| | ䷾既濟: |
既濟：亨，小利貞，初吉終亂。 |
| Ji Ji: |
Ji Ji intimates progress and success in small matters. There will be advantage in being firm and correct. There has been good fortune in the beginning; there may be disorder in the end. |
| | 彖傳: |
既濟，亨，小者亨也。利貞，剛柔正而位當也。初吉，柔得中也。終止則亂，其道窮也。 |
| Tuan Zhuan: |
'Ji Ji intimates progress and success:' - in small matters, that is, there will be that progress and success. 'There will be advantage in being firm and correct:' - the strong and weak (lines) are correctly arranged, each in its appropriate place. 'There has been good fortune in the beginning: - the weak (second line) is in the centre. 'In the end' there is a cessation (of effort), and 'disorder arises:' - the course (that led to rule and order) is (now) exhausted. |
| | 象傳: |
水在火上，既濟；君子以思患而預防之。 |
| Xiang Zhuan: |
(The trigram representing) fire and that for water above it form Ji Ji. The superior man, in accordance with this, thinks of evil (that may come), and beforehand guards against it. |
| | 繫辭上: |
子曰：「夫易，何為者也？夫易開物成務，冒天下之道，如斯而已者也。是故，聖人以通天下之志，以定天下之業，以斷天下之疑。」是故，蓍之德，圓而神；卦之德，方以知；六爻之義，易以貢。聖人以此洗心，退藏於密，吉凶與民同患。神以知來，知以藏往，其孰能與此哉！古之聰明叡知神武而不殺者夫？ |
| Xi Ci I: |
The Master said: - 'What is it that the Yi does? The Yi opens up (the knowledge of the issues of) things, accomplishes the undertakings (of men), and embraces under it (the way of) all things under the sky. This and nothing more is what the Yi does. Thereby the sages, through (divination by) it, would give their proper course to the aims of all under the sky, would give stability to their undertakings, and determine their doubts.' Therefore the virtue of the stalks is versatile and spirit-like; that of the diagrams is exact and wise; and the meaning given by the six lines is changeful to give (the proper information to men). The sages having, by their possession of these (three virtues), cleansed their minds, retired and laid them up in the secrecy (of their own consciousness). But their sympathies were with the people in regard both to their good fortune and evil. By their spirit-like ability they knew (the character of) coming events, and their wisdom had stored up (all experiences of) the past. Who could be able to accomplish all this? (Only our) ancient sages, quick in apprehension and clear in discernment, of far-reaching intelligence, and all-embracing knowledge, and with a majesty, going spirit-like to its objects; - it was only they who could do so. |
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是以，明於天之道，而察於民之故，是興神物以前民用。聖人以此齊戒，以神明其德夫！是故，闔戶謂之坤；闢戶謂之乾；一闔一闢謂之變；往來不窮謂之通；見乃謂之象；形乃謂之器；制而用之，謂之法；利用出入，民咸用之，謂之神。 |
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Therefore (those sages), fully understanding the way of Heaven, and having clearly ascertained the experience of the people, instituted (the employment of) these spirit-like things, as a provision for the use of the people. The sages went about the employment of them (moreover) by purifying their hearts and with reverent caution, thereby giving (more) spirituality and intelligence to their virtue. Thus, a door shut may be pronounced (analogous to) Kun (or the inactive condition), and the opening of the door (analogous to) Qian (or the active condition). The opening succeeding the being shut may be pronounced (analogous to what we call) a change; and the passing from one of these states to the other may be called the constant course (of things). The (first) appearance of anything (as a bud) is what we call a semblance; when it has received its complete form, we call it a definite thing. (The divining-plant having been produced, the sages) set it apart and laid down the method of its employment, - what we call the laws (of divination). The advantage arising from it in external and internal matters, so that the people all use it, stamps it with a character which we call spirit-like. |
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是故，易有太極，是生兩儀，兩儀生四象，四象生八卦，八卦定吉凶，吉凶生大業。是故，法象莫大乎天地，變通莫大乎四時，縣象著明莫大乎日月，崇高莫大乎富貴；備物致用，立成器以為天下利，莫大乎聖人；探賾索隱，鉤深致遠，以定天下之吉凶，成天下之亹亹者，莫大乎蓍龜。 |
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Therefore in (the system of) the Yi there is the Grand Terminus, which produced the two elementary Forms. Those two Forms produced the Four emblematic Symbols, which again produced the eight Trigrams. The eight trigrams served to determine the good and evil (issues of events), and from this determination was produced the (successful prosecution of the) great business (of life). Therefore of all things that furnish models and visible figures there are none greater than heaven and earth; of things that change and extend an influence (on others) there are none greater than the four seasons; of things suspended (in the sky) with their figures displayed clear and bright, there are none greater than the sun and moon; of the honoured and exalted there are none greater than he who is the rich and noble (one); in preparing things for practical use, and inventing and making instruments for the benefit of all under the sky, there are none greater than the sages; to explore what is complex, search out what is hidden, to hook up what lies deep, and reach to what is distant, thereby determining (the issues) for good or ill of all events under the sky, and making all men under heaven full of strenuous endeavours, there are no (agencies) greater than those of the stalks and the tortoise-shell. |
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是故，天生神物，聖人則之；天地變化，聖人效之；天垂象，見吉凶，聖人象之。河出圖，洛出書，聖人則之。易有四象，所以示也。繫辭焉，所以告也。定之以吉凶，所以斷也。 |
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Therefore Heaven produced the spirit-like things, and the sages took advantage of them. (The operations of) heaven and earth are marked by (so many) changes and transformations; and the sages imitated them (by means of the Yi). Heaven hangs out its (brilliant) figures from which are seen good fortune and bad, and the sages made their emblematic interpretations accordingly. The He gave forth the map, and the Lo the writing, of (both of) which the sages took advantage. In the (scheme of the) Yi there are the four symbolic figures by which they inform men (in divining of the lines making up the diagrams); the explanations appended to them convey the significance (of the diagrams and lines); and the determination (of the divination) as fortunate or the reverse, to settle the doubts (of men). |
| | 繫辭下: |
易之興也，其於中古乎，作易者，其有憂患乎。 |
| Xi Ci II: |
Was it not in the middle period of antiquity that the Yi began to flourish? Was not he who made it familiar with anxiety and calamity? |
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是故，履，德之基也；謙，德之柄也；復，德之本也；恆，德之固也；損德之脩也；益，德之裕也；困，德之辨也；井，德之地也；巽，德之制也。 |
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Therefore (the 10th diagram), Lu, shows us the foundation of virtue; (the 15th), Xian, its handle; (the 24th), Fu, its root; (the 32nd), Heng, its solidity; (the 41st), Sun, its cultivation; (the 42nd), Yi, its abundance; (the 47th), Kun, its exercise of discrimination; (the 48th), Jing, its field and (the 57th), Xun, its regulation. |
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履，和而至；謙，尊而光；復，小而辨於物；恆，雜而不厭；損，先難而後易；益，長裕而不設；困，窮而通；井，居其所而遷，巽，稱而隱。 |
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In Lu we have the perfection of harmony; in Xian, we have the giving honour to others, and the distinction thence arising; in Fu we have what is small (at first), but there is in it a (nice) discrimination of (the qualities of) things; in Ming we have a mixed experience, but without any weariness; in Sun we have difficulty in the beginning and ease in the end; in Yi we have abundance of growth without any contrivance; in Kun we have the pressure of extreme difficulty, ending in a free course,; in Jing we have abiding in one's place and at the same time removal (to meet the movement of others); and in Xun we have the weighing of things (and action accordingly), but secretly and unobserved. |
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履以和行，謙以制禮，復以自知，恆以一德，損以遠害，益以興利，困以寡怨，井以辯義，巽以行權。 |
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(The use of) Lu appears in the harmony of the conduct; of Xian, in the regulation of ceremonies; of Fu, in self-knowledge; of Heng, in uniformity of virtue; of Sun, in keeping what is harmful at a distance; of Yi, in the promotion of what is advantageous; of Kun, in the diminution of resentments; of Jing, in the discrimination of what is righteous; and of Xun, in the doing of what is appropriate to time and to circumstances. |
| | 繫辭下: |
易之為書也不可遠，為道也屢遷，變動不居，周流六虛，上下无常，剛柔相易，不可為典要，唯變所適，其出入以度，外內使知懼，又明於憂患與故，无有師保，如臨父母，初率其辭，而揆其方，既有典常，苟非其人，道不虛行。 |
| Xi Ci II: |
The Yi is a book which should not be let slip from the mind. Its method (of teaching) is marked by the frequent changing (of its lines). They change and move without staying (in one place), flowing about into any one of the six places of the hexagram. They ascend and descend, ever inconstant. The strong and the weak lines change places, so that an invariable and compendious rule cannot be derived from them; - it must vary as their changes indicate. The goings forth and comings in (of the lines) are according to rule and measure. (People) learn from them in external and internal affairs to stand in awe. (The book), moreover, makes plain the nature of anxieties and calamities, and the causes of them. Though (its students) have neither master nor guardian, it is as if their parents drew near to them. Beginning with taking note of its explanations, we reason out the principles to which they point. We thus find out that it does supply a constant and standard rule. But if there be not the Proper men (to carry this out), the course cannot be pursued without them. |
