In ䷊ we see the little gone and the great come. It indicates that there will be good fortune, with progress and success.
The language of the judgment has reference to the form of ䷊, with the three strong lines of ☰ below, and the three weak lines of ☷ above. The former are the great, active and vigorous; the latter are the small, inactive and submissive. But where have the former come from, and whither are the latter gone? Beneath the hexagram of ䷊ here, there appears that of ䷵, which becomes ䷊, if the third and fourth lines exchange places. The different hexagrams arose necessarily by the continued manipulation of the undivided and divided lines, and placing them each over itself and over the other. The gone and come are merely equivalent to below and above, in the lower trigram ☰ or in the upper ☷.
A course in which the motive forces are represented by the three strong, and the opposing by the three weak lines, must be progressive and successful. ䷊ is called the hexagram of the first month of the year, the first month of the natural spring, when for six months, through the fostering sun and genial skies, the processes of growth will be going on.
The little come and the great gone in ䷊, and its indication that there will be good fortune with progress and success' show to us heaven and earth in communication with each other, and all things in consequence having free course, and also the high and the low, superiors and inferiors, in communication with one another, and possessed by the same aim. The inner trigram ☰ is made up of the strong and undivided lines, and the outer of the weak and divided; the inner is the symbol of strength, and the outer ☷ of docility; the inner represents the superior man, and the outer the small man. Thus the way of the superior man appears increasing, and that of the small man decreasing.
The judgment means that Heaven and Earth have now conjugal intercourse with each other and the upper and lower classes unite together. Why did he not go on to say; he upper and lower classes have conjugal intercourse together; or rather, why did he not dismiss, the idea of such intercourse from his mind altogether?
The trigrams ☰ ☷ for heaven and earth in communication together form ䷊. The sage sovereign, in harmony with this, fashions and completes his regulations after the courses of heaven and earth, and assists the application of the adaptations furnished by them, in order to benefit the people.
A ruler should frame his laws; and regulations so that the people may avail themselves of the seasons of heaven, and of the advantages afforded by the earth, assisting their transforming and nourishing services, and completing their abundant and admirable benefits. Thus the breath of spring, calling forth all vegetable life, gives the law for sowing and planting; the breath of autumn, completing and solidifying all things, gives the law for ingathering and storing,' &c.
- The first line, undivided, suggests the idea of grass pulled up, and bringing with it other stalks with whose roots it is connected. Advance on the part of its subject will be fortunate.
The good fortune of advance, as suggested by the emblem of the grass pulled up, arises from the will of the party intended being set on what is external to himself.
The three strong lines of ☰ all together, and all possessed by the same instinct to advance. The movement of the first will be supported by that of the others, and be fortunate. The subject of line 1 has his will on what is external to himself; he is bent on going forward.
- The second line, undivided, shows one who can bear with the uncultivated, will cross the river without a boat, does not forget the distant, and has no selfish friendships. Thus does he prove himself acting in accordance with the course of the due Mean.
He bears with the uncultivated, and proves himself acting in accordance with the due mean; for his intelligence is bright and his capacity is great.
The second line is strong, but in an even place. This is supposed to temper the strength of its subject; which is expressed by the first of his characteristics. But the even place is the central; and it is responded to by a proper correlate in the fifth line above. Hence come all the symbolism of the paragraph and the auspice of good fortune implied in it.
- The third line, undivided, shows that, while there is no state of peace that is not liable to be disturbed, and no departure of evil men so that they shall not return, yet when one is firm and correct, as he realises the distresses that may arise, he will commit no error. There is no occasion for sadness at the certainty of such recurring changes; and in this mood the happiness of the present may be long enjoyed.
There is no going away so that there shall not be a return refers to this as the point where the interaction of heaven and earth takes place.
There lies the persuasion of the constant change that is taking place in nature and in human affairs. As night succeeds to day, and winter to summer, so calamity may be expected to follow prosperity, and decay the flourishing of a state. The third is the last of the lines of ☰, by whose strength and activity the happy state of ䷊ has been produced. Another aspect of things may be looked for; but by firmness and correctness the good estate of the present may be long continued.
- The fourth line, divided, shows its subject fluttering down; not relying on his own rich resources, but calling in his neighbours. They all come not as having received warning, but in the sincerity of their hearts.
He comes fluttering down, not relying on his own rich resources; both he and his neighbours are out of their real place where they are. They have not received warning, but come in the sincerity of their hearts; this is what they have desired in the core of their hearts.
According to the treatise on the Thwan, the subjects of the fourth and other upper lines are not 'the small returning' as opponents of the strong lines below, as is generally supposed; but as the correlates of those lines, of one heart and mind with them to maintain the state of ䷊, and giving them, humbly but readily, all the help in their power. The upper lines are out of their real place where they are, or, literally, have lost their substantiality, by the remark that their proper place, as being weak lines, is below.
- The fifth line, divided, reminds us of king rule about the marriage of his younger sister. By such a course there is happiness and there will be great good fortune.
By such a course there is happiness, and there will be great good fortune; the subject of the line employs the virtue proper to his central position to carry his wishes into effect.
Here line 5, while occupying the place of dignity and authority in the hexagram, is yet a weak line in the place of a strong and its subject, accordingly, humbly condescends to his one, strong and proper correlate in line 2.
- The sixth line, divided, shows us the city wall returned into the moat. It is not the time to use the army. The subject of the line may, indeed, announce his orders to the people of his own city; but however correct and firm he may be, he will have cause for regret.
The city wall returned back into the moat' shows how the governmental orders have long been in disorder.
The course denoted by ䷊ has been run; and will be followed by one of a different and unhappy character. The earth dug from the moat had been built up to form a protecting wall; but it is now again fallen into the ditch. War will only aggravate the evil; and however the ruler may address good proclamations to himself and the people of his capital, the coming evil cannot be altogether averted.