Return means yang turns back and comes returning. Yang is the Way of the noble person, hence return holds the meaning of returning to goodness.
Nine at the Beginning, firm and yang, comes returning and dwells at the beginning of the hexagram; it is the very first to return, which is 'returning from not far.' One returns only after having erred; if there were no error, what would there be to return from?
Only when one has erred not far and then returns does one avoid reaching regret; this is supreme goodness and good fortune. Zhi (袛) should be pronounced zhi (抵), meaning to reach. The Yupian says it means 'to go to,' which carries the same sense.
'Without reaching regret' means not arriving at regret. The Abysmal hexagram says 'zhi ji ping, wu jiu' (reaching level ground, no blame), meaning arriving at what is level.
Master Yan had no overt, visible faults; Confucius said he was 'nearly there'—this is being without reaching regret. If a fault is corrected before it takes shape, what regret could there be?
Yet being unable to be naturally effortless, and having desires that do not overstep boundaries, means there were still shortcomings.
However, because he was clear-sighted and firm, whenever there was anything unvirtuous, he never failed to recognize it; having recognized it, he never failed to correct it immediately, so he did not reach regret—this is 'returning from not far.'
Lu Deming glosses zhi as zhi (支); the Yupian, Wujing Wenzi, and Qunjing Yinbian all place it under the clothing radical. 'The Image says: Returning from not far is the way to cultivate oneself.' Returning from not far is the way the noble person cultivates his person.
The way of learning is nothing other than this: only recognizing what is not good and swiftly correcting it to follow what is good.