1. The Creative (Heaven) (乾)

Nine is a Yang line; the third is a Yang position. Possessing doubled firmness and lacking centrality, dwelling at the top of the lower trigram, it occupies a perilous position.

Yet because its essential nature is firm and vigorous, it presents the image of being able to remain active, vigilant, and apprehensive; hence the divination is as stated.

'The gentleman' refers to the diviner: if he can maintain such apprehension and caution, then though he dwells in a perilous place, he will be free from blame.

Fù (pronounced fāng-fú; originally written also as fù). It conveys the meaning of repeating, doubling, and putting into practice.

Though the third is a minister's position, it already stands atop the lower trigram; not yet detached from the lower, it is nevertheless honored and conspicuous. This was the time when Shun's virtue became widely known.

If one is vigilant day and night, cautious and apprehensive, then though occupying a perilous place, there will be no blame.

When an individual in a subordinate position already displays the virtue of a ruler and the world begins to turn toward him, the peril and anxiety of his situation can well be imagined.

Although this speaks of the Sage's affairs, without setting forth admonitions, how could instruction be imparted? Such is the intention behind creating the Changes.

Advancing, retreating, moving, and resting must all accord with the Dao.

Dwelling at the extremity of the lower trigram and beneath the upper trigram, in a position that is not central, walking the hazard of doubled firmness: above, he is not in heaven, unable to rest securely in supreme honor; below, he is not in the field, unable to find peace in his dwelling.

If he cultivates solely the lower path, the virtue of occupying a superior position is discarded; if he cultivates solely the upper path, the etiquette of dwelling below is neglected.

Hence he is 'all day long active and vigilant,' and even at evening remains apprehensive as if in peril.

Being exalted without pride and humble without anxiety, being vigilant according to the times without missing the opportune seeds of affairs—though imperiled and toiling, he attains 'no blame.'

Dwelling at the extremity of the lower trigram is preferable to the arrogance of Nine at the Top; hence, only after exhausting his wisdom and strength does he escape blame.

Nine in the Third Line of Qián, by dwelling atop the lower trigram, escapes the regret of the arrogant dragon; Six in the Third Line of Kūn, by dwelling atop the lower trigram, escapes the disaster of the dragon battle.

Viewed from above, he is not proud; viewed from below, he is not anxious. Turning back and forth, he remains in accord with the Dao.

Dwelling at the culmination of a trigram represents 'the ultimate' (zhì); dwelling at the completion of a hexagram represents 'the end' (zhōng).

Dwelling at the culmination of affairs without incurring blame belongs to 'knowing the ultimate'; hence one can accomplish tasks with him. Dwelling at the end and bringing it to full completion belongs to 'knowing the end.'

In advancing things swiftly, righteousness is not as swift as profit; in preserving things to the end, profit cannot match righteousness. Thus 'all things have a beginning, but few can bring it to completion.'

Is not 'one with whom one can preserve righteousness' solely he who 'knows the end'? Dwelling atop the lower trigram and beneath the upper trigram, clearly understanding ultimate decline, he is 'not proud.' Knowing how to reach the ultimate, he is 'not anxious.'

Tì means apprehension and fear. Dwelling at the extremity of affairs, missing the proper time leads to ruin, and laxity leads to neglect. Hence 'he is vigilant according to the times; though in peril, there is no blame.'

From 'Nine in the Third Line: The gentleman' to 'at evening still apprehensive as if in peril; no blame.' Sub-commentary: A Yang line dwelling in the third position is called 'Nine in the Third Line.'

Because it does not occupy the center, it is not called 'great man'; being Yang and in its proper place, it is called 'gentleman.'

In a position of anxiety and peril, he is 'all day long active and vigilant,' meaning throughout the entire day he strengthens himself vigorously without rest.

'Apprehensive at evening' means that after spending the whole day thus, when evening approaches, he remains fearful and vigilant. 'As if in peril': 'as if' means like; 'peril' means danger.

Constantly maintaining vigilance as though on the brink of ruin enables him to incur no blame. If he can maintain such caution, he escapes fault; otherwise, he incurs blame. Thus the Great Treatise says: 'No blame means being skilled at remedying error.'

This entire line uses human affairs to illuminate its image based on Yang occupying Nine in the Third Line.

On the note from 'dwelling at the extremity of the lower trigram' to 'escapes the disaster of the dragon battle': Sub-commentary: 'Dwelling at the extremity of the lower trigram': 'extremity' means the end; the third line is below the upper trigram and represents the culmination of the lower trigram.

'Beneath the upper trigram': lines 4, 5, and the top constitute the upper trigram; line 3 lies below line 4, not yet having entered the upper trigram.

Line 4 has already entered the upper trigram, dwelling at its bottom; hence Wang Fusi's note on Nine in the Fourth Line says 'dwelling beneath the upper trigram,' which differs in meaning from this line.

'Walking the hazard of doubled firmness': both upper and lower lines are Yang; firmness tends toward perilous difficulty.

'Above, he is not in heaven, unable to rest securely in supreme honor': if in the heavenly position, honor is naturally secure; being below the upper trigram, his honor is not yet secure.

'Below, he is not in the field, unable to find peace in his dwelling': the field is a place of stable dwelling and harmonious centrality; being no longer in the field, he cannot dwell in peace.

'If he cultivates solely the lower path, the virtue of occupying a superior position is discarded': if he solely serves the upper trigram in humility, his virtue as head of the lower trigram is ruined through excessive softness.

'If he cultivates solely the upper path, the etiquette of dwelling below is neglected': if he solely adopts the manner of a superior in arrogance, his etiquette as a subordinate beneath the upper trigram is neglected.

'Apprehensive as if in peril at evening' means that even into the night he remains vigilant just as he was during the day. This line genuinely faces danger. The Wenyan says 'though in peril, there is no blame,' confirming the presence of danger.

'Vigilant according to the times without missing the opportune seeds' draws on the Wenyan's statement: 'knowing the ultimate and attaining it, one can examine the seeds of things.'

'Though imperiled and toiling': 'as if in peril' represents imperiled; 'active and vigilant all day long' represents toiling.

'Exhausting his wisdom and strength does he escape blame': Wang Fusi compares Nine in the Third Line with Nine at the Top; Nine in the Third Line is at the extremity of the lower trigram where the position is still humble, so by exhausting wisdom and strength he escapes blame.

Nine at the Top is at the pinnacle of the upper trigram, where the position is supremely exalted; though he exhausts wisdom and strength, he cannot escape the excess of arrogance. The lower overcomes the upper, and the humble surpasses the exalted.

From 'Hidden dragon, do not act' to 'repeating the Dao.' Sub-commentary: From here down to 'fullness cannot endure' constitutes the Master's Small Image Commentary explaining the line statements.

Because Nine at the Beginning represents Yang submerged in the earth, it says 'Yang is at the bottom.' The canon text says 'dragon' while the Image says 'Yang,' clarifying that the canon's dragon is the Yang qi. This line exclusively explains the natural qi of Heaven.

'Dragon appearing in the field; his virtue spreads everywhere' applies it to human affairs: dragon virtue appearing in the field resembles a sage emerging into the world, his virtue and blessings extending universally.

'All day long active and vigilant; repeating the Dao' also pertains to human affairs: the gentleman strengthens himself without ceasing, so whether advancing or retreating, he remains in accord with the Dao.

Advancing means rising above; dwelling atop the lower trigram without pride aligns with the Dao. Retreating means stepping down; dwelling beneath the upper trigram without anxiety also aligns with the Dao.

From 'Nine in the Third Line says' to 'with whom one can preserve righteousness.' Sub-commentary: This explains the line statement of Nine in the Third Line.

'The Master said: The gentleman advances virtue and cultivates his vocation': virtue refers to virtuous conduct; vocation refers to meritorious deeds.

Nine in the Third Line remains active and vigilant all day because he seeks to increase his virtue and cultivate his vocation untiringly.

Advancing virtue means 'knowing the ultimate' and preparing to advance; cultivating vocation means 'knowing the end' and preserving righteousness.

'Loyalty and good faith are the means to advance virtue': extending loyalty to others and treating all with good faith causes people to respect and draw close to him, advancing his virtue daily.

'Cultivating words and establishing sincerity are the means to dwell in one's vocation': words refer to cultural teachings; sincerity refers to inner truth.

Cultivating cultural teaching externally while establishing sincerity internally unites inner and outer, creating achievements in which one can dwell.

'Knowing the ultimate and attaining it, with whom one can examine the seeds of things': Nine in the Third Line occupies the extremity of one trigram, about to reach beneath the upper trigram; this is 'the ultimate.'

Dwelling beneath the upper trigram without fault is 'knowing the ultimate.' Knowing that the time is arriving means discerning the subtle seeds of principle, enabling one to examine imperceptible beginnings.

'The seed' is the moment when principle has emerged from non-being into being but has not yet taken physical shape. 'Knowing the end and concluding it, with whom one can preserve righteousness': dwelling at the end of a trigram and preserving it completely is 'knowing the end.'

Recognizing this conclusion allows one to preserve righteousness. Righteousness means appropriateness: safeguarding one's position without loss keeps affairs appropriate.

Nine in the Third Line, being a single line, may either advance by knowing the seeds or retreat by preserving righteousness, enacting both according to the proper time.

On the note from 'dwelling at the culmination of a trigram represents the ultimate' to 'is it not solely he who knows the end?': Sub-commentary: Master Zhuang says: 'The extremity is the ultimate. The third line atop the lower trigram is the ultimate.'

Master Chu says: 'The extremity of a trigram is the ultimate because the lower trigram has reached its end and is about to reach beneath the upper trigram.'

Below it says 'in a lowly position without anxiety,' and the note explains 'knowing how to reach the ultimate, he is not anxious.' Since it says 'lowly position,' he knows he is beneath the upper trigram and wishes to advance to it; hence he is not anxious.

'Dwelling at the culmination of affairs without incurring blame belongs to knowing the ultimate': being close to the upper trigram, he knows how to yield with propriety and avoid blame.

'Hence one can accomplish tasks with him': recognizing subtle beginnings allows one to accomplish undertakings. 'In advancing things swiftly, righteousness is not as swift as profit': profit acts upon opportunity; seeing gain, it moves.

Righteousness moves according to proper measure and does not rashly seek advancement. 'In preserving things to the end, profit cannot match righteousness': preserving what is already completed requires avoiding rash action; hence profit falls short of righteousness.

'Thus all things have a beginning, but few can bring it to completion': acting purely for profit neglects what follows, showing that many begin but few complete their vocation.

'Therefore, he occupies a superior position without pride, and dwells in a lowly position without anxiety.' Sub-commentary: Dwelling atop the lower trigram without pride is because he 'knows the end.'

Dwelling beneath the upper trigram without anxiety is because he recognizes approaching affairs and prepares to advance.

On the note 'clearly understanding ultimate decline, he is not proud' to 'he is not anxious': Sub-commentary: 'Understanding ultimate decline' explains 'knowing the end.' 'Knowing how to reach the ultimate' explains 'knowing the ultimate.'

'Hence he is active and vigilant' to 'there is no blame.' Sub-commentary: For these reasons, Nine in the Third Line remains active and vigilant. Apprehensive in mind, his knowledge of the end and the ultimate keeps him free from blame.

On the note 'dwelling at the extremity of affairs' to 'laxity leads to neglect': Sub-commentary: If he misses the time and fails to advance, vital affairs are neglected; hence he must advance with vigilance.

If he grows proud and lax, his accomplishments are ruined; hence he must preserve what he has achieved. 'Missing the proper time leads to ruin' explains 'knowing the ultimate'; 'laxity leads to neglect' explains 'knowing the end.'