The Qian Hexagram · The Image Transmission

君子學以聚之，問以辯之，以君德而處下體，資納於物者也。[疏]正義曰：此復明九二之德。“君子學以聚之”者，九二從微而進，未在君位，故且習學以畜其德。“問以辯之”者，學有未了，更詳問其事，以辯決於疑也。

The text says: A gentleman relies on learning to accumulate knowledge and relies on asking questions to resolve doubts. Wang Bi's commentary explains: Nine in the Second already possesses the virtue of a ruler but is located in the lower trigram, which is precisely the time to be humble and seek resources from others, embracing the wisdom of many. Kong Yingda's commentary, in the section of justice, says: This again emphasizes the virtue of Nine in the Second. What is meant by "a gentleman learns to accumulate knowledge" is that Nine in the Second rises gradually from a humble position and has not yet reached the position of a ruler, so he should diligently study and accumulate his virtue. What is meant by "asking to resolve doubts" is that when there are things not understood in learning, one should further inquire into the details of the matters and discern and resolve the doubts clearly.

寬以居之，仁以行之。《易》曰“見龍在田，利見大人”，君德也。[疏]正義曰：“寬以居之”者，當用寬裕之道，居處其位也。“仁以行之”者，以仁恩之心，行之被物。“《易》曰‘見龍在田，利見大人’，君德”者，既陳其德於上，然後引《易》本文以結之。《易》之所云是君德，“寬以居之，仁以行之”是也。但有君德，未是君位。

The text says: "Reside in a broad and generous manner, and act with benevolence and love." The Zhou Changes say, "A dragon appears in the field, advantageous to meet a great person," which speaks precisely of the virtue of a sovereign. Kong Yingda's commentary explains: "What is meant by 'residing with breadth' is that one should dwell in his position with a broad and easy attitude. 'Acting with benevolence' means to carry out actions with kindness and benevolence towards others. 'The Changes say, "A dragon appears in the field, advantageous to meet a great person," which is the virtue of a sovereign'—this first states the virtue of the second line (nine two), then quotes the text of the Zhou Changes as a summary: The Changes indeed refer to the virtue of a sovereign, that is, the two sentences 'residing with breadth' and 'acting with benevolence.' However, nine two only possesses the virtue of a sovereign but has not yet attained the position of a sovereign.

九三，重剛而不中，上不在天，下不在田。故乾乾因其時而惕，雖危無咎矣。[疏]“九三”至“無咎矣”。○正義曰：此明九三爻辭。上之初九、九二皆豫陳其德於上，不發首雲初九、九二，此九三、九四，則發首先言九三、九四；其九五全不引《易》文，上九則發首云“亢之為言”也。上下不為例者，夫子意在釋經，義便則言，以潛見須言其始，故豫張本於上。三、四俱言“重剛不中”，恐其義同，故並先雲爻位並重剛不中之事。九五前章已備，故不復引《易》，但云“大人”也。上九亦前章備顯，故此直言“亢之為言”也。案：初九云“潛之為言”，上爻云“亢之為言”，獨二爻云“言”者，褚氏以初、上居無位之地，故稱言也；其餘四爻是有位，故不云“言”，義或然也。

The text says: Nine in the Third (nine three) holds a yang line in a yang position, with two strong lines stacked together, and is not in the central position. It cannot reach the heavenly position above and has already moved away from the field position below. Therefore, it works diligently without rest, follows the proper time and remains cautious, even though it is in a dangerous situation, it does not commit mistakes. Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from "Nine in the Third" to "there is no blame." The annotation says: This passage explains the statement of the third line. In the previous discussion about Nine at the Beginning and Nine in the Second, their virtues were stated first, and the terms "Nine at the Beginning" and "Nine in the Second" were not mentioned at the beginning. However, when discussing Nine in the Third and Nine in the Fourth, the terms "Nine in the Third" and "Nine in the Fourth" are mentioned first. The passage about Nine in the Fifth does not quote the line statement of the Book of Changes, and the passage about Nine at the Top begins with "the term 'excess' means." The inconsistency in the style is because Confucius intended to explain the meaning of the text, and he used whatever method was most convenient. When explaining "hidden" and "emergence," it was necessary to first mention their beginning, so the previous text laid the foundation. The third and fourth lines both mention "two strong lines without being in the center," to prevent people from thinking their meanings are the same, so the positions of the lines and their situation of two strong lines without being in the center are mentioned first. The passage about Nine in the Fifth was already fully explained in the previous chapter, so the line statement of the Book of Changes is not quoted, and only "great man" is mentioned. The passage about Nine at the Top was also clearly explained in the previous chapter, so here it directly says "the term 'excess' means." Also, according to the text, Nine at the Beginning says "the term 'hidden' means," and Nine at the Top says "the term 'excess' means," only these two lines use the word "means." Chu's commentary suggests that the first and the top lines are in positions without proper places, so they are called "means," while the other four lines have positions, so they do not use "means." This explanation may be correct.

“重剛”者，上下俱陽，故“重剛”也。“不中”者，不在二、五之位，故“不中”也。“上不在天”，謂非五位；“下不在田”，謂非二位也。“故乾乾因其時而惕，雖危無咎矣”者，居危之地，以“乾乾夕惕”，戒懼不息，得“無咎”也。

Kong Yingda then proceeded to explain each line statement sentence by sentence: the term "heavy yang" refers to the fact that both the upper and lower lines of nine three are yang, hence called "heavy yang." The term "not in the center" refers to the fact that it is not in the second or fifth lines, which are the central positions, hence called "not in the center." "Not in the heaven position above" means it is not in the fifth line's heaven position; "not in the field position below" means it is not in the second line's field position. The phrase "therefore, being diligent and cautious according to the time, though in danger, there will be no fault" means that nine three is in a dangerous position, but by being diligent all day and cautious all night, it remains vigilant without ceasing, thus avoiding blame.

九四，重剛而不中，上不在天，下不在田，中不在人，故或之。或之者，疑之也，故無咎。[疏]“九四”至“故無咎”。正義曰：此明九四爻辭也。其“重剛不中，上不在天，下不在田”，並與九三同也。“中不在人”者，三之與四，俱為人道。但人道之中，人下近於地，上遠於天，九三近二，是下近於地，正是人道，故九三不云“中不在人”。九四則上近於天，下遠於地，非人所處，故特云“中不在人”。“故或之”者，以其上下無定，故心或之也。“或之者，疑之也”者，此夫子釋經“或”字。經稱“或”是疑惑之辭，欲進欲退，猶豫不定，故疑之也。九三中雖在人，但位卑近下，向上為難，故危惕，其憂深也。九四則陽德漸盛，去五彌近，前進稍易，故但疑惑，憂則淺也。

The text says: Nine in the Fourth is also two yin lines stacked together but not in the central position, not reaching the heavenly position above, not in the field position below, and not in the human position in the middle. Therefore, it is said "or." What is meant by "or" is uncertainty. Because of this uncertainty, it is cautious, so there is no fault. Kong Yingda's commentary explains from "Nine in the Fourth" to "therefore no blame." The Justification says: This clarifies the line statement of Nine in the Fourth. Its "two yin lines stacked together, not in the center, not above the heavenly position, not below the field position" are the same as those of Nine in the Third. What is meant by "not in the human position" is that the Third and Fourth lines both belong to the human path; however, within the human path, people are close to the earth below and far from the heaven above. Nine in the Third is close to Nine in the Second, which is moving downward toward the earth, thus conforming to the human path, so "not in the human position" is not mentioned for Nine in the Third. Nine in the Fourth, however, is close to the heavenly position above and far from the earth position below, not the place where humans reside, so it specifically says "not in the human position." What is meant by "therefore it is or" is that because it has no fixed position above or below, its mind is uncertain. What is meant by "or is doubt" is that Confucius explains the word "or" in the text: the text says "or" refers to doubt, wanting to advance and wanting to retreat, hesitating, so it is called "doubt." Nine in the Third, although in the center and within the human path, is in a low position close to the bottom, making it difficult to move upward, so it is anxious and cautious, with deep worries; Nine in the Fourth, however, has gradually increasing yang virtue, getting closer to Nine in the Fifth, making it slightly easier to advance, so it is only doubtful, with less worry.

夫大人者，與天地合其德，與日月合其明，與四時合其序，與鬼神合其吉凶。先天而天弗違，後天而奉天時。天且弗違，而況於人乎？況於鬼神乎？[疏]“夫大人者”至“況於鬼神乎”。○正義曰：此明九五爻辭。但上節明大人與萬物相感，此論大人之德，無所不合，廣言所合之事。“與天地合其德”者，莊氏云：“謂覆載也”。“與日月合其明”者，謂照臨也。“與四時合其序”者，若賞以春夏，刑以秋冬之類也。“與鬼神合其吉凶”者，若福善禍淫也。“先天而天弗違”者，若在天時之先行事，天乃在後不違，是天合大人也。“後天而奉天時”者，若在天時之後行事，能奉順上天，是大人合天也。“天且弗違，而況於人乎，況於鬼神乎”者，夫子以天且不違，遂明大人之德，言尊而遠者尚不違，況小而近者可有違乎？況於人乎？況於鬼神乎？

The text says: What is meant by a great person is that his virtue harmonizes with heaven and earth, his brightness harmonizes with the sun and moon, his order of governance harmonizes with the four seasons, and his determination of good and evil harmonizes with ghosts and spirits. He acts before the time of heaven, yet heaven does not contradict him; he acts after the time of heaven, yet he follows the heavenly way. Heaven itself does not contradict him; how much less would people or ghosts and spirits? Kong Yingda explains the passage from "A great person" to "how much less would ghosts and spirits?" Justice says: This passage explains the line statement of the ninth line, the fifth position. The previous section discussed the mutual response between the great person and all things, while this section discusses the virtue of the great person that harmonizes with everything. "Harmonizing with heaven and earth in virtue" refers to the virtue of covering heaven and bearing the earth. "Harmonizing with the sun and moon in brightness" refers to universal illumination. "Harmonizing with the four seasons in order" refers to rewarding in spring and summer and punishing in autumn and winter. "Harmonizing with ghosts and spirits in good and evil" refers to bestowing blessings upon the virtuous and calamity upon the wicked. "Acting before heaven and heaven does not contradict him" means that he acts before the time of heaven, and heaven does not contradict him, which is heaven harmonizing with the great person. "Acting after heaven and following the heavenly time" means that he acts after the time of heaven, yet he follows the heavenly way, which is the great person harmonizing with heaven. "Heaven itself does not contradict him, how much less would people or ghosts and spirits?" Confucius, from the point that heaven does not contradict him, further explains the virtue of the great person: the exalted and distant heaven does not contradict him; how much less would people or ghosts and spirits?

“亢”之為言也，知進而不知退，知存而不知亡，知得而不知喪。其唯聖人乎！知進退存亡，而不失其正者，其唯聖人乎！[疏]“亢之為言也”至“其唯聖人乎”。○正義曰：此明上九之義也。“知進而不知退，知存而不知亡，知得而不知喪”者，言此上九所以亢極有悔者，正由有此三事。若能三事備知，雖居上位，不至於“亢”也。此設誡辭。莊氏云：“進退據心，存亡據身，得喪據位。”“其唯聖人乎，知進退存亡”者，言唯聖人乃能“知進退存亡”也。何不云得喪者，得喪輕於存亡，舉重略輕也。“而不失其正者，其唯聖人乎”者，聖人非但只知進退存亡，又能不失其正道，其唯聖人乎！此經再稱“其唯聖人乎”者，上稱“聖人”為“知進退存亡”發文，下稱“其唯聖人乎”者，為“不失其正”發文，言“聖人”非但“知進退存亡”，又能“不失其正”，故再發“聖人”之文也。

The text says: "Kang" refers to knowing only to advance but not to retreat, knowing only to survive but not to perish, knowing only to gain but not to lose. Those who can avoid this are probably only the sages! Those who understand the principles of advancement and retreat, survival and death, gain and loss, yet do not lose the right path, are probably only the sages! Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from "Kang means" to "only the sages can do so." Justice says: this passage clarifies the meaning of the top line. "Knowing advancement but not retreat, knowing survival but not death, knowing gain but not loss" refers to the reason why the top line reaches an extreme and incurs regret, precisely because it has committed these three errors. If one understands these three, even if one is in a high position, one will not reach the extreme. This is a warning. Zhuang said: "Advancement and retreat refer to the mind, survival and death refer to oneself, gain and loss refer to position." "Only the sages can understand advancement, retreat, survival, and death" means only the sages can understand these four aspects. Why is "gain and loss" not mentioned? Because gain and loss are lighter than survival and death; by mentioning the heavier, the lighter is omitted. "And not losing the right path, only the sages can do so" means the sages not only understand advancement, retreat, survival, and death, but also do not lose the right path, which is something only the sages can achieve. The text mentions "only the sages can do so" twice. The first is in response to "understanding advancement, retreat, survival, and death," and the second is in response to "not losing the right path." This means the sages not only understand these four aspects but also do not lose the right path, hence mentioning "sages" twice.

坤下坤上。坤：元、亨，利牝馬之貞。坤，貞之所利，利於牝馬也。馬在下而行者也，而又牝焉，順之至也。至順而後乃“亨”，故唯利於“牝馬之貞”。[疏]“坤：元、亨，利牝馬之貞”。○正義曰：此一節是文王於坤卦之下陳坤德之辭。但乾、坤合體之物，故乾後次坤，言地之為體，亦能始生萬物，各得亨通，故云“元亨”與乾同也。“利牝馬之貞”者，此與乾異。乾之所貞，利於萬事為貞，此唯云“利牝馬之貞”，“坤”是陰道，當以柔順為貞正，借柔順之象，以明柔順之德也。牝對牝為柔，馬對龍為順，還藉此柔順以明柔道，故云“利牝馬之貞”。“牝馬”，外物自然之象，此亦聖人因“坤元亨，利牝馬之貞”自然之德以垂教也。不云牛而云馬者，牛雖柔順，不能行地無疆，以見“坤”廣生之德，馬雖比龍為劣，所而亦能廣遠，象地之廣育。

The text says: The lower and upper parts of the Kun hexagram are both Kun. Kun: origin, prosperity, favorable for the constancy of a mare. Wang Bi's commentary explains: What is constant and beneficial for Kun is the mare. The mare is an animal that walks on the ground and is female, reaching the utmost in gentleness; only by being extremely gentle can it be prosperous, hence it is favorable for the constancy of a mare. Kong Yingda's commentary explains the sentence "Kun: origin, prosperity, favorable for the constancy of a mare." Justice says: This section is King Wen's statement on the virtues of the Kun hexagram. The Qian and Kun hexagrams are originally a pair that form a whole, so the Qian hexagram is immediately followed by the Kun hexagram. The earth, as a physical form, can also begin to give birth to all things, enabling them to prosper, hence it is said "origin, prosperity," the same as the Qian hexagram. The phrase "favorable for the constancy of a mare" differs from the Qian hexagram: what is constant and beneficial for Qian is favorable for all things and righteousness, but here it is only said "favorable for the constancy of a mare," because "Kun" belongs to the yin aspect, and should be constant through gentleness, so it uses the image of something gentle to illustrate the virtue of gentleness. Female (pu) is gentle compared to male (mu), and a horse is obedient compared to a dragon, thus using this gentleness to illustrate the way of gentleness, hence it is said "favorable for the constancy of a mare." The "mare" is a natural image of external things, and this is also how the sage established education based on the natural virtue of "Kun's origin, prosperity, favorable for the constancy of a mare." It does not say cow but says horse, because although the cow is gentle, it cannot travel far across the land, thus not sufficient to demonstrate the virtue of "Kun" in generating all things; although the horse is slightly inferior to the dragon, it can still travel widely, thus appropriately symbolizing the earth's ability to generate all things.

○注“至順而後乃亨”至“唯利於牝馬之貞”。○正義曰：“至順而後乃亨，故唯利於牝馬之貞”者，案：牝馬是至順，“牝馬”在“元亨”之下，在“貞”之上，應雲至順而後乃貞。今云“至順而後乃亨”，倒取上文者，輔嗣之意，下句既云“牝馬之貞”，避此“貞”文，故云“乃亨”。但亨、貞相將之物，故云至順之“貞”，亦是至順之“亨”。此“坤”德以牝馬至順乃得貞也。下文又云“東北喪朋”，去陰就陽，乃得貞吉。上下義反者，但易含萬象，一屈一伸。此句與“乾”相對，不可純剛敵“乾”，故“利牝馬”。下句論凡所交接，不可純陰，當須剛柔交錯，故“喪朋吉”也。

The following explanation discusses Wang Bi's commentary from "to the point of being extremely gentle and harmonious then it becomes smooth" to "only beneficial for the贞 of a female horse." The commentary says: Wang Bi explains that "only when it reaches the utmost in gentleness and harmony can it become smooth, hence it is only beneficial for the贞 of a female horse." - Note: A female horse represents the utmost in gentleness and harmony, and the term "female horse" comes after "yuan heng" and before "zhen" in the text. According to the order of the text, it should have said "only when it reaches the utmost in gentleness and harmony then it becomes zhen." However, it now says "only when it reaches the utmost in gentleness and harmony then it becomes heng," which is a reversal to connect with the previous text. This is Wang Bi's intention: since the next sentence already mentions "the贞 of a female horse," to avoid repeating the word "zhen," he changes it to "heng." However, heng and zhen are originally a pair that support each other, so the utmost in gentleness and harmony "zhen" is also the utmost in gentleness and harmony "heng." This explains that the virtue of the "Kun" hexagram depends on the utmost gentleness and harmony of a female horse to achieve zhen. The following text says "the northeast loses companions," which refers to moving away from yin and approaching yang to achieve zhen and auspiciousness. The meanings of these two passages seem contradictory, but this is because the "Book of Changes" encompasses all phenomena, with both flexibility and extension: this sentence is in contrast to "Qian," as "Kun" cannot be purely strong to oppose "Qian," hence it is beneficial for the "female horse." The next sentence discusses the way of interacting with external things, which cannot be purely yin; it must involve the intermingling of strength and weakness, hence "losing companions" is considered auspicious.

君子有攸往，先迷後得，主利。西南得朋，東北喪朋，安貞吉。西南致養之地，與“坤”同道者也，故曰“得朋”。東北反西南者也，故曰“喪朋”。陰之為物，必離其黨，之於反類，而後獲安貞吉。[疏]“君子有攸往”至“安貞吉”。○正義曰：“君子有攸往”者，以其柔順利貞，故君子利有所往。“先迷後得，主利”者，以其至柔，當待唱而後和。凡有所為，若在物之先即迷惑，若在物之後即得主利，以陰不可先唱，猶臣不可先君，卑不可先尊故也。“西南得朋”者，此假象以明人事。西南坤位，是陰也，今以陰詣陰乃得朋，俱是陰類，不獲吉也。猶人既懷陰柔之行，又向陰柔之方，是純陰柔弱，故非吉也。

The text says: A gentleman who goes somewhere, if he goes ahead, he will be lost, but if he follows behind, he will gain something, and this is favorable for profit. Going to the southwest will gain companions, going to the northeast will lose companions, and being steadfast in sincerity brings good fortune. Wang Bi's commentary explains: the southwest is the direction that brings about birth and nurture, and is in harmony with the hexagram of Earth, so it is said 'to gain companions'; the northeast is opposite to the southwest, so it is said 'to lose companions'. Yin, as a principle, must leave its own kind and move towards the opposite kind in order to achieve the good fortune of steadfast sincerity. Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from 'A gentleman who goes somewhere' to 'steadfast sincerity brings good fortune'. The annotation says: what is meant by 'A gentleman who goes somewhere' is that because the Earth is gentle and favorable for sincerity, a gentleman benefits from going somewhere. What is meant by 'going ahead leads to confusion, following behind brings benefit' is that the Earth is extremely gentle, and should wait for others to lead before responding. In any action, if one goes ahead of others, he will be confused, but if he follows behind, he will gain the advantage of leadership; this is because Yin should not lead first, just as a subject should not go before the sovereign, and the humble should not go before the superior. What is meant by 'gaining companions in the southwest' is using the hexagram to explain human affairs: the southwest is the direction of the Earth, which is Yin. Now, if Yin goes to Yin, although companions are gained, since they are of the same Yin nature, it does not bring good fortune. It is like a person who already has a nature inclined to gentleness, and then moves to a direction that is also gentle, resulting in pure gentleness and weakness, which is not auspicious.

“東北喪朋，安貞吉”者，西南既為陰，東北反西南，即為陽也。以柔順之道，往詣於陽，是喪失陰朋，故得安靜貞正之吉，以陰而兼有陽故也。若以人事言之，象人臣離其黨而入君之朝，女子離其家而入夫之室。莊氏云：“‘先迷後得主利’者，唯據臣事君也。得朋、喪朋，唯據婦適夫也”。其褊狹，非復弘通之道。

Kong Yingda continued to say: "The phrase 'northeast loses friends, and the one who remains steadfast is auspicious' refers to the fact that since the southwest belongs to yin, the northeast, being opposite to it, belongs to yang. To approach yang with a gentle and compliant attitude is to lose the company of yin, thus attaining the auspiciousness of being tranquil and upright. This is precisely because one is yin yet also possesses yang. If we use human affairs as an analogy, it is like a minister leaving his private faction to enter the court of the sovereign, or a woman leaving her maternal home to enter her husband's dwelling. Zhuang said: 'The phrase 'first being confused and then gaining the advantage of the master' refers only to a minister serving the sovereign, while 'gaining friends' and 'losing friends' refer only to a woman marrying into her husband's family.' This interpretation is too narrow and does not cover the comprehensive meaning."

○注“西南致養之地”至“後獲安貞吉”。○正義曰：坤位居西南。《說卦》云：“坤也者，地也，萬物皆致養焉。”“坤”既養物，若向西南，“與坤同道”也。“陰之為物，必離其黨，之於反類，而後獲安貞吉”者，若二女同居，其志不同，必之於陽，是之於反類，乃得吉也。凡言朋者，非唯人為其黨，性行相同，亦為其黨。假令人是陰柔而之剛正，亦是離其黨。

The following explanation discusses Wang Bi's commentary from "the southwest land where nourishment comes" to "after obtaining security and sincerity, it is auspicious." The commentary says: The direction of the Earth (Kun) is in the southwest. The "Sayings on the Hexagrams" states: "Kun is the Earth, and all things receive their nourishment here." Since Kun nourishes all things, moving toward the southwest is "going along with Kun." Wang Bi explains that "yin must leave its own kind and move toward the opposite kind in order to attain auspiciousness and sincerity." This is like two women living together but with differing hearts; they must move toward yang to be with the opposite kind, thus achieving auspiciousness. Whenever the term "companions" is used, it does not only refer to people but also includes those with similar nature and character. If a person is originally yin and turns toward yang, that is also leaving their own kind.

《彖》曰：至哉坤元！萬物資生，乃順承天，坤厚載物，德合無疆。含弘光大，品物咸亨，牝馬地類，行地無疆。地之所以得“無疆”者，以卑順行之故也。乾以龍御天，坤以馬行地。[疏]“《彖》曰”至“行合無疆”。○正義曰：“至哉坤元”至“德合無疆”，此五句總明坤義及二德之首也。但“元”是坤德之首，故連言之，猶乾之“元”德，與乾相通共文也。“至哉坤元”者，嘆美坤德，故云“至哉”。“至”謂至極也，言地能生養至極，與天同也。但天亦至極，包籠於地，非但至極，又大於地。故《乾》言“大哉”，《坤》言“至哉”。

The text says: The Commentary on the Judgment states: How profound is the virtue of the Earth! All things rely on it for their generation, and it follows and supports Heaven. The Earth is deep and vast, bearing all things, and its virtue harmonizes with the boundless. It encompasses breadth and thickness, and great radiance, thus enabling all things to be harmonious and flourishing. The horse, being of the Earth, walks on the Earth without boundaries. Wang Bi's commentary explains that the Earth is able to be "without boundaries" because it operates in a humble and yielding manner. Heaven uses the dragon to govern Heaven, while Earth uses the horse to traverse the Earth. Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from "How profound is the virtue of the Earth" to "walking on the Earth without boundaries." Justice says: From "How profound is the virtue of the Earth" to "virtue harmonizes with the boundless," these five sentences generally explain the meaning of the Earth and the first two virtues, "origin" and "harmony." "Origin" is the first virtue of the Earth, so it is mentioned together, just as the "origin" virtue of Heaven is shared and explained together with Heaven. The phrase "How profound is the virtue of the Earth" is a praise of the Earth's virtue, hence saying "how profound." "Profound" means reaching the utmost, indicating that the Earth can nurture to the utmost, equaling Heaven. However, Heaven is also profound and encompasses the Earth, not only reaching the utmost but also surpassing the Earth, hence the Book of Changes says "How great is Heaven" and the Book of Changes says "How profound is the Earth."

“萬物資生”者，言萬物資地而生。初稟其氣謂之始，成形謂之生。“乾”本氣初，故云“資始”，“坤”據成形，故云“資生”。“乃順承天”者，“乾”是剛健能統領於天，“坤”是陰柔以和順承平於天。“坤厚載物，德合無疆”者，以其廣厚，故能載物，有此生長之德，合會無疆。凡言“無疆”者，其有二義，一是廣傳無疆，二是長久無疆也。自此已上，論“坤元”之氣也。

Kong Yingda continued to say: The phrase "wan zhi ci sheng" means that all things rely on the earth to be generated. The initial reception of qi is called "shi," and the formation of form is called "sheng." "Qian" focuses on the beginning of qi, so it is said "zi shi," while "Kun" focuses on the formation of form, so it is said "zi sheng." The phrase "nai shun cheng tian" refers to "Qian" being strong and vigorous, capable of governing the heavens, while "Kun" is soft and yielding, following and supporting the heavens in a harmonious way. The phrase "Kun hou zai wu, de he wu qiang" means that because the earth is vast and profound, it can carry all things; such a nurturing virtue is in perfect harmony with boundless limits. Whenever the term "wu qiang" is used, it implies two meanings: one is vastness without bounds, and the other is eternity without end. All of these discuss the "Kun yuan" qi.

“含弘光大，品物咸亨”者，包含以厚，光著盛大，故品類之物，皆得亨通。但“坤”比“元”，即不得大名，若比眾物，其實大也，故曰“含弘光大”者也。此二句釋“亨”也。“牝馬地類，行地無疆”者，以其柔順，故云“地類”，以柔順為體，終無禍患，故“行地無疆”不復窮已。此二句釋“利貞”也。故上文云“利牝馬之貞”是也。

Kong Yingda continued to say: The phrase "containing and embracing, shining brightly and greatly, all things are harmonious and prosperous" means that the earth is inclusive and vast, its radiance prominent and grand, so all things can achieve harmony and prosperity. Compared with "Yuan," the character "Kun" is not sufficient to be called "great," but when compared with other things, it is indeed great, hence "containing and embracing, shining brightly and greatly." These two sentences explain "Heng." The phrase "the female horse belongs to the earth category, moving across the earth without boundaries" refers to the fact that the female horse is gentle, hence it belongs to the category of the earth; based on its gentleness, it ultimately has no misfortune, thus it can "move across the earth without boundaries," never ending. These two sentences explain "Li Zhen," which is the same as the previous statement "favoring the firmness of the female horse."

柔順利貞，君子攸行，先迷失道，後順得常。“西南得朋”，乃與類行。“東北喪朋”，乃終有慶。“安貞”之吉，應地無疆。地也者，形之名也。“坤”也者，用地者也。夫用雄必爭，二主必危，有地之形，與剛健為耦，而以永保無疆，用之者不亦至順乎？若夫行之不以“牝馬”，利之不以“永貞”，方而又剛，柔而又圓，求安難矣。

The text says: "Flexible and yielding, it is advantageous to maintain uprightness." This is what the gentleman should follow. To act prematurely leads to losing the right path, while following in harmony brings about the natural order. "In the southwest, one gains companions," meaning to proceed with like-minded people; "in the northeast, one loses companions," yet ultimately attains blessings and good fortune. The auspiciousness of "maintaining uprightness" corresponds to the boundless nature of the earth. Wang Bi's commentary explains: "Earth" refers to the form, while "Kun" refers to the virtue of the earth. Any attempt to dominate will inevitably lead to conflict; having two rulers will bring danger. With the form of the earth and the virtue of the firm and strong heaven, it can maintain boundless stability. Thus, using the earth in this way is truly the most yielding. As for actions that do not employ the yielding nature of the mare, or seeking advantage without relying on the firm and upright, one would become square in form yet strong in nature, or yielding in nature yet smooth in form, making it difficult to achieve peace.

[疏]“柔順利貞”至“應地無疆”。○正義曰：“柔順利貞，君子攸行”者，重釋“利貞”之義，是君子之所行，兼釋前文“君子有攸往”。“先迷失道”者，以陰在是之先，失其為陰之道。“後順得常”者，以陰在物之後，陽唱而陰和，人得“主利”，是“後順得常”。“西南得朋，乃與類行”者，以陰而造坤位，是乃與類俱行。“東北喪朋，乃終有慶”者，以陰而詣陽，初雖離群，乃終久有慶善也。“安貞之吉，應地無疆”者，安謂安靜，貞謂貞正，地體安靜而貞正，人若得靜而能正，即得其吉，應合地之無疆，是慶善之事也。

Kong Yingda explains the passage from "flexible and smooth, loyal and upright" to "blessings without bounds." The commentary says: "Flexible and smooth, loyal and upright, the gentleman has a course of action" is a re-explanation of the meaning of "loyal and upright," saying this is what the gentleman should follow, and also explains the previous statement "the gentleman has a course of action." "Those who go first lose the way" is because the yin comes before things and thus loses its proper nature. "Those who follow later gain regularity" is because yin is after things, and when yang initiates and yin responds, people thus gain "advantage," which is called "those who follow later gain regularity." "In the southwest, one finds companions, and thus proceeds with the like" is because yin moves to the position of坤 (Earth), which is with its kind. "In the northeast, one loses companions, yet ultimately has blessings" is because yin moves toward yang, though it initially separates from its group, in the end it has long-lasting blessings. "The auspiciousness of being steadfast and tranquil" is that "tranquil" means quiet, and "steadfast and upright" means uprightness; the body of the earth is tranquil and upright, and if people can be tranquil and upright, they will gain auspiciousness, which corresponds to the boundless nature of the earth, which is a blessing.

○注“行之不以牝馬”至“求安難矣”。○正義曰：“行之不以牝馬”，牝馬謂柔順也。“利之不以永貞”，永貞謂貞固剛正也，言坤既至柔順，而利之即不兼剛正也。“方而又剛”者，言體既方正，而性又剛強，即太剛也。所以須“牝馬”也。“柔而又圓”者，謂性既柔順，體又圓曲，謂太柔也，故須“永貞”也。若其坤無牝馬，又無永貞，求安難矣。云“永貞”者，是下“用六”爻辭也。“東北喪朋”，去陰就陽，是利之永貞。

○ The following explanation discusses Wang Bi's commentary from "行之不以牝马" to "求安难矣." ○ The Justification says: Wang Bi says "行之不以牝马," where "牝马" refers to flexibility and gentleness. He says "利之不以永贞," where "永贞" refers to enduring firmness and uprightness; meaning since the Earthly Trigram is extremely flexible, it cannot simultaneously possess firmness and uprightness. What is meant by "方而又刚" is that if the form is already square and upright, and the nature is also strong and firm, then it becomes too firm, so it must be balanced by the gentleness of "牝马." What is meant by "柔而又圆" is that if the nature is already gentle, and the form is also round and flexible, then it becomes too gentle, so it must be supported by the firmness of "永贞." If the Earthly Trigram lacks both the gentleness of "牝马" and the uprightness of "永贞," then seeking security would be difficult. Here, "永贞" refers to the line statement in the following "用六." What is meant by "东北丧朋" is moving away from yin and turning toward yang, which is exactly "利之永贞."

《象》曰：地勢坤。地形不順，其勢順。[疏]正義曰：地勢方直，是不順也。其勢承天，是其順也。君子以厚德載物。[疏]正義曰：君子用此地之厚德容載萬物。言“君子”者，亦包公卿諸侯之等，但“厚德載物”，隨分多少，非如至聖載物之極也。

The text says: The Image Commentary states: The form of the earth reflects the yielding nature of the Earth Trigram (Kun). Wang Bi's annotation explains: The physical form of the earth is not inherently yielding, but its disposition is yielding. Kong Yingda's commentary, under the section of Justification, says: The physical form of the earth is square and straight, and in this sense it is not yielding; but its disposition is to support the heavens, and in this sense it is yielding. The text continues: The gentleman models himself after it, using his profound virtue to carry all things. Kong Yingda's commentary, under the section of Justification, says: The gentleman uses the profound virtue of the earth to contain and support all things. Here, the term 'gentleman' also includes officials, marquises, and dukes, but their 'carrying all things with profound virtue' varies according to their positions, not reaching the extreme as the most sage person does.

初六：履霜，堅冰至。始於履霜，至於堅冰，所謂至柔而動也剛。陰之為道，本於卑弱而後積著者也，故取“履霜”以明其始。陽之為物，非基於始以至於著者也，故以出處明之，則以初為潛。[疏]“初六：履霜，堅冰至”。○正義曰：初六陰氣之微，似若初寒之始，但履踐其霜，微而積漸，故堅冰乃至。義所謂陰道，初雖柔順，漸漸積著，乃至堅剛。凡易者象也，以物象而明人事，若《詩》之比喻也。

The text says: The first line statement: "Treading on frost, hard ice is about to come." Wang Bi's commentary explains: Starting from treading on frost, until it becomes hard ice, this is called being extremely gentle and soft, yet once it begins to act, it becomes firm and strong. The nature of yin is to start from something humble and weak, and then gradually accumulate to become prominent, so "treading on frost" is used to indicate its beginning. Yang, however, is not something that gradually accumulates from the beginning to become prominent, so it is explained through going out and withdrawing. Therefore, the first line is called "qian" (hidden). Kong Yingda's commentary explains the sentence "Initial six: treading on frost, hard ice is about to come." Justice says: The yin energy at the first line is still very weak, like the beginning of cold, only treading on frost; but gradually accumulating from the weak, hard ice eventually comes. This describes the nature of yin: although it starts gentle, as it gradually accumulates and becomes prominent, it turns into something firm and strong. In general, the Book of Changes uses symbolic images, using things to explain human affairs, just like the metaphors in the Book of Poetry.

或取天地陰陽之象以明義者，若《乾》之“潛龍”，“見龍”，《坤》之“履霜堅冰”，“龍戰”之屬是也。或取萬物雜象以明義者，若《屯》之六三“即鹿無虞”，六四“乘馬班如”之屬是也。如此之類，《易》中多矣。或直以人事，不取物象以明義者，若《乾》之九三“君子終日乾乾”，《坤》之六三“含章可貞”之例是也。聖人之意，可以取象者則取象也，可以取人事者則取人事也。故《文言》注云：“至於九三，獨以君子為目者何也？”“乾乾夕惕，非龍德也”。故以人事明之，是其義也。

Kong Yingda then explains several types of taking images: some take the images of heaven and earth and yin and yang to explain principles, such as "qian long" and "jian long" in the Qian hexagram, and "lu sāng jian bing" and "long zhan" in the Kun hexagram; some take mixed images of all things to explain principles, such as "ji lu wu yu" in the Zun hexagram's line six three and "cheng ma ban ru" in line six four, and there are many such examples in the Yi; some directly use human affairs to explain principles without taking images, such as "jun zi zhong ri qian qian" in the Qian hexagram's line nine three and "han zhang ke zhen" in the Kun hexagram's line six three. The sage's intention is: if an image can be taken, take it; if human affairs can be used, use them. Therefore, Wang Bi's commentary on the Wenyan of the Qian hexagram says: "Why does the line nine three alone use the term 'jun zi'?" He also says: "The phrase 'qian qian xi ti' is no longer the virtue of the dragon." Thus, using human affairs to explain is exactly the reason for this.

《象》曰：“履霜堅冰”，陰始凝也。馴致其道，至“堅冰”也。[疏]“《象》曰履霜堅冰”至“至堅冰也”。○正義曰：夫子所作《象》辭，元在六爻經辭之後，以自卑退，不敢於亂先聖正經之辭。及至輔嗣之意，以為“象”者本釋經文，宜相附近，其義易了，故分爻之《象》辭，各附其當爻下言之，猶如元凱注《左傳》分經之年，與傳相附。“陰始疑也”者，釋“履霜”之義，言陰氣始凝，結而為霜也。“馴致其道，至堅冰也”者，馴猶狎順也。若鳥獸馴狎然。言順其陰柔之道，習而不已，乃至“堅冰”也。褚氏云：“履霜者，從初六至六三。堅冰者，從六四至上六。”陰陽之氣無為，故積馴履霜，必至於堅冰。以明人事有為，不可不制其節度，故於履霜而逆以堅冰為戒，所以防漸慮微，慎終於始也。

The text says: The Image Commentary states: "Walking on frost, the ice becomes firm," meaning that the yin energy begins to condense. Following this path step by step, one will reach "firm ice." Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from "The Image says: Walking on frost, the ice becomes firm" to "reaching firm ice." Justice says: The "Image" was originally composed by Confucius and placed after the six lines of the main text, showing his humility and reluctance to interfere with the correct words of the sages. Wang Bi, however, believed that the "Image" was meant to explain the main text and should be close to it, so that the meaning would be clearer. Therefore, he separated the "Image" for each line and attached it to the corresponding line, similar to Du Yuanke's annotations on the "Zuo Zhuan," where the main text is arranged by year and attached to the commentary. "Yin begins to condense" explains the meaning of "walking on frost," meaning that yin energy starts to gather and forms frost. "Gradually following the path, it reaches firm ice" means that "xun" refers to being accustomed and compliant, like birds and beasts being tamed and familiar. It means following the path of yin and gradually becoming accustomed to it without stopping, eventually reaching "firm ice." Chu's commentary says: "Walking on frost refers to from the first line to the third line, and firm ice refers to from the fourth line to the top line." Yin and yang energies are naturally spontaneous, so following the path from walking on frost to accumulating gradually will inevitably reach firm ice. Therefore, human affairs involve action and cannot be left unchecked, so one should take firm ice as a warning when walking on frost, aiming to prevent small matters from growing and to be cautious from the beginning to ensure a good outcome.

六二：直方大，不習無不利。居中得正，極於地質，任其自然而物自生，不假修營而功自成，故“不習”焉而“無不利”。[疏]“六二”至“無不利”。正義曰：《文言》云：“直其正也”。二得其位，極地之質，故亦同地也。俱包三德，生物不邪，謂之直也。地體安靜，是其方也。無物不載，是其大也。既有三德極地之美，自然而生，不假修營，故云“不習無不利”。物皆自成，無所不利，以此爻居中得位，極於地體故，盡極地之義。此因自然之性，以明人事，居在此位，亦當如地之所為。注“居中得正”。○正義曰：“居中得正，極於地質”者，質謂形質，地之形質直方又大，此六二“居中得正”，是盡極地之體質也。所以“直”者，言氣至即生物，由是體正直之性。其運動生物之時，又能任其質性，直而且方，故《象》云：“六二之動，直以方也”。

The text says: Line Two of the Six: Straight, square, and great, without the need for deliberate cultivation, there is no disadvantage. Wang Bi's commentary explains: Line Two is in the center and holds the correct position, fully expressing the nature of the earth, allowing things to grow naturally, without the need for artificial management, so it is said 'without cultivation there is no disadvantage'. Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from 'Line Two' to 'no disadvantage'. The 'Justice' says: The 'Wenyan' of the 'Kun' hexagram says 'straight is the correct'. Line Two holds the correct position, fully expressing the nature of the earth, thus being the same as the earth, possessing the three virtues: nurturing all things without deviation, called 'straight'; the earth's body is still and unmoving, called 'square'; it can carry anything, called 'great'. With these three virtues, the beauty of the earth is fully expressed, so all things naturally grow, without the need for deliberate effort, hence 'without cultivation there is no disadvantage'. All things naturally achieve their purpose, and there is no disadvantage, because this line is in the center and holds the correct position, fully expressing the form of the earth, thus fully expressing the meaning of the earth's way. This explains human affairs by referring to the natural nature: people in such a position should act like the earth. Wang Bi's commentary says 'in the center and correct'. The 'Justice' says: 'In the center and correct, reaching the extreme of the earth's nature', 'nature' refers to form and substance. The earth's form and substance are straight, square, and great; Line Two 'in the center and correct' fully expresses the nature of the earth. Its 'straight' is because when the earth's energy arrives, it nurtures all things, thus expressing the nature of straightness; while nurturing all things, it follows its own nature, both straight and square, hence the 'Image Commentary' says: 'The movement of Line Two is straight and square.'

《象》曰：六二之動，直以方也。動而直方，任其質也。[疏]“《象》曰”至“直以方也”。○正義曰：言六二之體，所有興動，任其自然之性，故云“直以方”也。○注“動而直方”。正義曰：是質以直方，動又直方，是質之與行，內外相副。物有內外不相副者，故《略例》云“形躁好靜，質柔愛剛”，此之類是也。不習無不利，地道光也。[疏]正義曰：言所以不假修習，物無不利，猶地道光大故也。

The text says: The Image Commentary states: The movement of the second line is both upright and square. Wang Bi's annotation explains: When it moves, it is upright and square, which is allowing it to be as it naturally is. Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from "The Image says" to "upright and square." Justification says: This refers to the nature of the second line; whenever it takes action, it follows its natural nature, hence it is said "upright and square." Below is an explanation of Wang Bi's annotation "movement and upright and square." Justification says: Its nature is upright and square, and its action is also upright and square, showing that the inner nature and outer behavior are in harmony. In the world, there are things that are not in harmony between inner and outer, so the Outline of the Zhou Changes says "those with restless forms prefer stillness, and those with soft nature prefer strength," referring to this kind of situation. The text also says: There is no need for deliberate cultivation and nothing is not beneficial, because the way of the earth is bright and vast. Kong Yingda's commentary, justification says: This refers to the reason why there is no need for deliberate cultivation and all things are beneficial, because the way of the earth is bright and vast.

六三：含章可貞，或從王事，無成有終。三處下卦之極，而不疑於陽，應斯義者也。不為事始，須唱乃應，待命乃發，含美而可正者也，故曰“含章可貞”也。有事則從，不敢為首，故曰“或從王事”也。不為事主，順命而終，故曰“無成有終”也。[疏]“六三”至“無成有終”。○正義曰：“含章可貞”者，六三處下卦之極，而能不被疑於陽。章，美也。既居陰極，能自降退，不為事始，唯內含章美之道，待命乃行，可以得正，故曰“含章可貞”。“或從王事，無成有終”者，言六三為臣，或順從於王事，故不敢為事之首，主成於物，故云“無成”。唯上唱下和，奉行其終，故云“有終”。○注“三處下卦之極”。○正義曰：“三處下卦之極”者，欲見三雖陰爻，其位尊也。“不疑於陽”者，陰之尊極，將與陽敵，體必被陽所忌。今不被疑於陽言陽，不害也。“應斯義”者，斯，此也，若能應此義，唯行“含章可貞”已下之事，乃應斯義。此爻全以人事明之。

The classic text says: The line statement of the third line, six yao: It contains beauty and virtue, and can maintain uprightness; it may follow the affairs of the sovereign, not taking credit for success but being able to have a good ending. Wang Bi's commentary explains: The third line is at the top of the lower trigram, yet is not suspected by the yang yao, which corresponds exactly to this meaning. It does not initiate matters first, but responds when others start, and acts only when orders are given. It contains virtue and can maintain uprightness, so it is said, "Contain beauty and be upright." If there are affairs, it follows them, not taking the lead, so it is said, "Sometimes follow the sovereign's affairs." It does not take charge of affairs, but follows orders and completes them well, so it is said, "No success but a good ending." Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from "six three" to "no success but a good ending." Justice says: What is meant by "contain beauty and be upright" is that the third line is at the top of the lower trigram, yet is not suspected by the yang yao. "Chang" means beauty. Since it is in the extreme position of yin, it can restrain itself and yield, not initiating matters, but containing the way of beauty within, acting only when orders are given, thus being able to be upright, so it is said, "Contain beauty and be upright." What is meant by "sometimes follow the sovereign's affairs, no success but a good ending" is that the third line, as a minister, sometimes follows the sovereign's affairs, thus not taking the lead or claiming to have completed things, so it is said, "no success"; it only follows the lead above and responds below, carrying out the orders to the end, so it is said, "a good ending." Below is an explanation of Wang Bi's commentary on "the third line is at the top of the lower trigram." Justice says: What is meant by "the third line is at the top of the lower trigram" is to show that although the third line is a yin yao, its position is high and respected. What is meant by "not suspected by the yang" is that when yin reaches the highest position, it is about to be equal with yang, and by nature it should be suspected by yang; but now it is not suspected by yang, meaning that yang does not harm it. What is meant by "responding to this meaning" is that "this" refers to this, and if one can respond to this meaning, and only carry out the things below "contain beauty and be upright," then it is said to correspond to this meaning. This line is entirely explained in terms of human affairs.

《象》曰：“含章可貞”，以時發也，“或從王事”，知光大也。知慮光大，故不擅其美。[疏]“《象》曰”至“知光大也”。○正義曰：“含章可貞，以時發”者，夫子釋“含章”之義，以身居陰極，不敢為物之首，但內含章美之道，待時而發，是“以時發也”。“或從王事，知光大”者，釋“無成有終”也。既隨從王事，不敢主成物始，但奉終而行，是知慮光大，不自擅其美，唯奉於上。

The text says: The Image Commentary states: "Containing virtue and being steadfast in sincerity" refers to waiting for the right time to act; "Sometimes following the king's affairs" refers to wisdom that is broad and enlightened. Wang Bi's commentary explains: precisely because wisdom is broad and enlightened, it does not claim the glory for itself alone. Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from "The Image says" to "knowing greatness." Justice says: what is meant by "containing virtue and being steadfast in sincerity, acting at the right time" is Confucius' explanation of "containing virtue." The sixth line in the third position resides in the extreme position of yin, not daring to be the leader among people, but instead keeping the way of virtue within, waiting until the right time to act, which is "acting at the right time." What is meant by "sometimes following the king's affairs, knowing greatness" is explaining "without achievement but with a complete end." Since it follows the king's affairs, it does not claim to have created or completed things, but only carries out the task to the end, which is precisely wisdom that is broad and enlightened, not claiming the glory for itself, but dedicating everything to the sovereign above.

六四：括囊，無咎地譽。處陰之卦，以陰居陰，履非中位，無“直方”之質，不造陽事，無“含章”之美，括結否閉，賢人乃隱。施慎則可，非泰之道。[疏]“六四”至“無譽”。○正義曰：括，結也。囊所以貯物，以譬心藏知也。閉其知而不用，故曰“括囊”。功不顯物，故曰“無譽”。不與物忤，故曰“無咎”。○注“不造陽事”至“非泰之道”。○正義曰：“不造陽事，無含章之美”者，六三以陰居陽位，是造為陽事，但不為事始，待唱乃行，是陽事猶在，故云“含章”，章即陽之美也。今六四以陰處陰，內無陽事，是“不造陽事，無含章之美”，當“括結否閉”之時，是“賢人乃隱”，唯施謹慎則可，非通泰之道也。

The text says: The statement of the fourth line, "扎紧口袋, will not result in blame, nor will there be praise." (The original text reads "无咎地誉," but "地" is likely a mistake for "无." The commentary by Kong Yingda later states "无誉.") Wang Bi's annotation explains: The fourth line is in a hexagram of pure yin. A yin line is in a yin position, and it is not in the central position. It does not possess the quality of "straight and square" of line six two, nor does it participate in yang affairs. It does not have the virtue of "containing brightness" of line six three. At this time, it is a period of closing off and being uncommunicative, so the virtuous person retreats. At this time, only cautious self-preservation is appropriate, not a way of being prosperous and secure. Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from "six four" to "no praise." Justice says: "Kuo" means to tie up. A bag is used for holding things; here it is a metaphor for keeping wisdom hidden. Concealing wisdom without using it is called "kuo nang." Achievements not displayed to others are called "no praise." Not conflicting with external things is called "no blame." Below is an explanation of Wang Bi's commentary from "not engaging in yang affairs" to "not a way of prosperity." Justice says: Wang Bi says "not engaging in yang affairs, no virtue of containing brightness," because line six three is a yin line in a yang position, thus participating in yang affairs. However, it does not initiate but acts when others lead, so yang affairs still exist, hence it is called "containing brightness" — "brightness" refers to the beauty of yang. Now, line six four is a yin line in a yin position, with no yang affairs within, which is exactly "not engaging in yang affairs, no virtue of containing brightness." At this time, when it is a period of closing off and being uncommunicative, it is the time for the virtuous person to retreat. Only cautious self-preservation is appropriate, not a way of being prosperous and secure.

《象》曰：“括囊無咎”，慎不害也。[疏]正義曰：“慎不害”者，釋所以“括囊無咎”之義。曰其謹慎，不與物競，故不被害也。六五：黃裳元吉。黃，中之色也，裳，下之飾也。“坤”為臣道，美盡於下。夫體無剛健而能極物之情，通理者也。以柔順之德，處於盛位，任夫文理者也。垂黃裳以獲元吉，非用武者也。極陰之盛，不至疑陽，以“文在中”，美之至也。

The text says: The Image Commentary states: "Bundling up the bag, no misfortune," because being cautious avoids harm. Kong Yingda's commentary, with the principle of justice, explains that "caution avoids harm" is the meaning of "Bundling up the bag, no misfortune": it refers to being cautious and self-restrained, not competing with external things, thus not being harmed. The text then continues with the line statement of the fifth line: yellow lower garments, great good fortune. Wang Bi's annotation explains: yellow is the color of the center, and the lower garment is the clothing for the lower body. "Kun" represents the way of a minister, and its beauty lies in being in the lower position. The essence is not strong and vigorous, yet it can fully understand the nature of things, which is the way of a person who understands matters. Being gentle and proper in a great position, it is the way of a person who manages affairs with culture and order. Wearing yellow garments and obtaining great good fortune shows that success is not achieved through strength. The yin reaches its peak without opposing yang, because "the beauty is within," reaching the utmost beauty.

[疏]“六五黃裳元吉”。○正義曰：黃是中之色，裳是下之飾，“坤”為臣道，五居君位，是臣之極貴者也。能以中和通於物理，居於臣職，故云“黃裳元吉”。元大也。以其德能如此，故得大吉也。○注“黃中之色”。○正義曰：“黃，中之色，裳，下之飾”者，《左氏·昭十二年傳》文也。裳，下之飾，則上衣比君，下裳法臣也。“垂黃裳以獲元吉，非用武”者，以體無剛健，是非用威武也。以內有文德，通達物理，故象云“文在中”也。《象》曰：“黃裳元吉”，文在中也。用黃裳而獲元吉，以“文在中也”。[疏]正義曰：釋所以“黃裳元吉”之義，以其文德在中故也。既有中和，又奉臣職，通達文理，故云文在其中，言不用威武也。

Kong Yingda explains the phrase "Six in the Fifth, yellow undergarment, great good fortune." Justification says: yellow is the color of the center, and undergarment refers to clothing for the lower body; "Kun" represents the way of a minister, and Six in the Fifth is also in the position of a ruler, which is the most esteemed among ministers. It can achieve understanding through the virtue of harmony and still remain in the role of a minister, hence it is said "yellow undergarment, great good fortune." "Great" means great, because its virtue allows this, thus obtaining great good fortune. Below is the explanation of Wang Bi's comment on "yellow is the color of the center." Justification says: "yellow is the color of the center, undergarment refers to clothing for the lower body," these two sentences are from the original text of the "Zuo Zhuan · Zhao Gong Twelve Years." Since undergarment is clothing for the lower body, the upper garment is compared to the ruler, and the undergarment is modeled after the minister. Wang Bi says "wearing yellow undergarment and obtaining great good fortune is not due to strength," because its nature is not strong and vigorous, thus it is not through the use of strength. Because it has inner literary virtue and understands things, the "Image Commentary" says "literary virtue is in the center." The text says: the "Image Commentary" explains "yellow undergarment, great good fortune" because literary virtue is contained within. Wang Bi's annotation explains: wearing yellow undergarment and obtaining great good fortune is precisely because "literary virtue is in the center." Kong Yingda's explanation, the justification says: this explains the reason for "yellow undergarment, great good fortune," saying it is because literary virtue is contained within. It has the virtue of harmony and remains in the role of a minister, understands literary governance, hence it is said that literary virtue is in its heart, meaning it does not use strength.

上六：龍戰于野，其血玄黃。陰之為道，卑順不盈，乃全其美。盛而不已，固陽之地，陽所不堪，故“戰于野”。[疏]“上六”至“其血玄黃”。○正義曰：以陽謂之龍，上六是陰之至極，陰盛似陽，故稱“龍”焉。“盛而不已，固陽之地，陽所不堪”，故陽氣之龍與之交戰，即《說卦》云“戰乎乾”是也。戰於卦外，故曰“于野”。陰陽相傷，故“其血玄黃”。○注“盛而不已”。○正義曰：“盛而不己，固陽之地”者，固為占固，陰去則陽來，陰乃盛而不去，占固此陽所生之地，故陽氣之龍與之交戰。

The text says: The line statement of the sixth line at the top: A dragon fights in the open fields, spilling blood that is dark blue and yellow. Wang Bi's commentary explains: The principle of yin is to be lowly and gentle, not to be full or overreaching, so as to preserve its beauty. Now yin has become excessive and refuses to stop, occupying the territory that should belong to yang. Yang cannot endure this, hence "fights in the fields." Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from "the sixth line at the top" to "its blood is dark blue and yellow." Justice says: Originally, "dragon" is used to refer to yang. The sixth line at the top is yin reaching its extreme, yin being so strong as to resemble yang, so it is also called "dragon." Because "yin is excessive and does not stop, occupying the territory of yang, which yang cannot endure," the yang dragon fights against it, which is what the "Commentary on the Hexagrams" says "fights in heaven." This battle takes place outside the hexagram, hence "in the fields"; the mutual injury of yin and yang results in "its blood is dark blue and yellow." Below is an explanation of Wang Bi's comment on "excessive and unceasing." Justice says: Wang Bi says "excessive and unceasing, solidifies the territory of yang," where "solidifies" means to occupy and hold fast. Yin retreating allows yang to come, but now yin is excessive and does not retreat, occupying the territory that should be yang's, so the yang dragon must fight against it.

《象》曰：“龍戰于野”，其道窮也。用六：利永貞。用六之利，“利永貞”也。[疏]正義曰：“用六，利永貞”者，此坤之六爻裛辭也。言坤之所用，用此眾爻之六，六是柔順，不可純柔，故利在永貞。永，長也。貞，正也。言長能貞正也。《象》曰：用六，“永貞”，以大終也。能以永貞大終者也。[疏]正義曰：“以大終”者，釋“永貞”之義，既能用此柔順，長守貞正，所以廣大而終也。若不用永貞，則是柔而又圓，即前注云“求安難”矣。此“永貞”即坤卦之下“安貞吉”是也。

The text says: The Image Commentary states: "The dragon struggles in the fields," because the Yin path has reached its end. The text then continues: "Using the six," it is advantageous to maintain a steady and upright course. Wang Bi's annotation explains: the advantage of "using the six" lies in "advantageous to maintain a steady and upright course." Kong Yingda's commentary, in his explanation of justice, says: what is meant by "using the six, advantageous to maintain a steady and upright course" is a general statement covering all six lines of the坤 hexagram. It means that what is applied in the坤 hexagram is precisely these six lines; the number six represents flexibility and gentleness, but one should not rely solely on gentleness, hence the advantage lies in maintaining a steady and upright course. "Yong" means long-term, and "Zhen" means uprightness, meaning the ability to maintain uprightness over a long period. The text says: The Image Commentary explains that "using the six" refers to "maintaining a steady and upright course," which is meant to conclude with a broad and comprehensive meaning. Wang Bi's annotation explains: this refers to the ability to achieve a broad and comprehensive conclusion by maintaining a long-term and upright course. Kong Yingda's commentary, in his explanation of justice, says: what is meant by "concluding with a broad scope" is an explanation of the meaning of "maintaining a steady and upright course": being able to apply this gentleness and maintain a long-term and upright course, thus achieving a broad and favorable conclusion. If "maintaining a steady and upright course" is not used, it would become gentle and smooth, which is exactly what Wang Bi mentioned earlier, "seeking peace becomes difficult." Here, "maintaining a steady and upright course" refers to the statement "being steady and upright brings good fortune" in the坤 hexagram's statement.

《文言》曰：坤至柔而動也剛，至靜而德方。動之方直，不為邪也。柔而又圓，消之道也。其德至靜，德必方也。[疏]正義曰：此一節是第一節，明坤之德也。自“積善之家”以下是第二節也，分釋六爻之義。“坤至柔而動也剛”者，六爻皆陰，是至柔也。體雖至柔而運動也剛，柔而積漸，乃至堅剛，則上云“履霜堅冰”是也。又地能生物，初雖柔弱，後至堅剛而成就。“至靜而德方”者，地體不動，是“至靜”。生物不邪，是德能方正。

The text says: The "Wenyan" of the "Kun" hexagram states: "Kun is extremely soft and yielding, yet when it moves, it shows firmness; it is extremely quiet, yet its virtue is square and upright." Wang Bi's commentary explains: When it moves, it is upright and straightforward, not engaging in perverse actions; if softness and yielding are combined with smoothness and flattery, it leads to the path of decline. Its virtue is extremely quiet, so its virtue must necessarily be square and upright. Kong Yingda's commentary, in the section of "Zhengyi," says: This section is the first part of the "Wenyan" of the "Kun" hexagram, explaining the virtue of Kun; from "Ji Shanjia" onwards is the second part, explaining the meaning of the six lines. The phrase "Kun is extremely soft but when it moves, it is firm" refers to the fact that all six lines of the "Kun" hexagram are yin lines, which is extremely soft and yielding. Although its nature is extremely soft, when it moves, it becomes firm. Softness gradually accumulates and eventually becomes firm and strong, which is what is meant by "walking on frost and then encountering ice." Furthermore, the earth can nurture all things; although it starts off weak and soft, it eventually becomes firm and strong, achieving its purpose. The phrase "extremely quiet and virtue is square" refers to the fact that the earth remains unmoving, which is "extremely quiet"; nurturing all things without being perverse is the virtue that is square and upright.

後得主而有常，含萬物而化光。“坤”道其順乎？承天而時行！[疏]正義曰：“後得主而有常”者，陰主卑退，若在事之後，不為物先，即“得主”也。此陰之恆理，故云“有常”。“含萬物而化光”者，自明《彖》辭含弘光大，言含養萬物而德化光大也。“坤道其順乎，承天而時行”者，言“坤”道柔順，承奉於天，以量時而行，即不敢為物之先，恆相時而動。

The text says: Only by following after can one gain the advantage of leadership in accordance with the norm, encompassing all things and achieving great illumination. The way of the Earthly (Kun) is probably "following" (shun). It reveres Heaven and acts in accordance with the proper time. Kong Yingda's commentary, the Justification, says: What is meant by "after obtaining leadership and having constancy" is that Yin, by its nature of being lowly and yielding, should be in the position of following rather than leading. Thus it can "obtain leadership." This is the constant principle of Yin. Therefore, it is said "having constancy." What is meant by "embracing all things and achieving illumination" is explaining the phrase "embracing and expanding to great illumination" from the Commentary on the Judgment. It refers to the Earthly (Kun) embracing and nurturing all things, and its virtue becoming vast and bright. What is meant by "the way of the Earthly is indeed following, revering Heaven and acting in accordance with the proper time" is that the way of the Earthly is gentle and yielding, revering Heaven, and acting only after assessing the timing, that is, not leading ahead of others, but always observing the situation before taking action.

積善之家，必有餘慶。積不善之家，必有餘殃。臣弒其君，子弒其父，非一朝一夕之故，其所由來者漸矣，由辯之不早辯也。《易》曰：“履霜堅冰至”，蓋言順也。[疏]“積善之家”至“蓋言順也”。○正義曰：此一節明初六爻辭也。“積善之家，必有餘慶，積不善之家，必有餘殃”者，欲明初六其惡有漸，故先明其所行善惡事，由久而積漸，故致後之吉凶。“其所由來者漸矣”者，言弒君弒父，非一朝一夕率然而起，其禍患所從來者積漸久遠矣。“由辯之不早辯”者，臣子所以久包禍心，由君父欲辯明之事，不早分辯故也。此戒君父防臣子之惡。

The classic text says: Those who accumulate good deeds will surely have remaining blessings; those who accumulate evil deeds will surely have remaining calamities. When a subject kills his sovereign or a son kills his father, such events are not sudden occurrences of a single day, but have gradually accumulated over time. The reason for this is that things that should have been discerned were not identified early enough. The Book of Changes says, "Walking on frost, one knows ice is coming," which roughly explains the principle of gradual development. Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from "Accumulating Good Deeds" to "This is speaking of order." The annotation says: This section clarifies the meaning of the line statement for the initial line, "Six at the Beginning." The statement "Accumulating good deeds, there will be remaining blessings; accumulating evil deeds, there will be remaining calamities" aims to explain that the evil of the initial line is formed gradually. Therefore, it first clarifies that both good and evil deeds are formed through long-term accumulation, thus leading to later fortune or misfortune. The phrase "its origin is gradual" means that弑君弑父 is not a sudden and reckless occurrence, but a long-term accumulation of calamity. The phrase "due to not discerning early" means that the son has long harbored ill intentions because the sovereign or father did not discern and resolve matters that should have been addressed early. This serves as a warning to the sovereign or father to guard against the son's evil thoughts.

“蓋言順”者，言此“履霜堅冰至”，蓋言順習陰惡之道，積微而不已，乃致此弒害。稱“蓋”者是疑之辭。凡萬事之起，皆從小至大，從微至著，故上文善惡並言，今獨言弒君弒父有漸者，以陰主柔順，積柔不已，乃終至禍亂，故特於坤之初六言之，欲戒其防柔弱之初，又陰為弒害，故寄此以明義。

Kong Yingda continued to say: The phrase "gai yan shun" refers to the sentence "Lv shuang jian bing zhi," which generally speaks of following the path of evil and gradually accumulating through subtle means without ceasing, eventually leading to calamities such as the murder of a king or father. The use of the character "gai" indicates a tone of uncertainty. Generally speaking, all things begin small and gradually grow, from hidden to evident, so the previous text presented both good and evil. Here, however, only the gradual formation of the crime of killing a king or father is discussed, because yin, which represents softness and compliance, when continuously accumulated, eventually leads to disorder. Therefore, this particular line in the first line of the Kun hexagram is emphasized to warn people to guard against such things even at the beginning of weakness. Furthermore, since yin represents harm, this line is used to clarify this meaning.

直其正也，方其義也。君子敬以直內，義以方外，敬義立而德不孤。“直方大，不習無不利”，則不疑其所行也。[疏]“直其正也”至“所行也”。○正義曰：此一節釋六二爻辭。“直其正”者，經稱直是其正也。“方其義”者，經稱方是其義也。義者，宜也，於事得宜，故曰義。“君子敬以直內”者，覆釋“直其正”也。言君子用敬以直內，內謂心也，用此恭敬以直內理。“義以方外”者，用此義事，以方正外物，言君子法地正直而生萬物，皆得所宜，各以方正，然即前云“直其正也，方其義也”。下云“義以方外”，即此應云“正以直內”。改云“敬以直內”者，欲見正則能敬，故變“正”為“敬”也。“敬義立而德不孤”者，身有敬義，以接於人，則人亦敬，義以應之，是德不孤也。直則不邪，正則謙恭，義則與物無競，方則凝重不躁，既“不習無不利”，則所行不須疑慮，故曰“不疑其所行”。

The text says: "Straight" refers to its correctness, and "square" refers to its appropriateness. A gentleman uses reverence to rectify his inner self, and uses appropriateness to make things upright externally; once reverence and righteousness are established, virtue will not be isolated. The line statement says, "Straight, square, and great; without repetition, there is no disadvantage." Therefore, there is no need to doubt one's actions. Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from "Straight is its correctness" to "what one does." The annotation says: this section explains the line statement of the second line. "Straight is its correctness" means that the "straight" in the line statement refers to its correctness. "Square is its appropriateness" means that the "square" in the line statement refers to its appropriateness. "Righteousness" is "appropriateness," meaning to act in a proper and suitable manner, hence called "righteousness." "A gentleman uses reverence to rectify his inner self" is a reverse explanation of "straight is its correctness": a gentleman uses reverence to correct his inner self, where "inner" refers to the heart, and this reverence arranges the order within. "Righteousness is used to make things upright externally" means using this appropriate action to make external things upright; this refers to a gentleman emulating the earth's straightness to nurture all things, allowing each thing to find its proper place and be upright. Following the previous parallelism of "straight is its correctness, square is its appropriateness," the following text says "righteousness is used to make things upright externally," so here it should say "correctness is used to rectify the inner self." However, it says "reverence is used to rectify the inner self" to show that correctness leads to reverence, hence replacing the word "correctness" with "reverence." "Once reverence and righteousness are established, virtue will not be isolated" means that when one uses reverence and righteousness in dealing with others, others will also respond with reverence and righteousness, thus virtue is not isolated. Straightness is not crooked, correctness is respectful, righteousness is non-contentious, and squareness is solemn and not hasty. Since "without repetition, there is no disadvantage," there is no need to doubt one's actions, hence it says "there is no doubt about one's actions."

陰雖有美，含之以從王事，弗敢成也。地道也，妻道也，臣道也。地道無成，而代有終也。[疏]“陰雖有美”至“有終也”。○正義曰：此一節明六三爻辭，言“陰雖有美，含之以從王事”者，釋“含章可貞”之義也。言六三之陰，雖有美道包含之德，苟或從王事，不敢為主先成之也。“地道也，妻道也，臣道也”者，欲明“坤”道處卑，待唱乃和，故歷言此三事，皆卑應於尊，下順於上也。“地道無成，而代有終”者，其地道卑柔，無敢先唱成物，必待陽始先唱，而後代陽有終也。

The classic text says: Although the yin has virtue, it keeps it hidden and follows the affairs of the sovereign, not daring to claim the achievement. This is the way of the earth, the way of a wife, and the way of a minister. The way of the earth does not claim achievement, but instead completes the task on behalf of heaven. Kong Yingda explains the passage from "Although yin has virtue" to "there is an ending." The commentary says: This section explains the line statement of the sixth line in the third position. The phrase "Although yin has virtue, it keeps it hidden and follows the sovereign's affairs" explains the meaning of "containing virtue and being steadfast." The yin line in the third position, although possessing the virtue of containing, when following the sovereign's affairs, does not take the initiative or claim the achievement. The phrase "the way of the earth, the way of a wife, and the way of a minister" is used to explain the nature of the "Kun" trigram, which is in a low position, waiting for the other party to initiate before responding. Therefore, these three examples are all about the lower following the higher, the inferior obeying the superior. The phrase "the way of the earth does not achieve success, but instead completes the task" means that the way of the earth is low and gentle, not daring to take the initiative in achieving things, but waiting for the yang to initiate first, then taking over and completing the task to the end.

天地變化，草木蕃，天地閉，賢人隱。《易》曰“括囊無咎無譽”，蓋言謹也。[疏]“天地變化”至“蓋言謹也”。○正義曰：此一節明六四爻辭。“天地變化”，謂二氣交通，生養萬物，故草木蕃滋。“天地閉，賢人隱”者，謂二氣不相交通，天地否閉，賢人潛隱。天地通則草木蕃，明天地閉草木不蕃；“天地閉，賢人隱”，明天地通則賢人出，互而相通，此乃“括囊無咎”，故賢人隱屬天地閉也。“蓋言謹”者，謹謂謹慎，蓋言賢人君子於此之時須謹慎也。

The text says: When heaven and earth interact and change, grass and trees flourish; when heaven and earth are closed off and uncommunicative, the virtuous retreat. The Book of Changes says, "A bag is drawn tight, causing neither blame nor praise," which is roughly speaking about being cautious. Kong Yingda's commentary explains the passage from "heaven and earth change" to "this is speaking about caution." The annotation says: This section clarifies the line statement of the sixth line in the fourth position. "Heaven and earth change" refers to the mutual interaction of yin and yang energies, which nurture all things, so grass and trees flourish. "Heaven and earth are closed, the virtuous retreat" refers to the non-communication of yin and yang energies, the closure of heaven and earth, and the retreat of the virtuous. Saying that when heaven and earth are open, grass and trees flourish, highlights the contrast with when heaven and earth are closed and grass and trees do not flourish; saying that when heaven and earth are closed, the virtuous retreat, highlights the contrast with when heaven and earth are open and the virtuous emerge. The two sentences complement and connect with each other. Since the sixth line in the fourth position is at the time of "drawing the bag tight without blame or praise," "the virtuous retreat" corresponds to the aspect of heaven and earth being closed. "This is speaking about caution" means "caution" refers to being careful, which is roughly saying that the virtuous and gentlemen must be cautious and self-restrained in such times.

君子黃中通理，正位居體，美在其中，而暢於四支，發於事業，美之至也。[疏]“君子”至“美之至也”。○正義曰：此一節明六五爻辭也。“黃中通理”者，以黃居中，兼四方之色，奉承臣職，是通曉物理也。“正位居體”者，居中得正，是正位也；處上體之中，是居體也。黃中通理，是“美在其中”。有美在於中，必通暢於外，故云“暢於四支”。四支猶人手足，比於四方物務也。外內俱善，能宣發於事業。所營謂之事，事成謂之業，美莫過之，故云“美之至”也。

The text says: A gentleman resides in the center and understands things thoroughly, maintains proper position and rests in his body, beauty is contained within his heart, flows smoothly to his limbs, and is expressed in his career. This is the ultimate beauty. Kong Yingda explains the passage from "A gentleman" to "the ultimate beauty." Justice says: This section explains the line statement of the sixth line in the fifth position. "Yellow in the center, understanding the principles" refers to yellow being the color of the center, encompassing all four directions. The sixth line in the fifth position upholds the duties of a subject, which is to understand things thoroughly. "Maintaining proper position and resting in the body" means residing in the center and being upright, which is "proper position"; being in the middle of the third line of the upper trigram is "resting in the body." "Yellow in the center, understanding the principles" is also "beauty within." Since beauty is within, it must flow outward, hence "flowing to the four limbs." The limbs are like hands and feet, used to compare with the four directions of government affairs. When both inner and outer aspects are good, they can be expressed in one's career: what one undertakes is called "affairs," and completing affairs is called "career." There is no greater beauty than this, hence "the ultimate beauty."

陰疑於陽必戰。辯之不早，疑盛乃動，故“必戰”。[疏]正義曰：此一節明上六爻辭。“陰疑於陽，必戰”者，陰盛為陽所疑，陽乃發動，欲除去此陰，陰既強盛，不肯退避，故“必戰”也。為其嫌於無陽也，為其嫌於非陽而戰。故稱“龍”焉。[疏]正義曰：上六陰盛，似陽，為嫌純陰非陽，故稱“龍”以明之。

The text says: When yin and yang are suspicious of each other to this extent, they must fight. Wang Bi's commentary explains: Because things that should be clarified were not clarified in time, suspicion accumulated to its peak before action was taken, hence "it must fight." Kong Yingda's commentary, in his explanation, says: This section clarifies the line statement of the sixth line at the top. The phrase "yin suspects yang, and there must be a fight" means that yin is too strong and is suspected by yang, so yang takes action to eliminate this yin. Since yin is strong and does not retreat, there must be a fight. The text then says: Because people might suspect that there is no yang here. Wang Bi's commentary explains: This is to prevent people from suspecting that the party fighting is not yang. The text continues: Therefore, it is called "dragon." Kong Yingda's commentary, in his explanation, says: The upper sixth line is so strong in yin that people might suspect it is purely yin and not yang. Therefore, it is called "dragon" to clarify this point.

猶未離其類也，猶未失其陰類，為陽所滅。故稱“血”焉。猶與陽戰而相傷，故稱血。[疏]正義曰：言上六雖陰盛似陽，然猶未能離其陽類，故為陽所傷而見成也。夫玄黃者天地之雜也，天玄而地黃。[疏]正義曰：釋“其血玄黃”之義。莊氏云：“上六之爻，兼有天地雜氣，所以上六被傷，‘其血玄黃’也。天色玄，地色黃，故血有天地之色。”今輔嗣注云“猶與陽戰而相傷”，是言陰陽俱傷也。恐莊氏之言，非王之本意，今所不取也。

The text says: It has not yet escaped its own category. Wang Bi's commentary explains: This means it ultimately did not lose its yin category, thus being eliminated by yang. The text says: Therefore it is called "blood." Wang Bi's commentary explains: This refers to its struggle with yang resulting in mutual injury, hence called "blood." Kong Yingda's commentary, in his explanation, says: This refers to the fact that although the sixth line at the top is yin and appears strong like yang, it ultimately cannot escape the category of opposing yang, thus being injured by yang and manifesting. The text says: The term "xuanyuang" refers to the mixture of the colors of heaven and earth; the color of heaven is dark blue and the color of earth is yellow. Kong Yingda's commentary, in his explanation, says: This explains the meaning of "its blood is xuanyuang." Zhuang said: "The sixth line at the top includes the mixed energies of heaven and earth, so when the sixth line at the top is injured, 'its blood is xuanyuang'; the color of heaven is dark blue, and the color of earth is yellow, so the blood takes on the colors of both heaven and earth." Now Wang Bi's commentary says, "it struggles with yang and both are injured," referring to mutual injury between yin and yang. Zhuang's interpretation may not be Wang Bi's original meaning, so it is not adopted here.