Great progress and success, advantage in being correct — and then: in the eighth month there will be misfortune. The Yi rarely puts a clock on a favourable judgment. The two strong lines below are growing, and the same movement that carries them up will carry them down again. The warning belongs to the good fortune, not against it.

「臨元亨」至「有凶」。○正義曰：案《序卦》云：「臨，大也。」以陽之浸長，其德壯大，可以監臨於下。故曰「臨」也。剛既浸長，說而且順，又以剛居中，有應於外大，得亨通而利正也，故曰「元亨利貞」也。「至於八月有凶」者，以物盛必衰，陰長陽退，臨為建丑之月，從建丑至於七月建申之時，三陰既盛，三陽方退，小人道長，君子道消，故八月有凶也。以盛不可終保，聖人作《易》以戒之也。

陽轉進長，陰道日消，君子日長，小人日憂，「大亨以正」之義。　八月陽衰而陰長，小人道長，君子道消也，故曰「有凶」。　相臨之道，莫若說順也。不恃威制，得物之誠，故物無違也。是以「君子教思無窮，容保民無疆」也。

「《彖》曰」至「天之道也」。○正義曰：「臨剛浸而長說而順」者，此釋卦義也。凡諸卦之例，說而順之，下應以「臨」字結之。此無「臨」字者，以其剛中而應，亦是「臨」義，故不得於剛中之上而加「臨」也。「剛中而應，大亨以正，天之道」者，天道以剛居中而下，與地相應，使物大得亨通而利正，故《乾卦》「元、亨、利、貞」。今此《臨》卦，其義亦然，故云「天之道也」。　「至於八月」至「久也」。○正義曰：證「有凶」之義，以其陽道既消，不可常久，故「有凶」也。但復卦一陽始復，剛性尚微，又不得其中，故未有「元亨利貞」。泰卦三陽之時，三陽在下，而成乾體，乾下坤上，象天降下，地升上，上下通泰，物通則失正，故不具四德。唯此卦二陽浸長，陽浸壯大，特得稱臨，所以四德具也。然陽長之卦，每卦皆應「八月有凶」。但此卦名臨，是盛大之義，故於此卦特戒之耳。若以類言之，則陽長之卦，至其終末皆有凶也。○注「八月」至「有凶」。○正義曰：云「八月」者，何氏云：「從建子陽生至建未為八月。」褚氏云：「自建寅至建酉為八月。」今案：此注云「小人道長，君子道消」，宜據否卦之時，故以臨卦建丑，而至否卦建申為八月也。　「《象》曰」至「無疆」。○正義曰：「澤上有地」者，欲見地臨於澤，在上臨下之義，故云「澤上有地」也。「君子以教思無窮」者，君子於此臨卦之時，其下莫不喜說和順，在上但須教化，思念無窮巳也，欲使教恒不絕也。「容保民無疆」者，容謂容受也。保安其民，無有疆境，象地之闊遠，故云「無疆」也。

Approaching in company; correctness brings good fortune. This line and the one above rise together — the advance is not solitary. The Xiang says the aim is to act correctly. At the very start of a rise, what you are moving with matters as much as that you are moving.

「咸」感也。感，應也。有應於四，感以臨者也。四履正位，而已應焉，志行正者也。以剛感順，志行其正，以斯臨物，正而獲吉也。

正義曰：咸，感也。有應於四，感之而臨，志行得正，故「貞吉」也。　正義曰：「咸臨貞吉，志行正」者，釋「咸臨貞吉」之義。四既履得正位，己往與之相應，是己之志意行而歸正也。

Approaching in company again: good fortune, and nothing that is not advantageous. This is the strongest line in the hexagram. The Xiang’s note is odd and worth keeping — it has not yet complied with the mandate. This advance is not obedience to anything above; it carries its own force.

有應在五，感以臨者也。剛勝則柔危，而五體柔，非能同斯志者也。若順於五，則剛德不長，何由得「吉無不利」乎？全與相違，則失於感應，其得「咸臨，吉無不利」，必未順命也。

正義曰：「咸臨吉」者，咸，感也。有應於五，是感以臨而得其吉也。「無不利」者，二雖與五相應，二體是剛，五體是柔，兩雖相感，其志不同。若純用剛往，則五所不從，若純用柔往，又損已剛性，必須商量事宜，有從有否，乃得「無不利」也。　正義曰：「未順命」者，釋「無不利」之義。未可盡順五命，須斟酌事宜，有從有否，故得「無不利」也。則君臣上下獻可替否之義也。

Sweet approach — and nothing advantageous in it. This is the line that draws near by being agreeable, and agreeableness alone carries nothing. But the Yi opens a door: once anxious about it, there is no error. Recognising that the charm is empty is itself the correction.

甘者，佞邪說媚不正之名也。履非其位，居剛長之世，而以邪說臨物，宜其「無攸利」也。若能盡憂其危，改脩其道，剛不害正，故「咎不長」。

正義曰：「甘臨」者，謂甘美諂佞也。履非其位，居剛長之世，而以邪說臨物，故「無攸利」也。「既憂之無咎」者，既，盡也。若能盡憂其危，則剛不害正，故「無咎」也。　正義曰：「既憂之，咎不長」者，能盡憂其事，改過自脩，其咎則止，不復長久，故「無咎」也。

Approach carried to the utmost. This line stands directly over the strong line at the bottom and comes the whole way down to meet it. The Xiang says the position is right. No fortune is promised and none is needed — going the full distance to what is beneath you is simply correct.

處順應陽，不忌剛長，而乃應之，履得其位，盡其至者也。剛勝則柔危，柔不失正，乃得「無咎」也。

正義曰：履順應陽，不畏剛長，而巳應之，履得其位，能盡其至極之善而為臨，故云「至臨」。以柔不失正，故「無咎」也。　正義曰：釋「無咎」之義。以六四以陰所居得正，柔不為邪，位當其處，故無咎也。

The approach of wisdom, as befits a great ruler. Wisdom here is specifically not doing it yourself: the line holds the centre and lets the capable lines below advance. The Xiang calls it acting from the middle. It rules this hexagram, and it rules by not descending into the work.

處於尊位，履得其中，能納剛以禮，用建其正，不忌剛長而能任之，委物以能而不犯焉，則聰明者竭其視聽，知力者盡其謀能，不為而成，不行而至矣。「大君之宜」，如此而已，故曰「知臨大君之宜吉」也。

正義曰：「處於尊位，履得其中，能納剛以禮，用建其正，不忌剛長而能任之」，故「聰明者竭其視聽，知力者盡其謀能」，是知為臨之道，大君之所宜以吉也。　正義曰：釋「大君之宜」，所以得宜者，止由六五處中，行此中和之行，致得「大君之宜」，故言「行中之謂也」。

Generous, thoroughgoing approach: good fortune, and no error. At the top, farthest from the rising lines, this line comes down anyway. The Xiang says the aim is within — the interest is genuinely in what lies below, not in the position it occupies. Approach that is thick rather than obligatory ends well.

處坤之極，以敦而臨者也。志在助賢，以敦為德，雖在剛長，剛不害厚，故「無咎」也。

正義曰：敦，厚也。上六處坤之上，敦厚而為臨，志在助賢，以敦為德，故云「敦臨，吉」。雖在剛長，而志行敦厚，剛所以不害，故「無咎」也。　正義曰：釋「敦臨吉」之義。雖在上卦之極，志意恒在於內之二陽，意在助賢，故得吉也。