The Sixth Hexagram (The Treading)

乾上，兌下。履虎尾，不咥人，亨。《彖》曰：“履”，柔履剛也。說而應乎“乾”，是以“履虎尾，不咥人，亨”。剛中正，履帝位而不疚，光明也。“履”之所以為“履”者，以三能履二也。有是物者不能自用，而無者為之用也。“乾”有九二，“乾”不能用，而使六三用之。九二者，虎也。虎何為用於六三而莫之咥？以六三之應乎“乾”也。故曰“說而應乎‘乾’，是以履虎尾，不咥人，亨”。“應乎‘乾’”者，猶可以用二，而“乾”親用之，不可。何哉？曰：“乾”，剛也；九二，亦剛也。兩剛不能相下，則有爭；有爭，則“乾”病矣。

The "Lǚ" hexagram has the upper trigram Qian (Heaven) and the lower trigram Dui (Lake). The hexagram statement says: walking on a tiger's tail, the tiger does not bite, and it is smooth and prosperous. The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Lǚ" means a soft element stepping on a hard one. It is joyful and in harmony with Qian, so "walking on a tiger's tail without being bitten, it is prosperous." Nine Five is strong, upright, and in the center, ascending to the throne with an untroubled heart, and being open and sincere. The reason "Lǚ" is called "Lǚ" is because Six Three is able to step on Nine Two. The person who holds this is unable to use it himself, while the one who does not hold it uses it for him. Qian contains Nine Two, but Qian himself cannot use it, so it has to be used by Six Three. Nine Two is the tiger. Why does the tiger allow Six Three to use it without biting it? Because Six Three corresponds with Qian. Therefore, it is joyful and in harmony with Qian, so stepping on the tiger's tail does not result in being bitten, and it is prosperous. Since Six Three "corresponds with Qian," it can still use Nine Two; but if Qian himself were to use Nine Two, it would not be possible. Why? Because Qian is strong, and Nine Two is also strong; two strong elements will not yield to each other, leading to conflict; once there is conflict, Qian will suffer a loss.

故“乾”不親用，而授之以六三。六三以不校之柔而居至寡之地，故九二禁為之用也。九二為三用，而三為五用，是何以異於五之親用二哉？五未嘗病，而有用二之功，故曰“履帝位而不疚，光明也”。夫三與五合，則三不見咥而五不病。五與三離，則五至於危而三見咥。卦統而論之，故言其合之吉；爻別而觀之，故見其離之凶。此所以不同也。

Therefore, the trigram Qian does not personally use the Nine in the Second, but entrusts it to the Six in the Third. The Six in the Third, with its gentle and uncontentious nature, is placed in the most isolated position of the entire trigram, so the Nine in the Second is willing to obey it. The Nine in the Second is used by the Six in the Third, which in turn is used by the Nine in the Fifth. This is no different from the Nine in the Fifth using the Nine in the Second directly. The Nine in the Fifth suffers no loss and gains the benefits of using the Nine in the Second. Hence, it is said, "He who ascends the throne without regret, is bright." When the Six in the Third and the Nine in the Fifth are in harmony, the Six in the Third is not attacked and the Nine in the Fifth suffers no loss. But if they are separated, the Nine in the Fifth falls into danger and the Six in the Third is attacked. Considering the entire trigram as a whole, it speaks of the good fortune when they are in harmony. Looking at each line separately, it reveals the misfortune when they are separated. This is the reason why the Hexagram Statement and the Line Statement differ in their expressions.

《象》曰：上天下澤，“履”。君子以辯上下定民志。初九：素履往，無咎。《象》曰：“素履”之“往”，獨行願也。“履”，六爻皆上履下也。所履不同，故所以履之者亦異。初九獨無所履，則其所以為履之道者，行其素所願而已。君子之道，所以多變而不同者，以物至之不齊也。如不與物遇，則君子行願而已矣。

The Great Image Commentary says: Above is Heaven, below is Marsh, which is the卦 of "Footsteps"; the gentleman takes this as a model, distinguishing the proper roles of above and below, and calming the people's minds. The line statement of the initial yang line says: To walk in one's natural way, there is no error. The Small Image Commentary says: "To walk simply" and "to go forward," is to act alone in fulfilling one's own wishes. In the Footsteps hexagram, all six lines are characterized by the upper part stepping on the lower part. The object being stepped on differs, so the manner of stepping also varies. Only the initial yang line has nothing beneath it to step on, so its method of practicing the way of "Footsteps" is simply to act according to its usual wishes. The reason why the gentleman's way is so varied and different is because the things encountered are uneven; if there is nothing external to meet, then the gentleman is merely acting according to his own original wish.

九二：履道坦坦，幽人貞吉。《象》曰：“幽人貞吉”，中不自亂也。九二之用大矣，不見於二，而見於三。三之所以能視者，假吾目也；所以能履者，附吾足也。有目不自以為明，有足不自以為行者，使六三得坦途而安履之，豈非才全德厚、隱約而不慍者歟？故曰“幽人貞吉”。

The line statement for the second line says: The path is smooth and level, and the person in seclusion maintains uprightness and achieves good fortune. The small image commentary says: "The person in seclusion achieves good fortune" because he remains centered in his mind and does not become confused. The role of the second line is great, but it is not evident in itself, but rather in the third line. The third line is able to see because of my eyes, and is able to walk because of my feet. Having eyes does not mean boasting about one's sight, and having feet does not mean boasting about one's ability to walk. Instead, it allows the third line to walk smoothly and safely along a level path. This is precisely the description of someone who is fully capable and virtuous, who is in a secluded and difficult situation but does not become resentful. Therefore, it is said, "The person in seclusion achieves good fortune."

六三：眇能視，跛能履，履虎尾，咥人，凶。武人為于大君。《象》曰：“眇能視”，不足以有明也；“跛能履”，不足以與行也。咥人之凶，位不當也；“武人為于大君”，志剛也。眇者之視，跛者之履，豈其自能哉！必將有待於人而後能。故言“跛”、“眇”者，以明六三之無能而待於二也。二，虎也，所以為吾用而不吾咥者，凡以為“乾”也。六三不知其眇而自有其明，不量其跛而自與其行，以虎為畏己，而去“乾”以自用。虎見六三而不見“乾”焉，斯咥之矣。九二有之而不居，故為“幽人”；六三無之而自矜，故為“武人”。武人見人之畏己，而不知人之畏其君。是以有為君之志也。

The line statement for the third line says: A person who is blind in one eye yet thinks he can see, and lame yet thinks he can walk; stepping on a tiger's tail, the tiger bites and it is dangerous. A warrior wants to become a great ruler. The small image commentary says: 'Blind yet can see' does not mean he can really see clearly; 'Lame yet can walk' does not mean he can really walk. The danger of being bitten is because of an improper position; 'A warrior becomes a great ruler' is due to his strong will. Can a blind person see and a lame person walk by his own ability? He must rely on others. Therefore, 'lame' and 'blind' clearly show that line six three has no real ability and depends entirely on line nine two. Line nine two is the tiger, which is willing to be used by line six three without biting it, all because of the virtue of Qian. Line six three does not realize that it is blind, yet thinks it can see; does not realize it is lame, yet thinks it can walk; mistakes the tiger as fearing it, thus abandoning Qian and acting on its own to use the tiger. The tiger sees only line six three and not Qian, so it bites it. Line nine two has the ability but does not boast, hence it is 'a reclusive person'; line six three has no ability yet boasts, hence it is 'a warrior'. A warrior sees others fear him, but does not realize that others fear his ruler behind him, thus he even thinks he can become a ruler.

九四：履虎尾，愬愬，終吉。《象》曰：“愬愬終吉”，志行也。“愬愬”，懼也。九二之剛用於六三，故三雖陰而九二之虎在焉，則三亦虎矣。雖然，非誠虎也。三為“乾”用，而二輔之；四履其上，可無懼乎？及其去“乾”以自用，而九二叛之，則向之所以為虎者亡矣，故始懼“終吉”。以九四之“終吉”，知六三之衰也。六三之衰，則九四之志得行矣。

The fourth line statement says: "Walking on the tiger's tail, trembling and fearful, ultimately leads to good fortune." The Small Image Commentary says: "Trembling and fearful, ultimately good fortune," meaning that the aspirations are realized. "Trembling and fearful" refers to the state of fear. The strength of nine two is used by six three, so although six three is a yin line, it carries the tiger of nine two on its back. Thus, six three itself becomes a tiger. However, it is not a real tiger. When six three was still being used by qian and nine two was assisting it from the side, nine four was on top of it, could it not be afraid? But when six three breaks away from qian and acts on its own, and nine two abandons it, the thing that made it like a tiger is gone. Therefore, nine four was originally afraid but eventually achieved good fortune. From the "ultimately good fortune" of nine four, we know that six three is declining. When six three declines, the aspirations of nine four are realized.

九五：夬履，貞厲。《象》曰：“夬履貞厲”，位正當也。九二之剛，不可以剛勝也，惟六三為能用之。九五不付之於三，而自以其剛決物，以此為履危道也。夫三與五之相離也，豈獨三之禍哉？雖五亦不能無危。其所以猶得為正者，以其位君也。上九：視履，考祥，其旋，元吉。《象》曰：“元吉”在上，大有慶也。三與五，其始合而成功；其後離而為凶。至於上九，歷見之矣，故視其所履，考其禍福之祥，知二者之不可以一日相離也，而復其舊，則“元吉”。旋，復也。

The line statement for the fifth line says: "A strong and decisive action, maintaining correctness while being aware of danger." The Small Image Commentary says: "Walking with firmness and danger" is because the position it occupies is appropriate. The strength of the second line is not something that can be subdued by strength alone; only the third line can manage it. However, the fifth line does not entrust this matter to the third line, but instead uses its own strength to decide all matters. Thus, acting according to the path of "walking" becomes a dangerous path. If the third line and the fifth line become separated, is it only the third line that suffers misfortune? Even the fifth line is not free from danger. The fifth line is still considered "correct" only because it holds the position of the ruler. The line statement for the top line says: Looking back at the path one has walked, examining the omens of good and bad fortune; being able to return to the original place, which is highly auspicious. The Small Image Commentary says: "Great good fortune" residing in a high position brings great blessings. The third line and the fifth line initially united to achieve success, but later became separated and turned into misfortune. By the time of the top line, all previous matters have been thoroughly observed, so one must look back at the path one has taken, examine the signs of misfortune and good fortune, understand that these two lines cannot be separated for even a single day, and thus restore the original state, which is "great good fortune." "Xuan" means returning.

坤上，乾下。“泰”，小往大來，吉，亨。《彖》曰：“泰，小往大來，吉，亨”。則是天地交而萬物通也，上下交而其志同也。內陽而外陰，內健而外順，內君子而外小人，君子道長，小人道消也。陽始於“復”而至於“泰”。“泰”而後為“大壯”，“大壯”而後為“夬”。“泰”之世，不若“大壯”與“夬”之世，小人愈衰而君子愈盛也。然而聖人獨安夫“泰”者，以為世之小人不可勝盡，必欲迫而逐之，使之窮而無歸，其勢必至於爭，爭則勝負之勢未有決焉，故獨安夫“泰”，使君子居中，常制其命；而小人在外，不為無措，然後君子之患無由而起，此“泰”之所以為最安也。

The hexagram "Tai" has the trigram Kun above and Qian below. The hexagram statement says: "Tai" means the small goes away and the great comes in, which is auspicious and smooth. The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Tai, the small goes away and the great comes in, which is auspicious and smooth." This is because heaven and earth interact and all things flow smoothly, with upper and lower parts communicating and hearts in harmony. Inside is yang and outside is yin, inside is strong and vigorous and outside is gentle and compliant, inside is where the gentleman resides and outside is where the petty person is placed. The way of the gentleman grows day by day, while the way of the petty person declines day by day. Yang energy begins in the hexagram "Fu" and gradually increases to "Tai"; after "Tai" comes "Da Zhuang", and after "Da Zhuang" comes "Gua". In terms of the petty person becoming weaker and the gentleman stronger, the situation in "Tai" is actually not as good as in "Da Zhuang" and "Gua". However, the sage prefers "Tai", because he believes that petty people cannot be completely eliminated. If they are forced and driven to the point of having nowhere to go, conflict is inevitable. Once conflict arises, the outcome is uncertain. Therefore, the sage prefers "Tai", allowing the gentleman to reside inside and always holding the reins of the petty person, while placing the petty person outside so they do not have nowhere to go. In this way, the gentleman's troubles cannot arise, which is why "Tai" is the most stable.

《象》曰：天地交，“泰”；后以財成天地之道，輔相天地之宜，以左右民。“財”，材也。物至於“泰”，極矣，不可以有加矣，故因天地之道而材成之，即天地之宜而“輔相”之，“以左右民”，使不入於“否”而已。“否”，未有不自其已甚者始，故“左右”之，使不失其中，則“泰”可以常保也。

The Great Image Commentary says: When heaven and earth interact, this is called "Tai" (Prosperity). The sovereign takes this as a model, cutting and forming according to the way of heaven and earth, and assisting in what is suitable for heaven and earth, to support and guide the people. "Cai" means cutting and forming. When a matter reaches the stage of "Tai," it has already reached its peak and cannot be further increased. Therefore, one can only follow the way of heaven and earth to complete it, and follow what is suitable for heaven and earth to assist and support it, "to support and guide the people," which is nothing more than preventing it from sliding into "Po" (Obstruction). "Po" does not arise without first going too far. Therefore, by supporting and guiding it to keep it on the middle path, "Tai" can be maintained for a long time.

初九，拔茅茹，以其匯；征吉。《象》曰：“拔茅”、“征吉”，志在外也。王弼曰：“茅之為物，拔其根而相連引者也。茹，相連之貌也。三陽同志，俱志於外。初為類首，舉則類從。”故曰“以其匯，征吉”。

The line statement for the first line says: Pulling up a bundle of reeds, their roots are connected and a large amount of similar ones come out together; going on a military campaign is auspicious. The small image commentary says: 'Pulling up reeds' and 'auspiciousness of going on a military campaign' indicates that the mind is directed outward. Wang Bi explains: This kind of reed, when you pull up its root, it pulls up a whole string of them together. 'Rú' refers to the appearance of roots connected together. Three yang lines have the same aspiration, all focused outward. The first line is the leader of this kind, when it moves, the similar ones follow. Therefore it says 'by its category, going on a military campaign is auspicious.'

九二：包荒，用馮河，不遐遺；朋亡，得尚于中行。《象》曰：“包荒”，“得尚于中行”，以光大也。陽皆在內，據用事之處；而擯三陰於外，此陰之所不能堪也。陰不能堪，必疾陽；疾陽，斯爭矣。九二，陽之主也，故“包荒，用馮河”。“馮河”者，小人之勇也；小人之可用，惟其勇者。“荒”者，其無用者也；有用者用之，無用者容之不遐棄也，此所以懷小人爾。以君子而懷小人，其朋以為非也，而或去之，故曰“朋亡”。然而得配於六五，有大援於上，君子所以愈安也，雖亡其朋，而卒賴以安，此所以為“光大”也。

The line statement for the second line says: "It embraces the desolate and the disorderly, employing even the reckless men who dare to cross rivers, not leaving out even those who are distant; although it loses its party, it can still align with the middle path." The Small Image Commentary says: "Embracing the desolate" and "being able to follow the middle path" is because of its broad and bright mind. Three yang lines are in the inner trigram, occupying the positions of authority and governance, while excluding the three yin lines, which is something the yin cannot tolerate. When yin cannot tolerate it, it will certainly resent yang; once resentment arises toward yang, conflict will inevitably arise. The second line is the leader of the three yang lines, so it must "embrace the desolate, employ the reckless men who dare to cross rivers." The term "冯河" refers to the courage of a petty person; the only useful quality in a petty person is this kind of courage. The term "荒" refers to those who are of no use; the useful ones are employed, while the useless ones are tolerated and not cast aside, which is the way to pacify petty people. A gentleman pacifying petty people will be regarded as inappropriate by his own party, and some may even leave him, hence the statement "the party is lost." However, it forms a pair with the fifth line, and above it there is strong support, so the gentleman becomes even more secure. Although he loses his party, he ultimately gains security through this, which is the reason for "greatness."

九三：無平不陂，無往不復，艱貞，無咎。勿恤其孚，于食有福。《象》曰：“無往不復”，天地際也。“乾”本上也，“坤”本下也。上下交，故“乾”居於內，而“坤”在外。苟“乾”不安其所而務進以迫“坤”，則夫順者將至於逆，故曰“無平不陂”。“坤”不獲安於上，則將下復以奪“乾”，“乾”之往適，所以速其復也，故曰“無往不復”。當是時也，“坤”已知難，而貞於我則可以“無咎”之矣。九三之所孚者，初與二也；以其所孚者為樂，進以迫“坤”而重違之，則危矣。故教之以“勿恤其孚”，而安“於食”，是以有“泰”之“福”。

The third line statement says: There is no constant level ground that does not turn into a slope, and no constant forward movement that does not turn back. If one remains upright in hardship, there will be no fault. There is no need to worry about those who share the same aspirations. Enjoying one's salary and food brings its own blessings. The small image commentary says: 'Without going there, one returns,' which refers to the boundary where heaven and earth meet. Originally, Qian was above and Kun below; now they are in communication, so Qian is inside the inner trigram and Kun is outside the outer trigram. If Qian does not stay in its place and constantly pushes forward to force Kun, then the originally gentle side would turn rebellious, hence 'without level ground there is a slope.' If Kun is unstable above and tries to descend to take Qian's place, then Qian's constant forward movement actually accelerates Kun's return, hence 'without going there, one returns.' At this point, Kun has realized the difficulty of the situation. As long as it remains upright towards me, it can be said 'there is no fault.' The trust of line nine three is in line nine one and nine two. If one only focuses on enjoying happiness with these like-minded people, constantly pushing forward to force Kun and repeatedly opposing it, it becomes dangerous. Therefore, the line statement advises 'do not worry about your trust,' and to calmly enjoy one's salary and food, thus attaining the 'blessings' of Tai.

六四：翩翩不富，以其鄰，不戒以孚。《象》曰：“翩翩不富”，皆失實也；“不戒以孚”，中心願也。王弼曰：“‘乾’樂上復，‘坤’樂下復，四處‘坤’首。”六五、上六皆失其故處而樂下者，故翩翩相從，不必富而能用其鄰，不待戒而自孚。

The Line Statement of the Sixth Line of the Tai hexagram says: Like a flock of birds flying swiftly and gracefully downward, though not rich themselves, they can lead nearby similar ones; without prior instruction, they naturally trust and cooperate with each other. The Image Commentary explains: "Gracefully flying without wealth" is because the three yin lines in the upper trigram have left their original positions of fullness and become empty; "without warning yet trustworthy" is because going downward is naturally their wish. Wang Bi says: "The nature of Qian is to rejoice in ascending, and the nature of Kun is to rejoice in descending; the Sixth Line is precisely at the forefront of the third line of the Kun trigram." The Sixth Line and the top line both leave their original positions and are willing to descend, so the Sixth Line leads them to descend gracefully. Because they are united in purpose, the Sixth Line does not need wealth to control the nearby Sixth and top lines, nor does it need prior instruction, for they naturally trust each other without any barriers.

六五：帝乙歸妹，以祉元吉。《象》曰：“以祉元吉”，中以行願也。“妹”，女之少者也。《易》女少而男長，則權在女。六五以陰居尊位，有“帝乙歸妹”之象焉。“坤”樂下復，下復而奪“乾”，“乾”則病矣，而亦非“坤”之利也，“乾”病而疾“坤”，“坤”亦將傷焉。使“乾”不病、“坤”不傷，莫如以輔“乾”之意而行其下復之願，如帝女之歸其夫者。帝女之歸也，非求勝其夫，將以祉之。“坤”之下復，非以奪“乾”，將以輔之，如是而後可。

The Line Statement of the sixth line in the fifth position of the Tai hexagram says: King Yi of Yin married off his daughter, thus obtaining blessings and great good fortune. The Image Commentary says: "With blessings comes the highest good fortune," because the sixth line in the fifth position is in the middle of the upper trigram and can uphold the middle path to realize its own aspirations. "Mai" refers to a young woman. The general principle of the Zhou Changes is that when the woman is young and the man is old, the initiative lies with the woman. The sixth line, with its yin and soft nature, occupies a position of honor, which corresponds to the image of "King Yi marrying off his daughter." The nature of the坤 trigram is to descend and return to its origin, but once it descends, it would encroach upon the position of the乾 trigram. If the乾 trigram is harmed, it is not beneficial to the坤 trigram either—when the乾 trigram becomes diseased, it will inevitably resent the坤 trigram, and the坤 trigram will also be harmed. The best way to prevent the乾 trigram from being diseased and the坤 trigram from being harmed is to carry out one's desire to descend while intending to assist the乾 trigram, just as a royal daughter marries into another family. A royal daughter marrying into another family does not aim to surpass her husband, but to bring him blessings; the坤 trigram descending is not to take the position of the乾 trigram, but to assist the乾 trigram. Only in this way can it be successful.

上六：城復于隍，勿用師，自邑告命，貞吝。《象》曰：“城復于隍”，其命亂也。取土於隍，而以為城；封而高之，非城之利，以利人也。“泰”之所以厚“坤”於外者，非以利“坤”，亦以衛“乾”爾。“坤”之在上，而欲復於下，猶土之為城，而欲復于隍也。有城而不能固之，使復于隍，非城之罪，人之過也，故“勿用師”。上失其衛，則下思擅命，故“自邑告命”。邑非所以出命也，然既以失之矣，從而懷之則可，正之則吝。

The line statement of the sixth line at the top of the Tai hexagram says: The city wall collapsed, and the earth fell back into the dry moat; do not use military force, but issue orders from your own fief, even if you remain upright, there will still be regret. The image commentary says: "The city wall returns to the moat," because the government orders have already become chaotic. Originally, the earth was taken from the moat to build the city wall, raised and solidified, which was not for the earth's own benefit, but to protect those living within the city. The Tai hexagram places the坤 (Earth) trigram outside the outer trigram not for the benefit of坤, but to guard the inner trigram of乾 (Heaven). When坤 is at the top but desires to return to the bottom, it is like the earth on the city wall wanting to fall back into the moat. Having a city wall yet being unable to defend it, allowing it to fall back into the moat, is not the city wall's fault, but the fault of those who built and guarded it, hence it says "do not use military force" — it is not appropriate to use force to suppress. When the upper part loses its barrier, the lower part wants to issue orders on its own, hence it says "issue orders from your own fief." A fief is not a place to issue orders, but when the situation has already been lost, following the trend to pacify and win over people is acceptable, but if you insist on correcting it by name and rank, you can only bring regret.

乾上，坤下。“否”之匪人，不利君子貞；大往小來。《彖》曰：“‘否’之匪人，不利君子貞；大往小來”，則是天地不交而萬物不通也，上下不交而天下無邦也。內陰而外陽，內柔而外剛，內小人而外君子，小人道長，君子道消也。《春秋傳》曰：“不有君子，其能國乎？”君子道消，雖有國，與無同矣。

The Hexagram of Opposition has the Upper Trigram as Qian (Heaven) and the Lower Trigram as Kun (Earth). The Hexagram Statement says: In a time of opposition and closure, it is not suitable for human conduct, and it is not advantageous for the gentleman to maintain uprightness. The strong Yang moves outward, while the weak Yin moves inward. The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Opposition is not for people; it is not advantageous for the gentleman to be steadfast. The great moves outward, and the small comes inward." This is because the heavenly energy rises and the earthly energy descends, and the two energies of Heaven and Earth do not meet, so all things become obstructed. The relationship between ruler and subject, and between superior and inferior, does not connect, so the world is as if there are no states. In this hexagram, the inside is Yin and the outside is Yang; the inside is soft and the outside is strong. The petty person is in power within, while the gentleman is excluded outside. The petty person's power is growing, while the path of the gentleman is declining. The Zuo Zhuan records the words of a Jin state official: "If there are no gentlemen, can the state still be called a state?" Once the way of the gentleman declines, even if there are land and people, it is almost as if there is no state at all.

《象》曰：天地不交，“否”；君子以儉德辟難，不可榮以祿。初六：拔茅茹，以其匯，貞吉，亨。《象》曰：“拔茅”“貞吉”，志在君也。自“泰”為“否”也易，自“否”為“泰”也難。何也？陰陽易位，未有不志於復，而其既復，未有不安其位者也。故“泰”有“徵”，而“否”無“徵”。夫苟無“徵”，則是終無“泰”也而可乎？故“坤”處內而不忘貞於“乾”，斯所以為“泰”之漸矣，故“亨”。

The Image Commentary says: Heaven and Earth do not interact, which is the Hexagram of Not Crossing; thus, the gentleman withdraws his virtue to avoid calamity and does not seek the honor and prestige of official rank. The Line Statement of the initial line says: Pulling up a bundle of wild grass, the roots are connected and pull up similar ones; if one remains steadfast in the right path, it is auspicious and smooth. The Image Commentary says: "Pulling up the grass" and "steadfastness brings auspiciousness" is because its heart remains attached to the sovereign. Transitioning from the Hexagram of Greatness to the Hexagram of Not Crossing is easy, but returning from Not Crossing to Greatness is difficult. Why is that? Once yin and yang have exchanged positions, neither side wishes to return to its original place; but when they do return, neither is willing to move again. Therefore, the initial line of the Hexagram of Greatness speaks of "going forward brings auspiciousness," encouraging movement; yet the initial line of the Hexagram of Not Crossing does not mention "going forward" at all. If "going forward" is not mentioned, is it not forever impossible to return to Greatness? Thus, the turning point lies in: although the Earth occupies the inner trigram, it does not forget to remain faithful to Heaven, which is the gradual path toward Greatness, hence it is said "smooth."

六二：包承，小人吉，大人否，亨。《象》曰：“大人否，亨”，不亂群也。陰得其位，欲包群陽，而以承順取之。上說其順而不知其害，此小人之吉也。大人之慾濟斯世也，苟出而爭之，上則君莫之信，下則小人之所疾，故莫如否。大人否而退，使君子小人之群不相亂，以為邪之勝正也，常於交錯未定之間，及其群分類別，正未有不勝者也，故“亨”。

The Line Statement of the Sixth Line of the Gua of Non-communication says: By embracing and yielding to others, the petty person may gain good fortune, but the great person, by keeping himself secluded and not coming out, will instead achieve success. The Image Commentary says: "The great person is in non-communication, yet success is achieved," because he prevents the two groups of gentlemen and petty persons from mixing together. The Sixth Line, with a yin line in a yin position, is in the correct place, and it wishes to include all the yang lines above it, trying to win them over by being yielding and pleasing. Those above like its gentleness and do not see the danger within, which is why the petty person gains good fortune. The great person, wishing to help the world, if he steps forward to contend with the petty persons, the ruler above will not believe him, and the petty persons below will resent him. Therefore, it is better for him to remain secluded. By keeping himself apart, the great person ensures that the group of gentlemen and the group of petty persons are clearly separated, not mixed together. Because evil often triumphs over righteousness when righteousness and evil are mixed and the boundaries are unclear; when the two groups are clearly separated, righteousness will surely prevail. Therefore, it is said to be "successful."

六三：包羞。《象》曰：“包羞”，位不當也。三本陽位，故包承群陽而知羞之矣。九四：有命，無咎；疇離祉。《象》曰：“有命無咎”，志行也。君子之居“否”，患無以自行其志爾。初六有志於君，而四之應；苟“有命”，我無庸咎之矣。故君子之疇獲離其福。“疇”，類也。

The third line of the Gua of Non-communication says: It embraces and follows, yet feels ashamed within. The Image Commentary says: "Embracing shame," because it occupies an inappropriate position. The third line is originally a yang position, but six three is yin and weak, so it both embraces and follows the yang lines, while at the same time being aware of the shamefulness of its actions. The fourth line says: There is a command issued, without blame, and all of the same kind receive blessings. The Image Commentary says: "There is a command without blame," because his aspirations are realized. A gentleman in a time of blockage is concerned only with the inability to carry out his ambitions. The first line is devoted to the superior, and the fourth line corresponds with it; if there is a command from above to take office, then there is no need for self-reproach. Therefore, all such gentlemen receive blessings. "Chou" means those of the same kind.

九五：休否，大人吉；其亡其亡，繫于苞桑。《象》曰：“大人”之“吉”，位正當也。九五，大人之得位，宜若甚安且強者也。然其實制在於內。席其安強之勢，以與小人爭而求勝，則不可。故曰“休否，大人吉”。恃其安強之勢，而不虞小人之內勝，亦不可。故曰“其亡其亡，繫于苞桑”。“休否”者，所謂“大人否”也，小人之不吾敵也，審矣。惟乘吾急，則有以幸勝之，利在於急，不在於緩也。苟否而不爭，以休息之，必有不吾敵者見焉，故“大人吉”。上九：傾否，先否後喜。《象》曰：否終則傾，何可長也。“否”至於此，不可復因。非傾蕩掃除，則喜無自至矣。

The line statement of the fifth line of the Gou hexagram says: Let the situation of blockage and obstruction cease, and the great man will gain good fortune; one must always remain vigilant with the mind constantly thinking, "It is about to be lost, it is about to be lost," in order to be as firm as a rope tied to the roots of a dense mulberry tree. The image commentary says: The great man gains good fortune because he is in the proper position. The fifth line is the line where the great man is in the right position, appearing very stable and powerful. However, in the Gou hexagram, the actual power is actually in the hands of the small people within the inner trigram. Trying to compete with the small people by relying on one's own stable and powerful position is not feasible, hence the statement, "Rest from blockage, the great man gains good fortune." Conversely, relying on stability and strength without being cautious about the small people gaining power from within is also not feasible, hence the statement, "It is about to be lost, it is about to be lost, tied to the roots of a dense mulberry tree." The term "Rest from blockage" refers to the statement in the second line, "The great man is blocked." The small people are not my opponents, this is obvious; they only have an opportunity to win if I act hastily and advance too quickly. Therefore, advantage lies in being cautious rather than hasty. If I remain closed and do not compete with them, allowing the situation to rest, the small people's weakness will naturally become apparent, hence the statement, "The great man gains good fortune." The line statement of the top line says: Completely overturn the situation of blockage and obstruction, first it is blockage, later it turns to joy. The image commentary says: When blockage reaches its end, it must be overturned, how can it last long? When blockage reaches the top line, it can no longer be continued; without thoroughly overturning and sweeping away, where can joy come from?

乾上，離下。同人于野，亨，利涉大川，利君子貞。《彖》曰：“同人”，柔得位得中，而應乎乾，曰“同人”。此專言二也。“同人”曰：“同人于野，亨。”此言五也，故別之。利涉大川，“乾”行也。“野”者，無求之地也。立於無求之地，則凡從我者，皆誠同也。彼非誠同，而能從我於野哉！“同人”而不得其誠同，可謂“同人”乎？

The Hexagram of Tongren has the Upper Trigram Qian (Heaven) and the Lower Trigram Li (Fire). The Hexagram Statement says: To seek harmony with people in the wilderness, it is smooth, beneficial for crossing a great river, and beneficial for the gentleman to maintain the right path. The Commentary on the Judgment says: The Hexagram of Tongren is that the Yin and flexible line is in the correct position and in the center, and it corresponds to Qian above, hence it is called "Tongren." This sentence refers specifically to line Six in the Second. The Commentary on the Judgment also says: "Tongren says: To seek harmony with people in the wilderness, it is smooth." This sentence refers specifically to line Nine in the Fifth, hence it specially adds the words "Tongren says" to distinguish it. "Beneficial for crossing a great river" refers to the strong and vigorous action of Qian. The term "wilderness" refers to a place where there is no pursuit. A person standing in a place where there is no pursuit, those who are willing to follow him are those who truly share the same heart with him. If someone is not truly in harmony, would he be willing to come to the wilderness to follow him? To talk about "Tongren" without obtaining people who truly share the same heart, can it still be called "Tongren"?

故天與人同，物之能同於天者蓋寡矣。天非求同於物、非求不同於物也，立乎上，而天下之能同者自至焉，其不能者不至也，至者非我援之，不至者非我拒之，不拒不援，是以得其誠同，而可以“涉川”也。故曰“同人于野，亨。”“利涉大川，乾行也”。苟不得其誠同，與之居安則合，與之涉川則潰矣。涉川而不潰者，誠同也。

Therefore, heaven and humanity are the same, but among all things under heaven, few can be the same as heaven. Heaven does not deliberately seek for all things to be the same as itself, nor does it deliberately seek for them to be different. It simply stands high above, and whatever naturally aligns with it comes, and whatever does not naturally align does not come. Those who come are not pulled by me, and those who do not come are not rejected by me—neither rejecting nor pulling, thus obtaining the truly sincere and like-minded people, and thus being able to cross the great river together. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment says, "To seek the like in the wild, it is prosperous," and also says, "It is advantageous to cross the great river, because of the conduct of the Creative." If one does not obtain the truly sincere and like-minded people, it is possible to get along well in a peaceful situation, but once crossing the great river, they will scatter. To cross the great river without scattering relies precisely on this "sincere sameness."

文明以健，中正而應，君子正也。唯君子，為能通天下之志。《象》曰：天與火，“同人”，君子以類族辨物。水之於地為“比”，火之與天為“同人”。“同人”與“比”，相近而不同，不可不察也。“比”以無所不比為“比”，而“同人”以有所不同為“同”，故“君子以類族辨物”。

The Commentary on the Judgment continues to say: The inner trigram is Li (Fire), symbolizing civilization, and the outer trigram is Qian (Heaven), symbolizing strength and vigor. The line Six in the Second and Nine in the Fifth each occupy the central position and correspond with each other, which is the correct path of the gentleman. Only the gentleman can harmonize the aspirations of people throughout the world. The Image Commentary says: Heaven is above and fire ascends upward; both move in the same direction, which is the meaning of the Hexagram of Tong Ren (Union). The gentleman understands by this the distinction of kinship and the differentiation of things. Water flowing on the ground is the Hexagram of Bi (Approach), and fire moving with heaven is the Hexagram of Tong Ren. Although the Hexagrams of Tong Ren and Bi appear similar, they are actually different and must be carefully distinguished: the Hexagram of Bi is characterized by universal attachment, while the Hexagram of Tong Ren seeks similarity despite acknowledging differences. Therefore, it is said, "The gentleman distinguishes kinship and differentiates things."

初九：同人于門，無咎。《象》曰：出門同人，又誰咎也？初九自內出，同於上；上九自外入，同於下。自內出，故言“門”；自外入，故言“郊”。能出其門而同於人，不自用者也。

The first line of the Tongren hexagram says: Going out to seek harmony with others, there is no fault. The Image Commentary says: Going out to seek harmony with others after leaving the door, who could blame him? The initial line nine is moving from the inner trigram outward to seek harmony with those above; the top line nine is moving from the outer trigram inward to seek harmony with those below. Because it is moving from inside out, it is called 'door'; because it is moving from outside in, the top line nine is called 'suburb'. Being able to leave one's own door to seek harmony with others, this is the person who is not self-opinionated and not stubbornly insisting on one's own way.

六二：同人于宗，吝。《象》曰：“同人于宗”，吝道也。凡言“媾”者，其外應也；凡言“宗”者，其同體也。九五為“媾”，九三為“宗”。從“媾”，正也；從“宗”，不正也。六二之所欲從者，“媾”也；而“宗”欲得之，正者遠而不相及；不正者近而足以相困。苟不能自力於難而安於易，以同乎不正，則吝矣。

The Line Statement for the Second Line of the Tong Ren hexagram says: seeking harmony only within one's own clan leads to regret. The Image Commentary says: 'seeking harmony within the clan' is a path that leads to regret. In the Zhou Changes, whenever the term 'gou' is used, it refers to the line outside the hexagram that corresponds to it; whenever the term 'zong' is used, it refers to the line within the same hexagram. For the Second Line, the Fifth Line is 'gou', and the Third Line is 'zong'. Following 'gou' is correct, while following 'zong' is incorrect. The Second Line originally intended to follow the correct 'gou' which is the Fifth Line, but the incorrect 'zong' which is the Third Line also tries to pull it. The correct 'gou' is far above, out of reach; the incorrect 'zong' is close by, able to trouble and entangle. If the Second Line does not strive to take the difficult but correct path, and instead chooses the easy path and joins the incorrect 'zong', then regret is inevitable.

九三：伏戎于莽，升其高陵，三歲不興。《象》曰：“伏戎于莽”，敵剛也；“三歲不興”，安行也？九四：乘其墉，弗克攻，吉。《象》曰：“乘其墉”，義“弗克”也；其吉，則困而反則也。六二之慾，同乎五也。歷三與四而後至，故三與四皆欲得之。四近於五，五乘其墉，其勢至迫而不可動，是以雖有爭二之心，而未有起戎之跡，故猶可知困而不攻，反而獲吉也。若三之於五也，稍遠而肆焉。五在其陵，而不在其墉，是以伏戎于莽而伺之，既已起戎矣，雖欲反，則可得乎？欲興不能，欲歸不可，至於三歲，行將安入？故曰“三歲不興，安行也？”

The line statement of the Qian (Heaven) trigram's third line says: "Bury the troops in the grassy wilderness, and climb the high hill to look around, but for three years dare not take action." The Image Commentary says: "Burying the troops in the grassy wilderness" is because the opponent is too strong; "for three years not taking action," where else can it go? The line statement of the fourth line says: "Climbing the city wall, but ultimately unable to attack, which is auspicious." The Image Commentary says: "Climbing the city wall" is inherently something that cannot be attacked; it is auspicious because after being trapped in difficulties, it can return to the proper way. The second line (Six Two) truly wants to be the same as the fifth line (Nine Five), but it has to go through the third and fourth lines to reach it, so the third and fourth lines both want to stop it. The fourth line is close to the fifth line, and the fifth line is above it, pressing down on its city wall, forcing it into a situation where it cannot move. Therefore, although the fourth line has the desire to compete with the second line, it does not actually take military action, and can recognize its own困境 without attacking, thus returning to auspiciousness. As for the third line, it is somewhat farther from the fifth line, so it becomes more reckless: the fifth line is only on the hill that it can see, but not pressing down on its city wall, so it buries its troops in the grassy wilderness to spy. Since it has already taken military action, even if it wants to stop, can it retreat? If it wants to take action, it lacks strength; if it wants to retreat, it is impossible. It drags on for three years, where else can it go? Therefore, it says, "For three years not taking action, how can it move forward?"

九五：同人，先號咷，而後笑。大師克，相遇。《象》曰：同人之先，以中直也；“大師”“相遇”，言相剋也。子曰：“君子之道，或出或處，或默或語。二人同心，其利斷金；同心之言，其臭如蘭。”由此觀之，豈以用師而少五哉？夫以三、四之強而不能奪，始於“號啕”，而卒達於“笑”。至於用師，相剋矣；而不能散其同，此所以知二、五之誠同也。二，陰也；五，陽也；陰陽不同而為“同人”，是以知其同之可必也。君子出、處、語、默不同而為“同人”，是以知其同之可必也。苟可必也，則雖有堅強之物，莫能間之矣。故曰“其利斷金”。蘭之有臭，誠有之也；二五之同，其心誠同也；故曰“其臭如蘭”。

The Line Statement of the Fifth Line of the Qian (Heaven) Trigram in the Book of Changes says: To seek common ground with others, one first cries out in sorrow, but later smiles; a great army is deployed to overcome obstacles, and the two finally meet. The Image Commentary says: The reason for the initial crying is that the Fifth Line maintains the center and is straightforward in heart; 'a great army' and 'meeting' indicate mutual conflict between the two sides. Confucius says in the Great Treatise of the Book of Changes: 'The way of a gentleman is sometimes to take office, sometimes to retire, sometimes to be silent, sometimes to speak. When two people have the same mind, their strength is sufficient to cut through metal; the words of those who are in harmony have the fragrance of orchids.' From this, can we really look down upon the Fifth Line for using an army? Because the Third and Fourth Lines are so forceful, they still cannot take away the Second Line, so the Fifth Line first cries and then ends up smiling. When the army is actually used, it is a real conflict, yet it still cannot separate the harmony between the Second and Fifth Lines. This clearly shows that the Second and Fifth Lines are genuinely in harmony. The Second Line is yin, the Fifth Line is yang; yin and yang are inherently different yet they are called 'same people,' showing that this 'same' is reliable. A gentleman may be in office or retired, may be silent or speak, yet he is still called 'same people,' showing that this 'same' is reliable. Since it is reliable, even the hardest and most forceful things cannot intrude and separate them, hence 'its sharpness can cut through metal.' Orchids have fragrance because it is real; the harmony between the Second and Fifth Lines is real in heart, hence 'its scent is like orchids.'

上九：同人于郊，無悔。《象》曰：“同人于郊”，志未得也。物之同於“乾”者已寡矣，今又處“乾”之上，則同之者尤難。以其無所苟同，則可以“無悔”；以其莫與共立，則“志未得也”。

The Line Statement of the Upper Ninth line of the Tong Ren hexagram says: Seeking harmony with others in the outskirts outside the city, there is no regret. The Image Commentary says: 'Seeking harmony with others in the outskirts' indicates that his aspirations have not yet been realized. In the world, those who can be harmonized with the Qian trigram are already few, and何况 the Upper Ninth is situated at the top of the three Yang lines of Qian, making those who can harmonize with it even rarer. Exactly because he does not readily compromise with others, he can 'have no regret'; and precisely because there is no one to stand by him, it is said 'his aspirations have not been fulfilled'.

離上，乾下。“大有”：元亨。《彖》曰：“大有”，柔得尊位，大中。而上下應之，曰“大有”。謂五也。“大”者皆見“有”於五，故曰“大有”。其德剛健而文明，應乎天而時行，是以“元亨”。《象》曰：火在天上，“大有”。君子以遏惡揚善，順天休命。以健濟明，可以進退善惡，“順天”之“休命”也。

The Great Possession hexagram has the upper trigram as Li (Fire) and the lower trigram as Qian (Heaven). The hexagram statement says: Great Possession, greatly smooth and unimpeded. The Commentary on the Judgment says: The Great Possession hexagram is when the yin and flexible line occupies a noble position, is centered and extensive, and all five yang lines above and below respond to it, so it is called "Great Possession." Here it refers to line six in the fifth position. Any yang strength that is great is possessed by line six in the fifth, so it is called "Great Possession." Its virtue is strong and vigorous yet civilized, responding to the heavenly way and following the seasons, thus "greatly smooth." The Image Commentary says: Fire shining in the sky, this is the Great Possession hexagram; the gentleman understands restraining evil and promoting good, following the heavenly command of goodness. Using the strength of Qian to complete the clarity of Li, one can promote good and remove evil, which is precisely following the heavenly "favorable command."

初九，無交害，匪咎；艱則無咎。二應於五，三通於天子，四與上近焉；獨立無交者，惟初而已。雖然無交之為害也，非所謂“咎”也。獨立無恃而知難焉，何咎之有？《象》曰：大有初九，“無交害”也。明惟初九為然也。

The line statement of the initial line of the Great Possession hexagram says: There is no harm from lack of interaction, and it is not considered a fault; if one can remain vigilant in hardship, there will be no fault. The second line corresponds with the fifth line, the third line connects with the Son of Heaven, and the fourth line is close to the top line. Only the initial line is isolated without interaction. Although this is the case, lacking interaction is merely an obstacle, not yet reaching the level of fault mentioned in the line statement. Being isolated and without support, yet understanding hardship and remaining self-disciplined, how could there be any fault? The image commentary says: The initial line of the Great Possession hexagram is 'without harm from lack of interaction.' This emphasizes that only the initial line is in this situation.

九二：大車以載，有攸往，無咎。《象》曰：“大車以載”，積中不敗也。“大車”，虛而有容者，謂五也。九二足以有為矣，然非六五虛而容之，雖欲往，可得乎？“積中”，明虛也。

The line statement of the ninth line of the Gengwu hexagram says: "Using a large cart to carry things, going forward, there is no fault." The image commentary says: "A large cart is used for carrying," meaning that things are piled up in the cart without being crushed. The term "large cart" refers to something that is hollow in the middle and thus can hold things, which refers to the sixth line in the fifth position. The ability of the ninth line in the second position is sufficient for action, but if the sixth line in the fifth position does not remain empty and accommodate it, then even if it wants to move forward, can it actually proceed? The image commentary says "accumulated in the middle," clearly indicating that the sixth line in the fifth position is hollow in the middle and can hold things.

九三：公用，亨于天子，小人弗克。《象》曰：“公用，亨于天子”，小人害也。九三以陽居陽，其勢足以通於天子。以小人處之，則敗矣。九四：匪其彭，無咎。《象》曰：“匪其彭，無咎”，明辯晢也。“彭”，三也；九四之義，知有五而已。夫九三之剛，非強也；六五之柔，非弱也。惟明者為能辨此。

The line statement of the Dàyǒu hexagram's Nine in the Third says: "The Duke presents all his possessions to the Son of Heaven. The petty person cannot bear this position." The Image Commentary says: "The Duke presents offerings to the Son of Heaven." If this were applied to a petty person, it would become a calamity. Nine in the Third, with a Yang line in a Yang position, has sufficient strength to ascend to the Son of Heaven. If this position were occupied by a petty person, it would lead to failure. The line statement of Nine in the Fourth says: "Not relying on the great one, there is no blame." The Image Commentary says: "Not being excessive, there is no blame," because he is discerning and clear-minded. "Excessive" refers to the great Nine in the Third. The principle upheld by Nine in the Fourth is to recognize only the Son in the Fifth as the true ruler. One must understand that although Nine in the Third is strong, it does not necessarily mean strength; although the Son in the Fifth is gentle, it does not necessarily mean weakness. Only those with clear vision can discern this distinction.

六五：厥孚交如，威如，吉。《象》曰：“厥孚交如”，信以發志也；“威如”之吉，易而無備也。處群剛之間，而獨用柔，無備之甚者也。以其無備而物信之，故歸之者交如也。此柔而能威者，何也？以其無備，知其有餘也。夫備生於不足，不足之形見於外，則威削。

The Line Statement of the sixth line of the sixth position in the Dàyǒu hexagram says: His sincerity and trustworthiness are mutually felt and communicated with others, and he also possesses authority, thus it is auspicious. The Image Commentary says: "His sincerity is widely felt," meaning that he uses sincerity to inspire the aspirations of others; "His authority is firm" is auspicious because he is approachable and open, with no defenses. The sixth line is situated among a group of yang lines, yet it alone employs the principle of yin, being completely unguarded. Because he is completely unguarded, people trust him, so those who come to him are numerous and their interactions are frequent. How can a weak person generate authority? It is precisely because he is completely unguarded that people realize he has ample inner strength. One must understand that defense arises from lack. Once the signs of lack are revealed, authority is diminished.

上九：自天祐之，吉無不利。《象》曰：“大有”上吉，“自天祐”也。曰“祐”，曰“吉”，曰“無不利”，其為福也多矣。而終不言其所以致福之由，而象又因其成文，無所復說。此豈真無說也哉！蓋其所以致福者遠矣。夫兩剛不能相用，而獨陰不可以用陽，故必居至寡之地，以陰附陽，而後眾予之，“履”之六三、“大有”之六五是也。六三附於九五，六五附於上九，而群陽歸之。二陰既因群陽而有功，九五、上九又得以坐受二陰之成績，故“履”有不疚之光，而“大有”有“自天”之“祐”，此皆聖賢之高致妙用也。

The line statement of the top line of the Dàyǒu hexagram says: receiving protection from heaven, auspicious, nothing is unfavorable. The Image Commentary says: the auspiciousness of the top line of the Dàyǒu hexagram is precisely 'receiving protection from heaven.' It says 'protection,' it says 'auspicious,' it says 'nothing is unfavorable,' and the blessings received are already great. Yet the line statement never explains the reason for attaining these blessings, and the Image Commentary merely repeats the existing words of the line statement without adding anything else. Is this really because there is nothing more to say? In fact, the source of these blessings is very profound. One must understand that two strong yang lines cannot support each other, and a single isolated yin line cannot move a yang line. Therefore, one must be in the most isolated and solitary position, using yin flexibility to rely on yang strength, so that all the yang lines will be willing to give their merit to it. This is how the Liùsān line of the Lǚ hexagram and the Liùwǔ line of the Dàyǒu hexagram achieve success. The Liùsān line of the Lǚ hexagram relies on the Jiǔwǔ line, and the Liùwǔ line of the Dàyǒu hexagram relies on the Shàngjiǔ line, so all the yang lines turn toward it. Since two yin lines achieve success by relying on the group of yang lines, and the Jiǔwǔ and Shàngjiǔ lines can remain seated and accept the achievements of these two yin lines, the Lǚ hexagram has the Commentary on the Judgment saying 'walking on the throne without guilt,' and the Dàyǒu hexagram has the blessing of 'receiving protection from heaven.' These are the profound intentions and subtle applications of the sages and virtuous ones.

故孔子曰：“天之所助者，順也；人之所助者，信也。履信思乎順，又以尚賢也。是以‘自天祐之，吉無不利’”。信也，順也，尚賢也，此三者，皆六五之德也。“易而無備”，六五之順也。“厥孚交如”，六五之信也。群陽歸之，六五之尚賢也。上九特履之爾。我之所履者，能順且信，又以尚賢，則天人之助將安歸哉？故曰“聖人無功，神人無名”，而“大有”上九，不見致福之由也。

Therefore, Confucius said in the Great Treatise of the Zhou Changes: "Heaven helps those who follow Heaven's way, and the people help those who are sincere. Practicing sincerity and constantly following Heaven's way, and also honoring the virtuous, thus it is said, 'Heaven aids, and there is no misfortune.' " Sincerity, following Heaven's way, and honoring the virtuous are all the virtues of the line six in the fifth. "Easy and without preparation" is the following of Heaven's way of the line six in the fifth, "mutual sincerity" is the sincerity of the line six in the fifth, and the gathering of all the yang lines is the honoring of the virtuous of the line six in the fifth. The line nine at the top is merely standing upon these three. If my steps are both following Heaven's way and sincere, and also honor the virtuous, then how can the aid of Heaven and the aid of people belong to others? Therefore, the Zhuangzi says, "The sage has no achievements, the divine person has no name," and the line nine at the top of the Daxiagram cannot be seen as the source of its blessings.

坤上，艮下。“謙”，亨。君子有終。《彖》曰：“謙，亨”。天道下濟而光明，地道卑而上行。此所以為“謙、亨”也。天道虧盈而益謙，地道變盈而流謙，鬼神害盈而福謙，人道惡盈而好謙。謙尊而光，卑而不可逾，君子之終也。此所以為“君子有終”也。不於其終觀之，則爭而得、謙而失者，蓋有之矣。惟相要於究極，然後知謙之必勝也。

The hexagram of Humility has the upper trigram as Kun (Earth) and the lower trigram as Gen (Mountain). The hexagram statement says: "Humility is smooth and prosperous; the gentleman can achieve a good ending." The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Humility is smooth," because the heavenly way is to descend and bestow, thus becoming more luminous; the earthly way is to be lowly and thus the earth's energy ascends. This is why "humility" leads to "smoothness." The Commentary on the Judgment also says: the heavenly way reduces fullness and increases humility; the earthly way changes fullness into flow and channels it through humility; the spirits diminish fullness and bestow blessings upon humility; human feelings dislike fullness and favor humility. A humble person, though in a high position, has ever greater virtue; though in a low position, no one can surpass him. This is why the gentleman achieves a good ending. This is the reason for "the gentleman has a good ending." If one does not look at the outcome, then there are indeed cases where competing leads to success and yielding leads to loss. Only by looking at the ultimate outcome and verifying it can one know that yielding will surely prevail.

《象》曰：地中有山，“謙”。君子以裒多益寡，稱物平施。“裒”，取也。“謙”之為名，生於過也，物過然後知有“謙”。使物不過，則“謙”者乃其中爾。過與中相形，而“謙”之名生焉。聖人即世之所名而名之，而其實則歸於中而已矣。地過乎卑，山過乎高，故“地中有山，謙”。君子之居是也，多者取之，“謙”也；寡者益之，亦“謙”也。

The Image Commentary says: A high mountain hidden in the earth is the卦 of Humility; the gentleman thus takes the excess to make up for the deficiency, weighing the things properly so that the distribution is balanced. "Pou" means to take away. The term "Humility" itself arises from "Excess": when things become excessive, people then understand the concept of "Humility"; if things are not excessive, then "Humility" is merely "Moderation." With "Excess" and "Moderation" contrasting, the term "Humility" comes into being. The sage merely follows the existing name to label it, but its essence still ultimately returns to the concept of "Moderation." The earth is too low, the mountain too high, hence it is said "earth containing a mountain, Humility." A gentleman in such a position, taking away some from the excess, is Humility; adding some to the deficiency, is also Humility.

初六：謙謙君子，用涉大川，吉。《象》曰：“謙謙君子”，卑以自牧也。此最處下，是“謙”之過也。是道也，無所用之，用於“涉川”而已。有大難不深自屈折，則不足以致其用。“牧”者，養之以待用云爾。

The Line Statement of the first line of the Qian hexagram says: A gentleman who is humble and humble again, using such virtue to cross a great river, is auspicious. The Image Commentary says: "A gentleman who is humble and humble again" is one who cultivates himself with a lowly attitude. The first line is at the very bottom of the hexagram, indicating excessive humility. This excessive humility is not useful in ordinary situations, but is needed when facing great difficulties, such as crossing a great river. When encountering great hardship and not being willing to deeply humble oneself, it is insufficient to realize its effectiveness. "Pasture" means to first cultivate and keep ready for future use.

六二：鳴謙，貞吉。《象》曰：“鳴謙貞吉”，中心得也。雄鳴則雌應，故《易》以陰陽唱和寄之於“鳴”。“謙”之所以為“謙”者，三也：其“謙”也以勞，故聞其風、被其澤者，莫不相從於“謙”。六二，其鄰也；上九，其配也；故皆和之而鳴於“謙”。而六二又以陰處內卦之中，雖微九三，其有不謙乎？故曰“鳴謙”，又曰“貞吉”。“鳴”以言其和於三，“貞”以見其出於性也。

The Line Statement of the second line of the Qian hexagram says: "A modest call that is answered, maintaining correctness brings good fortune." The Image Commentary says: "A modest call that is answered and maintains correctness brings good fortune," because this modesty comes from the heart and is self-satisfying. When a male bird calls, the female bird responds, so the Zhou Changes use the word "ming" (call) to express the mutual response between yin and yang. The Qian hexagram is able to be modest because of the third line, which is modest based on its achievements. Therefore, those who hear its reputation or receive its favor will not fail to be modest along with it. The second line is close to the third line, and the line above it is the correct corresponding line to the third line, so both lines respond and call together in modesty. Moreover, the second line is a yin line in the middle of the inner trigram. Even without the third line, would it not be modest on its own? Therefore, it is said both "ming qian" (modest call) and "zhen ji" (correctness brings good fortune): "ming" refers to its correspondence with the third line, while "zhen" refers to the modesty coming from its nature.

九三：勞謙，君子有終，吉。《象》曰：“勞謙君子”，萬民服也。“勞”，功也。“謙”五陰一陽，待是而後為“謙”，其功多矣。“艮”之制在三，而三親以“艮”下“坤”，其“謙”至矣，故曰“勞謙”。勞而不伐，有功而不德，非獨以自免而已，又將以及人，是得“謙”之全者也。故《彖》曰：“君子有終。”而三亦云。

The line statement of the Qian卦 (Gentle) for the third line, nine three, says: having merit but being humble, the gentleman will have a favorable ending, which is auspicious. The Image Commentary says: "The gentleman who toils in humility," all the people will be devoted to him. "Toil" refers to merit. The Qian卦 has five yin lines and one yang line, and it is entirely due to the third line, nine three, that it becomes the Qian卦. Its merit is great. The lower trigram is Gen (Mountain), and its master is the third line. However, nine three personally leads the entire Gen trigram to submit beneath Kun (Earth), thus being humble to the extreme, which is called "toil in humility." Toiling without boasting, achieving success without claiming virtue, this is not only for self-preservation but also for benefiting others. Only then can one truly embody the full meaning of "humility." Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment says, "the gentleman has a favorable ending," and the line statement of nine three also says the same.

六四：無不利，撝謙。《象》曰：“無不利，撝謙”，不違則也。是亦九三之所致也。二近其內，有配之象，故曰“鳴”；四近其外，三之所向，故稱“撝”。以柔居柔，而當三之所向，三之所撝，四之所趨也。以謙“撝謙”，孰不利者？故曰“無不利”。

The Line Statement of the fourth line of the Qian hexagram says: "Nothing is disadvantageous; spread out the humility." The Image Commentary says: "Nothing is disadvantageous, spreading out humility," because it does not violate the principle. This is also related to the third line. The second line is adjacent to the inner side of the third line, implying a harmonious relationship, hence the word "calling out." The fourth line is adjacent to the outer side of the third line, and is exactly in the direction that the third line points, hence the word "spreading out." The fourth line, being a yin line in a yin position, is also exactly where the third line's direction leads. The fourth line uses its own humility to receive and spread out the humility of the third line. How could there be anything disadvantageous? Therefore, it says "nothing is disadvantageous."

六五：不富，以其鄰；利用侵伐，無不利。《象》曰：“利用侵伐”，征不服也。直者曲之矯也，謙者驕之反也。皆非德之至也，故兩直不相容，兩謙不相使。九三以“勞謙”，而上下皆謙以應之，內則“鳴謙”，外則“撝謙”。其甚者則謙謙相追於無窮，相益不已。則夫所謂“裒多益寡，稱物平施”者，將使誰為之？若夫六五則不然，以為謙乎，則所據者剛也；以為驕乎，則所處者中也；惟不可得而謂之謙，不可得而謂之驕，故五，“謙”莫不為之使也。求其所以能使此五“謙者”而無所有，故曰“不富，以其鄰”；至於侵伐，而不害為“謙”，故曰“利用侵伐”。莫不為之用者，故曰“無不利”。

The Line Statement of the sixth line of the Qian hexagram says: Though not rich himself, he can lead nearby like-minded people; it is advantageous to go to war and there is no disadvantage. The Image Commentary says: "It is advantageous to go to war," because it is to attack those who do not submit. "Straight" is used to correct "bent," and "humility" is opposed to "arrogance." Both are not the ultimate virtue; thus, two people who are overly straight cannot get along, and two who are overly humble cannot work together. The ninth line in the third position establishes humility in the hexagram, and all the other lines respond with humility: inside there is the second line's "humility expressed through speech," and outside there is the fourth line's "modest humility." If humility continues to the extreme, it becomes endless mutual yielding and continuous submission. Then who would carry out the actual practice mentioned in the Image Commentary, "taking much and giving little, and distributing things fairly"? The fifth line is different: if we call it humble, it occupies a strong and noble position; if we call it arrogant, it is in the middle of the upper trigram. Because it cannot be called either humble or arrogant, the other five lines that are humble all obey its command. To ask why it can command these five humble lines, it actually relies on nothing, so it says "not rich, but with its neighbors." Even when it goes to war, it does not lose its humility, so it says "advantageous to go to war." All the lines are used by it, so it says "no disadvantage."

上六：鳴謙，利用行師，征邑國。《象》曰：“鳴謙”，志未得也；可“用行師”，征邑國也。其為“鳴謙”，一也。六二自得於心，而上六“志未得”者，以其所居非安於謙者也，特以其配之“勞謙”而強應焉。貌謙而實不至，則所服者寡矣，故雖其邑國而猶叛之。夫實雖不足，而名在於謙，則叛者不利。叛者不利，則徵者利矣。王弼曰：“吉凶悔吝，生乎動者也。動之所起，興於利者也，故飲食必有‘訟’，‘訟’必有眾起，未有居眾人之所惡而為動者所害，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。”

The sixth line at the top of the Qian hexagram says: "Humble and responsive, it is advantageous to go to war and conquer one's own fiefdom." The Image Commentary says: "Humble and responsive" indicates that one's aspirations have not yet been fulfilled; "to use military force" means to conquer one's own fiefdom. The sixth line at the top and the second line both are called "Humble and responsive." The second line's humility is from within, but the sixth line at the top is "aspirations not yet fulfilled," because its position is not suitable for humility. It only follows suit because of the proper response to the nine in the third line, which is "laborious humility." On the outside it appears humble, but in reality it does not reach that level, so it is difficult to gain the trust of others. Therefore, even its own fiefdom may rebel against it. However, although its actual virtue is insufficient, it is at least nominally on the side of humility, so the rebels have no justification. Since the rebels have no justification, the one who goes to war has the justification. Wang Bi says: "Good fortune, misfortune, regret, and hardship all arise from action; and action is initiated by advantage. Therefore, if there is an advantage in food and drink, it necessarily leads to disputes; if there are disputes, it necessarily leads to people rising up in conflict. There has never been someone who is in a position despised by others and yet is harmed by the restless; nor has there ever been someone who is in a non-contentious position and yet is robbed by those who compete. Therefore, although the six lines of the Qian hexagram have some that are out of position, some without a response, and some that overstep the strong lines, there is no misfortune, blame, regret, or hardship, because the entire hexagram is based on humility."