Collected Commentaries on the Zhou Changes (Ming Dynasty · Lai Zhide)

乾坤者，萬物之男女也；男女者，一物之乾坤也。故上經首乾坤，下經首男女。乾坤男女相為對待，氣行乎其間，有往有來，有進有退，有常有變，有吉有凶，不可為典要，此易所由名也。盈天地間莫非男女，則盈天地間莫非易矣。

The trigrams Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth) represent the male and female of all things in the universe. Conversely, the distinction of male and female within any particular thing itself constitutes a smaller pair of Qian and Kun. Therefore, the upper section of the Zhou Changes begins with the trigrams Qian and Kun, while the lower section starts with the trigrams Xian (Harmony) and Heng (Permanence), which symbolize the mutual interaction between male and female. Qian and Kun, as well as male and female, are established in relation to each other. The two energies of yin and yang operate within this relational space: if there is movement, there is also stillness; if there is advancement, there is also retreat; if there is normalcy, there is also abnormality; if there is good fortune, there is also misfortune. Nothing can be fixed as an unchanging standard. This is precisely why the Zhou Changes is named "Yi" (Change). What fills the universe is nothing other than the mutual relationship between male and female and yin and yang; thus, what fills the universe is nothing other than "Yi" (Change).

伏羲象男女之形以畫卦，文王繫卦下之辭，又序六十四卦，其中有錯有綜，以明陰陽變化之理。錯者，交錯對待之名，陽左而陰右，陰左而陽右也；綜者，高低織綜之名，陽上而陰下，陰上而陽下也。雖六十四卦止乾坤坎離大過頤小過中孚八卦相錯，其餘五十六卦皆相綜而為二十八卦，並相錯八卦共三十六卦。

Fu Xi derived the trigrams by observing the forms of men and women. King Wen added statements to each trigram and arranged the sixty-four trigrams in a specific order. This order includes both 'wrong' and 'complementary' arrangements, used to reveal the principles of yin and yang changes. The 'wrong' refers to a method of opposing trigrams: in the same position, if one trigram has a yang line, the other has a yin line, and vice versa. Yang on the left corresponds to yin on the right, and yin on the left corresponds to yang on the right. The six lines of the two trigrams are opposite in position. The 'complementary' comes from the idea of the warp threads in weaving going up and down. It refers to turning a trigram upside down, so that what was originally on top is now at the bottom and vice versa. Among the sixty-four trigrams, only the eight trigrams of Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Da Guo, Yi, Xiao Guo, and Zhong Fu remain the same when turned upside down, so they can only be paired through 'wrong' arrangements. The remaining fifty-six trigrams are paired by turning them upside down, forming twenty-eight groups. Adding the eight trigrams that remain the same when turned upside down, the entire book actually contains thirty-six distinct trigram forms.

如屯蒙之類，雖屯綜乎離，蒙綜乎坎，本是二卦，然一上一下皆二陽四陰之卦，乃一卦也。故孔子《雜卦》曰：「屯見而不失其居，蒙雜而著」是也。故上經止十八卦，下經止十八卦。周公立爻辭，雖曰兼三才而兩之，故六，亦以陰陽之氣皆極於六。天地間窮上反下，循環無端者，不過此六而已，此立六爻之意也。

Take the hexagrams Zun and Meng for example: Zun has Zhen below and Kan above, while Meng has Kan below and Gen above. From the structure of the hexagrams, Zun contains the image of separation, and Meng contains the image of being trapped in a marsh. On the surface, they are two separate hexagrams. However, if Zun is completely reversed, it becomes Meng. The top and bottom lines belong to the same hexagram shape, "two yangs and four yins," meaning they are actually one hexagram. Therefore, Confucius in the "Zaguo Zhuan" says, "Zun is the emergence of beginnings without losing its proper place, and Meng is confusion followed by gradual clarity," treating these two hexagrams as a single entity. According to this, the Upper Canon contains only eighteen hexagram shapes, and the Lower Canon also contains only eighteen hexagram shapes. The Duke of Zhou attached line statements to each hexagram. Although it is said that "each hexagram combines the three principles of heaven, earth, and humanity and divides them into two," meaning that each of the three principles occupies two lines, resulting in six lines, in reality it is because the energies of yin and yang reach their limit at six. Between heaven and earth, when something rises to its peak it returns downward, and this cycle continues without beginning or end. This is why the six lines were established.

孔子見男女有象即有數，有數即有理，其中之理神妙莫測，立言不一而足，故所繫之辭多於前聖。孔子沒後，儒不知文王周公立象皆藏於序卦錯綜之中，止以序卦為上下經之次序，乃將說卦執圖求駿。自王弼掃象以後，注易諸儒皆以象失其傳，不言其象，止言其理。

Confucius observed that the yin and yang of male and female have forms and numbers, and with numbers there are principles and meanings. The meanings are so profound and mysterious that they cannot be fully explained in a few instances. Therefore, the words in the Ten Wings attached by Confucius are more than those of the three sages Fuxi, King Wen, and the Duke of Zhou combined. After Confucius' death, the scholars of Confucianism did not understand that the key to the hexagrams established by King Wen and the Duke of Zhou was hidden in the complex arrangement of the hexagram order. Instead, they treated the "Sequence of Hexagrams" merely as a directory for the order of the upper and lower classics, and clung to the "Discourse on the Hexagrams" which explained the symbolic meanings of the eight trigrams, following them mechanically. Since Wang Bi eliminated the hexagrams and focused solely on abstract principles, the Confucian scholars interpreting the Zhou Yi all came to believe that the hexagrams had been lost, and thus stopped discussing the hexagrams and focused only on the principles.

本朝纂修《易經性理大全》，雖會諸儒眾注成書，然不過以理言之而已，均不知其象，不知文王序卦，不知孔子雜卦，不知後儒卦變之非。於此四者既不知，則易不得其門而入；不得其門而入，則其註疏之所言者乃門外之粗淺，非門內之奧妙。是自孔子沒而易亡已至今日矣。四聖之易如長夜者二千餘年，其不可長嘆也哉。

In this dynasty, the compilation of the "Comprehensive Commentary on the Zhou Yi" and the "Comprehensive Commentary on the Principles of Nature and Principle" although gathering numerous annotations from scholars of the past, is merely based on the principles of meaning. They do not understand the images of the hexagrams, nor do they understand the purpose of King Wen in arranging the order of the hexagrams, nor do they understand the style of Confucius' "Miscellaneous Hexagrams" transmission, nor do they understand the errors in the later scholars' theory of "hexagram transformation." Since these four points are not understood, studying the Yi Classic is like having no entrance; if one cannot enter, then the explanations in the commentaries are only superficial talk outside the gate, not the profound and subtle meanings within. Thus, since Confucius' death, the study of the Yi has actually been lost, and it has been lost up to the present day. The Yi of the four sages, Fuxi, King Wen, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius, has been shrouded in darkness for more than two thousand years. Is this not something to sigh about?

夫易者象也，象也者像也，此孔子之言也。曰像者，乃事理之彷佛近似可以想像者也，非真有實事也，非真有實理也。若以事論，金豈可為車，玉豈可為鉉；若以理論，虎尾豈可履，左腹豈可入。易與諸經不同者全在於此。如《禹謨》曰：「惠迪吉，從逆凶，惟影響。」是真有此理也。如《泰誓》曰：「惟十有三季春，大會於孟津。」是真有此事也。若易則無此事，無此理，惟有此象而已。

"The Book of Changes is the image, and the image is the likeness," said Confucius. The term "likeness" refers to something that resembles the principles of things and can be imagined by people, but it is not a real event or a real principle. If we look at actual events: how can gold be used to make a chariot (the line 'golden arrow' in the fourth position of the噬嗑 hexagram, and the line 'golden carriage' in the fourth position of the困 hexagram)? How can a fine jade be used as the crossbar of a tripod (the line 'jade handle' in the top position of the鼎 hexagram)? If we look at the principles: how can a tiger's tail be stepped on (the line 'treading on a tiger's tail' in the履 hexagram)? How can one enter the left side of a person's abdomen (the line 'entering the left abdomen' in the fourth position of the明夷 hexagram)? The difference between the Book of Changes and other classics lies entirely in this. For example, the Book of Documents, the Great Yu's Mandate, says, 'Following the way brings good fortune; going against the way brings misfortune. It is as swift as a shadow following the body and as certain as a response to a sound,' which is a real principle. And the Book of Documents, the Great Mandate of Tai, says, 'In the spring of the thirteenth year, the Great Assembly of feudal lords was held at the Menglui River,' which is a real event. But the Book of Changes has neither such events nor such principles; it has only the images."

有象則大小遠近精粗千蹊萬徑之理咸寓乎其中，方可彌綸天地；無象則所言者止一理而已，何以彌綸。故象猶鏡也，有鏡則萬物畢照；若舍其鏡，是無鏡而索照矣。不知其象，易不注可也。又如以某卦自某卦變者，此虞翻之說也，後儒信而從之。如訟卦「剛來而得中」，乃以為自遯卦來，不知乃綜卦也。需訟相綜，乃坎之陽爻來於內而得中也。孔子贊其為天下之至變，正在於此。

With the image, great and small, near and far, subtle and crude, all the myriad paths of meaning are contained within it, only then can we speak of "embracing heaven and earth," encompassing all the principles of heaven and earth. Without the image, what is discussed is merely a single isolated principle; on what basis can it encompass heaven and earth? Therefore, the image is like a mirror; with the mirror, all things are contained within it; without the mirror, one tries to see all things without a mirror. If one does not understand the hexagram images, then the Book of Changes need not be annotated. For example, if a hexagram comes from another hexagram, this is the view of Yu Fan of the Han dynasty, which later Confucian scholars accepted. For instance, the "Commentary on the Judgment" of the hexagram of Strife says, "A strong line comes to the center," and they believe that the hexagram of Strife comes from the hexagram of Retreat. But they do not realize that this is actually a relationship of the inverted hexagram. The hexagram of Necessity and the hexagram of Strife are inverted of each other: the upper trigram of Necessity is Kan; if we invert it entirely, the yang line of Kan falls into the inner trigram of Strife, occupying the second position and thus achieving the center. The phrase "a strong line comes to the center" refers precisely to this. Confucius praised the Book of Changes as the one that can exhaust all changes, and the reason for this lies exactly here.

蓋乾所屬綜乎坤，坎所屬綜乎離，艮所屬綜乎巽，震所屬綜乎兌，乃伏羲之八卦一順一逆自然之對待也，非文王之安排也。惟需訟相綜，故《雜卦》曰：「需，不進也；訟，不親也。」若遯則綜大壯，故《雜卦》曰：「大壯則止，遯則退也。」見於孔子《雜卦傳》昭昭如此，而乃曰訟自遯來，失之千里矣。此所以謂四聖之易如長夜者此也。

In general, the trigrams associated with the trigram Qian are reversed in order with those associated with the trigram Kun; the trigrams associated with Kan are reversed with those associated with Li; the trigrams associated with Gen are reversed with those associated with Xun; and the trigrams associated with Zhen are reversed with those associated with Dui. This is the natural opposing structure formed by the eight trigrams of Fuxi, arranged alternately in order and reverse order, and not deliberately arranged by King Wen. Because the trigram Xun and the trigram Song are reversed, the "Zagua Zhuan" places them side by side saying "Xun is not advancing, Song is not approaching." And since the trigram Duan is reversed with the trigram Da Zhuang, the "Zagua Zhuan" also places them side by side saying "Da Zhuang is stopping, Duan is retreating." Confucius clearly presents the reversed relationships in the "Zagua Zhuan," yet some people wrongly claim that the trigram Song comes from the trigram Duan. This is a mistake of a thousandth part, leading to an error of a thousand miles. This is why I say the four sages' "Yi" is like a long night.

德生去孔子二千餘季，且賦性愚劣，又居僻地無人傳授。因父母病侍養未仕，乃取易讀於釡山草堂，六季不能窺其毫髮。遂遠客萬縣求溪深山之中，沈潛反覆，忘寢忘食有季。思之思之，鬼神通之。數季而悟伏羲文王周公之象，又數季而悟文王序卦孔子雜卦，又數季而悟卦變之非。始於隆慶四季庚午，終於萬厯二十六季戊戌，二十九季而後成書，正所謂困而知之也。

I, Lai Zhide, was born more than two thousand years after Confucius, with a dull and inferior intellect, and living in a remote area without any teacher to guide me. Because my parents were ill, I had to take care of them and never went out to serve the state. I stayed in the Fu Mountain Cottage and read the Zhou Changes, but after six years I could not understand even a little. Then I went to live in the deep mountains of Qixi in Wanxian, where I immersed myself in study, neglecting sleep and food for several years. The Guanzi says, "Think and think again; if you cannot understand, the spirits will enlighten you." Indeed, after several years I finally understood the hexagrams established by Fuxi, King Wen, and the Duke of Zhou. After several more years, I grasped King Wen's "Order of Hexagrams" and Confucius' "Miscellaneous Hexagrams." After several more years, I realized the errors in the theory of "hexagram transformation." This book was begun in the fourth year of Longqing, Gengwu (1570), and completed in the twenty-sixth year of Wanli, Wuxu (1598). It took me twenty-nine years to finish it, exactly the kind of person Confucius referred to as "one who gains knowledge through hardship."

既悟之後，始知易非前聖安排穿鑿，乃造化自然之妙。一陰一陽，內之外之，橫之縱之，順之逆之，莫非易也。始知至精者易也，至變者易也，至神者易也。始知《繫辭》所謂「所居而安者易之序也」「錯綜其數」「非中爻不備」「二與四同功」「三與五同功」數語，反作《說卦》《序卦》《雜卦》於十翼之末，孔子教後之學易者亦明白親切，但人自不察，惟篤信諸儒之注，而不留心詳審孔子十翼之言，宜乎長夜至今日也。

After attaining enlightenment, I realized that the Book of Changes was not artificially constructed by ancient sages, but rather the inherent subtlety of the natural world. One yin and one yang, placed inside or outside, intersecting horizontally or vertically, moving forward or backward, all these are manifestations of the Book of Changes. I then understood that the Book of Changes is the most subtle, the most changeable, and the most mysterious. I also came to comprehend the statements in the Great Treatise such as "the order of the Book of Changes is the stability of its position," "the interweaving of numbers," "without the middle lines, the interrelated hexagrams are not complete," "the second and fourth lines have the same function," and "the third and fifth lines have the same function." Furthermore, I realized that Confucius deliberately placed the three chapters of Shuo Gu, Xü Gu, and Za Gu at the end of the Ten Wings, clearly and earnestly guiding future learners of the Book of Changes. However, people do not take the time to examine these matters themselves, but instead blindly trust the old interpretations of past Confucian scholars, and are unwilling to carefully review the original words of Confucius in the Ten Wings. It is no wonder that the long night of studying the Book of Changes has continued until today.

注既成，乃僭於伏羲文王圓圖之前新畫一圖，以見聖人作易之原；又畫八卦變六十四卦圖，又畫八卦所屬相錯圖，又畫八卦所屬自相綜文王序卦正綜圖，又畫八卦四正四隅相綜文王序卦雜綜圖；又發明八卦正位及上下經篇義並各字義，又發明六十四卦啟蒙，又考定《繫辭》上下傳，又補定《說卦傳》以廣八卦之象，又改正集註分卷，又發明孔子十翼。其注先訓釋象義、字義及錯綜義，後加一圈方訓釋本卦本爻正意，象數言於前，義理言於後。

After completing my annotations, I dared to draw a new diagram before the circular diagrams of Fuxi and King Wen, to illustrate the origin of the sages' creation of the Book of Changes. I also drew the diagram of the transformation of the Eight Trigrams into the sixty-four Hexagrams, the diagram showing the mutual opposition of the Eight Trigrams, the diagram showing the self-opposition and the sequence of the Hexagrams according to King Wen's order, and the diagram showing the mutual opposition of the four cardinal and four intermediate trigrams in the sequence of the Hexagrams according to King Wen. I also explained the proper positions of each of the Eight Trigrams, the main meanings of the upper and lower parts of the Book of Changes, and the meanings of key terms. I also wrote the "Sixty-Four Hexagrams启蒙" (Introduction), examined the Upper and Lower Treatises of the Great Treatise, supplemented the "Explanation of the Trigrams" to expand the symbolic meanings of the Eight Trigrams, and reorganized the volumes of the "Collected Annotations." I also explained the meanings of Confucius' Ten Wings. My method of annotation is: first explaining the meanings of the hexagram images, the meanings of words, and the meanings of the opposite and inverted hexagrams, then adding a circle "○", and only after that explaining the main meaning of the original hexagram and its line. The principles of images and numbers come first, and the meanings of doctrine come later.

其百家注易諸儒，雖不知其象，不知序卦雜卦及卦變之非，止言其理，若於言理之中間有不悖於經者，雖一字半句亦必採而集之，名曰《周易集註》。庶讀易者開卷豁然，可以少窺四聖宗廟百官於萬一矣。孔子曰：「蓋有不知而作之者，我無是也。」孟子曰：「予豈好辯哉，予不得已也。」聖賢立言不自任類如此。德因四聖之易千載長夜，乃將纂修《性理大全》去取於其間，要附以數季所悟之象數，以成盛時一代之書。是以忘其愚陋，改正先儒註疏之僭妄，未暇論及雲。

As for the scholars of various schools throughout history who commented on the I Ching, they may not have understood the hexagrams, the structure of the "Sequence of Hexagrams" and "Miscellaneous Hexagrams," nor the fallacy of the theory of "hexagram transformation." They only discussed the moral principles. However, whenever their discussion of moral principles did not contradict the text of the I Ching, even if it was just one word or half a sentence, I would certainly collect and compile it. Therefore, the book is called "Collected Commentaries on the Zhou Changes." I hope that those who read the I Ching will suddenly gain clarity and glimpse even a fraction of the beauty and richness of the "temple of the four sages." Confucius said, "Perhaps there are those who do not understand but still write books. I do not have this fault." Mencius said, "Do I like to argue? I am forced to do so." The sages did not claim authority when they wrote books; this is generally the case. I took the official compilation "Compendium of the Principles of Nature" and made selections from it, adding my own understanding of the figures and numbers I have gained over decades, to complete a book for this era of peace. Therefore, I did not hesitate to correct the mistaken interpretations of previous Confucian scholars, and there was not enough time to discuss everything else.

萬厯戊戌春三月二日梁山後學來知德序

In the spring of the third month, second day of the second year of Wanli (1598), Lai Zhide, a later student of Liangshan, wrote a preface.

易自孔子沒而亡至今矣。易亡者何？以象失其傳也，故先之以象，此則六爻大象也，諸象則詳見《易經字義》。伏羲之卦主於錯，文王之卦主於綜，故次之以錯綜。文王周公繫辭，皆不遺中爻，至孔子始發明之，故次之以中爻同體者，文王之序卦皆同體也。一卦有一卦之情性，一爻有一爻之情性，如乾性健坤性順，此一定不移者也。若有一爻之變，則其情性皆移矣。如乾初爻變則為姤，姤之情性，與乾之情性，相去千里。

The Book of Changes has been lost since Confucius' death and has remained lost until today. What is meant by the loss of the Book of Changes is the loss of the transmission of the hexagrams. Therefore, my work "启蒙" begins with the concept of "xiang" (image), which here refers to the overall image of the entire hexagram composed of the six lines. Detailed explanations of various specific images are discussed in the section "The Meaning of Characters in the Book of Changes." Fuxi created the hexagrams mainly through "cuo" (each line's yin and yang being opposite), while King Wen arranged the hexagrams mainly through "zhong" (the entire hexagram being reversed top to bottom). Therefore, the following section discusses "cuo-zhong." King Wen composed the hexagram statements, and the Duke of Zhou composed the line statements, without omitting the "zhong yao" (the middle lines, which form two interrelated hexagrams from the second, third, and fourth lines). It was only Confucius who clearly explained this meaning, so the following section discusses the same body of the middle lines—King Wen's arrangement of the hexagram sequence has adjacent pairs of hexagrams that are formed by reversing each other. Each hexagram has its own nature, and each line has its own nature. For example, the nature of Qian is strong and vigorous, and the nature of Kun is gentle and compliant, which is fixed and unchanging. However, as soon as one line changes, the nature of the entire hexagram changes completely. For instance, when the first line of Qian changes from yang to yin, it becomes Gou. The nature of Gou differs from that of Qian by more than a thousand miles.

故情性之後，繼之以六爻之變。六爻既變，則即有錯綜中爻矣，故六爻變之下，復注錯綜中爻。六爻變後，猶有錯綜中爻何也？蓋天地間萬物，獨陰獨陽不能生成，故必有錯；而陰陽循環之理，陽上則陰下，陰上則陽下，故必有綜。則錯綜二字，不論六爻變與不變，皆不能離者也，若無錯綜，不成易矣，故六爻變後，復注錯綜。而中爻者亦陰陽也，故繼之。若地位人位天位者乃三才也，故又繼之。四聖千古不傳之秘，盡洩於此。學者能於此而熟玩之，則辭變象占，犁然明白，四聖之易不在四聖，而在我矣。

Therefore, after discussing the nature and disposition, we proceed to explain the changes of each of the six lines. Once the six lines change, the new hexagram that emerges naturally has its own opposite hexagram, inverted hexagram, and middle line. Therefore, under the entry of "Six Lines Changing," I have again noted the opposite, inverted, and middle lines. Someone might ask: after the six lines have changed, why do we still list the opposite, inverted, and middle lines? Because in the world of heaven and earth, isolated yin cannot produce life, and isolated yang cannot grow; there must be a mutual relationship between yin and yang. Therefore, there must be an "opposite" hexagram. The principle of the mutual transformation of yin and yang is that when yang rises to the top, yin sinks to the bottom, and when yin rises to the top, yang sinks to the bottom. Therefore, there must be an "inverted" hexagram. In this way, the terms "opposite" and "inverted" are inseparable whether or not the six lines change. Without opposite and inverted hexagrams, the Book of Changes could not be formed. Therefore, even after the six lines have changed, we still need to restate the opposite and inverted hexagrams. The middle line also discusses yin and yang, so it is listed immediately after. As for the second and first lines being the position of the earth, the third and fourth lines being the position of human beings, and the fifth and sixth lines being the position of heaven, these are the "three elements." Therefore, they are also listed immediately after. The secret that the four sages have kept hidden for generations is now fully revealed here. Those who study the Book of Changes, if they can repeatedly ponder over these points, will clearly understand the four aspects: the statements of the lines, the changes of the lines, the images of the hexagrams, and the divination judgments. Thus, the Book of Changes of the four sages is no longer with the four sages, but within myself.

萬厯丁酉秋八月念五日書於釡山草堂

In the autumn of the 25th year of the Wanli era, Dingyou (1597), on the 25th day of the eighth lunar month, written at the Fu Mountain Grass Hall.

上經首乾坤者，陰陽之定位，萬物之男女也，易之數也，對待不移者也。自乾坤厯屯蒙需訟師比小畜履十卦，陰陽各三十畫則六址矣。陽極於六，陰極於六，至此乾坤變矣，故坤綜乾而為泰，乾綜坤而為否。否泰者，乾坤上下相綜之卦也。乾坤既迭相否泰，則其間萬物吉凶消長，進退存亡，不可悉紀，自同人以下至大畜，無非否泰之相推，無否無泰非易矣。水火者乾坤所有之物，皆天道也，體也，無水火則乾坤為死物，故必山澤通氣，雷風相薄，而後乾坤之水火可交。頤大過者，山澤雷風之卦也，頤有離象，大過有坎象。故上經首乾坤，必乾坤厯否泰至頤大過，而後終之以坎離。

The Upper Classic begins with the trigrams Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth) because they represent the fixed positions of yin and yang, the male and female principles of all things, and belong to the "numbers" of the Book of Changes, which are opposing yet unchanging. From Qian and Kun, proceeding through Zun (Spring), Meng (Youth), Xu (Need), Song (Litigation), Shi (Army), Bi (Comparison), Xiao Xu (Small Accumulation), and Lu (Footsteps), there are ten trigrams in total, with the yang lines and yin lines each accumulating to thirty lines, making a total of sixty lines. Yang reaches its limit at six, and yin also reaches its limit at six, so at this point Qian and Kun must change. Thus, when Kun is above and Qian is below, the trigram Tai (Peace) is formed; when Qian is above and Kun is below, the trigram Po (Obstruction) is formed—Po and Tai are a pair of trigrams formed by the reversal of Qian and Kun. Since Qian and Kun alternate to form Po and Tai, the rise and fall, advancement and retreat, existence and non-existence of all things in between are countless. From the trigram Tongren (Union) downwards to Daxu (Great Accumulation), none of them are not the result of the mutual movement of Po and Tai. Without Po and Tai, the Book of Changes would not exist. Water and fire are things generated by Qian and Kun, both belonging to the heavenly way, and thus belong to the "body" of the Book of Changes. Without water and fire, Qian and Kun would become lifeless. Therefore, it is necessary for the energies of mountain and marsh, and the movements of thunder and wind, to connect and interact so that the water and fire contained within Qian and Kun can meet. The trigrams Yi (Nourishment) and Dagu (Great Excess) are precisely the trigrams formed by mountain, marsh, thunder, and wind: Yi has the trigram Gen (Mountain) above and Zhen (Thunder) below, with the outer part solid and the inner part empty, presenting the image of Li (Fire); Dagu has the trigram Dui (Lake) above and Xun (Wind) below, with the outer part empty and the inner part solid, presenting the image of Kan (Water). Therefore, the Upper Classic must begin with Qian and Kun, allowing them to go through Po and Tai, reaching Yi and Dagu, and then concluding with the trigrams Kan and Li.

下經首咸恆者，陰陽之交感，一物之乾坤也，易之氣也，流行不已者也。自咸恆厯遯大壯晉明夷家人睽蹇解十卦，陰陽各三十畫，則六十矣。陽極於六，陰極於六，至此男女變矣，故咸之男女綜而為損，恆之男女綜而為益。損益者，男女上下相綜之卦也。男女既迭相損益，則其間萬事吉凶消長進退存亡，不可悉紀，自夬以下至節，無非損益之相推，無損無益，非易矣。既濟未濟者，男女所交之事，皆人道也，用也，無既濟未濟，則男女為死物，故必山澤通氣，雷風相薄，而後男女之水火相交。中孚小過者，山澤雷風之卦也，中孚有離象，小過有坎象。故下經首咸恆，必咸恆厯損益至中孚小過，而後終之以既濟未濟。

The Lower Classic begins with the hexagrams of Xian and Heng because they represent the mutualsympathetic response and interaction of yin and yang, and the internal union of Qian and Kun within the same thing. These belong to the "qi" of the Book of Changes, which flows ceaselessly. From Xian and Heng, proceeding through Duan, Da Zhuang, Jin, Ming Yi, Jia Ren, Kui, Jian, and Jie, the total number of yin and yang lines reaches thirty each, making a total of sixty. Yang reaches its limit at six, and yin also reaches its limit at six, at which point the roles of male and female change. Thus, the hexagram Xian (lower Geng, the young male, upper Dui, the young female) is reversed to become Shen, and the hexagram Heng (lower Xun, the elder female, upper Zhen, the elder male) is reversed to become Yi. Shen and Yi are a pair of hexagrams formed by the mutual reversal of male and female. Since male and female alternate between Shen and Yi, the rise and fall, advance and retreat, existence and non-existence of all things become countless. From Guai down to Jie, none are not the result of the mutual movement of Shen and Yi. Without Shen and Yi, there would be no Book of Changes. Ji Ji and Wei Ji discuss what happens after the union of male and female, and they belong to the realm of human affairs, the "use" of the Book of Changes. Without Ji Ji and Wei Ji, male and female would become lifeless. Therefore, it is necessary for the mountain and marsh to communicate their qi, and for thunder and wind to interact, so that the water and fire contained within male and female can unite. Zhong Fu and Xiao Guo are hexagrams formed by the mountain, marsh, thunder, and wind: Zhong Fu has Xun above and Dui below, being solid on the outside and hollow in the middle, thus presenting the image of Li (Fire); Xiao Guo has Zhen above and Gen below, being hollow on the outside and solid in the middle, thus presenting the image of Kan (Water). Therefore, the Lower Classic must begin with Xian and Heng, go through Shen and Yi, reach Zhong Fu and Xiao Guo, and then conclude with Ji Ji and Wei Ji.

要之，天道之體雖以否泰為主，而未必無人道；人道之用雖以損益為主，而未必無天道。上下經之篇義蘊蓄，其妙至此。若以卦爻言之，上經陽爻八十六，陰爻九十四，陰多於陽者凡八；下經陽爻一百有六，陰爻九十有八，陽多於陰者亦八。上經陰多於陽，下經陽多於陰，皆同八焉，是卦爻之陰陽均平也。

In summary, the "body" of the heavenly way, though primarily based on the trigrams of prohibition and prosperity, may not entirely exclude the human way; similarly, the "application" of the human way, though mainly based on the trigrams of loss and gain, may not entirely lack the heavenly way. The profound meaning contained in the major themes of the upper and lower parts of the Classic is refined to such an extent. If we look at the number of yao (lines) in the hexagrams: the upper part, containing thirty hexagrams, has eighty-six yang lines and ninety-four yin lines, with yin lines exceeding yang lines by eight; the lower part, containing thirty-four hexagrams, has one hundred and six yang lines and ninety-eight yin lines, with yang lines exceeding yin lines by eight. In the upper part, yin lines are more than yang lines, while in the lower part, yang lines are more than yin lines, and in both cases, the excess is eight. This shows that the distribution of yin and yang lines in the hexagrams is balanced and equal.

若以綜卦兩卦作一卦論之，上經十八卦成三十卦，陽爻五十二，陰爻五十六，陰多於陽者凡四；下經十八卦成三十四卦，陽爻五十六，陰爻五十二，陽多於陰者亦四。上經陰多於陽，下經陽多於陰，皆同四焉，是綜卦之陰陽均平也。上下經之篇義卦爻，其精至此。孔子贊其至精、於變至神，厥有由矣。

If two hexagrams that are inverted are combined into one hexagram shape for calculation: the upper section of the Classic contains eighteen hexagrams restored into thirty, with fifty-two yang lines and fifty-six yin lines, yin lines being four more than yang lines. The lower section contains eighteen hexagrams restored into thirty-four, with fifty-six yang lines and fifty-two yin lines, yang lines being four more than yin lines. In the upper section, yin is more than yang, while in the lower section, yang is more than yin. The excess in both cases is four lines. This shows that when calculated by inverted hexagrams, yin and yang are equally balanced. The meaning of the chapters and the number of lines in the hexagrams are precise to such an extent. Confucius praised the Book of Changes as "most refined" in the Great Treatise and as "most divine" in its transformations, which is fully justified.

卦中立象，有不拘《說卦》乾馬坤牛、乾首坤腹之類者，有自卦情而立象者。如乾卦本馬而言龍，以乾道變化，龍乃變化之物，故以龍言之。《朱子語錄》，或問卦之象，朱子曰：「便是理會不得，如乾為馬而說龍，如此之類皆不通。」殊不知以卦情立象也，且荀九家亦有乾為龍。又如咸卦艮為少男，兌為少女，男女相咸之情，莫如季之少者，故周公立爻象，曰拇、曰腓、曰股、曰憧、曰脢、曰輔頰舌，一身皆感焉。蓋艮止則感之專，兌悅則應之至，是以四體百骸，從拇而上，自舌而下，無往而非感矣，此則以男女相感之至情而立象也。

The hexagrams establish symbolic images, and some do not strictly follow the fixed symbolic associations in the "Commentary on the Hexagrams" such as "Qian represents a horse, Kun represents an ox, Qian represents the head, and Kun represents the abdomen." Instead, they create new symbols based on the nature and characteristics of each hexagram. For example, the hexagram Qian should represent a horse according to the "Commentary on the Hexagrams," but the line statements refer to a dragon. This is because the nature of Qian is change, and the dragon is an animal that is particularly adept at change, so the dragon is used to symbolize it. In the "Sayings of Master Zhu," someone asked about hexagram symbols, and Master Zhu replied, "This is really hard to understand. For example, Qian is clearly supposed to represent a horse, yet it is said to represent a dragon; such things are not clear." Master Zhu did not know that the symbols are established based on the nature of the hexagram. Moreover, the "Nine Families of the Book of Changes" compiled by Xun Shuang of the Han dynasty already included the entry "Qian represents a dragon." Another example is the hexagram Xian. The lower trigram is Gen (mountain), representing a young man, and the upper trigram is Dui (lake), representing a young woman. The mutualsympathetic response between male and female is most profound when they are young. Therefore, the line statements of the hexagram Xian sequentially describe the big toe, the calf, the thigh, the movement of the heart, the back, the cheek and the tongue, indicating thatsympathetic response exists throughout the entire body. This is because Gen's nature is stillness, and stillness leads to focused感应; Dui's nature is joy, and joy leads to complete response. Thus, every part of the body, from the big toe upwards and from the tongue downwards, is filled withsympathetic response, which is how the symbols are established based on the most profound mutualsympathetic response between male and female.

又如豚魚知風，鶴知秋，雞知旦，三物皆有信，故中孚取之，亦以卦情立象也。又以漸取鴻者，以鴻至有時而群有序，不失其時，不失其序，於漸之義為切；且鴻又不再偶，於文王卦辭女歸之義為切，此亦以卦情立象也。有以卦畫之形取象者，如剝言宅、言床、言廬者，因五陰在下，列於兩旁，一陽覆於其上，如宅如床如廬，此以畫之形立象也，鼎與小過亦然。

For example, the Jiangtun and fish can foresee the coming of wind, cranes can foresee the arrival of autumn, and chickens can accurately crow at dawn. These three animals are all trustworthy and reliable, so the Zhongfu hexagram (「fu」meaning sincerity and trust) uses them as symbols. This is also an example of establishing images based on the nature of the hexagram. Another example is the Zhen hexagram, which uses geese as symbols, because geese migrate south and north at fixed times, and fly in formation with fixed order, neither missing the season nor disrupting the sequence, which is most appropriate for the meaning of 「zhen」(gradual progress). Moreover, after a goose loses its mate, it does not remarry, which is most fitting with the meaning of 「nv gui」(a woman's marriage) in the hexagram statement of King Wen. This is also an example of establishing images based on the nature of the hexagram. There are also cases where images are established based on the shape of the hexagram. For instance, the Bo hexagram's line statement mentions 「zhi」(house), 「chuang」(bed), and 「lu」(hut), because the Bo hexagram has five yin lines arranged at the bottom on both sides, and one yang line like a roof covering above, forming the shape of a house, a bed frame, and a thatched hut. This is also based on the shape of the hexagram. The Ding hexagram and Xiao Guo hexagram also follow the same principle.

又有卦體大象之象。凡陽在上者皆象艮巽，陽在下者皆象震兌，陽在上下者皆象離，陰在上下者皆象坎。如益象離，故言龜；大過象坎，故言棟；頤亦象離，故亦言龜。又如中孚「君子以義獄緩死」，亦取噬嗑火雷之意，以中孚大象離，而中爻則雷也。故凡陽在下者動之象，在中者陷之象，在上者止之象；凡陰在下者入之象，在中者麗之象，在上者說之象。

There is another type of image formed by the six lines of the hexagram as a whole, called the "Great Image." If a yang line is at the top, the whole hexagram resembles Gen (Mountain) or Xun (Wind); if a yang line is at the bottom, the whole hexagram resembles Zhen (Thunder) or Dui (Lake); if yang lines are at both top and bottom with yin lines in the middle, the whole hexagram resembles Li (Fire); if yin lines are at both top and bottom with yang lines in the middle, the whole hexagram resembles Kan (Water). For example, the hexagram Yi has yang lines at the bottom and top with mostly yin lines in the middle, so it presents the image of Li (Fire), which is associated with turtles, hence the line statement says "ten tortoises." The hexagram Da Guo has yin lines at the top and bottom with mostly yang lines in the middle, so it presents the image of Kan (Water), hence the line statement mentions "the beam" (a beam of a house). The hexagram Yi also has yang lines at the top and bottom with mostly yin lines in the middle, so it presents the image of Li (Fire), hence the line statement also mentions "tortoise." Another example is the hexagram Zhong Fu, whose Great Image Commentary says "the gentleman uses deliberation in judicial matters and delays execution," which is derived from the meaning of Shi He (Fire and Thunder), because Zhong Fu as a whole presents the image of Li (Fire), and its middle lines 2, 3, and 4 together form Zhen (Thunder). Therefore, if a yang line is in the lower position, it takes the image of "movement"; if in the middle position, it takes the image of "being trapped"; if in the upper position, it takes the image of "resting." If a yin line is in the lower position, it takes the image of "entering"; if in the middle position, it takes the image of "adhering"; if in the upper position, it takes the image of "joy."

又有以中爻取象者，如漸卦九三「媍孕不育」，以中爻二四合坎中滿也；九五「三歲不孕」，以中爻三五合離中虛也。有將錯卦立象者，如履卦言虎，以下卦兌錯艮也。有因綜卦立象者，如井與困相綜，巽為市邑，在困為兌，在井為巽，則改為邑矣。有即陰陽而取象者，如乾為馬本象也，坎與震皆得乾之一畫，亦言馬；坤為牛本象也，離得坤之一畫，亦言牛，皆其類也。有相因而取象者，如革卦九五言虎者，以兌錯艮，艮為虎也；上六即以豹言之，豹次於虎，故相因而言豹也。故其象多是無此事此理，而止立其象，如金車玉鉉之類，金豈可為車，玉豈可為鉉，蓋雖無此事此理，而爻內有此象也。

There are also instances where images are derived from the middle trigrams, which are formed by the mutual interaction of the second, third, and fourth lines, and the third, fourth, and fifth lines. For example, in the hexagram Zhan (Gradual), the line statement of the third line, "the wife is pregnant but does not give birth," is because the second, third, and fourth lines together form Kan (Water), which represents a full line in the middle, symbolizing a woman carrying a child. The line statement of the fifth line, "three years without being able to bear children," is because the third, fourth, and fifth lines together form Li (Fire), which represents an empty line in the middle, symbolizing an unsuccessful pregnancy. There are also instances where images are derived from the opposite hexagram. For example, the hexagram Li (Step-by-Step) mentions a tiger because the lower trigram of Li is Dui (Lake), and when each of its six lines is reversed, it becomes Gen (Mountain), which represents a tiger. There are also instances where images are derived from the inverted hexagram. For example, the hexagram Jing (Well) and Kun (Obstruction) are inverted of each other. The trigram Xun (Wind) originally has the image of "market town," and the same line in the hexagram Kun belongs to Dui (Lake), but when inverted to Jing, it belongs to Xun (Wind), so the hexagram Jing mentions "changing the town but not the well," referring to "town." There are also instances where images are derived solely from the number of yin and yang lines. For example, Qian (Heaven) is originally associated with a horse, and both Kan (Water) and Zhen (Thunder) have received one yang line from Qian, so their line statements also mention horses. Similarly, Kun (Earth) is originally associated with a cow, and Li (Fire) has received one yin line from Kun, so its line statements also mention cows, all of which fall into this category. There are also instances where one image leads to another in sequence. For example, in the hexagram Ge (Revolution), the line statement of the fifth line mentions a tiger because the upper trigram Dui (Lake) is reversed to Gen (Mountain), which represents a tiger; the line statement of the sixth line then mentions a leopard, as the leopard is of a lower rank than the tiger, so it follows the tiger in sequence. Therefore, the images in the Book of Changes are mostly not based on actual events or logical reasoning, but rather on the establishment of a symbolic image, such as "golden chariot" and "jade handle." Gold cannot actually make a chariot, and jade cannot actually make a ceremonial handle. Although these things do not exist in reality, the line positions do contain these symbolic images.

《朱子語錄》云：「卦要看得親切，須是兼象看，但象失其傳了。」殊不知聖人立象，有卦情之象，有卦畫之象，有大象之象，有中爻之象，有錯卦之象，有綜卦之象，有爻變這象，有占中之象。正如釋卦名義，有以卦德釋者，有以卦體釋者，有以卦綜釋者，皆言象也。所以說「擬諸其形容，象其物宜」，但形容物宜可擬可象，即是象矣。自王弼不知文王序卦之妙，掃除其象，後儒泥滯《說卦》，所以說象失其傳，而不知未失其傳也。善乎蔡氏曰：「聖人擬諸其形容而立象，至織至悉，無所不有，所謂其道甚大、百物不廢者此也。其在上古，尚此以制器；其在中古，觀此以繫辭。而後世之言易者，乃曰得意在忘象，得象在忘言，一切指為魚兔筌蹄，殆非聖人作易前民用以教天下之意矣。」此言蓋有所指而發也。

The "Collected Sayings of Master Zhu" says: "To understand a hexagram accurately, one must consider its image together with the hexagram itself. Unfortunately, the images have already been lost." But Master Zhu did not realize that the images established by the sages have many layers: there are images based on the meaning of the hexagram, images based on the external form of the hexagram, the overall image of the entire hexagram, the image formed by the middle lines and interacting lines, the image of the opposite hexagram, the image of the inverted hexagram, the image of changing lines, and the image within the divination. Just as the "Commentary on the Judgment" explains the meaning of the hexagram name, some explanations are based on the hexagram's virtue, some on its structure, and some on the inverted hexagram. All of them refer to images. Therefore, the "Great Treatise" says, "Comparing things to their forms and appearances, describing their appropriate aspects."—anything that can be compared or described in terms of form or appropriateness is an image. Since Wang Bi did not understand the profound meaning of King Wen's hexagram sequence and dismissed all images, later Confucian scholars focused only on a few passages from the "Discourse on the Changes," thus claiming that the images had been lost. But they did not realize that the images have not actually been lost. Master Cai Yuan said well: "The sages established hexagrams by comparing things to their forms and appearances, reaching the most detailed and comprehensive level, encompassing everything. The 'Great Treatise' says, 'Its way is very great, and nothing is neglected,' precisely referring to this. In ancient times, people revered hexagrams to create objects; in the middle ages, people observed hexagrams to associate them with words. However, later scholars of the Book of Changes claimed that once one grasps the meaning, one should forget the images, and once one grasps the images, one should forget words, treating images and words as mere fishing nets and rabbit traps, to be discarded after use. This may not be the original intention of the sages in composing the Book of Changes, which was meant to be used before the people and to educate the world." Master Cai's words were clearly directed at a particular issue.

錯者，陰與陽相對也。父與母錯，長男與長女錯，中男與中女錯，少男與少女錯。八卦相錯，六十四卦皆不外此錯也。天地造化之理，獨陰陽不能生成，故有剛必有柔，有男必有女，所以八卦相錯。八卦既相錯，所以象即寓於錯之中。如乾錯坤，乾為馬，坤即「利牝馬之貞」；履卦兌錯艮，艮為虎，文王即以虎言之；革卦上體乃兌，周公九五爻亦以虎言之；又睽卦上九純用錯卦，師卦「王三錫命」純用天火同人之錯，皆其證也。又有以中爻之錯言者，如小畜言「雲」，因中爻離錯坎故也；六四言「血」者，坎為血也；言「惕」者，坎為加憂也。又如艮卦九三中爻坎，爻辭曰「熏心」，坎水安得熏心，以錯離有火煙也。

The concept of "错" refers to the opposition of yin and yang lines in corresponding positions: father (Qian) and mother (Kun) are opposite, the eldest son (Zhen) and the eldest daughter (Xun) are opposite, the middle son (Kan) and the middle daughter (Li) are opposite, and the youngest son (Gen) and the youngest daughter (Dui) are opposite. The eight trigrams are paired in this way of opposition, and the sixty-four hexagrams also follow this pattern of "错." The principle of the creation and transformation of heaven and earth is that isolated yin cannot produce life, and solitary yang cannot grow, so there must be both hardness and softness, and both male and female. Therefore, the eight trigrams are paired in opposition. Since the eight trigrams are opposite, the images of things are embodied in the opposite hexagrams. For example, Qian is opposite to Kun: Qian represents a horse, and the statement of Kun says "favorable for a female horse to be faithful." The hexagram of "Lu" has its lower trigram as Dui, which is opposite to Gen, and Gen represents a tiger, so King Wen's statement of the hexagram says "walking on the tiger's tail." The hexagram of "Ge" also has Dui as its upper trigram, and the line statement for the fifth line given by the Duke of Zhou says "the great man's tiger transformation." Another example is the hexagram of "Kui," where the entire line statement for the top line uses the opposite hexagram for imagery. The line statement for the second line of "Shi" says "the king gave three rewards," which uses the opposite hexagram of "Tian Huo Tong Ren" for imagery. These are all evidence. There are also examples based on the opposition of the middle trigrams: the statement of "Xiu" says "dense clouds without rain," because the middle trigram is Li, which is opposite to Kan, and Kan represents clouds and rain; the line statement for the fourth line says "blood," because Kan is the hexagram of blood; and it says "caution," because Kan has the image of "increased worry." Another example is the third line of Gen: the middle trigrams 2, 3, and 4 form Kan, but the line statement says "dangerous, burning the heart." Although Kan is water, how can it burn the heart? It is because Kan is opposite to Li, and Li has fire and smoke, so the term "burning the heart" can be used.

綜字之義，即織布帛之綜，或上或下，顛之倒之者也。如乾坤坎離四正之卦，則或上或下；巽兌艮震四隅之卦，則巽即為兌，艮即為震，其卦名則不同。如屯蒙相綜，在屯則為雷，在蒙則為山是也；如履小畜相綜，在履則為澤，在小畜則為風是也。如損益相綜，損之六五即益之六二，特倒轉耳，故其象皆「十朋之龜」；夬之九四即姤之九三，故其象皆「臀無膚」。綜卦之妙如此，非山中研究三十季，安能知之，宜乎諸儒以象失其傳也。

The original meaning of the character 「综」 refers to the综 thread on a loom, which moves up and down to weave the warp threads, flipping them back and forth. The four trigrams at the central positions—Qian (Heaven), Kun (Earth), Kan (Water), and Li (Fire)—remain unchanged when inverted, only switching positions between upper and lower trigrams within a hexagram. However, the four trigrams at the corners—Xun (Wind), Dui (Lake), Gen (Mountain), and Zhen (Thunder)—change their forms when inverted: Xun becomes Dui, and Gen becomes Zhen, resulting in different trigram names. For example, the hexagram Zun (Sprouting) and Meng (Youth) are mutual inverses; the same yang line is Zhen (Thunder) in Zun and Gen (Mountain) in Meng. The hexagram Li (Following) and Xiao Xu (Small Accumulation) are also mutual inverses; the same trigram is Dui (Lake) in Li and Xun (Wind) in Xiao Xu. Similarly, the hexagram Shen (Loss) and Yi (Gain) are mutual inverses; Shen's line six in the fifth position corresponds to Yi's line six in the second, but the entire hexagram is flipped, so both lines have the same line statement, "Ten tortoises with shells." The line nine in the fourth position of Guai (Decisive) corresponds to the line nine in the third position of Gou (Meeting), so both lines have the same line statement, "The buttocks have no skin." The intricacies of the inverted hexagrams are so profound that one could not possibly understand them without thirty years of study in the mountains. It's no wonder that generations of Confucian scholars have said the hexagram images have been lost.

然文王序卦有正綜，有雜綜。如乾初爻變姤，坤逆行，五爻變夬與姤相綜，所以姤綜夬，遯綜大壯，否綜泰，觀綜臨，剝綜復，所謂乾坤之正綜也。八卦通是初與五綜，二與四綜，三與三綜，雖一定之數，不容安排，然陽順行而陰逆行，與之相綜，造化之玄妙可見矣，文王之序卦不其神哉。即陽本順行，生亥死午；陰本逆行，生午死亥之意。若乾坤所屬尾二卦，晉大有需比之卦，類術家所謂游魂歸魂，出於乾坤之外者，非乾坤五爻之正變，故謂之雜綜。然乾坤水火四正之卦，四正與四正相綜；艮巽震兌四隅之卦，四隅與四隅相綜，雖雜亦不雜也。

However, in King Wen's arrangement of the hexagrams, there are both "correct reversals" and "miscellaneous reversals." For instance, when the first line of the Qian hexagram changes from yang to yin, it becomes the Gou hexagram. Similarly, when the fifth line of the Kun hexagram changes from yin to yang, it becomes the Guai hexagram, and Guai is the reverse of Gou. Following this pattern, Gou and Guai are mutual reversals, Dun and Da Zhuang are mutual reversals, Po and Tai are mutual reversals, Guan and Lin are mutual reversals, and Bo and Fu are mutual reversals. This is called the "correct reversal" within the Qian and Kun groups. The pattern between the hexagrams in the Qian group and those in the Kun group is consistent: the change of the first line in Qian corresponds to the change of the fifth line in Kun, the change of the second line in Qian corresponds to the change of the fourth line in Kun, and the change of the third line in Qian corresponds to the change of the third line in Kun. Although this is a natural order, not subject to human arrangement, the yang moves in a forward direction while the yin moves in a reverse direction, and the two sides exactly mirror each other, revealing the subtle mystery of nature. Thus, King Wen's arrangement of hexagrams is truly marvelous. This is also the principle described by diviners: yang energy moves in a forward direction, with birth in Hai and death in Wu; yin energy moves in a reverse direction, with birth in Wu and death in Hai. As for the last two hexagrams of the Qian and Kun groups—Jin, Da You, Xu, and Bi—they resemble the "wandering souls" and "returning souls" described by diviners, having moved outside the regular sequence of the Qian and Kun groups, and are not derived from the sequential changes of the fifth lines of the Qian and Kun hexagrams. Therefore, they are called "miscellaneous reversals." However, even in these cases, the four central hexagrams—Qian, Kun, Can, and Li—still correspond to each other in mutual reversal, and the four corner hexagrams—Gen, Xun, Zhen, and Dui—still correspond to each other in mutual reversal. Although called "miscellaneous," they are in fact perfectly ordered and not chaotic.

八卦既相綜，所以象即寓於綜之中。如噬嗑「利用獄」，賁乃相綜之卦，亦以獄言之；旅豐二卦亦以獄言者，皆以其相綜也。有以上六下初而綜者，則「自外來而為主於內」是也；有以二五而綜者，「柔得中而上行」是也。蓋易以道陰陽，陰陽之理流行不常，原非死物膠固一定者，故顛之倒之，可上可下者，以其流行不常耳。故讀易者不能悟文王序卦之妙，則易不得其門而入；既不入門，而宮牆外望，則「攻邑」「不改井」之玄辭，「其人天且劓」之險語，不知何自而來也。噫，文王不其繼伏羲而神哉。

The eight trigrams are paired and inverted with each other, so the images of things are embodied in the inverted hexagrams. For example, the *Commentary on the Judgment* of the *噬嗑* hexagram says, "Suitable for using punishment," and the *贲* hexagram is the inverted form of *噬嗑*. The *Great Image* commentary also uses the image of punishment and law. Similarly, the *旅* and *丰* hexagrams are inverted with each other, and both use the image of punishment and law, because of their mutual inversion. Some explanations rely on the inversion of the sixth line at the top and the first line. The *Commentary on the Judgment* says, "Coming from outside and becoming the main line within," meaning that the line originally in the upper trigram, when inverted, falls into the inner trigram and becomes the main line. Others rely on the inversion of the second line and the fifth line. The *Commentary on the Judgment* says, "A flexible line attains the center and ascends," meaning that the flexible line originally in the second position, when inverted, rises to the fifth position. The *Book of Changes* is fundamentally about yin and yang, and the principles of yin and yang are ever-flowing and not fixed in one place. Therefore, they can be reversed or inverted, can move up or down, because they are ever-changing. Thus, those who study the *Book of Changes* but fail to grasp the profound meaning of King Wen's hexagram sequence will not find the way in. If they cannot enter, they can only look around the walls. Then they will not understand the profound sayings like "Changing the city but not the well" in the *井* hexagram, or the sharp expressions like "That person has been branded on the forehead and his nose cut off" in the *睽* hexagram. Alas, King Wen inherited Fuxi and achieved such profound wisdom!

變者，陽變陰、陰變陽也。如乾卦初變即為姤，是就於本卦變之。宋儒不知文王序卦如屯蒙相綜之卦本是一卦，向上成一卦，向下成一卦，詳見前伏羲文王錯綜圖。如訟之「剛來而得中」乃卦綜也，非卦變也，以為自遯卦變來非矣，如姤方是變。卦變玄之又玄，妙之又妙，蓋爻一動即變。如漸卦九三以三為夫，以坎中滿為婦孕，及三爻一變則陽死成坤，離絕夫位，故有「夫征不復」之象；既成坤，則並坎中滿通不見矣，故有「婦孕不育」之象。又如歸妹九四中爻坎月離日，期之象也，四一變則純坤而日月不見矣，故「愆期」。豈不玄妙。

The concept of "change" refers to a yang line transforming into a yin line and a yin line transforming into a yang line. For example, when the first line of the Qian hexagram changes, it becomes the Gou hexagram. This kind of change occurs within the primary hexagram itself. The Song dynasty Confucian scholars did not understand that in King Wen's hexagram sequence, hexagrams like Zun and Meng, which appear to be inverted, are actually the same hexagram shape viewed from above or below. Details can be found in the previous "Fuxi and King Wen's Inverted and Comprehensive Diagram." For instance, the phrase "the strong line comes and occupies the center" in the "Commentary on the Judgment" of the Song hexagram refers to the inverted hexagram, not the hexagram change. It is incorrect to say that the Song hexagram comes from the Dun hexagram. If we are to speak of change, then the Gou hexagram comes from the first line of the Qian hexagram. The layers of change become more profound and intricate, as a single line's movement transforms the entire hexagram. For example, in the Zhen hexagram's ninth line, the third line, regarded as "husband," together with the second, third, and fourth lines forms the Kan trigram, with the central line of Kan being fully filled, representing "the wife is pregnant." When the third line changes, the yang line disappears, and the lower trigram becomes Kun, thus the "husband" line is broken, leading to the image of "the husband goes on a military campaign and does not return." Since the lower trigram is now Kun, the central filled line of the Kan trigram is no longer visible, resulting in the image of "the wife is pregnant but does not give birth." Another example is the Gui Mei hexagram's ninth line, where the middle trigrams form Kan and Li, with Kan representing the moon and Li representing the sun. The mutual movement of the sun and moon symbolizes the concept of "date." When the fourth line changes, both upper and lower trigrams become pure Kun, and the sun and moon disappear, hence the line statement says "delayed date" (the wedding date is missed). Is this not profound and intricate?

中爻者，二三四五所合之卦也，《繫辭》第九章孔子言之詳矣。大抵錯者，陰陽橫相對也；綜者，陰陽上下相顛倒也；變者，陽變陰、陰變陽也；中爻者，陰陽內外相連屬也。周公作爻辭，不過此錯、綜、變、中爻四者而已。如離卦居三，同人曰「三歲」，未濟曰「三季」，既濟曰「三季」，明夷曰「三日」，皆以本卦三言也；若坎之「三歲」、困之「三歲」、解之「三品」，皆離之錯也；漸之「三歲」、巽之「三品」，皆以中爻合離也；豐之「三歲」，以上六變而為離也。即離而諸爻用四者可知矣。

The term "middle line" refers to the two hexagrams formed by combining the second, third, and fourth lines, and the third, fourth, and fifth lines respectively. Confucius explains this in detail in the ninth chapter of the "Great Treatise" section of the "Commentary on the Hexagrams." In general, "crossing" means that yin and yang are opposite in position, "complementing" means that yin and yang are reversed top to bottom, "changing" means that yang lines become yin and yin lines become yang, and "middle line" means that yin and yang are connected between inner and outer. The Duke of Zhou composed the line statements using these four methods: crossing, complementing, changing, and middle line. For example, the hexagram Li (Fire) is the third among the eight trigrams, so whenever a hexagram involving Li appears, the number "three" is often used. The hexagram Tongren (Union) says "three years," Weijì (Not Yet Completed) says "three years," Ji Ji (Completion) says "three years," and Mingyi (Darkness) says "three days," all using the number "three" based on the presence of Li in the primary hexagram. As for the number "three" in the line statements of Kan (Water), Kun (Earth), and Jie (Release), it is because Kan crosses into Li. The number "three" in the line statements of Jie (Release) and Xun (Wind) is because the middle lines form Li. The number "three" in the line statement of Feng (Brightness) is because the top line changes into Li. From this example of using "three" based on Li, the reasons for using "four" in the line statements of other hexagrams can also be understood.

孔子韋編三絕，於陰陽之理悅心研慮已久，故於圓圖看出錯字，於序卦看出綜字，所以說「錯綜其數」。又恐後人將序卦一連，不知有錯綜二體，故雜亂其卦，唯令二體之卦相連，如「乾剛坤柔」「比樂師憂」是也，又說出中爻。宋儒不知乎此，將孔子《繫辭》「所居而安者」文王之序卦、「所樂而翫者」周公之爻辭，認序字為卦爻所著事理當然之次第，故自孔子沒而易已亡至今日矣。

Confucius studied the Book of Changes so thoroughly that he broke the leather cords three times while reading it. He was deeply convinced of the principles of yin and yang and had been studying them for a long time. Therefore, from the Earlier Heaven diagram, he saw the character "错" (error or reversal), and from King Wen's hexagram sequence, he saw the character "综" (comprehension or summary). Thus, the Great Treatise says, "to reverse and summarize the numbers." He also feared that later generations would read the "Sequence of Hexagrams" in a continuous manner without realizing that there are two types of hexagram structures: "错" and "综." To address this, he deliberately rearranged the order of the hexagrams and wrote the "Miscellaneous Hexagrams" to place pairs of hexagrams that belong to the same structure side by side, such as "Qian is strong and Kun is gentle" and "Bi is joy and Shi is sorrow." In addition, he revealed the concept of "middle line." Later Song dynasty scholars misunderstood this, taking the word "sequence" in Confucius' Great Treatise — referring to "the position where one can rest securely" (meaning King Wen's hexagram sequence) and "the pleasure and contemplation" (meaning the hexagram line statements by the Duke of Zhou) — as the order of events indicated by the hexagram lines. Since Confucius' death, the study of the Book of Changes has been lost up to the present day.

永川凌夫惇厚子甫圈點，廬陵高奣映雪君甫校讎。

Yongchuan person Ling Fu (style name Dunhouzi) added punctuation to this book, and Lüling person Gao Xinying (style name Xuejun) proofread the text. The character "fu" in both places was an ancient term of beauty for a man, placed after the style name.

周易上經。周，代名；易，書名；卦則伏羲所畫也。伏羲仰觀俯察，見陰陽有奇耦之數，故畫一奇以象陽，畫一耦以象陰；見一陰一陽有各生之象，故自下而上，再倍而三，以成八卦；又於八卦之上各變八卦，以成六十四卦。六十四卦皆重而為六畫者，以陰陽皆極於六，故聖人作易，六畫而成卦，六變而成爻，兼三才而兩之，皆因天地自然之數也。

In the four characters "Zhou Yi Shang Jing," "Zhou" refers to a dynasty, and "Yi" is the name of the book. As for the trigrams, they were drawn by Fuxi. Fuxi looked up to observe celestial phenomena and looked down to study geographical features. He noticed that yin and yang had odd and even numbers, so he drew a continuous horizontal line (the odd line) to symbolize yang and a broken horizontal line (the even line) to symbolize yin. He also observed that one yin and one yang could each generate yin and yang again, so he arranged them from bottom to top, doubling each time, and combined them three times to form the Eight Trigrams. Then he overlaid another set of Eight Trigrams on top of each of these, forming the sixty-four trigrams. All sixty-four trigrams consist of six lines because yin and yang both have six as their limit. Therefore, the sage composed the Yi, combining six lines into one trigram, and six changes produce six lines, which correspond to the three elements of heaven, earth, and humanity, each paired with two lines, all based on the natural numbers of heaven and earth.

以易名書者，易字有交易變易兩義。交易以對待言，如天氣下降、地氣上騰也；變易以流行言，如陽極變陰、陰極變陽也。陰陽之理，非交易則變易，故以易名之。夏易名連山，首艮；商易名歸藏，首坤。曰周者，以其辭成於文王周公，故以周名之，而分為上下二篇云。

The book is named "Yi" because the character "Yi" contains two meanings: "trade" and "change." "Trade" refers to the interaction between things, like the rising of earthly qi and the descending of heavenly qi, which interact with each other. "Change" refers to the movement and transformation, like yang reaching its peak turning into yin, and yin reaching its peak turning into yang. The principles of yin and yang are either trade or change, hence the name "Yi." During the Xia dynasty, the "Yi" was called "Lianshan," with the Gen hexagram as the first. During the Shang dynasty, it was called "Guicang," with the Kun hexagram as the first. This book is called "Zhou" because its hexagram statements and line statements were composed by King Wen and the Duke of Zhou. Therefore, it is named "Zhou," and it is divided into upper and lower parts.

乾。乾下乾上。乾剛。乾，元亨利貞。乾，卦名。元亨利貞者，文王所繫之辭，以斷一卦之吉凶，所謂彖辭也。乾者健也，陽主於動，動而有常，其動不息，非至健不能。奇者陽之數，天者陽之體，健者陽之性，六畫皆奇，則純陽而至健矣，故不言天而言乾也。

The hexagram Qian has the same trigram at both the upper and lower positions, and its hexagram quality is "Yang." The hexagram statement says, "Qian: Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen." "Qian" is the name of the hexagram. The four characters "Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen" are the words added by King Wen to judge the fortune of the entire hexagram, which is called the "彖辞." The meaning of Qian is "strength." Yang is characterized by movement, and movement with regularity, movement without ceasing, is something that only an extremely strong and vigorous force can achieve. Continuous odd lines represent the number of Yang. Heaven is the form of Yang, strength is the nature of Yang. Since all six lines in the hexagram Qian are odd lines, it is entirely Yang and extremely strong. Therefore, this hexagram does not take "Heaven" as its name based on form, but instead takes "Qian" as its name based on its nature.

元大，亨通，利宜，貞正而固也。元亨者，天道之本然，數也；利貞者，人事之當然，理也。易經理數不相離。因乾道陽明純粹，無絲毫陰柔之私，惟天與聖人足以當之，所以斷其必大亨也。故數當大亨，而必以貞處之，方與乾道合；不貞則非理之當然，安能大亨。此聖人教人以反身修省之切要也。言凡占卜者，不論天子庶人，皆宜於貞，以盡人事。若即以為四德，殊失先王立教之意矣。至孔子文王純以義理論，方指四德也。

"Yuan" means great, "Heng" means smooth and unimpeded, "Li" means appropriate, and "Zhen" means upright and firm. "Yuan Heng" refers to the natural state of the heavenly way, belonging to the category of "shu" (numerical pattern); "Li Zhen" refers to the proper way of human affairs, belonging to the category of "li" (principle). In the Book of Changes, "li" and "shu" are always inseparable. Since the principle of the Heaven's way is yang, bright, pure, and free from any trace of yin's private intentions, only Heaven and the sage can be worthy of it. Therefore, it is determined that it must be great and smooth. Since according to "shu" it is destined to be great and smooth, one must act with "Zhen" in order to conform to the principle of the Heaven's way; without uprightness, it would not conform to the proper principle, and how could it be great and smooth? This is a crucial point in the sage's teaching to encourage self-reflection and self-examination. This means that whoever engages in divination, whether a king or a common person, should uphold uprightness, fulfilling their proper role in human affairs. If one interprets "Yuan Heng Li Zhen" as four virtues from the beginning, it greatly contradicts the original intention of the ancient kings in establishing education. It was only when Confucius explained King Wen's hexagram statements and established the reasoning from the perspective of principle that "Yuan Heng Li Zhen" referred to the four virtues.

○初九，潛龍勿用。此周公所繫之辭，以斷一爻之吉凶，所謂爻辭也。凡畫卦者自下而上，故謂下爻為初。初九者，卦下陽爻之名也。陽曰九，陰曰六者，河圖洛書五皆居中，則五者數之祖也，故聖人起數止於一二三四五。參天地兩地而倚數：參天者，天之位三，天一天三天五也；兩地者，地之位二，地二地四也。倚者依也，天一依天三天五而為九，所以陽皆言九；地二依地四而為六，所以陰皆言六。

The line statement for the first line, "Initial Nine," is: "A dragon in hiding should not be used." This is the statement associated with the line by the Duke of Zhou, used to determine the fortune of a single line, known as the "line statement." When drawing a hexagram, the lines are drawn from the bottom up, so the lowest line is called "Initial." "Initial Nine" refers to the name of the yin line at the very bottom of the hexagram. A yang line is called "Nine" and a yin line is called "Six." The reason for this is that in the Yellow River Chart and the Luo Writing, the number "five" is in the center, indicating that five is the origin of all numbers. Therefore, the sages used only the five generating numbers: one, two, three, four, and five. The "Commentary on the Hexagrams" states, "Heaven is counted by three, Earth by two, and numbers are derived accordingly." "Heaven is counted by three" refers to the three odd numbers of Heaven: Heaven One, Heaven Three, and Heaven Five. "Earth is counted by two" refers to the two even numbers of Earth: Earth Two and Earth Four. "Deriving" means relying on: Heaven One relies on Heaven Three and Heaven Five, and adding one, three, and five gives nine, so yang lines are all called "Nine." Earth Two relies on Earth Four, and adding two and four gives six, so yin lines are all called "Six."

一二三四五者，生數也；六七八九十者，成數也。然生數者成之端倪，成數者生之結果，故止以生數起之。過揲之數皆以九六之參兩，所以爻言九六也。潛，藏也，象初。龍，陽物，變化莫測，亦猶乾道變化，故象九。且此爻變巽錯震，亦有龍象，故六爻即以龍言之，所謂「擬諸形容，象其物宜」者此也。勿用者，未可施用也。象為潛龍，占為勿用，故占得乾而遇此爻之變者，當觀此象而玩此占也，諸爻仿此。圈外方是正意。

One, two, three, four, and five are called "sheng shu" (generative numbers), while six, seven, eight, nine, and ten are called "cheng shu" (completed numbers). The generative numbers are the beginnings of the completed numbers, and the completed numbers are the results of the generative numbers. Therefore, only the generative numbers are used for calculation. The numbers obtained from the divination method of shaking the yarrow stalks are also determined according to the numbers nine and six, which follow the principle of "certain heaven and two earths." Hence, all the lines are referred to as nine or six. "Qian" means concealment, corresponding to the first line being at the very bottom. "Long" is a yang entity, changeable and unpredictable, just as the principle of the Heaven trigram is to bring about change. Therefore, it is used to correspond to the yang line marked as nine. Moreover, since this line changes from yang to yin, the lower trigram becomes Xun, which is opposite to Zhen, and Zhen also has the image of a dragon. Therefore, all six lines of the Heaven trigram are described using the image of a dragon. The "Xici" (Great Treatise) says, "Comparing the form and appearance of things, and describing their appropriate characteristics," which refers exactly to this. "Wu yong" means that it is not yet suitable for use. In terms of the image, it is "qian long" (the hidden dragon), but in terms of the divination judgment, it is "wu yong" (not yet suitable for use). Therefore, if someone who receives the divination of the Heaven trigram has this line changing, they should observe this image and reflect on this judgment. The same reasoning applies to the other lines. The meaning of the text outside the circle is the actual meaning of this line.

○初九陽氣方萌，居於卦下，蓋龍之潛藏而未出者也，故有潛龍之象。既未出潛，則未可施用矣，故教占者勿用，養晦以俟時可也。○九二，見龍在田，利見大人。見龍之見，賢遍反。○二謂自下而上第二爻也。九二非正，然剛健中正，本乾之德，故舊注亦以正言之。見者，初為潛，二則離潛而出見也。田者，地之有水者也，以六畫卦言之，二於三才為地道，地上即田也。

The first line, "Initial Nine," represents the initial emergence of yang energy, located at the very bottom of the hexagram. This is the time when the dragon is still hidden deep and has not yet appeared, hence the image of "a dragon in hiding." Since it has not yet emerged, it is not appropriate to take action, so the person consulting the oracle should refrain from making moves, keep their abilities restrained, and wait for the right opportunity. The statement for the second line, "Seeing the Dragon in the Field, It Is Advantageous to Meet a Great Man," refers to the second line counted from the bottom. The second line is a yang line in a yin position, which is not properly aligned. However, it is strong and vigorous, and occupies the central position of the lower trigram, thus inherently possessing the virtue of the trigram Qian (Heaven). Therefore, old commentaries refer to it as "correct." The term "see" is used because the first line is still hidden, but by the second line, the dragon has emerged from concealment. "Field" refers to land with water; from the perspective of the six-line hexagram, the second line corresponds to the earthly position, and above the earth is the field.

大人者，大德之人也。陽大陰小，乾卦六爻皆陽，故為大。以三畫卦言之，二於三才為人道，大人之象也，故稱大人。所以應爻九五亦曰大人，二五得稱大人者，皆以三畫卦言也。利見大人者，利見九五之君以行其道也。此爻變離，有同人象，故利見大人。○九二以陽剛中正之德，當出潛離隱之時，而上應九五之君，故有此象，而其占則利見大人也。占者有是德，方應是占矣。

"The term 'adult' refers to a person of great virtue. Yang represents greatness, while Yin represents smallness. The Qian hexagram has all six lines as Yang, so it is called 'great.' When viewed as a three-line hexagram, the second line belongs to the human realm in the trinity of heaven, earth, and humanity, which is the image of 'adult,' hence it is called 'adult.' Similarly, the corresponding line nine five is also called 'adult' for the same reason. Both the second and fifth lines are referred to as 'adult' based on the trinity positions in the three-line hexagram. 'Beneficial to meet a great person' means it is favorable to meet the line nine five, the sovereign, in order to promote one's own aspirations. This line changes from Yang to Yin, making the lower trigram become Li, which is the lower trigram of the Tongren hexagram. Thus, the entire hexagram takes on the image of Tongren (harmony with others), hence it is said 'beneficial to meet a great person.' Line nine two, with its Yang and central virtue, is at the right time to emerge from concealment and move out of seclusion. It also corresponds upward with the sovereign line nine five, thus producing this image, and the divination indicates it is favorable to meet a great person. However, the person divining must genuinely possess such virtue to be worthy of this divination."

○九三，君子終日乾乾，夕惕若，厲，無咎。君子指占者。以六畫卦言之，三於三才為人道，以乾德而居人道，君子之象也，故三不言龍。三變則中爻為離，離日在下卦之終，終日之象也。下乾終而上乾繼，乾乾之象，乃健而不息也。惕，憂也，變離錯坎，憂之象也。若，助語辭。夕對日言，言終日乾乾，雖至於夕，而兢惕之心猶夫終日也。

The third line statement says: "The gentleman toils all day, remaining vigilant even at night, thus facing danger but without blame." "The gentleman" refers to the person consulting the oracle. From the perspective of the six-line trigram, the third line belongs to the human realm in the trinity of heaven, earth, and humanity. With the strong and vigorous virtue of Qian (Heaven) residing in the human realm, it symbolizes the gentleman. After the third line changes from yang to yin, the lines two, three, and four together form Li (Fire), which represents the sun. This sun appears at the end of the lower trigram, forming the image of "all day." The lower trigram Qian reaches its end, while the upper trigram Qian continues, forming the image of "toiling ceaselessly," indicating vigorous and unceasing strength. "Tì" means fear or vigilance; the third line changing to yin forms Li, which is in opposition to Kan (Water), symbolizing danger or hardship. "Ruò" is a particle. "Xi" refers to the night, contrasting with "ri" (day): it means that one remains vigilant even at night, just as one does during the day, despite the danger, without blame.

厲者，危厲不安也。九陽爻，三陽位，過則不中，多凶之地也，故言厲。無咎者，以危道處危地，操心危、慮患深，則終於不危矣，故無咎。○九三過剛不中，若有咎矣，然性體剛健，有能乾夕乾惕，不已之象，占者能憂懼如是，亦無咎也。○九四，或躍在淵，無咎。或者，欲進未定之辭，非猶豫狐疑也。或躍在淵者，欲躍猶在淵也。九為陽，陽動故言躍；四為陰，陰虛故象淵。此爻變巽為進退、為不果，又四多懼，故或躍在淵。

"Li" means danger and unease. Nine represents a yang line, and three is a yang position. Yang on top of yang is excessive, and since it is not in the central position, it is inherently a place of many dangers, hence "Li." "Wu jiao" means that by maintaining a cautious and wary attitude toward a dangerous position, being mindful and deeply concerned, one ultimately avoids danger, thus having no fault. The Nine in the Third line is overly strong and not in the central position; by nature, it should have faults. However, because it is strong and vigorous, it remains diligent during the day and vigilant at night, embodying the image of continuous effort. If the person consulting the oracle can maintain such vigilance and caution, there will be no fault. The line statement for the Nine in the Fourth: "Or leap from the abyss, no fault." "Or" expresses a hesitant, undecided attitude, not hesitation or suspicion. "Or leap from the abyss" means wanting to move upward but still remaining in the abyss. Nine is yang, which is active, hence "leap"; four is a yin position, which is associated with emptiness, hence "abyss" as the image. This line transitions from yang to yin, and the upper trigram becomes Xun. Xun has the images of "advancing and retreating" and "indecision," and since the Fourth line is naturally prone to suspicion, it is said "or leap from the abyss."

○九四以陽居陰，陽則志於進，陰則不果於進，居上之下，當改革之際，欲進未定之時也，故有或躍在淵之象，占者能隨時進退，斯無咎矣。○九五，飛龍在天，利見大人。五，天位，龍飛於天之象也。占法與九二同者，二五皆中位，特分上下耳。利見大人，如堯之見舜、高宗之見傳說是也，下此如沛公之見張良、照烈之見孔明，亦庶幾近之。六畫之卦，五為天；三畫之卦，五為人，故曰天曰人。

The Nine in the Fourth occupies a yao in a yin position: the yang aspect is determined to move forward, while the yin aspect is unwilling to act decisively. It is located at the lowest position of the upper trigram, at a turning point where a change is about to occur. It is in a state of wanting to advance but not yet decided, hence the image of 'leaping in the abyss'. If the person consulting the oracle can decide to advance or retreat in accordance with the right timing, there will be no mistake. The line statement for the Nine in the Fifth: 'A dragon soars in the sky, advantageous to see a great man.' The fifth line represents the position of heaven, which is the image of a dragon flying in the sky. Its interpretation is the same as that of the Nine in the Second, because both the Second and the Fifth lines are in central positions. However, the Second is in the center of the lower trigram, while the Fifth is in the center of the upper trigram. The phrase 'advantageous to see a great man' refers to situations like Yao meeting Shun or the King of Yin meeting Fu Yue. A lesser example would be the Han High Emperor meeting Zhang Liang or the Shu Zhao Lie Emperor meeting Zhuge Liang, which is similar in nature. In the six-line hexagram, the fifth line belongs to the heavenly position; in the three-line trigram, the fifth line belongs to the human position. Therefore, the Book of Changes refers to the Nine in the Fifth both as 'heaven' and as 'human'.

○九五剛健中正，以聖人之德居天子之位，而下應九二，故其象占如此。占者如無九五之德位，必不應利見之占矣。○上九，亢龍有悔。上者，最上一爻之名。亢，人頸也，高也，蓋上而不能下、信而不能屈之意。陰陽之理，極處必變，陽極則生陰，陰極則生陽，消長盈虛，此一定之理數也。

Nine in the Fifth is strong and vigorous, and it is in the center and upright, relying on the virtue of the sage to occupy the position of the Son of Heaven. It also corresponds with Nine in the Second below, so its image and judgment are like this. If a person engaging in divination does not possess the virtue and status of Nine in the Fifth, they certainly do not deserve the judgment 'favorable to seeing a great man.' The line statement for Upper Nine says, 'The dragon soaring high has regret.' 'Upper' is the name of the top line. 'Kang' originally refers to the neck of a person, and by extension means high, implying that it can only go up but not down, can only be straight but not bent. The principle of yin and yang is that when something reaches its extreme, it must change: when yang reaches its peak, yin is generated; when yin reaches its peak, yang is generated. Retreat and growth, fullness and deficiency, are fixed principles and numbers that do not change.

龍之為物，始而潛，繼而見，中而躍，終而飛，既飛於天，至秋分又蟄而潛於淵，此知進知退、變化莫測之物也。九五飛龍在天，位之極、中正者，得時之極，乃在於此，若復過於此，則極而亢矣。以時則極，以勢則窮，安得不悔。○上九陽剛之極，有亢龍之象，故占者有悔。知進知退，不與時偕極，斯無悔矣。伊尹之復政厥闢，周公之罔以寵利居成功，皆無悔者也。

Dragons, at first hidden, then appear, leap in the middle, and finally soar into the sky; once they have flown up to the heavens, by the time of the autumn equinox they retreat and return to the deep abyss. This shows that they understand both advancement and retreat, and their changes are unpredictable. The line "Flying Dragon in Heaven" at Nine in the Fifth position has reached the apex, and the virtue of being upright and timely has also reached its peak, and this is exactly this line. If it goes beyond this, it will reach the extreme of arrogance. In terms of timing, it has reached the end; in terms of situation, it has reached a dead end. How could there not be regret? Nine at the Top, with yang reaching its extreme, has the image of an arrogant dragon, so those who divinate will have regret. If one understands that when to advance one should advance, and when to retreat one should retreat, not following the trend to the extreme, there will be no regret. I Yin returned power to Tai Jia after his period of regency, and Zhou Gong did not cling to his success and power, both of whom had no regret.

○用九，見群龍無首，吉。此因上九亢龍有悔而言之。用九者，猶言處此上九之位也。上九貴而無位，高而無民，賢人在下位而無輔，動而有悔矣，到此何以處之哉？惟見群龍無首則吉。群龍者，潛見躍飛之龍也。首者頭也，乾為首，凡卦初為足、上為首，則上九即群龍之首也。

"Use Nine: Seeing a group of dragons without a leader, it is auspicious." This statement follows "Nine at the Top: A dragon in exaltation has regret." The term "Use Nine" refers to what one should do when in the position of Nine at the Top. Nine at the Top is exalted but has no position, high up but without people, and the virtuous are below without support. Any action taken would bring regret. In such a situation, how should one act? Only by "seeing a group of dragons without a leader" is it auspicious. "Group of dragons" refers to the dragon in the initial line, the dragon appearing, the dragon leaping, and the dragon flying. "Head" means the top; the trigram Qian is the head. In any hexagram, the first line is like the foot, and the top line is like the head. Therefore, Nine at the Top is the head of this group of dragons.

不見其首，則陽變為陰，剛變為柔，知進知退，知存知亡，知得知喪，不為窮災，不與時偕極，所以無悔而吉。此聖人開遷善之門，教占者用此道也。故陽極則教以見群龍無首吉，陰極則教以利永貞。蓋居九而為九所用，我不能用九，故至於亢；居六而為六所用，我不能用六，故至於戰。惟見群龍無首、利永貞，此用九用六之道也。乾主知，坤主能，故言利永貞。用易存乎人，故聖人教之以此。昔王介甫常欲繫用九於亢龍有悔之下，得其旨矣。

If one cannot see the head, it means that yang has turned into yin and strength has turned into softness. Thus, one understands both progress and retreat, existence and destruction, gain and loss, and does not reach an extreme that brings misfortune. One does not follow the trend to an extreme, so there is no regret and one attains good fortune. This is the way that sages open a door for people to change their ways and become virtuous, teaching those who cast divination to apply this principle. Therefore, when yang reaches its peak, it teaches "seeing a group of dragons without a leader is auspicious"; when yin reaches its peak (in the Hexagram of Earth, "use six"), it teaches "it is advantageous to maintain constant uprightness." One must understand that when one is in the position of nine but is controlled by nine, unable to actively use nine, one falls into the state of "excess." Similarly, when one is in the position of six but is controlled by six, unable to actively use six, one falls into the state of "dragon fighting in the fields" in the upper six of the Hexagram of Earth. Only by achieving "seeing a group of dragons without a leader" and "advantageous to maintain constant uprightness" can one follow the correct path of "using nine" and "using six." The Hexagram of Heaven governs "knowledge," and the Hexagram of Earth governs "ability," so the Hexagram of Earth says "advantageous to maintain constant uprightness." The use of the Book of Changes depends entirely on oneself, so the sages teach this. In the past, Wang Anshi often wanted to attach the principle of "using nine" beneath "a dragon in excess has regret," which shows he understood the meaning.

○彖曰：大哉乾元，萬物資始，乃統天。乾元亨利貞者，文王所繫之辭，彖之經也；此則孔子贊經之辭，彖之傳也，故亦以彖曰起之。曰元亨利貞者，文王主於卜筮以教人；主於孔子之傳，則專於義理，故以元亨利貞分為四德，此則專以天道發明乾義也。大哉，嘆辭。乾元者，乾之元也。元者大也、始也。始者，物之始，非以萬物之始即元也，言萬物所資以始者，此乃四德之元也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: "How great is the primordial energy of Qian! All things rely on it to begin, and it encompasses the entire heavenly way." King Wen's "Qian, Yuan Heng Li Zhen" is the text of the Commentary on the Judgment; here, however, it is Confucius' interpretation of the text, belonging to the Commentary. The same four words "Yuan Heng Li Zhen" are emphasized by King Wen with a focus on divination to teach people; but in Confucius' Commentary, it is exclusively about moral principles, so he divides Yuan, Heng, Li, and Zhen into four virtues. Here, it specifically explains the meaning of Qian from the perspective of the heavenly way. "Dazai" is an expression of admiration. "Qian Yuan" refers to the primordial energy contained in Qian. "Yuan" means great and also beginning. The term "beginning" refers to the beginning of all things, not that the beginning itself is Yuan; rather, it refers to the thing upon which all things depend to begin, which is the first of the four virtues, "Yuan."

此言氣而不言形，若涉於形，便是坤之資生矣。統，包括也。乾元乃天德之大始，故萬物之生皆資之以為始，又為四德之首而貫乎天德之始終，故統天。天之為天，出乎震，而生長收藏不過此四德而己，統四德則統天矣。資始者，無物不有也；統天者，無時不然也。無物不有，無時不然，此乾元之所以為大也。此釋元之義。

Here the discussion concerns "qi" rather than "form"; once form is involved, it belongs to the Kun hexagram's "all things are nourished." "Tong" means to encompass comprehensively. The Qian yuan is the great beginning of Heavenly Virtue, so the generation of all things relies on it as the starting point; it is also the first of the four virtues, running through the beginning and end of Heavenly Virtue, hence it is said to "tong tian" (comprehend heaven). The reason heaven is called heaven is that it begins with Zhen (east, spring), and the processes of birth, growth, gathering, and storage are merely the four virtues of yuan, heng, li, and zhen. Being able to encompass the four virtues means being able to encompass heaven. "Zi shi" refers to the fact that nothing is not thus, while "tong tian" refers to the fact that nothing moment is not thus. There is no thing that is not so, and no moment that is not so; this is why Qian yuan is called "da" (great). The above explains the meaning of "yuan."

雲行雨施，品物流形。施，始智反，又音是。○有是氣即有是形。資始者，氣也，氣發洩之盛，則云行雨施矣。品者，物各分類；流者，物各以類而生生不已也。雲行雨施者，氣之亨；品物流形者，物隨造化以亨也。雖物之亨通，其實乾德之亨通也。此釋乾之亨。施有二義：平聲者，用也、加也、設也；去聲者，布也、散也、惠也、與也。此則去聲之義。

The Commentary on the Judgment continues to say: "Clouds flow, rain is dispersed, and all things flow and take form." ("Shi" is read in the falling tone.) With this qi, there is corresponding form. What is called "Zi Shi" refers to qi; when qi spreads to its fullest, it becomes clouds flowing and rain being dispersed. "Pin" refers to the classification of myriad things, and "liu" refers to the continuous generation of things according to their categories. "Yun Xing Yu Shi" refers to the smooth flow of qi, while "Pin Wu Liu Xing" refers to the smooth flow of myriad things following the workings of nature. Although it is said that myriad things are in harmony, in reality it is the harmonious nature of Qian that is in harmony. The above explains the "Heng" in Qian. The character "Shi" has two pronunciations and two meanings: when read in the level tone, it means to use, apply, or set up; when read in the falling tone, it means to scatter, spread, bestow, or grant. Here, the falling tone is used.

大明終始，六位時成，時乘六龍以御天。大明者，默契也。終謂上爻，始為初爻，原始要終以為質也。六位者，六爻也。時者，六爻相雜，惟其時物之時也。六龍者，潛與亢之六龍、六陽也，陽有變化，故曰六龍。乘者，憑據也；御，猶運用也。上文言統者，統治綱領；此節言御者，分治條目。六位時成者，如位在初時當為潛，位在上時當為亢也。

The Commentary on the Judgment also says: "Fully understanding the beginning and the end, the six lines are established in sequence, thus following the time to drive the six dragons in the operation of the heavenly way." "Great brightness" refers to intuitive comprehension and inner harmony. "End" refers to the top line, and "beginning" refers to the first line, which is what the Great Treatise says: "Tracing back to the beginning and concluding with the end, thus forming the essence of a hexagram." "Six positions" refer to the six lines. "Time" refers to the intermingling of yin and yang in the six lines, each according to its sequence and corresponding category. "Six dragons" refer to the six dragons from the hidden dragon to the exalted dragon, that is, the six yang lines; since yang is capable of transformation, they are called six dragons. "Cheng" means to rely on and control, and "yu" is like using or managing. The previous text mentioned "governing heaven" with "tong," meaning to take the overall lead; this section mentions "managing heaven" with "yu," meaning to handle each detail. "Six positions formed in time" means: when a line is in the first position, its time should be hidden; when a line is in the top position, its time should be exalted.

御天者，行天道也。當處之時，則乘潛龍；當出之時，則乘飛龍；時當勿用，聖人則勿用；時當知悔，聖人則知悔也。乘龍御天，只是時中。乘六龍便是御天，謂之曰乘龍御天，則是聖人一身常駕馭乎乾之六龍，而乾之六龍常在聖人運用之中矣。學者當觀其時成時乘，聖人時中變化、行無轍跡之妙可也。

"Autocratic Heaven" means carrying out the heavenly way. When it is time to retreat, one rides the hidden dragon; when it is time to take office, one rides the flying dragon; when the timing calls for inaction, the sage remains still; when the timing calls for repentance, the sage knows when to change. The phrase "riding the dragon and governing heaven" essentially boils down to the concept of "timely centering" — acting appropriately at all times. Riding six dragons means operating the heavenly way; since it is called "riding the dragon and governing heaven," it means that the sage constantly controls the six dragons of Qian, and the six dragons of Qian are constantly under the sage's control. Those studying the Book of Changes should focus on "timing and success" and "timing and riding" to grasp the subtlety of the sage's ability to act in accordance with the right moment, adapt flexibly, and act without leaving a trace.

然言天道而配以聖人何也？蓋天下之理得而成位乎中，則叄天地者惟聖人也。故頤卦曰「聖人養賢以及萬民」，咸卦曰「聖人感人心而天下和平」，恆卦曰「聖人久於其道而天下化成」，皆此意。○言聖人默契乾道六爻終始之理，見六爻之位各有攸當，皆以時自然而成，則六陽淺深進退之時皆在吾運用之中矣。由是時乘六龍以行天道，則聖即天也。上一節專贊乾元，此一節則贊聖人知乾六爻之理而行乾元之事。

But why is the heavenly way paired with the sage? Because once the principles of the world are understood and one stands in the center of heaven and earth, only the sage can be ranked alongside heaven and earth as the third. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment of the颐卦 says, "The sage nurtures the virtuous and extends his grace to all the people," and the Commentary on the Judgment of the咸卦 says, "The sage moves the hearts of people and brings peace to the world," while the Commentary on the Judgment of the恒卦 says, "The sage remains steadfast in his way and thus achieves the success of moral education throughout the world." All these statements convey the same meaning. This section is explaining that the sage silently aligns with the six lines of the Qian hexagram, recognizing that each line has its appropriate place, all arising naturally in accordance with the sequence of time. Thus, the timing for the six yang lines, whether shallow or deep, advancing or retreating, is entirely within the sage's control. By following the time and driving the six dragons to carry out the heavenly way, the sage becomes equivalent to heaven. The previous section specifically praised the Qian Yuan, while this section praises the sage for understanding the principles of the six lines of the Qian hexagram and acting accordingly to fulfill what the Qian Yuan does.

乾道變化，各正性命，保合太和，乃利貞。變者化之漸，化者變之成。各者各自也，即一物原來有一身，各有族類，不混淆也。正者不偏也，言萬物受質各得其宜，即一身還有一乾坤，不得倚附妨害也。物所受為性，天所賦為命。保者，常存而不虧；合者，翕聚而不散。太和，陰陽會合中和之氣也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: "The movement and transformation of the Heaven's Way cause all things to properly establish their nature and destiny, preserving and gathering the great harmony, which is what is beneficial and upright." "Transformation" refers to a gradual shift, while "change" refers to the completion after the shift. "Each" means individuality, meaning that each thing originally has its own self and its own category, not mixed together. "Upright" means not biased, meaning that all things receive their form and substance in a proper way, meaning that each individual itself forms its own Heaven and Earth, and cannot rely on or interfere with each other. What things receive is called "nature," and what Heaven bestows is called "destiny." "Preserving" means maintaining without loss, and "gathering" means collecting without dispersion. "Great harmony" refers to the harmonious balance formed by the union of yin and yang.

各正者，各正於萬物向寔之初；保合者，保合於萬物向寔之後。就各正言，則曰性命，性命雖以理言而不離乎氣；就保合言，則曰太和，雖以氣言而不離乎理，其實非有二也。○言乾道變化不窮，固品物流形矣，至秋則物皆向實，各正其所受所賦之性命；至冬則保全其太和生意，隨在飽足，無少缺欠。凡資始於元、流形於亨者，至此告其終、斂其跡矣。雖萬物之利貞，實乾道之利貞也，故曰乃利貞。

"Each being establishes its proper nature," refers to the beginning of all things moving toward maturity; "preserving harmony" refers to the stage after all things have begun to mature. In terms of "each being establishing its proper nature," it speaks of the nature and destiny of things, which although discussed from the perspective of principle, cannot be separated from qi. In terms of "preserving harmony," it speaks of the great harmony, which although discussed from the perspective of qi, cannot be separated from principle—actually, these two are not separate matters. This passage explains that the movement and transformation of the Heaven's path is boundless, and although it has already caused all things to take form and flow; when autumn comes, all things tend toward maturity, each establishing the nature and destiny it has received and been endowed with; when winter comes, it preserves the vital energy of great harmony, everywhere full and abundant, with nothing lacking. All things that have begun in "origin" and taken form in "progress" now reach their conclusion and withdraw their forms. Although it is said that all things are in the state of benefiting and maintaining, in reality, it is the Heaven's path that is in the state of benefiting and maintaining, so the Commentary on the Judgment says, "It is beneficial to benefit and maintain."

首出庶物，萬國咸寧。乘龍御天，乃聖人王道之始，為天下開太平，惟端拱首出於萬民之上，如乾道變化，無所作為，而萬國咸寧，亦如物之各正保合也。乘龍御天之化，至此成其功矣，此則聖人之利貞也。咸寧即各正保合也，其文武成康之時乎，漢文帝亦近之。如不能各正保合，則紛紜煩擾矣，豈得寧。

The Commentary on the Judgment concludes by saying: "The sage resides at the head of all things, and the world and all states attain peace." Riding a dragon to follow the heavenly way marks the beginning of the sage's way of kingship, bringing peace to the world. He merely adjusts his clothes and remains hands-off, ruling over the people in a dignified manner, just as the principle of Heaven naturally changes without deliberate action. Yet all states are at peace, just as all things maintain their proper nature and preserve the great harmony. The educational influence of governing by riding the dragon thus achieves its effect, which is the "beneficial constancy" of the sage. "Sincere peace" is essentially "each maintaining its proper nature and preserving the great harmony," which is probably the era of King Wen, King Wu, King Cheng, and King Kang. The reign of Emperor Wen of the Han dynasty also approached this state. If things cannot maintain their proper nature and preserve the great harmony, chaos and disorder will arise, and how could peace ever be achieved?

○象曰：天行健，君子以自強不息。象者，伏羲卦之上下兩象、周公六爻所繫辭之象也，即象辭之下即以象曰起之是也。天行者，天之運行，一日一周也；健者，運而不息也，陽之性至健，所以不息也。以者，用也，體易而用之，乃孔子示萬世學者用易之方也。自強者，一念一事莫非天德之剛，若少有一毫陰柔之私以間之則息矣，強與息反。天行健者，在天之乾也；自強不息者，在我之乾也。上句以卦言，下句以人事言，諸卦仿此。

The Image Commentary says: "Heaven's movement is strong and unceasing, so the gentleman thus exerts himself without ceasing." The term "xiang" refers to the hexagram image drawn by Fuxi, which consists of the upper and lower parts of a hexagram, and the line images used by the Duke of Zhou when he explained the six lines. The part following "xiang yue" immediately after the hexagram statement and line statement is the Image Commentary. "Tian xing" refers to the movement of heaven, which completes a full cycle in one day and night. "Jian" means movement without ceasing, which is the nature of yang, hence it never stops. "Yi" means to use, to understand the principles of the Book of Changes and put them into practice, which is the method of using the Book of Changes as pointed out by Confucius for all generations of scholars. "Zi qiang bu xi" means that every thought and every matter must conform to the strength and unceasing nature of the Heavenly Virtue. If even the slightest trace of yin and softness, or private intention, is mixed in, it will stop. "Qiang" and "xi" are exactly opposite. "Tian xing jian" refers to the乾 (Heaven) in the heavens, while "zi qiang bu xi" refers to the乾 (Heaven) within oneself. The first part speaks of the hexagram image, and the second part speaks of human affairs. The rest of the Image Commentaries of the other hexagrams follow the same pattern.

○潛龍勿用，陽在下也。陽在下者，陽爻居於下也，陽故稱龍，在下故勿用。此以下舉周公所繫六爻之辭而釋之。乾初曰陽在下，坤初曰陰始凝，扶陽抑陰之意見矣。○見龍在田，德施普也。施，音是。○德即剛健中正之德，出潛離隱則君德已著，周遍於物，故曰德施普。施字如程傳作去聲。

The Small Image Commentary says: "A hidden dragon should not be used, because a yang line is in the lower position." "Yang in the lower position" means that this yang line is at the very bottom; since it is yang, it is called a dragon; because it is in the lower position, it cannot be used. From here on, all the explanations are based on the six line statements of the Duke of Zhou. The first line of the Qian hexagram says "Yang in the lower position," and the first line of the Kun hexagram says "Yin begins to condense" (Yin energy begins to gather). The intention of supporting yang and restraining yin is thus revealed. "Seeing the dragon in the field, virtue is widely applied." (The character "施" is read in the falling tone.) Here, "virtue" refers to the virtue of being strong and upright in the center. Once it emerges from concealment and leaves seclusion, the virtue of a ruler is already evident and widely extended to all things, so it is said "virtue is widely applied." The character "施" is read in the falling tone according to Cheng Yi's "Commentary on the Changes."

○終日乾乾，反復道也。○反覆猶往來，言君子之所以乾夕兢惕、汲汲皇皇、往來而不已者，無非此道而已，動循天理，所以處危地而無咎。道外無道，故二爻言德。○或躍在淵，進無咎也。量可而進，適其時則無咎，故孔子加一進字以斷之。○飛龍在天，大人造也。造，作也，言作而在上也。大人，龍也；飛在天，作而在上也。大人釋龍字，造釋飛字。此止言飛龍在天，下「同聲相應」一節則言利見大人，「上治」一節方言大人之事，乃「位乎天德」一節則見其非無德而處尊位，四意自別。

"Throughout the day, he toils diligently, moving back and forth in accordance with the Way." "Back and forth" is like coming and going, meaning that the gentleman is constantly cautious and anxious day and night, moving swiftly and without rest, and all that he follows is this "Way." Every action and movement adheres to the principles of heaven, so even when in peril, there is no fault. There is no other way apart from the Way, so these two sentences both emphasize "De." "The dragon soars in the sky, indicating the emergence of a great man." "Emergence" refers to taking action and assuming a position, meaning that one who acts and holds a high position is doing so. "Great man" explains the "dragon," while "emergence" explains the "soaring." Here, only "the dragon soars in the sky" is discussed; the section on "harmonious resonance" later addresses "favorable to see the great man," the section on "governing above" discusses the achievements of the great man, and the section on "standing in the Heavenly Virtue" shows that he is not occupying a high position without virtue. These four meanings are distinct from each other.