Between Emulation and Resemblance: A Fundamental Inquiry into the Microcosm of the Dao of Change
This article deeply analyzes the core proposition of 'Yáo imitating Xiàng' found in the *Xici Zhuan II* of the *Zhou Yi*, distinguishing the dynamic differences between 'imitation' (xiào) and 'analogy' (xiàng), tracing the referent of 'this' (cǐ), and interpreting how Yáo-Xiàng constitutes the epistemological framework for revealing the subtle workings of the Dao within the Pre-Qin context.
Introduction: A Pivotal Summary of I Ching Studies
In the Rites of Zhou (Zhou Yi), within the Commentary on the Decision of the Appendices, Part II (Xi Ci Xia), lies a passage that has historically been regarded as the keystone for understanding the entire structure of the Zhou Yi:
"爻也者，效此者也。象也者，像此者也；爻象动乎内，吉凶见乎外，功业见乎变，圣人之情见乎辞。" ("The Yao are those that emulate (xiaò) this. The Xiang are those that resemble (xiàng) this; when the Yao and Xiang move within, fortune and misfortune are revealed without; meritorious achievements are seen in change, and the sage's sentiment (qíng) is manifested in the words (cí).")
These brief thirty-odd characters progress layeredly, moving from Yao to Xiang, from "within" to "without," and from "change" to "words," seemingly compressing the entire operational mechanism of the Zhou Yi—how images are abstracted, how trigrams/hexagrams are formed, how fortune and misfortune are determined, and how the sage's intention is revealed—into an extremely concise proposition. What is remarkable, however, is that traditional commentators often stop at a superficial textual clarification, failing to fully unpack the deeper philosophical questions contained within this passage.
Why is the essence of the Yao defined as xiào (emulation)$1 What exactly does "this" (cǐ)—the object of emulation—refer to$2 Why is the essence of the Xiang defined as xiàng (resemblance)$3 What is the distinction between xiàng and xiào$4 What epistemological framework is constituted by "moving within" and "revealed without"$5 How should the proposition "meritorious achievements are seen in change" be understood in terms of the sage's practical logic for governing the world via the Dao of Change$6 Finally, what is the nature of the sage's qíng—is it emotion, actual substance, or volitional intent—and why must it be manifested specifically through the cí (words)$7
These interconnected questions touch upon every aspect of the system. This article attempts to delve deeply into every layer of this classic text from a pre-Qin and ancient perspective, extensively citing original texts from the pre-Qin classics, and combining the interpretations of past sages with historical case studies to launch a fundamental inquiry into the roots of the Dao of Change.