易經
第一卦
乾 乾為天 乾上乾下
乾‧元‧亨‧利‧貞‧
初九‧潛龍‧勿用‧
九二‧見龍再田‧利見大人‧
九三‧君子終日乾乾‧夕惕若‧厲‧無咎‧
九四‧或躍在淵‧無咎‧
九五‧飛龍在天‧利見大人‧
上九‧亢龍‧有悔‧
用九‧見群龍無首‧吉‧
彖曰‧大哉乾元‧萬物資始‧乃統天‧
雲行雨施‧品物流形‧
大明始終‧六位時成‧時乘六龍以御天‧
乾道變化‧各正性命‧保合太和‧乃利貞‧
首出庶物‧萬國咸寧‧
象曰‧天行健‧君子以自疆不息‧
潛龍勿用‧陽在下也‧
見龍再田‧德施普也‧
終日乾乾‧反復道也‧
或躍在淵‧進無咎也‧
飛龍在天‧大人造也‧
亢龍有悔‧盈不可久也‧
用九‧天德不可為首也‧
文言曰‧元者‧善之長也‧亨者‧嘉之會也‧利者‧義之和也‧
貞者‧事之幹也‧
君子‧體仁足以長人‧嘉會足以合禮‧利物足以和義‧貞
固足以幹事‧
君子行此四者‧故曰乾元亨利貞‧
初九曰‧潛龍勿用‧何謂也‧子曰‧龍德而隱者也‧不易
乎世‧不成乎名‧遯世而無悶‧不見是而無悶‧樂則行之
‧憂則違之‧確乎其不可拔‧潛龍也‧
九二曰‧見龍在田‧利見大人‧何謂也‧子曰‧龍德而正
中者也‧庸言之信‧庸行之謹‧閑邪存其誠‧善世而不伐
‧德博而化‧易曰‧見龍在田‧利見大人‧君德也‧
九三曰‧君子終日乾乾‧夕惕若‧厲無咎‧何謂也‧子曰
‧君子進德修業‧忠信‧所以進德也‧修辭立其誠‧所以
居業也‧知至至之‧可與幾也‧知終終之‧可與存義也‧
是故居上位而不驕‧在下位而不憂‧故乾乾因其時而惕‧
雖危而無咎矣‧
九四‧或躍在淵‧無咎‧何謂也‧子曰‧上下無常‧非為
邪也‧進退無恆‧非離群也‧君子進德修業‧欲及時也‧
故無咎‧
九五曰‧飛龍在天‧利見大人‧何謂也‧子曰‧同聲相應
‧同氣相求‧水流濕‧火就燥‧雲從龍‧風從虎‧聖人作
而萬物睹‧本乎天者親上‧本乎地者親下‧則各從其類
也‧
上九曰‧亢龍有悔‧何謂也‧子曰‧貴而無位‧高而無民
‧賢人在下位而無輔‧是以動而有悔也‧
潛龍勿用‧下也‧
見龍在田‧時舍也‧
終日乾乾‧行事也‧
或躍在淵‧自試也‧
飛龍在天‧上治也‧
亢龍有悔‧窮之災也‧
乾元用九‧天下治也‧
潛龍勿用‧陽氣潛藏‧
見龍在田‧天下文明‧
終日乾乾‧與時偕行‧
或躍在淵‧乾道乃革‧
飛龍在天‧乃位乎天德‧
亢龍有悔‧與時偕極‧
乾元用九‧乃見天則‧
乾元者‧始而亨者也‧
利貞者‧性情也‧
乾始能以美利利天下‧不言所利‧大矣哉‧
大哉乾乎‧剛健中正‧純粹精也‧
六爻發揮‧旁通情也‧
時乘六龍以御天也‧雲行雨施‧天下平也‧
君子以成德為行‧日可見之行也‧潛之為言也‧隱而未見
‧行而未成‧是以君子弗用也‧
君子學以聚之‧問以辨之‧寬以居之‧仁以行之‧易曰‧
見龍在田‧利見大人‧君德也‧
九三‧重剛而不中‧上不在天‧下不在田‧故乾乾因其時
而惕‧雖危無咎矣‧
九四‧重剛而不中‧上不在天‧下不在田‧中不在人‧故
或之‧或之者‧疑之也‧故無咎‧
夫大人者‧與天地合其德‧與日月合其明‧與四時合其序
‧與鬼神合其吉凶‧先天而天弗違‧後天而奉天時‧天且
弗違‧而況於人乎‧況於鬼神乎‧
亢之為言也‧知進而不知退‧知存而不知亡‧知得而不知
喪‧
其唯聖人乎‧知進退存亡而不失其正者‧其為聖人乎‧
乾卦終
I-Ching 1st Hexagram - Creative
On nine at the beginning:
a) Nine at the beginning means: “Hidden dragon. Do not act.” What does this signify? The Master said: ‘This means a person who has the character of a dragon but remains concealed. He does not change to suit the outside world; he makes no name for himself. He withdraws from the world, yet is not sad about it. If lucky, he carries out his principles; if unlucky, he withdraws with them. Verily, he cannot be uprooted; he is a hidden dragon.
b) “Hidden dragon. Do not act.” The reason is that he is below.
c) “Hidden dragon. Do not act.” The power of the light principle is still covered up and concealed.
d) The superior man acts in accordance with the character that has become perfected within him. This is a way of life that can submit to scrutiny on any day.
Being hidden means that he is still in concealment and not given recognition, that if he should act he would not as yet accomplish anything. In this case the superior man does not act.
On nine in the second place:
a) Nine in the second place means: “Dragon appearing in the field. It furthers one to see the great man.” What does this signify?
The Master said: ‘This means a man who has the character of a dragon and is moderate and correct. Even in ordinary speech he is reliable. Even in ordinary actions he is careful. He does away with what is false and preserves his integrity. He improves his era and does not boast about it. His character is influential and transform men.’
In the Book of Changes it is said: “Dragon appearing in the field. It furthers one to see the great man.” This refers to a man who has the qualities of a ruler.
b) “Dragon appearing in the field.” The reason is that he is not needed as yet.
c) “Dragon appearing in the field.” Through him the whole world attains beauty and clarity.
d) The superior man learns in order to gather material; he questions in order to sift it. Thus he becomes generous in nature and kindly in his actions.
On nine in the third place:
a) Nine in the third place means: “All day long the superior man is creatively active. At nightfall his mind is still beset with cares. Danger. No blame. “What does this signify?
The Master said: ‘The superior man improves his character and labors at his task. It is through loyalty and faith that he fosters his character. By working on his words, so that they rest firmly on truth, he makes his work enduring. He knows how this is to be achieved and achieves it; in this way he is able to plant the right seed. He knows how it is to be brought to completion and so completes it; thereby he is able to make it truly enduring. For this reason he is not proud in his superior position nor disappointed in an inferior one. Thus he is creatively active and, as circumstances demand, careful, so that even in a dangerous situation he does not make a mistake.
b) “All day long he is creatively active.” This is the way in which he carries out his undertakings.
c) “All day long he is creatively active.” He moves with the time.
d) The nine in the third place shows redoubled firmness and is moreover not in a central place. On the one hand, it is not yet in the heavens above; on the other hand, it is no longer in the field below. Therefore one must be creatively active and, as circumstances demand, careful. Then, despite the danger, no mistake is made.
On nine in the fourth place:
a) Nine in the fourth place means: “Wavering flight over the depths. No blame.” What does this signify?
The Master said: ‘In ascent or descent there is no fixed rule, except that one must do nothing evil. In advance or retreat no sustained perseverance avails, except that one must not depart from one’s nature. The superior man fosters his character and labors at his task, in order to do everything at the right time. Therefore he makes no mistake.’
b) “Wavering flight over the depths.” He tests his powers.
c) “Wavering flight over the depths.” Here the way of the Creative is about to transform itself.
d) The nine in the fourth place is too rigid and not moderate. It is not yet in the heaven above, neither is it any longer in the field below nor in the middle regions of the human. Therefore it is said: “Wavering flight….” To waver means that one has freedom of choice, therefore one makes no mistake.
On nine in the fifth place:
a) Nine in the fifth place means: “Flying dragon in the heavens. It furthers one to see the great man.” What does this signify?
The Master said: ‘Things that accord in tone vibrate together. Things that have affinity in their inmost natures seek one another. Water flows to what is wet, fire turns to what is dry. Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger. Thus the sage rises, and all creatures follow him with their eyes. What is born of heaven feels related to what is above. What is born of earth feels related to what is below. Each follows its kind.
b) “Flying dragon in the heavens.” This is the supreme way of ruling.
c) “Flying dragon in the heavens.” This is the place appropriate to heavenly character.
d) The great man accords in his character with heaven and earth; in his light, with the sun and moon; in his consistency, with the four seasons; in the good and evil fortune that he creates, with gods and spirits. When he acts in advance of heaven, heaven does not contradict him. When he follows heaven, he adapts himself to the time of heaven. If heaven itself does not resist him, how much less do men, gods, and spirits!
On nine at the top:
a) Nine at the top means: “Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.” What does this signify?
The Master said: ‘He who is noble and has no corresponding position, he who stands high and has no following, he who has able people under him who do not have his support, that man will have cause for regret at every turn.’
b) “Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.” Everything that goes to extremes meets with misfortune.
c) “Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.” In time he exhausts himself.
d) Arrogance means that one knows how to press forward but not how to draw back, that one knows existence but not annihilation, knows something about winning but nothing about losing. (example PAP and Lee Kuan Yew)
It is only the holy man who understands how to press forward and how to draw back, who knows existence and annihilation as well, without losing his true nature. The holy man alone can do this.
On all the nines changing:
a) When The Creative, the great, undergoes change in all the nines, the world is set in order.
b) When The Creative, the great, undergoes change in all the nines, one perceives the law of heaven.
This hexagram tells us about the great man and world peace. I think most true Taoists follow the advice of this hexagram, so they did not act; and they were mostly unknown.
My explanation: hexagram has six lines, so six is an important factor. The peak can be reached at the fifth line; this show we can be active at the government stage, not the king, president or head of country stage. Flying dragon without head is telling us the head of country has to be non active. Since history, the head of country is always active, so the sad ending of each dynasty. The sage-king is a man of inaction. (Confucius always mentioned sage-kings, he was wrong.) 2nd Aug 2001 - God created the universe in six days. This can be explained by the fertilization of the egg by a sperm. After six days, the fertilized egg has life. If you divide the cells, they die. The total number of cells should be 64 to tally the number of hexagrams in the I-Ching.
This hexagram is talking about the sage-king, the development he has to go through. Once he has established himself as Sage King, then there will be world peace or GREAT HARMONY.
