The Orderly Sequence of the Hexagrams a
1-3 When there were heaven and earth, then afterwards all things were produced. What fills up (the space) between heaven and earth are (those) all things. Hence (䷀ Qián and ䷁ Kūn) are followed by ䷂ Zhūn. 1 ䷂ Zhūn denotes filling up.
3-6 ䷂ Zhūn is descriptive of things on their first production. When so produced, they are sure to be in an undeveloped condition. Hence ䷂ Zhūn is followed by ䷃ Méng. ䷃ Méng is descriptive of what is undeveloped, -- the young of creatures and things. These in that state require to be nourished. Hence ䷃ Méng is followed by ䷄ Xū. ䷄ Xū is descriptive of the way in which meat and drink (come to be supplied).2 Over meat and drink there are sure to be contentions. 2 Hence ䷄ Xū is followed by ䷅ Sòng.
6-8 ䷅ Sòng is sure to cause the rising up of the multitudes; 3 and hence it is followed by ䷆ Shī. ䷆ Shī has the signification of multitudes, 3 and between multitudes there must be some bond of union. Hence it is followed by ䷇ Bǐ, which denotes being attached to.
8-11 (Multitudes in) union must be subjected to some restraint. Hence ䷇ Bǐ is followed by ䷈ Xiǎo Xù. When things axe subjected to restraint, there come to be rites of ceremony, and hence ䷈ Xiǎo Xù is followed by ䷉ Lǚ. 4 The treading (on what is proper) leads to ䷊ Tài, which issues in a state of freedom and repose, and hence ䷉ Lǚ is followed by ䷊ Tài.
11-16 ䷊ Tài denotes things having free course. They cannot have that for ever, and hence it is followed by ䷋ Pǐ (denoting being shut up and restricted). Things cannot for ever be shut up, and hence ䷋ Pǐ is followed by ䷌ Tóng Rén. To him who cultivates union with men, things must come to belong, and hence ䷌ Tóng Rén. is followed by ䷍ Dà Yǒu. Those who, have what is great should not allow in themselves the feeling of being full, and hence ䷍ Dà Yǒu is followed by ䷎ Qiān. When great possessions are associated with humility, there is sure to be pleasure and satisfaction; and hence ䷎ Qiān is followed by ䷏ Yǜ.
16-19 Where such complacency is awakened, (he who causes it) is sure to have followers. 5 They who follow another are sure to have services (to perform), and hence ䷐ Suí is followed by ䷑ Gǔ. 6 ䷑ Gǔ means (the performance of) services. He who performs such services may afterwards become great, and hence ䷑ Gǔ is followed by ䷒ Lín. ䷒ Lín means great. 6
19-23 What is great draws forth contemplation, and hence ䷒ Lín is followed by ䷓ Guān. He who attracts contemplation will then bring about the union of others with himself, and hence ䷓ Guān is followed by ䷔ Shì Kè. ䷔ Shì Kè means union. But things should not be united in a reckless or irregular way, and hence ䷔ Shì Kè is followed by ䷕ Bì. ䷕ Bì denotes adorning. When ornamentation has been carried to the utmost, its progress comes to an end; and hence ䷕ Bì is followed by ䷖ Bō. ䷖ Bō denotes decay and overthrow.
23-26 Things cannot be done away for ever. When decadence and overthrow have completed their work at one end, reintegration commences at the other; and hence ䷖ Bō is followed by ䷗ Fù. When the return (thus indicated) has taken place, we have not any rash disorder, and ䷗ Fù. is followed by ䷘ Wú Wàng. Given the freedom from disorder and insincerity (which this name denotes), there may be the accumulation (of virtue), and ䷘ Wú Wàng is followed by ䷙ Dà Xù.
26-30 Such accumulation having taken place, there will follow the nourishment of it; and hence ䷙ Dà Xù is followed by ䷚ Yí. ䷚ Yí denotes nourishing. Without nourishment there could be no movement, and hence ䷚ Yí is followed by ䷛ Dà Guò. Things cannot for ever be in a state of extraordinary (progress); and hence ䷛ Dà Guò is followed by ䷜ Kǎn. ䷜ Kǎn denotes falling into peril. When one falls into peril, he is sure to attach himself to some person or thing; and hence ䷜ Kǎn is followed by ䷝ Lí. ䷝ Lí denotes being attached, or adhering, to.
31,32 Heaven and earth existing, all (material) things then got their existence. All (material) things having existence, afterwards there came male and female. From the existence of male and female there came afterwards husband and wife. From husband and wife there came father and son. From father and son there came ruler and minister. From ruler and minister there came high and low. When (the distinction of) high and low had existence, afterwards came the arrangements of propriety and righteousness.
The rule for the relation of husband and wife is that it should be long-enduring. Hence ䷞ Xián is followed by ䷟ Héng. ䷟ Héng denotes long enduring. 7
32-37 Things cannot long abide in the same place; and hence ䷟ Héng is followed by ䷠ Dùn. ䷠ Dùn denotes withdrawing. Things cannot be for ever withdrawn; and hence Thun is succeeded by ䷡ Dà Zhuàng. Things cannot remain forever (simply) in the state of vigour; and hence ䷡ Dà Zhuàng is succeeded by ䷢ Jìn. ䷢ Jìn denotes advancing. (But) advancing is sure to lead to being wounded; and hence ䷢ Jìn is succeeded by ䷣ Míng Yí. ䷣ Míng Yí denotes being wounded. He who is wounded abroad will return to his home; and hence ䷣ Míng Yí is followed by ䷤ Jiā Rén.
37-40 When the right administration of the family is at an end, misunderstanding and division will ensue; and hence ䷤ Jiā Rén is followed by ䷥ Kuí. ䷥ Kuí denotes misunderstanding and division; and such a state is sure to give rise to difficulties and complications. ䷥ Kuí therefore is followed by ䷦ Jiǎn. ䷦ Jiǎn denotes difficulties; but things cannot remain for ever in such a state. ䷦ Jiǎn therefore is followed by ䷧ Xiè, which denotes relaxation and ease.
40-44 In a state of relaxation and ease there are sure to be losses; and hence ䷧ Xiè is followed by ䷨ Sǔn. But when ䷨ Sǔn (or diminution) is going on without end, increase is sure to come. ䷨ Sǔn therefore is followed by ䷩ Yì. When increase goes on without end, there is sure to come a dispersing of it, and hence ䷩ Yì is followed by ䷪ Guài. ䷪ Guài denotes dispersion. But dispersion must be succeeded by a meeting (again). Hence ䷪ Guài is followed by ䷫ Gòu, which denotes such meeting.
44-48 When things meet together, a collection is then formed. Hence ䷫ Gòu is followed by ䷬ Cuì, which name denotes, being collected. When (good men) are collected and mount to the highest places, there results what we call an upward advance; and hence ䷬ Cuì is followed by ䷭ Shēng. When such advance continues without stopping, there is sure to come distress; and hence ䷭ Shēng is followed by ䷮ Kùn. When distress is felt in the height (that has been gained), there is sure to be a return to the ground beneath; and hence ䷮ Kùn is followed by ䷯ Jǐng.
48,49 What happens under ䷯ Jǐng requires to be changed, and hence it is followed by ䷰ Gé (denoting change).
49-55 For changing the substance of things there is nothing equal to the caldron; and hence ䷰ Gé is followed by ䷱ Dǐng. For presiding over (that and all other) vessels, no one is equal to the eldest son, and hence ䷱ Dǐng is followed by ䷲ Zhèn. ䷲ Zhèn conveys the idea of putting in motion. But things cannot be kept in motion forever. The motion is stopped; and hence ䷲ Zhèn is followed by ䷳ Gèn, which gives the idea of arresting or stopping. Things cannot be kept for ever in a state of repression, and hence ䷳ Gèn is followed by ䷴ Jiàn, which gives the idea of (gradually) advancing. With advance there must be a certain point that is arrived at, and hence ䷴ Jiàn is succeeded by ䷵ Guī Mèi. When things thus find the proper point to which to come, they are sure to become great. Hence ䷵ Guī Mèi is succeeded by ䷶ Fēng, which conveys the idea of being great.
55-57 He whose greatness reaches the utmost possibility, is sure to lose his dwelling; and hence ䷶ Fēng is succeeded by ䷷ Lǚ (denoting travellers or strangers). We have in it the idea of strangers who have no place to receive them, and hence ䷷ Lǚ is followed by ䷸ Xùn, which gives the idea of (penetrating and) entering.
57-59 One enters (on the pursuit of his object), and afterwards has pleasure in it; hence ䷸ Xùn is followed by ䷹ Duì. ䷹ Duì denotes pleasure and satisfaction. This pleasure and satisfaction (begins) afterwards to be dissipated, and hence ䷹ Duì is followed by ䷺ Huàn, which denotes separation and division.
59-62 A state of division cannot continue for ever, and therefore ䷺ Huàn is followed by ䷻ Jié. ䷻ Jié (or the system of regulations) having been established, men believe in it, and hence it is followed by ䷼ Zhōng Fú. When men have the belief which ䷼ Zhōng Fú implies, they are sure to carry it into practice; and hence it is succeeded by ䷽ Xiǎo Guò.
62-64 He that surpasses others is sure to remedy (evils that exist), and therefore ䷽ Xiǎo Guò is succeeded by ䷾ Jì Jì. But the succession of events cannot come to an end, and therefore ䷾ Jì Jì is succeeded by ䷿ Wèi Jì, with which (the hexagrams) come to a close.
439:a The few sentences on this Appendix in the Introduction are sufficient. It shows the importance of the meaning of the name in an attempt to explain the lineal figures, and prepares us to expect on each one a brief enigmatical essay, which, it has been seen, is the nature of the Text. But the writer, whoever he was, is by no means careful always to follow that Text in the significance of the characters, as will appear in the few instances to which attention is called in the following notices. The treatise is too slight to require, or to justify, an exhibition of all its inaccuracies.
439:1 But ䷂ Zhūn does not denote filling up. It is the symbol of being in a state of distress and difficulty. The writer is thinking of the result of the interaction of heaven and earth as being to fill all between them with the various forms of living beings; and to represent that he gives the result of ䷂ Zhūn, and not its meaning. He makes a blunder which might have been easily avoided, for he adds immediately that the character is descriptive of things on their first production.
439:2 It is difficult to follow the writer here. ䷄ Xū in the Text is the symbol of the idea of waiting. Does he mean that a provision of food and drink can only be made gradually? There is nothing in the character ䷄ Xū to awaken in the mind the idea of nourishment, Then the genesis of contention which is given is strange. The writer probably had in his mind the lines of the Shī Jīng, II, i, ode 5. 3: --
'The loss of kindly feeling oft
From slightest things shall grow.
Where all the fare is dry and spare,
Resentments fierce may glow.'
But what is allowable, good even, in poetry, is out of place in this treatise.
439:3 Contention on a great scale will put all the population of a state in excitement and motion, and military measures of repression will be necessary. But the idea of the multitudes in ䷆ Shī would seem to be simply that of number, and not that of a numerous host. In a feudal kingdom, however, all the able-bodied people might be required to join the army.
440:4 ䷉ Lǚ, the name of the 10th hexagram, is the symbol for a shoe, and the act of treading or walking. It seems here to be derived from the homophonous lî, the symbol of acts of ceremony. The identity of sound or name must be considered as accidental. A measured step would be one of the first ways in which the inward sense of propriety would manifest itself.
440:5 By the subject of ䷍ Dà Yǒu and ䷎ Qiān we must understand the possessor of the kingdom -- the great man who in his greatness is yet distinguished by humility. He attracts followers.
440:6 For the true meaning of ䷑ Gǔ and ䷒ Lín, the names of hexagrams 18, 19, see what is said in the notes on the Text of them.
440:7 The same reference should be made to the notes on the Text of ䷞ Xián and many of the other hexagrams that follow.