The Hexagrams in Irregular Order [Zagua]

{Hexagrams in Irregular Order mixes all the hexagrams together and creates an
intricate weave out of their concepts, in some cases establishing a mutual category
on the basis of similarities and in others letting the concepts clarify each other
on the basis of differences.} 1
Qian [Pure Yang, Hexagram 1] is hard and firm, Kun Pure Yin, Hexagram 2] soft
and yielding; Bi [Closeness, Hexagram 8] involves joy, Shi [The Army, Hexagram 7]
dismay. {Affability and closeness involve joy, and a mobilization of the masses
involves dismay.} The concepts underlying Lin [Overseeing, Hexagram 19] and Guan
[Viewing, Hexagram 20] in some cases mean "provide" and in others "seek." {If one
stirs oneself to oversee others, this is referred to as "provide," but if others
come to view oneself, this is referred to as "seek."} Zhun [Birth Throes, Hexagram
3] means "making an appearance in such a way that one does not lose one's place";
{With Zhun, "it is fitting to establish a chief," 2 for "this is a time for the
noble man to weave the fabric of government." 3 Although he has made his
appearance, he hesitates before difficulties, but fittingly he practices constancy
so does not lose his position. 4} Meng [Juvenile Ignorance, Hexagram 4] indicates
confusion first, followed by a coming to prominence. {Confused, one does not know
how to become established. But if one seeks to come out of his juvenile ignorance,
he will in the end find the means to establish himself. Prominence here means "to
become established."} Zhen [Quake, Hexagram 51] means "a start", Gen [Restraint,
Hexagram 52] "a stop." And Sun [Diminution, Hexagram 41] and Yi [Increase, Hexagram
42] are the beginnings of prosperity and decline. {When Diminution reaches its
limit, Increase occurs, and when Increase reaches its limit, Diminution occurs.}
Daxu [Great Domestication, Hexagram 26] is a matter of timeliness; {One
domesticates when the time is right for it, thus it can be done in great measure.}
Wuwang [No Errancy, Hexagram 25] exposes one to calamity. {In the world of No
Errancy, errancy leads to calamity.} Cui [Gathering, Hexagram 45] means "to collect
together," and Sheng [Climbing, Hexagram 46] means "not to come back". {Come [lai]
here means "return." Since one is now engaged in climbing upward, it means he
cannot return.} Qian [Modesty, Hexagram 15] involves taking oneself lightly, and Yu
[Contentment, Hexagram 16] involves sloth. {A modest person does not engage in
self-importance.} Shihe [Bite Together, Hexagram 21] means "eat up," and Bi
[Elegance, Hexagram 22] does not involve particular colors. {In adornment, the
important thing is overall harmony, something not restricted to particular colors.}
Dui [Joy, Hexagram 58] means "show yourself," but Sun [Compliance, Hexagram 57]
means "stay hidden." {When joy occurs, the important thing is to show that one is
happy, but with compliance the important things are humility and withdrawal.} Sui
[Following, Hexagram 17] involves no precedents, and with Gu [Ills to Be Cured,
Hexagram 18], a cleanup occurs. {One should follow what is appropriate for the
moment and not be tied to precedents. With such following, one will be responsible
for affairs. This is why Sui is followed by Gu: Cleanup means "put things in
order." Gu signifies putting those affairs in order.} Bo [Peeling, Hexagram 23]
signifies decay; {When things become ripe, they begin to peel.} Fu [Return,
Hexagram 24] signifies a coming back. Jin [Advance, Hexagram 35] indicates the
daytime, 5 and Mingyi [Suppression of the Light, Hexagram 36] indicates
castigation. {Castigation means "wounding."} Jing [The Well, Hexagram 48] indicates
something accessible to all, and Kun [Impasse, Hexagram 47] indicates a clash of
interests. {The Well is something that is for everyone's use, so regret never
appears here. Impasse means that whatever the encounter, one feels at peace and so
does not put aside scruples.} Xian [Reciprocity, Hexagram 31] means "things will go
quickly"; {There is nothing faster than Xian when things respond to one another.}
Heng [Perseverance, Hexagram 32] means "long lasting". Huan [Dispersion, Hexagram
59] indicates a dispersal, and Jie [Control, Hexagram 60] indicates a stop. Xie
[Release, Hexagram 40] means "a relaxation," and Jian [Adversity, Hexagram 39]
means "trouble." Kui Contrariety, Hexagram 38] signifies a turning outward; {This
means mutual coolness and rejection.} Jiaren [The Family, Hexagram 37] signifies a
turning inward. Tai [Peace, Hexagram 11] and Pi [Obstruction, Hexagram 12] are
opposed in kind. If it is Dazhuang [Great Strength, Hexagram 34], it means "a
halt,' but if it is Dun [Withdrawal, Hexagram 33], it means "withdrawal." {When
great correctness prevails, petty men are brought to a halt, but when petty men
prevail, the noble man withdraws.} Dayou [Great Holdings, Hexagram 14] indicates
mass support, and Tongren [Fellowship, Hexagram 13] indicates affability. Ge
[Radical Change, Hexagram 49] means "get rid of the old"; Ding [The Caldron,
Hexagram 50] means "take up the new." Xiaoguo [Minor Superiority, Hexagram 62]
indicates superiority, and Zhongfu [Inner Trust, Hexagram 61] indicates confidence.
Feng [Abundance, Hexagram 55] often involves incident; {One who has risen high
should fear danger, and one who is satisfied should guard against satiation. One
who enjoys abundance in great measure will often have reason for worry.} When one
has few kith and kin, this is Lu [The Wanderer, Hexagram 56]. {As "one has few kith
and kin," he has to live the life of a wanderer.} Li [Cohesion, Hexagram 30]
signifies ascent, and [Xi]Kan [(The Constant) Sink Hole, Hexagram 29] signifies
descent. {Fire burns upwards, and water flows downward.} 6 Xiaoxu [Lesser
Domestication, Hexagram 9] results in few resources; {Here one is not up to saving
everything together.} 7 Lu [Treading, Hexagram 10] means "not staying in one's
position." {Wang Bi says that all such yang lines in the L hexagram signify good
fortune because they do not occupy their own positions.} 8 Xu [Waiting, Hexagram 5]
means "do not advance"; {Fearing danger here, one comes to a halt.} Song
[Contention, Hexagram 6] means "not being affable." In Daguo [Major Superiority,
Hexagram 28], collapse is inherent. {There is weakness at the beginning and end.} 9
Gou [Encounter, Hexagram 44] indicates a meeting in which the soft encounters the
hard. 10 Jian [Gradual Advance, Hexagram 53] signifies a woman who would marry but
waits for the man to act. {The woman follows the man.} Yi [Nourishment, Hexagram
27) means "the nurturing of correctness," and Jiji [Ferrying Complete, Hexagram 63]
signifies stability. Guimei [Marrying Maiden, Hexagram 54] signifies woman's
ultimate end; {Woman's ultimate end is to marry.} Weiji [Ferrying Incomplete,
Hexagram 64] signifies man hard-pressed. {When both the hard and strong and the
soft and weak are out of their proper positions, it signifies the Dao of Ferrying
Incomplete. Thus the text uses the term hard-pressed.} 11 Kuai [Resolution,
Hexagram 43] means "to act decisively," for here the hard wins decisively over the
soft: the way of the noble man is in the ascendancy, and the way of the petty man
is brought to grief. 12 {The noble man advances his Dao by dealing decisively with
petty men. Petty men, suffering decisive defeat, are driven away and thus deeply
brought to grief.}

Notes
1. This and all subsequent text set off in this manner is commentary by Han
Kangbo.
2. See Hexagram 3, Zhun (Birth Throes), the Judgment.
3. See Hexagram 3, Zhun (Birth Throes), Wang Bi's commentary on the Commentary on
the Images.
4. See Hexagram 3, Zhun (Birth Throes), Judgment and First Yang, Commentary on the
Images.
5. The component trigrams of Jin (Advance) hexagram 35., Hexagram 35, are Kun
(Pure Yin, Earth) below and Li (Cohesion, Brightness, Fire) above. The resultant
hexagram is supposed to represent the sun over the earth, that is, daytime.
6. Li (Cohesion), Hexagram 30, is associated with fire, and (Xi)Kan ([The
Constant] Sink Hole), Hexagram 29, is associated with water.
7. "Saving everything together" translates jianji. This may be an allusion to the
Zhuangzi: "He [the petty man] exhausts his spirit on lame and shallow matters and
yet wants to save both the Dao and the world [jianji daowu]." In other words, it
takes the resources of a noble man to "save everything" or "save the Dao and the
world." See Zhuangzi yinde 89/32/20. Note that Han here takes xu to mean "garner"
rather than "tame" or "domesticate."
8. Lu (Treading) , Hexagram 10, has yang lines in the second, fourth, and sixth
positions. If one considers the first position to be yang and the top position to
be yin (instead of both being nonpositions--Wang is somewhat ambiguous), then all
these lines are in weak, yin positions improper for them, yet all are characterized
by "good fortune" in their respective line statements. See Wang's comments on these
lines in Lu.
9. Daguo (Major Superiority) , Hexagram 28, has weak, yin lines at beginning and
end.
10. Gou (Encounter) , Hexagram 44, consists of one soft, yin line in the first
place that "encounters" the other five hard, yang lines.
11. When one counts the first position as yang and the top position as yin (cf.
note 8 above), Weiji (Ferry Incomplete) , Hexagram 64, consists entirely of yang
lines in yin positions and yin lines in yang positions .
12. Kuai (Resolution) , Hexagram 43, consists of one yin line in the top position
and five yang lines. The hexagram, as such, signifies the yang principle gathering
strength and moving upward, forcing out the yin principle. Note also that when this
progress of the yang principle is complete and all lines are yang, the resulting
hexagram is Qian (Pure Yang), Hexagram 1, and we are back at the beginning of the
cycle of sixty-four hexagrams. This surely is the reason why Kuai is placed here at
the end of the Hexagrams in Irregular Order.#