The Correct Meaning of the Zhou Changes (commentary by Wang Bi of the Wei dynasty and annotations by Kong Yingda of the Tang dynasty)

乾下乾上。乾：元、亨、利、貞。

The text begins by stating the structure of the hexagram, followed by the hexagram statement. "Qian below and Qian above" indicates that both the lower and upper trigrams of this hexagram are Qian, resulting in six yang lines, which means it is entirely yang with no yin. The hexagram statement consists of only four characters: "Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen," which are later referred to as the "Four Virtues of Qian": "Yuan" signifies the virtue of creating all things, "Heng" represents the virtue of being unobstructed and smooth, "Li" denotes the virtue of enabling all things to be in their proper place, and "Zhen" stands for the virtue of upholding righteousness and achieving completion.

[疏]正義曰：“乾”者，此卦之名。謂之卦者，《易緯》云：“卦者掛也，言縣掛物象，以示於人，故謂之卦。”但二畫之體，雖象陰陽之氣，未成萬物之象，未得成卦，必三畫以象三才，寫天、地、雷、風、水、火、山、澤之象，乃謂之卦也。故繫辭云“八卦成列，象在其中矣”是也。但初有三畫，雖有萬物之象，於萬物變通之理，猶有未盡，故更重之而有六畫，備萬物之形象，窮天下之能事，故六畫成卦也。此乾卦本以象天，天乃積諸陽氣而成天，故此卦六爻皆陽畫成卦也。

Kong Yingda explained in his commentary that the term "guà" refers to the trigram. He said that "Qian" is the name of this trigram. As for why it is called "guà," the "Yi Wei" explains that "guà" means "to hang," referring to the act of hanging up an image to display it to people. However, a trigram with only two lines is not yet able to represent the image of all things, even though it can symbolize the two principles of yin and yang. Only when a trigram has three lines can it represent the three elements of heaven, earth, and humanity, and thus be called a trigram. The "Great Treatise" says, "When the eight trigrams are arranged, the images are already contained within them," referring to this. However, the original trigrams had only three lines, which although capable of representing the images of all things, did not fully explain the principles of change and connection among all things. Therefore, by stacking single trigrams on top of each other to form six lines, the images of all things became complete, and the principles of the world were fully understood. Thus, the six lines of a trigram were established. The Qian trigram originally symbolizes heaven, and since heaven is formed by the accumulation of yang energy, all six lines of this trigram are composed of yang lines.

此既象天，何不謂之天，而謂之“乾”者？天者定體之名，“乾”者體用之稱。故《說卦》云：“乾，健也”。言天之體，以健為用。聖人作《易》本以教人，欲使人法天之用，不法天之體，故名“乾”，不名天也。天以健為用者，運行不息，應化無窮，此天之自然之理，故聖人當法此自然之象而施人事，亦當應物成務，云為不已，“終日乾乾”，無時懈倦，所以因天象以教人事。於物象言之，則純陽也，天也。於人事言之，則君也。父也。以其居尊，故在諸卦之首，為《易》理之初。

Kong Yingda then posed a question and answered it himself: since this hexagram takes its image from heaven, why not simply call it "Heaven," but instead call it "Qian"? He explained that "Heaven" is the name given based on its fixed form, while "Qian" is the name given based on the function that its form expresses. Therefore, the "Commentary on the Hexagrams" says, "Qian means vigorous," referring to the function of heaven, which is characterized by strength and vitality. The sage composed the Zhouyi with the intention of teaching people, urging them to emulate the function of heaven rather than its form. Hence, it is called "Qian" rather than "Heaven." The idea that heaven uses its strength and vitality means that it never ceases to move and is ever adaptable, which is the natural principle of heaven. The sage should emulate this natural phenomenon in human affairs, and also adapt to circumstances, accomplish tasks, and act without ceasing, achieving "constant diligence" without ever being lazy or lazy. This is using the heavenly phenomenon to teach human conduct. If we consider the image of things, Qian is pure yang and represents heaven; if we consider human affairs, Qian represents the sovereign and the father. Because it occupies the supreme position, it is placed first among the sixty-four hexagrams, becoming the beginning of the principles of the Zhouyi.

但聖人名卦，體例不同，或則以物象而為卦名者，若否、泰、剝、頤、鼎之屬是也，或以象之所用而為卦名者，即乾、坤之屬是也。如此之類多矣。雖取物象，乃以人事而為卦名者，即家人、歸妹、謙、履之屬是也。所以如此不同者，但物有萬象，人有萬事，若執一事，不可包萬物之象；若限局一象，不可總萬有之事，故名有隱顯，辭有踳駁，不可一例求之，不可一類取之。故《繫辭》云：“上下無常，剛柔相易，不可為典要。”韓康伯注云“不可立定準”是也。

Kong Yingda further explains: the sages did not follow a single standard when naming the hexagrams. Some hexagrams are directly named after physical objects or phenomena, such as "Pu," "Tai," "Bo," "Yi," and "Ding." Others are named based on the functions or uses of these objects, such as "Qian" and "Kun." There are many examples of both types. There are also hexagrams that are derived from physical objects but are named according to human affairs, such as "Jia Ren," "Gui Mei," "Qian," and "Lu." This diversity arises because things have myriad forms and human affairs involve countless matters. If one adheres strictly to a single aspect, it cannot encompass all phenomena; if one confines oneself to a single phenomenon, it cannot cover all human affairs. Therefore, hexagram names are sometimes hidden and sometimes explicit, and the line statements and hexagram statements are also varied and not uniform. They cannot be sought after with a single format or interpreted within a single category. The "Great Treatise" states, "Above and below are not constant, yin and yang change places, and it is impossible to establish a fixed standard." Han Kangbo's commentary, "It is impossible to set a fixed standard," refers precisely to this meaning.

“元、亨、利、貞”者，是乾之四德也。子夏傳云：“元，始也。亨，通也。利，和也。貞，正也。”言此卦之德，有純陽之性，自然能以陽氣始生萬物而得元始亨通，能使物性和諧，各有其利，又能使物堅固貞正得終。此卦自然令物有此四種使得其所，故謂之四德：言聖人亦當法此卦而行善道，以長萬物，物得生存而為“元”也。又當以嘉美之事，會合萬物，令使開通而為“亨”也。又當以義協和萬物，使物各得其理而為“利”也。又當以貞固幹事，使物各得其正而為“貞”也。是以聖人法乾而行此四德，故曰“元、亨、利、貞”。其委曲條例，備在《文言》。

Kong Yingda then explained the four characters of the Hexagram Statement: "Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen" represent the four virtues of the Qian hexagram. The "Zi Xia Transmission" explains that "Yuan" means beginning, "Heng" means communication, "Li" means harmony, and "Zhen" means uprightness. This means that the virtue of the Qian hexagram, which has a pure yang nature, naturally can initiate the movement of yang energy to generate all things, thus achieving creation and communication; it can harmonize the nature of all things, allowing each to have its own benefit; it can also make all things firm and upright, thus achieving a good end. This hexagram naturally enables all things to possess these four qualities and each to find its proper place, hence it is called the "Four Virtues." In terms of human affairs, the sage should follow this hexagram to promote the good path, nurture all things, and allow all things to survive, which is "Yuan." The sage should use good deeds to gather all things, allowing them to be open and unimpeded, which is "Heng." The sage should use principles to coordinate all things, allowing each to have its proper principle, which is "Li." The sage should use a firm and upright mind to manage affairs, allowing each thing to find its proper position, which is "Zhen." Therefore, the sage follows the Qian hexagram to practice these four virtues, and the Hexagram Statement says "Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen." The detailed and intricate regulations are all fully explained in the "Wenyan" section.

初九：潛龍勿用。《文言》備矣。

The text refers to the statement of the first line of the Qian hexagram: "The dragon is hidden and should not be used"—the dragon is still concealed below and should not take action. The four characters "The Wenyan is complete" below are Wang Bi's commentary, indicating that he does not provide an additional explanation here, but points out that the meaning of this line is fully explained in the section titled "Wenyan."

[疏]正義曰：居第一之位，故稱“初”；以其陽爻，故稱“九”。潛者，隱伏之名；龍者，變化之物。言天之自然之氣起於建子之月，陰氣始盛，陽氣潛在地下，故言“初九潛龍”也。此自然之象，聖人作法，言於此潛龍之時，小人道盛，聖人雖有龍德，於此時唯宜潛藏，勿可施用，故言“勿用”。張氏云：“以道未可行，故稱‘勿用’以誡之。”於此小人道盛之時，若其施用，則為小人所害。寡不敵眾，弱不勝強，禍害斯及，故誡“勿用”。若漢高祖生於暴秦之世，唯隱居為泗水亭長，是勿用也。諸儒皆以為舜始漁於雷澤。舜之時，當堯之世，堯君在上，不得為小人道盛。此“潛龍”始起，在建子之月，於義恐非也。

Kong Yingda explains the literal meaning and symbolic significance of this line statement. He says: this line is in the first position, so it is called "Chu Ji" (Nine at the Beginning); because it is a yang line, it is called "Jiu." "Qian" means hidden, and "Long" refers to an animal that is good at transformation. This refers to the natural qi of heaven and earth arising in the month of Ji Zi, which is the eleventh lunar month, when yin qi is at its height and yang qi is hidden underground. Therefore, it is said "Chu Ji Qian Long." This is a natural image; the sage based his principles on this, meaning that when a dragon is hidden, the power of petty people is at its peak. Although the sage possesses the virtue of a dragon, at this time he should only remain hidden and not act, hence the saying "Wu Yong" (Do Not Use). Zhang said: "Because the way is not yet smooth, 'Wu Yong' is used as a warning." When petty people are in power, if one acts rashly, he will be harmed by them. Few cannot overcome many, weak cannot overcome strong, and calamity follows, hence the warning "Wu Yong." For example, Han Gaozu was born in the time of the brutal Qin dynasty, and he could only hide and serve as the magistrate of the Si Water Pavilion, which is an example of "Wu Yong." Many scholars compare this to Yu Shun fishing in Leizé in his early days, but Shun's time was during the reign of Yao, a wise ruler, so it cannot be considered that petty people were in power. The "Qian Long" begins in the month of Ji Zi, and using Shun as a comparison may not be appropriate in terms of meaning.

第一位言“初”，第六位當言“終”；第六位言“上”，第一位當言“下”。所以文不同者，莊氏云：“下言初則上有末義。”故《大過·彖》云：“棟橈，本末弱。”是上有末義“六”言“上”，則“初”當言“下”。故《小象》云：“潛龍勿用，陽在下也。”則是初有下義，互文相通，義或然也。且第一言“初”者，欲明萬物積漸，從無入有，所以言初不言一與下也。六言“上”者，欲見位居卦上，故不言六與末也。

Kong Yingda then explains the naming of the lines. According to the principle of symmetry, since the first line is called "initial" (chú), the sixth line should be called "end" (zhōng); and since the sixth line is called "upper" (shàng), the first line should be called "lower" (xià). However, the terms are not symmetrical. Zhuang explains: "When the lower is called 'initial,' the upper already contains the meaning of 'end.'" Therefore, the "Tao" section of the Great Overturning says, "The beam bends, the beginning and end are weak," showing that the upper position inherently contains the meaning of "end." Similarly, since the sixth line is called "upper," the first line should inherently contain the meaning of "lower," as shown by the "Xiao Xiang" saying, "The hidden dragon is not used, for the yang is in the lower position," indicating that the initial position inherently contains the meaning of "lower." This is a mutual explanation between upper and lower, with meaning flowing through them, and the reasoning may be like this. Furthermore, the first line is called "initial" to indicate the gradual accumulation and the process of things coming into being from nothing, so it is called "initial" rather than "one" or "lower." The sixth line is called "upper" to show its position at the top of the hexagram, so it is not called "six" or "end."

此初九之等，是乾之六爻之辭，但乾卦是陽生之世，故六爻所述，皆以聖人出處託之，其餘卦六爻，各因象明義，隨義而發，不必皆論聖人。他皆仿此。謂之“爻”者，《繫辭》云：“爻也者，效此者也。”聖人畫爻，以仿效萬物之象。先儒云，後代聖人以《易》占事之時，先用蓍以求數，得數以定爻，累爻而成卦，因卦以生辭，則蓍為爻卦之本，爻卦為蓍之末。今案：《說卦》云：“聖人之作《易》也，幽贊於神明而生蓍，三天兩地而倚數，觀變於陰陽而立卦，發揮於剛柔而生爻。”《繫辭》云：“成天下之亹亹者，莫大乎蓍龜。是故天生神物，聖人則之。”又《易乾鑿度》云：“垂皇策者犧。”據此諸文，皆是用蓍以求卦。先儒之說，理當然矣。

Kong Yingda also explained the particularity of the six lines in the Qian hexagram and explained the character "yao." For example, the initial line "Chu Ji" is one of the six line statements of the Qian hexagram. Since the Qian hexagram represents the beginning of the generation of yang energy, the six lines all use the example of a sage's entering officialdom and retirement to express their meaning. For the other hexagrams, each of their six lines explains the meaning according to the image they represent, and the meaning is expressed accordingly, not necessarily always referring to sages. The other hexagrams can be understood in the same way. As for why it is called "yao," the Great Treatise says, "Yao is to imitate this." The sage drew the lines to imitate the images of all things. Earlier Confucian scholars said that later sages used the Zhou Changes to inquire about matters. First, they used the yarrow stalks to obtain a number, then determined the lines based on the number, accumulated the lines to form a hexagram, and then derived the hexagram and line statements from the hexagram. Thus, the yarrow stalks are the root of the lines and hexagrams, while the lines and hexagrams are the result. According to the Sayings on the Hexagrams, "When the sage composed the Changes, he praised the divine and created the yarrow stalks. By combining three and two, he relied on numbers. Observing changes in yin and yang, he established the hexagrams. By expressing the strength and flexibility of the lines, he created the lines." The Great Treatise also says, "What is most important in governing the world is the yarrow stalks and tortoise shells. Therefore, heaven produces divine objects, and the sage follows them." The "Zhou Yi Gan Zuo Du" also says, "The hanging strategy is the sacrifice." According to these sources, the yarrow stalks were used first, and then the hexagram was obtained. Therefore, the earlier Confucian scholars' explanation is reasonable.

然陽爻稱“九”，陰爻稱“六”，其說有二：一者《乾》體有三畫，《坤》體有六畫，陽得兼陰，故其數九，陰不得兼陽，故其數六。二者老陽數九，老陰數六，老陰老陽皆變，《周易》以變者為占，故杜元凱注襄九年《傳》遇《艮》之八，及鄭康成注《易》，皆稱《周易》以變者為占，故稱九、稱六。所以老陽數九，老陰數六者，以揲蓍之數，九遇揲則得老陽，六遇揲則得老陰，其少陽稱七，少陰稱八，義亦準此。張氏以為陽數有七有九，陰數有八有六，但七為少陽，八為少陰，質而不變，為爻之本體。九為老陽，六為老陰，文而從變，故為爻之別名。且七既為陽爻，其畫已長。今有九之老陽，不可復畫為陽，所以重錢，避少陽七數，故稱九也。八為陰數而畫陰爻，今六為老陰，不可復畫陰爻。故交其錢，避八而稱六。但《易》含萬象，所託多塗，義或然也。

Kong Yingda further explains why a yang line is called 'nine' and a yin line is called 'six', listing two interpretations. The first says that the single form of Qian has three strokes and the single form of Kun has six strokes (the third line of Kun is divided into six parts). Since yang includes yin, the number taken is nine (three plus six). Since yin cannot include yang, the number taken is six. The second interpretation says that the number of old yang is nine and the number of old yin is six. Old yin and old yang both need to change, and the Zhou Changes use changing lines to determine divination. Therefore, Du Yuankai's commentary on the "Meeting of Gen" in the "Zuo Zhuan" of Duke Xiang's ninth year, and Zheng Kangcheng's commentary on the "Zhou Changes", both say that the "Zhou Changes" use changing lines for divination, hence the terms 'nine' and 'six'. As for why old yang is nine and old yin is six, this refers to the numbers obtained by divination with yarrow stalks: obtaining nine means old yang, and obtaining six means old yin. The numbers for young yang and young yin are seven and eight respectively, and the reasoning is similar. Zhang's view is that the numbers for yang include seven and nine, and the numbers for yin include eight and six: seven is young yang, eight is young yin, and they are simple and not changing, representing the essence of the line. Nine is old yang, and six is old yin, which are ornamental and subject to change, thus they are alternative names for the line. Moreover, since seven is already a yang line, its stroke is already long, and when encountering nine, an old yang, another long stroke cannot be used, so they mark it twice on the coin to avoid the number seven, hence it is called 'nine'. Similarly, since eight is the number for yin and the stroke is already short, when encountering six, an old yin, another short stroke cannot be used, so they cross the coin to mark it, avoiding the number eight, hence it is called 'six'. However, the Zhou Changes encompass all phenomena and have many ways of expression, so these interpretations may all be valid.

九二：見龍在田，利見大人。出潛離隱，故曰“見龍”，處於地上，故曰“在田”。德施周普，居中不偏，雖非君位，君之德也。初則不彰，三則“乾乾”，四則“或躍”，上則過亢。“利見大人”，唯二、五焉。

The line statement for the second line is: "A dragon appears in the fields, advantageous to meet a great person." The dragon has already emerged from concealment and is no longer hidden, hence it is said "a dragon appears"; it is on the ground, hence it is said "in the fields." The second line possesses virtue that spreads widely, and it is located in the center of the lower trigram without being biased. Although it is not in the position of the sovereign, it already possesses the virtue of the sovereign. Comparing all six lines: the first line is hidden and not visible, the third line is only "constantly striving all day," the fourth line is still "perhaps leaping in the abyss," and the top line has already become overly exalted. Therefore, among the lines of the Qian hexagram, only the second and fifth lines are worthy of being called "advantageous to meet a great person."

[疏]“九二”至“利見大人”。○正義曰：陽處二位，故曰“九二”。陽氣發見，故曰“見龍”。田是地上可營為有益之處，陽氣發在地上，故曰“在田”。且一之與二，俱為地道，二在一上，所以稱“田”。“見龍在田”，是自然之象。“利見大人”，以人事託之，言龍見在田之時，猶似聖人久潛稍出，雖非君位而有君德，故天下眾庶利見九二之“大人”。故先儒云：若夫子教於洙泗，利益天下，有人君之德，故稱“大人”。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Kong Yingda explains the passage from "Nine in the Second" to "Beneficial to see a Great Person." He says: A Yang line in the second position is called "Nine in the Second." Since Yang energy has already emerged, it is called "Seeing a Dragon." "Field" refers to a place on the ground where one can cultivate and gain benefits. Since Yang energy has surfaced above the ground, it is said "the Dragon is in the Field." Moreover, the first and second positions both belong to the Earth's path, and the second position is above the first, so it is called "Field." "Seeing a Dragon in the Field" describes a natural phenomenon; "Beneficial to see a Great Person" is a human analogy. It means that when the Dragon appears in the field, it is like a sage who has long been in concealment and gradually emerges. Although not yet in the position of a ruler, he already possesses the virtue of a sovereign, so the people of the world benefit from seeing this "Great Person," the Nine in the Second. Therefore, previous Confucian scholars said: For example, Confucius taught in the waters of Zhu and Si, benefiting the world, possessing the virtue of a sovereign, so he was called a "Great Person."

案：《文言》云：“九二德博而化。”又云：“君德也。”王輔嗣注云：“雖非君位，君之德也。”是九二有人君之德，所以稱“大人”也。輔嗣又云：“利見大人，唯二五焉。”是二之與五，俱是“大人”，為天下所“利見”也。而褚氏、張氏同鄭康成之說，皆以為九二利見九五之大人，其義非也。且“大人”之云，不專在九五與九二，故《訟卦》云：“利見大人。”又《蹇卦》：“利見大人。”此“大人”之文，施處廣矣，故輔嗣注謂九二也。是“大人”非專九五。

Kong Yingda also cited and refuted previous interpretations. He said: According to the Wenyan, it speaks of "Nine Two has broad virtue and influences others," and also mentions "the virtue of a ruler." Wang Bi (styled Fusi) also noted, "Although not in the position of a ruler, it possesses the virtue of a ruler." This shows that Nine Two possesses the virtue of a ruler, hence being called "Da Ren" (Great Person). Wang Bi also said, "It is advantageous to see a Great Person, only Nine Two and Nine Five." This indicates that both Nine Two and Nine Five are "Great Persons," and both are the objects of benefit and appeal to the people. However, Chu and Zhang followed Zheng Kangcheng's view, believing that Nine Two is advantageous in seeing Nine Five, the Great Person. This interpretation is incorrect. Moreover, the term "Da Ren" does not exclusively refer to Nine Five and Nine Two. The Shao Gua (Gua of Strife) also says, "It is advantageous to see a Great Person," and the Jian Gua (Gua of Difficulty) also says, "It is advantageous to see a Great Person." This shows that the term "Da Ren" is used in a broad sense. Therefore, Wang Bi's comment here refers to Nine Two, indicating that "Da Ren" is not exclusive to Nine Five.

○注“處於地上”至“唯二五焉”。○正義曰：“處於地上，故曰在田”者，先儒以為重卦之時，重於上下兩體，故初與四相應，二與五相應，三與上相應。是上下兩體，論天地人各別，但《易》含萬象，為例非一。及其六位，則一、二為地道，三、四為人道，五、上為天道。二在一上，是九二處其地上，所田食之處，唯在地上，所以稱“田”也。觀輔嗣之注意，唯取地上稱田，諸儒更廣而稱之，言田之耕稼利益，及於萬物，盈滿有益於人，猶若聖人益於萬物，故稱“田”也。

The following passage is Kong Yingda's commentary on Wang Bi's annotations from "being on the ground" to "only the second and fifth lines." First, regarding the statement "being on the ground, therefore called 'field'": previous Confucian scholars believed that when composing the hexagrams, two single trigrams were superimposed, so the first and fourth lines correspond, the second and fifth correspond, and the third and sixth correspond. In terms of the upper and lower trigrams, the three elements of heaven, earth, and humanity each have their respective positions. However, the Zhou Changes encompass all phenomena, and its structure is not limited to one type. In terms of the six lines, the first and second lines belong to the earth's path, the third and fourth lines belong to the human path, and the fifth and sixth lines belong to the heaven's path. The second line is above the first line, meaning that the line nine two is on the ground. The land suitable for farming and harvesting is only above the ground, so it is called "field." Looking at Wang Bi's intention, he simply used "being on the ground" to refer to "field." Later scholars expanded this meaning, saying that the benefits from cultivating the land extend to all things, and the abundance of produce benefits people, just as the sage benefits all things, so it is called "field."

“德施周普”者，下《小象》文，謂周而普遍。“居中不偏”者，九二居在下卦之中，而於上於下，其心一等，是“居中不偏”也。不偏則周普也。“雖非君位”者，二為大人，己居二位，是非君位也。“君之德”者，以德施周普也。《文言》云：“德博而化。”又云：“君德也。”是九二有人君之德也。“初則不彰”者，謂潛隱不彰顯也。“三則乾乾”者，危懼不安也。“四則或躍”者，謂進退懷疑也。“上則過亢”，過謂過甚，亢謂亢極。“利見大人，唯二五焉”者，言範模乾之一卦，故云“唯二五焉”。於別卦言之，非唯二五而己。故訟卦、蹇卦並云“利見大人”，所以施處廣，非唯二五也。

Kong Yingda explains Wang Bi's annotations sentence by sentence. "De shi zhou pu" comes from the following "Xiao Xiang" and refers to virtue spreading universally. "Ju zhong bu pian" means that nine two is located in the central position of the lower trigram, being equally concerned with both above and below, hence called "residing in the center without bias"; without bias, virtue naturally spreads universally. "Sui fei jun wei" means that although nine two is a great man, it is located in the second position and thus not the position of a ruler. "Jun zhi de" refers to the virtue spreading universally; the "Wen Yan" says "de bo er hua" and "jun de ye," indicating that nine two possesses the virtue of a ruler. "Chu ze bu zhang" refers to nine one being hidden and not prominent; "san ze qian qian" refers to nine three being in a dangerous and anxious position; "si ze yue yue" refers to nine four hesitating between advancement and retreat; "shang ze guo kang" means that "guo" is excessive and "kang" is extreme. Regarding the sentence "li xian da ren, wei er wu yan," this is speaking about establishing a model based on the Qian hexagram, hence saying "only the second and fifth lines." If speaking about other hexagrams, it would not be only the second and fifth lines. Therefore, the "Song hexagram" and the "Jian hexagram" both mention "li xian da ren," showing that this statement applies widely and is not limited to the second and fifth lines.

諸儒以為九二當太蔟之月，陽氣發見，則九三為建辰之月，九四為建午之月，九五為建申之月，為陰氣始殺，不宜稱“飛龍在天”。上九為建戌之月，群陰既盛，上九不得言“與時偕極”。於此時陽氣僅存，何極之有？諸儒此說，於理稍乖。此乾之陽氣漸生，似聖人漸出，宜據十一月之後。至建巳之月已來，此九二當據建丑、建寅之間，於時地之萌牙初有出者，即是陽氣發見之義。乾卦之象，其應然也。

Kong Yingda refutes the old view of several scholars who matched the six lines of the hexagram with months. These scholars believed that line nine in the second position corresponds to the month of Taocuo, which is the first month, when yang energy begins to emerge. Following this logic, line nine in the third position would correspond to the third month, line nine in the fourth position to the fifth month, and line nine in the fifth position to the seventh month. However, by the seventh month, yin energy has already begun to prevail, making it inappropriate to say "the dragon flies in the sky." Similarly, line nine at the top corresponds to the ninth month, when yin energy is dominant, making it unsuitable to say "to reach the extreme with the times," since yang energy is only a remnant at that point. Thus, this method of matching is logically inconsistent. Kong Yingda's own view is that the hexagram of Qian represents the gradual growth of yang energy, similar to the gradual emergence of the sage. Therefore, the counting should start from the eleventh month and continue until the fourth month, which is Jian Si. In this case, line nine in the second position would correspond to the period between the twelfth month and the first month, when the sprouts in the earth first appear, which fits the meaning of "yang energy begins to appear." The image of the hexagram of Qian corresponds to this, and it should be so.

但陰陽二氣，共成歲功，故陰興之時，仍有陽在，陽生之月，尚有陰存。所以六律六呂，陰陽相間，取象論義，與此不殊。乾之初九，則與復卦不殊。乾之九二，又與臨卦無別。何以復、臨二卦與此不同者，但《易》論象，復、臨二卦，既有群陰見象於上，即須論卦之象義，各自為文。此乾卦初九、九二，只論居位一爻，無群陰見象，故但自明當爻之地，為此與臨、復不同。

Kong Yingda explains the principle of the coexistence of yin and yang, and discusses the similarities and differences between the Qian trigram and the Fu and Lin hexagrams. Yin and yang energies together accomplish the functions of a year, so when yin energy is strong, yang energy still exists, and when yang energy begins to arise, yin energy still remains. The six lu and six lü are arranged alternately with yin and yang, and the symbolic meaning is similar to this. In terms of the month corresponding to the yao position, the initial yao of the Qian trigram is the same as the Fu hexagram, and the second yao of the Qian trigram is the same as the Lin hexagram. Then why do the Fu and Lin hexagrams differ in their explanations? Because the Zhou Changes are based on images: both the Fu and Lin hexagrams have a group of yin yao above forming an image, so the image and meaning of the hexagram must be discussed together, and each has its own wording. However, the initial yao and the second yao of the Qian trigram are discussed based only on the position of that single yao, and there is no group of yin yao above forming an image, so only the position of that yao needs to be explained. This is why the Fu and Lin hexagrams differ from the Qian trigram.

九三：君子終日乾乾，夕惕若厲，無咎。處下體之極，居上體之下，在不中之位，履重剛之險。上不在天，未可以安其尊也。下不在田，未可以寧其居也。純脩下道，則居上之德廢；純脩上道，則處下之禮曠。故“終日乾乾”，至於夕惕猶若厲也。居上不驕，在下不憂，因時而惕，不失其幾，雖危而勞，可以“無咎”。處下卦之極，愈於上九之亢，故竭知力而後免於咎也。乾三以處下卦之上，故免亢龍之悔。坤三以處下卦之上，故免龍戰之災。

The line statement is from the third line: "The superior person remains diligent all day, and remains vigilant at night as if facing danger, thus having no blame." The superior person remains diligent all day, and remains vigilant at night as if facing danger, thus having no blame. Wang Bi's commentary explains the situation of this line: Nine Three is at the top of the lower trigram and adjacent to the bottom of the upper trigram, thus in a position that is not central. It is on the edge of both upper and lower yang, facing a dangerous situation of double hardness. It is not in the position of heaven, thus unable to enjoy honor; it is not in the position of the field, thus unable to settle down. If it only follows the way of the lower position, the virtue of the upper position will be neglected; if it only follows the way of the upper position, the rites of the lower position will be missing. Therefore, it should "remain diligent all day," and even at night remain as if facing danger. Being in a high position without arrogance, being in a low position without fear, always remaining vigilant, not missing the opportunity, although the situation is dangerous and laborious, it can "have no blame." It is at the top of the lower trigram, which is better than the extreme position of Upper Nine. Therefore, after exhausting wisdom and strength, it can avoid blame. The Nine Three of the Qian hexagram, because it is above the lower trigram, can avoid the regret of the soaring dragon; the Six Three of the Kun hexagram, in the same position, can avoid the disaster of the dragon fighting in the field.

[疏]“九三君子”至“夕惕若厲無咎”。○正義曰：以陽居三位，故稱“九三”；以居不得中，故不稱“大人”；陽而得位，故稱君子。在憂危之地，故“終日乾乾”，言每恆終竟此日，健健自強，勉力不有止息。“夕惕”者，謂終竟此日後，至向夕之時，猶懷憂惕。“若厲”者，若，如也；厲，危也。言尋常憂懼，恆如傾危，乃得無咎。謂既能如此戒慎，則無罪咎，如其不然，則有咎。故《繫辭》云：“無咎者，善補過也。”此一爻，因陽居九三之位，皆以人事明其象。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Kong Yingda explains that the yang line in the third position is called "Nine Three" because it occupies the third position. Since it is not in the central position, it is not called "Great Man." However, because the yang line is in a yang position and thus occupies its proper place, it is called "Gentleman." The position of Nine Three is one of worry and danger, so it says "to be diligent day and night," meaning to be strong and self-disciplined from morning to evening without ceasing. "Evening vigilance" refers to the state of being cautious and alert even at dusk, after a whole day has passed. "If dangerous" means that "if" is like, and "dangerous" refers to peril. It means that one should always be cautious and fearful, as if in a dangerous situation, thus avoiding blame. In other words, if one can maintain such vigilance and caution, there will be no fault; if not, there will be fault. Therefore, the Great Treatise says, "Those without blame are good at making up for their mistakes." This line, being a yang line in the third position, throughout the passage uses human affairs to explain its symbolic meaning.

○注“處下體之極”至“免龍戰之災”。○正義曰：“處下體之極”者，極，終也。三是上卦之下，下體之極，故云“極”也。又云：“居上體之下”者，四、五與上是上體，三居四下，未入上體，但居上體之下，四則已入上體，但居其上體之下，故九四注云“居上體之下”，與此別也。云“履重剛之險”者，上下皆有陽爻，剛強好為險難，故云“履重剛之險”。云“上不在天，未可以安其尊”者，若在天位，其尊自然安處，在上卦之下，雖在下卦之上，其尊未安，故云“未可以安其尊”也。“下不在田，未可以寧其居”者，田是所居之處，又是中和之所，既不在田，故不得安其居。“純脩下道，則居上之德廢”者，言若純脩下道以事上卦，則己居下卦之上，其德廢壞，言其太卑柔也。“純脩上道，則處下之禮曠”者，曠謂空曠，言已純脩居下卦之上道以自驕矜，則處上卦之下，其禮終竟空曠。

Kong Yingda explains Wang Bi's commentary from "being at the extreme of the lower trigram" to "avoiding the disaster of a dragon's struggle." "Extreme" in "being at the extreme of the lower trigram" refers to the end, as the third line is immediately below the upper trigram and is the end of the lower trigram, hence called "extreme." The commentary also says "residing below the upper trigram," since the fourth, fifth, and upper lines are the upper trigram, and the third line is below the fourth line, not yet entering the upper trigram, but closely below it; the fourth line has already entered the upper trigram, but is at the very bottom of it—so Wang Bi's commentary on the fourth line also says "residing below the upper trigram," which has a different meaning from this context. The commentary says "standing on the danger of double hardness," because the third line is surrounded by yang lines above and below, which are strong and prone to danger, hence standing on the danger of double hardness. The commentary says "not being in the position of heaven, so cannot rest in its dignity," meaning if truly in the position of heaven, its dignity would naturally be secure; now being below the upper trigram, although above the lower trigram, the position of dignity is still insecure, hence "cannot rest in its dignity." "Not being in the position of the field, so cannot rest in its dwelling," because the field is a place of rest and also a place of harmony and balance; since not being in the position of the field, one cannot rest in its dwelling. "Purely cultivating the way of the lower trigram, then the virtue of being above the trigram is lost," meaning if one solely cultivates the way of the lower trigram to serve the upper trigram, then the virtue one should have by being above the lower trigram is lost, that is, being too weak and yielding. "Purely cultivating the way of the upper trigram, then the rites of being below the trigram are neglected," "neglected" means missing, meaning if one solely cultivates the way of the upper trigram and becomes arrogant, then the rites one should fulfill by being below the upper trigram will ultimately be neglected.

“夕惕猶若厲也”者，言雖至於夕，恆懷惕懼，猶如未夕之前，當若厲也。案：此卦九三所居之處，實有危厲。又《文言》云：“雖危無咎。”是實有危也。據其上下文勢，“若”字宜為語辭，但諸儒並以“若”為“如”，如似有厲，是實無厲也，理恐未盡。今且依“如”解之。“因時而惕，不失其幾”者，“因時”謂因可憂之時，故《文言》云“因時而惕”，又云“知至至之，可與幾也”。是“因時而惕，不失其幾”也。“雖危而勞”者，“若厲”是“雖危”，“終日乾乾”是“而勞”也。“故竭知力而後免於咎”者，王以九三與上九相併，九三處下卦之極，其位猶卑，故竭知力而得免咎也。上九在上卦之上其位極尊，雖竭知力，不免亢極，言下勝於上，卑勝於尊。

Kong Yingda continued to explain Wang Bi's annotations and put forward his own view on the character 「若」. 「Xì tì yóu ruò lì yě」 means that even at dusk one should still remain vigilant, just as one would in the morning before dusk, always treating oneself as if in a dangerous situation. According to the position of the line Nine in the Third in this hexagram, there is indeed a real danger; the 「Wén Yán」 also says 「suī wēi wú jiù」, indicating that the danger is real. From the flow of the text, the character 「若」 should be a grammatical particle within the sentence; however, all the scholars have interpreted 「若」 as 「如」, meaning 'as if', and thus interpreted the sentence as if there was danger but in reality there was none, which may not be entirely appropriate. For now, we will still follow the interpretation of 「如」. The annotation says 「yīn shí ér tì, bù shī qí jī」, where 「yīn shí」 refers to being vigilant during times of worry, so the 「Wén Yán」 says 「yīn shí ér tì」, and also says 「zhī zhì zhì zhī, kě yǔ jī yě」, which means exactly the same as 「yīn shí ér tì, bù shī qí jī」. The annotation says 「gù jié zhī lì ér hòu miǎn yú jiù」, which is Wang Bi's comparison of line Nine in the Third with line Nine at the Top: line Nine in the Third is at the top of the lower trigram, still relatively low in position, so by exerting all one's knowledge and effort one can avoid misfortune; line Nine at the Top is at the top of the upper trigram, in an extremely high position, so even if one exerts all one's knowledge and effort, one cannot avoid the danger of excess. This means that a lower position is superior to a higher one, and a humble position is superior to a lofty one.

九四：或躍在淵，無咎。去下體之極，居上體之下，乾道革之時也。上不在天，下不在田，中不在人，履重剛之險，而無定位所處，斯誠進退無常之時也。近乎尊位，欲進其道，迫乎在下，非躍所及。欲靜其居，居非所安，持疑猶豫未敢決志。用心存公，進不在私，疑以為慮，不謬於果，故“無咎”也。

The text refers to the statement of the fourth line: "Perhaps leap up from the depths, perhaps remain in the depths, there will be no fault." Wang Bi explains: The nine in the fourth line has already left the top of the lower trigram and entered the lowest position of the upper trigram, at the time of the transformation of the Heaven trigram. It is not in the position of the sovereign, nor in the position of the people, and is not in the position of the human. It still stands on a position of heavy firmness, and has no fixed place to be. This is indeed a time of uncertainty in advancing or retreating. It is close to the position of the sovereign, wanting to promote its own way, but is constrained by the situation below, which cannot be achieved by a single leap. If it wants to remain still, the position is not suitable for stability, so it hesitates and wavers, and does not dare to make a decision. However, its mind is devoted to righteousness, and its desire to advance is not for private gain. Because of its hesitation and careful consideration, it does not make mistakes in decisive action, hence "there will be no fault."

[疏]“九四：或躍在淵，無咎”。○正義曰：“或，疑也。躍，跳躍也。言九四陽氣漸進，似若龍體欲飛，猶“疑或”也。躍於在淵，未即飛也。此自然之象，猶若聖人位漸尊高欲進於王位，猶豫鷃疑，在於故位，未即進也。云：“無咎”者，以其鷃疑進退，不即果敢以取尊位，故“無咎”也。若其貪利務進，時未可行而行，則物所不與，故有咎也。若周西伯內執王心，外率諸侯以事紂也。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Kong Yingda explains the line statement "Nine in the Fourth: Or leap in the abyss, no blame." He says: "Or" indicates uncertainty and indecision, "leap" means to jump. This describes the gradual ascent of the Yang energy of Nine in the Fourth, like a dragon's body about to rise, yet still hesitating. It leaps but remains in the abyss, without immediately ascending. This is a natural phenomenon. In terms of human affairs, it is like a sage gradually attaining higher status, about to take the throne, yet hesitating and remaining in his original position, not advancing immediately. The line statement says "no blame" because it hesitates and is cautious between advancing and retreating, not rushing to take the high position. If one is greedy for gain and insists on advancing without considering the right time, it will not be accepted by others, leading to mistakes. For example, King Wen of Zhou (Western Boy) had already harbored the ambition of a king, yet outwardly he still led the feudal lords in serving King Zhou of Shang, which is precisely this situation.

○注“去下體之極”至“無咎也”。○正義曰：“去下體之極”者，離下體入上體，但在下體之上，故云“去下體之極”。注九三云“處下體之極”，彼仍處九三，與此別也。云“乾道革之時”者，革，變也。九四去下體入上體，是乾道革之時。云“上不在天，下不在田，中不在人”者，《易》之為體，三與四為人道，人近在下不，近於上，故九四云“中不在人”，異於九三也。云“而無定位所處”者，九四以陽居陰上，既不在於天，下復不在於地，中又不當於人，上下皆無定位所處也。“斯誠進退無常之時”者，《文言》云“上下無常”、“進退無恆”是也。

Kong Yingda explains Wang Bi's commentary from "Going away from the extreme of the lower trigram" to "There is no blame." "Going away from the extreme of the lower trigram" means that nine four has left the lower trigram and entered the upper trigram, being only immediately above the lower trigram, hence it is said "Going away from the extreme of the lower trigram." In contrast, nine three is described as "Being at the extreme of the lower trigram," because nine three remains within the lower trigram, and this meaning is different. The commentary says "The time of change in the principle of Qian," "Change" refers to transformation. Nine four leaving the lower trigram and entering the upper trigram is exactly the time when the principle of Qian undergoes change. The commentary says "Not in heaven, not in the fields, and not in the middle of human affairs," because in the Zhou Changes, the trigrams three and four are considered human affairs, and human affairs are closer to the lower position and not close to the upper position, so nine four says "Not in the middle of human affairs," which is different from nine three. The commentary says "And has no fixed position," because nine four, a yang line, is in the position of a yin line, not in heaven, not in the earth, and not in the middle of human affairs, so it has no fixed position. The commentary says "This is indeed a time of constant movement and retreat," which corresponds exactly to what the Wenyan says "Up and down are not constant" and "Forward and backward are not fixed."

“欲進其道，迫乎在下，非躍所及”者，謂欲進已聖道而居王位，但逼迫於下，群眾未許，非己獨躍所能進及也。“欲靜其居，居非所安，持疑猶豫，未敢決志”者，謂志欲靜其居處，百姓既未離禍患，須當拯救，所以不得安居，故遲疑猶豫，未敢決斷其志而苟進也。“用心存公，進不在私”者，本為救亂除患，不為於己，是進不在私也。“疑以為慮，不謬於果”者，謬謂謬錯，果謂果敢；若不思慮，苟欲求進，當錯謬於果敢之事，而致敗亡；若疑惑以為思慮，則不錯謬於果敢之事。其錯謬者，若宋襄公與楚人戰而致敗亡是也。

Kong Yingda continued to explain Wang's annotations sentence by sentence. "Wishing to advance his way, he is constrained by what is below, beyond the reach of a single leap" means that the Nine in the Fourth position wants to promote his sage's way and ascend to the throne, but is restricted by the situation below, as the people have not yet turned to him, and he cannot achieve this by a single leap alone. "Wishing to remain quiet, his dwelling is not secure, holding doubts and hesitations, not daring to decide his mind" means that it originally wanted to remain quiet in its place, but the people have not yet escaped from calamity and still need salvation, so it cannot stay secure; thus, it hesitates and hesitates, not daring to decide its mind and act hastily. "Using his mind for the public good, his advancement is not for private gain" means that its intention is to eliminate chaos and disasters, not for itself, so its advancement is not motivated by private interest. "Doubt is considered as a matter for careful thought, not leading to error in decisiveness" means that "error" refers to mistakes, and "decisiveness" refers to boldness. If one does not think carefully and only seeks to advance blindly, mistakes will occur in bold action, leading to defeat; if one transforms doubts into careful consideration, one will not make mistakes in bold action. An example of such error is like the case of Song Xianggong who fought against the Chu people and ultimately suffered defeat.

九五：飛龍在天，利見大人。不行不躍而在乎天，非飛而何？故曰“飛龍”也。龍德在天，則大人之路亨也。夫位以德興，德以位敘，以至德而處盛位，萬物之睹，不亦宜乎？

The text refers to the statement of the fifth line: "A dragon soars in the heavens, advantageous to see a great man." A dragon flies and rises to the heavens, which is advantageous for encountering a great person. Wang Bi explains: it is neither walking on the ground nor leaping but already in the heavens. This is not flying, what else could it be? Therefore, it is called "a flying dragon." When a dragon-like virtue resides in the heavenly position, the path for the great man becomes clear. Status arises from virtue, and virtue is expressed through status. When the highest virtue is established in the flourishing position, all under heaven look up to it. Is this not natural?

[疏]“九五”至“利見大人”。○正義曰：言九五陽氣盛至於天，故云“飛龍在天”。此自然之象，猶若聖人有龍德飛騰而居天位，德備天下，為萬物所瞻睹，故天下利見此居王位之大人。○注“龍德在天”。○正義曰：“龍德在天，則大人之路亨”，謂若聖人有龍德居在天位，則大人道路得亨通。猶若文王拘在羑里，是大人道路未亨也。“夫位以德興”者，位謂王位，以聖德之人能興王位也。“德以位敘”者，謂有聖德之人，得居王位，乃能敘其聖德。若孔子雖有聖德，而無其位，是德不能以位敘也。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Kong Yingda explains the passage from "Nine in the Fifth" to "Beneficial to see a great man." He says: This refers to the flourishing of the yang energy at Nine in the Fifth, so it is said "A dragon in the sky." This is a natural phenomenon; in terms of human affairs, it is like a sage possessing the virtue of a dragon, rising up and occupying the position of the Son of Heaven, his virtue spreading throughout the world, being revered by all things, so everyone is beneficial in seeing this great man who holds the throne. The next section explains Wang Bi's comment "The virtue of the dragon is in the sky." Kong Yingda says: "If the virtue of the dragon is in the sky, then the path of the great man is unobstructed," meaning that if a sage possesses the virtue of a dragon and holds the heavenly position, then the path of the great man becomes unobstructed. Conversely, when King Wen was imprisoned in Youli, the path of the great man was not yet unobstructed. "Position arises from virtue," where "position" refers to the throne, meaning that only a sage can rise to the throne. "Virtue is expressed through position," meaning that a sage can only fully express his virtue by holding the throne; for example, Confucius had the virtue of a sage but lacked the corresponding position, which is an example of virtue being unable to be expressed through position.

上九：亢龍有悔。

The line statement for the topmost line of the Qian hexagram is: "The dragon soaring high has regret" — the dragon flies too high and reaches the extreme, thus causing regret. Wang Bi did not add any further commentary below this line.

[疏]正義曰：上九亢陽之至，大而極盛，故曰“亢龍”。此自然之象，以人事言之，似聖人有龍德，上居天位，久而亢極，物極則反，故“有悔”也。純陽雖極，未至大凶，但有悔吝而己。《繫辭》云：“悔吝者，言乎其小疵也。”故鄭引堯之末年，四凶在朝，是以有悔未大凶也。凡悔之為文，既是小疵，不單稱悔也。必以餘字配之。其悔若在，則言“有悔”，謂當有此悔，則此經是也。其悔若無，則言“悔亡”，言其悔已亡也，若《恆卦·九二》“悔亡”是也。其悔雖亡，或是更取他文結之，若《復卦·初九》“不遠復無祗悔”之類是也。但聖人至極，終始無虧，故《文言》云：“知進退存亡而不失其正者，其唯聖人乎？”是知大聖之人，本無此悔。但九五天位，有大聖而居者，亦有非大聖而居者，不能不有驕亢，故聖人設法以戒之也。

Kong Yingda explained "The Dragon in Excess Has Regret." He said: "The upper nine represents the yang that has reached its extreme, being great and reaching the utmost, hence called 'The Dragon in Excess.' This is a natural phenomenon; in terms of human affairs, it is like a sage possessing the virtue of a dragon, occupying the position of a ruler, and after a long time, reaching the extreme of excess. When things reach their peak, they will turn to their opposite, hence 'there is regret.' Although pure yang has reached its peak, it has not yet reached a great misfortune, only regret and minor regret. The 'Great Treatise' says: 'Regret and hesitation refer to minor flaws.' Therefore, Zheng Xuan cited the example of the four evil ministers still being in the court at the end of the reign of Emperor Yao, to illustrate that there is only 'regret' but not yet great misfortune. In terms of the use of the character 'regret,' since it refers to minor flaws, it is not used alone, but must be combined with other characters. If regret still exists, it is said 'there is regret,' meaning that there should be such regret; this line is exactly like that. If the regret has disappeared, it is said 'regret has vanished,' meaning that the regret has been resolved, as in the case of the 'Guanzhong' hexagram's nine two, 'Regret has vanished.' Sometimes, although regret has vanished, other expressions are used to conclude, as in the case of the 'Fu' hexagram's initial nine, 'Returning without being far, no great regret.' However, the sage's virtue reaches its extreme, and there is no deficiency from beginning to end, hence the 'Words and Meaning' says: 'Knowing advancement, retreat, survival, and death without losing the right path, is it not only the sage?' From this we can know that great sages themselves would not have such regret. However, the position of the five yang, which is the emperor's position, may be occupied by a great sage or by someone who is not a great sage. The latter may inevitably become arrogant and reach the extreme of excess, hence the sage established this line statement to warn them.

用九：見群龍，無首，吉。九，天之德也。能用天德，乃見“群龍”之義焉。夫以剛健而居人之首，則物之所不與也。以柔順而為不正，則佞邪之道也。故《乾》吉在“無首”，《坤》利在“永貞”。

The text specific to the Qian hexagram is "Yong Jiup" (All Nines): "Seeing a group of dragons, none taking the lead, it is auspicious." This means that when a group of dragons appears, none of them strive for leadership, which is considered auspicious. Wang Bi explains that "jiu" represents the virtue of heaven. Only by employing the virtue of heaven can one understand the meaning of "a group of dragons." To forcefully take the lead among others is not something people would support. If one is overly yielding yet does not adhere to the right path, it becomes a way of flattery and wickedness. Therefore, the auspiciousness of the Qian hexagram lies in "not taking the lead," while the advantage of the Kun hexagram lies in "eternally maintaining the correct path."

[疏]“用九：見群龍，無首，吉”。○正義曰：“用九見群龍”者，此一句說“乾元”能用天德也。九，天德也。若體“乾元”，聖人能用天德，則見“群龍”之義。“群龍”之義，以無首為吉，故曰“用九，見群龍，無首，吉”也。○注“九，天之德”。○正義曰：“九，天之德”者，言六爻俱九，乃共成天德，非是一爻之九，則為天德也。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Kong Yingda explains the passage "Use of Nine: Seeing a group of dragons, none leading, auspicious." He says: "Use of Nine, seeing a group of dragons" refers to the ability of "Qian Yuan" to employ Heavenly Virtue. "Nine" represents Heavenly Virtue; if one can embody "Qian Yuan," the sage can employ Heavenly Virtue and thus understand the meaning of "a group of dragons." The meaning of "a group of dragons" lies in not competing for leadership, which is why it is said "Use of Nine, seeing a group of dragons, none leading, auspicious." In the next section, Kong Yingda explains Wang Bi's comment "Nine is the virtue of Heaven." He says: "Nine is the virtue of Heaven" means that all six lines are nines, together forming Heavenly Virtue; it is not that any single nine line alone constitutes Heavenly Virtue.

《彖》曰：大哉乾元！萬物資始，乃統天。雲行雨施，品物流形，大明終始，六位時成，時乘六龍，以御天。乾道變化，各正性命。天也者，形之名也。健也者，用形者也。夫形也者，物之累也。有天之形而能永保無虧，為物之首，統之者豈非至健哉！大明乎終始之道，故六位不失其時而成，升降無常，隨時而用，處則乘潛龍，出則乘飛龍，故曰“時乘六龍”也。乘變化而御大器，靜專動直，不失大和，豈非正性命之情者邪？

The passage from the "Tu" section is: How magnificent is the creative virtue of the Heaven! All things depend on it to begin, and it governs the heavens. Clouds flow, rain spreads, and all things take form and spread out; it comprehends the principle of beginning and end, and the six lines of the hexagram are formed in accordance with the proper time. It governs the six dragons in accordance with the time, thus governing the heavens. The movement and transformation of the Heaven's way cause all things to be upright in their nature and destiny. The commentary by Wang Bi says: "Heaven" is the name given according to its form, while "strong and active" refers to the function of this form. All things that have form are burdened by their form; yet Heaven has form and yet remains without loss, becoming the leader of all things. Therefore, the one who governs it must be the ultimate strength and vitality. Because it comprehends the principle of beginning and end, the six lines are all formed in accordance with the proper time. The yang energy rises and falls without fixed position, acting according to the time: when still, it rides the hidden dragon; when active, it rides the flying dragon. Therefore, it is said, "riding the six dragons according to the time." Riding the changes to govern the great vessel, which is the heavens, being single-minded when still and upright when active, without losing the great harmony, is this not precisely the way to make all things upright in their nature and destiny?

[疏]“彖曰大哉乾元”至“各正性命”。○正義曰：夫子所作《彖》辭，統論一卦之義，或說其卦之德，或說其卦之義，或說其卦之名，故《略例》云：“彖者何也？統論一卦之體，明其所由之主。”案：褚氏、莊氏並云：“彖，斷也，斷定一卦之義，所以名為彖也。”但此《彖》釋乾與元、亨、利、貞之德。但諸儒所說此《彖》分解四德，意各不同。今案：莊氏之說，於理稍密，依而用之。

The Outline of the Zhou Changes says: "What is a 'tuang'? It is a general discussion of the nature of one hexagram, clarifying its main principle." Also, according to Chu and Zhuang, "tuang" means to determine, to determine the meaning and significance of a hexagram, hence the name "tuang." This passage of the tuang text is specifically explaining the hexagram Qian and the four virtues: Yuan, Heng, Li, and Zhen. However, different scholars have different interpretations of these four virtues. According to Zhuang's view, the reasoning is more comprehensive, so we follow his explanation.

“大哉乾元，萬物資始，乃統天”者，此三句裛釋乾與元也。“乾”是卦名，“元”是乾德之首，故以元德配乾釋之。“大哉乾元”者，陽氣昊大，乾體廣遠，又以元大始生萬物，故曰“大哉乾元”。“萬物資始”者，釋其“乾元”稱“大”之義，以萬象之物，皆資取“乾元”，而各得始生，不失其宜，所以稱“大”也。“乃統天”者，以其至健而為物始，以此乃能統領於天，天是有形之物，以其至健，能總統有形，是“乾元”之德也。

Kong Yingda explains each sentence of the "Tuan" text. The three sentences "Great is the Primordial Power of Heaven, all things receive their beginning, and thus are governed by Heaven" are interpreted together to explain both "Qian" and "Yuan." "Qian" is the name of the hexagram, and "Yuan" is the first virtue of Qian. Therefore, "Yuan" is explained in conjunction with "Qian." The phrase "Great is the Primordial Power of Heaven" refers to the vastness of the yang energy, the wide expanse of Qian's form, and its great creative power that generates all things. Thus, it is praised as "Great is the Primordial Power of Heaven." The phrase "all things receive their beginning" explains why "Qian Yuan" is called "Great." All things draw their origin from "Qian Yuan" and thus are able to begin, none missing their proper place, hence the term "Great." The phrase "thus are governed by Heaven" means that the Primordial Power of Heaven, with its ultimate strength and vitality, serves as the beginning of all things, thus governing Heaven. Heaven itself is a tangible entity, and the Primordial Power of Heaven, through its ultimate strength, encompasses all tangible things. This is the virtue of "Qian Yuan."

“雲行雨施，品物流形”者，此二句釋“亨”之德也，言乾能用天之德，使雲氣流行，雨澤施布，故品類之物，流佈成形，各得亨通，無所壅蔽，是其“亨”也。“大明終始，六位時成”者，此二句總結乾卦之德也。以乾之為德，大明曉乎萬物終始之道，始則潛伏，終則飛躍，可潛則潛，可飛則飛，是明達乎始終之道，故六爻之位，依時而成。若其不明終始之道，應潛而飛，應飛而潛，應生而殺，應殺而生，六位不以時而成也。

Kong Yingda continued, "The phrases 'Clouds flow and rain spread, and all things take form' explain the virtue of 'Hehng.' The Qian hexagram can manifest the virtue of Heaven, causing clouds to move and rain to be distributed, thus enabling all things to flow and take shape, each reaching its proper course without obstruction. This is its 'Hehng.' The phrases 'Great brightness spans the beginning and the end, and the six positions are formed in due time' summarize the virtue of the Qian hexagram. Because the virtue of Qian can illuminate the principle of the beginning and the end of all things: at the beginning it remains hidden, but at the end it rises up; when it should be hidden, it is hidden; when it should rise, it rises. This is the principle of贯通 the beginning and the end. Therefore, the six lines of the hexagram are formed in accordance with the proper time. If one does not understand the principle of the beginning and the end, and instead rises when it should be hidden, or hides when it should rise, or causes death when it should produce life, or produces life when it should cause death, then the six lines cannot be formed in their proper time."

“時乘六龍，以御天”者，此二句申明“乾元”“乃統天”之義，言乾之為德，以依時乘駕六爻之陽氣，以控御於天體。六龍，即六位之龍也。以所居上下言之，謂之六位也；陽氣升降，謂之六龍也。上文以至健元始總明乾德，故云“乃統天”也。此名乘駕六龍，各分其事，故云“以御天”也。“乾道變化，各正性命”者，此二句更申明乾元資始之義。道體無形，自然使物開通，謂之為“道”。言乾卦之德，自然通物，故云“乾道”也。“變”謂後來改前，以漸移改，謂之變也。“化”謂一有一無，忽然而改，謂之為化。言乾之為道，使物漸變者，使物卒化者，各能正定物之性命。性者天生之質，若剛柔遲速之別；命者人所稟受，若貴賤夭壽之屬是也。

Kong Yingda continued to explain: "At the proper time, the six dragons are ridden to control the heavens" these two sentences reiterate the meaning of "Qian Yuan" and "thus unifies the heavens." It refers to the virtue of Qian, which follows the proper time and rides the six yao's yang energy to control the heavens. The so-called "six dragons" refer to the six yao positions as dragons: from the perspective of their positions above and below, they are called "six positions"; from the perspective of the rising and falling of yang energy, they are called "six dragons." The previous text used extreme strength and creation to summarize the virtue of Qian, so when it talks about "thus unifies the heavens," it refers to Qian Yuan comprehensively governing all tangible things. Here, when it talks about riding the six dragons and each yao taking its own responsibility, it refers to dividing responsibilities to control the heavens. The intent of the two sentences is different. "The way of Qian brings about changes, each establishing the nature and destiny of things" these two sentences again clarify the meaning of Qian Yuan creating all things. The essence of the way has no form, yet it naturally allows all things to be open and accessible, hence it is called "way." The virtue of the Qian hexagram naturally allows all things to be connected, hence it is called "Qian way." "Change" refers to replacing the previous with the later, gradually changing, called "change"; "transformation" refers to sudden emergence and disappearance, sudden change, called "transformation." This means that as the way, Qian can cause all things to gradually change or suddenly transform, allowing each thing to properly establish its nature and destiny. "Nature" refers to the innate qualities of things, such as distinctions of hardness and softness, slowness and speed; "destiny" refers to the limits of what a person receives, such as distinctions of nobility and humility, longevity and short life.

○注“天也者形之名也”至“豈非正性命之情者邪”。○正義曰：夫形也者，物之累也。凡有形之物，以形為累，是含生之屬，各憂性命。而天地雖復有形，常能永保無虧，為物之首，豈非統用之者至極健哉！若非至健，何能使天形無累？見其無累，則知“至健”也。“乘變化而御大器”者，乘變化，則乘潛龍，飛龍之屬是也。“而御大器”，大器謂天也。乘此潛龍、飛龍而控御天體，所以運動不息，故云“而御大器”也。“靜專動直，不失大和”者，謂乾之為體，其靜住之時，則專一不轉移也，其運動之時，正直不傾邪也。故《上繫辭》云：“夫乾，其靜也專，其動也直，是以大生焉。”韓康伯注云：“專，專一也。直，剛正也。”“不失大和”，則下文“保合大和”是也。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Kong Yingda explains Wang Bi's commentary from "Heaven is the name of form" to "Is it not the case that it is the true nature of life and death?" He says: The physical form is essentially a burden for things. All things with form are burdened by their form, so all living beings worry about their life and death. However, even though Heaven and Earth also have form, they can remain intact and without loss, becoming the leader of all things. Therefore, what governs and controls it must be the ultimate strength and vitality. If it were not the ultimate strength and vitality, how could Heaven's form not be burdened? By observing that it is not burdened, we can know that it is "the ultimate strength and vitality." The commentary says "riding the changes and governing the great vessel." Riding the changes refers to riding the hidden dragon and the flying dragon; "governing the great vessel" refers to the "great vessel" being Heaven. By riding the hidden dragon and the flying dragon to control Heaven, it thus continues to move without end, hence "governing the great vessel." The commentary says "remaining tranquil and dedicated, and not losing the great harmony." This means that when the Qian trigram is still, it remains dedicated and unchanging; when it moves, it is straight and not biased. Therefore, the Great Treatise says: "The Qian trigram, when still, is dedicated; when moving, is straight, thus producing great things." Han Kangbo explains: "Dedicated means being single-minded; straight means being upright." As for "not losing the great harmony," this refers to the following "preserving and harmonizing the great harmony."

“豈非正性命之情者邪”，以乾能正定物之性命，故云“豈非正性命之情者邪”，謂物之性命各有情，非天之情也。天本無情，何情之有？而物之性命，各有情也。所稟生者謂之性，隨時念慮謂之情，無識無情，今據有識而言，故稱曰“情”也。夫子為《彖》之體，斷明一卦之義，體例不同。莊氏以為凡有一十二體，今則略舉大綱，不可事事繁說。莊氏云“《彖》者發首則嘆美卦”者，則此《乾·彖》云“大哉乾元”，《坤卦·彖》云“至哉坤元”。以乾、坤德大，故先嘆美之，乃後詳說其義。或有先疊文解義而後嘆者，則《豫卦·彖》云：“《豫》之時義大矣哉”之類是也。

Kong Yingda explains the last sentence of the annotation and transitions into the style of the "Tuan" statements. The annotation says, "Is it not the true nature and life of things?" This is because Qian can properly regulate the nature and destiny of all things, so the question is raised in this way; here it refers to the nature and life of all things each having their own feelings, not that Heaven has feelings. Heaven is originally without feelings, so where could feelings come from? However, the nature and life of all things each have their own feelings. What is inherited at birth is called "nature," and the spontaneous thoughts and considerations that arise at any time are called "feelings"; things without consciousness cannot have feelings, so here the discussion is about things with consciousness, hence the term "feelings." Then Kong Yingda says: The style of the "Tuan" statements composed by Confucius is to determine and explain the meaning and purpose of a single hexagram, and the style is not uniform. Zhang Shi believes there are a total of twelve types of styles, but here only the main points are briefly mentioned, and cannot be elaborated one by one. Zhang Shi says, "The 'Tuan' statements sometimes begin by praising the hexagram," such as in the "Tuan" statement of the Qian hexagram, which says, "How great is the Qian Yuan," and in the Kun hexagram, which says, "How profound is the Kun Yuan," because the Qian and Kun hexagrams have great virtues, so they first express praise, and then elaborate on their meanings. There are also cases where the hexagram statement is first restated, the meaning is explained, and then praise is given, such as the "Tuan" statement of the Yu hexagram, which says, "How great is the meaning of the Yu hexagram."

或有先釋卦名之義，後以卦名結之者，則《同人·彖》云“柔得位得中而應乎《乾》，曰同人”，《大有·彖》云：“柔得尊位大中而上下應之曰：“大有之例是也。或有特疊卦名而稱其卦者，則同人彖云：“《同人》曰：同人于野，亨。”注云：“‘同人于野，亨，利涉大川’，非二之所能也。是乾之所行，故特曰‘同人曰’。”此等之屬，為文不同，唯《同人》之《彖》特稱“同人曰”，注又別釋。其餘諸卦之《彖》，或詳或略，或先或後，故上下參差，體例不同，或難其解，或易略解。若一一比並，曲生節例，非聖人之本趣，恐學者之徒勞，心不曉也。今皆略而不言，必有其義，於卦下而具說。

Kong Yingda continues to list the structure of the "Tuan" commentary. There are also instances where the meaning of the hexagram name is explained first and then the hexagram name is used to conclude, such as in the "Tuan" of "Tongren" which says, "The flexible one occupies the position and the center and corresponds with the Qian, thus called Tongren." Similarly, the "Tuan" of "Dayou" says, "The flexible one occupies the exalted position and the great center, and the upper and lower parts respond to it, thus called Dayou." These are examples of this structure. There are also cases where the hexagram name is specially repeated to refer to the hexagram, such as in the "Tuan" of "Tongren" which says, "Tongren says: 'Tongren in the wild, success.'" Wang Bi's commentary explains, "The phrase 'Tongren in the wild, success, beneficial for crossing great rivers' is not something that can be achieved by the second line alone, but rather something implemented by the Qian. Therefore, it is specially written as 'Tongren says.'" Such variations exist in the text, and among them, only the "Tuan" of "Tongren" specially uses the phrase "Tongren says," and the commentary also provides a separate explanation. For the "Tuan" commentaries of the other hexagrams, some are detailed while others are brief, some appear before while others after, thus creating a varied structure, some difficult to explain, some easy and concise. If one were to compare and arrange them line by line, creating many artificial sections, it would not be the original intention of the sage. It might only cause scholars to waste their efforts without understanding. Therefore, we now generally omit discussing them. If there are indeed necessary explanations, they will be provided in detail under each hexagram.

保合大和，乃利貞。不和而剛暴。

The text continues from the "Tuan" transmission: preserving and uniting the vital energy of great harmony allows for benefit and upholding the correct path. The next five characters, "not harmonious yet fierce and brutal," are Wang Bi's commentary, pointing out the opposite: if one cannot be harmonious, then one is left only with harshness and cruelty.

[疏]正義曰：此二句釋“利貞”也。純陽剛暴，若無和順，則物不得利，又失其正。以能保安合會大利之道，乃能利貞於萬物，言萬物得利而貞正也。

Kong Yingda's commentary explains that these two lines are explaining the virtues of "li" (advantage) and "zhen" (uprightness). Pure yang energy is strong and fierce; if it is not tempered by harmony, all things would not gain benefit and would also lose the middle and upright. Precisely because Qian preserves stability and unites the principle that brings great benefit to all things, it can be advantageous to all things while maintaining uprightness, meaning that all things gain benefit and return to uprightness.

首出庶物，萬國咸寧。萬國所以寧，各以有君也。

The text is the conclusion of the "Tuang" transmission: the virtue of the sage surpasses all things, and thus the whole world and all states are at peace. Below is Wang Bi's commentary: the reason why all states can be at peace is that each has its ruler and leader.

[疏]正義曰：自上已來，皆論乾德自然養萬物之道。此二句論聖人上法乾德，生養萬物，言聖人為君在眾物之上，最尊高於物，以頭首出於眾物之上，各置君長以領萬國，故萬國皆得寧也。人君位實尊高，故於此云首出於庶物者也。志須卑下，故前經云“無首，吉”也。但前文說乾用天德，其事既詳，故此文聖人以人事象乾，於文略也。以此言之，聖人亦當令萬物資始，統領於天位，而“雲行雨施”，佈散恩澤，使兆庶眾物，各流佈其形，又大明乎盛衰終始之道，使天地四時貴賤高下，各以時而成。又任用群賢，以奉行聖化，使物各正性命。此聖人所以象乾而立化。

Kong Yingda's commentary explains: From the previous text, the discussion has focused on the natural nurturing power of the Qian hexagram; these two lines, however, shift to talk about the sage who emulates the virtue of Qian, nurturing all things. It means that the sage, as a ruler, resides above all things, surpassing them in dignity and exaltation, appearing as the leading figure above all things. He also appoints leaders to govern all nations, so that all nations can be at peace. The position of the ruler is indeed exalted, so here it says "leading all things." However, the ruler's mind and will should be humble and lowly, which is why the line "Without a head, it is auspicious" in the "Yong Jiup" section is stated. Since the previous text discussed the application of the Heavenly Virtue by Qian, which has already been explained in detail, this passage briefly refers to the sage emulating Qian through human affairs. By this reasoning, the sage should also be the source from which all things are born, governing them from the position of the Son of Heaven. He should spread his grace like clouds moving and rain descending, allowing millions of people and all things to take form and flourish. He should also understand the principles of rise and decline, ensuring that heaven and earth, the four seasons, and the distinctions of honor and humility are fulfilled in their proper times. He should also appoint many virtuous talents to carry out the sage's teachings, enabling all things to be properly cultivated and established. This is the way the sage emulates the principles of Qian to establish his teachings.