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.
V. The Academic Lineage of Pre-Qin Yi Studies
To understand this passage, one must also be familiar with the academic lineage of Pre-Qin Yi transmission.
The Shi Ji, Biography of Confucius's Disciples (Shi Ji, Zhongni Dizi Liezhuan 史记·仲尼弟子列传) records that among Confucius's disciples, Shang Qu (商瞿) transmitted the Yi. Furthermore, the Shi Ji, Biography of Confucian Scholars (Shi Ji, Rulin Liezhuan 史记·儒林列传) states:
"From Lu, Shang Qu received the Yi from Confucius. After Confucius passed away, Shang Qu transmitted the Yi, and after six generations it reached Tian He of Qi, whose courtesy name was Zizhuang, by which time the Han Dynasty had arisen."
The Book of Han, Biography of Confucian Scholars (Han Shu, Rulin Zhuan 汉书·儒林传) details the lineage of Yi transmission:
"From Lu, Shang Qu's son Mu received the Yi from Confucius, transmitting it to Qiao Bi of Lu, courtesy name Ziyong; Ziyong transmitted it to Guanbi of Jiangdong, courtesy name Zigong; Zigong transmitted it to Zhou Chou of Yan, courtesy name Jia; Jia transmitted it to Sun Yu of Dongwu, courtesy name Cheng; Cheng transmitted it to Tian He of Qi, courtesy name Zhuang."
Although this lineage extends into the early Han, its core significance is that the scholarly tradition of the Yi began with Confucius. Confucius not only studied the Yi but also composed commentaries on it (the Ten Wings) and transmitted it to his disciples, forming an unbroken scholarly tradition.
Why examine this lineage$13 Because it tells us that the thought contained in the Xì Cí Zhuàn is not the random musing of an individual but the core doctrine within a rigorously transmitted academic tradition. When we read statements like, "That wherein the Gentleman resides and finds ease is the Arrangement of the Yi," we should recognize this as a solemn declaration by Confucius and his school regarding the utility of the Yi—an academic judgment arrived at after deep reflection and repeated verification.
Moreover, before Confucius, the transmission of the Yi was even more ancient. The Rites of Zhou (Zhou Li 周礼), in the section on the Ritual Officers (Chun Guan 春官), records:
"The Grand Diviner manages the methods of the Three Yi: the first is Lian Shan (连山), the second is Gui Cang (归藏), and the third is the Zhou Yi (周易)."
Lian Shan is traditionally associated with the Xia Dynasty; Gui Cang with the Yin Dynasty; and the Zhou Yi with the Zhou Dynasty. While the Yi of the Three Dynasties each had its own emphasis (Lian Shan beginning with Gen, Gui Cang beginning with Kun, Zhou Yi beginning with Qian), the fundamental principle—to use hexagram Images and Line Judgments to perceive the transformations of Heaven and Earth and guide human action—remained consistently maintained.
Therefore, when interpreting this passage, we must not only understand it from Confucius's perspective but also trace it back to the more ancient traditions to grasp the wisdom of High Antiquity carried within these words.