THE EIGHT TRIGRAMS AND THEIR APPLICATION

The hexagrams should be thought of not merely as made up of six individual lines but always as composed of two primary trigrams.

In the interpretation of the hexagrams, these primary trigrams play a part according to the various aspects of their character-first according to their attributes, then according to their images, and finally according to their positions within the family sequence.

These general meanings, particularly when it is a question of interpretation of the individual lines, must be supplemented by the lists of symbols and attributes -at first glance seemingly superfluous-given in Discussion of the Trigrams. (See "Definition")

In addition, the positions of the trigrams in relation to each other must be taken into account.

• The lower trigram is below, within, and behind.
• The upper trigram is above, without, and in front.

• The lines stressed in the upper trigram are always characterized as "going".
• Those stressed in the lower trigram, as "coming."

From these characterizations of the trigrams-already in use in the Commentary on the Decision-there was later constructed a system of transforming the hexagrams one into another, which has led to much confusion.

This system is here left wholly out of account, since it is not in any way essential to the explanation. Nor has any use been made of the "hidden" hexagrams - i.e., the idea that basically each hexagram has its opposite hidden within it (for example, within Ch'ien is K'un, within Chên is Sun, etc.).

But it is decidedly necessary to make use of the so-called nuclear trigrams, hu kua. These form the four middle lines of each hexagram, and overlap each other so that the middle line of the one falls within the other.

An example or two will make this clear:

The hexagram Li, THE CLINGING, FIRE (30)

The two nuclear trigrams are :

Tui, the Joyous, as the upper
Sun, the Gentle, as the lower

• The beginning and the top line are each part of one trigram only-the lower and the upper primary trigram respectively.
• The second and the fifth line belong each to two trigrams, the former to the lower primary and the lower nuclear trigram, the latter to the upper primary and the upper nuclear trigram.
• The third and the fourth line belong each to three trigrams - to the upper and the lower primary trigram respectively, and to both of the two nuclear

Thus

• The beginning and the top line tend in a sense to drop out of connection,
• while a state of equilibrium, usually favorable, obtains in the case of the second and the fifth line,
• and the two middle lines are conditioned by the fact that each belongs to both nuclear trigrams, which disturbs the balance in all except particularly favorable cases.

These relationships correspond exactly with the evaluations of the lines in the appended judgments.