The Hexagram of the Bite (Zhen below, Li above)

震下離上。噬嗑：亨，利用獄。曰：頤中有物，曰噬嗑。噬嗑而亨，剛柔分，動而明，雷電合而章，柔得中而上行，雖不當位，利用獄也。上下剛而中虛，上止而下動，頤之象也；九四以剛虛在中，頤中有物之象也。

The lower trigram of the Hexagram of "噬嗑" is Zhen (Thunder), and the upper trigram is Li (Fire). The Hexagram Statement says: "Pharynx, smooth, favorable for resolving legal cases and applying punishment." The Commentary on the Judgment says: "There is something blocking in the mouth, hence called 'Pharynx.' After biting through, there is smoothness. The yang and yin are clearly distinguished. The lower trigram is active, the upper trigram is bright, thunder and lightning combine to show clearly. The yin line is in the middle and moves upward. Although the line is not in the proper position, it is favorable for resolving legal cases." The upper and lower trigrams are yang and empty in the middle. The upper trigram is still, the lower trigram is active. This is the image of "Yi (cheek)." The Nine in the Fourth, with a yang line, is in the middle of the empty space, which is the image of something blocking in the mouth.

頤所以養百體也，物有間之，則害其所以為養，故必噬而嗑，則有閒者除而上下通，得所以自養矣，故曰噬嗑而亨。然則噬嗑者，用刑之卦也。用刑之道，不剛則無斷制之義，不柔則無矜恤之仁；有剛有柔，又必平而不偏，然後為善。剛柔分，言平而無偏勝也。

The mouth and cheeks are used to nourish the entire body. If something is stuck in the middle, it hinders their function of nourishing, so it must be bitten and removed, thus clearing the obstruction. Once the blockage is removed, the upper and lower parts become connected, and the body can nourish itself. Therefore, it is said, "The hexagram of噬嗑 leads to smoothness." From this, we can see that the hexagram of噬嗑 is about the use of punishment. The principle of punishment: without firmness, there is no justice in making decisions; without gentleness, there is no compassion and care. When both firmness and gentleness are present, it is necessary to be impartial and not biased, only then is it considered good. "The distinction between firmness and gentleness" refers to being impartial and not allowing either side to dominate.

雖然，不動不足以發滯伏，不明不足以燭闇昧，故必動而明。夫五刑五用，將天討而已，則其動必如雷，其明必如電，然後乃可，故曰雷電合而章。夫不取於日而取於電者，電見於陰而人畏之，用刑之道也。

Though this is so, without "movement" it would be insufficient to uncover accumulated and hidden cases, and without "clarity" it would be insufficient to illuminate dark and obscure facts. Therefore, both movement and clarity are necessary. The five punishments and five applications are merely substitutes for Heaven's punishment of wrongdoing. Thus, its movement must be like thunder, and its clarity must be like lightning, only then can it be effective. Therefore, it is said, "Thunder and lightning combine to form a chapter." Here, "electricity" is chosen rather than "sun," because electricity appears within dark clouds and instills fear in all people, which precisely corresponds to the principle of applying punishment.

剛柔言分，雷電言合，以謂剛則用於未得其情之先，柔則用於已得其情之後；用剛則不能兼柔，用柔則不能兼剛，故言分也。若夫動與明，則不可以相離，相離則不可以成章，故言合也。以二體，則剛柔分、動而明、雷電合而章；以六五，則柔中而上行。如此，則雖不當位，利用獄矣。

The principles of hardness and softness are called "division," and those of thunder and lightning are called "union," because hardness is applied before the case is fully understood, while softness is applied after the case has been clarified. When hardness is used, softness should not be used at the same time, and when softness is used, hardness should not be used at the same time; thus it is called "division." As for "movement" and "clarity," they cannot be separated; if they are separated, they cannot form a coherent expression, so they are called "union." Considering the upper and lower parts, hardness and softness each have their distinct boundaries, they are dynamic yet separate from clarity, and thunder and lightning combine to produce clarity. Considering the sixth line of the fifth trigram, it is a soft line in the center that moves upward. In this way, even though the line is not in the proper position, it is beneficial for judging cases.

夫其動也如雷，其明也如電，則赫赫厥聲，濯濯厥靈，固足以震耀天下，不止利用獄而已，惟方不當位，故利用獄而已。不曰用刑而曰用獄者，惟刑至於用甲兵，六五利用者小刑而已，故曰獄也。

It moves like thunder and shines like lightning, which is what the Book of Poetry describes as resounding and radiant, inherently capable of shaking and illuminating the world, not merely beneficial for judicial decisions. Yet because the line is in an inappropriate position, it only mentions being beneficial for judicial matters. It does not say "using punishment" but "using prison," because "punishment" can be as severe as mobilizing military forces, while what is appropriate for the sixth line is only lighter penalties. Therefore, it says "prison."

象曰：雷電，噬嗑，先王以明罰勅法。禮禁於未然之前，法施於已然之後，然後懲之於小而可使無惡，於是先王以明罰勅法，而人知之不可玩矣。蓋罰之不順人，則以小惡為無傷，馴致於大惡而不悛，雖勅法有不能勝，非所以勅法也。

The Great Image Commentary says: "Thunder and lightning intersect, which is the image of the Hexagram of Eating Through. Thus, the former kings clarified punishments and regulated laws." Ritual is used to prohibit wrongdoing before it occurs, while law is applied after an offense has taken place. Then, by imposing punishment on minor offenses, people can be prevented from committing evil. Therefore, the former kings clarified punishments and regulated laws, so people would not dare to be disrespectful. If punishments fail to convince people's hearts, people will think that minor evils are not serious and gradually develop into major evils without willing to repent. At that time, even if laws are enforced, they will not be effective, and this cannot be considered true regulation of laws.

初九：屨校滅趾，無咎。象曰：屨校滅趾，不行也。小人之為不善，非能以類進也，而惟上之人無懲之，然後馴致其道，大惡成焉。蒙曰：用脫桎梏，以往吝。剝曰：剝床以足，蔑貞?。然則屨校滅趾，懲不善於初，不亦宜乎？成周之時，萬民之有罪雖未麗乎法者，以桎梏而坐諸嘉石，則所以懲小人宜早辨矣。滅之者，絶之道也。傳曰：去惡莫如盡。故稱滅焉。

The line statement for the first line says: "He is wearing wooden leg irons, covering his toes, and there is no misfortune." The small image commentary says: "Wearing wooden leg irons and covering the toes, this is to prevent him from moving forward (so he will not dare to repeat the offense)." Small people committing wrongdoings do not do so all at once; they gradually proceed along that path because those in authority do not punish them. Eventually, they commit great evil. The hexagram Meng says, "Loosen his restraints and let him go, but there will be regret." The hexagram Bo says, "The foot of the bed is stripped away; abandoning the right path leads to misfortune." Therefore, if wrongdoing is punished at the beginning, is it not appropriate? During the time of the Son of Heaven, even if the people had committed wrongs but were not yet subject to legal punishment, they would still be put in leg irons and made to sit on the jade stone for public display. This shows that punishing small people should be done early. "Mai" means to cut off. The commentary says that removing evil should be done thoroughly. Hence, it is called "mai."

六二：噬膚滅鼻，無咎。象曰：噬膚滅鼻，乘剛也。噬嗑六爻，初九、上九受刑者也，中四爻皆用刑者也。其所以然者何也？蓋刑之所起，原於小人；用極至於殘殺者，亦以其小人惡積而罪大故也。若夫居中用刑，則君子而已，此六爻之義所以異也。膚柔脆而易噬者也，六二柔中而能資初九之剛，所以利用刑，猶噬膚也。夫六二既刑初九而反資初九之剛，何也？夫噬嗑，食也，食之堅則噬之，既噬則資以為養矣；君子之噬小人亦若此，豈有棄物也哉？

The line statement for line six two says: "Bite tender flesh, bite deeply so that the nose is covered, there is no misfortune." The small image commentary says: "Bite the flesh and destroy the nose, because it is acting upon the yang strength above." In the hexagram of "噬嗑," the initial nine and the upper nine are the ones being punished, while the middle four lines are the ones administering punishment. Why is this so? Because punishment originates from small people; when it reaches its extreme, it leads to killing, which is also due to the accumulation of evil deeds by small people and their great offenses. As for those in the middle administering punishment, they are all gentlemen—this is the reason for the different meanings of the six lines. Tender flesh is soft, brittle, and easy to bite; line six two is gentle and in the middle and can take advantage of the yang strength of line initial nine, so it is favorable for punishment, just like biting tender flesh. Line six two administers punishment to line initial nine yet takes advantage of its yang strength. Why is this so? "噬嗑" originally means eating; when food is hard, you bite it, and when it is bitten open, you take it to nourish yourself. Gentlemen dealing with small people are also like this; where would there be discarded waste?

六三：噬臘肉，遇毒，小吝，無咎。象曰：遇毒，位不當也。用刑之道，必有其才，又有其位，然後乃可。徒有其位而才不足，則是士師不能治事也；有其才而位不當，則是代士師殺人也。然是二者，位不當猶愈乎才不足；才不足則刑不中，刑不中則大不服矣。此六三所謂噬臘遇毒，不得噬乾胏也。臘之難噬而又遇毒，以譬刑小人之不服也。臘肉有養人之道，不得其養而遇其毒，固吝也；有其位、代司殺者，又見應於上，是以小吝無咎也。

The line statement for the third line says: "Biting hard dried meat, encountering poison, there is some regret, but no calamity." The small image commentary says: "Encountering poison, is due to the line being in an inappropriate position." The principle of applying punishment requires both appropriate ability and appropriate position, then it can be carried out. Having only a position but lacking ability is like a judge who cannot perform his duties; having ability but an inappropriate position is like substituting the judge to carry out executions. Comparing these two, an inappropriate position is better than lacking ability; lacking ability leads to improper punishment, and improper punishment greatly fails to gain people's acceptance. This is why the third line says "biting dried meat and encountering poison," and is not able to reach the level of the fourth line "biting meat with bones." Dried meat is hard to bite, and encountering poison is used as a metaphor for applying punishment and having the small person not accept it. Dried meat originally has the function of nourishing people, but not getting its nourishment and instead suffering its poison naturally causes regret; however, it still has a position and is acting as the official responsible for executions, and there is an appropriate connection above, so it is only "a small regret" and "no calamity."

九四：噬乾胏，得金矢，利艱貞吉。象曰：利艱貞吉，未光也。此所謂有其才而位不當者也。有其才，故易於六三之噬臘；位不當，故難乎六五之噬乾焉。九四與六五皆稱金，而九四得金矢、六五得黃金，何也？六五君也，制刑者也；九四臣也，用刑者也。制刑付之臣，用刑加之民，其事雖殊，其欲剛而通乎變則一而已。

The statement of the fourth line says: "It bites dry meat with bones, obtains metal and arrows, is advantageous to maintain uprightness in difficulty, and is auspicious." The Small Image Commentary says: "It is advantageous to maintain uprightness in difficulty and is auspicious, because its way has not yet become extensive." This refers to those who have ability but are not in the right position. Having ability, it is easier for it than for the sixth line in the third to bite dried meat; not being in the right position, it is more difficult than for the sixth line in the fifth to bite dry meat. Both the fourth line and the fifth line mention "metal," but the fourth line says "obtains metal and arrows," while the fifth line says "obtains golden metal." Why is this so? The fifth line is the sovereign, who establishes laws; the fourth line is the minister, who enforces laws. The sovereign entrusts the minister with the enforcement of laws, and the enforcement of laws affects the people. Although these are different tasks, both require strength and adaptability, and this is the same.

夫刑，義徳也，剛也。制刑者通乎變，故法令之所設者當焉；用刑者通乎變，故金矢之所施者當焉，是以皆稱金也。至於中之見乎色，則制者之所貴，故六五稱黃，黃者中之見乎色也；矢者，臣而利乎行者也，用刑之所貴，故九四稱矢，矢者直而利乎行也。蓋制刑之初，則欲揆人之情、合時之變，不可過輕，不可過重，正諸中而已；至於用刑則不然，舉夫曲直而推之而已，是以不同也。

Punishment belongs to the category of "righteousness" and is characterized by firmness. The person who establishes laws understands flexibility and variation, so his decrees are appropriate; the person who enforces punishment understands flexibility and variation, so his use of punishment is appropriate—thus both lines are called "metal." As for "center," it is manifested in color, which is what the person establishing laws values, so the line six in the fifth is called "yellow," since yellow is the color that reveals "center." "Arrow" refers to the quality of the subject that is beneficial for straightforward action, which is what the person enforcing punishment values, so the line nine in the fourth is called "arrow," since the arrow is straight and beneficial for direct action. In the initial establishment of laws, one must consider human feelings and align with the changes of the times, neither too light nor too severe, but correct in the middle way. However, in the enforcement of punishment, it is different; one merely presents the distinctions of right and wrong for judgment, so the symbolic representations differ.

六五：噬乾，得黃金，貞厲，無咎。象曰：貞厲無咎，得當也。六五得尊位大中，不能以道化天下期於無刑，而猶用噬，所以為噬乾肉而難於噬膚，雖貞而厲也。然小人有為間之罪可除，而我之除間之刑得當，故雖厲亦無咎焉。

The line statement of the fifth line says: "It bites dry meat, obtaining gold; holding to the correct path and being aware of danger, there is no misfortune." The Small Image Commentary says: "Maintaining the correct path and facing danger without misfortune, this is proper conduct." The fifth line holds the exalted position and resides in the great center, yet it is unable to use the Way to enlighten the people and reach the state of not needing punishment. Therefore, it still resorts to "biting," so it is biting dry meat, which is more difficult than the second line biting tender meat. Although it holds to the correct path, there is still danger. However, there are indeed obstacles and wrongdoing that can be removed, and the punishment used to remove these obstacles is appropriate, so although there is danger, there is no misfortune.

上九：何校滅耳，?。象曰：何校滅耳，聰不明也。夫刑有金有木，而木又有校；今初九上九止稱校而已，何也？噬嗑之道，始將勅法，非致刑之時，故稱校焉。金義木仁，而校又非若金之傷也，仁故也。

The line statement of Upper Nine says: "Shouldering a wooden yao, covering the ears, ominous." The Small Image Commentary says: "A wooden yao covering the ears, indicating unclear hearing (refusing to listen to advice)." Punishments can be made of metal or wood, and wooden ones include the yao. Now both Initial Nine and Upper Nine refer only to "yao," why is that? Because the way of the Hexagram噬嗑 initially aims merely at rectifying laws, not yet applying severe punishments, hence it is called "yao." Metal relates to righteousness, wood relates to benevolence, and the yao is not as injurious to the body as metal instruments, thus it is taken to symbolize benevolence.

離下艮上。賁：亨，小利有攸往。彖曰：賁亨，柔來而文剛，故亨；分剛上而文柔，故小利有攸往。天文也，文明以止，人文也。觀乎天文以察時變，觀乎人文以化成天下。經曰：物相雜，故曰文。卦之所以為賁，以柔來而文剛、分剛上而文柔，物相雜也。夫立天之道曰陰與陽，立地之道曰柔與剛，立人之道曰仁與義。陰與陽，天之所以為文也；柔與剛，地之所以為文也；仁與義，人之所以為文也。

The hexagram 贲 has the lower trigram Li (Fire) and the upper trigram Gen (Mountain). The hexagram statement says: "B贲 is smooth, slightly favorable for going forward." The commentary on the judgment says: "B贲 is smooth because the yao of flexibility comes down to adorn the yang, thus it is smooth; a yang yao is separated and goes up to adorn the yin, thus it is slightly favorable for going forward. (The intermingling of yang and yin) is the pattern of heaven; civilized and knowing moderation, is the pattern of human beings. Observing the pattern of heaven can discern the changes of time; observing the pattern of human beings can educate and perfect the world." The great treatise says: "Things intermingling, thus called 'wen' (pattern)." This hexagram is called 'B贲' precisely because the flexibility comes to adorn the yang, and the yang is separated to adorn the yin, which is the intermingling of things. Establishing the principle of heaven is yin and yang; establishing the principle of earth is flexibility and yang; establishing the principle of human beings is benevolence and righteousness. Yin and yang are the way heaven manifests its pattern; flexibility and yang are the way earth manifests its pattern; benevolence and righteousness are the way human beings manifest their pattern.

今賁之成卦，獨以剛柔為言者，剛柔地道，而坤介於西南，於色為章而文，說卦曰坤為文，然則道其文之著者乎？所以賁有取於剛柔也。雖稱地之剛柔，則與天之文、與人之文舉矣，是以下文稱觀乎天文、觀乎人文也。

Now the structure of the卦贲 is discussed only in terms of yin and yang, because yin and yang belong to the way of the earth. The hexagram坤 is located in the southwest and represents color and brilliance. The "Commentary on the Hexagrams" says that坤 represents culture, so it is probably the most prominent in cultural display. Therefore, the卦贲 takes its image from yin and yang. Although it only mentions the yin and yang of the earth, the cultural aspects of heaven and humanity are also included. Hence, the following text says "observe the heavenly phenomena" and "observe human culture."

賁之所以亨，以柔來而文剛也；所以小利有攸往，以分剛上而文柔也。柔來文剛者，本乎剛而又之柔也，在人則是存高明敦大之才而能自損者也，是以亨也；分剛上而文柔者，不中柔而文之以剛也，在人則是懦弱罷軟之才而能自強者也，是以小利有攸往而已。

The hexagram "Zhen" is smooth and unobstructed because the flexible comes to adorn the strong; it is only slightly favorable for going forward because the strong line is divided and goes up to adorn the flexible. "The flexible comes to adorn the strong" means that one is originally strong and adds flexibility, in a person this corresponds to having inherently noble and great talent and being able to humble oneself, hence it is smooth and unobstructed. "Dividing the strong to adorn the flexible" means that the flexible is not sufficiently upright and uses the strong to adorn it, in a person this corresponds to having inherently weak and feeble talent but being able to strive for self-strengthening, hence it is only slightly favorable for going forward.

柔來而文剛，六二之謂也，六二柔者也；分剛上而文柔，上九之謂也，上九剛過者也。蓋本剛而文之過柔，則其柔不必過也，中斯可矣；本乎柔而文之以剛，則剛中不足也，必過而後可也，是以不同也。柔稱來、剛稱上者，何也？往者屈也，來者伸也；柔之文剛也為亨，則是來而信也，故來。剛之文柔雖不足為亨，然亦小利有攸往，非往而屈也，是以變往而稱上也，上六者所謂抗之以高志也。

"The soft comes and adorns the strong" refers to the line Six in the Second, which is a yao of softness. "Dividing the strong above and adorning the soft" refers to the line Nine at the Top, which is overly strong. Originally, if something is already strong and uses softness to adorn it, the softness does not need to be excessive; being in the center is enough. Originally, if something is soft and uses strength to adorn it, the strength is not enough just to be in the center; it must go beyond a little. Therefore, they are different. Softness is said to "come" and strength is said to "go up," why? "Going" means shrinking, "coming" means extending. Softness adorning strength brings smoothness, which is coming and extending, so it is said "come." Strength adorning softness may not bring smoothness, but it still "offers slight benefit in going forward," not going while shrinking, so the word "going" is changed to "up," referring to the top line, which means holding a lofty aspiration.

剛柔相雜，不違乎自然之文，此天文也。至於人文，則於自然之文不能旡違，至或過而滅質者有矣，是以文明以止，然後為人文也。禮之有元酒，太樂之有朱?越，蓋施止於文明之間也。繫辭曰：通其變，遂成天地之文。賁曰：觀乎天文以察時變。其不同何也？變所以成文，文成而變見，是故通變足以成文，觀文足以察變也。能察時變，然後能觀人文。彼三代之禮不相襲，蓋察乎時變而然也。人固有自然之文，?而愛親、長而敬兄皆是也；因其文而章明之、潤色之，則天下之化旡為而成矣，故曰觀乎人文以化成天下也。

Heavenly principles and earthly qualities intermingle without contradicting the natural elegance, which is called "astronomical culture." As for "human culture," it is inevitably at odds with the natural elegance, sometimes even overemphasizing elegance to the point of obscuring simplicity. Therefore, one must "civilize with moderation," and only then can it be called human culture. The rites retain pure water (xuánjiǔ), and the grand music retains red strings and sparse tones (zhūxián shūyuè), which is precisely applying restraint to civilization. The Great Treatise says, "By understanding its transformations, one achieves the elegance of heaven and earth." However, the Commentary on the Judgment of the Qian hexagram says, "Observing astronomical phenomena to understand the changes of time." Why the difference? Transformation is used to achieve elegance, and when elegance becomes transformation, it becomes evident. Therefore, understanding transformation is sufficient to achieve elegance, and observing elegance is sufficient to understand transformation. Only by understanding the changes of time can one observe human culture. The rites of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties did not follow each other because they understood the changes of time. Humans naturally possess elegance, such as loving parents in childhood and respecting elders in adulthood. By following this natural elegance and making it clear and refined, the education of the world would be effortless. Therefore, it is said, "By observing human culture, one can transform the world."

象曰：山下有火，賁，君子以明庶政，無敢折獄。政以養民為本，以明為文。以養民為本，有山之象；以明為文，有火之象，故山下有火則稱庶政焉，而政明之為貴。周以夏掌政，義取明也。庶政明，則物以區處、事以條利而不至於爭；其有爭，則是庶政之未明也，是以君子務明庶政也。至於獄，則無敢折也。且賁非以賁也，老氏謂兵若羙之是樂殺人；今獄而施賁，無乃為樂殺人者也？

The Great Image Commentary says: "Under the mountain there is fire, which is the image of the卦 of Zhen. The gentleman, by this, becomes clear and discerning in handling various state affairs, but does not dare to rely on this civilization to decide criminal cases." State affairs take nourishing the people as their fundamental principle, and clarity and discernment as their embellishment. Taking nourishing the people as the fundamental principle is taking the image of the mountain; taking clarity and discernment as embellishment is taking the image of fire. Therefore, under the mountain with fire signifies "the multitude of state affairs," and state affairs value clarity and discernment. The Rites of Zhou use the Summer Officials to manage state affairs, and the meaning lies precisely in "clarity." When all state affairs are clear and discerning, then all things can be properly placed, and matters are orderly without causing disputes. Once there are disputes, it indicates that the state affairs are not yet clear and discerning enough. Therefore, the gentleman devotes himself to being clear and discerning in the multitude of state affairs. As for criminal cases, he does not dare to decide them hastily. Moreover, "Zhen" is not embellishment for the sake of embellishment: Laozi said that if weapons are praised, it shows a fondness for killing; now, if embellishment is applied to criminal cases, is it not becoming someone who delights in killing?

初九：賁其趾，舎車而徒。象曰：舎車而徒，義弗乘也。趾在下而能行者也。所以自飾莫若乎義，而義路也，由義路而行，賁其趾之象也。苟由義路而行，則義在乎勞，不舎勞而取逸；義在於遠，不舎遠而取近矣，故六二虛中有車之象，欲以載初，而初舎之弗乘也。六二：賁其須。象曰：賁其須，與上興也。以柔飾上者，須也。六二柔不自立，麗九三而飾之，湏之象也。然賁以剛柔相雜，義雖不能自立而飾物，亦未有咎也；雖未有咎，與上興而已，吉亦不足道也。

The line statement for the first line (Initial Nine) says: "He decorates his toe and abandons the carriage to walk on foot." The Small Image Commentary says: "Abandoning the carriage to walk on foot, this is in accordance with the principle of righteousness." The toe is at the lower position yet can walk. The most appropriate thing to decorate oneself with is "righteousness," and righteousness is the path. Walking along the path of righteousness is the image of "decorating the toe." Since one is walking along the path of righteousness, righteousness lies in toil, so one does not abandon toil for ease; righteousness lies in distant travel, so one does not abandon the distant for convenience. Therefore, the line statement for the second line (Six in the Second) says: "He decorates his beard." The Small Image Commentary says: "Decorating the beard is in harmony with the movement above (Nine in the Third)." Using softness to decorate above is precisely the beard. The second line is weak and cannot stand on its own, attaching itself to the third line to decorate it, which is the image of the beard. However, the hexagram of "Brightness" is based on the principle of the intermingling of the strong and the weak. Although one cannot stand on one's own and can only decorate others, there is no fault. Although there is no fault, it is merely following above, so even if it is considered auspicious, it is not worth mentioning.

九三：賁如濡如，永貞吉。象曰：永貞之吉，終莫之陵也。賁如，自飾也；濡如，二飾之也。凡言濡，皆相與於不足，非相忘於有餘，猶所謂相濡以沬者也，豈若渙其群者哉？故夬之遇雨若濡則有慍之者，賁之賁如濡如則有陵之者。惟能永貞，不至乎勢傾而絶、利窮而散，是吉而莫之陵也。

The line statement of nine in the third says: "The decoration is bright and moist, and if one maintains constancy for a long time, it is auspicious." The small image commentary says: "The auspiciousness of maintaining constancy is that ultimately no one can oppress him." "Beren" refers to self-decoration; "Ruren" refers to six in the second decorating him. Whenever the term "ruren" is used, it indicates mutual reliance in a state of insufficiency, not mutual forgetting in a state of abundance. Just as the fish in the Zhuangzi use their saliva to moisten each other, how can this compare to the dispersal of private factions as described in the Hexagram of Huan? Therefore, in the Hexagram of Guai, nine in the third, "meeting rain as if moistened," leads to resentment, while in the Hexagram of Ben, "Beren Ruren," leads to oppression. Only by maintaining constancy for a long time can one avoid the situation where power declines and connections break, and thus achieve auspiciousness without being oppressed.

六四：賁如皤如，白馬翰如，匪冦婚媾。象曰：六四當位疑也，匪冦婚媾，終無尤也。自飾以正，故曰賁如；未受飾於物，故曰皤如。能自飾於正，則雖未受飾於物，將有飾之者矣，故曰白馬翰如。初九以剛在下，未受飾於物而動以趨上，白馬翰如之象也。然六四當位，非知變者，故初九之來則疑其為冦；然非冦也，婚媾而已。冦相賊也，婚媾相親也，固亦異矣；今疑若是，則疑之惑也甚矣。

The line statement of the fourth line says: "It is adorned with plain and pure white; a white horse gallops in. It is not a robber, but one who comes to propose marriage." The small image commentary says: "The fourth line is in the proper position but has doubts in its mind; it is not a robber but one who comes to propose marriage, so there is no error." To adorn oneself with the right way is called "Beren" (adorned like a white horse). Since it has not yet received external adornment, it is called "Pó rú" (white and plain). If one can adorn oneself with the right way, then even though it has not yet received external adornment, there will eventually be someone who comes to adorn it, so it is called "Bai ma han rú" (a white horse gallops swiftly). The initial yang line is in a low position with strong yang energy, and has not yet received external adornment but still moves upward with vigor, which is the image of a white horse galloping. However, the fourth line is in the proper position but is not a person of flexible and wise conduct, so when the initial yang line comes, it suspects it to be a robber. In fact, it is not a robber, but one who comes to propose marriage. A robber comes to cause harm, while one who proposes marriage comes to be close. These are fundamentally different. Now it suspects to such an extent, its suspicion is indeed very confused.

六五：賁于丘園，束帛戔戔，吝終吉。象曰：六五之吉，有喜也。丘園，生財者也；束帛，用財者也。於生財則致益，於用財則致損，強本而節用者也。蓋六五之才，內陽外陰，陽為實也，陰為虛為損，有強本節用之象焉。夫賁，致飾之卦也，致飾則侈靡所由生，故六五有賁于丘園、束帛戔戔之辭焉。然束帛，物以為禮也，將為禮而戔戔，則吝道也；以其能強本而非墨子之私憂，故終吉。象曰六五之吉有喜也，為其非私憂天下之不足也。

The line statement of the fifth line says: "Adorning the hills and gardens, a bundle of silk is meager, although there is regret, it ultimately brings good fortune." The small image commentary says: "The good fortune of the sixth line in the fifth position is due to joy." Hills and gardens are places where wealth is produced; a bundle of silk is something used for wealth. Exerting effort to increase production in wealth and exerting effort to reduce expenditure in use, this is strengthening the root and saving expenses. The quality of the sixth line in the fifth position, internally belongs to yang and externally to yin: yang is real, yin is empty, is reduction, which exactly corresponds to the image of strengthening the root and saving expenses. The hexagram of "Bian" is originally one that emphasizes adornment, and excessive adornment leads to extravagance, hence the line statement of the fifth line has "adorn the hills and gardens, a bundle of silk is meager." However, a bundle of silk is used as a gift, and when about to perform a ceremony, the gift is meager, which is the way of stinginess. Yet it is only because it is for strengthening the root, not like Mozi's excessive worry about personal concerns, so it ultimately brings good fortune. The small image says "the good fortune of the sixth line in the fifth position is due to joy," precisely because it is not due to personal worry about the scarcity of resources.

上九：白賁，無咎。象曰：白賁無咎，上得志也。傳曰：色者，白立而五色成焉。五色成於白，故賁之上九為白賁，所謂文明以止也。聖人之於人，所以藩飾之旡所不至，要其歸使之日用飲食而已，此終於白賁之意也。白者，性之質也，未染於物之時。白賁，或賁物之賁而終也，能明白太素則清淵不迷矣。既雕既琢，還反於樸，即此意也。

The line statement of the topmost line says: "Using white as ornamentation, there is no misfortune." The Small Image Commentary says: "White ornamentation without misfortune, is being in a high position and realizing one's aspirations." The commentary says: discussing color, white comes first, and the five colors can be matched. The five colors are formed from white, so the top line of the Hexagram of Ornamentation is called "White Ornamentation," which is exactly what the Commentary on the Judgment says: "civilization with restraint." The sage, in dealing with people, uses rites and culture to adorn them thoroughly, yet ultimately it is only to make them content with their daily life, which is the meaning of ending with "White Ornamentation." White is the nature of things, the state before being tainted by external things. "White Ornamentation" may be said to be the end of adorning external things; to understand the fundamental simplicity, is like a clear deep pool that is no longer confused. The "Zhuangzi" says that after carving and shaping, one returns to simplicity, which is precisely this meaning.

坤下艮上。剝：不利有攸往。曰：剝，剝也，柔變剛也。不利有攸往，小人長也。順而止之，觀象也；君子尚消息盈虛，天行也。剝，陰剝陽而至爛也。魚爛不可復全，則君子之於剝，止焉以俟可也；有攸往，則適足以招揭致害，不可以逃矣，故曰不利有攸往。

The lower trigram of the Hexagram "Pei" is Kun (Earth), and the upper trigram is Gen (Mountain). The Hexagram Statement says: "Pei, it is not advantageous to go somewhere." The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Pei means peeling away, which is the soft overcoming the hard. It is not advantageous to go somewhere because the petty person is growing. To follow and restrain it is the result of observing the hexagram; the gentleman values the principle of retreat and growth, fullness and emptiness, which is the operation of the heavenly way." "Pei" refers to yin eroding yang until it reaches a state of decay. Once a fish is rotten, it cannot be restored. Therefore, when a gentleman is in a time of decay, he can only stop and wait for the right moment. If he goes somewhere, it will only invite calamity upon himself, and he cannot escape it, hence the saying "it is not advantageous to go somewhere."

夬則曰剛決柔，剝曰柔變剛，何謂也？夬，人事也；變，天道也。君子之於小人，直以人事決之耳；小人則其人事不足以勝君子，蓋以天道之逆而徐徐以變之耳，故曰柔變剛也。剛之長至於五剛，其長猶未變也，且健以決柔而為剛矣；柔之長至於五柔，則其長為已極，乃將順而止之，不使至上行，此進陽退陰之義也。

The hexagram "Gua" says "the strong decisively removes the yielding," while the hexagram "Bo" says "the yielding changes the strong." Why are the expressions different? "Decisive removal" refers to human affairs, while "change" refers to the way of heaven. A gentleman dealing with a petty person directly uses human affairs to make a decisive decision; petty people cannot overcome gentlemen in human affairs, so they can only slowly change the gentleman by relying on the reversal of heavenly principles. Therefore, it is said "the yielding changes the strong." When yang is strong with five yang lines ("Gua"), its growth has not yet been changed, and it can decisively remove the one yin line and fully transform into yang; when yin is strong with five yin lines ("Bo"), its growth has reached its extreme, so it should be顺应 and restrained, not allowed to continue to rise—this is precisely the principle of "advancing yang and retreating yin."

蓋五剛猶盛而一陰始生，則逆而制之可也，姤之繫金柅是也；五剛已盛而一柔未去，則健以決之可也，夬之揚于王庭是也。若乃五柔已盛，則逆而制之不可也，健而決之亦不可也，順以止之斯可矣。所以順而止，為其有可止之象也，故曰順而止之，觀象也。

When five yang lines are still strong and one yin line has just appeared, it is acceptable to stop it immediately, as indicated by the "Crou" hexagram's statement "binding it with a metal brake." When five yang lines are already strong and one yin line has not yet been removed, it is acceptable to decisively eliminate it, as stated in the "Guai" hexagram's "publicly exposing its crimes in the royal court." However, when five yin lines are already strong, it is not acceptable to stop it immediately nor to decisively eliminate it; instead, one should follow and then stop it. The reason for "following and stopping" is because the hexagram indicates a situation where stopping is possible, hence it is said "following and stopping it, observing the image."

所謂象也者，消息盈虛之象，則小人之威知其可以順而去矣。蓋消必有息，盈必有虛；以消則必有息，以盈則必有虛，則陽有來復、陰有退聽之理，順是而止之，則於天豈曰違之哉？象曰：山附於地，剝，上以厚下安宅。山附於地，則下厚而上安也，君子於是以厚安宅。下之不厚而自安於上，則是處焚薪之上、坐漏船之中，雖火未燃、水未及溺，固不可以為安矣。

The concept of "Xiang" refers to the phenomena of decline and growth, fullness and emptiness; understanding it allows one to know that the arrogance of small people can be subdued by following its trend. After decline comes growth, after fullness comes emptiness; once decline has occurred, growth is certain; once fullness has occurred, emptiness is certain. Thus, Yang has a time to return and revive, and Yin has a reason to retreat and submit. To control according to this principle, how could it be considered against heaven? The "Great Image Commentary" says: "Mountains attached to the earth represent the image of the "Bo" hexagram; a superior person thus treats the people below with kindness and stabilizes his own position." Mountains attached to the earth signify a solid foundation below and a stable position above; therefore, a gentleman uses this principle to stabilize his dwelling. If the foundation below is not solid and one seeks comfort above, it is like sitting on a burning pile of firewood or on a leaking boat. Although the fire has not yet reached or the water has not yet flooded, one cannot truly claim stability.

初六：剝床以足，蔑貞?。象曰：剝床以足，以滅下也。床與輿，皆人之所恃以為安者也，而床則以夜息，輿則晝行。夜者陰盛之時，晝者陽復之時，於其方剝則稱床，於上九而復則稱輿，辭各有所稱也。剝床以足，才滅下而已；於是時，上有以貞之，則不能馴致而為剝矣；惟上無陽應故?，既?，故曰剝床以足，蔑貞?。

The line statement for the first line says: "The bed is being stripped away, starting from the foot, abandoning the correct path leads to misfortune." The Small Image Commentary says: "Stripping the bed from the foot, it is the destruction of the lower part." Both bed and carriage are things people rely on for stability; however, the bed is used for rest at night, and the carriage is used for travel during the day. Night is the time when yin energy is strong, and day is when yang energy returns. At the time of initial stripping, it is referred to as "bed," but when the upper line nine yang energy returns, it is referred to as "carriage." The wording is chosen accordingly. "Stripping the bed from the foot" indicates that the destruction has only just begun to the lower part. At this time, if there is strength above to correct it, it would not develop into full-scale stripping. However, since there is no yang line above to correspond with it, it is considered misfortune. Therefore, it is said, "Stripping the bed from the foot, abandoning the correct path leads to misfortune."

六二：剝床以辨，蔑貞?。象曰：剝床以辨，未有與也。辨進於足矣，君子之不得安宅甚矣，猶曰貞凶，何也？二陰尚微，未至於不利君子貞也；君子雖欲正之，末如之何矣。至若一陰始生，則可以有魚包之也；二陰浸長，則以臣妾畜之也；過此以往，其凶必矣，不特亦滅趾也。君子之勝小人，猶水勝火；然小人已盛而君子之道微，則是一輿薪之火，杯水不足勝也。

The line statement for the second line says: "Peeling the bed, peeling to where the bed frame meets the legs, abandoning the right path leads to misfortune." The small image commentary says: "Peeling the bed at the joint, meaning there is still no one to help." Peeling to the joint is more advanced than peeling to the foot, and the gentleman finds it hard to remain secure. Yet it still says "the right path is ominous," why? Because the two yin lines are still weak and not yet to the point of "not favorable for the gentleman to maintain the right path." The gentleman although wants to correct it, is helpless. As for when a single yin line first appears, it can still be contained like in the hexagram Guo with "encompassing a fish." When two yin lines gradually grow, it can still be nurtured like in the hexagram Duan by "keeping the servants and concubines." But beyond this point, it will certainly be dangerous, not just "cutting off the foot" so lightly. The gentleman overcoming the petty person is like water overcoming fire. But when the petty person is already strong and the gentleman's way is weak, it is like a cartload of firewood burning, and a cup of water cannot put it out.

六三：剝之，無咎。象曰：剝之無咎，失上下也。所剝者，君子也；剝之者，小人也。小人得無咎者，以失其上下之朋類而應陽故也，此所以有與也。六二未有與則?，六三有與，則小人之所以為小人，惟其異類移之耳，所謂相柅而入禍門者也；然其自脫於群邪之中而與君子，何咎之有哉？

The line statement of the third line says: "Participating in the decline, there is no misfortune." The small image commentary says: "Declining without misfortune, it has separated from its fellow elements above and below." The one being declined is the gentleman, and the one causing the decline is the petty person. The petty person is without misfortune because it has separated from its fellow elements above and below and corresponds with the yang line (the top line). Therefore, it is said to "have a helper." The second line "has no helper" so it is dangerous, while the third line "has a helper"—this shows that the petty person becomes petty only because it is led by its fellow petty persons. This is what the hexagram of "Encountering" says, that mutual attraction leads into disaster. Now, it has freed itself from the group of evil persons and has become close to the gentleman, so how could there be any misfortune?

六四：剝床以膚，凶。象曰：剝床以膚，切近災也。剝床以足、以辨，則危之而已；剝床以膚，於是傷之矣，所謂?糠及米者也。於陰之方生與其浸長之時，不能有以正之，使至於切近，則君子之勢弱而易傷，不足以自捍禦矣，於是稱膚焉。

The line statement for the fourth line says: "Peeling away the skin of a person on the bed, ominous." The small image commentary says: "Peeling away the skin of the bed, indicating calamity has drawn near." Peeling to the foot of the bed or to the junction between the bed and its frame only puts one in danger; peeling to the skin, however, is actual harm, just as the Zhuangzi says about winnowing rice: first the chaff is removed, then the rice is harmed. When the yin force is just beginning to arise and gradually growing, if it is not properly regulated, it will approach the person closely. Thus, the gentleman's strength weakens and he becomes vulnerable, unable to defend himself, which is why it is called "skin."

六五：貫魚以宮人寵，無不利。象曰：以宮人寵，終無尤也。小人能以利養君子，然御得其道則潛退而不為用，魚之象也。六五得尊位大中，資為於上九以制眾陰，順序而承之，貫魚象也。夫群小之在下，君子豈比而誅之哉？亦御之以道，使其若貫魚然，則不至於亂而反為吾利矣。

The line statement of the fifth line says: "Like stringing fish together, leading the palace attendants in order to receive favor, there is no disadvantage." The Small Image Commentary says: "Using the palace attendants for favor, ultimately there is no mistake." Naturally, small people can supply wealth and benefits to the superior, but if properly controlled, they will retreat and restrain themselves without being reckless — this is the image of 'fish.' The fifth line attains a high position and resides in the great center, using the strength of the top nine to subdue the many yin forces, making them submit in order, which is the image of 'stringing fish.' Many small people are below, but why would the superior have to deal with each one individually? It is enough to govern them with the right way, making them like fish strung together, so they will not cause disorder, and instead become useful forces.

且以貫魚之道施宮人寵，使其順從而不得有為，則無不利矣。詩言為龍為光，所謂為龍，言使之升降自如、不見制畜也，此則待君子之道也；若夫待小人與宮人之道，則若貫魚可也，為龍則害莫大焉，故曰貫魚以宮人寵無不利，而象曰終無尤也。

Using the method of "贯鱼" to bestow favor upon the palace attendants, making them compliant and unable to act independently, there will be no misfortune. The Book of Poetry says, "To become a dragon and shine," where "to become a dragon" means allowing someone to rise and fall freely without restraint, which is the way to treat a gentleman. But for dealing with petty people and palace attendants, the method of "贯鱼" is appropriate. If they are also allowed to "become dragons," the calamity would be extreme. Therefore, it is said, "Using '贯鱼' to bestow favor upon palace attendants brings no misfortune," and the Small Image says, "Ultimately, there will be no blame."

上九：碩果不食，君子得輿，小人剝廬。象曰：君子得輿，民所載也；小人剝廬，終不可用也。離以柔麗，故稱百糓；觧以剛動，故稱百草。上九以剛在上而不剝於陰，則又碩果而不食者也。夫小人能載君子，亦能從君子；於其方剝，則覆君子而乘上；於其已復，則載君子而在下。上九剝窮上而徑反下也，於是君子得輿焉。大君子善帡幪其下，猶之廬也，而小人乃反剝之，則是自剝其廬也；自剝其廬，亦以愚甚，何可用哉？

The line statement of the Upper Nine says: "A large fruit has not been eaten; the gentleman receives a carriage, while the petty person destroys his dwelling." The Small Image Commentary says: "The gentleman receiving a carriage is because the people are willing to carry him; the petty person destroying his dwelling is because he will ultimately not be appointed." The hexagram Li is based on the meaning of softness adhering to brightness, hence it is called "hundred grains"; the hexagram Jie is based on the meaning of strong movement, hence it is called "hundred herbs." The Upper Nine, with its yang strength at the top and not being stripped by yin, is exactly like that large fruit that has not been eaten. The petty person can both carry the gentleman and obey the gentleman: when the stripping is at its height, he overturns the gentleman and rises above him; but when yang energy returns, he carries the gentleman and stays beneath him. The Upper Nine strips down to the extreme and directly turns downward, thus the gentleman "receives a carriage." A great gentleman is good at covering and protecting those below, just as their dwelling; but the petty person instead destroys it, which is like destroying his own dwelling. To destroy one's own dwelling is foolishness to the extreme, how can he still be appointed?

震下坤上。復：亨。出入無疾，朋來無咎，反復其道，七日來復，利有攸往。彖曰：復亨，剛反，動而以順行，是以出入無疾，朋來無咎。反復其道，七日來復，天行也。利有攸往，剛長也。復，其見天地之心乎。

The lower trigram of the hexagram "Fu" is Zhen (Thunder), and the upper trigram is Kun (Earth). The hexagram statement says: "Fu, smooth and unimpeded. Going out and coming in without illness, friends coming without misfortune; going and returning along its path, in seven days it returns, favorable for going somewhere." The commentary on the judgment says: "Fu is smooth and unimpeded because the yang is returning. It moves with agitation but follows the trend, so going out and coming in is without illness, and friends coming is without misfortune. Going and returning along its path, in seven days it returns, this is the movement of the heavenly way. Favorable for going somewhere is because the yang is growing. The hexagram Fu, in this way, reveals the creative heart of heaven and earth."

復之為卦，以六爻言之，與姤反者也；以二體言之，與豫反者也。雷在地中為復，雷出地奮為豫。豫者，眾人熈熈如春臺之時，方是時疑若亨也，而其究則為塞，所謂伸道致屈也；復者，歸根復命之時，疑若塞也，而其究則為亨，所謂屈道致伸也，故曰復亨，而豫則不言亨焉。

The hexagram "Fu" is, in terms of its six lines, the exact opposite of the hexagram "Gou"; in terms of its upper and lower trigrams, it is the exact opposite of the hexagram "Yu." When thunder is hidden in the earth, it is "Fu," but when thunder emerges from the ground and becomes active, it is "Yu." "Yu" represents a time when people are bustling about as if ascending a spring platform, appearing prosperous at first, but upon closer examination, it is actually obstructed. This is called the way of extension leading to contraction. "Fu," on the other hand, represents the time when all things return to their root, appearing obstructed at first, but upon closer examination, it is actually prosperous. This is called the way of contraction leading to extension. Therefore, "Fu" says "prosperous," while "Yu" does not say "prosperous."

剛反，動而以順行，言循乎自然之機而無所拂也。夫惟若是，故出無疾，言自外來而無疾也；入無疾，言自內往而無疾也，謂利用出入無有括礙之也。復非獨陽復，而陰亦復其所，故曰朋來，言陰之朋來也。陰反其所，非出而乾陽，故陽得無疾；陽反其所，不致阻陰，故得無咎。

"Yang reverses, moves in accordance with the proper order" means it follows the natural pivot without resistance. Because of this, "entering without illness" refers to entering from outside without illness; "leaving without illness" refers to leaving from inside without illness, which is what the Great Treatise says about moving in and out freely without obstruction. The hexagram Fu is not only about Yang returning but also about Yin returning to its proper place. Therefore, "companions come" refers to Yin's like coming together. Yin returning to its proper place does not interfere with Yang, so Yang has no illness; Yang returning to its proper place does not hinder Yin, so there is no calamity.

未至為反，已至為復。反復其道，七日來復，此天行也。聖人之於卦，於臨必曰八月有凶，於復必曰七日來復，何也？非獨於復原始而臨要終也，道之消長有數存焉於其間。知此，則道之消也不足憂，道之長也不足喜，其出不利而其入不懼矣。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Glossary: Hexagram Statement =Hexagram Statement There has not yet reached the stage called "reverse," but when it has arrived at the stage called "return," it is said "going and coming follow its path, seven days to return," which is the way of Heaven's movement. The sage in the Hexagram Statement of "Approach" (临) must say "danger in the eighth month," and in the Hexagram Statement of "Return" (复) must say "seven days to return." Why is that? It is not only that "Return" traces the beginning and "Approach" seeks the end, but more importantly, the retreat and growth of the Dao have their fixed numbers. When one understands this, then when the Dao retreats, there is no need to worry, and when the Dao grows, there is no need to rejoice; when going out meets adversity, there is no need to be disheartened, and when returning meets obstacles, there is no need to be afraid.

剝之不利有攸往則稱小人壯，復之利有攸往則稱小人消；剝不利有攸往則稱小人長，復之利有攸往則稱剛長，何謂也？言小人則如戒之君子，言剛知小人之為柔。然而剛柔雲者，天地之道也；君子小人云者，人事也。天地之道，屈伸相感，利在其中，雖五陰長而為剝，是猶日往而月來、暑往而寒來，非不利也；其有不利，則人事而已。故於其不利有攸往則以人事言，於其利有攸往以天地之道言之也。

The hexagram "Bao" says "It is not advantageous to go somewhere," yet the Commentary on the Judgment mentions the flourishing of small people. The hexagram "Fu" says "It is advantageous to go somewhere," yet it speaks of the retreat of small people. "Bao" says "small people grow," while "Fu" says "the strong grow" — why is this so? When speaking of "small people," it is like a warning to the gentleman; when speaking of "strong" (yang), one can infer that small people belong to the soft (yin). However, "strong and soft" refers to the way of heaven and earth, while "gentleman and small person" refers to human affairs. The way of heaven and earth involves mutual interaction between yielding and extending, and advantage lies within this interaction. Even when five yin lines grow to form the hexagram "Bao," it is like the sun moving away and the moon coming, summer giving way to winter — this in itself is not disadvantageous. If there is disadvantage, it is only from the perspective of human affairs. Therefore, "it is not advantageous to go somewhere" is spoken from the perspective of human affairs, while "it is advantageous to go somewhere" is spoken from the perspective of the way of heaven and earth.

復之見天地之心，何也？其往、其復，皆足以見天地之心，而於復言此，何也？復者，一陽始生，正北方也。北方水也，於情為恐；而南方火也，於情為喜。往而喜、復而恐，物之情也；於物之為恐且順之焉，則其見天地之心莫此為著矣。

The hexagram "Fu" (Return) reveals the heart of heaven and earth. In fact, both moving forward and returning are sufficient to reveal the heart of heaven and earth, so why is it specifically mentioned in the hexagram "Fu"? "Fu" represents the first emergence of yang, and its position is in the north. The north belongs to water, which emotionally corresponds to "fear"; the south belongs to fire, which emotionally corresponds to "joy." Moving toward the south brings joy, while returning toward the north brings fear, which is the common nature of all things. When all things feel fear, heaven and earth still follow and nurture them, thus the heart of heaven and earth is most clearly revealed here.

象曰：雷在地中，復，先王以至日閉闗，商旅不行，后不省方。復者，陰陽各復其所，故先王以閉闗、商旅不行，以應陰之復也；后不省方，以應陽之委也。故省方觀民則稱先王，於不省方則稱後。後與有司反者也，有司則勞而後則逸，於其有不省方也，稱後宜矣。

The Great Image Commentary says: "Thunder is hidden in the earth, which is the image of the hexagram 'Return.' In the winter solstice, the former kings closed the borders, merchants and travelers did not travel, and the sovereign did not tour the land." 'Return' signifies that yin and yang each return to their proper positions. Therefore, the former kings closed the borders and prohibited merchants from traveling in order to align with the return of yin; the sovereign did not tour the land in order to align with the withdrawal of yang. When speaking about touring the land and observing the people, it is called 'former king,' but when speaking about not touring the land, it is called 'sovereign.' 'Sovereign' is appropriately paired with 'officials': officials are engaged in labor, while the sovereign is at ease; thus, when referring to not touring the land, it is appropriate to call it 'sovereign.'

初九：不逺復，無祗悔，元吉。象曰：不逺之復，以修身也。天地之道，一往一復，則人亦不能無往復也。然往則離本，復則反本，是以復之為貴，而尤貴其復之早也。初九復之早者，故曰不逺復。然而聖人之為道，復非修身，往非殉物，與時偕行而已矣；初九雖復之不逺，然克己而復，非所謂與時偕行者也，故於地道則無悔焉，於知幾之神則不為無小疵矣，故曰無祗悔元吉。

The line statement of initial yang says: "He does not go far before returning, and there is no regret, which is the greatest good fortune." The small image commentary says: "Returning without going far is for self-cultivation." The way of heaven and earth is to go and return, so humans cannot avoid going and returning. However, going means leaving the root, and returning means returning to the root, so returning is precious, and especially precious is returning early. Since initial yang returns early, it is said "returning without going far." However, the way of the sage is that "returning" is not only for self-cultivation, and "going" is not merely yielding to external things, but rather moving in accordance with the times. Since initial yang returns without going far, yet it restrains itself and then returns, it is not yet "moving in harmony with the times," so there is no regret in the earth's way, but in the subtle discernment of the divine, there is a minor flaw, hence it is said "no great regret, the greatest good fortune."

六二：休復，吉。象曰：休復之吉，以下仁也。依於仁為休，六二依初九之仁而下焉，復之休者也。夫仁，天之尊爵也，不可不下也。六三：頻復，厲無咎。象曰：頻復之厲，義無咎也。六三既復而過中矣，於是時將以自克而求復，則是失之於嬉逰之日而事之於奔競之時也，彼又烏能無頻乎哉？且火於情為喜，水於情為恐，則火馳而喜、淵靜而恐，復之情也，則六三之頻宜。雖然，危道也；雖危而無咎者，以其猶復，義無咎也。

The line statement for the second line says: "A beautiful return, auspicious." The Small Image Commentary says: "The auspiciousness of returning is because it is humble before the benevolent." To be close to benevolence is called "beautiful" (xiu). The second line is close to the first line's benevolence and is humble beneath it, which is the most beautiful form of returning. Benevolence is the most noble position bestowed by Heaven, and one must not fail to be humble towards it. The line statement for the third line says: "Returning repeatedly (and also losing repeatedly), dangerous but without calamity." The Image Commentary says: "The danger of returning repeatedly is without calamity in terms of righteousness." The third line has already returned but has exceeded the central position; at this time, it still needs to restrain itself to seek return. This is like losing during days of leisure and only seeking to recover when it is time to strive. How can it not return repeatedly? Moreover, fire corresponds to joy in emotion, and water corresponds to fear in emotion. Therefore, like fire rushing forward with joy and like a deep abyss remaining still with vigilance, this is the natural state of "returning." Although this is so, it is still a dangerous path; although dangerous, there is no calamity because it still chooses to return, and thus it is without calamity in terms of righteousness.

六四：中行獨復。象曰：中行獨復，以從道也。六四居四陰之中而能復，此不與天下皆往而能獨復者也，萬物並作吾以觀其復之謂也。象謂之從道，從道於初九也。六二謂之下仁，六四謂之從道，蓋初九不逺之復以修身也；修身以道，修道以仁，能修身則道與仁具矣。以六二之親也，則曰下仁；以六四之逺也，則曰從道，各從其類也。

The statement of the fourth line says: "Walking among many yin lines and returning alone." The Small Image Commentary says: "Returning alone in the middle, is to follow the right path." The fourth line is in the middle of four yin lines and is able to return, which is the person who does not follow the rest of the world but returns alone. This is exactly what the Tao Te Ching says: "All things grow together, and I observe their return." The Small Image says it "follows the Dao," and the Dao it follows is the initial nine. The second line says "practicing benevolence," and the fourth line says "following the Dao" — because the initial nine's "returning without going far" is for self-cultivation; self-cultivation depends on the Dao, and cultivating the Dao depends on benevolence. When the second line is close to the initial nine, it is called "practicing benevolence"; when the fourth line is distant from the initial nine, it is called "following the Dao," each taking its own meaning according to its category.

六五：敦復，無悔。象曰：敦復無悔，中以自考也。六五居大中之位，非失其所受於天地者也；非失其所受於天地而復焉，則是消息盈虛與時偕復而已矣，是乃所以為敦復也。夫早復謂之重積徳，重積徳則固乃厚矣；消息盈虛與復，則又厚之至也，故稱敦焉。敦復則出吉凶之表，而萬變不能為之疵，非獨無祗悔而已。

The line statement of the fifth line says: "Returning with sincerity, there is no regret." The small image commentary says: "Returning with sincerity without regret, is because it is in the central position and can examine itself and thus achieve virtue." The sixth line in the fifth position is in the great central position and has not lost what it received from heaven and earth. Since it has not lost what it received and can return, it is following the process of decline and growth, fullness and emptiness, and returning in harmony with the times. This is why it is called "returning with sincerity." Returning early is called "accumulating virtue repeatedly." Accumulating virtue repeatedly is already thick; being able to return in accordance with the waxing and waning, fullness and emptiness, is even more thick, hence it is called "sincere." Returning with sincerity transcends the categories of good fortune and misfortune. All changes cannot add a single flaw to it. It is not only "without regret" but goes beyond that.

象曰中以自考，何謂也？言能自考，則非資於人若下仁從道者也，又非克己若修身者也，成乎自然而已，是乃所以為敦也。上六：迷復，凶，有災眚，用行師終有大敗，以其國君凶，至于十年不克征。象曰：迷復之凶，反君道也。復貴早者也，迷而後復，其凶必矣。天曰災，人曰眚；迷而後復，違天人之道，故曰有災眚。以此行師，是謂窮兵；兵猶火也，弗戢將自焚也，故用行師終有大敗。行師而以其國君主之，則事之尤大者，不可甚矣。至于十年不克征，以其迷也，故如此其久也；猶知復焉，過十年則克徵矣。夫冕之制，後昂而前俛，衣亦上而下纁，蓋所貴在此不在彼也。今迷而後復，則反君道也，故曰迷復之凶，反君道也。

The Small Image Commentary says, "Achieving success through self-examination." This means it can achieve success naturally without needing to rely on others, unlike the second line "exercising benevolence" or the fourth line "following the Dao," which require external help, nor like the first line "cultivating oneself," which requires self-restraint. It is achieved naturally, which is why it is called "dun" (solid). The line statement for the top line six says: "After losing direction, one only then returns, resulting in misfortune, with both natural disasters and human calamities; using this condition to go to war will ultimately lead to great defeat, involving the ruler as well, and for ten years the country will be unable to go to war." The Small Image Commentary says: "The misfortune of returning after losing direction is a violation of the way of ruling." "Returning" is valuable when it is early; returning after losing direction will certainly lead to danger. Natural calamities are called "zai," while human-caused misfortunes are called "sheng"; returning after losing direction violates both heavenly and human ways, hence "having both zai and sheng." Using this condition to go to war is called waging unnecessary wars; warfare is like fire, and without restraint, it will eventually consume itself, hence the ultimate defeat. If the ruler personally leads the war, it is the most important matter, and its consequences are even more severe. The reason for ten years of inability to go to war is due to the loss of direction, causing such a prolonged delay; however, since it eventually recognizes the need to return, after ten years it will be able to go to war again. The form of the crown is high at the back and low at the front, and the robe is dark blue on top and light red on the bottom, showing that what is valued is on this side rather than that side (i.e., the ruler's way is to humble oneself before the people). Now, if one loses direction and only then returns, it violates the way of ruling, hence "the misfortune of returning after losing direction is contrary to the way of the ruler."