The Seventeenth Section: On the Interaction of Heaven and Earth Elements

運氣升降由於氣，氣之盛衰由於數，數之進退在乎人。聖人作《易》立人極以明人道，言天言地，皆為人言而為人謀。人在天地中，為善為惡，為君子，為小人，皆在人之自為。而氣機之感召，陰陽進退，而數即隨之而消長。積氣成運，積運成象，為殃為祥，皆視所積。積之以漸，非一朝一夕之故。及其至焉，則為泰為否。君子小人之消長，似乎天實為之，命實定之。嗚呼！天豈任其責哉！

The rise and fall of "yun" depends on "qi," the prosperity and decline of "qi" depends on "shu," and the movement of "shu" hinges on people. The sages composed the Book of Changes to establish the "human standard" and clarify human conduct; whenever discussing heaven or earth, it is ultimately for the sake of people, planning for them. Humans live between heaven and earth, whether they do good or evil, become a gentleman or a petty person, entirely depends on their own actions. The qi energy responds to this, causing yin and yang to advance or retreat, and "shu" accordingly increases or decreases. Accumulated qi becomes "yun," and accumulated "yun" manifests as "xiang." Whether it brings calamity or blessing depends entirely on what is accumulated. This accumulation comes gradually, not in a single day; when it reaches its extreme, it becomes "Tai" or "Pou." The rise and fall of gentlemen and petty persons, at first glance, seems to be determined by heaven and fate—ah, how could heaven bear such responsibility!

《易》以象設教，善惡吉凶，無不備著於象。而以陰陽五行生合升降，為之節度。法象於天地，而示人以進德修業之天則，各有數度。此君子以人合天之本，而古聖人經緯天地，燮理陰陽之大用，皆備於此焉。

The Zhou Changes (I Ching) employs "images" (xiang) to carry out education and guidance; goodness and evil, fortune and misfortune, are all fully displayed in these images. It further determines the limits and measures of these images by means of the mutual generation and mutual assistance of yin and yang and the five phases, as well as their rising and falling. It takes the forms of heaven and earth as its model, revealing to people the natural principles of cultivating virtue and advancing in learning. Every step follows a definite measure. This is the fundamental principle of the gentleman's "harmonizing human with heaven." It also fully embodies the great function of the ancient sages in governing the world, regulating yin and yang, and harmonizing the universe.

後儒不察，空言性命，而莫知其象，莫悉其數。反以聖人示之陰陽氣運，為小道，為術數，棄置不言。不知《易》以道陰陽，卦象彖爻無論矣，即孔子之《十翼》，亦無一言無一字，不與陰陽度數相密合。觀於納甲納音，而後知五運六氣，皆出於八卦，在在足與《易》象《易》數相發明。欲知《易》之蘊者，不可不深察焉。

Later scholars of Confucianism were unwilling to examine carefully, and instead engaged only in empty talk about principles and destiny. They did not understand the images of the hexagrams nor grasp the numerical calculations of the Book of Changes. Instead, they condemned the system that the sages used to reveal the movement of yin and yang as a minor craft and a form of numerology, and set it aside. They did not realize that the Book of Changes itself is about the principles of yin and yang: the images of the hexagrams, the statements of the hexagram judgments, and the statements of the lines are self-evident. Even the ten wings written by Confucius contain no statement or word that does not precisely correspond with the measurements of yin and yang. Only after studying the assignment of heavenly stems and the sound elements of the earthly branches will one understand that the medical concept of "five movements and six energies" originates entirely from the eight trigrams, and that everywhere it can be verified and explained in conjunction with the images and numerical calculations of the Book of Changes. Anyone who wishes to understand the profound meaning hidden within the Book of Changes must carefully examine this aspect.

此主運也。客運則以本年所屬五行作初運，輪流而布。

The arrangement above represents the "Main Cycle" or "Main Movement," which is the fixed order of the five phases—wood, fire, earth, metal, and water—throughout the year. As for the "Traveling Cycle," it begins with the five elements corresponding to the heavenly stem of the current year, and then proceeds in the order of mutual generation among the five phases, shifting each year. This Traveling Cycle contrasts with the unchanging Main Cycle.

是為《月令》之氣，年年定局不易，謂之主氣。至於客氣，則從年司天，自正南位起輪布，看主與客相臨，其氣相得則和，不相得則害。

The arrangement shown above corresponds to the system of seasonal energies described in the "Book of Rites: Monthly Orders." This system divides the year into six steps, with a fixed pattern each year, known as "Zhu Qi." As for "Ke Qi," it is determined by the "Shi Tian" energy of that particular year. Starting from the direction of Due South, the energies are arranged in sequence and rotated accordingly. After the arrangement is completed, one examines how the Zhu Qi and Ke Qi interact: if their energies are compatible, they harmonize; if they are conflicting, they cause harm. Many disasters, plagues, and diseases of the year arise from such interactions.

五運六氣，天地陰陽之橐龠，其傳最古，今惟《內經》言之最詳。聖人作《易》，法象乎天地，近取諸身，遠取諸物。而天地萬物，皆範圍乎運氣之中。所謂造化之機，與吾人身心性命，息息相關。民胞物與，豈空言所濟！讀董子《春秋繁露》、《淮南鴻烈》、揚子《法言》，當知鄙言之非妄也。

The "Five Movements and Six Qi" are like the bellows of heaven and earth's yin and yang, alternately expanding and contracting, causing all things to rise and fall accordingly. This theory has been passed down since the earliest times, and today the most detailed exposition of it can be found only in the "Huangdi Neijing" (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon). The sages composed the "Yi Jing" (Book of Changes), drawing their inspiration from the forms of heaven and earth. They took close examples from the human body and distant ones from all things. In fact, heaven, earth, and all things are all encompassed within the scope of the movement and qi. What is called the pivot of creation and transformation is actually intimately connected with our own body, mind, and destiny. Zhang Zai said, "The people are my fellow beings, and all things are my companions," but how can such words be truly realized without action? If one reads Dong Zhongshu's "Chunqiu Fanlu" (Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals), Liu An's "Huainanzi" (Masterful Treatise of the Huainan), and Yang Xiong's "Fayang" (Discourses on the Classic), one will understand that my words are not baseless talk.

《繫傳》曰：“開而當名辨物，正言斷辭，則備矣。”故斷辭必先正言，正言必先辨物，辨物必先當名，名稱其實為當。名而當，則舉其名而物之大小情偽畢見矣。盈天地之間唯萬物，物各有其名，不能悉舉也。而《易》以《彖》、《象》、《爻》三者賅之，以三者舉其綱，而八卦六十四卦之名無不當，天地萬物胥可以名辨而別之。擬之後言，議之後動，而正言斷辭如視之掌矣。

The "Great Treatise" says: "When things are opened up and their names are properly established, and things are clearly distinguished, then the statements of judgment are complete." Therefore, in order to give a statement of judgment for a hexagram and its lines, one must first speak clearly. To speak clearly, one must first distinguish things clearly. To distinguish things clearly, one must first have appropriate names—when names correspond to reality, this is called "appropriate." Once names are appropriate, simply mentioning them reveals the size, nature, and authenticity of the things. The world is filled with myriad things, each with its own name, which is countless. However, the "Zhou Changes" use the "Tao Statements," "Image Statements," and "Line Statements" to encompass them all. By using these three, they provide a summary, so that the names of the eight trigrams and the sixty-four hexagrams are all appropriate, and all things in heaven and earth can be distinguished by their names. As the "Great Treatise" says, "Only after imagining and considering should one speak and act." Thus, clear statements and decisive judgments become as clear as looking at one's own palm.

顧不曰名，而概之以辭者，以《易》之所謂名，皆假名也。本無是物，而以象擬之。無是事，而以象言之。聖人設卦觀象，大而天地風雷，小而蟲鳥沙石，常則家人夫婦，怪則鬼車狐尾，皆假設此物比事，擬諸其形容，象其物宜，以明陰陽造化之妙用，而定人事之吉凶，故曰“繫辭”。

However, the Zhou Yi does not refer to things by their names but generally calls them "words" or "phrases." This is because the names mentioned in the Yi are all borrowed terms. Originally, there were no such things, but they were borrowed to represent an image; originally, there were no such events, but they were borrowed to describe them. The sage established the structure of the hexagrams and observed their images, ranging from great things like heaven, earth, wind, and thunder, to small things like insects, birds, sand, and stones, and even ordinary matters like "family" and "husband and wife," or strange phenomena like "ghost chariot" and "fox tail." These are all borrowed from these things to compare with human affairs. This is what the Great Treatise says: "Comparing them with their forms and appearances, and imitating their appropriate characteristics," using them to explain the subtle workings of yin and yang, and thus determining the fortune or misfortune of human affairs. That is why it is called "attached words" or "attached phrases."

辭焉者，各指其所之。有名辭也，有動辭也，有狀辭及介辭也，未嘗不可辨而晰之。第《易》道通變，其辭亦通變。有名辭而兼作動辭者，有動辭或兼狀辭之用者，如乾為木果，變巽則為不果。雷風相薄，而《繫辭》曰“茅之為物薄”。用一字而面面皆通，立一義皆頭頭是道。苟泥其辭而不察其象，察其象而不究其理，而繫辭之意終不可得。故必欲執一例以求之，則六十四卦皆死物矣。

The term "ci" (words) each indicate their direction or meaning. Among them, there are nouns, verbs, adjectives, and prepositions, which can be clearly distinguished. However, the Way of the Book of Changes values communication and transformation; thus, its words also change and adapt. Some nouns are used as verbs, and some verbs also function as adjectives. For example, the "Say on the Hexagrams" states that Qian (Heaven) is "wooden fruit," but when Qian changes to Xun (Wind), it becomes "not fruit." Another example is the word "bo" in "Thunder and Wind are close to each other," which means approaching, while in the "Great Treatise" it refers to "thinness" in "the grass is thin." A single character can be applied in various contexts and make sense in all aspects, establishing a meaning that is reasonable everywhere. If one insists on clinging to the literal meaning without understanding the hexagram's image, or only looks at the image without exploring the underlying principles, the original intention of the "Great Treatise" will never be fully grasped. Therefore, if one insists on using a fixed example to apply to all, all sixty-four hexagrams would become lifeless objects.

然則《易》之辭果無例可求乎？曰是在學者之神而明之，變而通之，無定之中，亦未始無一定之軌則可循。旨遠而辭隱，是在虛其心以求之，潛其心以會之而已。

Then, is there really no order to the words of the Book of Changes? The answer is: this depends on the person studying the Book of Changes to grasp it intuitively and to adapt and understand it flexibly. Although it seems to have no fixed standard, there is actually a definite principle to follow. The meaning of the Book of Changes is profound and its wording is subtle, so one can only seek it with an open mind and comprehend it through deep reflection.

《易》以道陰陽，故《傳》曰“一陰一陽之謂道”，又曰“立天之道，曰陰與陽”，舉天道而地道人道一以貫之矣。蓋剛柔仁義，亦無非一陰一陽之對待也。而六十四卦，而三百八十四爻，亦無非一陰一陽之對待也。故孔子於乾之初九曰“陽在下也”，於坤之初六曰“陰始凝也”，即為六十四卦三百八十四爻之舉例發凡，以明九之皆為陽，六之皆為陰。而《易》之《彖》、《象》十翼，均無非闡明陰變化作用，故先以對待之辭舉例如下。

The Zhou Changes are used to explain the principles of yin and yang. Therefore, the Great Treatise says, "Yin and yang together are called the Way," and the Discourse on the Hexagrams says, "The Way of Heaven is called yin and yang." By citing the Way of Heaven, the Way of Earth and the Way of Humanity are also fully explained. The firmness and softness of the Way of Earth, the benevolence and righteousness of the Way of Humanity, are all merely pairs of yin and yang. The sixty-four hexagrams and the 384 lines are also all pairs of yin and yang. Therefore, Confucius says in the first line of the Qian hexagram, "Yang is at the bottom," and in the first line of the Kun hexagram, "Yin begins to condense." This establishes a general principle for the sixty-four hexagrams and the 384 lines, indicating that all lines marked "nine" belong to yang and all lines marked "six" belong to yin. The Commentary on the Judgment, the Image Commentary, and all the other ten appendices of the Zhou Changes are all used to explain the workings of yin and yang changes. Therefore, the following will first list examples of paired terms.

乾“其靜也專，其動也直”，坤“其靜也翕，其動也闢”。動靜二字，直陰陽所由判，吉凶所由生，如水火互相為根。昔儒“陽動陰靜”之說，與太極動則為陽，靜則為陰之說，辭意似均未圓滿。陰陽如環無端，動靜亦如是也。

The *Great Treatise* says of the Trigram Qian: "When still, it is concentrated; when moving, it is direct." It says of the Trigram Kun: "When still, it is harmonious; when moving, it is expansive." The terms "movement" and "stillness" are precisely the boundary that distinguishes yin and yang, and the source from which good fortune and misfortune arise. These two are like water and fire, mutually foundational and indispensable. Previously, scholars spoke of "yang being active and yin being still," as well as "when the Taiji moves it becomes yang, and when it is still it becomes yin." Their wording and intent seem insufficient. Yin and yang are like a circle with no beginning or end; movement and stillness are the same. One cannot unilaterally assign movement to yang and stillness to yin.

《雜卦傳》“乾剛坤柔”，《說卦》曰“立地之道，曰柔與剛”，又曰“分陰分陽，迭用柔剛”，《繫傳》“動靜有常，剛柔斷矣”，又曰“剛柔相摩”，又曰“剛柔相推，而生變化”，又曰“剛柔者晝夜之象也”，又曰“剛柔相推，變在其中矣”，又曰“剛柔者立本者也”，又曰“知柔知剛，萬夫之望”，又曰“上下無常，剛柔相易”，又曰“剛柔雜居，而吉凶可見矣”，又曰“柔之為道不利，遠者其要無咎，其用柔中也。其柔其危，其剛勝耶？”

There are many passages in the classics discussing "yin and yang" or "flexibility and firmness." The "Zagua Transmission" says, "Qian is firm, Kun is flexible." The "Shuogua" says, "The principle of the earth is called flexibility and firmness," and also says, "Differentiating yin and yang, they alternate in using flexibility and firmness." The "Xici Transmission" says, "Motion and stillness have their regularity; firmness and flexibility decide the outcome," and says, "Firmness and flexibility rub against each other," and says, "Firmness and flexibility push against each other, thus producing change," and says, "Firmness and flexibility are the images of day and night," and says, "Firmness and flexibility push against each other, and change is within it," and says, "Firmness and flexibility are the foundation," and says, "Knowing flexibility and firmness, one becomes the leader of ten thousand people," and says, "High and low have no constant position; firmness and flexibility alternate," and says, "Firmness and flexibility coexist, and good and bad outcomes become evident." Finally, it says, "The way of the flexible line is not favorable for dwelling in distant positions; it is only because it maintains the middle that it avoids blame; if the flexible line loses the middle, it becomes dangerous, and then it is better to use firmness."

《周易》用剛，故曰“乾元用九，而天下治”。陽剛而陰柔，亦猶以陽統陰之義也。齊小大者存乎卦，陽大陰小，在八卦，坤小乾大，艮止巽齊，是為大與小不齊也。止而齊之，則大通於小，小進於大。裒多益寡，故泰否“小往大來”，與“復小臨大”，皆無非於萬有之不平者，而求其平，此《易》之微旨也。

The Zhou Changes focus on the use of strength, so the Wenyan of the Qian hexagram says, "The Qian yuan uses all nines, and the world is governed." Yang is strong and Yin is gentle, which means governing Yin through Yang. The Xici transmission says, "The distinction between small and great lies in the hexagram." Yang represents great, Yin represents small; among the eight trigrams, the Kun is small and the Qian is great. The Gen trigram represents stillness, and the Xun trigram represents uniformity. Thus, great and small are originally unequal. By using the effort of stopping, one can make the great connect with the small and the small progress toward the great. This is exactly what the Xiangxuan of the Qian hexagram says, "Reducing excess and supplementing deficiency." Removing surplus and making up for lack. Therefore, the Tai and Pi hexagrams discuss "small going away and great coming in" and "great going away and small coming in," the Fu hexagram has one Yang line which is small, and the Lin hexagram has two Yang lines which are great. All of these are seeking for balance among the myriad things that are unequal — this is precisely the subtle purpose of the Zhou Changes.

《否·上九》“先否後喜”，蠱之“先甲後甲”，巽之“先庚後庚”，說者謂陽先陰後，陰宜後而順承陽。不順陽而先陽，則迷而失道。陽宜先陰，不先而反後，則失時失道，此一義也。自康節之學行，又有先天後天之說。言漢學者，攻擊之不遺餘力，然其數理精確，且皆出於天然，不加造作。而按之於經，胥有徵驗。近儒端木鶴田，作《周易指》，以先後天說《易》，逐爻推尋，如按圖索驥，字字吻合，尤為發前人所未發。較虞氏之旁通，更為直捷而少枝節也。

The Upper Nine of the Hexagram of "Opposition" says, "First opposition, then joy." The Hexagram of "Guilt" states, "Three days before the first Jia, three days after the first Jia." The Nine in the Fifth of the Hexagram of "Wind" says, "Three days before the first Geng, three days after the first Geng." Those who explain these say this refers to the principle that Yang comes first and Yin follows. Yin should naturally be behind and follow Yang; if it does not follow Yang but instead takes precedence over Yang, it will become confused and deviate from the right path. Yang should naturally be ahead of Yin; if it does not take the lead but lags behind, it will miss the proper time and deviate from the right path. This is one meaning of "before and after." Since Shao Yong's teachings became popular, the concepts of Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven were introduced. Scholars of the Han learning tradition have strongly criticized these ideas, yet this system is numerically precise and arises naturally, not artificially constructed. When used to verify the classics, it consistently aligns with the text. In modern times, the scholar Duanguo Hu wrote "Zhou Yi Zhi," using the concepts of Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven to interpret the Yi, analyzing each line step by step, as if following a map to find a lost horse, with each word matching perfectly. This approach particularly reveals insights not previously discovered, surpassing Yu Fan's method of "mutual transformation" in being more direct and less complicated.

《坤·彖傳》曰“乃順承天”，又曰“後順得常”。《說卦》曰：“坤順也。”坤順承天，則天逆行，順逆交，錯而四時錯行。日月代明，而天地之道乃成。陽在陽中陽順行，而陽在陰中則逆行。陰在陰中陰順行，而陰在陽中則逆行。大明生於東，月生於西。日行東陸則為秋，日行西陸則為春，陰陽非交互不能成其用也。五行順行則生，逆行則克。有生無克，不能成物。有逆無順，不能生物。故逆生順死，其旨甚微。故曰“《易》逆數也”。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram of Earth says, "It follows and supports Heaven," and also says, "The ruler follows and maintains the constant order." The Book of Changes says, "Earth is characterized by following." Since Earth follows and supports Heaven, Heaven must be moving in the opposite direction. When one is following and the other is opposing, they intermingle and the four seasons can alternate, day and night can succeed each other, and the way of Heaven and Earth can be established. Separately speaking: when Yang is in a Yang position, it moves forward; when Yang is in a Yin position, it moves backward. When Yin is in a Yin position, it moves forward; when Yin is in a Yang position, it moves backward. The sun rises in the east and the moon shines from the west. When the sun passes through the eastern land, it is autumn on earth; when it passes through the western land, it is spring. This shows that Yin and Yang cannot fulfill their functions without interacting. The Five Phases are also like this: moving in order leads to mutual generation, while moving against the order leads to mutual control. Without control, things cannot take shape; without generation, things cannot be transformed. Therefore, "reverse movement produces life, while forward movement leads to death," and the meaning behind this is very subtle. That is why the Book of Changes says, "The Book of Changes is about reverse counting."

《泰·傳》曰：“內陽而外陰，內健而外順，內君子而外小人。”《否·傳》曰：“內陰而外陽，內柔而外剛，內小人而外君子。”《明夷·傳》曰：“內文明而外柔順。”《家人·傳》曰：“男正位乎外，女正位乎內。”此以卦之上卦為外，下卦為內也。《雜卦傳》曰：“睽外也，家人內也。”

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Tai hexagram says: "The inner is yang and the outer is yin, the inner is strong and the outer is compliant, the inner is the gentleman and the outer is the petty person." The Commentary on the Judgment of the Pǐ hexagram says: "The inner is yin and the outer is yang, the inner is soft and the outer is strong, the inner is the petty person and the outer is the gentleman." The Commentary on the Judgment of the Mingyi hexagram says: "The inner is civilized and the outer is compliant." The Commentary on the Judgment of the Jiaoren hexagram says: "The man holds the proper position in the outer, and the woman holds the proper position in the inner." In these instances, the upper trigram of a hexagram is regarded as the outer and the lower trigram as the inner. However, the Miscellaneous Hexagrams says: "Kui is the outer; Jiaoren is the inner." In this case, the distinction between inner and outer is not based on the upper and lower trigrams.

言虞氏學者，以家人與睽分屬內外，則以旁通之兩卦而言。睽與蹇旁通，睽為外則蹇為內。家人與解旁通，家人為內則解為外。內其故也，外其新也。內其躬也，外其鄰也。蓋以五已正位者為內，五未正位者為外。無妄，剛自外來而為主於內，亦以無妄之九五自睽來。以明睽為外，既成無妄，則為主於內，以明無妄為內也。無妄五剛，睽五柔，此兼剛柔言內外也。《周易指》：“以凡言內者，皆因家人。言外者，皆因睽。”《坤·文言》：“直其正也，方其義也。君子敬以直內，義以方外。”亦取象家人與睽，即《易》言內外之凡例也。

Those who study Yu Fan's teachings divide the hexagram "Family" and "Strife" into inner and outer, referring to the two hexagrams that are mutually complementary. "Strife" is complementary to "Obstruction," so "Strife" is outer and "Obstruction" is inner; "Family" is complementary to "Release," so "Family" is inner and "Release" is outer. The term "inner" refers to its original position, while "outer" refers to its new position. "Inner" indicates the self, while "outer" refers to the adjacent line. Generally, if the fifth line is already in the correct position, it is considered inner; if it is not yet in the correct position, it is considered outer. The "Commentary on the Judgment" of the hexagram "Without Deceit" says, "A strong line comes from outside and becomes the main line within," because the nine in the fifth line of "Without Deceit" comes from the hexagram "Strife." This shows that "Strife" is outer, and after transforming into "Without Deceit," it becomes inner and takes the main position, so "Without Deceit" is inner. The fifth line of "Without Deceit" is a strong line, while the fifth line of "Strife" is a weak line, which also considers the strong and weak lines when discussing inner and outer. Du Mu Guo Hu says in "Zhou Yi Zhi": "All discussions about the inner are based on 'Family,' and all discussions about the outer are based on 'Strife.'" The "Discourse on the Literary Meaning" of the hexagram "Earth" says, "Straightness is its correctness, and squareness is its righteousness. A gentleman respects to straighten the inner, and righteousness to regulate the outer." This also takes its image from "Family" and "Strife" — this is the general rule of discussing inner and outer in the "Zhou Yi."

《繫傳》曰：“往者屈也，來者信也。一往一來謂之變，往來不窮謂之通。”蓋陰陽以往來始成其變化，故日往月來，月往日來，大往小來，小往大來，往來而得其道則吉，失道則凶。卦例：由內而之外為往，由外而之內為來。

The Great Treatise says: "Going away is bending, coming back is sincerity. One going away and one coming back is called change, and continuous coming and going is called communication." Yin and yang achieve their transformations precisely through this process of going and coming, hence the sun setting west and the moon rising east, the moon setting west and the sun rising east. The hexagram of "Great Opposition" is "great going and small coming," while the hexagram of "Great Favorability" is "small going and great coming." Coming and going in accordance with the right path brings good fortune, while departing from the right path brings misfortune. In terms of hexagram examples: moving from the inner trigram to the outer trigram is called "going," and returning from the outer trigram to the inner trigram is called "coming."

八卦、六十四卦，皆此一往一來，以經綸運轉而不窮。八卦，乾圓往者屈，而坤方來者信。由乾圓往者，東南西北也。由坤方來者，西南東北也。六十四卦，則乾往坤來，屯往蒙來，以迄於既濟未濟，皆此往來也。此以卦言者也。其以爻言者，如“往得中也”，“往有功也”，“剛來而得中也”，“剛來而文柔也”，要皆指二五而言。詳於虞氏之旁通。

The eight trigrams and the sixty-four hexagrams are all about the continuous movement of going and returning, with the interwoven cycles never ending. Regarding the eight trigrams, the trigram Qian (Heaven) is round and represents 'going,' which is bending; the trigram Kun (Earth) is square and represents 'returning,' which is extending. The directions going out from Qian's round shape are the four cardinal directions: East, South, West, and North. The directions coming in from Kun's square shape are the four intermediate directions: Northeast and Southwest. Regarding the sixty-four hexagrams, the pattern of going and returning continues throughout, such as Qian going and Kun returning, Zun going and Meng returning, continuing all the way to Ji Ji and Wei Ji. This is talking about the whole hexagram. If we consider the lines, for example, the phrases in the Commentary on the Judgment such as 'going and reaching the center,' 'going and achieving success,' 'a strong line coming and reaching the center,' and 'a strong line coming and being gentle' refer to the movement between the second line and the fifth line. The detailed method of calculation is explained in Yu Fan's theory of 'parallel transmission.'

上者，丄也。下者，丅也。上天下地，而中為人。故《易》經文言“上下”者，僅小過一卦，曰“小過亨利貞，不宜上宜下。大吉”。《傳》曰：“不宜上宜下，大吉，上逆而下順也。”蓋《易》者，聖人寡過之書。五十學《易》，可以無大過，而小過或不免也。小過之中二爻，正當六畫卦之人爻，所謂“立人之道，曰仁與義”者此也。故乾之三四兩爻（小過爻也），特著無咎。“無咎者，善補過也。”惟明乎此上下，則得乎中，而過可免矣。

The character "上" was written as "丄" in ancient times, and "下" was written as "丅," with one stroke above and one below. Above represents heaven, below represents earth, and in the middle is humanity. In the text of the Zhou Yi, the term "upper and lower" appears only in the hexagram Xiao Guo, which says, "Xiao Guo, smooth, beneficial to uprightness, not suitable to go up but suitable to go down, great good fortune." The Commentary on the Judgment explains: "Not suitable to go up but suitable to go down, great good fortune, because going up is against the way and going down is in harmony with the way." The Zhou Yi is a book of sages teaching people to commit few mistakes. Confucius said that at fifty one can study the Zhou Yi and avoid great mistakes, but small mistakes may still occur. The two middle lines of the hexagram Xiao Guo correspond to the middle lines of the six-line hexagram, which represent the human line, as mentioned in the Sayings on the Hexagrams: "Establishing the way of humanity, it is called benevolence and righteousness." Therefore, the lines nine three and nine four of the Qian hexagram (which correspond to the lines of Xiao Guo) are specially marked as "no blame," and the Great Treatise says, "No blame means being good at making up for mistakes." So-called "no blame" is because one is good at remedying mistakes. Only by understanding the distinction between upper and lower can one attain the middle way, and thus avoid mistakes.

故《乾·文言》曰：“本乎天者親上，本乎地者親下。”於九三、九四，皆曰“上不在天，下不在田”，又曰“上下無常”。《雜卦傳》曰“離上而坎下也”，《益·彖傳》曰“損上益下”，《損·彖傳》曰“損下益上”，皆以損益得宜，以蘄合乾坤坎離之中，而上下交泰（乾坤交成泰），以成既濟者也。故明小過之上下，而六十四卦之上下，均可以言矣。

Therefore, the "Wenyan" of the Qian hexagram says: "Those originating from Heaven are close to Above, and those originating from Earth are close to Below." Under the two lines, Nine in the Third and Nine in the Fourth, it says "Not above Heaven, not below the fields," and also says "Above and Below have no constant position." The "Zagua Zhuan" says "Fire above and Water below," the "Tianyi Zhuan" of the Yi hexagram says "Reducing Above to benefit Below," and the "Shen Zhuan" of the Shen hexagram says "Reducing Below to benefit Above." All of these depend on proper reduction and increase, aiming to conform to the middle way of Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li, enabling interaction between Above and Below to form Tai, and ultimately achieving the state of Ji Ji. Therefore, as long as one understands the relationship between Above and Below in the Xiaoguo hexagram, the relationship between Above and Below in all sixty-four hexagrams can also be explained.

《說卦》“乾為圓”，《荀九家》“坤為方”，《繫傳》“蓍之德，圓而神。卦之德，方以知”，《坤·六二》“直方大”，《繫傳》又曰“無窮盡，無方體”，又曰“是故神無方而《易》無體”。蓋圓者，神也。方者，體也。乾為天為圓，無體故無方。坤為地，有體故有方。

The "Say on the Hexagrams" says "Qian represents roundness," and the "Xunshi Jiujia Yi" says "Kun represents squareness." The "Great Treatise" states "The virtue of the divining stalk is round and divine; the virtue of the hexagrams is square and knowledgeable." The line statement of the second line of the Kun hexagram says "Straight, square, and great." The "Great Treatise" also says "It is endless and has no definite form," and again says "Therefore, the divine has no fixed place and the Book of Changes has no definite form." This shows that "roundness" refers to the divine and mysterious nature without fixed location, while "squareness" refers to form and definite position. Qian represents Heaven and roundness, having no form, so it has no fixed position; Kun represents Earth and has form, so it has a fixed position.

舊說“圓象天，方法地”，簡言之，則曰“天圓地方”，“奇圓耦方”。近人知地球之為渾圓而非方也，於是曲為之說曰“天圓地方”，言其德非言其體也。而不知《易》之所謂“圓而神，方以知”者，明明指蓍與卦，未嘗謂天之德圓與地之德方也。而乾圓坤方，則確不可易。第所謂方者，即西南東北之方，非謂地體之為立方形也，又何必曲為之解哉！圓無盡而方有盡，故度圓者必以方。玩“乾其靜也專，其動也直”，“坤其靜也翕，其動也闢”二語，則方圓之妙用已闡發無遺。近世幾何形學之界說，皆不能出其範圍矣。

Old interpretations said that "the circle takes its form from heaven, and the square takes its form from earth," meaning "heaven is round and earth is square." In simple terms, this meant that "heaven is round and earth is square." Modern scholars, knowing that the earth is round and not square, have tried to defend the old view by saying that "heaven is round and earth is square" refers to the virtues of heaven and earth rather than their physical forms. They do not realize that the "circle is mysterious and the square is known" in the Zhouyi refers to the divination rods and the structure of the hexagrams, not that the virtue of heaven is round and the virtue of earth is square. As for the statement that "heaven is round and earth is square," this is indeed unshakable. However, the "square" here refers to directions such as southwest and northeast, not that the earth is a cube. Why then should we try to defend it so forcefully? The circle is infinite, while the square is finite, so measuring the circle must be done with the square. Careful study of the "Great Treatise" passage "When still, heaven is focused; when moving, it is straight," and "When still, earth is receptive; when moving, it expands," reveals fully the subtle use of square and circle. All modern geometric definitions concerning points, lines, planes, and solids are within the scope of this.

《繫傳》曰：“變化者，進退之象也。”剛柔相推而生變化，故進退與往來不同。《序卦傳》曰：“晉者進也，遁者退也。”又曰：“漸者進也。”《雜卦傳》云：“遁則退也，需不進也。”《說卦傳》曰：“巽為進退。”《巽·初六》：“進退利武人之貞。”《觀·六三》曰：“觀我生進退。”《乾·九四·文言傳》曰：“進退無恆。”上九：“知進而不知退。”蓋陽進陰退，由內而之外進也，由上而之下退也。進而當，則為得為吉。進而不當，則為失為凶。是皆由陰陽變化而生，故曰“變化者，進退之象也”。

The Great Treatise says: "Change is the image of advance and retreat." Yang and Yin interact with each other, giving rise to change, so "advance and retreat" is different from the previous "coming and going." The Sequence of Changes says: "Jin means advance;遁 means retreat." It also says: "Jian means advance." The Miscellaneous Treatise says: "Dun means retreat; Xu does not advance." The Explanation of the Trigrams says: "Xun represents advance and retreat." The first line of the Xun hexagram says: "Advance and retreat, advantageous for the loyal warrior." The third line of the Guan hexagram says: "Observing my life, advance and retreat." The fourth line of the Qian hexagram in the Commentary on the Lines says: "Advance and retreat without constancy." The top line says: "Knows advance but not retreat." In general, Yang represents advance and Yin represents retreat; moving from the inner trigram to the outer trigram is advance, while moving from a higher position to a lower position is retreat. Advancing appropriately leads to gain and good fortune; advancing inappropriately leads to loss and misfortune. All these arise from the changes of Yin and Yang, so it is said: "Change is the image of advance and retreat."

《繫傳》曰：“遠近相取，而悔吝生。”近與邇同義。《繫傳》言“遠近”者三，言“遠邇”者二。《震·彖》“驚遠而懼邇也”，《蒙·六四》“獨遠實也”，《剝·六四》“切近災也”。餘或單言遠單言近者，要皆指爻位而言。蓋爻之相得者宜近，不相得者不宜近。故《傳》又重言以申明之曰：“凡《易》之情近而不相得，則凶。或害之，悔且吝。”又曰：“二與四同功而異位。二多譽，四多懼，近也。柔之為道不利，遠者其要無咎，其用柔中也。”

The Great Treatise says: "When things are far and near, they take from each other, and regret and hardship arise." "Near" and "close" have the same meaning. In the Great Treatise, there are three instances mentioning "far and near" and two instances mentioning "far and close." Additionally, in the Image Commentary of the Zhen hexagram, it says, "It startles the far and fears the near." In the Image Commentary of the Meng hexagram's sixth line four, it says, "It is distant from reality." In the Image Commentary of the Bo hexagram's sixth line four, it says, "It is close to calamity." Other instances that mention only "far" or only "near" also refer to the positions of the lines. Generally, when two lines share similar qualities, they are suitable to be close; when they differ, they are not suitable to be close. Therefore, the Great Treatise repeatedly emphasizes: "All the situations in the Book of Changes, when near but not in harmony, result in misfortune, causing harm, regret, and hardship." It also says: "The second and fourth lines have the same function but different positions. The second line is often praised, and the fourth line is often fearful, because they are near. The way of the flexible line is not advantageous; those who are distant can avoid blame, because they use flexibility in the middle." The fourth line often experiences fear because it is close to the ruler's position; the flexible line, though distant, can still avoid blame because it uses flexibility in the middle.

故論爻之遠近以明吉凶，有就本卦之爻位論者，有就變卦之爻位論者。本卦之爻位，以承乘、與比、相應、相合者，為近。否則為遠。變卦之爻位，則他卦之爻一變而即得者為近，須再變三變而始到本卦者為遠。凡卦爻之言遠近者，皆含此二義，不可不審也。

Therefore, determining good or bad fortune based on the proximity of the lines involves considering either the position of the lines in the primary hexagram or in the resulting hexagram. When referring to the primary hexagram's line positions, two lines are considered "near" if they form a relationship of bearing, supporting, adjacency, response, or mutual combination; otherwise, they are "far." When referring to the resulting hexagram's line positions, any hexagram that can reach the line of the primary hexagram by changing just one line is considered "near," while those requiring two or three changes are considered "far." All instances in the hexagram line statements that mention near or far include both of these meanings and must be carefully distinguished.

《易》用九用六。九六變也。變則新，故《繫傳》曰“日新之謂盛德”，《大畜·彖》曰“剛健篤實輝光，日新其德”。鼎“取新也”，革“去故也”，隨“無故也”。故六舊之義也。《訟·六三》曰“食舊德”，《井·初六》曰“舊井無禽”。食舊德，則貞厲。“舊井無禽”，則不食，皆去舊而宜從新者也。此外如噬嗑之“噬臘肉”，大壯之“壯于前趾”，乾為“老馬”，曰“老”，曰“前”，曰“臘”，亦皆舊之義也。遠近以位言，新舊以時言，變通者趣時者也。趣時則日新，是以《雜卦》曰“大畜時也”。

The Zhou Changes use 'nine' and 'six' in divination, both representing changing lines. A change signifies newness, so the Great Treatise says 'daily renewal is called great virtue,' and the Commentary on the Judgment of the Great Accumulation says 'strong, vigorous, steadfast, and radiant, renewing one's virtue daily.' The Miscellaneous Treatise says that the Cauldron hexagram signifies 'taking newness,' the Revolution hexagram signifies 'discarding the old,' and the Following hexagram signifies 'without the old.' This shows that 'six' contains the meaning of the old. The third line of the Suits hexagram says 'eating the old virtue,' and the first line of the Well hexagram says 'the old well has no fowl.' Living by old virtue and maintaining correctness does not prevent danger; an old well with no fowl coming to it means the water is no longer drinkable. These are examples of moving away from the old to embrace the new. Other examples include the噬嗑 hexagram saying 'eating dried meat,' the大壮 hexagram saying 'strong at the front toe,' and the Sayings on the Hexagrams explaining that the Heaven trigram is 'an old horse.' All these terms, such as 'old,' 'front,' and 'dried,' contain the meaning of the old. Near and far refer to positions, while new and old refer to time. Those who can adapt are those who can follow the appropriate time, and following the appropriate time allows for daily renewal, so the Miscellaneous Treatise says 'Great Accumulation is about timing.'

“生生之謂《易》”，《易》之道本生生而不已者也。然不能盡其道，即不能有生而無死。《繫傳》曰：“原始反終，故知死生之說。”故《檀弓》曰：“君子曰終，小人曰死。”終則有始，而死則不能復生，此君子小人之別也。經之稱“生”者二卦：觀之“觀我生”，“觀其生”；大過之“枯楊生稊”，“枯楊生華”是也。稱“死”者二卦：離之“突如其來如，焚如死如棄如”，豫之“貞疾恆不死”是也。

The Great Treatise says, "To produce life is called the Book of Changes." The way of the Book of Changes is originally about continuous generation. But if people cannot fully realize this way, they cannot have only life without death. The Great Treatise also says, "To trace back the origin and return to the end, thus knowing the explanation of life and death." Therefore, the Book of Rites, in the section on the Archers, says, "The gentleman speaks of the end, while the petty person speaks of death." After an end there is a new beginning, but after death there is no revival, which is the distinction between the gentleman and the petty person. The text mentions "life" in two hexagrams: the hexagram of Observing, which says "Observing my life" and "Observing others' life," and the hexagram of Great Exceeding, which says "A withered poplar tree produces new sprouts" and "A withered poplar tree produces flowers." The text also mentions "death" in two hexagrams: the fourth line of the hexagram of Fire, which says "Suddenly appearing, burning, dying, and being cast away," and the fifth line of the hexagram of Joy, which says "Remaining steadfast in illness, yet never dying."

蓋乾為大生，坤為廣生。大生故“資始”，廣生故“資生”。而所以資始而資生者，實惟“大哉乾元，坤順承乾”，坤元亦統於乾元。《文言》曰：“元者善之長。”於人為仁。元從二兒，仁亦從二兒，於乾坤二象為二五之中。豫之“恆不死”，《象》曰“中未亡也”。困之六三以陰乘陽，以柔掩剛，是賊仁害義，昧其天良者也。故《繫傳》曰“死期將至”。中未亡者，終則有始。亡其中，則生亦幸。所謂行尸走肉，待死而已。

Heavenly Stem Qian governs "great generation," and Earthly Stem Kun governs "wide generation." Because of great generation, the Commentary on the Judgment says Qian is "the source of all things." Because of wide generation, it says Kun is "the nourishment of all things." The reason why all things can be originated from and nourished by these principles is really due to "great indeed is the Qian Principle," and Kun follows and supports Qian. The principle of Kun also belongs to the principle of Qian. The "Wenyan" says, "The principle of Yuan is the beginning of goodness." When applied to human beings, it is "ren" (benevolence). The character "Yuan" is composed of two strokes and a child, and the character "ren" is composed of two strokes and a person. In the images of the trigrams Qian and Kun, this refers to the second line and the fifth line, which represent the "center." The line six in the fifth position of Yu says "constant不死" (constant non-death), and the Image Commentary interprets it as "the central principle has not yet been lost." In the trigram Kun, the line six in the third position is a yin line riding over a yang line, and a soft line covering a strong one, which is an act of harming benevolence and righteousness and obscuring the natural goodness. Therefore, the Great Treatise Commentary says it is "the time of death is approaching." For someone whose central principle has not been lost, even at the end of a period there will be a new beginning; but for someone who has lost the central principle, even if he is alive, it is only by chance, which is what the common saying means, that he is like a walking corpse, waiting for death.

《易》以有立教者也。《易》有太極，是生兩儀。四象八卦，而定吉凶以生大業。故《序卦·上傳》曰“有天地然後萬物生焉”，《序卦·下傳》曰“有天地然後有萬物，有萬物然後有男女，有男女然後有夫婦，有夫婦然後有父子，有父子然後有君臣，有君臣然後有上下，有上下然後禮義有所錯”，皆以明有之義也。

The Zhou Changes (I Ching) establishes its teachings based on the concept of "having" or "being." The Great Treatise says, "The Book of Changes contains the Taiji, from which the two principles arise." The two principles generate the four images, the four images generate the eight trigrams, and the eight trigrams determine fortune and misfortune, which in turn give rise to great undertakings. Therefore, the Upper Section of the Sequence of Changes says, "Only after heaven and earth exist can all things come into being." The Lower Section says, "Only after heaven and earth exist can all things come into being; only after all things exist can there be men and women; only after there are men and women can there be husband and wife; only after there is husband and wife can there be father and son; only after there is father and son can there be ruler and subject; only after there is ruler and subject can there be hierarchy; only after there is hierarchy can propriety and righteousness have their place." All these are introduced with the word "have," clearly emphasizing the significance of this concept of "having."

《下經》首咸，《序卦》不言咸，咸無也。不言無而言有，此即《易》之開宗明義也。然《序卦》不言咸，而《繫下傳》於“憧憧往來朋從爾思”一爻，推闡“往來屈信”之理。而以窮神知化歸之，聖人之意亦可見矣。《傳》曰“書不盡言，言不盡意”，故聖人立象以盡意。

The Lower Classic begins with the Xian hexagram, but the "Sequence of Hexagrams" passage never mentions Xian — because "Xian" means "sensation," which is empty in essence and without intention, belonging to the "nothing." Not speaking of "nothing" but only of "something," this is precisely the stance of the Zhou Yi at the beginning. However, although the "Sequence of Hexagrams" does not mention Xian, the "Lower Commentary on the Great Treatise" discusses the fourth line of Xian hexagram, "Coming and going in confusion, friends follow your thoughts," to explain the principle of "going and coming, bending and stretching." It ultimately concludes with "exhausting the divine and knowing the transformation," thereby revealing the sage's intention. The "Great Treatise" says, "Writing cannot exhaust words, words cannot exhaust meaning," so the sages established hexagrams to fully express meaning.

書所未言者，自當求之於言外之意。意有未得者，當索之於所立之象。自象學不明，或空言以說理，或執經而忘象。更以門戶派別之故，互相攻擊，入主出奴，是丹非素，而《易》道遂晦盲終古矣。須知《易》固以有立教，然有無實相對待，言有而無可見。孔子猶慮後人之以辭害意，而不能通也，故特表咸之九四一爻，以明同歸殊途之旨。

What is not written in the text must be sought in the implied meaning; if the meaning is still not understood, one must look into the established hexagrams. Since the study of images has become obscure, scholars either talk emptily about principles or cling rigidly to the text while forgetting the hexagrams. Moreover, due to factional disputes, they attack each other, regarding one school as the master and another as the servant, considering their own as red and others as white. Thus, the way of the Zhou Changes has remained long obscured. One must know that although the Zhou Changes establish teaching based on "being," being and non-being exist in relation to each other. If "being" is thoroughly explained, "non-being" will naturally appear. Confucius was even concerned that later generations might be confined by words and thus hinder the original meaning, failing to understand it fully. Therefore, he specially pointed out the fourth line of the Xian hexagram to clarify the principle of "returning to the same goal through different paths."

蓋立教為中人以下說法，而精義入神之道，則非言所能盡。而立象盡意，是在中人以上自悟之耳。故卦象乾為無，自無而有，由坎出震，而生生之道乃循環而不已。咸為無，君子以虛受人，而窮神知化之學，始日進而不窮。乾之無，天極也。咸之無，人極也。通天地人謂之儒，貫通三才而返本窮源，則仍必以契合乎天為止境。故六十四卦統歸納於一乾，而“大哉乾元乃統天”。明乎此，則後儒斷斷於有無之界者，均可渙然而冰釋矣。

In general, the teaching is directed towards people of average ability and below; however, the level of "refining the essence to the divine" cannot be fully expressed through words. The method of using images to convey meaning can only be understood by those of above average ability. Therefore, in terms of the hexagram images, Qian represents "nothingness," from which existence arises. When the single yang line emerges from Kan to become Zhen, the process of continuous generation continues endlessly. Xian also represents "nothingness," and the Image Commentary says, "the superior man receives others with an open mind." Only by being open can the study of penetrating the divine and understanding transformation advance day by day without end. The "nothingness" of Qian is "heaven's extreme," while the "nothingness" of Xian is "human's extreme." Only those who integrate heaven, earth, and humanity can be called Confucians; and by integrating the three elements and returning to the source, the ultimate goal is to align with heaven. Therefore, all sixty-four hexagrams are ultimately summarized in Qian. The Commentary on the Judgment says, "How great is the creative power of Qian! All things receive their beginning, and thus they follow heaven." Once this is understood, the endless disputes among later Confucian scholars regarding the distinction between being and non-being can be resolved.

此外如尊卑、貴賤、幽明、始終、多寡、善惡、利害、窮通、遲速、安危、治亂、存亡、寒暑、晝夜、燥溼、俯仰、平陂、虛實、闢翕、分合、輕重、微顯、厚薄，與夫天地、日月、男女、禮樂、仁義，凡相對待者，皆一陽一陰之義，未可悉舉。所謂“因貳以濟民行，以明得夫之報”者也。孔子《十翼》以“乾剛坤柔”終篇，取五十六卦一一以對待明義，而又於《繫傳》特著其例，曰“乾坤為《易》之門”。得其門而入者，可知所自矣。

In addition, pairs such as respect and humility, honor and lowliness, the hidden and the manifest, beginning and end, multitude and fewness, goodness and evil, benefit and harm, hardship and success, slowness and speed, safety and danger, order and chaos, existence and non-existence, cold and heat, day and night, dryness and dampness, looking down and looking up, flat and uneven, emptiness and fulness, separation and union, lightness and weight, subtle and manifest, thickness and thinness, as well as heaven and earth, sun and moon, male and female, rites and music, benevolence and righteousness, all these pairs of opposites represent the principle of one yin and one yang. There are countless such pairs. This is what the Great Treatise says: "By means of dual opposites, the people's conduct is guided, and the consequences of gain and loss are made clear" (the original text mistakenly writes "de fu" instead of "shi de"). It means using the principle of yin and yang to assist people in their actions and to make them understand the results of gain and loss. In Confucius' Ten Wings, the final section, the Miscellaneous Trigrams, begins with "Qian is strong and Kun is yielding" and concludes the entire work by explaining the meanings of the fifty-six hexagrams in pairs. It also specifically mentions this principle in the Great Treatise, saying "Kun and Qian, are they the gate of the Book of Changes?" Those who find this gate and enter it will understand where the principles of the Book of Changes come from.

對待之辭曰“對辭”，而非對待者曰“單辭”。單辭者，凡以為對辭之用也。且單辭亦往往含有二義，辭繁非可悉舉，茲略舉如左。

Terms that are paired and opposite to each other are called "dui ci" (paired terms), while terms that appear alone without a pair are called "dan ci" (single terms). The function of single terms is generally to serve paired terms, and the single terms themselves often contain two meanings. This type of term is too numerous to list individually, so only a few examples will be given below.

《易》道尚中。凡過乎中者，大過小過，皆變化之進退之以求合乎中。蓋人為天地之中，故以中立人之極，而陰陽剛柔始各得其正，而無所偏倚，而後盡《易》之能事也。中有虛實二義：實者有形，以所處之位言之，如卦之二五兩爻是也。虛者無質，以至當之主義言之，如卦之主爻是也。蓋一卦之主爻，有時在二五，有時不在二五。如比以五陽為主，同人以五陰為主者，主爻在爻位之中者也。復以初陽為主，小畜以四陰為主者，主爻不在二五之中者也。故曰“中無定在”。

The principle of the Zhou Yi is to value the concept of "zhong" (center). Any hexagram that exceeds the center, such as Da Guo and Xiao Guo, must rely on change and movement, advancing and retreating, to achieve harmony with the center. Humans reside in the center of heaven and earth, so the concept of "zhong" establishes the standard for human behavior. Only then can yin and yang, hardness and softness, each find their proper place without leaning too far in one direction. The function of the Zhou Yi is thus fulfilled. The concept of "zhong" includes both tangible and intangible aspects. The tangible aspect can be pointed to specifically, such as the second line and the fifth line in a hexagram. The intangible aspect has no physical form, referring instead to the main line of a hexagram, which is the central element. The main line of a hexagram is sometimes located at the second or fifth line, but not always. For example, the hexagram Bi uses the nine at the beginning (initial line) as its main line, while Tong Ren uses the six in the second line as its main line. These are cases where the main line is exactly at the center. The hexagram Fu uses the nine at the beginning as its main line, and Xiao Xu uses the six in the fourth line as its main line. These are cases where the main line is not located at the second or fifth line. Therefore, it is said that "zhong" has no fixed position.

以二五為中者，如天平倚點居正中，重心與中心，同居一位。不在二五之中者，如秤桿之倚點，視重點力點比例之差，求得其力點與倚點距。重點與倚點距，相等之所在，即中心之所在也。孟子曰“子莫執中”，執中為近之。執中無權，猶執一也。蓋即如天平之中也。《易》道之中，即孟子所謂權，可以前後移動，以求合力點重點與倚點相等之中者也。

Using the second and fifth lines as the center, it is like the fulcrum of a balance scale exactly in the middle, with the center of gravity and the center coinciding. If the center is not at the second and fifth lines but still called the center, it is like the loop of a balance scale: one must consider the difference in weight and the length of the lever arms, calculate the distance from the force point to the loop and from the center of gravity to the loop, and the position where both sides are equal is the center. Mencius said, "Zimo holds the center," holding the center is already close to the Dao; yet he continued, "holding the center without flexibility is like holding to one point"—only knowing to stick to the midpoint without weighing the light and heavy, is like clinging to a single point, and that kind of center is merely a fixed center like a balance scale. The "center" discussed in The Zhou Changes is precisely what Mencius referred to as "flexibility" ("quan"): it can move forward and backward to achieve the center where the force point, the center of gravity, and the fulcrum are balanced on both sides.

孔子之道曰“時”曰“中”，後人稱為“時中之聖”，要皆推本於《易》道。於《蒙·彖》贊曰：“蒙亨，以亨行時中也。”蒙以養正，聖功之始。然《易經》之言時者，惟《歸妹·九四》曰“遲歸有時”，他無見也。孔子贊《易》，始於時字多所發揮，而於《繫傳》總揭其義曰“變通配四時”，又曰“變通莫大乎四時”，又曰“變通者趣時者也”。於《豐·傳》曰“天地盈虛與時消息”。合而觀之，孔子言“時”之旨趣，具可見矣。

Confucius' teachings emphasize "time" and "center," and for this reason he is called the "sage of timely and central virtue." This understanding must be traced back to the principles of the Zhou Yi. In the Commentary on the Judgment of the Meng hexagram, Confucius said, "Meng is亨, because it follows the timely and central path." Cultivating virtue with the right way during times of ignorance is the beginning of the sage's practice. However, in the main text of the Yi Jing, the term "time" appears only once, in the line "迟归有时" (returning late at an appropriate time) from the ninth line of the fourth position in the Gui Mei hexagram. Elsewhere, it does not appear. It was Confucius' commentary on the Yi that began to elaborate extensively on the concept of "time." In the Great Treatise, he summarized its meaning by saying "change and adapt in accordance with the four seasons," and also said "there is no greater change and adaptability than the four seasons," and further said "change and adaptability are the ways of following the time." In the Commentary on the Judgment of the Feng hexagram, he said "the heavens and earth are full or empty, and this is in accordance with the time, increasing and decreasing." Taken together, the full meaning of Confucius' discussion on "time" becomes clear.

故於乾之九三日“與時偕行”，於上九曰“與時偕極”。損益皆曰“與時偕行”，隨曰“隨時”，節曰“失時”，革曰“明時”，無妄曰“對時”，睽蹇皆曰“時用”，豫姤旅皆曰“時義”，坤曰“時發”，賁曰“時變”，而於《艮·彖傳》總揭其義曰：“時止則止，時行則行。動靜不失其時，其道光明。故君子進德修業欲及時也。”此可謂孔子於《易》獨得之秘，而為天下萬世指迷者也。

Therefore, Confucius said in the "Nine in the Third" of the Qian hexagram, "Keep pace with the times," and in the "Nine at the Top," "Keep pace with the times until the end." The hexagrams Sun and Yi both say "Keep pace with the times," the Su hexagram says "Follow the time," the Jie hexagram says "Lose the time," the Ge hexagram says "Clarify the time," the Wuwang hexagram says "Correspond to the time," the Kui and Jian hexagrams both say "Use the time," the Yu, Guo, and Lu hexagrams all say "The meaning of the time," the Kun hexagram says "The time arises," and the Ben hexagram says "Change with the time." Finally, in the "Commentary on the Judgment" of the Gen hexagram, he summarized the meaning, saying: "When the time stops, stop; when the time moves, move. If one's actions and inactions do not miss the time, then the path is bright. Therefore, a gentleman advances in virtue and cultivates his career, always keeping up with the time." This can be considered the secret insight Confucius gained from the Zhou Changes, and it is also the guidance he provided for the world and all generations.

若以時論時，則亦含有二義：一曰有定之時。如天之四時，時有定候，非人之所能變更，是惟順承乎天，所謂後天而奉天時者也。一曰無定之時。如人事之有輕重緩急，而陰陽五行各有始有壯有究，或損或益，或行或止，所謂觀乎天文以察時變者也。故時有以盈虛消息言者，泰否剝復之類是也。有以事言者，訟師噬嗑頤之類是也。有以理言者，謙履咸恆之類是也。有以象言者，井鼎之類是也。

If we consider "time" itself, it contains two meanings. The first is fixed time: like the four seasons in the sky, each has a definite season, which cannot be changed by people. One can only follow and accept it, as stated in the "Wenyan" of the Qian Hexagram: "After the Later Heaven, one follows the heavenly time." The second is unfixed time: like human affairs, which have light and heavy, urgent and delayed matters, and yin and yang, the Five Phases, each have their beginning, flourishing, and end, or loss and gain, movement and stillness. This is what the Commentary on the Judgment of the Ben Hexagram says: "Observing the heavenly phenomena to understand the changes of time." Therefore, the Zhouyi discusses time in different ways: some talk about the waxing and waning of things, such as Tai, Po, Po, Fu; some talk about specific matters, such as Song, Shi, Shihe, Yi; some talk about principles, such as Qian, Lu, Xian, Heng; and some talk about symbolic images, such as Jing, Ding.