An Analysis of the Structure, Ethics, and Ontology of the 'Jia Ren' Hexagram in the Zhou Yi

Chapter XI: The Deep Connection Between the Jia Ren Hexagram and Pre-Qin Ritual System

Section 1: Marriage Rites and the Jia Ren Hexagram

The marriage rites in Pre-Qin times were extremely complex and solemn, encompassing the "Six Rites" ($\text{liù lǐ}$, 六礼): Na Cai (presenting a matchmaker), Wen Ming (inquiring about the name), Na Ji (reporting auspicious divination), Na Zheng (presenting betrothal gifts), Qing Qi (requesting the date), and Qin Ying (personally welcoming the bride). The logic behind these six steps spiritually corresponds to the Jia Ren hexagram's principles.

Na Cai—The man sends an envoy to the woman's family to propose marriage. This is the beginning of the Family Way, corresponding to Initial 9, "Guarding the family"—everything begins with a cautious start.

Wen Ming—Inquiring about the woman's name, birth date, etc., for divination. This corresponds to the hexagram statement "Favorable for the woman's firmness" ($\text{lì nǚ zhēn}$)—a careful examination of the woman's conditions ("Zhen" also means divination).

Na Ji—The divination result is auspicious, formally establishing the engagement. This corresponds to Line 6 in the Second, "Firmness brings good fortune" ($\text{zhēn jí}$)—confirmed as auspicious after inquiry.

Na Zheng—The man presents betrothal gifts to the woman's family. This corresponds to Line 6 in the Fourth, "Enriching the family" ($\text{fù jiā}$)—expressing sincerity through material abundance.

Qing Qi—Setting the wedding date. This corresponds to the "penetration" ($\text{rù}$) meaning of the upper trigram Xun—setting a time and preparing to "enter" the household.

Qin Ying—The groom personally goes to the bride's home to welcome her. This corresponds to Line 9 in the Fifth, "The ruler arrives at the family" ($\text{wáng jiǎ yǒu jiā}$)—the head of the household (the groom) personally goes.

This correspondence is certainly not rigid, but rather a spiritual echo. The spirit embodied in the Six Rites—solemnity, examination, sincerity, abundance, order, and personal presence—is the spirit of the Family Way advocated by the Jia Ren hexagram.

The Li Ji, Hun Yi details the process of Qin Ying:

"The father performs the 'dousing' for the son and instructs him to welcome the bride; the man precedes the woman. The son receives the command and goes to welcome. The host prepares the mats and vessels in the ancestral temple and bows to welcome the groom outside the gate. Upon entry, the groom exchanges bows and ascends to the hall, bows twice and places the goose. This is receiving the bride from her parents. Descending and exiting, he guides the carriage, and the groom hands the reins, turning the wheels three times. He waits outside the gate first. When the woman arrives, the groom bows to her and enters. They share a sacrificial animal and eat together, and drink from shared cups. This is to unite their forms and mutually honor their respective status to establish intimacy."

"They share a sacrificial animal and eat together, and drink from shared cups" ($\text{gòng láo ér shí, hé jǐn ér yìn}$, 共牢而食，合卺而酳)—the bride and groom share a single sacrificial animal and drink wine from shared cups. The meaning of this rite is to symbolize the unity of the couple through sharing food. And "eating/food" ($\text{shí}$, 食)—preparing food and sharing it—is precisely the core content of Line 6 in the Second, "Managing the household provision." The sharing of food in the wedding ceremony symbolizes the formal commencement of the family's "provision management" function.

Section 2: Family Ethics in Funeral Rites

Funeral rites in Pre-Qin times contained extremely rich implications of family ethics. The core of funeral rites is "grief" ($\text{āi}$, 哀)—sorrow for the deceased—but this "grief" was subject to strict hierarchical differences and behavioral norms.

The Li Ji, Sang Fu states:

"The great structure of Ritual corresponds to Heaven and Earth, follows the four seasons, models Yin and Yang, and complies with human sentiments. Thus it is called Ritual. Those who criticize it do not know the source from which Ritual arises."

"The Rites of Mourning have different methods for good fortune and bad fortune, they must not interfere with each other, derived from Yin and Yang. The Mourning Rites have four measures, which change according to appropriateness, derived from the four seasons. There is kindness and there is righteousness, there is moderation and there is discretion, derived from human sentiment. Kindness is benevolence; righteousness is righteousness; moderation is ritual; discretion is wisdom. Benevolence, righteousness, ritual, and wisdom—these are the essential tools of man."

These four virtues embodied in the mourning rites are not just principles for funerals but are also the cornerstone of family ethics:

• Kindness ($\text{ēn}$, 恩): The affection between family members—corresponding to Line 9 in the Fifth, "mutual love."
• Righteousness ($\text{lǐ}$, 理): Righteousness within the family—corresponding to the Tuan Zhuan's "Father acts as father, son acts as son."
• Moderation ($\text{jié}$, 节): Restraint and rules within the family—corresponding to Initial 9, "Guarding the family."
• Discretion ($\text{quán}$, 权): Wisdom and flexibility in family management—corresponding to Upper 9, "Turning back upon oneself."

The concept that best illustrates the hierarchy of family ethics in funeral rites is the "Five Grades of Mourning" system. The Yi Li, Sang Fu stipulates five levels of mourning attire, from the heaviest (hanging the unhemmed garment) to the lightest (fine hemp cloth), reflecting the degree of kinship closeness:

• Hanging Unhemmed Garment for Three Years: Worn by a son for his parents.
• Plain Hemp for One Year: Worn by a husband for his wife, etc.
• Great Tribute for Nine Months: For cousins of the same generation, etc.
• Small Tribute for Five Months: For distant cousins, etc.
• Fine Hemp for Three Months: For distant ancestors, etc.

The logic behind this system is: the closer the relationship, the heavier the mourning attire and the longer the mourning period; the more distant the relationship, the lighter the attire and the shorter the period. This perfectly embodies Mencius's principle of "killing by degrees" ($\text{qīn qīn yǒu shā}$, 亲亲有杀) in kindness—the closest relatives receive the deepest love (and heaviest mourning attire), and this radiates outward.

This structure has a deep correspondence with the Jia Ren hexagram: the progression of the six lines from the bottom (Initial 9) to the top (Upper 9) represents not only a spatial progression from the core to the periphery of the family but also the passage of time (from beginning to end). The innermost lines (Initial 9, Line 6 in the Second) represent the core relationships (husband/wife, parent/child); the outermost lines (Upper 9) represent the extremes or boundaries of family relationships. The "gradation of mourning" from close to distant follows the same logic as the Jia Ren hexagram's six lines progressing from the inside out.

Section 3: Family Reunion in Sacrificial Rites

Sacrificial rites in Pre-Qin times were crucial moments for family reunion. Besides daily life, ancestral sacrifice was the most important mechanism for gathering scattered family members.

The Shi Jing, Xiao Ya, Chang Di is dedicated entirely to fraternal affection:

"The blossoms of the common jujube tree, so vibrant and splendid! Among the people of today, none compare to brothers."

"In sorrow and mourning, brothers are deeply compassionate. When the fields are desolate, brothers seek each other out. Even if they are in the fields, brothers rush to each other's aid in times of difficulty. Even if they have good friends, they sigh, 'Alas!'"

"When brothers quarrel within the walls, they join forces against external threats. Even if they have good friends, they sigh, 'Alas!'"

"When the chaos of mourning is past, and peace and calm return. Though you have brothers, they are not as good as a true friend from outside. ... When the vessels are filled with offerings, and they drink their fill. When brothers are all present, harmonious and joyous, yet tender. When wives and children are intimate, like playing the zither and the lute. When brothers are united, harmonious and joyous, and deeply content. May your household be well arranged, and may your wife and children rejoice. Reflect on this and plan for it—is it truly so$19"

This poem perfectly depicts the ideal state sought by the Jia Ren hexagram: "When brothers are all present, harmonious and joyous, yet tender" ($\text{xiōng dì jì jù, hé yuè qiè rú}$, 兄弟既具，和乐且孺). "Wives and children are intimate, like playing the zither and the lute" ($\text{qī zǐ hǎo hé, rú gǔ sè qín}$, 妻子好合，如鼓瑟琴)—spouses are harmonious, like the sounds of the zither and lute. "May your household be well arranged, and may your wife and children rejoice."

The line "When brothers quarrel within the walls, they join forces against external threats" ($\text{xiōng dì hè yú qiáng, wài yù qí wù}$, 兄弟阋于墙，外御其务) reveals an important feature of family relations: Conflicts among family members are superficial and temporary; the unity among family members is deep and fundamental. This is entirely consistent with the spirit of "possessing sincerity" ($\text{yǒu fú}$) in the Jia Ren hexagram—the "sincerity" between family members is fundamental, and no outward quarrel can shake this foundation.

The reunion during sacrifices is the most concrete scenario pointed to by the name "Jia Ren" (Family People)—family members gather around the ancestral altar (Fire), jointly participating in sacred rites—is this not the most primal and literal manifestation of "Wind arises from Fire"$20

Section 4: Coming of Age and Transition from "Individual" to "Family Member"

The Pre-Qin coming-of-age ceremony ($\text{guān lǐ}$, 冠礼) marked the crucial transition of a person from an "individual" to a "member of society" and a "family member."

The Li Ji, Guan Yi states:

"That which makes a man human is ritual and righteousness. The beginning of ritual and righteousness lies in rectifying one's outward appearance, aligning one's countenance, and conforming one's speech. When the appearance is correct, the countenance aligned, and the speech conforming, then ritual and righteousness are complete. By this, rulers and ministers are corrected, father and son are made affectionate, and elder and younger are harmonized. When rulers and ministers are correct, father and son affectionate, and elder and younger harmonious, then ritual and righteousness are established. Therefore, it is said: The capping ceremony is the beginning of ritual. Thus, the sages of antiquity held the capping ceremony in high regard."

"The capping ceremony is the beginning of ritual" ($\text{guān zhě, lǐ zhī shǐ yě}$, 冠者，礼之始也)—The capping ceremony is the beginning of all rites. Why$21 Because capping signifies that a person has formally become a "human"—not a human in the biological sense (that happens at birth), but a human in the ethical sense (one with ritual and righteousness). And becoming an ethical human means formally taking on the roles and responsibilities of a family member.

The capping ceremony was held in the ancestral temple—this again links the "family" with the "sacred." The ancestral temple is the place for sacrificing to ancestors, and holding the coming-of-age ceremony there implies: A person's growth is not just a personal matter but also a matter of the clan; becoming an adult means continuing the ancestors' lineage and spirit, taking responsibility for the continuation of the family.