Hexagram Statement
卦辭
正義曰：「乾」者，此卦之名。謂之卦者，《易緯》云：「卦者掛也，言縣掛物象，以示於人，故謂之卦。」但二畫之體，雖象陰陽之氣，未成萬物之象，未得成卦，必三畫以象三才，寫天、地、雷、風、水、火、山、澤之象，乃謂之卦也。故系辭云「八卦成列，象在其中矣」是也。但初有三畫，雖有萬物之象，於萬物變通之理，猶有未盡，故更重之而有六畫，備萬物之形象，窮天下之能事，故六畫成卦也。此乾卦本以象天，天乃積諸陽氣而成天，故此卦六爻皆陽畫成卦也。此既象天，何不謂之天，而謂之「乾」者？天者定體之名，「乾」者體用之稱。故《說卦》云：「乾，健也」。言天之體，以健為用。聖人作《易》本以教人，欲使人法天之用，不法天之體，故名「乾」，不名天也。天以健為用者，運行不息，應化無窮，此天之自然之理，故聖人當法此自然之象而施人事，亦當應物成務，云為不已，「終日乾乾」，無時懈倦，所以因天象以教人事。於物象言之，則純陽也，天也。於人事言之，則君也。父也。以其居尊，故在諸卦之首，為《易》理之初。但聖人名卦，體例不同，或則以物象而為卦名者，若否、泰、剝、頤、鼎之屬是也，或以象之所用而為卦名者，即乾、坤之屬是也。如此之類多矣。雖取物象，乃以人事而為卦名者，即家人、歸妹、謙、履之屬是也。所以如此不同者，但物有萬象，人有萬事，若執一事，不可包萬物之象；若限局一象，不可總萬有之事，故名有隱顯，辭有踳駁，不可一例求之，不可一類取之。故《系辭》云：「上下無常，剛柔相易，不可為典要。」韓康伯注云「不可立定準」是也。 「元、亨、利、貞」者，是乾之四德也。子夏傳云：「元，始也。亨，通也。利，和也。貞，正也。」言此卦之德，有純陽之性，自然能以陽氣始生萬物而得元始亨通，能使物性和諧，各有其利，又能使物堅固貞正得終。此卦自然令物有此四種使得其所，故謂之四德：言聖人亦當法此卦而行善道，以長萬物，物得生存而為「元」也。又當以嘉美之事，會合萬物，令使開通而為「亨」也。又當以義協和萬物，使物各得其理而為「利」也。又當以貞固幹事，使物各得其正而為「貞」也。是以聖人法乾而行此四德，故曰「元、亨、利、貞」。其委曲條例，備在《文言》。 ---
The Correct Meaning states: "Qian" is the name of this hexagram. " However, a figure of only two lines, though it symbolizes the qi of yin and yang, has not yet formed the images of the myriad things and cannot constitute a hexagram.
Only with three lines, symbolizing the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity), depicting the images of Heaven, Earth, Thunder, Wind, Water, Fire, Mountain, and Lake, can it be called a hexagram.
" But initially with only three lines, though there are images of the myriad things, the principles of transformation and pervasion among the myriad things are not yet exhausted.
Therefore they are doubled again to produce six lines, which fully represent the forms and images of the myriad things and exhaust all possible affairs under Heaven — thus hexagrams are formed with six lines. This Qian hexagram originally symbolizes Heaven.
Heaven is formed by the accumulation of various yang qi; therefore all six lines of this hexagram are yang lines forming the hexagram. Since this already symbolizes Heaven, why is it not called "Heaven" (tian) but rather called "Qian"?
"Heaven" is a name for its fixed substance, while "Qian" is a designation for its substance and function. " This means that the substance of Heaven uses vigor as its function.
" That Heaven uses vigor as its function means that its movement never ceases, and its responsive transformations are inexhaustible. This is the natural principle of Heaven.
Therefore the sage should model this natural image and apply it to human affairs, responding to things and accomplishing tasks, acting ceaselessly, "vigilant throughout the day" (zhongri qianqian), never slackening at any time. This is why the image of Heaven is used to instruct human affairs.
Speaking in terms of the images of things, it is pure yang — it is Heaven. Speaking in terms of human affairs, it is the ruler, the father. Because it occupies the most honored position, it stands at the head of all hexagrams and is the beginning of the principles of the Changes.
But the sage's method of naming hexagrams varies in style: some take the image of a thing as the hexagram name, such as Pi (Stagnation), Tai (Peace), Bo (Stripping), Yi (Nourishment), Ding (Cauldron), and the like; some use the function of the image as the hexagram name, as with Qian and Kun and their like.
Such cases are numerous. Though taking images of things, some use human affairs as the hexagram name, such as Jiaren (Family), Guimei (Marrying Maiden), Qian (Modesty), Lu (Treading), and the like. The reason for such variation is that things have myriad images and people have myriad affairs.
If one clings to a single affair, one cannot encompass the images of all things; if one is limited to a single image, one cannot comprehend all affairs.
Therefore names may be hidden or manifest, and phrasing may be varied and mixed — one cannot seek them by a single standard or categorize them by a single type. " This is so.
"Sublime Beginning (yuan), Success (heng), Benefit (li), Correctness (zhen)" — these are the four virtues of Qian. Zixia's Commentary says: "Yuan means beginning. Heng means pervasion. Li means harmony.
" This means that the virtue of this hexagram possesses the nature of pure yang and naturally can, through yang qi, initiate the birth of the myriad things and attain the beginning of origination and pervasion of success, can make the natures of things harmonious so that each has its benefit, and can also make things firm and correct so that they reach completion.
This hexagram naturally causes things to possess these four qualities and attain their proper places — therefore they are called the four virtues.
This means that the sage should also model this hexagram and practice the good Way: to nurture the myriad things so that they attain life and survival — this is "yuan" (sublime beginning).
He should also bring together the myriad things through fine and beautiful endeavors, causing them to open up and permeate — this is "heng" (success). He should also harmonize the myriad things through rightness, so that each thing obtains its proper principle — this is "li" (benefit).
He should also manage affairs with firmness and correctness, so that each thing obtains its proper state — this is "zhen" (correctness). " The detailed elaborations and specific provisions are fully presented in the Wenyan (Commentary on the Words).
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Source: eee-learning.com (易學網) · Edition: 武英殿十三經注疏