10 · 天泽履

履卦原文

履。履虎尾，不咥人，亨。

象曰：上天下泽，履。君子以辨上下，定民志。

白话文解释

履卦：踩着虎尾巴，老虎不咬人，吉利。

《象辞》说：本卦上卦为乾，为天，下卦为兑，为泽，上天下泽，尊卑显别，这是履卦的卦象。君子观此卦象，从而分别上下尊卑，使人民循规蹈矩，安份守纪。

《断易天机》解

履卦乾上兑下，为艮宫五世卦。履为履行之意，又寓意礼，提示占筮者要兢兢戒惧，遵守礼节，这样才有惊无险。

北宋易学家邵雍解

步履不安，困难危险；谦虚自重，敬慎事主。

得此卦者，困难时期，多坎坷不顺，万事不宜急进，须循序渐进，谨慎行事。

台湾国学大儒傅佩荣解

时运：依序升进，不可攀缘。

财运：明察货品，待时而售。

家宅：门庭严整。

身体：疏通气血。

传统解卦

这个卦是异卦（下兑上乾）相叠，乾为天，兑为泽，以天喻君，以泽喻民，原文：“履（踩）虎尾，不咥（咬）人”。因此，结果吉利。君上民下，各得其位。兑柔遇乾刚，所履危。履意为实践，卦义是脚踏实地的向前进取的意思。

大象：柔弱遇刚强，欲行却难行之象，难且危也。

运势：先劳而后逸，始惊而后安，百事不宜急进，须以和待人，有惊无险。

事业：起初很不顺利，受到种种威胁，若能提高警惕，谨小慎微，脚踏实地，逐个地去克服困难，不改变自己的决心，一定可以达到目的。办事有自知之明，务必量力而行，不可不顾实际，尤其不得逞强，急于求成。

经商：宜待观动静，勿为小利而动摇自己计划，尤其不得贪得无厌，遵循商业道德，了解全面信息。

求名：务必有恒心，孜孜以求，不为财富利诱，不为世俗干扰，坚持自己的志向和理想，可以取得成功。

婚恋：双方安贫乐道，可和睦相处，若一方为富贵所动，会发生婚变。

决策：诸事必须小心慎重，不利的情况经常会出现，但若能处理得好，总会是有惊无险，化险为夷。为此，办事必须认认真真，遵循正道，虚心听取别人的建议，量力而行，切莫自负逞强，一定会有好的结果。

第十卦的哲学含义：

履卦，这个卦是异卦相叠，下卦为兑，上卦为乾。乾为天;兑为泽，以天喻君，以泽喻民。君上民下，各得其位。

从卦像上看，履卦是兑下乾上。乾刚健，才德无比，这正是兑所不能及的。

从卦形我们还能看出，乾为天在上，兑为泽在下，这意味着天在下雨，地则把雨水汇集为泽。这是顺乎自然、合乎事物存在和发展规律的。所以在学习和实践之中，还要遵循自然的规律。

履卦是兑下乾上，传统称作天泽履。这一卦的卦形，恰好与“小畜”上下相反。彼此是相对卦，一停一进交互为用。《序卦传》说：“物畜然后有礼，故受之以履。履者，礼也。”这是说，物资蓄积后，就要制定礼节，将“履”解释为“礼”。“礼”与“履”同音，“礼”必须人来履行，所以这样解释。

在易经之中，履这一卦主要是践履、履行的意思。《杂卦》说：“履，不处也。”履是行进而不停留。《说文》中指出：“履，足所依也。”履是脚上穿的鞋子。综上所述，履的本义是鞋子，引伸为践履，履进，礼节。古人认为，人的行动要受到礼的节制，不然就会乱来，故履有该怎样行动的意思，这就是礼。

履卦与小畜互为综卦，这两卦的卦爻结构都是一阴对五阳，但是小畜卦的六四以阴居阴，当位得正，柔顺利贞，能够蓄止刚势力前进的势头，而履卦的六三以阴居阳，本身也带有一事实上的刚性，由此而形成的态势就不是如同小畜卦那样的以柔软蓄刚，而是以刚遇刚了。

履卦的智慧之象，有笠，成立义;文书破，损义;女子乃好，有伞有所庇盖;卓旗官人边坐，门旗义;堠上有千里字，坐镇千里之侯伯。

10.天泽履(䷉)-高岛易断

“履”者，冠履之履。篆书从尸，从彳，从舟。尸者，象人身；舟者，载也；彳者，行也。即所谓步履而行，可以运动人身者也。故此卦以此取名，《彖》辞曰“履虎尾”者是也。转而为礼，礼者，人之所践行也，故《序卦传》曰，“物畜然后有礼，故受之以履”；《大象》曰，“以辨上下”。又转为福之义，《诗》曰“福履绥之”是也。人能守礼，则天赐之以福。此卦外《乾》内《兑》，《乾》天，《兑》泽，天在上，泽居下，上下尊卑之分正，故有礼之象。又《乾》为行，《兑》为和，《论语》曰：“礼之用，和为贵。”《彖》有“履虎尾”之辞，故即取其首字以名卦也。

履：履虎尾，不咥人，亨。

▲　篆书履

《彖传》曰：履，柔履刚也。说而应乎乾，是以履虎尾，不咥人，亨。刚中正，履帝位而不疚，光明也。

此卦《乾》上《兑》下，《乾》为老父，前行，《兑》为小女，追随在后。凡以刚健践弱之后易，以柔弱践刚健之后难。就卦面《观》之，以六三一阴之柔弱，介五阳刚强之中，有欲行难行之象。以至弱之质，蹑于至刚之后，犹“履虎尾”，最是危机。文王就其难行之道，系其辞曰“履虎尾”，危之也。《乾》为虎，虎指刚健者。人者对虎而言，“不咥人，亨”。此卦二五两爻，皆得阳刚之中正，九五尊位，居至高至贵，而能不疚于心，必有光明之德也，谓之“刚中正，履帝位而不疚，光明也”。《彖传》三句，专就五爻而言，此爻卦变则为《离》，《离》为火，为日，为电，有光明之象。

以此卦拟人事，内卦《兑》为我，外卦《乾》为彼，我柔弱而彼刚健。例之古人，如上杉谦信、织田信长等，刚毅果敢，为其臣仆者，一不顺从，每遭惨祸，谚云“伴君如伴虎”，此之谓也。嗟乎！世路险阻，无往而非危机，虎之惟人，不独山林，凡一切利害所关，即为危机之所伏，皆可作虎观也。惟以不敢先之心，后天下之人，以不敢犯之心，临天下之事，以不敢轻进之心，处天下之忧患，敬以持己，和以接人，以此履虎，虎虽刚猛，必不见难。由是观之，人能行以卑逊，何往而不亨通哉！行于强暴，则强暴服，行于蛮貊，则蛮貂化，行于患难，则患难再，皆和悦之效也。以卦体言，初爻虎尾，至九五之时，危险既去，身安心泰，自具光明之德也。故履之时，柔能制刚，弱能胜强，虽刚暴难制者，皆可以柔和之道制之。若欲以刚制刚，必有大咎，此《履》卦所以贵和悦而应上也。

以此卦拟国家，上卦为政府，下卦为人民，上刚强，下卑屈，名分悬隔，刚强者进于前，卑屈者随其后，谓之履，柔履刚也。上下之秩序如此，下以和悦爱敬，服从夫上，上亦乐其柔顺，不复以强暴相凌，谓之“悦而应乎乾，是以履虎尾，不咥人，亨”。九五之君，德称其位，垂拱而天下治，上不愧祖宗之鉴临，下不负臣民之瞻仰，何疚之有？于是功业显著，德性光明，谓之“刚中正，履帝位而不疚，光明也”。

通观此卦，高者无若天，低者无若泽，上下尊卑之分，昭然若揭。六三以一阴，介在五阳之间，为全卦之主，才弱而志刚，体暗而用明，不自量力，而敢于前进，致蹈危祸也。初九在下，素位而行，不关荣誉，虽涉危险之世，行其固有之业，而自得其安乐也。九二居内卦之中，不系情于名利之途，坦然自乐，不陷于危险也。九四上事威猛之君，下接奸佞之侣，处危惧之地，小心翼翼，位尊而主不疑，权重而人不忌，终得遂其志也。九五居尊位，雄才大略，独断独行，以刚猛而御下者也。上爻熟练世故，洞悉人情，建大业，奏伟功，而克享元吉者也，是《履》之终也。

《大象》曰：上天下泽，履，君子以辨上下，定民志。

此卦“上天下泽”，尊卑贵贱之等级分明，是不易之定理也。君子见此象，“辨上下，定民志”，使之各居其所，各安其分，不相紊乱，自无僭越，礼制之要也。夫宇宙间，莫低于泽，莫高于天，譬诸在人，莫尊于冠，莫卑于履，上下之分如此。《履》者，礼也，君子体《乾》之强，庄敬而日强，所以行礼也。《兑》之德悦也，悦者和也，礼以退为让，履以下为基，故曰“履，德之基也”。天而不下交于泽，则江河无润；泽而不上交于天，则雨露无滋。惟天高而能下，故水土草木之气，蒸而为云雨，而天益高；惟君尊而能卑，故亿兆臣民之分辨，而为礼让，而君益尊。若上下不辨，民志不定，则等威无别，民情骚动，天下纷然，乱自此起，如之何其能治也？此卦上自天子，下至庶人，安尊卑之分，联上下之情，君怀明德，民无二志，天下所由治也，谓之“君子以辨上下，定民志”。

【占】　问家业：有门庭肃穆，仆妾顺从之象。

○　问任官：有品级渐升之象，若攀援干进，反致不利。

○　问营商：宜辨别货品，实察商情，待时而售，必得高价。

○　问出行：利于滨海之地。

○　问六甲：得女。

○　问疾病：宜疏通中焦。

○　问遗失：一时为物所掩，久后自出。

Judgment

Legge: Cautious Advance suggests the idea of one treading on the tail of a tiger, which does not bite him. There will be progress and success.

Wilhelm/Baynes: Treading. Treading upon the tail of the tiger. It does not bite the man. Success. [For the weak to take a stand against the strong is not dangerous here, because it happens in good humor and without presumption, so that the strong man is not irritated but takes it all in good part. Such

simplicity and unpretentiousness is faith derived from reality -- neither from love of happiness nor fear of unhappiness, but free of fear and hope. The concern here is with the art of action by means of proper conduct, and presupposes being childlike in its highest sense.]

Blofeld: Though he treads upon the tiger's tail, it does not bite him. Success! [The general idea of this hexagram is that success can be won, but that the situation is dangerous enough to require extreme caution. The `tiger' MAY not bite, but on the other hand, as lines three and five demonstrate, we cannot be certain of this. To consort with rulers and people in high places may be most beneficial; but, should we fail to please, they may make us regret our temerity.]

Liu: Treading: Stepping on the tail of a tiger, but it does not bite one. Success. [You should act only after you have planned carefully, and then with resolution.]

Ritsema/Karcher: Treading a tiger tail. Not snapping-at people. Growing. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of finding and making your way. It emphasizes that doing this step by step is the adequate way to handle it.]

Shaughnessy: Treading on a tiger's tail; not a real man; receipt.

Cleary (1): Even when they tread on a tiger’s tail, it doesn’t bite people. This is developmental.

Cleary (2): Someone treads on a tiger’s tail without being bitten, thus getting through.

Wu: Treading after a tiger without being bitten indicates pervasion.

The Image

Legge: The image of the sky above, and below it the waters of a marsh, form Cautious Advance. The superior man, in accordance with this, discriminates between high and low, and gives settlement to the aims of the people.

Wilhelm/Baynes: Heaven above, the lake below: the image of Treading. Thus the superior man discriminates between high and low, and thereby fortifies the thinking of the people. (Thus the superior man creates in society the differences in rank that correspond with differences in natural endowment, and in this way fortifies the thinking of the people, who are reassured when these differences accord with nature ... We see a universe moved from within, without external manipulation. Since the universe is also within the human being, internal universal order leads to order without by the force of necessary differentiation.) [Cf. the ideal society in Plato’s Republic.]

Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes a body of water lying open to the sky. The Superior Man consults both high and low and thereby steadies the people's will.

Liu: The heaven above and the lake below symbolize Treading. The superior man differentiates between high and low, and thus fixes the minds of the people.

Ritsema/Karcher: Heaven above, marsh below. Treading. A chun tzu uses differentiating Above and Below. A chun tzu uses setting-right the commoners, the purpose.

Cleary (1): Above is the sky, below is a lake: Treading. Thus do superior people distinguish above and below, and settle the will of the people.

Cleary (2): … Leaders stabilize the wills of the people by distinguishing positions.

Wu: Heaven above and marshes below, this is Treading. Thus the jun zi discriminates various levels of governmental services and sets the goals of the people.

COMMENTARY

Confucius/Legge: In Cautious Advance we have the symbol of Weakness treading on that of Strength. The lower trigram indicates Pleasure and Satisfaction, and responds to the upper indicating Strength. Hence it is said, "He treads on the tail of a tiger." The fifth line is dynamic, in the center, and in his

correct place. He occupies the God-given position, and falls into no distress or

failure -- his action will be brilliant.

Legge: Cautious Advance is made up of the lower trigram of Pleased Satisfaction or "Naiveté," and the upper trigram of Heaven, or Primal Power. Being situated below the great symbol of Strength, Naiveté is seen to be stepping on a tiger's tail. To emerge unscathed from such a danger depends entirely upon propriety and a strict observance of all the rules of correct behavior. On these, as so many stepping stones, one may tread safely amid scenes of disorder and peril. The symbol of weakness, according to Wang Shen-tzu is the third line which is urged on by the two lines below it to encounter the three strong lines above. Other commentators say that the whole lower trigram, partaking of the yin nature, is the symbol of weakness, and the entire upper trigram is symbolic of strength. The Chen-Chung editors say that to get the full meaning, we must hold both views.

Ch'eng-tzu says of the Image: "The sky above and a marsh lying below it is true in nature and reason, and so should be the rules of propriety on which men tread."

NOTES AND PARAPHRASES

Judgment: A cautious advance in the face of potentially volatile conditions will lead to safety. The Superior Man orders his priorities realistically and gets a grip on himself. Cautious Advance depicts the lower trigram of the joyful Youngest

Daughter stepping on the heels of the upper trigram of Heaven -- the stern Pater

Familias: Yahweh Saboath, or Zeus with his thunderbolt. In her innocence she doesn't realize the danger of her action. This is "treading on the tail of the tiger," and the hexagram teaches us how to do this without being bitten. The original Judgment suggests that superior powers realize the innocent intent of the action, and may be inclined to be lenient.

You should not resist fate, nor need you escape it; if you go to meet it, it will guide you pleasantly.

Goethe Wilhelm's notes on The Image illustrate the undemocratic truth that although all men are created equal in the eyes of God, every human being possesses clearly differentiated strengths, weaknesses, talents and incapacities. In Lectures on the I Ching, he says:

The secret of proper conduct is in inequality. Uniformity alone cannot give rise to proper conduct. To be sure, uniformity might produce rule and regulation or law and force. But tedious force and brutal law never led people to convictions that legitimately resulted in proper conduct (the term includes that which produces proper conduct and proper conduct achieved). Instead, as Confucius said: "Force produces only alienation and people transgress secretly that which is public regulation." Cautious Advance often images a test situation, or it can be a warning that you are walking on the edge of a precipice. The image of The Fool in the tarot deck has similar associations. Without changing lines, this hexagram implies a need for extreme caution, or that your actions are tempting fate. The passions, instead of having to be painfully exterminated, are yoked like snarling tigers to the adept’s carriage. The dangers of such a course are obvious. As one of my Lama teachers put it: "While you were traveling in that cart, a tumble would have done you little harm. Now I have given you an airplane. Don't crash in flames!"

J. Blofeld -- The Tantric Mysticism of Tibet