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

Chapter Seven: The Ancient Perspective—Fuxi's Drawing of the Trigrams and the Sages' Original Motivation for Composing the Yi

I. The Legend of Fuxi Drawing the Eight Trigrams

To understand this passage from the perspective of High Antiquity, we must trace the origin of the Yi—Fuxi's drawing of the Eight Trigrams.

The Xì Cí Xia Zhuàn states:

"In ancient times, when Pao Xi Shi (Fuxi) ruled the world, he looked up and observed the Images in Heaven, and looked down and observed the Laws on Earth. He observed the patterns of birds and beasts and the suitability of the Earth. He took examples from things near him (his body) and things far away (other objects). Thus he first composed the Eight Trigrams, to penetrate the virtue of the spiritual deities, and to classify the sentiments of the myriad things."

This passage describes the process of Fuxi drawing the Eight Trigrams:

1. "Looked up and observed the Images in Heaven" (Yang ze guan xiang yu Tian)—Observing the celestial Images (sun, moon, stars).
2. "Looked down and observed the Laws on Earth" (Fu ze guan fa yu Di)—Observing the Laws on Earth (mountains, rivers, plants).
3. "Observed the patterns of birds and beasts and the suitability of the Earth" (Guan niao shou zhi wen yu di zhi yi)—Observing the markings of animals and the characteristics of the terrain.
4. "Took examples from things near him" (Jin qu zhi shen)—Deriving images from his own body.
5. "Took examples from things far away" (Yuan qu zhi wu)—Deriving images from distant objects.
6. "Thus he first composed the Eight Trigrams" (Yu shi shi zuo ba gua)—Therefore, he created the Eight Trigrams.
7. "To penetrate the virtue of the spiritual deities" (Yi tong shen ming zhi de)—In order to fully grasp the virtue of the spiritual powers.
8. "To classify the sentiments of the myriad things" (Yi lei wan wu zhi qing)—In order to categorize the behaviors/states of all things.

Why did Fuxi draw the Eight Trigrams$1 From this description, his motivation was: to understand the fundamental laws governing Heaven, Earth, and all things (tong shen ming zhi de), and to systematize and symbolize these laws so they could be grasped and utilized (yi lei wan wu zhi qing).

This motivation has a profound connection to "That wherein the Gentleman resides and finds ease is the Arrangement of the Yi": Fuxi's drawing of the trigrams was precisely to establish a system describing the "Arrangement" (Xu) of Heaven, Earth, and all things. With this system, later Gentlemen would have a basis for "residing and finding ease."

II. The Cognitive Method of "Looking Up and Observing Down"

Fuxi’s method of drawing the trigrams—"looked up and observed the Images in Heaven, and looked down and observed the Laws on Earth"—is the concentrated embodiment of the cognitive methodology of ancient China.

This method has several characteristics:

(I) Heaven as Teacher

Learning was not from books (books did not exist in High Antiquity), but directly from Heaven and Earth. Heaven was the greatest teacher, and Earth the richest textbook.

Analects, Yang Huo:

"The Master said: 'What does Heaven say$2 The four seasons proceed, and a hundred things are born. What does Heaven say$3'"

Heaven does not speak, but the cycle of seasons and the birth of all things contain all principles. Fuxi's "looking up and observing down" was learning from this silent teacher.

(II) Observing Images and Observing Laws Simultaneously

"Observed the Images in Heaven" (Guan xiang yu Tian)—Heavenly phenomena are Xiang (Images). "Observed the Laws on Earth" (Guan fa yu Di)—Earthly principles are Fa (Laws).

Xiang is sensory, intuitive, and figurative; Fa is rational, systematic, and abstract. Fuxi combined the two, observing both Images and Laws, possessing both visual intuition and cognitive understanding of principles.

This corresponds perfectly to the later pairing in the Xì Cí Zhuàn of "observing Images" and "contemplating Words."

(III) Taking Examples Near and Far

"Took examples from things near him, and things far away"—Deriving Images from both near (the self) and far (other things).

This indicates that Fuxi’s cognitive method was comprehensive, reaching everywhere. He did not focus only on one domain but included the entire cosmos—from the self to all things, from Heaven above to Earth below—in his observation and contemplation.

III. The Original Meaning of the Eight Trigrams

The Eight Trigrams created by Fuxi each possessed an original symbolic meaning.

The Shuo Gua Zhuan states:

"Heaven and Earth established their positions; mountains and marshes transmit their energy; thunder and wind interact; water and fire do not shoot at each other. The Eight Trigrams are interwoven."

The basic correspondences of the Eight Trigrams are:

• Qian ☰ — Heaven
• Kun ☷ — Earth
• Zhen ☳ — Thunder
• Xun ☴ — Wind
• Kan ☵ — Water
• Li ☶ — Fire
• Gen ☶ — Mountain
• Dui ☱ — Marsh

These eight natural phenomena—Heaven, Earth, Thunder, Wind, Water, Fire, Mountain, Marsh—formed the fundamental cognitive framework of ancient peoples for understanding the natural world.

Why exactly these eight$4 Why not seven or nine$5

This is an interesting question. According to the Shuo Gua Zhuan, the Eight Trigrams appear in complementary pairs: Heaven and Earth, Mountain and Marsh, Thunder and Wind, Water and Fire. Each pair is a relationship of mutual opposition and generation. The triple combination of two Yin/Yang lines happens to produce eight distinct arrangements (2³ = 8), which is mathematically complete.

Therefore, the Eight Trigrams were not chosen arbitrarily but were the complete unfolding of the Yin-Yang principle at the three-line level. They encompass the basic categories of the natural world in the most concise manner.

IV. From Eight Trigrams to Sixty-Four Hexagrams—The Need for Increased Complexity

Fuxi created the Eight Trigrams, but with only eight arrangements, they were insufficient to describe complex human affairs and natural phenomena. Thus, later (traditionally attributed to King Wen), the Eight Trigrams were overlapped in pairs to form sixty-four hexagrams (8² = 64) and three hundred and eighty-four lines.

Why develop from Eight to Sixty-four hexagrams$6

The Xì Cí Xia Zhuàn states:

"The Eight Trigrams being arrayed, the Images are contained within them. Thereupon they are doubled, and the Lines are contained within them. Firmness and yielding push each other, and change is contained within them. Appending words to it names it; action is contained within it."

"Ba Gua cheng lie, xiang zai qi zhong yi. Yin er chong zhi, yao zai qi zhong yi. Gang rou xiang tui er sheng bian hua. Xi ci yan er ming zhi, dong zai qi zhong yi (八卦成列，象在其中矣。因而重之，爻在其中矣。刚柔相推而生变化。繫辞焉以命之，动在其中矣)."

"The Eight Trigrams being arrayed"—the eight trigrams are set up. "Thereupon they are doubled"—they are then superimposed. "The Lines are contained within them"—the Lines (six lines) are contained within them.

Trigrams of three lines could only describe relatively simple situations. Hexagrams of six lines could describe more complex situations. Six lines are divided into upper and lower bodies (three lines each). The upper body represents the external environment, and the lower body represents the internal state (or other corresponding relations). Their interaction allows for a more precise description of various complex human and environmental situations.

This development from simplicity to complexity reflects the continuous improvement of cognitive capacity and the growing needs for cognitive precision among the ancients.

V. Appending Words—The Leap from "Image" to "Word"

Once the hexagram Images were established, it was necessary to append Words (Ci)—to use language to explain the meaning of the Images.

The Xì Cí Shang Zhuàn states:

"The Sages established Images to observe the world, appended Words to determine fortune and misfortune, and made the firm and yielding push each other to generate change."

"She zhi wei xiang, xi ci yan yi ming ji xiong, gang rou xiang tui er sheng bian hua (设卦观象，繫辞焉以断吉凶，刚柔相推而生变化)."

Why were Words necessary$7 As discussed earlier, while Images allow for an intuitive grasp of the overall structure, they remain ambiguous and polysemous. Only through written language (Ci) can the meaning of the Images be clarified and concretized.

For example, the Image of Qian (☰☰) is "Heaven moves vigorously"—Heaven's movement is strong and incessant. But this Image alone cannot tell people specifically what to do. Thus, Words are appended: "Great success, penetrating usefulness, perseverance, correctness"—Great Success, Prosperity, Benefit to things, Firmness. Furthermore, Line Judgments like "Hidden dragon, do not act," "Dragon seen on the field," "Flying dragon in the sky," "Arrogant dragon suffers regret," etc., transform the abstract Image of "Heaven moves vigorously" into concrete behavioral guidance.

From the ancient perspective, the leap from drawing Trigrams (creating a symbolic system) to appending Words (creating a linguistic explanation system) was a major leap in human cognition. This leap transformed the Yi from a purely divinatory tool into a comprehensive classic integrating divination, philosophy, ethics, and politics.

VI. The Ultimate Purpose of the Sages Composing the Yi

What, then, was the ultimate purpose of the Sages (Fuxi, King Wen, Confucius) composing the Yi$8

The Xì Cí Shang Zhuàn states:

"Therefore, Heaven produced divine things, and the Sages followed them; Heaven and Earth undergo transformation, and the Sages imitate them; Heaven displays Images, revealing fortune and misfortune, and the Sages symbolize them; the River produced the Chart, and the Luo produced the Writing, and the Sages followed them."

The Sages composed the Yi by "following" (Ze 则) Heaven, "imitating" (Xiao 效) Heaven, and "symbolizing" (Xiang 象) Heaven—taking Heaven as the standard, the model, and the symbol.

It also states:

"The Yi is on the same level as Heaven and Earth, thus it can encompass and correlate the Way of Heaven and Earth."

"Yi yu Tian Di Zhun, gu neng mi lun Tian Di zhi Dao (《易》与天地准，故能弥纶天地之道)."

The Yi is equivalent to Heaven and Earth, thus it can permeate and connect the Way of Heaven and Earth.

It further states:

"What is the Yi for$9 The Yi opens things, accomplishes affairs, and encompasses the Way of the world—that is all."

"Yi, he wei zhe ye$10 Fu Yi, kai wu cheng wu, mao Tian Xia zhi Dao, ru si er yi zhe ye (《易》何为者也？夫《易》，开物成务，冒天下之道，如斯而已者也)."

The ultimate purpose of the Sages composing the Yi was: to systematize, symbolize, and verbalize the Way of Heaven and Earth, transforming it into a body of knowledge that could be studied, transmitted, and utilized, thereby helping later generations (the Gentlemen) to understand the Heavenly Way, conform to it, and unify with it.

This is the ancient source of "That wherein the Gentleman resides and finds ease is the Arrangement of the Yi"—Fuxi's drawing of the trigrams and King Wen's revision and annotation of the hexagrams were precisely intended to provide a spiritual home where later Gentlemen could "reside and find ease."