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.
I. The Semantic Field of Xiào in Ancient Chinese
To understand "The Yao are those that emulate this," we must first ask: What precisely did xiào mean in the pre-Qin context$8
Xu Shen’s Shuowen Jiezi states: "Xiào, is to resemble (xiàng). It is composed of pī (to strike/command) and jiāo (interlacing)." Duan Yucai’s commentary further notes that the core meaning of xiào is "to mimic," "to imitate," or "to present." In ancient Chinese, xiào carries three meanings worth noting:
First Layer: Mimicry and Emulation. As stated in the Book of Documents (Shang Shu), Shuo Ming Shang: "Learning half is learning; concentrating on the beginning and end is mastering the studies." (Xué xué bàn, niàn zhōng shǐ diǎn yú xué.) The essence of learning is the xiào (emulation) of the way of the former kings. Confucius said in the Analects (Lun Yu), Book 17: "I transmit rather than create; I am faithful to and love the ancients." (Shù ér bù zuò, xìn ér hào gǔ.) The term shù (transmit/relate) inherently contains the meaning of "to emulate."
Second Layer: Presentation and Verification. As in the Zuo Zhuan (Zuo Zhuan), Duke Xuan, Year 12: "There was a verifiable result (yǒu xiào)." This refers to an outcome that can be verified. This layer is crucial in the Xi Ci: the Yao are not merely "imitating" something, but are actively "presenting" something.
Third Layer: Effort and Efficacy. As in the Discourses of the States (Guo Yu), Jin Yu: "Efficacious in office (xiào guān zhě)." Although this meaning is not the focus of the main clause, it suggests an inherent proactivity in xiào—it is not passive replication, but active striving toward, investment in, and presentation of a reality.
When these three layers are superimposed, we arrive at a compound understanding of xiào: The Yao, as an active emulation and dynamic presentation of a fundamental existence.