Position

《繫傳》曰“卑高以陳，貴賤位矣”，又曰“列貴賤者存乎位”。《說卦傳》“天地定位”，“《易》六位而成章”，此皆指卦位與爻位而言也。《繫傳》曰“危者安其位者也”，又曰“德薄而位尊”，此則由爻象而擬議之爵位之位也。故“位”字亦有此二義。帝出乎震，震東方也，至艮東北之卦也。此八卦之方位。卑高以陳，貴賤位矣，則上下卦（即外卦內卦）之位定。上卦為高，下卦為卑，貴宜卑而賤有高矣。

The Great Treatise says, "The low and the high are arranged, and thus the positions of honor and humility are established," and also says, "The arrangement of honor and humility depends on position." The Discourse on the Hexagrams says, "Heaven and Earth are positioned," and the Great Treatise also says, "The Book of Changes is composed of six positions to form a complete pattern"—all these refer to the positions of the hexagrams and lines. The Great Treatise also says, "A dangerous position is one that is secure in its place," and "A person of shallow virtue in a high position"—this refers to the concept of "position" derived from the line images and applied to human ranks and status. Therefore, the character "position" has these two meanings. The Discourse on the Hexagrams says, "The Emperor arises from the Trigram of Thunder," which is located in the East. Counting through the sequence, the Trigram of Earth is in the Northeast, referring to the directional positions of the eight trigrams. "The low and the high are arranged, and thus the positions of honor and humility are established" refers to the positioning of the upper and lower trigrams (that is, the outer and inner trigrams): the upper trigram is high, the lower trigram is low; however, the honored should reside in the low position, and the humble may also occupy a high position.

列貴賤者存乎位，則卦爻二五，五貴而二賤。王弼謂中四爻有位，初上無位者，即此位也。《易》六位而成章，則分陰分陽，迭用柔剛。所謂陰陽之位，初三五為陽位，二四六為陰位。陽居陽，陰居陰，為當位。反之為不當位。位從立從人，所謂“立人之道曰仁與義”，故三畫卦與六畫卦，皆分天地人三位。而孔子贊《易》則專言人道，天位地位皆以人居之，必能合乎仁義之道，方能與天地參而無慚此位也。

"列贵贱者存乎位," in terms of lines refers to the second line and the fifth line being opposite, with the fifth being considered noble and the second humble. Wang Bi explains that the middle four lines have positions, while the first line and the top line do not, referring to this concept of position. "The Book of Changes has six positions forming a chapter," which discusses "dividing yin and yang, alternating the use of soft and strong."the so-called the positions of yin and yang, the first, third, and fifth lines are yang positions, while the second, fourth, and top lines are yin positions; when a yang line is in a yang position or a yin line is in a yin position, it is called "being in the right position," and the opposite is "not being in the right position." The character "位" consists of "立" and "人," which aligns with the meaning in "Sayings of the Divination" that "establishing the way of human beings is called benevolence and righteousness." Therefore, both the three-line simple trigrams and the six-line compound trigrams are divided into three positions: heaven, earth, and human. Confucius' commentary on the Book of Changes focuses on human affairs: whether it is the position of heaven or the position of earth, it must be occupied by humans; humans must follow the way of benevolence and righteousness to stand alongside heaven and earth as three, without shame for this position.

《易》之言德，亦分二義：一曰卦德。《繫辭》“雜物撰德”，又曰“陰陽合德，剛柔有體，以體天地之撰”，此卦德也。夫乾天下之至健也，德行恆易以知險。夫坤天下之至順也，德行恆簡以知陰。健順乾坤之德也。推之震動巽入，離麗坎陷，艮止兌說，皆其德也。而人用即謂之材。彖者材也，故亦謂之卦材。

The Zhou Changes discuss "de" (virtue), which has two meanings. The first is "guade" (the virtue of the hexagrams). The Great Treatise says "combining various things to form virtue," and also says "yin and yang combine in virtue, and the strong and the flexible have form, thus embodying the composition of heaven and earth." This refers to the virtue of the hexagrams. Qian represents the most vigorous and strong in the world; its virtue is always straightforward, thus enabling it to discern difficulties. Kun represents the most gentle and yielding in the world; its virtue is always simple, thus enabling it to overcome obstructions (the original text mistakenly wrote "knowing yin" instead of "knowing obstruction"). Vigor and yielding are the virtues of the hexagrams Qian and Kun respectively. By analogy, Zhen represents movement and action, Xun represents entering and penetrating, Li represents attachment and connection, Kan represents peril and danger, Gen represents stillness and stability, and Dui represents joy and speech. Each of these represents the virtue of its respective hexagram. When these virtues are applied to human affairs, they are called "cai" (material or quality). The Great Treatise says "tuan (the image) is cai (material)," so the virtue of the hexagram is also called "guacai" (hexagram material).

一曰道德。《說卦》曰“和順於道德”，《繫傳》曰“天地之大德日生”，又曰“以通神明之德”，又曰“默而成之不言而信存乎德行”，皆道德之德也。德有大小，必與位稱。無德而據位，謂之竊位。德薄而位尊，其形渥凶。《易》之興也，其於中古。去古已遠，降而言德。《繫辭下傳》七章之三陳九德，即孔子以《易》設教，而示人以立德之方也。

The second layer is morality. The "Say on the Hexagrams" says, "Harmonious and compliant with morality," and the "Great Treatise" says, "The great virtue of heaven and earth is to produce life," says, "to communicate the virtue of the divine," and says, "to achieve success in silence, to be trusted without speaking, existing in moral conduct." All these refer to the virtue of morality. Virtue can be great or small, and it must be appropriate to the position one holds. To occupy a position without virtue is called "stealing a position"; if one's moral conduct is shallow yet holds a high position, it will be like the Nine in the Fourth of the Ding hexagram, which says, "Its form is moist, ominous," meaning the tripod legs break, the porridge spills over, and one suffers in embarrassment. The "Great Treatise" says, "The rise of the Book of Changes occurred in the middle ancient times,"—by that time, it was already far from the ancient past, so it was necessary to retreat and speak of virtue. The seventh chapter of the lower "Great Treatise" mentions the virtue of nine hexagrams three times, which is precisely how Confucius used the Book of Changes to teach, indicating the path for people to cultivate virtue.

《繫傳》曰“道有變動，故曰爻”，又曰“爻者言乎變者也”，又曰“一闔一闢謂之變”，又曰“剛柔相推而生變化，變化者進退之象也”，又曰“參伍以變，錯綜其數。通其變遂成天地之文，極其數遂定天下之象。非天下之至變，其孰能與於此”，又曰“《易》窮則變，變則通”，又曰“變而通之以盡利”，又曰“變動不居，周流六虛。上下無常，不可為典要，唯變所適”。繫辭之言變，詳且盡矣。蓋宇宙以變而久存，亦以變而日新。無時不變，無境不變。特其跡甚微，人自不知覺耳。

The Great Treatise says, "The Dao has movement and change, hence it is called yao." It also says, "Yao refers to change." It further states, "One closure and one opening is called change." It says, "Hard and soft interact to produce change; change represents the images of advance and retreat." It also says, "By combining three and five, change occurs; by interweaving and combining numbers, the transformation is complete, thus forming the patterns of heaven and earth. When the numbers are fully understood, the images of the world are determined. Without the utmost change in the world, who could be involved in this?" It says, "The Book of Changes reaches an impasse and then changes, and through change, it becomes通畅." It also says, "Through change and通畅, the benefits are fully realized." It further says, "Change does not remain in one place; it flows through the six positions. It moves up and down without constant position; it cannot be fixed as a standard, but must adapt to change." The Great Treatise discusses "change" in great detail. Basically, the universe can exist for a long time only because of change, and it can renew itself every day because of change. There is no moment without change, and no place without change. The traces of change are extremely subtle, so people are unable to perceive them themselves.

《易》窮則變，變則通。故“變通”二字，往往聯綴而言。《繫傳》曰“一闔一闢謂之變，往來不窮謂之通”，又曰“化而裁之謂之變，推而行之謂之通”，又曰“變通配四時”，又曰“無思也，無為也，寂然不動，感而遂通天下之故”，又曰“唯深也，故能通天下之志”，又曰“通乎晝夜之道而知”，又曰“觀其會通以行其典禮”，又曰“體天地之撰以通神明之德”。合變通而觀之，而《易》之所以為《易》可見矣。

The Zhou Changes (I Ching) says, "When things reach their limit, they change; when they change, they become unblocked." Therefore, the characters "change" and "unblock" are often used together. The Great Treatise says, "One closure and one opening is called change; the continuous movement without end is called unblocking." It also says, "To transform and shape is called change; to promote and carry through is called unblocking." It says, "Change and unblocking correspond to the four seasons." It says, "Without thinking, without action, still and unmoving, yet responsive to all things, thus understanding the causes of the world." It says, "Only by being profound can one communicate with the aspirations of the world." It says, "Understanding the principle of day and night is knowledge." It says, "Observing the convergence of change and unblocking, one can carry out the rites and ceremonies." It also says, "By embodying the workings of heaven and earth, one can connect with the virtues of the divine." When we consider both "change" and "unblocking" together, we understand why the Zhou Changes is called the "Changes."

而《序卦傳》曰“泰者通也。物不可以終通，故受之以否”，《雜卦傳》曰“井通而困相遇也”，《繫傳》又曰“困窮而通”，《乾·文言》曰“六爻發揮旁通情也”，《坤·文言》曰“君子黃中通理”。合而觀之，而《易》可通矣。

Now looking at the "Xugua Zhuan" which says, "Tai means communication. Things cannot remain in communication forever, hence it is followed by Po," the "Zagua Zhuan" states, "Well is open and困境 meets," the "Xici Zhuan" further says, "Confusion is being in a difficult situation but eventually achieving communication," the "Wenyan" of the Qian hexagram mentions, "The six lines unfold, communicating the circumstances," and the "Wenyan" of the Kun hexagram says, "The gentleman has a yellow center and communicates the principles." When these statements are considered together, the "Zhou Yi" can be fully understood.

適其可之謂當。凡變也通也，變而通之以盡利，無非由不當而變通之以求其當而已矣。止於至善，位之當也。當其可之謂時，時之當也。陽九陰六之位當矣，而時不相得，或情不相得，則仍有未當。故《象傳》有以當位之爻而言位不當者，如需之上六等類是也。變通之最大者，莫過於革。《革·彖傳》曰“革而當其悔乃亡”，而當之義可見矣。

It is called "when it is exactly appropriate" when something is exactly as it should be. Whenever discussing change or communication, the idea of "changing and communicating to the fullest advantage" is nothing more than seeking the appropriate state through change and adaptability. The "Great Learning" says "to rest in the highest good," which refers to appropriateness in position; the "Record of Learning" says "to act at the right time is called timely," which refers to appropriateness in timing. Sometimes a yang line is in the position of a yang number, and a yin line is in the position of a yin number, and the position is already appropriate. However, if the timing is not in harmony or the nature is not in harmony, there is still a lack of appropriateness. Therefore, the "Image Commentary" may mention a line that is in an appropriate position but still says it is not appropriate in position, such as the upper sixth line of the Need卦. Among all changes, the greatest is "Revolution." The "Commentary on the Judgment" of the Revolution卦 says "when revolution is appropriate, its regret will vanish" — only when the revolution is appropriate will regret disappear. The meaning of the word "appropriate" is thus clearly understood.

易者交易也。非交無以為易，故交者《易》之妙用，亦不啻為《易》之代名辭也。《繫傳》曰“君子安其身而後動，易其心而後語，定其交而後求”，又曰“無交而求，則民不與也”。蓋《易》以明道，而道在人。人在天地間，決不能離群而獨立也。近則男女夫婦父子，遠則君臣朋友，無不有所合也。有合則必有交。人在天地間，又不能絕物而自養也。小則日用飲食，大則養生送死，無不有所需也。有需則必有交。

The character "易" originally means trade. Without exchange, there can be no transaction, so "exchange" is the key function of the "Yi" and can almost be used as a synonym for "Yi." The "Xici Zhuan" says, "A gentleman first establishes himself, then acts; he first changes his mind, then speaks; he first establishes his relations, then seeks." It also says, "If one seeks without having established relations, people will not support him." If one seeks help without having established a proper relationship, others will not agree. The "Zhou Yi" is used to explain the Dao, and the Dao lies in human beings. Human beings exist between heaven and earth and cannot exist alone; they must live in groups. Close relationships include men and women, husband and wife, father and son; distant relationships include ruler and subject, friends. Nothing is needed without combination; wherever there is combination, there must be interaction. Human beings exist between heaven and earth and cannot live independently without external resources. Small things like daily food and drink, large things like supporting the elderly and burying the dead, all require obtaining from others; wherever there is need, there must be interaction.

甲有所需於乙，乙有所需於甲，丙有求合於丁，丁有求合於丙，於是交相為需，交相為養，而人事以興。故《易》象以陰陽明之。陰交於陽，陽交於陰，大有之“無交害”，隨之“交有功”是也。《家人·傳》曰“交相愛也”，《睽·傳》曰“交孚無咎”，故必相愛相孚，而交之道始可久。天地交則泰，否則天地不交萬物不生，人道息矣。西人曰“互助”，惟《易》之“交”足以盡其義也。

Jia has a request for Yi, and Yi also has a request for Jia; Bing wishes to combine with Ding, and Ding also wishes to combine with Bing. Thus, they supply each other and support each other, and human endeavors flourish. Therefore, the Zhou Changes use the image of yin and yang to explain this principle: yin and yang interact with each other, and the interaction between yang and yin, as seen in the initial line of the Daxiang hexagram, "no harm from mutual interaction," and the fourth line of the Suixi hexagram, "mutual interaction brings merit," illustrate this. The Commentary on the Judgment of the Jia Ren hexagram says, "mutual love," and the Commentary on the Judgment of the Kui hexagram says, "mutual trust, no blame"—mutual sincerity leads to no mistakes. Therefore, mutual love and mutual trust are essential for long-lasting relationships. When heaven and earth interact, the Tai hexagram is formed; conversely, if heaven and earth do not interact, all things cannot be generated, and human affairs would cease. Westerners speak of "mutual assistance," but only the single character "jiao" in the Zhou Changes fully captures its meaning.

吉凶悔吝生乎動，而欲動未動之前，則為幾。《繫傳》曰“知幾其神”，又曰“幾者動之微吉之先見者也”。《乾·九三》“終日乾乾夕惕若”，《文言》曰“知至至之可與幾也”。《屯·六三》曰“君子幾，不如舍，往吝”，《豫·六三》“介于石不終日”，《繫傳》曰“見幾而作，寧用終日”。蓋乾九三為人爻之始，動靜所生，吉凶著焉。理欲之界，人禽判焉。孟子所謂“人之所以異於禽獸者幾希”，即此幾也。周子所謂“誠無為，幾善惡”，亦此幾也。

Good, evil, regret, and hardship all arise from movement. The moment just before movement occurs is called "ji." The Great Treatise says, "To know ji is to be spiritual," and also says, "Ji is the subtle movement, the initial sign of good." The line statement of the Nine in the Third of the Qian hexagram says, "All day long diligent and earnest, in the evening vigilant as if something were about to happen." The Wenyan commentary explains, "To know the arrival and to arrive at it, one can be in tune with ji." The line statement of the Six in the Third of the Zun hexagram says, "A gentleman who perceives ji, should not go forward, for going forward would bring regret." The line statement of the Yu hexagram says, "Between stone and sky, not a whole day." The Great Treatise elaborates, "Act when you perceive ji, without waiting for the whole day." The Nine in the Third of the Qian hexagram is the beginning of the human line. From this, movement and stillness arise, and thus good and evil become apparent. The distinction between heavenly principle and human desire, and the difference between humans and beasts, also lie in this point. Mencius said, "What makes humans different from beasts is very slight," referring to this ji. Zhou Dunyi's "Tongshu" said, "Sincerity is without action, and ji determines good and evil," also referring to this ji.

復之初九“不遠復，毋祗悔”，孔子曰“顏氏之子，其庶幾乎”。故幾者，《易》道精微之所在。堯舜之心傳，曰：“人心惟危，道心惟微。”幾者，動之微，即此道心之微也。君子知幾，即在“不遠復”之“反復其道”。故《文言》又曰“終日乾乾，反復道也”。聖人丁寧告誡之意，亦可謂深切而著明矣。“夫《易》，聖人所以極深而研幾也。唯深也，故能通天下之志。唯幾也，故能成天下之務。”“幾事不密則害成”，是以“君子洗心退藏於密”。

The first line of the复卦 says, "Not far from returning, no great regret." Confucius praised in the Great Treatise, "The son of the Yan family, he is almost there." This shows that "ji" is the most subtle aspect of the Way of the Book of Changes. The heart method passed down from Yao and Shun says, "The human heart is dangerous, the Way heart is subtle." "Ji" is the subtle movement, which is exactly the subtle aspect of the Way heart mentioned here. A gentleman must know "ji," and the practice lies in "not far from returning," which reflects "repeating the path." Therefore, the Wenyan says, "All day long diligent and cautious, this is repeating the path." The intention of the sages to repeatedly warn and instruct can be said to be both deep and clear. The Great Treatise says, "The Book of Changes is the way of the sages to explore the profound and examine 'ji.' Because it is profound, it can communicate the aspirations of the people throughout the world; because it examines 'ji,' it can accomplish the affairs of the world." It also says, "If 'ji' affairs are not kept secret, they will cause harm." Therefore, "A gentleman cleanses his heart and retreats into secrecy."

《乾·彖傳》曰“大哉乾元”，《坤·彖傳》曰“至哉坤元”。大無限量，而至有際極。大也，至也，聖人贊《易》開始之第一字也。即此一字，已將乾坤全體之精神分量，概括無遺。並將乾坤兩卦之方式作用，分析明自。挈全《易》之綱領，洩造化之神秘。《繫傳》曰：“《易》其至矣乎！”聖人之情見乎辭矣。大者何，由小以至大也。非至無由顯其大，非大無以極其至，故至亦有大義。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Qian Hexagram begins with "Great is the Qian Yuan," and the Commentary on the Judgment of the Kun Hexagram begins with "Extremely profound is the Kun Yuan." "Great" means boundless, while "extreme" means reaching the furthest limit. The single character "great" and the single character "extreme" are the first words used by the sage in praising the Book of Changes. With just these words, the entire essence and weight of the Qian and Kun hexagrams are fully summarized, and their forms and functions are clearly explained. It sets the main theme for the entire Book of Changes and reveals the mystery of the workings of nature. The Great Treatise says: "Has the Book of Changes reached its highest point?" The mind of the sage is fully expressed in these words. What does "great" mean? It is the process of gradually moving from small to great. Without "extreme," one cannot display its greatness; without "great," one cannot fully comprehend its extremity. Therefore, the character "extreme" also contains the meaning of "great."

家人、豐、渙，皆云“王假”。假，大也，至也，皆坤之義也。《坤·初六》“履霜堅冰至”，履通謙，謙履相錯為臨遁，故《臨·六四》曰“至臨”。《坤·六四》“括囊”，括，亦至也。而《臨·彖》“至于八月有凶”，謂臨至遁也。由此至彼，必上有所承，故必須承乎乾元，始得止於至善，而為坤元，為至哉坤元，為至道，為至德。為至當不易，失其所承，則為失道，為迷。

The trigrams Family, Fullness, and Dispersal all mention "Wang Jia" (where "Jia" is read as "Ge," meaning to arrive), and "Jia" signifies greatness and arrival, both belonging to the meaning of the Earth trigram. The "Initial Line" of the Earth trigram says "Walking on frost, solid ice is coming." The trigram Walking and the trigram Humility are yin-yang counterparts, and when Humility and Walking are interchanged, they form the trigrams Approaching and Retreat. Therefore, the "Fourth Line" of the Approaching trigram says "Arrival of Approach." The "Fourth Line" of the Earth trigram says "Binding the bag," and "binding" also contains the meaning of reaching the extreme. The "Commentary on the Judgment" of the Approaching trigram says "Until the eighth month there is misfortune," referring to the transition from the Approaching trigram to the Retreat trigram. Whenever moving from one place to another, there must be something above to connect and support it. Therefore, one must connect with the Heaven's origin to stop at the highest good and become the Earth's origin, thus being worthy of "How great is the Earth's origin," and achieving the highest Dao, highest virtue, and the most appropriate and unchanging principle. Once the connecting element is lost, it becomes losing the Dao and going astray.

《復·上六》“迷復凶”，《傳》曰“至于十年不克征”，故得道則曰“朋至（解）”，失道則曰“寇至（需）”，“朋至”則“得其友（損）”，“寇至”則“傷之”者至矣（益）。履和而至（履通謙，則陰陽和），則非堅冰至，則積善必有餘慶。《繫傳》曰：“勞謙，君子有終，吉。勞而不伐，有功而不德，厚之至也。”又曰：“藉之用茅，何咎之有？順之至也。”順與厚，皆坤德也。《文言》曰：“坤，至柔而動也剛，至靜而德方，後得主而有常，含萬物而化光。坤道其順乎？順天而時行。”贊坤元無餘蘊矣。故《易》者，天下之至精，天下之至變，天下之至神。皆“至哉坤元”之至，故“不疾而速，不行而至”。

The *Fu* hexagram's *Upper Sixth* says, "Confused return, ominous." The *Image Commentary* says, "It may take ten years without success." Therefore, those who follow the Dao say "friends arrive" (as in the *Nine in the Fourth* of the *Jing* hexagram, "When friends arrive, trust follows"), while those who lose the Dao say "bandits arrive" (as in the *Nine in the Third* of the *Xu* hexagram, "Causing bandits to arrive"). "Friends arrive" allows one to "gain friends" (as in the *Six in the Third* of the *Sun* hexagram), while "bandits arrive" brings even the person who causes harm (as in the *Upper Ninth* of the *Yi* hexagram). The *Great Treatise* says, "To walk in harmony, one arrives in harmony" (since *Lv* and *Qian* are mutually connected, thus yin and yang are harmonious). This is not the ominous danger of "thick ice arrives," but rather the saying that a family accumulating virtue will surely have abundant blessings. The *Great Treatise* also says, "To work diligently and humbly, a gentleman achieves a good end, which is auspicious. To work hard without boasting, to achieve success without taking credit, this is the utmost sincerity." It also says, "Using straw for the sacrifice, what misfortune could there be? This is the utmost harmony." Harmony and sincerity are both the virtues of *Kun*. The *Discourse on the *Kun* hexagram* says, "Kun is the utmost softness yet its movement is firm, the utmost stillness yet its virtue is square. It waits for the ruler and acts with constancy, containing all things and transforming them into light. Is this not the utmost harmony of the Dao of *Kun*? It follows heaven and acts in accordance with the seasons." It praises the *Kun* origin without reserve. Therefore, the *Zhou Changes* is the most refined, most changeable, and most mysterious book in the world. These instances of "utmost" all originate from "the utmost is the origin of *Kun*." Thus the *Great Treatise* says, "Without haste, yet it is swift; without movement, yet it arrives."

《說卦》曰：“昔者聖人之作《易》也，將以順性命之理。是以立天之道，曰陰與陽。立地之道，曰柔與剛。立人之道，曰仁與義。兼三才而兩之，故《易》六畫而成卦。分陰分陽，迭用柔剛。故《易》六位而成章。”《繫傳》曰：“《易》之為書也，廣大悉備。有天道焉，有地道焉，有人道焉。兼三才而兩之，故六。六者，非它也，三才之道也。”又曰：“六爻之動，三極之道也。”此《易》道也。

The Shuo Guà says: In ancient times, the sage composed the Yì to follow the principles of life and nature. Therefore, he established the principle of Heaven as yīn and yáng, the principle of Earth as flexibility and strength, and the principle of humanity as benevolence and righteousness. By adding one layer to each of the three elements—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—the Yì requires six lines to form a single hexagram. It also distinguishes between yīn and yang positions, alternately using flexible and strong lines, so the Yì has six positions to form its structure. The Xì Cì Zhuan says: The Zhou Yì is vast and comprehensive, containing the principles of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. By adding one layer to each of the three elements, it becomes six. The number six is not something else, but the principle of the three elements. It also says: "The movement of the six lines represents the three ultimate principles." This is what is called the "Yì Dao."

經之言“道”者四：《復·彖》曰“反復其道”，《小畜·初九》曰“復自道”，《履·九四》曰“履道坦坦”，《隨·九四》曰“有孚在道，以明”，皆在《上經》，已將道字發揮淨盡，故《下經》不復贅言，以俟後人之觸類旁通而己。《傳》之言“道”者，曰“一陰一陽之謂道”，又曰“形而上者謂之道”。一陰一陽，變化往來，生生不已。以陽易陰，以陰易陽。乾道成男，坤道成女。陰陽反覆，一陰則反其道，一陽則復其道。故《復·彖》曰“反復其道”，而《乾·九三·傳》亦日“反復道也”。

The term "Dao" is mentioned four times in the text: in the Commentary on the Judgment of the Reversion Hexagram it says "reversing its Dao," in the Initial Line of the Small Accumulation Hexagram it says "returning to the Dao," in the Courteous Hexagram it says "walking on a level Dao" (the commentary by Hang was attached to the Fourth Line, but the current version is in the Second Line), and in the Following Hexagram's Fourth Line it says "having sincerity in the Dao, to illuminate." These four instances are all in the Upper Canon, and they have already fully explained the concept of "Dao," so the Lower Canon does not repeat it, leaving it for later scholars to understand by analogy. In the Commentaries on the Changes, there are mentions of "Dao," such as "one yin and one yang is called Dao," and "what is beyond form is called Dao." One yin and one yang change and move, continuously generating and renewing: exchanging yang for yin and yin for yang; the Dao of Qian produces masculinity, and the Dao of Kun produces femininity. Yin and yang move in a cyclical and reciprocal manner; encountering one yin is "reversing" the Dao, and encountering one yang is "returning" to the Dao, so the Commentary on the Judgment of the Reversion Hexagram says "reversing and returning to the Dao," and the Image Commentary of the Qian Hexagram's Third Line also says "reversing and returning to the Dao."

蓋陽以統陰，失其統則亢，亢則宜復。陰以承陽，失其承則迷，迷則宜反。反而不復，有陰而無陽，失道也。復而不反，有陽而無陰，亦失道也。“終日乾乾”之反覆，已復而欲其反也。“七日來復”之反覆，已反而欲其復也。反而不復，則其道窮。復而不反，則其道困。窮而知變，困而知通，通變隨時，損益得中，聖人之道也。知周乎萬物，而道濟天下，故不過，而《易》之道盡矣。

Yang's function is to lead Yin; if it loses its leadership, it becomes excessive. When excessive, it should return. Yin's function is to receive Yang; if it loses its receiving, it becomes confused. When confused, it should reverse. If only reversing without returning, that is having Yin without Yang, which is losing the Way; if only returning without reversing, that is having Yang without Yin, which is also losing the Way. The phrase "all day long diligent" in the Qian hexagram refers to having already returned and needing to reverse again; the phrase "seven days to return" in the Fu hexagram refers to having already reversed and needing to return again. If only reversing without returning, the Way is exhausted; if only returning without reversing, the Way is blocked. When exhausted, one understands transformation; when blocked, one understands communication. Being able to communicate and transform according to the time, and to reduce and increase while maintaining the middle, this is the Way of the sage. The "Great Treatise" says, "Knowing all things in the world and guiding the world, thus not exceeding," and the Way of the Zhou Yi is thus fully explained.

《傳》稱“得中道”五（《離·六三》，《既濟·六二》，《夬·九二》，《蠱·九二》，《解·九二》），“未失道”二（《睽·九二》，《觀·六三》），“其道窮”四（《比·彖》，《蹇·彖》，《坤·上六》，《節·上六》），“失道”三（《坎·初六》、《上六》，《漸·九三》）。由陽而陰，小人之道也，否也。由陰而陽，君子之道也，泰也。

The Commentary on the Judgment in the Book of Changes mentions "getting the middle path" in five instances: the Sixth line of the Li Hexagram, the Sixth line of the Ji Ji Hexagram, the Second line of the Guai Hexagram, the Second line of the Gu Hexagram, and the Second line of the Jie Hexagram. It mentions "not losing the path" in two instances: the Second line of the Kui Hexagram and the Sixth line of the Guan Hexagram. It mentions "the path is exhausted" in four instances: the Commentary on the Judgment of the Bi Hexagram, the Commentary on the Judgment of the Jian Hexagram, the Sixth line of the Kun Hexagram, and the Sixth line of the Jie Hexagram. It mentions "losing the path" in three instances: the First line and the Sixth line of the Kan Hexagram, and the Third line of the Jie Hexagram. In summary: moving from yang to yin is the path of the petty person, which is negation; moving from yin to yang is the path of the gentleman, which is peace.

有天地而後萬物生焉。萬物生於天地間者，莫不有命。蓋當其未生之前，本無是物也。乃忽而受氣成形，以有是物，形成於地，氣受於天，果孰使之然者？是則所謂命也。聖人設卦觀象，以明萬物之理，即以卦爻之變化往來，以示各有定命之所在。所謂設辭以明之也。《乾·彖》曰“乾道變化，各正性命”，可見命之所自來。即由乾道之變化，乾非坤無以變也，乾變坤化而乾道斯成。亦如男子必得婦生子，而始有父道也。

With the existence of heaven and earth, all things come into being. Every thing existing between heaven and earth carries a "destiny" or "fate." Because before it came into being, there was no such thing; suddenly it received the vital energy and took form, thus becoming what it is. The form is formed on the earth, and the vital energy is received from heaven. But who made it so? This is what is called "destiny." The sage established the structure of hexagrams and observed their images, in order to explain the principles of all things. By observing the changes and movements of the lines in the hexagrams, the sage indicated the fixed destiny of each thing. This is called "setting forth words to clarify it." The *Commentary on the Judgment* of the *Qian Hexagram* says, "The way of Qian brings about change, and each thing establishes its destiny and its nature." This shows that the origin of destiny lies in the change of the way of Qian. However, Qian cannot change without Kun; when Qian changes, Kun transforms, and only then does the way of Qian come into being. This is like a man needing a wife to give birth to children before he can be considered a father.

故曰“一陰一陽之謂道”，分於道之謂命。經之稱“命”者六卦，《否·九四》“有命無咎”，《訟·九四》“復即命”，《革·九四》“改命吉”，《師·九二》“王三錫命”，上六“大君有命”，《泰·上六》“自邑告命”，《旅·六五》“終以譽命”，《傳》則曰“受命”，曰“順命”，曰“舍命”，曰“改命”，曰“申命”，曰“致命”，曰“凝命”。《易》之言命，略具於是矣。

Therefore, it is said, "One yin and one yang is called the Dao," and the portion one receives from the Dao is called "ming" (destiny). The classic text mentions "ming" in six hexagrams: "There is a mandate without misfortune" from the Hexagram of Non-Prosperity, the Fourth line; "Returning to one's destiny" from the Hexagram of Contentiousness, the Fourth line; "Changing one's destiny brings good fortune" from the Hexagram of Revolution, the Fourth line; "The king bestows three mandates" and "The great ruler issues a mandate" from the Hexagram of the Army, the Second line and the Sixth at the Top; "Announcing the mandate from the city" from the Hexagram of Prosperity, the Sixth at the Top; and "Ending with a glorious mandate" from the Hexagram of Travel, the Fifth line. In the "Commentaries on the Zhou Changes," it speaks of "receiving a mandate," "following a mandate," "abandoning a mandate," "changing a mandate," "reiterating a mandate," "conveying a mandate," and "solidifying a mandate." The discussion of "ming" in the Zhou Changes is largely contained within these references.

蓋卦之變化，以正性命者，惟二五。乾二之坤五，其例也。二五之精，妙合而凝。故鼎曰“正位凝命”。命分於道，則道有變化，命亦有變通。受命者，得於天也。凝命者，全其體也。順命者，順其正也。舍命者，察其幾也。申命者，行其事也。致命者，遂其志也。改命者，革其故也。《詩》日：“維天之命，於穆不已。”窮理盡性以致於命，故曰“不知命無以為君子也”。孔子五十而知天命，其亦在學《易》以後乎？

In the changes of the hexagrams, only the second line and the fifth line can truly "correct the destiny and nature." The example of the Qian hexagram's Nine in the Second moving to the fifth position of the Kun hexagram illustrates this. The "Tian Ji Tu Shuo" by Zhou Dunyi speaks of "the essence of two and five, combining and solidifying," so the "Image Commentary" of the Ding hexagram says "correct position and solidify the destiny." Since destiny comes from the Dao, when the Dao changes, destiny also changes. "Receiving the mandate" means obtaining it from Heaven; "solidifying the mandate" means preserving its essence; "following the mandate" means adhering to its proper path; "abandoning the mandate" means examining its subtle aspects; "proclaiming the mandate" means applying it to affairs; "fulfilling the mandate" means achieving one's own aspirations; "changing the mandate" means eliminating its old flaws. The "Book of Songs, Zhou Songs" says, "The Mandate of Heaven, profound and unceasing." The "Shuo Gua" says, "Exhausting principles and fully realizing nature to reach destiny." Confucius also says, "Without understanding destiny, one cannot be a gentleman." Confucius understood the Mandate of Heaven at the age of fifty, perhaps also after studying the Book of Changes.

《說文》：“理，治玉也。從玉里聲。”孔子繫《易》於“理”字約分二義。《說卦》：“和順於道德而理於義。”此理字與和字相針對。和之義為合，理之義為分。分理之理，即治玉之理也。蓋物質之堅緻，而仍有條理可分者，無過於玉。堅則固，致則密。既固且密，則最不易分者，亦無過於玉。故以理為治玉之名，又廣其義為處分萬事。

The Shuowen Jiezi says: "Li means to treat jade. It is composed of the radical for jade and the sound of 'Li'." When Confucius interpreted the Yi Jing, he used the character "Li" in roughly two senses. The Shuigu says: "Harmonious with morality and orderly in righteousness." Here, the character "Li" contrasts with "He" (harmony): "He" means to combine, while "Li" means to differentiate; the "Li" referring to differentiation is the same as the "Li" meaning to treat jade. Basically, among things that are hard and dense yet still have a texture that can be split, nothing surpasses jade: hard means firm, dense means tight; being both firm and tight, nothing is more difficult to split than jade. Therefore, the term "Li" was originally used to describe the process of treating jade, and later its meaning was extended to refer to the orderly management of all affairs.

萬物之名，《易》道廣大，必分而析之，分而又分，析而又析，而後其精微者乃可得而見。亦如今之治化學者，於一物之體質，必分而析之，至於分無可分，析無可析，而所得者，即為此物之原質矣。故邵子之加一倍法，亦即分析法之還原者也。物理數理，皆有跡象可求，分而理之尚易。至理於義，則精微之至矣。其下文“窮理盡性以至於命”，此理字則為名詞，而非動詞，即指性分中所有之理。

All things in the world have many names and forms, and the principles of the Book of Changes are vast and profound. Therefore, they must be analyzed and divided repeatedly, breaking them down layer by layer until the subtle aspects become clear. This is similar to how modern chemists study the nature of substances by analyzing them, dividing them until they can be divided no more, and analyzing until they can be analyzed no further. The result is the fundamental elements of that substance. Thus, Shao Yong's method of "doubling" — dividing one into two, two into four, and so on, doubling at each stage — is essentially a method of reduction through analysis. Physics and mathematical reasoning have tangible traces and can be systematically broken down and organized. However, when it comes to the level of "li yu yi" (principle and meaning), it becomes extremely subtle. The character "li" in the phrase "qiong li jin xing yi zhi yu ming" refers to a noun rather than a verb, meaning the principle that is inherently present within one's nature.

故鄭康成注《樂記》曰“理猶性也”，朱子注《中庸》曰“性即理也”，竟以理與性，相為轉註。然詳加研究，則終有未安。未可以大儒之說，遂附和之，而以為確當也。蓋性固有理，不能謂理即性，性即理。猶物各有理，不能謂物為理，謂理為物也。先儒此種訓詁，貽誤後學最多。是在學者之自有領悟，愈講解而糾纏愈甚矣。《坤·文言》曰“君子黃中通理”，與《乾·傳》“利貞者，性情也”，呼吸相通。苟於此領悟而有得焉，於明理之學，思過半矣。

Therefore, Zheng Xuan's commentary on the "Book of Rites · Music Record" says "li is like xing," and Zhu Xi's commentary on the "Doctrine of the Mean" says "xing is li," treating "li" and "xing" as synonymous terms that can be explained in terms of each other. However, upon closer examination, these statements ultimately do not hold up. One should not simply follow the words of great scholars blindly, assuming them to be correct. Although xing does contain li, one cannot say that li is xing or xing is li; just as each thing has its own li, one cannot say that the thing is li or li is the thing. Such interpretations by previous scholars have caused the most confusion for later students. This can only be understood through personal insight; the more explanations one receives, the more confused one becomes. The "Commentary on the Literary Meaning" of the "Kun Hexagram" says "the gentleman has yellow in the center and communicates li," and the "Commentary" of the "Qian Hexagram" says "li zhen refers to xingqing," with these two sentences sharing a similar spirit. If one can understand and gain insight from here, then one will have grasped a large part of the study of understanding principles.

分於道之謂命，分於命之謂性。心生為性，有生斯有命，有命斯有性，性命恆相聯屬。故《易》言命而不言性。孔子贊《易》，則曰“乾道變化，各正性命”，又曰“窮理盡性以至於命”，又曰“一陰一陽之謂道。繼之者善也，成之者性也”。言性之本源，可謂明白曉暢矣。

The part derived from the Dao is called "ming" (destiny), and the part derived from "ming" is called "xing" (nature). The character "xing" is composed of "xin" (heart) and "sheng" (birth), meaning what arises from the heart is xing. There is birth before there is destiny, and there is destiny before there is nature. Thus, xing and ming are always connected. Therefore, the text of the Zhou Changes only discusses ming and not xing. When Confucius commented on the Zhou Changes, he said, "The Dao of the Creative Heaven changes, and each thing establishes its own ming and xing." He also said, "To exhaust the principles and reach the nature, and thus reach the destiny," and again, "One yin and one yang is called Dao. The one who continues it is goodness, and the one who completes it is xing." In discussing the origin of xing, he explained it clearly and distinctly.

後之言性者，約分三類：孟子，言性善；荀子，言性惡；告子，言性無善無不善。各明一義。性善之說，於立教為宜，故後世多宗之。其實曰善曰惡，已為性之所見端，未可謂之性也。告子無善無不善之說，殊未可厚非。孔子曰“性相近，習相遠”，亦此意也。宋儒因迴護孟子之說，於是創為義理之性，氣質之性，以分別善惡。謂生而善者，義理之性。習而惡者，氣質之性。益支離而不可通矣。

Later generations have generally divided the discussion of human nature into three schools of thought: Mencius taught that human nature is good, Xunzi taught that human nature is evil, and Gaozi taught that human nature is neither good nor evil. Each emphasized a different aspect. The theory of innate goodness is convenient for moral education, so it was mostly followed in later times. In reality, when one speaks of goodness or evil, these are already manifestations of nature, not its essential nature. Gaozi's statement that human nature is neither good nor evil is actually not unreasonable. Confucius said, "Human nature is originally similar, but habits make them differ," which expresses exactly the same idea. The Song dynasty scholars, in order to defend Mencius' theory of innate goodness, invented the distinction between "principle-based nature" and "material nature," saying that those born good belong to principle-based nature, while those turned evil by habit belong to material nature. This distinction only makes the theory more fragmented and incoherent.

情者，性之動也。所謂人生而靜，天之性也。感於物而動，性之慾也。故性與情亦恆相聯屬。《易》言欲而不言情。孔子贊《易》，曰“利貞者，性情也”。《白虎通》曰：“性者，陽之施。情者，陰之化也。”《論衡》曰：“性生於陽，情生於陰。”《說文》：“性，人之陽氣，性善者也。情，人之陰氣，有欲者也。”皆性情並舉。性貞於誠，而情則有誠有偽。《繫辭》曰“設卦以盡情偽”，又曰“爻彖以情言”，又曰“吉凶以情遷。凡《易》之情近而不相得，則凶或害之悔且吝”，又曰“六爻發揮，旁通情也”。觀旁通而情可見矣。

"Qing" refers to the manifestation of nature. The "Book of Rites: On Music" states, "When a person is born, he is in a state of tranquility, which is the nature of heaven; when he is moved by external things, it is the desire of nature." This precisely expresses the meaning of this concept, so nature and qing are always closely connected. The "Zhou Yi" (Book of Changes) only discusses desire but does not mention qing; it was only when Confucius commented on the "Zhou Yi" that he said, "Li zhen refers to nature and qing." The "Bai Hu Tong" states, "Nature is the manifestation of yang; qing is the transformation of yin." The "Lun Heng" says, "Nature arises from yang, and qing arises from yin." The "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" says, "Nature is the yang qi of a person, which is inherently good; qing is the yin qi of a person, which has desire." All these sources mention nature and qing together. Nature is correct when it is sincere, while qing may be sincere or false. The "Xi Ci Zhuan" says, "Setting up trigrams is to fully express the true and false aspects of human nature and qing," and it says, "The yao and tian are spoken of in terms of qing," and "Good fortune and misfortune change according to qing; all the qing in the "Zhou Yi" are close but not in harmony, which leads to misfortune, harm, regret, and hardship." It also says, "The six yao are developed to communicate the qing." From the method of "pang tong" (mutual communication), the authenticity, truthfulness, and opposition of qing become evident.

教以立人，道以立己，己立立人。故《易》之為書，無非道也，無非教也。卦之言教者三：坎“習教事”，臨“教思無窮”，觀“觀民設教”，而要以“蒙養”為立教之始。孔子更廣其義於漸，曰“居賢德善俗”。於蠱曰“振民育德”。於無妄曰“茂對時育萬物”。於是今世謂之文明教育之事業，而《易》無不備舉矣。而其博大精深之教義，則尚非今世物質文明之教育家，耳目思想所能及。當於卦爻內詳論之，茲未遑悉舉也。

"Teaching" is used to help others, while "the Way" is used to achieve oneself; one must first establish oneself before being able to help others establish themselves. Therefore, the book of The Zhou Changes contains nothing that is not the Way, and nothing that is not teaching. There are three instances in the hexagrams that directly mention teaching: in the "Image Commentary" of the Kan hexagram, it says "maintaining the constant virtue, practicing teaching affairs"; in the "Image Commentary" of the Lin hexagram, it says "teaching thoughts are boundless"; and in the "Image Commentary" of the Guan hexagram, it says "examining directions, observing the people, and establishing teaching." The starting point of establishing teaching always returns to the Meng hexagram's "cultivating correctness in the young." Confucius further expanded on this meaning: in the Jian hexagram, he says "residing in virtuous virtue and improving customs"; in the Gu hexagram, he says "reviving the people and cultivating virtue"; and in the Wuwang hexagram, he says "prosperous and nurturing all things in accordance with the seasons." Clearly, all the various endeavors of modern civilization and education are already fully contained in The Zhou Changes. As for its vast and profound teachings, they are beyond the reach of today's educators who focus only on material civilization, whose senses, hearing, and thoughts cannot comprehend them. These should be discussed in detail in each hexagram and line, but it is not possible to list them all here.

《易》者，用世之書也。故以有立教，亦以用立教，亦即以中立教。有貴乎能用，有而不能用，則與無等耳。然非無不能明有之用，非用無以盡有之功，非中無以盡用之妙，故曰“有”，曰“用”，曰“中”。此《易》之界說也。必明此界說，而後《易》可得而言。《易》六十四卦，無一非用，而以乾坤用九用六發其凡。用六而曰以大終，則六亦九之用，故以乾元用九而天下治，以竟《易》之全功。《乾·九二》“庸言”“庸行”，言行君子之所以動天地也。而曰“庸”者，庸者用也，明用之非中不立也。

The Zhou Changes is a book that serves the world and achieves practical results. Therefore, it establishes its teachings based on "having" (有), "using" (用), and "center" (中). "Having" is valuable only when it can be used; if one has something but cannot use it, it is as if one has nothing. However, without understanding "nothingness" (无), one cannot fully explain the function of "having"; without using it, one cannot fully realize the effectiveness of "having"; without attaining "center," one cannot fully grasp the subtleties of "using." Therefore, speaking of "having," "using," and "center" is the essence of the Zhou Changes. One must first clearly understand these three principles before one can begin to discuss the Yi. None of the sixty-four hexagrams is not about using; the general principle is expressed through the "use of nine" (用九) in the Qian hexagram and the "use of six" (用六) in the Kun hexagram. The "use of six" in the Kun hexagram says "it brings about a great conclusion," indicating that six is also the use of nine. Therefore, "the power of Qian's original essence is the use of nine, and the world is thus governed," and the entire function of the Zhou Changes is thus completed. The "Commentary on the Second Line of the Qian Hexagram" says, "ordinary words are trustworthy, and ordinary actions are cautious," meaning that speech and action are the means by which a gentleman can move heaven and earth. The use of the character "庸" (ordinary) is because "庸" means "use," showing that use cannot stand without center.

以，用也。孔子傳《易》，以明大用，於六十四卦之《象傳》明之。“天行健，君子以自強不息”。“地勢坤，君子以厚德載物”。六十四卦皆此以一字挈其綱，即“五十以學《易》”之以，亦即“以《易》傳教”本旨之所在也。

"The '以' means to use. Confucius wrote commentaries on the Yi to clarify its great practical use, which is concentrated in the Great Image Commentaries of the sixty-four hexagrams: 'Heaven's movement is vigorous, the gentleman should strive ceaselessly'; 'The earth's position is docile, the gentleman should cultivate virtue and carry all things.' Each of the sixty-four hexagrams uses this single character '以' to summarize its main idea. This '以' is the same '以' as in Confucius' statement 'At fifty I began to study the Yi,' and it is precisely where the principle of 'using the Yi to teach' is realized."

蓋《彖傳》者，釋內外兩卦之用也。《象傳》則取兩卦之中，合上下之義而貫串之。兩卦之中者何？即三四兩爻，所謂中爻所謂人爻者是也。故曰“若夫雜物撰德，辨是與非，則非其中爻不備”。而二四三五同功，三四於六爻為人位，“立人之道”立於此。孔子之六十四“以”字，亦發明於此。明乎此，則庶乎可盡《易》之用。雖吉凶有命，而悔吝可免矣。故《易》於乾之九三九四兩爻，特著曰“無咎”。

The Commentary on the Judgment explains the use of the inner and outer trigrams separately; the Great Image Commentary, on the other hand, takes the point where the two trigrams meet, combining the meanings above and below to form a continuous whole. The so-called meeting point of the two trigrams refers to the third and fourth lines, which are called the "middle lines" and the "human lines." Therefore, the Great Treatise says: "If one is to mix various things and cultivate virtue, and distinguish right from wrong, then without the middle lines, the meaning would not be complete." The second and fourth lines have the same function, and the third and fifth lines also share the same function. The third and fourth lines are in the central position among the six lines, and thus represent the human position. The establishment of the way of human beings is established here. The sixty-four "以" (by means of) words that Confucius added in the sixty-four "Image Commentaries" of the sixty-four hexagrams were also derived from this. Once this is understood, one can largely exhaust the application of the Zhou Changes: although good and bad fortune may be determined by fate, regret and hardship can be avoided. Therefore, the Zhou Changes specially marks the words "no blame" under the ninth line of the third and fourth lines of the Qian hexagram, indicating that if one can properly correct mistakes, there will be no calamity.

之者，《易》之用也。爻有變動，故曰之。“辭也者各指其所之”，有所之而吉凶見焉。之字作屮。屮者一生三也。《易》者，一陰一陽。動有所之，而用生焉，則二生三也。故曰“一陰一陽之謂道”。之而當，則得道。之而不當，則失道。《無妄·傳》曰：“無妄之往，何之矣。”何之則道窮，是以君子慎其所之。

The character 「之」 refers to the application of the Zhou Changes. Since lines (yao) change, the character 「之」 is used to indicate this movement, as in examples such as 「Qian之Gou」 and 「Qian之Tongren」. The Great Treatise says, 「The words (ci) refer to where they go (zhi)」—when there is movement, fortune and misfortune become evident. The ancient form of 「之」 was written as 「屮」, which represents a single stem branching into three, symbolizing 「one produces three」. The Zhou Changes discuss the principle of one yin and one yang; when there is movement, application arises, which is the transition from two to three. Therefore, it is said, 「One yin and one yang is called the Way (dao).」 When movement is appropriate, one attains the Way; when movement is inappropriate, one loses the Way. The Commentary on the Judgment of Wuwang says, 「Without expectation (wuwang), where should one go?」 If there is nowhere to go, the Way is exhausted, so the gentleman is especially cautious about where he goes.

舊說“孚，信也”。坎為信。凡卦言“有孚”，皆指坎，似是而實非也。孚果指坎，何以中孚無坎象？孚固有信之一義，然信字不足以盡孚也。孚從爪，從子，象鳥以爪抱子。鳥子為卵，爪子以象抱卵，有化育之意。中孚卦象，實以巽五兌十，乃五十五數之中，於五行為土。土主化物，故曰中孚。

Old interpretations say that "fu" means "trust," and since Kan represents trust, any instance of "having fu" in the line statements of the hexagrams refers to the Kan hexagram. This seems reasonable at first glance, but it is actually incorrect. If "fu" were exclusively associated with Kan, then the Zhongfu hexagram, which does not contain the image of Kan, would be difficult to explain. Although "trust" is one meaning of "fu," the character "trust" alone cannot fully capture the meaning of "fu." The character "fu" is composed of "zhu" (爪) and "zi" (子), symbolizing a bird using its claws to hold its eggs, with the egg representing the bird's offspring. The combination of "claw" and "offspring" suggests the act of hatching and nurturing. The image of Zhongfu actually consists of Xun in the fifth position and Dui in the tenth, corresponding to the number fifty-five, which is the center of the total number of heavenly and earthly numbers. In the Five Phases, fifty-five belongs to earth, which governs the nurturing and generation of all things, hence the name "Zhongfu."

其曰“有孚”者，“有”謂大有。火天大有，離也。孚，則指坎。坎離居南北之位，合乾坤之中，維中能孚，故曰“有孚”。有則大，孚則化，“有孚”者，即《中庸》所謂“大德敦化”也。凡《易》之道，一陰一陽，必陽孚於陰，而陰孚於陽，而後陰陽和，而成化育之功。

As for "having faith" (有孚), the "有" refers to the Hexagram Da You. Da You is composed of Li above Qian, known as "Fire over Heaven: Great Possession." The image is taken from Li; "孚" refers to Kan. Kan and Li are located in the north and south respectively, precisely in the middle of Qian and Kun. Only by being in the center can they have faith in each other, hence "having faith." "Having" leads to greatness, and "faith" leads to transformation, so "having faith" is also what the Zhongyong says "great virtue nurtures transformation." In general, the Way of the Book of Changes is the interplay of yin and yang. It must be that yang comes to have faith in yin, and yin comes to have faith in yang, only then can yin and yang harmonize, and the function of transformation and nurturing can be realized.

人品有君子小人，泰、否，君子小人之相消長者也。遁曰“君子吉，小人否”，觀曰“小人無咎，君子吝”。必君子能孚小人，則小人亦能化為君子。所謂“有孚顒若”，下觀而化，則先否後喜，天下受福矣。若不能用觀，則成大壯。義非不正，理非不直也。而剛以反動，小人用壯，君子用罔。羝羊觸藩，天下被其禍矣。乾元用九，必有孚而始致其用。故孚有信義，有化義，有容義，又有合義，有感義。所謂精義入神之用，以孚字盡之矣。非統全《易》而詳察之，又烏知其妙哉！

Human beings can be categorized as either gentlemen or petty persons. The hexagrams Tai and Pu illustrate the mutual rise and decline of gentlemen and petty persons. The hexagram Duan says, "The gentleman is auspicious, the petty person is not." The hexagram Guan says, "The petty person has no blame, the gentleman is in want." Only when the gentleman can inspire and win the trust of the petty person can the petty person be transformed into a gentleman. The phrase "There is sincerity and reverence" in the hexagram Guan refers to those below looking up and being influenced, thus first encountering difficulty and then experiencing joy, and the whole world benefiting. If the method of "Guan" is not used, it becomes Da Zhuang. The meaning of Da Zhuang is not improper, nor is its principle not upright, but when it is too strong, it will rebound: "The petty person uses strength, the gentleman is trapped." A male goat with horns collides with a fence, but ends up getting stuck, unable to move forward or backward, and the world suffers as a result. The use of "Yuan Yu Ji" in Qian Yuan also requires sincerity to truly realize its function. Therefore, the character "fu" contains the meanings of trust, transformation, tolerance, unity, and influence. The "Great Treatise" says, "Refining the profound meaning to the divine level so as to achieve practical use," and the character "fu" encompasses all of this. Without a comprehensive study of the entire Zhou Yi, how could one understand its subtleties?

以上單辭，略舉一隅，可見經傳字無虛設。或一字而含數義，或數卦合用一字，無不脈絡貫通。潛心體玩，均有線索可尋。此外有字以類從，因意義相同，而互見於各卦而相貫串者，可謂之類辭，如則法律一類也，克伐徵一類也，速疾遇一類也，需繻須濡一類也，怠緩徐慢裕一類也。凡同乎此者，皆以義相類者也。如弟娣娣涕一類也，頄仇九一類也，輪綸一類也。凡同乎此者，皆以形聲相類者也。相類之字，於卦爻之變通意義，皆有關係，均可互相印證者也。

The examples given above are only a few instances, but from this we can see that no single character in the classics is superfluous. Some characters contain several layers of meaning, while others are used together across multiple hexagrams, and they are all connected in a coherent way. As long as one carefully examines and reflects on them, there will be clear clues to follow. In addition, there is another category of characters that are grouped together because of similar meanings, scattered throughout various hexagrams but connected to each other, and can be called "classical terms." For example, "则, 法, 律" are one category, "克, 伐, 征" are another, "速, 疾, 遇" are another, "需, 繻, 须, 濡" are another, and "怠, 缓, 徐, 慢, 裕" are another. All of these are grouped according to similar meanings. Another example is "弟, 妹, 涕" as one category, "頄, 仇, 九" as another, and "轮, 纶" as another. All of these are grouped according to similar forms or sounds. Characters that are similar in meaning or form are related to the meanings of hexagram lines and their transformations, and can be used to verify each other.

其單辭之外，更又綴屬一字，或二字，或三四五字，以成一名辭，或成一句者，可謂之類句。如由頤、由豫；甘節、甘臨；頻復、頻巽；艮其腓、咸其腓；困于酒食、需于酒食；我心不快、其心不快；同人，先號咷而後笑；旅人，先笑而後號咷之類，亦無不互相聯貫。

In addition to single characters, there are cases where one, two, or three to five characters are added above another character to form a noun or a complete sentence. Such combinations can be called 'classificatory phrases'. For example, '由颐' and '由豫', '甘节' and '甘临', '频复' and '频巽', '艮其腓' and '咸其腓', '困于酒食' and '需于酒食', '我心不快' and '其心不快', as well as the '先号咷而后笑' from the Tongren hexagram and the '旅人先笑后号咷' from the Lv hexagram. These are all mutually connected.

如密雲不雨、帝乙歸妹、用拯馬壯吉、不富于其鄰，完全相同之一句，或二句，分見於兩卦或三卦者，則更為顯而易見。具詳於焦理堂氏之《易通釋》，茲不贅述也（《易通釋》偏於旁通之正立言。有未可盡通化學者，以意逆之，勿以其辭云意也可。）。

As for cases where exactly the same sentence or pair of sentences, such as "密云不雨" ("dense clouds without rain"), "帝乙归妹" ("King Di Yi marries off his younger sister"), "用拯马壮吉" ("using a strong horse brings good fortune"), and "不富于其邻" ("not being rich compared to one's neighbors"), appear in two or even three hexagrams, this is even more obvious. Zhao Xiu's "Yi Tong Shi" explains these in great detail, so there is no need to repeat here. (Zhao's "Yi Tong Shi" mainly discusses the correct aspect of mutual transformation, and some parts may not be fully coherent. Readers should use their own interpretations to infer his intended meaning rather than stick rigidly to the literal text.)

舉單辭、對辭、類辭、類句，經傳之概略，已可見矣。而正言斷辭，尚有數例，更舉如左。

Four types of expressions are mentioned: single words, paired words, categorical terms, and categorical sentences. The general situation of the use of characters in the classics can now be clearly seen. As for the aspect of "correct statements" and "concluding phrases," there are still several general rules, which are listed below.