Discussion of the Trigrams

In former times the sages, when they made the Changes, secretly drew on divine intelligence and brought forth the yarrow stalks. They took three for heaven and two for earth, grounding the numbers in them; observed changes in yin and yang and established the trigrams; unfolded firmness and yielding and brought forth the lines; harmonized with the way and virtue, bringing justice into order; probed principle to its depths and nature to its limits, reaching destiny.

In former times the sages made the Changes to follow the principles of nature and destiny. Thus they established heaven's way as yin and yang; earth's way as yielding and firm; humanity's way as benevolence and justice. They doubled the three powers, and so the Changes makes its hexagrams with six strokes. Dividing yin from yang and alternating yielding and firm, it makes patterns in its six positions.

Heaven and earth take their appointed positions. Mountain and lake share vital breath; thunder and wind press on each other; water and fire do not strike each other. The eight trigrams interweave. Counting what has passed follows the natural order; knowing what is coming goes against it. Thus the Changes counts backward.

Thunder sets them moving; wind disperses them; rain moistens them; sun warms them; Gen (Mountain) stills them; Dui (Lake) delights them; Qian (Heaven) rules them; Kun (Earth) stores them.

The sovereign comes forth in Zhen (Thunder), puts things in order in Xun (Wind/Wood), meets them in Li (Fire), brings them to labor in Kun, speaks with joy in Dui, struggles in Qian, toils in Kan (Water), and brings things to completion in Gen.

All beings emerge in Zhen, the east.

They come into order in Xun, the southeast: their ordering means all beings become pure and ordered.

Li is brightness: all beings see one another. It is the trigram of the south. When a sage faces south to hear the affairs of all under heaven and governs facing the light, he likely takes his model from this.

Kun is earth: all beings come to it for nourishment. Thus it is said that they come to labor in Kun.

Dui is true autumn, when all beings rejoice. Thus it is said that they speak with joy in Dui.

They struggle in Qian, the trigram of the northwest: yin and yang press upon one another.

Kan is water, the trigram of due north. It is the trigram of toil, to which all beings return. Thus it is said that they toil in Kan.

Gen is the trigram of the northeast, where all beings come to completion and their endings become beginnings. Thus it is said that they come to completion in Gen.

Spirit is what is spoken of as working wonders in all beings.

Nothing moves all beings more swiftly than thunder.

Nothing bends all beings more swiftly than wind.

Nothing dries all beings more thoroughly than fire.

Nothing delights all beings more than the lake.

Nothing moistens all beings more than water.

Nothing more richly ends and begins all beings than Gen.

Thus water and fire reach each other, thunder and wind do not oppose each other, mountain and lake share vital breath: only then can they transform and complete all beings.

Qian is strength. Kun is obedience. Zhen is movement. Xun is penetration. Kan is the pit. Li is clinging. Gen is stillness. Dui is joy.

Qian is the horse; Kun the ox; Zhen the dragon; Xun the rooster; Kan the pig; Li the pheasant; Gen the dog; Dui the sheep.

Qian is the head; Kun the belly; Zhen the feet; Xun the thighs; Kan the ears; Li the eyes; Gen the hands; Dui the mouth.

Qian is heaven and is therefore called father; Kun is earth and is therefore called mother.

At the first seeking Zhen gains a son and is called the eldest son; at the first seeking Xun gains a daughter and is called the eldest daughter.

At the second seeking Kan gains a son and is called the middle son; at the second seeking Li gains a daughter and is called the middle daughter.

At the third seeking Gen gains a son and is called the youngest son; at the third seeking Dui gains a daughter and is called the youngest daughter.

Qian is heaven, the circle, the ruler, the father, jade, metal, cold, ice, deep red, a fine horse, an old horse, a lean horse, a piebald horse, and fruit on a tree.

Kun is earth, the mother, cloth, a cauldron, miserliness, evenness, a cow with calf, a great wagon, patterns, the multitude, and a handle.

Among colors of earth it is black.

Zhen is thunder, a dragon, dark yellow, spreading forth, a great road, the eldest son, rash decisiveness, green bamboo, and rushes and reeds.

Among horses it is one that neighs well, has one white hind leg, or bears a white blaze on its forehead.

Among crops it is those whose shoots grow back.

At its limit it is strength and fresh abundance.

Xun is wood, wind, the eldest daughter, the straightness of a cord, craft, whiteness, length, height, advancing and retreating, indecision, and scent.

Among people it means sparse hair, a broad forehead, much white in the eyes, and a profit in trade nearly threefold.

At its limit it becomes the trigram of agitation.

Kan is water, ditches and channels, concealment, bending and straightening, bows and wheels.

Among people it is added anxiety, illness of the heart, earache, the trigram of blood, and red.

Among horses it is a beautiful back, a restless heart, a lowered head, thin hooves, and dragging along.

Among carriages it is many defects; it is also passage, the moon, and a thief.

Among trees it is hard wood with a thick core.

Li is fire, the sun, lightning, the middle daughter, armor and helmets, spears and weapons.

Among people it is a large belly; it is the trigram of dryness, a soft-shelled turtle, crab, snail, mussel, and tortoise.

Among trees it is a hollow, withered crown.

Gen is a mountain, a narrow path, a small stone, a gate tower, fruit on trees and vines, gatekeepers and eunuchs, fingers, dogs, rats, and creatures with dark beaks.

Among trees it is hard wood with many knots.

Dui is a lake, the youngest daughter, a shaman, mouth and tongue, breaking and snapping, and joining and separating.

Among lands it is hard salty ground; it is also a concubine and a sheep.

When the wise people made the Changes long ago, they secretly sought the help of the spirits and brought forth the yarrow stalks. They took three from heaven and two from earth as the basis of numbers. They observed changes in yin and yang and established the hexagrams; they worked out firm and yielding and produced the lines. They brought their teaching into harmony with the way and virtue, and put matters of justice in order. They examined principles to their limits and fully understood human nature, reaching an understanding of destiny.

When the wise people made the Changes long ago, they wanted to follow the principles of nature and destiny. So they established heaven's way as yin and yang; earth's way as yielding and firm; humanity's way as kindness and justice. They took all three powers and doubled them, so a hexagram of the Changes has six strokes. They distinguished yin and yang and used yielding and firm in turn, so the six positions of the Changes make an ordered pattern.

Heaven and earth take their positions. Mountain and lake share their breath. Thunder and wind press against one another. Water and fire do not attack each other. The eight trigrams interweave. Counting what has passed goes forward; knowing what will come goes backward. So the Changes count backward.

Thunder sets things moving; wind spreads them; rain moistens them; the sun warms them. Gen (Mountain) stops them, Dui (Lake) delights them, Qian (Heaven) rules them, and Kun (Earth) stores them.

The Lord emerges in Zhen (Thunder), sets things in order in Xun (Wind), appears to all in Li (Fire), receives service in Kun (Earth), speaks with joy in Dui (Lake), fights in Qian (Heaven), labors in Kan (Water), and brings things to completion in Gen (Mountain).

All things emerge in Zhen (Thunder), which lies in the east.

They are set in order in Xun (Wind), which lies in the southeast. “Set in order” means that all things are made clean and orderly.

Li (Fire) means brightness. All things become visible to each other; it is the trigram of the south. Wise people face south to hear the affairs of the world, governing while facing the light. This probably comes from Li.

Kun (Earth) is the earth, where all things receive nourishment. That is why it says, “Receives service in Kun.”

Dui (Lake) is the middle of autumn. All things find pleasure there. That is why it says, “Speaks with joy in Dui.”

“Fights in Qian (Heaven)” refers to Qian, the trigram of the northwest, where yin and yang press against each other.

Kan (Water) is water, the trigram of due north. It is the trigram of labor and the place where all things return. That is why it says, “Labors in Kan.”

Gen (Mountain) is the trigram of the northeast. Here all things come to completion, ending and beginning again. That is why it says, “Brings things to completion in Gen.”

Spirit means speaking of the mysterious way all things work.

Nothing moves all things faster than thunder.

Nothing bends all things faster than wind.

Nothing dries all things more than fire.

Nothing gives all things more joy than the lake.

Nothing moistens all things more than water.

Nothing excels Gen (Mountain) at ending all things and starting all things.

Thus water and fire reach each other, thunder and wind do not oppose each other, and mountain and lake share their breath. Only then can change produce and complete all things.

Qian (Heaven) means strength. Kun (Earth) means compliance. Zhen (Thunder) means movement. Xun (Wind) means entering. Kan (Water) means falling into a pit. Li (Fire) means attaching. Gen (Mountain) means stopping. Dui (Lake) means joy.

Qian (Heaven) represents the horse; Kun (Earth), the ox; Zhen (Thunder), the dragon; Xun (Wind), the chicken; Kan (Water), the pig; Li (Fire), the pheasant; Gen (Mountain), the dog; Dui (Lake), the sheep.

Qian (Heaven) represents the head; Kun (Earth), the belly; Zhen (Thunder), the foot; Xun (Wind), the thigh; Kan (Water), the ear; Li (Fire), the eye; Gen (Mountain), the hand; Dui (Lake), the mouth.

Qian (Heaven) is heaven and therefore called father; Kun (Earth) is earth and therefore called mother.

Zhen (Thunder) produces a male at the first seeking and so is called the eldest son. Xun (Wind) produces a female at the first seeking and so is called the eldest daughter.

Kan (Water) produces a male at the second seeking and so is called the middle son. Li (Fire) produces a female at the second seeking and so is called the middle daughter.

Gen (Mountain) produces a male at the third seeking and so is called the youngest son. Dui (Lake) produces a female at the third seeking and so is called the youngest daughter.

Qian (Heaven) represents heaven, a circle, a ruler, a father, jade, metal, cold, ice, deep red, a fine horse, an old horse, a thin horse, a dappled horse, and fruit growing on trees.

Kun (Earth) represents earth, a mother, cloth, a cooking pot, stinginess, equality, a cow with a calf, a large cart, patterns, crowds, and a handle.

Among colors of the earth, it represents black.

Zhen (Thunder) represents thunder, a dragon, dark yellow, spreading out, a great road, the eldest son, decisive impatience, green bamboo, and reeds.

Among horses, it represents one that neighs well, one with a white hind foot, and one with a marked forehead.

Among crops, it represents those that sprout backward.

At its fullest it represents strength and fresh abundance.

Xun (Wind) represents wood, wind, the eldest daughter, a straight measuring cord, a craftsman, white, length, height, advance and retreat, indecision, and smell.

Among people, it represents those with little hair, broad foreheads, much white in their eyes, and profits nearly three times those of the market.

At its fullest it becomes the trigram of restlessness.

Kan (Water) represents water, ditches and canals, concealment, straightening and bending, bows, and wheels.

Among people, it represents added worries, heart disease, earache, the trigram of blood, and red.

Among horses, it represents a handsome back, an anxious heart, a lowered head, thin hooves, and dragging its feet.

Among carriages, it represents many faults. It also represents passage, the moon, and thieves.

Among trees, it represents hard wood with much heartwood.

Li (Fire) represents fire, the sun, lightning, the middle daughter, armor and helmets, spears and weapons.

Among people, it represents a large belly. It also represents a dry trigram, soft-shelled turtles, crabs, snails, mussels, and turtles.

Among trees, it represents a hollow trunk with a dried top.

Gen (Mountain) represents a mountain, a narrow path, small stones, gateways, fruit on trees and vines, gatekeepers and attendants, fingers, dogs, mice, and animals with dark beaks.

Among trees, it represents hard wood with many joints.

Dui (Lake) represents a lake, the youngest daughter, a shaman, mouth and tongue, destruction and breakage, and something attached and torn away.

Among lands, it represents hard salty soil. It also represents a concubine and a sheep.