Cosmological Construction and Rational Essence of the Original Functions of the *Book of Changes* Based on Divination Tracing
This article traces the origins of the *I Ching*, arguing from oracle bone inscriptions of the character "shi" (筮) that its original function was not divination. It contrasts divination and *shi* to reveal the essential nature of early *Yi* studies as employing mathematical modeling to understand cosmic operations and perceive patterns of change, rooted in the philosophical wisdom of ancient peoples for comprehending nature and grounding existence rather than merely predicting fortune.
Section 1.3: The Absence of "Shi" in Oracle Bone Divinatory Records — A Remarkable Silence
There is another extremely thought-provoking phenomenon worth our deep consideration: In the vast number of oracle bone divinatory records unearthed at Yin Xu, the character "Shi" (筮) appears very rarely, and content directly corresponding to the sixty-four hexagrams of the Zhouyi is almost entirely absent.
What does this mean$10
In the Shang Dynasty, tortoise divination was the absolute mainstream of the national divination system. The "Shi" method and its associated hexagram system, on the other hand, may not have been incorporated into the official divination system during the Shang Dynasty, or rather, it did not originally belong to the divination system.
The Rites of Zhou (周礼), in the "Chun Guan · Da Bu" (春官·大卜) section, states:
"The Great Diviner is in charge of the methods of the three omens... and is in charge of the methods of the Three Yi: one is Lian Shan, two is Guicang, and three is Zhouyi."
This passage juxtaposes "zhao" (兆, cracks from tortoise divination) with "Yi" (易, the methods of the Three Yi) rather than conflating them, precisely indicating that "Bu" and "Yi" were originally two separate systems in the ancient official system. "Zhao" was a divination method, but what was "Yi"$11 It was called the "method of Yi"—the principle of change.
We cannot help but ask: If the original function of "Yi" was divination, why establish a separate system when a mature tortoise divination system already existed$12 If the functions were the same, why duplicate$13 The only reasonable explanation is: the function of Yi is different from Bu. Bu is asking spirits, while Yi is thoroughly investigating principles.