The Second Twenty-two Hexagram: The Hexagram of Ornamentation

艮上，離下。“賁”：亨，小利有攸往。《彖》曰：“賁，亨”，柔來而文剛，故亨；分剛上而文柔，故“小利有攸往”。天文也，文明以止，人文也。剛不得柔以濟之，則不能“亨”；柔不附剛，則不能有所往，故柔之“文剛”，剛者所以“亨”也；剛之“文柔”，柔者所以利往也。“乾”之為“離”，“坤”之為“艮”，陰陽之勢、數也。“文明以止”，“離”、“艮”之德也。勢、數推之天，其德以為人。

The Hexagram of Zhen has the Upper Trigram Gen (Mountain) and the Lower Trigram Li (Fire). The Hexagram Statement says: "Zhen, smooth and unimpeded, it is advantageous to go a little way." The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Zhen, smooth and unimpeded," because the yin lines descend to adorn the yang lines, thus achieving smoothness; and the yang lines ascend to adorn the yin lines, thus "it is advantageous to go a little way." This is the literary grace of Heaven; civilized and knowing when to stop, this is the literary grace of mankind. If the yang does not receive the yin for moderation, it cannot be smooth; if the yin does not rely on the yang, it has nowhere to go. Therefore, the yin adorns the yang, and the yang thus becomes smooth; the yang adorns the yin, and the yin thus becomes advantageous to go a little way. The transformation of Qian into Li and Kun into Gen is the natural form and number of yin and yang; "civilized and knowing when to stop" is the virtue of the two trigrams Li and Gen. The form and number should be discussed in terms of Heaven; as for virtue, it is discussed in terms of human affairs.

《易》有剛、柔、往、來，上下相易之說，而其最著者，“賁”之《彖》也。故學者沿是爭推其所從變，曰“泰”變為“賁”，此大惑也。一卦之變為六十三，豈獨為“賁”也哉！學者徒知“泰”之為“賁”，又烏知“賁”之不為“泰”乎？凡《易》之所謂剛柔相易者，皆本諸“乾”、“坤”也。“乾”施一陽於“坤”，以化其一陰而生“三子”，皆一陽而二陰；凡“三子”之卦有言“剛來”者，明此本“坤”也，而“乾”來化之。“坤”施一陰於“乾”，以化其一陽而生“三女”，皆一陰而二陽；凡“三女”之卦，有言“柔來”者，明此本“乾”也，而“坤”來化之。故凡言此者，皆“三子”、“三女”相值之卦也，非是卦也，則無是言也。

In the Zhou Changes there is a concept of the interplay of yin and yang, and the mutual transformation of upper and lower elements. The most famous example is from the Commentary on the Judgment of the Gen卦. Therefore, those studying the Zhou Changes follow this idea to trace the origin of a hexagram, claiming that the Gen hexagram comes from the Tai hexagram. This is a great confusion. One hexagram can transform into the other sixty-three, so how can it only produce the Gen hexagram? Scholars only know that Tai can transform into Gen, but do they know that Gen can also transform back into Tai? Generally, the concept of mutual transformation of yin and yang in the Zhou Changes originates from Qian and Kun. When Qian gives a yang line to Kun, it transforms one of Kun's yin lines into a yang line, producing the three sons—Zhen, Kan, and Gen—all of which have one yang and two yin lines. Whenever the Commentary on the Judgment of the three sons mentions "yang coming," it indicates that the hexagram originally belonged to Kun, and was transformed by Qian. When Kun gives a yin line to Qian, it transforms one of Qian's yang lines into a yin line, producing the three daughters—Xun, Li, and Dui—all of which have one yin and two yang lines. Whenever the Commentary on the Judgment of the three daughters mentions "yin coming," it indicates that the hexagram originally belonged to Qian, and was transformed by Kun. Therefore, all statements about such transformations refer to hexagrams formed by the meeting of the three sons and the three daughters. Hexagrams not belonging to this category do not have such statements in their Commentaries on the Judgment.

凡六：“蠱”之《彖》曰：“剛上而柔下。”“賁”之《彖》曰：“柔來而文剛，分剛上而文柔。”“咸”之《彖》曰：“柔上而剛下。”“恆”之《彖》曰：“剛上而柔下。”“損”之《彖》曰：“損下益上。”“益”之《彖》曰：“損上益下。”此六者適，適遇而取之也。凡“三子”、“三女”相值之卦十有八，而此獨取其六，何也？曰：聖人之所取以為卦，亦多術矣，或取其象，或取其爻，或取其變，或取其剛柔之相易。取其象，“天水違行，訟”之類是也；取其爻，“六三：履虎尾”之類是也。取其變，“頤中有物，曰噬嗑”之類是也，取其剛柔之相易，“賁”之類是也。夫剛柔之相易，其所取以為卦之一端也，遇其取者則言，不取者則不言也，又何以盡怪之歟？

There are six hexagrams that make such statements: the Gǔ hexagram's Commentary on the Judgment says "the strong above and the yielding below," the Bēn hexagram's Commentary on the Judgment says "the yielding comes and adorns the strong, the strong above and the yielding below are adorned," the Xián hexagram's Commentary on the Judgment says "the yielding above and the strong below," the Héng hexagram's Commentary on the Judgment says "the strong above and the yielding below," the Sǔn hexagram's Commentary on the Judgment says "loss from below to benefit above," and the Yì hexagram's Commentary on the Judgment says "loss from above to benefit below." These six instances are merely coincidental uses of such expressions. The eighteen hexagrams formed by the interaction of the three sons and the three daughters, the Commentary on the Judgment singles out these six to express the meaning of mutual exchange between the strong and the yielding. Why is that? The answer is: the sages had many ways of establishing hexagrams, some taking the hexagram image, some taking the yao, some taking the hexagram transformation, and some taking the mutual exchange of the strong and the yielding. Those taking the hexagram image are like the Sòng hexagram's Image Commentary, "Heaven and water moving apart, hence litigation." Those taking the yao are like the Lǚ hexagram's "Six in the Third: Treading on the tiger's tail." Those taking the hexagram transformation are like the Shìkē hexagram's Commentary on the Judgment, "There is something in the mouth of the mouth, called Shìkē." Those taking the mutual exchange of the strong and the yielding are like the Bēn hexagram. The mutual exchange of the strong and the yielding is merely one aspect taken in establishing the hexagram. When it happens to be taken, it is mentioned; when it is not taken, it is not mentioned. Why should we be surprised at everything?

觀乎天文，以察時變；觀乎人文，以化成天下。《象》曰：山下有火，“賁”；君子以明庶政，無敢折獄。“明庶政”，明也；“無敢折獄”，止也。初九：賁其趾，舍車而徒。《象》曰：“舍車而徒”，義弗乘也。“文剛”者，六二也。初九、九三，見文者也。自六二言之，則初九其趾、九三其須也。初九之應在四，六二之文，初九之所不受也。車者，所以養趾，為行文也。初九為趾，則六二之所以文初九者為車矣。初九自潔以答六四之好，故義不乘其車，而徒行也。

The Commentary on the Judgment concludes by saying: observing the patterns of heaven to understand the changes of the four seasons; observing the patterns of people to educate the world and establish customs. The Image Commentary says: beneath a mountain there is fire, and the fire's light shines upon the grass and trees on the mountain, which is the hexagram of Zhen. The gentleman thus manages all affairs clearly, yet does not dare to use this clarity to decide legal cases. "Clarifying all government affairs" takes the "bright" from Li, while "daring not to judge cases" takes the "stillness" from Gen. The line statement of the first nine says: he adorns his toe, preferring to walk on foot rather than ride in a carriage. The Image Commentary says: "abandoning the carriage and walking on foot" indicates that he ought not to ride that carriage according to righteousness. In this hexagram, the one who removes the adornment is line six two, while lines one nine and nine three are the ones being adorned. From the perspective of line six two, line one nine is like a toe, and line nine three is like a beard. The correct position of line one nine is line six four, so line six two adorns line one nine, but line one nine does not accept it. A carriage is originally used to assist walking and protect the feet, and here it is used to adorn the toe. Since line one nine is a toe, the adornment that line six two applies to line one nine is like a carriage. Line one nine wishes to remain pure and white in order to repay the kindness of line six four, so according to righteousness he refuses to ride the carriage and prefers to walk on foot.

六二：賁其須。《象》曰：“賁其須”，與上興也。六二施陰於二陽之間，初九有應而不受，九三無應而內之。無應而內之者，正也；是以仰賁其須，須者，附上而與之興也。九三：賁如，濡如，永貞吉。《象》曰：“永貞”之“吉”，終莫之陵也。初九之正配，四也，而九三近之；九三之正配，二也，而初九近之。見近而不貞，則失其正，故九三不貞於二，而貳於四，則其配亦見陵於初九矣。初九亦然，何則？無以相賁也。自九三言之，賁我者二也，濡我者四也；我可以兩獲焉，然而以永貞於二為吉也。

The Line Statement of the second line of the Qian hexagram says: "He decorates his beard." The Image Commentary says: "Decorating the beard" means following the superior one in action. The second line applies its yin flexibility between the yang lines of the first and third lines. The first line has a proper corresponding line but does not accept it, while the third line has no proper corresponding line but accepts it. Accepting without proper correspondence is appropriate, so the second line raises its head to decorate the beard of the third line. The term "beard" refers to something that adheres to and moves with the superior. The Line Statement of the third line says: "His ornamentation is brilliant, his appearance is as fresh as if washed. If he maintains his proper position for a long time, it is auspicious." The Image Commentary says: "Maintaining proper virtue" is auspicious because in the end, no one can wrong him. The first line's proper corresponding line is the fourth line, but the third line is adjacent to the fourth line; the third line's proper corresponding line is the second line, but the first line is adjacent to the second line. Seeing the nearby one and being moved without maintaining proper virtue leads to losing the correct path. Therefore, if the third line does not remain exclusively with the second line and instead forms a second intention toward the fourth line, then its corresponding line, the second line, will be wronged by the first line. The situation of the first line is the same. Why is this so? Because once they part ways, there will be no one left to decorate each other. From the perspective of the third line, the second line decorates him, and the fourth line moistens him; he can obtain both sides. However, only by maintaining a long-term connection with the second line is it auspicious.

六四：賁如，皤如，白馬，翰如。匪寇，婚媾。《象》曰：六四當位，疑也。“匪寇，婚媾”，終無尤也。六四當可疑之位者，以近三也。六二以其賁賁初九，而初九全其潔，皤然也。初九之所以全其潔者，凡以為四也，四可不以潔答之乎？是以潔其車馬，翼然而往從之；以三為“寇”，而莫之“媾”也。此四者，危疑之間，交爭之際也，然卒免於侵陵之禍者，以四之無不貞也。

The line statement of the fourth line of the Qian hexagram says: The appearance is brilliant and splendid, yet it is also plain and white, like a white horse galloping swiftly; the one coming is not a strong enemy, but someone coming to propose marriage. The image commentary says: The position of the fourth line is one of suspicion; 'not an enemy, but a marriage partner,' ultimately there is no mistake. The fourth line is in a position of suspicion because it is adjacent to the third line. The second line uses its own brilliance to adorn the first line, yet the first line preserves its pure whiteness and purity. The first line preserves its purity entirely for the fourth line; can the fourth line not return the same purity? Therefore, it arranges its carriage and horses neatly and swiftly follows the first line, regarding the third line as a strong enemy, not entering into marriage with it. Among the four lines of the first, second, third, and fourth, there is a place full of danger and doubt, with mutual contention, yet they all ultimately avoid harm, because the fourth line maintains correctness throughout.

六五：賁于丘園，束帛戔戔；吝，終吉。《象》曰：六五之吉，有喜也。“丘園”者，僻陋無人之地也。五無應於下，而上九之所賁也，故曰“賁于丘園”。而上九亦無應者也，夫兩窮而無歸，則薄禮可以相縻而長久也。是以雖吝而有終，可不謂吉乎？彼苟有以相喜，則吝而吉可也。“戔戔”，小也。

The Line Statement of the sixth line of the sixth hexagram of the Book of Changes says: Applying ornamentation to a remote and desolate place such as a hillside garden, with only a thin bundle of silk and brocade as a gift; although appearing poor and frugal, it ultimately results in good fortune. The Image Commentary says: The sixth line is fortunate because there is mutual affection between the parties. "Quyuan" refers to a remote and desolate place with no people. The sixth line has no proper response from below, and only the top line comes to adorn it, hence the phrase "Beren yu quyuan." The top line also has no proper response. Two people who are both without proper support and have nowhere to go come together, so a small amount of ceremony is enough to bind them together and maintain the connection for a long time. Therefore, although it appears poor and frugal, it leads to a good outcome, which is not considered good fortune? If there is indeed mutual affection between the two parties, then being poor and frugal yet fortunate is reasonable. "Jianjian" means small and thin.

上九：白賁，無咎。《象》曰：“白賁無咎”，上得志也。夫柔之文剛也，往附於剛，以賁從人者也。剛之文柔也，柔來附之，以人從賁者也。以賁從人，則賁存乎人；以人從賁，則賁存乎己，此上九之所以“得志”也。陽行其志，而陰聽命，惟其所賁。故曰“白賁”。受賁，莫若白。

The line statement of the upper ninth line of the Gen hexagram says: "Using pure white as ornamentation, there is no fault." The image commentary says: "White ornamentation without fault" is because the upper ninth line, being in a superior position, realizes its will. When the soft (yin) removes ornamentation from the hard (yang), it is the soft that runs to attach itself to the hard, like bringing ornamentation to accommodate others, thus the initiative of the ornamentation is in the hands of the other. When the hard removes ornamentation from the soft, it is the soft that comes to attach itself to the hard, like others accommodating my ornamentation, thus the initiative of the ornamentation remains in my hands. This is precisely why the upper ninth line is said to "attain its will." Yang acts according to its own will, while yin only obeys, allowing it to be ornamented in any way it chooses. Therefore it is said "white ornamentation" — the upper ninth line does not add any ornamentation itself, but shows its true nature. To accept others' ornamentation, nothing is better than a single pure white.

艮上，坤下。“剝”：不利有攸往。《彖》曰：“剝”，剝也，柔變剛也。“不利有攸往”，小人長也。順而止之，觀象也。見可而後動。君子尚消息盈虛，天行也。《象》曰：山附於地，“剝”；上以厚下安宅。身安而民與之，則“剝”者自衰，不與之校也。

The Hexagram of Pei has the Upper Trigram Gen (Mountain) and the Lower Trigram Kun (Earth). The Hexagram Statement says: Pei, it is not advantageous to go anywhere. The Commentary on the Judgment says: Pei means falling away, which is when the soft lines gradually take over the hard lines. "It is not advantageous to go anywhere" because the power of the small person is growing. To stop it in accordance with the situation is a principle seen from the image of the hexagram. This means one should wait for the right time before taking action. The Commentary on the Judgment also says: The gentleman values the transformation between decline and growth, fullness and emptiness, because this is how the heavenly way operates. The Image Commentary says: The mountain relies on the earth and thus falls away, which is the meaning of the Hexagram of Pei. The superior person thus strengthens the foundation below, making his dwelling secure. If he himself is secure and the people support him, then the one causing the erosion will naturally weaken, and there is no need to take it to heart.

初六：剝床以足，蔑；貞凶。《象》曰：“剝床以足”，以滅下也。六二：剝床以辨，蔑；貞凶。《象》曰：“剝床以辨”，未有與也。陽在上，故君子以上三爻為己。載己者，床也，故下為床。陰之長，猶水之溢也，故曰“蔑”。“辨”，足之上也，床與足之間，故曰“辨”。君子之於小人，不疾其有邱山之惡，而幸其有毫髮之善，“剝床以足”，且及其“辨”矣，猶未直以為凶也，曰“蔑，貞”而後“凶”。小人之於正也，絕蔑無餘，而後“凶”可必也；若猶有餘，則君子自其“餘”而懷之矣，故曰“剝床以辨，未有與也”。小人之為惡也，有人與之然後自信以果。方其未有與也，則其愧而未果之際也。

The first line of the Bao hexagram says: "The bed is being eroded, starting from the foot, like water rising gradually; holding to the correct position is also ominous." The Image Commentary says: "Eroding the bed from the foot" means destroying it from below. The second line says: "The bed is being eroded, now reaching between the body and the foot, like water rising gradually; holding to the correct position is also ominous." The Image Commentary says: "Eroding the bed at the 'bian' position" is because no one is supporting it. In this hexagram, the yang lines are at the top, so the gentleman considers the top three lines as himself; the bed that supports him is below, so the bottom three lines are the bed. Yin energy grows, like water rising gradually, so it is called "mie." "Bian" refers to the part of the bed above the foot, between the body and the foot, so it is called "bian." The gentleman treats small people, not hating their great evil as mountains, but rejoicing in their slightest goodness. Therefore, the bed has already been eroded from the foot to "bian," but the line statement does not directly call it ominous; it adds the words "mie, zhen" before saying "ominous." Small people erode the correct path until nothing remains, then it can be determined as ominous. If there is still a little left, the gentleman will be gentle toward that little bit, so the Image Commentary says "eroding the bed at 'bian,' no one supports it." Small people commit evil only when others support them, then they become confident enough to act harshly. When no one supports them, it is the moment they feel ashamed and cannot act harshly.

六三：剝之，無咎。《象》曰：“剝之無咎”，失上下也。王弼曰：“群陰剝陽，己獨協焉，雖處於剝，可以無咎。”“上下各有二陰，應陽則失上下也。”

The Line Statement of the Sixth Line of the third position in the Bao hexagram says: Being in the process of decline but not following the other yin lines, there is no fault. The Image Commentary says: "Bao without fault" is because it has abandoned its kindred above and below. Wang Bi says: "All the yin lines together erode the yang line, but the sixth line of the third position alone coordinates with the top nine, so even though it is in the Bao hexagram, it can still have no fault." He also says: "There are two yin lines above and below the sixth line of the third position, yet it goes to coordinate with the yang above, so it is said to have lost its companions above and below."

六四：剝床以膚，凶。《象》曰：“剝床以膚”，切近災也。“剝床以膚”，始及己矣，雖欲懷之而不可得矣，故直曰“凶”。

The sixth line of the fourth in the Hexagram of Splitting says: "The bed is being stripped away, having reached the person's skin, calamity." The Image Commentary says: "Stripping the bed to the skin" means the calamity has become close and imminent. When the stripping reaches the skin, it means it has begun to affect oneself; at this point, it is no longer possible to act as in the previous lines with leniency toward small people, so the line statement no longer adds any restrictions and directly concludes with "calamity."

六五：貫魚，以宮人寵，無不利。《象》曰：“以宮人寵”，終無尤也。“觀”之世幾於“剝”矣，而言不及小人者，其主陽也；六五，“剝”之主，凡“剝”者，皆其類也。聖人不能使之無寵於其類，故擇其害之淺者許之。四以下，“貫魚”之象也。自上及下，施寵均也。夫寵均，則勢分；勢分，則害淺矣。以宮人之寵寵之，不及以政也。不及以政，豈惟自安，亦以安之，故“無不利”。聖人之教人也，容其或有而去其太甚，庶幾從之。如責之以必無，則彼有不從而已矣。

The Line Statement of the sixth line in the sixth hexagram, Bao, says: Just as fish are strung together one after another, so the queen mother successively favours her attendants, and there is no disadvantage. The Image Commentary says: "Favouring the attendants," ultimately brings no fault. The time of Guan hexagram is already very close to Bao, yet the words of the Book of Changes do not mention small people, because Guan is mainly governed by a yang line. However, the main line in Bao is the sixth line, a yin line. All those that strip away yang are of the same kind. The sage cannot entirely prevent the favor given to the same kind, so he chooses the path that causes the least harm. The four yin lines below the sixth line are the image of "strung fish"; from above to below, the favor is distributed evenly. When favor is evenly distributed, power is scattered; when power is scattered, the harm is less. Using the way of favoring attendants to favor them means not allowing them to interfere in affairs. Not interfering in affairs, not only ensures the safety of the sixth line itself, but also ensures the safety of the attendants, hence "there is no disadvantage." The sage's teaching people always allows them to retain a little, removing only the excessive part, so people are generally willing to listen. If he insists on completely prohibiting even the slightest, they will simply refuse to listen.

上九：碩果不食，君子得輿，小人剝廬。《象》曰：“君子得輿”，民所載也；“小人剝廬”，終不可用也。“果”，未有不見食者也；“碩”而不見食，必不可食者也。智者去之，愚者眷焉。上九之失民久矣，五陰之勢足以轢而取之，然且獨存於上者，彼特存我以為名爾，與之合則存，不與之合則亡，君子以為是不可食之果也，而亟去之。彼得志於上，必食其下，故君子去其上而出其下，可以得民。載於下謂之“輿”，庇於上謂之“廬”。“廬”者，既剝之餘也，豈可復用哉！

The line statement of the Upper Ninth line of the Bao hexagram says: A large fruit remains on the branch without being eaten; the gentleman thus receives the carriage that carries him, while the petty person destroys his own dwelling. The Image Commentary says: "The gentleman receives the carriage" means the people are willing to carry him; "the petty person destroys his dwelling" means he is ultimately incapable of being trusted. There is no fruit that is not eaten; this one is large and no one eats it, which must mean it is not edible. The wise person quickly leaves it, while the foolish one still clings to it. The Upper Ninth has lost the people's support for a long time, and the strength of the five yin lines is sufficient to crush and take it away. Yet it remains alone at the top, which is merely a nominal thing left by the many yin lines: if one is willing to join them, they leave it; if not, they remove it. The gentleman recognizes that this is an inedible fruit, so he quickly departs. Those who once gain power on top will certainly consume those below; thus, the gentleman leaves the top position and goes down below, and thus gains the people's support. Those who carry him below are called "carriage," and those who cover him above are called "dwelling." "Dwelling" is merely the residue left after decay, how can it still be used!

坤上，震下。“復”，亨。出入無疾，朋來無咎。反復其道，七日來復，利有攸往。《彖》曰：“復，亨”。剛反動而以順行，是以“出入無疾”。自“坤”為“復”，謂之“入”；自“復”為“乾”，謂之“出”。“疾”，病也。“朋來無咎，反復其道，七日來復”。天行也。“坤”與初九為“七”。

The hexagram Fu (Return) has the upper trigram Kūn (Earth) and the lower trigram Zhèn (Thunder). The hexagram statement says: "Fu, smooth; going out and coming in brings no harm; when like-minded ones come, there is no blame; moving back and forth along one's own path, returning once every seven days, it is favorable to go forth." The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Fu, smooth," because the yang line returns and causes movement, and it follows the softness of Kūn, so "going out and coming in brings no harm." The transformation from Kūn to Fu is called "entering"; the transformation from Fu to Dìng (the ultimate trigram) is called "going out." "Jí" means illness. The Commentary on the Judgment continues: "When like-minded ones come, there is no blame; moving back and forth along one's own path, returning once every seven days," this is the movement of the heavenly way. Kūn has six yin lines, and adding the initial line of Fu, which is a yang line, makes up the number "seven."

“利有攸往”，剛長也；“復”，其見天地之心乎？見其意之所向謂之“心”，見其誠然謂之“情”。凡物之將亡而“復”者，非天地之所予者不能也。故陽之消也，五存而不足；及其長也，甫一而有餘。此豈人力也哉？《傳》曰：“天之所壞，不可支也；”其所支，亦不可壞也。違天不祥，必有大咎。

The Commentary on the Judgment also says: "It is advantageous to go forward," because the yang is growing. From the hexagram Fu, we can roughly see the mind of heaven and earth. To perceive the intention is called "heart"; to perceive the reality is called "emotion." Any thing that seems about to perish but can recover, if it is not because heaven and earth give it a way to survive, it cannot be achieved. Therefore, when the yang is retreating, the hexagram Bo has only one yang remaining, though there are still five positions, it can no longer support itself. But when the yang is growing, the hexagram Fu has just one yang, yet it is sufficient. How could this be achieved by human effort? The Zuo Zhuan says: "What heaven intends to destroy, no one can support." Conversely, what heaven intends to support, no one can destroy. To go against heaven's will is inauspicious and will surely bring great calamity.

《象》曰：雷在地中，“復”；先王以至日閉關，商旅不行，后不省方。“復”者，變易之際也。聖人居變易之際，靜以待其定，不可以有為也，故“以至日閉關”明之，下至於“商旅不行”，上至於“后不省方”。

The Image Commentary says: Thunder is hidden in the earth, which is the hexagram of Reversal; the former kings closed the passes on the day of Winter Solstice, stopped commercial travel, and the sovereign did not go out to tour the regions. "Reversal" is the critical point where the old and the new change. The sage, at such a critical point of change, remains quietly waiting for stability and does not take any action. Therefore, the phrase "on the day of Winter Solstice, the passes are closed" illustrates this principle. What follows, mentioning that commercial travel is stopped and the sovereign does not tour the regions, all convey the same meaning.

初九：不遠復，無祗悔。元吉。《象》曰：“不遠”之“復”，以修身也。去其所居而復歸，亡其所有而復得，謂之“復”。必嘗去也而後有歸，必嘗亡也而後有得，無去則無歸，無亡則無得，是故聖人無復。初九未嘗見其有過也，然而始有復矣。孔子曰：“顏氏之子，其殆庶幾乎？有不善，未嘗不知；知之未嘗復行也。”

The line statement of the initial yang line of the Fu hexagram says: Going only a short distance and then returning, without causing regret, is great good fortune. The image commentary says: Being able to return without going far is used for self-cultivation. Leaving one's original place and then returning, losing what one originally had and then regaining it, this is called 'returning'. One must first have left before returning can be spoken of; one must first have lost before regaining can be spoken of. Without leaving, there is no returning; without losing, there is no gaining. Therefore, the sage has no 'returning' at all. The initial yang line does not appear to have any fault, yet the Zhou Changes begins its discussion of 'returning' from here. Confucius says in the Great Treatise of the Zhou Changes: 'The son of the Yan family, he is perhaps close to it. When there is something bad, there is nothing that he does not himself perceive; once perceived, he will not commit it again.'

六二：休復，吉。《象》曰：“休復”之“吉”，以下仁也。“休”，初九也。以陰居陰，不爭之至也，退而“休”之，使復者得信，謂之“休復”。六三：頻復，厲，無咎。《象》曰：“頻復”之“厲”，義“無咎”也。以陰居陽，力不得抗；而中不願，故頻於初九之復也。外順而內不平者，危則“無咎”。“頻”，蹙也。

The Line Statement of the Second Line of the复卦 says: A beautiful and good return, auspicious. The Image Commentary says: The reason why "restorative return" is auspicious is because it is willing to be beneath the benevolent. "Restorative" refers to the initial Nine, which is yang. The Second Line, with a yin line in a yin position, is at the extreme of non-competition; it withdraws to allow the yang to rest and expand, enabling the returning yang to flourish. This is called "restorative return." The Line Statement of the Third Line says: Returning with a frown, there is danger and hardship, but no fault. The Image Commentary says: Although "frequent return" involves danger and hardship, in terms of principle it is "without blame." The Third Line, with a yin line in a yang position, cannot resist the initial Nine, yet is unwilling in heart, thus frowning at the return of the initial Nine. Those who outwardly comply but inwardly resent must rely on this sense of danger and caution to avoid blame. "Frequent" means frowning.

六四：中行，獨復。《象》曰：“中行獨復”，以從道也。“獨”，與初應。六五：敦復，無悔。《象》曰：“敦復無悔”，中以自考也。憂患未至而慮之，則“無悔”。六五，陰之方盛也；而內自度其終不足以抗初九，故因六四之獨復而附益之，以自託焉。

The Line Statement of the Fourth Line of the复卦 says: Walking in the middle of many yin lines, alone returning. The Image Commentary says: "Returning alone in the middle," is to follow the right path. The term "alone" means that among the five yin lines, only it corresponds properly with the initial Nine. The Line Statement of the Fifth Line says: Returning earnestly, without regret. The Image Commentary says: "Returning earnestly without regret," because it is in the center and can examine itself. Worrying about troubles before they arise, naturally there is "no regret." The Fifth Line is at the time when yin is most powerful, yet it clearly understands that it cannot resist the initial Nine, so it follows the "alone return" of the Fourth Line and adds another layer, entrusting itself to it.

上六：迷復，凶，有災眚。用行師，終有大敗；以其國，君凶；至于十年不克征。《象》曰：“迷復”之“凶”，反君道也。乘極盛之末而用之不已，不知初九之已復也，謂之“迷復”。“災眚”者，在天之罰也。初九之復，天也；眾莫不予，而己獨迷焉。用之於敵，則災其國；用之於國，則災其身。極盛必衰，驟勝故敗。在其終也，國敗君凶。至於十年而不復者，明其用民之過，而師競之甚也。

The line statement of the sixth line at the top of the复卦 says: lost in the way and not knowing when to turn back, it is凶, with both natural disasters and human calamities; using this attitude to wage war will ultimately result in great defeat; using it to govern the state will bring misfortune to the sovereign; and for ten years it will be powerless to go to war. The image commentary says: "迷复" is凶 because it violates the way of the sovereign. Riding on the extreme peak without knowing when to stop, completely unaware that the yang energy of the initial nine has already returned, this is called "迷复." "灾眚" are punishments from heaven. The return of the initial nine is by heavenly will, and all the lines approve of it, but only the sixth line at the top is lost in confusion and does not understand. Applying this confusion to warfare brings disaster to the country; applying it to governance brings disaster to oneself. After reaching the peak, decline is inevitable; sudden victory will inevitably lead to failure; in the end, the country will fail and the sovereign will be in misfortune. As for being unable to recover for ten years, it clearly shows that the people have been overburdened and that warfare has been pursued too fiercely.

乾上，震下。“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。謂初九。動而健，剛中而應。謂九五。大亨以正，天之命也。“無妄”者，天下相從於“正”也。“正”者，我也；天下從之者，天也。聖人能必正，不能使天下必從，故以“無妄”為天命也。

The hexagram Wuwang is composed of the upper trigram Qian (Heaven) and the lower trigram Zhen (Thunder). The hexagram statement says: Wuwang, greatly smooth and unimpeded, favorable to maintaining the right path; those who do not follow the right path will encounter calamity, unfavorable for going anywhere. The commentary on the judgment says: The hexagram Wuwang is when a strong line comes from outside and becomes the main line of the inner trigram. This refers to the line Nine at the beginning. The commentary on the judgment continues: The trigram Zhen (Thunder) moves and the trigram Qian (Heaven) is strong and vigorous, the line Nine in the fifth is strong and central and corresponds with the line Six in the second. This refers to the line Nine in the fifth. The commentary on the judgment further says: Greatly smooth and unimpeded and conforming to the right path, this is the command of Heaven. What is meant by "Wuwang" is that all under heaven follow the "right path." The "right path" is in me, but whether the people of the world follow it depends on Heaven. The sage can ensure himself to maintain the right path, but cannot ensure that the world will follow, so he attributes "Wuwang" to the mandate of Heaven.

“其匪正有眚，不利有攸往”，“無妄”之往，何之矣？天命不祐，行矣哉！無故而為惡者，天之所甚疾也。世之妄也，則其不正者容有不得已焉。“無妄”之世，正則安，不正則危。棄安即危非人情，故不正者，必有天災。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: "If one goes against the right path and incurs misfortune, it is not advantageous to go anywhere." In the era of 'No Pretense,' where there is no genuine order, where can one go? Heaven's mandate does not protect those who go astray, so how can they succeed? Those who commit evil without cause are the most detested by Heaven. When the world itself is full of falsehood, those who do not follow the right path may be understandable, as they have no choice. But in the era of 'No Pretense,' following the right path brings safety, while deviating brings danger. To abandon safety and choose danger is against human nature. Therefore, those who still do not follow the right path at this time will surely suffer calamity from Heaven.

《象》曰：天下雷行，物與無妄。妄者，物所不與也。先王以茂對時，育萬物。“茂”，勉也；“對”，濟也。《傳》曰：“寬以濟猛，猛以濟寬。”天下既已無妄矣，則先王勉濟斯時，容養萬物而已。

The Image Commentary says: Thunder moves beneath the heavens, and all things are in harmony with the principle of sincerity. Falsehood is something that all things do not follow. The Image Commentary then says: Therefore, the former kings diligently followed the seasons, nurturing all things. "Mao" means diligence, and "dui" means adjustment and remedy. The Zuo Zhuan, in the twenty year of Zhao Gong, records Zi Chang's words: "Use leniency to adjust severity, and use severity to adjust leniency." Since the world has already attained sincerity, the only thing the former kings needed to do was diligently adjust the times and nurture all things.

初九：無妄，往吉。《象》曰：“無妄”之“往”，得志也。所以為“無妄”者，“震”也；所以為“震”者，初九也。“無妄”之權在初九，故“往”，“得志”也。六二：不耕穫，不菑畬，則利有攸往。《象》曰：“不耕穫”，未富也。六三：無妄之災：或繫之牛；行人之得，邑人之災。《象》曰：行人得牛，邑人災也。九四：可貞，無咎。《象》曰：“可貞無咎”，固有之也。九五：無妄之疾，勿藥有喜。《象》曰：“無妄”之“藥”，不可試也。

The line statement for the first line of the Wuwang hexagram says: Not being reckless, going forward brings good fortune. The image commentary says: "Not being reckless" and yet "going forward" means that one's aspirations are realized. The lower trigram Zhen makes the hexagram Wuwang, and the first line makes Zhen into Zhen, so the initiative of Wuwang lies in the first line, hence it "goes forward" and "achieves its purpose." The line statement for the second line says: Not going to sow for the sake of harvest, not going to clear land for the sake of plowing, this is favorable for going forward. The image commentary says: "Not sowing and reaping" means it does not seek wealth. The line statement for the third line says: A calamity without cause—someone tied up a cow here, a passerby took it away, and the people of the same town were thus implicated. The image commentary says: the passerby got the cow, while the people of the town suffered the calamity. The line statement for the fourth line says: It is possible to maintain uprightness, without fault. The image commentary says: "It is possible to maintain uprightness without fault" because this uprightness is inherent. The line statement for the fifth line says: A disease that occurs by chance in a world of no recklessness, need not take medicine, and happiness will come naturally. The image commentary says: the medicine for "no recklessness" cannot be tested.

善為天下者不求其必然，求其必然乃至於盡喪。無妄者驅人而內之正也，君子之於“正”，亦全其大而已矣。全其大，有道不必乎其小，而其大斯全矣。古之為過正之行者，皆內不足而外慕者也。夫內足者，恃內而略外，不足者反之。陰之居陰，安其分者也，六二是也。而其居陽也，不安其分而外慕者也，六三是也。陽之居陽，致其用者也，九五是也。而其居陰也，內足而藏其用者也，九四是也。

A wise person who is good at governing the world does not strive for perfection; if one is overly concerned with perfection, they may end up losing everything. "Wu Wang" (No Falsehood) is about guiding people toward the right path. A gentleman regarding the right path does not strive to perfect it entirely. There is a way to preserve the main aspect of the right path: not being overly concerned with minor details, and thus preserving the main aspect. Those in ancient times who went to extremes in pursuing the right path were those who lacked inner substance and sought fame externally. Those who are internally fulfilled rely on their inner strength and do not concern themselves with external matters; those who lack inner substance are the opposite. A yin line in a yin position is content with its proper place, as is the case with the second line. A yin line in a yang position is not content with its proper place and seeks fame externally, as is the case with the third line. A yang line in a yang position fully expresses its function, as is the case with the fifth line. A yang line in a yin position is internally fulfilled and conceals its function, as is the case with the fourth line.

六二安其分，是故不敢為過正之行，曰“不耕穫、不菑畬，則利有攸往”，夫必其所耕而後獲，必其所菑而後畬，則是揀髮而櫛，數米而炊，擇地而蹈之充其操者，蚓而後可將有所往，動則躓矣。故曰於義可獲，不必其所耕也；於道可畬，不必其所菑也。不害其為正而可以通天下之情，故“利有攸往”。所惡於不耕而獲者，惡富之為害也。如取之不失其正，雖欲富可得乎？故曰“不耕穫，未富也”。

Six Two is content with its proper position, so it does not dare to do excessive things in pursuit of correctness. The line statement says, "Not plowing and then reaping, not clearing and then cultivating, it is advantageous to go forward." If one insists on only reaping what one has personally plowed and only using land that one has personally cleared, then it would be like pulling hair to comb it or counting each grain of rice before cooking. If one takes this principle of careful selection to an extreme, one could only be a worm. Such a person, once trying to move forward, would inevitably stumble. Therefore, in terms of righteousness, what is rightfully mine I may take; I need not necessarily have personally plowed it. In terms of reason, if land is suitable for cultivation, I may use it; I need not necessarily have personally cleared it. This does not hinder uprightness, yet it allows for the flow of human affairs, hence "it is advantageous to go forward." People dislike "reaping without sowing," but what they actually dislike is the calamity brought by wealth. If the means of obtaining wealth remain righteous, then even if one desires wealth, one cannot obtain it. Hence, the image commentary says, "Not plowing and then reaping, not yet rich."

六三不安其分，而外慕其名，自知其不足，而求詳於無妄，故曰“無妄之災，或繫之牛，行人之得，邑人之災”。或者繫其牛於此，而為行道者之得之也，行者固不可知矣，而欲責得於邑人，宜其有無辜而遇禍者，此無妄之所以為災也。失其牛於此，而欲必求之於此，此其意未始不以為無妄也，然卒至於大妄，則求詳之過也。

Six in the Third is not content with its proper position, but instead looks outwardly to covet the reputation of "no false movement." Knowing its own inadequacy, it scrutinizes "no false movement" excessively, so the line statement says, "calamity from no false movement, a cow is tied here, a passerby takes it, the owner's loss becomes the disaster of the people of the town." Someone tied the cow here, but a passerby took it away; who the passerby is cannot be traced, yet the owner insists on seeking compensation from the people of the town, which naturally leads to innocent people suffering without cause—this is how "no false movement" becomes a source of calamity. The cow was lost here, so one insists on searching for it here, believing this to be "no false movement," but the result is excessive pursuit, leading to great delusion.

九五以五用九，極其用矣，用極則憂廢，故戒之曰：“無妄之疾，勿藥有喜。”“無妄”之世而有疾焉，是大正之世而未免乎小不正也，天下之有小不正，是養其大正也，烏可藥哉！以“無妄”為藥，是以至正而毒天下，天下其誰安之？故曰：“無妄之藥，不可試也。”九四內足而藏其用，詘其至剛而用之以柔，故曰：“可貞，無咎。”可以其貞正物而無咎者，惟四也。其《象》曰：“固有之。”“固有之”者，生而性之，非外掠而取之也。

Nine in the Fifth uses the strong yang of the number nine in the fifth position of honor, and its influence has reached its peak. When something is used to its fullest extent, there is fear that it may be wasted or ruined, so the Line Statement warns it, saying, "A sudden illness without cause, no medicine is needed, and there is joy." Even in a time of no false actions, illness can still occur, just as in a well-ordered world there are still minor deviations. A small deviation in the world is precisely the cultivation of the great correctness. How can one treat it with medicine? To treat "no false actions" as a medicine and administer it would be to use extreme correctness to poison the world. Who would then be able to find peace? Therefore, the Image Commentary says, "Medicine for no false actions is not to be tried." Nine in the Fourth is internally full yet conceals its influence, bends its extremely strong yang aspect, and instead applies it in a gentle way. Therefore, the Line Statement says, "It is proper to be steadfast, and there will be no blame." Only Nine in the Fourth can use its own steadfast correctness to regulate all things without error. Its Image Commentary says, "It is inherent." By "inherent," it means that this correctness is its natural disposition, not something acquired from outside.

上九：無妄，行有眚，無攸利。《象》曰：“無妄”之“行”，窮之災也。“無妄”之世有大妄者，六三也；而上九應之，六三外慕於正而竊取其名，三以苟免可也。至於上九，窮且敗矣。

The line statement of the Upper Ninth in the Wuwang hexagram says: In a time of no false expectations, any further action will bring calamity and misfortune, and there will be no benefit. The image commentary says: To act when there is no false expectation is to bring about disaster through reaching the extreme. In the time of no false expectation, the true false expectation is the Sixth Trigram in the Third position, and the Upper Ninth is precisely in correspondence with it. The Sixth Trigram in the Third position envies the proper name and falsely claims the title of no false expectation, and by this it can barely avoid disaster; but by the time it reaches the Upper Ninth, it has reached the extreme and has already perished.

艮上，乾下。“大畜”：利貞，不家食，吉；利涉大川。《彖》曰：“大畜”，剛健篤實，輝光，日新其德。剛健者，“乾”也；篤實者，“艮”也；輝光者，二物之相磨而神明見也。“乾”不得“艮”，則素健而已矣；“艮”不得“乾”，則徒止而已矣。以止厲健，以健作止，而德之變不可勝窮也。

The hexagram of Great Accumulation has the upper trigram Gèn (Mountain) and the lower trigram Qián (Heaven). The hexagram statement says: It is favorable to maintain correctness; the virtuous person does not need to stay at home seeking sustenance, but is supported by the state, which is auspicious; it is favorable to cross great rivers. The commentary on the judgment explains: The hexagram of Great Accumulation is both strong and solid, radiant, and its virtue is renewed daily. What is meant by "strong and solid" is the lower trigram Qián; what is meant by "solid" is the upper trigram Gèn; what is meant by "radiance" is the mutual refinement of these two qualities, which brings forth a profound and luminous clarity. If Qián were without Gèn, it would merely be strong and vigorous; if Gèn were without Qián, it would merely be still and quiet. Using "stillness" to refine "strength" and using "strength" to complete "stillness," the changes in virtue thus produced are inexhaustible.

剛上而尚賢，能止健，大正也。“大”者，正也；謂上九也，故謂之賢。賢者見畜於上九，所以為“大畜”也。“不家食，吉”；養賢也。“利涉大川”，應乎天也。“乾”之健，“艮”之止，其德天也。猶金之能割，火之能熱也。物之相服者，必以其天。魚不畏網而畏鵜鶘，畏其天也。故“乾”在“艮”下，未有不止而為之用也。

The Commentary on the Judgment continues to say: Yang strength occupying the upper position and valuing the virtuous person, is able to restrain the vigorous and strong, this is the great right path. Here, "great" is equivalent to "right," referring to the line of Nine at the Top, so the Commentary on the Judgment calls it "virtuous." The virtuous person is nurtured by the Nine at the Top, thus becoming "Great Accumulation." The Commentary on the Judgment also says: the hexagram statement "not eating at home, auspicious," refers to the state nourishing the virtuous talents; "favorable for crossing great rivers," refers to doing so in harmony with the heavenly way. The vigorous strength of Qian and the stillness of Gen are their innate natures, just as metal is naturally capable of cutting and fire is naturally capable of warming. The ability of things to control each other relies necessarily on such innate qualities. Fish do not fear fishing nets but fear the pelican, fearing precisely its natural enemy. Therefore, Qian being below Gen, there is no reason not to stop and be used by Gen.

物之在“乾”上者，常有忌“乾”之心，而“乾”常有不服之意，“需”之上六，“小畜”之上九是也。忌者生於不足以服人爾，不足以服人而又忌之，則人之不服也滋甚。今夫“艮”自知有以畜“乾”，故不忌其健而許其進；“乾”知“艮”之有以畜我而不忌，故受其畜而為之用。“不家食”者，以“艮”為主也；“利涉大川”者，用“乾”之功也。

Anything that is pressing upon Qian above has a constant thought of being wary of Qian, while Qian itself often harbors a resentful mind. This is exactly the situation in the Upper Sixth line of the Xu hexagram and the Upper Ninth line of the Xiao Xu hexagram. The feeling of being wary arises from one's own insufficiency to be superior. Since one is already insufficient to be superior, yet still feels wary of others, others' resentment becomes even stronger. Now Gen understands that he indeed has the ability to restrain Qian, so he does not feel wary of Qian's strength, instead allowing it to advance. Qian also understands that Gen indeed has the ability to restrain him without feeling wary, so he is willing to be restrained and used by Gen. The phrase "not eating at home" indicates that Gen is the dominant force; the phrase "favorable for crossing great rivers" refers to the function of Qian being utilized.

《象》曰：天在山中，“大畜”。君子以多識前言往行，以畜其德。孔子論“乾”九二之德曰：“君子學以聚之，問以辨之。”是以知“乾”之健，患在於不學，漢高帝是也，故“大畜”之君子將以用“乾”，亦先厚其學。

The Image Commentary says: Heaven is contained within the mountain, which is the image of the Great Accumulation hexagram. The gentleman thus understands the need to widely collect the good words of previous generations and the virtuous deeds of wise men, using them to cultivate his own virtue. Confucius, in the Wenyan section of the Qian hexagram, discusses the virtue of the Nine in the Second line, saying: "The gentleman accumulates it through study and clarifies it through inquiry." From this we can see that the quality of Qian, which is strong and vigorous, has its flaw in not reading books. Han Gaozu, Liu Bang, is exactly such a person. Therefore, a gentleman living in the era of Great Accumulation, if he wishes to exert the vigorous use of Qian, must first solidify his own learning.

初九：有厲，利已。《象》曰：“有厲利已”，不犯災也。“小畜”之畜“乾”也，順而畜之，故始順而終反目。“大畜”之畜“乾”也，厲而畜之，故始厲而終亨。君子之愛人以德，小人之愛人以姑息。見德而慍，見姑息而喜，則過矣。初九欲進之意無已也，至於六四，遇厲而止。六四之厲，我所謂德也；使我知戒而終身不犯於災者，六四也。

The line statement of initial nine says: There is danger, and it is advantageous to stop. The image commentary says: "There is danger, advantageous to stop" is to avoid offending misfortune. In the hexagram of Xiao Xu (Small Accumulation), the stopping of Qian (Heaven) is done by a gentle approach, so the beginning is harmonious but the end results in the reversal of husband and wife; in the hexagram of Da Xu (Great Accumulation), the stopping of Qian is done by a strict approach, so the beginning is difficult but the end is smooth. A gentleman loves a person by cultivating virtue to achieve him; a petty person loves a person by indulgence and yielding. If someone treats you with virtue and you become angry, or someone indulges you and you become happy, that is a great mistake. Initial nine is determined to advance without limit, continuing until it reaches six four, encountering difficulty and then stopping. The difficulty imposed on initial nine by six four is exactly what I call "virtue"; what enables me to be cautious and never offend misfortune throughout my life is precisely six four.

九二：輿說輹。《象》曰：“輿說輹”，中無尤也。“小畜”之“說輹”，不得已也，故夫妻反目。“大畜”之“說輹”，其心願之，故“中無尤”也。九三：良馬逐，利艱貞。曰閒輿衛，利有攸往。《象》曰：“利有攸往”，上合志也。三“乾”並進，故曰“良馬逐”。馬不憂其不良，而憂其輕車易道以至泛軼也，故“利艱貞”。九三，“乾”之殿也，故相與飭戒，閒習其車徒，則“利有攸往”。“上”，上九也；上利在不忌，三利在必戒。

The line statement of Nine in the Second says: "The carriage has removed the yoke." The Image Commentary says: "The carriage removes the yoke," meaning Nine in the Second is in the center and has no grievances. The "removing the yoke" in the third line of the Lesser Accumulation hexagram is due to necessity, so it is followed by discord between husband and wife. However, the "removing the yoke" in the second line of the Greater Accumulation hexagram is voluntary, so it is said "there is no grievance in the center." The line statement of Nine in the Third says: "A good horse is running, it is advantageous to maintain the right course in difficulty; to practice daily the carriage and its attendants, it is advantageous to go somewhere." The Image Commentary says: "It is advantageous to go somewhere," because it is in harmony with Upper Nine. The three yang lines of Qian are all advancing, so it is said "a good horse is running." The driver does not worry about the quality of the horse, but only about the lightness of the carriage, the flatness of the road, and the speed that might cause a crash, so it is said "advantageous to maintain the right course in difficulty." Nine in the Third is the last line of the Qian body, so it needs to maintain order and vigilance with companions, train the carriage and the attendants, thus making it "advantageous to go somewhere." In the Image Commentary, "upper" refers to Upper Nine; the advantage of Upper Nine is the lack of suspicion, while the advantage of Nine in the Third is the necessity of constant caution.

六四：童牛之牿，元吉。《象》曰：六四“元吉”，有喜也。六五：豶豕之牙，吉。《象》曰：六五之“吉”，有慶也。“童牛”，初九也；“牿”，角械也；童牛無所用牿然且不敢廢者，自其童而牿之，迨其壯，雖不牿可也。此愛其牛之至也。“豶豕”，羠豕也，九二之謂也。有牙而不鷙者，羠豕也，不鷙則可畜矣。“大畜”之畜乾也，始厲而終亨。初九，陽之微者也，而遂牿之，故至於九二，雖有牙而可畜也。其始牿之，其漸可畜，其終雖進之天衢可也。童而牿之，愛以德也，故“有喜”。不惡其牙而畜之，將求其用也，故“有慶”。凡物有以相德曰“喜”，施德獲報曰“慶”。孔子曰：“積善之家，必有餘慶。”

The Line Statement of the Fourth Line says: To put a wooden yoke on the horns of a young calf, great good fortune. The Image Commentary says: The "original good fortune" of the Fourth Line is because of joy. The Line Statement of the Fifth Line says: The tusks of a castrated boar, good fortune. The Image Commentary says: The "good fortune" of the Fifth Line is because of blessings. "Tong niu" refers to the First Nine, and "gu" is a wooden restraint placed on the horns of a cow. A young calf does not yet need a yoke, yet still does not remove it, intending to put it on while it is still small; when it grows strong, even without the yoke it will not charge at people. This is loving the cow to the extreme. "Fen shi" refers to a castrated pig, which refers to the Second Nine. A pig with tusks that no longer bites or harms others is a castrated pig; not fierce, it can be raised. The hexagram "Da Xu" restrains the body of the Heaven, beginning with difficulty and hardship but ending with smoothness. The First Nine is the time when yang energy is weakest, so it is appropriate to put on the yoke early, so by the time it reaches the Second Nine, although it has tusks, it can still be raised. Initially restraining it gradually allows it to be raised, and by the end it can even be led on the great path without hindrance. Putting on the yoke when it is young is showing virtue in loving it, hence "there is joy." Not disliking its tusks and being willing to raise it is for future use, hence "there is celebration." In general, mutual kindness is called "joy," and when virtue is practiced and rewarded, it is called "celebration." Confucius in the "Wenyan" of the "Kun" hexagram says: "Those who accumulate good deeds will surely have abundant blessings."

上九：何天之衢？亨。《象》曰：“何天之衢”，道大行也。“天衢”者，上之所履，而不與下共者也。德有以守之，雖以予人而莫敢受，苟無其德，雖吾不予夫將有取之者。上九之德足以自固，是以無忌於“乾”而大進之。其曰“何天之衢”者，何天衢之有，而不汝進也？夫惟以天衢進之，而“乾”大服矣。

The line statement of the Upper Ninth says: "What a broad avenue in the heavens! It is favorable." The Image Commentary says: "What heavenly avenue?" means that the great path is unobstructed. The term "heavenly avenue" refers to the path that the superior person walks alone, not shared with those below. If the superior person has virtue and can hold onto it, even if he gives it to others, others dare not accept it. If he lacks that virtue, even if he does not give it up, others will take it away. The virtue of the Upper Ninth is sufficient to hold onto it, so he has no suspicion toward Qian, and instead allows Qian to ascend freely. The Upper Ninth says "What heavenly avenue?" is a rhetorical question: where is there still a heavenly avenue that can block you from ascending? Because it allows Qian to pass through the heavenly avenue, Qian is completely convinced.

艮上，震下。“頤”：貞吉。觀頤，自求口實。《彖》曰：“頤，貞吉”，養正則吉也。“觀頤”，觀其所養也。謂上九。“自求口實”，觀其自養也。謂初九。天地養萬物，聖人養賢以及萬民，“頤”之時大矣哉！

The hexagram Yi consists of the upper trigram Gen (Mountain) and the lower trigram Zhen (Thunder). The hexagram statement says: "Maintaining uprightness brings good fortune; observe whom one nourishes, and also observe how one procures food for oneself." The commentary on the judgment states: "Yi, uprightness brings good fortune," meaning that nourishing in the right way brings good fortune. "Observing nourishment" refers to observing whom one nourishes, which refers to the line Upper Nine. "Self-seeking sustenance" refers to observing how one sustains oneself, which refers to the line Initial Nine. Heaven and Earth nourish all things; the sage nourishes the virtuous and from there extends care to all people. The situation represented by the hexagram Yi is indeed great!

《象》曰：山下有雷，“頤”；君子以慎言語，節飲食。上止下動，有“頤”之象，故君子治所以養口者。人之所共知而難能者，慎言語、節飲食也。言語一出而不可復入，飲食一入而不可復出者也。

The Image Commentary says: Mountains with thunder below, this is the image of the hexagram "Nourishment"; thus the gentleman understands that he should speak cautiously and restrain his diet. The upper trigram is艮, representing stillness, and the lower trigram is震, representing movement; this is like the upper jaw being still while the lower jaw moves, forming the image of the mouth and cheeks chewing. Therefore, the gentleman focuses on this mouth. Everyone knows what should be done but finds it hard to accomplish, and these two things are precisely speaking cautiously and restraining diet: once words are spoken, they cannot be taken back; once food is eaten, it cannot be spat out.

初九：舍爾靈龜，觀我朵頤，凶。《象》曰：“觀我朵頤”，亦不足貴也。“爾”，初九也；“我”，六四也。龜者不食而壽，無待於物者也。養人者，陽也；養於人者，陰也。君子在上足以養人，在下足以自養。初九以一陽而伏於四陰之下，其德足以自養而無待於物者，如龜也。不能守之而觀於四，見其可欲“朵頤”而慕之，為陰之所致也，故“凶”。所貴於陽者，貴其養人也。如養於人，則亦不足貴矣。

The line statement of the first yang line says: "Abandon your own divine turtle, and instead look at my chewed cheeks, which is dangerous." The image commentary says: "Looking at my chewed cheeks" is not worth much. In the line statement, "you" refers to the first yang line, and "I" refers to the fourth yin line. A turtle does not need to eat to live long, it does not depend on external things. Those who can nourish others are yang, and those who depend on others for nourishment are yin. A gentleman in a high position can nourish others, and in a low position can nourish himself. The first yang line, with a single yang line hidden beneath four yin lines, originally has the virtue of being able to nourish itself without relying on external things, just like the turtle. Yet it cannot hold on to itself and instead looks at the fourth line, seeing the pleasant food being chewed and becomes envious, thus being lured by the yin line, hence "dangerous." Yang is valuable because it can nourish others; if it is reversed and needs others to nourish it, then it is not worth much.

六二：顛頤，拂經；于丘頤，征凶。《象》曰：六二“征凶”，行失類也。從下為“顛”，過擊曰“拂”。“經”，歷也，“丘”，空也。“豫”之六五失民，而九四得之，則九四為“由豫”。“頤”之六五失民，而上九得之，則上九為“由頤”。六二有養人之位，而無養人之德，則“丘頤”也。夫“由”、“丘”二者，皆非相安者也。“丘”以其位，“由”以其德，兩立而不相忌者未之有也。六二、六三之求養於上九也，皆歷五而後至焉，夫有求於人者，必致怨於其所忌以求說，此人之情也。故六二、六三之過五也，皆擊五而後過，非有怨於五也，以悅其所求養者也。

The line statement of the second line says: To seek sustenance by turning downward is against the natural way; to turn to the empty position of "qiu" for sustenance, going there brings misfortune. The image commentary says: The misfortune of the second line "seeking sustenance" is because this action goes against its own kind. Seeking sustenance downward is called "dian," and lightly striking while passing by is called "fu." "Jing" means to pass through, and "qiu" means emptiness. In the hexagram "Yu," the fifth line loses the people's support, while the fourth line gains it, so the fourth line becomes the "yu" which is the path of all people. In the hexagram "Yi," the fifth line loses the people's support, while the top line gains it, so the top line becomes the "yi" which is the path of all people. The second line holds a position that can provide sustenance but lacks the virtue to do so, thus forming the "qiu yi" which is an empty position. "Yu" and "qiu" cannot coexist: "qiu" relies on position, while "yu" relies on virtue. They cannot coexist without suspicion. Both the second and third lines must go to the top line for sustenance, and they must pass through the fifth line first. Anyone seeking help from another will necessarily take out their anger on the person they dislike in order to please the one they seek, which is a common human behavior. Therefore, when the second and third lines pass by the fifth line, they must strike it first, not out of real hatred, but to please the one they are seeking sustenance from.

“由頤”者，利之所在也；“丘頤”者，位之所在也。見利而蔑其位，君子以為不義也，故曰“顛頤，拂經，于丘頤，征凶”。六二可以下從初九而求養也，然且不從而過擊五以求養於上九，無故而陵其主，故“征凶”。“征凶”者，明“顛頤”之吉也，二，陰也；五亦陰也，故稱“類”也。

The side represented by "Yi" (颐) signifies material gain, while the side represented by "Qiu Yi" (丘颐) signifies status and position. If one sees profit and disregards status, a gentleman considers this unjust. Therefore, the line statement for the second line says, "Reversing Yi, disrupting the path, seeking Yi from Qiu Yi, leading to danger." The second line could have relied on the initial line for sustenance but instead refuses to do so, going against and attacking the fifth line to seek sustenance from the top line. This is an unjust act of overstepping and offending the sovereign, hence the warning of "danger in action." The statement "danger in action" is meant to highlight that "reversing Yi" — that is, seeking sustenance from the initial line — is actually favorable. The second line is a yin line, and the fifth line is also a yin line, so the Image Commentary refers to them as "class," meaning they are of the same type.

六三：拂頤，貞凶。十年勿用，無攸利。《象》曰：“十年勿用”，道大悖也。“拂頤”者，拂經于丘頤也。六二已詳言之矣，因前之辭故略，其實一也。“拂頤”之為不義，二與三均也。然二有初可從，而三不得不從上也，故曰“貞凶”。雖貞於其配，而於義為凶。“由頤”之興，“丘頤”之廢，可坐而待也，其勢不過十年，盍待其定而從之？故戒之曰“十年勿用”。用於十年之內，則“大悖”之道也。夫擊其主而悅其配，雖其配亦不義也，故“無攸利”。

The Line Statement of the Third Line says: Violating the way of nourishment, clinging to this correctness leads to misfortune; within ten years there is nothing that can be used, and there is no benefit. The Image Commentary says: "Within ten years, do not use it," because this path greatly violates the norm. What is called "fú yí" is what is said in the Line Statement of the Second Line, "fú jīng yú qiū yí." The Second Line has already explained this in detail, so here we follow the previous explanation and keep it brief, as it is essentially the same. The wrongdoing of "fú yí" is the same for both the Second and Third Lines. However, the Second Line still has the Nine at the Beginning to follow, while the Third Line must follow the Nine at the Top, hence it is said "zhēn xiōng"—although it is loyal to its spouse, the Nine at the Top, in terms of righteousness it is still misfortune. The rise of "yóu yí" and the decline of "qiū yí" can be awaited while sitting, and the situation will not last more than ten years. Why not wait for it to settle before following? Therefore, it warns, "within ten years, do not use it." If one acts hastily within ten years, that is the way of great contradiction. Attacking one's sovereign to please one's spouse, such a spouse is not considered righteous, hence there is no benefit.

六四：顛頤，吉；虎視耽耽，其欲逐逐，無咎。《象》曰：“顛頤”之“吉”，上施光也。四於初為上。自初而言之，則初之見養於四為凶。自四言之，則四之得養初九為吉。初九之剛，其始若虎之“眈眈”而不可馴也，六四以其所欲而致之，“逐逐”焉而來，六四之所“施”，可謂“光”矣。

The Line Statement of the Fourth Line says: To seek sustenance by turning downward, it is auspicious; like a tiger watching intently, desires continue without error. The Image Commentary says: "Reversing the mouth" is auspicious because the giving from the superior position is extensive. The Sixth Line at the Fourth position is above the Initial Nine. From the perspective of the Initial Nine, being sustained by the Sixth Line at the Fourth is inauspicious; from the perspective of the Sixth Line at the Fourth, being able to sustain the Initial Nine is auspicious. The strength of the Initial Nine at first seems as fierce as a tiger watching intently, but the Sixth Line at the Fourth lures it with what it desires, and it comes step by step. The sustenance provided by the Sixth Line at the Fourth can be called "extensive."

六五：拂經，居貞，吉。不可涉大川。《象》曰：“居貞”之“吉”，順以從上也。六五既失其民，為六二、六三之所拂而過也，慍而起爭之，則亡矣。故以順而從上，“居貞”為“吉”。失民者不可以犯難，故曰“不可涉大川”。

The Line Statement of the fifth line says: To go against the established way, to dwell in peace and maintain correctness, is auspicious; one should not attempt to cross a great river. The Image Commentary says: "To dwell in correctness" is auspicious because it is flexible and follows the Nine at the top. The fifth line has already lost its people, and by being lightly struck by the second and third lines it has passed through; if it becomes angry and contends with them, it will suffer ruin. Therefore, it can only follow flexibly the Nine at the top, dwell in peace and maintain correctness to gain auspiciousness. Those who have lost the people's support should not take risks, hence it says "one should not attempt to cross a great river."

上九：由頤，厲，吉。利涉大川。《象》曰：“由頤厲吉”，大有慶也。莫不由之以得養者，故曰“由頤”。有其德而無其位，故“厲”而後“吉”。無位而得眾者，必以身犯難，然後眾與之也。

The line statement of Upper Nine says: All people are sustained by him, though there may be danger and hardship, ultimately it will be auspicious; it is favorable to cross great rivers. The image commentary says: "Sustaining through danger leads to auspiciousness," which signifies great fortune and celebration. The whole world depends on him for sustenance, so it is called "sustaining through nourishment." Upper Nine has the virtue of nourishing others but lacks the position of nourishing, so he must first undergo danger and hardship before achieving auspiciousness. A person who lacks position but gains the people's hearts must personally take risks and hardships, only then will the people sincerely follow him.