Part One · The Qian Hexagram

乾卦九三：君子終日乾乾，夕惕若厲，無咎。注：純修上道，則處下之禮曠。終日乾乾，至於夕猶惕若厲也。謹按：定本猶字在惕字上，則夕字為絕句；今則惕字在猶字上，則惕字為絕句，則下若字宜訓為如。夕字為絕句，則若字宜為語辭；若字為語辭，則與周公爻辭體同，亦與夫子文言義合，又與注意相順。

The line statement of the third line in the Qian hexagram, "The superior man toils day and night, remains vigilant even at night as if in danger, thus incurs no blame," is commented upon by Wang Bi, who says: if one solely focuses on cultivating the way of the superior position, the proper conduct expected of someone in a lower position is neglected. Therefore, the superior man toils diligently all day, and remains vigilant even at night, as if in a dangerous situation. Guo Jing explains carefully: the reliable edition reads "until evening, still remaining vigilant as if in danger," with the character "still" placed above "vigilant," thus making "evening" a separate clause. The current edition, however, reads "until evening, vigilant still as if in danger," moving the character "vigilant" above "still," making "vigilant" the separate clause, and the character "as if" can only be interpreted as "like." According to the reliable edition, with "evening" as the separate clause, the character "as if" should be a sentence-ending particle. When "as if" functions as a sentence-ending particle, it conforms to the general practice in the line statements of the Duke of Zhou, aligns with the meaning of Confucius' "Wenyan," and is consistent with the meaning of Wang Bi's commentary.

其爻辭則豐六二有孚發若吉，注云若語辭也；?九二用史巫紛若吉；節六二不節若，則嗟若，無咎；離六五出涕沱若，戚嗟若，吉。其文言則云雖危無咎矣。且雖危則是實有危，假如有人雖馬墜不傷，雖病不死，則雖危是實有危也。若訓為如，則與周公爻辭體背，又與夫子文言義乖，亦與注意不順，足明轉寫誤為顛倒矣。

Looking at the general pattern of the line statements: In the卦 of 丰, line six-two says 「There is sincerity, and it is as if, auspicious.」 Wang Bi's commentary clearly states that 「as if」 is a particle. There is also in the卦 of 巽 (the name of the卦 is missing) line nine-two: 「Using historians and witches, it is as if, auspicious.」 In the卦 of 节, line six-two: 「If not regulated as if, then lament as if, no blame.」 In the卦 of 离, line six-five: 「Flowing tears as if, sorrow and lament as if, auspicious.」 All these belong to the same format. Now looking at the 文言, it says 「Though in danger, no blame.」 Since it says 「though in danger,」 there is indeed danger present: just as someone falling from a horse but not injured, or suffering illness but not dying, the phrase 「though in danger」 indicates actual danger. If 「as if」 is interpreted as 「like」, it would contradict the format of the line statements in the Duke of Zhou's text, and also conflict with the meaning of Confucius' 文言. It would also be inconsistent with the meaning of the annotations, thereby proving that during transmission, the characters 「犹」 and 「惕」 were reversed in order.

九五注：龍得在天，則大人之路亨也。謹按：得字誤作徳行之徳字。龍若在九四之位，雖或跳躍，未得在天，則喻大人路未通也；今居九五之位，則是飛騰騫翥，得在於天，乃喻大人道路通達。得失之理，義切相當；喻其徳行，未詳何徳也。

The annotation for the fifth line of the Qian hexagram should read "When the dragon is in the heavens, the path of the great man is unobstructed." This means that the dragon is now able to dwell in the heavens, and thus the great man's path becomes unimpeded. Guo Jing explains: the character "de" (to obtain) in the text was mistakenly written as "de" (virtue). If the dragon were in the fourth line position, although it might occasionally leap up, it still could not reach the heavens, symbolizing that the great man's path has not yet been unblocked. Now, when the dragon is in the fifth line position, it is able to spread its wings and soar high into the clouds, having already reached the heavens. This is what symbolizes the great man's path being unimpeded. It is clear that using "de" (to obtain) and "not yet de" (not yet obtained) makes the meaning precise and appropriate. If it were changed to "de" (virtue), it would be unclear what virtue is being referred to, and the meaning would have nowhere to rest.

彖曰：大哉乾元，萬物資始，乃統天。雲行雨施，品物流形。大明終始，六位時成，時乘六龍以御天。乾道變化，各正性命。注：天也者，形之名也；乾也者，用形者也。夫形也者，物之累也，有天之形而能永保無虧，為物之首，統之者豈非至健哉。萬物資始而生，雲施雨潤，品類之物各得流佈其形。大明乎終始之道，故六位不失時而成。升降無常，隨時而用，處則乘潛龍，出則乘飛龍，故曰時乘六龍也。乘變化而御大器，靜専動直，不失太和，豈非正性命之情者邪。謹按：乾字誤作健字。疏云：天是定體之名，乾是體用之稱，體即形也。足明用形是乾，不合作健，誤理昭矣。又脫萬物資始四句。審詳經文，細尋注義，足明轉寫脫遺也。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Qian hexagram says: Great is the Qian Yuan, by which all things rely to begin, and it governs the heavens; clouds flow and rain descends, thus enabling all things to spread and take form; thoroughly understanding the principle of beginning and end, the six lines of the hexagram are formed in accordance with the time, riding upon six dragons to control the heavenly way; the movement and transformation of the Qian path cause all things to be properly established in their nature and destiny. Wang Bi's commentary says: "Heaven" is the name given according to its form, while "Qian" refers to the power exerted by this form. Form is usually a burden to things, but Heaven has form yet remains ever intact without loss, standing at the head of all things. What could govern it except the most vigorous and strong Qian path? All things rely on it to begin and be born; clouds spread and rain nourishes, thus enabling all things to spread and take form. Thoroughly understanding the principle of beginning and end, the six lines of the hexagram are formed in accordance with the time and each achieves its proper position. Ascending and descending have no fixed pattern, but are applied according to the time: when hidden, it rides the hidden dragon; when appearing, it rides the flying dragon. Thus it is said, "At the proper time, it rides six dragons." Riding upon transformation to control this great vessel, it remains focused in stillness and upright in motion, not losing the great harmony, which is precisely the reality of being properly established in nature and destiny. Guo Jing notes: the character "Qian" in the commentary was mistakenly written as "Jian." Kong Yingda's commentary says: "Heaven" is the name given according to its fixed form, while "Qian" is the term given according to the function of the form. The form is the body; thus, "the one who uses the form" should be "Qian," not "Jian," and the reason for the error is clear. Moreover, the text of the classic is missing the four sentences: "All things rely on it to begin, thus governing the heavens. Clouds flow and rain descends, thus enabling all things to spread and take form." Careful reading of the text and detailed examination of the commentary can prove that these four sentences were lost in transmission.

文言第二節：是以動而有悔。注：文言首不論乾而先說元。謹按：今本文言字上誤增乾字。既在乾文言，注義不合更舉乾文言。既與王氏理殊，又乖易簡之體。雖非反背入邪，終是不依正本。

In the second section of "The Wenyan" of the Qian hexagram: "Therefore, there is regret in motion." Wang Bi's commentary says: The "Wenyan" begins not by discussing "Qian" but by talking about "Yuan." Guo Jing notes carefully: The current edition mistakenly added a "Qian" character above the words "Wenyan" in the annotation, making it "Qian Wenyan." This commentary originally belonged within the "Wenyan" of the Qian hexagram; there is no reason for the annotation to again mention "Qian Wenyan." This is inconsistent with Wang Bi's writing style and also violates the simple and concise style favored in the Zhouyi. Although this does not amount to a serious error, it ultimately fails to follow the reliable original text.

坤彖注：地也者，形之名也；坤也者，用形者也。形字誤作地字。地是定體之名，坤是用形之稱，體即形也。秪合用坤順之體用，不合用定體之地名。

The commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram K'un should read: "Earth" is the name based on form; "K'un" is the term referring to the power of this form. The current text mistakenly writes "form" as "earth" in the first part, reading it as "Earth is the name of Earth." Actually, "earth" is the name based on a fixed form, while "K'un" is the term referring to the power of this form. The term "body" refers to form. Here, we should only take the function of "K'un," this soft and yielding form, as the basis for discussion, and not use the fixed term "earth."

初六：履霜，堅冰至。注：始於履霜，至於堅冰，所謂至柔而動也剛。陰之為道，本於卑弱而後積著者也，故取履霜以明其始。象曰：履霜，陰始凝也。謹按：陰始凝也上誤增堅冰字。履霜與堅冰時頗異，不合相連結義。疏云：初六陰氣之微，初寒之始，履踐其霜，微而漸積，乃至堅冰也。履霜者從初至三，堅冰者從四至上。觀注尋疏，誤亦昭然。

The Line Statement of the First Line of the Qun hexagram says, "Treading on frost, solid ice comes." Wang Bi's commentary states: Starting from treading on frost, to the arrival of solid ice, this is called being extremely gentle and yielding, yet once it moves, it becomes strong. The way of yin is to begin from something humble and weak, and then gradually accumulate to become evident, so "treading on frost" is used to illustrate its beginning. Its Image Commentary should be "Treading on frost, yin begins to condense." Guo Jing notes carefully: The current text mistakenly adds the words "solid ice" above "yin begins to condense." Treading on frost and the formation of solid ice are separated by a long period of time, and they should not be combined into one sentence of meaning. Kong Yingda's commentary says: The First Line is the time when yin energy is weak and cold begins to appear. Treading on thin frost, gradually accumulating, leads to solid ice. Thus, "treading on frost" refers to the First Line to the Third Line, and "solid ice" refers to the Fourth Line to the Top Line. Comparing the annotations and examining the commentary, the error of adding words is clearly evident.

文言第六節：猶未離其類也。注：猶未去其陰類，為陽所滅也。去字誤作失字。謹按：注中去字本解經文離字，言上六雖陰盛似陽，尚未去離陰之體類，義在去離，非在失卻。又秦書以前去字多作無字，轉寫筆誤，理亦可知。

The sixth section of the Wenyan of the Kūn hexagram states: "It has not yet separated from its kind." The annotation should read: "It has not yet left its yin nature, being destroyed by yang." The current edition mistakenly writes "lose" instead of "leave." Guo Jing carefully notes: the "leave" in the annotation is used to explain the "li" character in the classic text, meaning that the sixth line at the top, although yin is strong and appears like yang, has not yet departed from the nature of yin; the meaning lies in "leaving li," not in "losing." Furthermore, before the Qin dynasty's script, the character "leave" was often written in a form close to "wu," and during transmission, the strokes became confused, leading to the error. The reason for this can also be inferred.

屯卦六二：屯如邅如。注：時方屯難，正道未通，涉逺而行，難可以進。謹按：進字誤作通字，亦有作濟字者。且進義則理切，通與濟則義疏。然王注易聲勢相避，成其文章，詳諸義理，誤亦可知。六三象曰：即鹿無虞，何以從禽也。脫何字。非但定本，詳尋義理，何字不可無也。

The Line Statement of the Second Line of the Zun hexagram says, "Difficult and obstructed, wandering and hesitating." The annotation should be: At the time of difficulty and obstruction, the right path has not yet been opened, and traveling far is difficult to advance. Guo Jing carefully notes: The last word "advance" in the text was mistakenly written as "open." Some versions have it as "cross." If it is written as "advance," the meaning is appropriate; if written as "open" or "cross," the meaning is distant. Moreover, Wang Bi's commentary on the Book of Changes emphasizes avoiding repetition of tone and momentum to create a coherent text. Since the previous sentence already says "the right path has not been opened," the next sentence should not use the word "open" again. Careful analysis of the meaning reveals the error. Furthermore, the Image Commentary of the Third Line should be "Chasing a deer without a guardian, how can one follow game?" The current text has omitted the word "how." Not only does the authoritative version include this word, but careful analysis of the meaning also shows that the word "how" cannot be omitted.

訟：有孚窒惕，中吉。注：窒謂窒塞也，能惕然後可以獲中吉。謹按：今本注在中吉字上。夫子彖辭六十四卦皆先舉卦名釋訖，次舉爻辭，每句以義釋之。訟則以上剛下險險而健訟釋之，有孚窒惕則以剛來而得中釋之，終凶則以訟不可成釋之，利見大人則以尚中正釋之，不利涉大川則以入於淵釋之。若注在中吉字上，即是背夫子意義，又是隔注為句，古今注書無此例，用心詳之見誤矣。

The hexagram statement of the "Strife" hexagram says: "With sincerity, there is obstruction and vigilance, and the middle is auspicious." The annotation explains: "Zhi means obstruction and blockage. Only by being cautious can one attain the auspiciousness of being in the center." Guo Jing carefully notes: the current edition has placed this annotation incorrectly above the words "middle is auspicious." Confucius' "Commentary on the Judgment" explains all sixty-four hexagrams by first stating the hexagram name and explaining it completely, then proceeding in order to explain the hexagram lines, sentence by sentence, with rational interpretation: for the "Strife" hexagram, it explains the hexagram name as "the upper is strong and the lower is dangerous, dangerous yet vigorous, leading to strife." It explains "with sincerity, there is obstruction and vigilance" as "strength comes and reaches the center." It explains "strife cannot be successful" regarding "eventually misfortune." It explains "emphasizing the center and correctness" regarding "favorable to seeing a great person." It explains "entering the abyss" regarding "unfavorable to crossing a great river." If the annotation is placed above "middle is auspicious," it would contradict Confucius' intention and also cause the annotation to be inserted between the sentences, cutting off the text. There has never been such a format in ancient annotations; careful examination will reveal the error.

彖注：不閉其源，使訟得至。謹按：得字誤作不字。若閉其訟源，訟則不至；不閉訟源，則訟得至。得至不閉其源，義通；不至則與閉義弗合。觀文尋義，誤亦可知。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram of Strife states: "Do not block its source, allowing strife to come." Guo Jing notes: the character "得" (attain) was mistakenly written as "不" (not). If the source of strife is blocked, strife will naturally not arise; precisely because the source is not blocked, strife comes about. Reading it as "allowing strife to come" is consistent with the previous phrase "do not block its source"; if it were read as "allowing strife not to come," it would contradict the meaning of "not blocking." By examining the sentence structure and exploring the meaning, the error becomes clear.

師六五：田有禽，利執之，無咎。注：可以執之。經注之字並誤作言字。謹按：定本之字行書向下引腳，稍類行書言字，轉寫相仍，遂成謬誤，言字都無義理可安。

The Line Statement of the Fifth Line in the "Military Campaign" hexagram says, "There are game in the fields; it is advantageous to seize them, resulting in no blame." The annotation should read "it is possible to seize them." Both instances of the character "之" in the present text and the annotation have been mistakenly written as "言." Guo Jing carefully notes: in the authoritative version, when the character "之" is written in running script, its final stroke extends downward, resembling the running script character "言." Scribes passed down this error through successive copies, leading to the mistake. If it were written as "言," there would be no place to fit any meaningful interpretation in these two instances.

比彖曰：比吉。吉字下誤增也字。凡彖先舉爻辭後以義結，下皆有也字，爻辭下並無也字。且據原筮元永貞無咎，以剛中也；不寧方來，上下應也；後夫凶，其道窮也。此三節爻辭下無也字，足為體例。又下經漸卦女歸吉下亦誤增也字，餘六十二卦爻辭下並無也字，誤亦明矣。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram of "Comparison" should read "Comparison, auspicious." The current edition mistakenly adds an "also" after the word "auspicious." In general, the style of the Commentary on the Judgment is to first cite the line statements of the hexagram and then conclude with explanatory reasoning, with the concluding sentence ending in "also." The line statements themselves do not carry the word "also." Considering the primary hexagram, "Original divination is original, enduring, constant, without blame" is concluded with "because of the strong and central position," "Those who are not at peace will come" is concluded with "because of the mutual response between upper and lower," and "The one who comes later will be inauspicious" is concluded with "because of the exhaustion of the path." These three sections do not have the word "also" after the line statements, which clearly demonstrates the general rule. Additionally, in the lower section of the Classic, the Hexagram of "Gradual Progress," the line statement "A woman returning is auspicious" also mistakenly has an added "also." The other sixty-two hexagrams do not have the word "also" after their line statements, so the error becomes clear.

初六：有孚比之，無咎；有孚盈缶，終來有它，吉。注：處比之始，為比之首者也。夫以不信為比之首，則禍莫大焉，故必有孚，然後乃得免比之咎，故曰有孚比之無咎也。處比之首，應不在一，心無私吝，則莫不比之。著信立誠，盈溢乎質素之器，則物終來無衰竭也。親乎天下，著信盈缶，應者豈一道而來，故必有它吉也。故必有孚字下，今本多誤增盈缶字，從處比之首應不在一下方釋盈缶之義。審詳首末注理，義自明矣。

The Line Statement of the first line of the "Gua of Comparison" says, "With sincerity, one compares with others, without blame; with sincerity, the jar is full, eventually there will be unexpected good fortune." The commentary explains that the first line is at the beginning of comparison, being the one who first approaches others. If one leads by lack of sincerity, there is no greater calamity than this, so one must have sincerity in order to avoid the blame of comparison, hence it says, "With sincerity, one compares with others, without blame." Being at the beginning of comparison, one's influence is not limited to one side. As long as one's heart has no partiality or narrow-mindedness, all people will come to be close. By clearly demonstrating sincerity and establishing genuine intent, filling a simple vessel to the brim, external things will eventually come to it without ever being exhausted. Being close to the world, sincerity is as full as a jar, and the coming of others will not be limited to one way, so there must be unexpected good fortune. Guo Jing points out that the current text mistakenly adds the words "full jar" below the phrase "therefore one must have sincerity" in the commentary. In fact, the explanation of "full jar" begins only from the part "being at the beginning of comparison, influence is not limited to one." By carefully examining the beginning and end of the commentary's flow, the meaning becomes clear.

九五：顯比，王用三驅，失前禽，邑人不誡，吉。象曰：顯比之吉，位正中也。失前禽，舍逆取順也。今本舍逆取順一句誤在失前禽上。此小象三句釋爻辭，其第一第三句並先舉爻辭後以義結，中間一句獨先申義後舉爻辭，三百八十三爻並無此例，誤亦明矣。

The "Bǐ" hexagram's line nine five statement says, "Manifestly comparing, the king uses three drives, losing the birds ahead, the people of the city are not warned, and it is auspicious." Its "Image Commentary" should be: "The auspiciousness of manifestly comparing is due to the correct central position. Losing the birds ahead, giving up the opposite and taking the favorable." However, the current version mistakenly places the phrase "giving up the opposite and taking the favorable" above "losing the birds ahead." This small "Image Commentary" uses three sentences to explain the line statement. The first and third sentences first cite the line statement and then conclude with the meaning, but the middle sentence reverses this order, first stating the meaning and then citing the line statement. After examining all 383 small "Image Commentaries," there is no such structure, so the error becomes clear.

泰六四：翩翩不富以其鄰，不戒以孚。注：乾樂上復，坤樂下復。四處坤首，不固所居，見命則退，故曰翩翩也。坤爻皆樂下，已退則從，故不待富而用其鄰也。莫不與已同其志願，故不待戒而自孚也。象曰：翩翩不富，皆反實也。反誤作失字。注云坤爻皆樂下復，九三注坤本下也，足明下是坤位本實之處，則義在翩翩然下反上歸本實之地，乃非失其本實也。詳文及注義可見矣。

The Line Statement of the Sixth Line of the Qian hexagram in the Tai hexagram says, "Pian pian bu fu yi qi lin, bu jie yi fu." The commentary explains that the lines of Qian hexagram are happy to return upward, while the lines of Kun hexagram are happy to return downward. The Sixth Line is at the beginning of the Kun hexagram, and it is not content to stay in its position. As soon as it sees the time, it retreats, hence the term "pian pian." Since all the lines of Kun hexagram are happy to go downward, once the Sixth Line retreats, they follow it downward. Therefore, it does not need to rely on wealth to lead its neighboring line. All the lines share the same aspiration, so there is no need for warning and they naturally believe. The Image Commentary should be "Pian pian bu fu, jie fan shi ye." The current text mistakenly writes "fan" as "shi." The commentary says "Kun lines all like to go down," and the commentary on the Ninth Line Three also says "Kun is originally below," which proves that the lower position is the original real place of Kun. Therefore, the meaning of this line is to descend gracefully and return from above to its original real place, not to lose its original reality. By carefully examining the meaning of the text and the commentary, one can clearly understand this.

否九五：休否，大人吉。注：惟大人乃能然，故曰大人吉也。惟大人字下脫乃字，誤加而後字。謹按：定本則如此不同，尋義理亦非妨廢，務歸正本，故亦舉之。同人彖：同人曰同人于野，亨，利涉大川，乾行也。注：所以能同人于野亨利涉大川，非二之所能也。注所以下誤加乃字，與前否九五注相類，亦務歸正也。

The line statement of the "Opposition" hexagram, line nine-five, says, "Rest from opposition, the great man is auspicious." The annotation should read, "Only the great man can be like this, hence it is said the great man is auspicious." The current version omits the character "乃" beneath the three characters "惟大人" and mistakenly adds "而后." Guo Jing notes: the differences between the standard version and the current version are exactly as described; such variant readings, even if traced according to the current version, do not hinder or invalidate the meaning. It is merely to strive for the reliable original version, so they are listed together. The "Commentary on the Judgment" of the "Harmony with Others" hexagram says, "Harmony with others in the wild, prosperous, favorable for crossing great rivers, the action of the Heaven." Its annotation should be, "It is because of this that harmony with others in the wild, prosperity, and favorable for crossing great rivers are possible, not something the two can achieve." The current version mistakenly adds the character "乃" beneath "所以" in the annotation, similar to the case in the "Opposition" hexagram's nine-five annotation. It is also done for the purpose of striving for the reliable original version.

謙六五：利用征伐。注：以謙順而征伐，所伐皆驕逆者也。象曰：利用征伐。經注象三征字並誤作侵字。夫謙順之道，不妨征伐驕逆之人，故上爻云利用行師征邑國是也。其侵奪之義，皆是越已之分乃謂之侵，實非君上之所行，祇合征正之，不合侵奪，誤亦明矣。

The Line Statement of the sixth line in the hexagram "Qian" (Modesty) says, "It is advantageous to use military force." The commentary explains that using the virtue of modesty and compliance to carry out military campaigns, the targets of such campaigns are those who are arrogant and rebellious. The Image Commentary also states, "It is advantageous to use military force." In the present text of the classic, the commentary, and the Image Commentary, the character "zheng" (military campaign) in all three instances has been mistakenly written as "qin" (invasion). The way of modesty does not prevent the use of force against those who are arrogant and rebellious. Therefore, the Line Statement of the upper sixth line says, "It is advantageous to employ troops, to conquer states and territories," which expresses the same meaning. As for the meaning of "qin," it refers to exceeding one's proper bounds to plunder, which is not the proper conduct of a ruler. Here, the character should be "zheng," meaning to correct through proper military action, not to plunder. The error is thus clear.

卦末注：夫吉凶悔吝生乎動者也，動之所起興於利也。故飲食必有訟，訟必有眾起。未有居眾人之所惡不為動者所害，處不競之地而為爭者所奪。是以六爻雖有失位無應乘剛，而皆無凶咎悔吝者，以謙為主也。謙尊而光，卑而不可逾也。

The annotation at the end of the "Qian" hexagram says: misfortune, regret, and hardship all arise from "movement," and the cause of movement lies in "advantage." Therefore, when there is a need for food and drink, it necessarily leads to disputes; when there are disputes, it necessarily leads to people rising up in conflict. No one remains in a position that is universally disliked and is then harmed by the restless; nor does anyone stand in a place of non-contention and yet suffer from being attacked by those who compete. Therefore, although the six lines of the "Qian" hexagram have some that are out of place, some that have no corresponding lines, and some that are overlaid upon a strong line, there is no misfortune, regret, or hardship. This is because the entire hexagram is based on humility. Humble virtue makes the superior more illustrious and ensures that the humble cannot be surpassed.

謹按：所惡下不字誤作而字。審詳若知其所惡之事及吉凶悔吝，又知其因何立義，則明不為則義順，而為則理乖。夫理有微妙，諒難口傳，故父子不能相授受，豈翰墨能載而究其極也。故孔子曰：書不盡言，言不盡意。然則聖人之意其不可見乎。子曰：聖人立象以盡意，設卦以盡情偽，繫辭焉以盡其言，變而通之以盡利，鼔之舞之以盡神也。非孔子則不可言其盡也。

Guo Jing carefully examines: the character "bu" (not) in the annotation "zhongren zhi suo e" (what all people detest) was mistakenly written as "er" (but). Careful consideration shows: if one understands what all people detest, and also understands the origin of good fortune, regret, hesitation, and difficulty, and further understands the basis of the annotation's meaning, then the phrase "bu wei dong zhe suo hai" (not being harmed by those who act) makes sense. However, if it is written as "er wei dong zhe suo hai" (but being harmed by those who act), the meaning becomes contradictory. The meaning is subtle and profound, truly difficult to convey through speech or hearing. Therefore, even between father and son, direct transmission is not possible, let alone being fully expressed through written words. Hence, Confucius said, "The written word cannot fully express speech, and speech cannot fully express meaning." If this is the case, how can we ever fully grasp the mind of the sage? Confucius also said, "The sage establishes images to exhaust meaning, sets hexagrams to exhaust human nature and artificiality, attaches interpretations to exhaust speech, changes and understands to exhaust benefit, and drums and dances to exhaust the divine." Except for Confucius, no one could bear the word "exhaust" in this context.

隨彖曰：隨，剛來而下柔，動而說隨，大亨利貞，無咎，而天下隨時，隨時之義大矣哉。注：相隨而不為利正，災之道也，故大通利貞乃得無咎也。為隨而令大通利貞，得於時也。謹按：彖大亨下脫利字。觀文驗注，理亦昭然。

The Judgment of the Hexagram "Following": "Following is the coming of the strong below the yielding, movement and joy in following, great success, favorable to uprightness, without blame, and the world follows the timing. The meaning of following in accordance with the timing is great indeed." The commentary says: mutual following without benefit and without uprightness is precisely the way to invite calamity, so one must be greatly successful and favorable to uprightness in order to avoid blame. The reason that following can be greatly successful and favorable to uprightness is because it conforms to the timing. Guo Jing respectfully notes: below "great success" in the Judgment there is a missing "favorable" character; it should be "great success, favorable to uprightness." Examining the text and verifying the commentary, the meaning is quite clear.

賁不利有攸往。彖：故不利有攸往。注：故不利有攸往也。爻彖注三不字並誤作小字。謹按：定本不字草書勢如小字。然九二棄中和之道，就亢極無位之地，故疏云九二棄善從惡。凡棄善從惡，皆非人所願欲，此乃大惡，豈有小利。誤亦明矣。

The Hexagram 62 (Zhen) statement should read "It is not advantageous to go on a journey," and the Commentary on the Judgment should read "Therefore, it is not advantageous to go on a journey." The annotations should read "Therefore, it is not advantageous to go on a journey as well." However, in the current text, the character "not" in the Line Statement, the Commentary on the Judgment, and the annotations has been mistakenly written as "small," leading to the reading "It is advantageous to go on a journey." Guo Jing carefully notes: In the authoritative text, the character "not" was written in cursive script, and its stroke style closely resembled "small," thus causing the error. From the perspective of meaning, the line Nine in the Second abandoned the principle of moderation and harmony, moving toward an extreme and unoccupied position. Therefore, Kong Yingda's commentary states that Nine in the Second is abandoning goodness and following evil. Any act of abandoning goodness and following evil is not something people would willingly do; it is a great evil, how could there be any notion of "small advantage"? The error is thus clear.

剛柔交錯，天文也。注：剛柔交錯而成文焉，天之文也。文明以止，人文也。注：止物不以威武而以文明，人之文也。天文上脫剛柔交錯一句。此是夫子廣美賁卦有天文之象，欲人君取義以理化人。審詳天文及人文注義，誤脫昭然可知。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram of Brightness says: "Yang and Yin intermingle, this is the celestial pattern." The annotation explains: Yang and Yin intermingle to produce ornamentation, which is the celestial ornament. The following text, "Civilization used to restrain, this is the human pattern," explains: restraining external things without using force and violence but with cultural virtue and brightness, this is the human ornament. The current text has omitted the phrase "Yang and Yin intermingle" above "celestial pattern." This phrase originally was added by Confucius to extol the Hexagram of Brightness for embodying the celestial pattern, hoping that the sovereign would take this principle to govern the people. Careful examination of the meanings of the annotations on "celestial pattern" and "human pattern" clearly reveals the omission.

剝彖曰：剝，剝落也。按今本脫落字。其落字本與剝字成義，若無落字，縱加剝字，義亦不圓。即與序卦象者象也、比者比也，並解卦註解者解也相類，舉此明彼，則可知矣。

The Commentary on the Judgment for the hexagram "Pei" (Breaking) should read "Pei, meaning to fall off." Guo Jing pointed out that the current text is missing the character "luo" (fall). The character "luo" originally needed to be combined with "pei" to form a complete meaning. If "luo" is missing, even adding another "pei" would not make the meaning complete. This is similar to the format found in the "Xu Gua" (Preface to the Hexagrams), such as "Xiang, meaning image," "Bi, meaning comparison," and the commentary on the hexagram "Jie" (Release), which states "Jie, meaning to resolve." By citing these examples, the meaning becomes clear.

六二：剝床以辯。注：辯者，足之上也。剝道浸長，故剝其辯也。稍近於人，轉欲滅物之所處。謹按：注人字誤作床字。既云剝床以辯，何得雲稍近於床。若近於床，則不是床也。誤亦明矣。

The Line Statement of the Sixth Line in the Hexagram of "Breaking Up" says: "Breaking the bed at the part above the legs." The commentary explains: "The part above the legs refers to the area above the bed legs; the trend of breaking down is gradually increasing, so the breaking has reached the part above the legs. This is already somewhat close to the human body, and it is about to destroy the place where people rest." Guo Jing carefully notes: The character "person" in the commentary was mistakenly written as "bed." The text says "breaking the bed at the part above the legs," so what is being broken is the bed itself. How could it be said that it is slightly close to the bed? If it is said to be close to the bed, then what is being broken is not the bed. The mistake is now clear.

六四：剝床以膚，凶。注：初二剝床，人所以安，未剝其膚也。至四剝道漸長，床既剝，膚欲及人身，小人遂盛，物將失身。謹按：注未剝其膚，膚字誤作身字；又床既剝膚，膚字誤作盡字；次下欲及人身，欲字誤作以字。觀文尋義，誤亦明矣。上九：碩果不食。注：處剝之終，獨全不落，故果至於碩而不見食也。剝字誤作卦字。觀文尋義，理亦自明。

The Line Statement of the Fourth Line in the Hexagram of "Splitting" says, "Peeling the bed to the skin, ominous." The commentary explains: The peeling in the First Line and the Second Line is of the bed, which is the thing people rely on for rest. At this time, the peeling has not yet reached the skin; by the Fourth Line, the trend of peeling has grown longer. The bed has already been peeled away, and the peeling will now affect the person's body. Thus, the small person grows stronger, and people will lose their bodies. Guo Jing carefully notes: The character "skin" in the commentary's phrase "not yet peeled to the skin" was mistakenly written as "body." The character "skin" in "the peeling will reach the person's body" was also mistakenly written as "complete." Then, the character "desire" in "desire to reach the person's body" was mistakenly written as "to." By examining the sentences and exploring the meaning, the errors become clear. Also, the Line Statement of the Ninth Line says, "A large fruit is not eaten." The commentary should be "At the end of peeling, it is alone intact and not fallen, thus the fruit becomes large and is not seen to be eaten." The current text mistakenly writes "peeling" as "hexagram." By examining the sentences and exploring the meaning, the reasoning becomes clear.

無妄：元亨利貞，其匪正有眚，不利有攸往。彖曰：無妄，剛自外來而為主於內。注：謂震也。動而愈健。注：震動而乾健也。剛中而應。注：謂五也。大亨以正，天之命也。

The Hexagram Statement of the "Without Pretense" hexagram says: "Primordial, prosperous, beneficial, and upright; if not upright, there will be calamity, and it is not advantageous to go on a journey." The Commentary on the Judgment states, "Without pretense, the strong comes from outside and becomes the master within." Wang Bi's commentary explains that this refers to the lower trigram Zhen (Thunder). The Commentary on the Judgment also says, "Movement becomes even more vigorous." The commentary explains that Zhen represents movement and Qian represents vigor, so movement becomes even more vigorous. It also says, "Upright and prosperous, this is the mandate of heaven."

注：剛自外來而為主於內，動而愈健，剛中而應，則威剛方正，私慾不行，何可以妄。使有妄之道滅，無妄之道成，非大亨利貞而何。剛自外來而為主於內，則柔邪之道消矣；動而愈健，則剛直之道通矣；剛中而應，則齊明之徳著矣，故大亨以正也。天之教命，何可犯乎，何可妄乎。是以匪正則有眚而不利有攸往也。謹按：經脫愈字，注脫則字。詳其義理，脫亦明矣。

This passage explains that the strong force comes from outside and becomes the master of the inner trigram. It becomes more vigorous as it moves, with the strong element occupying the central position and corresponding with the upper and lower parts. Thus, it is strict, upright, and impartial, making private desires impossible to take root. How could there be room for falsehood? The way of falsehood is eliminated, and the way of truth is established. This is not anything other than "great prosperity and uprightness." When the strong force comes from outside and becomes the master within, the weak and perverse ways retreat. As it moves, it becomes more vigorous, allowing the way of strength and uprightness to prevail. With the strong in the center and corresponding, the virtue of strictness and clarity is displayed. Therefore, it is said, "great prosperity through uprightness." How can the heavenly command be violated or acted upon recklessly? Therefore, anything that does not conform to uprightness brings calamity and is unfavorable for movement. Guo Jing notes: the text "moving and vigorous" is missing the character "yù," and the commentary is missing the character "zé." Upon careful examination of the meaning, the error of the missing characters becomes clear.

象曰：天下雷行，物與無妄，先王以茂對時育物。物上誤增萬字。今本見注中萬字，不審是注家意義，便致誤增。但注末舉經文嘆美對時育物莫盛於斯，足明其誤也。

The Image Commentary of the hexagram "Wu Wang" should read: "Thunder moves under heaven, things grow without being forced, thus the former kings acted in accordance with the seasons and nurtured all things." The current version mistakenly adds a "wan" before the character "wu," making it "nurture all things." This error occurred because the copyist saw the word "wanwu" in the annotations and incorrectly added it to the main text. However, the annotations conclude by citing the main text and praising it, saying "to act in accordance with the seasons and nurture things, nothing surpasses this," which perfectly matches the main text, thereby proving that the addition of the character was a mistake.

六二：不耕穫，不菑畬，則利有攸往。注：不耕而獲，不菑而畬，代終已成而不造也。不擅其美，乃盡臣節，則利有攸往。謹按：象曰不耕而獲，求富也，求字誤作未字。凡立身仕宦，皆從微至著，務求爵位漸髙而成富貴，揚名顯親。其六二不擅其美，盡其臣節，而豈圖謀未審而已。故井九三井渫不食，使我心惻，象曰求王明受福也。子曰富而可求，是此類也。

The Line Statement of the Second Line of the卦 "Wu Wang" says: "Not plowing and reaping, not clearing and cultivating, but benefiting from the achievements of previous generations without initiating anything oneself." The commentary explains that this refers to not personally cultivating the land yet having a harvest, not personally clearing new fields yet having fertile land. It means relying on the accomplishments of predecessors rather than starting from scratch. Not claiming the credit for oneself is precisely fulfilling the virtue of a loyal minister, hence it is advantageous to go somewhere. Guo Jing notes: The Image Commentary should read "Not plowing and reaping, seeking wealth," but the current text mistakenly writes "not" instead of "seeking." In general, when one establishes oneself and enters officialdom, it is from humble beginnings to prominence, striving for increasing rank and achieving wealth and honor, to gain fame and bring glory to one's parents. The Second Line of Six does not claim the credit for itself and fulfills the duty of a minister, which is not merely "acting without proper consideration." Therefore, the Line Statement of the Third Line of the "Well"卦 says "The well is cleaned but not used, causing me sorrow," and its Image Commentary says "Seeking the wisdom of the king, receiving blessings." Confucius also says "Wealth that can be sought," all belonging to the same category of expressions.

大畜上九象：何天之衢亨，道大行也。脫亨字。尋其義理不圓，足明其脫也。頤六五：拂經居貞吉，不可涉大川。注：以陰居陽，拂經之義。行則失類，故宜居貞也。無應於下而比於上，故可守貞從上，得頤之吉。雖得居貞之吉，處順違謙，難未可涉。謹按：順字誤作頤字。審詳註義，義自見矣。

The "Great Accumulation" hexagram's upper ninth line "Image Commentary" should read "Why is the sky's thoroughfare unimpeded? The way is greatly flourishing," but the current text has omitted the character "亨." Investigating the meaning, it is incomplete and insufficient, which sufficiently proves that there is a missing character. Furthermore, in the "Nourishment" hexagram's sixth line five, the line statement says, "Defying the path and dwelling in firmness brings good fortune; one should not cross great rivers." The commentary explains that a yin line occupying a yang position signifies going against the usual way; if there is any action, it would lose its kindred, so it is suitable to remain in a stable and upright position. Since it has no response below and is closely attached to the upper ninth line, it can maintain uprightness and obey those above, thus obtaining good fortune in nourishment. Although it has obtained good fortune through uprightness, it is in a position of obedience and thus violates the meaning of humility and retreat, so it is still not advisable to cross dangerous waters. Guo Jing carefully examines the commentary's meaning and notes that the character "顺" (obedience) was mistakenly written as "颐" (nourishment). By carefully reading the commentary's meaning, the correct reading becomes evident.

大過音：過越之過也。謹按：音字下誤增相字，之字上脫越字。其過越之過惟在去聲，相過之過在平聲，誤亦明矣。九三：棟橈凶。注：繫心在一，宜其淹溺而凶衰也。謹按：衰字誤作喪字。大過義在拯衰危，非在喪亡死喪之義，誤亦明矣。

The annotation of the hexagram Da Guo should be read as "overpassing, the overpassing." Guo Jing carefully notes: the current edition has mistakenly added the character "xiang" below the character "yin," and has omitted the character "yue" above the character "zhi," resulting in "yin xiang guo zhi guo also." According to "guo yue," the "guo" in "guo yue" is pronounced in the falling tone, while the "guo" in "xiang guo" is pronounced in the level tone. These two have different pronunciations and meanings, and the error becomes clear. Furthermore, the line statement of the third line, "the beam bends, calamity," should be annotated as "fixing the mind on one thing, it is appropriate that it leads to drowning and decline." Guo Jing carefully notes: the character "shuai" was mistakenly written as "sang." The meaning of the hexagram Da Guo lies in saving from decline and danger, not in loss or death. The error becomes clear.

九五：枯楊生華，老婦得其少夫。注：生華不可乆，少夫誠可醜也。象曰：老婦少夫。謹按：爻注象三少字並誤作士字。定本少字蟲傷，類於士字，誤亦明矣。士字義理無取。

The line statement of the ninth line of the "Great Excess" hexagram should be "A withered elm produces flowers, an old woman marries a young husband." The annotation should be "The production of flowers is not enduring, and a young husband is indeed contemptible." The Image Commentary should be "An old woman and a young husband." Guo Jing carefully notes: the character "少" in the line statement, the annotation, and the Image Commentary has all been mistakenly written as "士." The original character "少" in the definitive text was damaged by insect蛀, making its shape resemble "士," leading to errors in transmission. The mistake is now clear. If it were written as "士夫," there would be no meaningful interpretation in terms of meaning.

坎：習坎。注：坎，陷之名也；習，便習之。彖曰：坎，習坎，重陷也。謹按：卦首習字上脫卦名坎字，彖曰下亦脫坎字。且王注卦首先解坎義，後論便習，足明習字上有坎字。且按說卦明八卦生成之用，雲勞乎坎，且無習字；又說八卦名，乾健也，坤順也，坎陷也，亦無習字；又離卦離上而離下也，乾為馬，坎為水，並無習字。誤脫亦明矣。

The hexagram "Kan" should be read as "Kan, Xi Kan," and the commentary explains: "Kan" refers to a pit or depression, and "Xi" means to practice repeatedly. The "Commentary on the Judgment" states: "Kan, Xi Kan, meaning repeated depression." Guo Jing carefully notes that the character "Kan" is missing above the character "Xi" in the current version of the hexagram's name, and also the character "Kan" is missing in the "Commentary on the Judgment" following "Tuan Yu." Moreover, Wang Bi's commentary first explains the meaning of "Kan" and then discusses "Xi," which shows that the character "Kan" originally appeared above "Xi." Furthermore, the "Discourse on the Trigrams" explains the functions of the eight trigrams, stating "toil in Kan," without the character "Xi." It also lists the names of the eight trigrams, saying "Qian, represents strength; Kun, represents compliance; Kan, represents depression," without the character "Xi." Similarly, it states "Li hexagram, with fire above and fire below," "Qian represents a horse," and "Kan represents water," none of which include the character "Xi." Thus, the error of a missing character is clear.

離象曰：明兩作離，大人以明照繼明照于四方。注：繼謂不絕也。明照相繼，不絕曠也。謹按：脫明照字。審詳註中，義自見矣。

The Image Commentary of the "Li" hexagram should read "Light shines forth, the superior person uses brightness to continue shining brightness in all directions." The annotation explains: "Continuing" means without interruption; brightness follows continuously, without interruption or gap. Guo Jing carefully notes: the current text has omitted the two characters "mingzhao" (brightness illumination), resulting in "The superior person continues shining brightness in all directions." By carefully reading the annotation's statement of "mingzhao xiangji" (brightness illumination continuing), the correct reading becomes evident.

六二：黃離元吉。注：居中得位，以柔處柔，履文明之盛而得其中，故曰黃離也。柔居中正，處得其位，初則尚敬而我比焉，為卦之主，能通其道，體明履順，吉之大者，故曰元吉也。少三十七字。謹按：墨書者解黃離，朱書者解元吉。今本多脫朱書者，故錄出之以備其義也。

The Line Statement of the Second Line of the Li hexagram says, "Yellow Li, Great Good Fortune." The commentary explains: The Second Line is in the center and occupies the correct position. With a gentle and compliant nature in a gentle and compliant position, it stands on the peak of civilization and can maintain the center, hence it is called "Yellow Li." A gentle line in the center upholding correctness, being in the proper position, and having the initial Nine showing respect and intimacy, the Second Line becomes the main line of the hexagram. It can understand the way, observe brightness, and practice gentleness, which is the greatest of good fortune, hence it is called "Great Good Fortune." The current version lacks thirty-seven characters compared to the standard version. Guo Jing notes: In the standard version, the part written in black ink explains "Yellow Li," and the part written in red ink explains "Great Good Fortune." The current version has omitted the part written in red ink, so here it is recorded to complete the full meaning.

九四注：無應無乘。謹按：乘字誤作承字。然四應在初，初復陽體，兩雄必爭，是無應也；三雖在下得位剛強，是無乘也。蓋乘承聲同，轉寫為誤，尋義趣可知也。

The annotation for line nine in the fourth position of the Li hexagram should be "no corresponding line and no superior line." Guo Jing carefully notes: the character "cheng" (to ride upon) was mistakenly written as "sheng" (to support). The line nine in the fourth position corresponds to line one, but line one is also a yang line. Two strong lines meeting will inevitably contend, hence "no corresponding line." Although line three is in a lower position but is correct and strong, it is difficult to overpower, hence "no superior line." Probably, the characters "cheng" and "sheng" sound similar, leading to a copying error due to their phonetic resemblance. By examining the meaning and intent of the text, one can understand this.

咸彖注：不能感非類也。謹按：不字誤作亦字。感非類，冬筍之應，註疏比類況詳之。遁彖：小利貞，浸而長。注：陰道雖浸而長，正道亦未全滅，故小利貞也。謹按：雖字誤作欲字。子欲居九夷，召子欲往，皆未往之辭。卦有六爻，兩爻已變，不可言欲，誤亦明矣。

The annotation of the "Xian" hexagram's Commentary on the Judgment should read "It cannot affect non-similar things." Guo Jing notes: the character "bu" (not) was mistakenly written as "yi" (also). Regarding感应 between different kinds, such as the bamboo shoot growing in winter, both the annotation and the commentary have used similar examples to explain this in detail. Furthermore, in the "Dun" hexagram's Commentary on the Judgment, the phrase "small benefit of uprightness, gradually increasing," the annotation should be "the yin energy although gradually increasing, the correct path has not yet completely disappeared, hence small benefit of uprightness." Guo Jing notes: the character "sui" (although) was mistakenly written as "yu" (desire). Confucius said "I wish to reside in the nine夷," and Gongshan Fu Yao invited him, and "the Master wished to go," both are expressions of things not yet carried out. Now, among the six lines of the "Dun" hexagram, two lines have already changed to yin, and the growth of yin has become a fact. Therefore, it is no longer appropriate to say "yu" (desire), and the error becomes clear.

大壯六五：喪牛于易。注：牛，壯也，而喪其牛，失其所居者也。能喪壯於易，不於險難，故得無悔。二履正吉，能幹其任，而已委焉，則得無悔。委之則難不至，居之則敵冦來，故曰喪牛于易。象曰：喪牛于易。經注象五牛字並誤作羊字。大壯之義莫先於牛，義可見矣。

The line statement of the sixth line of the hexagram Da Zhuang says, "Lose an ox in the easy place." The commentary explains: Oxen symbolize strength and vigor, and losing one's ox signifies losing the position one holds. Being able to lose strength in an easy place rather than in a dangerous one, one can thus have no regret. The line nine two walks in the correct path and is auspicious, capable of handling its task. The line six five entrusts the important task to it, thus attaining no regret. Entrusting the task away brings no calamity, whereas holding on to it oneself invites enemy attacks. Therefore, it says, "Lose an ox in the easy place." Its Image Commentary also says, "Lose an ox in the easy place." The present text, commentary, and Image Commentary all have five instances of the character "ox" mistakenly written as "sheep." The hexagram Da Zhuang takes its imagery from nothing more fitting than an ox. Its meaning is clear.

明夷上六：至晦。注：處明夷之極，是至晦者也。謹按：晦字上脫至字，誤增不明字。按初九註明夷之主在於上六，上六為至暗者也。據此三爻注義，至晦之理極明，斷可知矣。

The line statement of the sixth line at the top of the Mingyi hexagram should be "to the utmost darkness." The annotation says: the sixth line at the top is at the extreme of Mingyi, which is the most obscure. Guo Jing notes: the current text has omitted the character "至" above "晦" and mistakenly added the words "not bright." Checking the annotation of the initial line nine, which says "the main aspect of Mingyi lies in the sixth line at the top," and also says "the sixth line at the top is the utmost darkness." Based on the meanings of these annotations, the reasoning that the sixth line at the top is "to the utmost darkness" is very clear, and can be decisively determined.