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.
II. The Profound Meaning of "Observing their Changes" (Guan Qi Bian)
"Change" (Bian 变) is one of the most core concepts of the Zhou Yi.
The Xì Cí Shang Zhuàn states:
"When the Yi reaches its extreme, it changes; when it changes, it connects; when it connects, it endures."
"Yi qiong ze bian, bian ze tong, tong ze jiu (易穷则变，变则通，通则久)."
"When it reaches its extreme, it changes"—when things develop to their limit, they transform. "When it changes, it connects"—transformation facilitates flow. "When it connects, it endures"—flow allows for longevity.
It also states:
"To transform and then adjudicate is called Change."
"Hua er cai zhi cheng zhi wei bian (化而裁之谓之变)."
"Change" is "transformation and adjudication"—things transform, and the new direction is determined (established).
In the divination method of the Zhou Yi, "Change" is concretely embodied as the "changing line" (Bian Yao 变爻). When using mugwort stalks for divination, each line can be "old Yang" (老阳), "young Yang" (少阳), "old Yin" (老阴), or "young Yin" (少阴). An "old Yang" changes into a Yin line, and an "old Yin" changes into a Yang line—this is "Change." The position of the changing line, and the hexagram before and after the change, constitute the core information of the divination.
"Observing their Changes" means observing the changing lines in the divination and the resulting transformation of the hexagrams. For example:
- Initial line of Tún changes, becoming Bǐ (as in the case of Bi Wan seeking office cited earlier).
- Sixth line of Kun changes, becoming Bǐ (as in the case of Nan Kuai's rebellion).
- A line in Gui Mei changes, becoming Kui (as in Duke Xian of Jin's case).
However, "observing their Changes" is not merely a technical operation. On a deeper level, it refers to the keen insight into the trend of transformation in all affairs.
The Xì Cí Xia Zhuàn states:
"The Way of the Yi, because it cannot be far off, its Way continually shifts; moving and not staying put, circulating through the six spaces, it has no permanent upper or lower position; firmness and yielding exchange with each other, so it cannot be made into fixed principles; only change is appropriate."
"Wei bian suo shi (唯变所适)"—Only change is appropriate. This is the fundamental spirit of the Zhou Yi: not clinging to fixed rules, but constantly responding to change as it arises.
Why must one "only adapt to change"$16 Because the things of Heaven and Earth are themselves constantly changing:
"When the sun departs, the moon arrives; when the moon departs, the sun arrives; the sun and moon push each other, and thus brightness is born. When cold departs, heat arrives; when heat departs, cold arrives; cold and heat push each other, and thus the year is completed." (Xì Cí Xia Zhuàn)
The alternation of sun and moon, the passing of cold and heat—these are the most basic rhythms of change between Heaven and Earth. Human affairs follow the same pattern. One era has its circumstances, one moment has its situation; adhering rigidly to the old only invites failure.
"Observing their Changes" means cultivating this keen perception of change and the capacity for flexible response.