شش خطی 54
ازدواج خواهر کوچکتر، خدمتکار، زیردست (Guī Mèi)

NOTES
1. This and all subsequent text set off in this manner is commentary by Wang Bi. “Acts out of joy” is an obvious reference to the two constituent trigrams, Dui (Lake, Joy) and Zhen (Thunder, Quake, i.e., action).
2. Kong Yingda comments:
The text uses the fact that Second Yang, Third Yin, Fourth Yang, and Fifth Yin are all unsuited to their positions [because they are yin lines in yang positions or yang lines in yin positions] to interpret “to set forth would mean misfortune.” As the “position is not correct,” this clearly is not reference to the principal wife. This one acts out of joy [i.e., impulsively] and moreover seeks for advancement, which indicates a dao of wickedness and evil.
See Zhouyi zhengyi, 5: 32b.
3. Kong Yingda comments: “The text uses the fact that Third Yin and Fifth Yin ride atop hard and strong lines [Second Yang and Fourth Yang] to interpret ‘there is nothing at all fitting here.’ Yang is noble, and yin base. To advance with the baseness of a concubine and seek special favor would mean that the base would humiliate the noble. This is why the text says: ‘There is nothing at all fitting here.’ ” See Zhouyi zhengyi, 5: 32b.
4. The lower trigram is Dui (Lake), and the upper trigram is Zhen (Thunder).
5. Kong Yingda comments: “Thus the noble man emulates this image and in like manner follows a thing to its end in the far-distant future; this is how he knows that it has to have an ever-persistent flaw.” See Zhouyi zhengyi, 5: 32b. Cheng Yi comments:
Thunder quakes above, and the Lake heeds it and becomes agitated. Yang moves above, and yin follows it with joy. This is an image of the woman following the man; thus it represents Marrying Maiden. The noble man observes this image of man and woman mating and their continuous begetting of progeny and in like manner follows a thing through to its end and so recognizes that it has a flaw. “Follow through to the end” refers to how the begetting of progeny continues on and so perpetuates the transmission of the family. “Recognizes the flaw” refers to one’s knowing that things have flaws that have a way of perpetuating themselves. When a woman marries, she has the opportunity to beget progeny, which here expresses the concept of following through to the end. Moreover, if the Dao of husband and wife is to achieve this enduring end, one must understand that there is an inherent tendency [literally, “principle” (li)] for flaws to occur and take warning accordingly. Flaw [bihuai] means “lixi” [rupture, break, rent (as in clothing)]. The Marrying Maiden is someone who “acts out of joy.”…The joy of the youngest daughter is such that she is moved to act because of emotional response. To act in this way sets aside rectitude and has nothing to do with the correct and constantly enduring Dao of husband and wife, so in the long run a flaw is sure to occur. Knowing that such a flaw shall surely happen, one thus ought to think about the way it will end in the far-distant future. All those in the world who are prone to quarrel never manage to think of how things will end in the far-distant future, and this does not just apply to the Dao of husband and wife. No matter under Heaven is ever without an end or ever without a flaw, but neither is any ever denied a Dao [path or process] that allows it to endure. When one observes the Marrying Maiden, one ought to think about the way it will end in the far-distant future.
Apparently Zhu Xi found Cheng’s lengthy explanation superfluous, for he simply says: “Thunder moves, and Lake follows, such is the image of Marrying Maiden. The noble man observes how incorrect this union is and so realizes that in the end it will suffer rupture. If one applies this to things in general, one sees that this is always so.” That is, if something is wrong at the beginning, it will fail in the end. See Zhouyi zhezhong, 12: 53a–53b.
6. Kong Yingda comments: “Just as it is appropriate that the son of a sovereign become his successor, so ought the younger sister of a wife become the secondary wife. In establishing a succession one ought to select the most senior person. However, although the son of a sovereign might be young, to establish him as successor would not be a rash act.” See Zhouyi zhengyi, 5: 33a.
7. Cheng Yi’s view is slightly different from Wang Bi’s:
Third Yin abides at the top of the lower trigram, so it does not originally represent someone mean and lowly. But because of loss of virtue and because there is no correct resonate partner, this one wants to marry but never gets the chance to marry. Xu means “wait.” That this one waits is because there is no chance yet to get married. Here a yin line occupies a third position, which indicates that it is out of its correct position. If a soft and weak person were to act as if he were hard and strong, it would indicate obstreperousness. Third Yin is the ruler of the Dui [Joy] trigram. If one here were to seek marriage out of joy, such an act would be in violation of decorum. Above, there is no resonate line, which indicates that there is no one to accept this one. As there is no chance to get married, this one should wait. When a woman finds herself in such a situation, who would ever marry her? Indeed, as such, she cannot ever become a principal wife. So the only thing suitable for her to do is to return and then marry by seeking to become a secondary wife—this because she lost the opportunity to do otherwise because of her incorrectness.
Zhu Xi, however, notes that “someone” (Lu Xisheng [d. ca. 905]) glosses xu as “a woman in a mean and lowly state [jian]”—i.e., a low-ranking concubine—which would result in the following reading of Third Yin: “Here the Marrying Maiden would marry as a lowly concubine, so this one should return and then marry as a secondary wife.” See Zhouyi zhezhong, 7: 40a.
8. Cf. Hexagram 11, Peace (Tai), Fifth Yin.
9. Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi interpret Fifth Yin differently from Wang. Instead of interpreting “the sovereign’s sleeves” (qi jun zhi mei) as a metaphor for the younger sister herself, they read it as “this princess’s sleeves,” i.e., her dress and adornment: “This princess’s sleeves are not as fine as the sleeves of the younger, secondary wife.” They go on to explain that such a princess, a noble woman who marries beneath herself, does not esteem ornament, the way a secondary wife does, but virtue. She cherishes modesty and compliance and, though a princess, does not act with arrogance toward her spouse. All this signifies the epitome of yin virtue. See Zhouyi zhezhong, 7: 41a.
10. Kong Yingda comments: “For the yin, we esteem fullness [of virtue], just as when the moon is nearly full.” See Zhouyi zhengyi, 5: 34a.
11. The lower trigram Dui (Joy) is associated with the sheep. See section eight of Explaining the Trigrams. Third Yin is the ruler of Dui.
12. Cheng Yi interprets Top Yin differently, as a line that represents a woman whose attempts at marriage never reach a successful conclusion—and thus as a woman who fails to continue a family lineage. Family lineage involves the sacrifice of fruits (woman’s duty) and blood (man’s duty). Such sacrifice here would be barren. See Zhouyi zhezhong 7: 41b.