Volume Twelve, Part Two: The Lower Classic of the Zhou Changes, Shang's Studies

損：有孚，元吉，無咎，可貞，利有攸往。曷之用，二簋可用亨。貞我悔彼，以我之陽，益彼之上，故曰損。歸藏作員，朱彝尊謂即損卦。然歸藏以益為誠，則此未必取義於損。按員古作云，商頌「景員維何」，箋「員古文作雲」，以此例之，歸藏必原作雲也。說文「云，山川氣也，象迴轉形」，後人加雨作云，是雲即雲字。卦上艮下兌，說卦由澤通氣，氣即雲；中互坤，坤正為雲。卦二至上正反震，震為出，雲出澤中，至上而反，正迴轉之形，與說文合，與卦象合。

The hexagram "Loss" states: With sincerity, great good fortune, no mistakes, it is favorable to maintain the right path and to go somewhere. What should be offered in sacrifice? Two bowls of simple food may be used for sacrifice. Following the example of the eight trigrams' yin and yang, the inner trigram "Zhen" represents the self, and the outer trigram "Hui" represents the other. This hexagram involves taking a yang line from the lower part of the self to add to the upper part of the other, hence it is called "Loss." In the "Guicang," this hexagram is called "Yuan," and Zhu Yizun believes it refers to the hexagram "Loss." However, in the "Guicang," "Benefit" is called "Yan," so this hexagram may not necessarily derive its meaning from reduction. The character "Yuan" was written as "Yun" in ancient texts. In the "Book of Songs, Shang Songs, Xuan Niao," it says "Jing Yuan wei he," and Zheng's commentary explains "Yuan, in ancient texts is written as Yun." Following this logic, the original text of the "Guicang" must have been written as "Yun." The "Shuowen Jiezi" says "Yun, the vapor from mountains and rivers, the character shape resembles the turning of vapor," later people added a "rain" radical above to form "Yun." Thus, "Yun" is the same as "Yun." The upper trigram "Gen" represents mountain, and the lower trigram "Dui" represents marsh. The "Shuogua" says "mountain and marsh communicate through vapor," and this vapor is cloud. The middle interacting trigram "Kun" is exactly cloud. The lines two to top form two inverted "Zhen" trigrams, "Zhen" represents movement, and the cloud rises from the marsh, reaching the top line and then turns back, forming the shape of turning, which matches the explanation of the character "Yun" in the "Shuowen Jiezi," and also corresponds to the image of this hexagram.

六爻皆有應，故曰有孚。二陽遇陰，乾元通，故曰元吉。可貞，言二不宜升毛再損也。利有攸往謂上也，上九下乘重陰，頤曰利涉大川，利涉即利往也。爾雅釋詁「曷，止也」，而曷與曷（左心）通。詩大雅「汽可小曷（左心）」，傳「曷（左心），息也」，息止義同，故集韻云「曷（左心）或作曷」也。而曷（左心）與甜通，詩甘棠篇「召伯所矩」，釋文「慈本又作曷（左心）」。曷之用，言憩息之時也。上卦艮，故云憩。

This hexagram has six lines that correspond in pairs, so it is said "there is sincerity." Nine in the Second (nine two) is yang and encounters a yin line before it, allowing the qi of the Qian trigram to flow through, hence "great good fortune." "It is advantageous to maintain the correct position" means that nine two should remain in its original position and should not rise to the fifth position, which would cause further damage to the lower part. "It is advantageous to go somewhere" refers to nine at the top. Nine at the top is below the two yin lines of six five and six four. The upper line of the Yi hexagram says "it is advantageous to cross a great river," and "advantageous to cross" is the same as "advantageous to go." The character "曷" is explained in the Er Ya as meaning "to stop." "曷" is also interchangeable with "愒." In the poem Da Ya, Min Lao, "qi ke xiao qian" is explained by Mao as "qian means rest," and "rest" is synonymous with "stop," so the Ji Yun says "qian can also be written as曷." "Qian" is also interchangeable with "憩." In the poem Zhao Nan, Gan Tang, "Zhao Bo suo qi" is explained in the Jing Jing Shi Wen as "qi can also be written as qian." Therefore, "曷之用" means the time when it is appropriate to rest and stop. The upper trigram is "Gen," which means "to stop," hence "rest."

震為簋，坤數二，故曰二簋。況為亨，亨饗通，左傳成十二年「享以訓恭儉」，釋文「享本亦作饗」；又莊四年「止而饗之」，周語「大臣饗其祿」，注皆訓饗為食。易之用二簋可用享，言當休暇之時，可以二簋為亨；二籃雖儉，然處損時，亦可也。清儒承荀氏舊說，見言簋即以為祭宗廟，侈陳禮制。豈知儀禮公食大夫扎「宰夫啟簋」，詩秦風「於我乎食四簋」，凡宴享皆用簋，非必祭宗廟始用也，且於易義之謂何矣。崔憬以曷為何，荀爽等只說二簋可用享，不及曷義。於是清儒如惠棟焦循張惠言孫星衍等，亦不釋曷義，只一姚配中襲崔憬說，疑非也。

"Zhen" has the image of a "gui," and "Kun" has the number two, so it is said "two gui." "Dui" represents "xiang"; "xiang" and "xiang" are homophones. The "Zuo Zhuan" from the twelfth year of Chenggong in the State of Chu says "xiang to teach reverence and frugality," and the "Shi Wen" explains "xiang, originally also written as xiang." In the fourth year of Zhuanggong, it says "stop and xiang him," and in the "Guoyu · Zhou Yu," it says "senior ministers xiang their salaries," with annotations all interpreting "xiang" as eating. The "Sun" hexagram says "two gui can be used for xiang," meaning that during proper rest and leisure, one can use two gui of simple food for a banquet; although two gui are meager, they are sufficient in the context of "Sun" (loss). Qing scholars followed Xun Shuang's old interpretation, seeing the character "gui" and immediately assuming it refers to ancestral worship, thus extensively discussing ritual systems. They never considered that the "Yili · Gong Shi Da Fu Li" mentions "the chef opens the gui," and the "Poetry · Qin Feng · Quan Yu" mentions "at me, every meal has four gui," indicating that gui was used in all banquets, not only in ancestral worship; moreover, such interpretations have little to do with the meaning of the "Yi." Cui Jing interpreted "he" as "he," while Xun Shuang and others only discussed "two gui can be used for xiang," without involving the meaning of "he." Thus, Qing scholars such as Hui Dong, Jiao Xun, Zhang Huiyan, and Sun Xingyan did not explain the character "he," while only Yao Peizhong followed Cui Jing's interpretation, which may also be incorrect.

象曰：損，損下益上，其道上行。損而有孚，元吉，無咎，可貞，利有攸往。曷之用，二簋可用享，二簋應有時，損剛益柔有時，損益盈虛，與時偕行。貞我悔彼，內與外、上與下，其親疏迥不相同，故夫以內陽益外，則我損矣，上下即內外也。泰三往上，故曰其道上行。震為應，二至四震，乃上卦震覆，若反聲相應者，故曰二簋應，與中孚之鶴鳴子和理同也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: The hexagram "Loss" refers to reducing the lower part and increasing the upper part; its way is to go upward. There is a reduction but still maintaining sincerity, which brings great good fortune, without fault, and is favorable for maintaining the correct path and moving forward. What is used for this? Two bowls of simple food are sufficient for sacrifice. However, the offering of two bowls must correspond with the time; reducing a strong line and increasing a flexible line also occur at their proper times. Loss and gain, fullness and emptiness, all shift in accordance with the situation. Following the example of the firm and the regretful, the inner trigram represents me and the outer trigram represents the other; the inner and outer, the upper and the lower, differ greatly in terms of intimacy and distance. Therefore, when a yang line in the inner trigram is used to increase the outer trigram, it is a loss on my side—upper and lower correspond to inner and outer. The hexagram "Loss" comes from "Great Communication." In "Great Communication," the line nine in the third position moves upward, hence it is said, "its way goes upward." The trigram "Zhen" has the image of "response": lines two to four form the trigram "Zhen," which is exactly the inverted image of the upper trigram "Gen," like an echo responding. Hence it is said, "two bowls respond," which is the same principle as the line nine in the second position of "Middle Trust," "the crane calls in the shade, its young respond."

二簋應有時，言時當曷（左心）息，用二簋享，正與時應也。泰極還否，損者泰之終、否之始。損剛益柔有時者，按卦氣，損為七月卦，時已當否，陽日減，陰日增，正損剛益柔之時，不可不預知也。時當益則益，時當損則損；益則盈，損則虛，乾盈坤虛，應時而行，所謂窮則變、變則通也。

"Two bowls of food should be offered at the right time," meaning that when the situation calls for rest and cessation, offering a simple meal is in harmony with the time. When the hexagram Tai reaches its peak, it turns back into the hexagram Po. The hexagram Shen is precisely the end of Tai and the beginning of Po. The saying "at times one should reduce the strong and increase the flexible" refers to the Han dynasty's theory of hexagram qi. The hexagram Shen corresponds to the seventh month, and the seasonal changes are approaching Po. The yang energy is gradually decreasing while the yin energy is increasing, which is exactly the time to reduce the strong lines and increase the flexible ones. It is essential to be aware of this. When the situation calls for increase, one should increase; when it calls for reduction, one should reduce. Increasing leads to fullness, and reducing leads to emptiness. The hexagram Qian represents fullness, and the hexagram Kun represents emptiness. Acting in accordance with the situation is what the Great Treatise says, "when things reach their limit, they change; when they change, they become unblocked."

象曰：山下有澤，損。君子以懲忿窒欲。震為決躁，為武人，故為忿。乃上卦震覆為艮，艮止故曰懲忿。二至上正覆震，震為口，有爭食象，坤閉故曰窒慾。學易之君子，因以取法焉。

The Great Image Commentary says: A mountain below a marsh represents the image of the Hexagram of Loss. The gentleman learns from this to restrain anger and suppress desires. "Zhen" signifies decisive action and restlessness, and also represents warriors, hence the image of anger. The upper trigram "Gen" is the inverted form of "Zhen," and "Gen" signifies stillness, thus restraining anger, which is called "restraining anger." The entire hexagram has two "Zhen" trigrams, one upright and one inverted, from the second to the top. "Zhen" represents the mouth, and two mouths facing each other symbolize contention over food. The inner trigram "Kun" signifies concealment and closure, thus closing the mouths of contention, which is called "suppressing desires." The gentleman who studies the Book of Changes takes this as a model.

初九：已事這往，無咎，酌損之。已虞作祀，晁氏云「巳古文祀宇」。按金文沈子它敦銘「用饗響已公」，已公即祀公。初應在四，四震為祭祀，兌為晌，遺速也。祀事遺往者，言宜往應四也。當位故無咎，所應為陰，故曰酌損。象曰：已事遙往，尚合志也。尚上同，上謂四，初四婚媾，故曰合志。四坤為志，其用卦變以坎為志者，非也。

The line statement for the initial yang line (Chu Ji) says: hurry to perform the rites, there is no fault, and consider reducing appropriately. The character "已" in Yu Fan's version is "祀", and Zhao Shuo Zhi said "Si is the ancient form of the character for rites." According to the bronze inscription of the Shen Zi Ta Gui, there is "use to offer sacrifices to the public ancestor," and "sacrifice to the public ancestor" refers to the rites for the ancestors. The initial yang line corresponds with the sixth yao in the fourth position, which is in the "Zhen" trigram, and "Zhen" represents rites. The lower trigram is "Dui," which represents offerings. "Chuan" means to hurry. "Sire rites hurry to go" means that the initial yang line should hurry to correspond with the sixth yao in the fourth position. The initial yang line is a yang line in a yang position, so there is no fault. The sixth yao in the fourth position is a yin line, and a yang line coming to benefit a yin line involves some reduction, so it says "consider reducing." The "Xiao Xiang" says: "Hurry to perform the rites," which shows harmony of intention. "Shang" is the same as "Shang," meaning "upper," referring to the sixth yao in the fourth position. The initial and the fourth are in a proper correspondence like a marriage, so it says "harmony of intention." The sixth yao in the fourth position is in the middle of the trigram "Kun" formed by the third to fifth lines, and "Kun" represents "intention." Those who use changing trigrams and transform a line into "Kan" to seek the image of "intention" are incorrect.

九二：利貞，征凶，弗損益之。三已損矣，二不宜再損，故利於貞定也。震為征，二陽臨重陰，更利於徵，然二往五則下愈損，故征凶也。弗損者，即貞於二不動，不再損下也；弗損即益二矣，故曰益之。夫貞我侮彼，泰三陽三陰，而陽全在我，此所以為泰也。損我一陽以益外，已非善徵，若損之不已，則成否矣。否天地閉，賢人隱，故於二爻著以為戒，曰利貞，曰征凶。

The line statement for Nine in the Second says: It is advantageous to maintain the correct position; going to war would be ominous; not reducing, but rather increasing. Six in the Third has already reduced, so Nine in the Second should not reduce again, thus it is advantageous to remain in its proper position. "Zhen" represents movement, and Nine in the Second, being a yang line, is situated above a heavy yin, so by convention it should move forward. However, once Nine in the Second moves up to the fifth position, the lower trigram will suffer greater reduction, hence it says "going to war is ominous." The phrase "not reducing" means remaining in the second position without moving, thus not reducing the lower trigram. Not reducing the lower trigram is equivalent to increasing Nine in the Second itself, hence it says "increasing." According to the principle of贞悔, the inner trigram is me and the outer trigram is the other. The卦 of Tai has three yang lines and three yin lines, and the three yang lines are all on my side, thus forming the卦 of Tai. Now, by reducing one yang line from me to increase the outer trigram, it is already an ominous sign; if further reduction occurs, it will become the卦 of Pi. The卦 of Pi is a time when heaven and earth are closed off and the virtuous retreat, so this line specifically warns, saying "advantageous to maintain the correct position" and "going to war is ominous."

舊解惟王弼能識二之不宜往五，謂剛全上則剝道成。若虞翻則謂二不征之五則凶，故反經為說。豈知二陽得五陰為應，利往誠為常例，獨損二因其利往，再損內也，故因以為戒。乃後世如惠棟張惠言等，多祖述其說；獨姚配中識虞義之反經，乃又以利貞為之正，二之正成陰，陰與陰不相應，故征凶，仍以卦變為穿鑿。然則不獨易象失傳，易理之失傳更甚也。象曰：九二利貞，中以為志也。中謂二，言志貞於二，不前進也，故曰中以為志。舊解無不誤者。

In old commentaries, only Wang Bi noticed that the Nine in the Second (nine two) should not go up to the fifth position, saying that if all the yang lines move upward, the situation of "Splitting" (Bao) would be formed. Yu Fan, however, said that the Nine in the Second would be dangerous only if it did not go to the fifth position, completely reversing the meaning of the text. He did not realize that a yang line receiving a yin line in the fifth position is a proper correspondence and is favorable for movement, which is the general rule. However, in the "Loss" (Sun) hexagram, the Nine in the Second is said to be favorable for movement, but this would cause further loss to the inner trigram, so it is used as a warning. Later scholars such as Hui Dong and Zhang Huiyan mostly followed Yu Fan's interpretation. Only Yao Peizhong realized that Yu Fan had reversed the meaning, yet he interpreted "favorable constancy" (li zhen) as "correct transformation," saying that when the Nine in the Second transforms into a yin line, it becomes a yin line, and yin and yin do not correspond, so movement is dangerous. He still used the transformation of the hexagram to force an explanation. It is evident that not only has the imagery of the Book of Changes been lost, but also its principles have been seriously lost. The "Small Image" says: "The Nine in the Second is favorable for constancy, because it holds to the middle as its will." "Middle" refers to the second position, meaning that the mind remains fixed at the second position and does not move forward, hence "holding to the middle as its will." None of the old commentaries are entirely correct.

六三：三人行則損一人，一人行則得其友。乾為人，泰三陽原為三人，今成兌，損一人矣。損三以益上，上乘重陰，陽以陰為友，故曰一人行則得其友，友謂四五。舊解以下應兌為友，故於三則疑之故，無有通者。象曰：一人行三則疑也。三陽上行則成否，否上九為四五所阻格，所謂敵也；敵則相疑相忌，而不相友矣，釋得友之故也。易於陰陽相遇為朋友之故，言之可謂明白矣。乃自荀虞以來，以兌二陽房二陰為朋友，相承至今。豈知陽遇陽陰遇陰，艮謂之敵應，中孚謂之得敵哉。

The line statement for the third line says: When three people go together, one should be reduced; when one goes alone, one will gain a friend. "Qian" represents people. The lower trigram of the "Tai" hexagram originally had three yang lines, which symbolize three people. Now, one yang line is reduced, turning into "Dui," which means one person has been reduced. By reducing the third line (a yang line) to benefit the top line (a yang line), the top line is below the two yin lines of the fifth and fourth lines. Yang is considered to have yin as a friend, so it is said that "when one goes alone, one gains a friend," where "friend" refers to the fourth and fifth yin lines. Old interpretations took the lower trigram "Dui" as "friend," hence the phrase "three people are doubtful," but none of the interpretations make sense. The "Xiao Xiang" says: "One person going alone, three people are doubtful." When the three yang lines move upward together, it becomes "Po." In "Po," the top line is blocked by the fourth and fifth lines, which is called "enemy." Once there is an enemy, mutual suspicion and fear arise, and friendship cannot be achieved, which explains the meaning of "gaining a friend." The "Zhou Yi" clearly states that meeting of yin and yang is called friendship. However, since Xun Shuang and Yu Fan, people have considered the two yang lines and two yin lines of "Dui" as friends, and this view has continued to the present day. They do not realize that yang meeting yang and yin meeting yin are called "enemy response" in "Gen" and "Zhong Fu" as "gaining an enemy."

六四：損其疾，使遄有喜，無咎。坤為疾，四得陽應，故曰損其疾。遄，往也。坤為憂，乾為喜，使遺有喜者，言往得陽應而喜也。坤疾象失傳，舊解故多不當。象曰：損其疾，亦可喜也。疾損故可喜。

The Line Statement of the Fourth Line: Reduce his illness, let him come quickly and there will be joy, with no fault. "Kun" has the image of illness, and the Fourth Line (Six in the Fourth) corresponds to the Initial Nine (Nine at the Beginning), so it says "reduce his illness." "Chuan" means to go. "Kun" represents worry, and "Qian" represents joy; "let him go and have joy" means going and receiving a corresponding Yang line, thus producing joy. The image of "Kun" as illness has long been lost, so most old interpretations are not accurate. The "Small Explanation" says: "Reduce his illness, which is also joyful." Once the illness is reduced, it is naturally joyful.

六五：或益之十朋之龜，弗克違，元吉。艮為龜，漢書食貨志注蘇林曰「兩貝為朋，朋值二百一十六，元龜十朋」。艮為朋友，坤數十，故曰十朋之龜。言陽在上五得承之，若大寶之益也。陰順陽，故曰弗克違。五卦位最尊尊，故曰元吉。艮龜象失傳，侯果謂內柔外剛龜之象，豈知艮即為龜。象曰：六五元吉，自上佑也。

The Line Statement of the Fifth Line (Six in the Fifth): Someone gives him a large turtle worth ten pings, which he cannot refuse, resulting in great good fortune. "Gen" (Mountain) has the image of a turtle. The annotation in the "Book of Han · Food and Goods Annals" cites Su Lin as saying, "Two shells make one ping, one ping is worth 216 coins, and a large turtle is worth ten pings." "Gen" represents friends, and "Kun" (Earth) has the number ten, so it is said "a turtle worth ten pings." This means that the yang of the top line is above, and the fifth line is able to receive it, like gaining a valuable treasure. Yin follows Yang, so it is said "he cannot refuse" (unable to defy). The fifth line is the most honored position in the entire hexagram, so it is said "great good fortune." The image of the turtle in "Gen" has been lost for a long time, so Hou Guo could only say that the inner yin and outer yang represent the turtle's appearance. How could he know that "Gen" itself is the turtle? The "Small Image" says: The great good fortune of the fifth line is due to being aided from above.

益：利有攸往，利涉大川。貞我悔彼，以彼之陽，下來益我，故曰益也。歸藏曰誠，說文「誠，和也」。書召誥「其丕能誠於小民」，注亦訓誠為和。風雷同聲相應，和之至也。是周易以陽爻上下言，故曰益；歸藏合上下卦言，曰誠也。利有攸往，謂五，五既中且正，傳所謂中正有慶也。利涉大川謂初，坤大川，震為舟，初陽遇陰而通，故曰利涉，傳所謂術道乃行也。

The Hexagram Yi Statement says: It is advantageous to go somewhere, it is advantageous to cross a great river. According to the principle of zhen and hui, the inner trigram represents me and the outer trigram represents the other; this hexagram involves a yang line from the upper trigram moving down to increase the lower trigram, hence it is called "Yi" (Benefit). The Guicang refers to this hexagram as "Xun," and the Shuowen Jiezi says "Xun means harmony." The Shangshu Zhao-gao says "He will greatly harmonize with the people," and the commentary also interprets "Xun" as harmony. Above is "Xun" representing wind, and below is "Zhen" representing thunder; wind and thunder respond to each other in harmony, which is the highest form of harmony. This shows that the Zhouyi focuses on the movement of yang lines, hence it is called "Yi"; the Guicang focuses on the harmony between the upper and lower trigrams, hence it is called "Xun." "It is advantageous to go somewhere" refers to the nine in the fifth position. The nine in the fifth is both central and upright, as stated in the Commentary on the Judgment, "Central and upright bring good fortune." "It is advantageous to cross a great river" refers to the nine at the beginning. "Kun" represents a great river, and "Zhen" represents a boat. The yang line of the nine at the beginning meets a yin line ahead and proceeds smoothly, hence it is said to be advantageous to cross. The Commentary on the Judgment says, "The way of wood is then established."

象曰：益，損上益下，民說無疆。自上下下，其道大光。利有攸往，中正有慶。利涉大川，木道乃行。益動而巽，曰進無疆。天施地生，其益無方。凡益之道，與時偕行。坤為民，震為樂，故曰民說。坤為廣，故曰無疆。否四來居下卦之下，故曰自上下下。震為玄黃，故曰大光。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: The hexagram of Gain reduces the upper part and increases the lower part, making the people rejoice without limit; the superior position humbles itself to the lower position, and its way is vast and bright. "It is advantageous to go somewhere" because nine five is upright and has blessings; "It is advantageous to cross a great river" because the way of boats and rafts is made possible. The hexagram of Gain has the lower trigram of movement and the upper trigram of wind, advancing day by day without limit; heaven spreads its qi, and earth brings about generation, so its gain has no fixed direction. All ways of gain must follow the trend of the times. "Kun" represents the people, "Zhen" represents joy, so it says "the people rejoice"; "Kun" is vast, so it says "without boundary." The hexagram of Gain comes from the hexagram of Not Being, and in the hexagram of Not Being, nine four descends to the lowest position of the lower trigram, so it says "from above to below." "Zhen" represents the colors of dark yellow, so it says "great brightness."

利有攸往，中正有慶，謂五。利涉大川，木道乃行，謂初。震為舟故曰木，古刳木為舟，故謂舟為木。渙曰乘木有功，中孚曰乘木舟虛，皆以木為舟。利涉大川，故曰木道乃行，言舟行水上，舟楫之利用溥也。此純釋利涉之義。坤為水，震為舟，故曰木曰行。程子不知本即為舟，改木為益，野文之害，至斯而極。

"The phrase 'favorable for going somewhere, the center and uprightness bring joy' refers to the Nine in the Fifth position; 'favorable for crossing great rivers, the way of wood is then established' refers to the Nine at the Beginning. 'Zhen' represents a boat, so it is called 'wood'—ancient people hollowed out entire pieces of wood to make boats, hence they referred to boats as 'wood.' The 'Commentary on the Judgment' of the 'Huan' hexagram says 'riding on wood brings merit,' and the 'Zhongfu' hexagram says 'riding on a wooden boat is empty,' both using 'wood' to refer to a boat. Since it is favorable to cross great rivers, it is said 'the way of wood is then established,' meaning that boats travel on water and the utility of boats is widely applied. This sentence is purely explaining the meaning of 'favorable to cross.' 'Kun' represents water, 'Zhen' represents a boat, so 'wood' and 'movement' are mentioned. Cheng Yi did not understand that 'wood' itself refers to a boat, and he mistakenly changed 'wood way' to 'benefit way,' demonstrating the extreme harm of careless and arbitrary alterations to classical texts."

陽自外來，故曰天施。震為生，坤為地，故曰地生。益者否之終、泰之始。太玄云「巳用則賤，當時則貴」，艮為時，與時偕行者，言時而當益，不能不益也。象曰：風雷益。君子以見喜則遷，有過則改。乾力善，坤為過，乾來初，得值得民，是遷善也；乾來初成震，坤象滅，是改過也，故學易之君子法之。

Heavenly lines coming down from the outer trigram signify "heaven's giving." "Zhen" represents life, and "Kun" represents earth, so it is said "earth produces." The hexagram "Yi" is the end of "Pu" and the beginning of "Tai." Yang Xiong in "Tai Xuan" says "what has already been used becomes cheap, and what is at the right time becomes valuable." "Gen" represents time, meaning "to move in harmony with the times." This means when the time for increase comes, one cannot avoid it. The "Great Image Commentary" says wind and thunder interacting is the image of the hexagram "Yi." A gentleman thus understands that when he sees good conduct, he should follow it, and when he has a fault, he should correct it immediately. "Qian" represents good, and "Kun" represents fault. When "Qian" yang line descends to the first position, it gains its proper place and the people's support, which is "changing to good." When "Qian" yang line reaches the first position and becomes "Zhen," the original "Kun" image disappears, which is "correcting faults." Therefore, gentlemen who study the "Yi" take this as a model.

初九：利用為大作，元吉元咎。虞翻云「大作謂耕播未來之利」。按虞書「平秩東作」，注「歲起於東，而始就耕，謂之東作」；禹貢「恆衛既從，大陸既作」，注「二水巳治，從其故道，大陸之地已可耕作」，是作即耕也。震為春，為耕，至春民盡耕，故曰大作。陽遇陰故利，乾元通，故元吉無咎。象曰：元吉無咎，下不厚事也。震健而決躁，故左氏以為射，言其速也。厚，餘也，行速故無餘事。坤為事，言初雖在下，往利無阻，事無積滯，仍利涉大川之意也。

The line statement for the initial yang line (Chu Jiū) says: It is advantageous to greatly promote agricultural activities, great good fortune, and no fault. Yu Fan said, "Great action refers to plowing and sowing, and planning for future harvests." According to the "Book of Documents · Yao's Classic" "Ping Zhi Dong Zuo," the annotation says, "The year begins in the east, and from this time on, farming begins, which is called Dong Zuo." The "Book of Yu's Tribute" says, "The Heng River and Wei River have already been restored to their original courses, and the land of the Great Plain is now suitable for farming," and the annotation says, "These two rivers have been properly managed and have returned to their old paths, and the land in the Great Plain is now suitable for farming." This shows that "Zuo" means farming. "Zhen" represents spring and farming, and when spring comes, the people all go to the fields, so it is called "great action." The yang of the initial line is preceded by a yin line, so it is advantageous. The primordial energy of Qian penetrates through, so it is great good fortune with no fault. The "Small Image" says: "Primordial good fortune without fault, because the lower does not accumulate tasks." "Zhen" is characterized by strength and decisiveness, and is impetuous, so the "Zuo Zhuan" example uses "Zhen" to represent shooting, because of its speed. "Hou" means excess; acting quickly, so there is no accumulated task. "Kun" represents affairs, meaning that although the initial line is in a low position, it proceeds smoothly without obstruction, and affairs will not be delayed, which still means "advantageous to cross a great river."

六二：或益之十朋之龜，弗克違，永貞吉，王用亨於帝吉。艮為龜為朋友，坤數十，故曰十朋之龜。二應在五，五又故以十朋之龜益二也。二得陽應，故曰弗克違。二當位，故永貞於二吉。震為帝，王謂五，震為祭祀，故曰享。王用享于帝吉者，言五應二，則二吉也。象曰：或益之，自外來也。外謂九五，恐人疑為初。

The line statement for the second line says: Someone gives her a tortoise worth ten strings of pearls, which she cannot refuse; if she remains steadfast in the right position for a long time, it will be auspicious. The king uses it to worship the supreme deity, which is auspicious. The trigrams from the third to the fifth lines form 'Gen' (Mountain), which represents a tortoise and friends. 'Kun' (Earth) corresponds to the number ten, so it is said 'a tortoise worth ten strings of pearls'. The second line corresponds with the fifth line, so the fifth line gives the tortoise worth ten strings of pearls to the second line. The second line receives a yang line in correspondence, so it is said 'she cannot refuse'. The second line, being flexible and in the right position, remains steadfast in the second position and thus is auspicious. 'Zhen' (Thunder) represents the supreme deity, and 'wang' refers to the fifth line. 'Zhen' also represents worship, so it is said 'to offer'. 'The king uses it to offer to the supreme deity and it is auspicious' means that the fifth line responds to the second line, so the second line gains auspiciousness. The 'Small Explanation' says: 'It is an addition from outside.' 'Outside' refers to the fifth line—this is to prevent confusion with the first line, so it is specially mentioned.

六三：益之用凶事，無咎，有孚中行，告公用圭。三居坤中，坤為凶，為事。益之用凶事，言上來益三，為五所阻，大畜初九所謂有厲也，故曰凶事。二三四陰爻皆承五，九云「中行無咎」，泰二云「得尚于中行」，中行謂五。有孚中行者，言三與二四，同孚於五也。震為言，故為告；為王故為圭。坤為眾，故曰公，公共也。三震為諸侯，告公用圭者，言約同諸侯執圭，共往朝五也。圭者天子所錫子，今朝天子，故執以為信。

The line statement for the sixth line: benefiting others should be used in dangerous matters, without fault; with sincere faith and following the middle path, when reporting to the prince, one holds a jade bi. The sixth line is in the middle of the mutual 'Kun' trigram, 'Kun' represents danger and affairs. 'Benefiting through dangerous matters' refers to the top nine coming down to benefit the sixth line, but being blocked by the fifth nine, which is the same as the initial line of 'Da Xu' saying 'there is danger', hence called 'dangerous matters'. The second, third, and fourth lines, all yin lines, are above the fifth nine: 'Guai' fifth nine says 'acting in the middle without blame', 'Tai' second nine says 'attaining the middle path', 'middle path' refers to the fifth position. 'Having sincerity and acting in the middle' means the sixth line, along with the second and fourth lines, sincerely trust the fifth nine. 'Zhen' represents speech, so it is 'reporting'; 'Zhen' represents the king, so it is 'bi'. 'Kun' represents the people, so it is called 'prince', 'prince' means common. The sixth line is in the 'Zhen' trigram, 'Zhen' represents the feudal lords; 'reporting to the prince with bi' means gathering the feudal lords, holding bi, going together to pay homage to the fifth nine. Bi is granted by the Son of Heaven, now going to pay homage to the Son of Heaven, so holding bi as a token of trust.

舊解以凶事為凶喪，或為凶荒，則告之天子，告之友邦，而受其碑隧（左　）。告必將儀，或執壁，或用圭，如臧文仲以紀獻工告曜（左上入左下米）於齊。豈知告公用圭，即申有孚中行之義，與上之凶事無涉，是皆以他經例易，不知易文上下旬不必相屬也。象曰：益用凶事，固有之也。言陰遇陰，陽遇陽，近而不相得故凶，乃易理當然之事，故曰固有。

Old commentaries interpreted "凶事" as funerals or mourning events, or as years of disaster and famine, thus saying that one should report to the Son of Heaven, inform friendly states, and accept gifts of condolence from others. Reporting required presenting a gift, either a jade璧 or a jade圭, for example, as seen in the "Zuo Zhuan" where Zang Wenzhong took a cooking vessel and a jade磬 from the state of Ji to purchase grain in the state of Qi. They did not realize that "告公用圭" precisely explains the meaning of "有孚中行," and it has nothing to do with the previous mention of "凶事." This is all taking examples from other classics to compare with the Book of Changes, not understanding that the sentences in the Book of Changes are not necessarily connected. The "Xiao Xiang" says: "益用凶事, 固有之也." This means that when yin meets yin and yang meets yang, although they are close in position, they do not harmonize, hence the occurrence of misfortune. This is a natural occurrence in the principles of the Book of Changes, hence it is said "固有."

六四：中行告公從，利用為依遷國。中行謂五，震為告，坤為臣，為眾，從謂順五。告公從者，言下三陰宜共同承五也。坤為國，震動，故曰遷國；艮止故曰依。左傳隱六年「我周之東遷，晉鄭焉依」，說文「依，椅也」。利用為依遷國者，言坤國播遷，至五艮而止，依以建國也。陰從陽故利，巽為利也。象曰：告公從，以益志也。坤為志，公從九五，陽益陰，故曰益志。自坤志象失傳，遂令某爻變成坎，以求志象矣。

The statement for the fourth line (Six in the Fourth) says: proceeding along the middle path, informing the prince and having the people follow, it is advantageous to rely on a place for the relocation of the capital. "Middle path" refers to the fifth line (Nine in the Fifth); "Zhen" signifies communication; "Kun" represents ministers and the people; "following" means obedience to the fifth line. "Informing the prince and following" means that the three yin lines should jointly serve the fifth line. "Kun" represents the state, "Zhen" signifies movement, so it is said "migrate the state." The interaction between the third to fifth lines forms "Gen," which signifies stopping, hence "relying on." The "Zuo Zhuan" states in the sixth year of Hiding Gong that "our Zhou royal house moved east, relying on Jin and Zheng." The "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" says "yi means to lean on." "Advantageous to rely on for migrating the state" means that the state represented by "Kun" has been migrating and wandering, and only when it reaches the fifth line "Gen" does it stop, relying on this place to rebuild the state. Yin following Yang is advantageous, and the upper trigram "Xun" also signifies advantage. The "Xiao Xiang" says: informing the prince and following, to increase the will. "Kun" represents will, the prince following the fifth line, is Yang increasing Yin, hence "increasing the will." Since the image of "Kun" as "will" has been lost, commentators have had to let a certain line change into "Kan" to seek the image of "will."

九五：有孚惠心，勿問元吉，有孚惠我德。爾雅釋言「惠，順也」。坤為順為心，有孚惠心，言五孚於下坤而順我也。震為問，五震覆，故曰勿問。五位尊，故曰元吉。勿問元吉者，言五乘重陰而大吉也。乾為德，有孚惠我德，言下三陰皆承順我而有軍也。象曰：有孚惠心，勿問之矣；惠我德，大得志也。坤為志，陽為大，陽五下乘重陰，故曰大得志。管子度地「天下之人皆歸其德而惠其義」，注「惠，順也」，正說此也。

The Line Statement of the Fifth Line: With sincerity and following the people's will, there is no need to consult and it is most auspicious; with sincerity and following my virtue. The "Er Ya · Xieyan" says "Hui means to be obedient." "Kun" represents obedience and the heart; "having sincerity and a kind heart" means that the Fifth Line is in harmony with the lower trigram "Kun" and follows my virtue. "Zhen" represents inquiry, and since the upper trigram of the Fifth Line is "Zhen" covered over, it is reversed to mean not inquiring, hence "do not inquire." The Fifth position is a position of honor, hence "great auspiciousness." "Do not inquire, great auspiciousness" means that the Fifth Line is below three heavy yin lines and thus is very auspicious. "Qian" represents virtue; "having sincerity and a kind heart toward my virtue" means that the three yin lines below are all in harmony with me. The "Xiao Xiang" says: having sincerity and a kind heart, there is no need to inquire further; following my virtue is a great realization of the will. "Kun" represents the will, and yang represents greatness; since the yang of the Fifth Line is below three yin lines, it is said "great realization of the will." The "Guanzi · Du Di" says "all people in the world are attached to his virtue and follow his righteousness," and the commentary says "Hui means to be obedient," which is exactly the usage here.

上九：莫益之，或繫之，立心勿恆，凶。上與五為敵，故曰莫益，言益三也。上應在三，然上若益三，則為五所忌，而或繫之。五艮體，艮為手為繫也。坤為心，上應在坤，下虛，處巽上，風隕，進退不果，故曰立心勿恆，凶。恆九三云「不恆其德」，益上九與恆九三同為賣上，故亦曰勿恆，緣巽下撓，故義同也。

The line statement for the top yang line (上九) says: No one comes to benefit him, instead someone comes to bind him; his determination is not constant, resulting in misfortune. The top yang line (上九) and the fifth yang line (九五) are both yang lines and thus in opposition, so it is said "no benefit" — here "益" refers to the top line (上九) trying to benefit the sixth line (六三). The top line (上九) should ideally benefit the sixth line (六三), but if it actually does so, it would be opposed by the fifth line (九五), hence "or bind it." The fifth line (九五) is in the mutual "Gèn" trigram, "Gèn" represents hands and binding. "Kūn" represents the heart, and the sixth line (六三) that the top line (上九) corresponds to is within the mutual "Kūn" trigram. The sixth line (六三) is yin and weak, not solid, and the top line (上九) is above the "Xùn" trigram, "Xùn" represents wind, which has the image of falling, and "Xùn" also has the nature of being indecisive and hesitant, hence "determination is not constant, resulting in misfortune." The line statement for "Héng" (恒) at the third line says "not constant in virtue," and the top line (上九) of "Yì" (益) and the third line (九三) of "Héng" are both above the "Xùn" trigram, so it also says "not constant" — because "Xùn" means to cut off and bend, which has the same meaning.

象曰：莫益之，偏辭也；或繫之，自外來也。恐其被繫，戒以莫益，故曰偏辭。左傳襄三年「君子謂奚舉其偏而不嘗」，注「偏，屬也，猶私也」。外謂五，五為上敵。下繫云「幾易之情，近而不相得則凶，或害之」，故上欲應三，五或繫之。五在外，言繫之者仍在外也。同人九三曰敵剛，中孚六三云得敵，子夏傳「三與四為敵」，是陽遇陽，陰遇陰，愈近而愈不相得。舊解自虞翻以來，皆不知此為周易根本定例，故說或繫之，皆不知繫上九者為何爻，而無不誤矣。

The Xiao Xiang says: "Mo Yi Zhi, biased words; or Xi Zhi, from outside." Because it fears being tied down, "Mo Yi" is used as a warning, which is called "biased words." The Zuo Zhuan, Xiang Gong San, says, "The gentleman says Qi Xi recommended his own subordinate without partiality," and the annotation says, "partiality refers to a subordinate, like private matters." "Outside" refers to the nine in the fifth position. The nine in the fifth position is the opposing line of the nine at the top. The Xì Cì Xià Zhuàn says, "In general, the situation of the Yi is that when positions are close but not harmonious, it is ominous, or when they harm each other." Therefore, the nine at the top wants to respond to the six in the third, but the nine in the fifth comes to tie it down. Since the nine in the fifth is outside the nine at the top, the force that ties down the nine at the top still comes from outside. The Tong Ren nine in the third says, "opposing yang," the Zhong Fu six in the third says, "meeting the enemy," and the Zi Xia Zhuàn says, "the third and fourth lines are opposing each other." This shows that when yang meets yang and yin meets yin, the closer they are, the less they harmonize. Old annotations since Yu Fan have not understood this fundamental principle of the Zhou Yi. Therefore, when explaining "or Xi Zhi," no one can correctly identify which line is tying down the nine at the top.

按否泰者，天道之自然，為運會所必有，故以次於上經十卦之後；損益者，人事之進退，為人為之所關，故以次於下經第十卦之後。十者數之終，終則變，變則否泰迭更，損益互見，此其義也。又損者泰之終，以見否泰雖屬無道，而由否而奉，由泰而否，損之益之，推輓之權，則在人為，有定而無定也。此上下經天人之分，動靜之別，非參育之聖人，固不能知其故也。故於上經之否泰，自為一卷；下經之損益，自為一卷，以見此四卦為全經之樞紐，與他卦絕不同也。

Shang's commentary: The hexagrams of "Obstruction" and "Supreme Goodness" discuss the natural course of heaven, which is an inevitable occurrence in the flow of qi and time, so they are placed after the tenth hexagram of the Upper Canon. The hexagrams of "Loss" and "Gain" deal with human affairs and the movement of people's actions, so they are placed after the tenth hexagram of the Lower Canon. Ten is the end of a number, and when reaching the end, change occurs. A change leads to the alternation of "Obstruction" and "Supreme Goodness," and the mutual appearance of "Loss" and "Gain," which is the meaning of these hexagrams. Moreover, "Loss" comes after "Supreme Goodness," indicating that although "Obstruction" and "Supreme Goodness" belong to the natural course of heaven, the transition from "Obstruction" to "Supreme Goodness" and from "Supreme Goodness" to "Obstruction," involving loss or gain, is actually controlled by human action. It seems fixed, but in reality, it is not. This is the distinction between heaven and humanity, stillness and movement, in the Upper and Lower Canons. Without the sage who can participate in and assist the workings of heaven and earth, one could not understand the reason behind this. Therefore, the hexagrams of "Obstruction" and "Supreme Goodness" in the Upper Canon form their own section, and the hexagrams of "Loss" and "Gain" in the Lower Canon form their own section, to show that these four hexagrams are the key to the entire book, differing distinctly from the other hexagrams.

決（無左）：揚子王庭，孚號有厲，告自邑，不利即戎，利有攸往。王育云「夾即古文塊（左王）字」。按禮內則「右佩塊（左王）」，釋文「本又作決」；詩小雅「決（左水）拾既飲」是也。而決（左無）決，故決（左無）與決（左王）同。說文「玉佩也」，廣韻「合同似環而有缺」。決（左無）乾為玉為圜，兌上缺，儼然塊（左王）形也。而決者絕也，左傳晉獻公賜太子申生塊（左王），以示決絕。卦以五陽決一陰，故謂之決（左無）也。

The Hexagram of Gua states: To openly proclaim in the royal court, to call out with sincerity yet face danger; to issue warnings from one's own city, it is not favorable for military campaigns but favorable for going somewhere. The character "Gua" is explained by Wang Yu as being the ancient form of "Jue." According to the "Inner Classic: Rules of Etiquette," one wears a "Jue" on the right side. The "Classic Interpretation" says "Jue" can also be written as "Jue." In the "Small Ya" of the "Shi Jing," "Jue Shi Ji Ce" refers to the same character. "Gua" and "Jue" are interchangeable, hence "Gua" and "Jue" are the same. The "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" says "Jue" is a jade ornament, and the "Guang Yun" says it resembles a ring with a缺口. The lower trigram of this hexagram is "Qian," representing jade and roundness, while the upper trigram is "Dui," which has a missing part at the top, exactly resembling the shape of a jade "Jue." Additionally, "Jue" also means to cut off or decide. The "Zuo Zhuan" records that Duke Xian Gong of Jin gave his son Sheng a jade "Jue" to signify a decisive decision. This hexagram, with five yang lines deciding to remove one yin line, is called "Gua."

歸藏以決（左無）為規，規圜也。決（左無）重乾，乾圜故為規；決（左王）亦圜，然上缺，是周易取象，與歸藏同而更切也。乾為王，伏艮為庭，一陰履五陽之上，故曰揚于王庭。兌口為號，厲危。孚號有厲者，言陰雖孚於陽，為陽所說，然窮處於上，須危厲自警也。

The *Guicang* refers to the *Gua* "Guaie" as "Gui," which means circle. The *Gua* "Guaie" has two to four and three to five all "Qian," and "Qian" represents circle, so it is called "Gui." A jade ring is also circular, but it has a缺口. This shows that the imagery used in the *Zhouyi* is the same as in the *Guicang*, and even more accurate. "Qian" represents the king, the upper part "Dui" which covers "Gen" represents the courtyard, and a single yin line is on top of five yang lines, so it is said "to proclaim in the king's court." "Dui" represents mouth, so it is called calling out; "Lai" means danger. "Fu hao you lai" means the yin line at the top, although it is in harmony with the yang below and is pleasing to yang, is isolated and in the highest position, so it must be self-alerted to danger.

兌口故曰告，兌為斧鉞，故曰戎。說文「戎兵也」，禮月令「以習王戎」，注「弓殳矛戈戰」。伏艮為邑。告自邑，不利即戎者，言一陰危處於上，告誡國人，不可妄動也，皆指上六言也。利有攸往，謂五。決（左無）本陽息卦，五息而往則陰盡。決（左無）者決也，決者絕也，陽決陰也。

"Duì" represents the mouth, so it is said to mean "to inform" or "to announce"; "Duì" also represents axes and weapons, so it is said to mean "military force." The "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" says "Rong means weapons." The "Liji · Yueming" mentions "practicing the five types of military equipment," and Zheng's annotation lists them as bow, staff, spear, halberd, and lance. The upper trigram "Duì" covers the trigram "Gen," which represents a city. "Announcing from the city, it is not advantageous to engage in military action" refers to a yin line that is in a dangerous position at the top, indicating that one should only warn the people not to act rashly—these statements are all referring to the upper sixth line. "It is advantageous to go somewhere" refers to the ninth fifth line. The hexagram "Guai" originally represents the message of the growth of yang energy. When the ninth fifth line continues to grow upward, the yin lines are completely eliminated. "Guai" means "to decide," and "decide" means to cut off, referring to yang energy cutting off yin energy.

象曰：決（左無），決也，剛決柔也。健而說，決而和。揚于王庭，柔乘五剛也。孚號有後，其危乃光也。告自邑，不利即戎，所尚乃窮也。利有攸往，剛長乃終也。下健上說，說故和。其危乃光者，危謂陰退，陰退則陽長，陽長故光。所尚乃窮，申不利即戎之故也。陽長乃終，終謂陰盡也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Guai" means to decide, which is when a strong line decisively removes a weak line. The lower trigram is strong and vigorous, and the upper trigram is harmonious and pleasant, thus making a decision without losing harmony. "Proclaiming in the royal court" refers to a weak line dominating five strong lines. "Believing and calling out with danger" means knowing the danger can lead to great success. "Warning from the city, not favorable for military action" means valuing military force leads to a dead end. "Beneficial to go somewhere" means the strong line has reached its peak. The lower trigram "Qian" represents strength and vigor, and the upper trigram "Dui" represents joy and harmony. Joy brings harmony. "Its danger brings brightness" refers to "danger" meaning the retreat of a yin line. When yin retreats, yang grows, and thus brightness arises. "The thing pursued reaches its end" explains why military action is not favorable. "Strong line reaching its peak" means "end" refers to the complete disappearance of yin lines.

象曰：澤上於天，決（左無）。君子以施祿及下，居德則忌。祿謂恩澤，澤在天上無用，故君子思以下施。乾為富，故為德，德得同。苟子禮論篇「貴始得之本也」，注「得當為德」。居，積也。下乾，二至四，三至五，皆乾，乾多故曰居德。居德則忌者，言蓄積大多，多藏厚亡，為人所忌也。象辭每相反以取義，此亦其一也。

The Great Image Commentary says: The marsh rising to the heavens is the image of the Hexagram 49, Gua. The gentleman thus understands that he should distribute hisofficial stipend to the people below, while accumulating virtue should be cautious. "Lù" refers to grace or favor; water and marsh stored in the heavens cannot be used, so the gentleman thinks of distributing it downward. "Qian" represents wealth, hence virtue, and "de" and "de" are synonymous. In the "Book of Xunzi, the Chapter on Rites," it says, "Valuing the beginning, the root of obtaining," with a note stating, "de should be read as de." "Ju" means accumulation. This hexagram's lower trigram is "Qian," and the second to fourth lines, as well as the third to fifth lines, are also "Qian." Since "Qian" is frequent, it is said "ju de." "Ju de zhe ji" means that accumulating too much leads to excessive loss and invites resentment. The words of the Great Image often take meaning from the opposite side, and this is another example.

初九：壯于前趾，往不勝為咎。初震爻，震足故曰趾，震動故曰前趾。壯，傷也。陽遇陽得敵，故傷於前趾，故往不勝而有咎矣。趾荀作止，晁氏云「止古文」。按說文有止無趾，止即足之象形字，加足者非也。象曰：不勝而往，咎也。前有重陽，所遇皆敵，不勝必矣。明知不勝而往，宜其有咎。

The Line Statement for the first line (Initial Nine): Injury to the tip of the toe, going forward cannot lead to victory, and there will be a fault. The first line is the line of "Zhen" (Thunder), and "Zhen" represents the foot, hence "toe"; "Zhen" signifies movement, hence "tip of the toe." "Zhuang" means injury. A yang line encountering another yang line ahead is called "getting an enemy," so the injury is at the tip of the toe, thus going forward cannot lead to victory and there is a fault. The character "Zhi" (toe) in Xun Shuang's version is written as "Zhi" (to stop), and Chao Yue Zhi said "Zhi is the ancient form." According to the "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" (Explanations of Characters), there is only "Zhi" (to stop) and not "Zhi" (toe). "Zhi" is the original form of the character for foot, and adding the "foot" radical later is incorrect. The "Xiao Xiang" (Small Image) says: going forward without being able to win, there is a fault. The first line is preceded by multiple yang lines, and all encountered are enemies, so it is certain that victory cannot be achieved. Knowing that one cannot win yet still going forward, having a fault is appropriate.

九二：惕號，莫夜有戎，勿恤。乾為惕為言，故曰惕號，言有所警戒也。二應在五，五兌，兌為昧谷，故為莫為夜；兌為兵戎，故曰莫夜有戎，言有寇警也。然五不應二，故雖莫夜有戎，無憂也。乾為惕故為憂。舊解因不知勿恤之故何在，故用象皆誤。豈知隨象云「君子以晌晦人宴息」，晌晦即謂兌。然則兌為莫夜，易有明象，而兌五不應二，故雖有虛驚，實不足憂恐也。象曰：有戎勿恤，得中道也。乾為道，二中位。

The Line Statement for the Second Line (Nine in the Second): Be vigilant and call out, there will be an alarm of military conflict in the evening, but there is no need to worry. "Qian" represents vigilance and speech, so it is said "vigilant call," meaning to be on guard. The Second Line corresponds with the Fifth Line, which is in the "Dui" trigram. "Dui" is associated with the western position of the fading valley, so it represents "mo" (evening) and "ye" (night). "Dui" also represents military weapons, so it is said "there is an alarm of military conflict at night," meaning there is an alert of enemy activity. However, since the Fifth Line and the Second Line are both yang lines and do not correspond, although there is an alarm at night, there is no cause for worry. "Qian" represents worry, hence the need for caution. Old interpretations failed to understand why "do not worry" is appropriate, leading them to misinterpret the symbolic meanings. They did not consider that the "Great Image" of the "Zui" hexagram says "the gentleman follows the dusk and retires to rest," where "follow the dusk" clearly refers to "Dui." This shows that "Dui" represents evening and night in the "Book of Changes." Since the "Dui" in the fifth position does not correspond with the second, although there may be a false alarm, it is indeed not worth worrying about. The "Small Image" says: "there is an alarm but do not worry, because it is in the middle path." "Qian" represents the path, and the Second Line is in the middle position of the lower trigram.

九三：壯於頂，有凶。君子決決（左無）獨行，遇雨，若儒，有慍，無咎。顧（左九）面顴也。三居下卦之上，故曰頒（左九）；而四五皆陽，故傷及於頎（左九），傷頎（左九）故凶。乾為君子，承乘皆陽遇敵，故決決（左無）獨行；而應在上，上兌為雨，故曰遇雨，曰若濡。濡，雨（下沾）溼也。乾為衣，衣濡故溫，然究為正應，亦無咎也。象曰：君子決決（左無），終無咎也。決決（左無）獨行狀。三於四五雖遇敵，於卜獨有應，故曰終無咎。終謂上。

The third line statement says: Injury occurs on the cheekbone, which is ominous. The gentleman decisively acts alone, encountering a heavy rain, becoming completely soaked, with anger in his heart, yet without fault. "Qiu" refers to the cheekbone. The third line is at the top of the lower trigram, hence it is called "Qiu." The fourth and fifth lines are all yang lines, so the injury affects the cheekbone, and thus the omen is ominous. "Qian" represents the gentleman; the third line is surrounded by yang lines above and below, encountering enemies everywhere, hence the gentleman decisively acts alone. It has a correct correspondence with the sixth line above. The upper trigram "Dui" represents rain, so it is said to "encounter rain" and "be soaked by rain" — "ru" means to be wet from rain. "Qian" represents clothing, and the clothes being soaked cause anger; however, the sixth line is its correct correspondence, so ultimately there is no fault. The "Xiao Xiang" says: The gentleman decisively acts, ultimately without blame. "Duan Duan" describes the manner of decisively acting alone. Although the third line encounters enemies with the fourth and fifth lines, it has a correct correspondence with the sixth line, hence it is said "ultimately without blame" — "ultimately" refers to the top line.

九四：臀無膚，其行次且，牽羊悔亡，聞言不信。伏艮為膚，為尾，故為臀，臀尾閭也，艮伏故曰元膚。乾為行，承乘皆陽，失位，故其行次且。次且，馬云「卻行不前也」。兌為羊，玉篇「牽速也」，娠九三云「行未牽也」，亦以奉為速。次且行緩，速則無悔。牽羊悔亡者，言四宜隨五，速進決陰，陰決則當位居五，故曰悔亡。舊說皆不知悔亡之故何在，則以牽字失詁也。

The statement for the fourth line (九四爻辞) says: The buttocks have no skin, and movement is hesitant and slow; if one leads a sheep, regret disappears, but if one hears advice, one does not believe it. The upper part, which is '兑' (Lake), contains '艮' (Mountain) that symbolizes 'skin' and 'tail,' hence it is called 'buttocks'—the buttocks are where the tail root is located. '艮' is hidden and not visible, so it is said 'no skin.' '乾' represents movement; since nine four is a yang line that is above and below with other yang lines, and it is a yang line in a yin position, it is said 'its movement is hesitant.' 'Hesitant movement' is interpreted by Ma Rong as 'retreating and not advancing.' '兑' represents a sheep; the 'Zuoyue' says 'to lead is to move quickly,' and the 'Xiaoxiang' of 'Gou' nine three also says 'movement has not yet been led,' which also interprets 'lead' as quick movement. 'Hesitant movement' refers to slow movement, and if one moves quickly, regret disappears. 'Regret disappears by leading a sheep' means that nine four should follow nine five and move quickly to remove the yin of upper six. Once the yin is removed, nine four moves into the fifth position and becomes appropriate, hence 'regret disappears.' Old interpretations did not understand the reason for 'regret disappears,' because the meaning of the word 'lead' was lost.

兌為耳，故曰聞。乾為言為信，兌口亦為言。聞言不信者，兌言向外，與乾言相背，故不信也。兌耳象，鼎傳云「翼而耳目聰明」，目謂上離，耳謂互兌也。象曰：其行次且，位不當也；聞言不信，聰不明也。兌為耳，為黯昧，故曰不明。不明猶不審，俗所謂不清。虞氏以離目當之，非。

"De" represents the ear, so it is said "to hear." "Qian" represents speech and trust, and "De" also represents the mouth and speech. "Hearing but not believing" means that the speech of "De" goes outward, conflicting with the speech of "Qian," hence the lack of trust. "De" representing the ear is supported by the "Commentary on the Judgment" of the "Ding" hexagram, which says "Xun is flexible and the ears and eyes are clear." Here, "eyes" refer to the upper trigram "Li," and "ears" refer to the second to fourth lines, which form the trigram "De." The "Small Image" says: "Its movement is hesitant, because its position is inappropriate; hearing but not believing, because its hearing is not clear." "De" representing the ear also implies darkness, hence "not clear." "Not clear" is like not careful, as the common saying goes, hearing unclearly. Yu Fan's interpretation using the "eye" aspect of "Li" is incorrect.

九五：覓陸決決（左無），中行無咎。盂喜云「覓陸獸名」，決（左無）有兌，兌為羊也，說文亦云「崑山羊細角」。諸家說此二字，人人異辭，獨孟氏於象密合。凡五皆謂中行，又決決（左無）於羊行貌獨切。鄭虞等訓克陸為草屬，草焉有決決（左無）之象哉。象曰：中行無咎，中未光也。兌黯昧，故未光。

The line statement of the fifth line says: "A sheep from Xianlu moves forward decisively, walking in the middle path without fault." Meng Xi said, "Xianlu is the name of an animal." ——The upper trigram of the hexagram "Gua" is "Dui," which represents a sheep. The "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" also says, "Xian is a mountain sheep with fine horns." Different scholars have given different interpretations of these two characters, but only Meng Xi's explanation fits well with the hexagram's symbolism. All lines in the fifth position are called "middle path." The two characters "Gua Gua" are used to describe the gait of a sheep, which is especially appropriate. Zheng Xuan and Yu Fan, among others, interpreted "Xianlu" as a type of grass. Grass cannot have the appearance of moving "Gua Gua." The "Xiao Xiang" says: "Walking in the middle path brings no fault, because the middle is not yet bright." "Dui" represents obscurity, so it is said "not yet bright."

上六：無號，終有凶。一陰在上，為陽所推，不能久也。兌為口故曰號。無號終有凶者，言不必號號眺（左口），必消滅也。象曰：無號之凶，終不可長也。不可長，言不能長久。

The line statement for the sixth line at the top says: There is no need to cry out, ultimately there will be misfortune. A single yin line is isolated at the top and pushed by the five yang lines below, so it cannot last long. "Dui" represents the mouth, so it is said "cry out." "Without crying out there is still misfortune" means there is no need to wail and cry, for it will inevitably be destroyed. The "Small Image" says: The misfortune of not crying out is that it cannot last. "Cannot last" means it cannot exist for long.

垢（左女）：女壯，勿用取女。歸藏曰夜，古娶必以夜，故曰昏。後陰遇陽，即女遇男，亦婚垢（左女）也，是夜與垢（左女）義同也。女謂陰，虞翻云「壯傷也」，陰傷陽，柔消剛，故曰女壯。勿用取女，戒詞也。

The Hexagram Gou Statement says: A strong woman is not suitable to marry. The book Guicang refers to this hexagram as "Night" — in ancient times, marriage was held at night, so the ceremony was called "hun" (昏). When yin meets yang, it represents a woman meeting a man, which is marriage. Thus, "Night" and "Gou" have similar meanings. "Woman" refers to the yin line. Yu Fan says "strong means injury," meaning that yin injures yang, and softness erodes strength. Therefore, it is said "a strong woman." "Do not take a wife" is a warning.

象曰：尼（左木），遇也，柔遇剛也。勿用取女，不可與長也。天地相遇，品物咸章也。剛遇中正，天下大行也。垢（左女）之時義大矣哉。消息卦乾盈於巳，盈則必虧，故至午而一陰生於下，陰遇陽，故曰天地相遇。時當五月，萬物潔齊，而巽為草木，為高，為長，故曰品物咸章。荀爽以南方夏位說品物咸章，於象亦切也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: The hexagram Gou signifies meeting, specifically a soft line meeting a strong line. "Do not take her as a wife" means one should not maintain a long-term relationship with her. When heaven and earth meet, yin and yang, all things become evident and radiant. When a strong line meets the central and upright position, teaching can spread throughout the world. The hexagram Gou is a great example of meeting in accordance with the right time. According to the twelve zodiacal hexagrams, the hexagram Qian, which is entirely yang, is full in the fourth lunar month, and when it is full, it must decline, so in the fifth lunar month, a yin line arises from below. The meeting of yin and yang is called "heaven and earth meeting." At this time, which is the fifth lunar month, all things are clean and orderly, and the upper trigram Xun represents grass and trees, height, and growth, so it is said "all things are clearly manifested." Xun Shuang explained "all things are clearly manifested" by referring to the southern summer position, which is also a fitting symbolic interpretation.

五剛既中且正，教化天下，命令大行，如風之博遍。垢（左女）五月卦，故曰時。天地相遇，歲功方成，故曰時義大也。鄭玄謂垢（左女）一女當五男，非禮之正，故謂之振；女壯以淫，故不可取。而朱子喜用其說，便謂女德不貞，於易理太不類也。

The Nine in the Fifth is both central and upright, teaching and governing the world, with commands spreading without obstruction, like wind sweeping through all places. The hexagram "Gou" is associated with the fifth month, hence the term "time." When heaven and earth meet, the harvest of the year is completed, hence the statement "the meaning of time is great." Zheng Xuan said that "Gou" represents a woman encountering five men, which is against the proper way of propriety, hence the name "Gou"; he also said that a woman's strength comes from indulgence, so she should not be married. Zhu Xi favored this interpretation and explained it as the lack of chastity in women. This is entirely inconsistent with the principles of the Book of Changes.

象曰：天下有風，尼（左木）。后以施樹四方。復冬至，垢（左女）夏至。易林復之履云「先王日至，不利出城」，又晉之解云「二至之戒，家無凶禍」。故復象云「先王以至日閉關，商旅不行，后不省方」。至日，王弼孔穎達皆謂二至。又漢書薛宣傳「至日休吏」，由來已久，注「至日夏至冬至也」。蓋古時視二至最重，自周訖南宋，可考見者，至日皆停止工作。乾為後，巽為命，伏坤為四方。后以施命浩四方者，言君以夏至之日，施命令止四方行旅也。後漢魯恭傳說此，最合古義，詳焦氏易詁中。

The Great Image Commentary says: Heaven has wind, which is the image of the Hexagram Gou; the sovereign issues commands to inform all directions. The Hexagram Fu corresponds to the winter solstice, and the Hexagram Gou corresponds to the summer solstice. Jiao's Forest of Changes, in the section Fu to Lu, says, "The former kings on the solstices were not favorable for leaving the city." In the section Jin to Jie, it also says, "Carefully observing the taboos of the solstices, the family will not suffer misfortune." Therefore, the Great Image of Fu says, "The former kings closed the gates on the solstices, and merchants did not travel, and the sovereign did not visit the regions." This term "solstice" is interpreted by Wang Bi and Kong Yingda as referring to both the summer and winter solstices. The Han Shu, in the biography of Xue Xuan, mentions "on the solstices, officials were given rest," showing that this practice has a long history. The annotation says, "the solstices refer to the summer and winter solstices." Generally, in ancient times, the two solstices were most valued; from the Zhou dynasty to the Southern Song dynasty, all instances that can be verified show that on the solstices, work was suspended. "Qian" represents the sovereign, and "Xun" represents command. "Xun" conceals "Kun," which represents the four directions. "The sovereign issuing commands to all directions" refers to the sovereign issuing commands on the summer solstice, prohibiting travel in all directions. The Hou Han Shu, in the biography of Lu Gong, explains this most accurately, as detailed in my work Jiao's Glosses on the Changes.

初六：繫於金尼（左木），貞吉，有攸往，見凶，贏豕孚摘（左足）躅。巽為繩，故曰繫；巽木乾金，故曰金尼（左木）。馬融云「尼（左木）在車下，所以止輪」，釋文廣雅云「止也」。說文作稱（左木），云「絡絲趺」。按今本說文，跌訛為稱（左木），云「人木稱（左木）聲，讀若尼（左木）」。

The Line Statement for the first line (Initial Six): A pig is tied to a metal brake, and the divination yields a favorable omen; if one proceeds, there will be misfortune; a weak sow will certainly be restless. This hexagram has "Xun" below and "Qian" above: "Xun" represents a rope, hence "to tie"; "Xun" also represents wood, and "Qian" represents metal, so a wooden object decorated with metal is called "metal brake." As for what "brake" is, Ma Rong says it is a device attached to the axle of a chariot, used to stop the wheels. The "Classic of Phonetics and Meaning" cites the "Guangya" which also interprets "brake" as "to stop." In the "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" (Explanations of Characters), the character is written as "yin," explained as "the base of a silk frame," meaning the base beneath the silk frame. According to the current edition of the "Shuo Wen," the character "fu" was mistakenly written as "yin," so the explanation became "composed of 'wood' and 'yin' sound, read like 'brake'," which makes the meaning unclear.

陶廬云「古從爾從尼（左木）之字，同音通用」。毛詩「飲餞於爾（左 ）」，韓詩作坭；書「典祀勿，豐於呢」，釋文引馬云「考也，謂稱廟也」。然則尼（左木）稱（左木）古通用，後儒必謂爾（左木）是者非也。況馬君訓作止車木，可證古文原作尼（左木）；若為爾（左木），馬君能有異說哉。

Tao Fangqi said, "In ancient times, characters that were pronounced with the sound of 'er' or 'ni' were homophones and could be used interchangeably." For example, in the "Mao Shi" (Book of Songs), it is written as "yin jian yu Mi," while the "Han Shi" (Han Poetry) writes it as "Ni." In the "Shang Shu · Gao Zong Rong Ri" (Book of Documents · Gao Zong's Second Day of Sacrifice), it says "dian si wu feng yu Ni," and the "Jing Jing Shi Wen" (Commentary on the Classics) cites Ma Rong's explanation that "Ni" refers to "Kao," meaning the father's temple — the same character with two different forms. Therefore, "Ci" and "Yi" could be used interchangeably in ancient times. Later scholars insisting that only "Yi" is correct is wrong. Moreover, Ma Rong explained this character as meaning the wooden block that stops the chariot wheel, which proves that the original text was "Ci." If the original text had been "Yi," meaning the frame for winding thread, how could Ma Rong have given such a different explanation? Once the character form is determined, the following sentence "xi yu jin Ci" can be understood as meaning "to stop" with the meaning of "Ci."

按絡絲者，絡絲之器，王肅所謂尼（左木）織績之器，婦人用者是也。趺者橫木，安絡器下，以防欹側，在下似足，故謂之跌。唐陰宏道云「絡器，關西謂之絡垛，梁益謂之絲登，其下附（左木）即尼（左木）也」。按陰氏所謂附（左木），即說文之趺，故玉篇即作絡絲附（左木）。陳壽棋云「附（左木）趺同字」。絡，縛也，與繫同義。

According to the term "luo si," it refers to the tool used for winding thread, which is the same as the item mentioned by Wang Su as "ni, a tool used in weaving and spinning hemp, used by women." "Fu" is a horizontal wooden piece placed beneath the winding tool to prevent it from tilting or falling over; since it is located below like a foot, it is called "fu." Yan Hongdao of the Tang dynasty said, "The tool for winding thread is called 'luo duo' in Guanxi, and 'si deng' in Liangzhou and Yizhou; the part beneath it is called 'ni.'" The "ni" mentioned by Yan is the same as "fu" in the "Shuowen Jiezi," so the "Zhuangyuan" directly writes it as "luo si ni." Chen Shouqí said, "Ni and fu are the same character." "Luo" means to wrap or bind, and it is synonymous with "xi" in the line statements.

繫於金尼者，言以絲縛於金尼（左木）之上，止而勿動，以喻陰不宜動而消陽，故下雲往見凶，是其義也。貞吉者，卜問吉；往見凶者，進則凶也。巽為贏（下中羊）為豕，巽進退，故滴（左足）躅。羸，釋文陸讀為累，鄭力追反，是仍讀為累，與大壯同，累纏繞也，羸累累音同通用。巽為繩故為贏，巽伏故亦為豕。滴（左足）躅，動也。羸豕孚滴（左足）躅者，言豕雖拘贏，然滴（左足）躅前進，信其必然，不可忽也，喻陰雖微，後必長也。巽豕象失傳，詳焦氏易詁易象補遺。

"The phrase 'attached to the golden brake' refers to binding a silk rope to the golden brake to stop it from moving, symbolizing that a yin line should not recklessly move to consume a yang line. Therefore, the following text says 'if one goes forward, there will be misfortune,' which conveys this meaning. 'Zhen Ji' means that the divination result is auspicious; 'going forward leads to misfortune' means that proceeding further will result in misfortune. 'Xun' represents a weak animal and a pig. The nature of 'Xun' is indecisive, hence the image of 'treading back and forth' (restless movement). The character 'lai' is read as 'lei' by Lu Ji according to the 'Shi Wen,' and Zheng Xuan's annotation also reads it as 'lei,' which is the same as in the 'Dazhuang' hexagram. 'Lei' means entanglement, and the characters 'lai,' 'lei,' and 'lei' are homophones and can be used interchangeably. 'Xun' represents a rope, hence 'lai' (entanglement); 'Xun' also represents concealment, hence 'pig.' 'Treading back and forth' refers to restlessness. 'A weak pig with faith treading back and forth' means that although the mother pig is bound, it still treads back and forth forward, indicating that it will inevitably do so, and should not be underestimated—this metaphorically represents that although a yin line is currently weak, it will inevitably grow stronger in the future. The image of 'Xun' as a pig has long been lost. For details, see my works 'Jiao's Glosses on the Changes' and 'Supplement to the Images of the Changes.'"

象曰：繫於金尼（左木），柔道牽也。玉篇「牽速也」。下九三象釋其行次且，曰行未牽也，是象傳亦訓牽為速。柔道牽者，言柔之為道，消陽甚速，故以金尼（左木）止之。諸家皆謂柔牽於二，失經旨。經旨恐陰進危陽，故止其動；象釋為柔道牽，申繫於金尼（左木）之故也。牽速之象取風疾，兼取巽繩。

The Xiao Xiang says: "Bound by the golden brake, the soft path is pulling." The Yu Pian says "qian means quick." The Xiao Xiang explanation for line nine three says "its movement is halting," explaining "movement has not yet been pulled." This shows that the Xiao Xiang also interprets "qian" as quick. "Soft path pulling" means that the soft path erodes the yang quickly, so the golden brake is used to stop it. All scholars say it refers to the yin being pulled by nine two, which misses the original meaning of the text. The original meaning of the text is to fear the ascending yin line harming the yang line, so it stops its movement. The Xiao Xiang's explanation of "soft path pulling" precisely explains why "bound by the golden brake" is used. "Qian" has the meaning of quickness, which is taken from the image of "Xun" wind's speed, and also takes "Xun" as a rope.

九二：苞有魚，無咎，不利實。苞今本作包，書禹貢「草木漸包」，釋文「或作苞」，是包苞古通，故虞氏作苞，見釋文。虞云「巽為白茅」，詩「白茅苞之」。巽為魚，二據陰居中，故曰苞有魚。巽為賓客，不利賓者，賓指上四陽，言初為二所據，四陽不能及初也。子夏傳作庖，而荀爽則作胞，胞 通，是皆以庖廚為義，然卦元是象，故虞氏合也。象曰：苞有魚，義不及賓也。二近，賓遠，故義不及。

The line statement for the second line says: "There is a fish in the bundle, no fault, but it is not favorable for the guests." The character "苞" in the present text is written as "包"; in the "Book of Documents · Yu Gong," it says "grass and trees gradually cover," and the "Shi Wen" explains that "it may also be written as '苞'." This shows that "包" and "苞" were interchangeable in ancient times, so Yu Fan's version uses "苞," as noted in the "Shi Wen." Yu Fan says "Xun represents white reed grass," and in the "Poetry · Zhao Nan · Wild Dead Roe Deer," there is a line that says "white reed grass covers it." "Xun" represents fish; since the second line occupies the yin of the first line and is in the central position of the lower trigram, it is said "there is a fish in the bundle." "Xun" represents guests; "not favorable for the guests" refers to the "guests" meaning the four yang lines above. This indicates that the first line has already been occupied by the second line, and the remaining four yang lines cannot reach the first line. The "Zi Xia Zhuan" writes this character as "庖," and Xun Shuang's version uses "胞." "Bao" and "pao" are interchangeable, and both derive their meaning from the kitchen; however, since this hexagram originally has the image of fish, Yu Fan's interpretation aligns better with the hexagram's imagery. The "Xiao Xiang" says: "There is a fish in the bundle, the meaning does not reach the guests." The second line is close to the first line, while the other guests are far away, so by reason they cannot reach it.

九三：臀無膚，其行次且，厲，無大咎。三居下卦之末，故亦曰臀。初陰爻，下爛，故曰無膚。乾為行，三得敵，故次且不前。然三當位，故雖危厲而無大咎也。舊解皆不知次且之故何在，而以復震為行為說，失之遠矣。象曰：其行次且，行未牽也。行未牽，即行未速，次且者卻行未前，故日未速。

The Line Statement for Nine in the Third Line says: The buttocks have no skin, walking is hesitant and not forward, there is danger and hardship, but there is no great fault. Nine in the Third is at the end of the Lower Trigram, so it is also called "buttocks." The First Line is yin, and below it there is a break and emptiness, so it is said "no skin." "Qian" represents movement; Nine in the Third meets both yin and yang lines above and below, which is "meeting an opponent," hence the hesitation and inability to move forward. However, Nine in the Third is a yang line in a yang position, so although there is danger and hardship, there is no great misfortune. Old annotations did not understand the reason for "ci ju," yet they used covering "Zhen" as movement to explain it, which is very far from the truth. The "Small Image" says: "Its movement is hesitant," meaning movement is not swift. "Hesitant" means retreating and not moving forward, so it is said to be not swift.

九四：苞無魚，起凶。四應初，疑於有魚，豈知初已為二所據，實無魚也。無魚則勿動，動應初則為二三所害，故凶。起，作也。象曰：無魚之凶，遠民也。陰為民，言四距初遠，故無魚也。

Nine in the Fourth Line Statement: There is no fish in the bag, and any movement will bring misfortune. Nine in the Fourth is in correspondence with Six at the Beginning, and it seems it should have fish; but in fact, Six at the Beginning has already been occupied by Nine in the Second, so there is really no fish. Since there is no fish, it should not move recklessly. Once it moves to correspond with Six at the Beginning, it will be harmed by Nine in the Second and Nine in the Third, hence the misfortune. 'Qi' means to act or move. The 'Small Image' says: The misfortune of having no fish is due to being distant from the people. The Yin line represents the people, meaning Nine in the Fourth is too far away from Six at the Beginning, so it cannot obtain the fish.

九五：以把苞瓜，含章，有隕自天。下巽為杞，上乾為圜，為瓜。孟子告於曰「以人性為仁義，猶以杞柳為否（左木）卷（左木）」，說文「否（左木）？也」，「卷（左木）屈木盂也」。以杞苞瓜者，言以杞柳之器盛瓜也。乾為大明，故曰章；瓜為所苞，故曰含章。五承乘皆陽，行窒，故含章自守。五天位，巽為隕，有隕自天者，言不久明消至二，五與為應，有隕落之險也。知其險而預為之備，則得矣，此聖人防微慮遠之意也。

The Line Statement of the Fifth Line: Using vessels made from杞柳 to hold gourds, which implies a subtle display of elegance, with something falling from the heavens. The lower trigram is 「巽」, representing杞, and the upper trigram is 「乾」, representing roundness and gourds. The Book of Mencius, in the section on the Son of Heaven, says, "Using human nature to practice benevolence and righteousness is like using杞柳 to make cups and bowls." The Shuowen Jiezi says, "桮 is a vessel," and "棬 is a bowl made by bending wood." "Using杞 to wrap the gourd" refers to using vessels made from杞柳 to hold gourds. 「乾」 represents great brightness, so it is said "to have a chapter" (i.e., to display elegance); the gourd is enclosed within, so it is said "to contain elegance." The fifth line is above the fourth and below the sixth, both of which are yang lines, so the path is obstructed, hence the need to contain elegance and remain in one's position. The number five is the heavenly position, and 「巽」 has the image of falling; "something falling from the heavens" indicates that the yin force will soon grow to the second position, and since the fifth line corresponds with the second, there is a danger of falling. Knowing the danger and preparing in advance is appropriate—this is the intention of the sage to prevent small problems from growing and to consider matters deeply.

自荀虞以來，皆不知左傳有風隕象，因之清儒亦皆不知，於是虞氏令四隕初之說，沿襲至今，而經義全晦。復六五曰敦復無侮，待陽息至二，五有應而古；此則廬陽消至二，五應之而凶。象曰：九五含章，中正也；有隕自天，志不時也。巽為命，舍命謂任命也。志不舍命者，言知其後有隕落之險，不任命而預防之也。

Since Xun Shuang and Yu Fan, no one has understood the example in the "Zuo Zhuan" that the trigram "Xun" (Wind) signifies falling objects, so Qing Dynasty scholars also remained unaware of this. Thus, Yu Fan's idea of letting the nine in the fourth position fall to the initial position has been passed down to the present day, completely obscuring the meaning of the classics. In the "Fu" hexagram, the six in the fifth line says "Dun Fu Wu Hui," which refers to the growth of yang energy reaching the second position, with the six in the fifth line having a corresponding line and thus being auspicious. Here, however, it is the decline of yin energy reaching the second position, and the nine in the fifth line corresponding with it leads to misfortune. The "Xiao Xiang" says: "The nine in the fifth line contains virtue, being central and upright; falling from the heavens, the mind does not abandon destiny." "Xun" represents destiny, and "abandoning destiny" means submitting to heavenly fate. "The mind does not abandon destiny" means that the nine in the fifth line, although aware of the danger of falling in the future, refuses to submit to fate and instead takes preventive measures in advance.

上九：尼（左木）其角，吝，無咎。乾為首，上九居乾之上，角之象也，故曰垢（左女）其角，然亦無大咎也。象曰：尼（左木）其角，上窮吝也。處亢龍之位，故窮吝。

The line statement for the topmost line (上九) says: meeting at the horn, there is hesitation, but no fault. "Qian" (Heaven) is the first, and the topmost line of the "Qian" hexagram is at the very top, symbolizing the image of a horn growing on the head, hence it is said "meeting at the horn." However, there is no great calamity. The "Small Commentary" says: meeting at the horn, it is the extreme of limitation. The topmost line is in the position of "the dragon soaring high brings regret" in the "Qian" hexagram, so it is both extreme and limited.