The Hexagram of Completion

易無思也，無為也，寂然不動，感而遂通天下之故。非天下之至神，其孰能與於此。夫易，聖人之所以極深而研幾也。惟深也故能成天下之志，唯幾也故能成天下之務，唯神也故不疾而速，不行而至。子曰，易有聖人之道四焉者，此之謂也。四謂尚辭尚變尚象尚占。

The Zhou Changes themselves have no thoughts or actions, remain still and silent, and once they are responded to, they connect with all things in the world. If it is not the most mysterious thing in the world, who could achieve this? The Zhou Changes are used by the sages to explore the profound and examine the subtle. Because it is profound, it can connect with the aspirations of people throughout the world; because it is subtle, it can accomplish the affairs of the world; because it is mysterious, it does not rush yet naturally moves swiftly, does not move yet naturally reaches its destination. Confucius said, "The Zhou Changes contain four aspects of the sage's way," referring to these. The four aspects are emphasizing words, emphasizing change, emphasizing hexagrams, and emphasizing divination.

天一地二，天三地四，天五地六，天七地八，天九地十。子曰，夫易何為而作也，夫易開物成務，冒天下之道，如斯而已者也。如斯而已者，言易道盡包括於十數之中也。本義從程氏，置於大衍章之前固謬妄；即據漢書置於天數五之上，仍未得也。如在彼處，則冒天下之道如斯而已數語，尚何指哉。須知如斯二字，即指天地數。

Heavenly numbers are one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. Confucius said: "What is the purpose of the Zhou Changes?" The Zhou Changes are a book that opens up all things and accomplishes all affairs, encompassing all the principles under heaven. This is all that can be said. The phrase "this is all that can be said" means that the principles of the Book of Changes are entirely contained within these ten numbers. Zhu Xi's "Original Meaning of the Zhou Changes" follows Cheng Yi's approach, moving this passage before the "Great Derivation" section, which is clearly wrong. Even if one follows the Han Shu and places it above the section "Heavenly number five," it is still inappropriate. If placed there, what would the words "encompassing all the principles under heaven, this is all that can be said" refer to? One must know that the two characters "like this" refer precisely to the numbers of heaven and earth above.

是故聖人以通天下之志，以定天下之業，以斷天下之疑。是故蓍之德國而神，卦之德方以知，六支之義易以貢。聖人以此洗，石經作先，諸家訓先為盡，實先洗古通用，莊子德充符不知先生之洗我以善邪，與此洗義同。心退藏於密，吉凶與民同患。神以知來，知以藏往，其孰能與於此哉。古之聰明睿知，神武而不殺衰也者夫。是以明於天之道，而察於民之故，是興神物，以前民用。聖人以此齋戒，以神明其德夫。

Therefore, the sage used the Zhou Changes to harmonize the aspirations of people throughout the world, establish the affairs of the world, and decide on the doubts of the world. Therefore, the divination with the yarrow stalks has a nature that is round and profound, while the hexagram structure has a nature that is square and wise. The meaning of the six lines lies in following the changes and informing people. The word "wash" in "washing the heart" in the phrase "圣人以此洗心" is written as "xian" in the Han stone classics, and various schools interpret "xian" as "complete." In fact, "xian" and "xi" were commonly used interchangeably in ancient times. The Zhuangzi mentions "not knowing whether the gentleman washes me with goodness," where the "wash" is of the same meaning. The sage uses it to purify the mind, retreat and hide in the secret place, and share the fortune and misfortune of the people. With profound insight into the future, and with wisdom containing the past, who can achieve this? Only those wise and intelligent people of old, who are strong and mighty without resorting to warfare. Therefore, they understood the heavenly way and observed the people's conditions, thus producing divination tools like the yarrow stalks and the tortoise shells to guide the people's daily lives. The sage used this to purify and concentrate his mind, making his virtue more divine.

是故闔戶謂之坤，闢戶謂之乾，一闔一闢謂之變，往來不窮謂之通，見乃謂之象，表乃謂之器，制而用之謂之法，利用出入，民咸用之謂之神。陽生於復，齊於巽，萬物相見，故曰辟戶；陰生於午，閉藏於亥，萬物收縮，故日闔戶，一闢一闔，往來不窮，故曰通，即消息卦之理也。貢釋文告也，京陸虞作工，荀作功，工功古通。

Therefore, closing the door is called "Kun," opening the door is called "Qian," one closing and one opening is called "bian," continuous movement is called "tong"; what is revealed is called "xiang," what takes shape and is visible is called "qi"; making it and using it is called "fa"; using it without hindrance, with people using it daily without knowing why, is called "shen." Yang energy begins to sprout from the Fu hexagram, reaches the Xun position and becomes orderly, so that all things become visible, hence called "bi hu"; Yin energy begins to sprout from the Wu position, reaches the Hai position and becomes concealed, so that all things contract and withdraw, hence called "he hu." One opening and one closing, continuous movement, is called "tong," which is the principle of the twelve message hexagrams. The character "gong," according to the "Classic Interpretation," is explained as "gao," while Jing Fang, Lu Ji, and Yu Fan read it as "gong," and Xun Shuang reads it as "gong." "Gong" and "gong" were interchangeable in ancient times.

是故易有太極，是生兩儀，兩枚生四象，四象生八卦，八卦定吉凶，吉凶生大業。說文，極棟也，中也。從坎至離，南北正中，中即極。極以西萬物終，是為陰儀。極以西萬物終，是為陰儀。陽少於子，老於已；陰少於午，老於亥，四象生矣。四象即四時，春少陽，夏老陽，秋少陰，冬老陰也。老陽老陰即九六，六陽少陰即七八，故四象定則八卦自生。太極者中，天地定位則陰陽分，兩儀也。坤下一陽生震，少陽也；二陽生兌，三陽乾則老陽矣。才陽之下生一陰巽，少陰也；二陰艮，三陰坤則老陰矣，六卦備矣。而水火則橫互於中，水火者乃交後之乾坤也。豎則為天地，東陽西陰；橫則為日用，南陽北陰，是故坎下震上艮，離上兌下巽，乾坤生六子，離坎兼四隅，故四象生八卦。

Therefore, the Zhou Changes (I Ching) speak of "the Taiji" (Supreme Ultimate), from which "the two principles" (Yin and Yang) arise. From the two principles come "the four images" (Wuxiang), and from the four images come "the eight trigrams" (Bagua). The eight trigrams determine fortune and misfortune, and fortune and misfortune give rise to great achievements. The Shuowen Jiezi says that "ji" means the central beam of a roof, and also means "center." From the Kan position to the Li position, it is exactly in the middle of north and south, and this "center" is the "ji." From the center to the west, all things tend toward completion, which is the "Yin principle" (this sentence was repeated in the original text, and one of the sentences should be "from the center to the east, all things begin, which is the Yang principle"). Yang energy is weak at the Zi position and becomes old at the Si position; Yin energy is weak at the Wu position and becomes old at the Hai position, thus the four images are produced. The four images correspond to the four seasons: spring is the "young Yang," summer is the "old Yang," autumn is the "young Yin," and winter is the "old Yin." The old Yang and old Yin are nine and six, while the young Yang and young Yin are seven and eight. Therefore, once the four images are fixed, the eight trigrams naturally arise. The Taiji is the "center"; once the positions of heaven and earth are determined, Yin and Yang are separated, which is the two principles. Below the坤 (Earth) trigram, one Yang produces Zhen (Thunder), which is the young Yang; two Yangs produce Dui (Lake); three Yangs fully present produce Qian (Heaven), which is the old Yang. Below the Qian (Heaven) trigram, one Yin produces Xun (Wind), which is the young Yin; two Yins produce Gen (Mountain); three Yins fully present produce Kun (Earth), which is the old Yin. Thus, the six trigrams are complete. Water and fire run through the center, and water and fire are actually the products of the union of Qian and Kun. Vertically, it is heaven and earth, with the east being Yang and the west being Yin; horizontally, it is the use of the sun and moon, with the south being Yang and the north being Yin. Therefore, Kan is below and Zhen is above, with Gen in between; Li is above and Dui is below, with Xun in between. Qian and Kun produce the six subordinate trigrams, while Li and Kan oversee the four corners. Thus, it is said, "the four images give rise to the eight trigrams."

是故法象莫大乎天地，變通莫大乎四時，縣象著明莫大乎日月，崇高莫大乎富貴。備物致用，立成器以為天下利，莫大乎聖人。探賾索隱，鉤深致遠，以定天下之吉凶，成天下之AA？者，莫大乎蓍龜。是故天生神物，聖人則之；天地變化，聖人效之；天垂象見吉凶，聖人象之；河出圖，洛出書，聖人則之。易有四象，所以示也；繫辭焉所以告也；定之以吉凶，所以斷也。天地者乾坤，四時者離坎震兌，離坎又為日月。艮山為崇為貴，巽為高為利市，故為富。合乾坤離坎，震兌艮巽，而八卦之用全，故下曰備物致用。左傳定四年，會同離噴有煩言，注嘖至也，噴賾通。探賾者，探其深至也；隱者伏也，索隱者言正象之旁，尚有伏象，須索之也。河出圖，洛出書，自然屬於感應符瑞之事，故與神物並言，以見易之所自出，而聖人則之也。

Therefore, the model for imitation and taking images is none greater than heaven and earth; the transformation and communication of change is none greater than the four seasons; the hanging in the sky with bright light is none greater than the sun and moon; the lofty is none greater than wealth and honor. Preparing objects, displaying their functions, creating tools to benefit the world, is none greater than the sage. Investigating complexity, searching for hidden things, drawing out the profound, and summoning from afar, to determine the fortune and misfortune of the world and accomplish the world's diligent endeavors, is none greater than the yarrow stalks and turtle shells. Therefore, heaven produces divine objects, and the sage takes them as a model; when heaven and earth change, the sage imitates them; when heaven shows signs and reveals fortune and misfortune, the sage imitates them; when the Yellow River produces a diagram and the Luo River produces a book, the sage takes them as models. The Zhou Yi has four trigrams, used to display; attaching words, used to inform; using fortune and misfortune to decide, used to make decisions. "Heaven and earth" are Qian and Kun; "the four seasons" are Li, Kan, Zhen, and Dui. Li and Kan are also the sun and moon. Gen represents mountain, so it is lofty and honorable; Xun represents height and "threefold profit," so it is also rich. Qian, Kun, Li, Kan, Zhen, Dui, Gen, and Xun together complete the functions of the eight trigrams, so the following text says "preparing objects and achieving their use." The Zuo Zhuan records in the fourth year of King Ding's reign that "meeting and joining are difficult, and the profound has many words," Du Yu's annotation says "ze" is "to reach," and "ze" and "ze" are homophones. So "exploring the profound" means investigating its deepest aspects; "hidden" means concealed, and "searching for the hidden" means that beside the obvious image there are hidden images, which must be sought out. The "Yellow River producing a diagram, the Luo River producing a book" originally belong to the category of感应符瑞 (response and auspicious signs), so they are mentioned together with "divine objects" to explain the origin of the Zhou Yi, and the sage takes them as models.

惟圖書究為何物，集解引孔安國注云，河圖八卦也。按五行志云，劉歆以為伏羲繼天而王，受河圖，則而畫之，八卦是也。又禮運河出馬圖，鄭注，龍馬負圖而出，疏引中侯握中紀云，伏羲有天下，龍馬負圖出於河，遂法之作八卦，是伏羲則河圖作八卦，漢人多如此言。然曰則之法之，則河圖別為一物，非河圖即八卦明甚。若河圖即八卦，尚胡云則之法之乎。孔說非也。

But what exactly are the River Chart and the Luo Writing? Li Dingzuo's "Collected Explanations of the Zhou Changes" cites Kong Anguo's commentary, saying that the River Chart is the Eight Trigrams. According to the "Book of Han · Records of the Five Elements," Liu Xing believed that Fuxi received the River Chart as a mandate from heaven and modeled the Eight Trigrams after it. Also, the "Rites of Zhou · Rituals of the Great Harmony" mentions "the River produces the horse diagram," and Zheng Xuan's commentary says that a dragon horse carried the diagram on its back and emerged from the River. Kong's commentary also cites "The Records of the Shang Book · Holding the River," which states that when Fuxi ruled the world, a dragon horse carrying the diagram emerged from the Yellow River, and Fuxi then modeled the Eight Trigrams after it. This shows that Fuxi modeled the Eight Trigrams after the River Chart, and most Han dynasty scholars held this view. However, since it says "modeling after it" and "learning from it," the River Chart must be a separate entity, and the River Chart is not the Eight Trigrams. This is clear. If the River Chart were the Eight Trigrams, then what would be the meaning of "modeling after" or "learning from"? Therefore, Kong Anguo's statement is incorrect.

惟河圖究為何狀，莫有言者。至宋人以五行數當之，一六北方水，二七南方火，三八東方木，四九西方金，五十中央土，共五十五數。此數之見於古籍者，如太玄云，三八木，二七火，四九金，一六水，五五土。月令其日甲乙，其數八；其日丙丁，其數七；其日庚辛，其數九；其日壬癸，其數六；其日戊已，其數五。墨子書迎敵，其方數東方八，南方七，西方九，北方六。

As for the actual shape of the Yellow River Chart, no one has ever been able to describe it. By the Song dynasty, people began to compare it with the numbers of the Five Phases: one and six belong to water in the north, two and seven to fire in the south, three and eight to wood in the east, four and nine to metal in the west, and five and ten to earth in the center, totaling fifty-five numbers. This system of numbers appears in ancient texts. For example, Yang Xiong's "Ta Xuan" says that three and eight correspond to wood, two and seven to fire, four and nine to metal, one and six to water, and five and five to earth. The "Liji · Yueling" states that for days belonging to Jia and Yi, the number is eight; for those belonging to Bing and Ding, it is seven; for those belonging to Geng and Xin, it is nine; for those belonging to Ren and Gui, it is six; and for those belonging to Wu and Ji, it is five. The "Mozigong · Yingdi Ci" discusses the numbers of the directions, with eight for the east, seven for the south, nine for the west, and six for the north.

大戴禮，孤子朝，孤子八人以成春事；司馬爵士之有度者七人，以成夏事；食農夫九人，以成秋事；司空息國老六人，以成冬事。黃帝素問，其方數東方八，南方七，西方九，北方六。其方，其時，其數，皆與此圖同。而墨子在春秋時即言之，可謂古矣。然各家只言其數，不言其名，不知宋人以此數當河圖，究何所據。

The Dai Dai Li Ji says that the Son of Heaven meets eight orphaned youths to complete the rites of spring; the Minister of War selects seven virtuous men to complete the rites of summer; nine farmers are entertained for the rites of autumn; and the Minister of Works comforts six elderly people in the country to complete the rites of winter. The Su Wen of the Huang Di Neijing discusses the numbers of the four directions, also stating eight for the east, seven for the south, nine for the west, and six for the north. These records use directions, seasons, and numbers that all correspond with the so-called numbers of the Yellow River Chart. The Mozi had already mentioned this in the Spring and Autumn period, which makes it quite ancient. However, all schools only mention these numbers without giving them a name, and it is unclear why the Song people regarded these numbers as the Yellow River Chart.

至於洛書，孔安國謂即九疇。五行志，劉歆謂禹治洪水，錫洛書，法而陳之，洪範是是也。並謂自初一曰五行，至畏用六極，凡此六十五字，皆洛書本文，是孔劉皆以洛書為九疇。然鄭注引春秋緯云，河龍圖發，洛龜書成，河圖九篇，洛書六篇。論衡云，河圖洛書，言興衰存亡，是又皆以為書名，與今宋人所傳戴九履一之數大異。

As for the Luo Book, Kong Anguo said it was the same as the "Hongfan" Nine Categories. The "Han Shu · Wu Xing Zhi" records Liu Xin's view: Da Yu controlled the floods, and heaven bestowed upon him the Luo Book, which he then unfolded, thus the "Hongfan" came into being; Liu Xin also believed that the sixty-five characters from "Chuyi yu Wuxing" to "Wei yong liu ji" were all the original text of the Luo Book. Thus, Kong Anguo and Liu Xin both regarded the Luo Book as the Nine Categories. However, Zheng Xuan's commentary cites the "Chunqiu Wei" saying that the Dragon Pattern emerged from the Yellow River and the Turtle Writing was formed from the Luo River, the He Tu had nine chapters, and the Luo Shu had six chapters; Wang Chong's "Lunheng" said that the He Tu and Luo Shu spoke about matters of rise and fall, existence and demise. These two accounts regarded them as names of books, differing greatly from the numerical system of "Daijiu lu yi" passed down by the Song dynasty scholars today.

其說戴九履一之數者，乾鑿度云，一陰一陽合十五，太一取其數以行九宮，四正四維，皆合於十五，則正與今書數合。又大戴禮，明堂者九室，二九四，七五三，六一八，即今書之橫圖數，九室即九宮。又孫星衍云，北周甄鸞注數術記遺九宮算云，九宮者即二四為肩，六八為足，左三右七，戴九履一，五居中央。

The "Wearing Nine and Carrying One" system of numbers is explained in the "Yi Wei Qian Zao Du" as follows: one yin and one yang combine to make fifteen, and the Great One moves according to this number within the nine palace arrangement. The sum of the four cardinal directions and the four corners equals fifteen, which exactly matches the numbers in the current transmission of the Luo Writing. Additionally, the "Da Dai Li Ji" states that the Bright Hall has nine rooms arranged as 2, 9, 4; 7, 5, 3; 6, 1, 8, which are precisely the horizontal numbers of the current Luo Writing. The nine rooms correspond to the nine palaces. Sun Xingyan also mentions that the Northern Zhou dynasty's Zhen Luun annotated the "Shu Shu Ji Wei," explaining the nine palace algorithm. The nine palaces are said to have two shoulders made by 2 and 4, two feet made by 6 and 8, three on the left, seven on the right, nine on top, one at the bottom, and five in the center.

又鄭注太一下行九宮云，太一行始坎，次坤，次震，次巽，復息於中宮。按坎數一，坤二，震三，巽四，中宮五，是太一之行，按一二三四五之序也。又云自中官至乾，次兌，次艮，次離，一周畢矣。按乾西北數六，兌西數七，艮東北數八，離正南九，是太一之行，又自五而六七八九也。故曰四正四維，數合十五也。

Zheng Xuan explains "the Great One moves through the nine palaces" and further says: the Great One starts its movement from Kan, then goes to Kun, then to Zhen, then to Xun, and rests in the Central Palace. According to the numbers, Kan is one, Kun is two, Zhen is three, Xun is four, and the Central Palace is five. This shows the Great One moves in the order of one, two, three, four, and five. Zheng Xuan also says: from the Central Palace, it goes to Qian, then to Dui, then to Gen, then to Li, completing the cycle. According to the numbers, Qian in the Northwest is six, Dui in Due West is seven, Gen in the Northeast is eight, and Li in Due South is nine. This shows the Great One continues from five to six, seven, eight, and nine. Therefore, the numbers of the four cardinal directions and the four corners add up to fifteen.

然則今洛書，據大戴禮乾鑿度鄭注甄駕注，皆名曰九宮，不謂為洛書。其謂為洛書者，只北周廬辯注大戴禮云，記用九室，謂法龜文，然他古籍皆不如是言也。河圖洛書既茫昧難明，至宋人以五行數九宮數當之，誠不知其何所據。然孔劉以九宮數為九疇，獨不思則之者，則以畫卦，畫卦者伏義，洛書禹時出，伏義安能則之，不尤誤乎。

Thus, according to the accounts in the "Da Dai Li Ji," the "Qian Zao Du," Zheng Xuan's annotations, and Zhen Luán's annotations, the so-called Luo Shu of today is only referred to as "jiu gong" and not called Luo Shu. Only Lu Bian of the Northern Zhou dynasty, when annotating the "Da Dai Li Ji," mentioned that the nine rooms used in the text were modeled after the patterns on a turtle's back. However, other ancient texts do not say this. The origins of the He Tu and Luo Shu have always been obscure and unclear. Later, Song dynasty scholars compared them with the numbers of the Five Phases and the numbers of the nine rooms, but it is unclear what basis they relied on. As for Kong An Guo and Liu Xin, who regarded the numbers of the nine rooms as the nine categories of the "Hong Fan," they failed to realize that "taking it as a model" means taking it as a model for drawing the trigrams. The person who drew the trigrams was Fuxi, while the Luo Shu appeared during the time of Yu the Great. How could Fuxi have taken it as a model? This is not even more wrong.

按禮緯含文嘉云，伏羲德合上下，天應以鳥獸文間，地應以河圖洛書，乃則以作易。又河圖挺輔佐云，黃帝問道於天老，天老日，河出龍圖，洛出龜書，所紀帝錄，列聖人之姓號。據是則洛書亦出伏羲時，出於伏羲時，方能則以畫卦。後漢學家襲孔劉之說，定謂洛書出禹，皆誤也。四象，或云指七八九六，或云指上神物變化垂象圖書四者，又有謂指分二掛一揲四歸奇者。愚按指七八九六者是也，七八九六即南北東西，即春夏秋冬也。

According to the "Rites Weave · Han Wen Jia," Fuxi's virtue reached up to heaven and down to earth. Heaven responded to him with the patterns of birds and beasts, and the earth responded to him with the Yellow River Chart and the Luo Writing. He thus took these as models to compose the Book of Changes. Another source, the "Yellow River Chart Supporting Ministers," says that the Yellow Emperor asked Tianlao about the great way. Tianlao said that the Yellow River produced a dragon chart and the Luo River produced a turtle book, which recorded the names of emperors and arranged the surnames of sages. Based on this, the Luo Writing also appeared in the time of Fuxi. It was precisely because it appeared in Fuxi's time that it could be taken as a model for drawing the trigrams. Later Han scholars followed the views of Kong An Guo and Liu Xin, insisting that the Luo Writing appeared during the time of Yu the Great, which is incorrect. As for the "Four Images," some say they refer to the numbers seven, eight, nine, and six. Others say they refer to the four things mentioned above: divine creatures, transformation, divine signs, and the charts. Still others say they refer to the four procedures: dividing into two, hanging one, counting four, and returning the odd. I believe the view that they refer to the numbers seven, eight, nine, and six is correct. The numbers seven, eight, nine, and six represent the four directions, namely north, south, east, and west, or the four seasons, namely spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

易曰，自天佑之，吉無不利。子曰，佑者助也，天之所助者順也，人之所助者信也，履信思乎順，又以尚賢也，是以自天佑之，吉無不利也。此釋大有上九爻義，或言是錯簡，宜在前七爻之下。大有六五承陽，五天位，承順也，是天以順佑上也。乾為人為信，二應五，五孚於上，故曰人之所助者信。上履信思順，又二應五得尚于中行，是尚賢也，故無不利。

The Book of Changes says: "If heaven aids, there is no misfortune and all things are favorable." Confucius explains that "aid" means assistance. The one aided by heaven is the one who follows the way of heaven; the one aided by the people is the one who is trustworthy. If one fulfills trustworthiness and maintains a mind in harmony with the way, and also honors the virtuous, then he will be aided by heaven, and all things will be favorable. This passage explains the meaning of the upper ninth line of the Great Possession hexagram; some people, however, say it is misplaced and should be placed after the seventh line. The sixth line of the fifth position in Great Possession receives the yang line above it. The fifth position is the heavenly position, and receiving it means following, which is heaven aiding the upper ninth line through following the way. The trigram Qian represents people and trustworthiness. The ninth line of the second position corresponds with the sixth line of the fifth position. The sixth line of the fifth position is also trustworthy toward the upper ninth line, so it is said that "the people aid the trustworthy." The upper ninth line fulfills trustworthiness and maintains a mind in harmony with the way, and with the ninth line of the second position corresponding to the sixth line of the fifth position and "honoring the virtuous in the middle way," this is honoring the virtuous, hence there is no misfortune in anything.

八卦成列，象在其中矣。因而重之，爻在其中矣。剛柔相推，變在其中矣。繫辭焉而命之，動在其中矣。天地定位，乾坤列南北；日月縣象，離坎列東西；山澤通氣，艮兌列西北東南；雷風相薄，震巽列東北西南。三畫舉而八卦全，凡萬物之象，我不包括於八卦之中，故象在其中。因八卦重八卦，兼三才而兩之故六，六方有爻。說文爻交也，一與四交，二與五交，三與上交，故三畫只有象，六畫始有爻。相推指消息。

The eight trigrams are arranged in a sequence, and the forms of things are contained within them; when they are superimposed two by two, the lines appear; the interaction of yin and yang leads to change; when the text is attached to explain them, the principles of action are contained within them. Heaven and Earth are positioned, with Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth) placed in the north and south respectively; the sun and moon are suspended in the heavens, with Li (Fire) and Kan (Water) placed in the east and west respectively; the mountain and marsh communicate, with Gen (Mountain) and Dui (Lake) placed in the northwest and southeast respectively; thunder and wind press against each other, with Zhen (Thunder) and Xun (Wind) placed in the northeast and southwest respectively. The trigrams of three lines are combined to form the eight trigrams, and all forms of things are included within the eight trigrams, so it is said that "the images are contained within them." By superimposing the eight trigrams upon each other, they incorporate the three elements and double them, thus forming six lines; only with six lines do the lines appear. The "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" says that "yao" means crossing: the first line crosses with the fourth, the second with the fifth, and the third with the top line, so the trigrams of three lines contain only images, while the trigrams of six lines contain lines. "Xiang tui" refers to the shifting of the changing trigrams.

吉凶悔吝者，生乎動者也。剛柔者立本者也，變通者趨時者也。吉凶者貞勝者也，天地之道，貞觀者也；日月之道，貞明者也；天下之動，貞夫一者也。貞勝姚信讀作貞稱，貞常也，言吉凶之道，無不與陰陽相稱也。按勝稱音近古通，考工記角不勝乾，乾不勝筋，謂之不參，注，勝或作稱；晉語曰，中不勝貌，韋注，勝當為稱。天地謂二五，二五中正，中正以觀天下，故曰貞觀。坎月離日，大明終始，故曰貞明。一者神也，神也者，妙萬物而為言者也，故動貞於一。

Misfortune and fortune, regret and hardship, all arise from movement. Strength and softness establish the foundation, while change and adaptability follow the circumstances. Fortune and misfortune depend on the correspondence with the constant principles: the way of heaven and earth reveals the constant, the way of sun and moon radiates constantly, and all changes in the world return to the constant "one." "Zhen Sheng" is read by Yao Xin as "Zhen Chen," meaning "Zhen" refers to the constant, indicating that the principles of fortune and misfortune always correspond with yin and yang. Since the characters "Sheng" and "Chen" are phonetically similar, they were commonly used interchangeably in ancient times. The "Kao Gong Ji" says, "The horn does not surpass the dry, the dry does not surpass the sinew, called 'not participation,' " with a note stating that some versions of "Sheng" are "Chen." The "Guoyu · Jin Yu" says, "Middle does not surpass appearance," with Wei Zhao's note stating that "Sheng" should be "Chen." "Heaven and earth" refer to the second and fifth lines, which are in the center and upright, observing the world with the principle of uprightness and correctness, hence "Zhen Guan." Kan represents the moon, Li represents the sun, their light continues without interruption, hence "Zhen Ming." "One" is the spirit; the term "spirit" describes its subtle accomplishment of all things, so all changes are determined by "one."

夫乾確然示人易矣，夫坤貴（左阜）然示人簡矣。爻也者效此者也，象也者像此者也。義皆與前復，以非一人所記錄。爻象動乎內，吉凶見乎外，功業見乎變，聖人之情見乎辭。天地之大德曰生，聖人之大寶曰位，何以守位曰人，何以聚人曰財，理財正辭，禁民為非曰義。內內卦，外外卦。乾鑿度云，易氣從下生，故動於地之下，則應乎天之下；動於地之中，則應於天之中；動於地之上，則應於天之卜，故曰爻象動乎內，吉凶見乎外。守位曰人，人王肅桓玄等作仁，仁人古通。禮器碑四方士仁，士仁即士人；論語問管仲，曰人也，即仁人也；又仁者雖告之曰，井有仁焉，其從之也，有仁即有人，何晏注謂仁人墮井，誤。

Heavenly Mandate is strong and firm, revealing the principles of the Book of Changes to people; Earthly Mandate is gentle and submissive, revealing the principle of simplicity to people. The lines are modeled after these principles, and the images are imitations of these principles. These sentences are all repetitions of what was said before, indicating that the Great Treatise was not written by a single person. The lines and images change within the hexagram, and thus fortune and misfortune appear outside. Achievements are manifested through change, and the mind of the sage is expressed through words. The greatest virtue of heaven and earth is called "life," and the greatest treasure of the sage is called "position." By what means is one able to hold a position? By people. By what means can one gather people? By wealth. Managing wealth, regulating speech, and preventing the people from wrongdoing is called "righteousness." "Inner" refers to the inner trigram, and "outer" refers to the outer trigram. The "Diao Du" says: The energy of the Book of Changes arises from below, so when it arises in the lower part of the earth, it corresponds to the lower part of heaven; when it arises in the middle part of the earth, it corresponds to the middle part of heaven; when it arises in the upper part of the earth, it corresponds to the upper part of heaven. Therefore, it says, "The lines and images move within, and fortune and misfortune appear outside." The "person" in the phrase "By what means is one able to hold a position? By person" was written as "benevolence" in the versions of Wang Su and Huan Xuan. "Benevolence" and "person" were interchangeable in ancient times. The "Liji Bei" has "Four directions' scholars, benevolence," meaning "scholars of benevolence," which is the same as "scholars of persons." In the "Lunyu," when asked about Guan Zhong, Confucius answered, "Person," meaning "benevolent person." It also says, "A benevolent person, even if told that there is benevolence in a well, would follow it," meaning "there is a person," and the annotation by Huan Yan interpreted it as a benevolent person falling into a well, which is incorrect.

古者包犧氏之王天下也，仰則觀象於天，俯則觀法於地，觀鳥獸之文，與地之宜，近取諸身，遠取諸物，於是始作八卦，以通神明之德，以類萬物之情。近取諸身，如乾首坤腹震足等是；遠取諸物，如乾馬坤牛艮狗兌羊等是。凡物皆有陰陽，有陰陽則相感而有情，有情則相聚相合而為類，故曰以類萬物之情。作結繩而為罔罟，以佃以漁，蓋取諸離。離中爻類為繩，離重目故為罔署，罔罷皆目也。以罔罟取獸於陸曰佃，取魚於澤曰漁。

In ancient times, Fuxi ruled over the world. He looked up to observe the phenomena in the heavens, looked down to study the principles on the earth, observed the patterns of birds and beasts and the suitability of the land. He took inspiration from his own body for nearby things and from all things in the world for distant ones. Thus he began to create the Eight Trigrams, using them to connect with the virtue of the divine and to classify the forms of all things. "Taking from the body" refers to things like Qian representing the head, Kun representing the abdomen, and Zhen representing the feet. "Taking from objects" refers to things like Qian representing a horse, Kun representing an ox, Gen representing a dog, and Dui representing a sheep. All things have yin and yang. When yin and yang interact, they generate feelings. When there are feelings, things gather and combine into categories. Therefore, it is said that the trigrams "classify the feelings of all things." He wove ropes into nets, using them for hunting and fishing. This was modeled after the trigram Li. The middle line of Li resembles a rope, and Li is also a double eye, so it was used to represent a net. A net is made up of many mesh holes. Using a net to catch animals on land is called "dian," and using it to fish in marshes is called "yu."

包犧氏沒，神農氏和，亞（有邑）木為鋁，揉木為耒，耒耨之利，以教天下，蓋取諸益。益巽為木，震為足故為鋁，鋁耒頭金也；震為耕故為耒，耒耕具也。中爻艮手，故曰刺地。故亞（右邑）木使銳，而冒以金，使人地易；來形曲，故揉之使曲。

After Fuxi died, Shen Nong rose to prominence, cutting wood to make the plowshare and bending wood to make the plow handle. The plow and plowshare were used for farming and taught to the people, which is symbolized by the hexagram "Yi" (Benefit). In the hexagram "Yi", the trigram Xun (Wind) represents wood, and the trigram Zhen (Thunder) represents feet, thus symbolizing the plowshare—the plowshare has a metal blade at its head. The trigram Zhen also represents farming, thus symbolizing the plow—the plow has a handle for farming. The interacting trigrams in the middle are Gen (Mountain), representing hands, so it signifies piercing the earth. Therefore, wood is cut to be sharp and then a metal blade is attached to make it easier to pierce the soil. The shape of the plow is curved, so the wood is bent into a curve.

日中為市，致天下之民，聚天下之貨，交易而退，各得其所，蓋取諸噬嗑。噬嗑離在上，放曰日中；互艮為市，坎為聚，為眾，為民，震為貨為歸，故曰交易而退。神農氏沒，黃帝堯舜氏作，通其變使民不倦，神而明之，使民宜之。易窮則變，變則通，通則大，是以自天佑之，吉無不利。黃帝堯舜垂衣裳而天下治，蓋取諸乾坤。乾為衣，坤為裳，上衣下裳，乾上坤下，故曰取諸乾坤。自黃帝以前，只短衣，以禦寒，無所謂威儀；至黃帝始服冕垂衣，襟袖寬博，彬彬下垂；至堯舜更象日月星辰山龍服，而衣裳之文采大備。

At noon, a market is set up, attracting people from all over the world, gathering goods from everywhere, and after transactions are completed, everyone leaves with what they need. This is roughly symbolized by the Hexagram of噬嗑. In the Hexagram of噬嗑, the trigram Li (Fire) is at the top, so it is said 'noon'; the interacting trigrams form Gen (Mountain), representing the market, and Kan (Water) representing gathering, people, and the common folk, while Zhen (Thunder) represents goods and returning, so it is said 'transactions and then retreat'. After Shen Nong passed away, the Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun emerged, harmonizing the changes of things so that the people would not feel weary, and they made these changes clear in a mysterious way, allowing everyone to find their proper place. The Way of the Book of Changes reaches its limit and then changes, and when it changes, it becomes unobstructed, and when it becomes unobstructed, it becomes vast and enduring, thus receiving the blessing of heaven, being auspicious and beneficial in all things. The Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun governed the world with ease, and this is roughly symbolized by the Hexagrams of Qian and Kun. Qian represents the upper garment, and Kun represents the lower garment. Upper garment and lower garment correspond exactly to Qian on top and Kun below, so it is said to be symbolized by Qian and Kun. Before the Yellow Emperor, people only wore short clothes to keep warm, and there was no mention of ceremony or decorum; it was only with the Yellow Emperor that people began to wear caps and flowing robes, with wide sleeves that gracefully fell; by the time of Yao and Shun, they added patterns of sun, moon, stars, mountains, and dragons, making the patterns on their garments very complete.

刳木為舟，炎（左手）不木為揖，舟揖之利，以濟不通，致遠以利天下，蓋取諸渙。渙上巽為木，下坎為揖，說文揖翟（左木）舟也。中爻震為舟，艮手故曰刳曰炎（左手）。刳說文判也，玉篇空物腸也，剖也。古之明無鋸，故剖木使中空以為舟也。震舟象失傳，虞翻等皆以渙為舟。杭辛齋謂日本易家以震為船。按易林大有之謙云，方船備水，以謙互震為船也。震為虛，故為舟船，歸妹上六承虛筐也，以震為虛也。

Carving a hollow out of wood to make a boat and sharpening wood to make oars, using the boat and oar to cross over obstacles and reach distant places to benefit the world, is likely based on the image of the Hexagram 47, "Huan" (Dispersal). The upper trigram of "Huan" is Xun (Wind), representing wood, and the lower trigram is Kan (Water), representing the oar. The "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" says that "jie" refers to the oar used for rowing. The intermediate trigrams of "Huan" include Zhen (Thunder), representing the boat, and Gen (Mountain), representing the hand. Therefore, "ku" refers to hollowing out, and "yan" refers to sharpening. "Ku," according to the "Shuo Wen Jie Zi," means to split open, and the "Yu Pian" says it means to hollow out the interior, which is also splitting open. In ancient times, there were no saws, so wood had to be split open and hollowed out to make a boat. The image of Zhen as a boat is an ancient symbol that has long been lost. Yu Fan and others took the Hexagram "Huan" itself as the boat. Hang Xinzhai said that Japanese scholars of the Yi Jing take Zhen as the boat. According to the "Jiao Shi Yi Lin" from the Hexagram "Da You" in "Qian," "Fang chuan bei shui" (a square boat ready for water), because the intermediate trigrams of "Qian" include Zhen, which is taken as the boat. Zhen has the image of emptiness, so it can be taken as a boat; the upper sixth line of "Gui Mei" says "Cheng xu kuang ye" (carrying an empty basket), which also takes Zhen as empty.

服牛乘馬，引重致遠，以利天下，蓋取諸隨。服牛即駕牛。說文牛部葡（左牛）下引易日葡（左牛）牛乘馬，而不言葡（左牛）義。陳壽棋曰，玉篇葡（左牛）皮秘切，服也，以鞍裝馬也；集韻葡（左牛）用牛也，通作用。據此服牛即駕牛也。易林歸妹之比云，申酉脫服，牛馬休息，脫服即馳駕也。隨互艮為牛，下震為馬，艮為引，巽為利，謂以牛馬引重致遠，以利濟天下也。艮牛象見無妄解。

Riding horses and driving oxen, pulling heavy loads and reaching distant places, thus benefiting the world, is probably based on the image of the Hexagram of Following. "Fú niú" means driving oxen. The "Shuowen Jiezi" under the "niú" section cites the "Yi" saying "fú niú chéng mǎ," but does not explain the meaning of "fú." Chen Shouqing says: the "Zuoyue" says "fú" is pronounced "pi bi" and means "to serve," referring to putting saddle on horses; the "Jiyun" says "fú" means to use oxen for labor, and is commonly used as "yòng." According to this, "fú niú" means driving oxen. The "Jiao's Forest of Changes · Gui Mei to Bi" says "Shen You tuo fu, niu ma xīxī," where "tuo fu" means removing the harness. The Hexagram of Following has the mutual trigrams of Gen (Mountain) representing oxen and Zhen (Thunder) representing horses. Gen represents pulling, Xun (Wind) represents benefit, meaning using oxen and horses to pull heavy loads and reach distant places, thus benefiting the world. According to the "Shuogua," it only mentions "Kun as oxen," while "Gen as oxen" is an extra image not mentioned in "Shuogua," and the evidence for this is detailed in the explanation of the Hexagram of Wuwang.

重門擊析，以待暴客，蓋取諸豫。豫艮為門，坤亦為門，故曰重門。又九家云，從外視之艮，故曰重門，是以正反艮為重門也。震為析，艮為擊，故曰擊檄。震為客，而決躁，故曰暴客。重門深密，擊檄警戒，皆所以備盜，中爻坎為盜也。

Setting up layers of gates and beating wooden梆s to patrol at night, used to guard against violent visitors, is probably based on the image of the Hexagram 17 (Yù, Joy). In the Hexagram Yù, the Qian trigram represents the gate, and the Kun trigram also represents the gate, so it is said "double gates." The Jiujia Yi also says that from the outside it is also Qian, so it is said "double gates," meaning that one Qian and one reverse Qian are taken as double gates. The Zhen trigram represents the wooden梆, and the Gen trigram represents striking, so it is said "beating the wooden梆." The Zhen trigram represents the visitor, and its nature is decisive and restless, so it is said "violent visitor." Setting up layers of gates tightly closed and beating the wooden梆 to patrol at night as a warning are all used to guard against thieves, and the intermediate trigram Kan in the middle is precisely the thief.

斷木為杵，掘地為臼，臼杵之利，萬民以濟，蓋取諸刃過。小過中爻巽為木為杵，兌毀折，故曰斷木為杵。震中虛為臼，艮為掘，掘地為臼，蓋以蜃灰，至之使堅，盛轂於中，春之以杵，而民食濟也。弦木為弧，剡木為失，弧矢之利，以咸天下，羞取諸睽。睽中爻坎為弧，為矢。弦說文弦說文弓弦也，弧說文木弓也。弦木為弧，言以弦牽本使曲成弧也。剡削也，削木使直成失也。離為威如，兌毀折，故曰威天下。

Cutting wood to make a pestle and digging the ground to make a mortar, the convenience of using the pestle and mortar allows the people to be provided for, which is symbolized by the hexagram of "Small Excess." In the hexagram of "Small Excess," the middle mutual trigrams include Xun (Wind), representing wood and the pestle, and Dui (Lake), indicating breaking and cutting, hence "cutting wood to make a pestle." The middle trigram Zhen (Thunder) represents the hollow space of the mortar, and Gen (Mountain) signifies digging, so digging the ground to make a mortar. It is probably referring to using shell ash to coat and compact the earth, making it hard, and then placing grain inside, using the pestle to pound it, thus ensuring the people's food supply. Making a bow by stretching wood with a string and sharpening wood to make arrows, the convenience of the bow and arrow is used to subdue the world, symbolized by the hexagram of "Strife." In the hexagram of "Strife," the middle mutual trigrams include Kan (Water), representing the bow and arrow. "String" is said in "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" to be the bow string, and "hu" is said to be a wooden bow. "Stringing wood to make a bow" means using the bow string to bend the wooden strip into a bow. "Yan" means to cut, so cutting the wood straight to make an arrow. Li (Fire) represents authority, and Dui (Lake) signifies breaking, hence "subduing the world."

上古穴居而野處，後世聖人易之以宮室，上棟下宇，以待風雨，蓋取諸大壯。大壯通觀，觀艮為穴為野，為宮室，巽為棟，在外卦，故曰上棟。艮為字，在巽下，故曰下宇。宇今俗所謂廊詹也。巽為風，兌為雨。兌為雨，舊解不用旁通，用正象，宜其不合也。

In ancient times people lived in caves and dwelled in the wild, but later sages used houses, with beams above and eaves below, to protect against wind and rain. This image is taken from the Hexagram of Great Strength. The Hexagram of Great Strength is complementary to the Hexagram of Observation. The Hexagram of Observation has the trigram of KUN representing caves, wilderness, and buildings, and the trigram of XUN representing beams, located in the outer trigram, so it is said "above the beams"; the trigram of KUN representing eaves is below the trigram of XUN, so it is said "below the eaves" — "eaves" refers to the eaves or corridor today. The trigram of XUN represents wind, and the trigram of DUI represents rain. The image of rain must be obtained through complementarity, but old interpretations did not use complementarity and only took the direct meaning of the original hexagram, which is why they failed to make sense.

古之葬者，厚衣之以薪，葬之中野，不封不樹，喪期無數，後世聖人易之以棺槨，蓋取諸大過。大過乾為衣，巽為薪，管輅以坎為棺槨，大過中實亦坎象，故亦象棺槨，漢儒以大過為列卦，蓋本此也。上古結繩而治，後世聖人易之以書契，百官以治，萬民以察，問取諸央。決（左無）上兌為覆巽，巽為繩，上古結繩紀事，今巽覆為兌，兌為斧，故曰書契。契刻也，呂氏春秋，契舟求劍是也。考工記，築氏為削，合六而成規，注今之書刀。蓋古用簡須以刀刻字，今殷墟掘出之甲骨文是也，故曰書契。兌為刀，斧，乾為圜，畫刀合六以成規，故取於決（左無）。

In ancient times, when burying the dead, they wrapped the body thickly in straw and buried it in the wilderness, without building a mound or planting trees, and there was no fixed period for mourning. Later sages changed this practice to using coffin and outer case, probably taking the symbolism from the hexagram "Great Excess." In the hexagram "Great Excess," the trigram Qian represents clothing, and Xun represents firewood; Guan Lu took Kan as representing the coffin and outer case. The fourth line of "Great Excess" is solid, while the upper and lower lines are empty, which is exactly the shape of Kan, so it can also be symbolized as coffin and outer case. Han scholars probably regarded "Great Excess" as the hexagram of death and mourning based on this. In ancient times, people used knotted ropes to govern, but later sages changed this to using written characters and carved marks. Officials used them to handle affairs, and common people used them to verify facts. This was probably symbolized by the hexagram "Great Elimination." In the hexagram "Great Elimination," the upper trigram Dui is the inverted Xun, and Xun represents ropes; in ancient times, this was the method of knotted ropes for recording events. Now, Xun is inverted to become Dui, which represents a斧刃, so it is called "book and carved marks." "契" means to carve, as in the phrase "carving a boat to find a sword" in the "Lüshi Chunqiu." The "Record of Craftsman" says that the master of building made a writing knife, and six of them together formed a circle. The commentary says this was the writing knife of that time. Probably, ancient people used bamboo or wooden slips, and they had to carve the characters with a knife. The oracle bones found at Yin墟 are exactly like this, so it is called "book and carved marks." Dui represents a knife or an axe, Qian represents a circle, and six carving knives together form a circle, so it is symbolized by the hexagram "Great Elimination."

是故易者象也，象也者像也。此聰明上取象之故也。凡易辭無不從象生，韓宣子適魯，不曰見周易，而曰見易象與魯春秋，誠以易者象也，象者像也。言萬物雖多，而八卦無不像之也。像俗宇，釋文，孟京虞姚董，還作象。象者材也。材猶言行能。阮元訓象為分，材與財裁通，言用此彖辭，說卦象而分之。爻者效天下之動者也，是故吉凶生而悔吝著也。動發也，爻交也，卦至六畫始有爻。動於下，應於上，故曰效。效之而當則吉，不當則凶也。

Therefore, the "Zhou Yi" discusses "xiang," which means "image" or "representation." This is precisely why the sages took images as their basis, as explained earlier. Every phrase in the "Zhou Yi" originates from images. When Han Xuanzi visited the state of Lu, he did not mention seeing the "Zhou Yi," but rather the "Yi Xiang" and the "Lu Chunqiu." This is because the "Yi" is the image, and the image is a representation. It means that although there are myriad things in the world, the eight trigrams can represent them all. The character "xiang" is a later common character; the "Classic Commentary" says that Meng Xi, Jing Fang, Yu Fan, Yao Xin, and Dong Yu all used the original character "xiang." The word "tuan" in "tuan zhe cai ye" refers to ability or talent. Yuan Ruan interpreted "tuan" as "fen," meaning "to divide," and "cai" is related to "cai" (resources) and "cui" (to cut), meaning that the "tuan" text is used to explain the image of the hexagram and to distinguish and judge it. "Yao" refers to following the movement of all things in the world, so good fortune and misfortune arise from it, and regret and hardship become evident. "Dong" means to initiate movement, and "yao" means to intersect; a hexagram only has "yao" when it has six lines. Movement occurs below and response occurs above, so it is called "xiang"; following the pattern properly leads to good fortune, while failing to do so leads to misfortune.

陽卦多陰，陰卦多陽，其故何也。陽卦奇，陰卦耦，其德行何也。陽一君而二民，君子之道也；陰二君而一民，小人之道也。韓注少者多之宗，一者眾之歸。陽卦二陰，故奇為之君；陰卦二陽，故耦為之主。後漢仲長統曰，易曰陽一君二臣，君子之道也；陰二君一臣，小人之道也。然則寡者為人上者也，眾者為人下者也，專以貴賤言。愚謂陽道行則世治，世治則一君二民而君權一；陰道盛則世亂，世亂則二君一民，而君權墜。管子霸言云，使天下兩天子，天下不可理也；一國而兩君，一國不可理也；一家而兩父，一家不可理也。不可理則亂，故曰小人之道。

In the case of a yang hexagram, there are more yin lines, and in the case of a yin hexagram, there are more yang lines. Why is this so? The lines of a yang hexagram are odd, and the lines of a yin hexagram are even. What is their virtue? A yang hexagram is like one ruler and two subjects, which represents the way of the gentleman; a yin hexagram is like two rulers and one subject, which represents the way of the petty person. Han Kangbo's commentary says: the few are the ones revered by the many, and the single one is the one to which all people look up. A yang hexagram has two yin lines, so the single odd line becomes its ruler; a yin hexagram has two yang lines, so the single even line becomes its ruler. Zhong Changtong of the Eastern Han dynasty said: The Book of Changes explains that a yang hexagram with one ruler and two ministers represents the way of the gentleman, while a yin hexagram with two rulers and one minister represents the way of the petty person. Thus, the few are above the many, and the many are below the few — he is entirely speaking from the perspective of rank and status. I think: when the way of yang prevails, the world is peaceful, and peace means one ruler and two subjects with the ruler's authority centralized; when the way of yin prevails, the world is chaotic, and chaos means two rulers and one subject with the ruler's authority falling. The Guanzi · Ba Yan says: if there are two emperors in the world, the world cannot be governed; if there are two rulers in a country, the country cannot be governed; if there are two fathers in a family, the family cannot be governed. When something cannot be governed, disorder arises, so it is called 'the way of the petty person'.

易曰，憧憧往來，朋從爾思。子曰，天下何思何慮，天下同歸而殊途，一致而百慮，天下何思何慮。釋成九四爻義。吾道一以貫之，朋從爾思，則百慮也；憧憧往來，則殊途也。然途雖殊而同歸於一，慮雖百亦終致於一，天下事貞於一而已，何思何慮哉。

The Book of Changes says: "Vainly coming and going, companions follow your thoughts." Confucius says: What is there in the world that can be thought about or considered? All things take different paths yet ultimately converge, and myriad considerations all lead to one point. What is there in the world that can be thought about or considered? This is an explanation of the fourth line of the Qian hexagram. Confucius says, "My way is unified throughout." "Companions follow your thoughts" refers to "myriad considerations," and "vainly coming and going" refers to "different paths." Although the paths may differ, they all end in one; although thoughts may be varied, they all converge in one. The affairs of the world are determined by one principle alone; what is there to think about or consider?

日往則月來，月往則日來，日月相推，而明生焉。寒往則暑來，暑往則寒來，寒暑相推，而歲成焉。往者屈也，來者信也，屈信相感，而利生焉。尺蠖之屈，以求信也；龍蛇之蟄，以存身也；精義入神，以致用也；利用安身，以崇德也。過此以往，來之或知也，窮神知化，德之盛也。咸互乾為日，上兌為月，至夕則日往而月來，至晨則月往而日來。往收藏也。乾為寒，坤為暑，乾息自復，至始而藏，坤陰用事；坤消自垢（左女），至復而藏，乾陽用事。寒暑互相推，而歲功以成。往則收藏故曰屈，來則用事故曰信。

The sun sets in the west and the moon rises, the moon sets in the west and the sun rises; the sun and moon move alternately, thus producing light. When cold passes, heat comes; when heat passes, cold comes; cold and heat alternate, thus completing a year. "Going" means bending, "coming" means extending; bending and extending interact with each other, thus producing benefits. The inchworm curls its body in order to extend itself; the dragon and the snake hide in order to preserve their lives. Studying the meaning and principles to reach a profound realm is for practical application; using the way skillfully to ensure personal stability is for cultivating virtue. Beyond this level, it is beyond human knowledge; exploring the profound and understanding the workings of nature is the peak of virtue. The hexagram "Xian" has the trigram Qian (Heaven) as its interacting trigram and the trigram Dui (Lake) as its upper trigram. In the evening, the sun goes and the moon comes; in the morning, the moon goes and the sun comes. "Going" means gathering and concealing. Qian represents cold, and Kun represents heat; Qian yang grows from the hexagram Fu, reaches the position of Si and then conceals, thus Kun yin takes command; Kun yin declines from the hexagram Gu, reaches the hexagram Fu and then conceals, thus Qian yang takes command. Cold and heat alternate, thus completing the achievements of a year. "Going" means gathering and concealing, thus it is called "bending"; "coming" means taking command and acting, thus it is called "extending."

尺蠖，屈信蟲也，見說文。又爾雅疏，蠖又呼步屈，言其以尾就首，屈而後信，舉步之形也。埤雅云，今人布指求尺，一屆一信，如蠖之步，謂之尺蠖。按詩小雅，螟嶺有子，果贏負之。螟蛉食槐葉蟲，色綠與葉若一，夏日細腰，以泥砌窠成，銜螟嶺人。螟蛉即尺蠖。成九四巽體，巽為蟲，蠖行以尾就首，先屈後信，故以為喻。咸艮位戌亥，互乾為龍，伏坤為蛇，乾坤合居於戌亥數無之地，故曰蟄，誰能蟄故能存身，乾傳所謂保合太和也。乾為神，坤為義，精義人神，謂乾坤合德於戍亥。易林云，乾坤利貞，乳生六子，六子生然後能致用，用利然後身安，身安則德自崇。蓋陰陽屈信，循環無端，不屈則不能信，不蟄則無以為存，陰陽往來，定理本如是也。

The "chihuo" is a kind of insect that moves by bending and stretching, as mentioned in the "Shuowen Jiezi." The commentary on the "Erya" also says that "chihuo" is also called "buqu," describing how it moves by moving its tail to the head position, bending first and then stretching, moving step by step. The "Piyaji" says that nowadays people spread their fingers to measure length and width, bending and stretching in a similar way, hence the name "chihuo." According to the "Book of Songs, Xiao Ya," it says, "Minglei has children, guoluo carries them." Minglei is a kind of insect that eats locust leaves, with a green color similar to the leaves; in summer, the narrow-waisted wasp builds a nest with mud and carries minglei into it. Minglei is actually chihuo. The "Xian" hexagram's nine in the fourth is in the trigram of Xun, which represents insects; chihuo moves by bending its tail to the head, first bending then stretching, so it is used as a metaphor. The "Xian" hexagram's mountain position is in Xu and Hai, and the interacting trigrams include Qian, representing a dragon, and the hidden trigram Kun, representing a snake. The trigrams Qian and Kun are located in Xu and Hai, which is the point where the number has reached its limit, so it is said "zhé" (hibernation). Because it can hibernate, it can preserve itself, which is what the "Commentary on the Judgment" of the "Qian" hexagram refers to as "baohe taihe." Qian represents the divine, and Kun represents righteousness; "jingyi rushen" means that Qian and Kun harmonize in Xu and Hai. The "Jiao's Forest of Changes" says, "Qian and Kun are advantageous in uprightness, giving birth to six sons." Only after the six sons are born can there be practical application; using it advantageously leads to stability of body and mind, and stability of body and mind leads to naturally elevated virtue. In general, the mutual bending and stretching of yin and yang has no beginning or end: without bending, there can be no stretching; without hibernation, there can be no preservation. This is the principle of the mutual movement of yin and yang.

易曰，困于石，據于疾藜，入于其宮，不見其妻凶。子曰，非所困而困焉，名必辱；非所據而據焉，身必危。既辱且危，死期將至，妻其可得見邪。坎隱伏故名辱，坎險故身危，坎為棺槨，故曰死。困六三爻義。易曰，公用射隼于高塔之上，獲之無不利。子曰，隼者禽也，弓矢者器也，射之者人也。君子藏器於身，待時而動，何不利之有。動而不括，是以出而有獲，語成器而動者也。解上震為器，為人，互坎故藏器，震為時，為動，動故不括。解上六天義。

The Book of Changes says: "Trapped by stone, resting on thornbushes, entering his house, not seeing his wife, misfortune." Confucius says: Being trapped where one should not be, reputation will certainly suffer; resting on something where one should not, personal safety will certainly be in danger. Suffering both disgrace and danger, death is near, how can one see his wife? The trigram Kan represents concealment, so reputation suffers; Kan represents peril, so personal safety is in danger; Kan represents coffin, so it refers to death. This is the meaning of the line Six in the Third of the Hexagram of Being Entrapped. The Book of Changes says: "The public shoots a falcon on a high wall, captures it, and there is no disadvantage." Confucius says: The falcon is a bird, the bow and arrow are tools, and the one shooting it is a person. The gentleman keeps the tools on his person, waits for the right time, and then acts, where could there be disadvantage? When action is taken without obstruction, so the result is immediate, which explains the principle of acting only when the tools are ready. The Hexagram of Resolution has the upper trigram Zhen, which represents tools and people, and the interacting trigrams include Kan, which explains "keeping the tools." Zhen represents timing and action, and action thus encounters no obstruction. This is the meaning of the line Six at the Top of the Hexagram of Resolution.

子曰，小人不恥不仁，不畏不義，不見利不動，不威不懲。小懲而大戒，此小人之福也。易曰履校滅趾無咎，此之謂也。此釋噬嗑初九爻義。震為動為威。善不積不足以成名，惡不積不足以又身。小人以小善為無益而弗為也，以小惡為無傷而弗去也，故惡積而不可掩，罪大而不可解。易曰何校滅耳，凶。此釋噬嗑上九爻義。

Confucius said: The petty person does not regard unrighteousness as shameful, nor does he fear injustice. He will not act unless he sees profit, and he does not take warning unless there is force applied. Suffering a small punishment and receiving a great warning, this is actually the fortune of the petty person. The Book of Changes says, "The fetter is removed from the foot, no blame," which explains this principle. This section explains the meaning of the first line of the Shexi hexagram. The Zhen trigram represents action and authority. Good deeds without accumulation are insufficient to establish a reputation, and evil deeds without accumulation are insufficient to destroy oneself. The petty person regards small goodness as unprofitable and refuses to do it, and regards small evil as trivial and refuses to change. Therefore, evil accumulates until it cannot be concealed, and the crime becomes too great to escape. The Book of Changes says, "The fetter is removed from the ear, misfortune." This section explains the meaning of the top line of the Shexi hexagram.

子曰，危者安其位者也，亡者保其存者也，亂者有其治者也。是故君子安而不忘危，存而不忘亡，治而不忘亂，是以身安而國家可保也。易曰其亡其亡繫于苞桑。此釋否九五爻義。子曰，德薄而位尊，知小而謀大，力小而任重，鮮不及矣。易曰鼎折足，覆公像，其形渥，言不勝其任也。此釋鼎九四爻。形渥，鄭虞皆作型劇，言因覆束（左食）而被大刑也，古字音同通用。王弼程傳以形為形體，王謂形渥為沾濡，程謂為汗澀，皆望文生義，不惟不審通假之例，且於經義顯違。以折足覆束（左食）之罪，只汗澀而已乎。本義多從程傳，獨此不從，誠以其陋也。觀此曰鮮不及矣，謂及於刑辟也，此可以定其是非也。

Confucius said: "What is meant by 'danger' is being content with one's position without caution; what is meant by 'loss' is believing one can maintain survival indefinitely; what is meant by 'chaos' is believing one has properly governed. Therefore, a gentleman remains cautious even in times of security, remembers the possibility of loss even when alive, and keeps in mind the risk of disorder even in times of peace. Thus, he ensures his own stability and the security of the state. The Book of Changes says, 'Its loss, its loss, bound to the mulberry tree.' This passage explains the meaning of the fifth line of the hexagram 'Obstruction.' Confucius said: A person with shallow virtue but high rank, limited wisdom but grand ambitions, and weak strength but heavy responsibilities is rarely without calamity. The Book of Changes says, 'The tripod breaks its leg, overturns the food, and the form is wet.' This refers to being unable to bear one's responsibilities. This passage explains the fourth line of the hexagram 'Tripod.' 'Form wet' is interpreted by Zheng Xuan and Yu Fan as 'punishment,' meaning that one suffers severe punishment for spilling the delicacies in the tripod. In ancient times, the characters were pronounced the same and used interchangeably. Wang Bi and Cheng Yi's commentaries on the Book of Changes take 'form' as body, with Wang Bi saying 'form wet' means being drenched, and Cheng Yi saying it means sweating profusely. Both are reading into the text and fail to understand the rules of homophonic substitution. Moreover, they clearly contradict the meaning of the text. To commit the grave offenses of breaking the tripod's leg and overturning the food, can it be considered merely as sweating? Zhu Xi's The Original Meaning of the Zhou Changes mostly follows Cheng's commentary, but he deviates here because Cheng's interpretation is too shallow. Looking at the Great Treatise which says 'few are spared,' it means inevitably suffering punishment. From this, one can determine who is right and who is wrong."

子曰，知幾其神乎。君子上交不謅，下交不瀆，其知幾乎。幾者動之微，吉之先見者也。君子見幾而作，不俟終日。易曰介于石，不終日，貞吉。介如石焉，寧用終日，斷可識矣。君子知微知彰，知柔知剛，萬夫之望。此釋豫六二爻義。左傳昭五年，於人為言，敗言為讒，廉下艮，震反，故曰敗言。豫與謙同體，亦正反震，故曰謅曰讀。蒙曰瀆則不告，以二至上正反震相對，言多故曰讀。豫亦正反震，故亦曰讀。繫辭與左傳之用正覆象，除易林外，無有喻者，故解左氏而誤，解易而誤，而謅與瀆之故，皆莫知其所自來矣。介研之省，硬也，故曰介如石。

Confucius said: To understand the subtle signs and minute changes is almost like approaching the divine. The superior man behaves without flattery towards superiors and without arrogance towards inferiors; this is understanding the subtle signs. "A few" refers to the subtle beginnings of change, the first manifestation of auspiciousness. When the superior man sees these signs, he acts immediately, without waiting for a whole day. The Book of Changes says, "Between the stone, not waiting for a whole day, the correct course is auspicious." Being firm as a rock, why wait for a whole day? The judgment can be made at once. The superior man understands both the subtle and the obvious, both the soft and the strong, and thus becomes the person whom all people look up to. This passage explains the meaning of the line Six in the Second of the Hexagram of Joy. The Zuo Zhuan, Year Five of Zhao Gong, says that adding "speech" to "person" makes "trust," and adding "speech" to "failure" makes "slander." The lower trigram of the Hexagram of Humility is K'un, and the upper trigram is Zhen, which is inverted, so it is said "slanderous speech." The Hexagram of Joy and the Hexagram of Humility come from the same source, and both contain a positive and a reversed Zhen, so it is said "flattery" and "disrespect." The Hexagram of Obstruction says "disrespectful speech is not told," because the line Two to the top line forms a positive and a reversed Zhen facing each other, and thus there is much speech, which is called "disrespect." The Hexagram of Joy also contains a positive and a reversed Zhen, so it is also said "disrespect." Both the Great Treatise and the Zuo Zhuan use the principle of positive and reversed images, but no one except Jiao's Forest of Changes understands this, so interpreting the Zuo Zhuan is wrong, and interpreting the Zhou Changes is also wrong. As for the origin of the words "flattery" and "disrespect," no one can explain them clearly. "Intermediate" is a shortened form of "砎," meaning hard, so it is said "as firm as a stone."

子曰，顏氏之子，其殆庶幾乎。有不善未嘗不知，知之未嘗復行也。易曰不遠復，無只悔，元吉。此釋復初爻義。天地煙（左繫）溫（左言），萬物化醇；男女構精，萬物化生。易曰，三人行則損一人，一人行則得其友，言致一也。損六三爻義。少男少女，爻無不交。艮為天，坤為地，為萬物，震為生。未交則陰陽分，既交則陰陽合德，所謂同聲同氣也，故曰致一。

Confucius said: The son of the Yan family, he is probably quite good. If there is something wrong, he does not fail to realize it, and once he knows, he does not repeat it. The Book of Changes says, "Not far from restoration, no great regret, original good fortune." This passage explains the meaning of the first line of the Hexagram of Restoration. The vital energies of heaven and earth are mingled and interact, thus giving rise to the flourishing and perfection of all things; the union of male and female energies produces the essence, thus giving rise to the growth of all things. The Book of Changes says, "When three people walk, one is lost; when one person walks, he finds his friend," which speaks of the principle of returning to "one." This explains the meaning of the third line of the Hexagram of Reduction. The Hexagram of Reduction has the lower trigram of艮 (Gèn), representing the young male, and the upper trigram of兑 (Duì), representing the young female. None of the six lines are without interaction. Gèn represents heaven, Kun represents earth and all things, and Zhen represents birth. When not yet united, yin and yang are separated; once united, yin and yang harmonize, which is called mutual resonance through the same sound and mutual attraction through the same breath. Therefore, it is said, "Achieve unity."

子曰，君子安其身而後動，易其心而後語，定其交而後求，君子修此三者故全也。危以動，則民不與也；懼以語，則民不應也；無交而求，則民不與也。莫之與剛傷之者至矣。易曰莫益之，或擊之，立心匆恆，凶。益上九爻義。二至四艮為身為安為求，震為動為言，坤為心為民。易，平也，言平易其心而後語也。

Confucius said: A gentleman first arranges his own affairs before taking action, first calms his mind before speaking, and first establishes good relations before making a request. A gentleman cultivates these three aspects, thus achieving completeness. If one is in a dangerous situation yet still takes action, the people will not follow him; if one speaks out of fear, the people will not respond; if one makes a request without having established relations, the people will not give. If no one is willing to give, then those who will harm him will come. The Book of Changes says, "No one benefits him, someone attacks him. If the mind is not constant, misfortune arises." This refers to the meaning of the line "Nine at the Top" in the hexagram of Gain. The lines two to four interact to form the trigram Ken, which represents the body, stability, and seeking; Zhen represents action and speech; and Kun represents the mind and the people. The Book of Changes is about calmness, meaning first calm the mind and then speak.

子曰，乾坤其易之門邪。乾陽物也，坤陰物也，陰陽合德，而剛柔有體，以體天地之撰，以通神明之德。其稱名也，雜而不越，於稽其類，其衰世之意邪。夫易彰往而察來，而微顯闡幽，開而當名，辨物正言，斷辭則備美。其構名也小，其取類也大，其旨遠，其辭文，其言曲而中，其事肆而隱，因貳以濟民行，以明失得之報。

Confucius said: The trigrams Qian and Kun are probably the gateway to the Zhou Changes. Qian represents the yang principle, while Kun represents the yin principle. Yin and yang combine their virtues, and the qualities of firmness and flexibility each have their forms, used to express the creation of heaven and earth, and to connect with the virtue of the divine. The terms it uses may seem varied but do not exceed their proper boundaries. When examining its method of classification, it seems to be the intention of a time of decline and disorder. The Zhou Changes illuminate the past and discern the future, making the subtle evident and the hidden clear. When one opens the book, names and realities correspond, distinguishing categories and rectifying speech, so that the judgments are complete and perfect. The terms it presents are small, yet the categories it encompasses are vast; its meaning is profound, its words are ornate, its statements are indirect yet accurate, and its records are elaborate yet subtle. It uses the two aspects of good fortune and misfortune to assist the people in their actions, explaining the consequences of gain and loss.

易之興也，其於中古乎，作易者其有憂患乎。是故履，德之基也；謙，德之柄也；覆，德之本也；恆，德之園也；損，德之修也；益，德之裕也；困，德之辨也；井，德之地也；巽，德之制也。虞氏曰，中古謂庖犧，庖犧始畫卦，以前為上古，上古之人無憂患。九卦者防憂慮患之本。柄本也，所以持物辨別也。遭困之時，君子不改其常，小人必失其度，以此為別。井以水養人，取不竭，用不窮，故曰德之地。巽為命令，人君申命用事，宰制天下，故曰德之制。此陳九卦之德。

The rise of The Zhou Changes probably took place during the middle ancient period. The person who composed The Book of Changes was likely one who had a sense of worry and concern. Therefore, The Book of Footsteps is the foundation of virtue, The Book of Humility is the handle of virtue, The Book of Returning is the root of virtue, The Book of Constancy is the stability of virtue, The Book of Loss is the cultivation of virtue, The Book of Gain is the abundance of virtue, The Book of Difficulty is the discernment of virtue, The Book of Well is the place of virtue, and The Book of Wind is the decision-making of virtue. Yu Fan said: "Middle ancient" refers to Fuxi, who first drew the trigrams. Before him was the ancient period, and people in the ancient period had no worries. These nine trigrams are the fundamental means to prevent worries and guard against calamities. "Handle" means a handle, which is used to hold objects and make distinctions. When encountering difficulties, the gentleman does not change his conduct, while the petty person certainly loses his sense of measure, and by this one can distinguish them. The well uses water to nourish people, and the water is inexhaustible and the use is endless, so it is called the place of virtue. Wind represents command; the sovereign issues commands, handles affairs, and controls the world, so it is called the decision-making of virtue. This passage explains the virtues of the nine trigrams.

履和而至，謙尊而光，復小而辨於物，恆雜而不厭，損先難而後易，益長裕而不設，困窮而通，井居其所而遷，巽稱而隱。此申九卦之性，以明其重要。履下兌為和，上乾為至。謙下艮為光朋，為由，故尊而光。復陽雖微，然陽物，坤陰物，陰陽各別，故復小而辨於物，辨別也。恆六爻皆交，故雜而不厭。挹損人情之所難，故先難；久則人驚而服，故後易。虞氏以上失位為難，誤之遠矣。

The hexagram "Foot" is harmonious and unimpeded, "Humility" is humble yet illustrious, "Returning" is subtle yet capable of distinguishing things, "Constant" is varied yet not tiresome, "Loss" is difficult at first but easy afterwards, "Gain" increases abundance without artificial effort, "Obstruction" is in straits yet can be overcome, "Well" remains in its proper place and benefits far away, "Following" weighs matters subtly and remains concealed. This passage explains the nature of the nine hexagrams, illustrating why they are significant. The hexagram "Foot" has the trigram Dui (Lake) at the lower part, representing harmony and joy, and Qian (Heaven) at the upper part, representing openness and accessibility. The hexagram "Humility" has the trigram Gen (Mountain) at the lower part, representing brightness and initiative, thus being humble yet illustrious. The hexagram "Returning" has a single yang line, though weak, which is yang, while the lower trigram is坤 (Earth), representing yin. Since yin and yang are distinct, it is said "Returning is small yet distinguishes things," where "distinguish" means to differentiate. The hexagram "Constant" has all six lines interacting, hence being varied yet not tiresome. Restraining oneself is the most difficult in human nature, hence "difficult at first"; over time people become impressed, hence "easy afterwards." Yu Fan explained "difficult" by referring to the top line being out of place, which is too far from the meaning.

益陽歸內，內為貞，貞為我。設陳也，天施地生，言不必設施為作，自然裕也。困下坎為通，並所居不移，而澤施於人，故居所能遷。巽為命令，舉國稱揚，然民可使由，不可使知，故稱而隱。又稱者銓衡之總名，鄭注月令云，稱錘曰權，由是以推，稱乾曰衡。後儒動謂稱即權者非也。謙傳云，稱物平施；月令云，分繭稱絲計功，是也。上巽下翼，內外平，故曰稱。巽伏故穩。

The Yang lines of the "Yi" hexagram are included in the inner trigram, which is called "Zhen." "Zhen" refers to one's own side. "She" means to set up or create; heaven spreads its qi, and earth produces things, meaning that there is no need for deliberate action or effort, and thus things naturally become abundant. The "Kun" hexagram has the lower trigram Kan, which represents communication, so it is said "poverty and communication." The "Well" hexagram is in a fixed position, yet its benefits extend to others, so it is said "residing in its place yet moving." The trigram Xun represents command, and the whole country praises it; however, the people can only be made to follow it, but cannot fully understand it, so it is said "praise but remain hidden." Furthermore, "Cheng" refers to the general term for scales. Zheng Xuan's commentary on the "Monthly Orders" says that the weight of the scale is called "Quan," from which we can infer that the scale rod is called "Heng." Later scholars often say that "Cheng" is the same as "Quan," which is incorrect. The "Qian" Commentary on the Judgment says "measure things and distribute evenly," and the "Monthly Orders" says "divide silk and measure the silk to account for the work," all using this meaning. The "Xun" hexagram has both trigrams Xun above and below, with internal and external balance, so it is called "Cheng"; Xun represents concealment, so it is called "Yin."

履以和行，謙以制禮，復以自知，恆以一德，損以遠害，益以興利，國以寡怨，井以辨義，巽以行權。此言九卦之用。履乾為行，兌悅故行和。凡禮以謙為主，故以制禮。恆不易方，故一德。損互坤為害，泰初往坤上，害不能及，故遠害。富貴易為人忌，困則無忌者，故寡怨。風進退，故行權。

The Book of Changes' Nine Trigrams are used for various purposes. The Book of Footsteps regulates conduct, the Book of Humility moderates etiquette, the Book of Returning to the Original Self reflects on self-awareness, the Book of Constancy cultivates steadfast virtue, the Book of Loss avoids calamity, the Book of Gain promotes benefit, the Book of Difficulty reduces resentment, the Book of Well discerns righteousness, and the Book of Wind enables flexible adaptation. The Book of Footsteps has the trigram Qian (Heaven) representing movement and Dui (Lake) symbolizing joy, thus ensuring harmonious action. All etiquette is based on humility, hence it moderates etiquette. The Book of Constancy remains unmoved, thus cultivating steadfast virtue. The Book of Loss has the trigram Kun (Earth) representing calamity in its interacting trigrams, while the Book of Great Communication has its first line moving upward to the upper position of Kun, thus avoiding calamity. Wealth and honor easily provoke jealousy, but hardship rarely does, hence reducing resentment. The Book of Wind represents wind, which advances and retreats, thus enabling flexible adaptation.

易之為書也不可遠，其為道也屢遷，變動不居，周流六虛，上下無常，剛柔相易，不可為典要，唯變所適。其出入以度，外內使知懼，明於憂患與故，無有師保，如臨父母。初率其辭而揆其方，既有典常，苟非其人，道不虛行。正義云屢遷，謂乾初潛龍，乾二見龍是也。變動不居，若一陽生為復，二陽為臨，無或停息，是也。六虛六位也。上下無常如二五相上下，泰二得上於中行是也。適往也，如乾初得九，則往娠也。乾元亨利貞，垢（左女）則天地相遇，卦德迥不同，故曰不可為虛典要。

The book of Zhou Changes cannot be neglected, for the principles it teaches are constantly changing and moving, never staying in one place, circulating among the six lines. It rises and falls without fixed position; yin and yang alternate, and cannot be regarded as fixed rules, but must follow the changes. Its movements and retreats have order, making people both inside and outside aware of caution; it makes people understand the origin of worries, even without a teacher or nurse by their side, it is as if parents were present. Beginning with its words to grasp its meaning, there is naturally a regular pattern; but if one is not of that kind, this principle will not be applied without cause. Kong Yingda's "The Correct Meaning of the Zhou Changes" says "repeatedly changing" refers to the first line of the Qian hexagram "the hidden dragon" and the second line "the appearing dragon" alike. "Change without staying in one place" is like the emergence of one yang line as the Fu hexagram, two yang lines as the Lin hexagram, never stopping. "Six lines" refer to the six positions. "Up and down without constant position" is like the second line and the fifth line alternating in position, as in the Tai hexagram's second line "attaining the middle path." "Going" refers to movement, for example, the first line of the Qian hexagram attaining nine, moving to the Guo hexagram. The Qian hexagram is Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen, while the Guo hexagram is "heaven and earth meeting," with entirely different hexagram qualities, so it cannot be regarded as fixed rules.

往外為出，來內為人，往來出人，皆有一定之度數，不能混淆。如初與四相往來，二與五相往來，三與上相往來，倘不能相往來，則中必有疾，如鼎二曰我仇有疾是也。疾則懼矣，懼則知所防矣，故曰明於憂患與故。率正也，揆度也，方道也，言正其初首之辭，而度其終未之道，盡有典常，故非文王不能明其道也。

When moving outward to the outer trigram, it is called 'going out,' and when returning to the inner trigram, it is called 'coming in.' One goes out and comes in, one moves out and in, all with a fixed measure, and they must not be confused. For example, the first line and the fourth line move toward each other, the second line and the fifth line move toward each other, and the third line and the top line move toward each other. If they do not move toward each other smoothly, there must be a problem in the middle. For instance, in the hexagram of the Cauldron, the line nine in the second place says, 'My enemy has an illness.' When there is a problem, there is caution, and with caution comes understanding of prevention, so it is said, 'Clearly understanding the worries and their causes.' 'Rate' means to be upright, 'kuí' means to measure or consider, and 'fang' means principle or reason. This means to be upright in the beginning of the text and to consider the meaning at the end, and there is a regular pattern to follow. Therefore, it is said that unless one is a person like King Wen, one cannot explain the meaning clearly.

易之為書也，原始要終以為質也。六爻相雜，唯其時物也。其初難知，其上易知，本末也。初辭擬之，年成之終。若夫雜物撰德，辨是與非，則非其中爻不備。噫，亦要存亡吉凶，則居可知矣。知者觀其彖辭，則思過半矣。原始如乾初九潛龍勿用，是原始也；上九亢龍有侮，是要終質本也。物陽物陰物，六爻剛柔相雜，然爻各有其時，各有其物，時物當則吉，否則凶也。本末初上也，初則事微故難知，上則事彰故易知。初擬議之，卒終成之。假如噬嗑初九，善惡在擬議之間，至上九則凶災彰徹，一成不變也，故曰卒成之終。

The Zhou Changes is a book that investigates the beginning and concludes with the end to form the essence of the hexagrams. The six lines are intertwined, but they are merely the respective times and things. The meaning of the first line is difficult to understand, while the meaning of the top line is easy to understand, which reflects the relationship between the beginning and the end. The words of the first line are only tentative and speculative, while the final line determines the outcome. As for the mixture of things, the narration of virtue, and the distinction of right and wrong, these cannot be fully addressed except by the middle lines. Alas, if one wishes to know about survival and demise, good fortune and misfortune, one can already infer it in ordinary times. A wise person merely looks at the hexagram's commentary, and his thinking is already half done. What is meant by "investigating the beginning" is exemplified by the first line of the Qian hexagram, "The hidden dragon does not act," which is the investigation of the beginning. The top line, "The exalted dragon brings regret," is the conclusion of the end and the essence. "Things" refer to yang things and yin things; the six lines are a mixture of yang and yin, yet each line has its own time and its own thing. When the time and thing correspond, it is auspicious; when they do not correspond, it is inauspicious. "Beginning and end" refer to the first line and the top line: the first line is still in its initial stage, so it is difficult to understand; the top line is already evident, so it is easy to understand. The first line is only tentative and speculative, while the final line is the final determination. For example, the first line of the Shihe hexagram, where good and evil are still in a state of deliberation, but by the top line, misfortune is clearly evident and becomes a fixed outcome, thus it is said "the final conclusion of completion."

雜物，言陰陽相雜也。撰數也，撰德者，言數合陰陽之德，而別其是非也。中爻謂中四爻，二至四互一卦，三至五互一卦，京氏所謂一卦備四卦之用也。吉凶是非，初引其端，上考其成，至其詳盡，則在中四爻，故曰非中交不備。中爻之是非既明，則吉凶已著。居處也，處乾吉則存，處坤凶則亡，故曰居可知。

"Miscellaneous" refers to the intermingling of yin and yang. "Zhuàn" means number, and "zhuàn dé" means using numbers to harmonize with the virtues of yin and yang, thereby distinguishing right from wrong. "Middle lines" refer to the middle four lines: lines two to four form one hexagram, and lines three to five form another, meaning that a single hexagram can encompass the functions of four hexagrams, as Jing Fang explained. Good fortune and misfortune, right and wrong, originate from the first line, and their outcomes are determined by the top line. The detailed content, however, lies entirely within the middle four lines, hence the saying "without the middle lines, the full meaning is not complete." Once the right and wrong of the middle lines are understood, good fortune and misfortune become clearly evident. "Residing" refers to the position: if one resides in the position of Qian, it is auspicious and leads to preservation; if one resides in the position of Kun, it is inauspicious and leads to decline, hence the saying "residence can be known."

二與四同功而異位，其善不同，二多譽，四多懼，近也。柔之為道，不利遠者，其要無咎，其用柔中也。三與五同功而異位，三多凶，五多功，貴賤之等也，其柔危，其剛勝邪。二四同為坤位，故同功，而二位在內，且居中，故異位。三五同為乾位，故同功，而五在外，且居中，故異位。近謂二在內卦，遠謂四在外卦。柔之為道不利遠，二近故多譽，四遠故多懼。其謂近五故懼者非也。三五皆陽位，故柔爻居之危，剛爻居之勝。

The functions of the second line and the fourth line are the same but their positions differ, and thus their benefits are different: the second line often receives praise, while the fourth line often experiences caution and vigilance, because the fourth line is distant. The nature of the yin line is not suitable for being in a distant position; its principle lies in avoiding mistakes, relying on flexibility and maintaining the center. The third line and the fifth line have the same function but different positions: the third line often faces danger, while the fifth line often achieves accomplishments, this difference is caused by the distinction between high and low status; in those positions, a yin line is dangerous, while a yang line is capable. The second line and the fourth line both belong to the position of the earth trigram, so they are said to have the same function; however, the second line is within the inner trigram and occupies the central position, so they are said to have different positions. The third line and the fifth line both belong to the position of the heaven trigram, so they are said to have the same function; however, the fifth line is in the outer trigram and occupies the central position, so they are said to have different positions. 'Near' refers to the second line being in the inner trigram, while 'distant' refers to the fourth line being in the outer trigram. The nature of the yin line is not suitable for a distant position; therefore, the second line, being near, often receives praise, while the fourth line, being distant, often experiences caution and vigilance. Some people say that the fourth line is cautious because it is close to the nine in the fifth position, but that is incorrect. The third and fifth lines are yang positions, so a yin line in those positions is dangerous, while a yang line in those positions is capable.

易之為書也，廣大悉備，有天道焉，有人道焉，有地道焉，兼三才而兩之故六，六者非他也，三才之道也。道有變動故日文，支有等故曰物，物相雜故曰文，文不當故吉凶生焉。文不當謂不當位。干寶云，等群也，爻中之義群物交集也。

The Zhou Changes is a vast and comprehensive work, encompassing the ways of Heaven, Humanity, and Earth. It integrates the three fundamental elements and doubles them, resulting in six lines, which are precisely the ways of the three elements. The way is ever-changing, hence it is called "yao" (line). Yao has different levels, hence it is called "wu" (things). Things intermingle and intertwine, hence it is called "wen" (pattern). When the pattern is improperly arranged, fortune and misfortune arise from this. "Wen is improper" means that the yao is not in the proper position. Ganbao said: "Deng" refers to a group or category, and the meaning of the yao lies in the convergence and gathering of various categories of things.

易之興也，其當殷之末世，周之盛德邪，當文王與紂之事邪。是故其辭危，危者使平，易者使傾，其道甚大，百物不廢，懼以終始，此要無咎，此之謂易之道也。言易辭憂危慮患，或為文王事紂，囚於羌里時所為。干寶何妥等，便指某卦爻辭指周某事，其因皆緣誤釋此二語，與虞翻之誤解不可為典要，唯變所適，浪用卦變突變同也。易平易也，危者使平，如否上先否後喜是也；易者使傾，如泰上城復于隍是也。

The rise of The Zhou Changes probably coincided with the end of the Shang dynasty and the beginning of the Zhou dynasty, during the time of King Wen and King Zhou. Therefore, its text is full of anxiety and danger: it brings safety to those who are anxious and cautious, and leads to downfall for those who are careless and lazy. Its principles are extremely broad, encompassing all things without exception; maintaining constant vigilance is the key to "no blame," which is called the Way of The Changes. This means that the text of The Zhou Changes is full of anxiety and concern, perhaps composed by King Wen while he was imprisoned in Youli by King Zhou. Ganbao and Hetuo pointed to specific lines in certain hexagrams, claiming they refer to historical events of the Zhou dynasty, but their interpretations all stem from misunderstanding the phrase "dangerous situations are made safe, easy situations lead to collapse." This is similar to Yu Fan's misunderstanding of "it cannot be taken as a fixed rule, but must adapt to change," leading to the misuse of hexagram transformations. "Easy" means light and simple; "dangerous situations are made safe" refers to the line "first there is rejection, then there is joy" in the hexagram Gou (Obstruction); "easy situations lead to collapse" refers to the line "the city returns to the moat" in the hexagram Tai (Progress).

夫乾天下之至健也，德行恆易以知險；夫坤天下之至順也，德行恆簡以知阻。能說諸心，能研諸侯之慮，定天下之吉凶，成天下之AA？者。居易不忘險，行簡知有阻。阻險阻也，知有險阻，然後可免於患難。能諸慮，諸下衍侯之二字。AA？王肅云勉也。

Qian is the most vigorous in the world, its virtue always gentle, thus it can perceive dangers; Kun is the most yielding in the world, its virtue always simple, thus it can perceive obstacles. It can bring joy to the heart, can cause people to think deeply and carefully, to judge the good and bad fortune of the world, and to accomplish the diligent and tireless endeavors of the world. Being in a gentle state without forgetting dangers, acting simply while knowing there are obstacles. "Obstacle" refers to danger and difficulty; knowing there are dangers, one can then avoid calamities. The phrase "can investigate various considerations" includes the word "Hou zhi" added below the character "Zhu." As for "Wei wei," Wang Su explained it as striving diligently without tiring.

是故變化云為，吉事有詳，象事知器，占事知來。天地設位，聖人成能，人謀鬼謀，百姓與能。詳祥音同通用，朕兆也，言吉凶必有先兆也。象事知器，此言占驗之事，如郭璞洞林，遇兌知有銅擇（左金），遇坎知有銅擇（左金）六枚也。唯聖人能盡天地之性，故曰成能。人謀鬼謀，言易道深至；百姓與能，言其庸近，所謂夫婦之愚可以與知也。

Therefore, all changes in the world and the actions of people must have omens before any good or bad events occur. Observing phenomena can predict objects, and divination can foresee the future. Heaven and Earth have established positions of above and below, and sages have realized their functions. There is human planning and also the planning of ghosts and spirits, and even common people can participate in this function. "Xiang" and "Xiang" are homophones and can be used interchangeably, referring to omens, meaning that good or bad fortune must first have signs. "Xiangshi zhi qi" refers to matters of divination and response, for example, Guo Pu's "Donglin" states that if the Dui hexagram is drawn, one knows there will be a bronze bell, and if the Kan hexagram is drawn, one knows there will be six bronze bells. Only sages can exhaust the nature of Heaven and Earth, hence "cheng neng." "Ren mou gui mou" means that the Way of the Book of Changes is extremely profound; "min zhu yu neng" means that it is also ordinary and close at hand, which is what the Zhongyong says, that even an ordinary person or woman, though ignorant, can participate in it.

八卦以象告，支象以情言，剛柔雜居，而吉凶可見矣。變動以利言，吉凶以情遷。是故愛惡相攻而吉凶生，遠近相取而悔吝生，情偽相感而利害生。幾易之情，近而不相得則凶，或害之，悔且吝。

The eight trigrams use physical objects to convey messages, while the line statements and the tiger statements explain things in reality. When yao (lines) of yang and yin are mixed together, good and bad outcomes can be discerned. Change refers to advantage and disadvantage, and good and bad outcomes shift according to reality. Therefore, love and hatred attack each other, producing good and bad outcomes; nearness and distance take from each other, producing regret and shame; sincerity and falsehood respond to each other, producing advantage and disadvantage. In general, what the Zhou Changes discuss about human feelings is that when people are close but do not harmonize, it is ominous, or they may suffer harm, or fall into regret and shame.

凡萬物之象，皆包括於八卦之中。筮得某卦，必有四象，上下卦並上下互是也。至於卦爻辭則明卦情。占者以象為本，以情為用。如公子完生，筮得觀之否，觀上風下地，而坤為國，互艮為山，告之以象矣；觀國之光，利用賓于王，爻則言其情也。

All forms of things in the world are included in the eight trigrams. When a trigram is obtained through divination, it must contain four images: the upper trigram, the lower trigram, and the "upper mutual" formed by the third to fifth lines, as well as the "lower mutual" formed by the second to fourth lines. As for the hexagram statement and line statements, they describe the situation of the trigram. Those who interpret the divination should take the "image" as the foundation and the "situation" as the application. For example, in the "Zuo Zhuan," it is recorded that when Jin Zhong, the son of Chen Li Gong, was born, divination was performed and the trigram "Guan" changed to "Po." The trigram "Guan" has the upper trigram Xun (wind) and the lower trigram Kun (earth), and Kun also has the image of "country." The third to fifth lines form the mutual trigram Gen (mountain), which has the image of "mountain"—this is using the trigram images to indicate good or bad fortune. The line statement says, "Observing the brilliance of the country, it is advantageous to serve the king," which describes the situation of that line.

變動以利言。如觀六四動成乾，風為天於土上，愈變而利愈明，益動而其情益吉，故曰變動以利言，吉凶以情遷。攻，摩也，愛惡相攻即剛柔相摩也。陽遇陰，陰遇陽，則相求相愛，復朋來無咎、革六二征吉是也。陽遇陽，陰遇陰，則相敵相惡，如頤六二行失類、征凶，鼎九二慎所之是也。愛則吉，惡則凶，故愛惡相攻而吉凶生。

The Great Treatise says, "Changes are considered in terms of benefit and disadvantage," meaning that the movement of the lines in the hexagrams should be viewed from the perspective of benefit and disadvantage. For example, when the line six in the fourth position of the hexagram Guan moves, the upper trigram Xun becomes Qian, transforming "wind moving over the earth" into "heaven over the earth." The change becomes more beneficial, and the situation becomes more auspicious as it changes. Therefore, it is said, "Changes are considered in terms of benefit and disadvantage; auspiciousness and misfortune depend on the situation." "Attack" refers to the mutual friction, and "love and hatred attacking each other" is what the Great Treatise, Upper Transmission, refers to as "the interaction of firm and yielding." When a yang line meets a yin line, or a yin line meets a yang line, they attract each other, and there is mutual affection. The hexagram Fu says, "companions come without blame," and the line six in the second position of the hexagram Ge says, "proceeding is auspicious," which belong to this category. When a yang line meets another yang line, or a yin line meets another yin line, they are hostile to each other, and there is mutual dislike. The line six in the second position of the hexagram Yi says, "going astray brings danger," and the line nine in the second position of the hexagram Ding says, "be cautious about where you go," which belong to this category. When there is affection, it is auspicious; when there is dislike, it is inauspicious. Therefore, it is said, "love and hatred attacking each other gives rise to auspiciousness and misfortune."

遠近相取而悔吝生者，遠謂應，近謂比。例如同人六二，遠取五為正應，近又比三，故吝。感六二亦然，故遠近不能兼取。中孚六四曰絕類上，近取也；近取上則不遠取初，故曰馬匹亡也。情者陽，偽者陰，陰陽相感，有利有害，絕不相同。例如益初九感四則利，上九感三，則五為敵而害之矣。下曰近而不相得則凶，或害之，正申其故也。

"Far and near interact and regret and hardship arise," where "far" refers to correspondence, meaning the first and fourth lines, the second and fifth lines, and the third and top lines; "near" refers to adjacency, meaning two lines next to each other. For example, in the hexagram "Tongren" (Union), the line six two moves toward the far line nine five for proper correspondence, but also interacts with the adjacent line nine three, needing to take both, hence the line statement says "regret." The line six two in the hexagram "Xian" (Sensation) is also in this situation, showing that far and near cannot both be taken. In the hexagram "Zhongfū" (Sincerity), the line six four says in the image commentary "cut off the similar above," meaning it gives up the far and takes the near line above nine. Since it takes the near line above nine, it no longer takes the far line one nine as correspondence, hence the line statement says "horses are lost." "Qing" refers to yang, and "wei" refers to yin; the interaction between yin and yang, some gain benefit, some suffer harm, and the situations are entirely different. For example, in the hexagram "Yi" (Increase), the line one nine interacts with line six four and gains benefit; when line nine upper interacts with line six three, line nine five becomes an opponent and harms it. The following text says "near but not in harmony leads to misfortune, or it is harmed," which clearly explains this reason.

將叛者其辭塹（下心），中心疑者其辭枝，吉人之辭寡，躁人之辭多，誣善之人其辭游，失其守者其辭屈。

A person about to betray someone speaks with words filled with shame. A person uncertain in mind speaks in a confused and scattered manner. A virtuous person speaks little. A restless person speaks much. A person who falsely accuses others speaks in a hesitant and evasive way. A person who has lost his moral standards speaks in a crooked and indirect manner.

荀爽以易辭為解，虞翻謂指六子。按易之本在乾坤，而其用在六子，虞氏之說似為得之。以六子測人之情偽，不得於此必於彼，無有遁形矣，故於下繫終言之，示人以涉世之方。離正覆兌相反，叛者反也，而中虛，故其辭斬（下心）。坎上下兌口相背，故疑；坎為中為心，故曰中心疑。水性技溢，故其辭枝。震為言，震反為艮，故言寡；艮為人，艮止而靜，故曰吉人。震為決躁，似兌而長舌，故辭多。兌為口舌，陰掩陽，故曰誣善；柔乘剛，故其辭游。風進退不果，故失其守。陰伏在下，故其辭屈。

In this chapter, Xun Shuang interpreted it as referring to the tone and style of the line statements in the Zhou Changes. Yu Fan, on the other hand, said it referred to the six subordinate trigrams: Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui. According to the Zhou Changes, the fundamental principles lie in the two trigrams Qian and Kun, while its application lies in the six subordinate trigrams. Yu Fan's interpretation seems more reasonable. Using the images of the six subordinate trigrams to measure the authenticity of human feelings, if one hexagram cannot reveal it, another will surely do so, making it impossible for a person's true intentions to remain hidden. Therefore, Confucius included this passage at the end of the lower part of the Great Treatise to teach people a method of maintaining proper conduct in the world and observing the words and expressions of others. In terms of symbolic representation: the Li trigram viewed upright is Li, but when inverted it becomes Dui, which is opposite, and "rebellion" means opposition. The middle line of Li is empty, so his words contain shame. The two lower lines of Kan are like two Dui mouths facing each other, thus causing suspicion. Kan is in the center and represents the heart, so it is said "the heart is doubtful." Water flows widely and spreads out, so words become rambling. Zhen represents speech, and when inverted it becomes Gen, which means stopping, so speech is limited. Gen also represents people, and since Gen is static, it is called "a virtuous person." Zhen has the image of decisiveness and restlessness, resembling Dui but with an extra long tongue, so speech is abundant. Dui represents mouth and tongue, and the upper yao is a yin line covering the lower yang line, so it is said "false accusations of goodness." A soft line is on top of a strong line, so words are uncertain. Xun represents wind, which is fickle and indecisive in movement, so it is said "losing one's position." A yin line is hidden below, so words are twisted.