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 Literary Beauty and Profound Principle in the Line Judgments
Since the Gentleman "delights and contemplates" the Line Judgments, we might examine a few examples to appreciate their literary beauty and profound principle.
(I) Qian Hexagram, Initial Nine: "Hidden dragon; do not act." (Qian Chu Jiu: Qianlong wu yong. 潜龙勿用。)
Four characters, extremely concise, yet containing immensely rich meaning. "Hidden" (Qian)—concealed, submerged. "Dragon" (Long)—the existence with the greatest potential and power. "Do not act" (Wu Yong)—do not use effort, do not display one's capabilities.
A dragon, possessing the power to overturn rivers and shake seas, must hide in the abyss, remaining still. Why$38 Because the time is not yet right.
The Wen Yan Zhuan explains it:
"Hidden dragon, do not act: this is the inferior position. ... Hidden dragon, do not act: what does this mean$39 The Master said: 'It is when the dragon’s virtue is concealed. It does not change according to the age, nor achieve fame by action, retiring from the world without vexation, and not being grieved by being unseen. If joy arrives, it acts; if sorrow arrives, it departs. Firmly it cannot be uprooted—this is the hidden dragon.'"
"The dragon's virtue is concealed"—possessing dragon-like virtue yet willing to remain hidden. "It does not change according to the age," "retiring from the world without vexation." Such a Line Judgment, though only four characters, can provoke endless thought and savoring. This is why the Gentleman can "delight and contemplate"—because the depth of the Line Judgments is bottomless; the deeper you penetrate, the more new layers and meanings you discover.
(II) Kun Hexagram, Initial Six: "Stepping on frost, hard ice is coming." (Kun Chu Liu: Lü shuang, jian bing zhi. 履霜，坚冰至。)
"Stepping on frost"—one has stepped on frost. "Hard ice is coming"—hard ice is about to arrive.
This is a very simple natural phenomenon: in autumn, stepping on frost signals that the hard ice of winter is approaching. The Yi uses this phenomenon to symbolize human affairs: everything has a precursor, and every disaster has a gradual process. If one is vigilant when "stepping on frost," one will not be caught unprepared when "hard ice is coming."
The Wen Yan Zhuan explains:
"A family that accumulates virtue will have abundant blessings; a family that accumulates non-virtue will have abundant calamities. A minister murdering his sovereign, a son murdering his father—this is not the work of a single day or a single morning; the process comes gradually, arising from the failure to distinguish early on. The Yi says: 'Stepping on frost, hard ice is coming.' This speaks of sequence/compliance."
"This speaks of sequence/compliance" (Gai yan shun ye 盖言顺也)—it speaks of a process of development. Both good and evil are the results of accumulation, and calamities arise gradually.
When the Gentleman "contemplates" this Line Judgment, he remains constantly alert to the precursors of events, discerning hidden dangers in minute details, thereby preventing minor issues from escalating.
(III) Tai Hexagram, Third Nine: "No level ground that does not become a slope; no going forth that does not return." (Tai Jiu San: Wu ping bu bei, wu wang bu fu. 无平不陂，无往不复。)
"No level ground that does not become a slope"—nothing remains level without tilting eventually. "No going forth that does not return"—nothing proceeds forever without coming back.
These eight characters summarize one of the most fundamental laws of all things under Heaven: extremes reverse. Flat ground will eventually slope; what advances will eventually retreat. Zenith leads to decline, and decline eventually leads to renewal.
Why does this warning appear in the third line of the Tai Hexagram (Hexagram of Heaven and Earth Interacting, where all things flourish)$40 Because the third line marks the peak of prosperity in Tai, and after the peak, decline begins. Thus, even at the height of fortune, one must maintain a sense of caution.
This is why "contemplating" the Line Judgments can bring profound enlightenment to the Gentleman: no single Line Judgment stands in isolation; each is connected to the structure of the entire hexagram, the laws of the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang, and the principles governing human fortune and misfortune. The deeper one "contemplates," the more one discovers these layered connections.
(IV) Kun Hexagram, Sixth Three: "Trapped by a rock, pressed against thorn bushes, entering his dwelling, he does not see his wife—disaster." (Kun Liu San: Kun yu shi, ju yu jiu li, ru yu qi gong, bu jian qi qi, xiong. 困于石，据于蒺藜，入于其宫，不见其妻，凶。)
This is a particularly vivid description: a rock blocks the path ahead, thorns press from behind. Finally returning home, he cannot see his wife.
The sixth line, third position, is a Yin line occupying a Yang position (improperly positioned) and is squeezed between two strong Yang lines (Second Nine and Fourth Nine)—it is trapped, unable to advance or retreat. This dire situation in the hexagram image is expressed through the vivid description "Trapped by a rock, pressed against thorn bushes, entering his dwelling, he does not see his wife."
When the Gentleman "contemplates" such a Line Judgment, he not only understands what true "distress" (Kun) is but also, when encountering a similar situation himself, can quickly become alert and seek a way out.