The Hexagram of Initiation

彖曰：屯，剛柔始交而難生，動乎險中，大亨貞。雷雨之動滿盈，天造草昧，宜建侯而不寧。始交為初五也。前乾坤二卦，皆純陽純陰莫能交。屯下震以乾交坤初，上坎以乾交坤中，以其次純乾純坤之後，剛柔雜始見，故曰始交。難謂坎也，蹇傳云蹇難也，即指上坎。動而遇險，故曰難生。下雷上雨，坤為多故曰滿盈。造始也，草雜亂，昧冥昧。坤為茅茹為亂，故曰草。地黑故曰昧。易林艮之晉云：釜甑草土。即以晉下坤為草，為釜。天造草昧者，言天地之運，始於草昧，故宜建侯於此時，使萬物有主也。諸家皆用虞翻說，謂剛柔始交，為坎二交初，如是穿鑿，又何不可謂革四交初。蓋虞氏不知始字承前兩卦乾坤而言，而以為指屯初二，故誤解若是。後閱道光間，卞斌周易通解，亦謂始交指初五。然則此義百年前已發之。

The original text finishes the section on "Kun · Wenyan" with the phrase "beauty in its highest degree" and directly proceeds to this point, omitting the hexagram statement of "Zun" which reads "originally prosperous, beneficial, auspicious, and favorable for establishing a feudal lord," along with Shang Binghe's commentary on the hexagram statement. Only the "Commentary on the Judgment" and following sections remain. Now, following the original text accurately, without substituting from the commonly used version. The "Commentary on the Judgment" states: "Zun, the beginning of the union between the strong and the weak, with difficulty arising thereafter. In a perilous situation, movement leads to great success and is favorable for maintaining the correct path. The movement of thunder and rain fills up and overflows; at the beginning of the heavenly way, the world is in a state of chaos and disorder, thus it is appropriate to establish feudal lords and not to settle down. The term 'beginning of union' refers to the first and fifth lines. Previously, the hexagrams Qian and Kun were pure yang and pure yin respectively, and could not interact with each other. The hexagram Zun has the lower trigram Zhen (Thunder), which is one yang from Qian interacting with the first line of Kun; the upper trigram Kan (Water) is one yang from Qian interacting with the middle line of Kun. Because it immediately follows the pure Qian and pure Kun, the first appearance of a mixture of strong and weak is here, so it is called 'beginning of union.' 'Difficulty' refers to Kan: the "Commentary on the Judgment" of Jian (Obstruction) says 'Jian, difficulty,' which refers to the upper trigram Kan. Movement encountering danger, thus 'difficulty arises.' The lower trigram Zhen is thunder, the upper trigram Kan is rain, and Kun has the image of 'many,' thus it is called 'full and overflowing.' 'Creation' means beginning, 'grass' means disorder, 'darkness' means obscurity. Kun has the image of 'grass' and 'chaos,' thus it is called 'grass'; the color of earth is black, thus it is called 'darkness.' The "Forest of Changes" by Jiao says 'a cooking pot and earthy soil' in the context of Gen (Mountain) transforming into Jin (Progress), which uses the lower trigram Kun of Jin as 'grass' and as a cooking pot. 'Heaven creates chaos and darkness' means that the operation of heaven and earth begins in a state of chaos and darkness, thus it is appropriate to establish feudal lords at this time, so that all things have their masters. All scholars adopt Yu Fan's interpretation, believing that 'the beginning of union' refers to the second line of Kan intersecting with the first line. This is a forced interpretation; why not say that in the hexagram Ge (Revolution) the fourth line intersects with the first line? Yu Fan did not understand that the term 'beginning' refers to the previous hexagrams Qian and Kun, but instead thought it referred to the first and second lines of Zun, thus making this mistake. Later, I read Bi Bin's "Comprehensive Explanation of the Zhou Changes" from the Daoguang period, which also says that 'beginning of union' refers to the first and fifth lines. This meaning was already discovered a hundred years ago by someone else.

象曰：雲雷，屯，君子以經綸。經綸據釋文，王弼本作經論，今本作經綸者，乃孔本也，因將王注亦改之矣。釋文又云：黃穎曰經綸匡濟也，本亦作倫。案釋名云：綸倫也，為之有倫理也。論語正義引鄭玄云：論者，綸也，理也。然則綸論論，字微異，義則同也。若以卦象言，震為言，初至五正反震，似論於易象較切。若正義所云劉表鄭玄作淪，似不合矣。

The Great Image Commentary says: clouds above and thunder below form the image of the Qun hexagram; the gentleman takes this as a model to manage the world, like sorting silk threads to govern the state. The term "jing lun" is said in the Classic Interpretation to be "jing lun" in Wang Bi's version, while "jing lun" in the present version is from Kong Yingda's edition, thus even Wang Bi's annotations were altered. The Classic Interpretation also says that Huang Ying interpreted "jing lun" as "rectifying the world," and another version reads "jing lun." According to the Explanation of Names, "lun" means "order," as it has a logical sequence in its execution; the Commentary on the Analects cites Zheng Xuan saying "luan" means "order" and "reason." Thus, although the characters "lun," "lun," and "lun" are written slightly differently, their meanings are the same. Considering the hexagram image, Zhen has the image of "speech," and from the first line to the fifth line of the Qun hexagram there is the image of both correct and reversed Zhen. Therefore, using the character "luan" seems more appropriate to the Yi hexagram image. As for Kong Yingda's Commentary stating that Liu Biao and Zheng Xuan used "lun," it is inappropriate.

初九。盤桓，利居貞，利建侯。盤桓，釋文云族也。爾雅釋水鉤盤，郭注水曲如鉤，流盤桓不直前也。禹貢西傾因桓是來，注：桓隴皈名，其道盤旋，曲而上旋，即不能直前也。盤盤通，釋文云本亦作盤，馬又作盤，又或作般，皆以音同通用。外坎故利居貞不動。震為主，建侯則坤民有主，故利。象曰：雖盤桓，志行正也。以貴下賤，大得民也。坤為民，陰賤陽貴，陽在下，故曰以貴下賤。陽為大，初陽臨群陰，故曰大得民。

The line statement for the first line (Initial Nine) says: wandering and hesitating, it is advantageous to stay in one's place and maintain correctness, and it is advantageous to enfeoff vassals. "Wandering" is explained by the *Shi Wen* as a description of gathering without advancing. The *E Ya · Xi Shui* mentions "gou pan," and Guo Pu's commentary says "the water flows in a curved shape like a hook, circling and hesitating without flowing straight forward." The *Shang Shu · Yu Gong* says "Xi Qing Yin Han Shi Lai," and the commentary explains "Han is the name of a mountain pass, and that road winds and twists upward, not going straight." "Pan" and "Pán" are interchangeable. The *Shi Wen* says one version is "Pan," Ma Rong also uses "Pan," or "Ban," all due to their similar pronunciation. The outer trigram of the Zun hexagram is Kan, which represents danger, so it is advantageous to stay in one's place and maintain correctness without acting recklessly. Zhen has the image of "master," so enfeoffing vassals gives the people represented by Kun a ruler, hence it is advantageous. The *Xiao Xiang* says: "Although wandering, the will is correct; using high rank to be humble toward the lowly, greatly winning the people." Kun has the image of "people"; the yin is lowly and the yang is noble. The first line, which is a yang line, is located below a group of yin lines, so it is said "using high rank to be humble toward the lowly." Yang is called "great," and the first line, as a single yang line, governs the group of yin lines, so it is said "greatly winning the people."

六二。屯如邅，乘馬班如，匪寇婚媾，女子貞不字，十年乃字。陰遇陰得敵，故屯邅不進。釋文云：邅，馬行不進之貌。班，子夏傳相牽不進兒。鄭作般，般盤同，亦盤桓不進也。又震為馬，坤坎皆為馬，馬多故曰班如，言行列不前也。吳先生曰：漢書車班班，往河間。義同此也。五坎為寇，二與五應，故曰匪寇，曰婚媾。乃二前為三四所阻，下為初陽所牽，體又為坤，坤虛故不字。字妊育也。震為孕，左傳昭元年，武王邑姜方震太叔是也，故震為妊育。王引之力闢宋耿南仲朱子以字為許嫁之非，其說是也，今河北尚呼牝牛為字牛，義本此也。坤為年，數十，故曰十年乃字。言二五，應與雖難，然究為正應，久必合也。象曰：六二之難，乘剛也。十年乃字，反常也。此難字與象傳難生難字不同，彼指坎，此謂乘剛字難也，說者多混而同之，非。乘剛勢逆，故字難。

The line statement for the second line says: difficult to move forward, the horse turns around and cannot advance; those coming are not strong enemies, but rather suitors; the woman remains virtuous and refuses to bear children, but after ten years she does. The second line is a yin line, and above it is the third line, also yin. When two yin lines meet, they become opposing forces, thus causing difficulty and hesitation in movement. The "zhān" in the text refers to a horse not moving forward, as explained in the "Shiwen"; "ban" is interpreted by Zixia's Commentary on the Changes as mutual obstruction and inability to advance; Zheng Xuan reads it as "ban," which is the same as "pan," meaning to hesitate and not move forward. Furthermore, the trigram Zhen has the image of a horse, and the trigrams Kun and Kan also have the image of a horse. Since there are many horses, it is said "ban ru," meaning they are arranged in rows but cannot advance. Wu Xiansheng says that the "Han Shu" mentions "che ban ban, going to Hejian," which has the same meaning. The ninth line in the fifth position is in the trigram Kan, which has the image of an enemy; and the second line corresponds with the fifth line, so it is said "not a strong enemy, but rather a suitor." However, the second line is blocked by the third and fourth lines in front, and pulled back by the yang of the first line below. Since it is in the trigram Kun, which is empty in the middle, it says "not to bear children." "Zi" means to bear children. The trigram Zhen has the image of pregnancy—according to the "Zuo Zhuan" from the first year of Zhao Gung, it says "Wu Wang's wife Jiang was pregnant with Tai Shu," meaning she was pregnant with Tai Shu. Therefore, Zhen has the meaning of pregnancy. Wang Yinzhi strongly criticized the incorrect interpretations by Song dynasty scholars Geng Nanzhong and Zhu Xi, who took "zi" to mean betrothal. His interpretation is correct; today in northern China, a cow that can give birth to a calf is called a "zi niu," which comes from this meaning. The trigram Kun has the image of years, and its number is ten, so it says "after ten years she bears children." This means that although the second and fifth lines correspond with difficulty, they are still a proper correspondence, and eventually they will come together. The "Xiao Xiang" says: "The difficulty of the second line is because it is riding on a strong line; after ten years she bears children, which is contrary to the usual." The word "nan" here is different from the "nan" in the "Tuan Zhuan" which refers to "difficult birth." That refers to the danger of Kan, while this refers to the difficulty of the second line riding on the strong line of the first line and having difficulty in bearing children. Many commentators confuse these two, which is incorrect. Yin riding on Yang is against the natural order, so bearing children is difficult.

六三。即鹿無虞，惟入于林中，君子幾，不如合，往吝。鹿，虞翻王肅皆作麓，鹿麓古通。詩瞻彼旱鹿，周語作旱鹿，韋注鹿山足也。三為艮初，正山足也。即鹿者，言至山足而從禽也。即就也，虞備虞也。孟子曰：有不虞之譽。義同此也。言田獵而無備虞，焉能有禽。震為木，艮亦為木，故曰林中。坤虛故空人林中。幾者事之先見者也，舍去也，言君子見幾而去也。上無應故往吝。艮為君子。淮南子說此云：夫施薄而望厚者，未之有也。又三國志陳琳傳：易稱即鹿無虞，夫微物尚不可欺。夫所謂欺，即無備虞也。王弼云：雖見其禽而無其虞，徒人於林中。亦詁虞為備虞，乃孔疏忽謂虞為虞官，失王義矣。左傳隱五年：不備不虞，不可以師。正與此無虞義同。

The line statement for the third line says: When chasing a deer to the foot of the mountain without prior preparation, one only ends up going into the forest in vain; a gentleman who sees the slightest omen should not pursue but rather give up. The original text says 'he' but Shang's commentary explains it as 'abandon'. Going forward will inevitably lead to regret. The character '鹿' is interpreted by Yu Fan and Wang Su as '麓', which were interchangeable in ancient times. The Book of Poetry has 'looking at the dry deer', and the Zuo Zhuan also uses 'dry deer'. Wei Zhao's commentary says 'deer refers to the foot of the mountain'. The third line is the first line of the interacting trigram Gen (Mountain), which is exactly at the foot of the mountain, so it says 'chasing the deer', meaning going to the foot of the mountain to pursue game. '即' means approaching closely; '虞' refers to prior preparation, as in the Mencius saying 'unexpected praise', which is used in the same way. This means hunting without prior preparation, how can one catch game? Zhen has the image of 'wood', and Gen also has the image of 'wood', so it is said 'into the forest'. Kun is empty, so it is said 'empty into the forest'. '几' refers to the initial omen of a matter; '舍' means to abandon, meaning the gentleman should stop when he sees the omen. The third line has no responding line above it, so going forward will inevitably lead to regret. Gen has the image of 'gentleman'. The Huainanzi explains this line saying 'giving little but expecting much is something that never happens'; the Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chen Lin's biography says 'the Book of Changes says chasing the deer without a guardian, even small creatures cannot be deceived'—here 'deceit' means lacking prior preparation. Wang Bi says 'although seeing the game, there is no prior preparation, thus entering the forest in vain', also interpreting '虞' as preparation. However, Kong Yingda's commentary suddenly says '虞' refers to the official in charge of mountains and marshes, losing Wang Bi's original meaning. The Zuo Zhuan, Year 5 of Hiding Gong says 'without preparation for both the expected and the unexpected, one cannot lead an army', which is exactly the same meaning as 'no preparation' here.

象曰：即鹿無虞，以從禽也。君子舍之，往吝，窮也。從禽義與即鹿同。吝遴古通，說文行難也。三無應得敵故行難。吝字初見，說文口部引作吝，雲恨惜也。◇部引又作遴，雲行難。愚以為凡言往吝者，宜從行難義；祇言吝者，宜從恨惜義。此曰往吝，即行難也。

The Xiao Xiang says: "Chasing a deer without a supervisor, following game; a gentleman abandons it, going forward brings regret, which is a state of being at a dead end." The meaning of "following game" is the same as "chasing a deer." "Regret" and "selecting carefully" were anciently interchangeable. The Shuowen explains "selecting carefully" as "difficult to move," meaning difficult to walk. The line Six in the Third has no responding line and is in opposition with its neighboring lines, hence the difficulty in moving. The character "regret" first appears in the Yi in this context. The Shuowen under the mouth radical cites it as "regret," explaining it as resentment; under the step radical, it is cited again as "selecting carefully," explaining it as difficult to move. I believe that whenever "going forward brings regret" is mentioned, the meaning should be taken as "difficult to move"; when only "regret" is mentioned, the meaning should be taken as "resentment." Here, "going forward brings regret" refers to the difficulty in moving.

六四。乘馬班如，求婚媾，往吉，無不利。坎坤皆為馬，故亦曰班如。艮為求。四與初本為正應，婚媾而已，然必求者，以二三為阻也。知其阻而求之，故往吉也。四上承陽，下有應，故曰無不利。象曰：求而往，明也。艮火故曰明，艮陽在上亦明。自艮火艮明象失傳，諸家皆以三變互離為明矣。豈知旅九三云：焚其次。易林大壯之遁云：火爛銷金。皆以艮為火，說詳焦氏易詁中。

The line statement for the sixth line (six in the fourth): riding horses circling without moving forward, going to propose marriage, going forward is auspicious, nothing is unfavorable. Both Kan and Kun have the image of a horse, so here it also says 'circling'. The interacting trigrams contain Gen, which has the image of seeking. The sixth line and the first line are originally in a proper correspondence, which is simply about marriage; yet it still says 'seeking' because the second and third lines are in the way. Knowing there is an obstacle yet still going to seek, so going forward is auspicious. The sixth line is above the ninth line of the fifth, which is yang, and below it is the first line corresponding, so it says 'nothing is unfavorable'. The small commentary says 'seeking and going forward, this is clarity': Gen has the image of fire, so it says 'clarity'; the yang line of Gen is at the top, itself being clear. Since the two additional images of Gen as fire and Gen as clarity have been lost, all schools have had to say that the third line changes and the interacting trigrams produce Li (Fire) to be 'clarity'. But how do they know that the third line of the travel hexagram says 'burning the dwelling', and the Great Strength hexagram changing into the Retreat says 'fire burning and melting gold'? These are all examples of Gen as fire. This explanation is detailed in my work, Jiao's Glosses on the Changes.

九五。屯其膏，小，貞吉，大，貞凶。坎水故曰膏，坎陷故屯其膏。蓋五雖下履重陰，然坤民三分之二，為初所有，四又應初，五雖君位，實無一民，故膏澤無所施也。小謂二，五應二，陰得陽應故吉。大謂五，五虛擁尊位，威柄下移，孤露無輔，故大貞凶。震為威，坤為柄。貞卜問也。諸家強以貞正說之，夫正而有大小，已不詞矣；大正而凶，益悖理矣。惠士奇知其不安，又以固為說，其不協與正無異也。象曰：屯其膏，施未光也。坎為隱伏，故曰未光。

The line statement for the fifth line (Nine in the Fifth): The moisture is blocked and cannot flow downward; if one asks about small matters, it is auspicious, but if one asks about great matters, it is inauspicious. Kan represents water, so it is said 'gao' (moisture); Kan also signifies danger and difficulty, so it is said '屯其膏' — the moisture is blocked and cannot flow. Although the fifth line is situated above many yin lines, the people represented by the trigram坤 (Earth) have two-thirds belonging to the first line, and the fourth line corresponds with the first line. The fifth line, although occupying the position of a ruler, actually has no people, so the moisture has nowhere to be distributed. 'Small' refers to the second line (Six in the Second): the fifth line corresponds with the second line, and the yin line receives support from the yang line, hence it is auspicious. 'Great' refers to the fifth line itself: it occupies a high position but has lost its authority, is isolated and unsupported, so when asking about great matters it is inauspicious. Zhen (Thunder) has the image of 'authority', and Kun (Earth) has the image of 'handle', together forming 'authority and handle'. 'Zhen' refers to divination. Various scholars have forced the interpretation of 'Zhenzheng' (correct and upright), but 'zheng' (upright) can be divided into 'small' and 'great', which is not logical; 'dazheng' (great uprightness) being inauspicious is even more against common sense. Hui Shiqi realized this was not coherent, so he changed to interpret it as 'gu' (solid), but this is no better than interpreting it as 'zheng'. The 'Xiaoxiang' says '屯其膏，施未光也': Kan has the image of concealment, so the distribution of the moisture is not yet extensive.

上六。乘馬班如，泣血漣如。坎為血，坎水故曰漣如。詩衛風泣涕漣漣，釋文泣貌。坎憂懼，下無應，故有是象。象曰：泣血漣如，何可長也。上六居卦之極，故曰不長。

The line statement for the sixth line at the top says: riding a horse circles around without moving forward, crying blood and weeping continuously. The trigram Kan has the image of blood; since Kan is also water, it is said 'rippling like water,' describing continuous tears. The Book of Songs, Wei Wind, has 'tears flow like water,' and the Commentary explains it as the appearance of crying. Kan represents worry and fear, and since the sixth line at the top has no responding line below, there is such an image. The Small Commentary says 'crying blood and weeping continuously, how can it last long?' The sixth line at the top is at the extreme of the hexagram, having reached the end, so it is said that it cannot last long.

蒙，亨。匪我求童蒙，童蒙求我。初筮告，再三瀆，瀆則不告。利貞。艮少，坎隱伏不明，故名曰蒙。蒙，樨也，不明也。二得中有應故亨。艮為童蒙，為求。而二至上正反艮，自二言若求五，自五言若求二，有互相求之象。然二陽也，陽大明；五陰也，陰迷。我謂二。匪我求童蒙、童蒙求我者，言二不必求五，五自來應二也。傳曰志應，言二五相應與相上下也。舊解詁實匪字，定謂二不應五者非也。坎為聖為通故為筮。比曰原筮，亦以坎為筮。震為言，放曰告。而二至上正反震，言多，故曰瀆。瀆，褻瀆也。震反為艮，艮止故不告。昔賢說此，總不知再三瀆之故何在，由正覆象並用之義失傳故也。又筮象亦失傳，故初筮不知何所指。豈知坎在下故曰初筮，專指九二。艮坎皆冬日卦，故曰利貞。

The Hexagram of "Meng" states: "It is smooth; it is not I who seek the child in ignorance, but the child who seeks me; if one asks once, then again, it is a profanation, and if it is profanation, then I will not tell again; it is advantageous to ask with sincerity." The Hexagram of "Meng" consists of the Lower Trigram "Gen" (Mountain) and the Upper Trigram "Kan" (Water). "Gen" represents the young man, and "Kan" has the image of concealment and obscurity, hence the name "Meng." "Meng" means "xu," which signifies childishness and lack of understanding. Nine in the Second (Nine Two) is located in the center of the Lower Trigram and corresponds with Six in the Fifth (Six Five) above, hence the smoothness. "Gen" has the image of "child in ignorance" and also the image of "seeking"; from the Second Line to the Top Line, viewed normally it is "Gen," viewed upside down it is still "Gen," so the two "Gen" trigrams face each other. From the perspective of Nine Two, it seems to be seeking Six Five; from the perspective of Six Five, it seems to be seeking Nine Two, which is the image of mutual seeking. However, Nine Two is yang, which is clear; Six Five is yin, which is confused. "I" refers to Nine Two. The phrase "It is not I who seek the child in ignorance, but the child who seeks me" means that Nine Two does not need to seek Six Five, for Six Five will come to respond to Nine Two. The Commentary on the Judgment says "the will corresponds," which refers to the mutual correspondence between the Second and Fifth Lines and their mutual interaction above and below. Old interpretations took the character "fei" as a definite negation, asserting that Nine Two does not correspond with Six Five, which is incorrect. "Kan" has the images of "saint" and "smoothness," hence it also represents "divination"; the Hexagram of "Bi" also uses "Kan" for "divination." "Zhen" has the image of "speech," hence it is said "to tell"; and from the Second Line to the Top Line, viewed normally or upside down, it forms "Zhen," which indicates much speech, hence it is called "du," which means profanation. When "Zhen" is turned upside down, it becomes "Gen," which represents stopping, hence no longer telling. Previous commentators have always failed to explain the origin of "repeated profanation," precisely because the principle of using both the original and inverted images has been lost; the image of "divination" has also been lost. "Initial divination" refers to the First Divination, which specifically refers to the single line of Nine Two. Both "Gen" and "Kan" are associated with the winter trigrams, and winter represents sincerity and firmness, hence it is advantageous to ask with sincerity.

彖曰：蒙，山下有險，險而止，蒙。蒙亨，以亨行，時中也。匪我求童蒙，童蒙求我，志應也。初筮告，以剛中也。再三瀆，瀆則不告，瀆蒙也。蒙以養正，聖功也。志應，言二五互求也。坎為聖，故曰聖功。象曰：山下出泉，蒙。君子以果行育德。艮為君子，為堅，為果。震為行，故曰果行。果行者，言堅定不易也。傳曰：致果為毅。是其義也。震為生為德，故曰育德。以者，法也，言君子法蒙象，而果毅其行，養育其德也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: The hexagram "Meng" has the upper trigram Gen (Mountain) and the lower trigram Kan (Water). The mountain below the water represents encountering danger and stopping, which is called "Meng." "Meng is favorable" means acting in accordance with the way of favorable circumstances, being timely and moderate. "It is not I who seek the naive and innocent, but the naive and innocent who seek me" indicates the harmony of the second and fifth lines. "The first divination tells," because the line nine in the second position is yang and in the center. "If one asks again and again, it is a violation, and thus the oracle does not respond," because repeated questioning shows disrespect toward the naive and innocent. Cultivating the rightness of the naive and innocent while they are still in a state of ignorance is the achievement of the sage. What is called "mutual response" refers to the mutual seeking of the second and fifth lines. The trigram Kan has the image of the sage, so it is said "sage's achievement." The Great Image says: Spring water flowing out from beneath the mountain is the image of "Meng." The gentleman thus acts decisively and cultivates virtue. The trigram Gen has the image of the gentleman, as well as the qualities of firmness and decisiveness; the trigram Zhen has the image of action. Together, they signify "decisive action." "Decisive action" means being firm and unswerving. As the Zuo Zhuan says, "Achieving decisive action is called yi (determined courage)." The trigram Zhen has the images of life and virtue, so it is said "cultivating virtue." "By" means to follow the example, meaning the gentleman follows the image of the hexagram "Meng," acting with determined courage and cultivating virtue.

初六：發蒙，利用刑人，用說桎梏，以往吝。發，啟也。詩大雅思齊篇曰：刑于寡妻。左傳襄十三年：一人刑善，數世賴之。注皆訓刑為法，是刑與型同。利用刑人者，言宜樹之模型，使童蒙有所法式，得為成人，永免罪闢也。坎為桎梏。說文：桎，足械；梏，手械。四無應，故往吝。說文引作遴，雲行難也，吝遴古通。漢書魯安王傳：晚節遴。王莽傳：性實遴嗇。義皆為吝。以往，王安石、朱震、王宗傳、朱子皆訓為以後，大誤。象曰：利用刑人，以正法也。正，平也。坎為平，故曰正法。言以法則示人，俾童蒙有所則效，即釋刑人之義也。

The line statement for the first line (initial line) says: To enlighten the ignorant, it is advantageous to set a model for people, so that he may be freed from restraints; proceeding in this way will bring difficulty. "Fa" means to open up. The "Shi Jing · Da Ya · Si Qi" says "Xing Yu Guo Qi," and the "Zuo Zhuan" Xiang Gong 13th year says "Yi Ren Xing Shan, Shu Shi La Zhi," commentators interpret "Xing" as a standard. This shows that "Xing" is related to "Xing." The phrase "Li Yong Xing Ren" means that one should set a model for the child, so that he can follow it, and when he grows up, he will never commit a crime and be punished. "Kan" has the image of restraints; the "Shuo Wen" says "Zhi" is a foot restraint, and "Gu" is a hand restraint. The first line and the fourth line are both yin lines, and they do not correspond, so proceeding will be difficult. The character "Lin" is cited in the "Shuo Wen" as "Lun," meaning difficult to walk. "Lin" and "Lun" were used interchangeably in ancient times: the "Han Shu · Lu An Wang Zhuan" says "Wan Jie Lun," and the "Wang Mang Zhuan" says "Xing Shi Lun Sa," both meaning to be stingy or difficult. As for "Yi Wang," Wang Anshi, Zhu Zhen, Wang Zong Chuan, and Zhu Xi all interpret it as "from this point on," which is a great mistake. The "Xiao Xiang Chuan" says "Li Yong Xing Ren, Yi Zheng Fa Ye." "Zheng" means level, and "Kan" has the image of levelness, so it is called "Zheng Fa." This means to show the law to people, so that the child can follow it, which properly explains the meaning of "Xing Ren."

九二：苞蒙，吉。納婦，吉。子克家。陽居陰中，故曰苞蒙。五陰來應，故曰納婦吉。震為子，艮為家，五艮體，二應之，故曰子克家。克者，能也，言能任家事也。象曰：子克家，剛柔接也。接與龍戰于野戰字義同，言交接也。

The line statement for the second line says: "To embrace ignorance, it is auspicious; to marry a wife, it is auspicious; the son can uphold the family's affairs." The second line, which is a yang line, is located among a group of yin lines, so it is said "embracing ignorance." The sixth line is yin and comes down to correspond with the second line, like marrying a wife, so it is said "marrying a wife is auspicious." "Zhen" (Thunder) has the image of a son, and "Gen" (Mountain) has the image of a family. Since the sixth line belongs to the upper trigram Gen, and the second line corresponds with it, it is said "the son can uphold the family's affairs." "Kè" means to be able to, indicating the ability to take on family responsibilities. The Small Image Commentary says, "the son can uphold the family's affairs, because the yang and yin lines connect." The character "jiē" (connect) here has the same meaning as the character "zhàn" (battle) in the sixth line of the "Kun" hexagram, "the dragon battles in the fields," both meaning connection and union.

六三：勿用取女，見金夫，不有躬，無攸利。取，娶同。坤為女。見金夫，不用躬，申勿用之故也。金夫者美稱。詩：有匪君子，如金如錫，如圭如璧。左傳：思我王度，式如玉，式如金。皆以金喻人之美。艮為金，為夫。人徒知乾為金，不知艮堅亦為金。易林隨之屯云：金玉滿堂。以屯之互艮為金也。人徒知震有夫象，不知三男皆為夫。比曰後夫凶，以艮為夫也。易林復之剝云：夫亡從軍。以剝上艮為夫也。三與上艮應，故曰見金夫。坤為躬。三體震，震為行而決躁，故見金夫而亟欲往上，不顧四五之阻，故曰不有躬。女行如此，不順，故無所利也。

The third line statement says: Do not take this woman, for when she sees a man like gold and jade, she no longer thinks of herself, and there is no benefit. 'Take' means 'marry'. The lower trigram is Kan, and with the second to fourth lines, it forms the trigram Kun, which has the image of a woman. The two lines 'seeing a man of gold, she does not think of herself' explain the meaning of 'do not take the woman'. 'Man of gold' is a respectful term. The Book of Poetry says 'there is a fine gentleman, like gold and tin, like a jade and a璧', and the Zuo Zhuan says 'thinking of my king's virtue, like jade and like gold', both using gold and jade to describe a person's beauty. The trigram Gen has the image of gold and also the image of a man. People only know that Qian represents gold, but do not know that Gen, being hard, also represents gold. In Jiao's Forest of Changes, the line 'gold and jade fill the hall' takes the trigram Gen as gold, which comes from the mutual trigrams of the Zhen trigram in the Tun hexagram. People only know that Zhen has the image of a man, but do not know that the three young men trigrams Zhen, Kan, and Gen can all represent a man. The line 'the man after the husband is凶' in the Bi hexagram uses Gen as the husband; the line 'the husband went to war and died' in Jiao's Forest of Changes, the line 'the husband went to war and died', also uses the upper trigram of the Po hexagram, Gen, as the husband. The third line and the top line form the Gen trigram, so it says 'seeing a man of gold'. The trigram Kun has the image of the body. The third line is also in the mutual trigram Zhen, which represents action and decisiveness, so when she sees 'a man of gold', she rushes forward immediately, without considering the obstruction of the fourth and fifth lines, hence 'not thinking of herself'—she does not even think of her own body. A woman acting like this is not gentle, so there is no benefit.

象曰：勿用取女，行不順也。坤為順，震躁動，故不順。案此爻舊解，虞翻以陽為金，謂三為二所淫；朱子謂金夫，蓋以金賂己而挑之，若魯秋胡之事：均堪噴飯。若夫王弼以金夫為剛夫，毛大可、惠棟等用卦變，又以兌陽為金，皆非。故夫卦象一失傳，無論若何揣測，皆不能當。其關係之重若是。

The Small Image Commentary says: "Do not take a wife," because her behavior is not gentle. The hexagram "Kun" originally has the image of "following," but the sixth line in the third position is part of the trigram "Zhen," which has the nature of restlessness and impulsiveness, hence it is not following. According to the old annotations on this line: Yu Fan interpreted the yang line as metal, saying that the sixth line in the third position was seduced by the ninth line in the second; Zhu Xi said "gold husband" refers to someone who bribes and flatters with money, like the case of the man from Lu named Chui who played with his wife—these interpretations are all very amusing. As for Wang Bi, he interpreted "gold husband" as a strong husband, while Mao Qilin and Hui Dong used the method of "hexagram transformation," taking the yang line of the trigram "Dui" as metal, but all these interpretations are incorrect. It is evident that once the hexagram images are lost, no matter how one speculates, one cannot reach the truth. The importance of the images in interpreting the Book of Changes is indeed this significant.

六四：困蒙，吝。四無應，承乘皆失類，故曰困。象曰：困蒙之吝，獨遠實也。實為陽，初三五皆近陽，四獨否，故曰獨遠實。六五：童蒙吉。艮為童蒙，上承陽，下應二，雖不當位而居中，故吉。象曰：童蒙之吉，順以算也。上承陽，順陽而行，下與二相上下，故曰順以巽。

The fourth line statement says: "Confined in darkness, there is difficulty." The fourth line and the first line are both yin lines, so they do not correspond. The fourth line is above the third line and below the fifth line, and all are yin lines, so it is not connected to yang lines on either side. Therefore, it is said "confined." The Small Image Commentary says, "The difficulty of being confined in darkness is due to being far from the yang." "Yang" refers to the yang lines. The first line is close to the second line, the third line is close to the second line, the fifth line is close to the top line, but the fourth line is farthest from the yang lines, so it is said "far from the yang." The fifth line statement says: "A child in confusion, auspicious." "Gèn" has the image of "a child in confusion." The fifth line is above the top line and below the second line, and it corresponds with the second line. Although it is a yin line in a yang position and thus not in the proper place, it is in the center of the upper trigram, so it is auspicious. The Small Image Commentary says, "The auspiciousness of a child in confusion is due to following with compliance." "Compliance" should be read as "Xùn." The fifth line is above the yang line, following the yang, and downward it corresponds with the second line, so it is said "following with compliance," and "Xùn" means compliance.

上九：擊蒙，不利為寇，利禦寇。艮手為擊，亦啟發之意。上應在三，三坎為寇，道窮於上，故不利為寇。然艮為堅為守，下擁群陰，勢眾，故利禦寇。坎彖傳云：王公設險以守其國。守謂互艮也，能守故利。象曰：利用禦寇，上下順也。君子守其前，小人隨其後，故利禦寇。上下順者，言坤民順上也。

The line statement for the top yang line (Six at the Top): striking the confused, it is not favorable to act as a plundering bandit, but favorable to defend against bandits. "Gen" represents the hand, which is used for striking, and here also implies the meaning of tapping or enlightening. The top yang line corresponds with the sixth yin line in the lower trigram, and the sixth line belongs to the lower trigram Kan, which has the image of a bandit. Since the top yang line has reached the end of the hexagram, the path is blocked, so it is not advisable to take the initiative in becoming a bandit. However, "Gen" has the image of firmness and defense, and the top yang line is supported by a group of yin lines below, indicating a strong force, so it is favorable to defend against bandits. The "Kan" hexagram's commentary on the judgment says, "The king and ministers set up defenses to protect their country," and the "defense" here refers to the interacting trigram Gen, which enables defense and thus is favorable. The small image commentary says, "It is favorable to defend against bandits, because the superior and inferior are in harmony." The gentleman stands in front, and the petty person follows behind, so it is favorable to defend against bandits. The phrase "superior and inferior are in harmony" means that the people symbolized by Kun are obedient to those in authority.

需。有孚，光亨，貞吉，利涉大川。乾為行，行而遇險，故曰需。需，待也。歸藏作溽，坎兌皆水故溽。溽，溼也，而溽與濡音義並同。楊氏古音云：溽，人餘切，歸藏易需卦作溽，同濡。案孟子：是何濡滯也。是溽有遲義。古文多省筆，疑需為古文濡字，與歸藏同。且濡滯亦有須義，與彖傳不背。周易本因二易而作，溽濡需不過字形之輾轉耳，音義並同也。

The Hexagram Statement of 《Need》 says: With sincerity, there is brightness and smooth passage; if one asks earnestly, one will obtain good fortune; it is advantageous to cross a great river. The lower trigram is Qian (Heaven), representing movement forward, but when moving forward one meets Kan (Water) danger, hence it is called 《Need》, meaning waiting. In the 《Guicang》 Yi, this hexagram is written as 《Ru》, because both Kan and Dui belong to water, so the character has a water radical. 《Ru》 means dampness, and 《Ru》 and 《Ru》 have the same sound and meaning. Yang Shen's 《Gujin》 says: 《Ru》 is pronounced as ren yu, and in the 《Guicang Yi》, the hexagram 《Need》 is written as 《Ru》, which is the same as 《Ru》. Also, in the 《Mengzi》, it says: "What a sluggish delay!" This shows that 《Ru》 has the meaning of delay. Ancient characters often omitted strokes, so it is suspected that 《Need》 is the ancient form of 《Ru》, consistent with the 《Guicang》; moreover, "sluggish delay" itself has the meaning of waiting, which does not conflict with the 《Tuan Zhuan》 explanation of 《Need》 as "must." The 《Zhou Yi》 was originally based on the 《Lianshan》 and 《Guicang》 Yi. 《Ru》, 《Ru》, and 《Need》 are merely variations in form, and their pronunciation and meaning were originally the same.

卦辭皆指九五。五上下皆陰，故有孚；互離故光，得位放亨。貞吉者，卜問則吉也。坤為水，為大川。易林賁之損云：龍蛇所聚，大水來處。以損互震為龍蛇，互坤為水。又師之復：淵泉堤防，水道利通。亦以復坤為泉為水。此外九家說蠱之利涉大川云：此卦乾天有河，坤地有水，二爻升降，出入乾坤，利涉大大川也。亦以坤為大川。

The hexagram statement of 《Need》 refers to the line nine five in every sentence. The line nine five is surrounded by yin lines above and below, and the yin lines are convinced, so it is said "there is sincerity." The lines three to five form the trigram li, which represents brightness, so it is said "light." The line nine five is yang in yang position, occupying the central position of honor, so it is said "smooth." "Zhen Ji" means that divination will be auspicious. "Kun" has the image of water and the image of a great river, which is a Han dynasty interpretation preserved in 《Jiao's Forest of Changes》. 《Beren's Loss》 says "dragons and snakes gather, great water comes from here," using the trigram zhen (dragon and snake) as the mutual trigram and the trigram kun (water) as the mutual trigram. 《Shi's Fu》 says "deep spring and embankment, water channels are convenient," also using the trigram kun as spring and water. In addition, 《Nine Schools Commentary》 explains 《Gu》 hexagram "favorable for crossing a great river" by saying: this hexagram has a river in the middle of heaven (qian) and water in the middle of earth (kun), and the line two rises and falls between heaven and earth, so it is favorable for crossing a great river—again using kun as a great river.

利涉謂五，言五居坤中，孚於上下而利也。故彖傳以位乎天位、往有功釋之。而虞翻謂往指二，二失位，變陰涉坎，故利涉。夫以坎為大川，涉之而利，則不必需矣，是背卦義也。彼夫蹇無坤也，而曰利西南，以蹇五居坤中也。需五亦居坤中，坤為大川，當位而尊，上下皆孚，故曰往有功。五居外，故曰往，非必內卦往外卦方謂往也。此卦只五爻能利涉，他爻無利者，自坤水象失傳，不知五所涉者為坤水、為大川，必以坎為大川，於是易之利涉大川，無一得解者。

"The term 'favorable for crossing a river' refers to the Nine in the Fifth (nine five). The Nine in the Fifth is located in the center of the Earth trigram (Kun), and the yin elements above and below all follow it, hence it is favorable. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment explains it with 'positioned in the position of Heaven' and 'going forth with achievement.' Yu Fan, however, says that 'going forth' refers to the Nine in the Second. He claims that the Nine in the Second is out of its proper position and transforms into a yin line to cross the Water trigram (Kan), thus making crossing favorable. But if the Water trigram is considered as a great river, crossing it would be favorable, so what is the need to wait? This contradicts the original meaning of the Need hexagram. Now consider the Jian hexagram, which does not have the Earth trigram (Kun) as its structure, yet it says 'favorable to the Southwest.' This is because the Nine in the Fifth of Jian is located in the Earth trigram. Similarly, the Nine in the Fifth of Need is also located in the Earth trigram. The Earth trigram represents a great river, and the Nine in the Fifth is in its proper position and holds a high position, with all above and below believing in it, hence it is said 'going forth with achievement.' The Nine in the Fifth is located in the outer trigram, so it is called 'going forth,' which does not necessarily mean that 'going forth' refers to moving from the inner trigram to the outer trigram. In this hexagram, only the Nine in the Fifth line is favorable for crossing, while all other lines are not beneficial. Since the lost image of 'Earth as Water' has disappeared, later scholars did not understand that the Nine in the Fifth is crossing the Earth trigram (Kun) or the great river. They merely took the Water trigram (Kan) as the great river, and thus the phrase 'favorable for crossing a great river' in various places of the Zhou Changes (I Ching) became incomprehensible."

彖曰：需，須也，險在前也。剛健而不陷，其義不困窮矣。需有孚光亨貞吉，位乎天位，以正中也。利涉大川，往有功也。須，待也。待則不陷於險中，故不困窮，釋需之故也。位乎天位、往有功，皆謂九五，謂九五居坤水之中，上下皆孚，有功即利涉。虞翻以二當之，失彖傳旨矣。象曰：雲上於天，需。君子以飲食宴樂。坎為雲，故曰云上於天。二四兌，兌口，故曰飲食；兌悅，故曰宴樂。乾為君子。言君子飲食宴樂，從容以俟也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Need" means waiting, with obstacles ahead; the lower trigram is Qian, which is strong and vigorous, so even though facing danger, it does not fall into it, and its meaning does not lead to hardship or destitution. "Need has sincerity, brightness, smoothness, uprightness, and good fortune" because Nine in the Second is in the position of the Son of Heaven, upright and proper; "favorable for crossing great rivers" because going forward will surely bring merit. "Need" is waiting, and being able to wait means not falling into danger, so it does not lead to hardship or destitution—this is the explanation of the hexagram name "Need." "Standing in the position of Heaven" and "going forward and achieving merit" both refer to Nine in the Fifth, meaning that Nine in the Fifth is in the middle of the Earth trigram, and the upper and lower trigrams all follow it, "achieving merit" is also "favorable for crossing great rivers." Yu Fan took Nine in the Second as referring to these two lines, thus losing the original meaning of the Commentary on the Judgment. The Great Image says: clouds rising in the sky is the image of "Need," and the gentleman thus waits calmly, enjoying food, feasting, and revelry. "Kan" has the image of "clouds," and Kan is above Qian, so it says "clouds rising above the sky." The trigrams from the second to the fourth lines form the trigram Dui, which is the mouth, so it says "food"; Dui is also joy, so it says "feasting and revelry." "Qian" has the image of the gentleman. Combined, it says: the gentleman enjoys food, feasts, and revels, waiting calmly for the right moment.

初九：需于郊，利用恆，無咎。乾為郊。初臨重陽，陽遇陽得敵，不能行，故利用恆。恆，久也，常也，言潛龍勿用，守常不變也。守常不動，故無咎。陽遇陽行難，需而不進，故象曰不犯難行。大畜初九曰：有厲利己。厲與難皆指二三。此與鼎九二慎所之、大有初九曰無交、大壯初九曰征凶、夬初九曰往不勝、姤九三曰其行次且，皆因陽遇陽。乃二千年說者皆以需坎為難，謂初不取四為不犯難。豈知難為二三，二三皆陽，陽遇陽行難，故不取四而用恆，非以坎為難而不取也。故夫同性相敵、異性相感之理不明，則易本立失，此不犯難及有厲利己等辭，所以永不得解也。象曰：需于郊，不犯難行也；利用恆無咎，未失常也。陽遇陽得敵，需而不進，故曰不犯難行。難指二三。

The line statement for the initial nine (初九) says: waiting in the outskirts is favorable for maintaining constancy, and there will be no mistakes. The trigram Qian (Heaven) has the image of the outskirts. The initial nine is connected above by the second nine and the third nine, both yang lines. Yang meeting yang creates opposition, making progress difficult, so it is appropriate to maintain constancy. "Heng" means enduring and maintaining the norm, just as the initial nine in Qian (Heaven) "Qian Long Wu Yong" (the hidden dragon does not act) maintains constancy without change. By maintaining constancy and not moving, there is no mistake. Yang meeting yang makes movement difficult, so one can only wait and not advance. Therefore, the small image commentary says "not encountering difficulty in movement." In the line statement of the initial nine of Daxu (Great Accumulation), it says "there is danger, but it is advantageous to be self-restrained," where "danger" refers to the second and third lines. Similarly, in the line statement of the second nine of Ding (Tripod), it says "be cautious about where you go," in the line statement of the initial nine of Dayou (Great Possession), it says "no interaction," in the line statement of the initial nine of Dazhuang (Great Strength), it says "advancing brings danger," in the line statement of the initial nine of Gua (Approaching), it says "going forward is not victorious," and in the line statement of the third nine of Gou (Meeting), it says "his movement is hesitant." All these are due to yang meeting yang. However, for two thousand years, commentators have taken the lower trigram Kan (Water) as "difficulty," saying that the initial nine not taking the fourth line is called "not encountering difficulty." But they fail to realize that "difficulty" refers to the second and third lines. Since both the second and third lines are yang, yang meeting yang causes difficulty, and thus the initial nine does not take the fourth line but maintains constancy. It is not because the trigram Kan is considered difficulty and thus avoided. Therefore, if one does not understand the principle that "like elements oppose each other, unlike elements interact," the fundamental basis of the Book of Changes (Yi Jing) cannot be established, and phrases such as "not encountering difficulty" and "there is danger, but it is advantageous to be self-restrained" will never be properly explained. The small image commentary says: "waiting at the outskirts" means not taking risks in advance, and "favorable for maintaining constancy without blame" means not losing the constant way. Yang meeting yang creates opposition, so waiting without advancing, thus saying "not encountering difficulty in movement"; "difficulty" refers to the second and third lines.

九二：需于沙，小有言，終吉。沙近水，二較初略進，故曰需于沙。二至四伏艮，艮為沙。有言者，爭訟也。乾為言，見左傳；兌口亦為言，見易林。乃兌言向外，與乾言相背，故爭訟。夬四之聞言不信，即如此取象也。兌為小故小有言。有言不吉，然而吉者，象曰衍在中，以居沙衍之中也。穆天子傳：天子遂東征，南絕沙衍。蓋水中有沙曰衍，故曰衍在中，以象中位也。象曰：雖小有言，以吉終者，明有言本不吉，然而吉者，以得中位也。虞翻用半象，謂三四震象半見為小有言，穿鑿之說也。凡易雲有言，及聞言不信、有言不信者，皆爭訟也，非言之有無也。左傳昭五年以謙為饞，首發其義；焦氏易林暢述其旨，於是二千年有言誤解，盡行暴露，與利涉大川同，說詳焦氏易詁中。

The line statement for the second line says: waiting on the beach, there is a slight dispute, but in the end it is auspicious. The beach is near the water, and the second line is closer to the water of the Kan trigram than the first line, so it is said 'waiting on the sand.' The second to fourth lines form the Geng trigram, and 'Geng' has the image of 'sand.' 'Having words' refers to a dispute. 'Qian' has the image of 'words,' as mentioned in the 'Zuo Zhuan'; 'Dui' represents the mouth and also 'words,' as mentioned in 'Jiao's Forest of Changes.' However, the 'words' of 'Dui' are outward, while the 'words' of 'Qian' are in the opposite direction, thus causing a dispute. The line 'hearing words but not believing them' in the 'Gua' hexagram is interpreted in the same way. 'Dui' represents smallness, so it is said 'small words.' Although disputes are not auspicious, the 'Small Image Commentary' says 'the middle is extended,' because the second line is exactly in the middle of the sandbank. The 'Mu Tianzi Zhuan' says 'the Son of Heaven then went east to campaign, and passed through the sandy area to the south.' A place with sand in the water is called 'yan,' so 'the middle is extended' is used to compare the central position of the second line. The 'Small Image Commentary' says 'although there are small words, it ends auspiciously,' clearly indicating that disputes are not auspicious, but they are auspicious because the line is in the central position. Yu Fan used the theory of 'half image,' saying that the third and fourth lines partially form the Zhen trigram, thus 'small words,' which is a forced interpretation. In the 'Book of Changes,' whenever it says 'having words,' or 'hearing words but not believing them,' or 'having words but not believing them,' it refers to disputes, not whether or not there is speech. The 'Zuo Zhuan' from the fifth year of King Zhao's reign interpreted 'qian' as 'calumny,' first establishing this meaning; Jiao Yanshou's 'Forest of Changes' further elaborated on this, thus revealing all the misunderstandings of 'having words' over the past two thousand years, a situation similar to 'advantageous to cross a great river,' as detailed in 'Jiao's Glosses on the Changes.'

象曰：需于沙，衍在中也；雖小有言，以吉終也。解見前。九三：需于泥，致寇至。震九四云：震隊泥。以坎為泥也。九三去險益近，故曰需于泥。坎為寇，三近坎，故曰致寇至。象曰：需于泥，災在外也；自我致寇，敬慎不敗也。坎為災。災在外，明尚未罹災；致寇至，明寇尚未至也。致之故在我，我能敬慎則不至矣，不至則不敗。乾為惕，故曰敬慎。

The Small Image Commentary says: "Waiting by the sand" means being in the middle of a sandbank, "although there is a slight word" but ultimately one will attain good fortune—explanation is given before. The line statement for the third line: waiting in the mud, leading to the arrival of a strong enemy. The line statement for the fourth line of the Zhen hexagram says "Zhen in the mud" ("队" means falling), which uses "Kan" as "mud." The third line is closer to the upper hexagram Kan, which is a danger, so it is said "waiting in the mud." "Kan" has the image of "enemy," and since the third line is adjacent to Kan, it is said "leading to the arrival of the enemy." The Small Image Commentary says: "Waiting in the mud" indicates that disaster is still in the outer hexagram; "self-inflicted enemy," as long as one is respectful and cautious, one will not fail. "Kan" has the image of "disaster." Saying that disaster is in the outer hexagram indicates that the third line has not yet encountered disaster; saying "leading to the arrival of the enemy" indicates that the enemy has not actually arrived yet. Whether or not the enemy can be brought in depends on oneself. If one is respectful and cautious, the enemy will not come; if the enemy does not come, there will be no failure. "Qian" has the image of "caution," so it is said "respectful and cautious."

六四：需于血，出自穴。血，洫之省字，古文如此者不可勝數，且溝洫亦坎象也。諸家以坎有血象，便作需于血，不辭甚矣。兌為穴，易林乾之咸云：反得丹穴。豫之兌云：秋蛇向穴。皆以兌為穴。言四之所處，前臨溝洫，故曰需於洫；而居兌穴之上，故曰出自穴。毛奇齡、惠棟、焦循等皆以坎為穴，用象既誤，故於出義不合也。（祇姚配中詁出字得解。）象曰：需于血，順以聽也。四陰宜順五陽，坎為耳，故曰聽。聽，從也。

The fourth line statement says: waiting by the edge of a ditch, emerging from a hole. "Blood" is a simplified form of "洫," and in ancient texts, such simplified characters are numerous. Moreover, ditches and ditches themselves are symbolic of the trigram Kan. Historically, commentators have interpreted the image of blood in Kan as meaning waiting in a pool of blood, which is clearly inappropriate. The trigram Dui has the image of a hole: in the "Forest of Divination" from the Book of Changes, "returning to a red hole" is mentioned, and in the "Divination of Yu" it says "autumn snake approaching a hole," both interpreting Dui as a hole. This refers to the position of the fourth line, which faces a ditch, hence "needing by the ditch"; and since it is located above the Dui trigram in the interacting trigrams, it also says "emerging from a hole." Mao Qilin, Hui Dong, Jiao Xun, and others all took Kan as a hole, which was already a wrong interpretation, and thus the meaning of "emerging" naturally does not make sense (only Yao Peizhong's interpretation of the word "emerging" makes sense). The "Small Image Commentary" says, "needing by blood, being obedient and waiting." The fourth line is a yin line, which should be obedient to the yang line of the fifth, "Kan" represents the ear, so "waiting" means listening, and "listening" means obedience.

九五：需于酒食，貞吉。坎為酒。食，實也。頤自求口實，鄭作食，是食實可通用。坎中實，故坎為食。易林履之蹇云：天下饒食。謙之坎：食非其任。皆以坎為食。酒食在上，兌口承之，故曰需于酒食。貞吉者，卜問吉也。象曰：需于酒食，以中正也。五位中正，釋貞吉之故也。

The line statement for the fifth line says: waiting in the midst of wine and food, the divination yields a good omen. The trigram Kan (Water) has the image of wine. Food is equivalent to 'real' or 'substance'; the term 'real' in the hexagram Yi (Nourishment) 'seeking food for the mouth' is interpreted by Zheng Xuan as 'food', showing that 'food' and 'real' can be used interchangeably. The middle line of the trigram Kan is yang, symbolizing a full center, hence Kan is also associated with food. The "Forest of Steps" in the "Forest of Steps" says "the world is abundant with food," and the "Forest of Humility" in the "Forest of Humility" says "food is not one's responsibility," both using Kan as representing food. Wine and food are in the upper trigram, and the interacting trigram兑 (Lake) with its mouth is directly below and receiving them, hence the statement "waiting in the midst of wine and food." "贞吉" means the divination yields a good omen. The "Small Image Commentary" says "waiting in the midst of wine and food, because it is in the center and upright." The fifth line is in the center and upright, which explains the reason for the good omen.

上六：入于穴，有不速之客三人來，敬之，終吉。互兌為穴，上來應三，則入於兌穴矣。而陽必上升，故曰不速之客。馬云：速，召也。乾為人，上應在三，故曰三人來。坎為畏懼，故曰敬之，言陰宜順陽也。上居卦終，故曰終吉。象曰：不速之客來，敬之終吉，雖不當位，未大失也。象明曰不速之客來，來而不當位，言三升上不當位也，非謂上六本不當位。王弼不明升降之理，便謂初上無位，真妄說也。苟爽云：上退居三，雖不當位，承陽有實，故未大失。固的解也。

The line statement for the top line says: Entering a cave, there are three guests who come without being invited, and by being respectful to them, the outcome is ultimately auspicious. The trigrams in positions three, four, and five form the trigram Dui, which represents a cave. The top line descending and corresponding with the nine in position three is like entering the cave of Dui, hence the phrase "entering the cave." Yang lines naturally rise, so they come on their own without being invited, hence they are called "uninvited guests." Ma Rong said that "speed" refers to being invited. The trigram Qian has the image of a person, and since the top line corresponds with the nine in position three, and the three yang lines in the lower trigram Qian all rise together, this is why it is said "three people come." The trigram Kan has the image of fear, hence the phrase "respect them," which refers to yin being submissive to yang. The top line is at the end of the hexagram, hence the outcome is ultimately auspicious. The Small Image Commentary says: Uninvited guests come, and by being respectful, one ultimately gains good fortune. Although the line is not in the right position, it does not cause great misfortune. The Small Image clearly says "uninvited guests come," meaning that they arrive and are not in the right position, referring to the nine in position three rising to the top position and being out of place, not that the top line itself is out of place. Wang Bi did not understand the principles of line movement and position, and he said that the first line and the top line have no positions, which is indeed a mistaken view. Xun Shuang said: The top line retreating to the third position, although not in the right place, it receives support from a yang line and thus does not suffer great loss—this is the correct interpretation.

訟。有孚，窒惕，中吉，終凶。利見大人，不利涉大川。乾陽上升，坎水下降，乃乾即在上，坎即在下，違行，氣不交，故曰訟。二陽居陰中，故有孚。坎中實，故窒；坎憂，故惕。二雖不當位，居中，故吉。二無應，遇敵，故終凶。九五中正，故利見大人。坤為大川，二入之不當位，無應與，不能出（若解則能出），沈淪於坤水之中，故曰不利涉大川。

The Hexagram of Strife states: With sincerity but obstructed, one remains vigilant, and it is favorable in the middle but disastrous at the end; it is favorable to meet a great person, but unfavorable to cross a great river. The Hexagram of Strife consists of the Upper Trigram Qian (Heaven) and the Lower Trigram Kan (Water): Qian's yang energy rises, while Kan's water nature descends, yet Qian is placed above and Kan below, moving in opposite directions, and the two energies cannot meet, hence called "Strife." Nine in the Second, with a yang line in the middle of a yin position, is trusted by both above and below, thus "with sincerity." The middle line of Kan is full, indicating obstruction, thus "blocked." Kan also represents anxiety, thus "vigilant." Although Nine in the Second is not in the correct position, it is in the middle of the lower trigram, hence "favorable in the middle." However, there is no corresponding line above, and the meeting Nine in the Fifth is of the same nature, thus "disastrous at the end." Nine in the Fifth is in the center and upright, thus "favorable to meet a great person." "Kun" symbolizes a great river; Nine in the Second is submerged in the water of Kun without the correct position and lacks support, thus unable to emerge (if it were the Hexagram of Resolution, it would emerge), sinking in the water, hence "unfavorable to cross a great river."

彖曰：訟，上剛下險，險而健訟。訟有孚窒惕，中吉，剛來而得中也。終凶，訟不可成也。利見大人，尚中正也。不利涉大川，入于淵也。剛來得中謂二也，中正謂五也。坤為淵，易林震之復云：藏匿淵底。言復陽居坤下，故曰藏匿淵底，是以坤為淵也。今二入居坤中，故曰入於淵，而上無應不能出，沈溺淵中，故曰不利。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: The卦 of Strife has a strong and vigorous upper trigram and a dangerous and treacherous lower trigram. Because it is both dangerous and vigorous, it gives rise to strife. "Strife with sincerity, obstruction, vigilance, and middle goodness" is because a strong line is in the lower trigram and occupies the middle position. "Ultimately disastrous" means that strife should not be pursued to the end. "Beneficial to see a great man" refers to the veneration of the virtue of being in the middle and upright. "Not beneficial to cross a great river" indicates the danger of falling into a deep abyss. "A strong line coming to the middle" refers to the line Nine in the Second. "Middle and upright" refers to the line Nine in the Fifth. The trigram坤 has the image of a deep abyss. The易林·Zhen Zhī Fu says "hidden at the bottom of the abyss," referring to the卦 of Return where a single yang line is located below the trigram坤, hence called "hidden at the bottom of the abyss," which is using坤 as the abyss. Now the line Nine in the Second is immersed in the water of坤, so it is said "entering the abyss." And there is no corresponding line above it, so it cannot escape, sinking in the abyss, hence it is said "not beneficial."

象曰：天與水違行，訟。君子以作事謀始。需水上乾下，故氣交；反之則背道而馳，愈去愈遠，故曰違行。行，道也，違行言異道而行也。坎為謀，坤為事，二居坤中，故曰作事。二無應，故入不能出，若慎始則免矣。卦氣以下為始。王弼云：凡訟之起，契之不明。孔疏由於初時契要之過，慎始制契，則訟端絕。按乾坎皆為信，契要者信也，王注優於各家。

The Great Image Commentary says: Heaven and Water each go their own way, which is the image of the hexagram of Strife. Therefore, the gentleman, when beginning to act, should first plan clearly. The hexagram of Waiting has Water above and Heaven below, with the two energies interacting; but the hexagram of Strife is the reverse, thus going in opposite directions and growing further apart. Therefore, it is said "violating the path." "Path" refers to the way, and "violating the path" means not following the same way. "Kan" has the image of "planning," and "Kun" has the image of "affairs." Since the second line is immersed in the body of Kun, it is said "doing affairs." The second line has no responding line, so once it enters, it cannot come out. If one can be cautious from the beginning, it can be avoided. The hexagram's qi begins with the lower trigram. Wang Bi said: All disputes arise because of unclear contracts. Kong Yingda's commentary says it is due to negligence in the initial establishment of the contract. If one is cautious at the beginning of the contract, disputes will naturally be prevented. Since both "Qian" and "Kan" have the image of "trust," contracts rely on trust, so Wang Bi's commentary surpasses others.

初六：不永所事，小有言，終吉。事，訟事也。訟始於初，然初有應，初四相上下成中孚，各當位，則訟事息矣，故曰不永所事。坎上下兌口相背，故有言，有言即訟也。不永故曰小有言，有應故終吉。象曰：不永所事，訟不可長也；雖小有言，其辯明也。兌口多，故曰辯明。

The first line statement says: Do not prolong this lawsuit, even though there is some verbal dispute, it will ultimately be auspicious. "Event" refers to a lawsuit. Dispute begins at the first line, but the first line corresponds with the fourth line, which is yin and yang. The first and fourth lines move up and down, forming the shape of the hexagram Zhongfou, with all lines in proper position, so the lawsuit is resolved. Therefore, it says "do not prolong the matter." The upper and lower parts of Kan are hidden by the mouth of Dui, and the mouths face opposite directions, so there is verbal dispute. "There is speech" refers to dispute. Because it is not prolonged, it is only "a little speech"; because there is a corresponding line, it is "ultimately auspicious." The Small Image Commentary says: "Do not prolong the matter" means that disputes should not be prolonged, "although there is a little speech" means that right and wrong will eventually be clarified. There are many images of the mouth of Dui, so it is said "clarified."

九二：不克訟，歸而逋，其邑人三百戶，無眚。坎為隱伏，故曰逋。上無應，故不克訟，不克訟故逋。逋，逃也。逃歸何處乎？二居坤中，坤為邑為百為戶。茹敦和曰：坎數三，故曰其邑人三百戶。言二選於坤邑之中也。坎為眚，二逋坤中，孚於上下，故無眚。眚，釋文馬云災也。

Nine Two Line Statement: The lawsuit cannot be won, and he flees back, his territory being no more than three hundred households, with no calamity. "Kan" has the image of concealment, so it is said "逋" — to flee. Nine Two has no yao corresponding above it, so the lawsuit cannot be won; unable to win, he flees. "逋" means to flee, but where does he flee back to? Nine Two is in the middle of the Kun structure, so "Kun" has the image of a territory, "hundred," and "household." Ru Dunhe says: The number of Kan is three, so it is said "his territory has three hundred households." This refers to Nine Two hiding within the Kun territory. "Kan" also has the image of calamity; Nine Two fleeing into Kun, with the yin above and below both believing in it, so there is no calamity. The character "眚" is explained by Ma Rong in "Classic Interpretation" as meaning calamity.

象曰：不克訟，歸逋竄也；自下訟上，患至掇也。上謂五，五剛，二與為敵，故曰自下訟上。吳先生曰：掇，借為輟，止也。愚按集韻掇音輟，讀若朵。逸周書曰：綿綿不絕，蔓蔓若何，毫末不掇，將成斧柯。不掇即不輟，言毫末雖微，長而不止，即成斧柯。然則掇輟古通用。又河北方言謂人避事曰掇避，正與此同。掇或作躲，玉篇身也，無避匿之義，非也。歸而逋，即輟訟矣，輟之故因不克訟而有患也。釋文鄭作惙，憂也；近師俞樾又作綴，言禍患之來，聯綴不已也。但小象原以釋經文，作惙作綴於逋義皆無涉；若作輟，則正釋逋義也。逋而輟訟，訟止故無眚。

The Small Image Commentary says: "Not being able to win the lawsuit" means fleeing and hiding, and fighting against the superior from below, so when calamity comes, one must stop. "Upper" refers to Nine in the Fifth. Nine in the Fifth is yang and strong, while Nine in the Second is of the same nature and thus in opposition. Therefore, it is said "filing a lawsuit against the superior from below." Master Wu said: "Du" is a variant of "Chuo," meaning to stop. According to the "Ji Yun," "Du" is pronounced like "Chuo," similar to "DuO." The "Yi Zhou Shu" says, "Continuous and unceasing, how can it be so? If you do not stop the small beginnings, it will become a great axe handle." "Not stopping" is the same as "not ceasing," meaning that even a tiny hair, if it continues to grow, will eventually become an axe handle. This shows that "Du" and "Chuo" were used interchangeably in ancient times. In the dialect of Hebei, people refer to avoiding matters as "Du Bi," which is exactly the same meaning. "Du" is sometimes written as "DuO." The "Yu Pian" explains "DuO" as "body," without the meaning of avoiding or hiding, which is incorrect. "Returning and fleeing" means stopping the lawsuit. The reason for stopping the lawsuit is that one cannot win and is also facing calamity. The "Jing Jing Shi Wen" says that Zheng Xuan's version is "Chuo," meaning sorrow; later scholars Yu Yue changed it to "Zhu," meaning continuous misfortune. However, the Small Image Commentary is meant to explain the main text, so using "Chuo" or "Zhu" has nothing to do with the meaning of "Bu." Only when written as "Chuo" does it properly explain the meaning of "Bu." Fleeing and stopping the lawsuit, once the lawsuit stops, there is no calamity.

六三：食舊德，貞厲，終吉。或從王事，無成。乾為舊為德，坎為食。三承重陽，故曰食舊德。失位故貞厲，承陽有應故終吉。三承乾，乾為王，故曰從王事。坤柔故無成，義詳坤六三前釋。象曰：食舊德，從上吉也。從上即承乾。

The line statement for the third line says: Enjoying the oldofficial stipend and virtue, divination shows danger but ultimately brings good fortune; or following the king's affairs without claiming the merit. "Qian" has the image of "old" and "virtue," while "Kan" has the image of "food." The sixth line in the third position is above the ninth lines in the fourth and fifth positions, so it is said "eat the old virtue." It is a yin line in a yang position and thus lacks proper position, hence "divination shows danger." It is above the yang lines and corresponds with the top nine, so "ultimately good fortune." The third line follows the upper trigram Qian, which has the image of the king, so it is said "follow the king's affairs." The nature of Kun is gentle and yielding, so it accomplishes things without claiming credit, hence "no achievement." This meaning is already explained in detail in the sixth line of the third position of the Kun hexagram. The Small Image Commentary says "eat the old virtue, follow the superior to achieve good fortune," where "follow the superior" means following the upper trigram Qian.

九四：不克訟，復即命，渝，安貞，吉。陽遇陽則窒，故不克訟。巽為命。即，就也，安也。初有應，言復初而安命也。渝，變也。訟則爭，爭則不安，不訟則變而為安貞矣，故吉也。象曰：復即命，渝安貞吉，不失也。失與軼通，荀子哀公篇其馬將失，即其馬將軼也。軼，突也，過也，左傳隱九年懼其侵軼我也。說文車相出也，即從後出前也。不軼即不前出也，釋安貞之義也，與隨初、比二、小畜初同。九五：訟元吉。五位極尊，故曰元。五中正，故訟吉。象曰：訟元吉，以中正也。有中而不正者，有正而不中者，中且正，無不吉。

The fourth line statement says: In a legal dispute, you cannot win, so return and accept the mandate of heaven, change your attitude, and remain steadfast in the right path, which is auspicious. A yang line meets another yang line, leading to blockage, hence the inability to win the case. "Xun" has the image of "ming" (mandate). "Ji" means to return to and be at ease; the fourth line corresponds with the first line, meaning returning to align with the first line and be at ease with the mandate of heaven. "Yu" means change. Disputes require contention, and contention brings unrest; if contention ceases, it transforms into steadfastness, hence auspiciousness. The Small Image Commentary says, "Returning to the mandate, changing to steadfastness brings auspiciousness, because there is no loss." "Shi" and "yi" are interchangeable. In the "Xun Gong" chapter of the "Xunzi," "qi ma jiang shi" (his horse will be lost) is actually "qi ma jiang yi" (his horse will overtake). "Yi" means to surpass or exceed; in the "Zuo Zhuan" from the ninth year of the hidden king, it says "ju qi qin yi wo" (fearing its encroachment upon me), and the "Shuo Wen" explains it as vehicles overtaking each other, meaning one vehicle rushing ahead from behind. "Bu yi" (not overtake) means not to push forward, which precisely explains the meaning of "an zhen" (steadfast in the right path), and its usage is the same as in the first line of "Su" and the second line of "Bi" and the first line of "Xiu." The fifth line statement says: A great auspiciousness in dispute. The fifth line is extremely exalted, hence called "yuan"; the fifth line is also in the center and upright, hence the auspiciousness in dispute. The Small Image Commentary says, "Dispute brings great auspiciousness, because it is in the center and upright." There are those who are in the center but not upright, and those who are upright but not in the center; if both are in the center and upright, there is no failure to be auspicious.

上九：或錫之鞶帶，終朝三褫之。說文鞶，大帶也。錫，命也。上應三，三巽為帶，乾大故曰鞶帶。乃巽為隕落，故終朝三褫之。褫，奪也。坤為夜，乾為朝，上居乾終，故曰終朝，與乾三終日同義。上應三，三體離，離卦數三（此數失傳，祇易林洞林邵子用之），故曰三褫。先儒不知巽為隕落（象本左氏，後祇易林用之），褫之故全在巽，故無得解者。豈知中孚初九云有它不燕，以應四巽也；姤九四包無魚，鼎九四鼎折足，大過九四有它吝，皆以應初巽也。例甚明也。

The line statement for the top nine (上九) says: Perhaps one is given a great belt, but is stripped of it three times within a single morning. The "Shuowen" says "鞶" refers to a great belt, and "锡" means to bestow a mandate. The top nine corresponds with the sixth line three (六三), which is located within the trigram Xun. "Xun" has the image of a belt; since Qian represents greatness, it is called "鞶带" (great belt). Moreover, "Xun" also has the image of falling, so it says "three times stripped within a single morning"; "褫" means to take away. "Kun" represents night, and "Qian" represents morning. The top nine is at the end of the Qian trigram, so it is called "终朝" (throughout the morning), similar to the example of the third line nine (九三) in Qian, which says "throughout the day." The top nine corresponds with the sixth line three, which belongs to the Li trigram. The number of the Li trigram is three (this number has long been lost, but only Jiao's Forest of Changes, the "Donglin," and Shao Yong still use it), so it is called "three times stripped." Previous scholars did not understand the image of "Xun" representing falling (this image originally comes from the "Zuo Zhuan," and later only the "Forest of Changes" continued to use it). The reason for "being stripped" lies entirely in Xun. Therefore, no one could understand it. How could they know that the first line nine (初九) in Zhongfou says "having something but not feasting" because the first line corresponds with the fourth line Xun? The ninth line four (九四) in Gu (姤) says "enclosing but no fish," the ninth line four (九四) in Ding (鼎) says "the tripod breaks its leg," and the ninth line four (九四) in Da Guo (大过) says "having something brings regret," all because the fourth line corresponds with the first line Xun. This principle is very clear.

釋文褫鄭本作扦，惠氏棟據淮南人間訓盜扦其衣被，高誘注云扦，奪也，是仍與褫同。乃宋項安世周易玩辭引鄭注曰：三扦，三加之也。後楊慎、臧琳、朱芹等頗祖述其說，謂三扦其紳，以為誇耀，故象曰不足敬。但論語之拖紳，因孔子病臥，君來視，故加紳於朝服，以為敬；今非病臥，曰束紳垂紳皆可，曰拖紳似不合也。象曰：以訟受服，亦不足敬也。乾為敬，旋得旋失，故不足敬。

The Classic Interpretation says that the character 「褫」 in Zheng Xuan's version is written as 「扦」. Hui Dong, based on the passage in the Huainanzi, "the thief takes away the clothes and bedding," and Gao Yu's commentary that 「扦」 means "to take away," believes that 「扦」 still has the same meaning as 「褫」. However, in the Zhou Yi Wan Ci by Xiang Anshi of the Song dynasty, citing Zheng Xuan's commentary, it says: "three扦" refers to adding three times. Later scholars such as Yang Shen, Zang Lin, and Zhu Qin followed this interpretation, explaining it as three times tying the sash to show off, so the Small Image Commentary says it is not worthy of respect. But the term "dragging the sash" in the Analects refers to the situation where Confucius was ill in bed and the king came to visit, so he put on the sash over his court clothes to show respect. Now, since he is not ill, saying "tying the sash" or "letting the sash hang" is acceptable, but saying "dragging the sash" seems inappropriate. The Small Image Commentary says, "by litigation one receives the garment, which is also not worthy of respect." "Qian" has the image of "respect"; since one gains it and loses it immediately, it is not worthy of respect.

師。貞，大人吉，無咎。師，眾也。坤舍於坎，俱居子方，坤坎皆為眾，故曰師，猶乾舍於離，俱居午為同人也。貞，卜問也。大人，正義作丈人，子夏傳作大人，崔憬、李鼎祚從之是也。此與困貞大人吉同，皆謂二。乾九二云利見大人，利見故吉。陸績、鄭、王等皆讀為丈，謂震為長子，丈者長也，故曰丈人。豈知二得中，臨御萬民，大人之事，以二為大人於象方合，丈人則於卦名不類矣。陸謂丈人為聖人，王謂丈人為莊嚴之稱，皆曲說也。且子夏傳為韓嬰所作（臧庸據七略，謂嬰字子夏。今按藝文志有韓氏二篇，注曰名嬰，其篇數與隋唐志子夏傳卷數同，疑即子夏傳），與田何同時，皆秦遺老，其所據當無誤也。

The hexagram statement of 《Tian Shu》 says: "If one asks a question, the great man will be auspicious, without fault." "Tian Shu" means many. According to the earlier heaven arrangement, the trigrams Kūn and Kǎn both reside in the Zi position, and both have the image of "many," so it is called "Tian Shu." This is similar to the case of Qian and Li residing in the Wu position to form the hexagram 《Tong Ren》. "Zhen" means to ask a question. The term "Da Ren" in the text, the 《Zhou Yi Zhen Yi》 reads "Zhang Ren," while the 《Zi Xia Yi Zhuan》 reads "Da Ren." Cui Jing and Li Dingzuo follow the 《Zi Xia Zhuan》, which is correct. This is similar to the hexagram 《Kun》, which also says "Zhen, Da Ren Ji," referring to the second line. In the hexagram 《Qian》, the second line says "Li Jian Da Ren," because it is favorable for the appearance of a great man and thus brings auspiciousness. Lu Ji, Zheng Xuan, and Wang Bi all read it as "Zhang," saying that Zhen represents the eldest son, and "Zhang" means long, so it is called "Zhang Ren." They did not realize that the second line is in the middle of the lower trigram and governs all people, which is exactly the undertaking of a great man. Taking the second line as a great man fits the hexagram image, while reading it as "Zhang Ren" does not match the hexagram name. Lu Ji said "Zhang Ren" refers to a sage, and Wang Bi said "Zhang Ren" is a respectful title, both are misinterpretations. Moreover, the 《Zi Xia Zhuan》 was written by Han Ying. Zang Yong, based on the 《Qi Lue》, said that Han Ying was named Zi Xia. Now, according to the 《Han Shu · Yi Wen Zhi》, there is a record of 《Han Shi》 with two chapters, annotated as written by Ying, and the number of chapters matches that of the 《Zi Xia Zhuan》 recorded in the 《Sui Shu》 and 《Tang Shu》 Jing Ji Zhi. Therefore, it is suspected that it is the same as the 《Zi Xia Zhuan》. Han Ying and Tian He were contemporary, both being remnants of the Qin dynasty. The version they relied upon should not have been incorrect.

象曰：師，眾也；貞，正也。能以眾正，可以王矣。剛中而應，行險而順，以此毒天下而民從之，吉又何咎矣。震為帝為王，故曰可以王。二應五，坎險坤順，震為行，故曰行險而順。易林以坤為害，坎為毒，震為從。干寶云：毒，荼苦也。按列子宋陽裡華子病忘，闔室毒之，注毒，苦也。師旅之興，不無所苦，然非師旅不能安天下，故民從之而吉也。吳語云：吾先君闔廬，以與楚昭王毒逐於中原柏舉。義與此同也。馬融訓毒為治，與行險而順義不相應，行險即毒，順即民從也。他若王弼之訓毒為役，崔憬訓為亭毒，俞樾訓為督，皆不協。是皆因坎毒之象人不盡知，故眾說紛紜也。豈知噬嗑六三云遇毒，以坎為毒，象甚明也。象曰：地中有水，師。君子以容民畜眾。地中所容畜，莫多於水，故君子法之。

The Commentary on the Judgment (originally mistakenly titled as "The Image says") states: "Shi" means a multitude, and "Zhen" means correctness; if one can lead the people along the correct path, one can become a king. Nine in the Second is yang and in the center, and corresponds with Six in the Fifth. It moves through danger while the people's hearts are in harmony. By using this method to make the world bear hardship, the people still follow, which is auspicious and brings no fault. "Zhen" has the images of "Emperor" and "King," so it says "can be king." Nine in the Second corresponds with Six in the Fifth. Kan represents danger, and Kun represents smoothness. "Zhen" has the image of movement, so it says "moving through danger while smooth." Jiao's Forest of Changes takes "Kun" as "harm," "Kan" as "toxin," and "Zhen" as "following." Gan Bao says "toxin" means hardship; according to the "Liezi," a man named Hua Zi from Yangli in the State of Song had a memory loss, and his whole family was troubled by it, and thus "toxin" is interpreted as hardship. Waging war and mobilizing people cannot avoid making people suffer, yet without military action, the world cannot be stabilized, so the people still follow and thus achieve auspiciousness. The "Guoyu · Wuyu" says, "Our former king Helu, together with King Zhao of Chu, was pursued by the toxin in the Central Plains at the Battle of Bajiu," where "toxin" is used in the same way. Ma Rong interprets "toxin" as governance, which is not consistent with the meaning of "moving through danger while smooth." "Moving through danger" corresponds with "toxin," and "smooth" corresponds with "the people following." Other interpretations, such as Wang Bi taking "toxin" as subjugation, Cui Jing taking it as nurturing, and Yu Yue taking it as supervision, are all inconsistent. This is because the image of "Kan as toxin" is not well known to people, leading to varied interpretations. They fail to realize that the "Yihe" hexagram's line six three says "meeting toxin," which clearly uses Kan as toxin. The Great Image says: the earth contains water, which is the image of "Shi." A gentleman thus takes this as a model to accommodate the people and raise the populace. The earth can contain and store more than anything else, so the gentleman models himself after it.

初六：師出以律，否臧凶。坎為律，律，法也。臧，善也。否臧即失律也，失律故凶。象曰：師出以律，失律凶也。坎為失，故曰失律。九二：在師中吉，無咎，王三錫命。居下卦之中，故曰在師中吉。失位宜有咎，在師中，故無咎。震為王為言，故曰命。震數三，錫，予也。王三錫命者，言王以官爵或車服器物錫予有功，而告命之也。曲禮一命受爵，二命受服，三命受車馬。言二為卦主，撫馭萬邦，而日有所錫予也。舊解謂六五為君，錫命於二，於卦義全背，祇荀爽謂王指二為得解。象曰：在師中吉，承天寵也；王三錫命，懷萬邦也。五天位，言二必升五，為群陰所承也，故曰承天寵。坤為萬邦，言二臨萬邦而有所錫予者，正所以懷念萬邦，坎為懷也。故夫舊解謂六五錫二者，不惟於經背，於象傳亦背矣。

The line statement for the first line (初六) says: When sending out troops, one must rely on military discipline and laws. If discipline is not good, then there will be misfortune. The trigram "Kan" (Water) has the image of "law," and "law" refers to regulations and laws. "Zang" means good, and "fou zang" means losing the law, hence misfortune. The "Small Image Commentary" says, "When the army goes out, it must follow the law; losing the law brings misfortune." "Kan" also has the image of "loss," so it is said "losing the law." The line statement for the second line (九二) says: Commanding the army while being in the center brings good fortune, without blame, as the king has given three commands. Since the second line is in the center of the lower trigram, it is said "being in the center of the army brings good fortune." Although it is a yang line in a yin position and thus should have blame, because it is in the center of the army, there is no blame. The trigram "Zhen" (Thunder) has the image of "king" and "speech," so it is said "command." The number of the trigram "Zhen" is three, and "xi" means to bestow. "The king bestowing three commands" refers to the king granting titles, chariots, and clothing to those who have merited it, and issuing decrees. The "Rites of the Rites" says that the first command is to receive a title, the second to receive clothing, and the third to receive chariots and clothing. This indicates that the second line is the main line of the entire hexagram, governing all states, and bestowing rewards daily. Old interpretations say that the fifth line is the king who bestows commands upon the second line, which is completely contrary to the meaning of the hexagram. Only Xun Shuang said that "king" refers to the second line, which makes sense. The "Small Image Commentary" says: "Being in the center of the army brings good fortune" is receiving the favor of heaven, and "the king bestowing three commands" is to pacify all states. The fifth line is the heavenly position, meaning the second line will eventually ascend to the fifth position, being supported by all the yin lines, so it is said "receiving the favor of heaven." The trigram "Kun" (Earth) has the image of "all states," meaning the second line rules over all states and bestows rewards, which is to pacify all states. "Kan" has the image of "pacification." Therefore, the old interpretations that the fifth line bestows commands upon the second line not only contradict the text but also contradict the "Image Commentary."

六三：師或輿尸，凶。坎為尸，震為輿，管輅以坎為棺槨，故曰輿尸。夫陳師而出，輿尸以還，其無功甚矣，故曰凶。蓋坤為死，三失位無應，以陰遇陰，得敵，故凶如是。象曰：師或輿尸，大無功也。大無功，即太無功。六四：師左次，無咎。次，舍也。震為左，故曰左次。古人尚右，左次則退也。四前臨重陰，陰遇陰得敵，其行難矣，知難而退，故無咎也。象曰：左次無咎，未失常也。未失常者，言四當位，量力自處，故不改其常。

The line statement for the third line says: The army returns by carriage carrying corpses, which is ominous. "Kan" has the image of "corpse," and "Zhen" has the image of "carriage"; Guan Lu of the Three Kingdoms took "Kan" as a coffin, so together they form "carriage carrying corpses." Arranging the army for battle yet returning with corpses indicates no military achievement, hence the omen of danger. "Kun" also has the image of death; the third line, being a yin line in a yang position, is out of place, with no corresponding line above, and encountering similar yin lines ahead, leading to conflict among like elements, thus resulting in such danger. The Small Image Commentary says, "The army returns by carriage carrying corpses, which is great without achievement," meaning there is no significant accomplishment. The line statement for the fourth line says: The army retreats to the left, without blame. "Zhi" means to stay or encamp. "Zhen" has the image of "left," hence "left encampment." In ancient times, the right was considered honorable, so retreating to the left signifies withdrawal. The fourth line is preceded by the fifth and sixth lines, both yin lines, leading to conflict among like elements, making further advance difficult; knowing the difficulty and retreating, thus there is no blame. The Small Image Commentary says, "Retreating to the left without blame, has not lost the norm." This means that the fourth line, being a yin line in a yin position, is in the correct place, and can assess its strength and settle itself, thus not deviating from its usual course.

六五：田有禽，利執言，無咎。長子帥師，弟子輿尸，貞凶。田，獵；禽，獲也。釋文云徐本作擒，王陶廬雲說文無擒字，其見於經傳者皆作禽，展獲字禽，不從手，是其證。下應二陽故有禽獲。二震為言，利執言者，言師出有名，如湯武曆數桀紂之罪、漢高討殺懷王者是也，故無咎。五應二，二震主爻，震長子，居師中為主，故曰長子帥師。二亦坎主爻，坎為震弟為尸，故曰弟子輿尸，輿尸故貞凶。貞，卜問也。言五宜與震，不宜與坎，與坎則使不當矣。象曰：長子帥師，以中行也；弟子輿尸，使不當也。二居中為震主，故為群陰之帥。二坎陷於陰中，不可使，使則有輿尸之禍也。宋衷、虞翻謂弟子指六三，非是，皆因三爻有輿尸字而誤。

The line statement for the fifth line says: hunting yields capture, it is advantageous to raise an army to hold someone accountable, there is no fault; if the eldest son leads the army, but allows the second son to carry the corpse back, then divination would indicate misfortune. "Field" refers to hunting, and "capture" refers to obtaining. The Classic Interpretation says that Xu Miao's version reads "capture"; Wang Tao Lu points out that the Shuowen Jiebi does not have the character "capture," and wherever it appears in the classics it is written as "capture." Liu Xiaohui's name is Zhan Huo, and his courtesy name is "Capture," and he does not use the hand radical, which is clear evidence. The fifth line corresponds with the second line's yang, so there is a capture. The second line belongs to the Zhen hexagram, and "Zhen" has the image of "speech"; "favorable to take up speech" means having a just cause for going to war, like King Tang of Shang and King Wu of Zhou listing the crimes of King Jie of Xia and King Zhou of Shang, or Emperor Gaozu of Han punishing those who killed King Huai of Chu, so there is no fault. The fifth line corresponds with the second line: the second line is the main line of the Zhen hexagram, and Zhen represents the eldest son, who is in the center of the army and serves as the commander, so it says "the eldest son leads the army." The second line is also the main line of the Kan hexagram, and "Kan" is the younger brother of Zhen among the three sons, and also has the image of "corpse," so it says "the younger son carries the corpse back," returning with a corpse, thus "divination indicates misfortune." "Zhen" means divination. It means that the fifth line should take the image of Zhen rather than the image of Kan; taking the image of Kan would mean using the wrong person. The Small Image Commentary says: "the eldest son leads the army" is following the middle path, "the younger son carries the corpse back" is using the wrong person. The second line is in the center and is the main line of Zhen, so it can be the commander of all the yin lines; but as Kan, it is trapped among the yin lines and cannot be sent out, and if sent out, there would be the misfortune of returning with a corpse. Song Zhong and Yu Fan say "the younger son" refers to the third line, which is wrong, because they mistakenly identified it due to the third line's line statement containing the word "carrying a corpse."

上六：大君有命，開國承家，小人勿用。大君指二震，震為君為言，故曰大君有命。坤為國，二升五居坤中，故曰開國。坎為室為家，二升五仍坎體，群陰承之，故曰承家。小人指上六。二升五雖開國承家，上六獨居五後，乘陽勢逆，不順承五，比之後夫凶即此爻也，故戒曰勿用。宋衷、虞翻解開國承家是矣，然二升五於上六何涉？即以勿用為戒，必有故也，不申其故，只以坤為小人，籠統說之，胡可乎？惠棟知其不安，仍不能得其故，竟謂小人指初三，益淆亂矣。象曰：大君有命，以正功也；小人勿用，必亂邦也。二升五位正，故曰正功。坤為邦為亂，上六反君道，故曰必亂邦。

The line statement for the sixth line at the top says: The great sovereign issues a command, bestows fiefs upon the feudal lords, establishes the families of the ministers and great officers, and the common people should not be used. "Great sovereign" refers to the nine in the second line, which is in the trigram Zhen (Thunder). Zhen has the image of a sovereign and the image of speech, so it is said "the great sovereign issues a command." The trigram Kun (Earth) has the image of a country, and when the nine in the second line rises to the fifth position, it resides within the body of Kun, so it is said "establishing a country." The trigram Kan (Water) has the image of a room and the image of a family, and when the nine in the second line rises to the fifth position, it still belongs to the body of Kan, with the many yin lines serving it, so it is said "sustaining the family." "Common people" refers to the sixth line at the top. Although the nine in the second line rising to the fifth position can establish a country and sustain a family, the sixth line at the top remains after the fifth position, riding over the yang line, creating an adverse situation, and refuses to follow the nine in the fifth. This is exactly what the line "the one who comes late is凶" (unfavorable) in the卦 of "Comparison" refers to, so it warns "do not use" them. Song Zhong and Yu Fan's interpretation of "establishing a country and sustaining a family" is correct, but how is the nine in the second line rising to the fifth position related to the sixth line at the top? Since it warns "do not use," there must be a reason; if the reason is not explained and only vaguely saying that Kun represents common people, how can that be acceptable? Hui Dong noticed this explanation was not appropriate, but still could not find the reason, and even said "common people" refers to the first line and the third line, which only made things more confusing. The Small Image Commentary says: "The great sovereign issues a command" is to determine merit, and "common people should not be used" is because it will certainly cause disorder in the state. When the nine in the second line rises to the fifth position and attains the correct position, it is said "correct merit." The trigram Kun has the image of a state and the image of disorder, and the sixth line at the top violating the way of a sovereign, so it is said "certainly causing disorder in the state."