The Essence of the 'Great Treatise A': A Philosophical Inquiry into the Gentleman's Establishment of Life and the Order of the *Yi*

Postscript: Final Reflections

I. The Vastness of the Way of the Yi

The Xì Cí Shang Zhuàn states:

"The Yi is vast and great! When speaking of the distant, it is inexhaustible; when speaking of the near, it is quiet and correct; when speaking between Heaven and Earth, it is complete."

"Yi guang yi da ye! Yi yan hu yuan ze bu yu, yi yan hu er ze jing er zheng, yi yan hu Tian Di zhi jian ze bei yi (《易》广矣大矣！以言乎远则不御，以言乎迩则静而正，以言乎天地之间则备矣)."

"Vast and great"—the Way of the Yi is boundless. "When speaking of the distant, it is inexhaustible"; "when speaking of the near, it is quiet and correct"; "when speaking between Heaven and Earth, it is complete."

The passage we investigated is but a small segment of the Xì Cí Zhuàn, which is only one of the "Ten Wings," which in turn are merely expositions of the Zhou Yi Canons. The Zhou Yi's sixty-four hexagrams and three hundred and eighty-four lines—each hexagram, each line—contains infinite principles. To exhaust the infinite principles of the Yi with finite words is like measuring the sea with a ladle or viewing the sky through a tube; one obtains only a fraction.

However, "A journey of a thousand li begins with a single step" (Laozi, Chapter 64), and "without accumulating steps, one cannot reach a thousand li" (Xunzi, Quan Xue). By starting with this single passage, delving deeply, and repeatedly savoring it, it is still a valid way to approach the Dao of the Yi.

II. The Significance of "Residing and Finding Ease" in Pre-Qin Society

The Pre-Qin era was a time of intense flux. The authority of the Zhou royal house waned toward the end of the Western Zhou, ritual collapsed during the Spring and Autumn period, and the Warring States period was characterized by fierce competition among the states. In such an era of "No Way under Heaven," how were intellectuals to maintain themselves$2

The Analects, Wei Zi (微子) records encounters with several hermits:

"Chang Ju and Jie Ni were plowing together. Confucius passed by and sent Zi Lu to ask for directions. Chang Ju said: 'Who is that holding the reins$3' Zi Lu replied: 'It is Kong Qiu.' He asked: 'Is that Kong Qiu of Lu$4' Replied: 'Yes.' He said: 'He knows the way!' He asked Jie Ni. Jie Ni said: 'Who are you$5' Replied: 'I am Zhong You (Zi Lu).' He asked: 'Is he a disciple of Kong Qiu of Lu$6' Replied: 'Yes.' He said: 'The world is flooded with chaos like this. Who can change it$7 Rather than following a man who avoids people, why not follow a man who avoids the world$8' He continued to plow without stopping. Zi Lu went and reported this. The Master sighed and said: 'Birds and beasts cannot be associated with in common, for if I do not associate with the people of this world, whom shall I associate with$9 If the Way prevails under Heaven, I will not participate in transforming it.'"

Faced with the chaos of the world, Chang Ju and Jie Ni chose "to avoid the world" (Bi Shi 避世), while Confucius chose "not to give up" (Bu Yu Yi Ye 不与易). Confucius said: "Birds and beasts cannot be associated with in common"—man cannot live with birds and beasts. "If I do not associate with the people of this world, whom shall I associate with$10"

Confucius’s perseverance despite the "No Way under Heaven" was precisely because "That wherein he resides and finds ease" was the Way of Heaven and Earth—an eternal spiritual foundation that did not change according to external conditions.

Similarly, throughout the turbulent Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, those Gentlemen who studied the Yi—whether serving in office or living in seclusion—maintained inner stability and upright conduct precisely because they had the Arrangement of the Yi as their spiritual anchor.

III. From "Contemplation" (Wan) to "Enlightenment" (Wu)

We discussed the meaning of "contemplate" (Wan) in detail earlier. But there is a deeper question: What is the ultimate purpose of "contemplating"$11

"Contemplating" is not the end goal; "Enlightenment" (Wu 悟) is. Through repeated "contemplating"—repeated observing, savoring, reflecting, and thinking—one ultimately reaches a state of sudden, clear comprehension, "Enlightenment."

Analects, Wei Zheng:

"The Master said: 'If one reviews the old and thereby knows the new, he may become a teacher.'"

"Wen gu er zhi xin, ke yi wei shi yi (温故而知新，可以为师矣)." "Reviewing the old to know the new"—this is the process of "contemplating" and the result of "enlightenment"—gaining new insights through repeated review of existing knowledge.

Mencius, Jin Xin II (尽心下):

"Mencius said: 'To study extensively and explain in detail is done in order to reverse the process and state the core principle.'"

"Bo xue er xiang shuo zhi, jiang yi fan shuo yue ye (博学而详说之，将以反说约也)." "Studying extensively and explaining in detail" is the process of "contemplating"; "reversing to state the core principle" is the effect of "enlightenment"—turning back to express the essential meaning concisely.

When the Gentleman "delights and contemplates" the Line Judgments, his ultimate goal is a thorough comprehension of the Way of the Yi—not just knowing what each hexagram and line says, but grasping the unified principle behind them. Once this comprehension is achieved, there is no longer a need for rote memorization of every hexagram and line; one achieves the state of "following what the heart desires without overstepping the line"—at any moment, everything one does conforms to the principles of the Yi.

IV. "Heaven Assists Him" and Personal Destiny

Finally, let us address the most concrete question: What does "Heaven assists him, bringing no harm to anything auspicious" mean for an individual's destiny$12

Analects, Yan Yuan:

"Zi Xia said: 'I have heard this from Shang: Life and death are determined by fate; wealth and honor are in Heaven.'"

"Sheng si you ming, fu gui zai Tian (死生有命，富贵在天)." "Life and death are determined by fate; wealth and honor are in Heaven."

Does this contradict "Heaven assists him"$13 If destiny is fixed, what is the use of "observing Images and contemplating Words, observing Changes and contemplating Divinations"$14

They are not contradictory. "Life and death are determined by fate" refers to aspects beyond human control (such as natural disasters or illness), whereas "Heaven assists him" refers to the aspects that can be influenced by correct human action.

To use an analogy: Whether it rains is beyond human control (Fate); whether one brings an umbrella when leaving home is a choice (observing Changes and contemplating Divinations). A person skilled in "observing Changes" sees dark clouds before leaving and brings an umbrella—this does not change the weather, but it is a correct response to the changing weather. The result: although he encounters rain, he does not get soaked. This is "Heaven assisting him"—not that Heaven stops the rain, but that he avoids harm due to his correct response.

Mencius, Jin Xin I:

"Mencius said: 'To exhaust one's mind is to know one's nature. Knowing one's nature is knowing Heaven. To preserve one's mind and nurture one's nature is the way to serve Heaven. To await what is ordained, whether short or long life, by cultivating oneself—this is how one establishes one's destiny.'"

"Xian shou bu er, xiu shen yi si zhi, suo yi li ming ye (殀寿不贰，修身以俟之，所以立命也)."

"Establishing one's destiny" (Li Ming 立命) is not "creating one's destiny" (Zao Ming 造命)—it does not mean man can arbitrarily create his fate, but that man can establish his attitude and method for facing destiny through self-cultivation. "Heaven assists him" means the same: man cannot control Heaven's will, but through the virtue of "treading on trustworthiness, contemplating compliance, and honoring the worthy," he can elicit Heaven's assistance, ensuring that in any given circumstance, he remains "auspicious with no harm."

V. The Final Word on the Passage

The Xì Cí Xia Zhuàn concludes:

"The Master said: 'He who knows the Way of Change, perhaps he knows the workings of the Spirits!'"

"Zhi bian hua zhi dao zhe, qi zhi shen zhi suo wei hu! (知变化之道者，其知神之所为乎！)"

He who knows the Way of Change—that is, one who understands the principles of transformation by "observing Images and contemplating Words, observing Changes and contemplating Divinations"—perhaps he knows the workings of the Spirits!

"The workings of the Spirits" (Shen Zhi Suo Wei)—in the Pre-Qin context, "Spirit" (Shen 神) does not just mean deities but also the underlying, subtle principles governing the transformation of all things—the force that transcends ordinary human cognition yet undeniably exists and functions.

"Knowing the Way of Change"—this means understanding the laws governing the world's transformations through this method. Reaching this level means one "knows the workings of the Spirits"—not that one becomes a spirit, but that one understands the operational mechanism of the Spirits (the deep principles of the cosmos).

And a person who understands the operational mechanism of the deep cosmic principles will naturally align his actions with these principles, and naturally "Heaven assists him, bringing no harm to anything auspicious."

Therefore, that wherein the Gentleman resides and finds ease is the Arrangement of the Yi; that wherein he delights and contemplates is the Divinations of the Lines. Thus, when the Gentleman resides, he observes their Images and contemplates their Words; when he acts, he observes their Changes and contemplates their Divinations, whereby Heaven assists him, and everything auspicious brings no harm.

This is what is meant.