The General Catalogue of the Siku Quanshu

（臣）等謹案：《易學濫觴》一卷，元黃澤撰。澤字楚望，資州人，家於九江。大德中嘗為景星書院山長，又為東湖書院山長，年逾八十乃終。故趙汸生於元末，猶及師事之，其《易》與春秋之學皆受之於澤者也。澤垂老之時，欲注《易》、《春秋》二經，恐不能就，故作此書及《春秋指要》發其大凡。卷首有延佑七年吳澄題詞。據其所言，二書葢合為一帙。今《春秋指要》亦無傳本，惟此書僅存。朱彝尊《經義考》載此書，注曰：「已佚」，則彝尊亦未及見，知為稀覯之本矣。

We have carefully examined: The book "The Wellspring of Changes Studies" is a single volume written by Huang Ze of the Yuan dynasty. Huang Ze, whose courtesy name was Chuwang, was from Zizhou in Sichuan province, and later settled in Jiushe, Jiangzhou. During the Dade period of Emperor Chengzong of Yuan, he once served as the headmaster of Jingxing Academy, and later also served as the headmaster of Donghu Academy, and died in his eighties. Therefore, Zhao Peng, who lived in the late Yuan dynasty, was still able to study under him. Zhao Peng's proficiency in the studies of the "Zhou Changes" and the "Spring and Autumn Annals" were both inherited from Huang Ze. When Huang Ze grew old, he originally intended to write commentaries on the two classic texts, the "Zhou Changes" and the "Spring and Autumn Annals," but he feared he would not live long enough to complete them. Therefore, he first wrote this book and another called "Spring and Autumn Essentials," revealing the main ideas and outlines of the commentaries on the two classics. The beginning of this book has a preface written by Wu Cheng in the seventh year of Yuan Renzong's Yanyou period. According to Wu Cheng's account, "The Wellspring of Changes Studies" and "Spring and Autumn Essentials" were originally bound together as a single volume. Now, "Spring and Autumn Essentials" has no surviving copies, and only this book remains. Qing dynasty scholar Zhu Yizun mentioned this book in his "Examination of Classic Interpretations," noting "has been lost," indicating that even Zhu Yizun had not seen it himself, showing that it is an extremely rare and precious manuscript.

其說《易》以明象為本，其明象則以《序卦》為本，其占法則以《左傳》為主。大旨謂王弼之廢象數，遁於元虛；漢儒之用象數，亦失於繁碎。故折中以酌其平。其中歴陳《易》學不能復古者，一曰：“《易》之名義”，一曰：“重卦之義”，一曰：“逆順之義”，一曰：“卦名之義”，一曰：“卦變之義”，一曰：“卦名”，一曰：“《易》數之原”，一曰：“《易》之詞義”，一曰：“《易》之占詞”，一曰：“蓍法”，一曰：“占法”，一曰：“序卦”，一曰：“脫誤疑字”，凡十三事。持論皆有根據。雖未能勒為全書，而發明古義，體例分明，已括全書之宗要。因其說而推演之，亦足為說《易》之圭臬矣。

Huang Ze explained the Zhou Changes by taking the "image" of the hexagrams and lines as the fundamental point. In order to clarify the images, he took the "Sequence of Hexagrams" as the basis. As for the method of divination, he mainly relied on the examples of divination recorded in the Zuo Zhuan. His main idea was that Wang Bi abandoned the study of images and numbers, leading him into the realm of abstract and obscure philosophy; although Han dynasty scholars used images and numbers, they were too fragmented and superficial. Therefore, Huang Ze took a middle path between the two, and carefully balanced a moderate approach. In his book, he listed one by one the places where later scholars failed to restore the ancient methods of the Zhou Changes. These were: first, the meaning and interpretation of the name "Yi"; second, the principle of composing the hexagrams; third, the principle of reverse and forward counting; fourth, the meaning of the names of the hexagrams; fifth, the method of changing hexagrams; sixth, the origin of the names of the hexagrams; seventh, the origin of the numbers in the Zhou Changes; eighth, the meaning of the verses; ninth, the divinatory verses; tenth, the method of divining with yarrow stalks; eleventh, the method of making judgments; twelfth, the "Sequence of Hexagrams"; thirteenth, the difficult characters due to textual errors and omissions. In total, there were thirteen points. All his arguments were based on solid grounds. Although this book did not become a complete work, it revealed the original meaning of the ancients and had a clear structure. It already included the main ideas and principles of the entire book. Following his reasoning and further developing it, it is sufficient to serve as a standard for interpreting the Zhou Changes.

乾隆四十六年十月恭校上

In the fourth十六th year of Qianlong's reign, in the tenth month, we respectfully completed the collation and presented it to the Emperor for his imperial review.

楚望夫子之注經，其志可謂善矣。《易》欲眀象，《春秋》欲明書法，蓋將前無古、後無今，特出其所得之大概示人，而全注未易成也。每以家貧年邁，弗果速成其注為，嗟世亦有仁義之人，能俾遂其志者乎？予所不能必也。道之行與，命也！愛莫助之，永嘆而巳。延佑第七立秋之後四日，臨川吳澄書於《易學濫觴》、《春秋指要》之卷端。

Master Chu Wang, Huang Ze, gave commentaries on the classics, and his aspirations can be said to be commendable. In interpreting the Zhou Changes, he aimed to clarify the images of the hexagrams and their lines; in interpreting the Spring and Autumn Annals, he aimed to clarify the principles of the author's editorial practices. His grandeur of vision was such that it was something previous generations had never spoken of, and later ones would find it difficult to express again. Now he has only made his rough insights available to the world, but completing the full commentaries on both texts is truly difficult. He often lamented that due to his poor family circumstances and advancing age, he could not complete his writings in time. Alas, is there truly a person who upholds benevolence and righteousness, willing to exert effort to help him fulfill this wish? I cannot be certain. Whether the great way can prevail in the world is a matter of heaven's mandate. Although I feel deeply for him, I cannot offer any help, and can only sigh in sorrow. Written on the fourth day after the autumn equinox in the seventh year of Yanyou, by Wu Cheng, a man from Linchuan, at the beginning of the books "The Wellspring of Changes Studies" and "Essentials of the Spring and Autumn Annals."

說《周易》者，自漢諸儒至虞翻，是欲明象，去聖已逺，象學不易明，遂流於煩瑣，或渉支離誕漫，學者亦已厭之。故王輔嗣岀，而創為忘象之論，盡棄諸儒之說，其文高潔，足以動人。自是以來，學者宗其說，與象相忘矣。至伊川先生又據《易》以明理，理明而象數稍逺。其後說《周易》者，皆務明經，多不專守師說，晦庵之於程、張，蔡節齋之於晦庵，徐幾、劉彌劭之於節齋，皆時有異同，各出新意，比之漢魏諸儒各主一師、黨同伐異者，大不侔矣。

Interpreters of the Zhou Changes have, from the Han dynasty scholars down to Yu Fan of the Three Kingdoms period, all aimed to explain the "images" of the hexagrams and lines. However, because the time since the sages composed the Zhou Changes was too distant, the study of images became difficult to explain, leading to increasingly complicated interpretations, some even becoming fragmented and absurd, with no clear boundaries. Scholars had already grown tired of this. Therefore, Wang Bi (styled Fusi) emerged and proposed the idea of "forgetting the images," completely discarding the views of the Han dynasty scholars. His writing was concise and elegant, and thus very persuasive. From then on, scholars all followed his approach, completely neglecting the images. Later, Cheng Yi (known as Master Yichuan) again used the Zhou Changes to explain principles. When the principles were clarified, the images and numbers became even more distant. After that, interpreters of the Zhou Changes focused on explaining the meaning of the text, and most no longer rigidly followed a single school of thought. Zhu Xi interpreted Cheng Yi and Zhang Zai, Cai Yuan (styled Jiezhai) interpreted Zhu Xi, Xu Ji and Liu Mi Shao interpreted Cai Yuan, and they often had different opinions, each proposing new interpretations. This was quite different from the风气 of the Han and Wei scholars who all followed one master and excluded others.

象學之廢，自周末至今，千有七百年。伊川雖主於理，晦庵雖主於占，然世之學《易》者，皆知《易》當明象，故雖精粹如朱程學者，終未免各悉其心志。自茲以往，象學焉知其不可復歟！

The neglect of the study of images (xiang) in the Book of Changes has lasted from the end of the Zhou dynasty up to the present day, a span of more than seventeen hundred years. Although Cheng Yi's interpretation of the Book of Changes focused mainly on its principles and meanings, and Zhu Xi's interpretation focused mainly on divination, those who study the Book of Changes today still understand that the original intent of the Book of Changes was to clarify the images and lines of the hexagrams. Therefore, even scholars as refined as Cheng and Zhu could not avoid devoting their efforts to this aspect. How can we then be certain that the study of images will not be revived again in the future!

澤年十七始，熟復《繫辭》，既又讀《左傳》，疑於艮之八及諸占法，蓋探索之勞積四十餘年，至今猶未有釋然者，然無所不盡其思矣。大徳三年，於《易》象始有所悟，又積十數年，大槩得其五六，由是始具藁。又積十年，乃稍得其節目。

I have been studying the Great Treatise repeatedly since I was seventeen, and then I read the Zuo Zhuan. From the divination examples such as "Gèn zhī bā" and various methods of divination, I began to have doubts. I have been persistently exploring these issues for more than forty years, and even today there are still things I cannot resolve. However, all the possible approaches I can think of have already been considered. In the third year of Da De during the Yuan Chengzong reign, I began to have some understanding of the images of the Yi Jing. After another decade of accumulation, I roughly grasped about five or six tenths of it, and then I started drafting my notes. It took another ten years before I could slightly clarify the details and categories within them.

然所悟深者，大抵不入藁而存諸心。方其勞心苦志也，若神明晝夜役使之者。及其悟也，則如天開其愚、神啟其秘。凡西漢以來至近代諸儒，鑚研而不可得者，始有芽櫱之漸。若更益以十年之功，則十可得其七八，雖未必盡能全復舊物，然比之王輔嗣創為忘象之髙談以絶後人之用心者，其得失相去逺矣。

However, those who understood most deeply generally did not write them down, but kept them in their hearts. When they put their minds to it earnestly, it was as if a divine being were driving them day and night; when they suddenly gained insight, it was as if heaven had opened their ignorance and spirits had revealed the hidden truths. All the places that many scholars from the Western Han dynasty down to modern times had failed to grasp through their studies have now begun to sprout and grow. If I were to add another ten years of effort, I would probably achieve about seven or eight parts out of ten. Although I might not be able to fully restore the ancient methods, the difference between this and Wang Bi's lofty talk about 'forgetting the image' which blocked later generations' thoughts is vast.

夫小有所得而言，則失之淺；未有所得而言，則失之妄；有所得而畧不言，則失之隱；急而言之，則失之躁；易而言之，則失之玩；決意而以身任之，則失之不讓；能苦思而不能為聖經發揚，則亦失之不忠；可與言而不言，則又失之闇；著書二十年而殊無知者，則亦失之沈晦。凡此類者，當斟酌而處之。

If one has a slight understanding and is eager to speak out, the problem is superficiality; if one has no real understanding yet speaks, the problem is recklessness; if one truly has understanding but says nothing, the problem is concealment; if one speaks hastily, the problem is restlessness; if one speaks carelessly, the problem is disrespect; if one insists on his own way and takes on this study personally, the problem is lack of humility; if one can think deeply but cannot promote the classics of the sages, the problem is disloyalty; if one meets someone who can be discussed with but does not talk, the problem is dullness; if one writes for twenty years yet no one knows, the problem is being too obscure. All these matters of balance must be carefully considered before deciding what to do.

此澤之所以難乎？其為人也，且素無聲譽，而自負獨重，則人亦不復相即。若混俗無別，則人又褻而視之。斯末俗之弊，所以使人日就衰老，而此心未得暴白於世者，此非獨澤孱懦無力量之過，亦世之好古者希故爾。夫汲汲焉求知於世者，非也；窮居陋巷，而愛惜所學、深懼人知者，亦非也。蓋古之君子盡其在已，而聽其在天，故復為此卷，以為二注先容焉。

This is precisely the difficulty I face in being a person. Moreover, I have never had a good reputation; I am proud yet very particular, so people do not come close to me. If I follow the crowd and blend in with ordinary people without distinction, others will look down upon me. This is the problem of the declining age, causing people to grow old day by day, while my sincere intentions have never been expressed to the world. This is not only my own fault of cowardice and weakness, but also because there are too few people in the world who appreciate ancient learning. It is wrong to urgently seek recognition everywhere; equally wrong is to live in poverty and seclusion, valuing one's learning highly and fearing that others might know about it. In ancient times, the gentlemen did their best in their own duties, and whether they succeeded or not was left to heaven. Therefore, I have written this volume to first introduce the commentaries on the Zhou Yi and the Spring and Autumn Annals.

學《易》者，當明象，此確然不易之論。但象不可明，故忘象之說興；忘象之說興，而象學遂廢，亦可嘆已。夫忘象，非王氏得已之言也。王氏不得已而言之，諸儒亦不得已而從之。使象學若可明，則諸家何苦不從，而乃從此不得已之論乎？

Those who study the Book of Changes should clarify the images of the hexagrams and their lines, which is an indisputable conclusion. It is only because the images are difficult to explain that the idea of 'forgetting the images' arose. Once the idea of 'forgetting the images' became popular, the study of images declined, which is truly regrettable. One should understand that 'forgetting the images' was not something Wang Bi willingly said; he was forced to say it, and the other scholars followed him out of necessity. If the study of images could have been clearly explained, why would scholars not study the images and instead follow this forced statement?

然自王氏以來，凡學者皆疑於乾馬、坤牛之象。雷、風、山、澤、日、月之象，大而易見；而馬、牛之象，小而難知。故學者皆深契於王氏之言，而不知《易》之為象，其說不一。凡《易》之寓象，未有《序卦》之大而要切者。世人於此，皆不深究，何乃獨病於乾馬、坤牛之傅會，快心而棄擲之哉？

However, since Wang Bi, all those who study the Book of Changes have doubted the images such as "Qian represents a horse" and "Kun represents an ox." The images of thunder, wind, mountain, marsh, sun, and moon are large in scale and easy to observe, while the images of horse and ox are small and hard to understand. Therefore, scholars all deeply adhere to Wang Bi's statement, but they do not realize that the images used in the Book of Changes are not limited to one kind. Among all the images contained in the Book of Changes, none are more grand and essential than those shown in the "Sequence of Changes" transmission. Yet people do not wish to explore this deeply. Why do they specifically pick out the forced interpretations of "Qian as a horse" and "Kun as an ox" to criticize, and readily discard the entire system of imagery altogether?

夫所謂《序卦》之象最大者，謂乾坤定位而物始生物，生必蒙，蒙則當教，教則必養，不得其養則爭。此《易》必首乾坤，乾坤之後，次以屯、蒙、需、訟者，為此也。自此以徃，皆以夫子《序卦》之辭觀之，則可見：上經是開闢以來經制之象，下經是人道之首，正家以及天下之象；上經是因天地以寓人事，下經是因人事以明天地之道。

The imagery in the "Sequence of Hexagrams" is the most comprehensive. It says: The hexagrams Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth) establish the positions of Heaven and Earth, and thus all things begin to grow (Zun). When things first arise, they are naturally ignorant (Meng); when they are ignorant, they need to be educated; once they are educated, they must be nurtured (Xu); if they are not nurtured, they will quarrel (Song). This is why the "Zhou Changes" must begin with Qian and Kun, followed in order by Zun, Meng, Xu, and Song. From here on, if we examine the words of Confucius' "Sequence of Hexagrams," we can see that the Upper Canon describes the imagery of the establishment of institutions since the creation of the world, while the Lower Canon describes the beginning of human relationships, starting from governing a family and extending to governing the state. The Upper Canon uses Heaven and Earth to symbolize human affairs, while the Lower Canon uses human affairs to explain the principles of Heaven and Earth.

所以必分上、下經者，上經以象先天；下經以象後天。上經始乾、坤而終坎、離者，祖先天之意也；下經始咸、恆而終於既、未濟者，《周易》序六子之意也。自屯、蒙而同人、大有，凡十二卦，而後六子備。所以然者，天地定而日月行，聖人興而大化著，至此而後，裁成輔相之功稍著故也。

The reason for dividing the Classic into upper and lower parts is that the upper part symbolizes "before heaven" and the lower part symbolizes "after heaven." The upper part begins with Qian and Kun and ends with Kan and Li, reflecting the positions of the primordial hexagrams. The lower part begins with Xian and Heng and ends with Ji Ji and Wei Ji, following the arrangement of the six sons, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui, in the Zhou Changes. Counting from屯 (Zun) and Meng up to Tong Ren and Da You, there are twelve hexagrams, completing the image of the six sons. This arrangement is because after the heavens and earth are established, the sun and moon then move; after the sage arises, great teachings become evident. At this point, the work of shaping the way of heaven and earth and assisting in their proper order begins to show.

同人、大有是開闢以來最盛，所以離體居後者，蓋以其能成天地最盛之功，使光輝昭著、品類繁盛，有目者其覩，故離體居後也。乾四徳而亨，居夏，長養萬物，亦此義雲。以其當最盛之世，故大有繼以謙。聖人於此寓意深矣！然此亦姑舉其要，以見大意，其詳亦莫能盡觀者。於此引而伸之，則於學《易》，豈小補乎？

The hexagrams Tongren and Dayou symbolize the most flourishing situation since the creation of heaven and earth. Therefore, the hexagram Li is placed after them because Li can achieve the most flourishing achievements in the world, bringing brilliance and prosperity to all things, visible to everyone with eyes. Hence, the hexagram Li is arranged after them. The virtue "Heng" (prosperity) among the four virtues of Qian hexagram—Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen—corresponds to the summer season, nurturing all things, which is exactly this meaning. Because we are in the most flourishing era, after Deyou comes the hexagram Qian, symbolizing the need for humility when things reach their peak. The intention of the sage here is profound! However, this is only a brief outline to give a general idea; the detailed aspects cannot be fully grasped by anyone. From here, one can extend the understanding, and is this not a small benefit for studying the Book of Changes?

夫乾馬、坤牛，學者以為難知，而不知此於象學所繫尚小。又乾馬、坤牛尚可知，唯離為牛，則最難知。《左傳》曰：純離為牛。此已不可曉，而離卦辭曰：“畜牝牛，吉”，尤不可曉矣。若益以《說卦》坤為子、母牛，又可強通乎哉？澤於此，用心雖頗極，其精微，然猶不能無惑，故述於後學。

"The乾 trigram represents a horse, and the坤 trigram represents a cow. Scholars find this difficult to understand, but they do not realize that this is still a minor issue within the entire system of divination. Moreover, the association of乾 with a horse and坤 with a cow can still be explained, but the statement that the离 trigram represents a cow is the most difficult to interpret. The Zuo Zhuan says 'pure离 represents a cow,' which is already perplexing; and the Hexagram Statement of the离 trigram says 'raising a female cow is auspicious,' which adds to the confusion. If we also consider the Shuo Gua Zhuan which says that坤 represents a mother cow, can we still勉强 make sense of it? I have given this matter my utmost attention and have examined it thoroughly, yet I still have doubts. Therefore, I have recorded this for future scholars to consider."

《易》者，先其大而後其小，且知其難之，蓋有所在而不專在彼焉。上經首乾、坤，次以屯、蒙等卦，是從不易處說起。及終於坎、離，亦是不易。下經首咸、恆，是從變易處說起，至既、未濟，亦是變易。變易之中有不易者在，不易之中有變易者在。

The approach to studying the Book of Changes is to first grasp the general principles and then attend to the details. One must also understand that the true difficulties lie in specific areas, not merely in small details such as "Fire represents an ox." The Upper Canon begins with the trigrams Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth), followed by Tun (Obstruction) and Meng (Youth), discussing the aspect of "unchanging" (the constant and unalterable). It continues until the end with the trigrams Kan (Water) and Li (Fire), which still deal with the unchanging. The Lower Canon begins with Xian (Mutual Influence) and Heng (Permanence), discussing the aspect of "change." It concludes with Ji Ji (Completion) and Wei Ji (Incompleteness), which still deal with change. Within change there is an unchanging element, and within the unchanging there is also an element of change.

天道主於變，人道主於常。天道變中有常，人道常中有變。天道變而不可違乎常，人道常而不可不知變。所謂“天道主於變”者，如月令雷乃發聲，卻亦或先或後，又有非時之雷；如治日少而亂日多，盛衰興廢常出於意料之外；又如孔子不得位，顏子不幸短命；泰伯之賢不能得國，而有文王、武王之事；仲子非嫡也，而子孫有魯國，三桓由之而盛。此皆所謂變也。

Heavenly ways are characterized by change, while human ways are characterized by constancy. Within the changes of heavenly ways, there are inherent constants, and within the constancy of human ways, there are also changes. Although heavenly ways change, they cannot violate their constants; although human ways are constant, they should not be ignorant of adapting to circumstances. The saying "heavenly ways are based on change" can be illustrated by examples from the "Book of Rites · Monthly Ordinances," which states that in the second month of spring, thunder begins to sound. In reality, however, thunder may come earlier or later, and often occurs out of season. Another example is that times of peace are rare, while times of turmoil are frequent, and the rise and fall of dynasties often come as surprises. Also, Confucius spent his whole life without attaining a position as a ruler, and Yan Hui died young in misfortune. Tai Bo, who was so virtuous, did not receive a kingdom, but later King Wen and King Wu of Zhou established the Zhou dynasty. The descendants of Zhongzi, the secondary wife of Lu Hui Gong, who was not the principal wife, came to rule Lu, and the "Three Houses" of Ji Sun, Su Sun, and Meng Sun became powerful because of this. These are all examples of change.

人道，則君臣、父子、兄弟、夫婦、朋友有一定之倫，上下、貴賤有一定之分，居處、飲食、耕田、鑿井有一定之法，其應事接物必隨時制宜，雖是變，然大抵終不可踰越常理。此所謂“人道主於常”也。

As for human relationships, there are definite orders among ruler and subject, father and son, siblings, husband and wife, and friends; there are also fixed distinctions between superiors and inferiors, the noble and the humble; and there are established rules for dwelling, eating, farming, and digging wells. Although people must adapt to circumstances and respond to external things, this is considered change. However, in the main, they cannot go beyond the constant principles. This is what is meant by 'human conduct follows the constant.'

《周易》卦下辭六十四，孔子釋卦辭六十四；又大象六十四，為一百九十二爻，辭三百八十四，孔子釋之，是為小象，亦三百八十四。總此五者，為九百六十，益以用九、用六及乾、坤《文言》及《繫辭》所陳十一卦、九卦與其解頥之義，又《說卦》、《序卦》、《雜卦》及《春秋》內外傳所記筮占之法，凡千有餘事。

The Zhou Changes have a hexagram statement beneath each hexagram, totaling sixty-four; Confucius' commentary on the hexagram statements, the Commentary on the Judgment, is also sixty-four; there is also the Great Image Commentary, sixty-four in total. These three together make up one hundred and ninety-two statements. The sixty-four hexagrams contain three hundred and eighty-four lines, each with a line statement, totaling three hundred and eighty-four. Confucius explained these, forming the Small Image Commentary, also three hundred and eighty-four in number. Adding these five together, there are nine hundred and sixty statements. Furthermore, adding the 'Use of Nine' in the Qian hexagram, the 'Use of Six' in the Kun hexagram, the Wenyan Commentary on Qian and Kun, the eleven hexagrams, nine hexagrams and their explanatory meanings mentioned in the Great Treatise, as well as the Sayings of the Hexagrams, the Order of the Hexagrams, and the Miscellaneous Hexagrams, and the divination methods recorded in the Zuo Zhuan and Guoyu, the total exceeds one thousand statements.

自漢魏諸儒以至近代邵康節、程先生、張橫渠、朱晦庵，各以所見發明，亦已得其大畧。義理之說，最為詳備，惟象學則猶未復古焉。其間固有易知者，亦有雖難知而先儒所說已暗合，但其大體既未能明，則雖總謂之未能復古，亦非過也。

From the Han and Wei dynasties through to modern times, scholars such as Shao Yong (known as Kangjie), Cheng Yi, Zhang Zai (known as Hengqu Master), and Zhu Xi each explained the text according to their own understanding, and have already achieved a general grasp. The part concerning principles and reasoning is most detailed and complete, but the study of images (xiangxue) has not yet restored the ancient methods. Among these, there are indeed parts that are easy to understand, and also parts that are difficult to grasp yet precisely align with the ancient meanings as expressed by earlier scholars. However, since the overall meaning remains unclear, it is not an overstatement to say that the study of images has not yet returned to the ancient ways.

惟大象示人以用《易》之道最為易曉，然歴觀舊注，猶有數處未合，況其它乎？即如需卦之“君子以飲食宴樂”可謂易知矣，所說終未盡。蓋水在天上，卻與“飲食宴樂”又何相關？若不從乾、坤、屯、蒙解來，實解不去。

Only the Great Image Commentary explains how to use the Book of Changes, and it is the easiest to understand. However, even after reviewing old commentaries, there are still several places where they do not fully explain the meaning, let alone other parts. Take for example the Great Image of the Need hexagram, which says "the gentleman uses food, drink, and entertainment." This seems easy to understand, yet previous scholars never fully explained it. The Need hexagram consists of Kan above and Qian below, representing water above heaven, which has little apparent connection to "food, drink, and entertainment." Without following the sequence of hexagrams from Qian, Kun, Zun, and Meng as explained in the Sequence of Hexagrams, the meaning remains unclear.

大抵天地開闢以來，水生物之功為大，《洪範》水數一者，亦以其物之始故也。水本在地，今在天為雲少需，然後為雨及。既為雨，滋潤百榖、草木，而後動物得所養。凡飲食，未有不出於水泉及百榖、草木者，以其生物有漸，雖非朝夕之故，然亦朝夕可待，所以謂之需，乾坤賴此以養人。故聖人取其象，以“飲食宴樂”如此解，而後胷次釋然。此《序卦》之說所以不可易也。

In general, since the creation of heaven and earth, water has played the greatest role in nurturing all things. The Book of Documents, Hongfan, ranks water first among the Five Phases, precisely because it is the beginning of all things. Water originally resides on the earth, but now it rises to the sky as clouds, and must wait a while before it becomes rain and falls down. Once it has become rain, it nourishes all grains and plants, and animals are then able to be sustained. All human food comes from spring water and grains and plants; because it nurtures all things step by step, though not in a single day or moment, it is something that can be expected day by day. Therefore it is called "Xu" (waiting), and heaven and earth rely on this to sustain human beings. Hence, the sage took this symbol and interpreted the Great Image as "food, drink, feasting, and joy." With this explanation, the mind becomes clear. This is why the sequence of hexagrams as explained in the Xugua Zhuan cannot be changed.

六十四卦大象本顯然，需之象又自明白，說者尚不能透徹，況其它乎？其大象如“君子以治厯明時”、“君子以永終知敝”，則又非造次可議。屯物始生，蒙是養，所以需是飲食之道。雨自上降，然後生萬物；草木之味，實能養人；醴醪、酒漿、籩豆、俎實，皆出於此。此需所以為飲食。

The sixty-four hexagrams' "Great Images" are originally quite clear, and the image of the hexagram Need (需) is especially evident. Even those who explain it cannot fully grasp its meaning, let alone other hexagrams. As for cases like the Great Image of the hexagram Revolution (革), "The gentleman thus regulates calendars and clarifies the seasons," and the Great Image of the hexagram Return of the Maiden (归妹), "The gentleman thus maintains continuity and understands decline," these are even more difficult to discuss hastily.屯 represents the beginning of all things, 蒙 represents nurturing, so the following hexagram Need relates to the way of food and drink. Rain falls from above, then gives rise to all things; the flavor of grass and trees is indeed nourishing to people; sweet wine, sour wine, and various kinds of fermented drinks, as well as the food offerings in bamboo and wooden vessels and on the sacrificial table, all originate from here. This is the reason why the hexagram Need takes "food and drink" as its meaning.

《易》象學迷失一千有七百餘年，漢儒及近代諸儒所說頗細碎，雖不可廢，然於大體未明，終無益也。但《易》之未易明者，非直象學。蓋義理之說，至伊川、晦庵，可謂精切粹美，而《易》之大義未能復古者，亦多有之。

The study of imagery in the Book of Changes has been lost for more than seventeen hundred years. What the Han dynasty scholars and later Confucian scholars have discussed is rather trivial; although it cannot be entirely discarded, since they have not clearly explained the main points, their contributions are ultimately of little use. However, what is difficult to explain in the Book of Changes is not only the imagery. As for the school of reasoning, it reached its refined and pure state with Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi; yet there are still many areas where the great principles of the Book of Changes have not recovered the ancient methods.

如漢儒說《易》有三義，今人多只說“變易”，是《易》之名義未能復古一也。太極、兩儀、四象、八卦，得康節始為之發明，而重卦之義未有說以相通，是重卦之義未能復古二也。孔子稱：“《易》，逆數”，而今之《圖》乃是半順半逆，是逆順之義未能復古三也。

For example, Han dynasty scholars explained the character "易" as containing three meanings: simplicity, change, and constancy. Modern people mostly focus only on the meaning of change, which indicates that the interpretation of the name "易" has not returned to the ancient way, the first issue. The concept that the Supreme Ultimate gives rise to the Two Principles, the Two Principles give rise to the Four Symbols, and the Four Symbols give rise to the Eight Trigrams was only elaborated by Shao Yong. The principle of recombining the Eight Trigrams into the sixty-four Hexagrams has not been fully understood either, which is the second issue. Confucius said in the "Commentary on the Hexagrams" that "The Book of Changes is about reverse counting." However, the current transmitted diagram of the Heavenly Stem is half in reverse order and half in forward order, which indicates that the meaning of reverse and forward has not returned to the ancient way, the third issue.

卦名義無相犯者，如咸是“取女”，漸是嫁女，恆是夫婦、居室，歸妹是兄嫁其妹，而說者以歸妹是嫁女、是與，咸取女之義，初無分別，甚者則以為少女嫁長男，是卦之名義不能復古四也。

The meanings of the hexagram names do not conflict with each other. The hexagram Xian (咸) refers to a man taking a wife (taking a woman), the hexagram Jian (渐) refers to a woman giving away a daughter, the hexagram Heng (恒) refers to a married couple living together in a house, and the hexagram Gui Mei (归妹) refers to an elder brother marrying off his younger sister. However, interpreters have explained Gui Mei as also meaning giving away a daughter and "yu" (to give), making it indistinguishable from the meaning of Xian's "taking a woman." Worse still, some say Gui Mei refers to a young woman marrying an elder brother. This is the fourth instance where the original meaning of the hexagram names has been lost.

伏羲之時，占法簡易，故孔子曰“八卦定吉凶”，蓋比之於今之析草擲荊亦足以定吉凶得失。及為六十四卦變為三百八十四爻亦已多矣，而或以為一卦可變為六十四卦，則失之於繁，非簡《易》之道，雖漢儒有此例，然文王、周公之法本不如是，是卦變之法不能復古五也。

In the time of Fuxi, divination methods were simple, so Confucius said, "The eight trigrams determine fortune and misfortune." This is like today's folk practice of bending grass or throwing pieces of shrub to seek divination, which is still sufficient to determine gains and losses. Later, when the trigrams were expanded into the sixty-four trigrams and the lines became 384, it was already excessive. Yet some people mistakenly believed that one trigram could transform into the sixty-four trigrams, which became overly complicated and deviated from the principle of simplicity. Although Han dynasty scholars had such methods, the divination techniques of King Wen and the Duke of Zhou were originally not like this. This is the fifth point regarding the method of changing trigrams, which cannot be restored to the past.

燧人氏始修火利，未必遽有鼎也，火食既興，邑居既成，而後有井以養。而今之說者謂井、鼎名卦，古已有之，非始於文王，是卦名不能復古六也。《易》卦有自然之數，皆與《河圖》、《洛書》相通，而說者以《易》起於《河圖》，《範》起於《洛書》，執泥特甚，是《易》數之原不能復古七也。

At the time when the fire was first used by the people of the Shui Ren dynasty, there was probably no bronze tripod yet; it was only after the custom of cooking food became widespread and cities and villages were formed that wells were made to supply the people. But now those who explain the Book of Changes wrongly claim that the names of the well and tripod hexagrams have existed since ancient times, not being named by King Wen. This is the sixth point regarding the inability to restore the original names of the hexagrams. The hexagrams of the Book of Changes have their own natural numbers, which are connected with the River Chart and the Lo Book; yet those who explain it insist that the Book of Changes comes solely from the River Chart and the Hong Fan comes solely from the Lo Book, being too rigid. This is the seventh point regarding the inability to restore the original source of the numbers in the Book of Changes.

文王、周公之辭簡奧深宻，孔子懼久而學者不能明，乃作十翼以推衍其義，蓋與前聖互相補足，其或說理甚詳，是亦推致未盡之象，非與文王、周公異旨，而世之說者未能體會為一，遂以夫子所說與文王、周公不同，是《易》之辭義不能復古八也。占中有象，象中有占，象有未盡者，因占辭以補其缺。近世學者雖知分別象占，而不知占中實有未盡之象，是《易》之占辭不能復古九也。

The hexagram line statements composed by King Wen and the Duke of Zhou are concise, profound, and meticulous. Confucius feared that over time scholars might not fully understand them, so he wrote the Ten Wings to elaborate on their meanings. This was originally meant to complement the earlier sages. Sometimes the Ten Wings explain things in great detail, which is because they explore the unexpressed images contained in the hexagram line statements, not because they established a different doctrine from King Wen and the Duke of Zhou. However, those who explain the Book of Changes fail to integrate the two, leading them to claim that Confucius' interpretations differ from those of King Wen and the Duke of Zhou. This is the eighth failure in the inability to restore the original meaning of the Book of Changes. The divination statements contain images, and the images contain divination. When the images are not fully expressed, the divination statements supplement their deficiencies. Modern scholars, although they understand the distinction between images and divination, do not realize that the divination statements actually contain unexpressed images. This is the ninth failure in the inability to restore the original meaning of the Book of Changes.

卦用七八，爻用九六，自杜氏注春秋，有雜用《連山》、《歸藏》、《周易》三易，皆以七八為占之說，而晦庵《啟蒙》頗因之，是蓍法不能復古十也。春秋占法至為精妙，去古既逺，易道雖晦，然猶有此以見古法之精。而世之學者例以左氏為妄誕不之信，是占法不能復古十一也。

Unchanging lines use seven and eight, while changing lines use nine and six. Since Du Yu's commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals proposed that during divination, the three books of the Yi, namely the Lianshan, Guicang, and Zhouyi, were used together, and that seven and eight were used for divination, Zhu Xi's "Yixue启蒙" (Introduction to the Study of the Yi) also followed this approach. This is the tenth reason why the method of using the yarrow stalks cannot be restored. The divination methods recorded in the Spring and Autumn Annals are extremely refined; although they are far from ancient times and the principles of the Yi are obscure, these divination examples still allow us to glimpse the precision of ancient methods. However, scholars of the world generally regard the accounts recorded by the Leftist School as absurd and are unwilling to believe them. This is the eleventh reason why the divination methods cannot be restored.

六十四卦上下經序次條理秩然，夫子本文之外，又得先儒推究，十有八象三十六宮，既以發其隱秘，而序次之妙，推尋猶有未盡者。而先儒或謂非《易》之蘊，晦庵以為是《易》之蘊，而非其精，是《序卦》之義未能復古十二也。

The sixty-four hexagrams are arranged in the Upper and Lower Classics in an orderly sequence. In addition to the main text of Confucius' "Sequence of Hexagrams" transmission, earlier Confucian scholars have made further investigations, leading to the concepts of eighteen images and thirty-six palaces, which have revealed some of the hidden meanings. However, the subtlety of the arrangement order still has aspects that remain unexplored. Yet some earlier Confucian scholars have claimed that the "Sequence of Hexagrams" does not capture the essence of the Zhou Changes, while Zhu Xi considered it to contain the meaning of the Zhou Changes, but not its most subtle aspects. This is the twelfth point regarding the meaning of the "Sequence of Hexagrams" not returning to the ancient ways.

文王、周公本文脫誤者少，縱有脫誤，當闕其疑。自胡安定改“鴻漸于逵”以來，晦庵於鼎卦用鄭玄說，訓渥為剭，於升卦改順為慎，於無妄以為無望，此類不一，是脫誤疑字未能復古十三也。

The text of the hexagrams compiled by King Wen and the Duke of Zhou has very few missing or erroneous characters. Even if there are some errors, the doubtful parts should be left blank for further inquiry. Since Hu Yuan (known as Master of the Stable) changed the phrase "Hong Jie Yu Lu" to "Hong Jie Yu Kui" in the渐 (Gradual Progress) hexagram's upper ninth line, Zhu Xi adopted Zheng Xuan's interpretation in the鼎 (Tripod) hexagram, interpreting "Wo" as "Zhen" (severe punishment). In the升 (Ascent) hexagram, he changed "Shun" to "Shen," and in the无妄 (No False Expectation) hexagram, he considered "Wu Wang" to be "Wu Wang." Such instances of altering characters are not limited to one case. This is the thirteenth case of doubtful characters that have not been restored to their original forms due to errors and omissions.

凡此十有三者，特義理、文字之間而其未能復古者，已如此況，象學之微妙曠失既久，非刳心滌慮、天開其愚、神啟其秘，孰能與於此乎？其十三事，雖與象學無與，但關渉甚大，非可言盡，今卷中亦畧見其說焉。

The above thirteen items are merely matters of meaning and text, and they have already failed to restore the ancient methods. Moreover, the subtle and profound principles of divination have been lost for a long time. Unless one opens his heart and purifies his mind, and receives enlightenment from heaven and divine guidance to uncover the hidden secrets, who could possibly engage in this discipline? Although these thirteen matters are not directly related to the principles of divination, they are deeply connected and cannot be fully explained in a few words. Now, in this chapter, I will briefly express my own views.

伏羲始畫八卦時，已用之決吉凶，故大傳曰：“八卦定吉凶”。其時事簡，故不容尚煩。及稍欲求詳，始用重卦，故謂之貞悔。言三畫可矣，又以為未足，故更用三畫，謂之貞者言是正法，謂之悔者言其過也。貞悔之後又有變卦，則以本卦為貞，支卦為悔。占筮至此極矣！貞屯、悔豫又是一例。

Fuxi first used the Eight Trigrams to determine fortune and misfortune when he first drew them, so the Great Treatise says "the Eight Trigrams determine fortune and misfortune." At that time, human affairs were simple and did not require complicated methods. Later, when more detailed analysis was needed, people began to stack two trigrams on top of each other, leading to the terms "Zhen" and "Hui." Originally, a trigram made up of three lines was sufficient, but people felt it was not enough, so they added another three lines. The term "Zhen" refers to the main body and standard method, while "Hui" refers to the position of change and the moving aspect. After distinguishing between Zhen and Hui, there came the concept of the Resulting Hexagram. Thus, the Primary Hexagram is called "Zhen," and the hexagram that results from it is called "Hui." The method of divination ends here. The example from Guoyu where Prince Chong'er of Jin was divined as "Zhen Tun, Hui Yu" is another instance of this kind.

晦庵云，一朋友說有八卦之金木水火土，有五行之金木水火土。如乾為金，八卦之金也；兌之金，五行之金也；巽為木，卦中取象也；震為木，乃東方屬木，五行之木也。

Zhu Xi said: A friend mentioned that there are two sets of the Five Phases. One set belongs to the Eight Trigrams, and the other belongs to the Five Phases. For example, Qian represents metal in the context of the Eight Trigrams; Dui represents metal in the context of the Five Phases. Xun represents wood as the image taken from the trigrams; Zhen represents wood because Zhen is located in the East, and the East belongs to wood, which is the wood of the Five Phases.

澤謂乾為金，是以氣類推之，則金管屬乾，以其剛耳。若《易》中只是以乾為天，不曽說金，其陽爻陽位取義於金者，亦是取其剛，初非以有乾。故兌雖當為金，但《易》卦中只說澤，而未有以為金者。震當為木，然《易》中說木，乃是指意，非以震故。此不可不知。或人之說，雖非背理，然說《易》惟要精淨，不可混雜。澤嘗有詩云：“井困乾枯乾有水”，有一朋友雲以乾為金能生水，理非不通，但淺陋耳。

I think that saying Qian represents metal is derived from the classification of qi — metal is always associated with Qian because of its strong and vigorous nature. If we consider the text of the Zhouyi itself, it only treats Qian as Heaven, never referring to Qian as metal. Those who derive the meaning of metal from the yang lines and yang positions are merely taking the meaning of strength and vigor, not because there is a Qian hexagram. Therefore, although Dui belongs to metal according to the Five Phases, the image of the Zhouyi only refers to Lake, not metal. Similarly, Zhen should belong to wood according to the Five Phases, but the Zhouyi refers to wood in terms of meaning, not because of Zhen. This point should be known. The friend's view is not entirely wrong, but in explaining the Zhouyi, we should pursue purity and clarity, avoiding mixed interpretations. I once wrote a poem saying "Well dried up in Qian, Qian has water"; a friend explained it by saying that since Qian belongs to metal and metal produces water — this explanation is not entirely wrong, but it is somewhat superficial.

春秋傳占法，卻只於《易》，無此之失。一卦用七八，又用九六，故《周易》每爻必係以九六者，為此也。若如杜氏說，雜用《連山》、《歸藏》之易，皆以七八為占，此恐非是。若如此，則是占者無定法。既已得卦，卻臨時兼用七八為占，是占無定據矣。晦庵《本義》遇艮之八，只當占艮六二，亦是不據六二而以七八為占。夫爻謂之六二，而乃以八為占，恐非筮法，愚不能明，終未敢從也。

The divination methods recorded in the Inner and Outer Chronicles of the Spring and Autumn Annals rely only on the Book of Changes, and do not have this problem. Within one hexagram, both seven and eight (unchanging lines) are used, as well as nine and six (changeable lines). The Book of Changes specifies that each line must be prefixed with the name "nine" or "six," precisely for this reason. If we follow Du Yu's statement that divination should combine the two books, the Lian Mountain and Gui Zang, and use seven and eight as the basis for divination, it might not be correct. If this were true, then the diviner would lack a fixed method: once the hexagram is determined, they would then arbitrarily use seven and eight to make a judgment, which would mean the basis for divination is not fixed. Zhu Xi's The Original Meaning of the Book of Changes mentions "meeting Gen and eight," stating that only the second line of the Gen hexagram should be used for divination. This approach does not follow the line statement of the second line but instead uses "eight" for divination. Since that line is called "six two," yet "eight" is used for divination, it seems inconsistent with the method of divination. I am dull-witted and do not fully understand, so I dare not follow this approach.

《周易》占變爻之法，《繫辭》中不見，獨《春秋》內外傳有十數處，然大抵古法難以盡曉。如艮之八、泰之八、貞屯悔豫皆八，最為可疑。《啟蒙》雖頗具其說，誠恐非古法也。

The method of determining changing lines in the Zhou Changes is not recorded in the Great Treatise, but appears in several divination examples in the Zuo Zhuan and Guoyu. However, the ancient method is largely difficult to fully understand. Phrases such as "Gèn zhi bā," "Tai zhi bā," and "Zhen Tun hui Yu jie bā" are particularly puzzling. Although Zhu Xi's Yi Xue Minglun explains the method in a fairly complete way, it is likely not the original ancient practice.

獨《啟蒙》三爻變則占本卦及之卦之彖辭，而以本卦為貞、之卦為悔，前十卦主貞、後十卦主悔，又引沙隨程氏曰“晉公子重耳筮得國，遇貞屯、悔豫皆八，蓋初與四五凡三爻變也。初與五用九變，四用六變，其不變者二、三、上，皆兩卦皆為八故。”而司空季子占之曰：皆利建侯。

The "启蒙" section states that when three lines change, one should consult the statement of the primary hexagram and the resulting hexagram, taking the primary hexagram as "Zhen" and the resulting hexagram as "Hui". Among the sixty-four hexagrams, the first ten are primarily based on Zhen, while the last ten are primarily based on Hui. It also cites the words of Cheng Jing, a person from Sha sui, who said: When Duke Chong'er of Jin asked whether he could regain the state, he encountered "Zhen Tun, Hui Yu both eight". This refers to the first line and the fourth and fifth lines changing together, making three lines change. The first and fifth lines changed due to encountering a nine, while the fourth line changed due to encountering a six. The second, third, and top lines remained unchanged, and in both Tun and Yu hexagrams, the eighth line was obtained, hence the statement. Then Si Kong Jizi gave the divination: Both Tun and Yu hexagrams state "favorable for establishing feudal lords".

據澤管見，恐程說實可疑。蓋三爻遇九六、三爻遇八，即是一卦之中，三爻變了，若依《啟蒙》法當云“遇屯之豫”，其不變者在所不必道，固已不當稱八，又安得稱貞悔皆八乎？且七、八皆不用，之爻獨不聞說七，何也？豈有之而偶不載邪？是亦可疑矣。

According to my shallow opinion, I fear that Cheng Xiong's statement is indeed doubtful. If the third line meets a six or a eight, that would mean three lines have changed in one hexagram; following the style of the "启蒙" (Awakening), it should be stated as "meeting Zun (屯) and Yu (豫)". The unchanging lines should not be mentioned at all, so they should not be called eight, yet how can it be said "Zhen and Hui are both eight"? Furthermore, both seven and eight are unchanging lines, but in the divination examples, we only hear of eight and never of seven. Is it possible that there was once a case of seven but it was just not recorded? This is also a doubtful point.

《啟蒙》又云：四爻變，則以本卦二不變爻占，仍以下爻為主，曰經傳無文，今以例推之當如此。又曰五爻變，則以本卦不變爻占，引穆姜往東宮筮，遇艮之八，史曰：是謂艮之隨。蓋五爻皆變，唯二得八，故不變也。法宜以“係小子，失丈夫”為占，大畧如此。

The启蒙 also says: if the fourth line changes, use the two unchanging lines in the primary hexagram for divination, taking the lower one as the main line; it also says that the classics and commentaries do not clearly state this, but now we infer according to the established pattern that it should be so. It also says: if the fifth line changes, use the single unchanging line in the primary hexagram for divination, and cites the example of Lady Mu Jiang of Lu moving to the Eastern Palace, where she consulted the divination and encountered 'Gen changing to Ba'. The historian said, 'This is called Gen changing into Su', which refers to all five lines changing, except the second line which remains Ba, thus unchanging. According to the method, the line statement of line six two in the Su hexagram, 'Binding a young man, losing the elder', should be used for divination. This is the general idea.

澤以為《周易》每爻皆稱九、稱六者，所以見遇九、遇六而後可用其爻之辭占，今若用占不變爻，則是兼用七、八矣，非經九、六之意也。但蓍法雖頗存，而變爻之法亦已闕矣，民間決疑又不可廢，故世俗相傳，因仍訛謬，以求變卦。若如《啟蒙》，則有條理可用，但若便以此為定法，不復加考索之功，則不可爾。

I think that in The Zhou Changes (I Ching), each line is called "nine" or "six" to indicate that when one encounters a nine or a six, one can then use the line statement corresponding to that line for divination. Now, if one uses an unchanging line for divination, that would be equivalent to using both seven and eight, which does not conform to the original intention of the classic text in distinguishing between nine and six. However, although the method of divination with yarrow stalks is still largely preserved, the method of changing lines has become incomplete. Yet, since people cannot do without it for deciding matters and resolving doubts, the common people have passed it down through generations, making mistakes and continuing with it. If one follows the method outlined in The启蒙 (Awakening), there is still some order to follow. However, if one takes it as a fixed method without further investigation, that would not be acceptable.

澤嘗自謂：澤之學如立的以射，立的既髙且逺，故難為功。然至於卦變之法，求之四十餘年，無所不用其思，而猶未敢確然獨有所主，倘欲於此決擇，當俟理熟，必更加數年，而後可焉。

I once said of myself that my study is like setting up a target to shoot arrows at; the target is set very high and far away, so it is difficult to see results. As for the method of changing hexagrams, I have pursued it for more than forty years, and I have considered all that I can think of, yet I still dare not firmly establish my own view. If I were to make a decision on this matter, I would have to wait until the principles are thoroughly understood, and with several more years of effort, then I could proceed.

朱子《繫辭》本義云：第九章言天地大衍之數、揲蓍求卦之法，然亦畧耳，意其詳具於太卜、筮人之官，而今不可考爾。其可推者，《啟蒙》備言之。由此而言，則晦庵亦已知揲蓍求卦之法不完其作，《啟蒙》亦隨所見，以備一法，讀者於此當知立言之意雲。

Zhu Xi's "The Original Meaning of the Zhou Changes" explains the "Great Treatise" saying that the ninth chapter discusses the numbers of heaven and earth, the number of the Great Derivation, and the method of divining with the yarrow stalks, but only in a general way. He suggests that the detailed procedures originally belonged to officials such as the Great Diviner and the Diviner, but they are now no longer traceable. Among what can be inferred, the "Awakening of Intelligence" covers everything thoroughly. According to this, Zhu Xi himself realized that the method of divining with the yarrow stalks was not complete. He wrote the "Awakening of Intelligence" merely based on his own observations, offering a provisional set of procedures. Readers should understand his intention in making these statements.