Chapter Five: "The Sage's Sentiment is Manifested in the Words"—The True Meaning of Qíng and the Mission of Cí

I. The Pre-Qin Semantics of Qíng: Not Emotion, But Essential Reality

The final and most subtle layer of the passage: "The sage's sentiment (qíng) is manifested in the words (cí)."

First, we must distinguish the meaning of qíng in the pre-Qin context, which does not perfectly align with modern "emotion." Qíng in pre-Qin thought has at least three core meanings:

First: Actual Substance or True State (Qíng shí). This is the oldest meaning. The Zuo Zhuan, Duke Xi, Year 28: "The true nature (qíng) and the false (wěi) of the people are all known." Here, qíng is contrasted with wěi (falsehood/artificiality), referring to the actual state of affairs. Zhuangzi, Discussion on Making Things Equal (Qi Wu Lun): "There is qíng and there is trust; there is non-action and there is no form." (Yǒu qíng yǒu xìn, wú wéi wú xíng.) "Having qíng" means the Dao has its essential reality (qíng shí), and "having trust" means the Dao has its verification.

Second: Innate Nature (Xìng Qíng). Xunzi, On Names (Zheng Ming): "Nature (xìng) is what Heaven provides; Qíng is the substance (zhì) of Nature." In Xunzi's framework, qíng is the substantial content of nature—the innate leanings toward liking and disliking that humans possess. Book of Rites (Li Ji), Yue Ji: "Man is born quiescent; this is the nature of Heaven. Moved by things, he stirs; this is the desire of nature." Qíng is closely linked to xìng (nature), being the natural reaction of nature upon encountering external things.

Third: Volitional Intent or Aspiration (Qíng zhì). The Odes Commentary (Mao Shi Xu): "Poetry is where intention (zhì) leads. In the heart, it is intention; when spoken, it becomes poetry. Qíng moves within and takes form in speech." Here, qíng is the inner will or aspiration, expressed through language (poetry, words).

Returning to "the sage's sentiment is manifested in the words," which meaning is most appropriate$28

Han Kangbo adopts the first meaning, suggesting that qíng refers to "actual substance": When the sage composes the hexagram and line texts, what is contained within them is the authentic substance (qíng shí) of the Dao of Heaven and Earth. Kong Yingda’s Zhengyi further elaborates on this: "The sage’s qíng is manifested in the texts of the hexagrams and lines; it means the sage’s sentiment of concern for governing the world is made evident in the words." Kong Yingda effectively combines the first and third meanings—the sage's qíng is both the true understanding of the Dao of Heaven and Earth and the profound care for governing the world.

I believe this synthetic understanding is most fitting. The sage's qíng is not mere emotional expression, nor is it cold objective record, but rather the sage's profound apprehension of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, combined with a deep concern for the welfare of the world, all condensed into the hexagram and line texts.

II. Why Must the Sage's Sentiment Be Manifested Through Cí$29

Why must the sage's sentiment be manifested specifically through cí (words)$30 Why not through Xiàng (images) or Yao (lines)$31

The answer lies in the unique function of cí. The Xiàng can present a structure, and the Yao can emulate movement, but only the Cí—linguistic expression—can provide concrete judgment and guidance.

The Xi Ci Shang states:

"The text of the Judgment (tuàn cí) speaks of the Xiang; the Yao speaks of the change. Fortune and misfortune speak of their gain and loss; regret and hesitation speak of minor flaws. 'Without blame' speaks of correcting error well." (Tuàn zhě, yán hū xiàng zhě yě; yáo zhě, yán hū biàn zhě yě. Jí xiōng zhě, yán hū qí shī dé yě; huǐ lìn zhě, yán hū qí xiǎo cī yě. Wú jiù zhě, shàn bǔ guò yě.)

The Cí is the "speaking" about the object; it is the "speaking" about change; it is the explicit judgment of fortune, misfortune, regret, hesitation, and being blameless. Without the Cí, the hexagram image is merely an open-ended pattern, allowing for arbitrary interpretation by anyone. It is the sage's Cí that provides a specific direction for the hexagram image—in which circumstances is it fortunate, in which is it unfortunate, in which is there regret or hesitation, and in which is it blameless.

Take the Qian hexagram as an example:

Chujiu: "Latent Dragon; do not act." (Qián lóng wù yòng.) Jiuer: "The Dragon appears in the field; it is advantageous to see a Great Man." (Jiàn lóng zài tián, lì jiàn dà rén.) Jiujiu: "The gentleman is ceaselessly diligent throughout the day, cautious even at dusk; without blame." (Jūn zǐ zhōng rì qián qián, xī tì ruò lì, wú jiù.) Jiǔsì: "Perhaps leaping up while still in the abyss; without blame." (Huò yuè zài yuān, wú jiù.) Jiǔwǔ: "Flying Dragon in the sky; it is advantageous to see a Great Man." (Fēi lóng zài tiān, lì jiàn dà rén.) Shangjiǔ: "Arrogant Dragon, regret ensues." (Kàng lóng yǒu huǐ.) Yongjiu: "Seeing the multitude of dragons without a head; auspiciousness." (Jiàn qún lóng wú shǒu, jí.)

The line texts for the six lines display a complete life trajectory: from latent to visible, from leaping to flying, from flying to arrogance. Each line text contains the sage's judgment—"do not act," "advantageous to see a Great Man," "without blame," "regret ensues"—these judgments are not arbitrary but are crystallized from the sage's profound understanding of how the "Dragon Virtue" should comport itself at different stages.

"Latent Dragon, do not act"—The sage’s sentiment is a caution for self-preservation when talent has not yet met its opportunity. "Arrogant Dragon, regret ensues"—The sage’s sentiment is a warning against conceit once success has been achieved. These Cí are not only descriptions of a particular situation but also profound admonitions from the sage to later generations.

The Wenyan Zhuan commentary on "Arrogant Dragon, regret ensues" is especially brilliant:

"The meaning of 'Arrogant' (kàng) is knowing how to advance but not how to retreat, knowing how to survive but not how to perish, knowing how to gain but not how to lose. Can there be anyone but the sage! Who knows advancing and retreating, surviving and perishing, without losing the correct path$32 Can there be anyone but the sage!"

This passage fully demonstrates the implication of "the sage's sentiment is manifested in the words": the sage uses the line texts to admonish the world—the essence of "arrogance" is knowing only how to advance, not how to retreat. Only one who knows both advancing and retreating, both surviving and perishing, is a true sage. What is contained in the Cí is not just a judgment about a specific situation, but the sage's deep insight into the entire human process of advancing and retreating.

IV. Reconsidering "Manifestation" (Jiàn)

One final detail is worth noting: the text uses the character "reveal/manifest" (jiàn, read xiàn) three times consecutively—"fortune and misfortune are revealed (jiàn) without," "meritorious achievements are seen (jiàn) in change," and "the sage's sentiment is manifested (jiàn) in the words." The final jiàn should also be read as xiàn.

Why does it not say the sage’s sentiment "is contained" (zài) in the words, or "resides" (cún) in the words, or is "entrusted" (jì) to the words, but specifically says it is "manifested" (jiàn) in the words$33

The use of "manifested" (xiàn) implies a process where something originally hidden is later revealed. The sage's sentiment is originally profound and inscrutable—Confucius said in the Analects, Book 17: "What does Heaven say$34 The four seasons proceed, and the myriad things are born. What does Heaven say$35" The sage is like Heaven; their sentiment is not easily shown. However, through the hexagram and line texts, this hidden sentiment is "revealed" (jiàn)—it manifests to those who study with diligence.

This forms a perfect resonance with another famous saying in the Xi Ci Shang:

"The Master said: 'Writings do not exhaust words, and words do not exhaust meaning.' If so, is the sage’s meaning not visible$36 The Master said: 'The sage establishes images to exhaust meaning, establishes hexagrams to exhaust the sincerity and falsehood of things, and attaches words to exhaust their expression.'"

"Establishing images to exhaust meaning"—the Xiang exhausts the sage's meaning. "Attaching words to exhaust expression"—the Cí exhausts the sage's words. "Establishing hexagrams to exhaust the sincerity and falsehood of things"—the hexagrams exhaust the reality and deception of all under Heaven. But after all this "exhausting," the sage's "sentiment" (qíng)—that more fundamental care and apprehension—is finally "manifested" (jiàn) through the Cí.

It is "manifestation" (jiàn), not "exhaustion" (jìn). "Exhaustion" implies complete depletion, while "manifestation" suggests something revealed without necessarily being fully depleted. This subtle difference tells us that: The hexagram and line texts can reveal a part of the sage’s sentiment, but whether the sage's sentiment can ever be completely exhausted$37 That is another question. This leaves eternal space for continuous interpretation and deepening by successive generations.