Book Two · The Zhou Changes (I Ching) Upper Classic

《謙》，《序卦》：“有大者不可以盈，故受之以謙。”其有既大，不可至於盈滿，必在謙損，故大有之後，受之以謙也。為卦，坤上艮下，地中有山也。地體卑下，山，高大之物，而居地之下，謙之象也。以崇高之德，而處卑之下，謙之義也。

Regarding the hexagram "Qian" (Modesty), the "Xu Gua Zhuan" says: "When something is great, it cannot be full, hence it is followed by 'Qian' (Modesty)." Since what is possessed is already great, it cannot reach fullness, and thus must rely on modesty and self-restraint to regulate itself. Therefore, after the hexagram "Da You" (Great Possession), the hexagram "Qian" follows. In terms of the structure of the hexagram, the Earth (Kun) is above and the Mountain (Gen) is below, representing a high mountain within the earth. The earth is lowly in form, while the mountain is a lofty object, yet it resides beneath the earth, which is the image of "Qian" (Modesty); placing a lofty virtue in a humble position is the meaning of "Qian."

謙：亨，君子有終。謙有亨之道也。有其德而不居，謂之謙。人以謙巽自處，何往而不亨乎。君子有終，君子志存乎謙巽，達理，故樂天而不競，內充，故退讓而不矜，安履乎謙，終身不易，自卑而人益尊之，自晦而德益光顯，此所謂君子有終也。在小人則有欲必競，有德必伐，雖使勉慕于謙，亦不能安行而固守，不能有終也。

The Hexagram of Humility states: "It is smooth, the gentleman has a proper conclusion." Humility itself contains the principle of smoothness. To possess that virtue without boasting about it is called humility. If a person lives with humility and modesty, how could he not be smooth in his dealings? As for "the gentleman has a proper conclusion": The gentleman's mind is fixed upon humility, because he understands things thoroughly, so he is content with heaven and fate and does not contend with others; because his inner self is full, he retreats without boasting. He calmly practices the way of humility throughout his life without change; the more he places himself in a low position, the more others respect him; the more he conceals himself, the more his virtue and reputation shine forth — this is what is meant by "the gentleman has a proper conclusion." As for the petty person, whenever he has desires, he must contend; whenever he has virtue, he must boast; even if he forces himself to admire humility and tries to imitate it, he cannot calmly practice it or firmly hold onto it, so he cannot achieve a beginning and an end.

《彖》曰：謙亨，天道下濟而光明，地道卑而上行。濟當為際。此明謙而能亨之義。天之道，以其氣下際，故能化育萬物，其道光明。下際謂下交也。地之道，以其處卑，所以其氣上行，交於天，皆以卑降而亨也。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram of Humility says: "Humility brings success; the way of Heaven descends to meet and thus shines brightly, while the way of Earth is lowly and ascends upward." It is explained that the character "济" should be read as "际." This explains why humility leads to success. The way of Heaven is able to nurture all things because its energy descends to meet, thus its way is bright; "descending to meet" means descending to connect. The way of Earth is lowly, so its energy can ascend and connect with Heaven. Both rely on being humble and yielding to achieve success.

天道虧盈而益謙，以天行而言，盈者則虧，謙者則益，日月陰陽是也。地道變盈而流謙，以地勢而言，盈滿者傾變而反陷，卑下者流注而益增也。鬼神害盈而福謙，鬼神謂造化之跡。盈滿者禍害之，謙損者福祐之，凡過而損，不足而益者，皆是也。人道惡盈而好謙。人情疾惡於盈滿，而好與于謙巽也。謙者人之至德，故聖人詳言，所以戒盈而勸謙也。

"Heaven's way is to reduce the full and benefit the humble." In terms of heaven's operation, the full will be reduced and the humble will be increased; the waxing and waning of the sun and moon, and the rising and falling of yin and yang are like this. "Earth's way is to change the full and flow the humble." In terms of the terrain, the elevated and full will collapse and sink, while the low and humble will receive flowing water and gradually rise. "The spirits and gods harm the full and bless the humble." The spirits and gods refer to the traces of the workings of creation; the full will be afflicted by calamity, while the humble will be blessed; whenever something is excessive, it will be reduced, and when it is insufficient, it will be increased; all of these fall into this category. "Human way is to hate the full and love the humble." It is the common sentiment of people to detest those who are full and arrogant, and to be fond of those who are humble and submissive. Humility is the extreme of human virtue, so the sage repeatedly emphasizes it in detail, to warn against being full and encourage humility.

謙尊而光，卑而不可逾，君子之終也。謙為卑巽也，而其道尊大而光顯。自處雖卑屈，而其德實高不可加尚，是不可逾也。君子至誠于謙，恆而不變，有終也，故尊光。《象》曰：地中有山，謙，君子以裒多益寡，稱物平施。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Humility is noble and luminous, lowly yet untranscendable, the way of the gentleman." The attitude of humility is lowly and gentle, yet its principle is exalted and radiant. Though it humbles itself, its virtue is actually supreme, which is called "untranscendable." The gentleman acts with sincerity and humility, maintaining it consistently, thus achieving goodness from beginning to end, hence both noble and luminous. The Great Image Commentary of the Book of Changes says: "A mountain within the earth, humility; the gentleman thus takes from the abundant and gives to the few, measuring things and distributing them evenly."

地體卑下，山之高大而在地中，外卑下而內蘊高大之象，故為謙也。不云山在地中，而曰地中有山，言卑下之中蘊其崇高也。若言崇高蘊於卑下之中，則文理不順。諸象皆然，觀文可見。君子以裒多益寡，稱物平施，君子觀謙之象，山而在地下，是高者下之，卑者上之，見抑高舉下、損過益不及之義；以施於事，則裒取多者，增益寡者，稱物之多寡以均其施與，使得其平也。

The form of the earth is humble, yet a great mountain is within the earth, forming an image of apparent humility with an inner presence of greatness. Therefore, it is called "Modesty." The Image Commentary does not say "a mountain is in the earth" but rather "a mountain is within the earth," emphasizing that humility contains greatness. If it were phrased as "greatness is contained within humility," the wording would not be smooth. All the images of the hexagrams are written in this manner, and their meaning can be understood from the text. "The superior person learns from the image of Modesty: the mountain is placed beneath the earth, indicating the subduing of the high and the elevation of the low. From this, one sees the principle of restraining excess and supplementing deficiency. Applying this principle to practical affairs means taking from the abundant and giving to the deficient, measuring the amount of each thing and distributing evenly so that all receive their due."

初六，謙謙君子，用涉大川，吉。初六以柔順處謙，又居一卦之下，為自處卑下之至，謙而又謙也，故曰謙謙。能如是者，君子也。自處至謙，眾所共與也，雖用涉險難，亦無患害，況居平易乎？何所不吉也？初處謙而以柔居下，得無過於謙乎？曰：柔居下，乃其常也，但見其謙之至，故為謙謙，未見其失也。

The line statement of the first line of the "Qian" hexagram says: "A modest gentleman, using his modesty to cross great rivers, is auspicious." The first line is a yin line in the lowest position of the hexagram, which is the position of humility. It is in a situation of humility and is itself very humble, so it is modest beyond measure, hence the phrase "modest and modest again." A person who can be like this is called a gentleman. A person who is extremely modest is loved and helped by others. Even if he is used to cross dangerous rivers, he will not suffer misfortune, let alone when he is in an easy situation. How could there not be auspiciousness? Someone asks: The first line is already in a situation of humility, and it is a yin line in the lower position. Is it not being too modest? The answer is: A yin line in the lower position is its natural state. Here it is seen to be extremely modest, so it is called "modest and modest again," and there is no sign of any fault.

《象》曰：謙謙君子，卑以自牧也。謙謙，謙之至也。謂君子以謙卑之道自牧也。自牧，自處也。《詩》云：“自牧歸荑。”六二，鳴謙，貞吉。二以柔順居中，是為謙德積於中。謙德充積於中，故發於外，見於聲音顏色，故曰鳴謙。居中得正，有中正之德也，故云貞吉。凡貞吉，有為貞且吉者，有為得貞則吉者，六二之貞吉，所自有也。

The Small Image Commentary says: "A humble gentleman, lowly in self-cultivation." "Humble" here means humility to the extreme, indicating that a gentleman uses the way of humility to cultivate himself. "Self-cultivation" refers to self-discipline; the poem "Jingnü" from the Book of Songs has the line "self-cultivated grasses returned," which confirms the usage of this word. The line statement of the second line says: "Humble speech, firm and auspicious." The second line, with its gentle and compliant nature, is located in the middle of the lower trigram, indicating that the virtue of humility is accumulated within. When the virtue of humility is fully developed inside, it naturally manifests externally, appearing in speech and appearance, hence called "humble speech." It is in the center and upright, possessing the virtue of uprightness and correctness, so it is said "firm and auspicious." All instances of "firm and auspicious" may mean either both correct and auspicious or that being correct leads to auspiciousness; in the case of the second line's "firm and auspicious," it refers to the former, that it is inherently correct and auspicious.

《象》曰：鳴謙貞吉，中心得也。二之謙德，由至誠積於中，所以發於聲音，中心所自得也，非勉為之也。九三，勞謙，君子有終，吉。三以陽剛之德而居下體，為眾陰所宗，履得其位，為下之上，是上為君所任，下為眾所從，有功勞而持謙德者也，故曰勞謙。古之人有當之者，周公是也。身當天下之大任，上奉幼弱之主，謙恭自牧，夔夔如畏然，可謂有勞而能謙矣。

The Small Image Commentary says: "A modest voice, firm and auspicious, arises from the heart's attainment." The virtue of modesty in the second line comes from sincerity accumulated within the heart, thus naturally expressing itself through sound. It is an inner attainment, not something forced. The line statement for the third line says: "To labor in modesty, the gentleman has a proper conclusion and is auspicious." The third line, with its yang strength in the lower trigram, is revered by the yin lines. Its position is appropriate, being above the lower trigram, which is the position of being entrusted by the sovereign above and supported by the people below. Having established merit yet maintaining modesty is called "laboring in modesty." Among ancients who deserve this line is the Duke of Zhou. He bore the heavy responsibility of the world, serving the young and weak King Cheng above, yet restrained himself with humility, acting with reverence and fear, truly demonstrating merit accompanied by humility.

既能勞謙，又須君子行之有終，則吉。夫樂高喜勝，人之常情。平時能謙，固已鮮矣，況有功勞可尊乎？雖使知謙之善，勉而為之，若矜負之心不忘，則不能常久，欲其有終，不可得也。唯君子安履謙順，乃其常行，故久而不變，乃所謂有終，有終則吉也。九三以剛居正，能終者也。此爻之德最盛，故象辭特重。

If one can work diligently while remaining humble, it is still necessary to uphold this virtue like a gentleman until the end, thus achieving good fortune. It is natural for people to desire to be superior and to take pride in their achievements; normally, those who can retreat in humility are already rare, and even more so for those who have accomplished something and have the confidence to be proud. Even if one knows that humility is good and makes an effort to practice it, as long as the mind of self-importance and arrogance has not been completely eliminated, it cannot last long, and achieving a consistent and complete virtue is impossible. Only the gentleman regards humility and compliance as the normal state of being, acting in this way daily, thus maintaining it over a long period without change. This is what is meant by "having a conclusion" (有终); being able to have a conclusion naturally leads to good fortune. The third line (九三) holds a yang strength in the correct position, which is exactly the kind of person who can persevere until the end. The virtue of this line is the most excellent in the entire hexagram, so the Image Commentary treats it with particular emphasis.

《象》曰：勞謙君子，萬民服也。能勞謙之君子，萬民所尊服也。《繫辭》云：“勞而不伐，有功而不德，厚之至也。語以其功下人者也。德言盛，禮言恭。謙也者，致恭以存其位者也。”有勞而不自矜伐，有功而不自以為德，是其德弘厚之至也。言以其功勞而自謙，以下於人也。

The Small Image Commentary says: "A virtuous person who works diligently and remains humble is revered by the people." A gentleman who is both diligent and humble is respected by all the people. The Great Treatise of the Upper Canon says: "One who exerts effort without boasting, and who has merit without claiming it as a debt, has reached the highest degree of virtue. This refers to those who, despite their achievements, humbly place themselves below others. Virtue speaks of greatness, while propriety speaks of humility. Humility is the expression of profound respect that maintains one's position." This means that one who exerts effort without self-praise and who has merit without considering it as a debt has reached the highest level of virtue. It refers to those who, despite their achievements, humbly place themselves below others.

德言盛，禮言恭。以其德言之，則至盛，以其自處之禮言之，則至恭，此所謂謙也。夫謙也者，謂致恭以存其位者也。存，守也。致其恭巽以守其位，故高而不危，滿而不溢，是以能終吉也。夫君子履謙，乃其常行，非為保其位而為之也。而言存其位者，蓋能致恭所以能存其位，言謙之道如此。如言為善有令名，君子豈為令名而為善也哉？亦言其令名者，為善之故也。

"De yu sheng, li yu gong"—in terms of his virtue, it is extremely abundant; in terms of his conduct according to ritual, it is extremely respectful: this is called humility. As for "humility is to express the utmost respect in order to maintain one's position," "maintain" means to hold on to. By expressing the utmost respect, one can hold on to one's position, so even though one's status is high, it is not dangerous, and although one's power is full, it does not overflow. Therefore, one ultimately attains good fortune. A gentleman practices humility as part of his daily conduct, not merely for the sake of preserving his position. However, here it says "maintain one's position" because by expressing the utmost respect, one naturally holds on to one's position. This is merely speaking of the effect of humility. It is like saying "doing good deeds brings a good reputation." Does a gentleman do good deeds for the sake of a good reputation? No, it is merely saying that the good reputation is the result of doing good deeds.

六四，無不利□謙。四居上體，切近君位，六五之君又以謙柔自處，九三又有大功德，為上所任、眾所宗，而己居其上，當恭畏以奉謙德之君，卑巽以讓勞謙之臣，動作施為，無所不利於□謙也。□，施布之象，如人手之□也。動息進退，必施其謙，蓋居多懼之地，又在賢臣之上故也。

The Line Statement of the sixth line in the fourth position of the "Qian" hexagram says: "There is no disadvantage, □ humility." (The character in the original manuscript is missing, and the transmitted version reads "huī," meaning to wave one's hand and distribute.) The sixth line in the fourth position has already entered the Upper Trigram, closely adjacent to the position of the ruler; the ruler in the fifth line also resides in humility and gentleness. The nine in the third line has established great virtue and merit, is entrusted by the ruler, and is revered by the people, yet remains above the nine in the third. In such a situation, one should respectfully and cautiously serve the ruler who possesses humility, and humbly and modestly treat the minister who toils with humility. Therefore, every action and every movement is appropriate for the expression of humility. The missing character represents the image of distribution, like a person waving their arm to scatter things. Whether in action or stillness, in advancement or retreat, humility must be expressed, because it is in a position that is full of potential dangers and is above the virtuous minister.

《象》曰：無不利□謙，不違則也。凡人之謙，有所宜施，不可過其宜也。如六五或用侵伐是也。唯四以處近君之地，據勞臣之上，故凡所動作，靡不利於施謙，如是然後中於法則，故曰不違則也，謂得其宜也。

The Small Image Commentary says: "There is no disadvantage, because of humility, it does not violate the principle." In general, when people practice humility, there is a proper limit to when it should be applied and when it should not; one must not exceed its appropriate bounds. For example, the fifth line mentions "perhaps using military force," which is a time when it is appropriate to use strength. However, the fourth line is in a position close to the ruler and above the meritorious minister, so all its actions are appropriate for the practice of humility. This is in accordance with the principle, hence it is said "it does not violate the principle," meaning that it is done in a proper and suitable manner.

六五，不富以其鄰，利用侵伐，無不利。富者眾之所歸，唯財為能聚人。五以君位之尊，而執謙順以接於下，眾所歸也，故不富而能有其鄰也。鄰，近也。不富而得人之親也，為人君而持謙順，天下所歸心也。然君道不可專尚謙柔，必須威武相濟，然後能懷服天下，故利用行侵伐也。威德並著，然後盡君道之宜，而無所不利也。蓋五之謙柔，當防於過，故發此義。

The Line Statement of the sixth line in the hexagram "Qian" says: "Not rich but with neighbors, advantageous for military campaigns, no disadvantage." A wealthy person is the object of people's attachment, because only wealth can gather people together. The sixth line, holding the position of a ruler, maintains humility and kindness to receive the people below. Naturally, people will turn to him, so even without wealth, he can gain the support of his neighbors. "Neighbors" refer to those nearby. Gaining the affection of others without wealth is because, as a ruler, he upholds humility and kindness, and thus the people naturally follow him. However, a ruler should not solely emphasize humility and gentleness; he must also have strength and authority to complement it, so that the people will be fully convinced and pleased. Therefore, it says "advantageous for military campaigns." When both strength and virtue are displayed, the ruler fulfills the appropriate way of ruling, thus achieving no disadvantage. This is because the sixth line is inclined toward humility and gentleness, and needs to prevent it from being excessive, so this meaning is specially explained.

《象》曰：利用侵伐，征不服也。徵其文德謙巽所不能服者也。文德所不能服，而不用威武，何以平治天下？非人君之中道，謙之過也。上六，鳴謙，利用行師，征邑國。六以柔處柔，順之極，又處謙之極，極乎謙者也。以極謙而反居高，未得遂其謙之志，故至發於聲音；又柔處謙之極，亦必見於聲色，故曰鳴謙。雖居無位之地，非任天下之事，然人之行己，必須剛柔相濟。上，謙之極也，至於大甚，則反為過矣。故利在以剛武自治。邑國，己之私有。行師，謂用剛武。征邑國，謂自治其私。

The Small Image Commentary says: "It is advantageous to use military force, to subdue those who are not obedient." Those to be subdued are those who cannot be influenced by virtue and humility. If virtue and humility cannot influence them, yet they are unwilling to use strength, by what means can the world be governed? This is not the middle way of a sovereign, but rather excessive humility. The line statement of the sixth line at the top says: "A humble call, advantageous for military action, to subdue nearby states." The sixth line at the top, being a yin line in a yin position, is extremely gentle and yielding; it is also at the extreme of the hexagram of humility, representing someone who is extremely humble. Because humility has reached its extreme yet he occupies a high position, his desire for humility cannot be fulfilled, so he must express it through sound; and since he is weak and has reached the extreme of humility, he must also express it through appearance and expression, hence it is called "a humble call." Although he is in a position without official duties and does not bear the responsibilities of the world, when a person acts in the world, he must have both strength and gentleness. The sixth line at the top is the extreme of humility, which becomes an excess and thus a deviation. Therefore, it is advantageous to use strength to regulate oneself. "Nearby states" refer to one's own private territory, "military action" refers to the use of strength, and "subduing nearby states" means regulating one's own affairs.

《象》曰：鳴謙，志未得也，可用行師征邑國也。謙極而居上，欲謙之志未得，故不勝其切，至於鳴也。雖不當位，謙既過極，宜以剛武自治其私，故云利用行師征邑國也。

The Small Image Commentary says: "The cry of humility indicates that the aspiration has not yet been fulfilled; it is appropriate to use military force to conquer nearby states." When humility has reached its extreme and one is in a superior position, the desire to retreat humbly cannot be realized, so the emotion becomes urgent and cannot be restrained, thus expressed as a cry. Although not in a position of honor, since humility has gone beyond its limit, one should use strength to manage one's own affairs, hence it says "it is appropriate to use military force to conquer nearby states."

《豫》，《序卦》：“有大而能謙必豫，故受之以豫。”承二卦之義而為次也，有既大而能謙，則有豫樂也。豫者，安和悅樂之義。為卦，震上坤下，順動之象。動而和順，是以豫也。九四為動之主，上下群陰所共應也，坤又承之以順，是以動而上下順應，故為和豫之義。以二象言之，雷出於地上。陽始潛閉於地中，及其動而出地，奮發其聲，通暢和豫，故為豫也。

Regarding the hexagram "Yu" (Joy), the "Xu Gua Zhuan" says: "When something is great yet humble, it brings joy, hence it is followed by Yu." This sequence follows the hexagrams "Da You" (Great Possession) and "Qian" (Humility): when something is grand yet knows humility, it naturally leads to joy. "Yu" means joy and harmony. In terms of the hexagram's structure, Zhen (Thunder) is above and Kun (Earth) is below, symbolizing movement in accordance with the way; movement that is also harmonious, hence it is called Yu. The ninth line in the fourth position is the main line that initiates the movement of the entire hexagram. All the yin lines above and below respond to it, and Kun below supports it with its gentle and compliant nature, so when it moves, all above and below respond harmoniously, hence the meaning of joy. In terms of the imagery of the two trigrams, it is thunder emerging from the ground: yang energy was initially hidden and concealed in the earth, but when it moves out from the ground, it bursts forth with sound, leading to smoothness and joy, hence it is called Yu.

豫：利建侯行師。豫，順而動也。豫之義，所利在於建侯行師。夫建侯樹屏，所以共安天下，諸侯和順則萬民悅服，兵師之興，眾心和悅，則順從而有功，故悅豫之道，利於建侯行師也。又上動而下順，諸侯從王，師眾順令之象。君萬邦，聚大眾，非和悅不能使之服從也。

The Hexagram Yu statement says: "It is advantageous to establish feudal lords and to march with troops." Yu means to act in accordance with the way of things. The meaning of Yu is that it is beneficial to establish feudal lords and to mobilize troops. Establishing feudal lords and setting up protective barriers is for the common stability of the world; when the feudal lords are harmonious, the people will be pleased. When mobilizing troops, if the people's hearts are joyful and harmonious, they will obey and achieve success; therefore, the way of joy and harmony is suitable for establishing feudal lords and marching with troops. Moreover, the upper trigram is Zhen (Thunder), and the lower trigram is Kun (Earth), which represents the image of feudal lords obeying the Son of Heaven and troops obeying orders. Governing all states and gathering the masses, if one cannot make people joyful, it will be impossible to make them obey.

《彖》曰：豫，剛應而志行，順以動，豫。剛應，謂四為群陰所應，剛得眾應也。志行，謂陽志上行，動而上下順從，其志得行也。順以動豫，震動而坤順為動而順理，順理而動又為動而眾順，所以豫也。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram 62 says: "Yü, the yang responds to the yin and the will is carried out, moving in accordance with order, thus Yü." "Yang responding to the yin" means that the yang line at the fourth position is responded to by the many yin lines, and the yang receives the support of the people. "The will is carried out" means that the yang's aspirations are promoted upward, and once it moves, both above and below are in harmony, thus its aspirations are realized. "Moving in accordance with order, thus Yü": the movement of the trigram Zhen (Thunder) and the order of the trigram Kun (Earth) are combined, meaning that the action is in accordance with order; moving in accordance with order brings about the obedience of the people, thus achieving harmony and joy.

豫順以動，故天地如之，而況建侯行師乎？以豫順而動，則天地如之而弗違，況建侯行師，豈有不順乎？天地之道，萬物之理，唯至順而已。大人所以先天後天而不違者，亦順乎理而已。天地以順動，故日月不過而四時不忒；聖人以順動，則刑罰清而民服。復詳言順動之道。天地之運，以其順動，所以日月之度不過差，四時之行不愆忒；聖人以順動，故經正而民興於善，刑罰清簡而萬民服也。

The Commentary on the Judgment says: "Yù is to act in harmony and in accordance with the way, hence the heavens and earth follow the same principle, and how much more so for establishing feudal lords and deploying troops?" When one acts in harmony and in accordance with the way, the heavens and earth follow without contradiction, and how could there be any disorder in establishing feudal lords and deploying troops? The way of heaven and earth, the principles of all things, in the end, all reduce to one principle of utmost harmony. The great person acts in accordance with the way of heaven and earth, whether before or after the time, and there is no contradiction, for it is merely following the principle. The Commentary on the Judgment also says: "Heaven and earth act in harmony, hence the sun and moon do not deviate from their courses and the four seasons do not go awry; the sage acts in harmony, hence the laws and regulations are clear and the people are convinced." This further explains the principle of harmonious action: because heaven and earth act in harmony, the sun and moon follow their courses without error, and the four seasons proceed without mistake; when the sage acts in harmony, the laws and regulations are clear and the people are convinced, and the people are inclined toward goodness.

豫之時義大矣哉！既言豫順之道矣，然其旨味淵永，言盡而意有餘也，故復贊之云：“豫之時義大矣哉！”欲人研味其理，優柔涵泳而識之也。時義，謂豫之時義。諸卦之時與義用大者，皆贊其大矣哉，《豫》以下十一卦是也。《豫》、《遁》、《後》、《旅》言時義，《坎》、《暌》、《蹇》言時用，《頤》、《大過》、《解》、《革》言時，各以其大者也。

The Commentary on the Judgment concludes by saying: "The significance of the timing of Yu is great indeed!" After having explained the principle of Yu's harmonious movement, there remains a profound meaning that cannot be fully expressed in words, so it adds this exclamation to encourage people to reflect deeply and gradually understand the underlying principles. "Timing and meaning" refers to the significance contained within the particular situation of Yu. Whenever a hexagram's "timing" and "meaning" are of great importance, the Commentary on the Judgment will exclaim "great indeed." Starting from the hexagram of Yu, there are eleven hexagrams that are praised with "great indeed": Yu,遁,姤,旅 discuss "timing and meaning," 坎,睽,蹇 discuss "timing and use," 饴,大过,解,革 only mention "timing," each focusing on the most significant aspect of their respective hexagrams.

《象》曰：雷出地奮，豫，先王以作樂崇德，殷薦之上帝，以配祖考。雷者，陽氣奮發，陰陽相薄而成聲也。陽始潛閉地中，及其動，則出地奮震也。始閉鬱，及奮發則通暢和豫，故為豫也。坤順震發，和順積中而發於聲，樂之象也。先王觀雷出地而奮，和暢發於聲之象，作聲樂以褒崇功德，其殷盛至於薦之上帝，推配之以祖考。殷，盛也。禮有殷奠，謂盛也。薦上帝，配祖考，盛之至也。

The Great Image Commentary of the Hexagram 62, "Joyful Expectation," says: "Thunder arises from the earth, Joyful Expectation. The former kings used music to honor virtue, offering it to the Supreme Deity and pairing it with their ancestors." Thunder is the sound produced by the vigorous movement of yang energy, formed through the interaction of yin and yang. Initially, yang energy was concealed and hidden beneath the earth; when it began to move, it burst forth from the ground, producing a resounding sound. At first, it was blocked and restrained, but once it was released, it became smooth and harmonious, hence the name "Joyful Expectation." The hexagram Kūn represents flexibility and compliance, while Zhèn represents movement and action. Harmonious energy accumulates internally and then expresses itself as sound, which is the image of music. The former kings observed the image of thunder arising from the earth and the harmonious energy expressing itself as sound, and thus created music to honor and promote virtue. This practice reached its height, even being used to offer sacrifices to the Supreme Deity and to honor the ancestors alongside. "Yīn" means great or abundant. In ancient rituals, there was a ceremony called "Yīn Diàn," referring to this abundance. Offering sacrifices to the Supreme Deity and honoring the ancestors together represents the utmost degree of abundance.

初六，鳴豫，凶。初六以陰柔居下，四豫之主也，而應之，是不中正之小人處豫，而為上所寵，其志意滿極，不勝其豫，至發於聲音，輕淺如是，必至於凶也。鳴，發於聲也。《象》曰：初六鳴豫，志窮凶也。雲初六，謂其以陰柔處下，而志意窮極，不勝其豫，至於鳴也，必驕肆而致凶矣。

The line statement of the first line of the "Yù" hexagram says: "Making a loud noise in joy, it is凶." The first line is a yin and flexible line located at the very bottom, while the fourth line is the main line of joy in the entire hexagram, and it corresponds with the first line. This is like a petty person who is neither upright nor proper, living in a time of joy, yet receiving favor from above. Thus, he becomes extremely satisfied with his success, so joyful that he cannot restrain himself and expresses it through sound. Reaching such a superficial and shallow state, it inevitably leads to danger. "Ming" means expressing oneself through sound. The "Small Image Commentary" says: "The first line makes a loud noise in joy, its aspirations are exhausted and thus it is凶." It specifically mentions the term "first line" to indicate that it is a yin and flexible line in a low position, yet its aspirations have reached an extreme, so joyful that it cannot restrain itself and expresses itself through sound. In this way, it inevitably becomes arrogant and unrestrained, leading to misfortune.

六二，介于石，不終日，貞吉。逸豫之道，放則失正，故豫之諸爻，多不得正，才與時合也。唯六二一爻處中正，又無應，為自守之象。當豫之時，獨能以中正自守，可謂特立之操，是其節介如石之堅也。介于石，其介如石也。人之於豫樂，心悅之，故遲遲遂至於耽戀不能已也。二以中正自守，其介如石，其去之速，不俟終日，故貞正而吉也。處豫不可安且久也，久則溺矣。如二，可謂見幾而作者也。

The Line Statement of the Second Line of the Hexagram of Joyful Expectation says: "Between the stone, not waiting for a full day, firmness brings good fortune." The path of ease and pleasure is such that once one indulges, one loses the right path. Therefore, most lines of the Hexagram of Joyful Expectation do not maintain the right position — this is due to the combination of the quality of the line and the circumstances it faces. Only the Second Line is both central and upright, and has no corresponding line, thus displaying the image of self-restraint. When one is in a time of joy and ease, only this line can maintain central uprightness and self-restraint, truly showing an independent and upright character. Its virtue is firm as a stone. People generally like pleasure in their hearts, so they often delay, eventually becoming addicted and unable to extricate themselves. The Second Line maintains central uprightness and is as upright as a stone, so it can withdraw quickly without waiting for a full day. Thus it is both upright and brings good fortune. Being in a time of joy and ease, one cannot remain safely for long; prolonged stay leads to entanglement. Like the Second Line, it is someone who recognizes the signs and acts immediately.

夫子因二之見幾，而極言知幾之道，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。”

Confucius, by means of the "seeing the moment" in line six of the second trigram, explained the principle of knowing the subtle moment to its fullest extent. In the "Great Treatise" of the lower transmission, he said: "To recognize the subtle signs is truly marvelous! The gentleman does not flatter in superior relationships and does not look down upon in inferior relationships, which is probably understanding the subtle signs. What is called 'a moment' is the initial, subtle indication of a thing's movement, the time when a favorable omen appears but is not yet evident. The gentleman acts immediately upon seeing the sign, without waiting for a whole day. The Book of Changes says, 'Between stone, not for a whole day, firmness brings good fortune' — since he is as firm as stone, why would he need to wait for a whole day to discern clearly? The gentleman knows both the subtle and the evident, both the soft and the strong, hence he is the one whom all people look up to."

夫見事之幾微者，其神妙矣乎！君子上交不至於諂，下交不至於瀆者，蓋知幾也。不知幾，則至於過而不已。交於上以恭巽，故過則為諂；交於下以和易，故過則為瀆。君子見於幾微，故不至於過也。所謂幾者，始動之微也，吉凶之端可先見而未著者也。獨言吉者，見之於先，豈復至有凶也？

One who can perceive the subtle signs of things possesses truly marvelous insight. The gentleman, when interacting with those above him, does not flatter; when interacting with those below him, does not look down upon them. This is precisely because he understands the subtle signs. If one does not understand these signs, he will go too far and not be able to stop. When dealing with those above, one relies on respect and humility; if taken too far, it becomes flattery. When dealing with those below, one relies on ease and sincerity; if taken too far, it becomes contempt. The gentleman perceives these subtle signs in advance, so he does not go too far. What is called "ji" is the initial, extremely subtle indication of something beginning to take shape, the faint hint of good or ill that is already discernible but not yet apparent. Here we speak only of "good" because if it is already perceived in advance, how could it ever reach the point of ill?

君子明哲，見事之幾微，故能其介如石，其守既堅，則不惑而明，見幾而動，豈俟終日也？斷，別也。其判別可見矣。微與彰，柔與剛，相對者也。君子見微則知彰矣，見柔則知剛矣，知幾如是，眾所仰也，故贊之曰“萬夫之望”。

A gentleman is wise and enlightened, capable of perceiving the subtlest details of things, thus able to act with integrity like stone. Once his principles are firmly established, he is not confused and remains clear-minded. He acts immediately upon sensing the slightest sign, without waiting for a full day to pass. "Cutting off" means discerning, implying that the distinction between right and wrong is clearly visible. The subtle and the prominent, the weak and the strong, are all relative. A gentleman sees the subtle and understands its form when it becomes prominent, sees the weak and knows its state when it becomes strong. When one reaches this level of understanding of subtle signs, he becomes the object of universal admiration, hence Confucius praised him as "the hope of a thousand men."

《象》曰：不終日貞吉，以中正也。能不終日而貞且吉者，以有中正之德也。中正故其守堅，而能辨之早，去之速。爻言六二處豫之道，為教之意深矣。六三，盱豫，悔，遲有悔。六三陰而居陽，不中不正之人也。以不中正而處豫，動皆有悔。盱，上視也。上瞻望於四，則以不中正不為四所取，故有悔也。四，豫之主，與之切近，苟遲遲而不前，則見棄絕，亦有悔也。蓋處身不正，進退皆有悔吝。當如之何？在正身而已。君子處己有道，以禮制心，雖處豫時，不失中正，故無悔也。

The Small Image Commentary says: "Not waiting for the whole day to pass, yet remaining firm and auspicious, because it is in the center and upright." Being able to withdraw before the day is over, thus being both upright and auspicious, is due to possessing the virtue of being in the center and upright. Because it is in the center and upright, its conduct is firm, it discerns things early and moves quickly. This line discusses the way of self-cultivation for the line six two in a time of joy and ease, and the teaching is profound. The line statement for line six three says: "Looking up in expectation, regret follows, and delay brings further regret." Line six three, being a yin line in a yang position, is someone who is neither in the center nor upright. With a nature that is neither in the center nor upright, it is in a time of joy and ease, so every action will bring regret. "Looking up" means looking upward. It looks up to line nine four, but because it is neither in the center nor upright, it is not accepted by line nine four, hence regret. Line nine four is the main line of joy and ease in the whole hexagram, and is very close to it. If it hesitates, it will also be rejected, thus bringing further regret. This shows that if one's position is not upright, moving forward brings regret, and retreating also brings regret. Then what should one do? Only to correct oneself. The gentleman has his own way of self-cultivation, using propriety to restrain his thoughts. Even when in a time of joy and ease, he does not lose his center and uprightness, thus there is no regret.

《象》曰：盱豫有悔，位不當也。自處不當，失中正也，是以進退有悔。九四，由豫，大有得，勿疑，朋盍簪。豫之所以為豫者，由九四也，為動之主，動而眾陰悅順，為豫之義。四，大臣之位，六五之君順從之，以陽剛而任上之事，豫之所由也，故云由豫。大有得，言得大行其志，以致天下之豫也。

The Small Image Commentary says: "Looking up with regret, the position is inappropriate." Being in an improper position means losing the center and uprightness, so there is regret in both advancing and retreating. The statement of the fourth line says: "Enjoying ease, there is great gain, do not doubt, friends gather like hair tied together." The entire hexagram is called "Ease" because of the fourth line: it is the main line that initiates action, and once it moves, all the yin lines are pleased and obedient, which is exactly the meaning of "Ease." The fourth line is the position of a minister, and the queen line five is obedient to him. He uses his yang strength to bear the duties of the superior position, and the harmony of the world comes from him, so it is said "Enjoying ease." "Great gain" means he is able to greatly realize his aspirations, thus bringing the world into harmony.

勿疑，朋盍簪：四居大臣之位，承柔弱之君，而當天下之任，危疑之地也，獨當上之倚任，而下無同德之助，所以疑也。唯當盡其至誠，勿有疑慮，則朋類自當盍聚。夫欲上下之信，唯至誠而已。苟盡其至誠，則何患乎其無助也？簪，聚也。簪之名簪，取聚髮也。或曰：卦唯一陽，安得同德之助？曰：居上位而至誠求助，理必得之。《後》之九五曰有隕自天是也。

"Do not doubt, friends will gather like hair tied with a hairpin": Nine in the Fourth holds a position of great responsibility, serving a weak ruler above and bearing the burden of the world below, which is a position of danger and uncertainty. He alone bears the ruler's trust, yet has no helpers of the same virtue beneath him, thus giving rise to doubt. At such a time, one must only put forth the utmost sincerity, without doubt, and those of the same path will naturally gather. To gain the trust of above and below depends solely on sincerity; if sincerity is fully practiced, who can worry about lacking assistance? "Zan" means to gather, for the hairpin is named so because it is used to gather hair. Someone may ask: The hexagram "Yu" has only one yang line, where can the assistance of those of the same virtue come from? The answer is: When one is in a high position and sincerely seeks help, by principle, one must surely receive it; the line "Nine in the Fifth" of the hexagram "Gou" says "a falling star from heaven," which explains exactly this principle.

四以陽剛，迫近君位，而專主乎豫，聖人宜為之戒，而不然者，豫和順之道也，由和順之道，不失為臣之正也。如此而專主於豫，乃是任天下之事而致時於豫者也，故唯戒以至誠勿疑。《象》曰：由豫，大有得，志大行也。由己而致天下於樂豫，故為大有得，謂其志得大行也。

Nine in the Fourth possesses a strong and virtuous nature, pressing closely against the position of the sovereign, and monopolizes the power of harmony and joy. According to reason, the sage should have warned him, but there is no such warning. This is because Yu is the way of harmony and compliance. By following the way of harmony and compliance, one does not lose the proper role of a subject. To take on the main responsibility of Yu is precisely to shoulder the affairs of the world and lead the situation toward harmony and joy. Therefore, only a warning to be sincere and not doubtful is given. The Small Image Commentary says: "By following Yu, there is great gain, and the will is greatly realized." The harmony of the world comes from himself, so it is said "great gain," meaning his aspirations are greatly realized.

六五，貞疾，恆不死。六五以陰柔居君位，當豫之時，沉溺於豫，不能自立者也。權之所主，眾之所歸，皆在於四。四之陽剛得眾，非耽惑柔弱之君所能制也，乃柔弱不能自立之君，受制於專權之臣也，居得君位貞也，受制於下有疾苦也。六居尊位，權雖失而位未亡也，故云貞疾恆不死，言貞而有疾，常疾而不死，如漢、魏末世之君也。

The Line Statement of the Fifth Line says: "The sincerity of the position is afflicted, yet it does not lead to death." The Fifth Line is a yin line occupying the sovereign position, which is a time of joy and ease. The ruler is immersed in comfort and is not self-reliant. The power and the hearts of the people are in the Fourth Line. The Fourth Line is a yang line that has the support of the people, and it cannot be controlled by a ruler who is indulgent and weak in nature. Thus, the weak and self-reliant ruler is controlled by a powerful minister. Although the ruler holds the position of sovereign, this is called "sincerity"; but being controlled by a minister is called "affliction." Since the yin line is in the sovereign position, although the power is lost, the position remains, so it is said "the sincerity of the position is afflicted, yet it does not lead to death"—meaning that although the position is proper, there is a chronic illness, and although the ruler is sick for a long time, he does not die immediately, just like the kings of the Han and Wei dynasties in their later periods.

人君致危亡之道非一，而以豫為多。在四不言失正，而於五乃見其強逼者，四本無失，故於四言大臣任天下之事之義，於五則言柔弱居尊，不能自立，威權去己之義，各據爻以取義，故不同也。若五不失君道，而四主於豫，乃是任得其人安享其功，如太甲、成王也。《蒙》亦以陰居尊位，二以陽為蒙之主，然彼吉而此疾者，時不同也。童蒙而資之於人，宜也；耽豫而失之於人，危亡之道也。故蒙相應，則倚任者也；《豫》相逼，則失權者也。又上下之心專歸於四也。

The ways by which a ruler brings about his own danger and downfall are not limited to one, but the most common is due to indulgence in ease and comfort. In the case of the Nine in the Fourth, it does not say he is wrong in his position, but in the case of the Six in the Fifth, it shows the strong pressure from ministers. This is because the Nine in the Fourth has no fault of its own, so the Nine in the Fourth speaks of the principle that ministers should take charge of state affairs, while the Six in the Fifth speaks of the weak ruler who holds power but cannot stand on his own, losing his authority. Each line is interpreted according to its own position, hence the different expressions. If the Six in the Fifth does not lose the way of a ruler, and the Nine in the Fourth governs with harmony and joy, then it is a case of proper use of people and enjoying peace and prosperity, like Tang Wang Tai Jia and Cheng Wang with Zhou Gong. The hexagram Meng also has a yin line in the position of honor, with the Nine in the Second as the main line of the whole hexagram. However, Meng is auspicious while this one is dangerous, because the situation is different: a child who is ignorant and relies on others is appropriate; but indulging in comfort and giving away power is the path to ruin. Therefore, in Meng, the Second and the Fifth lines correspond, indicating reliance and trust; in Yu, the Fourth and the Fifth lines press against each other, indicating loss of authority. Moreover, the hearts of people are all focused on the Nine in the Fourth.

《象》曰：六五貞疾，乘剛也；恆不死，中未亡也。貞而疾，由乘剛為剛所逼也。恆不死，中之尊位未亡也。上六，冥豫成，有渝無咎。上六陰柔，非有中正之德，以陰居上，不正也。而當豫極之時，以君子居斯時，亦當戒懼，況陰柔乎？乃耽肆於豫，昏迷不知反者也。在豫之終，故為昏冥已成也。若能有渝變，則可以無咎矣。在豫之終，有變之義。人之失，苟能自變，皆可以無咎，故冥豫雖已成，能變則善也。聖人發此義，所以勸遷善也，故更不言冥之凶，專言渝之無咎。《象》曰：冥豫在上，何可長也？昏冥於豫，至於終極，災咎行及矣。其可長然乎？當速渝也。

The Small Image Commentary says: "Six in the Fifth is faithful but sick, because it rides over yang; it remains alive because the central position has not been lost." Although the position is proper, the person suffers from illness because it is overpowering the yang. It remains alive because the central position has not been lost. The line statement for the top six says: "Being in darkness and indulgence, there is change without blame." The top six is yin and lacks the virtue of being central and upright. Being yin in the top position is not proper. Moreover, when indulgence reaches its peak, even a gentleman should be cautious and fearful, let alone a yin person. Therefore, he indulges in pleasures, becomes confused and lost without realizing when to stop. Because it is at the end of the Yu hexagram, it is said that darkness and indulgence have already been formed. If there is a change, it can avoid misfortune. Being at the end of a hexagram inherently contains the meaning of change. Human mistakes can be avoided if one changes. Therefore, even though darkness and indulgence have already been formed in Yu, changing is enough. The sage explains this meaning to encourage people to do good, so he does not mention the danger of darkness and indulgence, but only says that changing will not lead to blame. The Small Image Commentary also says: "Being in darkness and indulgence at the top, how can it last long?" Being in darkness and indulgence has reached the extreme, disaster is about to come. How can it continue like this? One should change as soon as possible.

《隨》，《序卦》：“豫必有隨，故受之以隨。”夫悅豫之道，物所隨也，隨所以次豫也。為卦，兌上震下，兌為說，震為動，說而動，動而說，皆隨之義。女隨人者也，以少女從長男，隨之義也。又震為雷，兌為澤，雷震於澤中，澤隨而動，隨之象也。又以卦變言之，乾之上來居坤之下，坤之初往居乾之上，陽來下於陰也。以陽下陰，陰必說隨，為隨之義。凡成卦，既取二體之義，又有取爻義者，復有更取卦變之義者，如隨之取義，尤為詳備。

Regarding the hexagram "Following" (随), the "Xugua Zhuan" says: "After joy comes following, hence it is followed by the hexagram of Following." The way of joy and pleasure is something that all things wish to follow, hence the hexagram of Following comes after the hexagram of Joy (豫). In terms of the structure of the hexagram, Dui is above and Zhen is below: Dui represents joy, and Zhen represents movement; joy leads to movement, and movement brings about joy, which is the meaning of "Following." Furthermore, women are naturally inclined to follow others, and here the image is of a young maiden following the elder son, which also signifies following. Moreover, Zhen represents thunder and Dui represents a marsh; thunder shakes within the marsh, causing the marsh water to move accordingly, which is the image of following. In terms of the transformation of hexagrams, the upper line of Qian moves down to the position below Kun, and the lower line of Kun moves up to the position above Qian; this is the movement of a yang line to the position below a yin line. When yang is subdued beneath yin, yin will certainly be pleased and follow, which is also the meaning of following. Generally, when a hexagram is established, it takes into account the meaning of the upper and lower trigrams, as well as the meaning of the lines, and sometimes also the meaning of the transformation. The hexagram of Following, with its multiple interpretations, is especially comprehensive.

隨：元，亨，利，貞，無咎。隨之道，可以致大亨也。君子之道，為眾所隨，與己隨於人，及臨事擇所隨，皆隨也。隨得其道，則可以致大亨也。凡人君之從善，臣下之奉命，學者之徙義，臨事而從長，皆隨也。隨之道，利在於貞正，隨得其正，然後能大亨而無咎。失其正則有咎矣，豈能亨乎？

The Hexagram of Following says: "Original, prosperous, beneficial, upright, no blame." Following this path can lead to great prosperity. The way of the superior person is followed by others; to follow others oneself, and to choose whom to follow in matters, all belong to the concept of following. Following in the right way leads to great prosperity. Whatever a ruler's willingness to accept good advice, a minister's obedience to orders, a student's adherence to righteousness, or a person's willingness to listen to the wise and elders in matters, all are examples of following. The principle of following benefits by maintaining uprightness: following in the right way allows for great prosperity without blame; losing uprightness leads to blame, and how can prosperity be achieved then?

《彖》曰：隨，剛來而下柔，動而說，隨。大亨貞，無咎，而天下隨時。卦所以為隨，以剛來而下柔，動而說也，謂乾之上九來居坤之下，坤之初六往居乾之上，以陽剛來下於陰柔，是以上下下，以貴下賤，能如是，物之所說隨也。又下動而上說，動而可說也，所以隨也。如是則可大亨而得正，能大亨而得正，則為無咎。不能亨，不得正，則非可隨之道，豈能使天下隨之乎？天下所隨者時也，故云“天下隨時”。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram of Following says: "Following, the strong comes down to be beneath the flexible, moves and brings joy, thus following. Greatly prosperous and upright, without blame, and the world follows the times." This hexagram is called "Following" because the strong line comes down to be beneath the flexible line, and it moves to bring joy. The phrase "the strong comes down to be beneath the flexible" refers to the upper trigram Qian (Heaven) with its uppermost line, Nine at the Top, coming down to be beneath the lower trigram Kun (Earth), while the lower trigram Kun's initial line, Six at the Beginning, moves up to be above Qian. This means that a yang line willingly takes a yin position, which is the superior humbling itself to the inferior, the noble yielding to the humble. When this happens, all things naturally rejoice and follow. Moreover, the lower trigram is Zhen (Thunder), which represents movement, and the upper trigram is Dui (Lake), which represents joy. Movement that brings joy is thus following. Therefore, it can be greatly prosperous and remain upright, without blame. If one is not prosperous or does not remain upright, it is not a path worth following, how could it make the world follow? The world follows the times, hence it is said, 'the world follows the times.'

隨時之義大矣哉！君子之道，隨時而動，從宜適變，不可為典要，非造道之深，知幾能權者，不能與於此也。故贊之曰“隨時之義大矣哉！”凡贊之者，欲人知其義之大，玩而識之也。此贊隨時之義大，與《豫》等諸卦不同，諸卦時與義是兩事。

The Commentary on the Judgment praises saying: "The significance of following the right time is great indeed!" The way of the superior man is to act in accordance with the circumstances, adapting himself as appropriate, without establishing a fixed set of rules. One who is not highly skilled, capable of discerning subtle signs, and adept at balancing matters cannot reach this level. Therefore, it praises, "The significance of following the right time is great indeed." All such commendations are meant to make people understand the profound meaning, to contemplate it repeatedly and thereby grasp it. However, here the praise is specifically about the importance of "following the right time," which differs from the meaning in the hexagrams such as "Yü" (Joy), where "time" and "righteousness" were originally separate concepts.

《象》曰：澤中有雷，隨，君子以嚮晦入宴息。雷震於澤中，澤隨震而動，為隨之象。君子觀象，以隨時而動。隨時之宜，萬事皆然，取其最明且近者言之。君子以嚮晦入宴息：君子晝則自強不息，及向昏晦，則入居於內，宴息以安其身，起居隨時，適其宜也。《禮》：君子晝不居內，夜不居外，隨時之道也。

The *Great Image* of the *Book of Changes* says: "There is thunder in the marsh, *Following*; the superior man takes this as a sign to retire indoors when it grows dark and rest quietly." Thunder shaking within the marsh causes the marsh water to move accordingly, illustrating the image of *Following*. The superior man observes this image and learns the principle of adapting to the time. Whatever one does, it should be done according to the circumstances. Here, the passage takes the most straightforward example: "The superior man retires indoors when it grows dark and rests quietly." The superior man works diligently during the day and, when evening comes, returns indoors to rest and preserve his body. Daily activities should be adjusted according to the time, each in its proper way. The *Book of Rites* says, "The superior man does not stay indoors during the day and does not go out at night," which expresses the same principle of adapting to the time.

初九，官有渝，貞吉，出門交有功。九居隨時而震體且動之主，有所隨者也。官，主守也。既有所隨，是其所主守有變易也，故曰官有渝，貞吉，所隨得正則吉也。有渝而不得正，乃過動也。出門交有功：人心所從，多所親愛者也。常人之情，愛之則見其是，惡之則見其非，故妻孥之言雖失而多從，所憎之言雖善為惡也。苟以親愛而隨之，則是私情所與，豈合正理，故出門而交則有功也。出門謂非私暱，交不以私，故其隨當而有功。

The Line Statement of the initial line of the "Following" hexagram says: "The official has changed, but with uprightness it is auspicious; going out to meet people brings success." The initial line, which is a yang line, is in the situation of the "Following" hexagram and belongs to the trigram Zhen (Thunder), which is the main line of action. It represents someone who is following another. "Official" here means to be in charge or to hold on to something. Since there is an object to follow, what he was previously in charge of must change, hence "the official has changed." The statement "with uprightness it is auspicious" is because the object being followed is upright, thus leading to good fortune. If the change is not upright, then it is a reckless action. "Going out to meet people brings success": people usually follow those they are close to and love. Human nature tends to see what is said by those they like as correct, and what is said by those they dislike as wrong. Therefore, even if the words of one's wife or children are wrong, they are often obeyed, while even if the words of someone one hates are right, they are considered wrong. If one follows someone merely because of affection, it is partial and biased, which is not in accordance with reason. Therefore, going out to meet people brings success. "Going out" means not being limited to those one is close to; when meeting people without partiality, the one being followed will naturally be appropriate and effective.

《象》曰：官有渝，從正吉也。既有隨而變，必所從得正則吉也。所從不正，則有悔吝。出門交有功，不失也。出門而交，非牽於私，其交必正矣，正則無失而有功。六二，係小子，失丈夫。二應五而比初，隨先於近柔，不能固守，故為之戒云：若係小子，則失丈夫也。初陽在下，小子也；五正應在上，丈夫也。二若志繫於初，則失九五之正應，是失丈夫也。係小子而失丈夫，舍正應而從不正，其咎大矣。二有中正之德，非必至如是也，在隨之時，當為之戒也。

The Small Image Commentary says: "Official duties change, but following the correct path brings good fortune." Since change arises from following something, it is essential that what is followed is correct to bring good fortune; if what is followed is not correct, there will be regret and shame. "Going out to meet others and achieving success, without losing the right path." — Going out to interact with others without being swayed by personal feelings ensures that the interaction is upright; being upright prevents mistakes and allows for accomplishments. The line statement for the second line says: "Binding the young man, losing the elder." The second line should correspond with the fifth line, but it is close to the first line instead. When following, it is easy to first follow the nearby one, and the weak and unstable nature makes it hard to hold on. Therefore, it is specifically warned that if one binds to the "young man," one will lose the "elder." The first line is a yang line at the bottom, representing the "young man"; the fifth line is the correct corresponding line above, representing the "elder." If the second line attaches its mind to the first line, it loses the fifth line, the correct corresponding line, which is the "elder." Binding to the young man and losing the elder means abandoning the correct corresponding line for an incorrect one, which is a great mistake. The second line originally has the virtue of being in the middle and upright, and may not actually reach this point, but because it is in the situation of following, it is appropriate to issue a warning.

《象》曰：係小子，弗兼與也。人之所隨，得正則遠邪，從非則失是，無兩從之理。二苟繫初，則失五矣，弗能兼與也。所以戒人從正當專一也。六三，係丈夫，失小子，隨有求得，利居貞。

The Small Image Commentary says: "To bind the young, one cannot be attached to both." The object one follows determines one's path; following the right leads away from the wrong, while following the wrong leads to losing the right. There is no way to follow both at the same time. If six two is bound to initial nine, it loses five nine, and both cannot be obtained at once. This is a warning that following the right path must be devoted and single-minded. The statement of line three says: "To bind the husband, to lose the young, to follow with a request, it is advantageous to dwell in uprightness."

丈夫九四也，小子初也。陽之在上者丈夫也，居下者小子也。三雖與初同體，而切近於四，故繫於四也。大抵陰柔不能自立，常親繫於所近者。上繫於四，故下失於初，舍初從上，得隨之宜也，上隨則善也。如昏之隨明，事之從善，上隨也。背是從非，舍明逐暗，下隨也。

Here, "husband" refers to nine in the fourth position, and "little person" refers to nine at the beginning: a yang line in the upper position is called husband, while a yang line in the lower position is called little person. Although six in the third is with nine at the beginning in the lower trigram, it is closely adjacent to nine in the fourth, so it is connected to nine in the fourth. Generally, the weak and flexible cannot stand on their own and always attach themselves to the person closest to them. It connects upward to nine in the fourth, so it loses connection with nine at the beginning; abandoning nine at the beginning and following above is in accordance with the proper way of following. Following upward is good. For example, a person in confusion following a wise person, or someone handling affairs following the good side, is following upward; departing from correctness to follow error, abandoning brightness to chase darkness, is following downward.

四亦無應，無隨之者也，近得三之隨，必與之親善。故三之隨四，有求必得也。人之隨於上，而上與之，是得所求也。又凡所求者可得也。雖然，固不可非理枉道以隨於上，苟取愛說以遂所求。如此，乃小人邪諂趨利之為也，故云利居貞。自處於正，則所謂有求而必得者，乃正事君子之隨也。

Nine in the Fourth has no corresponding line, originally having no one to follow; now it is close enough to receive the following of Six in the Third. Therefore, Six in the Third must be close and friendly with Nine in the Fourth. So Six in the Third follows Nine in the Fourth, and whatever it seeks will surely be obtained. When people follow an authority and the authority accepts them, this is seeking what one desires and obtaining it. Moreover, whatever one seeks, it is generally likely to be fulfilled. However, one must not violate reason or distort the right path in order to attach oneself to above, and not seek to please above in a deceitful way to achieve one's own desires. Doing so is the behavior of a petty person who is sly and flattering, chasing after power for personal gain. Therefore, the line statement says, "It is advantageous to stay firm and upright." If one stands upright, then what is called "whatever is sought will be obtained" is the proper way for a gentleman to follow.

《象》曰：係丈夫，志舍下也。既隨於上，則是其志舍下而不從也。舍下而從上，舍卑而從高也，於隨為善矣。九四，隨有獲，貞凶。有孚，在道，以明，何咎？九四以陽剛之才，處臣位之極，若於隨有獲，則雖正亦凶。有獲，謂得天下之心隨於己。為臣之道，當使恩威一出於上，眾心皆隨於君。若人心從己，危疑之道也，故凶。

The Small Image Commentary says: "Binding to a husband, the mind has abandoned the lower." Since it has followed above, it shows that its mind has abandoned the lower and no longer follows it. Abandoning the lower to follow the upper is abandoning the humble to follow the superior, which is considered good in the context of following. The statement of the fourth line says: "Following brings gain, but being firm brings misfortune. Having sincerity, being on the right path, and being clear, what misfortune?" The fourth line, with its yang strength, is at the top of the position of a minister. If it gains something in following, even if it remains firm, it is still dangerous. The term "gain" refers to gaining the hearts of the people who follow it. As a minister, the principle should be that grace and authority come from the sovereign, and the hearts of all should be directed toward the sovereign. If the people follow oneself instead, it is a path of doubt and danger, hence misfortune.

居此地者奈何？唯孚誠積於中，動為合於道，以明哲處之，則又何咎？古之人有行之者，伊尹、周公、孔明是也，皆德及於民，而民隨之。其得民之隨，所以成其君之功，致其國之安，其至誠存乎中，是有孚也；其所施為無不中道，在道也；唯其明哲，故能如是以明也，復何過咎之有？是以下信而上不疑，位極而無逼上之嫌，勢重而無專強之過。非聖人大賢，則不能也。其次如唐之郭子儀，威震主而主不疑，亦由中有誠孚而處無甚失也，非明哲能如是乎？

What should a person in such a position do? He must cultivate sincerity within himself, and every action must conform to the Way. Then, with wisdom and discernment, he can respond appropriately. In that case, how could there be any fault? Among the ancients who achieved this, there were I Yin, the Duke of Zhou, and Zhuge Liang. Their virtue and benevolence reached the people, and the people thus followed them. And their being followed by the people was precisely to accomplish the sovereign's achievements and secure the country's peace. Sincerity residing in the heart is called "having faith." Actions that are always in accordance with the middle path are called "being on the Way." Because of their wisdom and discernment, they could achieve this, which is called "using clarity." In such a case, how could there be any fault? Therefore, the people below trust him, and the sovereign above does not suspect him. His position reaches the peak yet there is no suspicion of challenging the sovereign. His power is great yet there is no fault of tyranny. Not a sage or a great virtuous person, one cannot achieve this. The next level would be like Guo Ziyi of the Tang dynasty, whose prestige shook the sovereign, yet the sovereign did not suspect him. This was because he had genuine sincerity within and did not commit major mistakes in his conduct. Without wisdom and discernment, could he have achieved this?

《象》曰：隨有獲，其義凶也。有孚在道，明功也。居近君之位而有獲，其義固凶。能有孚而在道，則無咎，蓋明哲之功也。九五，孚于嘉，吉。九五居尊得正而中實，是其中誠在於隨善，其吉可知。嘉，善也。自人君至於庶人，隨道之吉，唯在隨善而已。下應二之正中，為隨善之義。

The Small Image Commentary says: "Following leads to gain, its meaning is ominous. Having sincerity on the right path, this is manifesting merit." Being in a position close to the sovereign and gaining the people's support, by nature is ominous; yet if one holds sincere intentions and acts in accordance with the right path, there will be no mistakes, which is the result of wisdom and insight. The line statement of nine five says: "Sincerity in goodness, auspicious." Nine five is in a position of honor, has attained the correct position, and a yang line is in the center with inner strength, showing that his sincere heart is directed toward following the good path, thus auspiciousness is evident. "Goodness" refers to the good. From the sovereign down to the common people, following is auspicious, only because what is followed is good. Nine five responds to six two, which is a correct and central line, precisely expressing the meaning of "following the good."

《象》曰：孚于嘉吉，位正中也。處正中之位，由正中之道，孚誠所隨者正中也，所謂嘉也，其吉可知。所孚之嘉，謂六二也。隨以得中為善，隨之所防者過也，蓋心所說隨，則不知其過矣。

The Small Image Commentary says: "Believing in the good is吉祥, because the position is upright and central." Being in a position that is both upright and central, one follows a path that is both upright and central. The object of one's sincere belief is also upright and central, which is called "good." Therefore, it is吉祥. The "good" he believes in refers to the second line. Following should be based on the principle of being central, because following requires most vigilance against excess. Once a person becomes fond of the object they follow, they may not realize they have already gone too far.

上六，拘係之，乃從維之，王用亨于西山。上六以柔順而居隨之極，極乎隨者也。拘係之，謂隨之極，如拘持縻繫之。乃從維之，又從而維繫之也，謂隨之固結如此。王用亨于西山，隨之極如是。昔者太王用此道，亨王業於西山。太王避狄之難，去豳來岐，豳人老稚扶攜以隨之如歸市，蓋其人心之隨，固結如此，用此故能亨盛其王業於西山。西山，岐山也。周之王業，蓋興於此。上居隨極，固為大過，然在得民之隨，與隨善之固，如此乃為善也，施於他則過矣。《象》曰：拘係之，上窮也。隨之固如拘繫維持，隨道之窮極也。

The line statement of the sixth line at the top says: "He is bound, then further tied, the king uses this to prosper in the western mountain." The sixth line at the top, with its gentle and compliant nature, is at the extreme point of following. It represents someone who has followed to the very end. "He is bound" means that following to the extreme is like being bound and tied up. "Then further tied" means that after following, it is further bound, describing how firmly the following is. "The king uses this to prosper in the western mountain" indicates the result of following to such an extent: in the past, King Taiwang of the Zhou dynasty followed this path and spread his royal cause in the western mountain. To avoid the invasion of the Di people, King Taiwang left the state of Bin and moved to Mount Qi. The people of Bin, regardless of age, followed him carrying the elderly and children, coming in great numbers like a market scene. This shows how firmly the people's following could be, and it was through this that he was able to spread his royal cause in the western mountain. The western mountain refers to Mount Qi, where the Zhou dynasty's royal cause was probably established. Although the sixth line at the top is at the extreme of following, it is considered good in the context of "gaining the people's following" and "the firmness of following." If applied to other matters, it would be excessive. The Small Image Commentary says: "He is bound, reaching the extreme." Following so firmly as if bound and tied is the extreme of the way of following.