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

Section 5: The Cosmological Foundation of "The Great Righteousness of Heaven and Earth"

The assertion "When the man and woman are correct, this is the Great Righteousness of Heaven and Earth" elevates the correctness of man and woman to a cosmological height, deserving further inquiry.

In Pre-Qin thought, "Heaven and Earth" are not merely the physical world but the ultimate source of all order and value. The principles governing human affairs are not artificial creations but models copied from the natural principles of Heaven and Earth. The Xi Ci Zhuan I states:

"The Yi corresponds to Heaven and Earth, so it can encompass the Dao of Heaven and Earth. Looking up, one observes the celestial phenomena; looking down, one examines the terrestrial patterns; thus one knows the causes of darkness and light. Reversing to the origin and returning to the end, thus one knows the teachings of life and death. Vital energy ($\text{jīng qì}$, 精气) becomes things; wandering spirits ($\text{yóu hún}$, 游魂) become transformation; thus one knows the reality of ghosts and spirits."

The Zhou Yi can govern the principles of all things precisely because it takes Heaven and Earth as its "correspondence" ($\text{zhǔn}$, 准)—the laws of Heaven and Earth as the standard. The fact that the "correctness of man and woman" is called the "Great Righteousness of Heaven and Earth" is because the distinction between man and woman, the differentiation of Yin and Yang, is the direct manifestation of Heaven and Earth's operating principles in the human realm of relationships. To violate the correctness of man and woman is to violate the Way of Heaven and Earth.

This concept is more clearly expressed in the Li Ji, Jiao Te Sheng:

"When Heaven and Earth unite, then the myriad things flourish. The rites of marriage are the beginning of ten thousand generations. Taking from a different surname serves to attach distant kin and deepen the distinction."

"When Heaven and Earth unite, then the myriad things flourish" ($\text{tiān dì hé, ér hòu wàn wù xīng}$, 天地合，而后万物兴)—the union of Heaven and Earth causes all things to grow vigorously. The marriage rite ($\text{hūn lǐ}$, 昏礼) is the human imitation of the union of Heaven and Earth. Thus, the concepts of marriage and family in Pre-Qin thought possess a profound cosmological dimension—they are not just social institutions but reflections of the Way of Heaven and Earth in the human sphere.