outline two · discussing the profound essence of the way of the book of changes and the meaning and examples in the classic texts

司馬氏遷曰：《易》本隱以之顯，《春秋》推見至隱。

Simatai said: The Book of Changes starts from the hidden heavenly ways and extends to the manifest human affairs; the Spring and Autumn Annals begins with the clear historical events and probes into the hidden principles and meanings.

班氏固曰：六藝之文，《樂》以和神，《詩》以正言，《禮》以明體，《書》以廣聽，《春秋》以斷事。五者蓋五常之道，相須而備，而《易》為之原，故曰“《易》不可見，則乾坤或幾乎息矣”。言與天地為終始也。

Ban Gu said: The texts of the Six Classics, the Music is used to harmonize people's spirits, the Poetry is used to correct people's speech, the Rites are used to clarify people's status and propriety, the Documents are used to broaden one's knowledge, and the Spring and Autumn Annals are used to judge right and wrong. These five correspond to the five constant virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith, and they rely on each other to be complete. The Book of Changes, however, is their common origin. Therefore, the Great Treatise says, "If the Book of Changes is not seen, the Qian and Kun trigrams would soon come to a halt," meaning that the Book of Changes begins and ends with the heavens and earth.

王氏弼曰：夫《彖》者何也？統論一卦之體，明其所由之主者也。故六爻相錯，可舉一以明也。剛柔相乘，可立主以定也。自統而尋之，物雖眾，則知可以執一御也。由本以觀之，義雖博，則知可以一名舉也。故舉卦之名，義有主矣。“觀其彖辭，則思過半矣”。

Wang Bi said: What is the "tuan" (彖)? It refers to a general discussion of the whole hexagram, indicating the main line from which the hexagram arises. Therefore, although the six lines are intermingled, one line can be selected to explain the entire hexagram; although yin and yang lines may be in mutual opposition, one main line can be established to determine the meaning of the hexagram. By seeking from the overall perspective, even though things are numerous, one can understand that one can grasp many by holding onto one; by observing from the fundamental aspect, even though principles are extensive, one can know that one term can summarize them all. Therefore, once the name of the hexagram is given, its meaning is already established. This is exactly what the "Great Treatise" says: "By looking at its tuan passage, one has already thought through most of it."

一卦五陽而一陰，則一陰為之主。五陰而一陽，則一陽為之主。夫陰之所求者陽也，陽之所求者陰也。陽苟一焉，五陰何得不同而歸之？陰苟只焉，五陽何得不同而從之？故陰爻雖賤，而為一卦之主者，處其至少之地也。或有遺爻而舉二體者，卦體不由乎爻也。繁而不優亂，變而不憂感，約以存博，簡以濟眾，其唯《彖》乎！

In a single hexagram, if there are five yang lines and one yin line, that single yin line becomes the master of the entire hexagram. If there are five yin lines and one yang line, that single yang line becomes the master of the entire hexagram. Yin seeks yang, and yang seeks yin. Since there is only one yang line, how could the five yin lines not all turn toward it? Since there is only one yin line, how could the five yang lines not all follow it? Therefore, although the yin line is in a low position, it can become the master of the hexagram precisely because it is in the minority. There are also interpretations that disregard the lines and only consider the upper and lower trigrams, because the structure of the hexagram does not depend on a single line. Though the details are numerous, there is no confusion; although the changes are unpredictable, there is no confusion. Using simplicity to preserve breadth, and using ease to assist in understanding many things, only the *Tong* (彖) can achieve this.

夫爻者何也？言乎變者也。變者何也？情偽之所為也。是故“情偽相感”，遠近相追，“愛惡相攻”，屈伸相推。“非天下之至變，其孰能與於此哉！”是故卦以存時，爻以示變。

What is a "yao"? It refers to change. And what causes change? It arises from the sincerity and hypocrisy of human affairs. Therefore, the "Great Treatise" says, "Sincerity and hypocrisy respond to each other; the distant and near pursue each other; love and hatred attack each other; bending and stretching shift into one another." It continues, "If it is not the most changeable thing in the world, how could it be involved in such a situation!" Thus, a hexagram is used to preserve a situation, while a yao is used to show the changes within it.

夫卦者時也，爻者適時之變者也。時有否泰，故用有行藏。卦有小大，故辭有險易。

The hexagram represents a particular situation or context, while the lines represent various changes that adapt to this situation. Since a situation may be obstructed or smooth, human actions may involve taking action to follow the right path or withdrawing to protect oneself. Hexagrams with a dominant yin and softness are called "small," while those with a dominant yang and strength are called "great." Therefore, the statements of the lines differ between dangerous and easy situations.

一時之制，可反而用也。一時之吉，可反而凶也。故卦以反對，而爻亦皆變。尋名以觀

The principles applicable to a particular situation may be reversed when applied to a different situation; what is auspicious in one context may become inauspicious in another. Therefore, the sixty-four hexagrams are arranged in pairs of "opposites," where one hexagram is the reverse of another, and the corresponding lines are also transformed. Following the hexagram names to examine this—there is a missing text in the original.

夫象者，出意者也；言者，明象者也。盡意莫若象，盡象莫若言。言生於象，故可尋言以現象。象生於意，故可尋象以觀意。意以象盡，象以言著。故言者所以明象，得象而忘言。象者所以存意，得意而忘象。存言者，非得象者也；存象者，非得意者也。

"The 'image' (xiàng) is used to express the mind's meaning, and 'speech' (yán) is used to clarify the image. To fully express meaning, nothing is better than the image; to fully express the image, nothing is better than speech. Speech arises from the image, so one can follow speech to see the image; the image arises from meaning, so one can follow the image to observe the meaning. Meaning is fully expressed through the image, and the image is clearly manifested through speech. Therefore, the function of speech is to clarify the image; once the image is obtained, one should forget speech. The function of the image is to preserve meaning; once the meaning is obtained, one should forget the image. Those who cling to speech are actually not grasping the image; those who cling to the image are actually not grasping the meaning."

象生於意而存象焉，則所存者乃非其象也。言生於象而存言焉，則所存者乃非其言也。

The image arises from the mind. If one clings rigidly to the image, what is held onto is no longer the true image. Words arise from the image. If one clings rigidly to words, what is held onto is no longer the true word.

然則忘象者，乃得意者也；忘言者，乃得象者也。爻苟合順，何必坤乃為牛？義苟應健，何必乾乃為馬？而或者定馬於乾，案文責卦，有馬無乾，則偽說滋漫，難可紀矣。互體不足，遂及卦變。變又不足，推致五行。一失其原，巧喻彌甚。縱復或值，義無所取。

Thus, those who can forget the image are truly content; those who can forget the words are truly grasping the image. As long as the line meanings conform to flexibility and gentleness, why must the Hexagram Kūn be taken as an ox? As long as the hexagram meaning corresponds to strength and vigor, why must the Hexagram Qián be taken as a horse? Yet some insist on attaching "horse" exclusively to Qián, and follow the text to investigate the hexagram image. When encountering a mention of "horse" in the text but no Qián in the hexagram, endless baseless interpretations arise, too numerous to recount. When the method of mutual relations fails, they resort to the theory of hexagram transformation; when that fails, they push further to the Five Phases. Once the root is lost, ingenious analogies become even more absurd. Even when occasionally coinciding, they have no merit in terms of meaning.

蓋存象忘意之由也。忘象以求其意，義斯見矣。

These are the drawbacks caused by rigidly adhering to the images of the trigrams while forgetting their original meaning. Conversely, if we forget the images and seek the meaning they intend to convey, the principles and reasoning of the trigrams and lines will naturally become evident.

按象無初上得位失位之文，又《繫辭》但論三五、二四同功異位，亦不及初上，何乎？唯《乾》上九《文言》云“貴而五位”，《需》上六云“雖不當位”。若以上為陰位邪？則《需》上六不得云“不當位”也。若以上為陽位邪？則乾上九不得云“貴而無位”也。陰陽處之，皆云非位，而初亦不說當位失位也。

Wang Bi further explains: The Image Commentary never mentions anything about the first line or the top line being "in position" or "out of position." The Great Treatise only discusses the three and five, and the two and four, as having the same function but different positions, and does not involve the first and top lines. Why is this so? Only the "Wenyan" of the top line of the Qian hexagram says "position is noble but there is no position" (the original "five position" is a mistake for "no position"). The Xu hexagram's top line says "although not in position." If the top position is considered a yin position, then the top line of Xu, which is yin in a yin position, should not be said to be "not in position." If the top position is considered a yang position, then the top line of Qian, which is yang in a yang position, should not be said to be "noble but without position." This shows that both yin and yang lines in the top position are said to not have a "position," and the first line is also not discussed in terms of being in or out of position.

然則初上者，是事之終始，無陰陽定位也。故乾初謂之“潛”，過五謂之“無位”，未有處其位而云“潛”，有位而云“無”者也。歷觀眾卦，盡亦如之。初上無陰陽定位，亦以明矣。位者，列貴賤之地，待才用之宅也。爻者，守位分之任，應貴賤之序者也。

Thus, the first line and the top line represent the beginning and the end of an affair, and they originally do not have fixed yin and yang positions. Therefore, the first line of the Qian hexagram is called "qian" (hidden), and after the fifth line, it is called "wuwei" (without position); there is no case where someone is not in a position yet described as "hidden," nor is there a case where someone is already in a position yet described as "without." When examining all the hexagrams, this is the case. Thus, it is clear that the first and top lines do not have fixed yin and yang positions. The term "wei" refers to the place of rank and status, a position waiting for someone to fulfill it with ability. The term "yao" refers to the person who holds this position, corresponding to the order of rank and status.

位有尊卑，爻有陰陽。尊者陽之所處，卑者陰之所履也。故以尊為陽位，卑為陰位。去初上而論位分，則三五各在一卦之上，亦何得不謂之陽位？二四各在一卦之下，亦何得不謂之陰位？初上者，體之終始，事之先後也。故位無常分，事無常所，非可以陰陽定也。

Positions have distinctions of respect, and lines have distinctions of yin and yang. The honorable position is where yang resides, and the humble position is where yin resides. Therefore, the honorable position is considered yang position, and the humble position is considered yin position. If we disregard the first and top lines when discussing positions, then the third line and fifth line are each located at the top of the lower trigram and upper trigram respectively, so how can they not be considered yang positions? The second line and fourth line are each located at the bottom of the lower trigram and upper trigram respectively, so how can they not be considered yin positions? As for the first line and top line, they are the beginning and end of the entire hexagram, the start and conclusion of an affair, so their positions have no fixed rules, and the matters they represent have no fixed locations, so they cannot be defined by yin and yang.

尊卑有常序，終始無常主，故《繫辭》但論四爻功位之通例，而不及初上之定位也。然事不可無終始，卦不可無六爻，初上雖無陰陽本位，是終始之地也。統而論之，爻之所處則謂之位。卦以六爻為成，則不得不謂之六位時成也。

Between the superior and inferior there is a fixed order, but the beginning and end do not have a fixed master. Therefore, the Great Treatise only discusses the general functions and positions of the second, third, fourth, and fifth lines, without involving the first and top lines. However, things cannot lack a beginning and an end, and a hexagram cannot be missing its six lines. Although the first and top lines do not have the positions of yin and yang, they are still the places of beginning and end. In summary, the place where a line is located is called 'position'; since a hexagram consists of six lines, it must be referred to as the 'six positions forming the time' mentioned in the Commentary on the Judgment of the Qian hexagram.

凡《彖》者，統論一卦之體者也。《象》者，各辯一爻之義者也。故《履》卦六三為兌之主，以應於乾；成卦之體，在斯一爻。故《彖》敘其應，雖危而亨也。《象》則各言六爻之義，明其吉凶之行。去六三成卦之體，而指說一爻之德，故危不獲亨而見咥也。《訟》之九二，亦同斯義。

In general, the Commentary on the Judgment discusses the overall meaning of a hexagram, while the Image Commentary (referring to the Small Image Commentary) analyzes the meaning of each line separately. Therefore, in the hexagram of Footsteps, the line Six in the Third is the main line of the lower trigram兑 (Lake), and it corresponds to the trigram乾 (Heaven) above. The formation of the entire hexagram depends crucially on this line, so the Commentary on the Judgment mentions its correspondence with the upper trigram, stating that although it is in a dangerous position, it ultimately achieves success. The Image Commentary, however, explains the meaning of each line separately, indicating their trends of fortune and misfortune. It ignores the role of line Six in the Third in forming the hexagram as a whole, and instead focuses solely on the virtue of this line itself, hence stating that it is in a dangerous position and fails to achieve success, being bitten by a tiger. The case of line Nine in the Second of the hexagram of Dispute follows the same principle.

一卦之體，必由一爻為主，則指明一爻之美，以統一卦之義，《大有》之類是也。卦體不由乎一爻，則全以二體之義明之，《豐》卦之類是也。

If the structure of a single hexagram is indeed dominated by a particular line, it indicates the virtue of that line and uses it to encompass the meaning of the entire hexagram. For example, in the hexagram Da You, the line six in the fifth position uses a single yin line to govern five yang lines. However, if the structure of the hexagram does not depend on a single line, then the meaning is fully explained by the significance of the upper and lower trigrams. For example, in the hexagram Feng, the trigram Li (Fire) is at the bottom and Zhen (Thunder) is at the top.

薛收問一卦六爻之義，王氏通曰：卦也者，著天下之時也。爻也者，效天下之動也。

Xue Shou asked his teacher about the meaning of the six lines in a hexagram. Wang Tong (a great scholar of the Sui dynasty, posthumously honored as Wen Zhong Zi by his disciples) answered: What is called a hexagram is to show the situation of the world; what is called a line is to imitate the movement of the world.

趨時有六動焉，吉凶悔吝所以不同也。收曰：敢問六爻之義。曰：六者非它也，三才之道？誰能過乎？

There are six ways of acting in accordance with the circumstances, which is why each line is either auspicious, ominous, regretful, or difficult. Xue Shou asked again: Please explain the specific meaning of the six lines. Wang Tong replied: The six lines are not anything else, but simply the way of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, the three elements, each occupying two lines. Who could go beyond this scope?

孔氏穎達曰：《易》者，變化之總名，改換之殊稱。自天地開闢，陰陽運行，寒暑

Kong Yingda said: The term "Yi" refers to the general name of change, also known as the alternative term for transformation. Since the creation of heaven and earth, yin and yang have been continuously in motion, with the coming of cold followed by the arrival of heat — the original text here is missing some characters.

乾坤者，陰陽之本始，萬物之祖宗，故為上篇之始而尊之也。離為日，坎為月，日月之道，陰陽之經，所以始終萬物，故以坎離為上篇之終也，《咸》、《恆》者，男女之始，夫婦之道，人道之興，必由夫婦，所以奉承祖宗，為天地之主，故為下篇之始而貴之也，《既濟》《未濟》為最終者，所以明戒慎而全王道也。以此言之，則上下二篇，文王所定。

The hexagrams Qian and Kun are the fundamental beginnings of yin and yang, the ancestors of all things, so they are placed first in the Upper Canon to show respect. Li represents the sun, and Kan represents the moon. The movement of the sun and moon is the constant path of yin and yang, through which all things come to an end and begin again, so Li and Kan are used as the concluding hexagrams of the Upper Canon. The hexagrams Xian and Heng discuss the beginning of the union between male and female and the way of enduring marital harmony. The emergence of human relationships necessarily begins with husband and wife, from which one ascends to ancestors and descends to be the masters of the world, so they are placed first in the Lower Canon to show importance. The hexagrams Ji Ji and Wei Ji are used as the final two hexagrams to emphasize the meaning of being cautious and careful in order to preserve the Way of the King. Thus, the division of the Book of Changes into Upper and Lower Canons was established by King Wen.

周子曰：聖人之精，畫卦以示；聖人之蘊，因卦以發。卦不畫，聖人之精不可得而見；微卦，聖人之蘊殆不可悉得而聞。《易》何止五經之原，其天地鬼神之奧乎！

Zhou Dunyi said: The most refined understanding in the mind of the sage is revealed through the drawing of hexagrams; the principles contained within the sage's heart are expressed through the images of the hexagrams. If the hexagrams had not been drawn, the subtle aspects of the sage would have remained unseen; without the hexagrams, the principles the sage had stored within might not have been fully heard. The Book of Changes is not merely the origin of the Five Classics, but rather the very essence of heaven and earth, ghosts and spirits, the profound and mysterious aspects of the universe!

邵子曰：天變而人效之，故“元亨利貞”。《易》之變也，人行而天應之，故“吉凶悔吝”。《易》之應也，以“元亨”為變，則“利貞”為應。以“吉凶”為應，則“悔吝”為變。元則吉，吉則利應之。亨則凶，凶則應之以貞。悔則古，吝則凶，是以變中有應，應中有變也。

Shao Yong said: The heavenly way changes, and people follow it, so there are the four virtues of "Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen," which is the "change" discussed in the Book of Changes; people take action, and heaven responds to it, so there are the four aspects of "Ji, Xiong, Hui, Lin," which is the "response" discussed in the Book of Changes. If "Yuan Heng" is considered as change, then "Li Zhen" is response; if "Ji Xiong" is considered as response, then "Hui Lin" is change. At the beginning, Yuan leads to Ji, and obtaining Ji is responded to with Li; Heng reaches its peak and turns into Xiong, and encountering Xiong is responded to with holding to Zhen. Hui can turn toward Ji (the original text's "Gǔ" is a mistake for "Ji"), and Lin ultimately leads to Xiong. This shows that change contains response, and response contains change.

變中之應，天道也，故元為變，則亨應之；利為變，則應之以貞。應中之變，人事也，故變則凶，應則吉，變則吝，應則悔也。悔者吉之先，而吝者凶之本，是以君子從天不從人。

In the process of change, the corresponding aspect belongs to the heavenly way. Therefore, "original" (yuan) is change, and "prosperous" (heng) comes in response; "beneficial" (li) is change, and "upright" (zhen) comes in response. In the aspect of response, the change belongs to human affairs. Therefore, when there is a change, it leads to misfortune; when there is a response, it brings good fortune. A change leads to regret, while a response leads to remorse. Regret is a premonition of good fortune, and regret is the root of misfortune. Therefore, the gentleman in dealing with affairs would rather follow the natural course of the heavenly way, rather than yield to personal desires.

易有意象，立意皆所以明象。統下三者，有言象，不擬物而直言以明事；有像象，擬一物以明意；有數象，“七日”“八月”“三年”“十年”之類是也。

Shao Yong also said that in the Yi, there is something called "yi xiang" or "intentional image." Whenever an intention is established, it is to explain the hexagram. It encompasses three categories. The first is "yan xiang," which does not compare to a specific object, but directly uses words to explain an event. The second is "xiang xiang," which uses a physical object as a comparison to express the intention. The third is "shu xiang," such as in the line statements, where numbers like "seven days," "eight months," "three years," and "ten years" are used to represent images through numbers.

張子曰：大《易》不言有無，言有無，諸子之陋也。

Zhang Zai said: The great Doctrine of the Book of Changes only speaks of the ebb and flow of yin and yang, without distinguishing between "being" and "non-being." To begin with arguments about being and non-being is the narrow-mindedness of the School of the Hundred Schools, especially the Daoist and Confucian schools.

《易》為君子謀，不為小人謀。故撰德於卦，雖爻有小大，及繫辭其爻，必告以君子之義。

The Book of Changes is meant to plan for the gentleman, not for the petty person. Therefore, in the hexagrams, moral virtues are recorded. Although each line is distinguished as yin-softness representing 'small' and yang-hardness representing 'great', when these lines are given explanatory texts, they always use the principles that the gentleman should follow to warn people.

程子曰：有理而後有象，有象而後有數。得其義，則象數在其中矣。必欲窮象之隱微，盡數之毫忽，乃尋流逐末，術家之所尚，非儒者之所務也，管輅、郭璞之學是也。

Cheng Yi said: There is first principle, then there is image; there is first image, then there is number. As long as one grasps the meaning and principle, the image and number are naturally included within them. If one insists on investigating the most subtle aspects of physical forms and calculating the minutest details of numbers, this is following the stream to chase the end, a pursuit favored by those who practice divination techniques, not something that scholars of the Confucian tradition should focus on. The divinatory practices of Guan Lu of the Three Kingdoms period and Guo Pu of the Jin dynasty fall into this category.

理無形也，故因象以明理。理見乎辭矣，則可由辭以觀象。故曰：得其義，則象數在其中矣。

Reason itself has no form, so it must be explained through hexagrams; since reason has already appeared in the line statements, one can then observe the hexagrams through the words. Therefore, it is said that as long as one grasps the meaning, the images and numbers are naturally included within it.

看《易》且要知時，凡六爻人人有用，聖人自有聖人用，賢人自有賢人用，眾人自有眾人用，學者自有學者用，君有君用，臣有臣用，無所不通。

Reading the Book of Changes first requires understanding "time." The six lines (yao) are useful for everyone: the sage uses them in his own way, the virtuous person uses them in his own way, the common people use them in their own way, the scholar uses them in his own way, the ruler uses them in his own way, the minister uses them in his own way, and they are universally applicable.

作《易》者，自天地幽明，至於昆蟲草木之微，無一而不合。

The sages who composed the Book of Changes considered the great transformations of darkness and light in the universe, as well as the subtle creatures and plants, and found that nothing does not conform to the principles of the hexagrams and lines.

陰之道，非必小人也，其害陽則小人，其助陽成物則君子也。利非不善也，其害義則不善也，其和義則非不善也。

The path of yin is not necessarily that of a petty person; yin is considered petty only when it hinders yang. If yin supports yang and contributes to the flourishing of all things, then it is considered a gentleman. "Benefit" is not inherently evil; benefit is considered evil only when it harms righteousness. If benefit harmonizes with righteousness, then it is not evil.

《傳序》云：《易》，變易也，隨時變易以從道也。其為書也，廣大悉備，將以順性命之理，通幽明之故，盡事物之情，而示開物成務之道也。聖人之憂患後世，可謂至矣。

In his preface to Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes, Cheng Yi says: The Book of Changes is about change, changing with the times and following the Way. This book is vast and comprehensive, covering everything. Its purpose is to follow the principles of nature and destiny, to connect the hidden and the manifest, to exhaust the true nature of things, and thus to show people the way to open up all things and achieve their undertakings. The sages' deep concern for future generations can be said to have reached its peak.

去古雖遠，遺經尚存。然而前儒失意以傳言，後學誦言而忘昧。自秦而下，蓋無傳矣。

Although the ancient times are far away, the classics left by the sages are still preserved. However, the earlier Confucian scholars did not grasp the original meaning but passed down their own interpretations. Later scholars merely recited the words without understanding their meaning. Since the Qin dynasty, the true transmission of the Book of Changes has probably been lost.

予生千載之後，悼斯文之湮晦，將俾後人沿流而求源，此《傳》所以作也。 “《易》有聖人之道四焉，以言者尚其辭，以動者尚其變，以制器者尚其象，以卜筮者尚其占。”吉凶消長之理，進退存亡之道備於辭，推辭考卦，可以知變，象與占在其中矣。

I was born after many generations, lamenting that this discipline has become obscure and lost, and I wish for future generations to be able to follow the flow and seek the origin. This is the reason I wrote the Yichuan Commentary on the Changes. The Great Treatise says: "The Book of Changes contains four principles of the sage's way: those who use it to express words value its words, those who use it to act value its changes, those who use it to make objects value its symbolic images, and those who use it for divination value its judgments." The principles of good and bad fortune increasing and decreasing, and the paths of advancement, retreat, existence, and demise are all contained within the words; by exploring the words and examining the hexagrams, one can understand the changes, and the images and judgments are also included within them.

“君子居則觀其象而玩其辭，動則觀其變而玩其占。”得其辭，不達其意者有矣。未有不得於辭，而能通其意者也。至微者理也，至著者象也，體用一源，顯微無間。觀會通以行其典禮，則辭無所不備。故善學者求言必自近，易於近者，非知言者也。予所傳者辭也。由辭以得其意，則在乎人焉。

The Xici Zhuan says: "A gentleman, when at ease, observes the hexagrams and contemplates the line statements; when acting, he observes the changing lines and contemplates the divination judgments." Some people understand the words but fail to grasp their meaning, yet none can comprehend the meaning without first understanding the words. The most subtle is principle, the most evident is the image, yet principle and application arise from the same source, and the evident and the subtle are not separated. By observing the points where things connect and merge, one can apply them to promote rituals and laws, so the principles contained in the hexagram and line statements are all-encompassing. Therefore, those skilled in learning must begin with the words; those who regard the words as too easy do not truly understand them. What I have passed down is only the words; whether one can grasp their original meaning depends on the reader himself.

《易》之為書，卦爻彖象之義備，而天地萬物之情見，聖人之憂天下來世其至矣。

The Book of Changes contains fully the meanings of hexagrams, lines, images, and interpretations. Thus, the true nature of heaven and earth and all things under the sky is revealed. The profound concern of the sage for the world and future generations has reached its peak.

先天下而開其物，後天下而成其務。是故極其數，以定天下之象；著其象，以定天下之吉凶。六十四卦，三百八十四爻，皆所以順性命之理，盡變化之道也。散之在理，則有萬殊；統之在道，則無二致。所以“易有太極，是生兩儀”。“太極”者道也，“兩儀”者陰陽也。陰陽一道也，“太極”無極也。

The sage anticipated the people of the world and opened up the principles of all things, then followed the people of the world and accomplished the affairs of the people. Therefore, he deduced the numbers of the divination methods to determine the images of the world, and made these images clear to judge the auspicious and inauspicious. The sixty-four hexagrams and the 384 lines are all used to follow the principles of life and death and to exhaust the ways of change. When considered separately, they have myriad differences; when considered as a whole, they are all one. Therefore, the Great Treatise says, "The Book of Changes has the Supreme Ultimate, and the Supreme Ultimate gives rise to the two principles." The "Supreme Ultimate" refers to the Dao, and the "two principles" refer to yin and yang. When yin and yang come together, they still belong to one Dao, and the Supreme Ultimate itself is the formless and boundless "No Ultimate."

萬物之生，“負陰而抱陽”，莫不有太極，莫不有兩儀，絪縕交感，變化不窮，形一受其生，神一發其智，情偽出焉，萬緒起焉，《易》所以定吉凶而生大業。故《易》者，陰陽之道也；卦者，陰陽之物也；爻者，陰陽之動也。卦雖不同，所同者奇偶。爻雖不同，所同者九六。

The generation of all things is as the "Dao De Jing" says, "carrying yin on its back and embracing yang within," each thing possessing its own Taiji, each possessing yin and yang. The two energies intertwine and interact, producing endless transformations. When form is received and life is born, when spirit is activated and wisdom arises, true feelings and falsehoods emerge, and myriad complexities arise. The "Book of Changes" is used to determine good and evil, and to initiate great undertakings. Therefore, the "Book of Changes" is the principle of yin and yang; the hexagrams are the forms of yin and yang; the lines are the movement of yin and yang. Although the hexagrams differ, they share odd and even lines; although the lines differ, they share the numbers nine and six (the odd line is called nine, the even line is called six).

是以六十四卦為其體，三百八十四爻互為其用。遠在六合之外，近在一身之中。暫於瞬息，微於動靜。莫不有卦之象焉，莫不有爻之義焉。至哉《易》乎！其道至大而無不包，其用至神而無不存。時固未始有一，而卦亦未始有定象。事固未始有窮，而爻亦未始有定位。

Therefore, the sixty-four hexagrams form the body, and the 384 lines interact to form the application. Far away, they reach beyond the heavens and the four directions; near at hand, they are within one's own body. Brief as a moment or an inhalation, subtle as a movement or stillness, each has its corresponding hexagram and each has its corresponding line meaning. How great is the Book of Changes! Its way is extremely vast and encompasses everything, its application is extremely mysterious and present everywhere. The situation has never been fixed as one thing, so the hexagrams have never had a fixed image; matters have no end, so the lines have never had a fixed position.

以一時而索卦，則拘於無變，非易也。以一事而明爻，則窒而不通，非易也。知所謂卦爻彖象之義，而不知有卦爻彖象之用，亦非易也。故得之於精神之運，心術之動，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，然後可以謂之知《易》也。

Using a particular situation to force a match with a hexagram, being rigid and unable to adapt, is not the Way of the Book of Changes; using a specific event to fix a particular line, resulting in blockage and failure to understand, is also not the Way of the Book of Changes; merely knowing the meanings of hexagrams, lines, images, and symbols, but not understanding their living applications, is still not the Way of the Book of Changes. Therefore, one must grasp the flow of spirit and the stirring of thought, achieving harmony with the virtues of heaven and earth, the brightness of sun and moon, the order of the four seasons, and the fortune and misfortune of ghosts and spirits, only then can one be considered to truly understand the Book of Changes.

雖然，《易》之有卦，易之已形者也。卦之有爻，卦之已見者也。已形已見者，可以言知。未形未見者，不可以名求。則所謂《易》者果何如哉？此學者所當知也。

Though this is so, the Book of Changes has hexagrams, which are the formed part of the Book of Changes; and hexagrams have lines, which are the manifested part of the hexagrams. What is already formed and manifested can be known through words; but what is yet unformed and unmanifested cannot be pursued through names and concepts. Then, what exactly is the "Easy" (Yi)? This is precisely what those who study the Book of Changes should personally experience and understand.

朱子曰：《漢書》“易本隱以之顯，《春秋》推見至隱”。易與《春秋》，天人之道也。

Zhu Xi said: The Book of Han cites Sima Qian's words, saying "The Book of Changes moves from the hidden to the manifest, while the Spring and Autumn Annals move from the manifest to the hidden." The Book of Changes and the Spring and Autumn Annals discuss precisely the heavenly way and the human way.

《易》以形而上者，說出在那形而下者上。《春秋》以形而下者，說上那形而上者去。

The Yi Classic explains abstract principles by applying them to concrete worldly matters, while the Spring and Autumn Annals discusses abstract principles by interpreting concrete historical events.

問：《易》有“交易”，“變易”之義如何？曰：“交易”是陽交於陰，陰交於陽，是卦圖上底，如“天地定位，山澤通氣”云云者是也。“變易”是陽變陰，陰變陽，老陽變為少陰，老陰變為少陽，此是占筮之法，如晝夜寒暑屈伸往來者是也。

Someone asked: The Book of Changes has two meanings: "transaction" (交易) and "change" (变易). How should we understand them? Zhu Xi said: "Transaction" refers to the interaction between yang and yin, and between yin and yang, which is a matter of the positions in the hexagram diagram. For example, the "Commentary on the Hexagrams" says things like "Heaven and Earth are positioned, mountains and marshes communicate their energies," and so on. "Change" refers to yang turning into yin and yin turning into yang, specifically old yang turning into young yin and old yin turning into young yang. This relates to the method of divination using the yarrow stalks. It is like the alternation of day and night, the succession of cold and heat, the movement of bending and stretching, and the mutual coming and going.

聖人作《易》之初，蓋是仰觀俯察，見得盈乎天地之間，無非一陰一陽之理。有是理，則有是象。有是象，則其數便自在這裡。非特河圖、洛書為然，而圖書為特巧而著耳。於是聖人因之而畫卦。卦畫既立，便有吉凶在裡。

The sage first composed the Book of Changes, probably by looking up at the heavens and down at the earth, realizing that what fills the universe is nothing but the principle of yin and yang. With this principle, there is a corresponding image; with this image, the numbers are naturally contained within it. It is not only the Yellow River Chart and the Luo Writing that contain this principle, but these two are especially ingenious and evident. Thus, the sage based the hexagrams upon them; once the hexagrams were established, good and bad fortune were already contained within them.

蓋是陰陽往來交錯於其間，其時則有消長之不同。長者便為主，消者便為客。事則有當否之或異，當者便為善，否者便為惡。即其主客、善惡之辨，而吉凶見矣。故曰“八卦定吉凶”。吉凶既決定而不差，則以之立事，而大業自此生矣。此聖人作《易》，教民占筮，而以開天下之愚，以定天下之志，以成天下之事者如此。

This is because yin and yang intermingle and cross each other within the trigrams, leading to differences in the rise and decline of forces: the rising force is the host, and the declining force is the guest. In terms of appropriateness, there is a distinction between proper and improper actions: proper action is good, and improper action is evil. It is within this distinction between host and guest, good and evil, that the auspicious and ominous are revealed. Therefore, the Great Treatise says, "The eight trigrams determine auspicious and ominous outcomes." Once auspicious and ominous have been clearly determined without error, acting upon them leads to great achievements. The sage composed the Book of Changes and taught the people to use divination, in order to enlighten the minds of the people, to stabilize their hearts, and to accomplish their endeavors. This is the underlying principle.

自伏犧而下，但有此六畫，而未有文字可傳。到得文王、周公，乃繫之以辭。故曰“聖人設卦觀象繫辭焉而明吉凶”、大率天下之道，只是善惡而已，但所居之位不同，所處之時既異，而其幾甚微，只為天下之人不能曉會，所以聖人因占筮之法以曉人，使人居則觀象玩辭，動則觀變玩占，不迷於是非得失之途。

From Fuxi onwards, there were only the six-line trigrams, without any written words to be passed down. It was not until King Wen and the Duke of Zhou that they attached written explanations to the trigrams and their lines. Therefore, the Great Treatise says, "The sage established the structure of the trigrams, observed the phenomena of things, attached written words to them, thus clarifying fortune and misfortune." In general, the principles of the world are merely good and evil. However, due to differing positions people occupy and varying circumstances they encounter, the subtle turning points between good and evil are extremely fine, and common people cannot comprehend them. Therefore, the sage used the method of divination to awaken the people, enabling them to observe the signs and contemplate the words in peace, and to observe changes and consult the divination when taking action, so as not to lose their way in the crossroads of right and wrong, gain and loss.

所以是書夏商周皆用之，其所言雖不同，其辭雖不可盡見，然皆太卜之官掌之，以為占筮之用。自伏犧而文王周公，雖自略而詳，所謂占筮之用則一。蓋即占筮之中，而所以處置是事之理，便在裡了。故其法若粗淺，而隨人賢愚皆得其用。

Therefore this book was used by the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties: although the teachings of the three dynasties were different, the text itself is not entirely preserved today, but it was all kept by the Grand Astrologer's office for use in divination. From Fuxi to King Wen and the Duke of Zhou, the content became gradually more detailed, but the use of it for divination remained consistent. Because within the practice of divination, the principles for handling affairs were already contained, so this method may seem superficial, yet it is applicable regardless of whether a person is wise or foolish.

雖是有定象，有定辭，皆是虛說此個地頭，合是如此處置，初不黏著物上。故一卦一爻，足以包無窮之事，此所以見《易》之為用，無所不該，無所不遍，但看人如何用之耳。易如鏡相似，看甚物來。

Although each hexagram has a fixed image and each line has a fixed statement, these are merely set up as a framework to indicate how one should deal with a situation of this kind; they are not attached to any specific thing. Therefore, a single hexagram and a single line can encompass an infinite number of matters. From this we can see that the utility of the Book of Changes is all-encompassing and universal, depending only on how people use it. The Book of Changes is like a mirror; whatever comes into its view is reflected accordingly.

都能照得。如所謂“潛龍”，只是有個“潛龍”之象，自天子至於庶人，看甚人來都使得。孔子說作龍德而隱，便是就事上指殺說來。然會看底，雖孔子說也活，也無不通。

Anything can be reflected. For example, the term "qianlong" (hidden dragon) merely sets up an image. From the emperor down to common people, anyone can apply it. Confucius in the "Wenyang" explains it as "a person with the virtue of a dragon who remains hidden and does not emerge," which is a specific interpretation tied to particular human affairs. However, those who can read well, even when reading Confucius's interpretation, can still find it alive and applicable in all situations.

不會看底，雖文王周公說底也死了。須知得他是假託說，是包含說。假託，謂不惹著那事。包含，是說個影像在這裡，無所不包。

Those who cannot read will find even the statements from King Wen and the Duke of Zhou to be dead sentences. One must understand that the statements of the hexagram lines are spoken in a figurative and inclusive manner. By "figurative," it means that they do not refer to a specific particular event. By "inclusive," it means that they present a general image, thus encompassing all possibilities.

易之有象，其取之有所從，其推之有所用，非苟為寓言也。然兩漢諸儒，必欲究其所從，則既滯泥而不通。王弼以來，直欲推其所用，則又疏略而無據。二者皆失之一偏，而不能闕其所疑之過也。

The Yi contains images, and each image has its origin, and each derivation has its use, not merely set up as a fable. However, the Confucian scholars of the Western Han dynasty were determined to trace the origin of each image, resulting in rigidity and failure to understand; those since Wang Bi focused solely on the application of the images, leading to superficiality without foundation. Both approaches are biased and fail to leave doubtful points temporarily unaddressed.

且以一端論之，乾之為馬，坤之為牛，《說卦》有明文矣。馬之為健，牛之為順，在物有常理矣。至於案文責卦，若《屯》之有馬而無乾，《離》之有牛而無坤，《乾》之六龍，則或疑於震，坤之“牝馬”，則當反為乾，是皆有不可曉者。

Let us take one example: The hexagram Qian is taken as representing a horse, and the hexagram Kun as representing a cow, as clearly stated in the "Commentary on the Hexagrams." Horses are naturally strong and vigorous, while cows are naturally gentle and compliant, which is a common sense observation about animal nature. However, once we follow the text to examine the hexagram symbols, we find that the hexagram Zun contains a reference to a horse but its structure does not include Qian, and the hexagram Li contains a reference to a cow but its structure does not include Kun. The hexagram Qian speaks of "six dragons," and dragons seem to resemble the symbol of Zhen. The hexagram Kun speaks of "female horse," but since horses belong to Qian, this should be counted as Qian instead. These points are all unclear.

是以漢儒求之《說卦》而不得，則遂相與創為互體、變卦、五行、納甲、飛伏之法。參互以求，而幸其偶合。其說雖詳，然其不可通者，終不可通。其可通者，又皆傅會穿鑿，而非有自然之勢。唯其一二之適然而無待於巧說者，為若可信，然上無所關於義理之本原，下無所資於人事之訓戒，則又何必苦心極力以求於此，而欲必得之哉！

Therefore, Han dynasty Confucian scholars could not find support for their views in the "Shuo Gua Zhuan," so they jointly invented methods such as "mutual body," "resulting hexagram," "five phases," "najia stem assignment," and "flying and hidden." They interwove and combined these approaches to seek out interpretations, hoping for accidental coincidences. Although these theories are detailed, those that do not make sense remain unsound; even those that seem to make sense are merely forced and artificial, lacking natural reasoning. Only a few points happen to align perfectly, making them understandable without the need for clever arguments. These seem credible at first glance, yet they have nothing to do with the fundamental principles of meaning and morality, nor do they offer any practical guidance for human affairs. Why then should one go to such great trouble and effort to pursue them, insisting they must be obtained?

故王弼曰：義苟應健，何必乾乃為馬；爻苟合順，何必坤乃為牛？而程子亦曰：理無形也，故假象以顯義。此其所以破先儒膠固支離之失，而開後學玩辭玩占之方，則至矣。然觀其意，又似直以《易》之取象，無復有所自來，但如《詩》之比興，孟子之譬喻而已。如此則是《說卦》之作，為無所與於易。而“近取諸身遠取諸物”者，亦剩語矣。

Therefore, Wang Bi said: The meaning of the hexagrams only needs to correspond to the qualities of strength and vigorousness; why must the hexagram of Qian necessarily take the image of a horse? The meaning of the lines only needs to conform to the qualities of softness and compliance; why must the hexagram of Kun necessarily take the image of an ox? Cheng Yi also said: Principle has no form, so it uses the images of the hexagrams to make the meaning of principle clear. These two scholars used this approach to break through the rigid and fragmented interpretations of previous scholars, and to open the way for later learners to play with the words and to engage in divination. They can be said to have made great contributions. However, upon understanding their meaning, it seems as if they simply regard the imagery used in the Book of Changes as having no origin, merely like the metaphor and allusion in the Book of Poetry and the analogy in the Mencius. If this is the case, then the writing of the "Sayings on the Hexagrams" would have nothing to do with the Book of Changes, and the statement in the "Great Treatise" that "nearby images are taken from the human body, and distant images are taken from all things" would become superfluous.

故疑其說亦若有未盡者，因竊論之，以為《易》之取象，固必有所自來，而其為說，必已具於太卜之官，顧今不可復考，則姑闕之。而直據辭中之象，以求象中之意，使足以為訓戒，而

Therefore I suspect there may be aspects not fully addressed in their statements, so I privately remarked: The imagery used in the Book of Changes must surely have its origin, and the principles for interpreting these images were certainly fully understood by the officials in charge of divination, but now we can no longer verify them, so we may as well leave them blank. At present, we can only rely on the existing images in the hexagram and line statements to seek out the meanings contained within them, making them sufficient to serve as admonitions—there is a missing text in the original manuscript here.

《易》之象似有三樣：有本畫自有之象，如奇畫象陽、偶畫象陰是也；有實取諾物之象，如乾坤六子，以天地雷風之類象之是也；有只是聖人自取象來明是義者，如“白馬翰如”、“載鬼一車”之類是也。

The images in the Book of Changes seem to have three types: the first is the image inherent in the hexagram itself, such as odd lines representing yang and even lines representing yin; the second is the image actually derived from specific things, such as the hexagrams Qian and Kun, along with Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui, which take their images from heaven, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountain, and lake respectively; the third is the image temporarily chosen by the sage to explain a particular meaning, such as the image of "a white horse galloping" in the hexagram Ben and "a cart full of ghosts" in the hexagram Kui.

易有象辭，有占辭，有象占相渾之辭。

The text of the Book of Changes can be divided into three types: there are "xiang ci" which specifically discuss symbolic images, "zhan ci" which specifically determine fortune or misfortune, and there are also expressions that combine both symbolic images and divinatory judgments.

問：王弼說初上無陰陽定位，如何？曰：伊川說陰陽奇偶，豈容無也？《乾》上九“貴而五位”。《需》上六不當位，乃爵位之位，非陰陽之位，此說最好。

Someone asked: Wang Bi said that the first line and the top line do not have fixed yin and yang positions. How should we evaluate this? Zhu Xi said: Cheng Yi spoke of yao positions as having odd and even, so how could there be no yin and yang? In the upper ninth line of the Qian hexagram, it says 'honored but without position' (the original 'five positions' is a mistake for 'without position'), and in the Xu hexagram, the upper sixth line says 'not in the right position,' where the term 'position' refers to rank and office, not yin and yang positions—Cheng Yi's view is the best.