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.
I. Lexical Analysis and Semantic Field of Zé (赜)
Zé (zé), conspicuously, is not included in the Shuowen Jiezi (Explanations of Simple and Compound Characters). This fact alone warrants attention. Xu Shen, when compiling the Shuowen, searched exhaustively through Pre-Qin texts; why was this character omitted$9 One possibility is that zé was not a commonly used character in the Pre-Qin period, appearing primarily within the Yi commentary system, and repeatedly in the Xici Zhuan:
"The Sage perceived the profundities (zé) of the world." (Xici Shang, Chapter 8) "Uttering the utmost profundities (zé) of the world, yet one cannot find fault with it." (Xici Shang, Chapter 8, later passage) "Exploring the profundities (zé) and seeking the hidden, hooking the deep and reaching the far." (Xici Shang, Chapter 10)
The character is composed of "red" (赤) and "head/page" (页), or alternatively "red" (赤) and "shell/money" (贝), depending on the version. Ma Rong commented: "Zé means confusion/disorderly." Yu Fan commented: "Zé means deep." Han Kangbo commented: "Zé refers to the subtle and deep principles that are hidden and difficult to see." Kong Yingda's Zhengyi explains: "Zé refers to the ultimate principles that are subtle, deep, and remote."
These various explanations, while seemingly disparate, can be integrated. That which is "confused/disorderly" suggests that the myriad things in the world are numerous and complex; superficially, there is an abundance of phenomena without fixed order, like tangled threads or dense stars. That which is "subtle/deep" suggests that beneath this complex surface exists a profound order that is not easily captured by the senses. Considered together, the complete semantic meaning of zé should be: the intricate, subtle, and complex inner texture of the myriad things in the world.
This understanding is crucial. Zé is not mere "complexity," nor is it mere "secrecy"—it is secrecy embedded within complexity, and order embedded within the hidden. Because order can be sought, the Sage can "perceive" it; because this order is concealed, the Sage is needed to "perceive" it.