Gou Hexagram

姤.乾上.巽下程傳 《姤序卦》：“夬，決也。決必有遇，故受之以姤。姤，遇也。”決，判也。物之決判則有遇合，本合則何遇，《姤》所以次《夬》也。為卦乾上巽下，以二體言之，風行天下，天之下者，萬物也，風之行無不經觸，乃遇之象，又一陰始生於下，陰與陽遇也，故為《姤》。

The hexagram Gou is depicted with the upper trigram Qian (Heaven) and the lower trigram Xun (Wind). Cheng Yi in his Yichuan Commentary on the Changes says: The "Sequence of Hexagrams" explains the hexagram Gou by stating: "Guai means to decide; after making a decision, there must be a meeting, hence the next hexagram is Gou. Gou means meeting." The term "decide" refers to distinguishing and separating; only when things are separated can they meet again. If they were already together, what meeting is there to speak of? Therefore, the hexagram Gou comes after Guai. In terms of the structure of the hexagram, the upper trigram is Qian and the lower trigram is Xun: from the perspective of the upper and lower trigrams, wind moves across the heavens, and all things under heaven are subject to the wind. The wind touches everything it passes over, which is the image of meeting. Moreover, a yin line has just emerged below, and yin begins to meet with yang, hence the name of the hexagram is Gou.

姤，女壯，勿用，取女。本義 “姤”，遇也，決盡則為純乾四月之卦。至《姤》然後一陰可見，而為五月之卦，以其本非所望，而卒然值之，如不期而遇者，故為遇。遇已非正，又一陰而遇五陽，則女德不貞而壯之甚也。取以自配，必害乎陽，故其象占如此。

The Hexagram Gou statement says: This woman is too strong, do not marry such a woman. Zhu Xi's "Benyi" says: "Gou" means meeting. When the yin line is completely removed, it becomes the pure yang Qian hexagram, which is the hexagram of the fourth month; it is only at the Gou hexagram that we again see a yin line, which is the hexagram of the fifth month. Since this yin line is not something people hope for, yet suddenly appears, it is called "meeting." The act of meeting itself is not in accordance with the right path, and even more so when a yin line meets five yang lines. This represents a woman whose virtue is not sincere and who is overly strong. To marry such a woman would certainly harm the yang. Therefore, the imagery and the divination statement of this hexagram are like this.

程傳 一陰始生，自是而長，漸以盛大，是女之將長壯也。陰長則陽消，“女壯”則男弱，故戒“勿用取”如是之女。“取女”者，欲其柔和順從以成家道。《姤》乃方進之陰，漸壯而敵陽者，是以不可取也。女漸壯，則失男女之正，家道敗矣。《姤》雖一陰甚微，然有漸壯之道，所以戒也。

Cheng Yi in his commentary Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: When a yin line first appears, it begins to grow and gradually becomes strong, just like a woman who is about to grow up and become strong. As yin grows, yang diminishes; when a woman becomes strong, a man becomes weak. Therefore, the hexagram statement warns against marrying such a woman. Marrying a wife is intended to have her gentle and obedient, so that she can complete the family's way. However, the yin in the hexagram Guo is rising and will gradually become strong and contend with yang, hence it is not advisable to marry. Once a woman becomes gradually strong, the proper distinction between men and women is lost, and the family's way is ruined. Although the hexagram Guo only has one yin line and its strength is extremely slight, it contains a trend of gradual growth and strength, so it is specially warned against.

集說 孔氏穎達曰：“姤”，遇也。此卦一柔而遇五剛，故名為《姤》。施之於人，則是一女而遇五男，為壯至甚。故戒之曰：此女壯甚，“勿用取”此“女”也。敦氏雍曰：陽至四五而後言壯，《姤》一陰方長即為壯者，亦見君子小人之錆不同也。馮氏椅曰：古文《姤》作《遘》，遇也，亦婚媾也，以女遇男為象。王洙易改為今文為《姤》，《雜卦》猶是古文，鄭本同。

"The Collected Explanations" cites Kong Yingda's statement: "Gou" means meeting. This hexagram represents a yao of yin meeting five yao of yang, hence its name "Gou"; in human terms, it signifies a woman meeting five men, with the woman being extremely strong, thus warning that such a woman is too strong to be married. "The Collected Explanations" also cites Dun Yong's view: yang energy is generally considered strong only when it reaches the fourth and fifth lines. However, in the hexagram "Gou," a single yin yao is just beginning to grow and is called "strong," which shows that the situation between gentlemen and petty people is fundamentally different (the original text here reads "tang," which is likely a mistake). "The Collected Explanations" also cites Feng Yi's statement: in ancient texts, "Gou" was written as "Gou," meaning meeting, and also implying marriage. Wang Zhu changed it to the modern form "Gou," but the "Zacuotransmission" still uses the ancient form. Zheng Xuan's version is the same as the ancient form.

胡氏炳文曰：“女壯”諸家皆以為一陰有將盛之漸。《本義》以為一陰當正陽，已有 案 “女壯”之義，非以一陰始生於下為壯，亦非以一陰獨當五陽為壯。蓋卦以陰為主，陰而為主，即是壯也。

"The Collection of Commentaries" also cites Hu Bingwen's statement: discussing "Female Strength," all schools of thought agree that it refers to a single yin line containing a trend of impending strength. Zhu Xi's "Original Meaning" suggests that it refers to a single yin line directly opposing pure yang, already... the original text here is missing, and Hu's explanation is incomplete. Li Guangdi comments: the meaning of "Female Strength" is neither because a single yin line has just emerged from below that it is called strength, nor because a single yin line opposing five yang lines is called strength. In reality, this hexagram is dominated by yin lines. Since yin lines have become the main element of the hexagram, this itself constitutes strength.

初六，繫于金柅，貞吉，有攸往，見凶，羸豕孚蹢躅。本義 “柅”，所以止車，以金為之，其剛可知。一陰始生，靜正則吉，往進則凶。故以二義戒小人，使不害於君子，則有吉而無凶。然其勢不可止也，故以“羸豕”“蹢躅”曉君子，使深為之備雲。

The first line of the Gou hexagram says: "Being tied to a metal brake on a cart, maintaining uprightness brings good fortune; once one moves forward, one meets danger; a weak sow is indeed kicking about restlessly." Zhu Xi's "Ben Yi" explains that "chi" is a device used to stop the wheels, made of metal, showing how hard it is. When a single yin line first appears, maintaining uprightness brings good fortune, but advancing leads to danger. The sage uses these two meanings to warn the petty person, so that they do not hinder the superior person, thus bringing good fortune without danger. However, the growth of yin is ultimately unstoppable, so it also uses the metaphor of the weak sow kicking about restlessly to warn the superior person to be vigilant and take precautions early.

程傳 《姤》陰始生而將長之卦，一陰生，則長而漸盛，陰長則陽消，小人道長也，制之當於其微而未盛之時。柅止車之物，金為之，堅強之至也。止之以金柅，而又繫之，止之固也。固止使不得進，則陽剛貞正之道吉也。使之進往，則漸盛而害於陽，是見凶也。“羸豕孚蹢躅”，聖人重為之戒，言陰雖甚微，不可忽也。“豕”，陰躁之物，故以為況。羸弱之豕，雖未能強猛，然其中心在乎“蹢躅”。“蹢躅”，跳躑也。陰微而在下，可謂“羸”矣，然其中心常在乎消陽也，君子小人異道，小人雖微弱之時，未嘗無害君子之心。防於微，則無能為矣。

Cheng Yi in Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: The hexagram Gou represents the initial emergence of yin energy about to grow. When one yin line appears, it gradually increases in strength until it becomes dominant; as yin grows, yang diminishes, meaning the power of the petty person increases. To control it, one should act when it is still weak and not yet strong. "Ni" refers to a device used to stop a cart, made of metal and extremely hard; using a metal ni to stop it and fastening it securely shows a very firm stopping. By firmly stopping it and preventing it from moving forward, the path of yang righteousness brings good fortune; if it is allowed to proceed, it will gradually become strong and harm yang. This is called "seeing misfortune." As for "ling shi fu zhi zhu," it is a warning from the sage, emphasizing that even though yin energy is extremely weak, it should not be neglected. A pig is an animal with yin nature and prone to restlessness, so it is used as a metaphor; a thin sow, though not strong, constantly thinks about running around. "Zhi zhu" means to jump and move restlessly. Yin energy, though weak and in a lower position, can be described as "ling" (weak), yet it always harbors the thought of eliminating yang. The paths of the gentleman and the petty person are different; even when petty persons are weak, they may still have thoughts of harming the gentleman. Therefore, one should be vigilant and take precautions when they are still small, so they will have no power to do harm.

集說 邱氏富國曰：《姤》之所以為姤者在此一爻，一陰始生，非以“金柅”繫之，則柔道何所牽制而不敢進，繫之所以防之也。胡氏炳文曰：彖總一卦而言，則以一陰而當五陽，故於女為壯。爻指一畫而言，五陽之下，一陰甚微，故於豕為羸。壯可畏也，羸不可忽也。案 一陰窮於上，眾以為無凶矣。而曰終有凶，防其後之辭也。一陰伏於下，眾未覺其凶矣。而曰見凶，察於先之辭也。陰陽消息，循環無端。能察於先，即所以防其後，能防其後，即所以察於先也。

"The Collected Interpretations" cites Qiu Fuguo's view: The reason the hexagram "Gou" becomes "Gou" lies entirely in the line "Six at the Beginning." A single yin line has just emerged; if it is not restrained by "Jin Ni," the soft path would have nothing to restrain it and would not dare to advance. Restraining it is precisely to prevent it. "The Collected Interpretations" also cites Hu Bingwen's view: The "Tu Cí" discusses the whole hexagram, and since one yin line resists five yang lines, it is called "Zhuang" when it relates to a woman; the "Yao Cí" discusses the single line, and since this yin line is still weak among five yang lines, it is called "Ling" when it relates to a pig. The strong is indeed formidable, but the weak should not be neglected. Li Guangdi comments: In the hexagram "Guai," a single yin line is at the very top, and people think there will be no more misfortune, but the line statement says "eventually there is misfortune," which is a warning against future dangers; in the hexagram "Gou," a single yin line is hidden at the very bottom, and people have not yet realized its danger, but the line statement says "see misfortune," which is a prescient insight. The ebb and flow of yin and yang, their growth and decline, cycle endlessly without beginning or end: being able to foresee dangers in advance is the way to prevent future problems; being able to prevent future problems is also the way to foresee dangers in advance.

九二，包有魚，無咎，不利賓。本義 “魚”，陰物，二與初遇，為“包有魚”之象。然制之在己，故猶可以“無咎”。若不制而使遇於眾，則其為害廣矣。故其象占如此。

The line statement of the second line of the Gou hexagram says: There is a fish in the bundle, there will be no mistake, but it is not suitable for guests to also share in it. Zhu Xi's Benyi explains: Fish is a yin thing, and the nine in the second line meeting the initial six becomes the image of 'a fish in the bundle'. The authority to control it is in one's own hands, so there can still be no mistake; if it is not controlled and allowed to meet with many people, the harm will spread widely. Therefore, the imagery of this line and the divination statement are like this.

程傳 “姤”，遇也。二與初密比，相遇者也。在它卦則初正應於四，在《姤》則以遇為重。相遇之道，主於專一。二之剛中，遇固以誠。然初之陰柔，群陽在上，而又有所應者，其志所求也。陰柔之質，鮮克貞固。二之於初，難得其誠心矣。所遇不得其誠心，遇道之乖也。“包”者，苴裹也。“魚”，陰物之美者，陽之於陰，其所悅美，故取魚象。二於初，若能固畜之，如包苴之有魚，則於遇為“無咎”矣。“賓”，外來者也。“不利賓”，包苴之魚，豈能及賓，謂不可更及外人也。遇道當專一，二則雜矣。

Cheng Yi in Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: "Gou" means meeting. Nine in the Second is extremely close to the First Line, which is exactly a pair meeting. In other hexagrams, the First Line should correspond with Nine in the Fourth; but in the Gou hexagram, the emphasis is on meeting. The way of meeting values sincerity. Nine in the Second has the virtue of a yang yang in the center, so the meeting comes from sincere intent. However, the First Line is of yin and weakness, with a group of yang lines above it, and Nine in the Fourth is actually what it desires. Yin is weak and cannot be firm and steadfast. Nine in the Second cannot win the sincerity of the First Line. If the person being met does not respond with sincerity, then the way of meeting is wrong. "Bao" means to wrap with a grass bud, and "yu" is a delicacy among yin things. Yang finds yin desirable and beautiful, so the image of fish is used. If Nine in the Second can firmly keep the First Line, like a fish wrapped in a grass bud, then there would be no mistake in the meeting. "Bin" refers to a guest; saying "not favorable for the guest" means the fish in the grass bud is not enough to share with guests, implying that outsiders should not be allowed to share. The way of meeting should be exclusive, but here Nine in the Second has already mixed in something impure.

集說 陸氏希聲曰：不正之陰，與剛中之二相比，能包而有之，使其邪不及於外。李氏開曰：《剝》之“貫魚”，《姤》之“包有魚”，皆能制陰者也。胡氏炳文曰：“包”，如包苴之包，容之於內，而制之使不得逸於外也。何氏楷曰：“包”字與“繫豕”“包瓜”同意，古之小人所以亂天下者，往往君子激

"The Collection of Sayings" cites Lu Xisheng's view: an improper yin line is adjacent to the yang line in the second position, which is strong and central. The line in the second position can contain and absorb it, preventing its evil influence from spreading outward. "The Collection of Sayings" also cites Li Kai's view: the "passing through fish" in the "Breaking Up" hexagram and the "encompassing fish" in the "Meeting" hexagram both represent the ability to control yin lines. "The Collection of Sayings" also cites Hu Bingwen's view: "encompassing" is like the covering of a plant's bud, which contains it within and controls it so that it does not escape outside. "The Collection of Sayings" also cites He Kai's view: the character "包" (encompassing) has the same meaning as "tying up a pig" in the first line and "encompassing a melon" in the fifth line. In ancient times, small people were often able to disrupt the world because the virtuous ones provoked them... the original text here is missing, and He's explanation is incomplete.

案 制陰之義，不取諸九四之相應，而取諸九二之相比者，陰陽主卦，皆以近比者為親切，而處之又有中有不中焉。故《復》六四之“獨復”，亦不如六二“休復”之為美也。《夬》五近上，則有“莧陸”之嫌，《姤》二《比》初，獨不以陰邪為累乎。曰，夬之陰，其勢極矣。如病之既劇，如亂之已成，非有以除去之不可。《姤》則陰始生也，如病將發，如亂初萌，豫防而早冶之，則不至於盛長矣。觀乎“不利賓”之戒，未嘗不以陰邪之漸馴為諄諄也。《詩》云：敝笱在梁，其魚魴鰥，齊子歸止，其從如雲。是不能制之而使及賓之驗矣。

Li Guangdi remarked: The idea of subduing the yin is not taken from the nine in the fourth line which corresponds to the initial six, but from the nine in the second line which is adjacent to the initial six. This is because, in any hexagram where yin or yang is the main element, the closest adjacent relationship is most intimate. Moreover, the position is also distinguished between being central and not central. Therefore, in the hexagram of "Reversal," the line statement "solitary reversal" in the fourth line is not as good as "restoration" in the second line. Someone asked: In the hexagram of "Decision," the nine in the fifth line is close to the sixth line at the top, which leads to the suspicion of "Xian Lu." In the hexagram of "Meeting," the nine in the second line and the initial six in the hexagram of "Following" are adjacent to the yin line. Why are they not affected by the yin evil? The answer is: In the hexagram of "Decision," the yin line has reached its extreme, like a serious illness and chaos already formed, which must be removed. In the hexagram of "Meeting," the yin line is just beginning, like an illness about to occur and chaos just starting, so if we prevent it in advance and treat it early, it will not develop. Looking at the line statement "unfavorable for the guest," we can see that the sage repeatedly warns against the gradual growth of yin evil. The "Book of Songs · Qi Wind · Bi Guo" says: A broken fish net is placed on the fish weir, allowing the crucian carp and the male carp to come and go freely; the women of Qi have gone to marry, and their attendants are as numerous as clouds. This is a clear example of being unable to control, allowing the yin evil to spread to others.

九三，臀無膚，其行次且，厲，無大咎。本義 九三過剛不中，下不遇於初，上無應於上，居則不安，行則不進，故其象占如此。然既無所遇，則無陰邪之傷，故雖危“厲”而“無大咎”也。

The line statement of the third line of the Gou hexagram says: The buttocks have no flesh and skin, walking is difficult and progress is obstructed, there is danger, but it does not lead to great mistakes. Zhu Xi's Benyi says: The nine in the third line is overly strong and not in the center, it does not meet the six at the beginning below, nor does it have a corresponding line above. Sitting still is unstable, moving forward is difficult, hence the symbolic meaning and the line statement are like this. However, since it does not meet the yin and flexible, it will not be harmed by evil influences, so although there is danger, it does not lead to great calamity.

程傳 二與初既相遇，三說初而密比於二，非所安也。又為二所忌惡，其居不安，若臀之無膚也。處既不安，則當去之。而居《姤》之時，志求乎遇，一陰在下，是所欲也。故處雖不安，而“其行”則又“次且”也。“次且”，進難之狀，謂不能遽舍也。然三剛正而處巽，有不終迷之義，若知其不正而懷危懼，不敢妄動，則可以“無大咎”也。非義求遇，固已有咎矣。知危而止，則不至於大也。

Cheng Yi in Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: Nine in the Second has already met with Six at the Beginning, but Nine in the Third is fond of Six at the Beginning, and is closely above Nine in the Second. This position is inherently unstable; moreover, it is subject to suspicion and dislike from Nine in the Second, so he cannot rest in his place, like a buttock without skin. Since he is in an unstable position, he should leave; yet, being in the hexagram Guo, which is about meeting people, everyone is eager for meeting, and there is also a yao below, which is exactly what he desires. Therefore, although his position is unstable, he hesitates to move forward. "Ci qie" means difficulty in advancing, indicating that he is reluctant to let go immediately. However, Nine in the Third is yang and proper, and is in the body of Xun, implying that he will not be completely misled. If he understands that seeking meeting is not in accordance with the right way, and is cautious and does not act recklessly, he can avoid major mistakes. Seeking meeting in an improper way already brings blame; but if he recognizes the danger and stops in time, he will not cause greater problems.

集說 李氏簡曰：居則臀在下，故《困》初六言“臀”。行則臀在中，故《夬》、《姤》三四言“臀”。案 “臀無膚”之義，與《夬》四同，“其行次且”，志欲制陰也。非其位任，而欲制之，有危道焉，然於義則無咎。

"The Collection of Commentaries" cites Li Jian's explanation: when a person is sitting, the buttocks are at the lowest position, so the first line of the "Troubled" hexagram mentions "buttocks"; when a person is walking, the buttocks are in the middle of the body, so the third and fourth lines of the "Decisive" and "Meeting" hexagrams mention "buttocks." Li Guangdi comments: the meaning of "the buttocks have no skin" here is the same as the fourth line of the "Decisive" hexagram; "his movement is hesitant" refers to his intention to subdue the yin forces. Subduing yin is not the responsibility of this line, yet he wants to do it, which involves a path of danger; however, in terms of righteousness, he has no fault."

九四，包無魚，起凶。本義 初六正應，已遇於二，而不及於己，故其象占如此。程傳 “包”者，所裹畜也。“魚”，所美也。四與初為正應，當相遇者也。而初已遇於二矣，失其所遇，猶包之“無魚”，亡其所有也。四當姤遇之時，居上位而失其下，下之離，由己之失德也。四之失者，不中正也。以不中正而失其民，所以凶也。曰，韌之從二，以比近也，豈四之罪乎。曰，在四而言，義當有咎，不能保其下，由失道也，豈有上不失道而下離者乎。遇之道，君臣民主夫婦朋友皆在焉。四以下睽，故主民而言，為上而下離，必有凶變。起者，將生之謂，民心既離，難將作矣。

The fourth line of the Gou hexagram says: There is no fish in the bundle, which indicates a dangerous situation. Zhu Xi's Benyi explains: Initially, the line six was the proper corresponding line to nine four, but it had already met with nine two first, so nine four was left out. Therefore, the symbolic meaning and the divination statement are like this. Cheng Yi's Yichuan Commentary on the Changes says: "Bao" means to wrap and keep, and "yu" refers to the precious delicacy. Nine four and initial six are a proper corresponding pair, and they should meet. However, initial six has already met with nine two, so nine four loses the person it should meet, just like there is no fish in the bundle, meaning that the thing that belongs to it is lost. Nine four is at the time of meeting, but it is in a superior position and has lost the people below. The people below have dispersed because of its loss of virtue. What nine four has lost is precisely the improper and unrighteous. Losing the people's support through improper and unrighteousness leads to danger. Someone asks: initial six follows nine two because it is closer, is this not the fault of nine four? The answer is: From the perspective of nine four itself, according to reason, it should have a misfortune—because it cannot retain the people below. This is due to its loss of the Way. How could there be a superior position without losing the Way, yet the people below disperse? The principle of meeting includes the relationship between ruler and minister, people and ruler, husband and wife, friend and companion. Nine four is separated from the people below, so from the perspective of the people, when a superior is in position and the people below disperse, there must be a dangerous event. "Qi" means about to happen. When the people's hearts have already dispersed, calamity is about to occur.

集說 吳氏曰慎曰：九三以不遇陰而“無大咎”，上九以不遇陰而“無咎”，四則“包無魚起凶”，何也？蓋初六本其正應，當遇而不遇故也。案 四與初正應，當制陰之任者也。然不能制之而為“包無魚”之象，何也？曰：此與《夬》之九三同，當決陰制陰之任，而德非中正。故一則剛壯而懷慍怒，一則疾惡而胥絕遠，無包容之量，無制服之方故也。以是爻德，而適犯卦義取女之戒，則其起凶

"The Collection of Commentaries" cites Wu Yashen's explanation: Nine in the Third (nine three) avoids great misfortune because it does not meet a yin line, and Nine at the Top (nine upper) also avoids misfortune for the same reason. However, Nine in the Fourth (nine four) results in "enclosing without fish, leading to misfortune." Why is this so? Because initially, Six at the Beginning was the proper corresponding line for Nine in the Fourth, yet it did not meet. Li Guangdi comments: Nine in the Fourth and Six at the Beginning are the proper corresponding lines, and should have the responsibility of subduing the yin and soft. But it fails to subdue them, resulting in the image of "enclosing without fish." Why is this? The answer is similar to the case of Nine in the Third in the "Gua" hexagram. Both bear the responsibility of deciding against the yin and subduing the soft, yet their own virtue is not upright and balanced. One is strong and vigorous but harbors anger, the other detests evil and isolates it completely, lacking both the capacity to include and the method to subdue. With such yao virtue, and coinciding with the warning in the hexagram's meaning of "do not take a wife," the resulting danger... the original text here is missing, and the commentary is incomplete.

九五，以杞包瓜，含章，有隕自天。本義 “瓜”，陰物之在下者，甘美而善潰。“杞”，高大堅實之木也。五以陽剛中正主卦於上，而下防始生必潰之陰，其象如此。然陰陽迭勝，時運之常，若能含晦章美，靜以制之，則可以回造化矣。“有隕自天”，本無而倏有之象也。

The line statement of the ninth line of the fifth position in the Gou hexagram says: Using the branches and leaves of the杞 tree to wrap the gourd, containing the inner elegance, there will be something falling from the sky. Zhu Xi's "Benyi" says: The gourd is a plant growing below, a Yin thing, sweet but easily rotten; the杞 is a tall and firm tree. The ninth line at the fifth position, with its Yang strength and "zhongzheng" virtue, presides over the hexagram above, and looks down to guard against the newly arisen Yin energy that will inevitably rot. This is the symbolic meaning. However, Yin and Yang contend with each other, which is the normal state of the times; if he can contain the beautiful elegance and subdue it with a quiet attitude, he can reverse the workings of nature. "There is something falling from the sky" is the image of something that was originally absent but suddenly appears.

程傳 九五下亦無應，非有遇也。然得遇之道，故終必有遇。夫上下之遇，由相求也。杞高木而葉大，處高體大而可以包物者杞也。美實之在下者瓜也，美而居下者，側微之賢之象也。九五尊居君位，而下求賢才，以至高而求至下，猶以杞葉而包瓜，能自降屈如此。又其內蘊中正之德，充實章美。人君如是，則無有不遇所求者也。雖屈己求賢，若其德不正，賢者不屑也。故必含蓄章美，內積至誠，則“有隕自天”矣。猶言自天而降，言必得之也。自古人君至誠降屈，以中正之道，求天下之賢，未有不遇者也。高宗感於夢寐，文王遇於漁釣，皆由是道也。

Cheng Yi in Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: The fifth line does not have a corresponding line beneath it, so originally it is not considered to have a meeting. However, it follows the correct path of seeking a meeting, so ultimately it will certainly meet. The meeting between above and below depends on mutual seeking. The tree called Qi is tall and has broad leaves. A tree that is high in position and large in form, capable of enclosing things, is called Qi. The beautiful fruit grows at the lower part, which is the melon. Beauty that is in a low position represents the image of a virtuous person in a humble position. The fifth line holds the position of the ruler, yet it seeks out virtuous talents below. Using a high position to seek those at the very bottom is like using the leaves of the Qi tree to enclose a melon. It is able to lower itself in status in this way. Moreover, it contains the virtue of being upright and balanced in the middle. It is full and has cultural refinement. When a ruler behaves like this, there is no one he cannot meet. However, even if he lowers himself to seek talents, if his own virtue is not upright, the virtuous will not look upon him with favor. Therefore, one must keep the refined beauty within, and fill the heart with the utmost sincerity, so that "a falling star comes from the heavens," meaning that virtuous talents descend from the heavens, implying that one will certainly be able to obtain them. Since ancient times, kings who have been sincere and lowered themselves, using the path of being upright and balanced, have never failed to meet virtuous talents throughout the world. King Wu of Shang obtained Fu Yue through a dream, and King Wen of Zhou met Lü Shang by fishing by the Wei River. They all followed this path.

集說 胡氏炳文曰：“魚”與“瓜”皆陰物，二與初遇，故“包有魚”。五與初無相遇之道，猶以高大之杞，而包在地之瓜也。然瓜雖始生而必潰，九五陽剛中正，能含晦章美，靜以待之，是雖陰陽消長，時運之常，而造化未有不可回者，《姤》其將可轉而為《復》乎。

"Ji Shuo" cites Hu Bingwen's saying: fish and melons are yin things. Nine in the Second (nine two) meets Six at the Beginning, hence it is said "encompassing fish"; Nine in the Fifth does not meet Six at the Beginning, just as using a tall杞 tree to wrap a melon growing on the ground. Although the melon is just sprouting, it will eventually rot; Nine in the Fifth, being yang and upright, can contain beautiful virtue and remain quiet, waiting for it to decay naturally. Thus, the waxing and waning of yin and yang is the normal course of time, but the opportunity of creation and transformation cannot be reversed: the hexagram Guo might be able to turn into Fu.

俞氏琰曰：“含”即包之謂，其初含蓄不露。一旦瓜熟蒂脫，自杞墜地。故曰“含章”，“有隕自天”。林氏希元曰：“含章”不是全無所事，是用意周密，不動聲色，而自有以消患於方萌也。案 五為卦主，而與陰無比應，得卦“勿用取女”之義也。夫與陰雖無比應，而為卦主，則有制陰之任焉，故極言修德迴天之道。

"The Collection of Sayings" also cites Yu Yan's statement: "Contain" means to include, and at first it is concealed and not revealed; once the fruit is ripe and the stem has fallen, it naturally falls from the Chinese toon tree to the ground, so the line statement says "contain virtue" and also says "something falls from heaven." "The Collection of Sayings" also cites Lin Xiyuan's statement: "Contain virtue" does not mean doing nothing, but rather being careful and acting without showing emotion, thus naturally eliminating troubles at their very beginning. Li Guangdi comments: Nine in the Fifth is the main line of the hexagram, yet it is neither adjacent nor in correspondence with the yin line. This precisely matches the hexagram statement "do not take a wife." Although it has no corresponding relationship with the yin line, since it is the main line, it bears the responsibility of subduing the soft and weak. Therefore, "The Original Meaning" and "Cheng's Commentary" both strongly emphasize the principle of cultivating virtue to reverse the heavenly mandate.

上九，姤其角，吝，無咎。本義 “角”，剛乎上者也。上九以剛居上而無位，不得其遇，故其象占與九三類。程傳 至剛而在最上者角也。九以剛居上，故以“角”為象。人之相遇，由降屈以相從，和順以相接，故能合也。上九高亢而剛極，人誰與之，以此求遇，固可“吝”也。己則如是，人之遠之，非他人之罪也，由己致之，故無所歸“咎”。

The line statement of the Upper Nine in the Gou hexagram says: meeting at the horn, which is somewhat awkward, but without fault. Zhu Xi's Benyi says: the horn is the hardest and longest part at the top; the Upper Nine, being yang and occupying the highest position in the entire hexagram without a position, does not meet any suitable partner, so its symbolic representation and line statement are similar to that of the Nine in the Third. Cheng Yi's Yichuan Commentary on the Changes says: the hardest and longest part at the top is the horn; the Upper Nine, being yang at the top, takes the horn as its symbolic representation. When people meet, it is through lowering one's status to be submissive to others and being harmonious and gentle in interacting with others that they can get along. The Upper Nine is lofty and extremely strong, so who would be willing to approach him? If one goes about seeking meeting in this manner, it is natural to meet with awkwardness. Since one is in this state, others keeping their distance is not the fault of others, but entirely self-inflicted, so there is nowhere to blame.

集說 徐氏幾曰：上九處《姤》之窮，與初無遇，雖“吝”，然亦“無咎”，陰不必遇也。胡氏炳文曰：九三以剛居下卦之上，於初陰無所遇，故雖“厲”而“無大咎”。上九以剛居上卦之上，於初陰亦不得其遇，故雖“吝”而亦“無咎”，遇本非正，不遇不足為咎也。

"The 'Collected Sayings' cites Xu Ji's view: the line 'Nine at the Top' is in the extreme position of the 'Meeting' hexagram, and does not meet with the line 'Six at the Beginning'. Although this is difficult to bear, there is no fault—after all, yin is not something that must be met. 'Collected Sayings' also cites Hu Bingwen's view: 'Nine in the Third' is a yang line in the uppermost line of the lower trigram, and thus cannot meet with the yin line 'Six at the Beginning', so although there is danger, it does not lead to great fault. 'Nine at the Top' is a yang line in the uppermost line of the upper trigram, and thus cannot meet with the yin line 'Six at the Beginning' either. Therefore, although it is difficult to bear, there is no fault. The act of meeting itself is not in accordance with the right path, and not meeting is not considered a fault."

萃.兌上.坤下程傳 《萃序卦》：“姤者遇也，物相遇而後聚，故受之以萃。萃者，聚也。”物相會遇則成群，《萃》所以次《姤》也。為卦兌上坤下，澤上於地，水之聚也，故為《萃》，不言澤在地上而云澤上於地，則為方聚之義也。

The hexagram "Cui" is composed of the upper trigram Dui (Lake) and the lower trigram Kun (Earth). Cheng Yi in his commentary "Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes" says: "The 'Xu Guan Zhuan' explains the hexagram 'Cui' by stating: 'Gou means meeting; when things meet, they then gather, so the next hexagram is 'Cui'. Cui means gathering.' When all things meet and encounter each other, they form groups. Therefore, the hexagram 'Cui' comes after 'Gou'. In terms of the structure of the hexagram, the upper trigram is Dui and the lower trigram is Kun, representing water accumulating on the land, which is the gathering of water. Hence, the hexagram is named 'Cui'. The 'Daxiang' (Great Image) does not say 'water on the land' but 'water above the land', emphasizing the meaning of water gathering towards the land."

萃，亨，王假有廟，利見大人，亨，利貞，用大牲吉，利有攸往。本義 “萃”，聚也。坤順兌說，九五剛中而二應之，又為澤上於地，萬物萃聚之象，故為《萃》。亨字衍文。“王假有廟”，言王者可以至乎宗廟之中，王者卜祭之吉占也。祭義曰：“公假”於太廟是也，廟所以聚祖考之精神，又人必能聚己之精神，則可以至於廟而承祖考也。物既聚，則必“見大人”而後可以得“亨”。然又必利於止，所聚不正，則亦不能亨也。大牲必聚而後有。聚則可以有所往，皆占吉而有戒之辭。

The hexagram "Cui" states: "It is favorable to have a passage; the king comes personally to the ancestral temple, it is favorable to meet a great person, it is favorable to have a passage, it is favorable to maintain uprightness; using great sacrifices brings good fortune, it is favorable to go somewhere." Zhu Xi's "Ben Yi" says: "Cui" means gathering. The lower trigram is Kun, which is soft and yielding, and the upper trigram is Dui, which represents joy. The nine in the fifth position is yang and central, and the six in the second position corresponds with it. It is also like the accumulation of the marsh on the ground, which is the image of gathering all things. Therefore, the hexagram is called "Cui." The character "hen" below the hexagram name is an added character. "Wang jia you miao" means the king comes personally to the ancestral temple. This is the auspicious divination statement obtained by the king when consulting about worship. The "Ji Yi" says "gong jia yu tai miao," which is exactly the same usage. The ancestral temple is the place where the spirits of ancestors are gathered, and people must also be able to gather their own spirit in order to enter the temple to honor the ancestors. Once all things have been gathered, one must meet a great person, and only then can there be favorable passage. However, it is also favorable to maintain uprightness (the original text mistakenly writes "zhi" instead of "zheng"). If the gathering is not upright, it will also not lead to favorable passage. Great sacrifices must be carried out only after sufficient resources have been gathered. Once gathered, one can go somewhere. All these are auspicious divinations that also contain warnings.

程傳 王者萃聚天下之道，至於“有廟”極也，群生至眾也，而可一其歸仰，人心莫知其鄉也。而能致其誠敬，鬼神之不可度也。而能致其來格，天下萃合人心總攝眾志之道非一，其至大莫過於宗廟。故王者萃天下之道，至於“有廟”，則《萃》道之至也。

Cheng Yi in Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: The method by which a sovereign gathers the hearts of the people is to establish ancestral temples, which is the ultimate way. The number of people is vast, yet ancestral temples can bring them all to one place with unified hearts; the people's minds may be scattered and lost, yet ancestral temples can inspire sincerity and reverence; the spirits and deities are distant and hard to measure, yet ancestral temples can summon them to appear. There are many ways to gather the people's hearts and consolidate their wills, but none surpasses the ancestral temple. Therefore, the sovereign's method of gathering the people is to have ancestral temples, which is the ultimate expression of the hexagram of Congregation.

祭祀之報，本於人心。聖人制禮以成其德耳，故豺獺能祭，其性然也。萃下有亨字，羨文也，亨字自在下，與《渙》不同。《渙》則無言卦才，《萃》乃先言卦義，彖辭甚明，天下之聚，必得大人以治之。人聚則亂，物聚則爭，事聚則紊，非大人治之，則萃所以致爭亂也。萃以不正，則人聚為苟合，財聚為悖入，安得亨乎，故“利貞”。

Worship is used to express gratitude to the source, and the root of this lies in the human heart. The sages established rituals, merely to fully realize this heart as virtue. Therefore, animals like jackals and otters also display their catches as if offering worship, which is due to their innate nature. The character "亨" added below the "萃" is an extra character; the true "亨" has its own proper place later on, which is different from the "涣" hexagram. The "涣" hexagram does not first explain the hexagram before discussing its meaning, but the "萃" hexagram first explains the meaning before the hexagram. The "彖辞" clearly states: when people gather together, there must be a great person to govern. When people gather, they tend to become disorderly; when things gather, they tend to compete; when affairs gather, they tend to become confused. Without a great person to govern, gathering becomes the cause of disputes and chaos. If gathering is not done in accordance with the right way, people gathering becomes mere collusion, wealth gathering becomes unjust gains, how can there be smoothness and success? Therefore, the hexagram statement says "favorable to uprightness."

《萃》者豐厚之時也，其用宜稱，故“用大牲吉”。事莫重於祭，故以祭享而言。上交鬼神，下接民物，百用莫不皆然。當萃之時，而交物以厚，則是享豐富之吉也，天下莫不同其富樂矣。若時之厚，而交物以薄，乃不享其豐美，天下莫之與而悔吝生矣。蓋隨時之宜，順理而行，故《彖》云“順天命也”。夫不能有為者，力之不足也，當萃之時，故“利有攸往”。大凡興工立事，貴得可為之時，萃而後用，是動而有裕，天理然也。

The hexagram "Cui" refers to a time when resources are abundant, and expenditures should be commensurate with this abundance, hence the saying "Using great sacrifices is auspicious." No human activity is more significant than worship, so sacrifices are used as an example. Upwardly, it connects with spirits and ancestors; downwardly, it welcomes the people and all things. All forms of expenditure follow this principle. At the time of gathering and abundance, being generous in dealing with others leads to the auspiciousness of enjoying abundance, and all under heaven share in the prosperity and happiness. If, however, the times are abundant yet one is stingy in dealing with others, it is refusing to enjoy this abundance, and all people will not come close, giving rise to regret and shame. In summary, one must consider whether the time is appropriate and act in accordance with the principles, hence the "Commentary on the Judgment" says "It follows the mandate of Heaven." Any endeavor that fails is due to insufficient strength; at the time of gathering, strength is sufficient, hence "It is advantageous to go on." Generally, when initiating projects or establishing undertakings, the most important thing is to seize the right opportunity for action. First accumulate, then act, and when you act, you will have ample resources. This is the natural way.

集說 程子曰：《萃》、《渙》皆立廟，因其精神之萃，而形於此，為其渙散，故立此以收之。項氏安世曰：卦名下元無亨字，獨王肅本有，王弼遂用其說，孔子彖辭初不及此字。趙氏汝騰曰：陽居五而五陰從之為《比》，陽居五與四而四陰從之為《萃》，二卦相似，然《比》者眾陰始附之初，聖人作而萬物睹之時也。《萃》者二陽相比，群陰萃而歸之，君臣同德，萬物盛多之時也。

"The Collection of Sayings" cites Cheng Yi's explanation: The "Cui" hexagram and the "Huan" hexagram both discuss the establishment of ancestral temples. "Cui" is because human spirit gathers together, and this is reflected in the ancestral temple; "Huan" is because human hearts are scattered, so the ancestral temple is used to gather them back. "The Collection of Sayings" also cites Xiang Anshi's statement: originally, the name of the hexagram did not include the character "Heng," only the Wang Su edition had it, and Wang Bi adopted this view. Confucius's "Tao Ci" did not mention this character at all. "The Collection of Sayings" also cites Zhao Ruting's statement: a yang line in the fifth position with five yin lines following it is the "Bi" hexagram; a yang line in the fifth position and a yang line in the fourth position with four yin lines following them is the "Cui" hexagram. The structures of these two hexagrams are similar, but "Bi" represents the beginning when many yin lines start to follow, which is the time when the sage arises and all things look up to him; "Cui" represents two yang lines being adjacent, with many yin lines gathering and following, which is the time when the ruler and ministers share the same virtue and all things flourish in abundance.

何氏楷曰：“用大牲吉”，承“王假有廟”言，“利有攸往”，承“科見大人”言。案 以《彖傳》觀之，“利見人人亨利貞”為一事無疑。“王假有廟”者，神人之聚也。“利見大人”者，上下之聚也。“用大牲吉”。廣言群祀，由假廟而推之，皆所以聚於神也。“利有攸往”，廣言所行，由見大人而推之，皆所以聚於人也。

"The Collection of Sayings" also cites He Kai's statement: "Using great sacrifices is auspicious" follows "The king comes to the temple," and "It is advantageous to go somewhere" follows "It is advantageous to see the great man" (the original text mistakenly writes "li" as "ke"). Li Guangdi comments: According to the Commentary on the Judgment, "It is advantageous to see the great man, prosperity, and advantageous to maintain uprightness" refers to one single matter, and there is no doubt about this (the original text mistakenly writes "great man" as "every person"). "The king comes to the temple" discusses the gathering of the divine and human; "It is advantageous to see the great man" discusses the gathering of the superior and the inferior. "Using great sacrifices is auspicious" extends the discussion to various sacrificial rites, deriving from personally visiting the ancestral temple step by step, all belonging to the gathering with the divine. "It is advantageous to go somewhere" extends the discussion to various actions, deriving from seeing the great man step by step, all belonging to the gathering with people."

初六，有孚不終，乃亂乃萃，若號，一握為笑，勿恤往無咎。本義 初六上應九四，而隔於二陰，當萃之時，不能自守，是“有孚”而“不終”，志亂而妄聚也。若呼號正應，則眾以為笑。但“勿恤”而往從正應，則“無咎”矣。戒占者當如是也。

The first line of the Cui hexagram says: Although one has sincerity, it is not sustained to the end, thus causing confusion and disorder in the mind, and haphazard gatherings; once one calls out, laughter follows immediately; there is no need to worry, for going forward will not result in error. Zhu Xi's "Ben Yi" states: The first line is in correspondence with the fourth line above, but there are two yin lines in between. At the time of gathering, it cannot maintain itself, which is the case of having sincerity but not being able to maintain it to the end, leading to confusion and disorder. If it calls out to the proper corresponding ninth line, the people will mock it; but if it does not pay attention to these and proceeds to follow the proper correspondence, there will be no error. This is a warning to those who divinate to act in this manner.

程傳 初與四為正應，本“有孚”以相從者也。然當《萃》時，三陰聚處，柔無守正之節。若舍正應而從其類，乃“有孚”而“不終”也，“乃亂”，惑亂其心也。“乃萃”。與其同類聚也。初若守正不從，號呼以求正應，則一握笑之矣。“一握”，俗語一團也，謂眾以為笑也。若能“勿恤”而往從剛陽之正應，則無過咎。不然，則入小人之群矣。

Cheng Yi in Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: The line 'Initial Six' and 'Nine in the Fourth' are a pair that correspond properly. They should follow each other with sincerity. However, at the time of gathering, the three yin lines in the lower trigram are all together, and the weak and flexible lines lack the virtue of uprightness. If it abandons its proper correspondence and follows its own kind, then it has sincerity but cannot have a proper conclusion. 'Nai luàn' means its mind is confused and disturbed; 'Nai cuì' means it gathers with its own kind. If 'Initial Six' can remain upright and not follow its own kind, but instead call out to seek the proper correspondence, it will be laughed at by the crowd. 'Yi wo' is a common expression for 'yī tuán', meaning the crowd takes it as a laughingstock. If it does not pay attention and goes to follow the upright yang line, there will be no fault; otherwise, it will fall into the company of petty people.

集說 胡氏瑗曰：“號”，謂號咷也。萃聚之世，必上下相求和會，然後必有所濟，故始有號咷之怨，終得與四萃聚而有歡笑也。王氏宗傳曰：初之於四，相信之志，疑亂而不一也。然居萃之時，上下相求。若號焉，四必說而應之，則一握之頃，變號咷而為笑樂矣，謂得其所萃也。故戒之曰“勿恤”，又勉之曰“往無咎”。

"The 'Collected Sayings' cites Hu Yuan's explanation: '号' means wailing and crying out in grief. In a time of gathering, there must be mutual seeking between above and below, and harmony between them, so that things can be accomplished. Therefore, the initial state of Chiu Liu begins with wailing and sorrow, but in the end it can unite with Jiushier and achieve joy. 'Collected Sayings' also cites Wang Zongping's explanation: the mutual trust between Chiu Liu and Jiushier is disturbed by doubt and not focused. However, in a time of gathering, above and below naturally seek each other. Once Chiu Liu calls out, Jiushier will surely respond joyfully. Thus, in just a handshake, wailing turns into laughter, meaning it has found the right object to gather with. Therefore, the line statement warns it 'do not worry' and encourages it 'to go without blame.'"

姚氏舜牧曰：初四相應，此心本自相孚。但孚須有終為善，如“有孚”而“不終”，則“乃亂”而“乃萃”矣，萃其可亂乎哉。若念有孚之當終，而呼號以往從之，則正應可合，而無妄萃之咎矣。錢氏志立曰：《萃》與《比》同，所異者多九四一陽耳。《比》初無應，曰，“有孚”者，一於五也。《萃》初與四應，曰“有孚不終”者，有二陽焉，“不終”於四也。及此時而號以求萃，可以破涕為笑，《同人》“先號咷而後笑”者是也。

"The Collection of Sayings" also cites Yao Shunmu's view: Initially, the line six at the beginning corresponds with the line nine in the fourth. The hearts of the two sides are originally trustworthy, but sincerity must be maintained until the end to be considered good. If there is sincerity but it is not maintained, then it would lead to disorder and gathering—how can gathering be done in a disorderly way? If line six can remember that sincerity should have a conclusion, and thus call out to follow line nine in the fourth, then the correct alignment can be achieved, and there would be no mistake of disorderly gathering. "The Collection of Sayings" also cites Qian Zhili's view: The hexagram "Cui" is similar to the hexagram "Bi," the only difference being that the hexagram "Cui" has an additional yang line at the fourth position. In the hexagram "Bi," line six at the beginning does not correspond with any line, so it says "there is sincerity," meaning it solely follows line nine in the fifth. In the hexagram "Cui," line six at the beginning corresponds with line nine in the fourth, yet it says "there is sincerity but it is not maintained," because there are two yang lines in the hexagram, and the sincerity toward line nine in the fourth is not maintained. At this time, if one calls out to gather, it can turn from crying to laughing. The line nine in the fifth of the hexagram "Tongren" says "first crying and weeping, then laughing," which is exactly this situation."

案 胡氏王氏姚氏錢氏諸說，皆於文義甚合，蓋《易》中“號”“笑”二字每每相對也。兩“乃”字不同，上“乃”字，虛字也；下“乃”字，猶汝也。正如《書》“而康而色”，上而字，虛字也，下而字，猶汝也。言“有孚不終”，則必亂汝之所萃也。其所以亂之故，則錢氏得之矣。“握”者，手所執持以轉移之機也。言能至誠迫切，則一轉移之間，必有和合之喜，故曰“若號，一據為笑”。

Li Guangdi remarked: The interpretations by Hu Yuan, Wang Zongchuan, Yao Shunmu, and Qian Zhili all closely match the meaning of the text, because in the Zhou Yi, the words "hao" and "xiao" are often used in parallel. In the line statements, the two instances of "nei" are used differently: the first "nei" is a particle, while the second "nei" is equivalent to "you." This is similar to the Shang Shu Hongfan, which says "er kang er se," where the first "er" is a particle and the second "er" is equivalent to "you." The entire sentence means: if sincerity is not maintained, it will certainly disrupt the things you are trying to gather. As for the reason for the disruption, Qian Zhili has already explained it. "Wo" refers to a joint that can be held in the hand and turned easily; this means that when a person is truly sincere and earnest, there will certainly be joyous harmony with a single turn of the hand. Therefore, it is said, "If you call out, a single turn of the hand will bring a smile" (the original text mistakenly writes "ju" instead of "wo").

六二，引吉，無咎，孚乃利用禴。本義 二應五而雜於二陰之間，必牽引以萃，乃“吉”而“無咎”。又二中正柔順，虛中以上應。九五剛健中正，誠實而下交，故卜祭者有其孚誠，則雖薄物亦可以祭矣。程傳 初陰柔，又非中正，恐不能終其孚，故因其才而為之戒。二雖陰柔而得中正，

The Line Statement of the Sixth Line of the second position in the "Cui" hexagram says: If one is drawn upward and approaches, it is auspicious and without fault; as long as one's heart is sincere, even a simple and humble sacrifice is appropriate. Zhu Xi's "Benyi" says: The Sixth Line is in correspondence with the Ninth Line of the fifth position, but is sandwiched between two yin lines, so it must be drawn by someone to reach the Ninth Line, thus being auspicious and without fault. Moreover, the Sixth Line is gentle and "zhongzheng" (upright and centered), using a quiet and empty center to respond upward; the Ninth Line is strong and "zhongzheng", using a sincere heart to respond downward. Therefore, those who divinate about sacrifices, as long as they have this sincerity, even simple and humble offerings can be used for sacrifice. Cheng Yi's "Yichuan Commentary on the Changes" says: The First Six is yin and flexible, and also not zhongzheng, so it is feared that it cannot maintain sincerity to the end, so it is necessary to warn it according to its quality; the Sixth Line, although yin and flexible, is in the center and upright, ... the original text here is missing, and this section of the "Cheng Transmission" is incomplete.

集說 胡氏瑗曰：君子之進，不可自媒。以苟媚其君，而幸其時之寵榮也。是故君子進用，必須有道。六二以陰居陰，履得其中，又上應九五中正之君，必待其君援引於己，然後往之，此所以得“吉”而“無咎”也。“孚”，信也。“禴”，薄祭也。君子之進，必在乎誠信相交，心志相接。當萃聚之時，誠信既著，心志既通，則可以不煩外飾，其道得行矣。孚信中立，則雖禴之薄祭，亦可通於神明也。

The "Collected Sayings" cites Hu Yuan's view: A gentleman seeking advancement cannot rely on himself to act as his own matchmaker, using hasty and flattery towards the sovereign to侥幸 gain temporary favor. Therefore, a gentleman's advancement must follow the right path. The line six in the second, being a yao of yin in a yin position, is in the middle and proper place, and it corresponds upward with the nine in the fifth, the upright and correct sovereign. It must wait for the sovereign to actively recommend it before proceeding, which is why it achieves good fortune without fault. "Fu" means sincerity, and "yue" refers to a simple sacrifice. A gentleman seeking advancement relies crucially on sincerity in his interactions and harmony of heart and will. When the proper time comes, sincerity is already evident, and the heart and will are already aligned, so there is no need for external embellishments; the way of the gentleman naturally becomes effective. Sincerity established in the heart means that even a simple sacrifice like "yue" can communicate with the divine.

張子曰：能自持不變，引而後往，“吉”乃“無咎”。凡言“利用禴”，皆誠素著自於幽明之際。王氏宗傳曰：彖以“用大牲”為“吉”，而六二以“用禴”為利，何也？備物者，王者所以隨其時。“有孚”者，人臣所以通乎上。

"The 'Collected Sayings' also quotes Zhang Zai's statement: to remain steadfast without change, and only then to move when drawn, is what brings good fortune without fault. Whenever the phrase 'using a simple sacrifice' appears, it refers to sincerity already manifesting in both the hidden and the manifest realms. 'The Collected Sayings' also quotes Wang Zongcheng's explanation: the hexagram statement takes 'using a great sacrifice' as auspicious, but the second line takes 'using a simple sacrifice' as beneficial. Why is this so? Preparing a lavish sacrifice is the way for a ruler to conform to the circumstances of the time; maintaining sincerity is the means for a minister to communicate with the sovereign."

案 彖言“利見大人”，九五者卦之大人也。六二應之，得見大人之義矣。然見大人者，聚必以正，故必，待其引而從之，乃”吉”而“無咎”。蓋聚而不正，則不亨也。“孚乃利用禴”者，言相聚之道，以誠為本，苟有明信，雖用禴可祭矣，況大牲乎，亦根卦義而反其辭也。《易》曰：可用汲，王明並受其福。《傳》曰：在下位，不援上。此引字是汲引之引，非援引之引。

Li Guangdi remarked: The "Tong Ci" says "It is advantageous to see a great man," and nine in the fifth line is the great man in the hexagram. Six in the second line corresponds with it, which exactly fits the meaning of seeing a great man. However, when seeing a great man, gathering must follow the correct path, so one must wait for nine in the fifth line to lead and follow accordingly to be auspicious without fault. If the gathering is not proper, it cannot be smooth. As for "Fa nai li yong yue," it refers to the way of mutual gathering based on sincerity: as long as there is clear trust, even a simple sacrifice like yue can be used for worship, let alone great sacrifices. This is saying the opposite in accordance with the meaning of the hexagram. The third line of the "Well" hexagram in the "Zhou Yi" says "It can be drawn up, the king's wisdom receives its blessing," and the "Zhongyong" says "Those in lower positions do not support above." The "yin" in this line refers to drawing up and promoting, not supporting and advancing.

六三，萃如嗟如，無攸利，往無咎，小吝。本義 六三陰柔，不中不正，上無應與，欲求萃於近而不得，故“嗟如”而無所利。唯往從於上，可以“無咎”。然不得其萃，困然後往，復得陰極無位之爻，亦小可羞矣。戒占者當近舍不正之強援，而遠結正應之窮交，則“無咎”也。

The Line Statement of the sixth line in the third position of the Hexagram "Cui" says: One wishes to gather but can only sigh, gaining nothing; going forward would not result in fault, but it is somewhat humiliating. Zhu Xi's "Ben Yi" explains: The sixth line is a yin and flexible line, neither in the center nor in the proper position, and there is no corresponding line above it. It wishes to seek gathering nearby but cannot reach it, thus only sighing and gaining nothing. It can only go forward to follow the sixth line at the top, thus avoiding fault; however, after failing to gather and being in a desperate situation, it moves, and the one it relies on is a yin line that has reached its extreme and is without rank, hence somewhat shameful. This is a warning to those divining: One should abandon the nearby, improper support and instead combine with the distant, corresponding but desperate connection, thus avoiding fault.

程傳 二陰柔不中正之人也，求萃於人，而人莫與，求四則非其正應，又非其類，是以不正為四所棄也。與二則二自以中正應五，是以不正為二所不與也。故欲“萃如”，則為人棄絕而“嗟如”，不獲萃而嗟恨也。上下皆不與，無所利也。唯往而從上六，則得其萃，為“無咎”也。三與上雖非陰陽正應，然萃之時，以類相從，皆以柔居一體之上，又皆無與，居相應之地，上覆處說順之極，故得其萃而“無咎”也。易道變動無常，在人識之，然而小吝，何也？三始求萃於四與二，不獲而後往從上六。人之動為如此，雖得所求，亦可小羞吝也。

Cheng Yi in Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: Six in the Third is a yin and flexible person who is neither central nor upright. It seeks to gather others, but they do not wish to associate with it. It tries to approach Nine in the Fourth, but Nine in the Fourth is not its proper corresponding line and is not of the same type, so it is considered not upright and is rejected. It also tries to approach Six in the Second, but Six in the Second has its own central and upright virtue to respond to Nine in the Fifth, so it also considers Six in the Third not upright and does not wish to associate with it. Therefore, it seeks to gather, but is instead rejected by others and can only sigh in disappointment. Since it cannot gather, it feels resentment. Neither above nor below wishes to associate with it, so it naturally brings no benefit. It can only go to follow Six at the Top to obtain what it seeks without fault. Although Six in the Third and Six at the Top are not in the proper yin-yang correspondence, they can associate according to their kind during gathering. Both lines are yin and flexible in the position of the first line, and neither has an associate. Moreover, they are in corresponding positions. Six at the Top is also at the extreme of joy and flexibility, so Six in the Third can obtain what it seeks without fault. The Way of the Zhou Changes is ever-changing and depends on people to understand it. If that is the case, why is it said to be 'a small hardship'? Because Six in the Third first seeks to associate with Nine in the Fourth and Six in the Second, and only turns to follow Six at the Top after failing. Human actions reach this point, and even if they obtain what they seek, it is considered somewhat shameful and regrettable.

集說 吳氏澄曰：與二陰萃於下，而上無應，故嗟嘆不得志。雖無應而比近九四之 俞氏琰曰：《萃》之時“利見大人”，三與五非應非比，而不得其萃，未免有嗟嘆之聲，則“無攸利”矣。既曰“無攸利”，又曰“往無咎”，三與四比，則其往也。舍四可乎，三之從四，四亦巽而受之，故“無咎”。第無正應，而近比於四，所聚非正，有此小疵耳。

"The Collection of Sayings" cites Wu Cheng's explanation: Six in the Third, together with the other two yao of the yin type, are gathered in the lower trigram, but there is no corresponding yao above, so it laments its own lack of success; although there is no proper correspondence, it is close to Nine in the Fourth... The original text here is missing some characters, and Wu's explanation is incomplete. "The Collection of Sayings" also cites Yu Yan's explanation: At this time, the hexagram "Cui" emphasizes "it is advantageous to see a great man." Six in the Third and Nine in the Fifth are neither corresponding nor adjacent, so they cannot gather to that place, and thus inevitably emit a lament. Therefore, it is "not advantageous to do anything." Although it says "not advantageous to do anything," it also says "going without blame," because Six in the Third is close to Nine in the Fourth. If it wants to go, without going to Nine in the Fourth, where else can it go? Six in the Third follows Nine in the Fourth, and Nine in the Fourth also accepts it obediently, so there is no blame. However, since it does not have a proper correspondence and instead closely attaches to Nine in the Fourth, the object it gathers is not proper, so this is the only minor flaw."

案 以《象傳》觀之，吳氏俞氏之說是也。易例三四隔體，無相從之，義，然亦有以時義而相從者，《隨》三之“係丈夫”，及此爻是也。其不正而亦以時義相從者，《豫》三《咸》三是也。皆因九四有主卦之義者故然。

Li Guangdi remarked: According to the Image Commentary, the views of Wu Cheng and Yu Yan are correct. In general, in The Zhou Changes, the third line and the fourth line belong to the upper and lower parts respectively, separated by the main body of the hexagram, and there is no inherent principle of following each other. However, there are cases where they follow each other due to the meaning of the situation. For example, the line six in the third position of the hexagram Following says "attached to a husband," and the line of the hexagram Accumulating also belongs to this category. Among these, those where the position is not correct but still follow the meaning of the time include the line six in the third position of the hexagram Joy and the line nine in the third position of the hexagram Attraction. These are all because the line nine in the fourth position of each hexagram has the meaning of governing the entire hexagram.

九四，大吉，無咎。本義 上比九五，下比眾陰，得其萃矣。然以陽居陰不正，故戒占者必“大吉”，然後得“無咎”也。程傳 四當《萃》之時，上比九五之君，得君臣之聚也。下比下體群陰，得下民之聚也：得上下之聚，可謂善矣。然四以陽居陰，非正也。雖得上下之聚，必得“大吉”，然後為“無咎”也。“大”為周遍之義，無所不周，然後為大，無所不正，則為“大吉”，“大吉”則“無咎”也。夫上下之聚，固有不由正道而得者，非理枉道而得君者，自古多矣。非理枉道而得民者，蓋亦有焉：如齊之陳恆，魯之季氏是也。然得為“大吉”乎，得為“無咎”乎，故九四必能“大吉”，然後為“無咎”也。

The line statement for the fourth line of the Qie hexagram says: Great good fortune, there is no fault. Zhu Xi's Benyi says: The fourth line is adjacent to the fifth line above and adjacent to the multitude of yin lines below, so it can be considered as gathering many. However, since it is a yang line in a yin position, it is not properly placed, so it warns those who divinate: one must achieve great good fortune before there can be no fault. Cheng Yi's Yichuan Commentary on the Changes says: The fourth line is in the time of gathering. It is adjacent to the fifth line, the sovereign, above, thus achieving the union of sovereign and minister; and it is adjacent to the multitude of yin lines in the lower trigram below, thus achieving the union of the people. Having achieved union above and below, it can be said to be good. However, the fourth line is a yang line in a yin position, thus not properly placed. Although it has achieved the union above and below, it must achieve great good fortune before it can be considered without fault. "Great" means comprehensive: only when nothing is left out can it be called great. Only when nothing is wrong can it be called great good fortune. Only when great good fortune is achieved can there be no fault. The union above and below originally may be obtained without following the correct path: there have been many cases throughout history where people gained the sovereign's trust without proper conduct, and also many cases where people gained the people's support without proper conduct, such as Chen Heng of the State of Qi and Ji Shi of the State of Lu. But can such cases be called great good fortune? Can they be considered without fault? Therefore, the fourth line must truly achieve great good fortune before it can be considered without fault.

集說 房氏喬曰：“大吉”謂匪躬盡瘁，始終無玷，可免專民之咎，有謂立大功可免咎者非也。項氏安世曰：無尊位而得眾心，故必“大吉”而後可以“無咎”。如《益》之初九，在下位而任厚事，亦必“元吉”而後可以“無咎”也。胡氏炳文曰：《比》卦五陰，皆比五之一陽，《萃》四陰，皆聚歸五與四之二陽。五日“萃有位”，以見四之萃非有位也。無尊位而得眾心，非“大吉”安能“無咎”。

"The Collective Commentary" cites Fang Qiao's statement: the so-called "great good fortune" refers to not considering one's own interests and exerting one's utmost effort, remaining without any blemish from beginning to end, thus avoiding the crime of overstepping the people's authority. Some people say that great achievements can exempt one from blame, but that is incorrect. "The Collective Commentary" also cites Xiang Anshi's statement: since nine four does not hold a position of honor yet has gained the hearts of the people, it must achieve great good fortune before it can be without fault. It is similar to the first line of the "Benefit" hexagram, where someone is in a low position yet bears a great responsibility; it must also achieve "great good fortune" before it can be without fault. "The Collective Commentary" also cites Hu Bingwen's statement: the five yin lines of the "Following" hexagram all closely follow the single yang line nine five; the four yin lines of the "Cessation" hexagram all gather around the two yang lines nine five and nine four. The line statement of nine five says "cessation has a position," clearly showing that the gathering of nine four does not have that position. Without a position of honor yet having gained the hearts of the people, how can one avoid fault without achieving great good fortune?

九五，萃有位，無咎，匪孚，元永貞，悔亡。本義 九五剛陽中正，當《萃》之時而居尊，固“無咎”矣。若有末信，則亦修其“元永貞”之德而“晦亡”矣。戒占者當如是也。

The Line Statement of the Fifth Line of the卦 Cui (Gathering) says: gathering the world and occupying the proper position, there is no fault; if there are still people who do not believe, then cultivate the virtue of original goodness, constancy, and firmness, and regret will vanish. Zhu Xi's "Ben Yi" says: the Nine in the Fifth is yang and strong, "zhongzheng" (upright and central), at the proper time for gathering and occupying the exalted position, originally there is no fault; if there are still people who do not believe (the original text "wei" was mistakenly written as "mo"), then cultivate his virtue of "yuan yong zhen" (original goodness, constancy, and firmness), and regret will vanish (the original text "hui" was mistakenly written as "hui"). This is a warning to those who divinate to act in this way.

程傳 九五居天下之尊，萃天下之眾，而君臨之，當正其位，修其德，以陽剛居尊位稱其“位”矣。為有其位矣，得中正之道，無過“咎”也。如是而有不信而未歸者，則當自反以修其“元永貞”之德，則無思不服，而“悔亡”矣。“元永貞”者，君之德，民所歸也。故比天下之道，與萃天下之道，皆在此三者。

Cheng Yi in Yichuan's Commentary on the Changes says: The Nine in the Fifth occupies the highest position in the world, gathering the people of the world and ruling over them. He should maintain the correct position and cultivate his virtue. A yang line in a noble position is appropriate for the term 'position'; once he has this position, if he can act with the principle of the mean and correctness, there will be no mistakes. If even so there are still those who do not believe or come to submit, he should examine himself, cultivate his virtue of 'original, enduring, and sincere'. Then the people will have no doubts, and regret will vanish. The 'original, enduring, and sincere' refers to the virtue of a ruler, which is also what the people look up to. Therefore, the methods of drawing close to the people and gathering them all are no different from these three aspects.

王者既有其位，又有其德，中正無過咎，而天下尚有未信服歸附者。蓋其道未光大也，“元永貞”之道未至也，在修德以來之。如苗民逆命，帝乃誕敷文德，舜德非不至也。蓋有遠近昏明之異，故其歸有先後。既有未歸，則當修德也。所謂德，“元永貞”之道也。“元”，首也，長也。為君德首出庶物君長群生，有尊大之義焉，有主統之義焉。而又恆永貞固，則通於神明，光

The king already holds the position and possesses the virtue. He is upright and without fault, yet there are still people who do not believe in him and do not come to submit. This is because his way is not yet fully enlightened, and the way of "Yuan Yongzhen" has not yet reached its ultimate state. The solution lies in cultivating virtue to attract them. For example, the Sanmiao people disobeyed orders, so Shun widely practiced cultural virtue. It was not that Shun's virtue was insufficient, but rather that there are differences in the distance and clarity of the people in the world, so their submission comes at different times. If there are still those who have not submitted, then he should continue to cultivate virtue. What is called virtue is the way of "Yuan Yongzhen." "Yuan" means the beginning and the leader; as the virtue of a ruler, it contains the meaning of being the first among all things and the leader of all beings, implying respect and grandeur, as well as the meaning of being the master and the leader. Adding to this the quality of being constant and firm, it can connect with the divine and the holy. The original text here is missing some words, and this section in the "Cheng Zhuan" is incomplete.

集說 王氏宗傳曰：五，《萃》之主也。當萃之時，為萃之主，莫大於有其位，尤莫大於有其道。有是位而無是道，則天下不我信者，亦眾矣、故曰“匪孚”。謂天下之人，容有言曰：上之人但以位而萃我也，而其道則未至也，故必“元永貞”而後“悔亡”。《朱子語類》：問：九五以陽剛中正，當萃之時，而居尊位，安得又有“匪孚”？曰：此言有位而無德，則雖萃而不能使人信，故人有不信，當修其“元永貞”之德，而後“悔亡”也。

"The Collection of Sayings" cites Wang Zongcheng's statement: the Nine in the Fifth is the main element of the "Cui" hexagram. When one is in a time of gathering, to be the leader of gathering, the most important thing is to have the position, and even more important is to have the virtue. If one has the position but lacks virtue, then many people will not believe in him, hence the phrase "not trustworthy" — meaning that people might say: the superior is merely gathering us together by virtue of his position, but his virtue is not yet complete. Therefore, one must achieve "original constancy and purity," and then regret will vanish. "The Collection of Sayings" also cites the "Zhu Xi's Classified Sayings": someone asked, since the Nine in the Fifth is yang and strong, upright, and in the proper position during a time of gathering, why is there still "not trustworthy"? Zhu Xi answered: this refers to having the position but lacking virtue. Even though one gathers people together, they will not be convinced. Therefore, once there is doubt, one should cultivate the virtue of "original constancy and purity," and then regret will vanish.

案 萃九五，居尊以萃群陰，與比略同。卦象澤上於地，與比象亦略同也，故其“元永貞”之辭亦同。“元永貞，悔亡”，即所謂“原筮，元永貞，無咎”也。

Li Guangdi remarked: The Hexagram 61, "Cui" (Gathering), with the line "Nine in the Fifth" occupying the exalted position and gathering all the yin lines, is largely similar to the line "Nine in the Fifth" in Hexagram 11, "Bi" (Approach). The imagery of the hexagram is water accumulating on the land, which is also largely similar to the imagery of Hexagram 11, where water is on the land. Therefore, the wording "Original, Everlasting, and Upright" in the line statement is consistent. Here it says "Original, Everlasting, and Upright, regret disappears," which is the same as the statement "Original divination, Original, Everlasting, and Upright, no blame" in the statement of Hexagram 11.

上六，齎諮涕淡，無咎。本義 處《萃》之終，陰柔無位，求萃不得，故戒占者必如此，而後可以“無咎”也。程傳 六，說之主。陰柔小人，說高位而處之，天下孰肯與也。求萃而人莫之與，具窮至於“齎諮”而“涕洟”也。“齎諮”，諮嗟也。人之絕之，由己自取，又將誰咎。為人惡絕，不知所為，則隕穫而至嗟涕，真小人之情狀也。

The Line Statement of the Sixth Line at the Top of the "Cui" hexagram says: sighing and lamenting, weeping and shedding tears, thus there is no fault (the original text had "ti" instead of "dan"). Zhu Xi's "Benyi" says: the Sixth Line at the Top is at the end of the "Cui" hexagram. It is a yin and flexible line without a position. It seeks gathering but fails to gather, thus warning the person consulting the oracle: one must be deeply self-reproaching in this way, then there will be no fault. Cheng Yi's "Yichuan Commentary on the Changes" says: the Sixth Line at the Top is the main line of the upper trigram Dui, which represents joy. A yin and flexible petty person, greedy for high position and clinging to it, will have no one in the world willing to be close to him. Seeking gathering but finding no one to join, his plight reaches the point of sighing and weeping. "Jizi" means sighing and lamenting. Others cutting him off is due to his own actions, so who can blame him? Being disliked and cut off, not knowing what to do, he becomes discouraged and disoriented, thus weeping and lamenting. This is truly the condition of a petty person.

集說 方氏應祥曰：此爻照“後夫凶”看，《比》之上六，以比之最後而凶。《萃》之上六，亦以萃之最後而有未安者。故其憂懼若此，此正所謂孤臣孽子也。黃氏淳耀曰：上乃孤孽之臣子也。《萃》極將職，而不得所萃，乃不得於君親者。“齎諮涕洟”四字，乃極言怨艾求萃之情，故終得萃而“無咎”。

"The 'Collected Sayings' cites Fang Yingxiang's explanation: this line should be compared with the Hexagram Statement of the 'Approach' hexagram, which says 'the husband who comes late is doomed.' In the 'Approach' hexagram, the Sixth at the Top is doomed because it approaches last; in the 'Gathering' hexagram, the Sixth at the Top also approaches last and thus has instability, leading to such deep anxiety—this is precisely what is meant by an isolated minister or a庶son not accepted by his parents." The 'Collected Sayings' also cites Huang Chunyao, who says: the Sixth at the Top is that isolated minister and illegitimate son. Having gathered to the end, about to disperse, yet he cannot gather at the place he should, exactly the kind of person not accepted by his sovereign and elders. The four characters 'jizi tizi' express his regret, self-reproach, and urgent desire for gathering to the extreme, so ultimately he is able to gather and has no fault."

案 方氏黃氏之說得之，蓋不止孤臣孽子，乃放臣屏子之倫也，方氏以比上相照亦是。然《比》上直曰“凶”，此則“齎諮涕演”而“無咎”者，《比》彖有“後夫凶”之辭，故遂以上六當之。此彖有“利見大人”之辭，正與《蹇》卦同例，故尚有積誠求萃之理也。

Li Guangdi remarked: Fang Yingxiang and Huang Chunyao have hit the mark. The sixth line at the top is not merely a lonely minister and a bastard son, but rather a minister who has been exiled and a son who has been rejected. Fang's comparison of the sixth line at the top of the "Gathering" hexagram is correct. However, the sixth line at the top of the "Gathering" hexagram is directly judged as "auspicious," while this line is one of sighing and weeping without fault (the original text "tizi" was mistakenly written as "yan"). The reason is that the "tongyi" of the "Gathering" hexagram contains the phrase "the one who comes late is凶," so the sixth line at the top is used to bear this judgment. The "tongyi" of the "Cui" hexagram contains the phrase "favorable to see a great man," which is of the same type as the "Jian" hexagram. Therefore, the sixth line at the top still retains some possibility of accumulating sincerity and achieving gathering.