Interpreting and Investigating the Chapter: 'The Sage Perceived the Profundities of the World' — The Primordial Code of *Xiang* and *Yao*
This paper deeply investigates the core proposition, 'The Sage perceived the profundity (Ze) of the world,' within the *Xi Ci Zhuan* (Commentary on the Appended Judgments) of the *Zhou Yi*, analyzing the original Pre-Qin semantics of 'Ze,' 'Xiang' (Image), and 'Yao' (Line). It focuses on explaining the cognitive leap of the Sage through 'looking up and observing down,' transforming deep textures (Ze) into external simulations (Xiang), and reveals the intrinsic connection between the 'Yao' and ancient ritual systems, thereby reconstructing the foundation of Yi learning theory.
IV. Cheng Yi's Interpretation
Cheng Yi in his Yichuan Yizhuan does not directly comment on the Xici Zhuan, but his method of interpreting hexagrams and lines everywhere reflects his understanding of this chapter. A core principle of Cheng Yi's study of the Yi is "Substance and Function share one source; the manifest and the subtle are without gap" (tǐ yòng yī yuán, xiǎn wēi wú jiàn). This is another way of expressing the relationship between zé and Xiang—the deep principle (subtle/ zé) and the outward image (xiǎn / xiàng) are two sides of the same reality, "one source" and "without gap."
Cheng Yi’s interpretation of every hexagram starts with the trigram image (tǐ, Xiang), then analyzes the auspiciousness/inauspiciousness of the line statements (yòng, Yao), and finally proposes lessons on the level of Rationale. This method of interpretation perfectly aligns with the logical sequence of "perceiving zé → simulating Xiang → observing huì tōng → determining jí and xiōng."