to distinguish it from Kan's red.

馬曰良老瘠駁，純陽無陰，異於震坎陰陽相雜之馬也。良，健之善者。老，健之久者。瘠，多骨少肉，健之堅強者。駁，鋸牙食虎豹，健威猛者。又駁馬之色不純，純極而駁生也。圓而在上，以實承實，故為木果。異於艮之果蓏剛下有柔也。又荀爽《九家易》解此下有為龍，為直，為衣，為言。言字宜作玄。

The horses associated with Qian are called good horses, old horses, thin horses, and spotted horses, all of which are pure yang without any yin, differing from the horses associated with Zhen and Kan, which are mixed with both yin and yang. "Good" refers to strong and healthy horses, "old" refers to strong and enduring horses, "thin" refers to horses with more bones than flesh, strong and solid, and "spotted" is said to be a fierce beast with sharp teeth and claws, capable of eating tigers and leopards; taking it refers to its strength and ferocity. Moreover, spotted horses have mixed colors, and when pure yang reaches its extreme, it produces a mixture, which is another meaning. Fruits that are round and grow at the top of the tree, with solid cores, are able to hold solid cores, which corresponds exactly to the pure yang of Qian, so they are called wood fruits. This differs from the "fruit and fruiting body" associated with Gen, which is a strong yang on top and two yin below, with yin still beneath the yang. In addition, Xu Shuang's "Nine Schools Commentary on the Book of Changes" adds four more interpretations below this passage: dragon, straightness, clothing, and speech. Among these, the character "speech" should actually be "dark" or "deep."

坤為地，為母，為布，為釜，為吝嗇，為均，為子母牛，為大輿，為文，為眾，為柄，其於地也為黑。積陰於下故為地。物資以生故為母。動闢而廣，旁有邊幅而中寬平，故為布。又地南北經而東西緯，亦布象也。釜虛而容物，金質生於土，受模冶而成，有效法之義，故為釜。

The symbolic representations of the Trigram坤 (Kun) include: earth, mother, cloth, pot, stinginess, equality, mother and calf, large cart, ornamentation, multitude, handle, and black color. The Yin energy gathers at the lower position, hence it is associated with earth. All things depend on it for growth, hence it is associated with mother. When坤 moves, it expands and spreads widely, with the sides having boundaries and the center level and broad, resembling a piece of cloth, hence it is associated with cloth. Moreover, the earth has north-south as its meridians and east-west as its parallels, which interweave just like the warp and weft of a cloth. A pot is hollow in the middle and can contain things; metal originates from the earth and requires a mold to be shaped, implying the idea of following a pattern (casting according to a model). Since the virtue of坤 is to follow the virtue of Qian, it is also associated with a pot.

靜翕而不拖。陰性吝嗇，女子小人未有不吝嗇者也。吝嗇者翕之守。均者闢之敷。其勢均平而無偏陂，其德則生萬物而無私均也。順之極而生物相繼，故為子母牛。厚而載物為大輿。坎二畫虛，為輿而不大。坤三畫虛，言大以別於坎也。

When the Earthly Trigram (Kun) is quiet, it is characterized by gathering inward and not leaking out. The nature of Yin is inherently stingy, and both women and petty people are not stingy. Stinginess is the way of holding back when closing in; fairness and equality are the way of giving out when opening up. In terms of form, the earth is flat without any incline or decline; in terms of virtue, it nurtures all things without partiality—these two aspects are called "evenness" or "equality." When softness and compliance reach their extreme, they continuously generate and pass on from mother to child, hence it is called the "mother and child ox." The earth is thick and can carry things, hence it is called the "great cart." The Kan trigram has only one line of Yang in the middle, with the upper and lower lines empty, which can also be associated with the image of a cart, but it cannot be called "great." The Kun trigram has all three lines empty, thus having the greatest capacity, so it is specifically called "great cart" to distinguish it from the cart image in Kan.

坤畫偶，又物生於地至雜，故為文。偶畫多故為眾。有形可執，持成物之權，故為柄。又在下而承物於上。凡執持之物，其本著地者，柄也。地之土色有五。黑者，極陰之色也。又荀九家有為牝，為迷，為方，為囊，為裳，為黃，為帛，為漿。

The lines of the Trigram坤 are all broken even lines, interwoven into patterns; since all things are born on the earth and their colors are very varied, it is called 'textured' or 'ornamental'. The number of even lines is large (three even lines, totaling six segments), so it is called 'numerous'. The earth has a tangible form that can be held, and it holds the power to bring forth all things, so it is called 'handle'. Moreover, the handle is always at the bottom supporting the upper part; any object that can be held has its fundamental part touching the ground, which is the handle. The color of the earth originally includes five colors: blue, yellow, red, white, and black. Among these, black is the color of extreme yin, so it is said 'its color on the earth is black'. In addition, the version of the Nine Schools of the Book of Changes compiled by Xun Shuang includes below this line the terms: 'female', 'confusion', 'square', 'bag', 'skirt', 'yellow', 'silken cloth', and 'milk'.

震為雷，為龍，為玄黃，為，為大塗，為長子，為決躁，為蒼竹，為萑葦。其於馬也，為善鳴，為足，為的顙。其於稼也為反生。其究為健，為蕃鮮。陰閉而陽奮於下為雷。陽在下動為龍。乾坤始交生震，故兼天地之色。

The symbolic representations of Zhen include thunder, dragon, the color of mingled yin and yang, the initial opening of petals, the great way, the eldest son, decisiveness and impatience, green bamboo, and reed grass. Regarding horses, it represents a horse that makes a good sound, a white-footed horse, and a horse with a spiral hair on its forehead. Regarding crops, it represents seeds growing upside down. When Zhen reaches its extreme, it becomes strong and vigorous, and flourishing and beautiful. (The original text has a missing character after "玄黄," and the commonly circulated version uses "旉," meaning the initial opening of petals, which is retained without correction.) Yin energy is blocked above, while yang energy rises below, colliding to form thunder. Yang lines at the bottom are active, symbolizing the dragon hidden and about to rise. Zhen is born from the first union of Qian and Kun, so it combines the colors of both heaven and earth.

得乾初盡為玄，得坤中畫上畫為黃，雜而成蒼色也。陽氣始施為。又花蔕下連而上分為花也。一奇動於內，二偶開通。前無壅塞，萬物畢出。故為大塗也。一索得男，長子也。陽生於下，上進決陰而躁動也。蒼，深青色。竹之美者。竹之筠也。萑，荻。葦，蘆。竹與蘆葦，皆下本實而上虛也。

The first line of Zhen comes from Qian, and Qian's color is dark blue (the dark blue of heaven); the middle line and the top line come from Kun, and Kun's color is yellow (the yellow of earth): the two colors mixed together become a dark blue with a yellow tinge, called苍. Yang energy begins to emerge, and grass and trees then produce their flower buds; the lower part of the flower bud is connected to the stem, and the upper part splits open to form the flower (the original text also lacks the character 旉 here). A single yang line within moves vigorously, while the two yin lines above split open and become open, with no obstruction ahead, so all things rush out together, hence it is called the great way. Zhen is the male hexagram obtained from the first union of Qian and Kun, so it is called the eldest son. Yang energy arises from below and moves upward, pushing through the yin lines, hence it is called decisive and impetuous. "Cang" refers to a deep blue color; the best bamboo is taken for its greenish color of the bamboo skin. "Huan" is a type of reed, and "wei" is芦苇. Bamboo and reeds are solid at the bottom and hollow at the top—this exactly matches the yao image of Zhen, which is solid at the bottom and hollow at the top.

上畫偶開出聲，又陽氣始亨，故馬善鳴也。左足白曰。震居左也。足超健曰作。下畫一陽動也。的顙，額有旋毛中虛，射者之的。言上畫之虛也。稼，諸榖之類。萌芽自下而生，反勾而上，陽剛動於下也。陽長必終於乾，故究為健。蕃，生。鮮，美。春生之草，下一根而開葉於上也。按《荀易》下有為玉，為鵠，為鼓。

The upper line of Zhen is a broken even line, hollow in the middle and able to produce sound, combined with the initial flow of yang energy, so it is taken as the image of a horse that makes a good sound. The left foot of a white horse is called "Zhu," and since Zhen is located in the east in the Later Heaven compass, and east is left, this image is chosen (the original text is missing the character "Zhu"). Stepping with vigor and strength is called "Zuo Zu," which takes the meaning of the lower yang line being active (the original text is missing the character "Zu" after "Zuo"). "De Sang" refers to a white spot on the forehead, in the center with a spiral hair, and the middle hollow, like the center of an archery target, taking the image of the two upper lines being hollow. "Jia" generally refers to various grains: seeds sprout by emerging from below, first bending downward then growing upward, which is exactly the image of yang energy initiating from below, thus called "Fan Sheng." Yang energy grows continuously, ultimately returning to pure yang, so Zhen reaches its extreme as strong and vigorous. "Fan" means proliferation, "Xian" means fresh, and spring grass, with a root below and branches and leaves spreading above, is also an image of Zhen. According to the "Xun Shi Yi," there are also three other images associated with Zhen: jade, a swan, and a drum.

巽為木，為風，為長女，為繩直，為工，為白，為長，為高，為進退，為不果，為臭。其於人也為寡髮，為廣顙，為多白眼，為近利市三倍。其究為躁卦。木，乾陽而根陰。又物之善入者莫如木也。陰凝於下，陽發於外。周旋不舍則為風。又氣之善入者莫如風也。坤始交於乾而得巽，長女也。

The symbolic representations of Xun include: wood, wind, the eldest daughter, straightness as measured by a plumb line, craftsmen, white color, length, height, indecisiveness, hesitation, and uncertainty. In terms of human characteristics, it represents sparse hair, a broad forehead, large white of the eyes, and the ability to gain three times the profit through pursuit. When Xun reaches its extreme, it becomes the卦 of restlessness. First, regarding wood: the trunk of a tree is above and belongs to yang, while the roots are below and belong to yin, which corresponds to the structure of Xun with two yang lines above and one yin line below. Among all things, nothing is more adept at penetrating than tree roots, which aligns with Xun's virtue of "entering." Next, regarding wind: when yin energy condenses below and yang energy spreads out above, the continuous swirling movement forms wind. Among all natural forces, wind is most skilled at penetrating. When the Earthly Trigram Kun seeks the Heaven Trigram Qian for the first time, it obtains Xun, hence Xun is associated with the eldest daughter.

繩，糾木之曲而取直者。工，引繩之直而制木者。巽德之制，故為繩直，為工也。巽少陰，故於色為白。木下入而上升，故為長，為高。又長者風之行，高者木之性也。陰性多疑，盤旋於二陽之下。又風行無常，或東或西。故為進退不果也。陰伏二陽之下，氣鬱不散，故為臭。

The plumb line and measuring rope are used to correct the curvature of wood and to make it straight; craftsmen work according to the straight line of the plumb line and measuring rope. The "Great Treatise" says, "Xun represents the regulation of virtue." Xun has the meaning of cutting, shaping, and restraining, so it is associated with straightness and the craftsman. Xun is the trigram representing the initial emergence of Yin, a minor Yin, where the Yin energy is still clear, hence its color is white. Trees grow downward into the ground and upward toward the sky, so they are associated with growth and height. Moreover, what can extend continuously is the movement of wind, and what can rise high is the nature of wood. Yin is naturally suspicious, and the single Yin line is suspended between two Yang lines, hesitating to advance or retreat; additionally, the movement of wind has no fixed direction, shifting east and west, hence it is associated with advancing and retreating, and indecisiveness. The Yin line is hidden beneath two Yang lines, with the energy gathering and not dispersing, and when it is stagnant for a long time, it produces a scent, hence it is associated with smell and fragrance.

陽盛於上，陰血不升，故為寡髮。二陽在上，陽氣上盛。故為廣顙。眼白為陽黑為陰，反離之黑在下而白居中，故多白眼也。陽義陰利。陰主於內，近利之至，如賈之得利三倍也。三爻皆變，則為震之決躁，故究為躁卦也。然震變乾，變上二畫而已。巽不言中上之變為坤，而以三畫盡變為為震者。蓋陰欲變為陽，陽又欲變為純陽。此又聖人扶陽抑陰之意也。《荀易》有為楊，為鸛。

The abundance of yang energy is at the top, while yin blood cannot ascend to nourish the head, hence the hair becomes sparse. Two yang lines are in the upper position, so yang energy is full at the top, resulting in a broad forehead. The white part of the eye belongs to yang, and the black part belongs to yin. The trigram Xun is the opposite of Li. Li has black in the center and white above and below, while Xun is reversed, having black at the bottom and white in the center, hence the white part of the eye is more prominent. Yang represents the Way and righteousness, while yin represents profit and gain. The yin lines of Xun govern the inner part, pursuing profit to the extreme, like merchants who can gain three times the profit. When all three lines of Xun change, it becomes Zhen, which is the trigram representing decisiveness and restlessness. Therefore, Xun changing to its extreme becomes the restless trigram. However, Zhen changing to Qian only requires changing the top two lines. Here, it is said that Xun does not take the middle line and the top line to change into Kun, but instead changes all three lines to become Zhen, because yin always wants to become yang, and yang always wants to become pure yang. This still reflects the intention of the sage to support yang and restrain yin. The "Xunshi Yi" also mentions Xun as representing the poplar tree and the stork. (The original text has an extra character "为" in "尽变为为震者," but it is retained as is.)

坎為水，為溝瀆，為隱伏，為矯輮，為弓輪。其於人也為加憂，為心病，為耳痛，為血卦，為赤。其於馬也為美脊，為亟心，為下首，為薄蹄，為曳。其於輿也為多眚，為通，為月，為盜。其於木也為堅多心。一陽在內而明，二陰在外而陷，故為水。溝瀆所以行水，水流而不盈。

The imagery associated with the trigram Kan includes water, ditches, concealment, bending and straightening, bows and chariot wheels. In terms of people, it represents deep worry, heart disease, ear pain, and the trigram of blood, associated with the color red. For horses, it signifies a beautiful back, a quick temper, a low head without pride, thin hooves, and difficulty in moving forward. For vehicles, it indicates many calamities. It also represents communication, the moon, and thieves. For wood, it signifies hardness with a lot of sinew in the center. A single yang line is bright within, while two yin lines are dark outside, resulting in an outer darkness and inner brightness, with outer softness and inner strength, which corresponds to the form of water. Ditches are used to channel water, and water flows through them without overflowing, which also matches the image of Kan.

陽畫為水，二陰夾之，故曰溝瀆。陽居中而無陰以蔽之，則見而不隱。陽在陰下得時，則起而不伏。坎，陽陷陰中而包之，故為隱伏。水勢曲直方圓唯勢之利，因人所導，故為矯輮。弓蓋二十八，蔽車之上。輪輻三十六，運車以行。皆矯輮所成也。

In the middle, a single yang line represents flowing water, while the two yin lines above and below represent the banks enclosing it, hence called a channel. If a yang line is in the center without yin lines to cover it, it will be exposed and not hidden; if a yang line is below a yin line and occurs at the right time, it will rise up and not remain concealed. The Kan hexagram, however, has a yang line buried within yin lines and enclosed by them, hence it represents concealment. The flow of water can be winding or straight, square or round, depending on the terrain, and can be directed by humans, being flexible and adaptable, hence it is called "jiao roun" (jiao means to straighten a bend, roun means to bend a straight line). A chariot canopy has twenty-eight ribs supporting its top, and a chariot wheel has thirty-six spokes enabling its rotation. These curved components are all made through the technique of jiao roun, hence Kan also represents a bow and a wheel.

陽陷陰中，心危慮深，故加憂。心耳皆以虛為體。坎中實，故為病為痛。離火在身為氣，坎水在身為血。血運於身，猶水之行於天地間也。得乾中畫之陽，故為赤而不大也。

The yang is trapped within the yin and cannot escape, leading to a dangerous situation with deep contemplation, hence the deepening of worry. The heart and the ear are normally hollow: the heart must be hollow to hold thoughts, and the ear must be hollow to receive sounds. However, the Kan hexagram has a solid line in the center, filling the hollow place, hence it represents heart disease and ear pain. Fire in the human body manifests as qi, and water manifests as blood; blood circulates throughout the body just as water flows throughout the heavens and earth, so Kan is the hexagram of blood. The middle line of Kan comes from the middle line of Qian, so it also takes the color red, but it can only be called red, not the great red as in Qian.

坎中畫陽故為馬為美脊。剛在內而躁，故馬亟心。上柔，故首下而不昂。下柔，故蹄薄而不厚也。曳亦下之弱者。柔不任重，故在輿馬多眚。坤輿行於平地則安。坎多險陷阻礙也。通者水之性，坎維心亨也。月者水之精。盜者隱伏而險。剛在中，故在木為堅多心也。按《荀易》又有為宮，為律，為可，為棟，為叢棘，為狐，為蒺藜，為桎梏。

The central line of the Kan hexagram is yang, resembling the raised backbone of a horse, hence representing a beautiful back. The yang energy inside is restless, so the horse is impetuous. The top line is yin, so the head is low and not raised. The bottom line is yin, so the hooves are thin and not thick. Walking with the legs dragging shows weakness in the lower part. The weak cannot bear heavy loads, so a Kan horse is prone to accidents when driving a cart. Although it is the same cart, the Kun cart moves steadily on flat ground, while the Kan cart constantly encounters dangers and obstacles. "Tong" is the nature of water. The Commentary on the Judgment of the Kan hexagram says "the heart is open and smooth," meaning that even when facing dangers, the mind remains unimpeded, hence "tong." The moon is the essence of water, so it is associated with the moon. Thieves hide in darkness and cause people to face danger, which matches the hidden nature and danger of Kan, hence it is associated with theft. Yang is in the center, so for trees, it represents hardness and a dense center full of sinews. According to the Xunshi Yi, the Kan hexagram also represents buildings, musical tones, the character "ke," beams, thickets, foxes, thorn bushes, and shackles.

離為火，為日，為電，為中女，為甲冑，為戈兵。其於人也為大腹，為乾卦，為鱉，為蠏，為蠃，為蚌，為龜。其於木也為科上槁。離者，麗也。火麗木而生，又內暗外明，故為火。日，火之精也。陰麗陽而明，又有火光，故為電。坤再交於乾，故為中女。剛畫在外為甲冑。

The symbolic representations of the trigram 离 include fire, the sun, lightning, the middle daughter, armor and helmets, and spears and weapons. In terms of humans, it represents a large belly. It also represents the dry trigram, and is associated with turtles, crabs, snails, clams, and tortoises. In terms of trees, it represents the upper part of a tree that is withered and hollow. The original meaning of 离 is to attach or adhere. Fire must rely on firewood to burn, and the inside of the flame is dark while the outside is bright, which corresponds to the trigram 离 having a yang outer line and a yin inner line. Therefore, it is associated with fire. The sun is the essence of fire, so it is associated with the sun. Lightning is light produced when yin attaches to yang, and it also carries a fiery glow, so it is associated with lightning. The second time the earth trigram 坤 seeks the heaven trigram 乾, it obtains the trigram 离, so it is associated with the middle daughter. Two strong lines are wrapped around the outside, resembling armor and helmets protecting the body, so it is associated with armor and helmets.

火銳於上為戈兵。中虛有容為大腹，又得坤之中爻也。火熯燥故為乾卦。外剛內柔，故為鱉蠏蠃蚌龜。又鱉性靜，取中畫之柔。蠏性躁，取上下二畫之剛。蠃取善麗之象。蚌取中虛之象。龜取文明之象。

The flame is sharp and rises upward, resembling the sharp tip of a spear or halberd, so it is associated with weapons like spears and halberds. The central line is empty and can contain things, resembling a person's large belly; furthermore, this central line comes from the middle line of the Earth (Kun), which naturally has the meaning of containing things, so it is called a large belly. Fire can dry things, so it is associated with the meaning of dryness. The outer part is hard and the inner part is soft, which matches the structure of crustaceans, so it is associated with turtles, crabs, snails, clams, and tortoises. Among these, turtles are calm, taking the soft central line; crabs are restless, taking the upper and lower hard lines; snails attach themselves to rocks, taking the image of "adhering"; clams have an empty space in the middle when their shells are open, taking the image of emptiness in the center; tortoises have patterns on their shells, taking the image of civilization.

科上槁，一作科空也。本中空，上必枯槁。一曰科非木。科，巢之附於木上者。科中虛有離象。上槁者，科上之木乾燥，如花鵲巢以木枝結構而成者。二說雖不同，皆於離象可通。按《荀易》有為牝牛。

The three characters 「科上槁」have two interpretations. One says that 「科」means hollow, as when the trunk of a tree becomes hollow, the top part will inevitably wither and dry up, which corresponds to the image of the Fire卦 (Li) being hollow in the middle. Another interpretation says that 「科」does not refer to a tree, but rather to a bird's nest attached to a tree: the nest is hollow in the middle, resembling the image of the Fire卦 (Li) being hollow in the middle; the term 「上槁」refers to the branches beneath the nest that are dry and brittle, like the dry branches used by magpies to build their nests. Although these two interpretations differ, both can be connected to the image of the Fire卦 (Li) being hollow in the middle. Additionally, according to the 「Xunshi Yi」, the image of the Fire卦 (Li) also includes that of a mother cow.

艮為山，為徑路，為小石，為門闕，為果蓏，為閽寺，為指，為狗，為鼠，為黔喙之屬。其於木也為堅多節。靜以止者，山也。徑者，路之小。艮為震之反體。高山之上成蹊，非如平地之大塗也。剛在坤土之上，象山頂高處之小石。若坎剛在坤土之中，則平地土中之大石矣。

Geng represents the image of a mountain, a narrow path, small stones, gateways, fruits of trees and shrubs, the gatekeeper and attendants, fingers, dogs, mice, and fierce birds and beasts with black beaks; in terms of trees, it signifies hard and knotted wood. Nothing is more still than a mountain, hence it is associated with mountains. "Path" refers to a narrow road: Geng is the reversed form of Zhen. Zhen represents a broad road, but when reversed, it becomes a narrow path—paths carved into high mountains naturally differ from the wide roads on flat land. A single strong line overlying the earth (Kun) resembles a small stone protruding from the mountain top; if the strong line were buried within the earth as in Kan, it would represent a large stone beneath the ground.

闕者，門之出入處。上畫連亙，中二畫雙峙而虛，似門闕也。果，木實；蓏，草實。乾純剛為木果，艮一剛二柔故為果蓏。震為，草木之始。艮為果蓏，草木之終。果蓏能終又能始，故於果蓏為切。

"The 'què' refers to the high platforms on both sides of a palace gate, through which people pass in the middle. The Gen hexagram has one horizontal line at the top that connects continuously, and two lines below that are separate and opposite, leaving a void in the center, resembling the two platforms flanking a gate with a passage in the middle. 'Guǒ' refers to the fruits on trees, while 'luǒ' refers to the fruits on vines and herbs. Qian is purely yang, so it is only associated with tree fruits; Gen consists of one yang and two yin lines, with yang in the middle and yin surrounding it, hence it is associated with both tree fruits and vine fruits. Zhen represents the initial opening of flower buds, which marks the beginning of growth in plants (the character 'fū' is missing after 'Zhen wei' in the original text); Gen represents the fruit, which marks the end of growth. However, when fruits fall to the ground, they can regrow, thus marking both the end and the beginning. This perfectly matches the virtue of Gen hexagram, which 'completes all things and begins all things,' making the image of fruits and vines the most appropriate."

閽，掌王宮之中門之禁，止物之不應入者。寺，掌王之內人及宮女之戒令，止物之不得出者。手以止物，而用以止者在指。又諸物之末，骨之外見者也。鼠黔喙，皆前剛也。黔鉗通。山居之獸，齒牙如鐵能食生物。又鳥亦善以喙止物者也。緊多節，亦剛在外也。按《荀易》有為鼻，為虎，為狐。《麻衣易》亦以艮為鼻。朱子曰鼻者，面之山。管輅嘗言之。

The term "hun" refers to those who guard the gates of the royal palace, responsible for preventing unauthorized entry; "si" refers to those who oversee the regulations of palace women, responsible for preventing unauthorized exit: both entry and exit are forms of stopping, hence they correspond to the image of Gen (Mountain). The hand can hold things, but the actual part used to hold is the finger; fingers are the ends of the body, with exposed joints, which matches the image of Gen, where one yang is on top and exposed, hence it is referred to as finger. Mice and black-mouthed fierce animals both have hard parts at the front (sharp teeth or strong beaks). "Qian" and "qian" are interchangeable, referring to animals living in mountains, with teeth like iron, capable of biting live creatures; birds are also skilled at holding things with their beaks, all indicating the meaning of stopping. In terms of trees, being hard and having many knots also represents the manifestation of hardness on the outside. (The original text mistakenly writes "jin duo jie" instead of "jian duo jie," but we retain the original.) According to the "Xunshi Yi," the image of Gen also includes the nose, tiger, and fox; the "Ma Yi Yi" also associates Gen with the nose. Zhu Xi said: the nose is the mountain of the face. Guan Lu of the Three Kingdoms period had already expressed this idea.

兌為澤，為少女，為巫，為口舌，為毀折，為附決。其於地也為剛滷，為妾，為羊。澤者水之聚。二陽沉於下，一陰見於上，坎壅成澤也。巫，以言語說神者。兌上折，口象，故為巫，為口舌。金氣始殺，條枯實落，故為毀折。

The imagery associated with the Dui hexagram includes marshes, young women, shamans, speech, destruction and breaking, attachment followed by separation; in terms of land, it represents hard salt-alkali land; it also signifies a concubine and sheep. A marsh is a place where water gathers: two yang lines are below and one yin line is above, resembling the water of the Kan trigram being blocked and unable to flow, thus forming a marsh. A shaman is someone who communicates with spirits through speech. The top line of the Dui hexagram is a broken line, resembling an open mouth, hence it represents speech and shamans. In the Later Heaven compass direction, Dui belongs to the west, where the autumn metal energy begins to become sharp and severe, causing the branches of grass and trees to wither and fruits to fall, hence it represents destruction and breaking.

柔附於剛，剛乃決柔，故為附決。陰在上皆有決義。震陽動故躁，兌陰說故附決。躁者有所去，以達其怒。附決者始雖親，而動不免於去也。陽在下為剛，陰在上為滷。剛滷之地不生物。滷者，水之死氣也。坎水絕於下而澤見於上則為滷。滷暫熯而乾，乾而復潤，天下之潤者莫久焉。然不生物，以氣之在外也。少女從娣故為妾。內狠外說故為羊。

The soft line above is attached to two strong lines, but the strong lines ultimately reject it, hence it is called "attached and then rejected." Any hexagram with a yin line above contains the meaning of being rejected. Similarly, when yin is above, Zhen, which is primarily yang and active, appears restless and forward-moving, while Dui, which is primarily yin and joyful, appears attached and then rejected: the restless and forward-moving one seeks to burst out and release its anger, while the attached and then rejected one, although initially close, inevitably separates when it moves. The two lower yang lines represent hard earth, and the upper yin line represents floating salt crystals, hence it is like hard salt-alkali land. Salt-alkali land does not grow crops. Hal is the dead qi of water: when the water of Kan is below and cut off, only the surface remains as a pool, forming hal. Hal dries up when exposed to the sun, dries up again when it becomes moist, and among all things, nothing is more enduring and moist than hal, yet it ultimately does not nurture all things, because its qi floats on the surface and does not enter the soil. A young woman follows her elder sister to marry as a secondary bride, hence it is called a concubine. A sheep is fierce inside but pleasant on the outside, hence it is called a sheep.

按《荀易》有為常，為輔頰。前章以八卦象八物，此章又推廣以盡萬物之情。其中有相對取象者，如乾天、坤地之類是也。上文乾為馬，此則為良馬老馬瘠馬駁馬。良取其德，老取其知，瘠取其骨，駁取其力，皆取其健也。上文坤為牛，此則為子母牛，取其生生有繼，兼取其順也。

According to the "Xunshi Yi," the image of Dui also includes the meanings of constant and cheek. The previous chapters eight and nine only paired the eight trigrams with eight kinds of objects; this chapter greatly expands the scope, striving to include the nature of all things. Some of these are taken as pairs, such as Qian representing Heaven and Kun representing Earth. Previously, Qian was only said to represent a horse, but in this chapter, it is divided into a good horse, an old horse, a thin horse, and a spotted horse. "Good" refers to its good nature, "old" refers to its experienced nature, "thin" refers to its strong bones, and "spotted" refers to its powerful strength. All four aspects do not go beyond the meaning of "strength." Previously, Kun was only said to represent a cow, but in this chapter, it refers to a mother cow and a calf cow, taking from the continuous generation and succession of life, as well as the cow's gentle and obedient nature.

乾為木果，結於上而圓。坤為大輿，載於下而方。震為決躁，巽為進退，為不果，剛柔之性也。震巽獨以其究言剛柔之始也。坎內陽外陰，水與月則內明外暗。離內陰外陽，火與日則內暗外明。坎中實，故於人為加憂為心病為耳痛。離中虛，故於人為大腹。艮為閽寺為指，陽之止也。兌為巫為口舌，陰之說也。

The trigram Qian represents wood and fruit, with the fruit growing at the top of the tree and having a round shape, matching the roundness of heaven above; the trigram Kun represents a large cart, with the cart carrying goods below and the carriage being square, matching the squareness of earth below: this is a pair of opposites. The trigram Zhen represents decisiveness and impatience, while the trigram Xun represents hesitation in advance and retreat, one being strong and decisive, the other being gentle and hesitant, describing the two kinds of temperament, yang and yin. Among the eight trigrams, only Zhen and Xun specifically mention "its ultimate" (its extreme transformation), aiming to indicate the starting point of the mutual transformation between yang and yin. Kan is yang inside and yin outside, so it takes water and moon, both of which are bright inside and dark outside; Li is yin inside and yang outside, so it takes fire and sun, both of which are dark inside and bright outside. The middle line of Kan is solid, so in human terms it represents deep worry, heart disease, and ear pain; the middle line of Li is hollow, so in human terms it represents a big belly. Gen represents gatekeepers and attendants, as well as fingers, both being yang above and governing stopping; Dui represents witches and priests, as well as mouth and tongue, both being yin above and governing joy.

有相反取象者。震為大塗，反而艮則為徑路。大塗，陽闢乎陰，無險阻也。徑路，陽阻而下陰，不能闢也。巽為長為高，反而兌則為毀折。長且高者，陽之上達。毀而折者，陰之上窮也。有相因取象者。

There is another category which involves turning the hexagram upside down to take the opposite image. Zhen represents a broad path, but when turned upside down to become Gen, it represents a narrow path: a broad path is characterized by a yang line at the bottom opening up the yin line, allowing smooth passage; a narrow path is marked by a yang line being pushed up at the top and a yin line pressing down below, preventing clear passage. Xun represents length and height, but when turned upside down to become Dui, it represents destruction and breaking: length and height signify yang energy continuously ascending; destruction and breaking indicate yin energy reaching the top and having reached its limit. In addition, there is another category which involves mutual dependence and taking images from one to another, which will be discussed below.

乾為馬。震得乾之初之馬，故於馬為善鳴足作足的顙。震陽下而陰上也。坎得乾中爻之馬，故馬美瘠亟心下首薄蹄曳。坎陽中而陰外也。善鳴似乾馬之良，美瘠似乾馬之瘠。作足，陽下而健。薄蹄者，陰下而弱也。

The concept of mutual influence and taking images is illustrated by the example of the horse associated with the trigram Qian. The trigram Zhen (Thunder) receives the first line of Qian, so the horse of Zhen is characterized by being able to neigh well, having white legs, leaping high, and having a spiral mark on its forehead. This is because Zhen has yang at the bottom and yin at the top (the original text mentions "善鸣足作足的颡" but the character "馵" is missing). The trigram Kan (Water) receives the middle line of Qian, so the horse of Kan is described as having a beautiful back, being lean and strong, being quick-tempered, lowering its head, having thin hooves, and dragging its feet. This is because Kan has yang in the middle and yin outside. Careful observation shows that being able to neigh well is close to the "good" quality of the horse of Qian, while a beautiful back and being lean and strong are close to the "thin" quality of the horse of Qian. "White legs" result from yang at the bottom being strong, while "thin hooves" result from yin at the bottom being weak. Both come from the horse of Qian, yet differ in strength and weakness due to the different positions of the lines.

坤為大輿，坎為輿為多眚。坤中虛而力能載，坎中滿而下無力也。巽為木，乾陽而根陰也。坎中陽，故於木為堅多心。艮上陽，故於木為堅多節。離中虛，故於木為科上槁。震為。乾為木果，艮為果蓏。震之一陽花之敷。乾之三陽果之結。果蓏則陽上而陰下也。

For example, the trigram Kun represents a large cart, while the trigram Kan also represents a cart, but it is a cart that brings many troubles. The trigram Kun has three broken lines, which are hollow in the middle and thus capable of carrying great weight. The trigram Kan, on the other hand, has a solid line in the middle but is weak at the bottom, making it unable to support weight effectively. Similarly, the trigram Xun represents wood, taking the trunk as yang and the roots as yin. When referring to wood, the trigram Kan has yang in the center, so the image of wood is hard with many sinews in the middle; the trigram Gen has yang at the top, so the image of wood is hard with many knots; the trigram Li has a hollow center, so the image of wood is hollow and withered at the top. Another example: the trigram Zhen represents the initial opening of a flower bud, and the trigram Qian represents a fruit on a tree, while the trigram Gen represents a fruit with a hard shell. The trigram Zhen has one yang line representing the blooming of a flower, the trigram Qian has three yang lines representing the formation of a fruit, and the trigram Gen's image of a fruit is yang on top and yin below, with a hard shell enclosing a soft pulp.

有一卦之中自相因取象者。坎為隱伏，因而為盜。巽為繩直，因而為工。艮為門闕，因而為閽寺。兌為口舌，因而為巫。有不言而互見者。乾為君以見坤之為臣。乾為圜以見坤之為方。吝嗇者，陰之翕也，以見陰之闢。均者，地之平也，以見天之高。

There are also instances within the same hexagram where the images are derived sequentially. Since Kan represents concealment, it follows that it can also represent thieves. Since Xun represents the plumb line and straightness, it follows that it can also represent artisans. Since Gen represents gates, it follows that it can also represent gatekeepers. Since Dui represents mouth and speech, it follows that it can also represent shamans. Another category is where only one side is mentioned, and the other side is understood by contrast. Saying Qian represents the sovereign and Kun represents the subject is unnecessary; saying Qian represents roundness and Kun represents squareness is also unnecessary. Saying Kun represents stinginess refers to the state when yin energy is closed off, and by contrast, we see that yin energy also has times when it opens. Saying Kun represents evenness refers to the flatness of the earth, and by contrast, we see the vastness of the heavens.

為文者，物生於地離而可見也，知其始於天者不可見矣。為柄者，有形之可執也，乾之氣不可執矣。離為乾卦，以見坎之為溼。坎為血卦，以見離之為氣。巽為臭，以見震之為聲。巽離兌三女，震為長子而坎艮不言者，尊嫡也，於陽之長者尊之也。兌少女為妾而巽離不言者，少女從墒為娣，於陰之少者卑之也。乾為馬，震坎得乾之陽皆言馬而艮獨不言者，艮，止也，止之性非馬也。其大畧如此，他可觸類而通。

The reason the earth (Kun) is called "literary splendor" is that all things are born on the earth, and their forms and colors are clearly visible. By contrast, the beginning of all things in heaven is invisible. The reason the earth is called "handle" is that things on the earth have form and can be held. By contrast, the qi of heaven is intangible. The reason the fire (Li) is called the "dry" trigram is that the water (Kan) is moist. The reason the water (Kan) is called the "blood" trigram is that the fire (Li) is the "qi" trigram. The reason the wind (Xun) is called the "smell" trigram is that the thunder (Zhen) is the "sound" trigram. The trigrams Xun, Li, and Dui are all explicitly called "three females," while Zhen is explicitly called the "eldest son," but Kan and Gen are not mentioned. This is to show respect for the legitimate eldest son and to elevate the yang elder. Dui is explicitly called the "youngest daughter" as a concubine, but Xun and Li are not mentioned as concubines, because the youngest daughter must follow her elder sister in marriage as a bride's attendant. This is to show respect for the younger female and to lower her status. The reason the heaven (Qian) is called the horse, and Zhen and Kan, which have the yang lines of Qian, are also called the horse, but Gen is not called the horse, is because the nature of Gen is to stop, and the nature of stopping is not suitable for the horse. In general, the rest can be understood by analogy.

至於卦象之中有與卦爻相符者，如乾天坤地之類是也。有不與卦爻相符者，如乾坤稱龍而不必在震，坤屯稱馬而不必在乾之類是也。有見於卦爻而此不載者，如漸之鴻中孚之豚魚之類是也。有見於此而卦爻無之者，如為釜為布為蠃為蚌之類是也。若夫大琴謂之離，小罍謂之坎。此見於他書，而易與說卦又可以類推也。

The images listed in the "Shuo Gua" (Explanations of the Hexagrams) have relationships with the text of the Zhou Yi. Some are consistent with the hexagram line statements, such as "Qian represents Heaven" and "Kun represents Earth." Others are inconsistent, such as the line statements of the hexagrams Qian and Kun both referring to dragons, while dragons are actually associated with Zhen, not limited to Zhen; and the line statements of the hexagrams Kun and Tun both referring to horses, while horses are actually associated with Qian, not limited to Qian. Some images appear in the hexagram line statements but are not mentioned in the "Shuo Gua," such as the wild geese in the hexagram Zhen and the piglets in the hexagram Zhongfu. Others are mentioned in the "Shuo Gua" but do not appear in the hexagram line statements, such as the cauldron, the cloth, the snail, and the clam. As for referring to the large zither as Li and the small wine vessel as Kan, such expressions are found in other texts, and the imagery in the Zhou Yi and the "Shuo Gua" can be similarly inferred.

至若自坤而降，或曰其於地，其於人，其於馬，於輿，於稼，於木，唯乾不言者，蓋物不足以盡卦，則正言為天為地之類。卦不足以盡物，則言其於人，其於馬之類。至乾之為物無不周遍，萬物不足以盡之，故無所言焉。要之天地之物，大而天地山川，微而草木禽蟲，君臣父子之倫，毛髮爪甲之細，無一不備於卦。即無一不本於太極，無一不在於吾心。知此可與言八卦之象矣。右第十一章。以上說卦傳十一章，備言卦象卦位。疑古者若《八索》之書，所載有此。夫子因筆削之，以為傳也。

There is another point: from the Qian hexagram downwards, each hexagram has classifications such as 'its meaning for the earth,' 'its meaning for people,' 'its meaning for horses,' 'its meaning for vehicles,' 'its meaning for crops,' and 'its meaning for wood.' The Qian hexagram alone does not have such classifications. This is because: when one thing is insufficient to fully express the meaning of a hexagram, it is directly stated as 'for heaven' or 'for earth.' When the meaning of a hexagram cannot be contained by any single thing, it retreats to say 'in terms of people' or 'in terms of horses,' limiting the discussion to a particular category. As for Qian, since it encompasses all things as a symbolic image, nothing in the world can contain it. Therefore, it does not make such limitations. In summary, everything in the universe, from the great heaven and earth and mountains and rivers, to the small grasses, woods, birds, and insects, from the high human relationships of sovereign and subject, father and son, to the minute details of hair and nails, is all included in the hexagrams. There is nothing that is not based on the Taiji, and nothing that is not within my mind. Only when one understands this can one discuss the images of the eight trigrams. This is the eleventh chapter. The eleventh chapter of the Shuo Gua Zhuan thoroughly explains the images of the hexagrams and their positions. It is likely that in ancient times there was a book like the Ba Suo, which contained such content, and Confucius edited and compiled it into this passage.