The Great Treatise, Part Two

義曰：此十翼之中第七翼也。然按上繫下繫之說，先儒議者多矣。何氏則曰：上篇明無，故曰易有太極；下篇明故，曰知其神。或曰上篇論易之大理，下篇論易之小理，皆失之。葢以簡編重大，故分為上繫下繫也。

Hu Yuan explains: This is the seventh wing among the Ten Wings. As for why the Upper and Lower Appendices are divided into separate sections, previous scholars have discussed this extensively. He says the Upper Appendix explains the concept of "non-being," hence the statement "The Book of Changes has the Supreme Ultimate." The Lower Appendix explains the concept of "reason," hence the statement "knowing its spiritual aspect." Some others say the Upper Appendix discusses the great principles of the Book of Changes, while the Lower Appendix discusses its minor principles. These views are all incorrect. The reason for dividing them into sections is simply because the bamboo slips were too numerous and heavy, so they were divided into the Upper and Lower Appendices.

八卦成列，象在其中矣。

Once the Eight Trigrams are arranged in order, the images of heaven and earth and all things under heaven are contained within them.

義曰：自此已下至「禁民為非曰義」為一章。言伏羲始畫八卦，取天地水火山澤風雷之象，畫為乾坤艮巽震離坎兊之卦。八卦既成列，而天地萬物之象莫不在於八卦之中也。

Hu Yuan explains: From here onwards, until the next text "Prohibiting people from doing wrong is called righteousness," this constitutes one chapter. Fuxi first drew the eight trigrams, taking the images of heaven, earth, water, fire, mountain, marsh, wind, and thunder, and forming the trigrams Qian, Kun, Gen, Xun, Zhen, Li, Kan, and Dui. Once the eight trigrams were arranged in order, the images of heaven and earth and all things under heaven were all included within these eight trigrams.

因而重之，爻在其中矣。

The eight trigrams are combined two by two to form the sixty-four trigrams, and the changes of the six lines are contained within them.

義曰：夫伏羲始畫八卦，以盡天地水火風雷山澤之象。然於萬物之情、萬事之理，在伏羲之時，世質民淳，情偽未遷，利害未作，雖八卦之設三畫，可以盡人事之宜。迨乎後世，民欲叢生，巧妄交作，則八卦不能盡吉凶之變。文王囚於羑里，極天地之淵蘊，明人事之終始，是以取伏羲所畫之八卦，因其數而重為六十四卦，分為三百八十四爻，以盡天地之賾、人事之理。有得有失，有吉有凶，有應有不應，有正有邪，有利有害，盡在此卦爻之中。

Hu Yuan explained: Fuxi originally drew the Eight Trigrams in order to fully express the images of Heaven, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Thunder, Mountain, and Marsh. As for the actual conditions of all things and the principles of all affairs, in Fuxi's time, the society was simple and sincere, people's hearts were pure, and there was no deception or confusion, nor had interests and harms arisen. Therefore, the Three Lines of the Trigrams were sufficient to encompass the measure of human affairs. But in later generations, human desires multiplied, and cunning and falsehoods arose together, so the Eight Trigrams could no longer fully explain the changes of good fortune and misfortune. King Wen was imprisoned in Youli, and he thoroughly explored the hidden meanings of Heaven and Earth, clearly understood the beginning and end of human affairs, and thus took the Eight Trigrams drawn by Fuxi, combined them in pairs according to their numbers to form the sixty-four Trigrams, and divided them into three hundred and eighty-four Lines, in order to fully express the complexity of Heaven and Earth and the principles of human affairs. There is gain and loss, good fortune and misfortune, correspondence and non-correspondence, righteousness and wrong, benefit and harm, all of which are contained within these Trigrams and Lines.

然則爻者，效也，使後世之人效而法之。故卦爻之中有情偽之理，有是非之道，有變通之常，有動靜之事，有剛柔之限，凡人觀其爻，則知其效法此象而行事也。然重卦之說，先儒議者多矣：或曰伏羲所重，或曰神農所重，或曰夏禹所重，皆失之。葢見下文包犧氏之王天下，作結繩而為網罟，葢取諸離；神農氏作斵木為耜，楺木為耒，耒耨之利以教天下，葢取諸益；又因尚書之文有洛書禹之言，故有此說。殊不知繫辭是仲尼所作，葢仲尼因其聖人制立器用以取合於聖人之卦：以其結繩為網罟，葢合徳於離卦，取其有附麗之義；因其耒耜有益於人，葢合徳於益卦，以其有相資益之義。先儒不究原本，故疑而有此說也。

Hu Yuan continued to say: What is meant by "yao" is to follow and emulate, so that later generations may follow it as a model. Therefore, within the hexagrams and their lines, there are principles of truth and falsehood, standards of right and wrong, regular patterns of change and constancy, appropriate actions for movement and stillness, and boundaries of hardness and softness. When people look at the lines, they can know what kind of image to emulate in their conduct. As for who first composed the compound hexagrams, previous scholars have debated endlessly: some say it was Fuxi, others say it was Shen Nong, and others say it was Yu the Great. All of these are incorrect. They are based on the observation that the text below mentions the "Huangdi" ruling the world, making nets from ropes, and taking the "Li" hexagram as a model; Shen Nong made wooden plows and hoes, taught the world the benefits of farming, and took the "Yi" hexagram as a model. Also, because the "Shangshu" mentions the Luo Writing and the words of Yu the Great, these views arose. But they do not realize that the "Xiyi" was written by Confucius, who merely used the examples of the sages creating tools to match the appropriate hexagrams. Making nets from ropes corresponds to the virtue of the "Li" hexagram, which has the meaning of attachment and entanglement; the benefit of plows and hoes corresponds to the virtue of the "Yi" hexagram, which has the meaning of mutual assistance and increase. Previous scholars did not trace back to the source, so they became confused and gave rise to these views.

且六十四卦既是伏羲神農所重，則文王何心哉？不然，何以仲尼曰易之興也其於中古乎，作易者其有憂患乎？且伏羲之時又非中古，神農之時又非憂患，推此以言文王重卦之心又可見也。

Hu Yuan made another argument: if the sixty-four hexagrams were really created by Fuxi and Shen Nong, then why would King Wen bother to revise them? Otherwise, why did Confucius say that the origin of the Book of Changes was probably in the middle ancient period, and that the person who composed the Book of Changes must have been troubled by worries? The period of Fuxi cannot be called the middle ancient period, and the time of Shen Nong also does not fit the description of being troubled by worries. From this reasoning, the painstaking effort of King Wen in revising the hexagrams becomes clear.

剛柔相推，變在其中矣。

The interaction between strong and weak lines leads to change, which is contained within this process.

義曰：剛者陽也，柔者陰也。夫六十四卦之中，卦有六爻，陽為剛，陰為柔，陽主其生，陰主其殺，故剛柔之位則有變有通、有動有靜。故事之久靜則動，物之久動則靜，動靜之道則有變有通。是故聖人因其剛柔二氣互相推蕩於六爻之間，然後成其生養之道也，故上繋曰剛柔相推而生變化者是也。然則不言陰陽相推而止言剛柔者，葢陰陽者天地之氣，剛柔者是陰陽之體，言剛柔則陰陽之功可見矣。

Hu Yuan explained: What is strong is yang, and what is soft is yin. Each of the sixty-four hexagrams has six lines. A yang line is strong, and a yin line is soft; yang governs growth and nurturing, while yin governs solemnity and decline. Therefore, the positions of strong and soft change and connect, move and rest: when things are still for a long time, they must move; when objects move for a long time, they must rest. Between movement and stillness, there is naturally change and connection. Therefore, the sages follow the mutual interaction of strong and soft energies among the six lines, thus achieving the way of growth and nurturing. Therefore, the "Xici" says that the mutual interaction of strong and soft produces change, which is exactly this meaning. As for why this passage does not say the mutual interaction of yin and yang but only strong and soft, it is because yin and yang refer to the energies of heaven and earth, while strong and soft refer to the forms of yin and yang. By speaking of strong and soft, the functions of yin and yang become evident.

繫辭焉而命之，動在其中矣。

The words attached below the hexagram lines and the interpretations given serve as the criteria for action, containing the principles within them.

義曰：言聖人既因剛柔二氣互相推蕩而為生成之道，又恐後世之人難曉，故於諸卦諸爻之下各繫屬其文辭，以明得失之道、吉凶之變、情偽之端、萬事之理，使人觀其得則可以知其失，趨其吉則可以明其凶，逆順之道、動靜之理，在所命之辭皆可見矣。

Hu Yuan explained: The sages, having established the principle of generation based on the mutual interaction of the yin and yang energies, feared that later generations would find it difficult to understand. Therefore, they attached explanatory texts to each hexagram and line, to clarify the principles of gain and loss, fortune and misfortune, authenticity and falsehood, and the order of all things. When people see the gain of a particular line, they can infer its loss; when they understand the direction of good fortune, they can discern the misfortune. The principles of reversal and harmony, as well as the balance between movement and stillness, are all fully revealed in these interpretations.

吉凶悔吝者，生乎動者也。

Good, evil, regret, and difficulty are all results that arise from action.

義曰：夫六十四卦有六爻，有吉有凶，有悔有吝，皆由爻位之動者也。若動而合於理則為吉，動而昧於道則為凶。有事之小可以追悔者，有事之萌兆可以鄙吝者，皆繋在於卦爻之變動也。是故聖人因卦爻之變動，明人事之大體，推其情偽之端，明其得失之跡，使人觀之不失於動靜之道也。

Hu Yuan explains: The sixty-four hexagrams each have six lines, and each line's movement brings about either good fortune or misfortune, regret or hesitation. When actions are in accordance with reason, they result in good fortune; when actions are misguided, they result in misfortune. Some mistakes are minor and can still be regretted, while others are evident from the beginning and are already contemptible. All these are determined by the movement of the lines in the hexagrams. Therefore, the sages explain the great principles of human affairs through the movement of the lines, investigate the origins of truth and falsehood, and reveal the traces of gain and loss, so that people will not lose their balance between action and inaction.

剛柔者，立本者也。

Strength and softness are used to establish the fundamental principles.

義曰：言伏羲始畫八卦，始窮變於天地陰陽之理，以成剛柔之道，以為萬事之大本，以成天下之大法，天下之人皆本此以為法則也。故六十四卦之所本、君臣父子之所法，皆由此剛柔之象為之根本者也。至如剛定體為乾，柔定體為坤，陽卦兩陰而一陽，陰卦兩陽而一陰，是立其卦本而不遺也。

Hu Yuan explained: Fuxi first drew the Eight Trigrams, initially investigating thoroughly the changes of yin and yang in heaven and earth, thus establishing the principle of hardness and softness as the fundamental principle for all things and the great rule for the world, which everyone took as a standard. Therefore, the basis of the sixty-four trigrams and the rules for the relationship between ruler and subject, father and son, were all based on the fundamental principle of hardness and softness. For example, pure hardness was established as the essence of Qian, and pure softness as the essence of Kun; a yang trigram consists of two yin and one yang, while a yin trigram consists of two yang and one yin: thus, the fundamental principle of each trigram was established without any omission.

變通者，趣時者也。

Change and transformation lead to smoothness and adaptability, aiming to align with the current circumstances.

義曰：凡六十四卦，卦有六爻，一卦之體象其一時，一爻之義象其一人，六爻之道上下相應而成變通，所以趣就一時者也。至如屯之卦言天下屯難之時，故其卦體以象其屯。故初六居卦之始，當屯難之時，而盤桓利居正、利建侯，以蘇息天下之人。至於六二言女子貞不字，言女子守正應於九五，雖為初九九六寇難，然専應於五不改其節。至於六四乗馬班如，退守其正，待時而行。如此之類，是皆一卦則言其一時，其諸爻各言其一人，以趣就其時也。然則君子之人凡所動作，必従其時，不失其中，故中庸曰君子而時中，是言君子之人動作之間皆従其時也。

Hu Yuan explained: The sixty-four hexagrams each have six lines. Each hexagram as a whole symbolizes a particular situation, while each line represents a category of people. The six lines correspond with each other above and below, forming change and adaptability, which is precisely to align with that particular situation. For example, the hexagram Zun (Obstruction) discusses the difficult and initial period of the world, so the hexagram takes its image from obstruction. The line Chushou (Nine at the Beginning) is at the beginning of the hexagram, right in the midst of obstruction, thus hesitating and not advancing, suitable for holding to the correct path and suitable for enfeoffing feudal lords, so that the people of the world may rest. When it comes to Liuer (Six in the Second), it speaks of a woman maintaining chastity and not marrying, meaning that the woman remains chaste and does not marry, corresponding above with Jiwu (Nine in the Fifth), although encountering difficulties from Chushou on one side, she remains devoted to Jiwu, not changing her own conduct. When it comes to Li si (Six in the Fourth), it says riding a horse and hesitating to move forward, which is retreating to the correct path and waiting for the right opportunity before proceeding. All of these are examples of a hexagram discussing one situation, each line discussing a category of people, used to align with that situation. Therefore, a person of virtue, when taking action, must follow the situation, without losing the middle path. The "Book of Rites · Doctrine of the Mean" says that a gentleman is timely and in the middle, which means that a gentleman's every action follows the situation.

吉凶者，貞勝者也。

The struggle between good fortune and misfortune ultimately results in the victory of the righteous path.

義曰：貞者，正也。夫有動者則未免乎累，殉吉者則未免乎凶，盡通之變而不累于吉凶者，其唯貞勝者。故六十四卦之內，人事之端、情偽之作、吉凶之驗，無不備載於其間。若爻位之吉，又能行其大正之道，則其事愈吉；若居爻位之凶，而能行大正之道，則其事不至於凶。惟是貞正之道，則能勝於凶吉也。

Hu Yuan explained: "Zhen" means "correctness." Any person who takes action is inevitably subject to difficulties; those who blindly pursue good fortune are also inevitably confronted with misfortune. Only those who thoroughly understand change and adaptability without being influenced by good or bad fortune can maintain correctness. Within the sixty-four hexagrams, the initial signs of human affairs, the emergence of truth and falsehood, and the verification of good and bad fortune are all completely recorded. If one is in a favorable line and can further the great principle of correctness and balance, the matter will become even more favorable. If one is in a dangerous line but can still uphold the great principle of correctness and balance, the matter will not turn into misfortune. Thus, it is evident that only the path of correctness can surpass the influence of good and bad fortune.

天地之道，貞觀者也。

The principle of heaven and earth is to uphold correctness and show it to people, providing the world with something to look up to.

義曰：觀者，為天下之所仰觀，則謂之觀。夫天本在上，地本在下，天地之性本不相得，及夫天以純陽之氣降於下，地以純陰之氣騰於上，二氣上下交相通感，然後以成生長之道。是天地之道、生成之理皆本正一，故為物之仰觀者也。

Hu Yuan explains: The term "guan" refers to something that is looked up to by all under heaven, hence it is called "guan." Originally, heaven is above and earth is below; the nature of heaven and earth is inherently separate. But when heaven sends down its pure yang energy and earth rises with its pure yin energy, the two energies interact and connect vertically, thus forming the way of growth. This shows that the way of heaven and earth and the principle of generation all originate from the character "zheng," which is why they become the object of reverence for all things.

日月之道，貞明者也。

The sun and moon follow the path of upholding righteousness and remain eternally bright.

義曰：夫日為陽徳，月為陰精，運行四時，晝夜不息者，日月之明也。然而往來不停，照臨下土，不混其光者，葢各得貞一而明有所一也。

Hu Yuan explained: The sun embodies the virtue of yang, and the moon represents the essence of yin. They move through the four seasons without ceasing day and night, which is the brightness of the sun and moon. However, although they come and go without rest, their light does not mix, because each maintains its own constancy, and thus their brightness remains fixed.

天下之動，貞夫一者也。

All actions in the world ultimately return to the principle of 'one'.

義曰：夫少者多之所貴，寡者眾之所宗，故天下之情偽、人事之動靜，皆歸一而後可正也。然則天下之廣周於萬里，人心至眾，萬孔千狀，執一何由而治哉？葢萬化一術也，天下一統也。若以至正之道、純一之徳而治之，則天下自然而治矣；若不以純一之徳而治之，則天下自然而睽乖矣。故王輔嗣嘗曰：夫眾不能治眾，治眾者至寡者也；夫動不能制動，制動者貞夫一者也。是天下之動必由寡之所治，貞其一而已。

Hu Yuan explained: The few are valued by the many, the sparse are revered by the multitude. Therefore, the authenticity and activities of the world must be unified into one in order to be correct. However, the world is vast, spanning thousands of miles, and human hearts are extremely numerous, with countless forms. If we only rely on the single 'one,' how can it suffice to govern? Because all changes and transformations follow the same principle, and the world itself is unified in a single order. If we govern with the most upright way and pure virtue, the world will naturally be at peace; if we do not govern with pure virtue, the world will naturally become chaotic. Therefore, Wang Bi once said: The many cannot govern the many; the one that is least must be the one that governs the many. Motion cannot stop motion; what can stop motion is the holding fast to the 'one.' Thus, the activities of the world must necessarily be governed by the least, by holding fast to its singleness.

夫乾確然示人易矣。

Qian represents firmness and strength, displaying approachability to people.

義曰：此又言天得一之道也。確者，則謂剛健者也。夫乾以剛健之徳運行不息，生成萬物，示人以和易，由其得一之故也。故無為而物成，不言而時化，是示人易也。

Hu Yuan explains: Here it again speaks of the principle of the Heaven obtaining the 'one'. 'Que' refers to strength and vigor. The Heaven operates ceaselessly by its virtue of strength and vigor, nurturing all things, and shows to people a harmonious and easy manner, precisely because it maintains the principle of singleness. Therefore, without any action, all things naturally take shape; without uttering a word, the seasons naturally transform. This is how it shows to people a harmonious and easy manner.

夫坤隤然示人簡矣。

Kun shows simplicity by being gentle and yielding.

義曰：隤然則謂柔順者也，此言地之得一也。夫坤之道以柔順之徳承天之氣，生成萬物，不煩而物成，不勞而物遂者，亦由其得一故也。故不須經營而萬品自化，是示人簡也。若乾不得専一之道，或有隤然，則不能示人易矣；若坤不得専一之道，或有確然，則不能示人簡矣。且以乾坤之道、生成之理，確然隤然示人易簡，況為天下之君者哉？夫尊為聖人，必法此乾之剛健之徳，生成天下，不至於煩勞，則天下従而治矣；夫為人臣者，必法此坤之柔順之徳，承君之命，行君之事，則天下不勞而治矣。若為君為臣能法易簡之道，則天下國家可正也。

Hu Yuan explained: "Tui ran" refers to yielding and gentle, here speaking of the earth receiving the "one." The way of the Earthly Heaven is to embrace the virtue of yielding and gentle, receiving the heavenly energy, nurturing all things, without disturbance and allowing all things to take shape naturally, without labor and allowing all things to develop spontaneously, because it maintains the principle of unity. Therefore, there is no need for deliberate effort, and all things naturally flourish, which is to show simplicity to people. If the Heaven fails to maintain unity and instead shows some weakness, it would not appear easy; if the Earth fails to maintain unity and instead shows some strength, it would not appear simple. The way of Heaven and Earth, the principle of generation, still need the virtues of strength and yielding to show ease and simplicity to people. How much more so for a person who is the ruler of the world? Those who hold the position of a sage must follow the virtue of strength of Heaven, nurturing the world without falling into labor, and thus the world will be orderly and peaceful; those who are ministers must follow the virtue of yielding of Earth, receiving the commands of the sovereign and handling the affairs of the sovereign, and thus the world will be orderly and peaceful without labor. If both the ruler and the minister can follow the way of ease and simplicity, the state and the country will be properly governed.

爻也者，效此者也。

The concept of yao refers to following these changes.

義曰：夫六十四卦分三百八十四爻，有動有靜，有邪有正，有凶有吉，有是有非，故通變之道皆在諸爻之中，為人之所效法也，故所謂爻者，效物之變動者也。

Hu Yuan explained: The sixty-four hexagrams are divided into 384 lines, among which there are movements and stillness, evil and righteousness, misfortune and good fortune, truth and falsehood. The principles of change and adaptability are all contained within these lines, available for people to take and follow. Therefore, the term "line" refers to the meaning of imitating the changes of things.

象也者，像此者也。

The concept of "xiang" refers to the imitation of the forms of these things.

義曰：夫六十四卦之象，皆法於天地水火風雷山澤之象也。如乾以天為象，坤以地為象，艮以山為象，坎以水為象，如此之類，是皆象其卦之所本之像也，注所謂象此物之形狀也。

Hu Yuan explains: The sixty-four hexagrams are all modeled after the images of heaven, earth, water, fire, wind, thunder, mountain, and marsh. For example, Qian is modeled after heaven, Kun after earth, Gen after mountain, and Kan after water. These are all imitations of the original images of each hexagram. The old interpretations refer to imitating the forms of these things.

爻象動乎內，吉凶見乎外。

The movement of the lines within the hexagram manifests the fortune or misfortune outside the hexagram.

義曰：夫六十四卦之象、三百八十四爻，爻象之間有正有不正，有應有不應，有善有不善，有吉有不吉，若爻象之發動於一卦之內，則吉凶之事顯見於一卦之外也。

Hu Yuan explains: The sixty-four hexagrams and the 384 lines of yao each have their own images. Among the yao images, some are appropriate and some are not, some correspond and some do not, some are good and some are not, some are auspicious and some are not. Once a yao image is activated within a hexagram, the auspicious or inauspicious events become apparent beyond the scope of that hexagram.

功業見乎變。

Achievements and accomplishments are attained through adaptability and flexibility.

義曰：言聖人用此大易之道，觀其卦爻之變動，可行則行，可止則止，推而求之，以立成天下之功業，以通天下之心志。

Hu Yuan explained: The sage applies the principles of the Zhou Changes, observing the changes of the hexagrams and their lines: act when it is appropriate to act, stop when it is appropriate to stop; proceeding along this path, thus establishing achievements for the world and unifying the hearts of people across the land.

聖人之情見乎辭。

The intentions of the sage are expressed in the words of the hexagram lines.

義曰：辭者，則爻象之辭也。夫六十四卦之中有情偽之端、得失之理，其吉凶悔吝皆在爻辭之間，欲知聖人設卦之情意者，觀其爻象之辭則可見矣。至如乾之初九言潛龍勿用，則聖人勿用之情可知矣；比卦上六曰比之無首凶，則聖人無首之情可見矣。如此之類，皆在爻辭間可見矣。

Hu Yuan explained: The statements here refer to the line statements of the trigrams. Among the sixty-four trigrams, there are indications of authenticity and falsehood, as well as principles of gain and loss. The auspicious and inauspicious outcomes, regret, and hardship are all contained within the line statements. If one wishes to understand the intentions of the sage in setting up the trigrams, one can see them clearly through the line statements. For example, in the first line of the Qian trigram, it says a hidden dragon is temporarily not in action, which clearly shows the sage's intention of temporarily holding back. In the sixth line of the Bi trigram, it says those who are close but without a leader will face misfortune, which reveals the sage's view on the importance of leadership. Such examples can all be found in the line statements.

天地之大徳曰生。

The greatest virtue of Heaven and Earth is to give birth and nurture all things.

義曰：夫天地之大徳者，惟是陰陽二氣上下相交，生成萬物，周而復始，無有限極，故其徳常大。若生之不常，運之有極，則所生之道不廣也。

Hu Yuan explained: The greatest virtue of heaven and earth lies in the mutual interaction of yin and yang energies, which generate and nourish all things in a continuous cycle without end. Therefore, this virtue is enduring and vast. If the process of generating and nourishing could not last and had a limit, then the scope of what it could generate would be limited.

聖人之大寶曰位。

The most precious treasure of the sage is called the sovereign's position.

義曰：寶者，愛也；位者，所守之位也。夫聖人之大寳者，惟在其位。然則聖人之大寶何以在乎位？葢聖人之有才徳，若無其位，則其功不能及於天下；若有其至尊至寳之位，則其功可以及於天下，無有逺近皆被其澤，皆被其功徳也。是故聖人重徳行道於民，故大寶其位也。

Hu Yuan explains: "bao" means to treasure, and "wei" refers to the position one holds. The sage values most what he holds in his position. So why is the great treasure of the sage his position? Because even though the sage may have talent and virtue, without a position, his achievements cannot reach the world; but with a supreme and noble position, his achievements can extend throughout the world, benefiting people far and near. Therefore, the sage values virtue and promotes righteousness among the people, hence considering position as the great treasure.

何以守位曰仁。

What sustains this position? It is依靠 benevolence.

義曰：言聖人既有才徳，又能大寶其位，何以守其位哉？必須法天元之徳，以仁愛之道生成於天下，使天下之人皆被己之仁徳，然後父子有禮，上下相親也。

Hu Yuan explained: The sage has both ability and virtue, and regards the position as a great treasure. Then, by what means can he hold onto it? He must emulate the virtue of Heaven which gives birth to all things, using the way of benevolence to nurture the world, so that all under heaven may be blessed by his benevolence. Then, between father and son there is propriety, and between superiors and inferiors there is mutual affection.

何以聚人曰財。

What brings people together? It is wealth and resources.

義曰：夫聖人何以萃聚於人哉？必曰財而已。財者，使衣食豐足，用度常備，仰有所奉，俯有所畜，則天下有戴君之心。若其衣食不足，用度不備，則不能萃於天下之民。是故古之聖人修其水火金木土五行之事，正徳利用厚生，使天下之人各得其所，如是則父子兄弟遞相親睦矣。至於為農者勤於耕，為商者勤於貨，為工者勤於器，如此之類，則可以保六親。六親既相保，則親族內外自相親愛，如是是聚人曰財也。

Hu Yuan explained: How did the sage gather people together? It could only be through wealth. So-called wealth means making the people's clothing and food sufficient, their expenses regular, so that they can support their parents above and raise their wives and children below. In this way, people would naturally have the heart to support the ruler. If clothing and food are insufficient and expenses are irregular, then the people cannot be gathered. Therefore, the ancients' sages managed the five elements of water, fire, metal, wood, and earth, cultivated virtue, facilitated tools and utensils, and enriched the people's livelihood, so that everyone could find their proper place. In this way, father and son, brothers could be harmonious with each other. As for farmers working hard in farming, merchants diligently engaged in trade, and workers diligently making tools, these kinds of activities could preserve the six relations. If the six relations can preserve each other, then the inner and outer relatives would naturally love and care for each other. This is what is called gathering people through wealth.

理財正辭，禁民為非曰義。

Govern the resources, correct the commands, and prohibit the people from doing wrong, this is called righteousness.

義曰：言聖人既能守位以仁，又能聚人以財，使天下父子各有所養，各得其所。然而貨財之道必主於均平，使多者不得積其私，少者皆得盡其養；又須與正其辭，為之節制，以禁民之有非僻者，使皆合於義而得其宜矣。然則所謂義者，葢裁制合宜之謂義也。

Hu Yuan explained: The sage can both use benevolence to maintain his position and use resources to gather the people's hearts, so that all under heaven can have their fathers and sons properly supported and each in their proper place. However, in managing wealth and resources, it must be based on fairness and equality, so that those who have much cannot accumulate private gains, and those who have little can also maintain their sustenance. Moreover, it is necessary to properly establish government orders and official duties, set limits and regulations, to prevent the people from engaging in improper actions, and to ensure that everything conforms to righteousness and each thing is in its proper place. Then, what is righteousness? To make decisions and handle affairs in a proper and suitable manner is called righteousness.