Because of change and transformation.

澤火革，《彖傳》曰“水火相息二女同居其志不相得曰革”，“湯武革命順乎天而應乎人”。《序卦傳》曰“井道不可不革”，《雜卦傳》曰“革去故也”，《易》之言革也著矣。而言因無專文，讀者胥不甚注意，不知有革必有因。天下萬事萬物，無事無因，無物無因，故六十四卦，皆因而重之。因而重之而爻在其中，剛柔相推而變在其中，變則革矣。因與革皆在其中中爻，因與革皆人所為。故尤在中爻中之三四兩人爻。

The Hexagram of "Revolution" (Gé) is associated with the image of a marsh and fire. The Commentary on the Judgment says, "Water and fire extinguish each other, and two women living in the same house with conflicting hearts, this is called 'Revolution'." It also says, "King Tang of Shang and King Wu of Zhou revolutionized the old order, above following the heavenly way and below responding to the people's will." The Sequence of Hexagrams says, "The well must not remain unchanged," and the Miscellaneous Hexagrams say, "Revolution means removing the old." These statements show that the Book of Changes clearly discusses the concept of revolution. As for "cause" (Yīn), there is no specific character dedicated to it in the text, and readers often overlook it. In fact, revolution must first have a cause. All things in the world have their causes, and no object exists without a cause. Therefore, the sixty-four hexagrams are all formed by combining the eight fundamental trigrams. Once combined, the six lines are included within them; the interaction of yin and yang leads to change, and change is revolution. Both cause and revolution occur within the middle lines of a hexagram, and since both are human actions, they particularly manifest in the third and fourth lines, known as the "human lines."

《乾·九四·傳》曰“乾道乃革”，三爻《傳》曰“因其時而惕”。蓋重乾二與四是恆乾，三與五是咸乾。三爻居恆乾之中，恆“不易方”，不易因也。四居咸乾之中，咸為恆之反，則不易者易，革也。

The *Wenyan Zhuan* of the *Qian Hexagram* says, "The way of Qian is to change," while the *Wenyan Zhuan* of the *Nine Three* says, "Be alert according to the time." One speaks of change, the other of following the time. Originally, within the *Qian Hexagram*, the lines two to four belong to "Heng Qian" (Constant Qian), and the lines three to five belong to "Xian Qian" (Attracting Qian). The *Nine Three* occupies the central position of "Heng Qian," and the *Xiang Zhuan* of the *Heng Hexagram* says, "The superior person acts with constancy and does not change direction," which means to maintain the constant and not alter, that is "following the time." The *Nine Four* occupies the central position of "Xian Qian," and *Xian* is the reversed form of *Heng*. Originally not changing, now it has changed, which is "change."

乾三爻天五數，四爻地六數。天五地六，相乘為三十。革古文從三十，三十年為一世。四與初應，初不易乎世，至四則易世。易世，革也。五六於干支為戊己，故革曰“己日乃革”。以三四重剛不中，變則為中孚，故革曰“己日乃孚”。明乎革而因可知矣。《論語》“殷因於夏禮周因於殷禮”，明乎因而革可知矣。

In terms of line numbers, the third line of the Qian hexagram belongs to the number five of heaven, and the fourth line belongs to the number six of earth. When five of heaven is multiplied by six of earth, the result is thirty. The ancient character 「革」 originally contained 「三十」, meaning thirty years, which constitutes a generation. The fourth line corresponds with the first line. The first line, marked as 「初九」, says in the 「Wenyan」 that it is not changed by the world, meaning it remains unaltered by worldly changes. However, when reaching the fourth line, it becomes 「易世」, meaning a change of generation, which is the meaning of 「革」. The numbers five and six in the heavenly stems correspond to Wu and Ji, so the 「Geh」 hexagram says 「on the day of Ji, there is a change」. Also, because the third and fourth lines are both strong but not in the center, they change into the Zhongfou hexagram, so the 「Geh」 hexagram also says 「on the day of Ji, there is trust」. Once the meaning of 「革」 is understood, the meaning of 「因」 can also be inferred. The 「Lunyu」 says 「the Shang dynasty followed the rites of the Xia dynasty, and the Zhou dynasty followed the rites of the Shang dynasty」. Once the meaning of 「因」 is understood, the meaning of 「革」 can also be inferred.

《繫傳》：“乾坤其《易》之門邪？是故闔戶謂之坤，闢戶謂之乾，一闔一闢謂之變。”案：天地數，天一始北方坎，地十終西方兌（坎子一，艮丑寅二三，震卯四，巽辰己五六，離午七，坤未申八九，兌酉十，乾戌亥無數。），而乾無數。乾圓周流坤方，西北不掩，是為不周。故八風於西北為不周風。西北娵訾口，亥東闢。闢，閉也，是閉戶謂之乾也。

The Great Treatise says: "The trigrams Qian and Kun are roughly the gate of the Book of Changes. So closing the door is called Kun, opening the door is called Qian, and the act of opening and closing is called transformation." It is explained that in terms of the numbers of heaven and earth, the number of heaven begins with Kan in the north, and the number of earth ends with Dui in the west (Kan is Zi, number one; Gen and Yin are Chou and Yin, numbers two and three; Zhen is Mao, number four; Xun is Chen and Si, numbers five and six; Li is Wu, number seven; Kun is Wei and Shen, numbers eight and nine; Dui is You, number ten; Qian is in Xu and Hai, without a number). Only Qian does not have a number assigned. Qian is round, flowing over the position of Kun, but fails to meet at the northwest corner, which is called "not complete" or "incomplete." Therefore, among the eight winds, the wind from the northwest is specifically named "the wind of not completeness." The northwest corresponds to the twelfth hour "Ju Zi Zhi Kou," and the east of the亥 position is called "Bi." Here, "Bi" is interpreted as "closed," so closing the door is called Qian.

坤西南括囊，天地閉，天地建侯數七十二（五日一候，一年七十二候）。四隅方數，西南未申八九，合七十二，為天地包象。東北丑寅二三，成六。東南辰己五六，成三十，皆坤用數六。坤地數，三十包之（南極入地三十六度。北極出地三十六度），為地坤囊包藏萬物之象，是闔戶謂之坤也。乾戶闢而開物成務，自無出有，坤戶闔而萬物歸藏。自有入無，天地門戶，出入於東西亞卯亞酉震兌，得乾坤之門，而《易》道始可言矣。

The position of the Earth (Kun) is in the Southwest, symbolizing "binding the bag"—tightening the mouth of a bag, with heaven and earth closed off. The number of the heavenly and earthly phenomena in the four cardinal directions is seventy-two (five days make one phenomenon, and there are seventy-two phenomena in a year). Regarding the numbers of the four corners: the Southwest has the earthly branches Wei and Shen, which are eight and nine respectively, combining to make seventy-two, exactly the image of heaven and earth containing all things. The Northeast has the earthly branches Chou and Yin, which are two and three, multiplying to make six; the Southeast has the earthly branches Chen and Si, which are five and six, multiplying to make thirty—using the number six of the Earth (Kun). The Earth belongs to the number of the Earth, which encompasses everything within thirty (the Antarctic circle is thirty-six degrees below the horizon, and the Arctic circle is thirty-six degrees above), exactly the image of the Earth like a bag containing all things. Therefore, closing the door is called Kun. When the door of Heaven (Qian) opens, it brings forth things and accomplishes tasks, creating existence from non-existence; when the door of Earth (Kun) closes, all things return to their storage, going back from existence to non-existence. The two doors of heaven and earth, their entrance and exit are in the east and west—Zhen (Thunder) is next to the卯 position, and Dui (Lake) is next to the酉 position. Only by mastering the door of Heaven and Earth can the Way of the Book of Changes be spoken of.

庖羲畫卦以象天地人物，而代結繩之治。然畫契未興，又未有方策帛書之制，則所賴以紀錄者，要不外以石質之刀錐，刻畫於竹簡，或皮革之上耳。故曰“畫卦”。考古人簡策之制，皆狹而長。庖羲之畫卦，未必如後世八卦六十四卦之方圓各圖，故《繫傳》曰“乾坤成列”。“成列”雲者，必以乾坤分列二行。而兌離震，巽坎艮，或以類從。

Fuxi drew the trigrams to symbolize heaven, earth, and human beings, replacing the old method of tying knots to record events. However, at that time, the technique of carving characters had not yet emerged, and there were no systems such as bamboo slips or silk scrolls. The only means of recording information was to use stone tools to carve on bamboo or leather. Therefore, it was called "drawing trigrams." Examining the form of ancient bamboo slips, they were all narrow and long. Fuxi's original drawing of trigrams probably did not arrange them in the circular or square diagrams of the later eight trigrams and sixty-four trigrams. Therefore, the Great Treatise says "Qian and Kun are arranged in order." Since it says "arranged in order," it must mean that Qian and Kun were each arranged in two rows, with Dui, Li, and Zhen following Qian, and Xun, Kan, and Gen following Kun, each grouped according to their kind.

三代時八卦排列如何，固不可考。而自秦漢以迄五代諸家之《易》，則均無八卦六十四卦之圖。故邵子學《易》數年，未得要領。及師事李挺之，挺之授以乾一兌二離三震四巽五坎六艮七坤八之數，始恍然大悟。先天之學，即由是發明。一部《皇極經世》，無非此一二三四五六七八所推衍。可知邵子以前之《易》，其八卦之排比，皆為行列，而未有此八角形之方式也。

In the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, the exact arrangement of the Eight Trigrams is no longer verifiable. From the Qin and Han dynasties up to the Five Dynasties period, no school of interpreting the Book of Changes included diagrams of the Eight Trigrams or the sixty-four hexagrams. Therefore, Shao Yong studied the Book of Changes for several years without grasping the essentials. It was only after he studied under Li ZhiCai (whose courtesy name was TengZhi) that he was taught the sequence of numbers assigned to the trigrams: Qian (Heaven) as one, Dui (Lake) as two, Li (Fire) as three, Zhen (Thunder) as four, Xun (Wind) as five, Kan (Water) as six, Gen (Mountain) as seven, and Kun (Earth) as eight. Only then did he suddenly understand, and thus the study of Earlier Heaven was established. The book Huang Ji Jing Shi, which elaborates on the cosmic order and the rise and fall of states throughout history, is simply an extension of this sequence of numbers one through eight. From this we can see that before Shao Yong, the arrangement of the Eight Trigrams in the study of the Book of Changes was in a linear form, and not the octagonal diagram that came later.

“帝出乎震”一章，雖明言八卦方位，而當時亦未必有圖。故漢人之言《易》者，或以乾坤列東，艮兌列南，震巽列西，而坎離處中，無一定之方式。然其升降、消息、納甲諸說，實已為先天八卦之端倪。是以邵子聞李氏一言，即能觸類旁通而發其神悟也。顧李挺之氏亦必有所受，故朱子疑三代以前所本有。後經散佚而流入道家者，雖為臆度之辭，亦或有可信之理也。

The chapter "Emperor arises from Zhen" in the *Sayings on the Trigrams* clearly explains the directions of the eight trigrams, but at that time there may not have been a diagram. Therefore, scholars of the Han dynasty who interpreted the *Yi* sometimes placed Qian and Kun in the east, Gen and Dui in the south, Zhen and Xun in the west, and Kan and Li in the center, without a fixed format. However, their discussions on "ascending and descending" (the movement of yao positions up and down), "increasing and decreasing" (the waxing of yang and waning of yin, and vice versa), and "Najia" (assigning the ten heavenly stems to the eight trigrams) already revealed the essence of the Earlier Heaven Trigrams. Thus, Shao Yong could suddenly understand and grasp the concept upon hearing Li Zhici's explanation. Moreover, Li Zhici himself must have had another lineage of transmission. Therefore, Zhu Xi suspected that the Earlier Heaven diagram was originally existing in the Three Dynasties, then lost and later entered Daoism. Although this is a speculation, it may not be entirely without credible reasoning.

天地之數，一生二，二生三。老子曰：一生二，二生三，三生萬物。蓋物一者自無而有，未為數也。至二而成數矣，然猶為一奇一偶之名，而未著乎數之用也（近世俗語尚有以二為一雙為一對者。由今以溯古，其意可想見矣。）。至三，則數之用生。以此遞衍，可至於無窮。故一不用，二為體，三為用。

The numbers of Heaven and Earth originate from one giving rise to two, and two giving rise to three. The Tao Te Ching says: "One gives rise to two, two gives rise to three, and three gives rise to all things." Generally speaking, the concept of "one" comes into being from nothing to something, forming a complete whole on its own, but it is not yet a number. It is only when we reach "two" that numbers truly come into being, but at this stage, there are still only two categories, odd and even, and the function of numbers has not yet emerged (in modern speech, we still refer to "two" as a pair or a set, treating two as a single whole; looking back in history, we can imagine the meaning the ancients intended). It is only when we reach "three" that the function of numbers begins to manifest. Following this pattern, numbers can continue indefinitely. Therefore, "one" does not function, "two" represents the form, and "three" is where the function of numbers begins.

《易》有太極一也，陰陽二也，陰陽之用三也（二其三用六，三其三用九。）。如六爻皆一乾也，六爻皆一坤也，而動則或為○或為X，必用其一。如六爻皆變為○，則乾變為坤。然此六○之坤，與六- -之坤，其占不同。是由二而生三矣。

"The Yi Classic contains the Taiji," which is one. The Taiji divides into yin and yang, which is two. The functions of yin and yang are three (two multiplied by three equals six, which represents the function of old yin; three multiplied by three equals nine, which represents the function of old yang). For example, if all six lines are yang, it forms the trigram Qian; if all six lines are yin, it forms the trigram Kun. However, once a line changes, it is either drawn as "○" (yang turning into yin) or as "Ｘ" (yin turning into yang), and only one of these should be used. If all six lines change and are drawn as "○", then Qian becomes Kun. However, the Kun formed by six "○" is different in interpretation from the original Kun with all six lines yin. This is how two gives rise to three.

是故《易》之道備於三（由天生地，一生二也。由地生人，二生三也。非人則天地之功用不彰，故曰與天地參。），卦畫止於三，數之體也。爻以靜為一，動為二，用為三。數之用也，有一即有二，有二必有三，乃天地自然之理，自然之數，所謂先天而天不達者也。《乾鑿度》曰：“《易》一名而含三義。交易也，變易也，不易也。”鄭康成氏《易論》云：“易簡一也，變易二也，不易三也。”

Therefore, the Way of the Book of Changes is complete in the number three (from Heaven generating Earth, which is one generating two; from Earth generating humanity, which is two generating three. Without humans, the functions of Heaven and Earth would have no manifestation, so the Doctrine of the Mean says that humans are ranked with Heaven and Earth as the three). The hexagrams of the eight trigrams only have three lines, which represents the form of numbers; one line is considered one when still, two when moving, and three when initiating transmission, which represents the application of numbers. There is one, then there must be two; there is two, then there must be three. This is the natural principle and natural number of Heaven and Earth, which is exactly what the "Commentary on the Literary Meaning" of the Qian Hexagram says: "Before Heaven, Heaven does not contradict." The sage acts before Heaven's time, and Heaven does not contradict him. The "Commentary on the Book of Changes: Qian Zao Du" says: "The name 'Changes' contains three meanings: transaction, change, and unchangeable." Zheng Xuan (styled Kangcheng) in his "Commentary on the Book of Changes" says: "Ease and simplicity is one, change is two, and unchangeable is three." These three meanings correspond exactly with the previous discussion of one, two, and three.

聖人以《易》立教，其道亦有三。上焉者道也，中焉者德也，下焉者占卜也。老子取其上，孔子取其中，焦京取其下，三者各有其用，而不相悖，且互相發明而不可離（道不准諸象數則失其鵠，德不原於道則失其統。占卜不合乎道德，則惑世誣民而已矣。）。後之學者，擇其一以為宗，而嚴立界說以明系統則可，若入主出奴，不揣其木妄自尊大，而排斥異己。執一不化，欲求其通也難矣。

The sages used the Book of Changes to establish teachings, and its path is divided into three layers: the highest layer is "Dao," the middle layer is "De," and the lowest layer is "divination." Laozi took the highest, Confucius took the middle, and Jiao Yanshou and Jing Fang took the lowest; each has its own use, and they do not contradict each other, but rather complement and support each other. (To talk about Dao without using images and numbers as standards would lose the target; to talk about De without basing it on Dao would lose the system; if divination does not conform to morality and ethics, it would merely be misleading the world and deceiving the people.) Later scholars chose one of these layers as their main focus, clearly defined their own system, which is acceptable. However, if they are biased from the beginning, favoring their own group and attacking others, without assessing their own foundation and presumptuously looking down on others, clinging to one aspect without flexibility, it would be difficult to achieve a comprehensive understanding.

孔子立教，雖為中人說法，然正所以立德以明道，以為下學上達之階梯。故《十翼》傳經，無一字一言不根據於象數（法象莫大乎天地，必合乎法象者，乃謂之法言者。經非先王之法言不敢言，非先王之法行不敢行，法言法行皆合乎天地法象者也。故曰“建諸天地而不悖，質諸鬼神而無疑，百世以俟聖人而不惑”。）。若舍法象以為言，則詩書執禮所雅言者，其為教焉詳矣。又何必韋編三絕，為此鉤深致遠之辭乎？子貢曰“夫子之文章可得而聞，”凡立言必有合乎法象者，乃謂之文章。孔子特於《易》象闡發之，以為萬世之準，此為學《易》者所不可不知者也。故論及之。

Confucius established his teachings, which although addressed to people of average ability, aimed at cultivating virtue in order to understand the Way, serving as a step from learning the basics to reaching higher understanding. Therefore, the Ten Wings interpreting the Classic did not use a single word or phrase that was not based on the principles of images and numbers. (There is no greater model than heaven and earth; only statements conforming to these principles can be called "model words." Words not in accordance with the words of former kings should not be spoken, and actions not in accordance with the deeds of former kings should not be done. Both model words and model deeds conform to the principles of heaven and earth, so the Doctrine of the Mean says, "Established between heaven and earth without contradiction, verified by spirits and deities without doubt, and even a thousand generations later when a sage appears, there will be no confusion.") If one were to establish arguments without reference to these principles, then the poems, books, and rites which Confucius often discussed would already be sufficiently detailed, and there would be no need to study the Book of Changes until the cords binding the bamboo slips broke three times, leading to profound and far-reaching statements. Zigong said, "The writings of the Master can be heard." — only statements conforming to the principles of heaven and earth can be called "writings." Confucius deliberately elaborated on the images of the Book of Changes, serving as a standard for all generations. This is something those studying the Book of Changes should not be unaware of, so I have discussed it here.

《易》之言“祭祀”“享祀”，均含有二義。一為祭神祀鬼，此祭祀之本義也。一為人群之集會，以謀一群公共之事，亦以祭祀行之。蓋古人風氣淳樸，而庶民之家，又無廣庭巨廈，足以為集會之地者。故凡有會議之事，往往藉祭祀以行之。一鄉一邑之事，則集之於社。一家一族之事，則集之於宗廟。所謂“利用祭祀”，“利用享祀”，及“孚乃利用禴”等象，不盡為禱祀求福，實含有會集群眾之意焉。

In the Zhou Yi, it speaks of "qifu" and "xiangsi," both of which contain two meanings. One refers to worshiping deities and spirits, which is the original meaning of sacrifice; the other refers to gatherings of people -- coming together to discuss public affairs of a group, also held under the name of sacrifice. Originally, the customs of ancient people were simple, and common households did not have spacious courtyards or tall buildings suitable for gatherings, so whenever there was a meeting, they often used sacrifice as an occasion: for matters of a village or town, they gathered at the community altar; for matters of a family or clan, they gathered at the ancestral temple. Therefore, the hexagrams of Kun and Cui, which speak of "using sacrifice" and "using worship," as well as the line "fu nai li yong yue" in Ji Ji (the line "fu nai li yong yue" refers to "yue," the simplest form of seasonal sacrifice), do not entirely mean praying for fortune. In fact, they all contain the meaning of gathering people together.

降及後世，厲行專制政治，普通人民，更不容有公然集會之事。幸有此祭祀成例可援，得藉事神為合群自衛之一道（上以神道愚民，民以神道自衛，可見“無平不陂”。《易》道之妙用，即寓於其間矣。）。近如各鄉之有社廟，各業與僑民之有會館，無不以祭祀為集合群眾之介，猶足以覘《易》之遺意焉。

In later dynasties, autocratic politics were strictly enforced, and ordinary people were not allowed to gather openly. Fortunately, there was the established practice of worship to refer to, allowing them to use the veneration of deities as a means of gathering and self-defense. Those in power used the divine to deceive the people, while the people themselves used the divine to protect themselves. This illustrates the meaning of the phrase "there is no flat ground that does not become a slope" from the line "Nine in the Third" of the Tai hexagram. The subtle application of the principles of the Book of Changes is embodied here. In modern times, each village has its local temple, and each trade and overseas community has its guild hall, all using worship as a means to gather people together. From this, we can glimpse the remnants of the principles of the Book of Changes.

《繫傳》：“聖人有以見天下之動，觀其會通以行其典禮，是故謂之爻。”“典禮”者，乃所以處斷萬事萬物之一切制度之謂也。故古聖王之所以治天下也，大而禮樂政刑，小而訓詁名物，無不下順民情。而上合法象，法象莫大乎天地，民受天地之中以生，能合乎天地法象者。民情自無不順。故謂之典禮。典者守也，禮者履也。必能會通乎天人，然後足以昭信守而見履行。

The Great Treatise says: "The sage observed the changes of all things under heaven, and found the places where they connect and communicate, using them to establish rites and regulations, hence called 'yao' (line)." What is meant by "communication" is to find the common principles amidst the myriad changes; what is meant by "rites and regulations" is to use them to decide on the systems for all things. Therefore, the ancient sage kings governed the world, whether in great matters such as rites, music, politics, and punishment, or in small matters such as names, objects, and explanations, all were in accordance with the people's sentiments below and in harmony with the heavenly patterns above. There is no greater model to follow than heaven and earth. The Zuo Zhuan says that the people receive the harmonious qi from heaven and earth and thus are born. Whatever conforms to the heavenly and earthly patterns will naturally have the people's sentiments in harmony, hence it is called "rites and regulations." "Dian" means to hold fast, and "li" means to practice; one must be able to connect heaven and humanity before it is sufficient to demonstrate what is held fast and to show it through practice.

孔子之周，問禮於老聃，即此禮也。蓋周自東遷而後，文武之道載於方策者，散佚殆盡。諸侯惡其害己焉，皆毀之以自便。孔子周流列國，雖得百二國之寶書，要皆屬各國之歷史故事，而所謂典禮者，迄不可得，故不得不求諸老聃。老氏世掌周史，耳熟能詳。先王之典禮，不啻若自其口出，而提綱挈領，鉅細畢賅，則莫備於《易》。

Confucius went to the capital of the Zhou dynasty to ask Lao Dan about ritual propriety, and it was precisely this kind of ritual that he was inquiring about. Originally, after the eastern migration of the Zhou royal house, the teachings of King Wen and King Wu recorded in official documents had largely been lost — the feudal lords found them inconvenient and even destroyed them for ease. Although Confucius traveled through many states and saw the collections of many feudal lords, most of them were merely historical anecdotes of the various states. The true ceremonial rites, however, were never obtained, so Confucius had to seek guidance from Lao Dan. The Lao family had long held the position of royal historian, and was well acquainted with these rites, as if they had flowed directly from the mouths of the former kings. As for a text that could summarize the essentials and cover all details comprehensively, none was more complete than the Book of Changes.

孔子受之，極深研幾，得其會通，又慮觸當世諸侯之忌也。正言之不可，乃寓微言於《十翼》之中。所謂“其稱名也小，其取類也大。其旨遠，其辭文。其言曲而中，其事肄而隱”者，非夫子之自道邪！於是更廣其旨以修《春秋》，刪《詩》、《書》，訂《禮》、《樂》，而古先聖王之典禮，乃燦然大備於六經。永如日月之經天，江河之行地，與天地法象，並昭千古。此孔子所以為述而不作，而功在生民者，非《易》又烏乎知之？

Confucius inherited this body of knowledge, delving deeply into its subtle aspects and mastering its comprehensive principles. He also considered the possibility of offending the contemporary feudal lords, so direct expression was not feasible. Therefore, he concealed profound meanings within the Ten Wings. The Great Treatise states, "The names mentioned are small, but the categories they represent are vast; the meaning is profound, the language is rich; the words are indirect yet accurate, the narration is elaborate yet restrained." Is this not a true reflection of the Master himself? He then expanded this principle to compile the Spring and Autumn Annals, edited the Book of Poetry and Book of Documents, and revised the Book of Rites and Book of Music. Thus, the ceremonial practices of the ancient kings were fully established in the Six Classics, shining brightly as the sun and moon in the sky and the rivers and streams on the earth, illuminating the ages together with the celestial patterns. Confucius' self-description of "recording without creating" and his contributions to the people of ten thousand generations, if not derived from the Book of Changes, where else could such understanding come from?

《訟·彖傳》曰：“上剛下險，險而健訟。”訟者爭也。君子平其爭則訟解。《傳》曰：“訟不可長。”訟不可長，則不至成獄矣。故訟者，民事之爭，尚情感理喻而不必恃乎用刑。九五曰“訟元吉”，是能平其爭而使無訟者也。訟之凶在終於訟而不可解，則成獄矣。噬嗑曰“亨利用獄”，《象傳》曰“君子以明罰勅法”，則不能不用刑以闢以止闢矣。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram of Strife says: "The upper trigram is strong and vigorous, the lower trigram is dangerous and trapped; both danger and strength exist, hence strife arises." Strife means contention. A gentleman who resolves disputes brings an end to strife. The Image Commentary says, "Strife should not be prolonged" — contention should not be allowed to continue, for if it is not prolonged, it will not lead to legal punishment. Therefore, "strife" refers to civil disputes, which should be resolved through reasoning and emotion, without the need for punishment. The line statement of the fifth line says, "Strife brings great good fortune," which refers to the person who resolves disputes and brings about a world without strife. Strife brings misfortune because if contention continues without resolution, it becomes legal punishment. The Hexagram of Burning Through says, "It is prosperous, and punishment is useful." The Image Commentary says, "The gentleman uses clear punishment to enforce laws," at this point, punishment must be used to stop further punishment.

噬嗑之象上離下震。離者明也，萬物皆相見，則物無遁形，以示治獄者必明察庶物，一無壅蔽。中爻三四五為坎，坎為法律，為智，為水。二至四為艮，艮為手，為山，為止。下震為動，治獄者即明且智，用法如水之平，絕無偏倚（坎離皆中正象）。無論在下者變動百出，皆能明燭其隱。執法如山，止而不動，所以能止一切之動，而令悉合於法（噬嗑，合也）。只此六畫之象，已將近世司法之精義，包括無遺。

The hexagram Shìkè has the upper trigram Li (Fire) and the lower trigram Zhen (Thunder). Li represents brightness, and in this context, all things become clearly visible, with nothing hidden or concealed. This signifies that those who investigate cases must observe clearly and thoroughly, without any obstruction or concealment. The third, fourth, and fifth lines form the trigram Kan (Water), which represents law, wisdom, and water. The second to fourth lines form the trigram Gen (Mountain), which represents hands, mountains, and stopping. The lower trigram Zhen represents movement. The investigator is both clear-sighted and wise, applying the law like water, which is level and impartial (both Kan and Li are trigrams that represent correctness and centrality). Regardless of the various movements below, he can see into the hidden aspects. The enforcement of law is like a mountain, which remains still and thus can stop all disorder, bringing everything into conformity with the law (the term 'Shìkè' itself means 'to combine' or 'to harmonize'). Just these six lines of the hexagram already encompass the essential principles of modern jurisprudence.

蓋古聖王之治天下也，道之以德，齊之以禮，刑罰但以濟禮之窮。禮以待君子，刑以治小人。人之情無不樂為君子而甘為小人者，故人人能範圍於禮，而刑罰可以不用。自上失其道，君子弗用，小人譸張，不恥不仁，不畏不義，不見利不勸，不威不懲，始訟獄繁興。故睽之六三曰“其人天且劓（天同而）”，困初六曰“臀困于株木”，九五曰“劓刖”，睽“失道”，困“剛掩”。理窮數極（《雜卦》困數三十，睽數三十六。四九三十六而乾道窮，五六三十而天地之數極。），禮崩樂壞，不得不用刑以濟之。

Ancient sage-kings governed the world by guiding people with virtue and regulating them with ritual, using punishment only to supplement what ritual could not cover. Ritual was used to deal with the virtuous, while punishment was used to manage the petty. Human nature does not desire to be petty and instead longs to be virtuous, so everyone could be confined within the bounds of ritual, and punishment could be set aside. Since those in power lost the Way, the virtuous were not employed, and the petty acted deceitfully and tyrannically, without shame for unkindness or fear of injustice. They would not act unless they saw profit, and would not be punished unless threatened. Thus disputes and legal cases arose constantly. Therefore, the sixth line of the Kui hexagram says, "He has been branded and his nose cut off" (here "heaven" is used as "and," referring to the branding). The first line of the Kun hexagram says, "His buttocks are stuck on a dry tree," and the ninth line of the fifth says, "His nose and feet are cut off." The root of the problem in Kui is "losing the Way," and in Kun it is "the strong being concealed by the weak." When principles are exhausted and the time has come to an end (in the Zage hexagram, the number for Kun is thirty, and for Kui it is thirty-six; forty-nine makes thirty-six, which exhausts the Heaven's principle, and five and six make thirty, which reaches the extreme of the Heaven and Earth's numbers), when ritual and music collapse, punishment must be used to remedy the situation.

所謂窮則變，非《易》之常道也。聖人猶憂之，慮後世淫刑以逞者有所藉口也，特於豐著之。曰“君子以折獄致刑”，言刑非折獄者不能妄用也。於旅曰“君子以明慎用刑而不留獄”，言用刑者宜審慎迅速不可留滯也。於中孚曰“君子以議獄緩死”，恐折獄者之或猶有冤濫，更議擬之而求其當也。嗚呼！《易》道之生生，與聖人質《易》之深心，可以見矣。

This is what is meant by "when things reach their limit, they change," which is not the constant principle of the Book of Changes. The sage still felt uneasy about it, fearing that those in later generations who arbitrarily imposed punishments might use it as an excuse. Therefore, he specifically pointed this out in the Hexagram of Abundance: "The superior person acts with fairness in judicial cases and applies punishment appropriately," meaning that those who do not hold the position of judging cases should not arbitrarily use punishment. In the Hexagram of Travel, it says: "The superior person acts with clarity and caution in applying punishment and does not delay cases," meaning that punishment should be applied with care and speed, without delay or accumulation. In the Hexagram of Middle Trust, it says: "The superior person deliberates on cases and delays execution of death sentences," fearing that those who judge cases may still have instances of injustice or excess, so they add further deliberation and careful consideration to ensure the judgment is proper. Ah! The compassionate heart of the Way of the Book of Changes, which constantly generates and nurtures life, and the sincere efforts of the sages in examining the principles of the Book of Changes, can now be clearly understood.

司法獨立者，近三十年來之學說也。我國自三代以降，於古人設官分職之遺意。久已泯棼而莫可紀極。以行政官操生殺之柄，威福自恣，積非成是。恬焉安之而莫以為妄，而不謂《易》象已明著之，孔子贊《易》更一再言之。賁之《象》曰：“君子以明庶政無敢折獄。”明示以折獄之必有專職。行政者雖明，亦無敢越俎，非司法獨立之精義乎？

The concept of judicial independence is a theory that has only been introduced in the last thirty years. Since the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, the original intention of the ancients in setting up officials and dividing their duties has long been confused and cannot be clearly clarified: administrative officials hold the power of life and death, wielding authority arbitrarily, and this has become the norm, with everyone accepting it as natural without realizing its absurdity. Yet, the Book of Changes (Yi Jing) has already clearly revealed this principle. Confucius, in his commentary on the Yi, emphasized it repeatedly. The hexagram Bi (Brightness) represents the image of fire beneath a mountain, symbolizing the meaning of refining and embellishing governance. Its Image Commentary states: "The superior man thus clarifies all government affairs and dares not handle judicial cases." This clearly indicates that the handling of cases must be entrusted to a separate specialized body: even if administrative officials are intelligent, they dare not overstep their bounds to take on judicial responsibilities—this is precisely the essence of judicial independence.

《豐·象》曰：“君子以折獄致刑。”明示以用刑為折獄者之專責。凡非折獄者，皆不許有用刑之權，非司法獨立之明證乎？蓋豐與噬嗑為同體之卦（火雷噬嗑，雷火豐），噬嗑曰“利用獄”，故孔子更於豐申明其義以見除此之外，雖賁為噬嗑之往來卦，亦無敢折獄。其謹嚴如此。近世詡為新學說，而《易》象已深切著明於七千年之前。《易》道之廣大悉備，此其一端矣。

The Image Commentary of the Gua of Abundance says: "The superior man uses this to decide cases and carry out punishments." This clearly indicates that the use of punishment is the exclusive responsibility of those who judge cases. Anyone not in the position of judging cases is not allowed to have the authority to impose punishments—this is not precisely a clear evidence of judicial independence? Originally, the Gua of Abundance and the Gua of Eating the Cricket are formed by exchanging the upper and lower trigrams of the same pair (Fire-Thunder Eating the Cricket; exchanging upper and lower trigrams becomes Thunder-Fire Abundance). The Gua of Eating the Cricket says "It is advantageous to use litigation," so Confucius further explains this meaning in the Gua of Abundance, to show that even the Gua of Brightness, which is the reverse of the Gua of Eating the Cricket, does not dare to decide cases on its own. The rigor is to this extent. In modern times, those who claim to be new theories, the images of the Book of Changes have already explained deeply and clearly seven thousand years ago. The vastness and comprehensiveness of the Way of the Changes, this is only one aspect of it.

近世教育制度，發軔於歐西，裨販於日本。規模弘遠，成效彰著。適值我時衰俗敝之秋，以國力之不競，舍興學無以為圖強之本，遂盡棄其學而學焉。而不知現世所行之學制，為我國所採取而未能遍舉者，無不悉備於《易》象之中。河南張之銳氏，近世以新學講《易》者也。其論近世教育，足與《易》相印證者，略謂《易》之教育，約分五種：一曰“蒙養教育”，二曰“國民教育”，三曰“人才教育”，四曰“通俗教育”，五曰“世界教育”。

Modern educational systems originated in Western Europe and were later introduced to China through Japan. They are extensive and profound, with significant results. At a time when our country was in decline, with deteriorating customs and weak national strength, establishing schools was considered the fundamental way to strengthen the nation. Therefore, people abandoned their own traditional learning and focused entirely on learning from others. However, they did not realize that the current educational system being implemented, wherever it has been adopted but not yet fully implemented, was already fully contained within the imagery of the Book of Changes. Zhang ZhiRui from Henan is a modern scholar who uses new learning to interpret the Book of Changes. He discusses the aspects of modern education that correspond with the Book of Changes, roughly dividing the educational aspects of the Book of Changes into five categories: first, "early education," second, "national education," third, "talent education," fourth, "popular education," and fifth, "world education." These five categories extend from the family to the nation, from specialized talents to the customs of the common people, and continue to expand throughout the world, layer by layer.

“蒙以養正”，蒙養教育也。蒙養本於家庭，故九二曰“納婦吉子克家”，以明克家之子，必有賴於母教也。“包蒙”之包，亦作“彪蒙”，與革旁通，以明“豹變”“虎變”之大人，皆正始於彪蒙也。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram of Enlightenment says, "Enlightenment nurtures correctness." This refers to the education of children in their early years. The foundation of this education lies in the family, so the Line Statement of the Second Line says, "Taking a wife is auspicious; the son can uphold the family," indicating that a son who can support his household must rely on his mother's guidance. The term "package enlightenment" in the Second Line, where "package" is also written as "彪," refers to the initial stage of a child's learning. The Hexagram of Enlightenment and the Hexagram of Revolution are complementary, which shows that the great figures mentioned in the Revolution Hexagram, such as "leopard transformation" and "tiger transformation," all began with proper education from childhood.

蠱之“振民育德”，國民教育也。國事之敗壞，由於民氣之萎靡頹喪。昧匹夫有責之義，故先甲後甲，教令一新，以振民氣。《傳》曰“蠱元亨而天下治”。六十四卦言天下治者，除乾元用九外，惟此一卦也。臨之“教思無窮容保民無疆”，人才教育也。政以臨民，培植政治之人才，非有專門教育不為功。蓋普通教育，有一定之教科，有不二之主義。而專門教育，則任學者自由研究。蓋人類之知識不可限量，不能限學者之思想，而範之以有盡之課程，故曰教思元窮也。

The Image Commentary of the Gua of蛊 says "to rouse the people and cultivate virtue," referring to national education. The Gua of蛊 represents a situation where long-standing evils have accumulated and require urgent reform; the decline of state affairs originates from the people's spirit being萎靡 and despondent, with everyone lacking the understanding of the principle "the rise and fall of the country concerns every common person." Therefore, the Gua of蛊 speaks of "before the first day of the stem Jia, and after the first day of the stem Jia," where Jia is the first of the ten heavenly stems, symbolizing the beginning of a fundamental change in laws and regulations. Three days before the action, the matter is clearly announced, and three days after, it is solemnly warned, thus renewing the edicts and rousing the people's spirit. The Commentary on the Judgment says "Gua of蛊 is original and prosperous, leading to the governance of the world." Among the sixty-four guas, only this Gua and the Gua of乾 mention "the world is well governed," apart from the "original use of nine" in the Gua of乾. The Image Commentary of the Gua of临 says "teaching and thinking are boundless, and the protection of the people has no limits," referring to the education of talent. Governance requires the ruler to be present among the people, and cultivating political talent can only be achieved through specialized education. General education has fixed subjects and a unified purpose, while specialized education allows scholars to study freely, because human knowledge is limitless and scholars' thoughts should not be restricted, nor should limited courses be used to confine them, hence saying "teaching and thinking are boundless."

《觀·象》之“省方設教”，通俗教育也。四方之風氣不齊，習尚亦異，故必省其方俗之所宜，觀其民情好尚而設教始當。《無妄·象》曰“君子以茂對時育萬物”，世界教育也。《中庸》曰“能盡人之性則能盡物之性，能盡物之性則可以贊天地之化育”，大亨以正，使天下萬物各正其性命，各全其天賦之能，而後教育之，道始達於圓滿之一境，則尚非近世言教育者可能幾及焉。以上張說之大旨如此，未知於近世師範之學，有當否也。

The Image Commentary of the Guan Hexagram says, "The former kings observed the customs of the four directions and studied the people's inclinations in order to establish education." This refers to popular education. Since the customs and habits of different regions vary, it is necessary to examine the appropriate ways of each place and observe the people's likes and dislikes, so that the education provided can be suitable. The Image Commentary of the Wuwang Hexagram says, "The former kings cultivated themselves in accordance with the seasons and nurtured all things." This refers to universal education. The Zhongyong says, "If one can fully understand human nature, one can also fully understand the nature of things; if one can fully understand the nature of things, one can assist heaven and earth in nurturing all things." This is a greatly smooth and harmonious process while remaining steadfast in the right path, enabling all things to properly fulfill their nature and fully realize their innate abilities. Only then can education be considered complete. This level of understanding is still beyond the reach of modern educators. This is the main idea of Zhang Zhihui's view. I wonder whether this is appropriate for modern teacher education.

死生亦大矣！《繫傳》曰：“原始反終，故知死生之說。”始終者數也，天也。萬物數，一始十終。始子一丑二，而終於酉十一，戌亥無數。萬物自有而入無，為死之候。乾居西北戌亥之地，故無方無體（太虛之象）人而克全其為人，則全受於始者，全歸諸終，終則反乎太虛。精氣不滅，與造化同遊者神也。是以君子有終（君子之死曰終）。終則有始，順乎天行，自有而入無者，亦自無出有。乾知大始，復藏於坎。一純二精（坎子一，坎艮之間丑二），至艮寅三而仍為人。此生死循環，佛家輪迴之說所自來也。

Death and life are truly the great matters of human existence! The "Great Treatise" says: "By tracing back the beginning of things and seeking their end, one understands the principle of death and life." The beginning and end belong to "number," which belongs to Heaven. The numbers of all things begin with one and end with ten: starting from the number one at the Zi position and the number two at the Chou position, up to the Wu position which is ten, completing one cycle and reaching its end. The Xu and Hai positions are not assigned numbers. All things move from "being" to "non-being," which is the moment of death. The Qian trigram resides in the Northwest Xu and Hai positions, thus having no fixed place or form (this is the image of the Great Void). If a person can preserve the way of being human, then what was originally fully received at the beginning will be fully returned at the end; returning to the end means returning to the Great Void. Those whose vital energy does not perish and who wander together with the workings of nature are called "spirit." Therefore, the "Guan" hexagram says, "The gentleman has an end" (the death of a gentleman is called "end"). Having an end means having a beginning. Following the movement of Heaven, moving from being to non-being, one will also move from non-being back to being. The Qian trigram governs the great beginning of all things, and then returns to be stored in Kan. Kan is associated with Zi and the number one, which is pure; the Chou position between Kan and Gen is associated with the number two, which is essence; when it reaches the Gen position of Yin, which is three, it becomes human again. This cycle of death and life is the source of the Buddhist concept of rebirth.

人而不能全其為人，則自失其人道，斫其生理。全受於始者，不能全歸於終。數盡則死（小人曰死），形消骨化，餘氣無歸，游魂為變者鬼也。變則失常，依其生前所自造之因而證其果，則為人為物，所趣各殊。此佛家輪迴六道之所由分也。

If a person cannot uphold the way of being human, they have abandoned the human path and harmed the principle of continuous generation and transformation. What was originally fully received from the beginning will not be fully returned at the end. When the vital energy is exhausted, death occurs (the death of a petty person is called 'death'). The physical form is destroyed, the bones disintegrate, and the remaining energy has nowhere to go. This becomes a 'ghost' through the process of 'transformation'. Since it is a 'transformation', it loses its normal course and can only be subject to the consequences of the causes they created in life, either being reborn as a human or as an object, with different destinations. This is the origin of the Buddhist concept of the 'six paths of rebirth'.

故生者死之始，死者生之終，死於此者生於彼。《易》道乾息於坤，坤即消於乾。莊子曰“方死方生，方生方死”，立論之最精者也。聖人作《易》，窮造化之原，洩陰陽之秘，無非示人以所以全其為人之道。原始反終者，即由終而反始。老氏佛氏，皆由終反始，皆由後天而反諸先天，由有而反諸無，由形而反諸氣，由氣而反諸神。實即由生而反諸死，故曰原始反終。

Therefore, birth is the beginning of death, and death is the end of birth. When one dies here, one is reborn there. In the Dao of the Book of Changes, Qian (Heaven) grows within Kun (Earth), and Kun retreats within Qian—'qi' (breath) signifies growth, and 'xiao' (retreat) signifies decline. One growth and one decline are two aspects of the same thing. The Zhuangzi says, 'Dying at the same time as being born, and being born at the same time as dying,' which is the most precise statement in its argument. The sages composed the Book of Changes to investigate the origin of creation and reveal the secrets of yin and yang, all in order to guide people in preserving the way of being human. What is meant by 'returning to the origin and reversing the end' is to return from the end to the beginning. Laozi and the Buddhist school both return from the end to the beginning, returning from the Later Heaven to the Earlier Heaven, from existence to non-existence, from form to qi, from qi to spirit—actually returning from life to death, hence it is called 'returning to the origin and reversing the end.'

反終者，不續終也（未濟不續終也）。不續終，則始無暨極。故老氏曰“元始乃長生而不死”，佛家曰“無始乃無始而無終”。（乾西北為無，乃由有而反諸無者也。故老氏之無為萬有之根，佛教之無為不生不滅之本。乾為金為圓為剛，老曰“金丹”，佛曰“金剛”，而《易》曰“終日乾乾”。乾乾者。上乾為咸乾，下乾為無恆乾。咸無也，恆有也。觀其所咸，而天地萬物之情可見。觀其所恆，而天地萬物之情可見。蓋斟酌於有無之間而用其中，而要皆殊塗而同歸者也。）

The concept of "reverse completion" refers to not continuing from the end (as stated in the Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram 60, "Not continuing from the end"). If one does not continue from the end, then the beginning has no limit. Therefore, Laozi speaks of "the beginning" as something that grows without dying; Buddhism speaks of "no beginning" as having neither beginning nor end. (The Hexagram Qian in the Northwest is "nothing," which is the place where from being it returns to non-being. Thus, Laozi's "nothing" is the root of all things, while Buddhism's "nothing" is the essence of non-arising and non-ceasing. Qian represents metal, roundness, and firmness. Therefore, Laozi speaks of "golden elixir," Buddhism speaks of "diamond," and the Book of Changes speaks of "constantly striving with Qian." The term "Qian Qian" refers to the previous Qian as "salty Qian" and the following Qian as "constant Qian." Salty Qian represents nothingness, while constant Qian represents being. The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram 15 says that by observing what it connects with, one can see the forms of heaven and earth and all things; the Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram 30 says that by observing what it maintains constantly, one can also see the forms of heaven and earth and all things. In the end, it is about balancing between being and nothingness and taking the middle path. Ultimately, all these approaches differ in their paths but converge in their ultimate goal.)

無始無終，夫然後歸於太極，則無所謂《易》矣。《易》之立教，為中人說法，故執兩而用其中。然聖人致治之極功，則亦曰無為而治；德成而默契乎天，亦曰予欲無言。則亦與由有而反諸無者，初無二致焉。故《易》者逆數也。儒與佛老之立教雖異，而道無不同。蓋天地之數，至三而備。天地萬物，舉莫能外。損之六三，曰“三人行，則損一人，一人行則得其友”，始終生死之道，不外乎此三者。後之立教者，可等諸自檜以下矣。

Without beginning or end, it returns to the Taiji, and at that point, the Book of Changes becomes irrelevant. The establishment of the Book of Changes is for those of average capacity, so it grasps both extremes and takes the middle way. However, the highest achievement of the sage in governing the world is still to say "govern without action"; when virtue is perfected and one silently harmonizes with heaven, it is still to say "I desire to speak no words" — this is essentially the same as the path returning from being to non-being. Therefore, the Book of Changes is a reverse calculation. Although the teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are established differently, their principles are all interconnected. The numbers of heaven and earth are complete at the number three, and nothing in heaven and earth can surpass it. The line Six in the Third of the Hexagram of Loss says: "When three people walk together, one should be reduced; when one walks alone, he finds a companion." The entire path of birth and death does not go beyond these three. Later generations who establish their own teachings are like季札 listening to music and realizing that what comes after the state of Guo is not worth commenting on anymore.

《中庸》曰：“鬼神之為德，其盛矣乎？”《繫下傳》曰：“過此以往，未之或知也。窮神知化，德之盛也。”然則鬼神之為德，又何以知之？曰：以幽明之故，坎幽離明，陽變陰化，天地萬物，無一非氣與形二者之相迭更。既原始反終而知死生之說，則精氣為物游魂為變，鬼神之情狀亦可由是以知矣。

The Doctrine of the Mean says: "The virtue of ghosts and spirits is truly great!" The Great Treatise says: "Beyond this point, it is beyond human knowledge; to exhaust the subtle and comprehend the transformations is the ultimate of virtue." Then, how can we know the virtue of ghosts and spirits? The answer is: by the principles of the hidden and the manifest. Kan represents the hidden, Li represents the manifest; Yang governs transformation, Yin governs change. All things in heaven and earth are formed by the alternation of "qi" and "form." Since we have understood the principle of "originating from the beginning and returning to the end," we can then comprehend that "the refined qi gathers to form objects, while the wandering souls disperse into transformations," and thus infer the nature of ghosts and spirits.

精坎也，魂離也。故天地八卦，六爻上下，上五天爻為天《易》，三四人爻為人《易》，二初地爻為地《易》。游魂歸魂，復取三四兩爻，則為鬼《易》。三四兩爻，有當不當之別。克全乎其生之德者，即不失其死之道，乃得當而為神。不能全乎其生之德者，亦失其死之，道即不得當而為鬼（生之德立人之道，曰仁與義是也）。敬生而既反乎人道，是不待其死已失其為人，尚何鬼神之有？

"The 'jing' (essence) belongs to the Kan trigram, and 'hun' (spirit) belongs to the Li trigram. Therefore, the eight trigrams of Heaven and Earth, with each trigram having six lines, are paired above and below: the top line and the fifth line, which are the heavenly lines, are called 'Heavenly Yi'; the third line and the fourth line, which are the human lines, are called 'Human Yi'; and the second line and the first line, which are the earthly lines, are called 'Earthly Yi'. The concepts of 'you hun' (wandering spirit) and 'gui hun' (returning spirit' are derived from the third and fourth lines, which are referred to as 'Ghost Yi'. The third and fourth lines have distinctions of being in proper position or not: if they preserve the virtue of life, they will not lose the way of death, and thus they are in proper position and become 'shen' (spirit); if they do not preserve the virtue of life, they lose the way of death and are not in proper position, thus becoming 'gui' (ghost). The virtue of life refers to the benevolence and righteousness that establish the human way. If someone has already violated the human way while alive, they are not even worthy of being called human, and how can they be called spirit or ghost?"

卦象天地生人，始乾三中爻坎子，終地十兌酉。終始死生，反覆有游魂歸魂，而以三歸之地十歸妹，為天地大歸魂卦，而六十四卦終焉。歸妹東震西兌，其先天為東離西坎，日魂月魄，合為天地中生人精氣。子一丑二，為天地始合（子丑日月。天地之數，合一二為始，合五六為中，合九十為終）。一主日，二主月。子一日，至酉十月。故人十月而生，此日月魂魄合，精氣始也。

The hexagram explains the generation of human beings from heaven and earth. It begins with the third line of the hexagram Qian (Heaven), with the middle line being Kan (Water) corresponding to the earthly branch Zi (Rat). It ends with the earthly branch You (Rooster) corresponding to Dui (Lake) in the number ten. The cycle of beginning and end, life and death, movement and return leads to the concepts of wandering soul and returning soul. The hexagram "Guimei" (Return of the Maiden), which is based on the number ten, is regarded as the great returning soul hexagram, marking the end of the sixty-four hexagrams. In "Guimei," Zhen (Thunder) is in the east and Dui (Lake) in the west; their earlier heaven positions are Li (Fire) in the east and Kan (Water) in the west. The soul of the sun and the body of the moon combine in the center of heaven and earth to form human essence and qi. Zi is one, Chou is two, representing the initial union of heaven and earth (Zi and Chou govern the sun and moon respectively. The numbers of heaven and earth, one and two combine to signify the beginning, five and six to signify the middle, and nine and ten to signify the end). One governs the sun, two governs the moon; counting from one (Zi) to ten (You) makes ten months, which is why human gestation lasts ten months—this is the principle of the union of the sun's soul and the moon's body, the beginning of essence and qi.

陰陽之道，始坎終離，魂升魄降。離午七未八，日魄七日不復，月魄八月有凶。離上坎下，歸魂不歸，而游魂為變者也。是故八卦之六變為游魂，仍為三爻變。至七變則復歸本宮，游魂乃有所歸。苟不復本宮，則遊而不歸（乾宮游魂為火地晉，七變復。下卦三爻乾，成火天大有若不復乾之三爻，而依次以四爻變，則成火山旅。遊入離宮，而游魂為變矣。），必七日而後來復（火山旅為離宮二世卦。再七變成天火同人，為歸魂上卦，始復為乾）。

The principle of yin and yang originates from the trigram Kan (Water) and concludes with the trigram Li (Fire). The soul ascends while the body descends. The trigram Li is associated with the number seven when paired with the hour Wu and with the number eight when paired with the hour Wei. Therefore, the daily soul (day魄) does not return after seven days, and the monthly soul (month魄) incurs misfortune in the eighth month. The hexagram Fu (Return) speaks of "returning after seven days," and the hexagram Lin (Approaching) mentions "misfortune occurs by the eighth month," both based on this principle. When Li is above and Kan is below, the soul returns but cannot find its original place, hence "the wandering soul changes." Therefore, when the eight trigrams change to the sixth transformation, they become the "wandering soul hexagram," still changing the third line. By the seventh transformation, they return to their original trigram, and the wandering soul finds its resting place. If they do not return to their original trigram, they wander without a place to rest. For example, the wandering soul hexagram of the Qian trigram is the hexagram Jin (Progress), and the seventh transformation should return to the original trigram by changing the third line of the lower trigram back to Qian, resulting in the hexagram Da You (Great Possession). If instead of changing the third line of Qian back, the fourth line is changed next, it becomes the hexagram Lu (Travel), entering the Li trigram, thus becoming a wandering soul. It must go through seven days to return. The hexagram Lu (Travel) is the second generation hexagram of the Li trigram. After changing seven more times, it becomes the hexagram Tong Ren (Union with the People), which serves as the upper trigram of the returning soul hexagram, thus returning to Qian.

復而反，丑而子，氣來信為神。復而不反，午而未，氣往屈為鬼。往來屈信，均以天地之數可推而知之。季路問事鬼神。子曰：“未能事人焉能事鬼。”問死。子曰：“未知生焉知死。”此即原始反終之說。言之所不能盡者，聖人以象顯之，以數明之。精氣為物，游魂為變，於六十四卦之象數推衍，皆合乎物理之自然。或有或無，各依其類，而未可概舉也。故經文有明言者，不明言者。明言者以舉其例，而不明言者皆觸類而知之矣。

Returning to its original position, such as from Chou back to Zi, signifies the coming of qi and extension, which is called "Shen"; returning without returning, such as from Wu to Wei, signifies the going of qi and contraction, which is called "Gui." The movement of going and returning, extension and contraction, can all be calculated using the numbers of Heaven and Earth. Zilu asked how to serve ghosts and spirits, and Confucius said, "If you cannot serve people, how can you serve ghosts?" When asked about death, Confucius said, "If you do not understand life, how can you understand death?" This is precisely the meaning of "returning to the beginning and concluding with the end." Matters that cannot be fully expressed in words are shown by the hexagrams and explained by numbers. "Fine qi becomes things, and wandering souls become transformations," and when these are extended through the sixty-four hexagrams, they all conform to the natural principles of things. There is presence and absence, each according to its category, and cannot be treated as a single case. Therefore, the classics have explicit statements and implicit ones: the explicit ones give examples, while the implicit ones require understanding through analogy.

如風火家人，夫夫婦婦父父子子而家道正，人情之各得其正者也。而反乎人情者，則為鬼之狀。故睽曰“見惡人”，曰“載鬼一車”。雷天大壯，大者壯也，大者正也，壯者狀也，即正大之狀也。能通乎正大之狀者，則知鬼神之情狀。故觀曰“觀天之神道”，曰“以神道設教”。此《易》言鬼神情狀之最著者也。

For example, the Wind and Fire "Family" hexagram illustrates a situation where husband is like a husband, wife is like a wife, father is like a father, son is like a son, and the family is properly ordered. This represents the proper state of human relationships. When human relationships are violated, it becomes the shape of a ghost. Therefore, the "Parting" hexagram says "seeing an evil person" and also "carrying a ghost in a cart." Thunder and Heaven "Great Strength" hexagram: "Great" means strength, "Great" means correctness, "Strength" means appearance, together meaning "the appearance of correctness." Those who understand the appearance of correctness also understand the appearance of ghosts and spirits. Therefore, the "Observing" hexagram says "observing the divine way of heaven" and also "establishing teaching through the divine way." These are the most prominent parts in the Book of Changes regarding the forms of ghosts and spirits.

乾坎艮震巽離坤兌八宮，六十四卦，終於雷澤歸妹。歸妹為兌宮歸魂，而兌又居八宮之終，故歸妹為天地大歸魂卦。歸妹上下錯為隨（澤雷隨），隨“元亨利貞，天下隨時，出門交有功，男之始也”，歸妹“女之終也”。（《雜卦傳》）《彖》言人之終始，則合男女而言之也。

There are eight palaces composed of the Trigrams Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui, forming a total of sixty-four hexagrams, ending with the hexagram "Return of the Maiden" (归妹), which is the returning soul hexagram of the Dui palace. Since Dui is the last of the eight palaces, "Return of the Maiden" is the great returning soul hexagram of heaven and earth. When the upper and lower trigrams of "Return of the Maiden" are reversed, they form "Following" (随), which is the hexagram of "Lake and Thunder Following." "Following" speaks of "Original Greatness, Favorable to Correcting, Favorable to Crossing the Great," and the Commentary on the Judgment says "the world follows the time." The Nine in the Fourth position says "going out to meet people brings success." The Miscellaneous Commentary says that "Following" is the beginning of the male, and "Return of the Maiden" is the end of the female. The Commentary on the Judgment speaks of "the beginning and end of human beings," which combines the male and female together.

歸妹上卦震東甲乙，帝出乎震，甲不為首首乙，故曰“帝乙歸妹”。下卦兌西庚辛，前坤後乾，坤乾為地天泰，故泰之六五亦曰“帝乙歸妹”。泰反為否，《否·彖傳》亦曰“則是天地不交而萬物不通也”，而《歸妹·彖傳》亦曰“天地不交而萬物不興”，泰否“天地反類”，（《雜卦傳》曰：泰否反其類也。邵子曰：天地定位，泰否反類。）皆東西震兌出入反覆，而日月寒暑往來，（離日坎月，乾寒坤暑）循環不窮。

The upper trigram of 《Guī Mèi》is Zhen, located in the east, paired with the heavenly stem Jia and Yi. "The Emperor arises from Zhen," but here Jia is not first, Yi is first, so the line statement of the fifth line says, "The Emperor Yi marries off his sister"—Emperor Yi was a king of the Shang dynasty, who married off his sister. The lower trigram is Dui, located in the west, paired with the heavenly stems Geng and Xin. Before it is Kun, after it is Qian, so Kun above and Qian below forms the earth above and heaven below, which is the hexagram 《Tai》. Therefore, the line statement of the fifth line of 《Tai》also says, "The Emperor Yi marries off his sister." 《Tai》reversed becomes 《Pǐ》. The 《Commentary on the Judgment》of 《Pǐ》says, "This is when heaven and earth do not interact and all things are not in communication." The 《Commentary on the Judgment》of 《Guī Mèi》also says, "Heaven and earth do not interact and all things do not flourish." 《Tai》and 《Pǐ》are "heaven and earth reverse their categories" (the 《Zá Guà Zhuàn》says, "Tai and Pǐ reverse their categories"; Shao Yong says, "Heaven and earth are positioned, Tai and Pǐ reverse their categories"). These are the mutual coming and going between Zhen and Dui in the east and west, thus the coming and going of sun and moon, cold and heat (Li represents the sun, Kan represents the moon, Qian represents cold, Kun represents heat), continuing endlessly.

坎離既濟定，有歸妹在中，而南北離坎未濟不續終者。首尾續終，（《未濟·彖傳》曰“不續終也”。《雜卦》，歸妹在既濟未濟兩卦之中。）故曰“天地之大義也”。歸妹漸相錯成隨蠱，故《漸·彖》曰“女歸吉”，《蠱·彖傳》曰“終則有始”。蓋蠱之始，乃由故之已終而新復更始。歸妹之終始，乃續終其始。故《象傳》曰“永終知敝，天地大義”者，夫婦之道也。人類之所以不絕，以有男女夫婦，生生不已，終則有始。家人為夫婦之正，故《傳》曰“家人男正位乎外女正位乎內，天地之大義也”。

The trigrams Kan (Water) and Li (Fire) are paired to form the hexagram "Ji Ji" (Completion), and "Gui Mei" (Marriage) is positioned in the middle. The southern Li (Fire) and northern Kan (Water) trigrams together form "Wei Ji" (Not Yet Completed), which signifies "not continuing the end." The beginning and end connect to continue the cycle (the "Commentary on the Judgment" of "Wei Ji" says "not continuing the end"; in the "Miscellaneous Hexagrams," "Gui Mei" is exactly between "Ji Ji" and "Wei Ji"). Therefore, this is called "the great principle of heaven and earth." "Gui Mei" and "Zhen" (Gradual Progress) interweave to form "Sui" (Following) and "Gu" (Restoration), so the "Commentary on the Judgment" of "Zhen" says "a woman's return is auspicious," and the "Commentary on the Judgment" of "Gu" says "after the end comes the beginning." The "beginning" in "Gu" refers to the old having ended and a new beginning; the beginning and end in "Gui Mei" refer to continuing the end and then starting anew. Therefore, the "Image Commentary" says "eternally knowing the end and its decay," and the so-called "great principle of heaven and earth" refers to the relationship between husband and wife. Humanity continues without end because of the ceaseless cycle of male and female in marriage, constantly renewing itself. "Jia Ren" (Family) represents the proper relationship between husband and wife, so the "Commentary on the Judgment" says "the hexagram of Family: the man is upright in the outer position, the woman is upright in the inner position, this is the great principle of heaven and earth."

然天下之事，有常有變，有得有失。先王之制，女子十五而笄，男子二十而冠，為婚媾之始。女至二十而嫁，男至三十而娶，為最遲之限，此婚媾之常。得其時者也。逾此限則為失時。但或於此時而更遇變故，如父母之喪之類，則至二十三年而嫁。此婚媾之變，失其時者也。

However, matters in the world have both regularity and change, gain and loss. The system established by the former kings was that girls reach the age of fifteen and undergo the hairpin ceremony, and men reach twenty and undergo the cap ceremony, which marks the beginning of marriage. Girls marry at twenty, and men marry at thirty, which is the latest limit. This is the regular aspect of marriage, belonging to the timely. Exceeding this limit is considered losing the proper time. But sometimes, at the proper time, one encounters a change, such as the mourning for parents, in which case the girl would be married at twenty-three. This is the changing aspect of marriage, belonging to the loss of proper time.

處變失時，乃人情之大可憐也。故先王亦不以常制限之。能守正不阿，為漸之女歸，則固協於禮而得吉。即不能固守其正，如歸妹之說動而隨，而天地之大義。亦仍不可廢。所謂聘則為妻，奔則為妾。但以禮絀之，而不以法禁之也。故特著之曰“天地大義人之終始”，深望後之人能慎終於始，不至變常而失時，庶免乎凶，而維人道於不敝矣。意深哉！

Being caught in a period of change and missing the wedding date is the most pitiable situation in human affairs, so the ancient kings did not impose strict rules upon it. If one can remain upright and not be swayed by external influences, like the "female returning to her husband is auspicious" in the "Gradual" hexagram, and marry according to propriety, then it naturally conforms to the rites and brings good fortune. Even if one cannot maintain uprightness, like in the "Return of the Maiden" hexagram, where one acts out of joy and follows others, the great principle of heaven and earth should still not be abandoned. Therefore, the "Commentary on the Judgment" specifically emphasizes "the great principle of heaven and earth, the beginning and end of human affairs," earnestly hoping that future generations will think carefully about the outcome from the beginning, so as not to disrupt the established way and miss the proper time, thus avoiding misfortune and ensuring the continuity of human conduct. The intention is indeed profound!