The Great Exceeding Hexagram (Number 28)

兌上，巽下。“大過”：棟橈，利有攸往，亨。《彖》曰：“大過”，大者過也。“棟撓”，本末弱也。剛過而中，巽而說行，“利有攸往”，乃亨。二五者，用事之地也。陽自內出，據用事之地而擯陰於外，謂之“大過”，大者過也。陰自外入，據用事之地而囚陽於內，謂之“小過”，小者過也。“過”之為言，偏盛而不均之謂也，故“大過”者，君驕而無臣之世也。《易》之所貴者，貴乎陽之能御陰，不貴乎陽之陵陰而蔑之也。人徒知夫陰之過乎陽之為禍也，豈知夫陽之過乎陰之不為福也哉！

The hexagram Da Guo has the upper trigram Dui (Lake) and the lower trigram Xun (Wind). The hexagram statement says: The main beam is bent, which is favorable for going forward, and it is smooth. The commentary on the judgment says: Da Guo refers to the "great" being excessive; "the main beam is bent" is because the ends are too weak. When yang is excessive but remains in the center, and acts with humility and joy, "it is favorable to go forward," thus achieving smoothness. The positions of nine two and nine five are the positions of authority. Yang energy arises from within, occupies the position of authority, and pushes the yin out, which is called "Da Guo," meaning the great is excessive. When yin energy enters from outside, occupies the position of authority, and confines yang within, this is called "Xiao Guo," meaning the small is excessive. The term "excess" refers to one side being overly dominant and the other side being insufficient. Therefore, the hexagram Da Guo describes the era when the sovereign is arrogant and has no ministers. What the Zhou Changes values is that yang can control yin, not that yang oppresses or looks down upon yin. People only know that yin overpowering yang brings misfortune, but they do not realize that yang overpowering yin also brings no blessing.

立陰以養陽也，立臣以衛君也，陰衰則陽失其養，臣弱則君棄其衛，故曰：“大過，大者過也。棟橈，本末弱也。”四陽者，棟也；初、上者，棟之所寄也。弱而見擯，則不任寄矣，此棟之所以橈也。“棟橈”，吾將壓焉，故“大過”之世，利有事而忌安居。君侈巳甚，而國無憂患，則上益張而下不堪，其禍可待也。故“利有攸往”，所利於往者，利其有事也，有事則有患，有患則急人，患至而人急，則君臣之勢可以少均。故曰：“剛過而中，巽而說行，利有攸往，乃亨。”

Establishing yin is to nourish yang; establishing ministers is to protect the sovereign. When yin weakens, yang loses its sustenance; when ministers become weak, the sovereign is as if throwing away his defense. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment says: "Great Excess, great excess. The beam bends, because the ends are weak." In the hexagram, the four yang lines are like the beam, while the two yin lines, the initial line and the top line, are the places where the beam rests. Since both ends are weak and rejected, they cannot support the beam, which is why the beam bends. Once the beam bends, I will be crushed beneath it. Therefore, in the time of Great Excess, it is advantageous to have affairs, and most dangerous to be idle. If the sovereign is excessively luxurious and the state has no worries, then the upper part becomes more extravagant, the lower part more overwhelmed, and calamity is waiting to come. Therefore, it says "advantageous to go somewhere" — meaning advantageous in having affairs. Having affairs brings worries, and worries prompt the need for people. When worries come suddenly and the need for people is urgent, the relationship between sovereign and minister can be somewhat balanced. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment says: "Yang is excessive but in the center, yielding and joyful, it moves forward, advantageous to go somewhere, then it becomes harmonious."

“大過”之時大矣哉！《象》曰：澤滅木，“大過”；君子以獨立不懼，遯世無悶。初六宜“不懼”，上六宜“遯”。初六：藉用白茅，無咎。《象》曰：“藉用白茅”，柔在下也。“白茅”，初六也。所藉者，九二也。茅之為物，賤而不足收也，然吾有所甚愛之器，必以藉之，非愛茅也，愛吾器也。初之於二，強弱之勢固相絕矣，其存亡不足以為損益，然二所以得安養於上者，以有初之藉也。棄茅而不收，則器措諸地；棄初而不錄，則二親其勞矣。故孔子曰：“茅之為物薄，而用可重也。”

The situation represented by the hexagram "Great Excess" is indeed profound! The "Image Commentary" says: A great marsh has submerged the trees, which is the image of the hexagram "Great Excess"; thus, the gentleman understands that he should be independent and fearless, and retreat from the world without being distressed. In these two sentences, "not fearing" refers to the line "Initial Six," and "retreating from the world" refers to the line "Upper Six." The line statement of "Initial Six" says: Using white reeds as a mat beneath, there will be no fault. The "Image Commentary" says: "Using white reeds as a mat" is because the flexible line is at the very bottom. "White reeds" refer to "Initial Six," and the vessel being placed upon them refers to "Nine Two." Reeds are lowly and not worth keeping; yet if I have a very precious vessel, I must use them to place it upon. It is not that I love the reeds, but that I love my vessel. Compared with "Nine Two," "Initial Six" is extremely weak, and whether or not "Initial Six" is present seems to make no difference. However, "Nine Two" can rest comfortably and be supported above precisely because of "Initial Six" beneath. If we discard the reeds, the vessel can only be placed on the ground; if we abandon "Initial Six," "Nine Two" would have to endure the hardship alone. Therefore, Confucius in the "Great Treatise" says: "Though reeds are humble, their use can be very significant."

九二：枯楊生稊，老夫得其女妻，無不利。《象》曰：“老夫”“女妻”，過以相與也。卦合而言之，則“大過”者，君驕之世也；爻別而觀之，則九五當驕，而九二以陽居陰，不驕者也。盛極將枯，而九二獨能下收初六以自助，則“生梯”者也。“老夫”，九二也；“女妻”，初六也。凡人之情，夫老而妻少，則妻倨而夫恭。妻倨而夫恭，則臣難進而君下之之謂也，故“無不利”。“大過”之世，患在亢而無與，故曰：“老夫女妻，過以相與也。”

The line statement for the second line says: A withered poplar tree regrows tender sprouts, an old man marries a young wife, there is no disadvantage. The image commentary says: "Old man" paired with "young wife" indicates that even in excess, they can still interact with each other. When looking at the entire hexagram, "Great Excess" represents an era of a king being arrogant; when looking at each line separately, the one that should be arrogant is the fifth line, while the second line, with a yang line in a yin position, is the one that is not arrogant. When something is at its peak, it should wither, but only the second line is willing to receive the first line to help itself, which is called "sprouting new shoots" — the withered poplar tree regrows sprouts. "Old man" refers to the second line, and "young wife" refers to the first line. According to human nature, if the husband is old and the wife is young, the wife would be arrogant and the husband would be respectful. If the wife is arrogant and the husband is respectful, in the context of the court, this means that ministers are difficult to employ while the king is willing to humble himself. Therefore, there is no disadvantage. In the era of "Great Excess," the problem lies in being lofty and isolated, with no one to interact with, so the image commentary says: "Old man and young wife, excess leading to mutual interaction."

九三：棟橈，凶。《象》曰：“棟橈”之“凶”，不可以有輔也。九四：棟隆，吉；有它，吝。《象》曰：“棟隆”之“吉”，不橈乎下也。卦合而言之，則“本末弱”，“棟橈”者也。爻別而觀之，則上六當“棟橈”，初六弱而能立，以遇九二不橈者也。初、上非棟也，棟之所寄而已。所寄在彼，而“隆”、“橈”見於此，初六不“橈”於下，則九四“棟隆”；上六不足以相輔，則九三之“棟橈”以其應也。九四專於其應則吉，有他則吝矣。“棟”之“隆”也，非初之福，而四享其利。及其“橈”也，上亦不與，而三受其名。故“大過”之世，智者以為陽宜下陰，而愚者以為陰宜下陽也。

The third line statement says: The beam bends, which is ominous. The image commentary says: The ominous result of the beam bending is because it lacks support. The fourth line statement says: The beam rises, which is auspicious; if there is another pursuit, there will be regret. The image commentary says: The auspicious result of the beam rising is because it does not bend downward. When looking at the entire hexagram, it is "both ends are weak," leading to the beam bending. When looking at each line separately, the one that bends is the sixth line at the top, while the first line is weak but remains upright because it meets the second line, so it does not bend. The first line and the sixth line are not the beam itself, but rather the places where the beam is placed. The position of the beam is on one side, while the bending or rising is shown on the other side: the first line is below and does not bend, so the fourth line is "the beam rises"; the sixth line is not able to provide support, so the third line is "the beam bends," because the third line corresponds with the sixth line. The fourth line is auspicious because it remains devoted to its proper position with the first line, but if it seeks something else, there will be regret. The "rising" of the beam is not the benefit of the first line, but the benefit is enjoyed by the fourth line. When the beam bends, the sixth line is not affected, but the blame falls on the third line. Therefore, in the time of the Great Excess, the wise people believe that the yang should be bent beneath the yin, while the foolish people think that the yin should be bent beneath the yang.

九五：枯楊生華，老婦得其士夫，無咎無譽。《象》曰：“枯楊生華”，何可久也？“老婦”“士夫”，亦可醜也。盛極將枯，而又生華以自耗，竭而不能久矣。“稊”者，顛而復孽，反其始也；“華”者，盈而畢發，速其終也。九五以陽居陽，汰侈已甚，而上六乘之，力不能正，只以速禍。故曰：“老婦得其士夫，無咎無譽。”“老婦”，上六也；“士夫”，九五也。夫壯而妻老，君厭其臣之象也，故教之以“無咎無譽”，以求免於斯世。“咎”，所以致罪；“譽”，所以致疑也。

The line statement of the fifth line says: A withered poplar tree produces flowers, an old woman marries a young man, there is no blame and no praise. The image commentary says: "A withered poplar tree produces flowers," where can it last long? "An old woman" marrying "a young man" is also shameful. When something is at its peak it should wither, yet it produces flowers and exhausts itself, its vital energy is exhausted, so it naturally cannot last long. "Ting" is when the root falls down and then sprouts again, returning to its beginning; "flowers" is when the remaining strength is fully expended and released all at once, hastening its end. The ninth line at the fifth position has a yang line in a yang position, being arrogant and extravagant beyond measure; the sixth line above it is superior but lacks the strength to correct it, thus only accelerating the coming of calamity. Therefore it says, "An old woman marries a young man, there is no blame and no praise." "Old woman" refers to the sixth line, "young man" refers to the fifth line. The husband is young and the wife is old, which is the image of a ruler despising his minister. Therefore it teaches the sixth line to be content with "no blame and no praise," so as to seek safety in such a world. Having "blame" brings punishment, having "praise" brings suspicion.

上六：過涉，滅頂：凶，無咎。《象》曰：“過涉”之“凶”，不可咎也。“過涉”至於“滅頂”，將有所救也，勢不可救，而徒犯其害，故凶。然其義則不可咎也。

The line statement of the sixth line at the top says: crossing water too deeply, the water has risen above the head, resulting in misfortune, but there is no one to blame. The image commentary says: the misfortune of excessive crossing is not something to blame. Crossing the water until it reaches the head is because one wishes to save someone; but the situation is already beyond salvation, and one suffers misfortune in vain, hence the misfortune. However, in terms of righteousness, one should not blame him.

坎上，坎下。習“坎”。“坎”，險也。水之所行，而非水也。惟水為能習行於險，其不直曰“坎”，而曰“習坎”，取於水也。有孚，維心，亨。行有尚。《彖》曰：“習坎”，重險也，水流而不盈。險，故流；流，故不盈。

The hexagram Kan has the same trigram Kan (water) both above and below, and is called "Xí Kǎn" (Practice of the Water). "Kan" means danger or peril, referring to the place where water flows, but not the water itself. Only water can repeatedly flow through dangerous places, so this hexagram is not called "Kan" directly but "Xí Kǎn," meaning that the meaning lies in the water. The hexagram statement says: having sincerity in the heart and remaining steadfast in one's resolve, one will achieve success; acting in this way will earn respect from others. The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Xí Kǎn" refers to repeated dangers, with water flowing through them without becoming full. It is precisely because of the danger that water flows forward; and precisely because it flows forward, it never becomes full.

行險而不失其信。萬物皆有常形，惟水不然。因物以為形而已。世以有常形者為信，而以無常形者為不信。然而方者可斲以為圓，曲者可矯以為直，常形之不可恃以為信也如此。今夫水，雖無常形，而因物以為形者，可以前定也。是故工取平焉，君子取法焉。惟無常形，是以迕物而無傷。惟莫之傷也，故行險而不失其信。由此觀之，天下之信，未有若水者也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: To walk through difficulties without losing one's integrity. All things have fixed forms, but water is different; it takes the shape of whatever it encounters. People regard things with fixed forms as trustworthy and those without fixed forms as untrustworthy. However, square things can be cut into round ones, and bent things can be straightened. Thus, fixed forms are unreliable and cannot serve as evidence of trustworthiness. Now, although water has no fixed form, its ability to take the shape of whatever it meets is certain in advance. Therefore, craftsmen use it to level surfaces, and gentlemen use it to establish principles. Because it has no fixed form, it touches everything without being harmed; because it is not harmed, it can walk through difficulties without losing its integrity. Thus, water is the most trustworthy thing in the world.

“維心，亨”；乃以剛中也。所遇有難易，然而未嘗不志於行者，是水之心也。物之窒我者有盡，而是心無已，則終必勝之。故水之所以至柔而能勝物者，維不以力爭而以心通也。不以力爭，故柔外；以心通，故“剛中”。行有尚，往有功也。“尚”，配也。方園曲直，所遇必有以配之。故無所往而不有功也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: "With the heart, it is smooth," because the yang is in the center. The situations encountered are sometimes difficult and sometimes easy, yet the heart remains steadfast in its forward movement, just like water. Whatever blocks me will eventually reach an end, but this heart that moves on has no limit, and in the end it will overcome everything. Therefore, water is extremely soft yet can overcome all things, because it does not rely on force to compete, but instead uses its will to penetrate. Not relying on force makes it appear soft, while using its will to penetrate makes it internally "strong in the center." The Commentary on the Judgment also says: "It is beneficial to go forward," meaning that going forward will bring results. "Beneficial" means to match. Whether square, round, curved, or straight, the various forms water encounters, it will always find a way to match them, so wherever it goes, it will achieve results.

天險不可升也：地險山川丘陵也；王公設險以守其國。朝廷之儀，上下之分，雖有強暴而莫敢犯，此“王公”之“險”也。險之時用大矣哉！《象》曰：水至，“習坎”。君子以常德行，習教事。事之待教而後能者，“教事”也。君子平居“常”其“德行”，故遇險而不變。“習”為“教事”，故遇險而能應。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: The danger of Heaven lies in its being lofty and unattainable; the danger of Earth lies in mountains, rivers, and hills. Kings and princes set up obstacles to guard their states. The rituals of the court and the distinctions between superiors and inferiors, even the most fierce individuals dare not violate. This is the "danger" set by the "Kings and Princes." The function of danger in worldly circumstances is indeed great! The Image Commentary says: Water flows in successive layers, which is the image of the卦 (Hexagram) of "Progress through Difficulty." The gentleman thus understands that he should maintain his virtue constantly and repeatedly practice the affairs of government and education. Any task that requires training is called "affairs of education." The gentleman maintains his virtue consistently in daily life, so he does not change when encountering difficulties; he repeatedly practices the affairs of government and education, so he can cope with difficulties when they arise.

初六：習坎，入于坎窞，凶。《象》曰：“習坎”入坎，失道凶也。六爻皆以險為心者也。夫苟以險為心，則大者不能容，小者不能忠；無適而非，寇也。惟相與同患，其勢有以相待，然後相得而不叛。是故居“坎”之世，其人可與同處患，而不可與同處安。九二、九五，二險之不相下者也；而六三、六四，其蔽也。夫有事於敵，則蔽者先受其害。故九二之於六三，九五之於六四，皆相與同患者也，是以相得而不叛，至於初、上，處內外之極，最遠於敵而不被其禍，以為足以自用而有餘，是以各挾其險以待其上。初不附二，上不附五，故皆有“失道”之“凶”焉。君子之習險，將以出險也。習險而入險，為寇而已。

The line statement for the first line says: Being in a dangerous situation, one falls into a small pit within the Kan, which is凶. The image commentary says: Being in the situation of "repeated danger" and falling into Kan again, this is because one has lost the right path, hence the凶. In this hexagram, none of the six lines are free from harboring danger in their hearts. Since the mind is full of danger, those in superior positions cannot tolerate others, and those in inferior positions cannot remain loyal. No matter where one goes, one meets enemies. Only when people share hardship and rely on each other in circumstances where they cannot do without one another can they coexist without betrayal. Therefore, in the time of Kan, people can endure hardship together, but they cannot share comfort. The lines nine two and nine five are the two opposing sides in the two layers of danger; the lines six three and six four are the respective defenses. Once there is any action against the enemy, the defenses suffer first. Therefore, nine two and six three, and nine five and six four, are in a relationship of shared hardship, hence they can coexist without betrayal. As for the first line and the top line, they are at the ends of the inner and outer hexagrams, farthest from the enemy and not harmed, thinking they are sufficient on their own, thus each uses danger to deal with those above: the first line does not rely on nine two, and the top line does not rely on nine five, hence both suffer the fate of "losing the right path" and "danger." A gentleman practices hardship in order to overcome it; if practicing hardship leads to falling into hardship, then one is merely becoming an enemy.

九二：坎有險，求小得。《象》曰：“求小得”，未出中也。“險”，九五也；“小”，六三也。九二以險臨五，五亦以險待之。欲以求五，焉可得哉？所可得者，六三而已。二所以能得三者，非謂其德足以懷之，徒以二者皆未出於險中，相待而後全故也。

The Line Statement of the Second Line says: "There is danger within the Water, seeking to obtain something brings only a small gain." The Image Commentary says: "Seeking a small gain" is because one has not yet emerged from the dangerous situation. The "danger" in the Line Statement refers to the Nine in the Fifth, and the "small" refers to the Six in the Third. The Second Line uses deception against the Fifth, and the Fifth also uses deception against it. Trying to gain the Fifth through this means will not succeed; what can be obtained is only the Third. The reason the Second Line can obtain the Third is not because its virtue is sufficient to move the Third, but because both have not yet escaped the dangerous situation and must rely on each other to survive.

六三：來之坎坎，險且枕，入于坎窞，勿用。《象》曰：“來之坎坎”，終無功也。“之”，往也；“枕”，所以休息也。來者“坎”也，往者亦“坎”也。均之二“坎”，來則得主，往則得敵。遇險於外，而休息於內也。故曰“險且枕”。六三知其不足以自用，用必無功，故退入於“坎”以附九二，相與為固而已。

The Line Statement of the Third Line says: Coming into the Kan is dangerous, going out of the Kan is also dangerous, there are many dangers but there is something to rely on, falling into a small pit in the Kan, one should not act. The Image Commentary says: "Coming into the Kan, coming into the Kan," ultimately there will be no result. "Zhi" means to go, "Zhen" is something used for resting and relying on. Returning is dangerous, going out is also dangerous; both are two layers of danger. Returning can find a master to rely on, but going out meets enemies. Meeting danger outside, one retreats to the Inner Trigram to rest, so it is said "danger and resting." The Third Line understands that its strength is insufficient to act alone, and forcing action will certainly result in failure, so it retreats into the Kan to rely on Nine Two, the two combine to seek stability.

六四：樽酒，簋貳，用缶，納約自牖；終無咎。《象》曰：“樽酒簋貳”，剛柔際也。“樽酒，簋貳，用缶”，薄禮也。“納約自牖”，簡陋之至也。夫同利者不交而歡，同患者不約而信。四非五無與為主，五非四無與為蔽。饋之以薄禮，行之以簡陋，而終不相咎者，四與五之際也。

The line statement of the fourth line says: "A single cup of wine, two bowls of food, carried in a clay jar, and offered through the window as a simple gift, ultimately without fault." The Image Commentary says: "A single cup of wine, two bowls of food" refers to the meeting of a yang line and a yin line. "A single cup of wine, two bowls of food, carried in a clay jar" indicates the utmost simplicity in the offering, and "offering through the window" shows the utmost simplicity in the ritual. Knowing that people with similar interests naturally harmonize without needing to associate, and people in similar difficulties naturally trust each other without needing to make a pact. The sixth line, in the fourth position, separates from the ninth line, in the fifth position, and thus has no master to rely on; the ninth line, in the fifth position, separates from the sixth line, in the fourth position, and thus has no barrier to protect it. The offering is of the most meager gift, the ritual is of the most rudimentary form, yet neither party blames the other, relying precisely on the connection between the sixth line and the ninth line.

九五：坎不盈，祗既平，無咎。《象》曰：“坎不盈”，中未大也。“祗”，猶言適足也。九五可謂大矣，有敵而不敢自大，故“不盈”也。“不盈”，所以納四也。盈者人去之，不盈者人輸之。故不盈，適所以使之“既平”也。

The Line Statement of the Fifth Line says: "The water depression has not yet been filled, but it is exactly level with the bank, so there is no fault." The Image Commentary says: "The water depression is not full," because it is in the center but does not claim to be great. "Zhi" means "exactly enough." The Fifth Line originally could be considered great, but because there is a strong enemy, it does not claim to be great, hence "not full." "Not full" is precisely to allow the Fourth Line to be included. When something is full, people avoid it; when it is not full, people pour into it. Therefore, "not full" is exactly the way to eventually achieve "level."

上六：係用徽纆，寘于叢棘，三歲不得，凶。《象》曰：上六失道，凶三歲也。夫有敵而深自屈以致人者，敵平則汰矣。故九五非有德之主也。無德以致人，則其所致者皆有求於我者也。上六維無求於五，故“徽纆”以“繫”之，“叢棘”以固之。上六之所恃者險爾，險窮則亡，故“三歲不得，凶”也。

The line statement of the sixth line at the top says: It is bound with a rope and imprisoned in a thorny prison, unable to escape for three years, resulting in misfortune. The image commentary says: The sixth line at the top has lost the correct path, and the misfortune will last for three years. Those who deeply humble themselves to attract people because of a powerful enemy will, once the enemy is subdued, become arrogant and indulgent. Therefore, the fifth line is not a truly virtuous ruler. Without virtue to attract people, those attracted are all people who have something to gain. Only the sixth line at the top has no demands on the fifth line, so the fifth line binds it with a rope and surrounds it with thorns. The sixth line at the top relies only on cunning, but cunning to the extreme leads to downfall, hence 'three years without success, misfortune'.

離上，離下。“離”。火之為物，不能自見，必麗於物而後有形。故“離”之象，取於火也。利貞，亨。畜牝牛吉。《彖》曰：“離”，麗也。日月麗乎天，百穀草木麗乎土。言萬物各以其類麗也。

The hexagram "Li" has the trigram "Li" (Fire) both above and below, hence its name is "Li." Fire itself cannot be seen without being attached to another object, so the hexagram "Li" is symbolized by fire. The hexagram statement says: it is favorable to maintain the correct path and things will be smooth; raising a mother cow is auspicious. The commentary on the judgment says: "Li" means attachment. The sun and moon are attached to the sky, while all plants and trees are attached to the earth. This indicates that all things attach themselves according to their own kind.

重明以麗乎正，乃化成天下；柔麗乎中正，故“亨”，是以“畜牝牛吉”也。六麗：二、五是柔麗中正也。物之相麗者，不正則易合而難久，正則難合而終必固。故曰“利貞，亨”。欲知其所畜，視其主。有是主，然後可以畜是人也。有其人而無其主，雖畜之不為用。故以柔為主，則所畜者，惟牝牛為吉。《象》曰：明兩作，“離”；大人以繼明照于四方。火得其所附，則一炬可以傳千萬；明得其所寄，則一耳目可以盡天下，天下之續吾明者眾矣。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: Twofold brightness attached to the right path, thus nurturing and completing the world; the flexible lines attached to the central and upright positions, so it is 'smooth', hence 'favorable to raise a female ox'. Among all the lines in the hexagram, the lines six two and six five are precisely the flexible ones attached to the central and upright positions. When things attach to each other, the unrighteous may easily join but are hard to maintain, while the upright are difficult to join but ultimately firm, hence the hexagram says 'favorable to hold on firmly, smooth'. To know what can be nurtured, first look at who is in charge: with such a master, one can nurture such a person; with such a person but without a suitable master, even if nurtured, it will be of no use. Since this hexagram is mainly about flexibility, only a female ox is favorable to nurture. The Image Commentary says: Brightness continues to rise, this is the image of the hexagram Li (Fire); the great man thus understands that he should let brightness continue from generation to generation, illuminating all directions. Fire finds something to attach to, one torch can pass on to thousands; virtue of brightness finds someone to entrust to, one pair of ears and eyes can know the whole world, and those who continue my brightness throughout the world will become numerous.

初九：履錯然，敬之，無咎。《象》曰：“履錯”之“敬”，以辟咎也。六爻莫不以相附離為事。而火之性災上者也，故下常附上。初九附六二者也，以柔附剛者，寧倨而無諂；以剛附柔者，寧敬而無瀆。瀆其所附，則自棄者也。故初履聲錯然敬之，以闢相瀆之咎。

The Line Statement of the first yang line says: The steps are crossing and confused, but with respect, there will be no mistake. The Image Commentary says: When one's steps are crossing and confused, being respectful is to avoid misfortune. In the hexagram of Fire, none of the six lines is not concerned with attachment. Fire ascends, so the lower parts often attach to the upper parts. The first yang line attaches to the second yin line. When a strong line attaches to a weak one, it should appear proud rather than submissive; when a weak line attaches to a strong one, it should be overly respectful rather than disrespectful. To be disrespectful to what one is attached to is to self-abandonment. Therefore, when the first yang line hears the sound of crossing steps, it quickly becomes respectful in order to avoid the misfortune caused by disrespect.

六二：黃離，元吉。《象》曰：“黃離元吉”，得中道也。“黃”，中也。陰不動而陽來附之，故“元吉”。九三：日昃之離，不鼓缶而歌，則大耋之嗟，凶。《象》曰：“日昃之離”，何可久也。火得其所附則傳，不得其所附則窮。初九之於六二，六五之於上九，皆得其所附者以陰陽之相資也。惟九三之於九四，不得其傳而遇其窮，如日之昃，如人之耋也。君子之至此，命也。故“鼓缶而歌”，安以俟之。不然，諮嗟而不寧，則凶之道也。

The Line Statement for the Second Line says: Attached to yellow, great good fortune. The Image Commentary says: "Yellow is the original good fortune," because it has attained the middle path. "Yellow" is the color of the center. The Yin line remains still in its place, while the Yang line comes to attach itself, hence "original good fortune." The Line Statement for the Third Line says: Attachment at the time when the sun is setting, if not singing and drumming with a clay pot, one will sigh about the coming of old age, which is ominous. The Image Commentary says: "The sun is setting," where can it last long? Fire can spread when it finds something to attach to, but if it cannot find anything, it reaches its end. The initial Nine and the Second Line, the Fifth Line and the Top Nine, both find something to attach to, because Yin and Yang can support each other. Only the Third Nine and the Fourth Nine, both being Yang lines, cannot pass on and meet the end, just like the sun setting, just like a person in old age. A gentleman reaching this point is just following fate. Therefore, just sing and drum with a clay pot, calmly waiting for it; otherwise, sighing and restless, that is exactly the path to misfortune.

九四：突如其來如，焚如，死如，棄如。《象》曰：“突如其來如”，無所容也。九三無所附，九四人莫附之，皆窮者也。然九三之窮，則諮嗟而已；九四見五之可欲，而不度其義之不可得，故其來“突如”，其炎“焚如”。六五拒而不納，故窮而無所容。夫四之慾得五，是與上九爭也，而上九，“離”之王公也。是以死而眾棄之也。

The statement of the fourth line says: "It comes suddenly, like fire burning, leading to death and being abandoned." The Image Commentary says: "Coming suddenly," refers to its having nowhere to take refuge. Nine in the third has no object to attach to, and Nine in the fourth has no one willing to attach to it; both have reached their limits. However, the poverty of Nine in the third is only lamenting; Nine in the fourth, seeing Six in the fifth as desirable, does not consider whether it can be obtained according to righteousness, so it comes suddenly, its flame burns fiercely. Six in the fifth rejects it and does not accept it, so it reaches its limit and has nowhere to take refuge. Nine in the fourth wanting to obtain Six in the fifth is competing with Nine at the top, and Nine at the top is the prince of the卦 of Fire, so Nine in the fourth ultimately dies and is abandoned by all.

六五：出涕沱若，戚嗟若，吉。《象》曰：六五之吉，離王公也。“王公”，上九也。六五上附上九，而九四欲得之。故“出涕”、“戚嗟”，以明不貳也。六五不貳於四，則上九離之矣，故吉。

The Line Statement of the Fifth Line says: Tears flow like rain, sorrowful sighs, auspicious. The Image Commentary says: The Fifth Line is auspicious because it adheres to the Duke or Marquis. 'Duke or Marquis' refers to the Top Nine. The Fifth Line adheres upward to the Top Nine, while the Fourth Nine insists on obtaining it, so it 'wets its eyes' and 'sighs with sorrow,' indicating it has no other intentions. The Fifth Line has no other intentions toward the Fourth Nine, so the Top Nine also adheres to it, hence auspicious.

上九：王用出征，有嘉折首，獲匪其醜，無咎。《象》曰：“王用出征”，以正邦也。凡在下者，未免離於人也。惟上九離人，而不離於人。故其位為王，其德可以正人，各安其所離矣。而有亂群者焉，則王之所征也。“嘉”者，六五也。非其類者，九四也。六爻皆無應，故近而附之者得稱“嘉”也。其嘉之所以能克其非類者，以上九與之也。

The line statement of the top nine says: The king goes to war, achieving a good result, cutting off the head of the enemy leader, and capturing those who are not of the same kind, without fault. The image commentary says: "The king uses military action" is to correct the states. Those in a lower position inevitably have to attach themselves to others; only the top nine allows others to attach themselves to it, without needing to attach itself to others. Therefore its position is that of the king, its virtue sufficient to correct others, making all the lines rest contentedly in their respective attachments. If there is disturbance among the categories, that is what the king must wage war against. The term "jiā" in the line statement refers to the sixth five, and "bù qí lèi" refers to the ninth four. In the卦 of Li, none of the six lines have a proper response, so those that are close and attach themselves can be called "jiā." The sixth five's "jiā" is able to overcome the ninth four, which is not of the same kind, because the top nine is on its side.

兌上，艮下。“咸”：亨，利貞。取女吉。《彖》曰：“咸”，感也。柔上而剛下，二氣感應以相與。止而說，男下女，是以“亨，利貞，取女吉也”。下之而後得，必貞者也。取而得貞，取者之利也。天地感而萬物化生，聖人感人心而天下和平。觀其所感，而天地萬物之情可見矣！情者，其誠然也。“雲從龍，風從虎”，無故而相從者，豈容有偽哉！《象》曰：山上有澤，“咸”。君子以虛受人。

The hexagram Xian has the upper trigram Dui (Lake, Young Woman) and the lower trigram Gen (Mountain, Young Man). The hexagram statement says: "Smooth, favorable for uprightness, marriage is auspicious." The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Xian" means mutualsympathetic response (response). The yao of yin rises while the yao of yang descends, and the two energies respond to each other, thus becoming close; one remains still while the other is joyful, and the man takes the initiative to submit to the woman, hence it says "smooth, favorable for uprightness, marriage is auspicious." Only by first being willing to humble oneself and submit can one obtain a virtuous woman; to be able to marry a virtuous woman is indeed a benefit for the one who seeks marriage. The Commentary on the Judgment also says: the heavens and earth respond to each other, and thus all things are generated and nurtured; the sage moves the hearts of people, and thus the world becomes harmonious and peaceful. By observing what they respond to, the true nature of heaven, earth, and all things becomes clear. What is meant by "qing" (affection) is that natural sincerity. The Wenyan of Qian says, "Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger," which implies that they naturally follow each other without cause, and there is no room for the slightest falsehood here. The Image Commentary says: a great lake on a mountain, which is the image of Xian; thus the gentleman understands that he should accept others with an open and empty mind.

初六：咸其拇。《象》曰：“咸其拇”，志在外也。“外”，四也。“咸其拇”者，以是為“咸”也。“咸”者以神交，夫神者將遺其心，而況於身乎？身忘而後神存，心不遺則身不忘，身不忘則神忘。故神與身，非兩存也，必有一忘。足不忘屨，則屨之為累也甚於桎梏，要不忘帶，則帶之為虐也甚於縲紲。人之所以終日躡屨束帶而不知厭者，以其忘之也。

The line statement for the first line (Initial Six) says: The response occurs at the big toe. The Image Commentary says: "The response is at the big toe," meaning that the mind is in the outer trigram. Here, "outer" refers to the Nine in the Fourth position. So, "the response is at the big toe" is taking the movement of the big toe as the "response." In reality, the true "response" is the mutual interaction of spirit. Spirit is something that even the mind must set aside, let alone the body. When the body is forgotten, the spirit can remain; when the mind cannot let go, the body cannot be forgotten; and when the body cannot be forgotten, the spirit is lost. Therefore, spirit and body cannot both be preserved; one must be forgotten. If the foot cannot forget the shoe, the burden of the shoe is worse than foot and hand shackles; if the waist cannot forget the belt, the torment of the belt is worse than ropes binding the body. People wear shoes and tie belts all day without feeling bored, precisely because they have forgotten them.

道之可名言者，皆非其至。而“咸”之可分別者，皆其粗也。是故在卦者，“咸”之全也，而在爻者。“咸”之粗也。爻配一體，自拇而上至於口，當其處者有其德。德有優劣，而吉凶生焉。合而用之，則拇履腓行、心慮口言，六職並舉而我不知，此其為卦也。離而觀之，則拇能履而不能捉，口能言而不能聽，此其為爻也。方其為卦也，見其“咸”而不見其所以“咸”，猶其為人也，見其人而不見其體也。六體各見，非全人也。見其所以“咸”，非全德也。是故六爻未有不相應者，而皆病焉，不凶則吝，其善者免於悔而已。六二：咸其腓，凶；居吉。《象》曰：雖“凶”“居吉”，順不害也。“順”，九三也。

Any Dao that can be expressed in words is not the highest Dao. Similarly, thesympathetic response of the hexagram "Xian" (Attraction) is not fully understood when it is dissected into individual components; these are only its superficial aspects. The entire hexagram presents the complete "Xian," while each line presents only a fragment of it. Each of the six lines corresponds to a part of the body, starting from the big toe and going up to the mouth. Being in a certain position gives one the ability of that position; these abilities vary in quality, and thus bring about good or bad fortune. When all six functions are used together, the big toe touches the ground, the calf moves, the mind thinks, and the mouth speaks, all six functions working together without my awareness. This is the state of the entire hexagram. When viewed separately, the big toe can walk but cannot grasp, the mouth can speak but cannot hear. This is the state of each line. When it is considered as a whole, one sees only thesympathetic response but not how it occurs, just as one sees a person but not his individual limbs. When the six limbs are each distinct, they are no longer a complete person; when the reasons for thesympathetic response are examined separately, they are no longer a complete virtue. Therefore, all six lines of the hexagram "Xian" have proper correspondences, yet each line has its own flaw: either it is凶 or 吝, and the best outcome is merely avoiding regret. The line statement of line six-two says: thesympathetic response occurs in the calf, which is凶; but if one remains still, it is吉. The Image Commentary says: although it is凶, it is吉 when one remains still, because being柔顺 means not being harmed. Here, "顺" refers to line nine-three.

九三：咸其股，執其隨，往吝。《象》曰：“咸其股”，亦不處也；志在隨人，所執下也。“執”，牽也；“下”，二也。體靜而神交者，“咸”之正也。“艮”，止也。而所以為“艮”者，三也。三之德固欲止，而初與二莫之聽者，往從其配也。見配而動，雖三亦然。是故三雖欲止，而不免於隨也。附於足而足不能禁其動者，拇也；附於股而股不能已其行者，腓也。初與二者，“艮”之體，而“艮”不能使之止也。拇雖動，足未必聽。故初之於四，有志而已。腓之所之（以）無不隨者，以動靜之制在焉。故可以凶、可以吉也。股欲止而牽於腓，三欲止而牽於二。不信己而信人，是以“往吝”也。

The line statement of nine in the third says: The response occurs on the thigh, being pulled and thus only able to move with others, going forward brings regret. The image commentary says: "The response occurs on the thigh," also indicates unwillingness to stay still; the mind is inclined to follow others, and what is held onto is indeed low. "Hold" means to restrain, and "low" refers to six in the second. Remaining still in body while connecting with others in spirit is the proper way of "response." The nature of Gen is stillness, and in this hexagram, what exemplifies Gen is precisely nine in the third. Nine in the third naturally wants to stop, but both initial six and six in the second do not listen to it, each going to follow their own line. As soon as they see a corresponding object, they move, and even nine in the third cannot avoid it. Therefore, although nine in the third wants to stop, it ultimately cannot help but follow others. The big toe attached to the foot, but the foot cannot control it; the calf attached to the thigh, but the thigh cannot stop it from moving forward. Initial six and six in the second are originally parts of the body of Gen, yet Gen cannot make them stop. Although the big toe moves, the foot does not necessarily follow; thus, initial six's connection with nine in the fourth is only a thought in the mind. As for the calf, once it moves, the whole body follows, because control over movement and stillness lies with it, so it can bring either misfortune or good fortune. The thigh originally wanted to stop, but was pulled by the calf; nine in the third originally wanted to stop, but was pulled by six in the second. Not trusting oneself but trusting others, hence "going brings regret."

九四：貞吉，悔亡。憧憧往來，朋從爾思。《象》曰：“貞吉悔亡”，未感害也；“憧憧往來”，未光大也。九四之所居，心之所在也。方其為卦也，四隱而不見，心與百體並用而不知，是以無悔無朋。及其表之以四也，而心始有所在。心有所在，而物疑矣。故“憧憧往來”以求之，正則吉，不正則不吉。既感則“悔亡”；未感則害我者也。其朋則從，非其朋則不從也。

The statement of the fourth line says: If one maintains correctness, it will be auspicious, and regret will vanish; if one's mind is uncertain and fluctuating, only those who are in harmony with you will follow your thoughts. The Image Commentary says: "Maintaining correctness brings auspiciousness and regret vanishes," meaning it has not yet been harmed by influence; "fluctuating and coming and going" indicates that the mind is not yet bright and expansive enough. The position of nine in the fourth line corresponds exactly to the heart. When it is still part of the whole hexagram, nine in the fourth is hidden and not apparent; the heart works together with the entire body without being aware of itself, so there is neither regret nor any concept of "companions." Only when it is singled out as nine in the fourth does the heart have a fixed place; once the heart has a fixed place, external things begin to doubt it. Thus, it fluctuates and seeks others; if what is sought is correct, it is auspicious, if not, it is inauspicious. Once the influence is established, regret vanishes; if the influence has not yet been established, it becomes something that harms me. Those who are in harmony with me follow me, while those who are not in harmony do not follow me.

九五：咸其脢，無悔。《象》曰：“咸其脢”，志末也。拇之動，腓之行，股之隨，心之憧憧往來，皆有為之病也。懲其病而舉不為者，是無為之病也。五之所在者，“脢”也。而脢者，體之不動而無事者也，畏其有事之勞，而“咸”於無事之求，“無悔”而已，志已卑矣。上六：咸其輔、頰、舌。《象》曰：“咸其輔頰舌”，滕口說也。上六之所在者，口也。夫有以為“咸”者，口未必不用；而恃口以為“咸”，則不可。

The Line Statement of the Nine in the Fifth says: Thesympathetic response occurs on the back and flesh, without regret. The Image Commentary says: "The感应 is on the back and flesh," meaning the aspiration has reached the end. The movement of the big toe, the walking of the calf, the following of the thigh, and the restlessness of the heart are all faults caused by "acting." However, because of fear of these faults, one may choose to do nothing at all, which becomes the fault of "not acting." The position of the Nine in the Fifth is "back and flesh," which is the part of the body that does not move and has nothing to do. It fears the labor of action, so it entrusts thesympathetic response to "not doing anything," thus achieving "no regret," but its aspiration has already become very low. The Line Statement of the Six at the Top says: Thesympathetic response occurs on the jaw, cheek, and tongue. The Image Commentary says: "The感应 is on the jaw, cheek, and tongue," which is merely talking. The position of the Six at the Top is the mouth. A person who truly feels something may not necessarily use his mouth; but relying solely on the mouth to seeksympathetic response is not enough.

震上，巽下。“恆”：亨，無咎，利貞。利有攸往。《彖》曰：“恆”，久也。剛上而柔下，雷風相與，“巽”而動，剛柔皆應，“恆”。“恆，亨，無咎，利貞”，久於其道也。所以為“恆”者，貞也。而貞者施於既“亨、無咎”之後者也。上下未交，恩澤未渥，而驟用其貞，此危道也。故將為“恆”，其始必有以深通之，其終必有以大正之。方其通物也，則上下之分有相錯者矣。以錯致亨，亨則悅；悅故無我咎者。無咎而後貞，貞則可“恆”。故“恆”非一日之故也，惟久於其道而無意於速成者能之。

The Hexagram of Constancy has the trigram Zhen (Thunder) above and Xun (Wind) below. The Hexagram Statement says: "It is smooth, without fault, favorable to maintain constancy, and favorable to go forward." The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Constancy" means enduring. The strong lines are above, the yielding lines below, Thunder and Wind supporting each other, humble yet active, with each line corresponding to the other. This is the nature of the Hexagram of Constancy. "Constancy, smooth, without fault, favorable to maintain constancy" means to remain steadfast on one's path. What makes a thing endure is "constancy"; however, "constancy" should be applied after things have become smooth and free of fault. When the upper and lower parts have not yet harmonized, and the influence has not yet permeated deeply, to apply the standard of constancy too soon is dangerous. Therefore, to establish a lasting course, one must first deeply penetrate it, and only then can one greatly establish it. When penetrating human relations, the distinctions between above and below may inevitably become confused; by this confusion, smoothness is achieved, and when smoothness is achieved, people are joyful, and when people are joyful, no one will blame me. Without blame, then one can maintain constancy; and only by maintaining constancy can one achieve enduring results. Therefore, "constancy" is not something achieved in a day or two; only those who remain steadfast on the right path and do not rush can achieve it.

天地之道，恆久而不已也；“利有攸往”，終則有始也。物未有窮而不變者。故“恆”非能執一而不變，能及其未窮而變爾。窮而後變，則有變之形；及其未窮而變，則無變之名，此其所以為“恆”也。故居“恆”之世，而“利有攸往”者，欲及其未窮也。夫能及其未窮而往，則終始相受，如環之無端。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: The way of Heaven and Earth is constant and unceasing; "it is advantageous to go somewhere" because an end is also a beginning. There is nothing in the world that reaches its limit without changing. Therefore, "constancy" is not about clinging to something without change, but about changing before it reaches its limit. If one changes only after reaching the limit, then the change becomes evident; but if one changes before reaching the limit, there is no need for the name of change — this is what is meant by "constancy." Therefore, in the context of the hexagram of Constancy, saying "it is advantageous to go somewhere" means acting before the matter reaches its limit. If one can move forward before the limit is reached, then the beginning and the end connect with each other, like a circle with no beginning or end.

日月得天而能久照。“照”者，日月也。運之者，天也。四時變化而能久成。將明恆久不已之道，而以日月之運、四時之變明之，明其未窮而變也。陽至於午，未窮也；而陰已生。陰至於子，未窮也；而陽已萌。故寒暑之際人安之，如待其窮而後變，則生物無類矣。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: The sun and moon can shine for a long time only by following the movement of heaven. The sun and moon emit light and shine, but it is heaven that moves them. The Commentary on the Judgment also says: The four seasons continuously change, thus enabling the completion of all things. To explain the principle of constancy and continuity, the example of the movement of the sun and moon and the change of the four seasons is used. This is to show that they change before they reach their limits. When yang energy reaches the hour of Wu, it has not yet reached its limit, but yin energy has already begun to arise; when yin energy reaches the hour of Zi, it has not yet reached its limit, but yang energy has already begun to stir. Therefore, people can calmly endure the coming of cold and heat. If change were only to occur after reaching the limit, then all living things in the world would become extinct.

聖人久於其道，而天下化成；觀其所恆，而天下萬物之情可見矣。非其至情者，久則厭矣。《象》曰：雷風，恆。君子以立不易方。“雷”、“風”，非天地之常用也；而天地之化所以無常者，以有“雷”、“風”也。故君子法之，以能變為“恆”；“立不易方”，而其道運矣。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: The sage remains steadfast in his way for a long time, and thus the world is cultivated and formed; by observing what a person consistently holds onto, the true nature of all things in the world becomes evident. Anything that is not genuinely from the heart will eventually become tiresome to people. The Image Commentary says: Thunder and wind assisting each other, this is the image of the Hexagram of Constancy; thus the gentleman understands that he should establish himself with firmness and not change his direction. Thunder and wind are not the constant actions of heaven and earth, yet the transformation and movement of heaven and earth precisely come about because of thunder and wind. Therefore, the gentleman takes "change" as his "constancy"; outwardly he appears to be "standing firm without changing direction," but his way is actually always in motion.

初六：浚恆，貞凶，無攸利。《象》曰：“浚恆”之“凶”，始求深也。“恆”之始，陽宜下陰以求亨；及其終，陰宜下陽以明貞。今九四不下初六，故有“浚恆”之凶。上六不下九三，故有“振恆”之凶。二者皆過也，易地而後可。下沈曰“浚”，上奮曰“振”。初六以九四不見下，故求深自藏以遠之，使九四雖田而無獲，可謂貞矣。然陰陽否而不亨，非所以為恆之始也，故“凶”。始不亨而用貞，終必兩廢，故“無攸利”。夫“恆”之始，宜亨而未宜貞。

The line statement for the first line says: Initially seeking too deeply is dangerous, even though it is correct, there is no benefit. The image commentary says: "Seeking deeply in constancy" is dangerous because it starts too deeply. In the beginning of the Hexagram of Constancy, the yang should humble itself to the yin to achieve success; at the end, the yin should humble itself to the yang to show constancy. Now, the line nine in the fourth place refuses to humble itself to the first line, hence the danger of "seeking deeply in constancy"; the line six at the top refuses to humble itself to the line nine in the third place, hence the danger of "uplifting constancy." Both are excessive, and the positions should be reversed. Going down deeply is called "seeking deeply," going up vigorously is called "uplifting." The first line, because the line nine in the fourth place refuses to come down to it, retreats deeper, keeping away from it, allowing the line nine in the fourth place to go out hunting but gain nothing. Looking at this alone, it can be considered as constancy. However, yin and yang are blocked and not connected, which should not be the beginning of a lasting path, hence "dangerous." Starting without success and urgently applying constancy, both ends end up empty, hence "no benefit." Understand that the beginning of the Hexagram of Constancy should focus on success, not yet on constancy.

九二：悔亡。《象》曰：九二“悔亡”，能久中也。“艮”、“兌”合而後為“咸”，“震”、“巽”合而後為“恆”。故卦莫吉於“咸”、“恆”者，以其合也。及離而觀之，見己而不見彼，則其所以為“咸”、“恆”者亡矣。故“咸”、“恆”無完爻，其美者不過“悔亡”。“恆”之世，惟四宜下初，自初以上，皆以陰下陽為正。故九二、九三、六五、上六，皆非正也。以中者用之，猶可以“悔亡”；以不中者用之，則無常之人也。故九三“不恆其德”。

The line statement of nine in the second says: regret disappears. The image commentary says: nine in the second can 'regret disappear' because it can maintain the middle path for a long time. The combination of gen and dui forms the hexagram Xian, and the combination of zhen and xun forms the hexagram Heng. Therefore, in terms of hexagram images, there are none more auspicious than Xian and Heng, because they speak of 'union'. However, when looking at the lines separately, one only sees oneself and not the other, so what makes them Xian and Heng is lost. Therefore, none of the lines in Xian and Heng are perfect, and the best is only the two words 'regret disappears'. In the hexagram Heng, only nine in the fourth should yield to six at the beginning; from six at the beginning upwards, all the yin lines yielding to yang lines are correct. Therefore, nine in the second, nine in the third, six in the fifth, and six at the top are not correct. Those who are in incorrect positions but can maintain the middle can 'regret disappear'; those who are in incorrect positions and cannot maintain the middle become fickle, so nine in the third is 'not constant in virtue'.

九三：不恆其德，或承之羞，貞吝。《象》曰：“不恆其德”，無所容也。《傳》曰：“人而無恆，不可作巫醫。”子曰：“不占而已矣。”夫無常之人，與之為巫醫且不可，而況可與有為乎？人惟有常，故其善惡可以外占而知，無常之人，方其善也，若可與有為；及其變也，冰解潦竭，而吾受其羞。故與是人遇者，去之吉，貞之吝。善惡各有徒，惟無常者無徒。故曰：“不恆其德，無所容也。”九四：田無禽。《象》曰：久非其位，安得禽也？九四居非其位，而重下初六。初六，其所欲得也，故曰“無禽”；上亢而下沉，欲以獲初，難矣。

The third line statement says: If one cannot maintain one's virtue consistently, one may suffer disgrace, and even holding onto righteousness brings regret. The Image Commentary says: "Not maintaining one's virtue" means such a person has nowhere to belong. An old saying records: "If a person lacks perseverance, he cannot even be a witch or a physician." Confucius then says: "Such a person does not need to be divined." These two statements are found in the "Lunyu · Zilu." A fickle person cannot even work with a witch or physician, let alone join in great endeavors. Only those who remain consistent can have their good or evil nature judged from the outside; for those who are fickle, when they do good, they seem capable of achieving something, but when they change, it is like ice melting or water drying up, leaving nothing, and I suffer disgrace along with them. Therefore, encountering such a person, it is auspicious to leave him, but to cling to him brings regret. Good has good companions, evil has evil companions, but a fickle person has no companions at all. Hence, the Image Commentary says: "Not maintaining one's virtue, has nowhere to belong." The fourth line statement says: hunting fails to catch any game. The Image Commentary says: how can one hunt game if one stays in a position that does not belong to oneself? The fourth line occupies a position it does not belong to, and refuses to humble itself to take the position of the initial six. The initial six is exactly what it desires, hence "no game." Above it is lofty, below it is deep, and trying to obtain the initial six by this means is difficult.

六五：恆其德，貞婦人吉，夫子凶。《象》曰：“婦人貞吉”，從一而終也；夫子制義，從婦凶也。“恆”以陰從陽為正，六五下即二，則婦人之正也。九二上從五，則夫子之病也。上六：振恆，凶。《象》曰：“振恆”在上，大無功也。“恆”之終，陰宜下陽者也。不安其分而奮於上，欲求有功，而非其時矣。故“凶”。

The Line Statement of the Fifth Line says: To maintain one's virtue constantly, such steadfastness is auspicious for a woman but ominous for a man. The Image Commentary says: "A woman's steadfastness is auspicious," because she remains faithful to one man; a man should decide matters of righteousness by himself, and following a woman would be ominous. The Hexagram of Constancy takes the following of the yang by the yin as the correct way. The Fifth Line moving downward to the Second Line represents the proper path of a woman; the Second Line moving upward to follow the Fifth Line becomes the fault of a man. The Line Statement of the Sixth Line at the top says: To seek constancy with restlessness and agitation, is ominous. The Image Commentary says: "To act with agitation in constancy" and to be at the topmost position, is great but without result. The Hexagram of Constancy reaches its end, where yin should yield to yang; the Sixth Line at the top is not content with its position, but instead acts restlessly and agitatedly above, attempting to achieve something, but the time is already inappropriate, hence "ominous."

乾上，艮下。“遯”：亨，小利貞。《彖》曰：“遯，亨”，遯而亨也。陰盛於“否”而至於“剝”，君子未嘗不居其間也。“遯”以二陰而伏於四陽之下，陰猶未足以勝陽，而君子遂至於遯。何也？曰：君子之遯，非直棄去而不復救也，以為有亨之道焉。今夫二陰在內，“遯”之主也；其勢至銳，而其朋至寡。銳，則其終必勝；寡，則其心常欲得眾。君子及其未勝而遯，則陰無與處而思求陽。陰思求陽而後陽可以處，故曰：“遯，亨，遯而亨也。”

The hexagram Dùn has the trigram Qian (Heaven) above and Gen (Mountain) below. The hexagram statement says: "It is smooth, and it is favorable to maintain the right course." The commentary on the judgment says: "Dùn, smooth," meaning that retreating leads to smoothness. Yin energy was already strong in the hexagram Pí, and even stronger in the hexagram Bō, yet the gentleman did not leave such a world. The hexagram Dùn is merely two yin lines hidden beneath four yang lines, and Yin is still not strong enough to overcome Yang. The gentleman has already retreated, so why is that? The answer is: the gentleman's retreat is not abandoning the world entirely, but rather recognizing that there is a path to success within retreat. At present, the two yin lines are in the inner trigram, making them the main force of the hexagram Dùn, with a very sharp momentum, but very few allies. Sharpness will eventually prevail, while scarcity leads to a constant desire to attract more people. The gentleman retreats before the momentum becomes overwhelming, so Yin has no one to associate with and must turn back to Yang. When Yin turns back to Yang, Yang has a place to stand, so the commentary on the judgment says: "Dùn, smooth, because retreating leads to smoothness."

剛當位而應，與時行也。時當遯，雖有應，不得不逝也。“小利貞”，浸而長也。“遯”之時義大矣哉！“浸”而後“長”，則今猶微也。微而忘貞，則廢矣。《象》曰：天下有山，“遯”。君子以遠小人，不惡而嚴。山有企天之意而不可及，陰有慕陽之志而不可追，“遯”之象也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: Yang strength is in the proper position and corresponds with the below, acting in accordance with the situation. When the situation calls for retreat, even if there is a corresponding element, one must depart. The Commentary on the Judgment also says: "Small gain from uprightness," because the Yin force is gradually moistening and growing. The situation and meaning of the hexagram "Retreat" are indeed great. Since it is first "moistening" and then "growing," it shows that the Yin force is still very weak at present. Because it is still weak and forgets to maintain uprightness, the matter will fail. The Image Commentary says: A mountain standing under the heavens, this is the image of the hexagram "Retreat." The gentleman thus understands to distance himself from petty men, without needing to speak harshly, for there is a natural dignity. The mountain has the intention to reach the heavens, yet ultimately cannot reach them; Yin has the desire to emulate Yang, yet ultimately cannot catch up. This is precisely the image of "Retreat."

初六：遯尾，厲；勿用有攸往。《象》曰：“遯尾”之“厲”，不往，何災也？“遯”者皆外向，故初六為“尾”。首之所趣，尾所不能禁也，遯而不能禁，逝者眾矣。眾逝則我無與處，故危；勢不能禁而往迫之，則陽怒而為災，故不利“有攸往”。

The line statement of the first line says: When retreating, one falls behind and faces danger; it is not advisable to go anywhere. The image commentary says: The danger of being at the end of the retreat is that if one does not pursue, where would there be disaster? Those who retreat all move outward, so the first line, being at the very bottom, becomes the "tail." Where the head goes, the tail cannot stop; since retreat is not stoppable, more people will leave. When people have all left, there is no one left on my side to associate with, hence the danger. The situation clearly cannot be stopped, yet if one still pursues and forces them, one will anger the yang and bring disaster, hence it is not advisable to go anywhere.

六二：執之，用黃牛之革，莫之勝說。《象》曰：執用黃牛，固志也。六二“遯”之主，而與五為應，則有以固“執之”矣。方陽之遯，其所以執而留之者，非出於款誠至意，陽不顧也，故必有如牛革之堅者，而又用其黃焉，則忠確之至也。

The Line Statement of the Second Line says: Bind him with a rope made of yellow oxhide, which no one can untie. The Image Commentary says: Using a rope made of yellow oxhide is to strengthen one's determination. The Second Line is the main subject of the Dùn hexagram, and it corresponds with the Fifth Line, so there is a way to firmly 'hold onto' it. When the yang is about to retreat, the means to retain it must come from sincere and earnest intent; otherwise, the yang will not even look at it. Therefore, one must have something as strong as oxhide, and also take 'yellow,' the central and proper color, which represents the utmost in loyalty and firmness.

九三：係遯，有疾，厲；畜臣妾，吉。《象》曰：“係遯”之“厲”，有疾憊也；“畜臣妾吉”，不可大事也。九三雖陽，而與陰同體，是為以陰止陽，徒欲止之而無應於上，止之不由其道，蓋繫之而已。彼欲去矣，而以力繫之，我惟無疾而後可，一日有疾，則彼皆舍我而去爾，何則？所以繫之者，恃力也。故曰：“畜臣妾，吉。”繫者，“畜臣妾”之道，而非所以畜君子也。

The third line statement says: "It is restraining someone so that they cannot retreat, there is illness and danger; using this method to raise servants and concubines is auspicious." The Image Commentary says: "The danger of being restrained in retreat is due to illness and hardship; 'raising servants and concubines is auspicious' means that this method cannot accomplish great things. The third line is a yang line, but it is with two yin lines within the inner trigram, which is like using yin to block yang. It is trying to stop people, but there is no support above, and it is not following the proper way, so it is just a forced restraint. People originally wanted to go away, but you force them to stay, which only works when I am not sick. But when I get sick, they all leave me. Why? Because restraining them is only by force. Therefore, the line statement says 'raising servants and concubines is auspicious.' This method of forced restraint is the way to raise servants and concubines, but not the way to raise gentlemen."

九四：好遯，君子吉，小人否。《象》曰：君子“好遯”，“小人否”也。九四有初六之好，舍其好而遯，則“君子吉”，而“小人否”也。九五：嘉遯，貞吉。《象》曰：“嘉遯貞吉”，以正志也。六二，九五配也。舍其配而遯，故曰“嘉遯”。猶懼其懷也，故戒之以“貞吉”。

The line statement for nine in the fourth says: having affection but still able to retreat, the gentleman is auspicious, but the petty person cannot do so. The image commentary says: the gentleman can 'prefer to retreat,' but the petty person cannot. Nine in the fourth has an affectionate relationship with six at the beginning, yet can let go of this affection and retreat, which is called 'gentleman auspicious,' but the petty person cannot do so. The line statement for nine in the fifth says: a beautiful retreat, maintaining uprightness brings auspiciousness. The image commentary says: 'beautiful retreat, uprightness brings auspiciousness' because one has rectified one's mind. Six in the second is the spouse of nine in the fifth, and nine in the fifth can let go of his spouse and retreat, so it is called 'beautiful retreat.' Even so, there is still fear that his mind may linger, so it is again warned with 'uprightness brings auspiciousness.'

上九：肥遯，無不利。《象》曰：“肥遯無不利”，無所疑也。無應於下，沛然而去，“遯”之肥也。夫九三牽於二陰而為之止，我不知勢之不可以不遯而止之，非其利也；然則上九之“肥遯”，非獨以利我，亦以利三也。

The line statement of Upper Nine says: "Retreating with ease and composure, there is no disadvantage." The Image Commentary says: "Fatty retreat brings no disadvantage," because there is no doubt in the mind. Upper Nine has no corresponding attachment below, so when it departs, it departs thoroughly and comfortably. This is the "fat" in "fat retreat" — meaning ample and easy. Nine Three is restrained by two yin lines and is forced to block others. If I do not realize that retreat is inevitable and still block others, it benefits no one. Thus, the "fat retreat" of Upper Nine is not only beneficial to itself, but also beneficial to Nine Three.