坤(kūn)
八卦之一，由三个阴爻组成，画为。又为六十四卦之一，由六个阴爻组成，画为
。按照易学的解释，由于坤卦全部由阴爻组成，因此具有纯阴之性，被用以象征各种阴性的事物或原则。坤卦的基本象征意义是地，在社会领域主要象征女性、母亲、臣民等社会角色以及柔顺宽厚的行事原则。结合坤卦的各种象征意义，坤还被赋予了创生、长养万物之义。
Kun
One of the eight trigrams, kun(坤) consists of three yin lines: . It is also one of the 64 hexagrams when it consists of six yin lines:
. According to scholars on The Book of Changes, as the kun trigram is composed only of yin lines, it is purely yin and is thus used to symbolize all yin things or principles. The kun trigram symbolizes earth, and when it comes to society, it symbolizes the social roles played the by the female, the mother, and the subjects of the ruler, as well as gentle, kind, and generous ways of doing things. In this context, kun also means creating and nourishing all things under heaven.
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【引例】
坤，顺也。(《周易说卦》)
至哉坤元，万物资生，乃顺承天。(《周易彖上》)
The kun trigram means gentleness. (The Book of Changes)
Great is the kun hexagram! All things owe their existence to kun, since it represents the will of Heaven. (The Book of Changes)