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.
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.