水火既济Jì Jì · Already Fulfilled
坎上 · 离下Water over Fire
卦辞The Judgement
既济：亨小，利贞；初吉终乱。Jì Jì. Even the little, prosperous and smooth. Favorable to be steadfast and upright. Beginning: good fortune. End: disorder.
事情已经成功——但成功之后最危险。离火在下属火居南方，坎水在上属水居北方——水在火上，水火相交，饭煮熟了。水克火，水在上面压着火，火在下面烧着水——这种平衡很精妙，但也极其脆弱，水一多火就灭，火一大水就干。一开始吉，最后乱——盛极必衰是规律。这时要“思患而豫防”——居安思危、早做准备。
The work is done — but the moment of success is the moment of greatest danger. The lower trigram Lí is Fire, element Fire, in the south; the upper trigram Kǎn is Water, element Water, in the north — water above fire, the two meeting, the rice cooked through. Water checks Fire, water pressing on the fire from above, fire heating the water from below — a fine balance, but an extremely fragile one: too much water and the fire dies, too much fire and the water dries. The start is good and the end is disorder — rising to the peak is the law of falling back. Now is the time to "foresee trouble and prepare": think of risk while at ease, and prepare early.
大象The Image
《象》曰：水在火上，既济；君子以思患而豫防之。Water above the fire: the image of After Completion. The noble one, accordingly, reflects on trouble and guards against it beforehand.
六爻The Six Lines
初九，曳其轮，濡其尾，无咎。Dragging the wheels, wetting the tail. No fault.
拖住车轮、淋湿尾巴——离火初爻，火刚点着——主动放慢速度，在成功初期就懂得自我约束，主动放慢速度、放弃部分速度感。在成功初期就懂得自我约束，不会有错。
Pulling the wheels back, wetting the tail — Lí's Fire, first line, the flame just lit — slowing oneself on purpose, learning self-restraint at the start of success — slowing oneself on purpose, giving up some sense of speed. To restrain oneself at the start of success — no error.
六二，妇丧其茀，勿逐，七日得。The woman loses her carriage curtain. Do not chase. In seven days, regained.
妇人丢了头饰——离火居中，火候正好——不必追，七天后会回来，小损失不必焦虑，不必追，七天后会回来。小损失不必焦虑，时机到了自然恢复。
The wife loses her head ornament — Lí's Fire centered, the heat just right — don't chase, in seven days it returns; no fretting over a small loss — do not chase; in seven days it comes back. No need to fret over a small loss; in due time, all returns.
九三，高宗伐鬼方，三年克之；小人勿用。Emperor Gao Zong attacks the Gui Fang. Three years: conquered. The petty fellows should not be used.
用了三年时间征服了远方的鬼方——离火到三爻，火势最猛——劳苦但成功，但不能用小人，劳苦但成功。但不能用小人——用人不当会前功尽弃。
Three years subduing the distant land of Guifang — Lí's Fire at the third line, the blaze at its fiercest — toilsome but successful, yet the petty must not be employed — hard, but it succeeds. But the petty must not be used — bad personnel can undo every gain made.
六四，有衣袽，终日戒。There are rags for caulking the leak. All day long, on guard.
华丽的衣服里夹着破布——坎水初爻，水刚漫上——整天警惕，看似安稳其实有隐患，整天警惕。看似安稳的生活其实有隐患——居安思危很重要。
Fine clothes with patches of rag underneath — Kǎn's Water, first line, the water just rising — vigilant all day; beneath the settled look there is hidden trouble — guarding all day long. Beneath what looks settled there is hidden trouble — be wary even at peace.
九五，东邻杀牛，不如西邻之禴祭，实受其福。The eastern neighbor slaughters an ox, but does not gain as much blessing as the western neighbor's simple offering.
东边邻居杀牛盛祭，不如西边邻居简朴祭祀——坎水居中，水最清——形式不如诚意，心诚则灵，形式不如诚意。心诚则灵，铺张反而失了诚意。
The eastern neighbor makes a grand sacrifice of an ox; the western neighbor makes a simple one — Kǎn's Water centered, the water at its clearest — form is not sincerity; a sincere heart draws down the spirits — form is not the same as sincerity. A sincere heart draws down the spirits; a lavish display loses its sincerity.
上六，濡其首，厉。Immersing the head. Adversity.
弄湿了头——坎水到极处，水淹过头顶——危险，已经成功还想冒险必有大祸，危险。已经成功还想前进、还想冒险——必有大祸。该停就停。
Soaking one's own head — Kǎn's Water at its extreme, the water closing over the head — danger; to have succeeded and still push, still risk, is sure disaster — danger. To have succeeded and still want to push, to keep taking risks — surely a great disaster. When it is time to stop, stop.