The Great Commentary, Part Two

The eight trigrams stand in order, with their images within them. When doubled, they contain the lines. Firm and yielding press on each other, and change arises. Words attached to them prescribe action. Good fortune, misfortune, regret, and humiliation arise from movement. Firm and yielding establish the foundation; change and continuity keep pace with time; good and ill fortune mark the victory of what is steadfast. The way of heaven and earth is steadfast in what it reveals; the way of sun and moon steadfast in their light; the movements of all under heaven steadfast in their oneness. Qian firmly shows humanity what is easy; Kun gently shows what is simple. The lines imitate this; the images resemble it. Lines and images move within; good and ill fortune appear without. Achievements appear in change; the sages' concerns appear in their words. The great virtue of heaven and earth is called life; the sages' great treasure is called their position. How is position kept? Through humanity. How are people gathered? Through resources. Ordering resources, setting words right, and preventing the people from wrongdoing are called justice.

In ancient times, when Bao Xi ruled all under heaven, he looked up and observed the images in heaven, looked down and observed patterns on earth; he studied the markings of birds and beasts and the suitability of the land. Nearby he drew from his own body; far away, from other things. Thus he first made the eight trigrams to comprehend the virtue of the mysterious and luminous and to classify the nature of all beings. He knotted cords to make nets and traps for hunting and fishing: he likely took this from Li (Fire).

After Bao Xi died, Shen Nong arose. He cut wood to make plowshares and bent wood to make plow handles. He taught all under heaven the benefits of plowing and weeding: he likely took this from Yi (Increase). At noon he established markets, drawing together people and goods from all under heaven. They exchanged their wares and departed, each obtaining what was needed: he likely took this from Shi Ke (Biting Through).

After Shen Nong died, the Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun arose. They made changes flow freely so the people would not grow weary; they transformed things with mysterious power so the people might find them fitting. When the Changes reaches an end it changes; change opens a way, and an open way endures. Thus heaven itself helps them: good fortune, nothing unfavorable. The Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun let their robes hang loose, and all under heaven was governed: they likely took this from Qian and Kun.

They hollowed wood to make boats and shaped wood to make oars. Boats and oars carried people across what had been impassable and brought distant things near, benefiting all under heaven: they likely took this from Huan (Dispersion).

They yoked oxen and rode horses to haul heavy loads and reach faraway places for the benefit of all under heaven: they likely took this from Sui (Following). They built double gates and sounded clappers to guard against violent visitors: they likely took this from Yu (Enthusiasm).

They cut wood for pestles and dug earth for mortars; mortars and pestles aided the myriad people: they likely took this from Xiao Guo (Small Excess).

They bent wood to make bows and shaped wood to make arrows; bows and arrows gave them power over all under heaven: they likely took this from Kui (Opposition).

In the earliest ages people lived in caves or camped in the open. Later sages replaced these with houses, with beams above and eaves below for shelter against wind and rain: they likely took this from Da Zhuang (Great Power).

In old times the dead were wrapped thickly in firewood and buried in the wilderness, without mounds or trees and without a fixed mourning period. Later sages replaced this with inner and outer coffins: they likely took this from Da Guo (Great Excess).

In the earliest ages government used knotted cords. Later sages replaced them with written records, enabling the hundred officials to govern and the myriad people to understand: they likely took this from the Zhou Changes, Guai (Breakthrough).

Thus the Changes is images: an image is a likeness. A Judgment is a description of substance. A line imitates the movements of all under heaven. Thus good and ill fortune arise, and regret and humiliation become manifest.

Yang trigrams have more yin lines, and yin trigrams more yang lines. Why? Yang trigrams have an odd number of yang lines; yin trigrams an even number. What of their virtue and conduct? Yang has one ruler and two people, the noble person's way. Yin has two rulers and one person, the petty person's way.

The Classic says, “Restlessly going and coming, companions follow your thoughts.” The Master said: “What need is there for thought or anxiety in the world? All under heaven reaches the same destination by different roads, one end through a hundred plans. What need for thought or anxiety? When the sun departs the moon comes; when the moon departs the sun comes. They follow each other, and light is born. When cold departs heat comes; when heat departs cold comes. They follow each other, and the year is completed. Departure is contraction; arrival is extension. They stir one another, and benefit is born. The inchworm bends to extend itself; dragons and snakes lie dormant to preserve their lives. Refining the meaning until it enters the mysterious enables its use; applying what is useful to secure oneself elevates virtue. Beyond this, nothing more is known. Probing mystery to the limit and knowing transformation is virtue at its fullest.”

The Classic says, “Oppressed by stone, leaning upon thornbushes. Entering his home, he does not see his wife. Misfortune.” The Master said: “If one is oppressed by what should not oppress, one's name will surely be disgraced; if one leans upon what should not support, one's life will surely be endangered. Disgraced and imperiled, death is approaching: how could he see his wife?”

The Classic says, “The duke shoots a hawk atop the high wall and takes it. Nothing is unfavorable.” The Master said: “The hawk is the bird; bow and arrow are the implements; the archer is the person. The noble person keeps his tools ready within himself and awaits the time to move. What could be unfavorable? He moves without being checked, and goes forth to take his prey. This speaks of making one's tools ready before acting.”

The Master said: “The petty person feels no shame at lacking humanity, no fear of lacking justice; unless he sees gain he cannot be urged, unless threatened he cannot be restrained. A light punishment teaching a great lesson is a blessing for the petty person. The Classic says, ‘Feet locked in stocks until the toes disappear. No blame.’ This is what it means. Good deeds not accumulated cannot make a reputation; bad deeds not accumulated cannot destroy a life. The petty person thinks small good deeds useless and does not do them; he thinks small evils harmless and does not cast them off. Thus evil piles up beyond concealment, and guilt grows beyond repair. The Classic says, ‘Bearing a wooden collar until the ears disappear. Misfortune.’”

The Master said: “Those who find themselves in danger are those who have assumed their position secure. Those who perish are those who thought their survival assured. Those in disorder are those who believed themselves well governed. Thus the noble person is safe without forgetting danger, survives without forgetting ruin, and governs without forgetting disorder. So his person remains secure and his realm can be preserved. The Classic says, ‘It may perish! It may perish! Bind it to a cluster of mulberry trees.’”

The Master said: “When virtue is slight but position exalted, knowledge small but designs great, strength weak but burdens heavy, few avoid disaster. The Classic says, ‘The cauldron breaks a leg and spills the duke's meal; its bearer is soaked in disgrace. Misfortune.’ This speaks of one unequal to his charge.”

The Master said: “Knowing the first faint signs: is this not mysterious? The noble person meets those above without flattery and those below without contempt. Surely he knows the first signs. A first sign is movement's faint beginning, good fortune's earliest appearance. The noble person sees it and acts, not waiting a full day. The Classic says, ‘Firm as stone; not even a full day passes. Steadfastness brings good fortune.’ Firm as stone: why wait even a whole day? His judgment is already clear. The noble person knows what is hidden and what is manifest, what is yielding and what is firm: ten thousand look to him.”

The Master said: “The son of the Yan family came close indeed! Whenever he did wrong he knew it, and once he knew, he never repeated it. The Classic says, ‘Return before going far, without great regret. Supreme good fortune.’ Heaven and earth entwine their vital breaths, and all beings transform and ripen; male and female mingle their vital essence, and all beings transform and are born. The Classic says, ‘When three walk together, one person is lost; when one walks alone, one finds a friend.’ This speaks of arriving at unity.”

The Master said: “The noble person secures himself before he moves, eases his heart before he speaks, and establishes relationships before he makes requests. Cultivating these three, he remains whole. Moving while imperiled, he finds that people do not join him. Speaking in fear, he finds that people do not answer. Asking without a relationship, he finds that people give him nothing. When no one joins him, those who harm him arrive. The Classic says, ‘No one increases him; someone strikes him. A heart without constancy brings misfortune.’”

The Master said: “Are not Qian and Kun the gates of the Changes? Qian is the yang thing; Kun the yin thing. Yin and yang unite their virtues and give firm and yielding their bodies, embodying the workings of heaven and earth and comprehending the virtue of the mysterious and luminous.” Their names are varied but do not overstep; on examining their kinds, one wonders whether they express the concerns of a declining age. The Changes reveals the past and examines the future; it makes the manifest subtle and unfolds the hidden. It opens things and assigns fitting names, distinguishes beings, sets words right, and settles judgments: thus it is complete. Its names refer to small things, but its classes embrace great ones; its meaning is far-reaching, its words patterned. Its expressions are indirect yet exact; its affairs are displayed yet concealed. It uses uncertainty to guide people's conduct and reveal the consequences of gain and loss.

The Changes arose, perhaps, in the middle ages. Were its makers beset by worries? Therefore:

Lu (Treading) is the foundation of virtue. Qian (Modesty) is virtue's handle. Fu (Return) is virtue's root. Heng (Duration) is virtue's firmness. Sun (Decrease) cultivates virtue. Yi (Increase) enriches virtue. Kun (Oppression) distinguishes virtue. Jing (The Well) is virtue's ground. Xun (The Gentle Wind) governs virtue.

Treading harmonizes and brings things to their end. Modesty is honored and shines. Return is small but distinguishes among things. Duration is diverse yet does not weary. Decrease is difficult first and easy afterward. Increase grows abundant without being submerged. Oppression reaches an impasse and passes through. The Well stays in its place yet moves others. The Gentle Wind measures and stays hidden.

Treading brings harmony to conduct. Modesty governs ritual. Return brings self-knowledge. Duration unifies virtue. Decrease keeps harm at a distance. Increase promotes benefit. Oppression diminishes resentment. The Well distinguishes what is right. The Gentle Wind exercises discretion.

The book of Changes must never be set far away, for its way shifts again and again. Changing movement never stays put: it circulates through the six empty positions, without constancy above or below. Firm and yielding exchange places; no fixed rule can encompass it, for it follows change alone. Its arrivals and departures have measure and teach those without and within to be cautious. It also clarifies worries and their causes. Without teacher or guardian, it is as though one stood before one's parents. At first follow its words and weigh their direction; there are enduring principles. But without the right person, the way does not proceed by itself.

The book of Changes traces beginnings and encompasses endings as its substance. The six lines intermingle, each according to the things and time. The beginning is difficult to know; the top is easy to know: these are root and tip. The words of the first line sketch a likeness; at the last, they bring it to completion. But to blend things, select virtues, and distinguish right from wrong requires the middle lines. Ah, the essentials of survival and ruin, good fortune and misfortune, can be known from where they stand. If a wise person reads the Judgment, more than half his thought is done.

The second and fourth lines do similar work but occupy different positions, and their good differs: the second receives much praise, the fourth much fear, because it is close to the ruler. Yielding by nature fares poorly nearby; its chief aim is to avoid blame, and its strength is yielding at the center. The third and fifth lines do similar work but occupy different positions, and their encounters differ: the third has much misfortune, the fifth much achievement, according to the difference between low and high. Is yielding there in danger and firmness victorious?

The book of Changes is broad and great, complete in every part. It has the way of heaven, the way of humanity, and the way of earth. It doubles these three powers, yielding six lines. Six is nothing other than the way of the three powers. The way changes and moves, so the parts are called lines; the lines have ranks, so they are called things; things intermingle, so they are called patterns; when patterns do not fit, good and ill fortune arise.

The Changes arose, perhaps, at the end of the Shang, when Zhou's virtue flourished; perhaps amid the affairs of King Wen and the tyrant Zhou. Thus its words are filled with peril. One who recognizes peril finds peace; one who takes things lightly is overturned. Its way is vast, neglecting none of the myriad things. Fearful from beginning to end, it seeks above all to avoid blame: this is the way of the Changes.

Qian is the utmost strength under heaven; its virtue and conduct are always easy, yet it knows danger. Kun is the utmost obedience under heaven; its virtue and conduct are always simple, yet it knows obstacles. They can bring joy to the heart and examine others' concerns; they settle the good and ill fortune of all under heaven and complete its tireless undertakings. Thus change and transformation are made into speech and action; fortunate affairs have omens. Through images one knows the instruments for an affair; through divination, what is to come.

Heaven and earth establish their places; sages bring their powers to completion. Humans plan and spirits plan, and the people share in their powers. The eight trigrams speak through images; the lines and Judgments speak through their conditions. Firm and yielding dwell together, and good and ill fortune become visible. Change and movement speak of benefit, while good and ill fortune shift with circumstance. Thus love and hate contend and produce good and ill fortune; distance and nearness attract and produce regret and humiliation; truth and falsehood stir one another and produce benefit and harm. Throughout the Changes, when those near each other fail to come together, misfortune or harm follows, with regret and humiliation.

One who intends rebellion speaks with shame; one who doubts within speaks in branches. A fortunate person speaks few words, a restless one many. One who slanders the good speaks evasively; one who has lost self-command speaks in defeat.

When the eight trigrams are arranged in rows, images are present. Double them, and the lines are present. Firm and yielding push against each other, and change is present. Attach words to name them, and movement is present. Good fortune, misfortune, regret, and humiliation arise from movement. Firm and yielding establish the foundation; change and passage adapt to the time; good fortune and misfortune show what wins out when one stays the course. Heaven and earth's way is to show things steadily; sun and moon's way is to shine steadily; the world's movements remain steady in one principle. Qian (Heaven) shows people ease with its firmness; Kun (Earth) shows them simplicity with its yielding. Lines imitate this; images represent this. Lines and images move within, while good fortune and misfortune show outside; achievements appear in change, and the wise people's concerns appear in words. The great virtue of heaven and earth is giving life. The great treasure of wise people is position. What preserves that position? Kindness. What gathers people? Resources. Managing resources, setting words right, and forbidding people to do wrong are called justice.

Long ago, when Baoxi ruled the world, he looked up at the images in heaven and down at patterns on earth. He observed the markings of birds and beasts and the land's features. He looked close at his own body and far away at other things. Then he first made the eight trigrams, to understand the virtue of the spirits and classify the nature of all things. He knotted cords to make nets for hunting and fishing, probably drawing this from Li (Fire).

After Baoxi died, Shennong arose. He carved wood into plowshares and bent wood into plow handles. He taught the whole world the benefits of plowing and weeding, probably drawing this from Yi (Increase). He set up a market at noon, bringing together the world's people and goods. They traded and left, each getting what they needed, probably drawing this from Shi He (Biting Through).

After Shennong died, the Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun arose. They understood change so that the people would not grow weary. They transformed things with skill so that people could adapt. When change reaches a limit, things transform; transformation opens a way; the open way can last. Thus heaven helps: good fortune, and nothing unfavorable. The Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun wore robes and let them hang, and the world was well governed, probably drawing this from Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth).

People hollowed wood into boats and sharpened wood into oars. Boats and oars allowed them to cross barriers and travel far, benefiting the whole world, probably drawing this from Huan (Dispersion).

They harnessed oxen and rode horses, drawing heavy loads across great distances for the benefit of the world, probably drawing this from Sui (Following). They made double gates and sounded night watches to guard against violent visitors, probably drawing this from Yu (Enthusiasm).

They cut wood to make pestles and dug into the earth to make mortars. Mortars and pestles helped everyone, probably drawing this from Xiao Guo (Small Excess).

They bent wood and strung it to make bows, and sharpened wood to make arrows. Bows and arrows let them command respect throughout the world, probably drawing this from Kui (Opposition).

In earliest times people lived in caves and out in the open. Later wise people replaced these with houses, with beams above and roofs below, to withstand wind and rain, probably drawing this from Da Zhuang (Great Strength).

In old times people wrapped the dead thickly in brushwood and buried them in the fields, without a mound or a tree. There was no fixed time for mourning. Later wise people replaced this practice with inner and outer coffins, probably drawing this from Da Guo (Great Excess).

In earliest times people governed with knotted cords. Later wise people replaced these with written records. Officials could administer affairs and everyone could inspect them, probably drawing this from the Classic of Changes: Guai (Breakthrough).

So the Changes are images. An image is a likeness. A Judgment speaks of the material. The lines imitate the world's movements. Thus good fortune and misfortune arise, and regret and humiliation become clear.

Why do yang trigrams have more yin lines and yin trigrams have more yang lines? Yang trigrams are odd and yin trigrams are even. What of their moral conduct? Yang has one ruler and two subjects: this is the noble person's way. Yin has two rulers and one subject: this is the petty person's way.

The Changes say, “Coming and going restlessly, friends follow your thoughts.” The Master said, “Why should the world worry and think? All return to the same destination by different paths, arriving at one result through a hundred thoughts. Why should the world worry and think? When the sun leaves, the moon arrives; when the moon leaves, the sun arrives. They push one another and produce light. When cold leaves, heat comes; when heat leaves, cold comes. They push one another and complete the year. Going is contraction, and coming is extension. Their interaction produces what is useful. The inchworm contracts so it can extend. Dragons and snakes hibernate to preserve their bodies. Refining the right principles until they reach the mysterious makes them useful. Using them to settle one's body raises virtue. What lies beyond this no one knows. To explore the mysterious and understand transformation is abundant virtue.”

The Changes say, “Trapped among rocks, he leans on thornbushes. He enters his home but cannot see his wife. Misfortune.” The Master said, “If a person is trapped where he need not be, his reputation will be disgraced. If he leans where he should not, his body will be in danger. Disgraced and endangered, he is close to death. How could he expect to see his wife?”

The Changes say, “A duke shoots a hawk atop a high wall and catches it. Nothing is unfavorable.” The Master said, “The hawk is the bird; bow and arrows are the tools; the archer is the person. The noble person keeps his tools ready and waits for the right moment to act. How could anything be unfavorable? He acts without being held back, goes out, and gets his catch. This speaks of preparing tools before acting.”

The Master said, “Petty people are not ashamed of lacking kindness or afraid of doing wrong. They are not encouraged unless they see a reward or restrained unless they face a threat. A small punishment can be a major warning: this is good fortune for petty people. The Changes say, ‘His feet are covered by wooden stocks. No blame.’ That is what this means. Good deeds do not build a reputation unless they accumulate; evil deeds do not destroy a person unless they accumulate. Petty people think a little good is useless, so they do not do it. They think a little wrong is harmless, so they do not stop it. Thus their wrongdoing piles up and cannot be hidden; their crimes grow so great that they cannot be undone. The Changes say, ‘He carries a wooden collar covering his ears. Misfortune.’”

The Master said, “Danger comes to those who consider their position secure. Ruin comes to those who assume they will survive. Disorder comes to those who think their government is orderly. So the noble person does not forget danger in safety, ruin while surviving, or disorder during orderly times. In this way his person is safe and his state and family can be protected. The Changes say, ‘It might perish! It might perish! Tie it to a cluster of mulberry trees.’”

The Master said, “Few people escape trouble when their virtue is slight but their rank is high, their knowledge is small but their plans are grand, or their strength is slight but their burdens heavy. The Changes say, ‘The cauldron breaks a leg and spills the duke's food. His punishment is severe. Misfortune.’ This means being unable to bear the task.”

The Master said, “How remarkable it is to recognize the first signs! The noble person deals with superiors without flattering them and with inferiors without being disrespectful. He knows the first signs. These are the subtle beginnings of movement, the first signs of good fortune. The noble person acts as soon as he sees them, without waiting until the end of the day. The Changes say, ‘Firm as a stone, not waiting until the day is over. Staying the course brings good fortune.’ If one is as firm as stone, why wait all day? The right decision is clear. The noble person knows the subtle and the obvious, the yielding and the firm. Ten thousand people look to him.”

The Master said, “The son of the Yan family came close to this! Whenever he did wrong, he recognized it; once he knew it, he never repeated it. The Changes say, ‘Returning before going far, without reaching regret. Supreme good fortune.’ Heaven and earth mix their energies, and all things transform and mature. Male and female join their vital forces, and all things come to life. The Changes say, ‘When three people travel together, one is lost. When one person travels alone, that person finds a companion.’ This speaks of coming together as one.”

The Master said, “The noble person settles himself before moving, calms his mind before speaking, and secures his relationships before asking for anything. By cultivating these three, he stays whole. If he acts while in danger, the people will not support him. If he speaks out of fear, the people will not respond. If he makes requests without relationships, the people will give him nothing. When no one helps him, those who would hurt him arrive. The Changes say, ‘No one increases him; someone may strike him. Not keeping a steady purpose brings misfortune.’”

The Master said, “Are Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth) the gateways to the Changes? Qian is a yang thing, Kun a yin thing. Yin and yang combine their virtues, giving shape to firm and yielding, embodying the works of heaven and earth and revealing the virtue of the spirits.” Their names are varied but do not go beyond their proper categories. Examining their types, perhaps they express the thoughts of an age in decline! The Changes reveal what has passed and examine what is to come. They make the obvious subtle and reveal the hidden. They open things up, give them suitable names, distinguish things, correct their words, and settle their judgments; then they are complete. Their names refer to small things but their comparisons extend to great things. Their meaning is far-reaching and their words are carefully formed. They speak indirectly but hit the mark. Their subjects are extensive yet hold hidden meaning. They use doubt to help people act, making the results of loss and gain clear.

Did the Changes arise in the middle period of antiquity? Were those who made them troubled and concerned? That would explain the following:

Lü (Conduct) is the foundation of virtue. Qian (Modesty) is its handle. Fu (Return) is its root. Heng (Duration) is its strength. Sun (Decrease) develops it. Yi (Increase) makes it grow. Kun (Exhaustion) tests it. Jing (The Well) is its ground. Xun (Gentle Penetration) guides its use.

Lü (Conduct) is harmonious yet reaches its goal. Qian (Modesty) is respected and shines. Fu (Return) is small but distinct from other things. Heng (Duration) deals with variety without growing tired. Sun (Decrease) faces difficulty first and ease afterward. Yi (Increase) keeps growing in abundance without overflowing. Kun (Exhaustion) reaches a limit and finds a way through. Jing (The Well) stays in one place yet brings change. Xun (Gentle Penetration) weighs things while remaining hidden.

Lü (Conduct) makes action harmonious; Qian (Modesty) regulates proper behavior; Fu (Return) brings self-knowledge; Heng (Duration) keeps virtue unified; Sun (Decrease) keeps harm at a distance; Yi (Increase) promotes benefits; Kun (Exhaustion) reduces resentment; Jing (The Well) distinguishes what is right; Xun (Gentle Penetration) allows flexible judgment.

The book of Changes must not be kept at a distance. Its way often shifts. Change and movement do not stay in one place but flow through the six open positions. Above and below are not fixed; firm and yielding change places. No fixed formula can define them; they adapt to change alone. Yet their coming and going have measures; their outer and inner movements teach one to be cautious. They also make troubles and their causes clear. Without a teacher or guardian, they seem like parents standing nearby. First follow their words and consider their direction: they do have regular principles. But without the right person, the way will not act on its own.

The book of Changes traces beginnings and gathers endings to reveal their substance. Its six lines are mixed together according to their times and subjects. The first line is hard to know; the top line is easy, because these are the root and the end. The first words describe what might happen; the last complete the outcome. To mix things, describe virtues, and distinguish right from wrong fully, one needs the middle lines. Ah, their lessons about survival and ruin, good fortune and misfortune, can be learned at rest. A wise person who studies the Judgment words has already understood more than half.

The second and fourth positions perform similar functions but have different places, so their favorable qualities differ. The second often receives praise; the fourth often faces fear because it is close to the ruler. It is not helpful for the yielding to be so close: the main thing is to avoid blame, by using yielding strength in the middle. The third and fifth positions perform similar functions but have different places, so what they meet differs. The third often has misfortune and the fifth often achieves results: these are differences in rank. Is the yielding in danger while the firm prevails?

The book of Changes is broad, great, and complete. It contains heaven's way, humanity's way, and earth's way. Each of these three powers is doubled, giving six lines. The six are nothing other than the ways of the three powers. Their way changes and moves, so they are called lines. The lines have ranks, so they are called things. The things mix together, so they are called patterns. When the patterns do not fit, good fortune and misfortune arise.

Did the Changes arise near the end of the Shang dynasty, when Zhou virtue was flourishing? Was it during the struggle between King Wen and Zhouxin? That would explain why their words are full of danger. Awareness of danger brings safety; taking things too lightly brings downfall. Their way is very broad and neglects nothing. Be cautious from beginning to end; the key is no blame. This is called the way of the Changes.

Qian (Heaven) is the strongest thing in the world. Its virtue is consistently easy, so it knows danger. Kun (Earth) is the most compliant thing in the world. Its virtue is consistently simple, so it knows obstacles. These can bring joy to hearts and examine the concerns of leaders, determine the world's good fortune and misfortune, and fulfill its continuous efforts. So in changes of action and speech, good affairs have favorable signs. Looking at images of affairs teaches one about tools; divining affairs tells what is to come.

Heaven and earth set their positions, and wise people bring their abilities to completion. People plan and spirits plan; everyone can share in these powers. The eight trigrams give their message through images, while lines and Judgments speak about conditions. Firm and yielding occupy mixed positions, making good fortune and misfortune visible. Changes in movement speak of what is useful, while good fortune and misfortune shift with circumstances. So love and dislike oppose each other, producing good fortune and misfortune. Distance and closeness draw on each other, producing regret and humiliation. Sincerity and pretense affect each other, producing benefit and harm. Throughout the Changes, when those near each other do not get along, misfortune or harm, regret and humiliation follow.

Someone about to rebel speaks with shame; someone inwardly doubtful speaks evasively. A good person speaks little, a restless one speaks much. Someone who falsely accuses the good speaks in vague terms; someone who has lost firm principles speaks weakly.