The Original Meaning of the Zhou Changes (Commentary by Zhu Xi of the Southern Song Dynasty)

《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！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。

The Zhou Changes (I Ching) includes the meanings of hexagrams, lines, images, and forms. Thus, the actual conditions of heaven and earth and all things become evident. The sage was deeply concerned for the people of the world and future generations. He anticipated the understanding of the principles of all things before the people, and followed up with the completion of all matters after the people. Therefore, he used the numbers of the divination tortoise to determine the forms of all things, and made these forms 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 rules of change. When viewed from the aspect of separation, each thing has its own principle, hence the myriad differences; when viewed from the aspect of unity, all principles return to one way, hence there is no difference. Therefore, the Great Treatise says, "The Book of Changes has the Taiji, which gives rise to the two principles." The "Taiji" refers to the Dao, and the "two principles" refer to Yin and Yang.

陰陽，一道也。太極，無極也。萬物之生，負陰而抱陽，莫不有太極，莫不有兩儀。糹因縕交感，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、耦；爻雖不同，所同者九、六。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。

Yin and Yang originally belong to the same Dao, and the Taiji itself is formless and without image, called the "Wují" (Ultimate Void). The generation of all things is based on carrying Yin and embracing Yang. There is no thing that does not contain Taiji, nor is there any thing that does not contain the two principles of Yin and Yang. The interaction of Yin and Yang energies produces endless changes. Once a form receives life and spirit begins to act with knowledge, true feelings and falsehoods arise, and myriad complexities emerge. The "Zhou Yi" (Book of Changes) is used to determine fortune and misfortune and to accomplish great undertakings. Therefore, it is said: The "Zhou Yi" is the principle of change of Yin and Yang, the hexagrams are the images formed by Yin and Yang, and the lines are the movement of Yin and Yang. The sixty-four hexagrams differ in form, but they share the same odd and even lines that constitute them; the 384 lines differ in their situations, but they share the same designation: old Yang is called "jiu" and old Yin is called "liu". Therefore, the sixty-four hexagrams are the essence of the "Zhou Yi", and the 384 lines are the functions of the "Zhou Yi": far-reaching, they encompass the universe and all directions; near, they do not go beyond one's own body. Short as an instant, fine as a movement or stillness, there is no place without the image of a hexagram, and no place without the meaning of a line. How great is the "Zhou Yi"! Its principle is vast and all-encompassing, its function is profound and present everywhere.

時固未始有一，而卦未始有定象；事固未始有窮，而爻亦未始有定位。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。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。

The situation is not fixed in one form, so the hexagrams do not have fixed images; matters are endless, so the lines do not have fixed positions. If one rigidly applies a single hexagram to a particular time, it becomes confined and lacks adaptability, which is not the Way of the Book of Changes. If one rigidly applies a single line to a particular matter, it becomes blocked and unresponsive, which is also not the Way of the Book of Changes. Knowing only the meanings of hexagrams, lines, images, and symbols separately, but not understanding their living applications, is also not the Way of the Book of Changes. Therefore, one must have an understanding through the movement of spirit and the arising of thought, achieving harmony with the virtues of heaven and earth, the brightness of the sun and moon, the order of the four seasons, and the judgment of good and bad in accordance with spirits and deities. Only then can one be said to truly understand the Book of Changes. Although this is the case, the Book of Changes has hexagrams, which are the formed parts of the Book of Changes; and hexagrams have lines, which are the manifested parts of the hexagrams. What is formed and manifested can be known through words; but what is not yet formed or manifested cannot be pursued through names and concepts. So what is the essential nature of the Book of Changes? This is precisely what those who study the Book of Changes should personally experience and recognize.

周，代名也。易，書名也。其卦本伏羲所畫，有交易、變易之義，故謂之易。其辭則文王、周公所繫，故繫之周。以其簡袠重大，故分為上下兩篇。《經》則伏羲之畫，文王、周公之辭也。並孔子所作之《傳》十篇，凡十二篇。中間頗為諸儒所亂。近世晁氏始正其失，而未能盡合古文。呂氏又更定著為《經》二卷、《傳》十卷，乃復孔氏之舊雲。

"The 'Zhou' refers to a dynasty, and 'Yi' is the name of a book. The hexagrams in the book were originally drawn by Fuxi, containing the meaning of the alternation of yin and yang and the movement of the lines, hence the name 'Yi'. The hexagram line statements were added by King Wen and the Duke of Zhou, so the word 'Zhou' is prefixed to the name 'Yi'. Because the bamboo slips were heavy and the volume was large, the text was divided into upper and lower parts. The 'Classic' refers to the hexagrams drawn by Fuxi, together with the statements added by King Wen and the Duke of Zhou; when combined with the ten chapters of the 'Commentary' written by Confucius, it totals twelve chapters. These twelve chapters, during their transmission, were compiled in a very confused manner by scholars of the Confucian tradition through the ages. Only in recent times did Zhao Shuozhi begin to correct the errors, but he was still unable to fully restore the original version. Later, Lu Zuxian reorganized them again, compiling them into two volumes of the 'Classic' and ten volumes of the 'Commentary', thus restoring the original appearance of the Confucian version."

乾下，乾上。乾：元亨利貞。乾，渠焉反。六畫者，伏羲所畫之卦也。「—」者，奇也，陽之數也。乾者，健也，陽之性也。本注乾字，三畫卦之名也。下者，內卦也；上者，外卦也。經文乾字，六畫卦之名也。伏羲仰觀俯察，見陰陽有奇耦之數，故畫一奇以象陽，畫一耦以象陰。見一陰一陽有各生一陰一陽之象，故自下而上，再倍而三，以成八卦。見陽之性健，而其成形之大者為天，故三奇之卦，名之曰乾，而擬之於天也。

The lower trigram of the Hexagram Qian is Qian, and the upper trigram is also Qian. The Hexagram Statement says: "Qian: Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen." The character "Qian" is pronounced as Qu yan fan. These six lines are the hexagram drawn by Fuxi. A single unbroken line, "—", is called "Qi", representing the number of Yang; the meaning of "Qian" is to be strong and vigorous, which is the nature of Yang. In the annotations, the term "Qian" refers to the name of the single trigram; "lower" refers to the inner trigram, and "upper" refers to the outer trigram. In the main text, the term "Qian" refers to the name of the hexagram composed of six lines. Fuxi observed heavenly phenomena above and examined earthly patterns below. He noticed that Yin and Yang have odd and even numbers respectively, so he drew a line called "Qi" to symbolize Yang and a line called "Yi" to symbolize Yin. He also observed that each Yin and Yang could generate another Yin and Yang, so he doubled them from the bottom up, adding three layers, resulting in the Eight Trigrams. He saw that the nature of Yang is strong and vigorous, and among all forms of Yang energy, the greatest is the sky. Therefore, the trigram composed of three "Qi" lines was named "Qian," and it was compared to the sky.

三畫已具，八卦已成，則又三倍其畫，以成六畫，而於八卦之上，各加八卦，以成六十四卦也。此卦六畫皆奇，上下皆乾，則陽之純而健之至也。故乾之名，天之象，皆不易焉。元亨利貞，文王所繫之辭，以斷一卦之吉凶，所謂《彖辭》者也。元，大也。亨，通也。利，宜也。貞，正而固也。文王以為乾道大通而至正，故於筮得此卦，而六爻皆不變者，言其占當得大通，而必利在正固，然後可以保其終也。此聖人所以作《易》，教人卜筮，而可以開物成務之精意。餘卦放此。

After the three-line fundamental trigrams have been established, forming the eight trigrams, the numbers of the lines are doubled to make six lines, with another trigram added on top of each of the eight trigrams, resulting in the sixty-four hexagrams. The hexagram "Qian" consists of six odd lines, with both upper and lower parts being "Qian," representing pure yang and ultimate strength. Therefore, the name "Qian" and the image of "Heaven" remain unchanged even in the six-line hexagram. "Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen" are terms from the Wen Wang tradition used to determine the fortune of a hexagram, known as the "Tuan Ci." "Yuan" means great, "Heng" means smooth, "Li" means appropriate, and "Zhen" means pure and steadfast. Wen Wang believed that the way of Qian is great and smooth, and extremely pure and steadfast. Therefore, if someone receives this hexagram with all six lines unchanged, it indicates that the outcome should be greatly smooth and favorable, with benefits coming from steadfastness and adherence to principles. This is the subtle intention of the sage in composing the Book of Changes to teach people divination, thereby enlightening the people and achieving success in their endeavors. The examples of the other hexagrams follow the same pattern.

初九，潛龍勿用。潛，捷言反。初九者，卦下陽爻之名。凡畫卦者，自下而上，故以下爻為初。陽數九為老，七為少，老變而少不變，故謂陽爻為九。潛龍勿用，周公所繫之辭，以斷一爻之吉凶，所謂《爻辭》者也。潛，藏也。龍，陽物也。初陽在下，未可施用，故其象為潛龍。其占日勿用。凡遇乾而此爻變者，當觀此象，而玩其占也。餘爻放此。

The line statement of the first line of the Qian hexagram says, "A dragon in hiding should not be used." The character "潜" is pronounced Jieyanfan. "Initial Nine" is the name of the yang line at the very bottom of this hexagram. When drawing a hexagram, one starts from the bottom and moves upward, so the lowest line is called "Initial." The number nine represents an old yang, while seven represents a young yang. An old yang changes, while a young yang does not. In divination, only the changing lines are considered, so yang lines are called "Nine." "A dragon in hiding should not be used" is the line statement from the Duke of Zhou's tradition, used to determine the fortune of a line. "潜" means hidden, and "龙" refers to a divine creature of yang. Since the yang line at the very bottom has not yet reached the time to act, its image is a hidden dragon, and its divination is "should not be used" — do not take action. When someone encounters the Qian hexagram and this line changes, they should observe this image and contemplate this line statement. The interpretation of the other lines follows the same pattern.

九二，見龍在田，利見大人。「見龍」之見，賢遍反。卦內「見龍」並同。二，謂自下而上，第二爻也。後放此。九二，剛健中正，出潛離隱，澤及於物，物所利見，故其象為見龍在田，其占為利見大人。九二雖未得位，而大人之德已著，常人不足以當之，故值此爻之變者，但為利見此人而已。蓋亦謂在下之大人也。此以爻與占者相為主賓，自為一例。若有見龍之德，則為利見九五在上之大人矣。

The line statement of the second line of the Qian hexagram says: "A dragon appears in the fields, advantageous to see a great person." The "see" in "see a dragon" is pronounced as xian bian fan, meaning "appear." The word "see a dragon" throughout the entire hexagram is read in this way. The number "two" refers to the second line counted from the bottom upwards, and all subsequent hexagrams follow this naming convention. The second line is strong and upright, located in the middle of the lower trigram, possessing the virtue of being both central and upright. It has already emerged from concealment, detached from hiding, and its benevolence extends to all things, making it something all things rejoice to see. Therefore, its image is a dragon appearing in the fields, and its divination indicates advantage in meeting a great person. Although the second line has not yet attained the position of a ruler, the virtue of the great person is already evident. Ordinary people are not capable of bearing such a title, so when divination occurs at the moment this line changes, it is only advantageous to meet this great person. Here, it refers to a great person in a lower position. This passage treats the line and the person consulting the divination as host and guest respectively, forming its own distinct style. If the person consulting the divination himself possesses the virtue of "seeing a dragon," then this statement becomes advantageous for meeting the great person in the fifth position, who is in a superior position.

九三，君子終日乾乾，夕惕若，厲無咎。九，陽爻。三，陽位。重剛不中，居下之上，乃危地也。然性體剛健，有能乾乾惕厲之象，故其占如此。君子，指占者而言。言能憂懼如是，則雖處危地而無咎也。九四，或躍在淵，無咎。躍，羊灼反。或者，疑而未定之辭。躍者，無所緣而絕於地，特未飛爾。淵者，上空下洞，深昧不測之所。龍之在是，若下於田，或躍而起，則向乎天矣。九陽四陰，居上之下，改革之際，進退未定之時也。故其象如此，其占能隨時進退，則無咎也。

The line statement of the third line of the Qian hexagram says: "The superior man remains diligent all day, and remains cautious at night, thus avoiding calamity." "Nine" represents a yang line, and "three" represents a yang position. A yang line in a yang position indicates strength adding to strength, but it is not in the central position of the upper or lower trigrams. It is located at the top of the inner trigram, which is a dangerous position. However, its nature is strong and vigorous, symbolizing the image of a superior man who remains diligent all day and remains cautious at night. Therefore, the judgment is as such. The term "superior man" refers to the person consulting the oracle: if one can maintain such a state of mind, then even though in a dangerous situation, there will be no calamity. The line statement of the fourth line of the Qian hexagram says: "It may leap from the depths, without blame." The character "跃" is pronounced as yang zhuo. "Or" is an adverb indicating hesitation. "Leap" means to rise up without support, but has not yet flown. "Depth" refers to a place that is above open and below deep and mysterious. The dragon in the depths, if it goes down, approaches the fields; once it leaps, it faces the sky. "Nine" is a yang line, and "four" is a yin position. It is located at the bottom of the upper trigram, which is the turning point from the lower to the upper trigram, a time of change. It is a time when neither advancing nor retreating has been decided, so the image is as such. The judgment is: if one can advance when appropriate and retreat when appropriate, there will be no mistake.

九五，飛龍在天，利見大人。剛健中正以居尊位，如以聖人之德，居聖人之位。故其象如此，而占法與九二同，特所利見者在上之大人爾。若有其位，則為利見九二在下之大人也。上九，亢龍有悔。亢，苦浪反。上者，最上一爻之名。亢者，過於上而不能下之意也。陽極於上，動必有悔，故其象占如此。用九，見群龍無首，吉。用九，言凡筮得陽爻者，皆用九而不用七。蓋諸卦百九十二陽爻之通例也。

The line statement of the fifth line in the Qian hexagram says: "A dragon soars in the heavens, advantageous to see a great man." The fifth line, which holds the virtue of being strong, vigorous, upright, and just, occupies the highest position. This is like a sage possessing the virtue of a sage and sitting in the position that a sage should occupy. Therefore, its image is a dragon flying in the heavens. Its interpretation is the same as that of the second line, but here the great man referred to is one in a superior position. If the person consulting the oracle already holds the position of the fifth line, then this line becomes advantageous for meeting the second line, which is a great man in a lower position. The line statement of the top line in the Qian hexagram says: "A dragon soaring too high brings regret." The character "亢" is pronounced as "kǔ làng fǎn." "上" is the name of the top line; "亢" means rising too high to descend again. When the yang energy reaches the highest level, any movement will certainly bring regret, so its image and interpretation are as such. The following line statement, "用九," says: "Seeing a group of dragons with no leader, it is auspicious." "用九" refers to the practice of taking the number "nine," representing old yang, whenever a yang line is obtained in divination, rather than the number "seven," representing young yang. This is the general rule for all 192 yang lines in the 64 hexagrams.

以此卦純陽而居首，故於此發之，而聖人因繫之辭，使遇此卦而六爻皆變者，即此占之。蓋六陽皆變，剛而能柔，吉之道也，故為「群龍無首」之象，而其占為如是，則吉也。《春秋傳》曰：「《乾》之《坤》，曰：‘見群龍無首，吉。’」蓋即純《坤》卦辭「牝馬之貞，先迷後得，東北喪朋」之意。

Because the hexagram Qian is the pure yang hexagram and comes first among the sixty-four hexagrams, the general principle of "Yong Jiux" is explained here. The sage also added a statement to it, so that when a person divines and all six lines of this hexagram change, they can use this statement to judge fortune and misfortune. When all six yang lines change, it means that strength turns into flexibility, which is the way to bring good fortune. Therefore, the image used is "a group of dragons with none taking the lead." The judgment is: if this is the case, it is auspicious. The "Zuo Zhuan" records an example of divination, saying: "The hexagram Qian changes into the hexagram Kun, and its statement is 'seeing a group of dragons with none taking the lead, auspicious.'" This is essentially the meaning of the statement in the hexagram Kun, "the steadfastness of a female horse, being lost at first but finding again in the end, losing companions in the northeast."

《彖》曰：大哉乾元，萬物資始，乃統天。彖，吐亂反。彖，即文王所繫之辭。傳者，孔子所以釋經之辭也。後凡言傳者，放此。此專以天道明乾義，又析「元亨利貞」為四德以發明之。而此一節，首釋元義也。大哉，嘆辭。元，大也，始也。乾元，天德之大始。故萬物之生，皆資之以為始也。又為四德之首，而貫乎天德之始終，故曰統天。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Qian Hexagram says: "How great is the Qian Yuan! All things draw their beginning from it, and thus it governs the heavens." The character "彖" is pronounced "tǔ luàn fǎn." The term "彖" refers to the hexagram statements attached by King Wen, while "传" denotes Confucius' explanation of the classic text. Whenever the term "传" appears in the text, it should be understood in this sense. This passage specifically uses the principles of heaven to explain the meaning of the Qian hexagram, and it breaks down the four virtues "yuan, heng, li, zhen" into four individual virtues for elaboration. This section first explains the meaning of "yuan." "Dà zāi" is an expression of admiration; "yuan" means great and also beginning. "Qian Yuan" represents the great beginning of the virtue of heaven, so the generation of all things depends on it as their starting point. "Yuan" is also the first of the four virtues, connecting the beginning and the end of the virtue of heaven, hence it is said to "govern the heavens," encompassing the entire heavenly way.

雲行雨施，品物流形。施，始豉反。卦內同。此釋《乾》之「亨」也。大明終始，六位時成，時乘六龍以御天。始，即元也。終，謂貞也。不終則無始，不貞則無以為元也。此言聖人大明乾道之終始，則見卦之六位各以時成，而乘此六陽以行天道，是乃聖人之元亨也。

The Commentary on the Judgment continues, saying: "Clouds move and rain spreads, and all things take form." The character "施" is pronounced as "shi chi fan," and in the Primary Hexagram, all instances are read in the same way; this sentence explains the "Hen" in the Hexagram Statement of the Qian Hexagram. It also says: "Great brightness begins and ends, the six positions are formed in due time, and at each time the six dragons ride to govern the heavens." Here, "beginning" refers to "Yuan," and "end" refers to "Zhen"; without an end there can be no beginning, and without upholding correctness and firmness, there can be no new beginning. This means that the sage thoroughly understands the principle of the Qian Dao that after an end comes a new beginning. Thus, the sage clearly perceives that the six lines of a hexagram each take shape according to their proper time, and therefore rides the six yang lines to carry out the heavenly way—this is the "Yuan" and "Hen" in the sage.

乾道變化，各正性命，保合太和，乃利貞。變者，化之漸。化者，變之成。物所受為性，天所賦為命。太和，陰陽會合沖和之氣也。各正者，得於有生之初。保合者，全於已生之後。此言乾道變化，無所不利，而萬物各得其性命以自全，以釋利貞之義也。

The Commentary on the Judgment also says: "The movement and transformation of the Creative Power brings each thing to its proper nature and destiny, preserving the great harmony, thus being beneficial and constant." "Change" refers to gradual transformation, while "transformation" means the process of becoming complete. What a thing receives is called "nature," and what Heaven bestows is called "destiny." "Great harmony" refers to the vital energy that arises from the union and balance of yin and yang. "Each being properly established" means that at the beginning of life each thing is set in its proper way. "Preserving and uniting" means that after things have been formed, they still maintain and hold on to their essence. This means that the Creative Power's movement and transformation are universally appropriate, enabling all things to attain their nature and destiny while preserving themselves. Zhu Xi used this sentence to explain the meanings of "beneficial" and "constant" in the Hexagram Statement.

首出庶物，萬國咸寧。聖人在上，高出於物，猶乾道之變化也。萬國各得其所而咸寧，猶萬物之各正性命而保合、太和也。此言聖人之利貞也，蓋嘗統而論之。元者，物之始生，亨者，物之暢茂，利則向於實也，貞則實之成也。實之既成，則其根蒂脫落，可複種而生矣，此四德之所以循環而無端也。然而四者之間，生氣流行，初無間斷，此元之所以包四德而統天也。其以聖人而言，則孔子之意，蓋以此卦為聖人得天位，行天道，而致太平之占也。雖其文義有非文王之舊者，然讀者各以其意求之，則並行而不悖也。《坤》卦放此。

The Commentary on the Judgment concludes by saying: "The superior one emerges above all things, and all the states are at peace." The sage occupies a high position, surpassing all things, just as the movement and transformation of the Heaven's principle. All the states each find their proper place and are at peace, just as all things each correct their destiny and maintain the great harmony. This refers to the "benefit" and "uprightness" of the sage. If we consider these four virtues together: "Originality" is the beginning of things, "Smoothness" is the flourishing of things, "Benefit" is the direction toward fruitfulness, and "Uprightness" is the maturity of the fruit; once the fruit is mature, the root and stem detach, and then it can be sown again to produce new life. This is why the four virtues cycle continuously without beginning or end. However, among these four, the vital energy of generation and renewal flows constantly without interruption, which is why "Originality" can encompass the four virtues and govern the way of Heaven. If we consider only the aspect of the sage, Confucius's meaning is probably to regard this hexagram as a divination about the sage attaining the position of the Son of Heaven, practicing the way of Heaven, and bringing peace to the world. Although the meaning of the Commentary on the Judgment is not entirely the original intention of King Wen's hexagram statement, readers may understand it according to their own needs, and the two interpretations can coexist without contradiction. The interpretation of the Hexagram of Earth is also followed in the same way.

《象》曰：天行健，君子以自強不息。象者，卦之上下兩象，及兩象之六爻，周公所繫之辭也。天，《乾》卦之象也。凡重卦皆取重義，此獨不然者，天一而已。但言天行，則見其一日一周，而明日又一周。若重複之象，非至健不能也。君子法之，不以人慾害其天德之剛，則自強而不息矣。

The Image Commentary of the Qian Hexagram says: "Heaven's movement is strong and vigorous; the superior man thus constantly cultivates himself without ceasing." The term "image" refers to the symbolic meaning of the two parts of a hexagram and the six lines within them, as interpreted by the Duke of Zhou. "Heaven" is the symbolic image of the Qian Hexagram. Generally, for hexagrams composed of two overlapping trigrams, the meaning of "overlapping" is taken, but the Qian Hexagram is an exception because heaven is singular. However, when it says "Heaven moves," it indicates that heaven completes one cycle of movement each day, and then another the next day. This continuous cycle, appearing as if repeated, can only be achieved by something extremely strong and vigorous. The superior man takes this as a model, ensuring that his personal desires do not impair the strength of the heavenly virtue he possesses, thus enabling him to constantly cultivate himself without rest.

「潛龍勿用」，陽在下也。陽，謂九。下，謂潛。「見龍在田」，德施普也。「終日乾乾」，反復道也。復，芳服反。本亦作「覆」。反覆，重複踐行之意。「或躍在淵」，進無咎也。可以進而不必進也。「飛龍在天」，大人造也。造，徂早反。造，猶作也。「亢龍有悔」，盈不可久也。「用九」，天德不可為首也。言陽剛不可為物先，故六陽皆變而吉。「天行」以下，先儒謂之《大象》。「潛龍」以下，先儒謂之《小象》。後放此。

The Small Image Commentary of the Qian Hexagram explains each line as follows: "When the dragon is hidden and not yet in use," it means that the yang line is in a lower position. "When the dragon appears on the field," it indicates that the virtue is widely spread. "Remaining diligent all day," refers to the continuous practice of the way. "When the dragon leaps in the abyss," it means that progress is possible but not necessarily required. "When the dragon soars in the heavens," signifies the emergence of a great person. "When the dragon reaches the peak and is regretful," it means that fullness cannot be sustained. "When all the lines are nine," it means that the heavenly virtue cannot be first. This is saying that yang strength should not be ahead of all things, so when all six lines are changed to yang, it brings good fortune. From the line about "heaven's movement," the earlier scholars called this the Great Image; from the line about "the hidden dragon," the earlier scholars called this the Small Image. All subsequent hexagrams follow this pattern.

《文言》曰：元者，善之長也，亨者，嘉之會也，利者，義之和也，貞者，事之幹也。長，丁丈反。下「長人」同。乾，古旦反。此篇申《彖傳》、《象傳》之意，以盡《乾》、《坤》二卦之蘊，而餘卦之說，因可以例推雲。元者，生物之始，天地之德，莫先於此，故於時為春，於人則為仁，而眾善之長也。亨者，生物之通，物至於此，莫不嘉美，故於時為夏，於人則為禮，而眾美之會也。

The Wenyan Transmission of the Qian Hexagram says: "Yuan is the beginning of goodness; Heng is the convergence of auspiciousness; Li is the harmony of righteousness; Zhen is the foundation of affairs." The character "chang" is read as ding zhang, and the "chang" in the following phrase "chang ren" is read the same way; the character "gan" is read as gu dan. This passage extends the meaning of the Commentary on the Judgment and the Image Commentary, thoroughly explaining the essence of the Qian and Kun hexagrams. The methods of explaining the other hexagrams can be inferred from this example. "Yuan" represents the beginning of life; the virtue of heaven and earth has nothing that precedes it, corresponding to spring in the four seasons and to "ren" in human affairs, thus being the first of all goodness. "Heng" represents the smooth flow of life; at this stage, all things are prosperous, corresponding to summer in the four seasons and to "li" in human affairs, thus being the convergence of all beauty.

利者，生物之遂，物各得宜，不相妨害，故於時為秋，於人則為義，而得其分之和。貞者，生物之成。實理具備，隨在各足，故於時為冬，於人則為智，而為眾事之幹。乾，木之身而枝葉所依以立者也。君子體仁足以長人，嘉會足以合禮，利物足以和義，貞固足以幹事。以仁為體，則無一物不在所愛之中，故足以長人。嘉其所會，則無不合禮。使物各得其所利，則義無不和。貞固者，知正之所在而固守之，所謂知而弗去者也，故足以為事之幹。

"Li" refers to the benefit of all things fulfilling their nature, each finding its proper place and not interfering with others. When aligned with the four seasons, it corresponds to autumn; when aligned with human affairs, it corresponds to "yi" (righteousness), thus achieving a harmonious state where each thing is in its proper place. "Zhen" refers to the accomplishment of living things, with the actual truth fully present and complete, sufficient in every place without deficiency. When aligned with the four seasons, it corresponds to winter; when aligned with human affairs, it corresponds to "zhi" (wisdom), thus serving as the mainstay of all affairs. "Gan" refers to the main trunk of a tree, upon which the branches and leaves depend for support. The "Wenyan Zhuan" continues by saying: "A gentleman who embodies benevolence can be a leader to others, who gathers things in a harmonious way can conform to propriety, who benefits things can achieve harmony in righteousness, and who is steadfast in uprightness can manage affairs." Taking benevolence as one's fundamental nature, there is no thing outside the scope of one's love, thus being qualified to be a leader to others; gathering things in a harmonious way ensures there is no violation of propriety; allowing all things to receive their due benefits ensures that righteousness is universally harmonious. What is meant by "zhen gu" is knowing where the correct path lies and firmly holding onto it, that is, recognizing the correct path and never deviating from it, thus being qualified to serve as the mainstay of all affairs.

君子行此四德者，故曰「乾：元、亨、利、貞」。非君子之至健，無以行此，故曰「乾：元、亨、利、貞」。此第一節，申《彖傳》之意，與《春秋傳》所載穆姜之言不異，疑古者已有此語。穆姜稱之，而夫子亦有取焉，故下文別以「子曰」表孔子之辭。蓋傳者欲以明此章之為古語也。

The Wenyan Commentary summarizes: "A superior person who practices these four virtues is said 'Qian: Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen.'" Zhu Xi explains: Without the extreme strength and vitality of a superior person, one cannot fully express these four virtues, hence it is said "Qian: Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen." This is the first section of the Wenyan Commentary, used to elaborate on the meaning of the Tuanchuan. It is exactly the same as what is recorded in the Spring and Autumn Zuo Zhuan regarding Lu Mu Jiang's words. Therefore, it can be suspected that these sentences already existed in ancient times: Mu Jiang once quoted them, and Confucius also adopted them. Hence, the text below uses "Zi Yu" to indicate which parts are Confucius' own words—probably the person who composed the commentary intended to show that this chapter was originally an ancient saying.

初九曰「潛龍勿用」，何謂也？子曰：「龍德而隱者也。不易乎世，不成乎名，遁世無悶，不見是而無悶，樂則行之，憂則違之，確乎其不可拔，潛龍也。」樂，音洛。確，苦學反。龍德，聖人之德也，在下故隱。易，謂變其所守。大抵《乾》卦六爻，《文言》皆以聖人明之，有隱顯而無淺深也。

The Wenyan Transmission asks: The line statement of the first nine says "The dragon is hidden and not used." What does this mean? Confucius answers: "This refers to a person who possesses the virtue of a dragon but remains hidden and does not act. He does not change his conduct due to the customs of the world, nor does he seek to gain fame in the world. He hides away from society without being troubled, and even if he is not praised by others, he is not troubled. He acts when things are suitable, avoids when things are worrying, and remains firm and unshakable. This is what is meant by a hidden dragon." The word "乐" is read as "luo," and "确" is read as "kuxue fan." The so-called "dragon virtue" refers to the virtue of a sage; because he is in a low position, he remains hidden and not visible. "Yi" means to change what one holds. In general, the six lines of the Qian hexagram are explained by the Wenyan Transmission in terms of sages, with the difference being only between being hidden and being visible, and not between the depth of virtue.

九二曰「見龍在田，利見大人」，何謂也？子曰：「龍德而正中者也。庸言之信，庸行之謹，閒邪存其誠，善世而不伐，德博而化。《易》曰‘見龍在田，利見大人’，君德也。」行，下孟反。邪，似嗟反。正中，不潛而未躍之時也。常言亦信，常行亦謹，盛德之至也。閒邪存其誠，無斁亦保之意。言君德也者，釋大人之為九二也。

The Wenyan Transmission asks: The second line statement says "Seeing a dragon in the field, advantageous to see a great man." What does this mean? Confucius answers: "This refers to someone who possesses the virtue of a dragon, holding a position that is both upright and central. In ordinary speech he is trustworthy, in ordinary actions he is cautious, guarding against evil thoughts to preserve sincerity within, benefiting the world without boasting, and possessing broad virtue that can influence others. The Book of Changes says 'Seeing a dragon in the field, advantageous to see a great man,' which refers to a person with the virtue of a sovereign." The character "行" is read as XIA MENG FAN, and "邪" is read as SI JIE FAN. The term "正中" refers to a state where one has already ceased to be hidden but has not yet risen up. Being trustworthy in ordinary speech and cautious in ordinary actions indicates the perfection of great virtue. "Guarding against evil and preserving sincerity" is the meaning of the line "Without shooting arrows, yet preserving" from the Book of Songs, Great Ya, Si Qi — meaning maintaining sincerity even when no one is watching. The transmission says "the virtue of a sovereign," explaining that the great man mentioned in the line refers to the second line.

九三曰「君子終日乾乾，夕惕若，厲無咎」，何謂也？子曰：「君子進德修業。忠信，所以進德也。修辭立其誠，所以居業也。知至至之，可與幾也。知終終之，可與存義也。是故居上位而不驕，在下位而不憂。故乾乾因其時而惕，雖危，無咎矣。」幾，音機。忠信，主於心者，無一念之不誠也。修辭見於事者，無一言之不實也。雖有忠信之心，然非修辭立誠，則無以居之。知至至之，進德之事，知終終之，居業之事，所以終日乾乾而夕猶惕若者，以此故也。可上可下，不驕不憂，所謂無咎也。

The Wenyan Transmission asks: The statement of the third line, "The superior man toils all day, and remains vigilant at night, as if something were about to happen; though in danger, there is no blame," what does it mean? Confucius replies: "The superior man should cultivate virtue and manage his affairs. Loyalty and trustworthiness are used to cultivate virtue; refining speech and establishing sincerity are used to maintain his achievements. Knowing the goal and striving to reach it, such a person can discuss the subtle principles of change. Knowing when to stop and stopping at the right time, such a person can uphold the principles of righteousness. Therefore, being in a high position without arrogance, and in a low position without anxiety; thus, he toils all day and remains vigilant at night, and even though in danger, there is no calamity." "Ji" is read as "ji." Loyalty and trustworthiness are rooted in the heart, with no thought not sincere; refining speech is expressed in actions, with no word not truthful. Even with loyal and trustworthy intentions, if one does not refine speech and establish sincerity, there is no way to maintain achievements. "Knowing the goal and reaching it" belongs to cultivating virtue, while "knowing when to stop and stopping at the right time" belongs to maintaining one's achievements; this is why the third line toils all day and remains vigilant at night. Being able to occupy a high position and be content in a low one, without arrogance or anxiety, is what is meant by "no blame."

九四曰「或躍在淵，無咎」，何謂也？子曰：「上下無常，非為邪也；進退無恆，非離群也。君子進德修業，欲及時也，故無咎。」離，去聲。內卦以德學言，外卦以時位言。進德修業，九三備矣。此則欲其及時而進也。九五曰「飛龍在天，利見大人」，何謂也？子曰：「同聲相應，同氣相求。水流溼，火就燥，雲從龍，風從虎，聖人作而萬物睹。本乎天者親上，本乎地者親下，則各從其類也。」應，去聲。作，起也。物，猶人也。睹，釋利見之意也。本乎天者，謂動物，本乎地者，謂植物。物各從其類。聖人，人類之首也。故興起於上，則人皆見之。

The Wenyan Transmission asks: The line statement of nine in the fourth says "sometimes leaping in the abyss, no blame," what does it mean? Confucius answers: "It is not fixed whether to go up or down, and it is not about doing perverse things; it is not fixed whether to advance or retreat, and it is not about going against one's kind. A gentleman increases virtue and cultivates his affairs in order to seize the right opportunity, so he does not commit mistakes." "Li" is pronounced with a falling tone. The inner trigram of the Qian hexagram refers to virtue and learning, while the outer trigram refers to circumstances and position; the matter of increasing virtue and cultivating affairs has already been fully explained in the third line. Here, it is about nine in the fourth seizing the opportunity and advancing upward. The Wenyan Transmission again asks: The line statement of nine in the fifth says "a dragon flying in the sky, advantageous to see a great man," what does it mean? Confucius answers: "The voices of the same kind respond to each other, and the breaths of the same kind seek each other. Water flows to low and damp places, and fire burns in dry places; clouds arise with the dragon, and wind rises with the tiger. When a sage arises, all things look up to him. Those originating from heaven are attached to the upper, and those originating from earth are attached to the lower, each following its own kind." "Ying" is pronounced with a falling tone. "Zuo" means to arise; here, "wu" actually refers to people; "du" is used to explain the meaning of "advantageous to see" in the line statement. "Ben hu tian zhe" refers to animals, and "ben hu di zhe" refers to plants, each thing follows its own kind. A sage is the outstanding leader among people, so when he arises in a position of authority, everyone looks up to see him.

上九曰「亢龍有悔」，何謂也？子曰：「貴而無位，高而無民，賢人在下位而無輔，是以動而有悔也。」賢人在下位，謂九五以下。無輔，以上九過高志滿，不來輔助之也。此第二節，申《象傳》之意。「潛龍勿用」，下也。「見龍在田」，時舍也。舍，音扌舍。言未為時用也。「終日乾乾」，行事也。「或躍在淵」，自試也。未遽有為，姑試其可。「飛龍在天」，上治也。治，平聲。居上以治下。「亢龍有悔」，窮之災也。乾元「用九」，天下治也。治，去聲。言乾元用九，見與他卦不同。君道剛而能柔，天下無不治矣。此第三節，再申前意。

The Wenyan Transmission poses a question: The line statement of the top nine says "a dragon soaring high brings regret." What does this mean? Confucius replies: "Being in a high position without a real position, standing at the highest point without the people, virtuous persons are present in lower positions but do not come to assist, thus any action brings regret." The phrase "virtuous persons in lower positions" refers to the lines below the nine in the fifth. The term "without assistance" is because the top nine is overly exalted and self-satisfied, so virtuous persons do not come to assist him. This is the second section of the Wenyan Transmission, used to elaborate on the meaning of the Image Commentary. The third section then explains each line in turn: "A dragon hidden in the depths should not be used" refers to being in the lowest position. "A dragon appears in the field" refers to "she" which is pronounced like "she," meaning not yet employed by the times. "All day long the dragon toils" refers to action. "The dragon leaps in the abyss" refers to self-testing, not rushing into action, but testing one's own ability. "The dragon soars in the heavens" refers to ruling above, "zhi" is read in level tone, meaning governing the people from a high position. "A dragon soaring high brings regret" refers to the calamity of reaching the extreme. "The primordial power of Qian uses all nines," leads to the world being well governed. This "zhi" is read in falling tone. It means that the primordial power of Qian uses all nines, showing that the Qian hexagram is different from other hexagrams: the way of a ruler is strong yet flexible, so the world will not be left ungoverned. This is the third section, again elaborating on the previous meaning.

「潛龍勿用」，陽氣潛藏。「見龍在田」，天下文明。雖不在上位，然天下已被其化。「終日乾乾」，與時偕行。時，當然也。「或躍在淵」，乾道乃革。離下而上，變革之時。「飛龍在天」，乃位乎天德。天德，即天位也。蓋唯有是德，乃宜居是位，故以名之。「亢龍有悔」，與時偕極。乾元「用九」，乃見天則。剛而能柔，天之法也。此第四節，又申前意。

The Wenyan Transmission once again explains each line: "When the dragon is hidden, the yang energy is concealed." "When the dragon appears in the field, the world becomes civilized" — although nine two is not in a high position, the world has already been influenced by his teachings. "All day long the dragon toils diligently, moving in harmony with the times" — here, "time" refers to the natural situation. "The dragon may leap in the abyss, the way of the dragon brings change" — leaving the lower trigram and entering the upper trigram marks the critical point of transformation. "The dragon soars in the heavens, occupying the position of heavenly virtue" — the term "heavenly virtue" refers to the position of the Son of Heaven; only those with such virtue are worthy of such a position, hence it is called "heavenly virtue." "The dragon in exaltation brings regret, moving in harmony with the extreme of time." "The primordial power of the heavens, when all nines are used, reveals the heavenly principle" — being strong yet flexible is the principle of heaven. The above is the fourth section, once again explaining the previous meaning.

《乾》「元」者，始而亨者也。始則必亨，理勢然也。「利貞」者，性情也。收斂歸藏，乃見性情之實。乾始能以美利利天下，不言所利，大矣哉。始者，元而亨也。利天下者，利也。不言所利者，貞也。或曰：《坤》利牝馬，則言所利矣。大哉乾乎，剛健中正，純粹精也。剛以體言，健兼用言中者，其行無過不及。正者，其立不偏。四者，乾之德也。純者，不雜於陰柔。粹者，不雜於邪惡。蓋剛健中正之至極而精者，又純粹之至極也。或疑乾剛無柔，不得言中正者，不然也。天地之間，本一氣之流行，而有動靜爾。以其流行之統體而言，則但謂之乾而無所不包矣；以其動靜分之，然後有陰陽剛柔之別也。

The Wenyan Transmission says: "The hexagram Qian, 'Yuan' refers to the beginning and 'Heng' refers to the being able to communicate." Once all things have begun, they must necessarily be harmonious, which is the inevitable result of principle and momentum. "Li Zhen" refers to the nature and disposition. Only when the yang energy is gathered and concealed can the true nature of Qian be revealed. The transmission continues: "Qian is able to benefit the world with beauty and advantage, without specifying what is beneficial, which is great indeed." Here, "beginning" refers to Yuan and Heng, "benefiting the world" refers to Li, and "not specifying what is beneficial" refers to Zhen. Someone raises a question: The hexagram Kun says "benefiting the female horse's Zhen," so is it not specifying what is beneficial? The transmission then praises: "How great is Qian! It is strong, vigorous, upright, and pure in essence." "Strong" refers to its nature, "vigorous" refers to its function; "upright" means acting without excess or deficiency, and "upright" also means standing firm without deviation. These four qualities are the virtues of Qian. "Pure" means not mixed with yin softness, and "cui" means not mixed with evil. When strength, vigor, uprightness, and correctness reach their peak and are refined, that is the extreme of purity. Some people question: Qian has only strength but no softness, how can it be called "upright and correct"? Actually, it is not so. Between heaven and earth, there is originally only one qi in motion, which is merely active or still. When speaking of the whole movement of this qi, it is simply called Qian and includes everything. Only when separating its movement and stillness do we have the distinction of yin and yang, strength and softness.

六爻發揮，旁通情也。旁通，猶言曲盡。時乘六龍，以御天也。雲行雨施，天下平也。言聖人時乘六龍以御天，則如天之雲行雨施而天下平也。此第五節，復申首章之意。君子以成德為行，日可見之行也。「潛」之為言也，隱而未見，行而未成，是以君子弗用也。行，並去聲。「未見」之見，音現。成德，已成之德也。初九固成德，但其行未可見爾。君子學以聚之，問以辨之，寬以居之，仁以行之。《易》曰「見龍在田，利見大人」，君德也。蓋由四者以成大人之德。再言君德，以深明九二之為大人也。

The Wenyan Transmission continues by saying: "The six lines are fully expressed, conveying the subtle circumstances." "Pangtong" means to express in a detailed and winding manner. It also says: "At the right time, the six dragons are driven to govern the heavens. Clouds move and rain spreads, bringing peace to the world." This refers to the sage governing the six yang lines in accordance with the time to carry out the heavenly way, just as clouds move across the sky and rain falls, bringing peace to the world. This is the fifth section, reiterating the meaning of the first chapter. The transmission then says: "The gentleman cultivates virtue as his conduct, which is visible in daily actions. 'Qian' means hidden and not yet seen, with actions not yet completed, so the gentleman does not use it." Both instances of "xing" are pronounced in the falling tone, and the "jian" in "wujian" is pronounced as "xian." "Chengde" refers to virtue that has already been cultivated; the initial line (Chujiu) originally possesses this virtue, but its actions are not yet visible. The transmission further states: "The gentleman studies to gather knowledge, asks questions to discern matters, resides with broad-mindedness, and acts with benevolence. The Book of Changes says, 'A dragon appears in the field, advantageous to see the great man,' which represents the virtue of the ruler." This is achieved through the four aspects of study, inquiry, broad-mindedness, and benevolence. Here, the second mention of "junde" (ruler's virtue) is to more deeply indicate that the second line (Jiu'er) refers to the great man mentioned in the line statement.

九三，重剛而不中，上不在天，下不在田，故乾乾因其時而惕，雖危，無咎矣。重，平聲。下同。重剛，謂陽爻陽位。九四，重剛而不中，上不在天，下不在田，中不在人，故或之。或之者，疑之也。故無咎。九四非重剛，重字疑衍。在人，謂三。或者，隨時而未定也。

The Wenyan transmission says: "Nine in the Third, heavy yang but not in the center, not above Heaven, not below the field, thus it is diligent and cautious according to the time, though in danger, there is no blame." "Chong" is read in level tone, the same in the following text; the term "heavy yang" refers to a yang line occupying a yang position. The transmission continues: "Nine in the Fourth, heavy yang but not in the center, not above Heaven, not below the field, not in the center of human affairs, thus it is uncertain. 'Or' means doubt. Therefore, there is no blame." According to the Nine in the Fourth, it is a yang line in a yin position, and thus does not belong to heavy yang. The character "chong" is likely a redundant addition in the text. The term "in human affairs" refers to the third line's human position; the term "or" indicates something that is yet to be determined as time progresses.

夫大人者，與天地合其德，與日月合其明，與四時合其序，與鬼神合其吉凶；先天而天弗違，後天而奉天時。天且弗違，而況於人乎？況於鬼神乎？夫，音扶。先、後，並去聲。大人，即釋爻辭所利見之大人也。有是德而當其位，乃可以當之。人與天地鬼神，本無二理，特蔽於有我之私，是以梏於形體而不能相通。大人無私，以道為體，曾何彼此先後之可言哉？先天不違，謂意之所為，默與道契。後天、奉天，謂知理如是，奉而行之。回紇謂郭子儀曰：「卜者言，此行當見一大人而還。」其占蓋與此合。若子儀者，雖未及乎夫子之所論，然其至公無我，亦可謂當時之大人矣。

The Wenyan Transmission says: "A great person harmonizes with the virtue of heaven and earth, with the brightness of sun and moon, with the order of the four seasons, and with the fortune and misfortune of ghosts and spirits; acting before the heavens, the heavens do not contradict him; acting after the heavens, he follows the heavenly timing." A great person's virtue harmonizes with heaven and earth, his brightness harmonizes with sun and moon, his actions follow the order of the four seasons, and his judgment of fortune and misfortune aligns with that of ghosts and spirits. If he acts before the heavens, the heavens do not contradict him; if he acts after the heavens, he follows the timing of heaven. If heaven does not contradict him, how much less would human beings or ghosts and spirits? "Fu" is the reading of "夫," and "xian" and "hou" are both read in the falling tone. The "great person" mentioned here is precisely the great person referred to in the line statement "beneficial to see." One must possess such virtue and be in such a position to deserve the title. Humans, ghosts, and spirits originally share the same principles, but they are obscured by self-centered private intentions, thus confined by form and unable to communicate with each other. A great person has no private intentions and takes the Dao as his own nature. How could there be distinctions of before and after? "Acting before the heavens, the heavens do not contradict him" means that whatever he intends to do, it naturally aligns with the heavenly way in secret. "Acting after the heavens, he follows the heavenly timing" means that he knows the heavenly principles are thus, and he follows them without deviation. Once, the Uighurs told Guo Ziyi, "The diviner said that this journey should be to meet a great person before returning." That divination result probably corresponds exactly with this passage in the Wenyan Transmission. A person like Guo Ziyi, although not yet reaching the level of the great person discussed by Confucius, was extremely impartial and had no private self-interest, and could thus be considered a great person of his time.

「亢」之為言也，知進而不知退，知存而不知亡，知得而不知喪。喪，去聲。所以動而有悔也。其唯聖人乎。知進退存亡，而不失其正者，其唯聖人乎。知其理勢如是，而處之以道，則不至於有悔矣，固非計私以避害者也。再言其唯聖人乎，始若設問，而卒自應之也。此第六節，復申第二、第三、第四節之意。

The Wenyan Transmission concludes by saying: "The term 'kang' means knowing advancement but not knowing retreat, knowing preservation but not knowing loss, knowing gain but not knowing loss." The character "sang" is read in the falling tone. Knowing only to advance and not to retreat, knowing only to preserve and not to lose, knowing only to gain and not to lose, thus whenever there is an action, regret follows. The transmission then continues: "Is it only the sage who knows advancement and retreat, preservation and loss, and does not lose the right path? Is it only the sage?" Those who understand the principles and circumstances, and act in accordance with the Dao, will not bring regret. This is certainly not the behavior of those who act for personal gain and merely seek to avoid misfortune. The phrase "Is it only the sage?" is repeated twice, initially seeming like a question, but finally answered by itself. The above is the sixth section, reiterating the meanings of the second, third, and fourth sections.

坤下，坤上。坤：元亨，利牝馬之貞。君子有攸往，先迷後得，主利。西南得朋，東北喪朋。安貞吉。牝，頻忍反。喪，去聲。一者，偶也，陰之數也。坤者，順也，陰之性也。注中者，三畫卦之名也；經中者，六畫卦之名也。陰之成形，莫大於地。此卦三畫皆偶，故名坤而象地。重之又得坤焉，則是陰之純，順之至，故其名與象皆不易也。

The lower trigram of the Hexagram 6 (Kun) is Kun, and the upper trigram is also Kun. The Hexagram Statement says: "Kun: Yuan heng, li pin ma zhi zhen. Junzi you yu wang, xian mi hou de, zhu li. Xinan de peng, dongbei sang peng. An zhen ji." "Pin" is pronounced as pin ren fan, and "sang" is pronounced with a falling tone. The interrupted line is called "ou," which represents the number of yin; "Kun" means yielding and is the nature of yin. The "Kun" mentioned in the commentary refers to the trigram name of the three-line hexagram; the "Kun" mentioned in the text refers to the name of the six-line compound hexagram. Yin energy凝聚 into form, nothing is greater than the earth; since this hexagram consists entirely of yin lines, it is named "Kun" and takes the earth as its symbol. When it is repeated once more, it still remains Kun, indicating pure yin and ultimate yielding, so its hexagram name and symbol remain unchanged even in the six-line compound hexagram.

牝馬，順而健行者，陽先陰後，陽主義，陰主利。西南，陰方，東北，陽方。安，順之為也。貞，健之守也。遇此卦者，其占為大亨，而利以順健為正。如有所往，則先迷後得而主於利。往西南則得朋，往東北則喪朋，大抵能安於正則吉也。

"The term '牝马' refers to a mare, which is gentle in nature yet capable of long journeys. Therefore, it is used to symbolize the Hexagram of Earth, which is both compliant and vigorous. Yang comes first and Yin follows; Yang governs righteousness, while Yin governs benefit. The Southwest is the direction of Yin, and the Northeast is the direction of Yang. 'An' represents compliance, while 'Zhen' signifies the steadfastness of strength. When one encounters this hexagram in divination, the interpretation indicates great success, with the advantage lying in following the path of compliance and vigor. If one travels, they will first become lost and then eventually gain something, with the main benefit being the gain. Traveling to the Southwest will bring assistance from like-minded companions, while traveling to the Northeast will result in losing such support. In summary, being at ease on the correct path brings good fortune."

《彖》曰：至哉坤元，萬物資生，乃順承天。此以地道明坤之義，而首言元也。至，極也，比大義差緩。始者，氣之始；生者，形之始。順承天施，地之道也。坤厚載物，德合無疆，含弘光大，品物咸亨。疆，居良反。下同。言亨也。德合無疆，謂配乾也。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram of Earth says: "How profound is the origin of Earth! All things receive their sustenance, and follow and support Heaven." This uses the concept of the Earth to explain the meaning of the Hexagram of Earth, beginning with the explanation of the character "yuan." "Zhi" means extreme or utmost, and compared to the "da" in the Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram of Heaven, the tone is slightly more moderate. The Hexagram of Heaven says "zi shi," referring to the beginning of the vital energy; the Hexagram of Earth says "zi sheng," referring to the beginning of form. To gently follow and support the gifts of Heaven is precisely the duty of Earth. The Commentary on the Judgment continues: "Earth is thick and carries all things; its virtue matches without limit, it contains and extends broadly, and all things are harmonious and prosperous." "Jiang" is pronounced as "ju liang fan," and the same pronunciation applies in the following text. These sentences explain the "heng" in the Hexagram Statement. "De he wu jiang" means that the virtue of Earth is sufficient to match that of Heaven.

牝馬地類，行地無疆，柔順利貞，君子攸行。言利貞也。馬，乾之象，而以為地類者。牝，陰物，而馬又行地之物也。行地無疆，則順而健矣。柔順利貞，坤之德也。「君子攸行」，人之所行如坤之德也。所行如是，則其占如下文所云也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: "A female horse is of the earth, it walks on the earth without limit, it is flexible, smooth, and upright. The gentleman thus proceeds." These words explain the phrase "favorable to uprightness" in the Hexagram Statement. A horse is originally the symbolic image of the Hexagram Qian, but here it is classified as belonging to the earth, because "female" is yin, and a horse is an animal that walks on the earth. Being able to walk without limit on the earth shows both flexibility and strength. Being flexible and favorable to uprightness is precisely the virtue of the Hexagram Kun. What is meant by "the gentleman thus proceeds" is that what a person practices is in harmony with the virtue of Kun. If one's actions are like this, then the divination result will be as stated later.

先迷失道，後順得常，西南得朋，乃與類行，東北喪朋，乃終有慶。陽大陰小，陽得兼陰，陰不得兼陽。故坤之德，常減於乾之半也。東北雖喪朋，然反之西南，則終有慶矣。安貞之吉，應地無疆。安而且貞，地之德也。《象》曰：地勢坤，君子以厚德載物。地，坤之象。亦一而已，故不言重，而言其勢之順，則見其高下相因之無窮，至順極厚而無所不載也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: "First losing the way, then following the constant path, gaining friends in the Southwest, and proceeding with like-minded people; losing friends in the Northeast, yet ultimately attaining joy." Yang is great and Yin is small; Yang can encompass Yin, but Yin cannot encompass Yang. Therefore, the virtue of the Earth (Kun) is often only half that of Heaven (Qian). Although going to the Northeast leads to the loss of companions, returning to the Southwest ultimately brings joy. The Commentary on the Judgment concludes with "The auspiciousness of maintaining sincerity lies in the fact that the land has no boundaries"—being both tranquil and upright is the virtue of the land. The Image Commentary of the Earth (Kun) says: "The terrain of the Earth is yielding; the gentleman thus cultivates a broad virtue to carry all things." "Land" is the symbolic image of Kun; land is singular, so it does not mention overlapping, but rather describes its yielding nature. In terms of terrain, high and low interconnect, stretching endlessly, being the most yielding, the most profound, and capable of bearing all things. The gentleman takes this as a model, cultivating a deep virtue to carry all things.

初六，履霜，堅冰至。六，陰爻之名。陰數六老而八少，故謂陰爻為六也。霜，陰氣所結，盛則水凍而為冰。此爻陰始生於下，其端甚微，而其勢必盛，故其象如履霜，則知堅冰之將至也。夫陰陽者，造化之本，不能相無，而消長有常，亦非人所能損益也。然陽主生，陰主殺，則其類有淑慝之分焉。故聖人作《易》，於其不能相無者，既以健順仁義之屬明之，而無所偏主。至其消長之際，淑慝之分，則未嘗不致其扶陽抑陰之意焉。蓋所以贊化育而參天地者，其旨深矣。不言其占者，謹微之意，已可見於象中矣。

The first line of the Qun hexagram states: "Walking on frost, solid ice is coming." "Six" is the name of a yin line: the number six represents old yin, while eight represents young yin. In divination, only the changing old yin is used, so yin lines are called "six." Frost is formed by condensed yin energy; when yin energy increases, water turns into solid ice. This line represents yin energy just beginning to arise from below, its initial appearance extremely weak, yet its trend is certain to grow stronger. Therefore, the image is like stepping on frost, which indicates that solid ice is coming. Yin and yang are the fundamental principles of creation; neither can exist without the other. Their waxing and waning follow a constant pattern, not something that human effort can increase or decrease. However, yang represents growth, while yin represents decline and destruction. In terms of nature, they are distinguished as good and evil. Therefore, the sage composed the Book of Changes, explaining the essential unity of yin and yang with concepts such as strength and compliance, benevolence and righteousness, without favoring one side. But when discussing the waxing and waning of yin and yang and the distinction between good and evil, the sage clearly expresses the intention of supporting yang and restraining yin. This is precisely the deep meaning of the sage assisting the transformation of heaven and earth and being ranked as the third together with heaven and earth. This line does not provide a specific oracle because the careful consideration of subtle beginnings is already evident from the line's image.

《象》曰：履霜堅冰，陰始凝也。馴致其道，至堅冰也。凝，魚陵反。馴，似遵反。按，《魏志》作「初六，履霜」，今當從之。馴，順習也。六二，直方大，不習無不利。柔順正固，坤之直也。賦形有定，坤之方也。德合無疆，坤之大也。六二柔順而中正，又得坤道之純者。故其德內直外方而又盛大，不待學習而無不利。占者有其德，則其占如是也。《象》曰：六二之動，直以方也。「不習無不利」，地道光也。

The first line, "Initial Six," says in the Small Image Commentary: "Walking on frost, firm ice begins to form; Yin starts to solidify. Following this gradually, it reaches firm ice." The character "凝" is pronounced as Yu Ling Fan, and "驯" is pronounced as Si Zun Fan. According to the "Records of the Three Kingdoms: Wei Records," this sentence is only cited as "Initial Six, walking on frost." Therefore, we should follow this version. "Trained" here means gradually deepening through habitual influence. The line statement of the second line in the "Kun" hexagram says: "Straight, square, great; without practice, there is no disadvantage." Being gentle and compliant while holding firm is the "straight" of Kun; giving form to all things with fixed rules is the "square" of Kun; virtue that matches boundless space is the "great" of Kun. The second line is both gentle and in the central proper position, making it the line that best exemplifies the pure nature of the Kun path. Therefore, its virtue is internally straight, externally square, and great, without the need for deliberate cultivation, and it is beneficial in all directions. If the person seeking divination possesses such virtue, the divination result will be as such. The Small Image Commentary of the second line says: "The movement of the second line is straight and square. 'Without practice, there is no disadvantage,' because the way of the earth shines brightly."

六三，含章可貞，或從王事，無成有終。六陰三陽，內含章美，可貞以守。然居下之上，不終含藏，故或時出而從上之事，則始雖無成，而後必有終。爻有此象，故戒占者有此德，則如此占也。《象》曰：「含章可貞」，以時發也。「或從王事」，知光大也。知，音智。

The sixth line of the third trigram in the Qian hexagram says: "Contain virtue, be steadfast in uprightness; sometimes follow the sovereign's affairs, without claiming success but with a good ending." "Six" is a yao of yin, and "three" is a yang position. A yin yao in a yang position internally contains the beauty of virtue, and can maintain uprightness. However, it is located at the top of the lower trigram, so it cannot always remain concealed. Therefore, it sometimes emerges to follow the sovereign's affairs. In this way, although it does not claim success at the beginning, it will surely have a good ending. This line has such an image, so it warns the diviner: possessing such virtue leads to such a judgment. The Small Image Commentary for line six three says: "Contain virtue, be steadfast in uprightness," meaning to express it at the right time. "Sometimes follow the sovereign's affairs," meaning to know wisdom and greatness." "Zhi" is read as "zhi," meaning wisdom.

六四，括囊，無咎，無譽。括，古活反。譽，音餘，又音預。括囊，言結囊口而不出也。譽者，過實之名。謹密如是，則無咎而亦無譽矣。六四重陰不中，故其象占如此。蓋或事當謹密，或時當隱遁也。《象》曰：「括囊，無咎」，慎不害也。

The sixth line of the fourth in the Qun hexagram says: "Kuo nang, wu jiu, wu yu." "Kuo" is pronounced as gu hu fan; "yu" is pronounced as yu, and also as yu. "Kuo nang" means to tie up a bag tightly so that nothing leaks out, symbolizing silence and keeping one's mouth closed. "Yu" refers to a reputation that exceeds the actual merit. When one is cautious and meticulous to this extent, there will be neither fault nor praise. The fourth line is a yin line in a yin position, with yin on top of yin and not in the center, so its image and judgment are like this: either because the matter should be cautious and confidential, or because the situation should be to retreat and hide. The Small Image Commentary of the fourth line says: "Kuo nang, wu jiu," meaning that caution does not cause harm. It is precisely because of caution that one does not suffer harm.

六五，黃裳，元吉。黃，中色。裳，下飾。六五，以陰居尊，中順之德，充諸內而見於外，故其象如此。而其占為大善之吉也。占者德必如是，則其占亦如是矣。《春秋傳》：南蒯將叛，筮得此爻，以為大吉。子服惠伯曰：「忠信之事則可，不然必敗。外疆內溫，忠也，和以率貞，信也。故曰：黃裳，元吉。黃，中之色也。裳，下之飾也。元，善之長也。中不忠，不得其色，下不共，不得其飾，事不善，不得其極。且夫《易》不可以占險，三者有闕，筮雖當，未也。」後蒯果敗。此可以見占法矣。

The Line Statement of the sixth line in the fifth position of the Hexagram of Earth says: "Yellow garments, original good fortune." Yellow is the central color, and garments are clothing worn on the lower body. The sixth line, which is a yin line, occupies a noble position, possessing the virtue of being centered and yielding. It is full within and manifests outwardly, hence this image is used, and its divination result is great good fortune. The virtue of the diviner must be like this in order to obtain such a divination result. The "Zuo Zhuan" of the "Spring and Autumn Annals" records that Nan Kuan, a high-ranking official of the state of Lu, was about to rebel and consulted the oracle, obtaining this line, believing it to be a great good omen. Zi Fu Hui Bo said: "If it is for a loyal and trustworthy cause, then it is acceptable; otherwise, it will certainly fail. Being strong on the outside and gentle within is loyalty; using harmony to lead uprightness is trustworthiness. Therefore, it is said, 'Yellow garments, original good fortune.' Yellow is the color of the center, garments are the adornment of the lower body, and 'original' is the beginning of all virtues. If one's heart is not loyal, then one is not worthy of the color 'yellow'; if one is not respectful in the lower position, then one is not worthy of the garment adornment; if one's actions are not virtuous, then one cannot obtain the 'original.' Moreover, the Book of Changes should not be used to divinate evil or improper matters. If any of these three aspects are missing, even if the divination is accurate, it is still not valid." Later, Nan Kuan indeed failed. From this incident, one can see the method of divination in the Book of Changes.

《象》曰：「黃裳，元吉」，文在中也。文在中而見於外也。上六，龍戰于野，其血玄黃。陰盛之極，至與陽爭，兩敗俱傷。其象如此，占者如是，其凶可知。《象》曰：「龍戰于野」，其道窮也。用六，利永貞。用六，言凡筮得陰爻者，皆用六而不用八。亦通例也。以此卦純陰而居首，故發之。遇此卦而六爻俱變者，其占如此辭。蓋陰柔而不能固守，變而為陽，則能永貞矣。故戒占者以利永貞，即《乾》之利貞也。自《坤》而變，故不足於元亨雲。《象》曰：用六永貞，以大終也。初陰後陽，故曰大終。

Six in the Fifth, in the Small Image Commentary, says: "The yellow garment, original good fortune," meaning that virtue is contained within and naturally manifests externally. The line statement of the upper sixth line in the Qian hexagram says: "A dragon fights in the fields, its blood is dark yellow." When the yin force reaches its extreme, it even contends with yang, resulting in mutual destruction. If the situation of the line is like this, then the danger is evident. The Small Image Commentary of the upper sixth line says: "A dragon fights in the fields," indicating that the path is exhausted. The line statement of "use six" in the Qian hexagram says: "It is advantageous to maintain firm uprightness." "Use six" refers to taking the number six, representing old yin, rather than the number eight, representing young yin, when divining with yin lines. This is a general principle. Since Qian is the pure yin hexagram and the first among yin hexagrams, it is specifically mentioned here. If one encounters this hexagram and all six lines change, then this line statement is used to determine fortune or misfortune. Yin is weak and cannot firmly hold on, but when it changes to yang, it can maintain firm uprightness for a long time, hence advising the diviner "it is advantageous to maintain firm uprightness," which is the same as the statement in the Qian hexagram "advantageous to maintain firm uprightness." Since it comes from Qian, it lacks the two elements "original and great." The Small Image Commentary of "use six" says: "Using six to maintain firm uprightness, it leads to a great conclusion." Initially yin, then changing to yang, so it is called "great conclusion."

《文言》曰：坤，至柔而動也剛，至靜而德方，剛、方，釋牝馬之貞也。方，謂生物有常。後得主而有常，《程傳》曰：「‘主’下當有‘利’字。」含萬物而化光。復明亨義。坤道其順乎，承天而時行。復明順承天之義。此以上，申《彖傳》之意。積善之家，必有餘慶，積不善之家，必有餘殃。臣弒其君，子弒其父，非一朝一夕之故，其所由來者漸矣。由辯之不早辯也。《易》曰：「履霜，堅冰至」，蓋言順也。古字「順」、「慎」通用，按此當作慎，言當辯之於微也。

The *Wenyan Zhuan* of the *Kun Hexagram* says: "Kun is the most gentle but its movement is strong, the most still but its virtue is square." Here, "strong" and "square" explain the hexagram statement "the steadfastness of the female horse." The term "square" refers to the fact that the *Kun* nurtures all things according to a constant principle. The *Wenyan Zhuan* also says, "After obtaining the ruler, it has a constant nature." Cheng Yi in his *Yi Cheng Zhuan* believes that there should be another character "li" (advantageous) after the character "zhu" (ruler). The *Wenyan Zhuan* says, "Containing all things and transforming them into light," which again explains the hexagram statement "smoothness." It also says, "The way of *Kun* is its following, supporting Heaven and acting in accordance with the right time," which again explains the meaning of "following and supporting Heaven." All these passages are elaborations on the meaning of the *Tuanchuan*. The *Wenyan Zhuan* then proceeds to explain the line statement of *Chilu*. It says, "Those who accumulate good deeds will surely leave behind excess blessings; those who accumulate evil deeds will surely leave behind excess calamities. A minister killing his sovereign, a son killing his father, are not the result of a single day, but have accumulated gradually. It is only because the right time for discernment was not recognized early. The *Yi* says, 'Walking on frost, solid ice will come,' which refers to this very idea." Zhu Xi pointed out that the ancient character "shun" (following) was commonly used for "shen" (caution). According to the meaning of the text, it should be "shen," meaning that one should be cautious and discern at the subtlest beginnings.

直其正也，方其義也。君子敬以直內，義以方外。敬義立而德不孤，「直方大，不習無不利」，則不疑其所行也。此以學而言之也。正，謂本體。義，謂裁制。敬，則本體之守也。直內、方外，《程傳》備矣。不孤，言大也。疑故習而後利，不疑則何假於習。傳曰：「直，言其正也，方，言其義也。君子主敬以直其內，守義以方其外。敬立而內直，義形而外方。義形於外，非在外也。敬義既立，其德盛矣。不期大而大矣，德不孤也。無所用而不周，無所施而不利，孰為疑乎？」

The Wenyan Transmission explains the Line Statement of Six in the Second: "Straight is its correctness, square is its righteousness. The gentleman respects with sincerity to straighten his inner self, and upholds righteousness to make his outer conduct square. When respect and righteousness are established, virtue will not be lonely. 'Straight, square, and great, without practice there is no disadvantage,' this means he has no doubt about his actions." This passage discusses the cultivation of learning. "Correctness" refers to the nature of the mind, "righteousness" refers to appropriate judgment and conduct, and "respect" is the practice of maintaining this nature. As for the principles of "straightening the inner self" and "making the outer conduct square," Cheng Yi's "Yi Cheng Zhuan" has explained them thoroughly. "Not being lonely" corresponds to the爻辞's "great." If one has doubts in the heart, one needs practice to feel it goes smoothly; if one has no doubts, why would one need practice? "Yi Cheng Zhuan" says: "Straight refers to its correctness, square refers to its righteousness. The gentleman uses holding respect to straighten his inner self, and upholds righteousness to make his outer conduct square. When respect is established, the inner self is straight; when righteousness is manifested, the outer conduct is square. Though righteousness is manifested externally, it is not obtained from outside. When both respect and righteousness are established, his virtue becomes great: not expecting greatness yet naturally great, this is 'virtue will not be lonely.' It is applied everywhere and implemented smoothly wherever it is used; what need is there for hesitation?"

陰雖有美，含之以從王事，弗敢成也。地道也，妻道也，臣道也，地道無成，而代有終也。天地變化，草木蕃。天地閉，賢人隱。《易》曰：「括囊，無咎，無譽。」蓋言謹也。君子黃中通理，黃中，言中德在內。釋「黃」字之義也。正位居體，雖在尊位，而居下體。釋「裳」字之義也。美在其中，而暢於四支，發於事業，美之至也。美在其中，復釋黃中。暢於四支，復釋居體。

The Wenyan transmission explains the line statement of the third line: "Although the Yin has beauty, it conceals it and follows the sovereign's affairs, not daring to claim the merit. This is the way of the earth, the way of the wife, and the way of the subject; the earth does not claim success, but completes the final outcome on behalf of Heaven." The transmission explains the line statement of the fourth line: "Heaven and earth change, and grass and trees flourish. When heaven and earth close, the virtuous retreat. The Book of Changes says, 'A bag is drawn tight, no blame, no praise.' This speaks of caution and silence." The transmission further explains the line statement of the fifth line: "The gentleman has a yellow center and understands principles." The term "yellow center" refers to the virtue of being in the center being contained within, explaining the meaning of the character "yellow" in the line statement. "Correct position and body" means that although the fifth line is in a high position, it still remains in the lower body, explaining the meaning of the character "lower garment" in the line statement. "Beauty lies within" again explains "yellow center," and "flowing through the limbs" again explains "correct position and body." Beauty is thus fully realized.

陰疑於陽必戰，為其嫌於無陽也，故稱龍焉，猶未離其類也，故稱血焉。夫玄黃者，天地之雜也。天玄而地黃。為，於偽反。離，力智反。夫，音扶。疑，謂鈞敵而無小大之差也。坤雖無陽，然陽未嘗無也。血，陰屬，蓋氣陽而血陰也。玄黃，天地之正色，言陰陽皆傷也。此以上，申《象傳》之意。

The Wenyan Transmission concludes its explanation of the line statement for the sixth line at the top by saying: "When yin suspects yang, conflict is inevitable, because it is close to the absence of yang, hence it is called dragon; it has not yet separated from its own kind, hence it is called blood. The term 'xuanyang' refers to the mixture of heaven and earth, with heaven being black and earth being yellow." The character "为" is read as "yu wei fan," "离" is read as "li zhi fan," and "夫" is read as "fu." The term "疑" refers to yin having become equal in strength with yang, with no distinction of superiority or inferiority. Although all six lines of the Kun hexagram lack yang lines, yang has not entirely disappeared, so the line statement still refers to "dragon." Blood belongs to the category of yin, because qi is yang and blood is yin, hence it is also called "blood." Xuang and huang are the true colors of heaven and earth, with heaven being black and earth being yellow. The statement "its blood is xuanyang" indicates that both yin and yang have been injured. All these passages are elaborations on the meaning of the Image Commentary.