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.
II. Xiang Pertaining to Substance (Tǐ), Yao Pertaining to Function (Yòng)
To borrow the terminology of the Song Dynasty Neo-Confucians, the Xiang belongs to "substance" (tǐ), and the Yao belongs to "function" (yòng). But this is not a simple division of substance and function—in the Zhou Yi, "substance" and "function" interpenetrate.
Every Xiang inherently contains the potential for change (yòng within tǐ); every Yao presupposes a structural framework (tǐ within yòng). The Xiang of Qian is Heaven, but the six Yao of Qian, from hidden to soaring to overreaching, display the complete process of Heaven's operation—the Xiang becomes dynamic within the Yao. Conversely, the judgment of auspiciousness or inauspiciousness for every Yao relies on its position within the overall structure of the hexagram image—the Yao finds its positioning within the Xiang.
Wang Bi, in his Zhou Yi Lüeli, Ming Xiang (Brief Notes on the Zhou Yi, Illuminating the Image), states:
"The Image, it is what expresses meaning. Words, they are what clarify the Image. Nothing expresses meaning as well as the Image, and nothing clarifies the Image as well as words. Words arise from the Image, so one may follow the words to observe the Image; the Image arises from meaning, so one may follow the Image to observe the meaning. Meaning is exhausted by the Image, and the Image is made manifest by the words. Therefore, words serve to clarify the Image; having grasped the Image, one forgets the words; the Image serves to preserve meaning; having grasped the meaning, one forgets the Image."
Wang Bi’s exposition is often simplified to the dictum "forget the Image to grasp the Meaning." In reality, he precisely describes the progressive relationship between the three layers of "Meaning → Image → Statement" (i.e., Zé → Xiang → Ci). The "meaning of the world" (zé) is the most profound texture (the meaning); the Xiang is the taking of the image of that meaning; the Ci (attached statement) is the verbalization of the Image. The three are inextricably linked and none can be dispensed with.