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. The Shift from Zé to Dòng
The latter half of the scripture shifts from the "profundities of the world" (zé of the world) to the "movements of the world" (dòng of the world):
"The Sage perceived the movements (dòng, 动) of the world, and observed their convergence and connection (huì tōng, 会通); he thereby enacted the rites and regulations (diǎn lǐ, 典礼), attached statements to them to determine auspiciousness and inauspiciousness (jí xiōng, 吉凶), and thus he is called the Yao (爻, Line)."
This transition is crucial yet often overlooked. Many commentators conflate zé and dòng, believing they are merely different ways of describing the same thing. However, if analyzed closely, there is an essential difference between the two:
The Zé is static—it describes the hidden texture and deep structure of the world’s myriad things; it is a question concerning "Being."The Dòng is dynamic—it describes the motion, transformation, and interaction of the world’s myriad things; it is a question concerning "Process."
In other words, zé answers, "What is the world like$14" while dòng answers, "How does the world change$15" The former concerns structure, the latter concerns process. The former is expressed through Xiang, while the latter is expressed through Yao.
This distinction carries profound theoretical weight in the history of Yi studies. It actually reveals the dual nature of the Zhou Yi: The Zhou Yi is both an "Image/Blueprint" (Xiang) concerning the structure of the cosmos, and a "Process" (Yao) concerning the transformation of the cosmos.
Consider: Why does every one of the sixty-four hexagrams have both a "Trigram Image" (Guà Xiàng, 卦象) and "Line Statements" (Yáo Cí, 爻辞)$16 Why can’t there be only images without line statements, or only line statements without images$17 Because the Xiang only describes structure, whereas the Yao describes how this structure unfolds and changes through time. Both are indispensable; only together do they constitute the complete Yi.