44. Gou

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易經今解（周易今解）

44. 姤卦 (天風姤)

姤，女壯，勿用取女。

九三，臀无膚，其行次且，厲，无大咎。

九五，以杞包瓜，含章，有隕自天。

象曰：天下有風，姤，后以施命誥四方。（圖：小配）

相遇，邂逅，女人主事。

姤為偶遇的意思，在許多古書中也會做遘或逅。

金文有遘無姤，因此姤應是遘的假借，以遘為正。

帛書作狗，上博簡作敂。句（勾）音與冓同，狗與敂可能是遘的假藉。但也可能是假借為「茍」，茍音計，這是敬（警）的初文，警戒的意思。茍字上從卝，有別於「苟且」的苟。苟是一種草，因此上從艸。

清華簡作， 為繫的異體字，音與茍同。就卦象來看，巽為繩，因此卦象有繫義。初六說「繫於金柅」，因此以繫為卦名亦相當有可能。

姤卦所謂的「遇」指的是一陰遇五陽，一女遇五男，由於女子強悍而不貞，因此這種男女關係只能當作一時的邂遘，不能想天長地久。所以《彖傳》說：「姤，遇也，柔遇剛也。勿用取女，不可與長也。」

姤卦又有女子主事之象。就卦氣來看，三月夬卦五陽處決一陰，陰氣將盡，四月為乾卦純陽，五月姤卦陰氣歸來，一陰在五陽之始，一陰順承五陽。由於卦氣的成長是由內向外，巽風在內為陰氣向陽氣侵蝕的力量，因此陰氣雖然只有一爻，但其對於陽氣的入侵性與破壞力，卻是有如破竹，因此稱「女壯」。

姤與復都代表著陰陽消長的一個轉折點，也是善惡質變的開端。復是陽氣歸來，喻人改過遷善，生機藏地中，元氣歸來。姤卦則相反，是陰氣歸來，邪惡已經偷偷回來，象徵在人所看不到的暗處已開始產生腐化，陰氣藏於天下。因此如何明察秋毫，防微杜漸，對姤卦來說是相當重要的。

卦象上乾天，下巽風，為天下有風，風行天下，君王誥命天下之象。所以《象》曰：「后以施命誥四方。」后同司，君王的意思。

卦序上姤卦與夬卦為相綜的一對卦，並繼夬卦而來。《序卦》曰：「決必有遇，故受之以姤。姤者，遇也。」夬卦是五陽與一陰畫清界限並處決一陰，或者是君子訣別之義。姤卦則是一陰重新又與五陽相遇，或者訣別之後又會合，所謂分久必合也。

姤卦若筮問感情，則只是短暫的邂遘，無法長久，原因可能為女方過於強勢或同時有多人交往。若問其他諸事，則可能是由女人發號施令。故姤卦對於女子事業是大吉之卦，也是屬於女強人的一卦。

姤，女壯，勿用取女。

《彖》曰：姤，遇也，柔遇剛也。

勿用取女，不可與長也。

天地相遇，品物咸章也；剛遇中正，天下大行也，姤之時義大矣哉。

《象》曰：天下有風，姤，后以施命誥四方。

邂遘偶遇，女人強悍，不能娶女。

《彖傳》說：「勿用取女，不可與長也。」因為這只是一場短暫的邂遘偶遇，無法天長地久，所以這個女人不能娶。

姤卦一陰承五陽，一女應付五男，過於厲害。這也是柔順力量的極致。

女壯有二種解釋，一，傳統解釋為女人強勢。二，壯通戕，女戕為女人有傷。勿用，不要，不得。取，同娶。本文取自易學網。子曰：小人不恥不仁，不畏不義，不見利不勸。不威不懲，小懲而大誡，此小人之福也。

易曰「履校滅趾，无咎」，此之謂也。善不積不足以成名，惡不積不足以滅身。小人以小善為无益而弗為也，以小惡為无傷而弗去也。

Coming to Meet

⇒

⇒

⇒

⇒

⇒

⇒

the Sign:

the basic hexagrams:

☰

   above Trigram Qián 乾, the Creative, the heaven

☴

   below Trigram Xùn 巽, the Gentle, the wind

the nuclear hexagrams:

☰

   above Trigram Qián 乾, the Creative, the heaven

☰

   below Trigram Qián 乾, the Creative, the heaven

the enveloping hexagrams:

☴

   above Trigram Xùn 巽, the Gentle, the wind

☴

   below Trigram Xùn 巽, the Gentle, the wind

the resonance trigram:

☳

   Trigram Zhèn 震, the Arousing, the thunder

This hexagram indicates a situation in which the principle of darkness, after having been eliminated, furtively and unexpectedly obtrudes again from within and below. Of its own accord, the female principle comes to meet the male. It is an unfavourable and dangerous situation, and we must understand and promptly prevent the possible consequences. The hexagram is linked with the fifth month [June-July] because at the summer solstice the principle of darkness gradually becomes ascendant again.

The sequence:

Through resoluteness one is certain to encounter something.

Hence there follows the hexagram of Coming to Meet.

Coming to meet means encountering.

Miscellaneous notes:

Coming to Meet means encountering.

Coming to meet means encountering.

The lower trigram is Xun, wind, which drives along beneath Qian, heaven, the upper trigram, and hence encounters all things. Furthermore, a yin line develops below, so that the dark principle thus unexpectedly encounters the light. The movement is initiated by the dark principle, the feminine, which advances to meet the light principle, the masculine. This hexagram is the inverse of the preceding one.

the Judgment

姤：女壮，勿用取女。

Coming to Meet. The maiden is powerful.
One should not marry such a maiden.

The rise of the inferior element is pictured here in the image of a bold girl who lightly surrenders herself and thus seizes power. This would not be possible if the strong and light-giving element had not in turn come halfway. The inferior thing seems so harmless and inviting that a man delights in it; it looks so small and weak that he imagines he may dally with it and come to no harm.

The inferior man rises only because the superior man does not regard him as dangerous and so lends him power. If he were resisted from the first, he could never gain influence.

The time of Coming to Meet is important in still another way. Although the weak should not come to meet the strong as a general rule, there are times when this has great significance. When heaven and earth come to meet each other, all creatures prosper; when a prince and his official come to meet each other, the world is put in order. It is necessary for elements predestined to join and mutually dependent to meet one another halfway. But the coming together must be free of dishonest ulterior motives, otherwise, harm will result.

Commentary on the Decision

姤，遇也，柔遇刚也。

勿用取女，不可与长也。

天地相遇，品物咸章也。

刚遇中正，天下大行也。

姤之时义大矣哉！

Coming to Meet means encountering.

The weak advances to meet the firm.
“One should not marry such a maiden.”

This means that one cannot live with her permanently.
When heaven and earth meet, all creatures settle into firm lines.
When the firm finds the middle and the right, everything under heaven prospers splendidly.
Great indeed is the meaning of the time of Coming to Meet.

Xun is the eldest daughter. A yin line develops within and rules the hexagram, while the yang lines stand aside as guests. In this way, the yin element becomes increasingly powerful. This is the line of the trigram Kun of which it is said: “When there is hoarfrost underfoot, solid ice is not far off.” Hence the gradual expansion must be checked in time, for the way of inferior people increases only because superior men entrust them with power. If this is avoided when the inferior element first appears, the danger can be averted.

When the strong element appears for the first time in the midst of yin lines, the hexagram is called Fu, Return (24). The superior man always stays where he belongs. He comes only into his own domain. When the weak element first appears in the midst of yang lines, the hexagram is called Coming to Meet (or Encountering). The inferior man always has to depend on a lucky chance.

Marriage is an institution that is meant to endure. But if a girl associates with five men, her nature is not pure and one cannot live with her permanently. Therefore one should not marry her.

However, things that must be avoided in human society have meaning in the processes of nature. Here the meeting of earthly and heavenly forces is of great significance, because at the moment when the earthly force enters and the heavenly force is at its height - in the fifth month - all things unfold to the high point of their material manifestation, and the dark force cannot injure the light force. The two rulers of the hexagram, the nine in the fifth place and the nine in the second, likewise symbolize such a fortunate meeting. Here a strong and central assistant meets a strong, central, and correct ruler. Great flowering results and the inferior element below can do no harm. Thus it is an important time, the time of the meeting of the light with the dark.

the Image

天下有风，姤；后以施命诰四方。

Under heaven, wind:

The image of Coming to Meet.

Thus does the prince act when disseminating his commands

And proclaiming them to the four quarters of heaven.

The situation here resembles that in hexagram 20, Guan, Contemplation (View). In the latter the wind blows over the earth, here it blows under heaven; in both cases, it goes everywhere. There the wind is on the earth and symbolizes the ruler taking note of the conditions in his kingdom; here the wind blows from above and symbolizes the influence exercised by the ruler through his commands. Heaven is far from the things of earth, but it sets them in motion through the wind. The ruler is far from his people, but he sets them in motion through his commands and decrees.

the Lines

九三，臀无膚，其行次且，厲无大咎。

《象》曰：其行次且，行未牽也。

屁股受傷以致於沒有皮膚，讓人坐立難安，連走路都有困難。艱苦則不會有大的罪咎。

姤卦與夬卦為相綜的一對卦，姤卦九三就是夬卦九四，夬卦九四也說「臀无膚，其行次且」。臀是人安坐休息的重要部位，「臀無膚」喻人將坐立難安。次且，趑趄，音「資居」，走路無法前進的樣子。

九三：臀无肤，其行次且，厉，无大咎。

Nine in the third place means:

There is no skin on his thighs,

And walking comes hard.

If one is mindful of the danger,

No great mistake is made.

There is a temptation to fall in with the evil element offering itself ― a very dangerous situation. Fortunately, circumstances prevent this; one would like to do it, but cannot. This leads to painful indecision in behaviour. But if we gain clear insight into the danger of the situation, we shall at least avoid more serious mistakes.

九五，以杞包瓜，含章，有隕自天。

《象》曰：九五含章，中正也。有隕自天，志不舍命也。

我怎能像是個瓠瓜，只能掛著好看而不能食用。藏著一身才華，卻突然上天降下這憂愁。此言懷才不遇，還聞壞消息而心生憂愁。

傳統多依王弼注解釋為：有肥沃的土地，但種的是只能觀賞不能食用的匏瓜，君子擁有中庸的美德卻是藏而不露，不為人所了解，但仍不改其志。比言君子不得志，未遇明君，但仍意志堅定，不放棄理想，只有上天能夠毀滅他的意志。

以杞包瓜有許多不同的解釋。一、可能為「吾豈匏瓜」之誤。《論語．陽貨篇》孔子曰：「吾豈匏瓜也哉？焉能繫而不食！」「吾」和「以」字篆體有些類似，豈則與杞音同。可能歷經傳抄而讓「吾豈匏瓜」變「以杞包瓜」。「吾豈匏瓜」為孔子用以隱喻君子之才華不當淪為擺設裝飾，放著好看而不能行之於天下。後文「含章，有憂自天」則是感嘆這樣的才華，卻只能藏於內，又突然有憂慮從天而降，為君子感嘆懷才不遇。二、依王弼，杞生長於肥美的土地，以杞代表有了一塊很肥沃的土地。包瓜，即匏瓜。匏，音袍。一種適合觀賞不適於食用的瓜。「以杞包瓜」為得到肥美的土地而無法供養為食，藏有章美德性而無法表現於外，與世道不遇而志向未能實現。三、用杞的葉子包住瓜。杞，一種高大的樹。瓜，容易從內部爛掉。瓜藤爬上杞樹，長出瓜之後，被杞樹的葉子所包住。宋明儒多做此解釋，但於文義相當不通順。

含章：藏有美德。含，藏，藏在裡面而不表現於外。章，美，美德，美麗，喻指君子之才華。有懷才不遇之意味。

「有隕自天」應依上博簡改作「有憂自天」，突然來的憂慮。上博簡做「又自天」，即「有憂自天」。隕借為愪，愪為憂的意思。傳統「有隕自天」有兩種解釋。一、是孔穎達解釋王弼的注認為，君子的意志極為堅定，只有上天才能夠讓他毀滅。二、有命令自天而下，即《象》曰：「天下有風，姤，后以施命誥四方。」施命誥四方，即命令自天而下。隕，落，落下。如朱熹持此論。

九五：以杞包瓜，含章，有陨自天。

Nine in the fifth place means:

A melon covered with willow leaves.

Hidden lines.

Then it drops down to one from heave.

The melon, like the fish, is a symbol of the principle of darkness. It is sweet but spoils easily and for this reason, is protected with a cover of willow leaves. This is a situation in which a strong, superior, well-poised man tolerates and protects the inferiors in his charge. He has the firm lines of order and beauty within himself but he does not lay stress upon them. He does not bother his subordinates with outward show or tiresome admonitions but leaves them quite free, putting his trust in the transforming power of a strong and upright personality. And behold! Fate is favourable. His inferiors respond to his influence and fall to his disposition like ripe fruit.

未济

64. Wei Ji

Before Completion

the Sign:

the basic hexagrams:

☲

   above Trigram Lí 離, the Clinging, the fire

☵

   below Trigram Kǎn 坎, the Abysmal, the water

the nuclear hexagrams:

☵

   above Trigram Kǎn 坎, the Abysmal, the water

☲

   below Trigram Lí 離, the Clinging, the fire

the enveloping hexagrams:

☶

   above Trigram Gèn 艮, Keeping Still, the mountain

☴

   below Trigram Xùn 巽, the Gentle, the wind

the resonance trigram:

☰

   Trigram Qián 乾, the Creative, the heaven

This hexagram indicates a time when the transition from disorder to order is not yet completed. The change is indeed prepared for since all the lines in the upper trigram are in relation to those in the lower. However, they are not yet in their places. While the preceding hexagram offers an analogy to autumn, which forms the transition from summer to winter, this hexagram presents a parallel to spring, which leads out of winter's stagnation into the fruitful time of summer. With this hopeful outlook, the Book of Changes come to its close.

The sequence:

Things cannot exhaust themselves.

Hence there follows, in the end, the hexagram of Before Completion.

Miscellaneous notes:

Before Completion is the exhaustion of the masculine.

This hexagram is at once the inverse and the opposite of the preceding one. Kan and Li, both as nuclear and as primary trigrams, have changed places. The hexagram depicts the transition from Pi, Standstill (12) to Tai, Peace (11). Outwardly viewed, none of the lines appears in their proper place; but they are all in relationship to one another, and order stands preformed within, despite the outward appearance of complete disorder. The strong middle line has come down from fifth place to the second and has thus established a connection. It is true that Kun is not yet above nor Qian below, as in the hexagram Tai, but their representatives, 30 Li and 29 Kan, are in these positions. 30 Li and 29 Kan represent 2 Kun and 1 Qian in spirit and influence (because of their respective middle lines). In the phenomenal world (Sequence of Later Heaven) they are the representatives of Kun and Qian and stand in the regions of the latter - 30 Li in the south and 29 Kan in the north.

the Judgment

未济：亨，小狐汔济，濡其尾，无攸利。

Before Completion. Success.

But if the little fox, after nearly completing the crossing,

Gets his tail in the water,

There is nothing that would further.

The conditions are difficult. The task is great and full of responsibility. It is nothing less than that of leading the world out of confusion back to order. But it is a task that promises success because there is a goal that can unite the forces now tending in different directions. At first, however, one must move warily, like an old fox walking over ice. The caution of a fox walking over ice is proverbial in China. His ears are constantly alert to the cracking of the ice, as he carefully and circumspectly searches out the safest spots. A young fox who as yet has not acquired this caution goes ahead boldly, and it may happen that he falls in and gets his tail wet when he is almost across the water. Then of course his effort has been all in vain. Accordingly, in times "before completion," deliberation and caution are the prerequisites of success.

Commentary on the Decision

 

未济，亨；柔得中也。

小狐汔济，未出中也。

濡其尾，无攸利；不续终也。

虽不当位，刚柔应也。

“Before Completion. Success.” For the yielding attains the middle.

“The little fox has nearly completed the crossing”: he is not yet past the middle.

“He gets his tail in the water. There is nothing that would further.” 

Because the matter does not go on to the end.

Although the lines are not in their appropriate places, the firm and the yielding nevertheless correspond.

Kan has the fox as its symbol and also denotes water. There is the hope of success because the firm and the weak lines all correspond. The ruler of the hexagram, the six in the fifth place, has reached the middle, and this ensures the right attitude for bringing about completion. The nine in the second place, on the other hand, has not yet passed the middle, and in its case this is dangerous. It is a strong line hemmed in between two yin lines. Like the incautious young fox that runs rashly over the ice, it relies too much on its strength. Therefore it gets its tail wet; the crossing does not succeed.

the Image

水在火上，既济；君子以思患而预防之。

Fire over water:

The image of the condition before transition.

Thus the superior man is careful

In the differentiation of things,

So that each finds its place.

When fire, which by nature flames upward, is above, and water, which flows downward, is below, their effects take opposite directions and remain unrelated. If we wish to achieve an effect, we must first investigate the nature of the forces in question and ascertain their proper place. If we can bring these forces to bear in the right place, they will have the desired effect and completion will be achieved. But in order to handle external forces properly, we must above all arrive at the correct standpoint ourselves, for only from this vantage can we work correctly.