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 Complete Structure of "When Residing... When Acting..."
Let us analyze the two sentences, "When the Gentleman resides, he observes their Images and contemplates their Words; when he acts, he observes their Changes and contemplates their Divinations," as an integrated whole:
| Residing (Ju) (Stillness, Ordinary Life) | Acting (Dong) (Action, Decision-Making) | |
|---|---|---|
| Observe (Guan) | Observe their Images (Xiang) | Observe their Changes (Bian) |
| Contemplate (Wan) | Contemplate their Words (Ci) | Contemplate their Divinations (Zhan) |
This structure reveals a perfect symmetry:
- During Ju, one observes Xiang—the static, holistic system of hexagram figures.
- During Dong, one observes Bian—the dynamic, concrete process of change.
- During Ju, one contemplates Ci—linguistic, conceptual expression.
- During Dong, one contemplates Zhan—practical, applied judgment.
These four elements—Image, Word, Change, Divination—constitute the four dimensions of applying the Yi. They are not isolated but are mutually connected and interdependent: Observing Images requires the explanation of Words; contemplating Words requires the support of Images; observing Changes requires a deep understanding of Images; contemplating Divinations requires the flexible application of Words.
This reveals the Tao of learning and application in the Zhou Yi: building a foundation through "observing Images and contemplating Words" during learning time (Ju), and making judgments through "observing Changes and contemplating Divinations" during application time (Dong). Learning serves application, and application involves learning; the unity of learning and application.