The principle of qi (vital energy) among the principles of reason, form, and numerical patterns.

或曰：向之言《易》者，每曰理象氣數。理象與數，既聞之矣。所謂氣者，是否即指卦氣？曰：氣者，即天地陰陽之氣。故一曰氣始，二曰形始。氣居於形之先，形包於氣之中。流行不息，連化無窮。大無外而細無間，皆氣之所周也。

Someone asked: In the past, those who explained the Book of Changes often spoke of four aspects: "li, xiang, qi, and shu." Li, xiang, and shu have already been explained by you; so what is meant by "qi"? Is it referring to "gua qi"? Answer: Qi refers to the qi of heaven and earth, yin and yang. Therefore, the first step is called "qi beginning," and the second step is called "form beginning" — qi comes before form, and form is contained within qi. It flows ceaselessly, transforms endlessly, being vast without boundaries and minute without gaps, pervading everywhere without exception.

然氣不可見，故顯之以象，而節之以數，析之以理。言理言數言象，皆所以言氣也。固不僅為卦氣，卦氣但以明一歲四時七十二候之序耳。五行者，所以別氣之剛柔。干支者，所以明氣之盛衰。納甲以象氣之交錯，納音以盡氣之變化。而出入內外，節以制度，皆在於數。故明乎數之理，象與氣可坐而致焉。

However, since qi is invisible, it is expressed through "xiang" (images), regulated through "shu" (numbers), and analyzed through "li" (principles). Discussing principles, numbers, and images is all for the purpose of discussing qi, not solely referring to hexagram qi; hexagram qi is only used to explain the order of the four seasons and the seventy-two phases of the year. The "Five Phases" are used to distinguish the softness and firmness of qi, "Gan-Zhi" (Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches) are used to indicate the waxing and waning of qi, "Najia" (stem assignment) is used to take the image of the intermingling of qi, and "Nayin" (sound element) is used to exhaust the changes of qi. As for the entry and exit of qi, internal and external, and the limitation by institutional rules, these all fall under "shu" (numbers). Therefore, once the principle of numbers is understood, images and qi can be obtained effortlessly.

曰：然則以何書為善？曰：是宜求之於陰陽之學。向來陰陽術數之書，皆精粗雜揉，瑕瑜參半。《數理精蘊》與《儀象曆象考成》、《五行大義》諸書，皆宜參看。《易緯乾鑿度》、《乾坤鑿度稽覽》等書，亦不盡無稽。是在讀者能審其當否耳。

Another question: Then, which books should one read? Answer: One should seek the study of yin and yang. Throughout history, books on yin-yang and numerology have been mixed in quality, with both good and bad elements. Works such as the Qing Dynasty's "Shuli Jingyuan," "Yixiang Kaocheng," "Lixiang Kaocheng," and the Sui dynasty's "Wuxing Dayi" by Xiao Ji should all be consulted. Books like "Yiwei Qianzaodu," "Kunqian Zaodu," and "Jilantu" are not necessarily without foundation. The key lies in the reader's ability to judge their appropriateness on their own.

曰：道廣大，因不僅為占卜之用。然辭變象占，則占亦在易學所不廢。究竟言占者，宜何道之從？曰：周人占筮，各有專官。三《易》分稱，則三《易》當各有其占法，而今已失傳。孔子贊《易》，實以明道，非斷吉凶分別去取者，迄未嘗言之。後人但取《左傳》、《國策》等書，所紀占筮之文而模仿之，(《啟蒙》等書是)以一爻變二爻變至六爻變，定為去取之例。(即用本卦或用之卦)無論其或用變爻，或用不變之爻，已與《周易》用變之例自相矛盾。

Another question: The Way of the Book of Changes is vast and profound, originally not limited to divination; however, since it has four channels: words, changes, images, and divination, divination is also not abandoned in the study of the Book of Changes. So, those who study divination should follow which path? Answer: In the Zhou dynasty, there were specialized officials for divination. The three Books of Changes, namely the Lianshan, Guicang, and Zhouyi, were all called the Books of Changes. Therefore, each of the three Books of Changes should have its own method of divination, but all have been lost. Confucius commented on the Zhouyi, intending to explain the principles, but he never mentioned how to judge good or bad fortune, or how to choose between different interpretations. Later scholars had to imitate the divination texts recorded in the Zuo Zhuan and the Warring States Strategies, and so on, using one line change, two line changes, up to six line changes, to establish rules for choosing and discarding (that is, either using the primary hexagram or the changing hexagram). However, regardless of whether they take the changing lines or the unchanging lines, they have already contradicted the general practice of the Zhouyi, which uses change as the basis for divination.

即如其所言，則所得之爻或吉或凶，亦無方法以判斷其所以吉凶之故。亦如問籤枚卜者之偶中即以為驗，不中亦無以明其不中之故。至精至神之《易》道，恐不如是也。夫《易》彰往察來，斷無占而不驗，驗而無以知其所以然之理。特占法未明，《左傳》等書所載但如紀算術者，只載其得數，而未演其細草也。既無細草，則安能知其方式？不知其方式，又安知其數之從何而得哉！今但以其得數為方式，宜其所求之數無從而得矣。

Even if one follows their method, there is no way to explain why the line drawn is auspicious or inauspicious. This is similar to those who seek fortune-telling slips or toss divination sticks: if they happen to guess correctly, they call it effective; if not, they cannot explain why it failed. The most refined and profound Way of the Yi (I Ching) must not be like this. The Yi can illuminate the past and foresee the future; there can be no case where a divination does not come true or, if it does, there is no explanation for it. This is only because the method of divination has been lost and is not clearly understood. The records in books like the Zuo Zhuan are like those who write down only the result of arithmetic calculations without showing the process; without the process, how can one know the method used? Without knowing the method, how can one know where the result came from? Now, people take others' results as the method, so it is no wonder they cannot find the number they seek themselves.

故《火珠林》之術，(今術家所用者是)以及六壬、太乙、奇門三式，其操術精者，尚無不驗。獨宋賢《筮儀》之揲蓍求卦，其驗否茫無把握。豈孔子知來藏往之說為欺人哉！是未得其法也。斷可訓矣！

Therefore, the method of divination used in the "Fire Pearl Forest" tradition (which is exactly the system used by modern diviners), as well as the three systems of "Six Changes," "Taiyi," and "Qimen," will surely be effective if the practitioner's technique is precise. Only the method of divination by divining with yarrow stalks as established in the "Divination Ritual" by Song Confucians lacks certainty, whether it works or not. Is Confucius' statement "knowing the future and concealing the past" a lie? Obviously, it is later scholars who have not truly mastered the correct method. This reasoning is clearly understandable.

蓋京焦之術，大儒所薄為方技而不屑道者，而不知西漢去古未遠，其飛伏世應五行順逆之法，必有所受(孔子《上繫》起中孚，《下繫》起咸，與京氏卦氣正合。可見孔子以前，必有此六十四卦之序。故孔子於無意中即舉此二卦為言，否則六十四卦何卦不可為《繫辭》之首？又安有如是之巧合也？即此以推，則世應飛伏之有所自來，亦斷可識矣。)。故以之推算，非但吉凶確有可憑，而遠驗諸年，近征之日，雖時刻分秒亦均有數之可稽。管輅郭璞等占驗，亦均有準的，皆是術也。

The divination methods of Jing Fang and Jiao Yanshou were looked down upon by great scholars as mere techniques and not worth discussing. However, it is not known that during the Western Han dynasty, the ancient ways were still close, and their methods of "flying and hiding" and "world and response lines" along with the order of the Five Phases must have been passed down. Confucius in the "Great Treatise" of the "Commentary on the Changes" starts with the hexagram Zhongfu, while in the "Lower Commentary" he starts with Xian. This matches exactly with Jing Fang's diagram of the hexagram energies. This shows that there must have been a sequence of the sixty-four hexagrams before Confucius, so he naturally chose these two hexagrams to base his statements. Otherwise, why would any of the sixty-four hexagrams not be placed first in the "Great Treatise"? How could such a coincidence exist? From this reasoning, the theory of "world and response lines" and "flying and hiding" must have a source, and this conclusion is certain. Therefore, using these methods to predict not only has a solid basis for determining good or bad fortune, but even events can be verified for specific years, months, days, and even moments, seconds. Guan Lu of the Three Kingdoms and Guo Pu of the Jin dynasty were always accurate in their divinations, and they used exactly this method.

自王弼掃象，後之言《易》者，以性理為精微。凡陰陽五行九宮星象，皆目為蕪穢而絕口不談。不知《易》道廣大悉備，況占筮本術數之一端，陰陽乃《易》道之大綱；既言《易》，而屏除陰陽；既不明術數，而仍欲言占卜，豈非至不可解之事乎？

Since Wang Bi eliminated the images and numbers, those who later discussed the Book of Changes came to regard principles and reason as the essence, treating all things like yin and yang, the Five Phases, the Nine Palaces, and celestial phenomena as trivial and dirty, never mentioning them. They did not realize that the Way of the Changes is vast and encompasses everything. Moreover, divination itself is a branch of numerology and calculation, and yin and yang are the main framework of the Changes. If one wishes to discuss the Changes, yet excludes yin and yang; if one does not understand numerology, yet wants to talk about divination, is this not the most contradictory thing?

故餘以為欲明象占，宜求諸術數，更由術數而求諸經義，方可謂技焉而進於道。必有超出尋常而為術士所不及者，蓋術者但知其當然不知其所以然。果能一一以經義證之，以明其所以然之理，此正吾輩之責耳。自邵子以降，如劉青田、姚廣孝之儔，類皆能明其所以然之故者。是以能知未來，如燭照數計。

Therefore, I think that in order to understand the images and divination, one should seek them in the techniques of numerology; then, from the techniques, further seek them in the meanings of the classics. Only then can one progress from skill to the Way, and certainly achieve something beyond the ordinary, which the common diviners cannot match. Because the diviners only know the 'so it is' but not the 'why it is so'; if one can verify each point with the meanings of the classics and explain the reasons clearly, this is precisely the responsibility of scholars. Since Shao Kangjie, people like Liu Ji of Qingtian and Yao Guangxiao have mostly understood the reasons, so they could foresee the future as clearly as a candlelight reflecting objects or counting on one's fingers.

惜處專制政體之下，禁治陰陽壬遁之學。有其書者，必令銷燬。今所傳者，都為抄本。傳寫謬訛，且多割裂改竄，僅略留形式，尚不完備，又烏能施之於用乎？且不但禁三式諸書，即《易》注之涉及神化，或精論術數者，亦在所嚴斥。故士流所習，僅限於王《注》、孔《疏》、程《傳》、朱《義》，此外皆屬違式。至有清中葉以後，居然上及馬鄭；而道咸之際，且盛行虞義者，則以阮儀徵輩之提倡，而朝廷欲博古文之虛名，故為之網開一面耳。

Unfortunately, under the autocratic political system, the court prohibited the study of yin and yang, the Six壬 (Liuren) system, and Dun Jia. All books on these subjects were ordered to be destroyed. The ones that have survived today are all copies, passed down through generations with many errors. Moreover, most of them have been fragmented and altered, preserving only their form while lacking completeness in content. How can they be used practically? Furthermore, not only were books on the three systems (San Shi) banned, but also any commentaries on the Book of Changes that involved divine elements or detailed discussions on numerology were strictly forbidden. Therefore, scholars could only study Wang Bi's commentary, Kong Yingda's Justification, Cheng Yi's Commentary on the Book of Changes, and Zhu Xi's Original Meaning. Anything beyond that was considered illegal. By the mid-Qing Dynasty, it was even possible to refer back to Ma Rong and Zheng Xuan. During the Daoguang and Xianfeng periods, Yu Fan's interpretations became popular again, due to the promotion by a group including Yan Yuan of Yizheng, and also because the court wanted to appear as if it valued the ancient Confucian texts. Thus, they made an exception.

今政體既革，讀書尚得自由，則《易》道之昌明，更無其他之阻力。學者宜致力於全經以立其本，然後廣求秘籍，旁及科學。凡有足以與吾《易》相發明者，無不可兼收並蓄。既會其通而征諸實，然後由博反約，以擷其精英，而仍縮千里於尺幅。《易》之大用，庶乎其可見歟！

Now that the political system has changed and reading is free, the teachings of the Book of Changes can flourish without any other obstacles. Scholars should first study the entire text thoroughly to establish a solid foundation, then widely collect secret writings and extend to modern sciences: anything that can complement our Book of Changes can be included and integrated. Once they can combine and understand various ideas, they should verify them with actual facts, then return from broad knowledge to the essentials, selecting the essence and condense the vastness of a thousand miles into a small space. The great application of the Book of Changes can thus be revealed.

曰：致力全經，更有無較善之注本？曰：向之說《易》者，其空談性理無論矣。即能求諸象數者，要皆見卦說卦，見象說象，鮮能會六十四卦之通，合全《易》以明一卦一爻者。勝清之季，惟焦氏循之《易通釋》、姚氏《易》、端木氏之《周易指》與紀氏之《易問》、《觀易外編》，皆能自出杼，不依傍古人門戶。會通全《易》以立說者，雖各有所蔽，而精到之處有非前人可及者。學者但依據經文以為去取，自能可得其所長，更可觸類而有所悟矣。

Another question: If one wishes to study the entire text of the classic, are there any better commentaries? The answer is: In the past, those who explained the Zhou Changes mostly talked about principles and morality, and they are not worth mentioning. Even those who focused on the images and numbers usually discussed one hexagram at a time, one image at a time, and rarely could integrate all sixty-four hexagrams to explain a particular hexagram or line. In the late Qing dynasty, only Jiao Xun's "Easy Interpretation of the Changes," Yao Peizhong's "Yao's Learning of the Zhou Changes," Du Mu Guohu's "Commentary on the Zhou Changes," Ji DaKui's "Questions on the Changes" and "Supplemental Commentary on Observing the Changes" could develop their own original ideas, not relying on the schools of ancient scholars, and establish their theories by integrating the entire text. Although they each had their own shortcomings, their profound insights surpassed those of previous scholars. Scholars should decide which to adopt based on the text itself, thus naturally being able to absorb their strengths and achieve a deeper understanding through analogy and association.

又長沙彭氏，刻有《易經解注傳義辨正》一書。雖以李氏《集解》、王弼《注》、程《傳》、朱《義》為本，而引據極博。各家註釋，皆採取其精。攜此一編，足以薈百數十家之學說而便於參考，亦近今之佳著也。

There is also a book titled "Explanations, Annotations, Transmission of Meaning, and Corrective Discourse on the Book of Changes" printed by the Peng family in Changsha. Although it takes as its base the works of Li Dingzuo's "Collected Explanations of the Zhou Changes," Wang Bi's "Annotations," Cheng Yi's "Book of Changes Commentary," and Zhu Xi's "Original Meaning," it cites an extremely broad range of sources. It adopts the finest aspects from the annotations of various schools. Carrying this book is sufficient to gather the teachings of hundreds of scholars for reference, and it is also a fine work of recent times.

或曰：讀《易》之次序，既聞之矣，觀象之方法如何，可得聞歟？曰：君子所居而安者，《易》之序也。所樂而玩者，爻之辭也。故觀象必先觀其序。《周易》之卦序，與《連山》、《歸藏》不同。《周易》之彖辭爻辭，皆一依《序卦》之義。如乾坤後繼之以屯，屯後次之以蒙，《序卦傳》已詳述其義。凡一卦之《彖》，及六爻之辭，即本此義，與本卦之名義而發揮之者也。如屯之義為難，故六爻皆取屯難之義。蒙之六爻皆取蒙昧之義，此猶其易見者也。

Someone asked: Having learned the order of reading the Book of Changes, may I ask about the method of observing phenomena? Please explain. Answer: The Great Treatise of the Upper Transmission says that a gentleman in his ordinary life finds comfort in the sequence of the hexagrams of the Book of Changes, and delights in the statements of the lines. Therefore, observing phenomena must first look at the sequence of the hexagrams. The sequence of hexagrams in the Book of Changes differs from that of the Lianshan and Guicang. However, the interpretations of the hexagrams and the statements of the lines in the Book of Changes all follow the meaning of the Sequence of Hexagrams. For example, after Qian and Kun comes Tun, and after Tun comes Meng. The Sequence of Hexagrams has already explained the reasons in detail. All the interpretations of the hexagrams and the six statements of the lines are based on this sequence, combined with the meaning of the name of the hexagram. For instance, Tun means difficulty, so all six lines take the meaning of 'difficulty'. Meng means confusion, so all six lines take the meaning of 'confusion'. This is still relatively easy to see.

如睽之六爻，曰“喪馬勿逐自復，見惡人無咎”，曰“遇主于巷”。不觀卦名之義，其爻辭即無從解釋。蓋睽有乖舛違戾之意，故其辭爻無不乖違。夫喪馬宜逐者也，乃勿逐自復；見惡人宜有咎者也，乃無咎；遇主應於朝廟，今乃遇之於巷，皆乘異之權者也。蓋當睽之時，禍福顛倒，見為禍者或且為福，見為福者或反得禍。以下爻辭，亦皆類此。若不明睽之義，又何從而測之？略舉其一，餘可類推矣。

For example, in the hexagram "Kui" (Strife), the six lines each have their own statements. The first line says, "Lose the horse, do not pursue; it will return by itself. Meet an evil person, no blame." The second line says, "Meet the master in a lane." Without understanding the meaning of the hexagram's name, these line statements cannot be explained. Since "Kui" means discord or disagreement, all its line statements carry an unusual or counterintuitive tone: losing a horse usually calls for pursuit, but it says not to pursue, for it will return by itself; meeting an evil person usually brings misfortune, but it says there will be no blame; meeting a superior usually occurs in the court or temple, but it says it happens in a lane. These statements all speak from the perspective of the unusual or abnormal. Indeed, when things are discordant, fortune and misfortune are reversed: what appears as misfortune may become fortune, and what seems like fortune may bring misfortune. The statements of the other lines are of the same kind. If one does not understand the meaning of "Kui," from where could one possibly guess? Here we take only one hexagram as an example; the rest can be understood in the same way.

既觀其序之次，與本卦命名之義，以讀其辭，已思過半矣。然後玩內外之卦象，為陰為陽，為正為隅(坎離正也中也，震兌正也，乾坤巽艮隅也。然乾坤先天亦為中)。或相成，或相害(《大有·初九》“無交害”，害即火克金也)。如水火相息，水上火下為既濟，二女同居為睽為革之類，皆合兩卦之名義而取象者，不可不察也。

Once the position of the hexagram in the sequence is clear and the meaning of its name is understood, reading its text will already reveal most of its meaning. Then one should contemplate the images of the inner and outer trigrams: whether they are yin or yang, and whether they occupy the four cardinal directions or the four corners (in the Later Heaven arrangement, Kan and Li are in the center and the cardinal directions, while Zhen and Dui are in the cardinal directions; however, Qian and Kun are also considered central in the Earlier Heaven arrangement). The two trigrams may either support each other or be harmful to each other (the "wu jiao hai" in "Da You · Chou Ji" means "no mutual harm," where "harm" refers to fire overcoming metal). For example, water and fire counteract each other; when water is above and fire is below, it forms "Ji Ji." When two women live together in the same room, it forms "Kui" or "Ge," which are based on the images of the two trigrams. These should not be overlooked.

內外之義既明，然後分六位而觀之，別剛柔，分陰陽；察往來，定主爻；看應與之有無，辨爻位之當否，而六爻之象始可睹矣。以驗爻辭及《象傳》，是否與所觀察者相合。如爻象之辭，出於所觀察之外，則必詳求其故。或求諸中爻，或求諸互卦。更有未得，則求諸反卦(即來氏所謂“綜”)對卦(即來氏所謂“錯”，虞氏曰“旁通”)，與上下交易之卦(如山水蒙，上下相易水山蹇)，則必有所得矣。

After understanding the meaning of the outer and inner trigrams, observe the six lines divided into six positions: distinguish between yang and yin, determine the nature of each line; examine their movement and determine the main line; check if there is a corresponding line, and determine if the position of each line is appropriate. Only then can the image of the six lines be clearly understood. Then use the line statements and the image commentaries to verify whether they match the observations. If the line statements and image commentaries go beyond the scope of the observations, one must carefully investigate the reasons: either look among the four central lines, or consider the mutual trigrams; if still not found, refer to the reversed trigram (as Lai Zhide called it "zong"), the opposite trigram (as Lai Zhide called it "cuo", and Yu Fan called it "pangtong"), or the trigram with the upper and lower original trigrams reversed (for example, the Mountain-Water "Meng" trigram, when the upper and lower trigrams are reversed, becomes the Water-Mountain "Jian" trigram). In this way, one will certainly gain some insight.

更不能得，再詳玩先後天八卦之圖。以本卦之方位合之，看是如何。如山風蠱，六爻皆取父母之象，反覆推求不能得。考之各家註釋，亦均無發明。最後求之先後天方位，乃恍然矣。蓋艮巽在先天圖，巽西南而艮西北，即後天乾坤之位。乾父坤母，故蠱卦之父母之象即由此而來。

If you cannot find the answer, examine carefully the positions of the Eight Trigrams in both the Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven diagrams. The Earlier Heaven diagram is said to have been created by Fuxi, and the Later Heaven diagram by King Wen. The same trigram occupies different positions in the two diagrams. Compare the position of the Primary Hexagram with these diagrams to see what is happening. For example, the hexagram "Gǔ" (Guilt), which is Wind over Mountain, has all six lines taking the images of "parents." After repeated inquiry, no clear answer is found, and none of the commentaries from various scholars explain it clearly. Finally, by examining the positions in the Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven diagrams, the meaning becomes clear: in the Earlier Heaven diagram, Xun is located in the southwest and Gen in the northwest, which are exactly the positions of Qian and Kun in the Later Heaven diagram. Qian represents the father and Kun the mother, so the image of "parents" in the hexagram "Gǔ" comes from this.

須知聖人彖、象之辭，皆根於卦象，無一字之虛設，無一義之虛懸。即假借之虛字，亦均與卦象有關。而《象傳》之韻，更字字分陰分陽。或雙聲疊韻，或一字兩音，則必陰陽相通，而以一字兼給二卦之義者也。精細緻密，剖析毫芒，故讀《易》必須字字咀嚼，字字反覆推求，方能得聖人之意於萬一也。一卦即明其大意，然後推之於類卦，以及六十四卦，證之以《繫傳》、《雜卦》，更參之以數理，準之以天時，《易》之道庶乎其可通矣。

To understand the hexagrams, one must realize that the彖辞 and 象辞 are all based on the hexagram images, with no word being superfluous and no meaning being abstract. Even the borrowed or hypothetical words are related to the hexagram images. The use of rhyme in the Image Commentary is particularly precise, with each word distinguishing yin and yang. Some words have the same initial consonant and form double sounds, some have the same final vowel and form repeated rhymes, and some single words have two pronunciations, which indicates the connection between yin and yang, and the combination of meanings from two hexagrams. This level of detail and precision requires that when reading the Book of Changes, one must carefully chew over each word and repeatedly examine it to grasp even a fraction of the sage's intended meaning. Once the general idea of one hexagram is understood, one can then extend this understanding to similar hexagrams with related meanings, eventually covering all sixty-four hexagrams. Then, using the Great Treatise and the Miscellaneous Hexagram Transmission as references, combining them with numerical principles and astronomical observations, the principles of the Book of Changes can be generally understood.

立人之道，曰仁與義，實惟六爻中三四兩位。孔子贊《易》，藉以明人道而立人極，以參天地之化育，故特注重中爻。三五同功而三多凶，二四同功而四多懼。以見人生為憂患始，畢生在多凶多懼之中，如作繭自縛而不能脫。於是本悲天憫人之心，不惜韋編三絕，闡發陰陽造化之機，明貞勝貞一之理，而示人以進德修業人定勝天之道，皆在於三四兩爻盡之。

The "Say on the Hexagrams" says, "Establishing the way of human beings is called benevolence and righteousness." When applied to the hexagrams, this corresponds precisely to the third and fourth lines among the six lines. Confucius praised the "Zhou Changes" and used it to explain human conduct and establish moral standards, so that it could be placed on par with the workings of heaven and earth as the third. Therefore, he particularly valued the central line. The "Great Treatise" of the "Say on the Hexagrams" states that the third and fifth lines have the same function, yet the third line is often dangerous; the second and fourth lines have the same function, yet the fourth line is often fearful. This shows that human life begins with hardship, and one is constantly surrounded by dangers and fears, like being trapped in a cocoon unable to escape. Therefore, Confucius, with his compassionate heart for all beings, was not reluctant to break the cords of the book three times to explain the key principles of yin and yang's transformations, clarifying the concepts of "zheng sheng" and "zheng yi," and indicating the path for people to cultivate virtue and achieve success through human effort, and all these are fully explained in the third and fourth lines.

乾之九三九四，六十四卦人爻之開始也。九三曰“君子終日乾乾夕惕若厲無咎”，九四曰“或躍在淵無咎”。乾乾夕惕，修己以仁也。躍而稱或，揆之於義也。常存戒謹恐懼之心，庶幾可免於大過(乾六爻中四爻動成頤，頤失道而口實自養則成大過。乾九三九四兩爻本小過之中爻，能得其道則小過亦可免而成中孚，中孚則合乎立人之道矣。故曰“《易》者聖人教人寡過之書”。)。吉凶雖有命，而悔吝寡矣。故曰無咎。無咎者，善補過也。

The ninth line of the third position and the ninth line of the fourth position in the Qian hexagram mark the beginning of the human lines in the sixty-four hexagrams. The ninth line of the third says, "The superior man is diligent all day, and remains cautious at night, being careful and without blame." The ninth line of the fourth says, "Perhaps leaping from the depths, without blame." Being diligent all day and remaining cautious at night reflects cultivating virtue through benevolence; the use of the word "perhaps" in the fourth line indicates using righteousness to measure when to advance or retreat. Maintaining a constant sense of caution and reverence can probably avoid major mistakes. In the six lines of the Qian hexagram, if the fourth line changes, it becomes the Yi hexagram. If the Yi hexagram loses its proper path and focuses only on self-nourishment, it becomes the Da Guo hexagram. The ninth lines of the third and fourth positions in the Qian hexagram originally form the middle lines of the Xiao Guo hexagram. By maintaining the proper path, even minor mistakes can be avoided, leading to the Zhong Fu hexagram, which conforms to the way of cultivating human virtue. Therefore, the Zhou Changes are the book of the sages teaching people to commit fewer mistakes. Although good and bad fortune are determined by fate, regret and hesitation can be reduced, so the line statements say "without blame."the so-called "without blame" means being good at making up for mistakes.

《九三·文言》曰：“知至至之，可與幾也。”因三爻在上下之交，乃進退存亡之幾。理欲之界，人禽之別，得失之間，不容毫髮。孟子曰：“人之所以異於禽獸者幾希”，即此幾也。

The *Wenyan* commentary on the *Qian* hexagram explains the line *Jiu San* as: "Knowing where to go and going there, one can be discussed with regard to the subtle and minute." This means that someone who knows exactly where he should be and proceeds accordingly can be engaged in discussions about the subtle and minute aspects. Since the third line is located at the junction between the lower and upper trigrams, it is a critical point of advancement or retreat, survival or demise: the boundary between heavenly principle and human desire, the distinction between humans and animals, and the threshold between gain and loss. There is no room for the slightest error in this position. Mencius said, "What distinguishes humans from animals is very slight," referring precisely to this "ji" (subtle and minute).

《屯·六二》曰“君子幾不如舍”，《豫·六二》曰“介于石不終日”(《乾·九三》曰“終日”，《豫·六二》故曰“不終日”)，《繫傳》曰“知幾其神乎？君子上交不諂，下交不瀆，其知幾乎？幾者動之微，吉之先見者也。君子見幾而作，不俟終日。《易》曰‘介于石不終日貞吉’。介如石為，寧用終日？斷可識矣。君子知柔知剛，萬夫之望”，又曰“顏氏之子，其庶幾乎！夫《易》者，聖人之所以極深而研幾也。唯幾焉，故能成天下之務”，皆所以闡發此九三一爻之義也。

The hexagram Zun (Obstruction) line six-two says, "The superior man acts promptly rather than waits." The hexagram Yu (Joy) line six-two says, "Between stone and stone, not for a whole day." (The hexagram Qian line nine-three says, "For a whole day," so the hexagram Yu line six-two says, "Not for a whole day.") The Great Treatise Lower Transmission says: To recognize the subtle signs, may that be called divine! The superior man in dealing with superiors does not flatter, and in dealing with inferiors does not look down, thus he understands the subtle signs. What is called "a few" is the most subtle movement, the first hint of good or bad before it becomes evident. When the superior man sees this hint, he acts immediately, without waiting for a whole day. The Zhou Changes say, "Between stone and stone, not for a whole day, firmness brings good fortune." - firmness is like stone, so why wait for a whole day? It is clearly evident at once. The superior man understands both softness and firmness, thus he is looked up to by all people. The Great Treatise Upper Transmission also says: Yan Hui perhaps approached understanding the subtle signs. The Zhou Changes is the book that the sage used to explore the profound and investigate the subtle signs; precisely because he investigated the subtle signs, he could accomplish the affairs of the world. These words are all explaining the meaning of the line nine-three in the hexagram Qian.

至九四，則其動已著，已由下卦而進於上卦。進而及時，則為豫之“大有得”，為隨之“有孚在道”，為大過之“棟隆”，為萃之“大吉無咎”，為革之“有孚改命”。進而失時，為晉之“碩鼠”，為夬之“無膚”，為姤之“無魚”，為震之“遂泥”，為鼎之“折足”。或得或失，只能安之於羲命。

At Nine Four, its movement becomes evident, having moved from the lower trigram to the upper trigram. When the movement is timely, it is like the "Great Gain" in the Nine Four of the hexagram "Yù," the "Trust in the Way" in the Nine Four of "Suí," the "Strong Beam" in the Nine Four of "Dà Guò," the "Great Goodness Without Misfortune" in the Nine Four of "Cuì," and the "Trust and Changing Fate" in the Nine Four of "Gé." When the movement is untimely, it is like the "Big Rat" in the Nine Four of "Jìn," the "Buttocks Without Skin" in the Nine Four of "Guài," the "No Fish in the Net" in the Nine Four of "Gòu," the "Shaking in Mire" in the Nine Four of "Zhèn," and the "Broken Leg of the Cauldron" in the Nine Four of "Dǐng." Whether successful or not, one must accept the principles and destiny.

孔子更於咸之九四一爻，特暢其義，曰：“天下何思何慮？天下同歸而殊塗，一致而百慮。天下何思何慮？日往則月來，月往則日來，日月相推而明生焉。寒往則暑來，暑往則寒來，寒暑相推而歲成焉。往者屈也，來者信也，屈信相感而利生焉。尺蠖之屈，以求信也。龍蛇之蟄，以存身也。精義入神，以致用也。利用安身，以崇德也。過此以往，未之或知也。窮神知化，德之盛也。”

Confucius further elaborated on this meaning in the ninth line of the fourth position in the Hexagram of Salt. The "Great Treatise" of the lower transmission says: What is there to think about in the world? All things take different paths yet ultimately converge, and all thoughts eventually reach a single point; so what is there to think about? When the sun sets, the moon rises, and when the moon sets, the sun rises; the sun and moon move in succession, and thus light is generated. When cold passes, heat comes; when heat passes, cold comes; cold and heat alternate, and thus a year is completed. What has passed is bending, and what comes is stretching; bending and stretching respond to each other, and thus benefit arises. The inchworm arches its body in order to advance; the dragon and snake coil in order to preserve themselves. Studying principles and reasons to the point of mystery is for the purpose of practical application; using learning skillfully to secure one's own well-being is for the purpose of cultivating virtue. Beyond this level, it is beyond human knowledge; to exhaust mystery and comprehend creation is the state of supreme virtue.

蓋乾為《上經》之首，咸為《下經》之首，故特於此兩卦，分言三四兩爻，以明立人之道。而聖人作《易》，與孔子贊《易》之微旨，胥於是見之矣。

The hexagram Qian is the first of the upper section, and the hexagram Xian is the first of the lower section, so Confucius specially discussed the third line and the fourth line of these two hexagrams to explain the way of cultivating human character. The intention of the sages in composing the Book of Changes and the profound meaning of Confucius' commentary on the Zhou Changes can be seen from here.

乾九三為當位之爻，九四為不當位之爻。故《九四·文言》“上不在天，下不在田，中不在人”，而《咸·象傳》曰“君子以虛受人”。“以虛受人”者，即此九四一爻為虛爻也。九四為虛，則九三為實。修辭立誠，忠信進德，學以聚之，問以辨之，寬以居之，仁以行之，皆立德之事也。

The ninth line in the third position of the Qian hexagram is a yang line in a yang position, making it a properly placed line. The ninth line in the fourth position is a yang line in a yin position, making it an improperly placed line. Therefore, the Wenyan commentary of the Qian hexagram discusses the ninth line in the fourth position, saying, "It is not above heaven, not below the fields, and not in the middle of people." The Xian hexagram's Image Commentary says, "The superior person learns to be receptive to others." The phrase "to be receptive to others" is precisely because the ninth line in the fourth position is a vacant line. If the ninth line in the fourth position is vacant, then the ninth line in the third position is solid. When the Wenyan commentary discusses the ninth line in the third position, it speaks of refining words, establishing sincerity, cultivating virtue through loyalty and trust, accumulating through study, distinguishing through inquiry, being broad-minded, and acting with benevolence. All these belong to the cultivation of virtue.

一致百慮，殊塗同歸，日月生明，寒暑成歲，而一身之往來屈信，亦如日月寒暑之推移迭更，而悉出於自然。是能與天地相感通，如龍蛇之變化，所謂陰陽不測之謂神，皆形而上者之謂也(“無思也，無為也，寂然不動感而遂通天下之故，非天下之至神，其孰能與於此？”此即咸之精義，二氣感應之妙用。而下文即繼之以“極深研幾”，可見三四兩爻貫通之線索矣)。

All things converge to the same destination yet have myriad thoughts and considerations; different paths eventually lead to the same place. The sun and moon alternate, giving rise to light; the cold and heat alternate, completing a year. A person's own movements and changes also follow the same pattern as the sun, moon, cold, and heat, shifting and changing naturally. This is how one can be in harmony with heaven and earth, like a dragon or a snake, changing in unpredictable ways. This is what the Great Treatise says: "The mysterious and indescribable nature of yin and yang is called the divine." This belongs to the level beyond form. The Great Treatise, Part I says: "Without thinking, without action, still and unmoving, yet responsive to all things, comprehending the causes of the world. If it is not the most divine in the world, who could be capable of this?" This is precisely the essence of the Hexagram Xian, the subtle function of the mutual influence between yin and yang. The following text continues with "extreme depth and subtle examination," indicating the connection between the third and fourth lines.

道運於虛，而德徵諸實。孔子贊《易》立教，是為中人說法(《論語》：“中人以上，可以語上也。中人以下，不可以語上也。”)。故以仁義立本，以致用為歸。言有不言無，言德不言道。於六十四卦《象傳》，發明立教之旨。皆以人合天，修身俟命(凡卦《彖傳》以釋上下兩象，《象傳》則合兩卦而貫串之，即以明中爻之義，即以明三四兩人爻之義，所謂立人之道。詳《易楔》“以”字下。)。

The concept of "Dao" operates in the void, while "De" is verified through practical matters. Confucius praised and explained the "Zhou Yi" (I Ching) to teach people, addressing those of average ability. Therefore, he used benevolence and righteousness as the foundation and utility as the ultimate goal. He spoke of "having" rather than "non-having," and of "De" rather than "Dao." In the sixty-four hexagrams of the "Xiang Zhuan" (Image Commentary), he consistently elaborated on the principles of teaching, aiming to guide people to align human affairs with heavenly principles, cultivate themselves, and await heavenly destiny. Each hexagram's "Tuan Zhuan" (Commentary on the Judgment) explains the two trigrams, while the "Xiang Zhuan" combines them to elucidate the meaning of the central line, that is, the third and fourth lines, which are referred to as establishing the way of humanity. See my work "Yi Xie" for a detailed discussion on the character "yi" (see entry on "yi").

乾以易知，坤以簡能。夫婦之愚，可以與知與能者也。至形上之道，則下學上達，乃成德以後所有事，不在教義範圍以內(《論語》：“夫子之文章，可得而聞也。夫子之言性與天道，不可得而聞也。”“文章”即九三之“修辭立其誠”，“性與天道”則九四之“感而遂通，精義入神，窮神知化”之功也。)。

Heavenly Stem Qian is known because it is easy to understand, while Heavenly Stem Kun can accomplish things because it is simple. Even ordinary couples, who are shallow, can participate in such knowledge and ability. As for the ultimate "Dao," one must study human affairs and then reach the principles of Heaven. This is something that comes after the cultivation of virtue and is not within the scope of teaching (as the Analects says: "The articles of the Master can be heard, but his words about human nature and the Heavenly Dao cannot be heard." Here, "articles" refer to the "cultivating expression and establishing sincerity" of the Third line, while "human nature and Heavenly Dao" refer to the practices of the Fourth line, such as "being moved and then communicating freely," "refining the meaning to the divine," and "comprehending the subtle and knowing the transformation").

故《序卦傳》以“有天地，有男女，有夫婦，有父子，有君臣，有上下，然後禮義有所錯”，以標明立教之旨。而六十四卦，獨不列乾坤與咸之卦名。蓋以乾為天道，坤為地道。咸乃無思無為形上之道，特闕之以清明道與立教之界限。而於《繫傳》中，闡發明道之功。更於《說卦》“窮理盡性至命”一章，為上達之指歸。

Therefore, the "Xugua Zhuan" uses the passage "When heaven and earth exist, then there are male and female; when there are male and female, then there are husband and wife; when there are husband and wife, then there are father and son; when there are father and son, then there are sovereign and minister; when there are sovereign and minister, then there are superior and inferior; when there are superior and inferior, then rites and morality have their place" to indicate the purpose of establishing teaching. This passage lists various hexagrams, but deliberately omits the names of the hexagrams Qian, Kun, and Xian. This is because Qian represents the heavenly way, Kun represents the earthly way, and Xian represents the formless, thoughtless transcendental way. By intentionally omitting these, it clarifies the distinction between "clarifying the way" and "establishing teaching." As for the practice of elucidating the "way," it is elaborated in the "Xici Zhuan." Furthermore, the chapter in the "Shuogua Zhuan" stating "to exhaust the principles, to realize the nature, and thus to reach destiny" serves as the ultimate destination for ascending to the higher path.

孔子贊《易》以明道立教之旨，固已脈絡分明，先後次序，一線不亂。乃朱子《本義》猶謂以卜筮教人，示人以避凶趨吉之書，不幾與《感應篇》、《陰鷺文》等量而齊觀耶？是何異以璇璣玉衡而僅為指南針之用焉？

Confucius praised and explained the Zhou Changes, in which the principles of illuminating the Way and establishing education were clearly articulated, with a well-ordered sequence without any confusion. However, Master Zhu's Zhou Changes Original Meaning still says that the Zhou Changes is a book that uses divination to teach people and guide them to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune. Is this not equating the Zhou Changes with works like the Great Ultimate Responsive Chapter and the Wenchang Yin Zhi Wen, which are moral exhortation texts? How is this different from using the celestial observatory instruments such as the Xuanji Yuheng merely as a compass?

孔子立教之要義，曰中，曰時。大過乎中者曰大過，小過乎中者曰小過。無往而非中者，乾坤坎離也。巽兌震艮，皆過乎中。故澤風為大過，雷山為小過。聖人教人於二四三五致其功。大過而至於小過，小過而至於無過，皆三四中爻反復其道。小過反之為頤，大過反之為中孚，而過可免矣。中孚“豚魚吉”。至誠之所感，物無不化，而況於人乎？

Confucius emphasized two main principles in his teachings: "zhong" (center) and "shi" (time). Those that greatly exceed the center are called the Hexagram of Great Excess, while those that slightly exceed the center are called the Hexagram of Small Excess. Those that are entirely in harmony with the center are the Hexagrams of Heaven, Earth, Water, and Fire. The other four Hexagrams—Wind, Lake, Thunder, and Mountain—exceed the center. Thus, Lake above and Wind below form the Hexagram of Great Excess, while Thunder above and Mountain below form the Hexagram of Small Excess. The sage teaches people to focus on the second, fourth, third, and fifth lines: moving from Great Excess to Small Excess, and from Small Excess to no excess at all, relying on the third and fourth lines, the central lines, which repeatedly follow the middle path. The Hexagram of Small Excess reversed becomes the Hexagram of Nourishment, and the Hexagram of Great Excess reversed becomes the Hexagram of Sincerity in the Middle. Thus, mistakes can be avoided. The Hexagram of Sincerity in the Middle states, "A pig and a fish are auspicious," meaning even ignorant creatures can be moved by sincerity. When sincere feeling is exerted, all things are transformed and nurtured, and how much more so are human beings?

然中孚之風澤，非即大過之澤風乎？何以澤風為大過而不中，風澤即為中孚而合乎中？舊說或曰“以其中虛也”。然頤之中更虛，何以不言中？或曰“孚者信也”，大象離伏坎，故曰中孚。然則重坎更孚矣，何以曰“習坎有孚”，不曰“中孚”？是皆於中孚之義未有得也。

But is not the hexagram Zhongfu composed of Xun wind above and Dui lake below, which is simply the reverse of Dagu over Dui lake and Xun wind below? Why is it that when lake is above and wind below, it is called Dagu, not Zhongfu, while when wind is above and lake below, it is called Zhongfu, which is in harmony with the middle? Some old interpretations say, "Because the two central lines are empty," but the hexagram Yi has even more emptiness in the middle, so why is it not called "Zhong"? Others say, "Fu means trust," and explain that the image of Zhongfu resembles Li, whose hidden hexagram is Kan, and Kan represents trust, hence the name "Zhongfu." If that is so, then the hexagram Kan, which consists of two Kan, should be even more "Fu," yet its hexagram statement only says "Xikan, there is trust," without saying "Zhongfu." This shows that these interpretations have not truly grasped the meaning of Zhongfu.

按天地之數，坎天一至兌地十(坎一，艮二、三，震四，巽五、六，離七，坤八、九，兌十。)。巽五兌十，五十居五十五數之中，所以神變化而行鬼神者也。巽與兌合，五與十合，故曰中孚。子曰：“五十以學《易》可以無大過矣。”即中孚之道也。

According to the numbers of heaven and earth, starting from the number one of Kan (Water) and counting up to the number ten of Dui (Lake), the trigrams are arranged in order: Kan is one, Gen is two and three, Zhen is four, Xun is five and six, Li is seven, Kun is eight and nine, and Dui is ten. Xun corresponds to five, and Dui corresponds to ten. Five and ten are exactly in the middle of the total number fifty-five of heaven and earth. This is the key point mentioned in the Great Treatise, which says, "Thus, it is able to change and act like ghosts and spirits." Xun and Dui combine, which means five and ten combine, hence it is called "Zhongfu" (Faithful Center). Confucius said, "At fifty, one can study the Book of Changes and avoid great mistakes," which refers precisely to the principle of Zhongfu.

卦氣冬至起中孚九二，夏至起咸，故孔子於《上繫》十一爻，首“鳴鶴在陰”；《下繫》十一爻，首“憧憧爾思”。而《中孚·象傳》曰：“中孚利貞，乃應乎天也。”應乎天則合乎天之氣，而日月寒暑相推，則二氣感應之理尤明。孔子繫《易》，雖未明言卦氣，而言行昭垂，無不上合法象(《中庸》：“仲尼祖述舜堯，憲章文武。上律天時，下襲水土。闢如四時之錯行，日月之代明。”)。所以與天地參，而建中立極也夫！

According to the method of卦气, the winter solstice begins with the line Nine in the Second of the hexagram 中孚, and the summer solstice begins with the line Nine in the Fourth of the hexagram 咸. Therefore, in the Great Treatise of the Upper Transmission of the Xici, the first of the eleven lines cited is the line 「鸣鹤在阴」 from 中孚 Nine in the Second; in the Great Treatise of the Lower Transmission of the Xici, the first of the eleven lines cited is the line 「憧憧往来，朋从尔思」 from 咸 Nine in the Fourth. The Image Commentary of 中孚 says: 「中孚以利贞，乃应乎天也.」 To respond to heaven means to harmonize with the heavenly qi; the mutual shifting of the sun and moon, the cold and heat, and the principle of thesympathetic response between the two qi of yin and yang becomes particularly clear. Although Confucius did not explicitly mention卦气 in his interpretation of the Yi, his words and deeds have shown the generations after him that they all conform to the heavenly patterns and phenomena. This is precisely why he could be ranked with heaven and earth as the three great principles, establishing the middle way and setting a standard.

(大過反覆為中孚小，過反覆為頤。初九“舍爾靈龜”，六四“虎視眈眈”。龜離象而屬北方玄武，火伏水中故能服氣。虎艮象，下應初，金生水，丹家所謂龍從火裡出，虎向水中生之象也。初莫若舍其靈龜，不能應乎四，則虎視眈眈，兩敗俱傷矣。頤曰“觀頤”，“神道”，本言道之卦。孔子不言神，故以“君子以慎言語節飲食”釋之。)

The hexagram Great Excess transforms back into the hexagram Middle Trust, and the hexagram Small Excess transforms back into the hexagram Nourishment. The hexagram Nourishment says in the first line, "Abandon your spiritual turtle," and in the fourth line, "The tiger watches intently." The turtle belongs to the image of fire and is paired with the northern Black Tortoise, representing fire hidden in water, thus capable of controlling breath and cultivating life. The tiger belongs to the image of mountain, and it is below, corresponding with the first line. Metal generates water, which is exactly the image described by the alchemists as "The dragon emerges from fire, the tiger is born from water." If the first line does not let go of its spiritual turtle and cannot correspond with the fourth line, then the fourth line will watch intently, and both will suffer. The hexagram Nourishment speaks of "Observing Nourishment," discussing the divine way of heaven and earth nurturing all things. It is essentially a hexagram that speaks of "the Dao." Confucius does not discuss spirits, so he only explains it by saying, "The gentleman should be cautious with words and restrain his diet."

孔子以《易》立教，示人以用世之道。故“立人之道，曰仁與義”。仁從二人，蓋必人與我相交接，而後可用吾仁。義從羊。羊者善群之物也。合多數人而為群，則有親疏遠近同異好惡之殊。於是仁之術，或有時而窮，不能不裁之以義。群既合，則必循有條理之組織，以定其秩序，於是禮緣義起。禮者理也，履也，各有定程，為人所循其當行者，而躬行實踐者也。

Confucius used the Zhou Changes to teach, guiding people on the principles of the world, so the "Commentary on the Hexagrams" says, "Establishing the way of human beings, it is called benevolence and righteousness." The character for "benevolence" (仁) consists of "person" (人) and "two" (二), meaning that benevolence can only be practiced when people interact with each other. The character for "righteousness" (义) consists of "sheep" (羊), an animal that is good at living in groups. When many people form a group, there are distinctions of intimacy, distance, similarity, difference, preference, and aversion. Thus, the method of benevolence may not always be sufficient, and righteousness must be used to make judgments. Once the group is formed, it must follow an orderly organization to establish order, so "ritual" (礼) arises from righteousness. Ritual is the same as reason (理), which is also "practice" (履): each has a fixed procedure, which people should follow and personally practice.

有組織，有定程，則必有所契約以共守之，而信著焉。故禮與信者，仁義之器也。皆人世之道也。《易》曰“元亨利貞”，孔子以四德釋之。君子行此四德，用之則行者焉。故曰用世。若離群絕世，翛然物外，則將何所用吾仁？何所用吾義？又何所用吾禮與信？然非無仁義也，非無禮與信也。舍之則藏，蓄吾德以復吾性。率性為道，庶幾下學上達，由器而進乎道矣。

There is organization and a fixed course, so there must be a common agreement to follow, thus "trust" (信) naturally arises. Therefore, rites (礼) and trust (信) are the vessels that carry benevolence (仁) and righteousness (义), and they both belong to the principles of the human world. The Hexagram Qian (乾) states "Original, Auspicious, Advantageous, and Upright" (元亨利贞), and Confucius explained it with the four virtues of originality (元), prosperity (亨), advantage (利), and uprightness (贞). A gentleman who practices these four virtues, once he is employed in the world, will take action. Therefore, this is considered the study of applying knowledge in the world. If one lives in seclusion, detached from the world, then where can my benevolence be applied? Where can my righteousness be applied? Where can my rites and trust be applied? However, this does not mean that he lacks benevolence or righteousness, nor does it mean he lacks rites and trust. If he is not employed, he will retreat and cultivate his virtue to return to his natural disposition. To act in accordance with one's natural disposition is the Dao (道). In this way, one can progress from learning the practical aspects (器) to attaining the Dao (道).

是故形而下者之謂器，非必制器尚象舟車宮室耒耜杵臼等之為器也。苟不能盡吾性，則禮樂政刑皆器也，仁義亦器也。形而上者之謂道，非必仁義禮信之為道也。能盡吾性，即一器一物之微，亦何莫非道之所寓？然因人立教，故未可驟言道也。故曰立仁與義。(佛家出世法無所謂仁義禮信，大圓性海中惟智燈獨照而已。)

Therefore, "what is formed beneath the principles is called the instrumental." It does not merely refer to objects made by imitating forms, such as boats and carts, palaces and houses, plows and hoes, mortars and pestles, as the term "instrumental" might be understood. If one cannot fully realize one's own nature, then rites, music, government, and laws are all instrumental, and benevolence and righteousness are also instrumental. "What is formed above the principles is called the way." It does not mean that only benevolence, righteousness, rites, and trust are considered the way. If one can fully realize one's own nature, then even the smallest object or tool is a dwelling place for the way. However, since teaching must be adapted to people, one cannot immediately speak of the way. Hence, it is said that the way of human beings lies in benevolence and righteousness. (Buddhism's transcendental teachings do not speak of benevolence, righteousness, rites, or trust; in the vast and complete ocean of nature, only the lamp of wisdom shines alone.)