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 Subtle Difference Between Xiàng and Xiàng
Following xiào is xiàng. The text states: "The Xiang are those that resemble (xiàng) this."
At first glance, xiào and xiàng seem synonymous, but careful analysis reveals an important distinction.
Xiào emphasizes the dynamic process of emulation—it is a verbal act.
Xiàng emphasizes the static relationship of similarity—it is a presentation of a state.
In other words, the Yao are "doing" (emulating the movement of Heaven and Earth), while the Xiang are "revealing" (presenting the form of Heaven and Earth). The Yao is the process, the Xiang is the result; the Yao is the microscopic movement, the Xiang is the macroscopic structure.
A crucial passage in the Xi Ci Shang confirms this distinction:
"The sage establishes the hexagrams, observes the images (guān xiàng), and attaches words (xì cí) to them to clarify fortune and misfortune."
Note the sequence here: first "establish the hexagrams" (which are composed of Yao), then "observe the images" (Xiang). When the Yao move, the hexagram is formed; when the hexagram is formed, the Xiang is manifested. This means that the Xiang is the overall pattern naturally presented after the Yao have moved.
This perfectly mirrors what we observe in nature. The image of Heaven—the trajectory of the sun, moon, and stars—is not a single point but a complex pattern revealed after countless dynamic movements are superimposed. Similarly, after the six Yao have each moved, the hexagram they jointly constitute is a form of xiàng—a resemblance to a typical relational structure within Heaven and Earth.