Observing the Trigram (Kun below, Xun above)

觀者，有象以示人而為人所觀仰也。風行地上，遍觸萬類，周觀之象也；二陽尊上，為下四陰所觀，仰觀之義也。《序卦》：臨者大也，物大然後可觀，故受之以觀，所以次臨。

The concept of "Observation" refers to a phenomenon that manifests clearly to people, thus being looked up to by all. The upper trigram is Xun (Wind), and the lower trigram is Kun (Earth). Wind moves across the earth, coming into contact with all things everywhere, symbolizing a comprehensive view; the two yang lines, Nine in the Fifth and Nine at the Top, hold esteemed positions above the four yin lines, which look up to them, representing the idea of looking up. The "Sequence of Hexagrams" states: "Lín" signifies vastness; only after things become extensive can they be observed, hence the hexagram of Lín is followed by Guān. This explains why the hexagram of Guān comes after Lín.

觀，盥而不薦，有孚顒若。觀，官奐反；盥音管。盥者，將祭而潔手也；薦者，奉酒食以薦也；有孚者，信也；顒者，大頭也，仰也，《爾雅》「顒顒，君之德也」，大頭在上之意，仰觀君德之意。言祭祀者方潔手而未薦，人皆信而仰之矣，觀者必當如是也。自上示下曰觀，去聲；自下觀上曰觀，平聲。

The statement of the Guan hexagram says: Like the moment when one has already washed hands but has not yet offered sacrifices, with sincere faith and causing people to look up in reverence. "Guan" here is read in the falling tone, with the reverse-slicing pronunciation "guan huan fan"; "guan" is read as "guan". "Guan" refers to washing hands before a sacrifice; "jian" means presenting wine and food to the gods; "you fu" means having sincere faith; "yong" originally refers to a large head, but is extended to mean looking up. The "Er Ya · Xishun" says "yong yong ang ang, the virtue of the king," taking the meaning of a large head above, which refers to looking up to the virtue of the king. When the person performing the sacrifice has just washed his hands and has not yet offered the sacrifices, the solemnity is still present, and everyone is pleased and reverent in looking up to him. Those who are looked up to must maintain this state. Whenever something is made known from above to below, it is called "Guan" in the falling tone; when something is looked up to from below to above, it is called "Guan" in the level tone.

彖曰：大觀在上，順而巽，中正以觀天下。觀，盥而不薦，有孚顒若，下觀而化也。觀天之神道，而四時不忒；聖人以神道設教，而天下服矣。觀皆去聲，惟下觀而化平聲。以卦體卦德釋卦名，又釋卦辭而極言之。順者，心於理無所乖；巽者，事於理無所拂；中正即九五。陽大陰小，故曰大觀在上；中正則所觀之道也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: A great model holds a high position, is gentle and submissive, and displays the virtue of uprightness and correctness to the world. "Washing but not offering, with sincere faith and awe-inspiring presence," this is how the people look up and are influenced. Observing the divine operation of heaven, the changing of the four seasons is without error; the sage follows this divine way to establish education, and the world is thus brought into submission. These instances of the word "guan" are all read in the falling tone, except for the "guan" in "guan and be influenced," which is read in the level tone. This passage first explains the name of the hexagram by referring to the structure of the hexagram and its virtue, then explains the hexagram statement and extends the meaning to its ultimate. "Shun" refers to the lower trigram坤 (Earth), indicating that the mind has no deviation from the principles; "Xun" refers to the upper trigram巽 (Wind), indicating that actions have no contradiction with the principles; "zhongzheng" refers to the nine in the fifth position, a yang line occupying the fifth position, which is both central and upright. Yang represents the great, and Yin represents the small. Two yang lines occupying the upper position are said to be "da guan zai shang" (great observation above). Zhongzheng is the "dao" (way) upon which he reveals to the world.

言人君欲為觀於天下，必所居者九五大觀之位，所具者慎巽之德，而後以我所居之中，觀天下之不中；所居之正，觀天下之不正，斯可以為觀矣，所以名觀。下觀而化，故人信而仰之，所以有孚顒若者此也。盥而不薦者，神感也；有孚顒若者，神應也，此觀之所以神也。故以天道、聖人之神道極言而贊之。神者，妙不可測，莫知其然之謂。天之神道非有聲色，而四時代謝無少差忒；聖人神道設教亦非有聲色，而民自服從，觀之神一而已矣。

The sovereign who wishes to become the model for the world must be in the great and admirable position of Nine in the Fifth, possessing the virtue of caution and gentle flexibility. Only then can he use the "center" he holds to correct the lack of center in the world, and use the "correctness" he holds to correct the lack of correctness in the world. Only in this way can he be worthy of being the object of observation by the world, hence this hexagram is named "Observation." The people below look up and are influenced, so everyone believes and looks up to him. The hexagram statement "With sincerity, all look up" refers exactly to this. "Washing but not offering" indicates the communication with the divine, while "With sincerity, all look up" indicates the response of the people's hearts. This is the marvelous aspect of the hexagram of Observation. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment cites the heavenly way and the divine way of the sage, pushing this meaning to its extreme in admiration. The so-called "divine" is marvelous and indescribable, beyond explanation. The heavenly way of the divine has no sound or color, yet the four seasons change without error. The sage follows the divine way in teaching without any visible form, yet the people naturally obey. The marvelous aspect of the hexagram of Observation is the same as the marvelous aspect of the heavenly way.

象曰：風行地上，觀，先王以省方觀民設教。上觀去聲，下觀平聲。省方者，巡狩省視四方也；觀民者，觀民俗也，即陳詩以觀民風、納價以觀好惡也；設教者，因俗以設教也，如齊之末業教以農桑、衛之淫風教以有別是也。風行地上，周及庶物，有歴覽周遍之象，故以省方體之。坤為方，方之象；巽以申命，設教之象。

The Great Image Commentary says: Wind moving across the earth is the Observing Hexagram. From this, the former kings understood the need to tour the land, observe the people, and establish education. Here, the first "观" is read in the falling tone, and the second is read in the level tone. "Provincial inspection" refers to the Son of Heaven touring the regions and inspecting them; "Observing the people" refers to examining the customs of the common people, which is the kind of practice described in the "Rites of Zhou: The System of Government" where poetry was collected to understand the people's customs and prices were examined to understand the people's preferences. "Establishing education" means setting up education in accordance with the local customs, for example, in Qi, where the people were inclined toward profit-seeking, they were taught to cultivate and raise silkworms; in Wei, where the customs were licentious, they were taught to distinguish between men and women. Wind moving across the earth touches all things universally, with a character of thoroughly examining and comprehensively covering everything, so the former kings used touring the land to embody this. The "Commentary on the Hexagrams" says that Kun represents the earth, which is square and has boundaries, thus taking the image of "directions"; Xun represents issuing commands, repeatedly emphasizing orders, thus taking the image of "establishing education."

初六：童觀，小人無咎，君子咎。觀平聲。童者，童稚也；觀者，觀九五也。中爻艮為少男，童之象也；初居陽，亦童之象，故二居陰取女之象。小人者，下民也，本卦陰取下民，陽取君子。無咎者，百姓日用而不知，所以無咎也。君子吝一句，用慢上句之意，故小象不言君子。

The line statement of the first line says: Like a child's shallow observation, it is without blame for a small person, but brings blame for a gentleman (the line statement originally reads 'the gentleman is stingy'). Here, 'guan' is read with a level tone. 'Tong' refers to an immature child; 'guan' refers to looking up to the fifth line. In the hexagram of Guan, the third, fourth, and fifth lines form the trigram Gen, which according to the 'Sayings of the Trigrams' represents a young male, corresponding to the image of 'tong'; the first line also occupies a yang position, which also conveys the image of childishness. Therefore, the next line, the second line, which is in a yin position, takes the image of 'female'. 'Xiaoren' here refers to the common people, and the primary hexagram uses yin lines to represent the common people and yang lines to represent gentlemen. It says 'without blame' because the 'Great Treatise' states 'the common people use things daily without knowing', and they are not expected to have lofty insight, so they are without fault. The phrase 'the gentleman is stingy' is used in a contemptuous tone to contrast with the previous sentence, so the 'Small Image Commentary' only mentions 'xiaoren' and does not mention 'junzi'.

初六當大觀在上之時，陰柔在下，去五最遠，不能觀五中正之德輝，猶童子之誤解見，不能及遠，故有童觀之象。然其占在小人則無咎，若君子豈無咎哉，亦羞吝矣。象曰：初六童觀，小人道也。不能觀國之光，小人之道自是如此。

At the beginning, when the great exemplary figure is in a high position, the initial line is yin and weak, located at the very bottom, farthest from the fifth line, and cannot see the virtue of the central and correct ruler. It is like a child with limited vision who cannot see distant things, hence the image of 'a child observing'. However, if this judgment applies to a petty person, there is no fault. But if it applies to a gentleman, how could there be no blame? It would result in disgrace. The Small Image Commentary says: The initial line's observation of the naive and unenlightened is the way of the petty person. Not seeing the brilliance and beauty of the state, the way of the petty person is naturally like this.

六二：窺觀，利女貞。觀平聲。窺與窺同，門內窺視也，不出戶庭，僅窺一隙之狹者也。曰利女貞，則丈夫非所利矣。中爻艮，門之象也；變坎為隱伏，坎錯離為目，目在門內隱伏處，窺視之象也。二本與五相應，但二之前即門，所以窺觀。

The line statement of the second line says: Looking through a door crack, it is advantageous for a woman to maintain her virtue. Here, the character "观" is read in a level tone. "窥" is the same as "闚," meaning looking out from inside a door. One does not leave the courtyard, and can only see a very narrow part through a single crack. Since it says "advantageous for a woman to be virtuous," it implies that it is not advantageous for a man. In terms of symbolic imagery: the trigrams three, four, and five together form the trigram Gen (Mountain). The "Sayings of the Hexagram" explain that Gen represents a gate or threshold, which is the image of "door." When this line changes to a yang line, the lower trigram becomes Kun (Earth), forming Kan (Water). Kan represents concealment, and the opposite trigram of Kan is Li (Fire), which represents the eye. The eye is hidden within the door and looks out, which is the image of "looking through a crack." Originally, the second line corresponds with the fifth line, but there is a door in front of it, so it can only look through the door crack.

六二陰柔，當觀之時，居內而觀外，不出戶庭而欲觀中正之道，不可得矣，故有窺觀之象，惟女子則得其正也，故其占如此。象曰：窺觀女貞，亦可醜也。婦女無外事，則窺觀乃女子之正道；丈夫志在四方，宇宙內事乃吾分內事，以丈夫而為女子之觀，亦可丑矣。

Six two is yin and flexible, and is at the time of looking up and observing. It is located in the inner trigram but wants to look outside, yet remains within the house and wishes to see the correct middle and upright path of nine five. This is impossible, so there is the image of peeping through a crack in the door. Only a woman can be appropriate in this, so the judgment is 'favorable for a woman to be steadfast'. The Small Image Commentary says: peeping through a crack is favorable for a woman to be steadfast, but it is shameful for a man. Women do not take charge of external affairs, so to remain within the house and peek is the proper role of a woman. Men, however, have ambitions reaching far and wide, and all matters in the universe are within their responsibility. If a man, with his nature, were to engage in the act of peeking like a woman, it would indeed be shameful.

六三：觀我生進退。子路對丈人之辭，明君在上，可出而仕矣。觀平聲。下爻皆觀乎五，三隔四，四已觀國之光，三惟觀我生而已。我生者，我陰陽相生之正應也，即上九也。為進退，為不果者，巽也，巽有進退之象，故曰觀我生進退。六三當觀之時，隔四不能觀國，故有觀我生進退之人之象。不言占之凶咎者，陰陽正應，未為失道，所當觀者也。象曰：觀我生進退，未失道也。道者，陰陽相應之正道也。

The line statement for the third line says: observe the corresponding line to me, and use it to decide whether to advance or retreat. This is similar to Zilu's answer to He Diao Zhangren in the Analects, where a virtuous ruler above allows one to take office. Here, the character "观" is read in a level tone. Originally, all the lines below are looking up to the fifth line, but the third line is blocked by the fourth line. Since the fourth line is already able to "observe the brilliance of the country," the third line can only observe the corresponding line to itself. "I am born" refers to the line that is in mutual generation with me, that is, the ninth line above. The "Zuo Guan Zhuan" says that Xun represents "advancing and retreating, indecisiveness," and since the upper trigram is Xun, it contains the image of indecisiveness in advancing and retreating, so it says "observe the corresponding line to determine advancing and retreating." The third line is in the state of observing upwards, but is blocked by the fourth line and cannot see the brilliance of the country, hence the image of a person who observes the corresponding line to decide advancing and retreating. The line statement does not mention fortune, misfortune, regret, or hardship, because mutual generation between yin and yang is not considered a deviation from the right path, and it is precisely the object that should be observed. The "Xiao Xiang Zhuan" says: observe the corresponding line to decide advancing and retreating, and this does not lose the right path. This "path" refers to the right path of mutual generation between yin and yang.

六四：觀國之光，利用賓于王。觀平聲。光者，九五陽朋在上，被四表，光四方者也。下坤土，國之象；中爻艮，輝光之象；四承五，賓王之象；九五，王之象。觀國光者，親炙其休光也。賓者，已仕而朝覲乎君，君則賓禮之；未仕而仕進於君，君則賓興之也。觀卦利近不利遠，六二中正又乃正應，乃曰窺觀，則不利於遠可知矣。六四柔順得正，最近於五，有觀光之象，故占者利用賓于王。象曰：觀國之光，尚賓也。尚謂心志之所尚，言其志意願賓于王朝。

The line statement for the fourth line says: Observing the brilliance and beauty of the state, it is advantageous to serve as a guest in the royal court. Here, the character "观" is read in a level tone. The "light" refers to the flourishing of the yang virtue of the nine in the fifth line, which is exalted in high position, shining beyond the four directions, illuminating all around. In terms of symbolic imagery: the lower trigram is坤 (Kun), representing earth, which is the symbolic image of the "state"; the trigrams at the third, fourth, and fifth lines together form艮 (Gen), which represents mountain and has the image of brilliance, symbolizing "radiance"; the sixth line is closely following the nine in the fifth line, symbolizing "serving as a guest to the king"; the nine in the fifth line holds the exalted position, symbolizing the "king." "Observing the state's radiance" means personally being immersed in this beautiful brilliance. The term "guest" refers to a minister who has already entered official service and pays homage to the king, who treats him as a guest; or a virtuous person who has not yet entered service but is recommended and employed by the king, who treats him with the honor of a guest. The general principle of the hexagram of 观 (Observation) is that those close to the nine in the fifth line are advantageous, while those distant from it are not. The six in the second line is both central and upright, and is the proper match for the nine in the fifth line, yet it only achieves "peeking at the observation," indicating that being distant is disadvantageous. The six in the fourth line is gentle and upright, and is closest to the nine in the fifth line, thus it has the image of observing the state's radiance, and the person divining this line is advantageous to serve as a guest in the royal court. The Small Image Commentary says: Observing the state's radiance is the mind aspiring to serve as a guest. "Aspiring" refers to the mind's aspiration and desire, meaning he wishes to go to the royal court to serve as a guest.

九五：觀我生，句。君子無咎。觀去聲。九五上九，生字亦如六三生字，皆我相生之陰陽也。觀我生作句，觀孔子小象可見矣。觀我生者，觀示乎我所生之四陰也，即中正以觀天下也。君子無咎，對初爻小人無咎言，下四陰爻皆小人，上二陽爻皆君子；小人當仰觀乎上，故無咎；君子當觀示乎下，故無咎。

The line statement of the fifth line says: "Display my mutual generation with the many lines — 'Observe my generation' forms a separate sentence — the gentleman has no fault." Here, the character "观" is read in the falling tone. The character "生" in the fifth line and the top line, as well as in the third line, refers to the lines that are yin and yang complementary to me. "Observe my generation" should be read as a separate sentence. One can understand this by referring to Confucius' "Small Commentary." What is meant by "observe my generation" is to display one's virtue to the four yin lines that are complementary to me, which is what the "Commentary on the Judgment" refers to as "being upright and correct in the center to observe the world." "The gentleman has no fault" is in contrast to "the small person has no fault" in the first line: the four yin lines below belong to the small person, and the two yang lines above belong to the gentleman; the small person should look up to those above, hence has no fault; the gentleman should display himself to those below, hence also has no fault.

九五為觀之主，陽剛中正以居尊位，下之四陰皆其所觀示者也，故有觀我生之象，大觀在上，君子無咎之道也，故其象占如此。象曰：觀我生，觀民也。二觀字皆去聲。民即下四陰，陰為民之象也，故姤九四曰遠民，以初六陰爻也。內卦三陰遠於五，草莽之民也；六四之陰近於五，仕進之民也。九五雖與六二正應，然初三四與九五皆陰陽相生，故曰觀我生觀民也，即中正以觀天下之民也。生曰我生，則關於我者切矣。孔子釋以民字，不曰生而曰民，則非獨同焉，皆生已也。人君俯臨萬民，不有以觀之，不惟負我，並負民矣。

The fifth line is the main line of the hexagram "Observing" (Guan), being yang and upright, and occupying the position of honor. The four yin lines below are all the objects of its demonstration, hence the image of "Observing my life." A great model standing in a high position is exactly the way of the gentleman to avoid blame, so the image and meaning of this line are as such. The Small Image Commentary says: Demonstrating the many lines that are generated from me, is equivalent to demonstrating to the people. Both instances of "Guan" are read with a falling tone. "People" refers to the four yin lines below, as yin lines are the symbolic representation of common people. Therefore, in the hexagram Guo (Encountering), the Small Image Commentary says "far people," referring to the first yin line, the initial line. The three yin lines in the inner trigram are far from the fifth line, representing the common people in the fields; the fourth yin line is closer to the fifth line, representing those who have entered officialdom. Although the fifth line is in a proper correspondence with the second line, the first line, third line, and fourth line are also in mutual generation with the fifth line, so "Observing my life" is equivalent to "Observing the people," meaning the demonstration of the virtue of uprightness and correctness to the people of the world. The use of "life" and the phrase "my life" indicates how closely these people are related to me. When Confucius explains it, he uses the term "people" instead of "life," because they are not only of the same kind and mutually generated with me, but are actually people I have nurtured. A ruler looking down upon the people, if he cannot demonstrate something, then he not only betrays himself but also betrays the people.

上九：觀其生，句。君子無咎。觀去聲。上九雖在觀示之上，然本卦九五有天下國家之責，所以九五觀示乎諸爻，諸爻仰觀乎九五。曰我生者，即大有六五五陽皆其所有之意，言下四陰惟我可以觀示，他爻不可得而觀示之也。若上九不在其位，不任其事，則無觀示之責，止因在上位陰陽相生，義當觀其生，是空有觀生之位而已。故不曰觀我生而曰觀其生者，避五也，是我字甚重而其字甚輕也。君子無咎者，九五與上九皆陽剛在上，故並君子之無咎也。

The line statement of the top nine says: "Observe the generation of the many lines that are in mutual generation with it — 'Observe its generation' forms a complete sentence — the gentleman has no fault." Here, the character "观" is read in the falling tone. Although the top nine is above the one that is proclaiming, the primary hexagram bears the responsibility for the state and country, which is the five of yang. Therefore, it is the five of yang that proclaims to the other lines, and the other lines look up to the five of yang. The five of yang says "I generate," just as the six of yang in the hexagram Dà Yǒu does. The five of yang possesses the five yang lines, meaning that the four yin lines below can only be proclaimed by it. Other lines do not have the qualification to proclaim. The top nine is not in position and does not bear the responsibility, so it originally has no duty to proclaim. However, because it is in the upper position and has mutual generation with the lines below, by reason it should also proclaim, but it is merely occupying a position that allows proclamation. Therefore, the Duke of Zhou does not say "Observe my generation" but "Observe its generation," to avoid the five of yang. The character "我" carries a heavy weight, while "其" carries a light one. It says "the gentleman has no fault" because both the five of yang and the top nine are yang and strong in position, so it also mentions the gentleman at the top, who has no fault.

上九以陽剛居觀之極，故有觀其生之象，亦君子之無咎者，故其象占如此。象曰：觀其生，志未平也。志者，上九之心志也；平者，均平也，與九五平分、相同一般之意。言周公爻辭，九五觀我生，而上九則以其字易我字者何哉？以上九之心志不敢與九五同觀其民也，故曰志未平也。

The upper nine, with its yang strength, is located at the top of the Guan hexagram, hence the image of "observing its birth." It is also a category of the superior person without blame, so its image and divination are thus. The Small Image Commentary says: It clearly shows the many yao that are mutually generating, indicating that the mind is unwilling to be equal with the sovereign. "Mind" refers to the mind of the upper nine; "equal" means to be on the same level as the nine in the fifth, to be treated equally. Why did the Duke of Zhou use "observe my birth" for the nine in the fifth, but changed "my" to "its" for the upper nine? Because the upper nine does not dare to treat the people as its own people as the nine in the fifth does, so it says "the mind is not equal."

蓋觀示乎民，乃人君之事，若上九亦觀示乎民，則人臣之權與人君之權相為均平而無二矣，豈其理哉？故上九陽剛雖與五同，不過有觀生之位而已，不敢以四陰為我之民，與九五平觀示之也。

To proclaim virtue and moral teaching to the people is the proper duty of a sovereign; if the top line, the upper nine, were also to proclaim to the people in the same manner, then the authority of ministers would be equal to that of the sovereign, with no distinction, which would be utterly unreasonable. Therefore, although the upper nine is also a strong yang line, just like the nine in the fifth position, it is merely occupying a position that allows for proclamation, but ultimately dares not regard the four yin lines as its people, and sit on equal footing with the nine in the fifth position to proclaim them.

噬嗑，食也。噬，齧也；嗑，合也。頤中有物間之，齧而後合。上下兩陽而中虛，頤之象也；四一陽間於其中，頤中有物之象也。頤中有物，必齧而後合，噬嗑之象也。《序卦》：嗑者合也，可觀而後有所合，所以次觀。齧音孽。

The Zage Zhuan says that "Shi He" refers to eating. "Shi" means to bite, and "He" means to close. When something is stuck in the mouth, one must bite with the upper and lower teeth to close the mouth. In terms of the hexagram's structure: the two yang lines, initial nine and upper nine, are at the top and bottom ends, while the middle lines are soft and empty, resembling an open mouth, which is the image of the mouth; the single yang line, nine four, is stuck in the middle, representing something in the mouth. When there is something in the mouth, one must bite to close it, which is the image of "Shi He." The Xugua Zhuan says: "He" means to close. When something is observable, people will gather around it, so after the hexagram Guan (Observation), comes Shi He. "Nie" is read as "Nue."

噬嗑亨，利用獄。噬嗑亨，卦自有亨義也。天下之事所以不得亨者，以其有間也；噬而嗑，則物不得而間之，自亨通矣，此即舉天下之事而言也。利用獄者，噬嗑中之一事也。彖曰：頤中有物，曰噬嗑，噬嗑而亨。剛柔分，動而明，雷電合而章。柔得中而上行，雖不當位，利用獄也。以卦體卦德二象卦綜釋卦名卦辭。

The Hexagram 21, Shihhe, states: "It is smooth, favorable for litigation and punishment." The statement "Shihhe is smooth" indicates that this hexagram inherently contains the meaning of smoothness. The reason why things in the world are not smooth is because there is something blocking the way; once one bites and brings the upper and lower parts together, the obstruction is removed, and smoothness is naturally achieved. This is a general statement about all worldly matters. As for "favorable for litigation," it is only one of the many things contained within the meaning of Shihhe. The Commentary on the Judgment says: There is something in the mouth, called Shihhe; when it is bitten and joined, it becomes smooth. The yin and yang lines are separated into inner and outer parts, active and clear. Thunder and lightning meet, and the brilliance is evident. The yin line is in the middle and moves upward, although its position is not appropriate, it is favorable for litigation and punishment. This passage explains the name and statement of the hexagram by using the structure of the hexagram, its moral qualities, the two images, and the reversal of the hexagram.

頤中有物，則其物作梗。以人事論，如寇盜奸宄，治化之梗；蠻夷猾夏，疆場之梗；以至君臣父子、親戚朋友，離貳讒謗間於其中者，皆頤中之梗也。易卦命名立象，各有所取：鼎也，井也，大過之棟也，小過之飛鳥也，遠取諸物者也；艮之背也，頤之頤也，噬嗑頤中之物也，近取諸身者也。

If something is in the mouth, it becomes an obstruction. In terms of human affairs: thieves and villains are obstructions in governance and education; the invasion of barbarians into the Central States is an obstruction on the borders; even between sovereign and subject, father and son, relatives and friends, if there is a separation of hearts and betrayal, with slander and defamation in between, these all belong to "obstruction in the mouth." The hexagrams in the Book of Changes are named based on their symbolic meanings, each with its origin: the Ding hexagram takes its name from a cooking pot, the Jing hexagram from a well, the Da Guo hexagram from a house beam, the Xiao Guo hexagram from a flying bird; these are what the Great Treatise says "taking from distant objects." The Gen hexagram takes its name from the human back, the Yi hexagram from the human cheek, the Shi He hexagram from something in the mouth; these are "taking from close objects."

剛柔分者，震剛離柔，分居內外，內剛者齒也，外柔者輔也。動而明者，震動離明也。雷電合者，卦二象也。蓋動不如雷則不能斷，明不如電則不能察，惟雷電合，則雷震電耀，威明相濟，所謂動而明者愈照彰矣，此已前言噬嗑亨。

The phrase "gāng róu fēn" refers to the lower trigram Zhen (Thunder) being yang and the upper trigram Li (Fire) being yin, with the yang trigram inside and the yin trigram outside: the yang within represents teeth, and the yin outside represents the jaw and cheek. The phrase "dòng ér míng" means that the trigram Zhen has the virtue of movement and the trigram Li has the virtue of brightness. The phrase "léi diàn hé" refers to the imagery of Zhen (Thunder) and Li (Fire) in the primary hexagram, representing thunder and lightning. Understand this: if action is not as swift as thunder, it cannot make a decisive judgment; if insight is not as clear as lightning, it cannot reveal the truth; only when thunder and lightning meet, with thunder shaking and lightning flashing, can power and clarity support each other, making "dòng ér míng" even more evident. This is the explanation of the phrase "shì kè hēng."

柔得中而上行者，本卦綜賁，二卦同體，文王綜為一卦，故雜卦曰噬嗑食也，賁無色也。言以賁下卦離之柔，得中上行，而居乎噬嗑之上卦也。蓋不柔則失之暴，柔不中則失之縱，柔得中則寬猛得宜，有哀矜之念，而又不流於姑息，此其所以陰居陽也。

The phrase "flexible and moderate, ascending upwards" refers to the inverted hexagram. The primary hexagram, when reversed, becomes the hexagram of Zhen. The two hexagrams are originally the same structure, and King Wen grouped the reversed ones together, so the "Zaji Guashan" (Miscellaneous Hexagram Transmission) mentions both "Shihhe, eating" and "Ben, without color." This means that in the hexagram of Ben, the middle yao of the lower trigram Li is a flexible yao that is moderate and ascends, moving to the middle position of the upper trigram of Shihhe, becoming the sixth yao in the fifth position. One should know that using punishment without flexibility leads to cruelty, and flexibility without moderation leads to indulgence. Only by being flexible and moderate can one balance severity and leniency, showing compassion and care without allowing wrongdoing to continue unchecked. This is precisely the meaning conveyed by the sixth yao in the fifth position, which is a yao of yin occupying a yang position.

頤中有物，名噬嗑矣，而曰亨者何也？蓋凡噬嗑物，噬則頤分，嗑則頤合，今未噬之先內剛外柔，將噬之際動而明，正噬之時合而章，先分後合，又何物得以間之？此所以噬嗑而亨也。然以噬嗑之亨，何事不利而獨利用獄者？蓋六五以柔在上，本不當位，不足以致諸事之利，獨以柔得中，所以利用獄也。

There is something in the mouth, already named Shihhe, so why is it said to be "smooth" (hen)? Generally, when something is bitten, the upper and lower jaws separate when biting, and close when they come together. Now, before biting, it is internally strong and externally soft; when about to bite, it is active and clear; at the moment of biting, it is the union of thunder and lightning, with brilliant manifestations. First separating and then uniting, what could possibly block in the middle? This is the reason why after biting, it becomes smooth. However, since Shihhe itself is smooth, why is it specifically said to be "suitable for punishment in court (li yu)"? This is because the sixth line (wu) is a yin line in a yang position, which is originally inappropriate, and thus not suitable for universal smoothness. Only by being in the middle does it become appropriate, so it is most suitable for judging cases and applying punishment.

象曰：雷電噬嗑，先王以明罰勑法。罰者，一時所用之法；法者，平日所定之罰。明者，辨也，辨其輕重，效電之明；勑者，正也，正其國法，效電之威。明辨勑正，所以振勅法度，使人知所畏避也。

The Great Image Commentary says: Thunder and lightning form the trigram of噬嗑, from which the former kings understood the need to clearly define punishments and regulate laws. "Punishment" refers to the legal provisions applied in specific cases, while "law" refers to the established penal codes in ordinary times. "Clearly discerning" means distinguishing the severity of offenses, taking the brightness of lightning as a model; "rectifying" means upholding the state's legal system, taking the power of thunder and lightning as a model. By clearly discerning and rectifying, the purpose is to uphold the law, making people aware of its authority and thus deter them from transgressing.

初九：屨校滅趾，無咎。校音教。校，足械也；屨者，以械加於足，如納屨於足也。中爻坎，坎為桎梏，校之象也，故上九亦言校。趾者，足趾也，震為足，趾之象也。滅者，沒也，遮沒其趾也，變坤不見其震之足，滅其趾之象也。無咎者，因其刑而懲創以為善也。屨校不懲，必至荷校；滅趾不懲，必至滅耳。不因其刑而懲創，必至上九之惡積罪大矣，安得無咎？初九上九，受刑之人；中四爻，則用刑者。

The line statement of the initial line, Chū Jiǔ, says: "Wearing leg restraints, covering the toes, there is no blame." The character "jiào" is read as "jiāo," meaning a wooden device fastened around the foot. "Jù" functions as a verb here, meaning to fasten the wooden device on the foot, like wearing shoes. In terms of symbolic meaning: the third, fourth, and fifth lines together form the trigram Kan, which represents a restraint. The "Sayings of the Trigrams" text explains that Kan represents restraints, which corresponds to the image of "jiào." Therefore, the line of Shàng Jiǔ also mentions "jiào." "Zhi" refers to the toes, and the lower trigram Zhen represents the foot, thus symbolizing the toes. "Mie" means to cover or obscure, indicating that the restraints cover the toes. When this line changes to a yin line, the lower trigram Zhen becomes Kun, and the image of the foot disappears, which corresponds to "covering the toes." The statement "no blame" is because receiving this punishment leads to vigilance and reform. If one wears the restraints without being cautious, it will inevitably lead to the situation of Shàng Jiǔ, where heavy restraints are worn. If one covers the toes without being cautious, it will inevitably lead to the situation of Shàng Jiǔ, where even the ears are covered. Not being cautious after punishment will inevitably lead to the state of Shàng Jiǔ, where evil is fully accumulated and the crime is too great to be forgiven. Then, how can there be "no blame"? Chū Jiǔ and Shàng Jiǔ represent those who are punished, while the middle four lines represent those who carry out the punishment.

九居初無位，下民之象也，以陽剛而不柔順，未有不犯刑者，故有屨校滅趾之象。趾乃人之所用以行者，懲之於實，便不得行其惡，小人之福也，故占者無咎。象曰：屨校滅趾，不行也。震性動，滅其趾則不得動而行以為惡矣。

A yang line in the first position, without rank, represents the image of common people at the lower level; its nature is yang and strong but not gentle or compliant, thus inevitably leading to punishment, symbolized by being bound with foot restraints that cover the toes. The toes are used for walking; punishing someone at the very beginning of their journey prevents them from taking a wrong path, which is actually a blessing for the small person, so the one who divines finds no fault. The Small Image Commentary says: being bound with foot restraints covering the toes prevents one from walking. The lower trigram Zhen, which originally signifies movement, is now rendered immobile by the covering of its toes, thus unable to move and unable to commit evil deeds.

六二：噬膚滅鼻，無咎。膚者，肉外皮也。凡卦中次序相近者言膚：剝卦言膚者，艮七坤八也；睽卦言膚者，兌二離三也；此卦言膚者，離三震四也。六二之言膚者，皮也；三言肉者，皮中之內也；四言胏者，肉中連骨也，以陽剛也；五陰柔，又言肉矣。爻位以次漸深，學徒工肉以次漸難。祭有膚鼎，蓋柔胞子而無骨，噬而易嗑者也。

The Line Statement of the Second Line says: "Bite the skin and deeply bury the nose, there is no fault." "Fū" refers to the outer layer of skin. Whenever the upper and lower trigrams in the Earlier Heaven sequence are close to each other, the hexagram mentions "skin." The hexagram of P破裂 (Bō) mentions "skin" because the trigram Gen (Mountain) is in the seventh position and the trigram Kun (Earth) is in the eighth; these positions are adjacent. The hexagram of 睽 (Kuí) mentions "skin" because the trigram Dui (Lake) is in the second position and the trigram Li (Fire) is in the third. This hexagram mentions "skin" because the trigram Li (Fire) is in the third position and the trigram Zhen (Thunder) is in the fourth. The Second Line refers to "skin," meaning the outer layer; the Third Line refers to "meat," meaning the flesh beneath the skin; the Fourth Line refers to "zǐ," meaning meat with bone, because the Fourth Line is yang and firm. The Fifth Line is yin and soft, and it again refers to "meat." The higher the line position, the deeper the bite, and the more difficult the case becomes. In ancient sacrificial rites, there was a special bronze vessel for serving skin and meat, which was the tender part without bones, and it would break with a single bite.

中四爻有上下齒噬齧之象，故四爻皆言噬。此爻變兌，兌為口，噬之象也。二乃治獄之人，居其中，初在下，外為膚，噬其膚之象也，故雜卦曰噬嗑食也，正言此四爻之噬也。中爻艮，艮為鼻，鼻之象也；二變則中爻為離，不見其艮之鼻，滅其鼻之象也。滅字與滅趾、滅耳同例，即朱子語錄所謂噬膚而沒其鼻於器中是也，言噬易嗑而深嗑之也。

The fourth line contains the image of upper and lower teeth biting, so all four lines refer to "biting." When line six-two becomes yang, the lower trigram becomes zhen (thunder) and then dui (lake), which represents the mouth, thus matching the image of "biting." Line six-two is the person in charge of justice, located in the middle of the inner trigram, while line one-nine is below it, at the outermost position, like the outer skin, thus forming the image of biting the outer skin. The "Zazhaguanzhuan" says, "Shihé, food," which refers precisely to the biting together of these four lines. Regarding the "nose," lines three, four, and five form the trigram gen (mountain), and the "Shuoguazhuan" says gen represents the nose, thus forming the image of the nose. When line six-two changes, lines two, three, and four form the trigram li (fire), and the image of the nose disappears, which is the image of "destroying the nose." The word "destroy" here is used in the same way as "destroying the foot" and "destroying the ear." This is exactly what the "Zhu Zi Yulu" says: when biting the flesh, the nose is buried into the vessel, describing how the biting is effortless and deep.

六二柔順中正，聽斷以理，故其治獄有噬膚滅鼻之易之象，無咎之道也，故其占如此。象曰：噬膚滅鼻，乘剛也。剛者，初之剛也。人剛則性趕，獄內委曲皆不隱藏，已易於聽斷矣，六二又以中正乘其剛以聽斷，必得其情，故有噬膚滅鼻之易。

Six Two is flexible and upright, and adjudicates cases based solely on reason, so his handling of legal matters is like biting soft skin and deeply inserting the nose, which is effortless, thus indicating a path without blame. The Small Image Commentary says: biting the soft skin and deeply inserting the nose is because of the overcoming of a yang line. This 'yang' refers to the yang line at the beginning. Human nature is straightforward, so the twists and turns of a case will not be concealed, making it inherently easy to judge. Since Six Two uses the virtue of being upright and central to overcome this yang line and conduct the investigation, it will certainly uncover the truth, hence the ease of biting soft skin.

六三：噬臘肉，遇毒，小吝，無咎。臘音昔。臘肉者，即六五之乾肉也。離火在前，三變又成離，上火下火，乾其肉之象也。九四六五離有乾象，故二爻皆言乾，而此言臘也。遇者，逢也。凡易中言遇者，皆雷與火也：睽九二變震，曰遇主于巷；遇元夫者，亦變震也；豈遇配主、遇夷主，小過大象坎錯離，遇其妣、遇其臣。此雷火，故言遇毒。

The line statement for the sixth line says: biting the dried meat of the wind heaven, encountering the old and greasy part, there is some slight regret, but no fault. "Là" is pronounced "xī". So-called dried meat refers to the dried meat mentioned in the fifth line. The upper trigram is Li (Fire), lying ahead; when the third line changes, the lower trigram becomes Zhen (Thunder), which becomes Li again, so both upper and lower trigrams are fire, which is the symbolic representation of drying meat with fire. The ninth line in the fourth position and the sixth line in the fifth position are within the body of Li (Fire), and both have the image of Qian (Heaven), so these two lines both mention "Qian," while the third line mentions "Là." "Encountering" means meeting. Whenever the word "encountering" appears in the Book of Changes, the symbolic images always involve Thunder and Fire: the second line of the Kui hexagram changes to Zhen (Thunder), so it says "meeting the master in the alley"; the fourth line of Kui says "meeting the original husband," also because the line changes to Zhen (Thunder); the Feng hexagram says "meeting his spouse" and "meeting his夷 husband," and the Xiao Guo hexagram has an overall image similar to Kan (Water), whose opposite trigram is Li (Fire), so it says "meeting his mother" and "meeting his minister." This line is at the intersection of Thunder (Zhen) and Fire (Li), so it says "meeting poison."

毒者，臘肉之陳久太肥者也。說文云：毒者厚也。味厚者為毒久。噬臘遇毒者，言噬乾肉而遇陳久太肥厚味之肉也。中爻坎，所以曰毒，故師卦有此毒字。六三陰柔，不中不正，治獄而遇多季陳久煩瑣之事，一時難於斷理，故有噬臘遇毒之象，亦小有吝矣，然時當噬嗑，於義亦無咎，故其占又如此。象曰：遇毒，位不當也。以陰居陽。陰居陽位，故見為遇毒；若陽居陽位，則遇事立斷，何毒之有？蓋此爻若變則為離，是動而明也，故惜其位不當。

The term "tox" refers to the overly fatty and aged portion of preserved meat. The "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" explains: "Tox, means thickness." When the flavor becomes too heavy, it eventually becomes toxic. "Shi La Yu Du" means biting on dried meat but encountering an old, greasy, and overly rich piece. The third, fourth, and fifth lines form the trigram Kan, which represents danger and peril, hence the term "tox." The "彖传" of the "Shi" hexagram also uses the term "tox" in the phrase "using this to poison the world," which takes the same meaning. The sixth line is a yin line that is neither central nor proper, and when handling old, complicated cases that are difficult to resolve, it is like biting into preserved meat and encountering greasy, heavy parts, thus bringing some shame and regret. However, during the time of "Shi He," there should be some resolution, and from a rational perspective, there is no fault, hence the judgment. The "Xiao Xiang Chuan" says that encountering greasiness is a wrong position. The original commentary explains that a yin line is in a yang position. Because a yin line is in a yang position, it feels difficult to handle; if a yang line were in a yang position, it would be able to make decisions immediately, and there would be no "tox." If this line changes, the lower trigram Zhen becomes Li, which is "movement and clarity," hence the lamentation for its improper position.

九四：噬乾胏，得金矢，利艱貞，吉。乾音乾，胏音滓。胏，乾肉之有骨者。離為乾，乾之象也，六五亦同此象。三肉居卦之中，乃獄情之難服者，故皆以堅物象之。金者，剛也，此爻正頤中之物，陽爻居二陰之間，金之象也；變坤錯乾，亦金之象也。矢者，直也，中爻坎，矢之象也，蓋九四正居坎之中，坎得乾之中爻為中男，故此爻有金象、有矢象。若六五變為乾，止有金象，無矢矣，故曰得黃金。

The line statement for the ninth line four says: "Biting the dry meat with bones, obtaining metal and arrows, it is advantageous to maintain rectitude in difficulty, and it is auspicious." The character "乾" is read as "dry," and "胏" is read as "zǐ." "胏" refers to the part of the dried meat still connected to the bone. The upper trigram is Li (Fire), which can dry things, thus representing "乾." The line six five also shares this image. The meat described in the lines six three, nine four, and six five all reside within the entire hexagram, representing the most difficult type of case to persuade, hence they all use hard objects as symbols. "Metal" is taken to represent hardness: the ninth line four is the object stuck in the mouth, a yang line between two yin lines, hard like metal, thus representing "metal"; if this line changes to yin, then the lines three, four, and five form the trigram Kun, whose opposite trigram is Qian, and Qian represents metal, thus also representing "metal." "Arrow" is taken to represent straightness: the lines three, four, and five form the trigram Kan, with one yang line in the middle like an arrow, thus representing "arrow." The ninth line four is located in the central position of this inter-trigram Kan, and Kan is the middle son in the trigram Qian, which is formed by inserting the middle line of Qian into Kun, so this line has both the image of metal and arrow. As for the line six five, when the line changes, the upper trigram becomes Qian, leaving only the image of metal and not the image of arrow, hence the line six five only mentions "obtaining gold."

且九四剛而不正，故戒之以剛直；六五柔中，故戒之以剛中。二爻皆曰得者，教人必如此也。艱者，凜凜然惟恐一毫之少忽，以心言也；貞者，兢兢然惟恐一毫之不正，以事言也。獄情難明，故必如金之剛、矢之直，而又艱難正固，則吉矣。因九四不中正，故教占者占中之象又如此。象曰：利艱貞吉，未光也。未光即屯九五、夬九五之類。

Furthermore, the fourth line is yang and not in the correct position, so it uses "strong and upright" to warn it; the fifth line is yin and proper, so it uses "strong and centered" to warn it. Both lines mention the concept of "attaining," teaching that in handling cases one must achieve this. "Difficult" refers to being anxious in the heart, fearing even the slightest negligence, which relates to the mind; "upright" refers to being cautious in action, fearing even the slightest deviation, which relates to conduct. Cases are inherently difficult to investigate, so one must be as hard as metal and as straight as an arrow, and also endure hardship and remain firm, to achieve auspiciousness. Since the fourth line is neither centered nor proper, the line statement uses such an image to instruct the diviner. The Small Image Commentary says: it is favorable to endure hardship and maintain uprightness to attain auspiciousness, because the light has not yet become prominent. The idea of "not yet bright" is of the same type as that in the first line of the Qun卦 (Gunn) and the first line of the Guai卦 (Guai).

六五：噬乾肉，得黃金，貞厲，無咎。象曰：噬乾肉，難於膚而易於乾胏者也，乃所治之獄匪難匪易之象。黃者，中也；金者，剛也。變乾，金之象也；乾錯坤，黃之象也。離得坤之中爻為中女，則離之中乃坤土也，故曰黃金。貞者，純乎天理之公而無私也；厲者，存乎危懼之心而無忽也；無咎者，刑罰當而民不冤也。

The line statement of the fifth line says: "To bite the flesh of the dry meat of Heaven, one obtains gold, maintains uprightness while keeping in mind the danger, and incurs no fault." The original phrase "噬乾肉" refers to something that is more difficult than biting the outer skin but easier than biting the dry meat with bone, symbolizing a case that is neither too difficult nor too easy. "Yellow" is taken to represent the central position, and "gold" signifies strength. When the sixth line changes to a yang line, the upper trigram becomes乾 (Heaven), which is associated with gold, hence the image of "gold." The opposite trigram of乾 is坤 (Earth), which is associated with yellow, hence the image of "yellow." Moreover, 离 (Fire) is formed by the middle line of坤 (Earth) within乾 (Heaven), and the middle line of 离 is originally坤 (Earth), which is yellow in color, thus combining to form the image of "golden." "Zhen" refers to uprightness and impartiality in accordance with heavenly principles without any private intent. "Lai" signifies a constant awareness of danger and caution. "Wu jiu" means that the punishment is judged appropriately, and the people suffer no injustice.

六五居尊，用刑于人，人無不服，故有噬乾肉易嗑之象。然恐其柔順而不斷也，故必如黃之中、金之剛，而又同厲，乃得無咎。因六五柔中，故戒占者占中之象又如此。貞厲無咎，得當也。當去聲。言必如此治獄方得當也。

Six Five holds a high position and applies punishment to people, and none are dissatisfied, so there is an image of biting a piece of dry meat and breaking it with one bite. However, there is a fear that it may be too gentle and thus fail to make a decisive decision. Therefore, it must be like Huang who maintains the middle path and like metal which is strong, and also add a bit of apprehension, in order to avoid mistakes. Since Six Five is a yin and soft line that is in the center, the line statement uses such an image to warn the person consulting the oracle. The Small Image Commentary says: maintaining correctness with a sense of danger and apprehension leads to no blame. "当" is read in the falling tone. This means that one must act in this way in order to handle the case properly.

上九：何校滅耳，凶。何音荷。何者，負也，謂在勁也。中爻坎為桎梏，初則曰屨，上則曰負，以人身分上下而言也。滅者，遮滅其耳也。坎為耳痛，滅耳之象也；又離為戈兵，中爻艮為手，手持戈兵加於耳之上，亦滅耳之象也。

The statement of the line at the top (Upper Nine) says: A heavy枷 is on the shoulders, covering the ears, which is dangerous. "He" is read as "He," meaning to bear or carry. "He" refers to the burden of the枷 on the neck. The trigrams at the third, fourth, and fifth lines form Kan, which represents shackles. The first nine is at the bottom, so it is like a shoe being put on the foot; the upper nine is at the top, so it is like carrying a burden on the shoulders and neck, which is based on the upper and lower parts of the body. "Mie" means covering the ears. The "Say卦Transmission" explains that Kan represents ear pain, which is the image of "covering the ears"; furthermore, the upper trigram is Li, representing weapons, and the second, third, and fourth lines form Gen, which represents the hand. The hand holding weapons above the ears is also the image of "covering the ears."

上九居卦之上，當獄之終，蓋惡極罪大、怙終不悛者也，故有何校滅耳之象，占者如此，凶可知矣。象曰：何校滅耳，聰不明也。聦者，聞也，聽也。上九未變，離明在上，坎耳在下，故聽之明；今上九既變，則不成離明矣，所以聽之不明也。困卦坎有言不信，夬四變坎，聞言不信。今既聽之不明，則不信人言矣，坎既心險，又不信好言，所以犯大罪。

The upper nine is located at the very top of the entire hexagram, right at the end of punishment and litigation. It represents a person who has committed evil to the extreme, with great crimes and continues to persist in wrongdoing. Therefore, there is an image of bearing a heavy枷 and covering the ears; if the situation is like this, the danger is evident. The Small Image Commentary says: bearing a heavy枷 and covering the ears indicates unclear hearing. "Cōng" refers to hearing. When the upper nine has not changed, the upper trigram is Li (Fire), which represents clarity, above, and the interacting trigram is Kan (Water), which represents the ear, below, so hearing is clear. Now, when the upper nine changes, the upper trigram is no longer Li, so clarity is lost, and hearing becomes unclear. The hexagram of Guan has the upper trigram as Dui (Lake) and the lower trigram as Kan (Water), and the Tuang Cí says "there is speech but no trust." The hexagram of Guai has the fourth nine changing to Kan, and it also says "when heard, there is no trust." Now that hearing is unclear, one will not believe others' advice; since Kan already harbors dangerous intentions, and one does not listen to good words, this is why great crimes are committed.

賁，無色也。賁，飾也。為卦山下有火，山者百物草木之所聚，下有火則照見其上，品彙皆被光彩，賁之象也。《序卦》：嗑者合也，物不可以苟合也，故受之以賁，所以次噬嗑。

The *Zagua Zhuan* says that "Bian" (Brightness) signifies the absence of color, and when adornment is taken to the extreme, it returns to simplicity. The original meaning of "Bian" is adornment. In terms of the hexagram's form, it represents fire beneath a mountain: a mountain is a place where all things and plants gather, and when fire burns beneath it, it illuminates everything above, giving a luminous appearance to all things, which is the symbolic meaning of "Bian." The *Xugua Zhuan* says that "He" (Crushing) refers to union, but things should not be joined carelessly; they must be adorned with propriety and ceremony. Therefore, after *Shehe* (Crushing), the hexagram *Bian* follows. This explains why *Bian* comes after *Shehe*.

賁亨，小利有攸往。賁，彼偽反。小利攸往亦為亨，但亨之不大耳。彖曰：賁亨，柔來而文剛，故亨；分剛上而文柔，故小利有攸往，天文也；文明以上，人文也。觀乎天文以察時變，觀乎人文以化成天下。以卦綜卦德釋卦辭而極言之。

The Hexagram Statement of the Qian (Brightness) Hexagram says: "It is smooth and favorable for going forward." "Bian" is read as "Bi Wei Fan." The statement "a small benefit in going forward" actually also indicates smoothness, but the smoothness is not great. The Commentary on the Judgment says: The smoothness of the Qian Hexagram is because the yin and柔 come to adorn the yang and strong, thus it is smooth; also because the yang and strong go upward to adorn the yin and柔, thus it is slightly favorable for going forward. This is the cultural splendor of heaven. The cultural splendor of heaven is bright and has limits, which is the cultural splendor of mankind. Observing the cultural splendor of heaven allows one to understand the changes of the four seasons, and observing the cultural splendor of mankind allows one to educate the world and establish customs. This passage uses the "Hexagram Comprehensive" and "Hexagram Virtue" to explain the Hexagram Statement, and extends the meaning to its extreme.

本卦綜噬嗑。柔來文剛者，噬嗑上卦之柔，來文賁之剛也，柔指離之陰卦，剛則艮之陽卦也。柔來文剛以成離明，內而離明則足以照物，動罔不臧，所以亨。分者，又分下卦也。分剛上而文柔者，分噬嗑下卦之剛，上而為艮以文柔也，剛指震之陽卦，柔則離之陰卦也。剛上而文柔以成艮止，外而艮止，則內而能知之，外而不能行之，僅可小利有攸往而已，不能建大功業也。

The primary hexagram inverted becomes噬嗑, and the two hexagrams are mutualInverted Hexagram. The phrase "柔来而文刚" means that the yao of the yin and flexible trigram 离 (Fire) comes down from the upper trigram of噬嗑 to adorn the yang and strong trigram 艮 (Mountain) of贲. Here, "柔" refers to the trigram 离 (Fire), and "刚" refers to the trigram 艮 (Mountain). The yin and flexible comes down to adorn the yang and strong, thus forming the lower trigram 离 (Fire) and the luminous clarity of the trigram. Within there is the clarity of 离, which is sufficient to illuminate things, so that every action is proper, hence it is said "亨." "分" means to take another part from the lower trigram. The phrase "分刚上而文柔" means that the yao of the yang and strong trigram 震 (Thunder) from the lower trigram of噬嗑 is taken up and becomes 艮 (Mountain), thus adorning the yin and flexible trigram 离 (Fire). Here, "刚" refers to the trigram 震 (Thunder), and "柔" refers to the trigram 离 (Fire). The yang and strong goes up to adorn the yin and flexible, thus forming the upper trigram 艮 (Mountain) and the stopping nature of the trigram. Since the outside is stopping, even though the inside is clear, it cannot go out, and can only slightly benefit going forward, but cannot achieve great achievements.

故以其卦綜觀之，柔來文剛，剛上文柔，是即天之文也。何也？蓋在天成象，日月五星之運行，不過此一剛一柔、一往一來而已，今本卦剛柔交錯，是賁之文即天之文也。以其卦德觀之，是即人之文也。何也？蓋人之所謂文者，不過文之明也，而燦然有禮以相接；文之止也，而截然有分以相守。今本卦內而離明，外而艮止，是賁之文即人之文也。觀天文以察時變，觀人文以化成天下，賁之文不其大哉！變者，四時寒暑代謝之變也；化者，變而為新；成者，久而成俗。

Therefore, from the perspective of the inverted hexagram: the yin and柔 come down to adorn the yang and刚, and the yang and刚 go up to adorn the yin and柔. This is the literary beauty of heaven. Why? The Great Treatise says, "In heaven, the images are formed." The movement of the sun, moon, and five stars is merely the alternation of one yang and one yin, one going and one returning. Now, the primary hexagram has the intermingling of yang and yin, and thus the literary beauty of the hexagram of Zhen is also the literary beauty of heaven. Furthermore, from the perspective of the hexagram's virtue, this is also the literary beauty of human beings. Why? What humans call "literary beauty" is merely literary beauty with clarity, thus shining brightly with propriety to interact with others; literary beauty with stillness, thus clearly defined with boundaries to hold on to. Now, the primary hexagram has the brightness of Li inside and the stillness of Gen outside, and thus the literary beauty of the hexagram of Zhen is also the literary beauty of human beings. Observing the heavenly phenomena to understand the changes of the seasons, observing human culture to educate the world and establish customs, is the literary beauty of the hexagram of Zhen not vast and profound? "Change" refers to the alternation of the four seasons and the cold and heat; "transformation" is changing the old into the new; "establishment" is the gradual accumulation over time to form customs.

象曰：山下有火，賁，君子以明庶政，無敢折獄。明，離象；無敢，艮象。庶者，眾也，繁庶小事，如錢穀出納之類；折獄則一輕重出入之間，民命之死生所繫，乃大事也。曰無敢者，非不折獄也，不敢輕折獄也，再三詳審而後發之意，此即小利有攸往之理，因內明外止，其取象如此。賁與噬嗑相綜，噬嗑利用獄者，明因雷而動也；賁不敢折獄者，明因艮而止也。

The Great Image Commentary says: Mountains beneath fire, this is the Hexagram of Decorum. The gentleman thus understands the need to clearly examine all government affairs, yet dares not hastily decide on legal cases. "Clearly" is symbolized by the lower trigram Li (Fire), while "daring not" is symbolized by the upper trigram Gen (Mountain). "Common" refers to many things, meaning miscellaneous minor matters, such as the inflow and outflow of money and grain. As for judging cases, the difference of a single unit in weight or the distinction between innocence and guilt can affect the life or death of a person, which is a major matter. Saying "daring not" does not mean not judging cases, but rather not acting hastily. One must carefully examine and deliberate before making a decision, which is the meaning of "small gain in going forward." Because inner clarity and outer stillness are present, the symbolism is thus taken. The Hexagram of Decorum and the Hexagram of Cracking the Shell are mutual inverted hexagrams: the Hexagram of Cracking the Shell says "suitable for litigation," its clarity coming from Zhen (Thunder) and being active; the Hexagram of Decorum says "daring not to judge cases," its clarity meeting Gen (Mountain) and being still.

初九：賁其趾，舍車而徒。舍音舍。賁其趾者，道義以文飾其足趾也。舍，得棄也；徒者，徒行也。舍車而徒，即賁其趾也，言舍車之榮而徒行，是不以徒行為辱，而自以道義為榮也。中爻震與坎，震，趾之象也；坎，車之象也；變艮，止而又止，舍之象也。

The line statement of Chū Jiǔ says: "Adorning one's toes, abandoning the carriage and walking on foot." The character "shě" is read as "to abandon." What is meant by "Bēn qí zhǐ" is using virtue to adorn one's steps. "Shě" means to discard; "tú" means to walk on foot. Abandoning the carriage and walking on foot, that is "Bēn qí zhǐ," means preferring to abandon the honor of riding a carriage and walking on foot, not regarding walking as a disgrace, but rather taking the preservation of virtue as honorable. In terms of symbolic representation: the second, third, and fourth lines form the trigram Kan, and the third, fourth, and fifth lines form the trigram Zhen. Zhen represents the foot, which is the symbolic representation of "zhǐ"; Kan represents the carriage, which is the symbolic representation of "che." When this line changes to yin, the lower trigram Li becomes Gen, combining with the upper trigram Gen, which signifies stopping again and again, precisely the symbolic representation of "shě."

初比二而應四，比二則從乎坎車矣，應四則從乎震趾矣。然升乎車者必在上方可乘，易中言乘者皆在上也，言承者皆在下也。初在下，無乘之理，故有舍坎車而從震趾之象，觀小象乘字可見。初九剛德明順，蓋內重外輕，自賁於下而隱者也，故有舍非義之車而安於徒步之象，占者得此，當以此自處也。象曰：舍車而徒，義弗乘也。初在下，無可乘之理。

Initial Nine is below and corresponds to Six Two and Six Four. Being close to Six Two means following the mutual trigram Kan's carriage; corresponding to Six Four means following the mutual trigram Zhen's foot. However, to ride a carriage, a person must be above it, and in the Book of Changes, whenever it says 'riding,' it refers to being above; whenever it says 'supporting,' it refers to being below. Initial Nine is at the very bottom, so it is not appropriate for it to ride a carriage. Therefore, there is an image of abandoning the carriage of Kan and following the foot of Zhen. Looking at the Small Image Commentary, it uses the character 'riding' to clarify this. Initial Nine is yang and virtuous, clear-sighted and gentle, being strong within and light without. It is in a lower position, adorning itself with righteousness and content with retirement. Therefore, there is an image of abandoning the carriage that is not in accordance with righteousness and being content with walking on foot. When a diviner encounters this line, he should act accordingly. The Small Image Commentary says: abandoning the carriage and walking is in accordance with righteousness, not riding. Initial Nine is in a lower position, so originally there is no reason for it to ride.

六二：賁其須。在頤曰須，在口曰有髭，在頰曰髯。須不能以自動，隨頤而動，則須雖美，乃附於頤以為文者也。本卦綜噬嗑，原有頤象，今變陽則中爻為兌口矣，口旁之文莫如須，故以須象之。六二以陰柔居中正，三以陽剛得正，皆無應與，故二附三而動，猶須附頤而動也，故有賁其須之象，占者附其君子，斯無愧於賁矣。象曰：賁其須，與上興也。與者，相從也；興者，興起也，則言二陰柔從三陽興起者也。

The line statement for the second line says: "To adorn one's beard." The hair growing on the lower jaw is called "xu," on the lips is called "zhi," and on the cheeks is called "ran." The beard itself does not move; it moves only when attached to the jaw. Thus, although the beard may be beautiful, it is merely an ornament attached to the jaw. The primary hexagram reversed is噬嗑, which originally has the image of the jaw. Now, the second line turns into a yang line, so the second, third, and fourth lines form the trigram兑, which represents the mouth. The ornamentation beside the mouth is none more prominent than the beard, so the beard is used as a symbol. The second line, being yin and in the central position, is properly placed, while the third line, being yang and in the proper position, is also properly placed. Both lines lack a proper response, so the second line moves in conjunction with the third, just as the beard moves in conjunction with the jaw. Therefore, there is the image of "adorned beard." If the diviner can follow a virtuous gentleman, then he would not be ashamed of this "adornment." The Small Image Commentary says: Adorning the beard is to rise together with the line above. "Yu" means to follow, and "xing" means to rise, referring to the second line's yin and softness following the third line's yang and strength together rising.

九三：賁如濡如，永貞吉。如，助語辭；濡，沾濡也。離文自飾，賁如之象也；中爻坎水自潤，濡水之象也。永貞者，長永其貞也，九三本貞，教之以永其貞也；吉者，陰終不能陵也。九三以一陽居二陰之間，當賁之時，陰本比已，為之左右先後，蓋得其賁而潤澤者也，故有賁如濡如之象。然不可溺於所安也，占者能守永貞之戒，斯吉矣。象曰：永貞之吉，終莫之陵也。陵者，侮也，能永其貞，則不陷溺於陰柔之中，有所嚴憚，終莫之陵侮也。

The third line statement says: "It is adorned with brilliance, moistened with the color of water, and by maintaining constancy it brings good fortune." "如" is an adverbial particle; "濡" means to moisten. The lower trigram is Li, which represents civilization and self-decoration, thus symbolizing "Beren" (adorned like a bright object). The interaction of lines two, three, and four forms Kan, which represents water, and the internal water moistens from within, symbolizing "Ruren" (moistened like water). "Yongzheng" means to maintain constancy over a long time; since the third line is already a yang line, it is taught to maintain this constancy. It is said to be "good fortune" because the yin lines cannot ultimately overpower it. The third line is a yang line between the yin lines two and four. At the time of adornment, the yin lines are close by, adding brilliance to it from all sides, thus symbolizing someone who is adorned and also moistened. However, one should not become addicted to this comfort. If the person divining can follow the warning to maintain constancy, then good fortune will come. The Small Image Commentary says: the good fortune from maintaining constancy is because no one can ultimately oppress him. "Ling" means to oppress; by maintaining constancy over a long time, one will not be submerged in yin, and others will respect and fear him, so they will ultimately not dare to oppress him.

六四：賁如皤如，白馬翰如，匪寇婚媾。皤，白波反。皤，白也，四變中爻為巽，白之象也。賁如皤如者，言未成其賁而成其皤也，非賁如而又皤如也。中爻震為馵足、為的顙，馵白足，顙白顛，白馬之象也，舊注不知象，故言人白則馬亦白，無是理矣。翰如者，馬如翰之飛也，中爻坎，坎為亟心之馬，翰如之象也。寇指三，婚媾指初。

The Line Statement of the Fourth Line says: Originally intending to adorn, it turned out to be plain white; a white horse gallops swiftly, and what comes is not a robber but a suitor. "Pó" is pronounced "bái bō fǎn" and means white; the Fourth Line turns yang, so the lines two, three, and four form the trigram Xun. The "Commentary on the Hexagrams" says Xun represents white, which is the image of "white." "Bēn rú pó rú" means that the adornment was not achieved and instead became plain white, not that it was both adorned and plain white. In terms of the image of the horse: lines three, four, and five form the trigram Zhen. The "Commentary on the Hexagrams" says Zhen represents "white hooves and white forehead," which are the images of a white horse. Old interpretations did not understand the method of taking images, so they mistakenly said that if a person is white, the horse is also white, which is not logical. "Hàn rú" means the horse runs like feathers flying; lines two, three, and four form the trigram Kan. The "Commentary on the Hexagrams" says Kan represents "a horse with a quick heart," which is quick and good at running, matching the image of "hàn rú." "Kòu" refers to line three, and "hūn gòu" refers to line one.

六四與初為正應，蓋相為賁者也，乃為九三所隔而不得遂，故未成其賁而成其皤。然四往求於初之心，如飛翰之疾，不以三之隔而遂已也，使非三之寇，則與初成婚媾而相為賁矣，是以始雖相隔，而終則相親也，即象而占可知矣，與屯六二同。象曰：六四當位，疑也；匪寇婚媾，終無尤也。以陰居陰，故當位；疑者，疑懼其三之親比也；六四守正，三不能求，故終無過尤。

Six four and initial nine are properly corresponding, and should have enhanced each other's appearance. However, nine three is in between, preventing them from achieving this. Therefore, the embellishment did not take place, and instead became plain. Yet, the heart of six four to pursue initial nine is as swift as a flying bird, and it does not cease because of the obstruction of nine three. If there were no nine three as an intervening 'bandit', it would have already formed a marital union with initial nine and enhanced each other. Thus, although initially separated, they eventually become close. This is determined by the image, and the reasoning is clear, similar to the situation in the Qun卦 where six two says 'not a bandit but a suitor'. The Small Image Commentary says: six four is in the proper position, indicating a state of doubt and fear; the one coming is not a bandit but a suitor, so there is no fault. Six four, with a yin line in a yin position, is said to be in the proper position; 'doubt' refers to the fear of nine three coming close. Six four remains steadfast, and nine three cannot obtain it, so there is ultimately no fault.

六五：賁于丘園，束帛戔戔，吝，終吉。戔音箋。艮為山，丘之象也，故頤卦指上九為丘；渙卦中爻艮，故六四渙有丘。艮為果蓏，入居中爻震木之上，果蓏林木，園之象也。此丘園指上九，上九賁白，貧賤肆志，乃山林高蹈之賢。蠱乃同體之卦，上九不事王侯；隨卦上六錯艮，亦曰西山，則上九乃山林之賢無疑矣。

The line statement of the fifth line says: "The refinement extends to the hills and gardens of the reclusive person, but the silk cloth offered is thin and torn, seeming stingy, yet ultimately auspicious." The character "戋" is read as "jian." In terms of symbolic imagery: the upper trigram is Gen, representing "mountain," which is the symbolic image of "hill," so the hexagram Yi refers to the upper ninth line as "hill"; the hexagram Huan has its third, fourth, and fifth lines forming Gen, so the fourth line says "Huan has a hill." The "Commentary on the Hexagrams" also states that Gen represents fruits and melons, which grow on the trigram Zhen (Thunder), symbolizing trees. Fruits and trees gathered together form the symbolic image of "garden." Here, "hill and garden" refers to the upper ninth line: the upper ninth line adorns itself with plain white, content with poverty and low status, and finds joy in its own aspirations, representing the virtuous recluse who lives in the mountains, with lofty aspirations and conduct. The hexagram Gu and the primary hexagram share the same upper trigram Gen, and its upper ninth line also says "not serving kings and dukes"; the hexagram Suo has its upper sixth line's opposite trigram as Gen, and it also says "the king uses offerings to the western mountain." Clearly, the upper ninth line of the hexagram Bi represents the virtuous recluse in the mountains.

兩疋為束，陰爻兩坼，束之象也。坤為帛，此坤主帛之象也。戔與殘同，傷也，艮錯兌為毀折，戔之象也。束帛傷戔，即今人之禮縀也。本卦上體下體皆外傷中虛，有禮縀之象，上戔下戔，故曰戔戔。陰吝嗇，故曰吝。

In ancient rituals, two pieces of silk were tied together as one bundle, and a broken yao (line) in the middle was split into two parts, which symbolizes the image of "bundle." The hexagram坤 represents silk and here it takes the image of silk. "Zhan" and "can" have the same meaning, meaning damage or deficiency; the opposite trigram of the upper trigram艮 is 兑, and the "Say Hexagram Transmission" explains that 兑 represents destruction, which matches the image of "zhan." Therefore, "shu bo shang zhan" refers to what modern people call "li duan." The primary hexagram has the upper trigram艮 and the lower trigram离, both of which show an outer deficiency and inner emptiness, containing the image of "li duan." Since both upper and lower trigrams are damaged, it is repeated as "zhan zhan." The nature of a yao line is stingy, so it is said "lin."

六五文明以止之主，當賁之時，下無應與，乃上比上九高蹈之賢，故有光賁丘園、束帛以聘之象。然賁道將終，文反於質，故又有戔戔之象，以此為禮，有似於吝。然禮薄意勤，禮賢下士，乃人君可喜之事，占者得此，吉可知矣。象曰：六五之吉，有喜也。艮錯兌為悅，故曰有喜，得上九高賢而文之，豈不喜？

Six Five is the main line of the hexagram "Civilization to Rest," which is at the time of refinement and adornment. Below it there is no corresponding line, yet it is close to Upper Nine, a virtuous gentleman of high moral character. Thus, there is an image of adorning the recluse in the countryside with brilliance and offering a bundle of silk to invite him. However, the way of adornment is about to end, and refinement should return to simplicity, hence there is also an image of "戋戋," which signifies meager and damaged offerings. Offering such a thin gift seems like stinginess. Yet, although the gift is meager, the sincerity is deep. Honoring a virtuous person and humbly seeking the counsel of a gentleman is something a ruler should be pleased with. Therefore, when one encounters this line in divination, it is clearly a favorable omen. The Small Image Commentary says: The favorable omen of Six Five is due to joy. The opposite hexagram of艮 is兑, which represents joy, hence it is said "there is joy." Being able to invite Upper Nine, such a high virtue, to enhance one's own reputation, how could there not be joy?

上九：白賁，無咎。賁，文也；白，質也，故曰白受采。上九居賁之極，物極則反，有色復於無色，所以有白賁之象，文勝而反於質，無咎之道也，故其象占如此。象曰：白賁無咎，上得志也。文勝而反於質，退居山林之地，六五之君以束帛聘之，豈不得志？此以人事言者也。若以卦綜論之，此爻原是噬嗑初爻，剛上文柔，以下居上，所以得志。

The line statement for the top nine says: Adorning with plain white, there is no fault. "Bian" refers to ornamentation, and "white" refers to the essence, so the "Book of Rites" says "white receives color," meaning that the plain base can bear the embellishment. The top nine is at the apex of the Bian hexagram, where things reach their extreme and inevitably reverse. With color returning to no color, there is the image of "white Bian." When ornamentation becomes excessive, it returns to simplicity, which is the correct path leading to no fault, hence its image and divination are thus. The "Small Image Commentary" says: Adorning with plain white and having no fault, is the result of the superior person realizing his aspirations. When ornamentation becomes excessive and returns to simplicity, retreating to the mountains and forests, the king in the fifth position still prepares bundles of silk to invite him, how can this not be considered realizing one's aspirations? This is speaking about human affairs. If we consider the inverted hexagram, this line originally comes from the initial nine of the Shihe hexagram, inverted so that the yang line ascends to adorn the yin line, moving from the lower position to the upper position, hence saying "realizing one's aspirations."