坤

把坤讀成「消極」「被動」，是最常見的誤讀。乾的力量往外推，坤的力量往下承；一個開局，一個收尾，缺了哪一邊，事都做不成。母馬、厚載、含章、括囊、黃裳，這些象合起來說的是同一種本事：不搶先，藏得住，正在中間而不外露。這種本事和乾的剛健一樣完整。 六爻同樣是六個時刻。初六履霜，腳下一涼就要想到堅冰，徵兆越小越要當回事；六二直方大，地道的自然中正，不用學就對；六三含章，有本事，先別亮出來；六四括囊，把話收緊，自守；六五黃裳，德在身上、位在下面，反而大吉；上六龍戰于野，柔順走到了極端，跟陽正面相撞。乾給的是「做」的六個時機，坤給的就是「承」的六個時機——任何一件事裡，這兩條線同時在走。

Reading Kun as 'passive' is the standard mistake. Qian's power pushes outward, Kun's bears and carries; one opens, the other completes, and nothing gets finished missing either side. The mare, the deep load, brilliance held in, the tied sack, the yellow lower garment — the images describe one capability: not grabbing the lead, keeping strength sheathed, staying central without display. It is as complete a power as Qian's. The six lines are again six moments. Frost underfoot at the first — the smaller the sign, the more seriously to take it. Straight, square, great at the second: the earth's unstudied correctness. Brilliance contained at the third — able, and not yet showing it. The tied sack at the fourth, words drawn in. The yellow garment at the fifth, virtue worn low, greatly auspicious. Dragons fighting in the wild at the top, yielding pushed to its extreme and meeting yang head-on. Qian gives six moments of doing; Kun gives six of carrying — and both lines run through every undertaking at once.