Explanation of the Nature of the Changes

In the past, when the Sage created the Yi, he received subtle assistance from the numinous and gave rise to the yarrow stalks. Three for heaven, two for earth, relying on number; observing change in yin and yang, he established the trigrams; manifesting through firmness and yielding, he produced the lines; harmonizing with Way and Virtue, he ordered them by righteousness; exhausting principle and completing nature until reaching mandate.

In the past, when the Sage created the Yi, it was to accord with the principle of nature and mandate. Thus he established the Way of Heaven, called yin and yang; the Way of Earth, called yielding and firm; the Way of Man, called benevolence and righteousness. Combining the Three Powers and doubling them, thus the Yi uses six lines to form a hexagram. Dividing yin, dividing yang, alternating yielding and firm, thus the Yi uses six positions to form a pattern.

Heaven and Earth are fixed in their positions; Mountain and Marsh communicate breath; Thunder and Wind press against each other; Water and Fire do not shoot at one another. The eight trigrams interweave: counting those that have gone is following, knowing those that come is reversing. Therefore, the Yi reverses the count.

Thunder moves it, Wind scatters it, Rain moistens it, Sun blazes it, Gen stops it, Dui delights it, Qian governs it, Kun hides it.

The Emperor emerges from Zhen, is aligned in Xun, meets face-to-face in Li, is put to work in Kun, speaks joyfully in Dui, fights in Qian, labors in Kan, and completes his word in Gen.

The myriad things emerge from Zhen; Zhen is the East.

They are aligned in Xun; Xun is the Southeast. To be "aligned" refers to the ritual purity and cleanliness of the myriad things.

Li is brightness; all things meet face-to-face. It is the trigram of the South. The Sage faces south to hear the world, governing by facing brightness; this is taken from here.

Kun is earth; all things are nourished there. Therefore it is said: "put to work in Kun."

Dui is the height of autumn, where the myriad things find delight. Therefore it is called delight; he speaks joyfully in Dui.

He fights in Qian; Qian is the trigram of the Northwest. This refers to yin and yang pressing against each other.

Kan is water, the trigram of the true North; it is the labor trigram, where all things return. Therefore it is said: "labor in Kan."

Gen is the trigram of the Northeast, where all things are completed; the end that completes the beginning. Therefore it is said: "completes his word in Gen."

The numinous is that which is wondrous to the myriad things and becomes speech.

Of those that move the myriad things, nothing is as urgent as Thunder.

Of those that scatter the myriad things, nothing is as urgent as Wind.

Of those that dry the myriad things, nothing is as scorching as Fire.

Of those that delight the myriad things, nothing delights like the Marsh.

Of those that moisten the myriad things, nothing moistens like Water.

Of those that end the myriad things and begin the myriad things, nothing is as abundant as Gen.

Thus, when Water and Fire reach each other, Thunder and Wind do not clash, and Mountain and Marsh communicate breath, only then can transformation occur, having already completed the myriad things.

Qian is strength. Kun is yielding. Zhen is movement. Xun is entering. Kan is entrapment. Li is clinging. Gen is stopping. Dui is delight.

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

Qian is the head, Kun the belly, Zhen the foot, Xun the thigh, Kan the ear, Li the eye, Gen the hand, Dui the mouth.

Qian is heaven, therefore he is called Father; Kun is earth, therefore she is called Mother; in Zhen, one seek and a male is obtained, therefore he is called the Eldest Son; in Xun, one seek and a female is obtained, therefore she is called the Eldest Daughter; in Kan, two seeks and a male is obtained, therefore he is called the Middle Son; in Li, two seeks and a female is obtained, therefore she is called the Middle Daughter; in Gen, three seeks and a male is obtained, therefore he is called the Youngest Son; in Dui, three seeks and a female is obtained, therefore she is called the Youngest Daughter.

Qian is heaven, roundness, the ruler, the father, jade, gold, cold, ice, great red, the good horse, the old horse, the lean horse, the piebald horse, woody fruit.

Kun is earth, the mother, cloth, the cauldron, parsimony, equality, the cow and calf, the great wagon, pattern, the multitude, the handle.

In relation to the earth, it is black.

Zhen is thunder, the dragon, dark yellow, spreading, the great road, the eldest son, agitation, green bamboo, reeds.

In relation to horses, it is those that neigh well, those with chi hooves, and those with a straight forehead.

In relation to crops, it is returning growth.

Ultimately it is strength; it is abundance and scarcity.

Xun is wood, wind, the eldest daughter, cord-straightness, the craftsman, white, long, high, advance and retreat, inconclusiveness, scent.

In relation to people, it is sparse hair, a broad forehead, many white eyes, being near the market three times over.

Ultimately it is the restless trigram.

Kan is water, ditches and gutters, hiddenness, bending and shaping, the bow and wheel.

In relation to people, it is added sorrow, heart-disease, ear-pain, the blood-trigram, red.

In relation to horses, it is a beautiful spine, an urgent heart, a lowered head, thin hooves, dragging.

In relation to wagons, it is many mishaps, through-passage, the moon, the thief.

In relation to wood, it is hard and multi-hearted.

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

In relation to people, it is a large belly, the Qian-trigram, the soft-shell turtle, the crab, the clam, the oyster, the tortoise.

In relation to wood, it is dry on the upper branches.

Gen is the mountain, the path, small stones, gates and gaps, fruit and gourds, the watchman's temple, the finger, the dog, the rat, black-beaked creatures.

In relation to wood, it is hard and multi-jointed.

Dui is the marsh, the youngest daughter, the shaman, mouth and tongue, breaking and fracturing, attached-decision.

In relation to the earth, it is salty marshes; in people, the concubine; in animals, the sheep.