The Essence of the 'Great Treatise A': A Philosophical Inquiry into the Gentleman's Establishment of Life and the Order of the *Yi*

III. The Profound Meaning of "Contemplating their Divinations" (Wan Qi Zhan)

"Divination" (Zhan 占) is one of the most ancient functions of the Yi.

The character Zhan is composed of Bu (divination shell/bone) and Kou (mouth), indicating the judgment and declaration obtained through divination.

In the Pre-Qin era, there were primarily two methods of Zhan:

(I) Bone/Tortoise Divination (Gui Bu 龟卜)

Divining using tortoise shells or animal bones, judging fortune or misfortune based on the cracks formed by scorching.

The Book of Documents, Hong Fan (洪范) states:

"If you have a great doubt, consult your heart, consult your ministers, consult the common people, consult divination and prognostication. If you agree, the tortoise agrees, the sticks agree, the ministers agree, and the common people agree—this is called Great Consensus."

"Consult divination and prognostication" (Mou ji bu shi)—when facing major doubts, one should consult not only one's inner thoughts, ministers, and the populace but also divination. Only when all parties agree is it "Great Consensus."

(II) Stalk Divination (Shi Shi 蓍筮)

Using mugwort stalks for divination, manipulating them to obtain numbers, which then form the hexagram lines.

The Xì Cí Shang Zhuàn describes the method of stalk divination in detail:

"The Great Extension number is fifty; its use is forty-nine. Divide it into two to symbolize the Two (Yin/Yang); set one aside to symbolize the Three (Heaven, Earth, Man); count them off by fours to symbolize the Four Seasons; return the remainder to the side to symbolize the intercalary month. Five years have two intercalary months, so after returning the remainder twice, set one aside."

"Heaven is One, Earth is Two; Heaven is Three, Earth is Four; Heaven is Five, Earth is Six; Heaven is Seven, Earth is Eight; Heaven is Nine, Earth is Ten. The numbers of Heaven are twenty-five, the numbers of Earth are thirty; the total numbers of Heaven and Earth are fifty-five. This is how transformation is accomplished and the spirits and deities are made to act."

"The stalks for Qian total two hundred and sixteen; the stalks for Kun total one hundred and forty-four, totaling three hundred and sixty days in a year. The stalks for the two texts total eleven thousand five hundred and twenty, which is the number of the myriad things."

This entire divination process uses the mugwort stalks to simulate the operation of Heaven and Earth, thereby obtaining information imparted by Heaven and Earth.

(III) "Contemplating Divinations" is Not Superstition

Here, we must emphasize a crucial point: "Contemplating Divinations" (Wan Qi Zhan) is not superstition, nor is it blindly accepting the results of divination.

Why say this$17

First, considering Confucius's attitude. Analects, Zi Lu records:

"The Master said: 'There is a saying among the southern people: "A person without constancy cannot serve as a shaman or a physician." How good that saying is!'"

And Analects, Shu Er:

"The Master did not speak of strange occurrences, feats of strength, rebellion, or spirits."

Confucius held a cautious attitude toward shamanism and uncanny phenomena. His study of the Yi clearly was not rooted in superstition but rather in understanding the Way of Heaven and Earth and the principles of human affairs through the Yi.

Second, considering the character Wan (contemplate). "Wan Qi Zhan" implies an unhurried and deeply reflective attitude, not blind obedience.

Third, considering the case of Zifu Huibo cited earlier. Nan Kuai divined "Yellow lower robes, great fortune," assuming it was auspicious, but Zifu Huibo analyzed deeply and pointed out that this judgment was predicated on a "matter of loyalty and trustworthiness." If the action was disloyal and untrustworthy (like rebellion), the judgment did not apply.

This shows that Pre-Qin scholars approached divination results critically and analytically, not blindly accepting a simple "auspicious" or "inauspicious."

Fourth, considering the numerous divination examples in the Zuo Zhuan. Pre-Qin scholars, when interpreting results, always synthesized multiple factors—hexagram images, line judgments, line changes, and the specific human context—never settling for merely a literal reading of "auspicious" or "inauspicious."

Therefore, the true meaning of "contemplating their divinations" is: when facing a need for decision, use divination to gain insight from the Yi, then deeply analyze and reflect upon the meaning of these insights, synthesizing all factors to reach a final judgment.