The Thirteenth Volume of The Origins of the Changes · Great Treatise Part One

慧珠閣原本，岫巖多隆阿雯溪。繫辭上傳。史記孔子世家云：「孔子晚而喜易，序彖、繫、象、說卦、文言。」繫即繫辭傳也，又名大傳。彖傳釋卦辭，象傳釋爻辭，文言傳通釋乾坤卦爻，先儒取之各附於卦爻之下，以便學者誦讀；至於大傳則統論大旨，無經可附，又因文字繁重，故分別之為上下篇云。

This volume follows the original edition from Huizhu Ge, authored by Duolong'a, a native of Xiuyan, with the courtesy name Wenxi. The following is an explanation of the Upper Part of the Great Treatise. The "Records of the Grand Historian: The Family of Confucius" states: "In his later years, Confucius was fond of the Book of Changes, and he arranged the Commentary on the Judgment, the Great Treatise, the Image Commentary, the Discourse on the Hexagrams, and the Discourse on the Literary Meaning." Here, the term "Great Treatise" refers to the Great Treatise, also known as the Great Commentary. The Commentary on the Judgment explains the Hexagram Statements, the Image Commentary explains the Line Statements, and the Discourse on the Literary Meaning provides a general explanation of the hexagrams and lines of Qian and Kun. Previous scholars attached these commentaries below each hexagram and line to facilitate scholars' reading. As for the Great Commentary, it discusses the general principles of the Book of Changes as a whole, without being attached to any specific text. Due to its extensive content, it was divided into Upper and Lower Parts.

天尊地卑，乾坤定矣；卑高以陳，貴賤位矣；動靜有常，剛柔斷矣；方以類聚，物以群分，吉凶生矣；在天成象，在地成形，變化見矣。輕清上浮者為天，重濁下凝者為地。乾為天，坤為地，天尊象乾，地卑象坤，是乾坤卦名定以天地也。乾天位高，坤地位卑，位高則貴，位卑則賤，是乾坤之貴賤於卑高之位判之。天陽常動，地陰常靜，常動故剛，常靜故柔，是乾坤之剛柔於動靜之體斷之。

The text says: Heaven is above and exalted, Earth is below and humble, thus the names of the two trigrams, Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth), are established. Once the high and low are arranged, the order of honor and humility is determined. Motion and stillness each have their regular patterns, thus the qualities of hardness and softness are distinguished. Directions are grouped according to their kinds, things are classified according to their categories, thus the nature of good fortune and misfortune arises. In the heavens, they appear as the sun, moon, and stars; on the earth, they manifest as mountains, rivers, moving creatures, and plants. Thus, change is revealed. What is light and clear rises upward to form Heaven; what is heavy and turbid settles downward to form Earth. Qian symbolizes Heaven, Kun symbolizes Earth. Heaven is exalted because it is high, and thus takes the image of Qian; Earth is humble because it is low, and thus takes the image of Kun. Thus, the names of Qian and Kun are determined by Heaven and Earth. Heaven's position is high, Earth's position is low; a high position is honorable, a low position is humble—thus the honor and humility of Qian and Kun are determined by their high and low positions. Heaven belongs to Yang and is constantly moving; Earth belongs to Yin and is constantly still. Constant motion makes it hard, constant stillness makes it soft—thus the hardness and softness of Qian and Kun are determined by their nature of motion and stillness.

方謂方向，東西南北也；物謂陰陽，乾陽物，坤陰物。類聚，合也；群分，散也。陰陽二氣有合有散，相通則和合而吉，相乖則分散而凶，是吉凶之生生於陰陽之分聚也。物受氣則有象，而物之象受於天；物成質則有形，而物之形成於地。物改曰變，物蛻曰化。見者，言萬物變化之後形象昭著可見也。此言聖人法天地以定乾坤，其餘諸卦皆出於此，乾坤為諸卦之體也。

"The 'directions' refer to east, west, south, and north; 'things' refer to yin and yang. 'Class gathering' means gathering together, and 'group separation' means dispersion. Yin and yang energies have both union and dispersion: when they connect, they harmonize and bring good fortune; when they conflict, they separate and bring misfortune. Thus, the emergence of good and bad fortune arises from the union and dispersion of yin and yang. When things receive the vital energy, they take form, and the form of things comes from heaven; when things solidify into substance, they take shape, and the shape of things is completed on earth. Change in things is called 'transformation,' and the transformation of things is called 'change.' 'Appearance' refers to the fact that after all things change, their forms become clearly visible and distinct. This passage explains that sages model themselves after heaven and earth to establish the two trigrams, Qian and Kun, and all other trigrams arise from these. Qian and Kun are the fundamental trigrams of all others."

是故剛柔相摩，八卦相蕩，鼓之以雷霆，潤之以風雨，日月運行，一寒一暑，乾道成男，坤道成女。卦體既立，而卦之用亦由是以行。摩，推摩也；蕩，動盪也。言剛柔交濟以相推摩，八卦振發以相動盪。震雷、艮霆、巽風、兌雨、離日、坎月、乾寒、坤暑，鼓舞潤澤於天地之中，往來運行於冬夏之候，乾坤六子循環不息，而陰陽之道著焉。陽道為乾，故得乾道者為男；陰道為坤，故得坤道者為女。成男成女，是乾坤為萬物之父母也。乾知大始，坤作成物。知猶主宰也，始，初也。物生有始，乾天主之；物生有質，乃坤地承天以作成者。知之者以神，而作之者有象也。

The text says: Therefore, the hard and the soft mutually push and rub against each other, the eight trigrams mutually stir and excite each other, using thunder and lightning to move things, using wind and rain to nourish them, the sun and moon move in their courses, cold and heat alternate, the principle of Heaven produces males, and the principle of Earth produces females. Once the trigrams are established, the functions of the trigrams are thus carried out. "Mo" means pushing and rubbing, "dang" means stirring and exciting; it refers to the mutual assistance between the hard and the soft, and the mutual stirring and excitement among the eight trigrams. Zhen is thunder, Gen is lightning, Xun is wind, Dui is rain, Li is sun, Kan is moon, Qian governs cold, and Kun governs heat: they stir and nourish all things in the universe, moving in their courses between winter and summer, and the trigrams Qian and Kun and the six subsidiary trigrams cycle endlessly, thus revealing the principle of yin and yang. The principle of yang belongs to Qian, so those who receive the principle of Qian become male; the principle of yin belongs to Kun, so those who receive the principle of Kun become female. Since they can produce male and female, it is evident that Qian and Kun are the parents of all things. The text also says: Qian governs the great beginning, and Kun creates and completes all things. "Zhi" is like governing, "shi" is the beginning. The generation of all things has its beginning, which is governed by the Heaven; the generation of all things requires form, which is completed by the Earth following the Heaven's will. The one that governs does so in a mysterious and unpredictable way, while the one that creates manifests in a tangible form.

乾以易知，坤以簡能。易則易知，簡則易從；易知則有親，易從則有功；有親則可久，有功則可大；可久則賢人之德，可大則賢人之業。易簡而天下之理得矣，天下之理得而成位乎其中矣。易，平易；簡，不煩也。物始至隱而乾以至動運之，則無生物之跡，故曰易知；物成至賾而坤以至靜育之，則無成物之勞，故曰簡能。人體乾之易，則其心坦平，不入於艱深；人體坤之簡，則其行儉約，不傷於煩擾。

The text says: Qian (Heaven) uses simplicity and ease to take the lead, while Kun (Earth) uses simplicity and restraint to bring forth all things. Simplicity and ease are easy to understand, simplicity and restraint are easy to follow; being easy to understand brings people close, being easy to follow leads to effectiveness; being close to people ensures longevity, and achieving effectiveness leads to greatness. Being able to endure long is the virtue of the virtuous, and being able to achieve greatness is the career of the virtuous. When one grasps simplicity and ease, the principles of the world are all understood; when the principles of the world are understood, people establish their place between heaven and earth. "Easy" refers to simplicity, and "simple" refers to simplicity without complexity. At the beginning of all things, they are extremely subtle, yet Qian uses its vigorous movement to drive them forward, without showing signs of life, thus it is said "easy to know." When things take form, they become extremely complex, yet Kun uses its quiet nurturing to foster them, without showing signs of effort, thus it is said "simple to achieve." When people understand the simplicity and ease of Qian, their hearts become open and sincere, avoiding difficulties and obscurity; when people understand the simplicity and restraint of Kun, their actions become frugal and measured, avoiding confusion and disturbance.

易知則乾德內洽，默契眾理，不至乖違而不親；易從則坤德外著，動有成效，於以建樹而有功。有親則始終無間，不離須臾，是為可久；有功則鉅細畢舉，莫限方隅，是為可大。可久則日進日新，此賢人之德也；可大則彌推彌廣，此賢人之業也。德與業皆有條理，而賢人得此理實得其簡易。天以易之理位乎上，地以簡之理位乎下，賢人即以易簡之理成位於天地之中，則是賢人與天地參也。

What is meant by "easy to know" is that the virtue of Heaven is internal, thoroughly permeating and silently harmonizing with many principles and affairs, so that there is no contradiction and thus it is not neglected; what is meant by "easy to follow" is that the virtue of Earth is external, and once it moves, there is immediate result, thus achieving accomplishments and establishing merit. When people are close, there is no separation, not for a moment apart, this is called "enduring"; when one can establish merit, then both big and small matters can be accomplished, not restricted by a single aspect or corner, this is called "greatness". Enduring leads to continuous progress and renewal, which is the virtue of the virtuous person; greatness leads to ever-expanding influence, which is the career of the virtuous person. Both virtue and career have order, and the virtuous person attains this order, in reality attaining the principles of ease and simplicity. Heaven holds the principle of "ease" above, Earth holds the principle of "simplicity" below, and the virtuous person uses the principles of ease and simplicity to establish his position between Heaven and Earth — this is why the virtuous person is ranked with Heaven and Earth as the three.

此第一章，發明乾坤之蘊，為聖人作易之源也。聖人設卦觀象，繫辭焉而明吉凶。設，立也；卦謂六十四卦；象者，謂各卦所似之物也；辭，卦象辭也。言聖人設卦觀象之後，吉凶之義已具，然猶隱而未顯，故又繫辭以明之。剛柔相推而生變化。推者，移也，言陰陽消息互相往來也。一陽一陰之卦移之得八卦，二陽二陰之卦移之得十六卦，三陽三陰之卦移之得十八卦，蓋以闢卦、乾卦為主，餘卦變化從此生焉。

The above is the first chapter of the Upper Great Treatise from the Xi Ci, explaining the implications of the Qian and Kun trigrams, and stating that they are the origin of the sage's creation of the Book of Changes. The text says: the sage established the structure of the hexagrams, observed the images represented by the hexagrams, and attached statements to clarify fortune and misfortune. "Set" means to establish; "hexagram" refers to the sixty-four hexagrams; "image" refers to the things symbolized by each hexagram; "statements" refer to the hexagram statements and line statements. It means that after the sage established the hexagrams and observed their images, the principles of fortune and misfortune were already present, but they were hidden and not yet apparent, so the sage attached statements to clarify them. The text also says: the strong and the yielding move and transform into each other. "Move" means to shift, referring to the mutual increase and decrease of yin and yang. A single yang and a single yin hexagram shifting can produce the eight trigrams, two yangs and two yins shifting can produce sixteen hexagrams, three yangs and three yins shifting can produce eighteen hexagrams—this is based on the twelve trigrams of the sun and moon and the main trigrams such as Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li, from which all other hexagrams arise.

是故，吉凶者，失得之象也；悔吝者，憂虞之象也；變化者，進退之象也；剛柔者，晝夜之象也；六爻之動，三極之道也。是故所謂明吉凶者，吉凶非他，乃人事得失之象也。又有近吉而尚未至於吉、似凶而尚未及於凶者，則悔吝也。悔吝非他，乃人心憂虞之象也。所謂生變化者，乃六爻上下相推也，上往為進，下來為退，是變化為進退之象。變化者，即變化此剛柔也。剛者為陽，柔者為陰，陽晝陰夜，是剛柔為晝夜之象。爻具數象，而占者則占動爻，故六爻曰動。三極，三才也。初二為地道，三四為人道，五上為天道。詳察六爻之動，則吉凶悔吝可得而識矣。

The Great Treatise says: Therefore, "good fortune and misfortune" are the manifestations of success and failure in actions, "regret and hardship" are the manifestations of inner anxiety and fear, "change" is the manifestation of the movement of the lines, and "yin and yang" are the manifestations of the alternation of day and night. The movement of the six lines reflects the three fundamental principles of heaven, earth, and humanity. Duolong'a explained this meaning: When it says "understanding good fortune and misfortune," good fortune and misfortune are not anything else, but simply the manifestations of success and failure in human affairs. There is also another situation, close to good fortune but not yet reaching it, or seemingly misfortune but not yet fully realized, which is called "regret and hardship." Regret and hardship are not anything else, but simply the manifestations of human anxiety and fear. When it says "producing change," it refers to the mutual movement of the six lines up and down: moving upward is "advancement," moving downward is "retreat," so change is the manifestation of advancement and retreat. The object of change is precisely yin and yang: yang is strong, yin is weak, yang belongs to day, yin belongs to night, so yin and yang are the manifestations of day and night. Each line has both number and image, but when divining, only the line that has changed is considered. Therefore, it is said "the movement of the six lines." The "three fundamental principles" refer to the three elements of heaven, earth, and humanity: the first and second lines represent the way of earth, the third and fourth lines represent the way of humanity, and the fifth and top lines represent the way of heaven. By carefully examining the movement of the six lines, one can recognize good fortune, misfortune, regret, and hardship.

是故君子所居而安者，易之序也；所樂而玩者，爻之辭也。居，處也。序，次序。玩，習之不厭也。六爻各有其位，其位不可陵躐，謂之序，君子則居而安之。六爻各判吉凶，其吉凶顯以告人者賴有辭，君子則樂而玩之。為學之君子，其不違易蓋如此。

The Great Treatise continues to say: Therefore, the gentleman finds peace in the order established by the Book of Changes; and he delights in and repeatedly contemplates the line statements of each line. Duolong'a first explains word by word: "Reside" means to be in a position, "order" means sequence, and "contemplate" means to study without tiring. He then elaborates: each of the six lines has its own position, and these positions are not allowed to be transgressed or reversed, which is called "order." The gentleman thus finds contentment in his own position. Each line determines its own fortune or misfortune, and the reason why fortune and misfortune can clearly inform the diviner is entirely due to the statements attached to each line. Therefore, the gentleman delights in repeatedly contemplating these statements. This is roughly how the learned gentleman does not deviate from the principles of the Book of Changes.

是故君子居則觀其象而玩其辭，動則觀其變而玩其占，是以自天佑之，吉無不利。居猶平素也，動，動作也。居則玩辭，動則玩占，預決吉凶之幾，自荷彼蒼冥默之助也。此第二章，言聖人作易以開來學，而君子學易之功在於玩辭玩占，自此以下十章皆推明玩辭玩占之義。

The Great Treatise says: Therefore, the gentleman, when in peace, observes the images of the hexagrams and contemplates the statements of the lines; when taking action, he observes the changing lines and contemplates the results of divination, thus obtaining the assistance of Heaven and finding benefit in all his undertakings. Duolong'a explains: "Residence" refers to times of peace and idleness, while "action" refers to taking action. In times of peace, he contemplates the statements of the lines; when taking action, he contemplates the divinatory judgment. By doing so beforehand, he can determine the auspicious or inauspicious signs in advance, thus naturally being able to bear the silent protection of Heaven. He then summarizes the entire chapter: This is the second chapter of the Upper Great Treatise, explaining that the sage created the Book of Changes to enlighten later scholars, and the gentleman's study of the Book of Changes lies entirely in the two matters of "contemplating the statements" and "contemplating divination." From this chapter onwards, the ten following chapters all elaborate on the meanings of "contemplating the statements" and "contemplating divination."

彖者，言乎象者也；爻者，言乎變者也；吉凶者，言乎其失得也；悔吝者，言乎其小疵也；無咎者，善補過也。彖，彖辭，即卦辭，彖言一卦之象也。爻謂六爻，爻主推移，剛柔無定，故言變也。卦爻有吉凶，有悔吝，吉凶言失得，悔吝言小疵，而吉凶悔吝之外又有所謂無咎者。咎即過也，誤入凶吝之途，痛自改悔，雖未遽臻於吉，而過已因悔而補，可嘉善也。補過曰善，則無咎實學易之要旨也。

The Great Treatise says: "The '彖' refers to the expression of the image of a single hexagram, 'the 'yao' refers to the movement, 'the 'ji xiong' refers to the gain and loss, 'the 'hui lin' refers to minor flaws, and 'wu jiao' is the ability to remedy mistakes. Duolong'a explains each point: '彖' refers to the '彖' statement, which is also called the hexagram statement, and it discusses the overall image of a hexagram; 'yao' refers to the six lines, and the nature of the lines lies in their change, for the yin and yang are not fixed, so it is said to be about 'change'. In the statements about the hexagram and its lines, there are both 'ji' and 'xiong', as well as 'hui' and 'lin': 'ji xiong' refers to the gain and loss of actions, while 'hui lin' refers to minor faults; and beyond 'ji xiong' and 'hui lin', there is another category called 'wu jiao'. 'Jiao' means mistake. When a person enters a path of danger and regret, if he sincerely repents, although he may not immediately reach 'ji', his mistake has been remedied through repentance, which is commendable. Since remedying mistakes is called 'good', then the two words 'wu jiao' are indeed the most important principle in studying the Book of Changes.

是故列貴賤者存乎位，齊小大者存乎卦，辨吉凶者存乎辭，憂悔吝者存乎介，震無咎者存乎悔。易有彖象、吉凶、悔吝、無咎，易之名義如此，學者宜深心以體之。列，分；齊，均；辨，別也。介，善惡將分之地也。震，動也。爻各有位，上貴下賤，是分貴賤者在乎爻位也。卦有陰陽，陽大陰小，陽得位則陰從陽，陰得位則陽輔陰，卦之小大雖不齊，以得位用事衡之，其理均也。爻有吉凶，以各爻所繫之辭辨別之。至於悔吝將分之地，是謂之介，預有憂之，則悔吝可免。因誤得咎則咎在身，倘猛覺悟，則昨非不妨今是，無咎賴於震，是震無咎又在於悔也。

The "Great Treatise" says: Therefore, the arrangement of rank and status depends on the position of the lines, the equalization of small and great depends on the structure of the hexagram, the distinction of good fortune and misfortune depends on the statements of the lines, the concern and regret of misfortune depends on "jiè," and the effort to avoid error depends on "huǐ." Duolong'a first summarized by saying: The Book of Changes has "tuan" and "xiang," has good fortune, regret, and no blame. The name and meaning of the Book of Changes are these. Those who study the Book of Changes should deeply contemplate and understand them. Then he explained the terms: "Lie" means to divide, "qi" means to equalize, "bian" means to distinguish; "jiè" refers to the point of boundary where good and evil are about to be separated; "zhen" means vibration. Then he explained sentence by sentence: Each line has a fixed position. Those above are esteemed, those below are humble, so the distinction of esteem and humility depends on the position of the lines. The hexagram is divided into yin and yang, yang is great, yin is small; when a yang line is in the right position, yin follows yang; when a yin line is in the right position, yang supports yin. Although the hexagram has distinctions of small and great, when measured by the standard of "being in the right position and holding power," the principle is equal and balanced. Lines have good fortune and misfortune, which are distinguished by the statements attached to each line. As for the point where good and evil are about to be separated, it is called "jiè." If one can generate concern and fear at this point in advance, regret and misfortune can be avoided. If an error occurs at a moment and blame is incurred, the blame has already fallen upon oneself; if one can suddenly awaken, the mistakes of yesterday do not hinder the correctness of today. Therefore, to eliminate errors depends on effort, and effort can prevent errors, and the root of this lies in the character "huǐ."

是故卦有小大，辭有險易，辭也者，各指其所之。齊小大者存乎卦，大者為陽，小者為陰，則是卦有小大；辨吉凶者存乎辭，凶辭危險，吉辭平易，則是辭有險易。之，往也，言此卦爻之辭乃所以指示學者趨吉避凶，不誤於所往爾。此第三章，言學易之始功在於憂悔補過以寡過，故宜玩其辭也。

The Great Treatise says: Therefore, hexagrams have distinctions of small and great, and the statements have distinctions of danger and ease. What is called "statements" points out the direction of each line within each hexagram. Duolong'a connects this sentence with the previous text: The previous text says "the distinction of small and great lies in the hexagram," with yang being great and yin being small, showing that hexagrams indeed have distinctions of small and great; the previous text says "the discernment of good and bad lies in the statements," with ominous statements being expressed in urgent and perilous terms, and auspicious statements being expressed in calm and peaceful terms, showing that statements indeed have distinctions of danger and ease. The character "之" is interpreted as "going," meaning that the function of the statements of hexagrams and lines is to guide those studying the Book of Changes to pursue good and avoid bad, so as not to go astray in their direction. He finally concludes: This is the third chapter, which says that the initial effort in studying the Book of Changes lies in knowing worry, knowing regret, and correcting mistakes, in order to commit fewer errors, so one should repeatedly ponder the statements of hexagrams and lines.

易與天地準，故能彌綸天地之道。京氏曰：準，等也。彌，彌縫；綸，絲綸。言天地之氣化渾然無隙，條理有緒，易之廣大精微與之相等也。仰以觀於天文，俯以察於地理，是故知幽明之故；原始反終，故知死生之說；精氣為物，游魂為變，是故知鬼神之情狀。此言易之言知與天地準也。天道昭明而難窮，地道幽隱而難測，而即易中之言天文、言地理者，則可以仰觀俯察得其故焉。物命於天則生，物窮於地則死，而乾為大始，坤為大終，是易言終始即死生也，有以推原反求之，則可即始終以知生死之說。精氣聚而為物，則是自無而有，此謂之神；游魂散而為變，則是自有轉無，此謂之鬼。神之伸有形曰狀，鬼之歸無跡曰情，而易言天之陽即精氣也，言地之陰即游魂也，是鬼神之情狀可即精氣為物、游魂為變知之。易之言知如此。

The Great Treatise says: The Book of Changes is equal to heaven and earth, thus it can encompass and connect the principles of heaven and earth. Duolong'a first cites the words of Jing Fang, a Han dynasty scholar of the Book of Changes, to explain the characters: "Zhen" means equality, "Mi" means to fill in and mend, and "Lun" means the order of silk threads. This means that the vital energies of heaven and earth are unified and seamless, yet they have clear order and distinct aspects. The Book of Changes, with its vastness and subtlety, is equal to heaven and earth. The text then continues: by looking up to observe the patterns of heaven and looking down to examine the principles of earth, one can understand the hidden and the manifest. By tracing the origin of things and returning to their end, one can understand the principles of life and death. By the gathering of vital energies, myriad things are formed; by the dispersion of wandering souls, changes occur. Thus, one can understand the nature of ghosts and spirits. Duolong'a points out that this passage discusses the aspect of "knowing" in the Book of Changes, which is equal to heaven and earth. The heavenly way is clearly visible yet difficult to exhaust, the earthly way is profound and hidden yet hard to measure. However, by examining the parts of the Book of Changes that discuss astronomy and geography, and by observing heaven and examining earth, one can find the reasons behind them. Things receive their mandate from heaven and are born, and they are exhausted by earth and die. The Book of Changes uses Qian to represent the great beginning of all things and Kun to represent the great end of all things, showing that the Book of Changes discusses beginning and end, which is also the discussion of life and death. By tracing the origin and returning to the end, one can understand the doctrine of life and death through the beginning and the end. The gathering of vital energies to form form is the process from nothing to something, which is called "shen" (spirit); the dispersion of wandering souls to cause change is the process from something to nothing, which is called "gui" (ghost). Shen is associated with extension and has a visible form, so it is called "zhuang" (form); gui is associated with returning and has no trace, so it is called "qing" (emotion). The Book of Changes refers to the yang of heaven as vital energy and the yin of earth as wandering souls, so the nature of ghosts and spirits can be understood from the statement "vital energy becomes things, wandering souls cause change." Thus, the "knowing" possessed by the Book of Changes is as such.

與天地相似，故不違；知周乎萬物而道濟天下，故不過；旁行而不流，樂天知命，故不憂；安土敦乎仁，故能愛。此言易之言能與天地準也。似，像也。周，徧也。過，差忒也。流，淫溢。敦，厚也。易與天地相似，人不能違天地，故不能違易。易備萬物之理，學易者其知足以周徧萬物，本此道即足以濟天下，無差忒也。易言天命，惟達權以旁行，不至於淫溢者能樂之知之，故不為憂所擾也。隨處而安，以敦厚其仁，仁者能愛物也。知益精，不困於物，則知似天；仁愈熟，萬物一體，則仁似地。易之言能如此。

The Great Treatise says: The Book of Changes is similar to heaven and earth, so it does not contradict heaven and earth; its wisdom pervades all things, and its way is sufficient to save the world, so it does not make mistakes; though it extends widely in all directions without overflowing or losing its control, it delights in following the heavenly way and understands the nature of life and death, so it has no worries; it resides in its proper place and cultivates its benevolence deeply, so it can love people and things. Duolong'a points out that this passage discusses the aspect of what the Book of Changes is "able to do," which is equal to heaven and earth. He first explains the words: "似" means "like," "周" means "to pervade," "过" means "error," "流" means "overflowing without restraint," and "敦" means "deeply cultivated." Then he explains sentence by sentence: The Book of Changes is similar to heaven and earth; since people cannot contradict heaven and earth, they also cannot contradict the Book of Changes. The Book of Changes contains the principles of all things. Those who study the Book of Changes have wisdom sufficient to pervade all things. By following this principle, they can save the world without error. The Book of Changes discusses the mandate of heaven. Only those who can be flexible and adapt, extend widely and act accordingly, without indulgence or overflow, can delight in heaven and understand destiny, thus not being disturbed by worries. Being able to settle in any place, they cultivate their benevolence deeply. A person with benevolence naturally loves all things. The more refined the wisdom, the less it is troubled by external things, and this wisdom becomes like heaven. The more mature the benevolence, the more they see all things as one, and this benevolence becomes like earth. This is how the Book of Changes possesses the ability to do so.

範圍天地之化而不過，曲成萬物而不遺，通乎晝夜之道而知，故神無方而易無體。範，模範；圍，周圍也。過，越也。晝夜，陰陽也。言易之言知足以範圍天地，易之言能足以曲成萬物，陰陽之道雖幽隱微奧，易皆知之。是神之變化不可以方向求，而易之變動亦不可以形體拘也。此蓋合知能而總贊之。此第四章，言易道之廣大準乎天地，故宜玩其辭也。

The Great Treatise says: The Book of Changes can encompass the nurturing of heaven and earth without exceeding its limits, can skillfully bring about all things without missing any, can understand the alternation of day and night without any ignorance, so "spirit" has no fixed place, and "Change" has no fixed form. Duolong'a explains the words: "Model" means pattern, "surround" means to encircle completely, "exceed" means to go beyond, and "day and night" refer to yin and yang. He then continues: The "knowledge" possessed by the Book of Changes is sufficient to encompass heaven and earth, and the "ability" possessed by the Book of Changes is sufficient to skillfully bring about all things; although the way of yin and yang is subtle and hidden, the Book of Changes knows it all. Therefore, the changes of spirit cannot be sought by place, and the changes of the Book of Changes cannot be confined by form. He points out that this sentence combines the previous "knowledge" and "ability" for a general praise. Finally, he concludes: This is the fourth chapter, stating that the vastness of the Way of the Book of Changes is sufficient to match heaven and earth, so it should be repeatedly pondered over its words.

一陰一陽之謂道，繼之者善也，成之者性也。晝夜為陰陽之道，即天地之道也，則是天地之大，一陰一陽盡之矣。陰陽之道必有所賦，有賦之者即有受之者，此之謂繼。繼之者生機渾然，無少戾氣，故曰善。既受陰陽之氣以成形，亦受陰陽之理以成性，率性之善以為道，故曰成之者【者字下脫「性」字】也。

The Great Treatise says: When yin and yang alternate in operation, it is called the "Dao." What continues this Dao is called "goodness," and what completes this Dao is called "nature." Duolong'a explains: Day and night represent the Dao of yin and yang, which is also the Dao of heaven and earth. Thus, the vastness of heaven and earth can be fully expressed in the four characters "one yin and one yang." The Dao of yin and yang must necessarily have something bestowed; where there is a giver, there is also a receiver, and this receiving is called "continuation." What is received is a complete vital energy, without any discordant elements, so it is called "goodness." Humans, having received the qi of yin and yang to form their bodies, also receive the principles of yin and yang to form their nature. Following the goodness within this nature is the Dao, so it is called "the completion of the Dao is nature." (The original text has a note: the character "nature" is missing after "者.")

仁者見之謂之仁，知者見之謂之知，百姓日用而不知，故君子之道鮮矣。鮮，少也。陰陽之道雖一，而人之所受有偏：得陰之靜者謂之仁，得陽之動者謂之知，見仁見知，此為以善成性者。至於百姓，稟受既駁，其所知亦異，日用之間未嘗非道，而習焉不察，則亦與不知者等，故得君子之道者世鮮有其人也。

The Great Treatise says: A person with benevolence sees this way and calls it benevolence; a person with wisdom sees this way and calls it knowledge; the common people live daily within the way but are not conscious of it, so those who can fully embody the way of the gentleman are very few. Duolong'a explains: 'Xian' means few. The way of yin and yang is essentially one, but what people receive varies: those who receive the stillness of yin call it benevolence; those who receive the movement of yang call it knowledge. Whether one sees benevolence or knowledge, these people are still considered a category of those who 'cultivate goodness into nature.' As for the common people, their nature is originally mixed and impure, so their understanding differs; in daily life, there is no moment that is not the way, but because they take it for granted without reflection, they are no different from those who completely do not know. Therefore, those in the world who truly possess the way of the gentleman are indeed very few.

顯諸仁，藏諸用，鼓萬物而不與聖人同憂，盛德大業至矣哉！君子全備知仁之德，則君子即聖人也。然聖人之治有為，而陰陽之道無為。萬物涵陰陽之發育，則其仁顯；而陰陽之化不露朕兆，則其用藏。鼓動萬物，不類聖人有作尚待憂勤，盛德大業可謂至矣。富有之謂大業，日新之謂盛德。陰陽之盛德大業何謂也？陰靜則無所不涵，是謂富有，惟富有故業曰大；陽動則無時或息，是謂日新，惟日新故德曰盛。

The Great Treatise says: The Way manifests benevolence and virtue externally, and conceals its function internally. It stimulates the continuous generation of all things, yet does not act with the anxieties and toil of a sage. Its great virtue and achievements may be said to have reached their ultimate perfection. Duolong'a explains: If a gentleman can possess both the virtues of knowledge and benevolence, then the gentleman is also a sage. However, a sage governs the world through active effort, while the Way of yin and yang operates through non-action. All things are nurtured within the development of yin and yang, which is how its benevolence is manifested externally. The nurturing of yin and yang does not reveal any trace of its workings, which is how its function is concealed internally. It stimulates all things without the need for the toil and vigilance of a sage when acting, hence its great virtue and achievements have reached their ultimate perfection. The text also says: What encompasses everything is called 'great achievement,' and daily renewal is called 'abundant virtue.' Duolong'a asks: What exactly does the great achievement of yin and yang refer to? He answers himself: Yin governs stillness, and stillness encompasses everything, which is called 'abundance.' Because it is abundant, its achievement is called 'great.' Yang governs movement, and movement never ceases, which is called 'daily renewal.' Because it is daily renewed, its virtue is called 'abundant.'

生生之謂易，成象之謂乾，效法之謂坤，極數知來之謂占，通變之謂事，陰陽不測之謂神。陰陽生生，是謂之易；陽生成象，是謂之乾；陰生效法乾道，是謂之坤。陰陽互交，極其數為六十四卦、三百八十四爻，預知將來之吉凶，是謂之占。占筮有法，能通其變，則作為可以決斷，是謂之事。至於陰陽消息變化不測，是謂之神矣。此第五章，言陰陽之道神化不測，易之道亦如之，宜玩其辭也。

The Great Treatise says: "The continuous generation of life is called 'Easy' (Yi), the formation of images is called 'Qian', following the way of Qian is called 'Kun', exhausting the numbers of the divination sticks to foresee the future is called 'Zhan', comprehending the changes to determine actions is called 'Shi', and the movement of yin and yang that is beyond measurement is called 'Shen'. Duolong'a explained each point: the mutual transformation of yin and yang, the continuous generation of life, is called 'Easy'; the emergence of yang and the formation of images is called 'Qian'; the emergence of yin and following the principles of Qian is called 'Kun'. The interaction and movement of yin and yang, pushing their numbers to the limit, results in the sixty-four hexagrams and three hundred and eighty-four lines, thereby enabling the prediction of future fortune and misfortune, which is called 'Zhan'. Divination has its own rules, and understanding its changes allows for decisive action, which is called 'Shi'. As for the changes of yin and yang reaching a point beyond measurement, that is called 'Shen'. In conclusion, this is the fifth chapter, explaining the mysterious and indescribable nature of yin and yang, and the way of the Book of Changes is also like this, so one should repeatedly ponder its words.

夫易廣矣，大矣！以言乎遠則不御，以言乎邇則靜而正，以言乎天地之間則備矣。無物不載曰廣，無物不覆曰大。御，止也。易道之大，遠莫能御；易道之廣，邇則靜正。言天地所有之象，易皆備之。夫乾，其靜也專，其動也直，是以大生焉；夫坤，其靜也翕，其動也闢，是以廣生焉。易言乾坤即天地也，易道廣大即乾坤也，蓋乾坤之廣大於其生見之矣。專，專一；直，直遂也；翕，聚也；闢，開闢。乾象中實，故靜專而動直；坤象中虛，故靜翕而動闢。惟專與直，故無私曲，萬物資始而其生至大；惟翕與闢，故無窒塞，萬物資生而其生至廣。乾坤之廣大如此。

The Great Treatise says: The Book of Changes is truly vast and great! From a distant perspective, it reaches everywhere and cannot be restrained; from a near perspective, it is quiet and upright; from the perspective of between heaven and earth, it includes everything. Duolong'a explains the characters: there is no object that is not carried by it called 'vast,' and there is no object that is not covered by it called 'great.' 'Yu' means to restrain. He says: The vastness of the Way of the Book of Changes, when extended to the furthest distance, has nothing that can stop it; the breadth of the Way of the Book of Changes, when viewed closely, is quiet and upright. All the phenomena in the world between heaven and earth are fully included in the Book of Changes. The text continues: When Qian is still, it is focused; when it moves, it is direct and unimpeded, so 'great generation' arises from this; when Kun is still, it is gathered in; when it moves, it is expansive, so 'broad generation' arises from this. Duolong'a explains: The Qian and Kun referred to in the Book of Changes are heaven and earth. The vastness and breadth of the Way of the Book of Changes are the vastness and breadth of Qian and Kun. And the vastness and breadth of Qian and Kun are precisely seen from their ability to generate all things. 'Zhuan' means focused, 'zhi' means direct and unimpeded, 'xi' means gathering, 'bi' means expansion. The image of the Qian hexagram is full in the middle, so when still it is focused and when moving it is direct and unimpeded; the image of the Kun hexagram is empty in the middle, so when still it is gathering and when moving it is expansive. Because it is focused and direct, there is no partiality or曲折, and all things begin with it, so its generation reaches 'greatness'; because it is gathering and expansive, there is no blockage or obstruction, and all things are generated through it, so its generation reaches 'breadth.' Thus the vastness and breadth of Qian and Kun are as such.

廣大配天地，變通配四時，陰陽之義配日月，易簡之善配至德。配，對也。廣大莫如天地，而易以乾坤配之；天地運行有四時，而易以變通配之；天地中之昭明者莫如日月，而易以陰陽之義配之；天地之大生廣生謂之至德，而易以易簡之善配之。易之廣大如天地也。此第六章，言天地至廣至大，惟易克配之，宜玩其辭也。

The Great Treatise says: The Book of Changes is vast and expansive, matching the heavens and earth; its adaptability and flexibility match the four seasons; its meaning of yin and yang matches the sun and moon; its simplicity and ease match the highest virtue. Duolong'a explains: "Matching" means corresponding and being appropriate. There is nothing in the world broader than heaven and earth, and the Book of Changes uses the Qian and Kun trigrams to correspond to them; heaven and earth operate and produce the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and the Book of Changes uses the changing lines to correspond to them; among the brightness and light of heaven and earth, nothing surpasses the sun and moon, and the Book of Changes uses the meaning of yin and yang to correspond to them; the great capacity of heaven and earth to generate and sustain all things can be called supreme virtue, and the Book of Changes uses the ease of Qian and the simplicity of Kun to correspond to it. Thus, the Book of Changes is as vast as heaven and earth. He concludes: This is the sixth chapter, which speaks of heaven and earth being the most vast and great, and only the Book of Changes can match them, so one should repeatedly ponder its words.

子曰：易其至矣乎！夫易，聖人所以崇德而廣業也。知崇禮卑，崇效天，卑法地。易道至廣至大，而聖人之崇德廣業皆有取於易焉。德之虛明內照謂之知，業有規矩可循謂之禮。知高故崇，禮順故卑。崇莫如天，而天之高明有象，效之故德崇；卑莫如地，而地之博厚無垠，法之故業廣。

The Great Treatise records Confucius' words: The Book of Changes is perhaps reaching its ultimate limit! The Book of Changes is precisely the means by which the sage upholds his virtue and expands his undertakings. Knowledge should be lofty, while ritual should be humble; loftiness is modeled after Heaven, humility is modeled after Earth. Duolong'a explains: The way of the Book of Changes is extremely vast and great, and the sage's "upholding virtue" and "expanding undertakings" are both derived from the Book of Changes. Virtue is empty and luminous, capable of self-reflection, which is called "knowledge"; undertakings have rules to follow, which is called "ritual." Knowledge is valued for its loftiness, hence "upholding"; ritual is valued for its compliance, hence "humbility." The highest is Heaven, and Heaven's loftiness is visible in its manifestations; by following it, virtue becomes lofty. The lowest is Earth, and Earth's vastness has no bounds; by following it, undertakings become expansive.

天地設位，而易行乎其中矣。成性存存，道義之門。夫德業之效法天地，是即效法易也。天地設位於上下，而易即行乎天地之中。學易者誠於本成之性，存之又存，無或放失，即為道義從入之門，德崇業廣之基在此矣。此第七章，言德業之崇廣在乎學易者效法天地，宜玩其辭也。

The Great Treatise says: Heaven and Earth each take their proper position, and the Book of Changes operates between them. Holding fast to the already established nature, this is the gateway for the entry and exit of righteousness. Duolong'a explains: To cultivate virtue and expand one's achievements must be modeled after Heaven and Earth, which in turn equals modeling after the Book of Changes, for Heaven and Earth each take their proper position, and the Book of Changes operates between them. Those who study the Book of Changes should hold fast to their innate nature with sincerity, guarding it constantly, not allowing it to be lost for a single moment. This is the gateway for the entry of righteousness, and the foundation for cultivating virtue and expanding achievements. He concludes: This is the seventh chapter, stating that whether virtue and achievements can be cultivated and expanded depends entirely on whether those who study the Book of Changes model themselves after Heaven and Earth. Therefore, one should repeatedly ponder its words.

聖人有以見天下之賾，而擬諸其形容，象其物宜，是故謂之象。賾，雜亂也。此言立卦之源也。聖人有以見天下之動，而觀其會通，以行其典禮，繫辭焉以斷其吉凶，是故謂之爻。會，合也。通謂無窒礙。典禮，常法也，謂爻位之尊卑有定也。此言生爻之源也。

The *Great Treatise* says: The sage observed the complexity of things in the world and compared their forms, describing their appropriate appearances, thus called "image" (*xiàng*). Duolong'a comments: "Zé" refers to complexity and confusion; this sentence explains the origin of establishing hexagrams. The text also says: The sage observed the changes of things in the world and examined their meeting and unimpeded connections, using them to implement the established norms, and attached words to judge good and bad fortune, thus called "line" (*yáo*). Duolong'a comments: "Hui" means meeting, "tong" refers to unimpeded; "lianding" is the established norms, referring to the fixed distinctions of the dignity and rank of the lines. This sentence explains the origin of generating lines.

言天下之至賾而不可惡也，言天下之至動而不可亂也。擬之而後言，議之而後動，擬議以成其變化。惡猶厭也。象言天下之至賾而其理可味，爻言天下之至動而有序不紊，故學者之言動宜擬象議爻，以成變化與易準也。

The Great Treatise says: The hexagrams encompass all the most complex matters in the world, yet people do not grow weary of them; the line statements cover all the most frequent changes, yet people do not feel confused by them. One should first compare with the hexagrams before speaking, and first discuss the meanings of the lines before acting. By relying on such comparison and discussion, one can achieve one's own changes. Duolong'a explains: "Evil" means to despise. The hexagrams express all the most complex matters in the world, yet the principles within are intriguing and worth pondering; the line statements describe all the most frequent changes, yet they are orderly and not chaotic. Therefore, those who study the Book of Changes should speak and act in accordance with the hexagrams and the meanings of the lines, so that their own changes align with the Book of Changes.

「鳴鶴在陰，其子和之。我有好爵，吾與爾靡之。」子曰：「君子居其室，出其言善，則千里之外應之，況其邇者乎？居其室，出其言不善，則千里之外違之，況其邇者乎？言出乎身，加乎民；行發乎邇，見乎遠。言行，君子之樞機，樞機之發，榮辱之主也。言行，君子之所以動天地也，可不慎乎？」擬議言動之義，可即中孚九二爻辭得之。中孚上巽下兌，中互艮震，巽為處，艮為廬，故曰居室，此在陰之象；兌為口，震為聲、為出，故曰出言，此鳴鶴之象；二陰在前曰外，陽應前陰，故曰千里之外應之，此子和之象。樞，門樞；機，弩牙也。此言鶴鳴雖在幽隱之地必有和者，猶之人言雖在宥密之處必有應者。出言尚如此，則大於言者可知；應者至千里之遠，則邇於千里者又可知。是以君子於言行不敢不擬議以致慎也。

The Great Treatise cites the Line Statement of the second line of the Zhongfū hexagram, saying: "A crane calls in the mountain shade, and its young crane responds in harmony; I have good wine, and I wish to share it with you." Confucius explained: "A gentleman resides in his own house; if his words are good, they will be responded to even a thousand miles away, let alone those nearby. If his words are not good, they will be rejected even a thousand miles away, let alone those nearby. Words originate from oneself, yet are imposed upon the people; actions arise from nearness, yet are seen in the distance. Words and deeds are the door hinge and the trigger of the crossbow, and when these are set in motion, honor and disgrace are determined. Words and deeds are the things by which a gentleman moves heaven and earth; how can they not be approached with caution?" Duolong'a said: the principle of deliberation before action can be clearly understood from the second line of the Zhongfū hexagram. He then verified this with the hexagram's image: the upper trigram of Zhongfū is Xun, and the lower trigram is Dui, with the intermediate trigrams being Gen and Zhen. Xun has the image of "residing," Gen represents a dwelling, so it is said "residing in his room," which is precisely the image of "in the shade." Dui represents the mouth, Zhen represents sound and emission, so it is said "speaking from his mouth," which is precisely the image of "the calling crane." The two yin lines in front are called "outside," and the yang line responds to the yin line above, so it is said "responded to a thousand miles away," which is precisely the image of "its young crane harmonizes with it." He also explained the characters: "shu" is the door hinge, and "ji" is the trigger of the crossbow. Finally, he clarified the meaning: a crane calling in a secluded place still surely has a response, just as a person speaking in a deep and hidden place will surely have a response. If speaking out still has such an effect, then things greater than speech can be imagined. If the response reaches a thousand miles away, then those within a thousand miles are even more certain. Therefore, a gentleman must not dare to be careless in deliberating before speaking or acting.

「同人先號咷而後笑。」子曰：「君子之道，或出或處，或默或語。二人同心，其利斷金；同心之言，其臭如蘭。」擬議言動之義，又可即同人九五爻辭得之。同人上乾下離，而自姤、夬來。姤之巽風象號，夬之兌說象笑。巽為處，前往之二，故又曰出；兌口象語，退後之二，故又曰默。五與二應，是為二人；二五得中，是為同心。夬上之二，離變乾中，火克乾金，故金斷也；姤初之二，變巽為離，上應乾中，巽為臭、為蘭，乾為言，故曰同心之言其臭如蘭也。此言君子之出處語默始異終同，其心志之堅物不能間，其氣味之投久則俱化焉。

The Great Treatise cites the Line Statement of the fifth line of the hexagram Tongren (Union): "At first, they weep bitterly, then they laugh joyfully." Confucius explained: "The way of a gentleman in the world is sometimes to take office, sometimes to retire, sometimes to be silent, and sometimes to speak. When two people have the same mind, their sharpness is sufficient to cut through metal; the words spoken by those of the same mind have a fragrance like orchids." Duolong'a said that the principle of deliberation before action can also be understood from the line statement of the fifth line of Tongren. He still relied on the changing hexagrams and their symbolic meanings: the upper trigram of Tongren is Qian (Heaven), and the lower trigram is Li (Fire), which comes from the hexagrams Guo (Encountering) and Guai (Overcoming). Guo contains Xun (Wind), which symbolizes weeping; Guai contains Dui (Joy), which symbolizes laughter. Xun has the image of "residing," and if it moves to the second position, it also has the image of "going out"; Dui is the mouth, symbolizing "speech," and if it moves to the second position, it also has the image of "silence." The fifth line and the second line are in correspondence, which is "two people"; both the second and the fifth lines are in the central position, which is "the same mind." The top line of Guai moves to the second position, and the Li trigram enters the Qian trigram, with fire overcoming metal, hence "cutting through metal." The first line of Guo moves to the second position, and Xun changes to Li, responding to the middle line of Qian. Xun represents fragrance and orchid, while Qian represents speech, hence "the words of those with the same mind have a fragrance like orchid." He concluded that this speaks of the gentleman's taking office, retirement, silence, and speech, which may initially differ but ultimately converge; their minds are firm, and external things cannot separate them; their fragrance is harmonious, and over time they become completely blended.

「初六，藉用白茅，無咎。」子曰：「苟錯諸地而可矣，藉之用茅，何咎之有？慎之至也。夫茅之為物薄，而用可重也。慎斯術也以往，其無所失矣。」此言議之而後動，而以大過初六爻辭證之。錯，置也。大過內卦為巽，巽為茅、為白，又為木；初為地位，巽木為棟，以棟視茅，茅為至薄，然恐棟之橈而以茅藉之，則棟雖橈不至於損。人體藉茅之義而後動，則以慎而無所失也。

The Great Treatise cites the line statement of the first line of the Great Excess hexagram: "The first line, using clean white reeds as a cushion, there will be no mistake." Confucius explained: "Putting things directly on the ground is already sufficient; why use reeds as a cushion beneath? Where would there be any mistake? This is the utmost caution. Reeds themselves are very thin, yet their use can be of great importance. If one can carry out such caution consistently, there will be no mishaps." Duolong'a said: This line speaks of "deliberating before acting," and it is verified by the line statement of the first line of the Great Excess. "Error" refers to placing. The inner trigram of the Great Excess is Xun, which symbolizes reeds, white color, and wood. The first line is located at the position of the earth, and the Xun wood here symbolizes the roof beam. Comparing the roof beam to reeds, reeds are extremely thin, yet they are used to prevent the heavy roof beam from bending. Even if the roof beam bends, it will not be broken. If people can understand the meaning of "using reeds as a cushion" and act accordingly, they can act with caution and avoid mistakes.

「勞謙，君子有終，吉。」子曰：「勞而不伐，有功而不德，厚之至也。語以其功下人者也。德言盛，禮言恭。謙也者，致恭以存其位者也。」動既宜慎，而又宜謙，謙之九三爻辭可玩也。謙艮為厚，互坎為勞，語，言也。謙三自剝之上來，自高降卑，此謂以功下人。惟謙故有德有禮，惟勞謙故德言愈盛，禮言愈恭。致恭以存其位，君子所以終吉也。

The Great Treatise cites the line statement of the "Gentle" hexagram's nine in the third: "Diligent and humble, the gentleman may attain a good ending, which is auspicious." Confucius explained: "Having accomplished deeds without boasting, having achieved accomplishments without claiming the virtue, this is the extreme of sincerity and depth. It refers to placing one's own merits beneath others. In terms of virtue, it should be full; in terms of propriety, it should be respectful. What is meant by humility is to be extremely respectful in order to preserve one's position." Duolong'a said: action must be both cautious and humble. The line statement of the "Gentle" hexagram's nine in the third is indeed worth pondering. He still explained it through the image: the lower trigram of the "Gentle" hexagram is艮 (mountain), which symbolizes thickness; the middle interacting trigram is坎 (water), which symbolizes labor; "speech" refers to speaking. The nine in the third of the "Gentle" hexagram comes from the upper nine of the "Splitting Apart" hexagram, descending from the highest position to the humble position, which is called "placing one's merit beneath others." Only because of humility can one possess virtue and propriety; only because of both labor and humility can virtue become more full and propriety more respectful. To be able to express the utmost respect in order to preserve one's position, this is precisely why the gentleman ultimately attains auspiciousness.

「亢龍有悔。」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。」夫以謙動則終吉，而以亢動則有悔，故又舉乾上九爻辭以戒動者。「不出戶庭，無咎。」子曰：「亂之所生也，則言語以為階。君不密則失臣，臣不密則失身，幾事不密則害成，是以君子慎密而不出也。」此節初九爻辭。節為上坎下兌，中互艮震，而自泰來。虞氏曰：坤為亂，震為生、為言語，坤稱階，故亂之所生則言語以為階也。泰乾為君，坤為臣、為閉，故稱密。乾三之坤五，君臣毀賊，故君不密則失臣；坤五之乾三，坤體毀壞，故臣不密則失身，坤為身也。坤為事，坤變為坎，坎陷曰害，三往之五成坎，故曰幾事不密則害成。初居互震互艮之下，未及震出，先應艮止，故曰慎密不出也。此言言語足以生亂，故君子必欲擬之而後言也。

The Great Treatise cites the line statement of the upper nine of the Qian hexagram, saying: "The dragon flies too high and will regret it." Confucius explained: "One has a high status but no actual position, a lofty position but no people to govern, and virtuous men are in lower positions without coming to assist, so any action will bring regret." Duolong'a pointed out the purpose of this line: acting with humility leads to good fortune; acting with excessive arrogance leads to regret. Therefore, the Great Treatise again cites the line statement of the upper nine of the Qian hexagram to warn those about to take action. The Great Treatise also cites the line statement of the Jie hexagram's initial nine, saying: "Not stepping out of the hall will not lead to mistakes." Confucius explained: "The origin of calamity often begins with words. If the sovereign speaks carelessly, he loses his ministers; if the minister speaks carelessly, he loses himself; if secret matters are not guarded, they will cause harm. Therefore, the gentleman guards secrets and does not speak carelessly." Duolong'a pointed out that this is the line statement of the initial nine of the Jie hexagram. The Jie hexagram has the upper trigram Kan (Water) and the lower trigram Dui (Lake), with the intermediate trigrams Gen (Mountain) and Zhen (Thunder), derived from the Tai hexagram. He cited the words of Yu Fan, a Three Kingdoms Yi scholar, saying: "Kun represents disorder, Zhen represents life and speech, and Kun can also be called 'step.' Therefore, the origin of disorder begins with speech." The Tai hexagram has Qian (Heaven) as the sovereign and Kun (Earth) as the minister and as closure, so it is called 'secret.' The third line of Qian moves up to the fifth position of Kun, causing the sovereign-minister relationship to be damaged, so it is said 'if the sovereign is not secret, he loses his ministers.' The fifth line of Kun moves down to the third position of Qian, causing the Kun structure to be destroyed, so it is said 'if the minister is not secret, he loses himself,' since Kun has the image of 'body.' Kun also represents affairs, and when Kun changes to Kan, Kan represents danger, which is 'harm.' The third line moves to the fifth position to form Kan, so it is said 'if affairs are not kept secret, harm will arise.' The initial line is located below the intermediate trigrams Zhen and Gen, and has not yet followed Zhen, but has already corresponded with Gen's stillness, so it is said 'being cautious and not stepping out.' Duolong'a concluded that this is about speech leading to disorder, so the gentleman must first compare and consider before speaking.

子曰：「作易者其知盜乎！《易》曰：『負且乘，致寇至。』負也者，小人之事也；乘也者，君子之器也。小人而乘君子之器，盜思奪之矣；上慢下暴，盜思伐之矣。慢藏誨盜，冶容誨淫。《易》曰『負且乘，致寇至』，盜之招也。」言宜慎密，而動亦宜慎密，嘗得其義於解六三爻辭矣。解為上震下坎，中為互離，三居二陽之間，陰為小人，上負震車，下乘坎輿，是必在上者褻慢名器，小人始得乘之。乘者非其人，故盜覬覦之而思奪之也。小人之行暴，上誤用之，上既褻慢，下復暴虐，人心思亂，故盜乘機起也。強取曰奪，執辭曰伐。坎為盜、為弓輪，互離為甲冑、為戈兵，震為鼓、為言聲，故曰盜、曰伐也。誨，教也；冶，妖冶也。慢藏者誨之使盜，冶容者誨之使淫，既己招之，豈能卻之？曰盜之招者，言招之使至也。此第八章，言言動之變化皆由學易者擬議之，宜玩其辭也。

The Great Treatise records Confucius' words: "The person who composed the Book of Changes must have understood the minds of thieves! The line statement of the hexagram 'Resolution' at line six in the third says: 'Carrying something while riding in a carriage, thieves come.' Carrying things is the act of a petty person, while a carriage is an instrument used by a gentleman; a petty person is now using the instrument of a gentleman, so the thief has the thought of robbery. If those above are careless, and those below are tyrannical, then the thief has the thought of rebellion. If one is careless in guarding property, it is as if one is teaching others to steal; if one is seductive in appearance, it is as if one is teaching others to commit lust. The Book of Changes says 'carrying and riding, leading thieves to come,' which is exactly how one brings thieves upon oneself." Duolong'a said: words should be cautious, and actions should also be cautious; this meaning he once understood from the line statement of line six in the third of the hexagram 'Resolution.' The upper trigram of 'Resolution' is Zhen (Thunder), the lower trigram is Kan (Water), and the interacting trigram in the middle is Li (Fire). Line six in the third is a yin line sandwiched between two yang lines. Yin represents petty persons; above it is the trigram Zhen, which represents a carriage, and below it is the trigram Kan, which represents a vehicle. This shows that the person in a high position has been careless with the instruments of rank, allowing petty persons to use them. Since the person riding the carriage is not the one who should be riding it, thieves will covet it and desire to take it. Petty persons acting tyrannically are due to the mistake of those above; since those above have been careless, and those below are tyrannical, the people's minds become chaotic, so thieves take the opportunity to rise. He also explained: using force to take is called 'duo,' and holding a title to attack is called 'fa.' Kan represents thieves, bows, and chariot wheels; the interacting trigram Li represents armor and spears; Zhen represents drums and sound, so the text speaks of 'thieves' and 'attack.' 'Hui' means to teach, and 'ye' means seductive; being careless in guarding property is like teaching others to steal; being seductive in appearance is like teaching others to commit lust. If it is oneself who has brought about this situation, how can it be avoided? Saying 'inviting thieves' means that one has invited thieves to come close. He summarized: this is the eighth chapter, speaking of the various changes in words and actions, which should be first contemplated by those who study the Book of Changes, so one should repeatedly ponder the statements of the hexagrams and lines."

大衍之數五十，其用四十有九。分而為二以象兩，掛一以象三，揲之為四以象四時，歸奇於扐以象閏，五歲再閏，故再扐而後掛。鄭氏曰：衍，演也，謂衍蓍以筮也。演卦用蓍策數五十，五十者，天之生數、地之成數也。天地生成之數為五十，而用四十九策者，蓋以蓍圓卦方，卦為八八之數，蓍為七七之數，故減一不用也。

The Great Treatise says: The number of the great derivation is fifty, but actually forty-nine are used. They are divided into two parts to symbolize the two principles of heaven and earth. One is drawn out and hung up to symbolize the three elements. The remaining number is counted in groups of four to symbolize the four seasons. The leftover number is held between the fingers to symbolize the leap month. In five years there are two leap months, so the leftover is held between the fingers twice, and then the divination is restarted. Duolong'a cites Zheng Xuan, a Han dynasty scholar of classics, to explain: "Derivation" means deduction, referring to the deduction of yarrow stalks for divination. The number of yarrow stalks used to deduce the hexagram is fifty, which is the combined number of the heavenly generating number and the earthly formed number. The generating number of heaven and earth is fifty, but actually forty-nine stalks are used, because yarrow stalks belong to the round, while the hexagram belongs to the square. The hexagram has the number of eight eights, which is sixty-four, while the yarrow stalks have the number of seven sevens, which is forty-nine. Therefore, one stalk is subtracted.

當此四十九策未分之候，渾然無朕，則象太極。兩手分之為二，左陽右陰，是象兩儀。又取一策掛於小指之間，以象三才。揲，撥而數之也，四其數以數之，先數左手之策，次數右手之策，以四起數者，象春夏秋冬之四時。四四數畢，必有零策，此謂之奇，奇，零也。將此零策扐於指間，以象月閏。扐，勒也；閏，餘也。一卦兩分兩揲，合之曰五歲，五次分揲，兩次歸奇，故曰再閏。

Duolong'a then proceeded to explain the actual practice of divination with yarrow stalks: when the forty-nine stalks have not yet been separated, they are unified and have no visible form, symbolizing the "Taiji" or Supreme Ultimate. When the hands divide them into two portions, the left hand represents Yang and the right hand represents Yin, symbolizing the "Two Principles" or "Liangyi." Then one stalk is taken and placed between the index finger and the thumb, symbolizing the "Three Powers" or "Sanyao." "Xie" means to separate and count, using four as a group. First, count the stalks in the left hand, then those in the right hand. Counting by fours symbolizes the four seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. After counting in groups of four, there will always be a remainder, which is called "Qi," meaning the leftover. This leftover stalk is placed between the fingers, symbolizing the extra days in a lunar month; "Xie" means to press or clamp, and "Run" means the remainder. In one hexagram, there are two divisions and two counts, altogether called "Wusu" or five years. In five such divisions and counts, there are two instances of the remainder, hence the saying "Zai Run" or "again the remainder."

於是並掛策扐策為一而通數之，是為一變。從此再分再掛再揲，其法同前，是為再變。至於三變，則成一爻。四揲其策，所餘之數不五則九，五有一四，是為奇；九有二四，是為偶。三變皆奇為老陽，三變皆偶為老陰，一奇二偶為少陽，一偶二奇為少陰。老變而少不變，變者為動爻，則即動爻以玩占，此筮法之大略也。

Duolong'a continued: So the one yarrow stick that was hanging was combined with the remaining ones in the fingers for a total count, completing the first change. From here, they were divided again, hung again, and counted again, following the same method, which was the second change. It was only after the third change that one line was formed. Each time four yarrow sticks were used, the remaining number was either five or nine. Five contained one four, which was counted as 'odd'; nine contained two fours, which was counted as 'even'. If all three changes resulted in odd numbers, it was old yang; if all three resulted in even numbers, it was old yin. If one was odd and two were even, it was young yang; if one was even and two were odd, it was young yin. Old yang and old yin change, while young yang and young yin remain unchanged. The changing line is called the moving line, and the person casting the divination would interpret the meaning based on this moving line. This is the general method of divination by yarrow sticks.

天數五，地數五，五位相得而各有合。天數二十有五，地數三十，凡天地之數五十有五，此所以成變化而行鬼神也。虞氏曰：天數五，謂一、三、五、七、九；地數五，謂二、四、六、八、十也。五位，謂五行之位。五位相得而各有合，或以一六合水，二七合火，三八合木，四九合金，五十合土也。

The Great Treatise says: Heaven has five numbers, Earth has five numbers, and these five positions are paired with each other and have their respective combinations. The total of the Heaven numbers is twenty-five, and the total of the Earth numbers is thirty. The combined numbers of Heaven and Earth total fifty-five, and it is precisely through this number that transformation is achieved and the movements of ghosts and spirits are carried out. Duolong'a cites Yu Fan's words: the so-called five Heaven numbers refer to the five odd numbers: one, three, five, seven, and nine; the so-called five Earth numbers refer to the five even numbers: two, four, six, eight, and ten. The so-called 'five positions' refer to the directions of the Five Phases. 'Five positions are paired and each has its combination' means that one combines with six and belongs to water, two combines with seven and belongs to fire, three combines with eight and belongs to wood, four combines with nine and belongs to metal, and five combines with ten and belongs to earth.

鄭氏曰：天地之氣各有五。五行之次，一曰水，天數也；二曰火，地數也；三曰木，天數也；四曰金，地數也；五曰土，天數也。此五者陽無耦、陰無匹，故又合之：地六為天一匹也，天七為地二耦也，地八為天三匹也，天九為地四耦也，地十為天五匹也。二五陰陽各有合，然後氣相得，施化行也。天數二十有五者，為一三五七九之積數；地數三十者，為二四六八十之積數。合之為五十五數，除去六數以備六爻，而用四十九數以為占筮，則所以變化三百八十四爻而行陽神陰鬼者賴此矣。

Duolong'a also cited Zheng Xuan's words, saying that the qi of heaven and earth each have five elements. The order of the Five Phases is: one is water, belonging to the heavenly numbers; two is fire, belonging to the earthly numbers; three is wood, belonging to the heavenly numbers; four is metal, belonging to the earthly numbers; five is earth, belonging to the heavenly numbers. Among these five, the yang numbers have no counterparts, and the yin numbers have no pairs. Therefore, they are paired downward: the earthly six is matched with the heavenly one, the heavenly seven is paired with the earthly two, the earthly eight is matched with the heavenly three, the heavenly nine is paired with the earthly four, and the earthly ten is matched with the heavenly five. The five numbers of heaven and earth are paired in yin and yang, and only then do the qi harmonize and the transformation process can proceed. He then calculated himself: the total of the heavenly numbers is twenty-five, the sum of one, three, five, seven, and nine; the total of the earthly numbers is thirty, the sum of two, four, six, eight, and ten. Together they total fifty-five. From this, six is subtracted to match the six lines of the hexagram, leaving forty-nine numbers for divination. Thus, the ability to produce 384 lines and the operation of the yang spirit and yin ghost depend entirely on this number.

乾之策二百一十有六，坤之策百四十有四，凡三百有六十，當期之日。二篇之策，萬有一千五百二十，當萬物之數也。乾卦純陽，坤卦純陰。乾陽數九，以揲蓍之數計之，為四九三十六，六爻得數二百一十有六，此乾策也；坤陰數六，以揲蓍之數計之，為四六二十四，六爻得數百四十有四，此坤策也。乾坤策數合之為三百六十，一歲為期，言以三百六十數當一期之日也。二篇謂上下經，二篇之陽策陰策各一百九十有二，陽策以四九之數乘之，得六千九百一十二策；陰策以四六之數乘之，得四千六百八策；合為萬一千五百二十策，以當萬物之數也。

The Great Treatise says: The number of stalks for the Qian hexagram is 216, and for the Kun hexagram is 144. Together they make 360, which corresponds exactly to the number of days in a year. The total number of stalks in the upper and lower parts of the Classic of Changes is 11,520, which corresponds exactly to the number of things in the world. Duolong'a calculated them step by step: the Qian hexagram consists entirely of yang lines, and the Kun hexagram entirely of yin lines. The yang number is nine. When counting the stalks in groups of four, four times nine is thirty-six, and six lines together make 216, which is the number of stalks for Qian. The yin number is six. Using the same method, four times six is twenty-four, and six lines together make 144, which is the number of stalks for Kun. The total number of stalks for Qian and Kun together is 360. A year is one 'period', so using the number 360 corresponds to the number of days in a year. The term 'two chapters' refers to the upper and lower parts of the Classic of Changes. Within these two chapters, there are 192 yang lines and 192 yin lines. The yang stalks are calculated by multiplying thirty-six by 192, resulting in 6,912 stalks. The yin stalks are calculated by multiplying twenty-four by 192, resulting in 4,608 stalks. Adding these together gives a total of 11,520 stalks, which corresponds to the number of things in the world.

是故四營而成易，十有八變而成卦，八卦而小成，引而伸之，觸類而長之，天下之能事畢矣。營，經營。四營者，陸氏所謂分二、卦一、揲四、歸奇是也。四營成一變，故曰成易；三變成一爻，十有八變成六爻，故曰成卦。三爻得卦之半曰小成，由小成以引伸觸類，六十四卦皆可推廣得之，故曰盡天下能事也。

The Great Treatise says: Therefore, after four operations, one change is formed; after eighteen changes, one hexagram is formed; the Eight Trigrams are the initial completion, from which extension and analogy can be made, so that all things under heaven are fully included. Duolong'a explains: "Ying" refers to operations and management. The "four ying" refer to the four procedures mentioned by Lu Deming, a Tang dynasty scholar of classics, namely dividing into two, hanging one, drawing four, and returning the odd. After completing the four ying, one change is formed, hence "forming the Book of Changes"; three changes form one line, eighteen changes form six lines, hence "forming the hexagram". Three lines only form half of a hexagram, so it is called "small completion"; by further extension and analogy from the small completion, all sixty-four hexagrams can be derived, hence all things under heaven are included.

顯道神德行，是故可與酬酢，可與佑神矣。道體至隱，得蓍筮而顯明；德行至實，得蓍筮而神化。酬酢猶報答也，佑，助也。《九家易》曰：禮飲酒，主人酌賓為獻，賓酌主人為酢，主人飲之又酌賓為酬也。先舉為酢，答報為酬。言筮能顯道，故可與酬酢；筮能神德行，故可與佑神也。子曰：知變化之道者，其知神之所為乎！陰陽變化非人所為，聖人極贊其神，以見揲蓍為易之用也。此第九章，詳言蓍筮之法而贊其道為神，故宜玩其占也。

The Great Treatise says: Divination with yarrow stalks can reveal the Way, and can make virtue become mysterious and profound, so it can be used for mutual response and interaction, and can be used to assist the divine. Duolong'a explains: The essence of the Way is originally extremely hidden, but it becomes clear through divination with yarrow stalks; virtue is originally extremely simple and genuine, but it becomes mysterious and penetrating through divination with yarrow stalks. "Chouze" is like mutual giving and receiving, and "you" means assistance. He cites the Nine Schools Commentary on the Book of Changes to explain the original meaning of these two characters: according to the ritual of drinking, the host pours wine for the guests, called "xian," the guests return the favor to the host, called "cuo," and after the host drinks, pours wine again for the guests, called "chou." The one who first raises the cup is "cuo," and the one who responds is "chou." Therefore, divination can reveal the Way, so it can be used for mutual response and interaction; divination can make virtue mysterious, so it can be used to assist the divine. The Great Treatise also records Confucius' words: those who understand the principle of change generally understand the workings of the divine. Duolong'a says: the changes of yin and yang are not something that human power can produce; the sages repeatedly praise their mystery, precisely to show that divination with yarrow stalks is the practical function of the Book of Changes. He concludes: this is the ninth chapter, which elaborately explains the method of divination with yarrow stalks and praises its Way as divine, so it should be repeatedly contemplated and pondered.