A Detailed Inquiry into the Most Auspicious Hexagram Lines in the Zhou Yi: From 'Yuan Ji' to 'Ji Wu Buli'

Chapter 19: Final Judgment — The Most Auspicious Yao among the 384 Yao

Section 1: The Multiplicity of Judgment

After extensive analysis in the previous eighteen chapters, we have gained a deep and comprehensive understanding of the question "Which is the most auspicious among the 384 yao$17"

It must be acknowledged that this question does not have an absolute, singular answer. Different criteria for judgment lead to different conclusions:

• If judged by "yao lyric judgment," then all yao receiving "Yuan Ji" (approximately eight to ten yao) are at the highest level, making further differentiation difficult.
• If judged by "yao position conditions," then Yi Nine at the Fifth Place (firm, central, correct) and Li Six at the Second Place (soft, central, correct) are the most perfect.
• If judged by "Yi Zhuan evaluation," then Kun Six at the Fifth Place ("utmost beauty") and Da You Nine at the Top Place (Xici Zhuan specialized interpretation) are the most prominent.
• If judged by "pre-Qin application," then Kun Six at the Fifth Place has the strongest empirical support (direct citation and interpretation in the Zuo Zhuan).
• If judged by "virtue content," then Fu Nine at the First Place ("heart of Heaven and Earth") and Yi Nine at the Fifth Place ("sincerity and a compassionate heart") are the most sublime.
• If judged by "comprehensiveness," then Da You Nine at the Top Place ("auspiciousness without disadvantage") is the most comprehensive.
• If judged by "certainty," then Yi Nine at the Fifth Place ("do not ask, and it will be supremely auspicious") is the most certain.

Section 2: Attempt at Comprehensive Judgment

Despite the diversity of answers, if we must choose one "most auspicious yao" from among the candidates, after comprehensively considering all dimensions, this paper proposes the following two (equally ranked) as the most compelling candidates:

Candidate 1: Kun Six at the Fifth Place (坤六五) — "Yellow Lower Garments, Supremely Auspicious (Yuan Ji)."

Reasons:

1. Yao Lyric Judgment is "Yuan Ji" (元吉)—the highest level.
2. Wenyan Zhuan praises it as "utmost beauty" (美之至也)—the pinnacle of moral beauty. This is one of the highest evaluations of virtue for a single yao lyric in the entire Yi Zhuan.
3. Achieves Centrality (得中)—occupies the center of the upper trigram.
4. Occupies a Yang position with Yin (以柔居尊)—embodies the virtue of humility, aligning with the principle of Heaven's Way "benefiting the humble" (益谦).
5. Imagery of "Yellow Lower Garments" (黄裳)—perfect unification of centrality and humility.
6. Pre-Qin Practice: Cited and interpreted directly in the Zuo Zhuan (Twelfth Year of Duke Zhao).
7. Hexagram Context: Belongs to the Kun hexagram (pure Earth), symbolizing nurturing all things without contention—the foundation of virtue is most profound.

The "Yuan Ji" of Kun Six at the Fifth Place is "auspiciousness through virtue"—a state of utmost goodness sustained through the virtues of centrality and humility. This auspiciousness is not momentary luck but the fruit of continuous moral cultivation.

Candidate 2: Da You Nine at the Top Place (大有上九) — "Heaven's Help Comes to Him; Auspiciousness Without Disadvantage."

Reasons:

1. "Auspiciousness Without Disadvantage" (吉无不利)—Its comprehensiveness surpasses "Yuan Ji," excluding all disadvantages.
2. "Heaven's Help Comes to Him" (自天祐之)—Receives Heaven's assistance, the highest external support obtainable by humans.
3. Xici Zhuan Specialized Interpretation—Receives exclusive and detailed interpretation in the Xici Zhuan, holding a unique status among the 384 yao.
4. Clear Conditions: "Tread in sincerity, contemplate compliance, and honor the worthy"—the causal relationship between virtue and reward is most clear.
5. Achieves Supreme Auspiciousness at the Top Yao Position—Embodies the Zhouyi spirit of "achieving the greatest goodness through correct action in the greatest danger."

The "Ji Wu Bu Li" of Da You Nine at the Top Place is "auspiciousness through heavenly aid"—receiving comprehensive heavenly assistance through the virtues of sincerity, compliance, and honoring the worthy. This auspiciousness is not intrinsic beauty achieved through self-cultivation but an external result of the interaction between Heaven and humanity.

Section 3: Distinction between the Two Types of "Supreme Auspiciousness"

Kun Six at the Fifth Place and Da You Nine at the Top Place represent two different types of "supreme auspiciousness":

Kun Six at the Fifth Place — Auspiciousness of Virtue. From the perspective of inner moral cultivation, Kun Six at the Fifth Place is the most auspicious. Because the Wenyan Zhuan explicitly calls it "utmost beauty" (美之至也)—the pinnacle of moral beauty. Its auspiciousness stems from inner moral cultivation (centrality and clarity within, correctness in position and embodiment, beauty residing within), not external heavenly mandate.

Da You Nine at the Top Place — Auspiciousness of Result. From the perspective of external results, Da You Nine at the Top Place is the most auspicious. Because "auspiciousness without disadvantage" excludes all disadvantages and "Heaven's help comes to him" signifies the highest external support. Its auspiciousness manifests in the comprehensive perfection of external results.

In the philosophy of the Zhouyi, virtue and result are inseparable—virtue leads to results, and results stem from virtue. However, from the perspective of emphasis, Kun Six at the Fifth Place emphasizes "virtue," while Da You Nine at the Top Place emphasizes "result."

Section 4: The Final Answer

If a definitive answer must be given, this paper leans towards Kun Six at the Fifth Place—"Yellow lower garments, supremely auspicious (Yuan Ji)"—as the most auspicious yao among the three hundred and eighty-four.

The reasons are as follows:

First, the evaluation of "utmost beauty" (美之至也). In the entire Yi Zhuan (including the canonical text and ten commentaries), no evaluation of a single yao's virtue surpasses "utmost beauty." This evaluation is ultimate—"utmost" means reaching the peak, beyond which nothing higher exists. In contrast, although Da You Nine at the Top Place receives specialized interpretation in the Xici Zhuan, that interpretation analyzes the cause-and-effect of "Heaven's help comes to him," rather than being a final evaluation of virtue.

Second, the core position of "Centrality" (中). Kun Six at the Fifth Place achieves "centrality"—occupying the center of the upper trigram. In the value system of the Zhouyi, "centrality" is the source of supreme goodness. The Xiang Zhuan interprets Kun Six at the Fifth Place's "Yuan Ji" as being due to "cultural refinement residing within" (文 in the middle)—virtue residing in the "center." Da You Nine at the Top Place does not achieve "centrality"—occupying the extreme position of the hexagram. Although it compensates for the positional deficiency through "treading in sincerity, contemplating compliance, and honoring the worthy," it is inferior to Kun Six at the Fifth Place in the core dimension of "centrality."

Third, the supremacy of the virtue of Humility (谦德). Kun Six at the Fifth Place, with its Yin and soft nature, occupies the position of supreme honor—this is the highest expression of the virtue of humility. Humility enjoys the highest praise in the Zhouyi—"Heaven's Way diminishes the full and benefits the humble," etc. Heaven, Earth, spirits, and humans unanimously praise humility—Kun Six at the Fifth Place, by occupying the position of honor with softness and humbling itself despite its high status, is a great manifestation of humility.

Fourth, the profundity of Earthly Virtue (坤德). Kun represents Earth, profoundly nurturing all things. Kun Six at the Fifth Place's "Yuan Ji" is rooted in the profound foundation of Earthly Virtue—nurturing all things without contention, humbling oneself without arrogance. This auspiciousness is not fleeting luck but the fruit of profound moral cultivation.

Fifth, Pre-Qin practice confirmation. The detailed interpretation of "Yellow lower garments, supremely auspicious (Yuan Ji)" by Zifu Huibo in the Zuo Zhuan (Twelfth Year of Duke Zhao) provides the most complete practical interpretation of "Yuan Ji" from the pre-Qin era. In pre-Qin divination practices, Kun Six at the Fifth Place's "Yellow lower garments, supremely auspicious (Yuan Ji)" was fully recognized and deeply interpreted.

Sixth, consideration of universality. The virtue of "centrality and humility" embodied by Kun Six at the Fifth Place possesses extremely high universality—whether a ruler, minister, scholar, or commoner, one can practice this virtue. In contrast, Da You Nine at the Top Place's "Heaven's help comes to him" and Yi Nine at the Fifth Place's "sincerity and a compassionate heart" are more suited to specific statuses (e.g., those in honored positions, those bestowing benefits).

In summary:

Among the three hundred and eighty-four yao, the most auspicious yao is Kun Six at the Fifth Place—"Yellow lower garments, supremely auspicious (Yuan Ji)."