Chapter I

1 Anciently, when the sages made the Yi, they did so as a help to the understanding of God's guidance, and they produced the rules for the use of the plant of the divining stalks.

2 The number 3 was assigned to heaven, 2 to earth, and from these came the other numbers.

3 They contemplated the changes in the divided and undivided lines, and formed the trigrams; from the movements that took place in the strong and weak lines, they produced their teaching about the separate lines. There ensued a harmonious conformity to the course of duty and to virtue, with a discrimination of what was right in each particular case. They thus made an exhaustive discrimination of what was right, and effected the complete development of every nature, till they arrived in the Yi at what was appointed for it by God.

Chapter II

4 Anciently, when the sages made the Yi, it was with the design that its figures should be in conformity with the principles underlying the natures of men and things, and the ordinances appointed for them by God. With this view they exhibited in them the way of heaven, calling the lines yin and yang; the way of earth, calling them the weak or soft and the strong or hard; and the way of men, under the names of benevolence and righteousness. Each trigram embraced those three Powers; and, being repeated, its full form consisted of six lines. A distinction was made of the places assigned to the yin and yang lines, which were variously occupied, now by the strong and now by the weak forms, and thus the figure of each hexagram was completed.

Chapter III

5 The symbols of heaven and earth received their determinate positions; those for mountains and collections of water interchanged their influences; those for thunder and wind excited each other the more; and those for water and fire did each other no harm. Then among these eight symbols there was a mutual communication.

6 The numbering of the past is a natural process; the knowledge of the coming is anticipation. Therefore in the Yi we have both anticipation and the natural process.

Chapter IV

7 Thunder serves to put things in motion; wind to scatter the genial seeds of them; rain to moisten them; the sun to warm them; what is symbolised by Kan, to arrest and keep them in their places; by Tui, to give them joyful course; by Khien, to rule them; and by Khwan, to store them up.

Chapter V

8 God brings forth His work in Zhen; He brings His processes into full and equal action in Sun; they are manifested to one another in Li; the greatest service is done for Him in Khwan; His bounty is rejoiced in at Tui; His decree is displayed in Khien, where the inactive and active conditions meet; His provision is a comfort and a rest in Khan; and He completes the work of the year in Kan.

9 All things are made to issue forth in Zhen, which is placed at the east. The processes of production are brought into full and equal action in Sun, which is placed at the south-east. The being brought into full and equal action refers to the purity and equal arrangement of all things. Li gives the idea of brightness. All things are now made manifest to one another. It is the trigram of the south. The sages turn their faces to the south when they give audience to all under the sky, administering government towards the region of brightness: the idea in this procedure was taken from this. Khwan denotes the earth, and is placed at the south-west. All things receive from it their fullest nourishment, and hence it is said, 'The greatest service is done for Him in Khwan.' Tui corresponds to the west and to the autumn, the season in which all things rejoice. Hence it is said, 'His bounty is rejoiced in at Tui.' Khien is the trigram of the north-west. The idea is that there the inactive and active conditions beat against each other. Khan denotes water. It is the trigram of the exact north, the trigram of comfort and rest, what all things are tending to. Hence it is said, 'His provision is a comfort and a rest in Khan.' Kan is the trigram of the north-east. In it all things bring to a full end the issues of the past year, and prepare the commencement of the next. Hence it is said, 'He completes the work of the year in Kan.'

Chapter VI

10 When we speak of the Spirit, we mean the subtle operation of God's command upon all things. For putting all things in motion there is nothing more vehement than thunder; for scattering them there is nothing more effective than wind; for drying them up there is nothing more parching than fire; for giving them pleasure and satisfaction there is nothing more grateful than a lake or marsh; for moistening them there is nothing more enriching than water; for bringing them to an end and making them begin again there is nothing more fully adapted than Kan. Thus water and fire contribute together to the one object; thunder and wind do not act contrary to each other; mountains and collections of water interchange their influences. It is in this way that they are able to change and transform, and to give completion to all things.

Chapter VII

11 Khien is the symbol of strength; Khwan, of docility; Zhen, of stimulus to movement; Sun, of penetration; Khan, of what is precipitous and perilous; Li, of what is bright and what is catching; Kan, of stoppage or arrest; and Tui, of pleasure and satisfaction.

Chapter VIII

12 Khien suggests the idea of a horse; Khwan, that of an ox; Zhen, that of the dragon; Sun, that of a fowl; Khan, that of a pig; Li, that of a pheasant; Kan, that of a dog; and Tui, that of a sheep.

Chapter IX

13 Khien suggests the idea of the head; Khwan, that of the belly; Zhen, that of the feet; Sun, that of the thighs; Khan, that of the ears; Li, that of the eyes; Kan, that of the hands; and Tui, that of the mouth.

Chapter X

14 Khien is the symbol of heaven, and hence has the appellation of father. Khwan is the symbol of earth, and hence has the appellation of mother. Zhen shows a first application of Khwan to Khien, resulting in getting the first of its male or undivided lines, and hence is called 'the oldest son.' Sun shows a first application of Khien to Khwan, resulting in getting the first of its female or divided lines, and hence is called 'the oldest daughter.' Khan shows a second application of Khwan to Khien, resulting in getting the second of its male or undivided lines, and hence is called 'the second son.' Li shows a second application of Khien to Khwan, resulting in getting the second of its female or divided lines, and hence is called 'the second daughter.' Kan shows a third application of Khwan to Khien, resulting in getting the third of its male or undivided lines, and hence is called 'the youngest son.' Tui shows a third application of Khien to Khwan, resulting in getting the third of its female or divided lines, and hence is called 'the youngest daughter.'

Chapter XI

15 Khien suggests the idea of heaven; of a circle; of a ruler; of a father; of jade; of metal; of cold; of ice; of deep red; of a good horse; of an old horse; of a thin horse; of a piebald horse; and of the fruit of trees.

16 Khwan suggests the idea of the earth; of a mother; of cloth; of a caldron; of parsimony; of a turning lathe; of a young heifer; of a large waggon; of what is variegated; of a multitude; and of a handle and support. Among soils it denotes what is black.

17 Zhen suggests the idea of thunder; of the dragon; of the union of the azure and the yellow; of development; of a great highway; of the eldest son; of decision and vehemence; of bright young bamboos; of sedges and rushes; among horses, of the good neigher; of one whose white hind-leg appears, of the prancer, and of one with a white star in his forehead. Among the productions of husbandry it suggests the idea of what returns to life from its disappearance beneath the surface, of what in the end becomes the strongest, and of what is the most luxuriant.

18 Sun suggests the idea of wood; of wind; of the oldest daughter; of a plumb-line; of a carpenter's square; of being white; of being long; of being lofty; of advancing and receding; of want of decision; and of strong scents. It suggests in the human body the idea of deficiency of hair; of a wide forehead; of a large development of the white of the eye. Among tendencies, it suggests the close pursuit of gain, even to making three hundred percent. in the market. In the end it may become the trigram of decision.

19 Khan suggests the idea of water; of channels and ditches for draining and irrigation; of being hidden and lying concealed; of being now straight, and now crooked; of a bow, and of a wheel. As referred to man, it suggests the idea of an increase of anxiety; of distress of mind; of pain in the ears; it is the trigram of the blood; it suggests the idea of what is red. As referred to horses, it suggests the idea of the horse with an elegant spine; of one with a high spirit; of one with a drooping head; of one with a thin hoof; and of one with a shambling step. As referred to carriages, it suggests one that encounters many risks. It suggests what goes right through; the moon; a thief. Referred to trees, it suggests that which is strong, and firm-hearted.

20 Li suggests the emblem of fire; of the sun; of lightning; of the second daughter; of buff-coat and helmet; of spear and sword. Referred to men, it suggests the large belly. It is the trigram of dryness. It suggests the emblem of a turtle; of a crab; of a spiral univalve; of the mussel; and of the tortoise. Referred to trees, it suggests one which is hollow and rotten above.

21 Kan suggests the emblem of a mountain; of a by-path; of a small rock; of a gateway; of the fruits of trees and creeping plants; of a porter; of the ring finger; of the dog; of the rat; of birds with powerful bills; among trees, of those which are strong, with many joints.

22 Tui suggests the emblem of a low-lying collection of water; of the youngest daughter; of the mouth and tongue; of the decay and putting down of things in harvest; of the removal of fruits hanging from the stems or branches; among soils, of what is strong and salt; and of a sheep.