The Essence of the 'Great Treatise A': A Philosophical Inquiry into the Gentleman's Establishment of Life and the Order of the *Yi*
This article deeply interprets the core proposition from the 'Great Treatise A'—'That which the gentleman dwells in and finds peace is the order of the *Yi*.' It examines how the gentleman, by internalizing the Way of Heaven and Earth and utilizing the *Book of Changes* as the foundation for establishing his life, achieves a state of 'auspiciousness without detriment' through observing the images and contemplating the textual explanations, situated within the Pre-Qin context and the Confucian tradition.
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.