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. Re-analyzing the Contrast Between Ju (Residing) and Dong (Acting)
"When the Gentleman resides, he observes their Images and contemplates their Words; when he acts, he observes their Changes and contemplates their Divinations" (Ju ze guan qi xiang er wan qi ci, dong ze guan qi bian er wan qi zhan)—these two phrases use "residing" (Ju) and "acting" (Dong) as a contrasting pair, forming a complete binary structure.
Ju refers to the state of stillness, ordinary dwelling, or daily life. Dong refers to action, decision-making, or confronting change.
This dichotomy between "residing" and "acting" is a fundamental category in Pre-Qin thought.
The Xì Cí Shang Zhuàn states:
"Movement and stillness have their constant norms, thus the firm and the yielding are determined."
"Movement and stillness have their constant norms"—Movement and stillness possess fixed laws. This is a fundamental proposition presented right at the beginning of the Xì Cí Zhuàn.
The Laozi, Chapter Sixteen:
"Attain the utmost void, and hold fast to stillness. The myriad things flourish together; I observe their return. Though the myriad things are abundant, each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness; this is called returning to destiny. Returning to destiny is called constancy; knowing constancy is called illumination. Not knowing constancy leads to reckless action and misfortune."
The Laozi emphasizes the importance of "stillness" (Jing 静)—observing the movement and return of all things in stillness.
The Mencius, Jin Xin I (尽心上):
"What the Gentleman possesses by nature are the roots of Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, and Wisdom in his heart. When this manifests outwardly, it appears composed on his face, pervades his back, is displayed in his four limbs, and is understood without uttering a word."
Mencius emphasizes the natural outflow of the Gentleman's nature in daily life (Ju).
In the passage under discussion, Ju and Dong correspond to two different modes of applying the Yi:
- During Ju (Residing)—Observing Images and contemplating Words; this is the cultivation of study, research, and self-nurturing.
- During Dong (Acting)—Observing Changes and contemplating Divinations; this is the cultivation of decision-making, action, and responding to situations.
Together, they constitute a complete path of self-cultivation and worldly engagement that balances stillness and movement.