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.
I. Analysis of the Character Le (Delight)
"That wherein he delights and contemplates" (Suǒ lè ér wán zhě)—Should the character Le here be read as lè (meaning joy/delight), or yào (meaning to love/be fond of)$27
In Pre-Qin texts, the character Lè has multiple pronunciations and meanings:
- Music (yuè): e.g., Analects, Tai Bo (泰伯): "To be stimulated by the Odes, established by Ritual, and completed by Music."
- Joy/Delight (lè): e.g., Analects, Xue Er: "To learn and then practice it constantly—is this not a pleasure$28 To have friends come from afar—is this not a delight$29"
- Fondness/Love (yào): e.g., Analects, Yong Ye (雍也): "The wise enjoy water; the benevolent enjoy mountains."
In the passage we are examining, the Le in "delights and contemplates" should encompass both the meaning of "delight" and "fondness." The Gentleman not only takes the Line Judgments as an object of fondness but also derives spiritual pleasure from them.
Why is Le (Delight) so important$30 Because Le implies proactivity and spontaneity. When a person feels "delight" in something, it means he genuinely loves it, not because of external coercion.
Analects, Yong Ye:
"The Master said: 'Those who know it are not equal to those who love it; those who love it are not equal to those who delight in it.'"
Confucius explicitly categorizes knowledge into three levels: "knowing," "loving," and "delighting." "Knowing" is intellectual understanding; "loving" is pursuit on the level of will; "delighting" is enjoyment on the level of emotion. Only by reaching the level of "delight" can one truly master something.
Similarly, regarding the Line Judgments, the Gentleman does not merely "know" (understand their meaning) or "love" (enjoy studying them), but rather "delights" in them—deriving profound spiritual enjoyment and a sense of fulfillment in the process of studying the Line Judgments.