| | 六術: |
德有六理，何謂六理？道、德、性、神、明、命，此六者，德之理也。六理無不生也，已生而六理存乎所生之內，是以陰陽天地人，盡以六理為內度，內度成業，故謂之六法。六法藏內，變流而外遂，外遂六術，故謂之六行。是以陰陽各有六月之節，而天地有六合之事，人有仁義禮智信之行。行和則樂興，樂興則六，此之謂六行。陰陽天地之動也，不失六行，故能合六法。人謹脩六行，則亦可以合六法矣。 |
| | There are six principles of virtue; what are these six principles? Dao, De, Xing, Shen, Ming, and Ming, these six are the principles of virtue. The six principles are all generative; once generated, the six principles exist within what is generated. Therefore, yin and yang, Heaven, Earth, and humanity all take the six principles as their inner measure. When this inner measure completes an achievement, it is called the Six Methods (Liu Fa). The Six Methods are concealed internally; they transform and flow outward, thus manifesting externally as six techniques. These six techniques are therefore called the Six Conducts (Liu Xing). Therefore, yin and yang each have six seasonal months, Heaven and Earth have the Six Harmonies in their affairs, and humanity has the conduct of benevolence (ren), righteousness (yi), propriety (li), wisdom (zhi), and faithfulness (xin). When conduct is harmonious, music arises; when music arises, it manifests in six forms. This is called the Six Conducts (Liuxing). The movements of yin and yang, Heaven and Earth do not deviate from the Six Conducts; therefore, they are able to conform to the Six Methods. If a person carefully cultivates the Six Conducts, then he too can conform to the Six Methods.
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| | 六術: |
然而人雖有六行，微細難識，唯先王能審之。凡人弗能自至，是故必待先王之教，乃知所從事。是以先王為天下設教，因人所有以之為訓，道人之情，以之為真，是故內本六法，外體六行，以與《》、《》、《》、《春秋》、《禮》、《樂》六者之術，以為大義，謂之六藝。令人緣之以自脩，脩成則得六行矣。六行不正，反合六法。藝之所以六者，法六法而體六行故也，故曰六則備矣。 |
| | However, although people may possess the Six Conducts, they are subtle and difficult to discern; only the former kings were able to examine them carefully. Ordinary people cannot reach this on their own, so they must await the instruction of former kings in order to know what course of action to follow. Therefore, the former kings established teachings for all under Heaven; they used what people already possessed as instruction, guided human nature according to its inclinations, and thus took the Six Methods as internal foundations and the Six Conducts as external manifestations. They combined these with the six arts—the Book of Songs (Shi), the Book of Documents (Shu), the I Ching (Yi), the Spring and Autumn Annals (Chunqiu), the Rites (Li), and the Music (Yue)—as methods, establishing them as great principles known as the Six Arts (Liu Yi). People follow these teachings to cultivate themselves; when cultivation is completed, they attain the Six Conducts. When the Six Conducts are not upright, they become misaligned with the Six Methods. The reason there are six arts is because they follow the Six Methods and embody the Six Conducts; thus it is said that the six principles are complete.
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| | 六術: |
六者非獨為六藝本也，他事亦皆以六為度。聲音之道，以六為首，以陰陽之節為度，是故一歲十二月分而為陰陽，各六月，是以聲音之器十二鍾，鍾當一月，其六鍾陰聲，六鍾陽聲，聲之術律是而出，故謂之六律。六律和五聲之調，以發陰陽天地人之清聲，而內合六行六法之道。是故五聲宮、商、角、徵、羽，唱和相應而調和，調和而成理謂之音。聲五也，必六而備，故曰聲與音六。夫律之者，象測之也，所測者六，故曰六律。 |
| | The number six is not only the foundation of the Six Arts, but other matters also take six as their measure. The principle of sound begins with the number six, and takes the seasonal divisions of yin and yang as its measure. Therefore, one year's twelve months are divided into yin and yang, each consisting of six months. Hence, there are twelve musical bells (zhong), each corresponding to a month: six for yin tones and six for yang tones. The system of pitch and tuning derives from this arrangement; thus it is called the Six Laws (Liu Lü). The Six Laws harmonize with the five tones of sound, thereby producing the clear sounds of yin and yang, Heaven, Earth and humanity, and internally aligning with the principles of the Six Conducts and the Six Methods. Therefore, the five tones—Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu—resonate in harmony with one another to achieve balance; when this balance forms an order, it is called "yin" (music). The five tones are present, but only with the addition of a sixth element do they become complete; thus it is said that sound and music together total six. The term "Lü" (law) refers to the measurement of pitch, which is modeled after observation; there are six things measured in this way, hence it is called the Six Laws.
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| | 六術: |
人之戚屬，以六為法。人有六親。六親始曰父，父有二子，二子為昆弟，昆弟又有子，子從父而昆弟，故為從父昆弟，從父昆弟又有子，子從祖而昆弟，故為從祖昆弟，從祖昆弟又有子，子從曾祖而昆弟，故為從曾祖昆弟，曾祖昆弟又有子，子為族兄弟。備於六，此之謂六親。親之始於一人，世世別離，分為六親。親戚非六，則失本末之度，是故六為制而止矣。六親有次，不可相踰，相踰則宗族擾亂，不能相親。是故先王設為昭穆三廟，以禁其亂。何為三廟？上室為昭，中室為穆，下室為孫嗣令子。各以其次，上下更居，三廟以別，親疏有制。喪服稱親疏以為重輕，親者重，疏者輕，故復有麤衰、齊衰、大紅、細紅、緦麻備六，各服其所當服。夫服則有殊，此先王之所以禁亂也。 |
| | The relatives of a person follow the number six as their standard. A person has six close relatives. The six close relatives begin with the father. The father has two sons; these two sons are brothers (kundì). These brothers also have sons, who follow their father and become brothers-in-parallel, hence they are called "congfu kundì" (paternal uncles' sons). These "congfu kundì" also have sons, whose relationship follows the grandfather and becomes brothers-in-parallel; thus they are called "congzǔ kundì" (granduncles' sons). The "congzǔ kundì" also have sons, who then follow their great-grandfather and become brothers-in-parallel; hence they are called "cong cengzǔ kundì" (great-granduncles' sons). Finally, the "cong cengzǔ kun dì" also have sons, and these are termed "zu xiongdì" (clan brothers). Thus there are six in total; this is called the Six Close Relatives. The origin of kinship begins with one person, and through successive generations they become separated, forming the six close relatives. If relatives are not categorized into six, then the fundamental measure of origin and end is lost; therefore, the number six serves as the standard and limit. The Six Close Relatives have an established order that must not be transgressed; if this order is violated, the clan becomes disorderly and unable to maintain proper familial bonds. Therefore, former kings established the system of three ancestral temples—Zhao and Mu—to prevent such disorder. What are these three ancestral temples? The upper chamber is called Zhao, the middle chamber is Mu, and the lower chamber is for the grandson or designated heir. Each follows its proper order; they alternate between upper and lower positions. The three ancestral temples serve to distinguish relationships, establishing a system that regulates closeness and distance among relatives. Mourning attire is determined by the closeness or distance of kinship, with closer relatives wearing heavier mourning garments and more distant ones lighter ones. Therefore, there are six levels of mourning dress—coarse cai (cu cai), ordinary cai (qi cai), major red (da hong), minor red (xi hong), and thin hemp (si ma)—each fully prepared, and each person wears the attire appropriate to their relationship. The distinctions in mourning dress serve as a means of differentiation; this is how former kings prevented disorder among relatives.
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| | 六術: |
數度之道，以六為法，數加於少，而度出於居。數度之始，始於微細。有形之物，莫細於毫。是故立一毫以為度始，十毫為髮，十髮為氂，十氂為分，十分為寸，十寸為尺，備於六。故先王以為天下事用也。 |
| | The principle of numerical measurement takes six as its standard; numbers increase from the small, and measurements arise from established positions. The beginning of numerical measurement starts with the minute and subtle. Among tangible things, nothing is finer than a hair (hao). Therefore, one hair (hao) is established as the beginning of measurement; ten hao make a fa, ten fa make a mou, ten mou make a fen, ten fen make an cun, and ten cun make a chi. Thus six levels are completed. Therefore, the former kings considered this system sufficient for all affairs under Heaven.
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| | 六術: |
事之以六為法者，不可勝數也。此所言六，以效事之盡以六為度者，謂六理，可謂陰陽之六節，可謂天地之六法，可謂人之六行。 |
| | There are innumerable matters that take six as their standard. The six mentioned here is used to exemplify all matters that are fully measured by the number six. It may be called the Six Principles, it may also be referred to as the Six Seasonal Divisions of yin and yang, or as the Six Methods of Heaven and Earth, or again as the Six Conducts of humanity.
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