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HEX. 24.
APPENDIX II.
297
XXIV. (The trigram representing) the earth and that for thunder in the midst of it form FQ. The ancient kings, in accordance with this, on the day of the (winter) solstice, shut the gates of the passes (from one state to another), so that the travelling merchants could not (then) pursue their journeys, nor the princes go on with the inspection of their states.
1. 'Returning (from an error) of no great extent' is the prelude to the cultivation of the person.
2. “The good fortune attendant on the admirable return (of the subject of the second line)' is due to his condescension to the virtuous (subject of the line) below.
3. Notwithstanding the perilous position of him
other hand, Lid MQ (early in the Sung dynasty) says : A mountain has the earth for its foundation. If the earth be thick, the mountain preserves its height. So it is with the sovereign and people.' The application might be deduced from either view.
It is hard to tell whether the lowest' in paragraph 1 should be supplemented as I have done. If not, then the explanation is a mere truism.
Khăng-zze is precise and decisive in supplementing the explanation of paragraph 2 as in the translation.
See on the Text of lines 3 and 4.
On paragraph 5, the Khang-hsî editors say admirably :--The fifth line is weak, and yet occupies the most honourable place in the figure,-emblematic of a queen; and as its subject leads on the subjects of the other lines to obtain the favours given to the inmates of the palace, she, it is plain, has neither jealousy nor any other injurious temper that might incur blame for tending to overthrow the ruler.'
Paragraph 6 shows the ruler restored to the favour of the people, and the restoration of concord in the state. The small men have done their worst, and there is an end of their attemptsfor a time.
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| SR No. | 007676 |
| Book Title | Text of Confucianism Part 02 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | James Legge |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1882 |
| Total Pages | 2405 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 43 MB |