Interpreting and Investigating the Chapter: 'The Sage Perceived the Profundities of the World' — The Primordial Code of *Xiang* and *Yao*

Chapter 10: Historical Examples — The Practical Application of Xiang and Yao

I. Divination Examples in the Zuo Zhuan

The Zuo Zhuan is the richest source of Pre-Qin divination records. By analyzing these examples, we can see how Xiang and Yao cooperated in actual divinations.

Case 1: The Birth of Duke Li of Chen (Zuo Zhuan, 22nd Year of Duke Zhuang)

"A historian of Zhou showed the Zhou Yi to the Marquis of Chen. The Marquis made a divination, obtaining Guan (Observation, ☴☷) changing to Pi (Stagnation, ☰☷). He said: 'This is called observing the glory of the state; it is beneficial to serve as a guest to the King. Will he succeed the Marquis of Chen in ruling$7 Not in this person, but in his descendants in another state. Not in this body, but in his descendants. Glory means something that shines from afar and from elsewhere. Kun is Earth; Xun is Wind; Qian is Heaven. Wind acts as Heaven over Earth, resulting in Mountain. Having the material of a mountain illuminated by Heavenly glory, one thus resides above the Earth; therefore it is said, observe the glory of the state, it is beneficial to serve as a guest to the King. In the courtyard are a hundred vessels, offered with jade and silk—the beauty of Heaven and Earth are all present; therefore it is said, it is beneficial to serve as a guest to the King.'"

Analysis: In this divination, the diviner first obtained the primary hexagram Guan (☴☷) changing to Pi (☰☷).

The Xiang Level: The Xiang of Guan is "Wind moving over Earth," and its hexagram statement is "Washing without offering, sincerity is solemn." The diviner took the Xiang of Guan—Wind moving over the Earth, displaying the image of observation and reverence.

The Yao Level: The changing line is the 6th line of the 4th position, whose statement is "Observing the glory of the state, it is beneficial to serve as a guest to the King." Based on this line statement, the diviner judged that the descendants of the Marquis of Chen would be honored in another state.

Subsequently, the diviner analyzed the symbolic meanings of the upper and lower trigrams—Kun as Earth, Xun as Wind, Qian as Heaven—synthesizing these Xiang to deduce the specific context.

This case perfectly illustrates the cooperation of Xiang and Yao: first grasping the overall pattern from the whole hexagram image (Xiang), then judging the specific direction from the concrete line statement (Yao), and finally synthesizing the image and statement to reach a conclusion. This is the practical embodiment of "The Sage perceived the profundities of the world (Xiang)... perceived the movements of the world (Yao)."

Case 2: The Battle of Han between Qin and Jin (Zuo Zhuan, 15th Year of Duke Xi)

"Initially, Duke Xian of Jin made a divination regarding the marriage of Bo Ji, obtaining Gui Mei (Sisters in Opposition, ☳☱) changing to Kui (Opposition, ☲☱). The historian Su interpreted it saying: 'It is inauspicious. Its line statement says: The official slices the sheep, yet there is no reward. The woman carries the basket, yet there is no gift. The western neighbor demands words, which cannot be repaid. Gui Mei changing to Kui is like having no mutual support.'..."

In this case, the divination resulted in Gui Mei (☳☱) changing to Kui (☲☱). Historian Su's judgment synthesized the hexagram image (Gui Mei → Kui, symbolizing the "young daughter marrying" changing to "being alienated and divergent," indicating an inauspicious marriage) and the line statements (the specific descriptions like "the official slices the sheep, yet there is no reward"), concluding clearly as "inauspicious."

More profoundly, the reason Historian Su could make this judgment was because he "observed their convergence and connection" (guān qí huì tōng)—he saw the trend of transformation from Gui Mei to Kui, recognized the meaning of "divergence" contained within this transformation, and then "enacted their rites and regulations" (offering advice on state affairs based on this) and "attached statements to determine their auspiciousness and inauspiciousness" (clearly judging it "inauspicious").

II. Confucius and the Zhou Yi

The relationship between Confucius and the Zhou Yi is a major topic in the history of Yi studies. The Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) states:

"Confucius, in his later years, delighted in the Yi, and composed the commentary on the Judgments (Tuan), the Attached Wings (Xici), the Images (Xiang), the Explanation of the Trigrams (Shuo Gua), and the Words of the Wenyan (Wenyan). He read the Yi so much that the leather thongs binding the bamboo slips wore out three times. He said: 'If you grant me a few more years, I can master the Yi completely.'"

Confucius "in his later years delighted in the Yi," indicating that his deep study of the Zhou Yi occurred late in life. "The leather thongs wore out three times"—the leather cords binding the bamboo slips broke three times, testifying to the diligence of his study.

The Yao Chapter from the Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts records an important statement by Confucius on the Yi:

"The Master said: 'Regarding the Yi, I no longer focus on the divination rituals (zhù bǔ); I observe only its virtue and righteousness (dé yì, 德义). Through subtle apprehension (yōu zàn, 幽赞) one reaches the numbers (shù, 数); by clarifying the numbers, one reaches virtue. Only then can the benevolent man enact righteousness. If one apprehends without reaching the numbers, one becomes a shaman; if one possesses the numbers without reaching virtue, one becomes a mere scribe.'"

This passage is extremely important. Confucius said he studied the Yi not for divination, but to observe its "virtue and righteousness." However, he did not deny the importance of "number" (shù, referring to images and numbers)—he emphasized "through subtle apprehension one reaches the numbers; by clarifying the numbers, one reaches virtue," meaning to attain virtue through deep understanding of the images and numbers.

This aligns perfectly with the framework of the Xici Zhuan: first "perceiving zé" (understanding the deep structure), then "simulating the Xiang" (expressing it through images), then "observing huì tōng" (grasping the laws of change), and finally "determining jí and xiōng" (making value judgments). Confucius merely elevated "jí and xiōng" to the level of "virtue and righteousness"—jí and xiōng are not merely judgments of personal gain and loss, but distinctions of moral good and evil.

III. Xunzi on "Those Good at the Yi Do Not Divinate"

In the Xunzi (Da Lüe):

"Those good at the Yi do not engage in divination."

This statement is often cited to illustrate the Confucian emphasis on rationale over image and number. However, if we understand it within the framework of the Xici Zhuan passage, Xunzi’s meaning becomes clearer.

"Those good at the Yi"—those who truly master the Yi. They "do not divine" (bù zhàn, 不占)—they do not need external ritual ceremonies to make judgments. Why$8 Because they have already deeply "perceived" the world's zé and the world's dòng; they can already "observe their convergence and connection" and can accordingly "enact their rites and regulations" and "determine their auspiciousness and inauspiciousness." For such people, the principles of the Yi have been internalized as their wisdom, requiring no external ritual trigger.

This does not negate divination; rather, it suggests that divination is a ladder leading to wisdom—once the summit is reached, the ladder can be set aside. Just as Wang Bi said, "forgetting the Image to grasp the Meaning"—it is not that the Image is unimportant, but that the ultimate goal is the "Meaning"; once the "Meaning" is grasped, the Xiang, as a tool, has completed its mission.