贲 · 文
Judgement
亨，小利有攸往。
Success. Small — it furthers one to have somewhere to go.
The Image
山下有火，贲。君子以明庶政，无敢折狱。
Below the mountain, fire: grace. So the superior man governs clearly but does not judge harshly.
The Lines
贲其趾，舍车而徒。
Grace in his feet; leaving the cart and walking.
“舍车而徒”，义弗乘也。
Leaving the cart and walking: by right he does not ride.
贲其须。
Grace in his beard.
“贲其须”，与上兴也。
Grace in his beard: he rises with the one above.
贲如，濡如，永贞吉。
Grace, moistened; enduring steadfastness is auspicious.
“永贞”之“吉”，终莫之陵也。
The auspiciousness of enduring steadfastness: in the end none overrun him.
贲如，皤如，白马翰如，匪寇，婚媾。
Grace or plainness; a white horse swift as flight. Not a robber — he comes to woo.
六四，当位疑也；“匪寇，婚媾”，终无尤也。
The fourth, in its place, doubts. Not a robber, a wooer: in the end no fault.
贲于丘园，束帛戋戋；吝，终吉。
Grace in hill and garden, the silk bundle slight; stinginess, yet a good end.
六五之吉，有喜也。
The fifth’s good fortune: there is joy.
白贲，无咎。
Plain grace: no blame.
白贲，无咎，上得志也。
Plain grace, no blame: above, the will is attained.
Reading
火在山下：山被自下照亮，处处见棱。贲是文饰，而经文认真地把它当结构，不是表皮——形，正是内容得以被看见的条件。它的界限很准：行到末路的文饰是小事，而小事守得住，就守。