Original Meaning of the Zhouyi, Volume 4: Commentary on the Trigrams

In ancient times, the sage who created the Changes profoundly assisted the bright spirits and gave birth to the yarrow stalk oracle. He took three from Heaven and two from Earth to establish the numbers. He set up the hexagrams through yin and yang. He developed the firm and yielding to produce the lines. He harmonized with the Way and virtue and brought order to righteousness. He exhausted principle, fully realized human nature, and thereby reached the decree of destiny. [Zhu Xi:] 'Harmonized and compliant, without any discord' -- this speaks of following the Way. 'Exhausting the principles of all under Heaven, fully realizing the nature of persons and things, and reaching the decree of Heaven' -- this is what the sage accomplished in creating the Changes.

In ancient times, the sage who created the Changes intended to follow the principles of human nature and destiny. Therefore he established the Way of Heaven as yin and yang, the Way of Earth as yielding and firm, and the Way of Humanity as humaneness and righteousness. He combined the Three Powers and doubled them: therefore the Changes uses six strokes to form a hexagram. He divided yin and yang, alternating the yielding and firm: therefore the Changes has six positions that form a pattern. [Zhu Xi:] Combining the Three Powers and doubling them is the general statement for the six strokes. Dividing yin and yang and alternating firm and yielding is the detailed analysis of the six positions and their interlaced pattern.

Heaven and Earth fix their positions. Mountain and Marsh exchange their breaths. Thunder and Wind press upon each other. Water and Fire do not oppose each other. The eight trigrams intermingle. Counting the past is going forward; knowing the future is going backward. Therefore the Changes counts in reverse. [Zhu Xi:] Shao Yong said: This is the arrangement of Fuxi's eight trigrams. Qian is south, Kun is north, Li is east, Kan is west, Dui is southeast, Zhen is northeast, Xun is southwest, Gen is northwest.

Chapter 4: Thunder moves things. Wind scatters them. Rain moistens them. The Sun dries them. Gen (Mountain) stops them. Dui (Marsh) delights them. Qian (Heaven) governs them. Kun (Earth) stores them. [Zhu Xi:] The trigram positions are the same as in the previous chapter. Chapter 5: The Lord comes forth from Zhen. He brings things to order in Xun. He is seen in Li. He achieves service in Kun. He speaks with joy in Dui. He does battle in Qian. He labors in Kan. He brings things to completion in Gen. [Zhu Xi:] Shao Yong said: This is King Wen's arrangement of the trigrams -- the learning of the Later Heaven. All things come forth from Zhen. Zhen is the east. They are brought to order in Xun. Xun is the southeast. 'Order' means brightness. All things are seen clearly -- the trigram of the south. The sage faces south to attend to all under Heaven, turning toward brightness to govern. Kun is the Earth: all things receive their nourishment there, hence 'achieves service in Kun.' Dui is midautumn, the time of rejoicing. Battle in Qian means the meeting of yin and yang. Kan is water, the trigram of the true north, the trigram of toil: all things return there. Gen is the northeast, the place where things are brought to completion and where they begin anew.

Chapter 6: Spirit is what marvelously operates within the myriad things. What moves the myriad things -- nothing is as swift as Thunder. What bends the myriad things -- nothing is as swift as Wind. What dries the myriad things -- nothing dries as much as Fire. What delights the myriad things -- nothing delights as much as Marsh. What moistens the myriad things -- nothing moistens as much as Water. What ends and begins the myriad things -- nothing is as powerful as Mountain. [Zhu Xi:] This removes Qian and Kun to speak exclusively of the six children. Water and Fire assist each other. Thunder and Wind do not oppose each other. Mountain and Marsh exchange their breath. Then transformation and change can be accomplished, and the myriad things are completed. Chapter 7: Qian is vigor. Kun is compliance. Zhen is movement. Xun is entering. Kan is sinking. Li is clinging. Gen is stopping. Dui is joy. [Zhu Xi:] This states the essential nature and disposition of the eight trigrams.

Chapter 8 -- Animals: Qian is the horse. Kun is the ox. Zhen is the dragon. Xun is the chicken. Kan is the pig. Li is the pheasant. Gen is the dog. Dui is the sheep. [Zhu Xi:] Taking from things at a distance, this is so. Chapter 9 -- Body parts: Qian is the head. Kun is the belly. Zhen is the feet. Xun is the thighs. Kan is the ears. Li is the eyes. Gen is the hands. Dui is the mouth. [Zhu Xi:] Taking from close at hand, this is so. Chapter 10 -- Family roles: Qian is Heaven, therefore called the father. Kun is Earth, therefore called the mother. Zhen 'seeks once' and obtains a male, therefore called the eldest son. Xun seeks once and obtains a female, therefore the eldest daughter. Kan seeks twice and obtains a male, the middle son. Li seeks twice and obtains a female, the middle daughter. Gen seeks three times and obtains a male, the youngest son. Dui seeks three times and obtains a female, the youngest daughter. [Zhu Xi:] 'Seeking' means the process of divination. Male and female refer to the single different line in each trigram. Chapter 11 -- Extended correspondences: Qian is Heaven, roundness, the ruler, the father, jade, metal, cold, ice, deep red, a good horse, an old horse, a lean horse, a piebald horse, and tree fruit. Kun is Earth, the mother, cloth, a cauldron, miserliness, evenness, a cow with calf, a large wagon, pattern, multitude, and a handle; for the earth, it is blackness. [And so on for all eight trigrams with extensive symbolic associations.]