The Great Treatise, Upper Transmission, Chapter Ten

易有聖人之道四焉：以言者尚其辭，以動者尚其變，以制器者尚其象，以卜筮者尚其占。以，用也。辭，繫辭；變，爻也；象，卦象。言、動、制器三者俱用夫易，而占亦為聖人之道，與三者並重，則卜筮烏可少哉！是以君子將有為也，將有行也，問焉而以言，其受命也如向，無有遠近幽深，遂知來物，非天下之至精，其孰能與於此。是以君子將有行為，必先卜筮以占決之。問以言者，將占告蓍之言也。命，告也，蓍告人而人受之，故曰受命。向、響同，言如響應聲也。來物者，未來之吉凶也。遠近幽深無不顯著，蓍之至精如此。

The Great Treatise says: The Book of Changes contains four principles of the sage's way: those who use it to express words value the line statements, those who use it to act value the changing of lines, those who use it to make objects value the hexagram images, and those who use it for divination value the judgment. Duolong'a explains: "With" means to use; "statements" refer to the words attached to the hexagrams and lines; "change" refers to the movement of the lines; "images" refer to the hexagram images. He points out that expressing words, acting, and making objects all require the Book of Changes, and divination is also a principle of the sage, equal to those three, showing that divination cannot be neglected. The text continues: Therefore, when a gentleman is about to act or take action, he consults the yarrow stalks to seek their guidance; the response given by the yarrow stalks is like an echo, and whether the matter is far or near, hidden or profound, he can immediately know the future. If it is not the most subtle thing in the world, who could achieve this. Duolong'a explains: When a gentleman is about to act, he must first use divination to decide. The phrase "ask and receive in words" means that when divining, the matter in question is told to the yarrow stalks. "Ming" means to inform; the yarrow stalks inform the person, and the person receives this information, so it is said "receive the command." "Xiang" and "huan" are similar, meaning the response is like an echo following a sound. "Laiwu" refers to the coming of good or bad fortune. Whether far or near, hidden or profound, all become clear, and this is the subtlety of the yarrow stalks.

參伍以變，錯綜其數，通其變遂成天地之文，極其數遂定天下之象，非天下之至變，其孰能與於此。參，三之也；伍，五之也；錯謂交錯；綜，理也，言如理絲縷也。筮法掛一象三，五閏再扐，此之謂參伍；所扐餘策奇偶殊致，老少分推，此之謂錯綜。文謂爻辭，參之伍之以成吉凶之文；象謂卦象，為錯為綜以定陰陽之象。文則通揲蓍之變以成之，象則極蓍策之數以定之，蓍之至變如此。

The Great Treatise says: By repeatedly calculating in threes and fives, one explores the transformations, interweaving and organizing the numbers; by comprehending its transformations, one establishes the patterns of heaven and earth; by exhausting its numbers, one determines the forms of all things under heaven. If it is not the most changeable thing in the world, who could achieve this. Duolong'a explains: "San" means multiplying by three, "Wu" means multiplying by five; "Cuo" means interweaving, "Zong" means organizing, like sorting threads. He applies these terms to the method of divination: when performing divination, one hangs one stalk to represent the three elements, and then uses five years with an intercalary month, so that two remainders are caught between the fingers, which is "San Wu." The remaining stalks caught between the fingers differ in odd and even, and old yang, old yin, young yang, and young yin are separately determined, which is "Cuo Zong." "Wen" refers to the line statements, and by repeatedly calculating in threes and fives, one establishes the patterns of good and bad fortune; "Xiang" refers to the hexagram images, and by either interweaving or organizing, one determines the forms of yin and yang. The patterns are formed by comprehending the changes of divining with yarrow stalks, and the forms of things are determined by exhausting the numbers of the yarrow stalks. The yarrow stalks are thus so changeable.

易無思也，無為也，寂然不動，感而遂通天下之故，非天下之至神，其孰能與於此。蓍之至精至變如此，而當其不動則無思無為，至於有感而天下之故無不通焉，蓍又至神也。夫易，聖人之所以極深而研幾也。研，究也；幾，微也。惟精故深，惟變故微，聖人所以窮極其深而研究其幾也。

The Great Treatise says: The Book of Changes has no thoughts, no actions, is still and unmoving, but once it responds to something, it comprehends all events throughout the world. If it is not the most marvelous thing in the world, who could achieve this. Duolong'a explains: The divination rods and tortoise shells are so subtle and changeable, yet when they are not yet used, they have no thoughts, no actions; but when they respond, all events in the world are fully understood. Thus, the divination rods and tortoise shells are indeed extremely marvelous. The text then continues: The Book of Changes is precisely the tool used by the sages to explore the profound and examine the subtle. Duolong'a explains the words: 'examine' means to study, and 'a few' means the hidden and subtle. He connects this sentence with the previous words 'subtle', 'changeable', and 'marvelous': precisely because it is extremely subtle, it can reach the profound; precisely because it is extremely changeable, it can reach the subtle. The sages use the Book of Changes to explore the depths and examine the subtle.

唯深也，故能通天下之志；唯幾也，故能成天下之務；唯神也，故不疾而速，不行而至。心志內蘊，非深不能通；事務至賾，非幾不能成；通志成務，非神則猶未底於化。筮則無有遠近幽深，遂知來務，是能通天下之志；筮則通其變遂成天下之文，極其數遂定天下之象，是能成天下之務；筮則無思無為，寂然不動，感而遂通天下之故，是能不疾而速、不行而至也。子曰：易有聖人之道四焉者，此之謂也。此第十章，言卜筮為聖人之道而贊之為至精至變至神，宜玩其占也。

The Great Treatise says: It is because of its depth that it can connect the hearts and minds of people throughout the world; it is because of its subtlety that it can accomplish the affairs of the world; it is because of its mysterious nature that it does not need to be hurried and yet is swift, does not need to move and yet reaches its destination. Duolong'a explains: Human aspirations are hidden within, and without depth they cannot be connected; worldly affairs are complex and hard to discern, and without the ability to perceive the subtlest changes, they cannot be accomplished; and if one can connect aspirations and accomplish affairs, but lacks mystery, it is still not considered to have reached the highest level. He then corresponded each part with the method of divination: When divining, regardless of distance or depth, one can foresee future events, which is how it connects the hearts and minds of people throughout the world; divining can comprehend its transformations and accomplish the principles and structures of the world, exhaust its numbers and determine the forms of all things, which is how it accomplishes the affairs of the world; divining requires no thought or action, remains still and silent, yet responds instantly to the affairs of the world, which is how it is swift without haste and reaches its destination without moving. At the end of the text, it records Confucius' words: The Book of Changes contains four principles of the sage's way, and this is exactly what it means. Duolong'a summarizes: This is the tenth chapter, which discusses divination as also being part of the sage's way, and praises it as the most refined, the most changeable, and the most mysterious, so it should be repeatedly contemplated and pondered.

天一地二，天三地四，天五地六，天七地八，天九地十。天陽地陰，陽奇陰偶。一三五七九，奇數，天數，奇者陽也；二四六八十，偶數，地數，偶者陰也。子曰：夫易何為者也？夫易開物成務，冒天下之道，如斯而已者也。是故聖人以通天下之志，以定天下之業，以斷天下之疑。虞氏曰：問易何為取天地之數也。開物即通志，成務即定業。冒，覆也。惟於天下之道無不該，故天下之疑可占斷也。

The Great Treatise says: Heaven is one, Earth is two; Heaven is three, Earth is four; Heaven is five, Earth is six; Heaven is seven, Earth is eight; Heaven is nine, Earth is ten. Duolong'a explains: Heaven belongs to Yang, Earth belongs to Yin. Odd numbers are the numbers of Yang, and even numbers are the numbers of Yin. One, three, five, seven, and nine are odd numbers, which are the numbers of Heaven, and odd numbers belong to Yang; two, four, six, eight, and ten are even numbers, which are the numbers of Earth, and even numbers belong to Yin. The text then records Confucius' words: What is the purpose of the Book of Changes? The Book of Changes can open up all things and accomplish affairs, encompassing the principles of the world, and that is all. Therefore, the sage uses it to connect the aspirations of people throughout the world, to establish the undertakings of the world, and to judge the doubts of the world. Duolong'a cites Yu Fan's words: This is asking why the Book of Changes uses the numbers of Heaven and Earth. "Opening things" means understanding the principles, "accomplishing affairs" means establishing careers; "covering" means encompassing. Because it encompasses all the principles of the world, all the doubts of the world can be decided by divination.

是故蓍之德圓而神，卦之德方以知，六爻之義易以貢。聖人以此洗心，退藏於密，吉凶與民同患，神以知來，知以藏往，其孰能與於此哉！古之聰明叡知神武而不殺者夫。疑何以斷？斷以蓍卦與六爻也。蓍取少陽數，七七四十九，故其德圓；卦取少陰數，八八六十四，故其德方。蓍取變動，故曰神；卦有定體，故曰知。易，變易；貢，告也，言占參動爻，六爻之義有所變易，以吉凶告人也。聖人於此默體卦爻之義，靜以澄心，寂然不動，至於出身加民，酬酢萬物，隨感而應。惟古之聰明叡知神武而不用刑殺者能此也。

The Great Treatise says: Therefore, the virtue of the yarrow stalks is round and penetrating, while the virtue of the hexagrams is square and clearly known. The meaning of the six lines changes to inform people. The sage uses it to purify his mind, retreat into secrecy, and share the joys and sorrows of the people; using its penetrating insight to foresee the future, and its clear knowledge to contain the past. Who could reach such a level? Perhaps only those ancient wise and intelligent, mighty and divine, yet who did not resort to punishment and killing. Duolong'a first asked: How can difficulties be decided? He answered himself: By the yarrow stalks, the hexagrams, and the six lines. Then he explained the characters: The yarrow stalks take the number of the young yang, which is seven times seven, forty-nine, so its virtue is 'round'; the hexagrams take the number of the young yin, which is eight times eight, sixty-four, so its virtue is 'square'. The yarrow stalks are concerned with change, so they are 'penetrating'; the hexsagrams have a fixed form, so they are 'known'. 'Yi' means change, and 'Gong' means to inform, meaning divination should refer to the moving line, and the meaning of the six lines changes accordingly, thus informing people of good and bad fortune. He then explained how the sage uses it: The sage silently understands the meaning of the hexagrams and lines, cultivating a clear mind in stillness; when he steps forward to govern the people and respond to all things, he acts in accordance with the situation. This is only possible for those ancient wise and intelligent, mighty and divine, yet who did not resort to punishment and killing.

是以明於天之道，而察於民之故，是興神物以前民用。聖人以此齊戒，以神明其德夫。古人之所以不用刑殺者，以民預知吉凶，咸知憂患，能知趨避也。是以後之聖人明天之道、察民之故，因蓍為神物，前民用之。玩占者則為齊以潔心，戒以遠欲，蓍物本神明，而以齊戒通蓍之神明也。

The Great Treatise says: Therefore, the sage understood the heavenly way and observed the people's circumstances, and thus created such divine objects as the yarrow stalks and the tortoise shell to guide the people before they acted. The sage also used this to perform purification rites, thereby making his virtue divine. Duolong'a explains: The ancients were able to avoid using punishments and executions because the people already knew good and bad fortune in advance, and everyone understood worries and anxieties, thus knowing how to seek good and avoid evil. Therefore, later sages, having understood the heavenly way and observed the people's conditions, used the yarrow stalks, this divine object, to guide the people before they acted. As for those who study divination, they should use 'qi' to purify their hearts and 'jie' to distance themselves from desires; the yarrow stalks themselves are divine, and only when a person approaches them with a purified mind can he connect with their divine nature.

是故闔戶謂之坤，闢戶謂之乾，一闔一闢謂之變，往來不窮謂之通，見乃謂之象，形乃謂之器，制而用之謂之法，利用出入、民咸用之謂之神。聖人所以用蓍者，則以蓍為民咸用之物。揲蓍成卦，有乾坤，有變通，有象；因象則可以制器立法，人用之則出入咸利，又至神。但即戶闔闢往來推求，盡得其蘊，易道原非隱僻難知者。

The Great Treatise says: Therefore, closing the door is called "Kun," opening the door is called "Qian," one closing and one opening is called "change," coming and going without end is called "communication," appearing is called "image," taking form is called "object," making it and using it is called "method," and having convenient entry and exit, with the people using it daily without realizing it is called "spirit." Duolong'a brings this back to the practice of using the yarrow stalks: The sage uses the yarrow stalks because they are a common tool for the people. By dividing the stalks to form the hexagrams, there are Qian and Kun, change and communication, and images. Following the images, one can make objects and establish laws, which are convenient for people to use and are extremely subtle. All of this can be understood by examining the opening and closing of doors, showing that the Way of the Book of Changes is not something obscure and difficult to understand.

是故易有太極，是生兩儀，兩儀生四象，四象生八卦，八卦定吉凶，吉凶生大業。若是則蓍為要矣，於是又申揲蓍之法曰：太極者，大中也。當五十策未分之時，陰陽渾聚，無所偏倚，與喜怒哀樂未發之中相似，鄭氏所謂極中之道、醇和未分之氣是也。至於分而為二，則名兩儀；揲之以成奇偶之數，老陽、老陰、少陽、少陰各著，則名四象；再揲再扐，陽奇陰偶，錯綜成文，則名八卦。一生二，二生四，四生八，八卦既定，吉凶可分，占以決疑，大業之生亦由乎此。而不及三五者，略舉大概言之也。

The Great Treatise says: Therefore, the Book of Changes has the Taiji, from which the two principles arise, from which the four images arise, from which the eight trigrams arise. The eight trigrams determine good fortune and ill fortune, and from good fortune and ill fortune arises great undertakings. Duolong'a points out that according to this, divination with the yarrow stalks becomes essential, so the Great Treatise here again explains the method of divining with the yarrow stalks. He explains: "Taiji" is the great center. When the fifty yarrow stalks have not yet been divided, yin and yang are blended together, without any inclination, similar to the "center" mentioned in the Doctrine of the Mean when joy, anger, sorrow, and joy have not yet been expressed. This is what Zheng Xuan called "the extreme of the center, the harmonious and undivided qi." When they are divided into two parts, it is called "the two principles"; when the numbers are counted and odd and even numbers are formed, the old yang, old yin, young yang, and young yin each appear, and this is called "the four images"; then again counting and again dividing the remaining stalks, the odd and even of yin and yang are interwoven and arranged to form patterns, and this is called "the eight trigrams." One gives rise to two, two gives rise to four, four gives rise to eight; once the eight trigrams are established, good fortune and ill fortune are differentiated, and by using them to divinate and resolve doubts, great undertakings arise from this. As for the text not mentioning details such as the three transformations and the five positions, it is because it only gives a general overview.

是故法象莫大乎天地，變通莫大乎四時，縣象著明莫大乎日月，崇高莫大乎富貴，備物致用、立成器以為天下利莫大乎聖人，探賾索隱、鉤深致遠，以定天下之吉凶、成天下之亹亹者，莫大乎蓍龜。兩儀者即天地也，蓍策兩分，始有象物可法，故曰法象莫大乎天地也。四時即四象，曰變通者，以筮蓍之變通起於揲也。日月謂坎離，坎離得乾坤中氣，舉坎離以該八卦也。惟有其位則所及者溥，惟有其德則所用者神。位尊莫如富貴，德全莫如聖人。崇高，位也，位崇高，人君之富貴也。物謂卦爻，器謂蓍也，備物立器用之以利天下者為聖人。探，取也；賾，雜亂也；索，求也；隱，幽隱；鉤謂曲以入之；致，極也；亹亹，勉也。有疑則怯，無疑則勉，是蓍龜乃所以定吉凶、成亹亹、生大業者也。

The Great Treatise says: Therefore, there is no image more worthy of being followed than heaven and earth, no change and penetration more profound than the four seasons, no object suspended in the sky shining brightly more luminous than the sun and moon, no exalted status more supreme than wealth and honor, and no preparation of tools, achieving their functions, creating objects to benefit the world more significant than the sage. And exploring the complex, seeking the hidden, probing the depths, and drawing from the distant, thus determining the fortune and misfortune of the world and achieving the diligence of the world, there is nothing greater than the divining tortoise and yarrow stalks. Duolong'a explained each sentence in terms of yarrow divination: The two principles refer to heaven and earth. The yarrow stalks divided into two produce images that can be followed, so it is said that there is no image more worthy of being followed than heaven and earth. The four seasons refer to the four trigrams. The reason they are called 'change and penetration' is because the change and penetration of divination begin with the counting of the yarrow stalks. The sun and moon refer to the trigrams Kan and Li. Kan and Li receive the middle energy of Qian and Kun, and by citing Kan and Li, all eight trigrams can be summarized. He then explained the latter part: Only by having a position can one's reach be broad; only by having virtue can one's use be profound. There is no higher position than wealth and honor, and no more complete virtue than the sage. 'Exalted' refers to position, and a high position means the sovereign's wealth and honor. 'Things' refer to the trigrams and lines, 'objects' refer to the yarrow stalks. Preparing these things and creating objects to benefit the world is the sage. He further explained each word: 'Explore' means to take, 'complexity' means complexity, 'seek' means to search, 'hidden' means the hidden, 'probe' means to delve deeply, 'attain' means to reach the extreme, and '亹亹' means diligence without tiring. When people have doubts, they become timid; when they have no doubts, they become vigorous. Therefore, the tortoise and yarrow stalks are used to determine fortune and misfortune, achieve diligence, and produce great achievements.

是故天生神物，聖人則之；天地變化，聖人效之；天垂象，見吉凶，聖人象之；河出圖，洛出書，聖人則之。此言聖人作易之由也。神物謂蓍龜，天地變化謂四時，天垂象謂日月。陽日陰月，陽舒陰慘，故曰見吉凶也。河圖洛書俱古書名，鄭氏曰：河圖九篇，洛書六篇。效，仿也；則，法也。

The Great Treatise says: Therefore, Heaven produces divine objects, and the sage takes them as a model; when Heaven and Earth undergo changes, the sage imitates them; when Heaven manifests signs and reveals auspicious and inauspicious omens, the sage copies them; when the Yellow River produces a diagram and the Luo River produces a book, the sage takes them as a model. Duolong'a points out that this passage explains the origin of the sage's composition of the Book of Changes. He correspondingly explains each part: "divine objects" refer to the yarrow stalks and the tortoise shell; "changes of Heaven and Earth" refer to the four seasons; "Heaven's manifestation of signs" refers to the sun and moon; the sun belongs to yang, the moon to yin, yang energy expands, yin energy is solemn and severe, so they can reveal auspicious and inauspicious signs. As for the Yellow River Chart and the Luo Writing, they are both names of ancient texts. He cites Zheng Xuan's words saying that the Yellow River Chart consists of nine chapters and the Luo Writing consists of six chapters. Finally, he explains the characters: "效" means to imitate, and "则" means to take as a model.

易有四象，所以示也；繫辭焉，所以告也；定之以吉凶，所以斷也。此指易之用也。四象即揲蓍以四之法，因占筮以觀爻辭，因六爻辭以決吉凶也。《易》曰：「自天佑之，吉無不利。」子曰：「佑者，助也。天之所助者順也，人之所助者信也。履信思乎順，又以尚賢也，是以自天佑之，吉無不利也。」此引大有上九爻辭以證卜筮之用。大有內外卦為乾、為離，陰居五位，陰德曰順；五下履乾，乾陽體實，故曰信也；賢謂上九，上為陽剛，又為天位，上來助五，故曰天佑。言人依四象之所示、繫辭之所告以斷吉凶，則天佑助之矣。此第十一章，言易為體而筮為用，故宜玩占也，結以大有上九爻辭，與二章自天佑之吉無不利遙相應也。

The Great Treatise says: The Book of Changes has four images, which are used to display; attaching statements to the lines, which is used to inform; using good and bad fortune to judge, which is used to make decisions. Duolong'a says that these sentences refer to the function of the Book of Changes: the so-called four images are the method of grouping by four when using the yarrow stalks for divination; relying on the line statements to observe the yao, and using the statements of the six lines to determine good or bad fortune. The text then cites the line statement of the top line of the Great Possession hexagram, saying: "He is aided by Heaven, good fortune, nothing is detrimental." Confucius explains: "Aid means assistance. What Heaven aids is the person who follows Heaven's way; what the people aid is the person of integrity. If one both fulfills integrity and constantly follows Heaven's way, and also reveres the virtuous, then Heaven aids him, and good fortune brings no harm." Duolong'a points out that here the line statement of the top line of the Great Possession hexagram is used to confirm the function of divination: the inner trigram of Great Possession is Qian (Heaven), and the outer trigram is Li (Fire). The fifth line is a yin line occupying the fifth position, and the virtue of yin is called "following." The fifth line descends onto the body of Qian, which is yang and full, so it is called "integrity." "Virtuous" refers to the top line, which is a yang line and occupies the heavenly position. It descends from above to assist the fifth line, so it is called "Heaven's aid." The meaning is that when people judge good or bad fortune according to the images displayed by the four images and the statements attached to the lines, Heaven will aid them. He concludes: this is the eleventh chapter, which says that the Book of Changes is the essence and divination is its function, so one should repeatedly ponder its divination; the end uses the line statement of the top line of the Great Possession hexagram to conclude, echoing the sentence in the second chapter, "If aided by Heaven, good fortune brings no harm."

子曰：書不盡言，言不盡意。然則聖人之意其不可見乎？子曰：聖人立象以盡意，設卦以盡情偽，繫辭焉以盡其言，變而通之以盡利，鼓之舞之以盡神。易之為書，不外辭、象二者。意本難盡，聖人立象乃所以盡意；言本難盡，聖人繫辭乃所以盡言。立象即設卦，天下事物之情備具六十四卦之內，此意不盡之盡也；繫辭謂爻辭，變通鼓舞於三百八十四爻之中，以盡其利，以盡其神，此言不盡之盡也。

The Great Treatise records Confucius' words: words cannot fully express meaning, and words cannot fully express the meaning. If this is so, how can we see the meaning of the sages? Confucius then said: the sages established the hexagrams to exhaust meaning, set up the structure of the hexagrams to exhaust truth and falsehood, attached statements to exhaust words, and through change and flexibility to exhaust benefit, and through stirring and inspiring to exhaust the marvelous. Duolong'a explained: the Book of Changes is no more than the 'statements' and 'images'. Meaning is originally difficult to exhaust, so the sages established the hexagrams to exhaust meaning; words are originally difficult to exhaust, so the sages attached statements to exhaust words. What is called 'establishing images' is setting up the hexagrams, and all the various situations of things in the world are included within the sixty-four hexagrams, thus meaning which was originally inexhaustible has finally been exhausted. What is called 'attaching statements' refers to the line statements, and through change and flexibility in the 384 lines, it exhausts benefit and exhausts the marvelous, thus words which were originally inexhaustible have finally been exhausted.

子曰：乾坤其易之縕邪？乾坤成列，而易立乎其中矣。乾坤毀，則無以見易；易不可見，則乾坤或幾乎息矣。夫意言之所以難盡而猶可盡者，以闢卦、乾卦往來移易，有所縕藏也。易，移也。虞氏曰：縕，藏也。乾坤純陽純陰，為不易卦，而闢卦皆消息於乾坤，且具乾坤之體，故乾坤為易移之縕。若乾坤毀裂，陰陽已分，則無可易矣。儻單卦或有乾坤，如需、訟、晉、明夷諸卦，而以重卦衡之，乾坤之體幾乎滅息也。

The Great Treatise records Confucius' words: "The trigrams Qian and Kun are probably the hidden essence of the Book of Changes? When the trigrams Qian and Kun are arranged, the Book of Changes stands in between them; if Qian and Kun are destroyed, the Book of Changes would be unseen; if the Book of Changes is unseen, then Qian and Kun would almost cease to exist." Duolong'a explains: the difficulty of expressing meaning through words is because the twelve trigrams and the trigram Qian change and transform, containing something hidden. He explains the term "yi" as change and movement, and cites Yu Fan's statement that "yun" means containment. Then he elaborates: Qian is entirely yang, and Kun is entirely yin, belonging to the unchanging trigrams, while each of the twelve trigrams grows and wanes between Qian and Kun, and all possess the nature of Qian and Kun. Therefore, Qian and Kun are the fundamental source of "yi" (change). If Qian and Kun were destroyed and yin and yang separated, there would be nothing to change. As for individual trigrams that occasionally contain Qian or Kun, such as Xu, Song, Jin, and Mingyi, but when considering the compound trigrams as a whole, the pure forms of Qian and Kun would almost cease to exist.

是故形而上者謂之道，形而下者謂之器，化而裁之謂之變，推而行之謂之通，舉而措之天下之民謂之事業。是故乾坤成列，陰陽類聚，各藏消息，形象未分者，是謂之道；其乾坤毀裂，陰陽群分，形象不純，別肖物象者，是謂之器。類聚則有化裁，群分必假推行，化裁推行，是謂變通。變之通之，易縕已盡，於是舉而施之於民，使咸知吉凶之宜，此之謂事業也。

The Great Treatise says: Therefore, that which is above the form is called "Dao," and that which is below the form is called "Qi." To transform and shape it is called "change," and to elaborate and apply it is called "communication." To apply it to the people under heaven is called "career." Duolong'a interprets these four sentences in relation to the trigrams Qian and Kun: When Qian and Kun are arranged, yin and yang gather according to their kinds, each containing the potential for increase and decrease. When forms have not yet differentiated, this is called "Dao." When Qian and Kun are destroyed, yin and yang divide into various kinds, forms no longer remain pure, and they resemble various objects, this is called "Qi." When kinds gather, there is transformation and shaping; when they divide into various kinds, they must rely on elaboration and application; transformation and application are called "change and communication." When change and communication occur, the hidden meaning of the Book of Changes is exhausted, so it is taken out and applied to the people, making everyone aware of what is auspicious and what is inauspicious, this is called "career."

是故夫象，聖人有以見天下之賾，而擬諸其形容，象其物宜，是故謂之象；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。極天下之賾者存乎卦，鼓天下之動者存乎辭。象，卦象；爻，爻辭。極者，窮究之使無遺也；鼓者，震動之使不倦也。象足以盡天下之賾，言不盡意而象則足以盡之；辭足以鼓天下之動，書不盡言而辭則足以盡之。

The Great Treatise reaffirms the previous discussion, saying: Therefore, when speaking of the image, the sage perceives the complexity of things under heaven, compares their forms, and describes their appropriate appearances, hence called "image." The sage also perceives the changes of things under heaven, observes their meeting and interpenetration, and uses this to carry out the established norms, and connects the words to judge good and bad fortune, hence called "line." The complete complexity of the world is embodied in the hexagram, and the movement of the world is stirred by the line statements. Duolong'a explains: here, "image" refers to the hexagram image, and "line" refers to the line statements. "Extreme" means to exhaust thoroughly without omission, and "stir" means to shake and inspire without tiring. He then concludes by referring back to the previous statement "words cannot fully express meaning, and meaning cannot be fully expressed by words": the hexagram image is sufficient to express the complexity of the world, although words cannot fully express meaning, the hexagram image can fully express it; the line statements are sufficient to stir the movement of the world, although words cannot fully express speech, the line statements can fully express it.

化而裁之存乎變，推而行之存乎通，神而明之存乎其人，默而成之、不言而信存乎德行。化裁推行而有賴於神而明之者，言立象繫辭，聖人雖盡言盡意，而膠固於象辭則已非。默而成之、不言而信，所以立德立行，易為崇德廣業之書，異端曲學不得竊其似也。此第十二章，篇中言聖人繫辭之本，故宜玩其辭兼玩其占，蓋通結上文也。

The Great Treatise says: transformation and cultivation depend on "change," while extension and application depend on "communication." The ability to be mysterious yet clear is in man, while the accomplishment without words, yet being believed, is in virtue. Duolong'a explains: the reason why "mysterious yet clear" persons are still needed for transformation and extension is that setting up images and linking words are the methods used by sages to express their thoughts fully. However, if learners stick rigidly to the images and words, they have already gone astray. The accomplishment without words, yet being believed, is precisely for establishing virtue and conduct. The Book of Changes is originally a book that honors virtue and expands one's endeavors. Heretical doctrines and perverse learning cannot imitate its form to pretend. He concludes: this is the twelfth chapter, the whole passage discusses the fundamental of sages linking words. Therefore, one should contemplate both its words and its divination. This chapter is actually a summary of the previous content.

八卦成列，象在其中矣；因而重之，爻在其中矣；剛柔相推，變在其中矣；繫辭焉而命之，動在其中矣。八卦成列，如震一、巽二之類；象者，如乾天、坤地之類。重之，謂重卦。爻，六爻也。推，推移；命，告也。此言八卦畫成而於以有象，因又重為六十四卦而於以有爻，卦爻有剛柔，而以消息之卦推移於諸卦之中而於以有變，又於爻下各繫以辭以命占者。占取動爻，故曰繫辭而命之，動在其中也。

The Great Treatise Part II begins by saying: The eight trigrams are arranged in order, and the images are thus formed; by stacking them two by two, the six lines of a hexagram are formed; by the mutual movement of yin and yang, change is thus produced; by attaching words to explain, the moving line is thus indicated. Duolong'a explains sentence by sentence: When it says 'the eight trigrams are arranged in order,' it refers to the order such as Zhen in the first position and Xun in the second; when it says 'image,' it refers to the taking of images such as Qian representing Heaven and Kun representing Earth. 'Stacking them' refers to overlapping them to form hexagrams with six lines, 'line' refers to the six lines; 'movement' refers to movement, 'command' refers to informing. He then explains the whole passage: Once the eight trigrams are drawn, images are formed; from there, by stacking them again, the sixty-four hexagrams are formed, and the six lines are formed; the lines are divided into yin and yang, and by using the changing hexagrams between each hexagram, movement is produced; then words are attached to each line to inform the person divining. Divination takes the moving line, so it says 'attached words and commanded, movement is within it.'

吉凶悔吝者，生乎動者也；剛柔者，立本者也；變通者，趣時者也。趣，趣向。言爻辭備吉凶悔吝之義，而占者則取動爻，故曰吉凶悔吝生乎動。爻有剛柔，乃所以立爻之本；占用變通，乃所以趣時之宜。吉凶者，貞勝者也；天地之道，貞觀者也；日月之道，貞明者也；天下之動，貞夫一者也。貞，固也，言有定也。吉定勝凶，凶定勝吉，是吉凶有定也。而天地貞觀，日月貞明，其道莫不有定；而天下之動雖有萬變，必有定則，故曰貞一也。

The *Great Treatise* says: Good fortune, misfortune, regret, and hardship arise from movement. The principles of firmness and flexibility are used to establish the fundamental nature. Change and adaptability are used to align with the appropriate circumstances. Duolong'a explains: "Qù" means to tend towards. The line statements originally contain the meanings of good fortune, misfortune, regret, and hardship, but the diviner only takes the moving line into account for the judgment, hence good fortune, misfortune, regret, and hardship arise from movement. The lines are divided into firm and flexible, which is used to establish the fundamental nature of the lines; divination emphasizes change and adaptability, which is used to align with what is appropriate in the situation. The text then continues: Good fortune and misfortune are in a fixed relationship of victory over each other, the way of heaven and earth is observable because it is fixed, the way of the sun and moon is bright because it is fixed, and all changes in the world return to one because they are fixed. Duolong'a explains the character "zhēn": "zhēn" means firmness, that is, having a fixed standard. He further explains: Good fortune must certainly overcome misfortune, and misfortune must certainly overcome good fortune, showing that good fortune and misfortune have a fixed distinction; although heaven and earth are observable, and the sun and moon are always bright, their ways are without variation; although the changes in the world are numerous, they must follow a fixed principle, hence it is said "zhēn fū yī".

夫乾，確然示人易矣；夫坤，隤然示人簡矣。爻也者，效此者也；象也者，像此者也。天下之動所以貞一者，則易已以此示人矣。確，剛貌；隤，柔貌。乾示人以易，坤示人以簡，卦爻、卦象亦效此易簡、像此易簡，惟易簡故貞一也。

The Great Treatise says: Heaven is strong and vigorous, displaying the "Easy and Simple" to people; Earth is soft and yielding, displaying the "Simple and Brief" to people. A yao is imitating this easy and simple; an image is imitating this easy and simple. Duolong'a explains: The changes in the world can be brought under one principle because the Book of Changes has already shown this principle through the two trigrams Heaven and Earth. He explains the characters: "Que" means the appearance of strength and vigor; "Tui" means the appearance of softness and yielding. Heaven shows simplicity to people, Earth shows brevity to people, and the hexagrams and their lines and images all imitate this simplicity and brevity. Because of this simplicity and brevity, they can remain unified.

爻象動乎內，吉凶見乎外，功業見乎變，聖人之情見乎辭。吉凶寓於爻象之內，動則外見，是宜玩占也；通爻象之變，於以有功業，而於辭見聖人之情，是宜玩占也。此第一章。上繫首章由天地順推出乾坤之易簡，以明作易之源，易之體；以下繫首章由爻象逆溯入乾坤之易簡，以示學易之法，易之用也。自此也下十章，皆發明爻象動乎內、吉凶見乎外、功業見乎變、聖人之情見乎辭四語之意，猶上繫之二章玩辭玩占也。

The Great Treatise says: The lines and images change internally, and auspiciousness and misfortune appear externally; achievements are manifested through change, and the mind of the sage is expressed through words. Duolong'a explains: Auspiciousness and misfortune are originally contained within the lines and images; once there is change, they become apparent externally, so one should contemplate and interpret them. By comprehending the changes of the lines and images, one can achieve accomplishments, and the mind of the sage is revealed through words, so one should also contemplate and interpret them. He then compares the structure of the upper and lower chapters: This is the first chapter of the Lower Great Treatise. The first chapter of the Upper Great Treatise derives the principles of the trigrams and hexagrams from the natural order of heaven and earth, explaining the origin of the Book of Changes, focusing on its essence; whereas the first chapter of the Lower Great Treatise traces back from the lines and images to the principles of the trigrams and hexagrams, indicating the method of studying the Book of Changes, focusing on its application. From this chapter onward, the following ten chapters elaborate on the meaning of these four statements: "The lines and images change internally, auspiciousness and misfortune appear externally; achievements are manifested through change, and the mind of the sage is expressed through words." Just as the second chapter of the Upper Great Treatise discusses contemplating words and interpreting omens.

天地之大德曰生，聖人之大寶曰位。何以守位？曰仁。何以聚人？曰財。理財正辭、禁民為非曰義。天地為易之源，聖人為易之宗。天地有德，聖人有位；天地之德曰生，聖人之位曰寶。聖人以仁守位，以財聚人，仁以體天地之德，而又有義以濟仁窮。財或流於貪黷，故須以義理之；辭或入於邪淫，故須以義正之；至於民或為非，以義禁之，民咸知懼，不敢妄為，則義亦聖人治世之本也。

The Great Treatise says: The greatest virtue of heaven and earth is to produce and nurture all things, and the greatest treasure of the sage is his position and status. By what means does one hold onto his position? By benevolence. By what means does one gather people? By wealth. To manage wealth, to regulate speech, and to prevent the people from wrongdoing, this is called righteousness. Duolong'a explains: Heaven and earth are the origin of the Book of Changes, and the sage is its master. Heaven and earth possess virtue, and the sage holds his position. The virtue of heaven and earth is called "to produce," and the position of the sage is called "treasure." The sage uses benevolence to maintain his position, and wealth to gather people. Benevolence expresses the virtue of heaven and earth, but beyond benevolence there must be righteousness, to relieve the limitations of benevolence. Wealth may lead to greed and disorder, so righteousness is needed to regulate it; speech may become perverse and excessive, so righteousness is needed to regulate it; as for the people who may commit wrongdoing, righteousness is needed to restrain them. When the people all know fear and dare not act wrongly, then righteousness becomes the fundamental principle by which the sage governs the world.

古者包犧氏之王天下也，仰則觀象於天，俯則觀法於地，觀鳥獸之文與地之宜，近取諸身，遠取諸物，於是始作八卦，以通神明之德，以類萬物之情。包犧氏，太昊氏也。其時文字未興，包犧則仰觀俯察，象天法地，及鳥獸之文與土地之宜，又遠近相取，一身之官骸、百物之形色，八卦始作焉。而明神之德、萬物之情，胥以卦通其牖，別其類，以仁守位、以財聚人、以義治民之道，皆從此啟矣。

The Great Treatise says: In ancient times, Fuxi ruled the world. He looked up to observe the phenomena of heaven, looked down to observe the principles of earth, observed the patterns of birds and beasts and the suitability of the land. He took the image of himself nearby and the images of all things far away, thus beginning to draw the Eight Trigrams. This was to connect with the virtue of the divine and to classify the forms of all things. Duolong'a explains: Fuxi was also known as Taihao. In his time, writing had not yet emerged. Fuxi looked up to heaven and observed its phenomena, looked down to earth and took its principles as a model, and also considered the patterns of birds and beasts and the suitability of the land. He took images both near and far: the body's organs and structures nearby, and the forms and colors of all things far away. Thus the Eight Trigrams were drawn. After that, the virtue of the divine and the forms of all things were fully understood through the trigrams, and the principles of benevolence in governance, wealth in gathering people, and righteousness in governing the people all originated from here.

作結繩而為罔罟，以佃以漁，蓋取諸離。罔與網同，網罟所以取獸取魚者，取獸曰佃，取魚曰漁。離為目，互巽為繩，二巽顛倒為結繩；巽又為魚，離為飛鳥，互兌為羊、為刑殺，故曰以佃以漁。兩目相麗，象網罟，故曰取諸離也。

The Great Treatise says: "Fuxi made nets by knotting ropes, using them for hunting and fishing, which probably takes its image from the Li hexagram." Duolong'a first explained the character: "Wang" and "wang" are the same, and a net is an instrument for catching animals and fish. Catching animals is called "dian," and catching fish is called "yu." He then provided evidence from the images: Li represents eyes, and the mutual hexagram produces Xun, which represents ropes. The two Xun trigrams, one upright and one inverted, form the image of "knotting ropes." Xun also has the image of fish, Li has the image of flying birds, and the mutual hexagram produces Dui, which represents sheep and punishment. Therefore, it is said "to hunt and to fish." The Li hexagram has one eye in each of its two trigrams, and the two eyes are attached to each other, just like the mesh of a net. Therefore, this image is taken from the Li hexagram.

包犧氏沒，神農氏作，斲木為耜，揉木為耒，耒耨之利以教天下，蓋取諸益。理財之具不僅佃與漁也，而耒耜又其大焉者矣。神農炎帝氏繼包犧王天下，教民播種，故號神農。虞氏曰：否四之初也。巽為木、為入，艮為手，乾為金，手持金以入木，故斲木為耜；艮為小木，手以撓之，故揉木為耒。耒耜，耔器也。坤為田，巽為股，進退；震木動耜，艮手持耒，進退田中，耕之象也。益萬物者莫若雷風，故法風雷而作耒耜。

The Great Treatise says: After Fu Xi died, Shen Nong rose to rule, he carved wood into plows and bent wood into hoes, teaching the people the convenience of farming and weeding, which is probably taking the image from the Yi hexagram. Duolong'a first points out the position of this passage in the whole chapter: the tools for managing wealth and goods are not only for hunting and fishing, but the plow and hoe are especially important. He then introduces the person: Shen Nong is the Flame Emperor, who ruled after Fu Xi, taught the people to sow five grains, hence his name Shen Nong. Then he quotes Yu Fan's words about the change of hexagrams and taking the image: The Yi hexagram is formed by moving the fourth line of the Po hexagram to the first position. Xun represents wood and entering, Gen represents the hand, and Qian represents metal; holding a metal tool and entering into wood, thus it is "carving wood into plow." Gen also represents small wood, and using the hand to bend it, thus it is "bending wood into hoe." Both plow and hoe are farming tools. Kun represents the field, Xun represents the thigh and governs forward and backward movement, Zhen wood pushes the plow, Gen hand holds the hoe, moving forward and backward in the field, which is the image of farming. Finally, he points out the reason for taking the Yi hexagram: increasing all things has nothing more powerful than thunder and wind, so they imitated the wind and thunder to make the plow and hoe.

日中為市，致天下之民，聚天下之貨，交易而退，各得其所，蓋取諸噬嗑。市為財聚之所，亦為人聚之所，聚人曰財之證也。噬嗑上離下震，中互坎艮，而自否來。離居上卦位，又得中，故稱日中；震為動、為出，又為大塗，人動而出於大塗之間，故象市。否乾為天，坤為民，故曰致天下之民；乾為金玉，坤為布帛，故曰聚天下之貨。否為上下不交之卦，五退居初以成交易，故曰交易而退，各得其所也。

The Great Treatise says: At noon, a market is established, gathering people from all over the world and collecting goods from everywhere. After exchanging with each other, they all disperse, and everyone gets what they need. This is probably taking the image from the Hexagram of Eating the Flesh. Duolong'a first explains the previous sentence "Why does wealth gather people?" by saying that a market is a place where goods gather and also where people gather, thus confirming the saying "gathering people depends on wealth." Then he uses the image to support this: The Hexagram of Eating the Flesh has the upper trigram as Li (Fire) and the lower trigram as Zhen (Thunder), with the mutual trigram being Kan (Water) and Gen (Mountain), which comes from the Hexagram of Not Being in Communication. Li occupies the upper position and also the central position, so it is called "noon"; Zhen represents movement and going out, and also represents a big road. People move out and walk along the big roads, thus forming the image of a market. The Hexagram of Not Being in Communication has Qian (Heaven) as the upper trigram and Kun (Earth) as the lower trigram, so it says "drawing people from all over the world"; Qian represents gold and jade, and Kun represents silk and cloth, so it says "gathering goods from all over the world." The Hexagram of Not Being in Communication originally represents a situation where upper and lower are not communicating. The fifth line moves down to the first position, forming the image of exchange, so it says "exchanging and then retreating, each getting what they need."

神農氏沒，黃帝、堯、舜氏作，通其變，使民不倦；神而化之，使民宜之。易窮則變，變則通，通則久，是以自天佑之，吉無不利。黃帝、堯、舜垂衣裳而天下治，蓋取諸乾坤。此言黃帝有熊氏、帝堯陶唐氏、帝舜有虞氏變通利民，以得天佑，以為守位曰仁之證也。乾坤兩卦為變對，乾窮則變坤，坤窮則變乾，乾坤遞變，消息之卦循環相生，故曰易窮則變，變則通，通則久也。虞氏曰：乾為治，上為衣，坤下為裳，乾坤萬物之縕，故以象衣裳；乾為明君，坤為順臣，故天下治，取諸此也。

The Great Treatise says: After Shen Nong died, the Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun arose, they connected with the changes of things, so the people were not weary; they subtly cultivated and nurtured, so the people each found their proper place. The Way of the Book of Changes reaches its limit and then changes, changes and then becomes unobstructed, becomes unobstructed and then lasts long, thus receiving the aid of heaven, which brings good fortune and benefits all things. The Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun ruled with ease, and the world was well governed, which is probably taking the image of the Qian and Kun hexagrams. Duolong'a points out: here it refers to the Yellow Emperor of the Youxiong clan, the Taotang Emperor Yao, and the Yushu Emperor Shun, who changed and adapted for the benefit of the people, thus receiving heavenly aid, which is exactly the verification of the previous statement "What maintains position is benevolence." He then explains "when at the extreme, it changes" from the perspective of hexagram principles: the Qian and Kun hexagrams are mutual opposites, when Qian reaches its extreme it becomes Kun, and when Kun reaches its extreme it becomes Qian, the Qian and Kun alternately change, the twelve hexagrams of the yin and yang messages cycle and generate each other, thus saying the Book of Changes changes when it reaches its limit, changes and then becomes unobstructed, becomes unobstructed and then lasts long. Finally, he cites Yu Fan's explanation of "governing by wearing clothes": Qian represents governance, being at the top as the upper garment, and Kun is at the bottom as the lower garment; Qian and Kun are the containment of all things, thus used to symbolize clothes. Qian is the sage king, and Kun is the gentle minister, so the world is well governed, this image is taken from Qian and Kun.

刳木為舟，剡木為楫，舟楫之利以濟不通，致遠以利天下，蓋取諸渙。刳，剖也，刳木謂刳虛其中；剡，銳利也，剡木謂削木末使銳也；楫，舟棹也。《九家易》曰：木在水上流行若風，舟楫之象也。此本否卦九四之二為坎，坤地水居之，川澤象；六二之四為巽，乾天風鼓之，舟行象。巽又為長木，艮為手，乾為金，艮手持金，故刳木為舟、剡木為楫也。乾為遠天，巽木行天際，故濟不通、致遠以利天下矣。法渙而作舟楫，蓋取此義也。

The Great Treatise says: Carving a hollow into a piece of wood to make a boat, and sharpening a piece of wood to make an oar, the convenience of the boat and oar allows crossing waters that were previously impassable, reaching distant places and benefiting the world. This is probably taking the image of the Hexagram of Dispersing. Duolong'a first explained the characters: "Ku" means to hollow out, so hollowing out wood means carving out the middle of the wood; "Yan" means to sharpen, so sharpening wood means making the tip sharp; "Jie" is the oar. He cited the Nine Schools' Commentary on the Book of Changes, saying that wood on water moves like wind, which is the image of a boat and oar. Then he explained the change of the hexagram: The Hexagram of Dispersing originally comes from the Hexagram of Non-Communication. The Nine in the Fourth position of Non-Communication moves down to the Second position to form the Trigram of Water, with Earth (Kun) below, water resting upon it, which is the image of rivers and marshes; the Six in the Second position moves up to the Fourth position to form the Trigram of Wind, with Heaven (Qian) above, wind propelling it, which is the image of a boat moving. Wind also represents a long piece of wood, Mountain (Gen) represents the hand, and Heaven (Qian) represents metal, so the hand holds a metal tool, thus being able to hollow out wood into a boat and sharpen wood into an oar. Heaven is the distant sky, and Wood moves across the sky, so it can cross impassable waters and reach distant places, benefiting the world. Following the image of the Hexagram of Dispersing to make boats and oars, this is the meaning intended.

服牛乘馬，引重致遠，以利天下，蓋取諸隨。虞氏曰：否上之初也。否乾為馬、為遠，坤為牛、為重；坤初之上為引重，乾上之初為致遠。艮為背，巽為股，在馬上，故乘馬；巽為繩，繩束縛物在牛背上，故服牛。出否之隨，引重致遠以利天下，故取諸隨。

The Great Treatise says: "Harnessing oxen and riding horses, drawing heavy loads and reaching distant places, to benefit the world, this is probably taking the image of the Hexagram of Following." Duolong'a cites Yu Fan's explanation: The Hexagram of Following is formed when the top line of the Hexagram of Non-communication moves down to the first line. In the Hexagram of Non-communication, Qian represents horses and distance, while Kun represents oxen and heavy loads. The initial line of Kun moving upward signifies "drawing heavy loads," and the top line of Qian moving downward signifies "reaching distant places." Gen represents the back, and Xun represents the thighs, so the thighs are over the horse's back, hence "riding horses." Xun also represents ropes, so using ropes to bind things on the ox's back, hence "harnessing oxen." From the Hexagram of Non-communication transforming into the Hexagram of Following, drawing heavy loads and reaching distant places to benefit the world, thus it is said to take the image of the Hexagram of Following.

重門擊柝，以待暴客，蓋取諸豫。豫卦上震下坤，中互坎艮。艮為門，坤為闔戶，重門之象。柝者，兩木相擊以行夜也。艮為手、為小木，震為動、為行人、為木、為聲音，手持木前行擊之有聲，擊柝之象。暴客，盜賊也。坎為盜，暴客之象；艮為閽寺，震為驚，故曰待。先事而為之備曰豫，故取諸此也。

The Great Treatise says: setting up layers of gates and striking wooden drums to guard against violent outsiders, this is probably taking the image from the Hexagram of Joy. Duolong'a explains: the Hexagram of Joy has Zhen above and Kun below, with Kan and Gen in the inner trigrams. Gen represents a gate, Kun represents closing the gate, together forming the image of multiple gates. The so-called '柝' is a tool made of two pieces of wood struck together to patrol and mark the time at night; Gen represents hands and small wood, Zhen represents movement, travelers, wood, and sound. Holding the wood and walking while striking it to produce sound is exactly the image of striking the柝. 'Violent outsiders' refer to bandits: Kan represents bandits, hence the image of violent outsiders; Gen represents the gatekeepers, and Zhen has the meaning of alarm, so it is said 'wait', meaning to be on alert and ready. Preparing before the event is called 'Joy', hence this image is taken from the Hexagram of Joy.

斷木為杵，掘地為臼，臼杵之利，萬民以濟，蓋取諸小過。杵，木器，所以搗也；臼，舂也，古者掘地為之，與後世以木石為之者異。小過震上艮下，中互巽兌。兌金克震木，故木斷；震木上動，故象杵。艮土在下，巽木克之，故象掘地；艮止又象臼。艮手持震木，震為稼、為出，巽為入，動木一出一入，杵臼春米之象。此與舟楫之利、服牛乘馬之利，皆聖人仁天下之具也。

The Great Treatise says: Cutting wood to make a pestle and digging the ground to make a mortar, the convenience of pestle and mortar enables the people to be relieved of hardship, which is probably taking the image from the Hexagram of Small Crossing. Duolong'a first explained the characters: "Chu" is a wooden tool used for pounding grain; "Jiu" is a vessel for pounding rice, which ancient people made by digging the ground, differing from later methods of凿ing it out of wood or stone. Then he used the image to support his argument: The upper trigram of the Hexagram of Small Crossing is Zhen (Thunder), and the lower trigram is Gen (Mountain), with the intermediate trigrams Xun (Wind) and Dui (Lake). Dui belongs to metal, which overcomes Zhen's wood, so the wood is cut; Zhen wood moves upward, so there is the image of the pestle. Gen belongs to earth and is located below, being overcome by Xun's wood, so there is the image of digging the ground; Gen also signifies stopping, which resembles the shape of the mortar. Gen holds Zhen's wood, Zhen represents crops and movement, Xun represents entering, so the wood held in the hand moves in and out, exactly the image of pestle and mortar pounding rice. He finally concluded: This is similar to the convenience of boats and rafts, and the usefulness of riding horses and using oxen, all being tools used by sages to show benevolence to the world.

弦木為弧，剡木為矢，弧矢之利，以威天下，蓋取諸睽。弧，木弓也。睽自中孚來，中孚五四相易，變巽為離，互體為坎。巽為木，坎為矯揉，揉木使曲，又以巽繩繫之，故曰弦木為弧；巽木克以兌金，故曰剡木為矢。坎為弓，離為矢，兌為刑殺，故曰以威天下。睽乖之極，非兵革不能平之使復合也。此與豫之擊柝，皆禁民為非者也。

The Great Treatise says: Making a bow from wood by stretching it with a string, and making an arrow by sharpening wood, the sharpness of the bow and arrow is used to intimidate the world. This is probably taking the image from the Hexagram 42, Guī (Strife). Duolong'a first explains the character: "Hú" means a wooden bow. Then he discusses the change of the hexagram: Hexagram 42, Guī, comes from Hexagram 31, Zhōngfú (Sincerity). In Hexagram 31, the fifth line and the fourth line are exchanged, and Xún (Wind) changes into Li (Fire). Within the hexagram, the mutual relationship produces the body of Kan (Water). Xún represents wood, and Kan governs correction and bending. Bending the wood and then tying it with the rope represented by Xún, thus saying "stringing wood to make a bow." Xún wood is cut by Dui (Lake) metal, thus saying "sharpening wood to make an arrow." Kan represents the bow, Li represents the arrow, and Dui governs punishment and killing, thus saying "using it to intimidate the world." He then points out the reason for taking the image from Guī: when separation reaches its extreme, it can only be resolved by military force, thus restoring harmony. This is similar to the beating of the drum in Hexagram 17, Yù (Joy), which belongs to the previous statement about "preventing people from doing wrong."

上古穴居而野處，後世聖人易之以宮室，上棟下宇，以待風雨，蓋取諸大壯。聖人仁天下之具，養生送死其尤大者。養生之具有宮室，此象則自大壯卦取之。泰陽上息消坤成震，變為大壯，泰在大壯之前，故曰上古。泰上為坤，坤為地，坤體中虛，下有乾人，故象穴居；乾為野，故曰野處。變坤為震，坤土之上加以震木，則象宮室；震木削以乾金，又象棟宇。棟，屋脊檁；宇，櫩也。覆巽為風，互兌為雨，巽風不見，兌雨不及乾中，故曰上棟下宇以待風雨，取諸大壯也。

The Great Treatise says: In ancient times, people lived in caves and moved about in the wild, but later sages used houses to replace this. There was a roof beam above and a eave below, to protect against wind and rain. This is probably taking the image from the Hexagram of Great Strength. Duolong'a first established the main idea: the instruments of sages who love the world are most important for life and death; among the instruments for life, there are houses, and this image is taken from the Hexagram of Great Strength. He then explained the changes of the hexagram: The hexagram Tai has yang energy growing upward, and the yin line of Kun is removed to become Zhen, thus transforming into the Hexagram of Great Strength. Tai comes before Great Strength, so it is called "ancient times." The upper part of the hexagram Tai is Kun, which represents earth, and the middle of Kun is empty, with the yang of Qian representing people below, thus forming the image of living in caves; Qian also represents the wild, so it is said "living in the wild." When Kun changes to Zhen, the earth (Kun) with wood (Zhen) on top forms the image of a house; the wood (Zhen) is shaped by the metal (Qian), forming the image of the roof beam and the eave. He also explained the meaning of the characters: "Dong" is the beam on the ridge of the roof, and "Yu" is the eave. Covering Xun represents wind, the mutual hexagram Dui represents rain, the wind is blocked and not seen, and the rain cannot reach the body of Qian, so it is said "having a roof beam above and an eave below to wait for wind and rain," and this is taken from the Hexagram of Great Strength.

古之葬者，厚衣之以薪，葬之中野，不封不樹，喪期無數，後世聖人易之以棺槨，蓋取諸大過。送死之具，棺槨是也。古無此制，興於後世之聖人，蓋自大過卦得之也。大過中互重乾，前應乾卦，外象重畫之坎，後乾坎卦，乾坎皆在大過之前，故曰古者。坎為叢棘，乾為人、為衣，乾人上下覆以坎棘，厚衣以薪象；乾為郊野，人在郊野，葬之中野象。虞氏曰：穿土稱封，聚土為樹。坎為穴，坎陰居外，虛而不實，不封不樹象。期為斬衰至緦麻日月之期，離為日，坎與離反，喪期無數象。大過之卦，內巽外兌，巽為木、為入，兌為口，木上有口，乾人入之，棺槨之象，故取諸此也。

The Great Treatise says: In ancient times, when burying the dead, they would wrap the body thickly with straw and bury it in the open field, without building a mound or planting trees, and the mourning period had no fixed duration; later sages changed this practice by using coffin and outer case, which was probably derived from the Great Exceeding hexagram. Duolong'a says: The utensils for burying the dead are coffin and outer case. In ancient times, there was no such practice, which was initiated by later sages, probably derived from the Great Exceeding hexagram. He first explains why it is called "ancient times": the Great Exceeding hexagram contains a repeated Heaven in its inner and outer trigrams, the front corresponds to Heaven, and the outer form resembles a repeated Water; the back also conflicts with Water. Heaven and Water both come before the Great Exceeding hexagram, so it is called "ancient times." Then he takes each part as an image: Water represents dense thorny bushes, Heaven represents man and clothing. The man represented by Heaven is covered by the thorny bushes represented by Water, which is the image of wrapping the body thickly with straw. Heaven also represents the open field, and a man in the open field is the image of burying the dead in the field. He cites Yu Fan's words: digging the earth to make a mound is called "feng," gathering earth and planting trees is called "shu." Water represents a pit, the yin line of Water is on the outside, and the middle is empty and not solid, which is the image of not making a mound and not planting trees. The term "qi" refers to the duration of mourning periods from the most severe mourning (zhan cai) to the lightest (si ma). Fire represents the sun, and Water and Fire are opposite, so the mourning period has no fixed duration. As for the coffin and outer case themselves: the inner trigram of the Great Exceeding hexagram is Wind, and the outer trigram is Lake. Wind represents wood and entering, Lake represents mouth. Wood has a mouth, and the man represented by Heaven enters into it, which is the image of the coffin and outer case. Therefore, this practice is derived from the Great Exceeding hexagram.

上古結繩而治，後世聖人易之以書契，百官以治，萬民以察，蓋取諸夬。大壯四陽上息，變震為兌，曰夬。大壯在夬之前，故亦曰上古也。震下伏巽為繩，震動以結之，故曰結繩。《九家易》曰：古者約誓之事，事大大其繩，事小小其繩，結之多少隨物眾寡，執以相考，亦足以相治也。兌為言、為金，震為木、為竹，兌言書於竹木，象書；兌金刻畫竹木，象契。變大壯之震為兌，於是始有書契象，故曰後世聖人易之以書契也。乾下伏坤，坤為臣、為民，乾陽照坤，故百官以治、萬民以察也。此正辭之證也。此第二章，申明爻象動乎內四句之意。自離至夬十三卦皆言取象，而卦象分凶吉，則治器利人無非功業，聖人之仁義亦寓其中，是情見乎辭也。

The Great Treatise says: In ancient times, people used knotted ropes to govern, but later sages replaced this with written records. Officials used them to manage affairs, and the people used them for verification. This is probably based on the image of the Gua (hexagram) of Gua. Duolong'a first explains the change of hexagrams: The four yang lines of the hexagram Da Zhuang continue to grow upward, and Zhen transforms into Dui, forming the hexagram Gua. Da Zhuang comes before Gua, so here it is also called "ancient times." Zhen is below Xun, and Xun represents a rope; Zhen represents movement and action, which ties the rope into knots, so it is called "knotted rope." He cites the Nine Schools of the Yi to explain the ancient method: In ancient times, when making alliances or oaths, large matters used thick ropes, small matters used thin ropes, and the number of knots corresponded to the number of things. Both parties held one copy each for mutual verification, which was sufficient for mutual governance. Then he explains the image of written records: Dui represents speech and metal, Zhen represents wood and bamboo; writing speech on wood and bamboo is the image of "book"; carving metal on wood and bamboo is the image of "契 (qie)." When Zhen transforms into Dui in Da Zhuang, the image of written records appears, so later sages replaced the knotted rope with written records. Below Qian is Kun, and Kun represents ministers and people; Qian's yang shines upon Kun, so officials could govern and the people could be examined. He points out the归属 (belonging) of this passage: This is the verification of the previous statement "correcting words." Finally, he summarizes the entire chapter: This is the second chapter, explaining the meaning of the four sentences "the changing images move within." From Li to Gua, these thirteen hexagrams all deal with images. Since hexagrams distinguish between good and bad fortune, making tools to benefit people is without exception a meritorious deed, and the benevolence and righteousness of sages are also contained within them. This is what is meant by "the feelings of sages are revealed in words."

是故易者象也，象也者像也，彖者材也，爻也者效天下之動者也，是故吉凶生而悔吝著也。觀上網罟、耒耜數者，則是易為言象之書也。象，卦象，卦象各像夫物也；爻，六爻。而象與爻之中又有彖，所謂彖辭也。彖訓材，材謂築室之木，彖統一卦之義，猶材充一室之用也；因彖而分著之則為爻，爻者效也，效放物之動者。爻言吉凶悔吝，爻動乃見，是吉凶之生、悔吝之著，皆由動也。此第三章，言象言爻者，以申爻象動乎內之意；言吉凶生、悔吝著者，以申吉凶見乎外之意。

The Great Treatise says: Therefore, the Book of Changes is about images, and images are representations; the彖 is material, and the lines are imitations of the changes in the world; thus, fortune and misfortune arise, and regret and hardship become evident. Duolong'a, looking back at the previous text, says: Looking at the examples mentioned earlier, such as nets and plows, we can see that the Book of Changes is indeed a book about images. He explains word by word: "Image" refers to the hexagram images, each hexagram image representing a particular thing; "line" refers to the six lines. Within the images and lines there is also the "彖," which is the彖 statement. "彖" is interpreted as "material," and material refers to the wooden beams used in building a house; the彖 encompasses the overall meaning of a hexagram, just as wooden beams support the entire structure of a house. Following the彖, the lines become distinct; "line" means imitation, imitating the changes of things. The line statements discuss fortune, misfortune, regret, and hardship, and these only become evident when the lines change. Therefore, the emergence of fortune and misfortune, and the manifestation of regret and hardship, all come from "movement." He concludes: This is the third chapter, discussing images and lines, to clarify the meaning of "the lines and images move within"; discussing the emergence of fortune and misfortune and the manifestation of regret and hardship, to clarify the meaning of "fortune and misfortune appear externally."

陽卦多陰，陰卦多陽。陽卦謂震、坎、艮，皆一陽二陰，故曰多陰；陰卦謂巽、離、兌，皆一陰二陽，故曰多陽。其故何也？陽卦奇，陰卦偶。虞氏曰：陽卦一陽故奇，陰卦二陽故偶。其德行何也？陽一君而二民，君子之道也；陰二君而一民，小人之道也。陽尊為君、為君子，陰卑為民、為小人。震、坎、艮皆以一陽率二陰，巽、離、兌則以二陽爭一陰，此陽卦陰卦德行之異也。此第四章，陰陽象也，奇偶爻也，一君二民則吉，二君一民則凶，此亦申爻象動乎內、吉凶見乎外之意也。

The Great Treatise says: A yang trigram contains more yin lines, while a yin trigram contains more yang lines. Duolong'a explains: A yang trigram refers to the trigrams Zhen, Kan, and Gen, each of which contains one yang line and two yin lines, hence it is said to contain "more yin." A yin trigram refers to the trigrams Xun, Li, and Dui, each of which contains one yin line and two yang lines, hence it is said to contain "more yang." The text then asks: Why is this so? The answer is: The number of lines in a yang trigram is odd, while that in a yin trigram is even. Duolong'a cites Yu Fan's words: A yang trigram has only one yang line, hence it is odd; a yin trigram has two yang lines, hence it is even. The text then asks: What about their virtue? The answer is: A yang trigram represents one ruler governing two subjects, which is the way of the gentleman; a yin trigram represents two rulers sharing one subject, which is the way of the petty person. Duolong'a elaborates: Yang is exalted, hence it is the ruler and represents the gentleman; yin is humble, hence it is the subject and represents the petty person. Zhen, Kan, and Gen each have one yang line governing two yin lines, while Xun, Li, and Dui have two yang lines competing for one yin line. This is the difference between yang and yin trigrams in terms of virtue. He concludes: This is the fourth chapter. Yin and yang refer to the images, while odd and even refer to the lines. One ruler and two subjects bring good fortune, while two rulers and one subject bring misfortune. This chapter is also explaining the meaning of "the movement of the lines occurs within, and good fortune and misfortune appear outside."

《易》曰：「憧憧往來，朋從爾思。」子曰：「天下何思何慮？天下同歸而殊塗，一致而百慮，天下何思何慮？日往則月來，月往則日來，日月相推而明生焉；寒往則暑來，暑往則寒來，寒暑相推而歲成焉。往者屈也，來者信也，屈信相感而利生焉。尺蠖之屈，以求信也；龍蛇之蟄，以存身也。精義入神，以致用也；利用安身，以崇德也。過此以往，未之或知也；窮神知化，德之盛也。」

The "Great Treatise" in the "Lower Transmission" quotes the "Xian" hexagram's line statement for the ninth line in the fourth position, saying: "The mind is wandering and uncertain, only those who share the same thoughts will follow your mind." Confucius explained: "What is there in the world to think about or to consider? The affairs of the world differ in their paths but converge in their destination; they involve many considerations but ultimately return to one principle. Then what is there to think about or to consider? When the sun sets, the moon rises; when the moon sets, the sun rises; the sun and moon move in succession, thus producing light. When the cold season passes, the hot season comes; when the hot season passes, the cold season comes; the cold and hot seasons alternate, thus completing the year. What has passed is bending, what comes is extending; bending and extending respond to each other, thus producing benefit. The silkworm moth bends its body in order to achieve extension; the dragon and the snake hide in order to preserve themselves. Studying the principles and entering into the subtle, is to achieve practical results; using the way skillfully and establishing oneself, is to honor virtue. Going further back, it is beyond human knowledge; exploring the subtle and understanding creation, is the attainment of supreme virtue."

此釋咸九四爻辭。利猶順也，信與申同，古伸字也。尺蠖，蟲名，《爾雅》作蚇蠖，一名蝍蟲?就，屈伸蟲也。形似螟蛉，足生首尾，其行一屈一伸，俗呼曰量天尺，桑槐樹多有之。此言人之思雖不可廢，憧憧往來，則惟所感之朋從爾之思，則入於私矣。夫天下事殊塗同歸，百慮一致，試證之日月寒暑，往來屈伸，莫不各順其道。即推以言物，動靜互根；推以言學，體用互發。純任自然以躋盛德之域，無非無感以待感，不必憧憧也。

This is an explanation of the line statement for the ninth line in the fourth position of the Xian hexagram, which says, "Confused movement, companions follow your thoughts." In this chapter of the Great Treatise, the term "li" in "utilizing for secure dwelling" is equivalent to "shun," meaning to follow nature. The term "xin" in "the bent of the inchworm seeks to extend" is the same as "shen," which in ancient text is the character for "extension." Therefore, the sentence should be read as "seeking extension." The inchworm is a type of insect, written as "jiahuo" in the Erya, also known as "jichong?" (the character after "?" is missing in the original text). It moves by bending and stretching, resembling a silkworm in shape, with feet at both head and tail. It moves by alternating between bending and stretching, commonly called "liangtianchi" or "the measure of heaven," often found on mulberry and locust trees. This passage explains that human thought should not be abandoned, but if the mind is unsettled and constantly moving, only friends with similar inclinations will follow your thoughts, leading thought into private concerns. The affairs of the world differ in their paths yet converge in their ultimate goal; although thoughts may be manifold, their principles are unified. Using the alternation of day and night and the succession of cold and heat as examples, movement and stillness, bending and stretching, all follow their natural course. Applying this to objects, motion and stillness are fundamental to each other; applying it to study, the essence and function are mutually revealing. Fully relying on nature to reach the state of great virtue, one merely waits in a state of empty stillness without being moved by external influences, without the need for restless activity.

易曰：「困于石，據于蒺藜，入于其宮，不見其妻，凶。」子曰：「非所困而困焉，名必辱；非所據而據焉，身必危。既辱且危，死期將至，其妻可得見邪？」此釋困六三爻辭。石非困人之地而為所困，困自否來，否外卦為乾，乾陽稱名，易為兌毀，故名辱。蒺藜非可據之物而乃據之，否內卦為坤，坤為身，易為坎陷，故身危。名辱身危，故凶死也。

The Book of Changes says: "Being trapped by a stone, leaning on thorns, returning to one's house, yet not seeing one's wife, it is ominous." Confucius said: "Being trapped in a place where one should not be trapped, one's reputation will surely suffer disgrace; leaning on something that should not be leaned upon, one's life will surely be in peril. Suffering both disgrace and peril, death is imminent; how could one see his wife?" This is an explanation of the line statement for the sixth line in the third position of the Guan hexagram. A stone is not a place that traps people, yet the sixth line in the third position is trapped by it. The Guan hexagram comes from the Po hexagram: the outer trigram of Po is Qian, which is yang and symbolizes "reputation," changing to Dui, which symbolizes destruction, hence the reputation suffers disgrace. Thorns are not something to lean on, yet the sixth line in the third position leans on them: the inner trigram of Po is Kun, which symbolizes "body," changing to Kan, which symbolizes a pit, hence the body is in peril. Suffering both disgrace and peril, it is ominous and leads to death.

易曰：「公用射隼于高墉之上，獲之，無不利。」子曰：「隼者，禽也；弓矢者，器也；射之者，人也。君子藏器於身，待時而動，何不利之有？動而不括，是以出而有獲，語成器而動者也。」此釋解上六爻辭。解自小過來，小過艮下震上，三來居二，變艮為坎，二至四為互離為矢，弓矢曰器。艮手持弓矢，變坎為隱伏曰藏器；震為動，故曰藏器於身，待時而動。震又為出，互離為隼，震動以射之，故曰動而不括，出而有獲也。括，結也，言器成始動，先裕致用之具，不肯取辦於臨時，所以無結閡之患也。

The Book of Changes says: "A prince or lord is on a high wall shooting a falcon or pheasant, and hits it, thus achieving success without any disadvantage." Confucius said: "A falcon is a bird, an archery bow is a weapon, and the one shooting it is a person. A gentleman keeps weapons on his person, waiting for the right moment to act, so where would there be any disadvantage? When action is unimpeded, therefore, when he takes action he immediately gains results. This describes a person who prepares his tools in advance and then acts." This is an explanation of the line statement of the sixth line at the top of the Hexagram of Resolution. The Hexagram of Resolution is derived from the Hexagram of Small Crossing: the Hexagram of Small Crossing has the mountain below and the thunder above. The third line moves down to the second position, transforming the mountain into the water. The lines two to four form the mutual structure of the fire, which represents the arrow. Both the bow and the arrow are called "tools." The mountain represents the hand, which holds the bow and arrow; when transformed into water, it signifies concealment, which is "keeping tools hidden." The thunder represents movement, so it says "keep tools on one's person and wait for the right moment to act." The thunder also represents going out, and the mutual structure of the fire represents the falcon. With the movement of thunder, one shoots at the falcon, so it says "acting without obstruction, going out and achieving success." "Obstruction" means being blocked or hindered; this refers to acting after the tools have been made, not preparing in advance, and not being ready when needed, thus avoiding the trouble of being hindered.

子曰：「小人不恥不仁，不畏不義，不見利不勸，不威不懲。小懲而大誡，此小人之福也。《易》曰『屨校滅趾，無咎』，此之謂也。」此釋噬嗑初九爻辭。噬嗑自否來，否之乾五來居坤初，變坤為震。坤為小人，震為仁，乾為畏，坤為惡曰不義，故曰「小人不恥不仁，不畏不義」；乾為美利、為威，故曰「不見利不勸，不威不懲」；乾變為震，震木克坤土，故曰「小懲而大誡」；乾為福，居坤之初，故曰「小人之福也」。言校滅其趾，因懲知誡，不至陷於罪惡，所以善全小人也。

Confucius said: "A petty person does not regard unkindness as shameful, nor does he fear injustice. He will not strive to do good if he does not see profit, and he will not know punishment without fear. A small punishment brings great warning, which is the fortune of a petty person. The Book of Changes says, 'Wearing wooden shackles on the feet, hurting the toe, but without fault,' which explains this very idea." This is the explanation of the first line of the initial line of the Shexi hexagram. The Shexi hexagram is derived from the Pinyin hexagram: the fifth line of Qian moves down to the first position of Kun, transforming Kun into Zhen. Kun represents petty persons, Zhen represents kindness, Qian represents fear, and Kun represents evil, which is called 'injustice,' so it says 'a petty person does not regard unkindness as shameful, nor fears injustice.' Qian represents profit and authority, so it says 'without seeing profit, he does not strive; without authority, he does not know punishment.' Qian transforms into Zhen, which belongs to wood and overcomes the earth of Kun, so it says 'a small punishment brings great warning.' Qian represents fortune, and it is located in the first position of Kun, so it says 'this is the fortune of a petty person.' This means the wooden shackles hurt his toe, and through punishment he becomes aware of warning, thus avoiding great wrongdoing, which is the proper way to preserve a petty person.

善不積不足以成名，惡不積不足以滅身。小人以小善為無益而弗為也，以小惡為無傷而弗去也，故惡積而不可揜，罪大而不可解。《易》曰：「何校滅耳，凶。」懲惡於初猶可致福，積惡至上已罹於罪，則世之罪大而不可解者，皆由於積為小惡以致此也。上為離終，離為惡人，惡至於終故罪大，則上之凶不如初之無咎矣。此釋噬嗑上九爻辭。

Good deeds without accumulation are insufficient to establish a good reputation; evil deeds without accumulation are insufficient to destroy oneself. Small people think that small good deeds bring no benefit and therefore do not do them, and think that small evil deeds cause no harm and therefore do not change. Thus, evil accumulates until it cannot be concealed, and guilt becomes so great that it cannot be redeemed. The Book of Changes says: "Shouldering a heavy枷, covering the ears, calamity." If evil is punished at the first line, it can still turn to good fortune; but when evil has accumulated to the top line, one has already fallen into punishment. Therefore, those who commit great crimes that cannot be redeemed are all due to the accumulation of small evils. The top line is the end of the Li hexagram, and Li symbolizes the wicked. When evil reaches its extreme, guilt becomes great, so the "calamity" of the top nine is worse than the "no blame" of the first nine. This is the explanation of the top nine line statement of the Shihe hexagram.

子曰：「危者，安其位者也；亡者，保其存者也；亂者，有其治者也。是故君子安而不忘危，存而不忘亡，治而不忘亂，是以身安而國家可保也。《易》曰：『其亡其亡，繫於包桑。』」否為陰息陽消卦，危、亡、亂，陰也；安、存、治，陽也。乾陽長懼坤陰之庶，可以永保身家。九五爻辭曰「其亡其亡，繫於包桑」，是此義也。

Confucius said: "What is called danger is caused by those who occupy a secure position but do not remain vigilant; what is called loss is caused by those who believe they can permanently maintain their existence; what is called disorder is caused by those who rely on their own order. Therefore, a gentleman remains cautious even in times of security, remembers the possibility of destruction even when seeking survival, and remains alert to calamity even in times of peace, thus ensuring his own safety and the preservation of the state. The Book of Changes says: 'It is about to be lost, it is about to be lost! It should be as firm as a bundle of mulberry roots.' The hexagram 'Pu' represents a situation where yin energy is growing and yang energy is receding: danger, loss, and disorder belong to yin, while security, survival, and order belong to yang. The strong yang of Qian constantly remains cautious of the numerous yin of Kun, thus being able to maintain his own safety. The line statement of the ninth line in the fifth position of the hexagram 'Pu' says 'It will be lost, it will be lost, bound like a bundle of mulberry roots,' which precisely expresses this meaning."

子曰：「德薄而位尊，知小而謀大，力小而任重，鮮不及矣。《易》曰『鼎折足，覆公餗，其形渥，凶』，言不勝其任也。」鮮不及者，言鮮不及於凶也。蓋以位列三公，德、知、力三者兼備始克勝任。其有德而不知者，則不足以謀天下之事；有德知而無力者，則不足以荷天下之責；有知力而無德者，則不足以感格天人而建樹功業。鼎之九四位不中正，是德薄；居離明之初，是知小；陽居陰位，是力小，故有折足覆餗、形渥之象也。

Confucius said: "Those with shallow virtue but high status, limited intelligence but ambitious plans, and weak strength but heavy responsibilities, rarely avoid calamity. The Book of Changes says, 'The tripod breaks its legs, overturning the delicacies of the prince, the body of the tripod is soiled, which is ominous,' referring to those who cannot bear their responsibilities. The phrase 'few are exempt' means that few escape misfortune. Because holding the position of the Three Dukes requires virtue, intelligence, and strength all together: having virtue but no intelligence is insufficient to plan for the world; having virtue and intelligence but no strength is insufficient to shoulder the world's responsibilities; having intelligence and strength but no virtue is insufficient to connect with heaven and humanity and establish achievements. The position of nine four in the Hexagram of the Tripod is neither in the center nor upright, indicating thin virtue; it is in the beginning of the Li hexagram, indicating limited knowledge; it is a yang line in a yin position, indicating weak strength, hence the image of broken legs, overturned delicacies, and soiled tripod body."

子曰：「知幾其神乎！君子上交不諂，下交不瀆，其知幾乎。幾者，動之微，吉之先見者也。君子見幾而作，不俟終日。《易》曰『介于石，不終日，貞吉』。介如石焉，寧用終日，斷可識矣。君子知微知彰，知柔知剛，萬夫之望。」諂，諛也；瀆，褻也。諂似謙恭，瀆似簡易，而諂極則必招侮，瀆極則必致怨。諂瀆之初意在獲吉，其終轉致凶咎。豫卦二爻居中得正，正故不諂，中故不瀆，上下交際各得其宜，是非知幾者不能。贊之以神，言其先見夫吉，不入於凶也。

Confucius said, "Being able to perceive the subtle beginnings, can be considered divine insight! A gentleman interacts with those above without flattery, and with those below without arrogance, which is probably understanding the subtle beginnings. What is called 'a few' is the initial emergence of a trend, the first sign of good fortune. A gentleman acts immediately upon seeing the subtle beginnings, without waiting for a full day. The Book of Changes says, 'Upright as stone, without waiting for a full day, holding to the right path brings good fortune.' If one is upright as stone, why wait for a whole day? The judgment is clear. A gentleman knows both the hidden and the obvious, both the gentle and the strong, thus being looked up to by all people." "Flattery" means sycophancy, and "arrogance" means disrespect. Flattery appears as humility, while arrogance appears as simplicity. However, excessive flattery inevitably leads to contempt, and excessive arrogance inevitably leads to resentment. Both flattery and arrogance initially seek good fortune, but end up bringing misfortune. The hexagram Yu, line six two, is in the center and upright: being upright prevents flattery, being in the center prevents arrogance, and the interactions with above and below are all appropriate, which is something that someone who cannot perceive the subtle beginnings cannot achieve. Using 'divine' to praise it is because it can foresee where good fortune lies, thus avoiding misfortune.

子曰：「顏氏之子，其殆庶幾乎！有不善未嘗不知，知之未嘗復行也。《易》曰：『不遠復，無祇悔，元吉。』」顏氏之子，孔子弟子顏淵也。殆，語辭；庶，近也；幾即知幾之幾。不善欲動未動之時，此謂之幾，顏子知之即未嘗復行，則近於知幾也。復自坤卦純陰一陽上息，坤為惡，是不善也；陽息於初，是不行不善也。復之初九爻辭，顏子足以當之。

Confucius said, "The son of the Yan family is probably close to knowing the moment of change. There is no evil thought that does not become conscious; once it becomes conscious, it is never acted upon again. The Book of Changes says, 'It departs but does not go far, then returns, without great regret, great good fortune.' "The son of the Yan family" refers to Confucius' disciple Yan Hui. "Dai" is a particle, "shu" means close, and "ji" is the "ji" in "knowing the moment of change." The moment when an evil thought is about to arise but has not yet occurred is called "ji." Yan Hui became conscious of it immediately and did not act upon it, so he was close to knowing the moment of change. The hexagram Fu is formed by a single yang line arising from the bottom in the hexagram Kun, which symbolizes evil, that is, "not good." The yang energy begins at the first line, meaning not acting upon the evil. The line statement of the first line of Fu hexagram is something Yan Hui is capable of.

天地絪縕，萬物化醇；男女構精，萬物化生。《易》曰：「三人行則損一人，一人行則得其友。」言致一也。絪縕，纏綿交密之貌；醇，凝厚也。天地以氣交，故化醇；男女以形交，故化生。損自泰來，泰為天地交之卦，故以天地絪縕言之；損為少男少女兩合卦，故以男女構精言之。絪縕、構精皆致一也，損六三爻辭是其義也。

Heaven and Earth's vital energy is intertwined and closely connected, thus giving rise to the generation and thickening of all things; the union of male and female with their vital energies leads to the generation and birth of all things. The Book of Changes says, "When three people walk together, one should be subtracted; when one walks alone, one finds a companion." This refers to returning to a single focus. "Yinwen" describes the intertwining and close connection, while "chun" means the gathering and thickening. Heaven and Earth interact through their vital energy, so it is said "huachun"; male and female interact through their forms, so it is said "huasheng." The hexagram of "Zhen" comes from the hexagram of "Tai," which is the hexagram of Heaven and Earth communicating, so "Tian Di Yinwen" is used to describe it; "Zhen" is also the hexagram of the young man (Gen) and the young woman (Dui) uniting, so "Nan Nu Gou Jing" is used to describe it. Whether it is Yinwen or Gou Jing, both return to a single focus, and the line statement of the sixth line in the third position of the hexagram of Zhen exactly expresses this meaning.

子曰：「君子安其身而後動，易其心而後語，定其交而後求。君子修此三者，故全也。危以動，則民不與也；懼以語，則民不應也；無交而求，則民不與也。莫之與，則傷之者至矣。《易》曰：『莫益之，或擊之，立心勿恆，凶。』」從理者其身安，從欲者其身危；心正者其語易，心邪者其語懼；信以結之，敬以聯之，是謂定其交，無交者反是。益自否來，否為陰消陽卦，故曰危、曰懼；否為天地不交卦，故曰無交；巽為躁卦，故曰傷也。此釋益上九爻辭。此第五章十一舉易爻象，以申爻象動乎內、吉凶見乎外之意，而功業與聖人之情亦胥該焉。

Confucius said: "A gentleman first ensures his own stability before taking action, first calms his mind before speaking, and first establishes friendly relations before making requests. A gentleman cultivates these three things, thus being able to preserve himself. When in a dangerous situation yet acting recklessly, the people will not support him; when fearing and speaking out, the people will not respond; when making requests without having established relations, the people will not give. If no one gives, then those who wish to harm him will come. The Book of Changes says: 'No one benefits him, but someone attacks him, his mind is not constant, thus it is凶 (misfortune).' Those who follow the principles of heaven are safe, while those who indulge in personal desires are in danger; those whose hearts are upright speak calmly, while those with crooked intentions speak in a state of fear. When people connect with sincerity and respect, this is called 'establishing relations,' while those without relations are exactly the opposite. The hexagram Yi comes from the hexagram Po: Po is the hexagram of yin overcoming yang, thus it is said 'danger' and 'fear'; Po is the hexagram of heaven and earth not interacting, thus it is said 'no relations'; the upper trigram Xun is the hexagram of restlessness, thus it is said 'injury.' This explains the line statement of the upper ninth line of the hexagram Yi. The above is the fifth chapter of the Great Treatise, which mentions the images of the lines eleven times, explaining the meaning that 'the images are internal movements, and good and bad fortune are external.' The achievements and emotions of the sages are also included in this."