《周易》古经咸卦本义正解——兼论诸家得失并及艮解二卦

以往对咸卦的解读多不能切近其本义。事实上,咸卦的主题是讲交往处事的道理或原则。关于卦辞,传统解读多基于男女相感来理解,其实卦辞着重强调的是屈身虚己、礼贤下士。关于初爻,诸家均未着眼于足拇趾与其他足趾的不同去体会“拇”的本质特征。依此角度理解,初爻讲的是要重视与外界的交往。解卦九四亦取“拇”象,且与“朋”象相合,比喻能力再强者遇到险难时往往也需要他人的配合支持。关于二爻,诸家多以腓体躁动取象,认为二爻“感物以躁”乃“凶之道”,实则二爻取象腿肚抽筋,喻勿与坏人、恶人相交。艮卦六二亦与腿肚抽筋有关,喻本当止而不得止之,是以有憾。关于三爻,诸家多以股随足或随身而动,不能自处,喻人无主见而听任摆布,基本得其正解。艮卦九三不取股象而取腰限之象,体现了取象的唯变所适之理,喻本不当止而强止之,将会导致严重后果。关于四爻,诸家皆以九四为有心之感而未及无心之感,其实四爻讲的是交往处事要心思端正、以心交心。关于五爻,诸家皆未抓住脢的本质特征。该爻实则是讲交往处事要有奉献精神,甘于做配角。关于上爻,诸家解读大致能得其正解,讲的是交往处事不能夸夸其谈,务必言实相符。

On the Original Meaning of Hexagram Xian[Influence,31]

Most of the extant interpretations of hexagram Xian[■,Influence,31]are not in alignment with its original meaning.For the judgment of the hexagram,the variety of traditional interpretations of it pointed to affections between men and women rather than modesty and courtesy to others.For the bottom line,none of previous scholars had distinguished the essential feature of the foot thumb from other toes,in the regard of which this line seems to emphasize the contact with the outside world.The fourth line of hexagram Jie[■,Release,40]also has the image of“thumb”affiliated with the image of“friends”,which means that it is hard to avoid the need of help from others when encountering with difficulties no matter how capable one is.Most scholars ascribed the misfortune of line 2 to the impetuous move of the calf;actually it refers to calf cramps and admonishes us against making friends with villains,which can be proved by the second line of hexagram Gen[■,Restraint,52]which signifies the regret caused by the unrest when the situation needs stillness.Line 3 has been traditionally correctly interpreted as the instability of the thigh caused by the movement of the body which means the subject has no ides of his own and is manipulated by others,whereas the third line of Gen[■]applies the image of waist which stresses the significance of adaptability and the grave consequences caused by forced restriction when it ought not to be still.Line 4 has always been viewed as intentional influence;actually it refers to integrity and opening hearts to each other.Line 5 indicates the influence in the upper back which is traditionally understood as shallow or unintentional influence;in fact,the upper back ought to be viewed as the assistance of the backbone,which signifies the importance of supporting part.For the top line of the hexagram,I agree with traditional understanding of it that it persuades us to get rid of tongue-in-cheek speeches when communicating with others.