| | 繫辭上: |
易與天地準，故能彌綸天地之道。仰以觀於天文，俯以察於地理，是故知幽明之故。原始反終，故知死生之說。精氣為物，遊魂為變，是故知鬼神之情狀。與天地相似，故不違。知周乎萬物，而道濟天下，故不過。旁行而不流，樂天知命，故不懮。安土敦乎仁，故能愛。範圍天地之化而不過，曲成萬物而不遺，通乎晝夜之道而知，故神无方而易无體。 |
| Xi Ci I: |
The Yi was made on a principle of accordance with heaven and earth, and shows us therefore, without rent or confusion, the course (of things) in heaven and earth. (The sage), in accordance with (the Yi), looking up, contemplates the brilliant phenomena of the heavens, and, looking down, examines the definite arrangements of the earth; - thus he knows the causes of darkness (or, what is obscure) and light (or, what is bright). He traces things to their beginning, and follows them to their end; - thus he knows what can be said about death and life. (He perceives how the union of) essence and breath form things, and the (disappearance or) wandering away of the soul produces the change (of their constitution); - thus he knows the characteristics of the anima and animus. There is a similarity between him and heaven and earth, and hence there is no contrariety in him to them. His knowledge embraces all things, and his course is (intended to be) helpful to all under the sky; - and hence he falls into no error. He acts according to the exigency of circumstances without being carried away by their current; he rejoices in Heaven and knows its ordinations; - and hence he has no anxieties. He rests in his own (present) position, and cherishes (the spirit of) generous benevolence; - and hence he can love (without reserve). (Through the Yi), he comprehends as in a mould or enclosure the transformations of heaven and earth without any error; by an ever-varying adaptation he completes (the nature of) all things without exception; he penetrates to a knowledge of the course of day and night (and all other connected phenomena); - it is thus that his operation is spirit-like, unconditioned by place, while the changes which he produces are not restricted to any form. |
| | 繫辭下: |
夫乾，天下之至健也，德行恆易以知險，夫坤，天下之至順也，德行恆簡以知阻。 |
| Xi Ci II: |
(The hexagram) Qian represents the strongest of all under the sky. Through this quality its operations are always manifested with ease, for it knows where there would be peril and embarrassment. (The hexagram) Kun represents the most docile of all under the sky. Through this quality its operations are always manifested with the promptest decision, for it knows where there would be obstruction. |
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能說諸心，能研諸侯之慮，定天下之吉凶，成天下之亹亹者，是故，變化云為，吉事有祥，象事知器，占事知來。天地設位，聖人成能。人謀鬼謀，百姓與能。 |
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(The sages, who are thus represented, and who made the Yi,) were able to rejoice in heart (in the absolute truth of things), and were able (also) to weigh carefully all matters that could occasion anxiety; (thus) they fixed the good and bad fortune (of all things) under the sky, and could accomplish the things requiring strenuous efforts. Therefore amid the changes and transformations (taking place in heaven and earth), and the words and deeds of men, events that are to be fortunate have their happy omens. (The sages) knew the definite principles underlying the prognostications of the former class, and the future of those of the latter, (now to be) ascertained by divination. The places of heaven and earth (in the diagrams) having been determined, the sages were able (by means of the Yi) to carry out and complete their ability. (In this way even) the common people were able to share with them in (deciding about) the counsels of men and the counsels of spiritual beings. |
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八卦以象告，爻彖以情言，剛柔雜居，而吉凶可見矣。 |
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The eight trigrams communicate their information by their emblematic figures. The explanations appended to the lines and the completed figures tell how the contemplation of them affected (the makers). The strong and the weak lines appear mixed in them, and (thus) the good and the evil (which they indicate) can be seen. |
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變動以利言，吉凶以情遷。是故愛惡相攻而吉凶生，遠近相取而悔吝生，情偽相感而利害生。凡易之情，近而不相得則凶，或害之，悔且吝。 |
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The changes and movements (which take place in the manipulation of the stalks and the formation of the diagrams) speak as from the standpoint of what is advantageous. The (intimations of) good and evil vary according to the place and nature (of the lines). Thus they may indicate a mutual influence (in any two of them) of love or hatred, and good or evil is the result; or that mutual influence may be affected by the nearness of the lines to, or their distance from, each other, and then repentance or regret is the result; or the influence may be that of truth or of hypocrisy, and then the result is what is advantageous, or what is injurious. In all these relations of the (lines in the) Yi, if two are near and do not blend harmoniously, there may be (all these results), - evil, or what is injurious, or occasion for repentance and regret. |
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將叛者其辭慚，中心疑者其辭枝，吉人之辭寡，躁人之辭多，誣善之人其辭游，失其守者其辭屈。 |
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The language of him who is meditating a revolt (from the right) betrays his inward shame; that of him whose inward heart doubts about it diverges to other topics. The words of a good man are few; those of a coarse man are many. The words of one who slanders what is good are unsubstantial; those of him who is losing what he ought to keep are crooked. |
