the ninth chapter of the book of changes: explaining the trigrams

[疏]正義曰：《說卦》者，陳說八卦之德業變化及法象所為也。孔子以伏犧畫八卦，後重為六十四卦，八卦為六十四卦之本。前《繫辭》中略明八卦小成，引而伸之，觸類而長之，天下之能事畢矣。又曰：“八卦成列，象在其中矣。因而重之，爻在其中矣。”又云：“古者包犧氏之王天下也，仰則觀象於天，俯則觀法於地，觀鳥獸之文與地之宜，近取諸身，遠取諸物，於是始作八卦，以通神明之德，以類萬物之情。”

Kong Yingda provided a general explanation of the "Say on the Trigrams": what is meant by "Say on the Trigrams" is to explain the virtues and transformations of the Eight Trigrams and the things formed by taking the images of objects as models. Confucius believed that Fuxi first drew the Eight Trigrams, and later overlapped them to form the sixty-four hexagrams. The Eight Trigrams are the foundation of the sixty-four hexagrams. Previously, in the "Great Treatise," it was briefly mentioned: "The Eight Trigrams are sufficient for a small achievement; by extending them, and by analogy, all the abilities in the world are completed." It also said, "When the Eight Trigrams are arranged in order, the images are already included; by overlapping them, the lines are already included." It also said, "In ancient times, Fuxi ruled the world. He looked up to observe the images of heavenly objects, looked down to observe the principles of the earth, observed the patterns of birds and beasts and the suitability of the land, took images from himself nearby and from all things far away, thus beginning to create the Eight Trigrams, to harmonize with the virtue of the divine and to compare the forms of all things."

然引而伸之，重三成六之意，猶自未明；仰觀俯察，近身遠物之象，亦為未見。故孔子於此，更備說重卦之由，及八卦所為之象，故謂之《說卦》焉。先儒以孔子《十翼》之次，乾坤《文言》在二《繫》之後，《說卦》之前。以《彖》、《象》附上下二《經》為六卷，則上《繫》第七，下《繫》第八，《文言》第九，《說卦》第十。輔嗣之《文言》分咐《乾》、《坤》二卦，故《說卦》為第九。

Kong Yingda continued to say: However, the meaning of "leading it out and extending it" in the Great Treatise, which refers to the method of repeating the three lines to form six lines, has not been clearly explained. Also, the method of taking images by observing the heavens above and the earth below, by looking closely at the human body and widely at external things, has not been fully presented. Therefore, Confucius here more completely explains the reason for repeating the trigrams and the images taken from things for the Eight Trigrams, hence the name Say Gua. He also arranged the order of the chapters: previous scholars arranged the ten wings of Confucius, placing the Wenyan commentaries of the Qian and Kun trigrams after the upper and lower Great Treatises, and before Say Gua; they also attached the Commentary on the Judgment and Image Commentary to the upper and lower sections of the Classic, combining them into six volumes. Thus, the Upper Great Treatise became the seventh, the Lower Great Treatise the eighth, the Wenyan the ninth, and Say Gua the tenth. However, Wang Bi (whose name was Fuxi) attached the Wenyan separately beneath the Qian and Kun trigrams, not as a separate chapter, so Say Gua was placed ninth.

[疏]正義曰：“昔者聖人”至“以至於命”，此一節將明聖人引伸因重之意，故先敘聖人本制蓍數卦爻，備明天道人事妙極之理。 昔者聖人之作《易》也，幽贊於神明而生蓍，幽，深也。贊，明也。蓍受命如向，不知所以然而然也。

Kong Yingda first outlines the section: from "In the past, the sage" to "until it reaches destiny," this passage is meant to explain the purpose of the sage in extending the Eight Trigrams and thus recombining them into hexagrams. Therefore, it first describes how the sage originally established the number of yarrow stalks and the lines of the hexagrams, fully explaining the subtle and profound principles of heaven and human affairs. The following is the text: In the past, the sage composed the Zhou Yi, deeply supporting the way of the divine and thus created the method of divination with yarrow stalks. Han Kangbo's commentary says: "You" is interpreted as deep, "zhan" as clear; the yarrow stalks receive human inquiries about destiny as if responding to echoes, without knowing why but naturally so.

[疏]“昔者”至“生蓍”。○正義曰：據今而稱上世，謂之昔者也。聰明叡知，謂之聖人。此聖人即伏犧也，不言伏犧而云聖人者，明以聖知而制作也。且下《繫》巳云“包犧氏之王天下也，於是始作八卦”，今言“作《易》”，言是伏犧，非文王等。凡言“作”者，皆本其事之所由，故云“昔者聖人之作《易》也”。聖人作《易》，其作如何以此聖知深明神明之道，而生用蓍求卦之法，故曰“幽贊於神明而生蓍也”。

Kong Yingda explained the passage from "In the past" to "the use of yarrow stalks." He said: when looking back on ancient times from today, it is called "In the past." The wise and intelligent are called "sages." Here, the sage refers to Fuxi. Not directly naming Fuxi but calling him "sage" is to indicate that he created the Book of Changes through his wise and enlightened wisdom. Moreover, the "Great Treatise" below has already stated "Fuxi ruled the world... thus beginning to create the Eight Trigrams." Now saying "composed the Book of Changes" clearly refers to Fuxi, not King Wen or others. Whenever the word "composed" is used, it should trace back to the origin of the matter, so it says "In the past, the sage composed the Book of Changes." As for how the sage composed the Book of Changes, it was because he possessed profound wisdom and understanding of the divine, thus creating the method of using yarrow stalks for divination, so it says "conversing with the divine and producing the yarrow stalks."

○注“幽深也”至“然也”。○正義曰：幽者，隱而難見，故訓為深也。贊者，佐而助成，而令微者得著，故訓為明也。“蓍受命如向，不知所以然而然”者，釋聖人所以深明神明之道，便能生用蓍之意，以神道與用蓍相協之故也。神之為道，陰陽不測，妙而無方，生成變化，不知所以然而然者也。蓍則受人命令，告人吉凶，應人如向，亦不知所以然，而然與神道為一，故《繫辭》云“蓍之德員而神”，其受命如向，亦《繫辭》文也。

Kong Yingda explained the passage from Han Kangbo's commentary from "yōu, deep" to "not knowing why but it is so." He said that "yōu" refers to something hidden and hard to see, so it is interpreted as "deep." "Zàn" means to assist and complete, enabling the subtle to become visible, so it is interpreted as "bright." As for "the yarrow stalks receive the mandate as an echo, not knowing why but it is so," this explains why the sage who deeply understands the way of the divine can use the yarrow stalks. It is because the way of the divine and the use of the yarrow stalks are originally harmonious. The divine way involves yin and yang transformations that are unpredictable, mysterious and without fixed place, generating all things and undergoing continuous change, all happening without knowing why but naturally so. The yarrow stalks receive human inquiries and respond with fortune and misfortune, answering as swiftly as an echo, also happening without knowing why but naturally so. Thus, they are in harmony with the divine way. Therefore, the Great Treatise says, "The virtue of the yarrow stalks is round and divine." The phrase "they receive the mandate as an echo" also comes from the Great Treatise.

參天兩地而倚數，參，奇也。兩，耦也。七、九陽數，六、八陰數。 [疏]“參天”至“倚數”。○正義曰：倚，立也。既用蓍求卦，其揲蓍所得，取奇數於天，取耦數於地，而立七、八、九、六之數，故曰“參天兩地而倚數也”。

The text says: "Using three to correspond to Heaven, using two to correspond to Earth, and based on this to establish numbers." Han Kangbo's commentary explains: "San" refers to odd numbers, "liang" refers to even numbers; seven and nine are yang numbers, while six and eight are yin numbers. Kong Yingda's commentary on the passage from "San Tian" to "Yi Shu" says: "Yi" means to establish or set up. Since divination is done using yarrow stalks, the numbers obtained by divining with the yarrow stalks are taken from Heaven as odd numbers and from Earth as even numbers, and thus the numbers seven, eight, nine, and six are established. Therefore, it is said "San Tian Li Di Er Yi Shu."

○注“七九陽數”。○正義曰：先儒馬融、王肅等解此，皆依《繫辭》云：“天數五，地數五，五位相得而各有合”，以為五位相合，以陰從陽。天得三合，謂一、三與五也；地得兩合，謂二與四也。鄭玄亦云天地之數備於十，乃三之以天，兩之以地，而倚託大演之數五十也。必三之以天，兩之以地者，天三覆，地二載，欲極於數，庶得吉凶之審也。

Kong Yingda explained the sentence "seven and nine are yang numbers, six and eight are yin numbers" from Han's commentary by first listing previous interpretations. He said: previous scholars such as Ma Rong and Wang Su interpreted this sentence based on the Great Treatise "Heaven has five numbers, Earth has five numbers, the five positions are mutually compatible and each has its corresponding number." They believed that these five groups of numbers are combined, with yin following yang: the numbers belonging to Heaven are three, referring to one, three, and five; the numbers belonging to Earth are two, referring to two and four. Zheng Xuan also said that the numbers of Heaven and Earth are complete in ten, so three is paired with Heaven and two is paired with Earth, relying on the fifty numbers of Da Yan. The reason for necessarily pairing three with Heaven and two with Earth is because Heaven has the meaning of three layers of covering, and Earth has the meaning of two layers of bearing. To push the numbers to their extremes, one can hope to make the judgment of good and bad more accurate.

其意皆以《繫辭》所云“大演之數五十，其用四十有九”，明用蓍之數。下雲天數五，地數五，五位相得而各有合，天地之數五十有五，以為大演即天地之數。又此上言“幽贊於神明而生蓍”，便云“參天兩地而倚數”，驗文準義，故知如此。 韓康伯注《繫辭》云“大演之數五十”，用王輔嗣意。雲《易》之所賴者五十，其用四十有九，則其一不用也。不用而用以之通，非數而數以之成。用與不用，本末合數，故五十也。以大衍五十，非即天地之數，故不用馬融、鄭玄等說。

Kong Yingda then explains the basis of the previous interpretations: they all take the statement from the Great Treatise, "The number of the great derivation is fifty, of which forty-nine are used," as the number of stalks used in divination. The following text says, "The heavenly number is five, the earthly number is five, the five positions correspond with each other and each has its match," and the total of the heavenly and earthly numbers is fifty-five. Therefore, they conclude that the number of the great derivation is the number of heaven and earth. Moreover, the text above first mentions "the silent praise of the divine and the birth of the stalks," and immediately follows with "three for heaven and two for earth, relying on numbers," so by checking the sentences and reasoning through the meaning, they arrived at this interpretation. Kong Yingda then points out the different approach of Han Kangbo: Han Kangbo, in commenting on the Great Treatise's "The number of the great derivation is fifty," adopts Wang Bi's view, stating that the Book of Changes relies on fifty, but actually uses forty-nine, leaving one stalk unused. The one that is not used, because it is not used, allows the rest to be counted; it does not participate in the counting, yet the counting depends on it. The used and the unused, the original and the final, are combined in calculation, so it totals fifty. Since they have determined that the fifty of the great derivation is not equivalent to the number of heaven and earth, Han Kangbo does not adopt the view of Ma Rong and Zheng Xuan.

然此倚數生數，在生蓍之後，立卦之前，明用蓍得數而布以為卦，故以七、八、九、六當之。七、九為奇，天數也；六、八為耦，地數也，故取奇於天，取耦於地，而立七、八、九、六之數也。 何以參兩為目奇耦者？蓋古之奇耦，亦以三兩言之。且以兩是耦數之始，三是奇數之初故也。不以一目奇者，張氏云以三中含兩，有一以包兩之義，明天有包地之德，陽有包陰之道，故天舉其多，地言其少也。

Kong Yingda then explained his own choices: the terms "yi shu" and "sheng shu" mentioned here appear between "sheng chi" and "li gua," indicating that they are used after obtaining numbers through the divination with chi grass and before establishing the hexagram. Therefore, the numbers seven, eight, nine, and six are used correspondingly. Seven and nine are odd numbers, belonging to heaven; six and eight are even numbers, belonging to earth. Thus, odd numbers are taken from heaven and even numbers from earth to establish the numbers seven, eight, nine, and six. He then asked further: why are odd and even numbers called "can" and "liang"? Probably because ancient people used "san" and "liang" to refer to odd and even numbers. Moreover, "liang" is the beginning of even numbers, and "san" is the beginning of odd numbers. As for why "yi" is not used to refer to odd numbers, Zhang's explanation is that "san" contains "liang," implying "yi" encompasses "liang," which shows the virtue of heaven encompassing earth and the principle of yang encompassing yin. Therefore, the number of heaven is taken as more, and the number of earth as less.

觀變於陰陽而立卦。卦，象也。蓍，數也。卦則雷風相薄，山澤通氣，擬象陰陽變化之體；蓍則錯綜天地參兩之數，蓍極數以定象，卦備象以盡數，故蓍曰“參天兩地而倚數”，卦曰“觀變於陰陽”也。

The text says: Observe the changes of yin and yang to establish the trigrams. Han Kangbo's commentary explains: The trigrams belong to "image" (xiang), and the yarrow stalks belong to "number" (shu). Regarding the trigrams, thunder and wind approaching each other, mountain and marsh communicating with each other, are imitating the forms of yin and yang changes; regarding the yarrow stalks, it is about the numbers "three heavens and two earths" (canshan lidili). The yarrow stalks push the numbers to their extreme to determine the image, while the trigrams complete the image to exhaust the numbers. Therefore, when speaking of the yarrow stalks, it says "three heavens and two earths and relying on numbers," and when speaking of the trigrams, it says "observe changes in yin and yang."

[疏]“觀變”至“立卦”。○正義曰：言其作《易》聖人，本觀察變化之道，象於天地陰陽而立乾坤等卦，故曰“觀變於陰陽而立卦”也。 ○注“卦則雷風”。○正義曰：“卦則雷風相薄，山澤通氣，擬象陰陽變化之體”者，此言六十四卦，非小成之八卦也。伏犧初畫八卦，以震象雷，以巽象風，以艮象山，以兌象澤。八卦未重，則雷風各異，山澤不通，於陰陽變化之理，未為周備，故此下云“八卦相錯，數往者順，知來者逆”，注云“八卦相錯，變化理備，於往則順而知之，於來則逆而數之”是也。

Kong Yingda explains the passage from "Observing Change" to "Establishing the Hexagrams": It refers to the sage who composed the Book of Changes originally observing the way of change, taking inspiration from heaven and earth and yin and yang to establish hexagrams such as Qian and Kun. Therefore, it says "Observing change in yin and yang and establishing hexagrams." He then explains Han's comment on the sentences following "The hexagrams are thunder and wind interacting": Han says "The hexagrams are thunder and wind interacting, mountains and marshes communicating, imitating the form of change in yin and yang," referring to the sixty-four hexagrams, not only the three-line Eight Trigrams. Fuxi first drew the Eight Trigrams, using Zhen to represent thunder, Xun to represent wind, Gen to represent mountain, and Dui to represent marsh; when the Eight Trigrams had not yet been overlapped, thunder and wind were unrelated, mountains and marshes could not communicate, and the principle of change in yin and yang was not yet complete. Therefore, the following text says "The Eight Trigrams interact and overlap, understanding the past is in the direction of following, knowing the future is in the direction of reversing," and Han's comment "The Eight Trigrams interact and overlap, the principle of change becomes complete, understanding the past is by following the sequence, knowing the future is by reversing the sequence" means exactly this.

知非八卦者，先儒皆以《繫辭》論用蓍之法，云：“四營而成易，十有八變而成卦”者，謂用蓍三扐而布一爻，則十有八變為六爻也。然則用蓍在六爻之後，非三畫之時。蓋伏犧之初，直仰觀俯察，用陰陽兩爻而畫八卦，後因而重之為六十四卦，然後天地變化，人事吉凶，莫不周備，縕在爻卦之中矣。文王又於爻卦之下，繫之以辭，明其爻卦之中吉凶之義。

Kong Yingda then explains why it can be determined that the discussion here is not about the three-line trigrams. Previous scholars relied on the method of using yarrow stalks as discussed in the Great Treatise, saying "four operations make the Book of Changes, and eighteen transformations form a hexagram." This means that each line of a hexagram is determined by three operations with yarrow stalks, and eighteen transformations are needed to form the six lines. Therefore, the use of yarrow stalks comes after the hexagram is formed, not during the stage of the three-line trigrams. Generally, Fuxi first observed celestial phenomena and examined terrestrial patterns, using yin and yang lines to create the Eight Trigrams. Later, he overlapped the Eight Trigrams to form the sixty-four hexagrams, thus encompassing all changes of heaven and earth and the fortune and misfortune of human affairs. King Wen then added textual explanations below each hexagram to clarify the meanings of fortune and misfortune contained within the lines.

蓍是數也，《傳》稱物生而後有象，象而後有滋，滋而後有數，然則數從象生，故可用數求象，於是幽贊於神明而生蓍，用蓍之法求取卦爻以定吉凶，《繫辭》曰“天生神物，聖人則之，無有遠近幽深，遂知來物”是也。《繫辭》言伏犧作《易》之初，不假用蓍成卦，故直言仰觀俯察，此則論其既重之後，端策布爻，故先言生蓍，後言立卦。非是聖人幽贊元在觀變之前。

Kong Yingda then explained the sequence of image and number: the yarrow stalks belong to the category of 'number'. The Zuo Zhuan says that things first arise, then take shape, then proliferate, and then have numbers; thus numbers arise from images, so numbers can be used to seek images. Therefore, the sages deeply praised the divine way and created the yarrow divination. Using the method of yarrow stalks, they obtained the hexagrams and lines to determine fortune and misfortune. The Great Treatise says, "Heaven produces marvelous things, and the sages take them as a model; regardless of distance or depth, they can thus know future events," which is exactly this meaning. The Great Treatise speaks of Fuxi creating the Book of Changes without using yarrow stalks to form hexagrams, so it only mentions observing above and examining below. However, this passage from Shuo Gua refers to after the hexagrams were formed, requiring the arrangement of yarrow stalks and the ordering of lines, so it first mentions "producing yarrow stalks" and then "establishing hexagrams." It does not mean that the sages' act of "secretly praising the divine" originally came before "observing changes."

發揮於剛柔而生爻，剛柔發散，變動相和。 [疏]正義曰：既觀象立卦，又就卦發動揮散，於剛柔兩畫而生變動之爻，故曰“發揮於剛柔而生爻”也。 和順於道德而理於義，窮理盡性，以至於命。命者，生之極，窮理則盡其極也。

The text says: On the two lines of yin and yang, movement and dispersion produce the trigrams. Han Kangbo explains: The yin and yang lines spread out and change, harmonizing with each other. Kong Yingda elaborates: After observing the images and establishing the hexagrams, one then acts upon them through movement and dispersion, generating changing lines on the two types of yin and yang lines, hence it says "movement and dispersion occur on yin and yang to produce the trigrams." The text then continues: Harmonizing with virtue and ordering according to righteousness, thoroughly investigating principles and fully revealing the nature, until one understands the heavenly mandate. Han Kangbo explains: "Mandate" refers to the ultimate limit of life; thoroughly investigating principles is to reach this ultimate limit.

[疏]“和順”至“性命”。○正義曰：蓍數既生，爻卦又立，《易》道周備，無理不盡。聖人用之，上以和協順成聖人之道德，下以治理斷人倫之正義。又能窮極萬物深妙之理，究盡生靈所稟之性，物理既窮，生性又盡，至於一期所賦之命，莫不窮其短長，定其吉凶，故曰“和順於道德而理於義，窮理盡性以至於命”也。○注“命者”至“極也”。○正義曰：命者，人所稟受，有其定分，從生至終，有長短之極，故曰“命者，生之極”也。此所賦命乃自然之至理，故“窮理則盡其極”也。

Kong Yingda explains the passage from "He" to "Xingming": Once the divination numbers have been established and the lines and hexagrams have been determined, the Way of the Book of Changes is complete and thorough, with no principle left unexplained. The sage employs it, upwards to harmonize and achieve the moral virtue of the sage, and downwards to govern and decide the righteousness of human relationships. It can also investigate the subtle and profound principles of all things and thoroughly understand the innate nature of all beings. Once the principles of physical phenomena are fully understood and the nature of beings is clearly known, it further examines the length of one's destiny and determines its fortune and misfortune. Therefore, it is said, "Harmonizing with moral virtue and regulating according to righteousness, investigating principles and exhausting nature until destiny." He then explains Han's commentary from "Ming" to "Qiong Li Ze Jin Qi Ji":the so-called "Ming" refers to what is inherited by humans, each having a definite limit, from birth to death with a fixed length, hence it is said, "Ming is the extreme of life." This assigned destiny is the ultimate principle of nature, hence it is said, "Investigating principles exhausts this ultimate principle."

[疏]正義曰：“昔者”至“成章”，此節就爻位明重卦之意。 昔者聖人之作《易》也，將以順性命之理，是以立天之道曰陰與陽，立地之道曰“柔與剛，在天成象，在地成形。陰陽者，言其氣；剛柔者，言其形，變化始於氣象而後成形。萬物資始乎天，成形乎地，故天曰陰陽，地曰柔剛也。或有在形而言陰陽者，本其始也；在氣而言柔剛者，要其終也。

Kong Yingda first identified the section: from "In the past" to "form a chapter," this part explains the purpose of the hexagrams through the positions of the lines. The following is the text: In ancient times, the sage composed the Zhou Changes in order to follow the principles of life and nature. Therefore, he established the heavenly way as "yin" and "yang," and the earthly way as "flexible" and "strong." Han Kangbo's commentary says: in heaven, it becomes phenomena; in earth, it becomes forms. "Yin and yang" refer to the qi, while "flexible and strong" refer to the forms. Change begins with the phenomena and then solidifies into forms. All things begin with heaven and take shape through earth. Therefore, those belonging to heaven are called yin and yang, and those belonging to earth are called flexible and strong. Sometimes, referring to forms as yin and yang is tracing back to the beginning; sometimes, referring to qi as flexible and strong is concluding at the end.

[疏]“昔者”至“柔與剛”。○正義曰：八卦小成，但有三畫。於三才之道，陰陽未備，所以重三為六，然後周盡，故云“昔者聖人之畫卦作《易》也”。“將以順性命之理”者，本意將此易卦，以順從天地生成萬物性命之理也。其天地生成萬物之理，須在陰陽必備。是以造化闢設之時，其立天之道，有二種之氣，曰成物之陰與施生之陽也。其立地之道，有二種之形，曰順承之柔與特載之剛也。○注“在形而言陰陽者”。○正義曰：“在形而言陰陽”者，即《坤·象》辭云“履霜堅冰，陰始凝”是也。“在氣而言柔剛”者，即《尚書》云“高明柔克”及《左傳》云“天為剛德”是也。

Kong Yingda explains from "In the past" to "soft and strong" section: The Eight Trigrams are only a small completion, with only three lines, so for the three principles of heaven, earth and humanity, yin and yang are not yet complete. Therefore, the three lines are doubled to form six lines, thus becoming complete and exhaustive. Therefore it is said, "In former times, the sage drew the trigrams and composed the Book of Changes." "To follow the principles of the nature and destiny of things" means that the original intention was to use these trigrams to follow the principles of the generation of all things by heaven and earth. The principles of the generation of all things by heaven and earth must have both yin and yang complete. Therefore, at the time of creation, heaven's way has two kinds of qi, namely "yin" which completes all things and "yang" which gives birth to all things; earth's way has two kinds of forms, namely "soft" which follows and submits to the lower and "strong" which independently supports. He then explains Han's annotation "speaking of yin and yang in terms of form": speaking of yin and yang in terms of form refers to the "Commentary on the Image" of the Qian trigram which says "Walking on frost, the ice becomes firm, yin begins to condense"; speaking of soft and strong in terms of qi refers to the "Classic of Documents: Hongfan" which says "High and bright, soft and strong can overcome," as well as the "Zuo Zhuan" which says "Heaven is the virtue of strength."

立人之道曰仁與義。兼三才而兩之，故易六畫而成卦。分陰分陽，迭用柔剛，故易六位而成章，設六爻以效三才之動，故六畫而成卦也。六位，爻所處之位也。二、四為陰，三、五為陽，故曰“分陰分陽”；六爻升降，或柔或剛，故曰“迭用柔剛”也。

The classic text says: Establishing human conduct is called "ren" and "yi". By combining the three elements and pairing each with two lines, the Book of Changes requires six lines to form a single hexagram. By distinguishing between yin and yang positions and alternately using flexible and strong lines, the Book of Changes requires six positions to form its structure. Han Kangbo's commentary explains: Setting up six lines is to follow the movement of the three elements, hence forming a hexagram with six lines. "Six positions" refer to the positions of the lines: second and fourth are yin positions, third and fifth are yang positions, hence it is said "distinguishing yin and yang". The six lines rise and fall, being either flexible or strong, hence it is said "alternately using flexible and strong lines".

[疏]“立人之道”至“成章”。○正義曰：天地既立，人生其間。立人之道，有二種之性，曰愛惠之仁；與斷刮之義也。既備三才之道，而皆兩之，作《易》本順此道理，須六畫成卦，故作《易》者，因而重之，使六畫而成卦也。六畫所處，有其六位，分二、四為陰位，三、五為陽位，迭用六、八之柔爻、七、九之剛爻而來居之，故作《易》者分佈六位而成爻卦之文章也。○注“二四”至“為陽者”。○正義曰：“二、四為陰，三、五為陽”者，王輔嗣以為初、上無陰陽定位，此注用王之說也。

Kong Yingda explains from "Establishing the Way of Humanity" to "Achieving the Chapter": After heaven and earth have been established, humans are born within them. Establishing the Way of Humanity involves two virtues: one is benevolence and generosity, called "Ren," and the other is decisiveness and judgment, called "Yi." The way of the Three Powers has already been completed, and each is paired with two lines. The Book of Changes follows this principle, requiring six lines to form a hexagram. Therefore, those who composed the Book of Changes overlapped the trigrams of three lines to form hexagrams with six lines. The six lines occupy six positions, with the second and fourth positions being yin positions, and the third and fifth positions being yang positions. In turn, soft lines such as six and eight and strong lines such as seven and nine are used to occupy these positions. Thus, those who composed the Book of Changes arranged the six positions to achieve the literary elegance and order of the lines. He then explains Han's annotation "the second and fourth are yin, the third and fifth are yang": Wang Bi believed that the first line and the top line do not have fixed yin or yang attributes. Han Kangbo's annotation adopts exactly Wang Bi's view.

天地定位，山澤通氣，雷風相薄，水火不相射，八卦相錯，數往者順，知來者逆，易八卦相錯變化，理備於往則順而知之，於來則逆而數之。是故易逆數也。作《易》以逆睹來事，以前民用。

The text says: Heaven and Earth established the positions of above and below, mountains and marshes communicate with each other, thunder and wind are close to each other, water and fire do not despise each other, and the Eight Trigrams intermingle and intertwine; reckoning past events is done in the order of time, while predicting future events is done in reverse order. Han Kangbo explained: The Eight Trigrams intermingle and intertwine to produce change, thus the principles are complete: past events are known by following the order of time, while future events are calculated by reversing the order. The text then says: Therefore, the Book of Changes is about reversing the order of reckoning. Han Kangbo explained: The Book of Changes was created to foresee future events and provide guidance to the people before their actions.

[疏]“天地定位”至“數也”。○正義曰：此一節就卦象明重卦之意，易以乾、坤象天地，艮、兌象山澤，震、巽象雷風，坎、離象水火。若使天地不交，水火異處，則庶類無生成之用，品物無變化之理，所以因而重之，今八卦相錯，則天地人事莫不備矣。故云天地定位而合德，山澤異體而通氣，雷風各動而相薄，水火不相入而相資。

Kong Yingda explains the passage from "Tian Di Ding Wei" to "Shi Gu Yi Nie Shu Ye": this section explains the purpose of composing the hexagrams through the images of the trigrams. The Book of Changes uses Qian and Kun to represent Heaven and Earth, Dui and Gen to represent Lake and Mountain, Zhen and Xun to represent Thunder and Wind, and Kan and Li to represent Water and Fire. If Heaven and Earth did not interact, and Water and Fire remained separate, then all things would not have the function of generation, and the transformation of myriad things would not be possible. Therefore, the eight trigrams are combined into hexagrams. Now, the eight trigrams are intermingled and combined, so the principles of Heaven and Earth and the affairs of human beings are all complete. Therefore, it is said: Heaven and Earth although fixed in their positions, have harmonious virtue; Lake and Mountain although different in form, have connected breath; Thunder and Wind although each acting separately, are close to each other; Water and Fire although different in nature, support each other in function.

既八卦之用變化如此，故聖人重卦，令八卦相錯，乾、坤、震、巽、坎、離、艮、兌，莫不交互而相重，以象天地雷風水火山澤莫不交錯，則易之爻卦，與天地等，成性命之理、吉凶之數，既往之事，將來之幾，備在爻卦之中矣。故易之為用，人慾數知既往之事者，易則順後而知之；人慾數知將來之事者，易則逆前而數之，是故聖人用此易道，以逆數知來事也。 ○注“作《易》”至“民用”。○正義曰：易雖備知來往之事，莫不假象知之，故聖人作《易》以逆睹來事也。“以前民用”者，易占事在其民用之前，此《繫辭》文，引之以證逆數來事也。

Kong Yingda continued to say: Since the functions and transformations of the Eight Trigrams are so profound, the sage combined the trigrams to form sixty-four hexagrams. The trigrams Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui all interact and overlap with each other, symbolizing the intermingling of heaven and earth, thunder and wind, water and fire, and mountains and marshes. In this way, the lines and hexagrams of the Book of Changes correspond with heaven and earth, thus embodying the principles of life and death and the numbers of good and bad fortune. All past events and signs of the future are fully contained within the lines and hexagrams. Therefore, in terms of the function of the Book of Changes: when people wish to understand past events, the Book of Changes follows the course of time to know them; when people wish to foresee future events, the Book of Changes works backward to calculate them. Thus, the sage used this system of the Book of Changes to foresee future events through reverse reasoning. He then explained Han's commentary from "Zuo Yi" to "Yi before the people's use": Although the Book of Changes comprehensively understands past and future events, it is always through the hexagrams that this knowledge is obtained. Therefore, the sage composed the Book of Changes to foresee future events. The phrase "Yi before the people's use" means that divination with the Book of Changes always precedes the people's actions. This sentence originally comes from the Great Treatise, and it is cited to confirm the principle of foreseeing future events through reverse calculation.

雷以動之，風以散之。雨以潤之，日以烜之。艮以止之，兌以說之。乾以君之，坤以藏之。 [疏]正義曰：此一節總明八卦養物之功。烜，乾也。上四舉象，下四舉卦者，王肅云：“互相備也。明雷風與震巽同用，乾坤與天地通功也。”

The text says: Thunder is used to move all things, wind is used to scatter all things, rain is used to nourish all things, the sun is used to dry all things, the trigram Gèn is used to stop all things, the trigram Duì is used to delight all things, the trigram Qián is used to govern all things, and the trigram Kūn is used to store all things. Kong Yingda explains: This passage generally explains the function of the eight trigrams in nurturing all things. "Xuǎn" means to dry. The first four lines refer to the phenomena of thunder, wind, rain, and the sun, while the last four lines refer to the trigrams Gèn, Duì, Qián, and Kūn. Wang Su explains: This is a way of expressing mutual complementarity — indicating that thunder and wind have the same function as the trigrams Zhèn and Xùn, and that Qián and Kūn correspond to the functions of heaven and earth.

帝出乎震，齊乎巽，相見乎離，致役乎坤，說言乎兌，戰乎乾，勞乎坎，成言乎艮。 [疏]正義曰：“帝出乎震”至“故曰成言乎艮”者，康伯於此無注，然《益》卦六二“王用亨於帝，吉”，王輔嗣注云：“帝者，生物之主，興益之宗，出震而齊巽者也。”王之注意，正引此文，則輔嗣之意，以此帝為天帝也。帝若出萬物，則在乎震；絜齊萬物，則在乎巽；令萬物相見，則在乎離；致役以養萬物，則在乎坤；說萬物而可言者，則在乎兌；陰陽相戰，則在乎乾；受納萬物勤勞，則在乎坎；能成萬物而可定，則在乎艮也。

The text says: The heavenly emperor originates from the Trigram Zhen (Thunder), is orderly in Xun (Wind), causes all things to appear in Li (Fire), governs and nurtures all things in Kun (Earth), brings joy and allows expression in Dui (Lake), and has yin and yang contend in Qian (Heaven). In Kan (Water), it receives and stores after labor; in Gen (Mountain), it completes and concludes. Kong Yingda explains that from "The Emperor arises from Zhen" to "Therefore, it is said to be completed and spoken of in Gen," Han Kangbo did not provide commentary. However, in the hexagram Yi (Increase), line six-two, "The king uses offerings to the emperor, which is auspicious," Wang Bi comments, "The emperor is the sovereign who gives birth to all things and the master of benefit and increase, originating from Zhen and being orderly in Xun." The intention of Wang Bi's commentary is to cite this passage from "Shuo Gu" (Exposition of the Trigrams), showing that he understood the term "emperor" as the heavenly emperor. If the heavenly emperor produces all things, it is in Zhen; if it makes all things clean and orderly, it is in Xun; if it causes all things to meet and appear, it is in Li; if it governs and nurtures all things, it is in Kun; if it brings joy and allows expression, it is in Dui; if yin and yang contend, it is in Qian; if it receives all things, labors, and stores, it is in Kan; if it completes all things and brings them to a conclusion, it is in Gen.

萬物出乎震，震，東方也。齊乎巽，巽，東南也。齊也者，言萬物之絜齊也。離也者，明也。萬物皆相見，南方之卦也。聖人南面而聽天下，嚮明而治，蓋取諸此也。 [疏]正義曰：“萬物出乎震，震，東方”者。解上帝出乎震，以震是東方之卦，斗柄指東為春，春時萬物出生也。“齊乎巽，巽，東南也。齊也者，言萬物之絜齊也”者，解上“齊乎巽”，以巽是東南之卦，斗柄指東南之時，萬物皆絜齊也。

The text says: All things arise from the Trigram Zhen. Zhen belongs to the East. All things are orderly in the Trigram Xun, and Xun belongs to the Southeast. The term "qi" means that all things are clean and orderly. Li is brightness; when all things reach Li, they meet and recognize each other. It is the trigram of the South. The sage faces south to govern the world, directing his affairs towards brightness, which is probably based on this symbolism. Kong Yingda explains: "All things arise from Zhen, Zhen is the trigram of the East," which explains the previous statement "the Emperor arises from Zhen." Because Zhen is the trigram of the East, when the handle of the Big Dipper points to the East, it is spring, and all things begin to sprout. "Orderly in Xun, Xun is the trigram of the Southeast. 'Orderly' means that all things are clean and orderly," which explains the previous statement "orderly in Xun." Because Xun is the trigram of the Southeast, when the handle of the Big Dipper points to the Southeast, all things grow clean and orderly.

“離也者，明也。萬物皆相見，南方之卦也。聖人南面而聽天下，鄉明而治，蓋取諸此也”者，解上“相見乎離”，因明聖人法離之事。以離為象日之卦，故為明也。日出而萬物皆相見也，又位在南方，故聖人法南面而聽天下，鄉明而治也。故云“蓋取諸此也”。

Kong Yingda then explained: "Li means brightness. All things become visible to each other. It is the hexagram of the south. The sage faces south to listen to the affairs of the world, and governs towards the light, hence taking the image from this hexagram." These words explain the previous statement "things appear to each other in Li" and also explain the reason why the sage took the image of the hexagram Li. Since Li symbolizes the sun, it is explained as "brightness." When the sun rises, all things become visible to each other; and since the hexagram Li is located in the south, the sage imitates it by facing south to govern, and administers the state towards the light, hence it is said "this is the image taken from it."

坤也者，地也，萬物皆致養焉，故曰致役乎坤。兌，正秋也，萬物之所說也，故曰說言乎兌。戰乎乾。乾，西北之卦也，言陰陽相薄也。坎者，水也，正北方之卦也，勞卦也，萬物之所歸也，故曰勞乎坎。艮，東北之卦也，萬物之所成終而所成始也，故曰成言乎艮。

The text says: "The hexagram of K'un represents Earth, where all things are nurtured, hence 'to exert effort upon K'un'." "To speak joyfully upon Dui" — Dui corresponds to autumn, the time when all things rejoice and mature. "To fight upon Qian" — Qian is the hexagram of the Northwest, indicating the confrontation between yin and yang here. "To labor upon Kan" — Kan represents water, the hexagram of the North, also the hexagram of toil, where all things retreat and conceal themselves. "To complete upon Gen" — Gen is the hexagram of the Northeast, where all things both conclude and begin anew, hence 'to complete upon Gen'.

[疏]“坤也者”至“乎艮”。○正義曰：“坤也者，地也萬物皆致養焉，故曰致役乎坤”者，解上“致役乎坤”。以坤是象地之卦，地能生養萬物，是有其勞役，故云“致役乎坤”。鄭云：“坤不言方者，所言地之養物不專一也。”“兌，正秋也，萬物之所說也，故曰說言乎兌”者，解上“說言乎兌”。以兌是象澤之卦，說萬物者，莫說乎澤，又位是西方之卦，斗柄指西，是正秋八月也。立秋而萬物皆說成也。

Kong Yingda explained the passage from "Kun also" to "cheng yan hu Gen." He said, "Kun also, is the earth, all things are nurtured by it, hence it is said 'zhi yi hu Kun.'" This is explaining the previous text "zhi yi hu Kun": since the hexagram "Kun" symbolizes the earth, which nurtures all things, there is its labor and effort, hence it is said "zhi yi hu Kun." Zheng Xuan explained that the hexagram "Kun" does not indicate a direction here, because the earth nourishing all things is not exclusive to any particular direction. "Dui, is the correct autumn, the place where all things are pleased, hence it is said 'shuo yan hu Dui.'" This is explaining the previous text "shuo yan hu Dui": since the hexagram "Dui" symbolizes a marsh, nothing pleases all things more than a marsh; its direction is the west, the handle of the asterism points to the west, which is the eighth month of autumn, after the beginning of autumn, all things are happily matured.

“戰乎乾，乾，西北之卦也，言陰陽相薄也”者，解上”戰乎乾”。以乾是西北方之卦，西北是陰地，乾是純陽而居之，是陰陽相薄之象也。故曰“戰乎乾”。“坎者，水也，正北方之卦也，勞卦也，萬物之所歸也，故曰勞乎坎”者，解上“勞乎坎”。以坎是象水之卦，水行不舍晝夜，所以為勞卦。又是正北方之卦，斗柄指北，於時為冬，冬時萬物閉藏，納受為勞，是坎為勞卦也。 “艮，東北之卦也，萬物之所成終而所成始也，故曰成言乎艮”者，解上“成言乎艮”也。以艮是東北方之卦也。東北在寅丑之間，丑為前歲之末，寅為後歲之初，則是萬物之所成終而所成始也。

Kong Yingda continued, "To fight at Qian, Qian is the trigram of the Northwest, indicating the confrontation between yin and yang." This explains the previous statement "To fight at Qian": since Qian is the trigram of the Northwest, which is the region where yin energy resides, and Qian represents the pure yang, it is an image of yin and yang pressing against each other, hence "To fight at Qian." "Kan, which represents water, is the trigram of the North, a laborious trigram, for all things return to it; thus it is said 'To labor at Kan.'" This explains the previous statement "To labor at Kan": since Kan represents water, which flows ceaselessly day and night, it is called the laborious trigram; it is also the trigram of the North, where the handle of the star compass points, corresponding to winter, the season when all things are in retreat and must be gathered in, which is a time of toil, hence Kan is the laborious trigram. "Gen, which is the trigram of the Northeast, is where all things complete their end and begin anew, hence it is said 'To speak of completion at Gen.'" This explains the previous statement "To speak of completion at Gen": since Gen is the trigram of the Northeast, which lies between Chou and Yin, Chou being the end of the previous year and Yin the beginning of the next year, it is precisely where all things complete their end and start anew.

神也者，妙萬物而為言者也。於此言神者，明八卦運動、變化、推移，莫有使之然者，神則無物妙萬物而為言者。明雷疾風行，火炎水潤，莫不自然相與為變化，故能萬物既成也。

The text says: The term "spirit" refers to its ability to make all things mysterious and indescribable. Han Kangbo's commentary explains that the term "spirit" is introduced here to indicate that the movement, change, and transformation of the eight trigrams occur naturally without any external force driving them; "spirit" itself is not a concrete entity, but is named in this way because of its role in making things mysterious. This means that the swift movement of thunder, the pervasive movement of wind, the upward rising of fire, and the downward moistening of water all naturally contribute to each other's transformation, thus enabling the accomplishment of all things.

[疏]正義曰：“神也者”至“成萬物也”。此一節別明八卦生成之用。八卦運動，萬物變化，應時不失，無所不成，莫有使之然者，而求其真宰，無有遠近，了無晦跡，不知所以然而然，況之曰神也。然則神也者，非物妙萬物而為言者，神既範圍天地，故此之下不復別言乾坤，直舉六子以明神之功用。

Kong Yingda explains: From "Shen ye zhe" to "Ji cheng wanwu ye," this section is used to further explain the function of the Eight Trigrams in generating all things. The Eight Trigrams continuously transform, and all things follow and change accordingly, in harmony with the seasons without losing their measure, and nothing is left incomplete. Yet there is no one who is driving them. If one seeks the true master, one cannot find it, whether far or near, not even a trace or hint can be found. It is unknown why it is so, but naturally it is thus. Therefore, it is compared to "Shen." Thus, "Shen" is not a specific thing, but is named so because it makes all things mysterious and indescribable. Since Shen encompasses the entire universe, the following does not mention the trigrams Qian and Kun separately, but directly cites the six subsidiary trigrams Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui to illustrate the function of Shen.

動萬物者，莫疾乎雷。橈萬物者，莫疾乎風。燥萬物者，莫乎火。說萬物者，莫說乎澤。潤萬物者，莫潤乎水。終萬物始萬物者，莫盛乎艮。故水火相逮，雷風不相悖，山澤通氣，然後能變化，既成萬物也。

The classic text says: What moves all things, nothing is swifter than thunder; what gently bends all things, nothing is swifter than wind; what dries all things, nothing is more powerful than fire; what brings joy to all things, nothing is more pleasing than marsh; what moistens all things, nothing is more nourishing than water; what concludes and initiates all things, nothing is greater than the mountain. Therefore, water and fire influence each other, thunder and wind do not contradict each other, mountain and marsh share the same breath, and only then can changes be set in motion to bring about all things. (In the phrase 'what dries all things, nothing is more powerful than fire,' the original text is missing either the character '熯' or '燥'.)

[疏]正義曰：鼓動萬物者，莫疾乎震，震象雷也。橈散萬物者，莫疾乎巽，巽象風也。乾燥萬物者，莫乎離，離象火也。光說萬物者，莫說乎兌，兌象澤也。潤溼萬物者，莫潤乎坎，坎象水也。終萬物始萬物者，莫盛乎艮，艮東北方之卦也。故水火雖不相入而相逮，及雷風雖相薄而不相悖逆，山澤雖相懸而能通氣，然後能行變化而盡成萬物也。

Kong Yingda explains: The trigram Zhen (Thunder) is the most vigorous in stirring all things; Zhen symbolizes thunder. The trigram Xun (Wind) is the most vigorous in dispersing all things; Xun symbolizes wind. The trigram Li (Fire) is the most powerful in drying all things; Li symbolizes fire. The trigram Dui (Lake) is the most effective in bringing joy to all things; Dui symbolizes lake. The trigram Kan (Water) is the most effective in moistening all things; Kan symbolizes water. The trigram Gen (Mountain) is the most grand in concluding and beginning all things; Gen is the trigram of the Northeast. Therefore, though water and fire are incompatible in nature, they can influence each other; though thunder and wind are close to each other, they do not contradict; though mountain and lake are separated by height and depth, they can communicate through their energies. Only in this way can transformation be carried out completely and all things be completed.

艮不言山，獨舉卦名者，動橈燥潤之功，是雷風水火，至於終始萬物，於山義為微，故言艮而不言山也。上章言“水火不相入”，此言“水火相逮”者，既不相入，又不相及，則無成物之功，明性雖不相入而氣相逮及也。上言“雷風相薄”，此言“不相悖”者，二象俱動，動若相薄，而相悖逆則相傷害，亦無成物之功，明雖相薄而不相逆也。

Kong Yingda then explains two textual questions. First, why does the hexagram "Gen" (Mountain) not mention "mountain" but only refers to the hexagram name? Because the functions of stirring, blowing, drying, and moistening belong to thunder, wind, fire, and water respectively. As for the function of concluding and beginning all things, using "mountain" would be too limited in meaning, hence it is called "Gen" instead of "mountain." Second, the previous chapter says "water and fire do not oppose each other," but here it says "water and fire reach each other." If they neither coexist nor touch each other, they would not be able to achieve the function of creating all things. This is to indicate that although water and fire have opposing natures, their energies can reach each other. Similarly, the previous text says "thunder and wind oppose each other," but here it says "thunder and wind do not contradict each other." Thunder and wind, when both are active, may seem to approach each other, but if they truly contradict, they would harm each other and thus be unable to achieve the function of creating all things. This is to indicate that although they approach each other, they do not contradict.

乾，健也。坤，順也。震，動也。巽，入也。坎，陷也。離，麗也。艮，止也。兌，說也。 [疏]正義曰：此一節說八卦名訓。乾象天，體運轉不息，故為健也。“坤，順也”，坤象地，地順承於天，故為順也。“震，動也”，震象雷，雷奮動萬物，故為動也。“巽，入也”，巽象風，風行無所不入，故為入也。“坎，陷也”，坎象水，水處險陷，故為陷也。“離，麗也”，離象火，火必著於物，故為麗也。“艮，止也”，艮象山，山體靜止，故為止也。“兌，說也”，兌象澤，澤潤萬物，故為說也。

The text says: "Qian represents strength and vigor, Kun represents gentleness and compliance, Zhen represents movement, Xun represents entering, Kan represents peril, Li represents attachment, Gen represents stillness, and Dui represents joy." Kong Yingda explains: this passage discusses the interpretation of the names of the Eight Trigrams. "Qian symbolizes Heaven, which moves ceaselessly, so it is interpreted as 'vigor'." "Kun, compliance" — Kun symbolizes Earth, which complies and supports Heaven, so it is interpreted as 'compliance'." "Zhen, movement" — Zhen symbolizes Thunder, which rises and moves all things, so it is interpreted as 'movement'." "Xun, entering" — Xun symbolizes Wind, which penetrates everywhere, so it is interpreted as 'entering'." "Kan, peril" — Kan symbolizes Water, which often resides in perilous and low places, so it is interpreted as 'peril'." "Li, attachment" — Li symbolizes Fire, which must attach itself to something else to burn, so it is interpreted as 'attachment'." "Gen, stillness" — Gen symbolizes Mountain, which remains still and unmoving, so it is interpreted as 'stillness'." "Dui, joy" — Dui symbolizes Lake, which nourishes all things, so it is interpreted as 'joy'."

乾為馬，坤為牛，震為龍，巽為雞，坎為豕，離為雉，艮為狗，兌為羊。 [疏]正義曰：此一節說八卦畜獸之象，略明遠取諸物也。乾象天，天行健，故為馬也。“坤為牛”，坤象地，任重而順，故為牛也。“震為龍”，震，動象，龍，動物，故為龍也。“巽為雞”，巽主號令，雞能知時，故為雞也。“坎為豕”，坎主水瀆，豕處汙溼，故為豕也。“離為雉”，離為文明，雉有文章，故為雉也。“艮為狗”，艮為靜止，狗能善守，禁止外人，故為狗也。“兌為羊”，兌，說也。王廙云：羊者，順之畜，故為羊也。

The text says: "The trigram Qian represents a horse, Kun represents a cow, Zhen represents a dragon, Xun represents a chicken, Kan represents a pig, Li represents a pheasant, Gen represents a dog, and Dui represents a sheep." Kong Yingda explains: This passage discusses the symbolic associations of the Eight Trigrams with domestic animals and wild creatures, generally illustrating the method of taking images from external objects. "Qian represents a horse" — Qian symbolizes Heaven, and Heaven's movement is strong and unceasing, so it is associated with a horse. "Kun represents a cow" — Kun symbolizes Earth, and a cow is strong and obedient, so it is associated with a cow. "Zhen represents a dragon" — Zhen represents movement, and a dragon is a creature that moves well, so it is associated with a dragon. "Xun represents a chicken" — Xun represents issuing commands, and a chicken can announce the time, so it is associated with a chicken. "Kan represents a pig" — Kan represents water channels and rivers, and a pig thrives in muddy and wet areas, so it is associated with a pig. "Li represents a pheasant" — Li has the meaning of brilliance and beauty, and a pheasant has colorful feathers, so it is associated with a pheasant. "Gen represents a dog" — Gen represents stillness, and a dog is good at guarding and can block outsiders, so it is associated with a dog. "Dui represents a sheep" — Dui means joy, and Wang Yi explains that a sheep is a gentle animal, so it is associated with a sheep.

乾為首，坤為腹，震為足，巽為股，坎為耳，離為目，艮為手，兌為口。 [疏]正義曰：此一節說八卦人身之象，略明近取諸身也。乾尊而在上，故為首也。“坤為腹”，坤能包藏含容，故為腹也。“震為足”，足能動用，故為足也。“巽為股”，股隨於足，則巽順之謂，故為股也。“坎為耳”，坎北方之卦，主聽，故為耳也。“離為目”，南方之卦，主視，故為目也。“艮為手”，艮既為止，手亦能止持其物，故為手也。“兌為口”，兌，西方之卦，主言語，故為口也。

The text says: "Qian takes the image of the head, Kun takes the image of the abdomen, Zhen takes the image of the feet, Xun takes the image of the thighs, Kan takes the image of the ears, Li takes the image of the eyes, Gen takes the image of the hands, and Dui takes the image of the mouth." Kong Yingda's commentary explains that this passage discusses how the Eight Trigrams are taken as images of the human body, roughly explaining the idea in the Great Treatise that "nearby things are taken from the body." Qian is noble and occupies the upper position, just as the head is the most noble and upper part of the body, so it is taken as the head. Kun is taken as the abdomen because Kun can contain and hold all things, just as the abdomen can receive and hold things. Zhen is taken as the feet because the feet are used for movement, and Zhen's meaning is movement, so it is taken as the feet. Xun is taken as the thighs because the thighs move along with the feet, which matches Xun's meaning of following, so it is taken as the thighs. Kan is taken as the ears because Kan is the northern trigram, and the north is associated with hearing, so it is taken as the ears. Li is taken as the eyes because Li is the southern trigram, and the south is associated with brightness and vision, so it is taken as the eyes. Gen is taken as the hands because Gen means stillness, and the hands can grasp and stop things, so it is taken as the hands. Dui is taken as the mouth because Dui is the western trigram, and the west is associated with speech, and the mouth is the organ used for speaking, so it is taken as the mouth.

乾，天也，故稱乎父。坤，地也，故稱乎母。震一索而得男，故謂之長男。巽一索而得女，故謂之長女。坎再索而得男，故謂之中男。離再索而得女，故謂之中女。艮三索而得男，故謂之少男。兌三索而得女，故謂之少女。 [疏]正義曰：此一節說乾坤六子，明父子之道。王氏云：“索，求也。以乾坤為父母而求其子也”。得父氣者為男，得母氣者為女。坤初求得乾氣為震，故曰長男。坤二求得乾氣為坎，故曰中男。坤三求得乾氣為艮，故曰少男。乾初求得坤氣為巽，故曰長女。乾二求得坤氣為離，故曰中女。乾三求得坤氣為兌，故曰少女。

The text says: "Qian" symbolizes Heaven, being the origin of all things, so it is called the father; "Kun" symbolizes Earth, which nurtures all things, so it is called the mother. "Zhen" is a male trigram obtained by seeking once, so it is called the Elder Son; "Xun" is a female trigram obtained by seeking once, so it is called the Elder Daughter; "Kan" is a male trigram obtained by seeking again, so it is called the Middle Son; "Li" is a female trigram obtained by seeking again, so it is called the Middle Daughter; "Gen" is a male trigram obtained by seeking a third time, so it is called the Younger Son; "Dui" is a female trigram obtained by seeking a third time, so it is called the Younger Daughter. Kong Yingda's commentary explains that this passage discusses how "Qian" and "Kun" generate six subsidiary trigrams, thereby illustrating the relationship between father and son. Wang Bi says: "Suo" means seeking. By seeking from "Qian" and "Kun," which are regarded as father and mother, the children are generated. Those that receive the yang energy from the father become male trigrams, and those that receive the yin energy from the mother become female trigrams. "Zhen" is formed when the first line of "Kun" seeks the yang energy of "Qian," so it is called the Elder Son; "Kan" is formed when the second line of "Kun" seeks the yang energy of "Qian," so it is called the Middle Son; "Gen" is formed when the third line of "Kun" seeks the yang energy of "Qian," so it is called the Younger Son. "Xun" is formed when the first line of "Qian" seeks the yin energy of "Kun," so it is called the Elder Daughter; "Li" is formed when the second line of "Qian" seeks the yin energy of "Kun," so it is called the Middle Daughter; "Dui" is formed when the third line of "Qian" seeks the yin energy of "Kun," so it is called the Younger Daughter.

乾為天，為圜，為君，為父，為玉，為金，為寒，為冰，為大赤，為良馬，為老馬，為瘠馬，為駁馬，為木果。 [疏]正義曰：此下歷就八卦廣明卦象者也。此一節廣明乾象。乾既為天，天動運轉，故為圜也。為君為父，取其尊道而為萬物之始也。為玉為金，取其剛之清明也。為寒為冰，取其西北寒冰之地也。為大赤，取其盛陽之色也。為良馬，取其行健之善也。為老馬，取其行健之久也。為瘠馬，取其行健之甚。瘠馬，骨多也。為駁馬，言此馬有牙如倨，能食虎豹。《爾雅》云：“倨牙，食虎豹。”此之謂也。王廙云：“駁馬能食虎豹，取其至健也。”為木果，取其果實著木，有似星之著天也。

The text says: "The trigram Qian (Heaven) takes the following symbolic forms: Heaven, roundness, ruler, father, jade, metal, coldness, ice, bright red color, good horse, old horse, thin horse, and spotted horse, as well as the fruit on a tree." Kong Yingda's commentary explains: From here on, each trigram is elaborated upon to explain its symbolic meanings. This section elaborates on the symbolic forms of the trigram Qian. Since Qian symbolizes Heaven, which continuously moves and has a round shape, it is symbolized as round. It is also symbolized as ruler and father, because it represents the supreme and the origin of all things. It is symbolized as jade and metal, because it is hard and clear in nature. It is symbolized as cold and ice, because Qian is located in the northwest, which is a cold and icy region. It is symbolized as bright red, because it represents the color of the most intense yang energy. It is symbolized as a good horse, because it moves vigorously and is complete; as an old horse, because it moves vigorously and lasts long; as a thin horse, because it moves vigorously to the extreme—thin horse refers to a horse with visible bones. It is symbolized as a spotted horse, because this kind of horse has teeth like saws and can eat tigers and leopards. The Classic of Mountains and Seas says, "Saw-like teeth, eats tigers and leopards," referring to this. Wang Yi says: "The spotted horse can eat tigers and leopards, symbolizing its extreme strength." It is also symbolized as the fruit on a tree, because the fruit is attached to the tree, just as stars are attached to the sky.

坤為地，為母，為布，為釜，為吝嗇，為均，為子，母牛，為大輿，為文，為眾，為柄。其於地也為黑。 [疏]正義曰：此一節廣明坤象。坤既為地，地受任生育，故謂之為母也。為布，取其地廣載也。為釜，取其化生成熟也。為吝嗇，取其地生物不轉移也。為均，取其地道平均也。為子、母牛，取其多蕃育而順之也。為大輿，取其能載萬物也。為文，取其萬物之色雜也。為眾，取其地載物非一也。為柄，取其生物之本也。其於地也為黑，取其極陰之色也。

The text says: "Kun" takes the image of earth, mother, cloth, pot, stinginess, equality, young ox and mother ox, large cart, color, multitude, and handle. In terms of earth, it takes the image of black. Kong Yingda's commentary explains that this section elaborates on the image of the "Kun" hexagram. Since "Kun" symbolizes earth, which bears the weight of all things and nurtures myriad creatures, it is called mother. Taking the image of cloth is because the earth is vast and carries all things. Taking the image of pot is because it enables things to be transformed and mature. Taking the image of stinginess is because the earth nurtures all things yet remains in its place and does not move. Taking the image of equality is because the way of earth is level and uniform. Taking the image of young ox and mother ox is because it produces many and is gentle in nature. Taking the image of large cart is because it can carry all things. Taking the image of color is because the colors of myriad things are intermingled. Taking the image of multitude is because the things carried by the earth are not of one kind. Taking the image of handle is because it is the root of all things. Taking the image of black in terms of earth is because the color of extreme yin is black.

震為雷，為龍，為玄黃，為旉，為大塗，為長子，為決躁，為蒼筤竹，為萑葦。其於馬也為善鳴，為馵足，為作足，為的顙。其於稼也為反生。其究為健，為蕃鮮。 [疏]正義曰：此一節廣明震象。為玄黃，取其相雜而成蒼色也。為旉，取其春時氣至，草木皆吐，旉布而生也。為大塗，取其萬物之所生也。為長子，如上文釋，震為長子也。為決躁，取其剛動也。為蒼筤竹，竹初生之時色蒼筤，取其春生之美也。為萑葦，萑葦，竹之類也。

The text says: "Zhen" takes the image of thunder, dragon, a color of green and yellow mixed together, blooming flowers and buds, a great road, the eldest son, decisiveness and restlessness, young green bamboo, and reeds. For horses, the image is a horse that makes a good sound, a horse with white on the hind legs, a horse that lifts its feet high, and a horse with a white forehead. For crops, the image is the seed shell turning upward and sprouting. When taken to the extreme, it becomes strong and vigorous, and flourishing and bright. Kong Yingda's commentary explains that this section elaborates on the imagery of the "Zhen" hexagram. Taking the image of dark yellow, it refers to the mixture of the dark blue of heaven and the yellow of earth, forming a green and dark color. Taking the image of "fu" (a term meaning spreading out), it refers to the spring air causing grass and trees to sprout buds and flowers and leaves to spread out. Taking the image of a great road, it refers to all things arising from it, like a road that is unobstructed. Taking the image of the eldest son, as explained earlier, "Zhen" represents the eldest son. Taking the image of decisiveness and restlessness, it refers to its strong and active nature. Taking the image of young green bamboo, it refers to bamboo being young and green when it first grows, symbolizing the beauty of spring growth. Taking the image of reeds, reeds are of the same category as bamboo.

其於馬也為善鳴，取其象雷聲之遠聞也。為馵足，馬後足白為馵，取其動而見也。為作足，取其動而行健也。為的顙，白額為的顙，亦取動而見也。其於稼也為反生，取其始生戴甲而出也。其究為健，究，極也。極於震動，則為健也。為蕃鮮，鮮，明也。取其春時草木蕃育而鮮明。

Kong Yingda continued to say: For the horse, the image taken is that of a good-sounding neigh, which is taken because it resembles the sound of thunder that can be heard from afar. The image taken is also "shuizu," which refers to the white hooves of a horse, and is taken because when the horse moves, the white hooves are clearly visible. The image taken is also "zuozu," which refers to the horse's movement with strong and powerful strides. The image taken is also "de sang," which refers to a white forehead, and is also taken because when the horse moves, the white forehead is clearly visible. For crops, the image taken is "fansi," which refers to the seed sprouting and breaking through the seed shell. It says "qi jiu wei jian," where "jiu" means extreme, and when the shaking reaches its extreme, it turns into strength and vitality. The image taken is also "fan xian," where "xian" means bright, and is taken because in spring, the grass and trees grow abundantly and display bright colors.

巽為木，為風，為長女，為繩直，為工，為白，為長，為高，為進退，為不果，為臭。其於人也為寡髮，為廣顙，為多白眼，為近利市三倍，其究為躁卦。 [疏]正義曰：此一節廣明巽象。巽為木，木可以輮曲直，即巽順之謂也。為風，取其陽在上搖木也。為長女，如上釋，巽為長女也。為繩直，取其號令齊物，如繩之直木也。為工，亦正取繩直之類，為白，取其風吹去塵，故絜白也。為長，取其風行之遠也。為高，取其風性高遠，又木生而上也。為進退，取其風之性前卻，其物進退之義也。為不果，取其風性前卻，不能果敢決斷，亦皆進退之義也。

The text says: "The trigram 'Xun' (Wind) is symbolized by wood, wind, the eldest daughter, the straightness of a measuring rope, craftsmen, white color, length, height, indecisiveness, lack of decisiveness, and smell; in terms of people, it is symbolized by sparse hair, broad forehead, large white of the eye, and seeking profit, thereby gaining three times the market profit; when taken to its extreme, it becomes the trigram of restlessness." Kong Yingda's commentary explains: this section elaborates on the symbolic meanings of the trigram 'Xun'. It says "Xun represents wood," because wood can be bent and straightened, and can be shaped by human hands, which reflects the meaning of "Xun" as yielding. The symbol of wind is derived from the movement of yang energy above causing trees to sway. The symbol of the eldest daughter is as explained earlier, since "Xun" is the eldest daughter. The symbol of the straightness of a measuring rope is derived from the ability to regulate and align all things, just as a measuring rope can straighten wood. The symbol of craftsmen also refers to this idea of straightening and shaping. The symbol of white color comes from the wind removing dust, resulting in cleanliness and whiteness. The symbol of length is derived from the wind traveling far. The symbol of height is derived from the nature of wind being lofty, and trees growing upward. The symbol of advancing and retreating comes from the nature of wind sometimes advancing and sometimes retreating, thus implying indecisiveness in matters. The symbol of lack of decisiveness also comes from the wind swaying back and forth, unable to make firm decisions, which is consistent with the meaning of advancing and retreating.

為臭，王肅作“為香臭”也。取其風所發也，又取下風之遠聞。其於人也為寡髮，寡，少也。風落樹之華葉，則在樹者稀疏，如人之少發，亦類於此，故為寡髮也。為廣顙，額闊為廣顙，發寡少之義，故為廣顙也。為多白眼，取躁人之眼，其色多白也。為近利，取其躁人之情，多近於利也。市三倍，取其木生蕃盛，於市則三倍之宜利也。其究為躁卦，究，極也。取其風之近極於躁急也。

Kong Yingda continued to say: Taking the image as the scent, Wang Su's version reads "as fragrance and stench," which refers to the spreading of odors by wind, and also the person downwind can smell them from afar. Regarding humans, taking the image as sparse hair, "gu" means few; when the wind blows off the flowers and leaves from trees, those remaining on the tree become sparse, similar to a person having sparse hair, so the image is taken as sparse hair. Taking the image as a broad forehead, a broad forehead is called "guang sang," and sparse hair makes the forehead appear wide, so the image is taken as a broad forehead. Taking the image as white of the eye, it refers to a person with a quick temper who has more white than black in the eye. Taking the image as pursuing immediate profit, it refers to the nature of a quick-tempered person who tends toward wealth and profit. Saying "the market triples the price" refers to the flourishing growth of grass and trees, which can be sold in the market for three times the value. Saying "in the end it becomes the Zao (Restless) hexagram," "jiu" means extreme, referring to the wind reaching its extreme and turning into restlessness.

坎為水，為溝瀆，為隱伏，為矯輮，為弓輪。其於人也，為加憂，為心病，為耳痛，為血卦，為赤。其於馬也，為美脊，為亟心，為下首，為薄蹄，為曳。其於輿也，為多眚，為通，為月，為盜。其於木也，為堅多心。 [疏]正義曰：此一節廣明坎象。坎為水，取其北方之行也。為溝瀆，取其水行，無所不通也。為隱伏，取其水藏地中也。為矯輮，取其使曲者直為矯，使直者曲為輮。水流曲直，故為矯輮也。為弓輪，弓者，激矢。取如水激射也。輪者，運行如水行也。其於人也為加憂，取其憂險難也。為心病，憂其險難。故心病也。為耳痛，坎為勞卦也，又北方主聽，聽勞則耳痛也。為血卦，取其人之有血，尤地有水也。為赤，亦取血之色。

The text says: "Kan" takes the image of water, ditches, concealment, bending and straightening, bows and chariots; in terms of humans, it represents deepening worries, heart disease, ear pain, the blood hexagram, and red color; in terms of horses, it represents a strong back, a quick temper, lowering the head, thin hooves, and dragging; in terms of vehicles, it represents many calamities, movement, the moon, and thieves; in terms of wood, it represents hardness and a lot of wooden heart. Kong Yingda's commentary explains that this section elaborates on the imagery of the Kan hexagram. Saying "Kan represents water" is because it belongs to the northern direction. Taking the image of ditches is because water flows everywhere without obstruction. Taking the image of concealment is because water is hidden underground. Taking the image of bending and straightening: making a bend straight is called "jiao," and making a straight line bend is called "rou," water flows both straight and winding, so it takes the image of bending and straightening. Taking the image of bows and chariots: a bow is used to shoot arrows, taking its likeness to water's forceful flow; a chariot is used for continuous movement, taking its likeness to water's unceasing flow. In terms of humans, taking the image of deepening worries is because it represents fear and danger; taking the image of heart disease is because fear and danger cause illness in the heart; taking the image of ear pain is because Kan is the hexagram of toil, and the north is associated with hearing, so hearing too much causes ear pain; taking the image of the blood hexagram is because the human body has blood, just as the earth has water; taking the image of red color is also because of the color of blood.

其於馬也為美脊，取其陽在中也。為亟心，亟，急也。取其中堅內動也。為下首，取其水流向下也。為薄蹄，取其水流迫地而行也。為曳，取其水磨地而行也。其於輿也為多眚，取其表裡有陰，力弱不能重載，常憂災眚也。為通，取其行有孔穴也。為月，取其月是水之精也。為盜，取水行潛竊如盜賊也。其於木也為堅多心，取剛在內也。

Kong Yingda continued: Regarding the horse, the image taken is of a strong and well-built back and spine, which corresponds to the Yang line in the center of the Kan trigram, similar to a horse's strong and upright back in the middle. The image taken as "quick heart" refers to the meaning of "quick," which is about its middle being solid and its inner part being restless. The image taken as bowing the head is derived from the fact that water always flows downward. The image taken as thin hooves is based on water running close to the ground. The image taken as dragging is based on water flowing slowly along the ground. Regarding the chariot, the image taken is of many misfortunes, which corresponds to the two Yin lines at the top and bottom of the Kan trigram, indicating weak strength that cannot bear heavy loads and often worries about accidents. The image taken as passage is based on the fact that there are holes in the middle that allow passage. The image taken as the moon is based on the moon being the essence of water. The image taken as thieves is based on water secretly flowing and leaking, similar to thieves stealing things. Regarding the wood, the image taken is of being hard and having many hearts, which corresponds to its strong lines inside.

離為火，為日，為電，為中女，為甲胃，為戈兵。其於人也，為大腹。為乾卦，為鱉，為蟹，為蠃，為蚌，為龜，其於木也，為科上槁。 [疏]正義曰：此一節廣明離象。離為火，取南方之行也。為日，取其日是火精也。為電，取其有明似火之類也。為中女，如上釋，離為中女也。為甲胃，取其剛在外也。為戈兵，取其剛在於外，以剛自捍也。其於人也為大腹，取其懷陰氣也。為乾卦，取其日所烜也。為鱉，為蟹，為蠃，為蚌，為龜，皆取剛在外也。其於木也為科上槁，科，空也。陰在內為空，木既空中者，上必枯槁也。

The text says: "Li" takes the image of fire, the sun, lightning, the middle daughter, armor and helmets, and spears and weapons; in terms of humans, it takes the image of a large belly; it also takes the image of a dry hexagram, turtles, crabs, snails, clams, and tortoises; in terms of wood, it takes the image of being hollow in the middle with the top withered. Kong Yingda's commentary explains that this section expands on the imagery of the hexagram "Li." Saying "Li represents fire" is because it belongs to the southern direction. Taking the image of the sun is because the sun is the essence of fire. Taking the image of lightning is because its brightness is similar to fire. Taking the image of the middle daughter is as explained earlier, "Li" represents the middle daughter. Taking the image of armor and helmets is because its strong lines are on the outside, like armor protecting the body. Taking the image of spears and weapons is also because the strong lines are on the outside, using hardness to protect oneself. Taking the image of a large belly in terms of humans is because it is hollow in the middle and contains yin energy. Taking the image of a dry hexagram is because the sun's exposure dries things out. Taking the image of turtles, crabs, snails, clams, and tortoises is because they all have hard shells with hardness on the outside. Taking the image of being hollow and withered in terms of wood is because "ke" means hollow, and the yin lines inside indicate hollowness. When the middle is already hollow, the top must necessarily wither.

艮為山，為徑路，為小石，為門闕，為果蓏，為閽寺，為指，為狗，為鼠，為黔喙之屬。其於木也，為堅多節。 [疏]正義曰：此一節廣明艮象。艮為山，取陰在下為止，陽在於上為高，故艮象山也。為徑路，取其山雖高有澗道也。為小石，取其艮為山，又為陽卦之小者，故為小石也。為門闕，取其有徑路，又崇高也。為果蓏，木實為果，草實為蓏，取其出於山谷之中也。為閽寺，取其禁止人也。為指，取其執止物也。為狗為鼠，取其皆止人家也。為黔喙之屬，取其山居之獸也。其於木也為堅多節，取其山之所生，其堅勁故多節也。

The text says: "Geng" (Hexagram 52) takes its imagery from mountains, narrow paths, small stones, gateways, fruits and melons, gatekeepers such as the阍人 and 寺人, fingers, dogs, mice, black-mouthed wild animals, and wood. Regarding wood, it takes the image of being hard and having many knots. Kong Yingda's commentary explains that this section elaborates on the imagery of "Geng." It says "Geng represents a mountain" because the two yin lines are below and still, while the one yang line is above and lofty, thus resembling a mountain. The imagery of narrow paths comes from the fact that although mountains are high and steep, there are gullies and paths through them. The imagery of small stones comes from the fact that "Geng" both represents a mountain and is the smallest among yang hexagrams, thus resembling small stones. The imagery of gateways comes from the fact that it has passages for entry and exit, and its form is lofty and facing each other. The imagery of fruits and melons comes from the fact that fruits grow on trees and melons grow on grass, both growing in mountain valleys. The imagery of gatekeepers such as the阍人 and 寺人 comes from the fact that they guard the gates and prevent outsiders from entering. The imagery of fingers comes from the fact that fingers can grasp and hold things still. The imagery of dogs and mice comes from the fact that they rest in human dwellings. The imagery of black-mouthed wild animals comes from the fact that they are the beasts that live in the mountains. Regarding wood, the imagery of being hard and having many knots comes from the fact that the trees growing on mountains are tough and have many branches and knots.

兌為澤，為少女，為巫，為口舌，為毀折，為附決。其於地也為剛滷，為妾，為羊。 [疏]正義曰：此一節廣明兌象。兌為澤，取其陰卦之小，地類卑也。為少女，如上釋，兌為少女也。為巫，取其口舌之官也。為口舌，取西方於五事為言，取口舌為言語之具也。為毀折，為附決。兌西方之卦，又兌主秋也。取秋物成熟，槁稈旱之屬則毀折也，果蓏之屬則附決也。其於地也為剛滷，取水澤所停，則咸鹵也。為妾，取少女從姊為娣也。為羊，如上釋，取其羊性順也。

The classic text says: "The hexagram Dui takes the image of a marsh, a young girl, a shaman, speech, destruction and breaking, and something attached and falling off; in terms of the earth, it takes the image of hard salt-alkali land, and also of a concubine and a sheep." Kong Yingda's commentary explains that this passage expands on the imagery of the hexagram Dui. It says "Dui represents a marsh," because it is the smallest among the yin hexagrams and belongs to the category of earth, which is low-lying. It takes the image of a young girl, as explained earlier, since Dui represents a young girl. It takes the image of a shaman, because shamans use speech to serve the gods, and they are those who manage words. It takes the image of speech, because the west is associated with "speech" in the "Five Matters" of the "Book of Documents: Hongfan," and speech is the tool for speaking. It takes the image of destruction and breaking off, because Dui is the hexagram of the west, and it governs autumn: in autumn, all things mature, and the stalks of grain wither and break, while fruits detach and fall off. In terms of the earth, it takes the image of salt-alkali land, because where water accumulates, the soil becomes salty and alkaline. It takes the image of a concubine, because a young girl follows her elder sister when she marries and becomes a concubine. It takes the image of a sheep, as explained earlier, because sheep are gentle in nature.