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.
II. Contrast of Two Symbolic Generation Methods: Scapulimancy vs. Yarrow Stalk Divination
To further understand the meaning of xiào (emulation) and xiàng (resemblance), we can contrast the two methods of divination: turtle shell scapulimancy (guī bǔ) and yarrow stalk divination (shī shàn).
In turtle shell divination, heat is applied to the shell to create cracks (zhào), and the interpretation of the crack patterns determines fortune and misfortune. In scapulimancy, the symbol generation is physical—fire burns the bone, creating cracks that are beyond human control.
Yarrow stalk divination (or later, coin tossing) generates Yin and Yang lines according to specific mathematical procedures, which are then assembled into hexagrams. In yarrow divination, the symbol generation is mathematical—through steps like dividing the stalks, counting in fours, and setting aside the remainder (fēn, shiè, guī qí), random numbers are converted into definite Yin and Yang lines.
The Xi Ci Shang states:
"The Great Elaboration numbers fifty; its use is forty-nine. Divide into two to resemble the Two Modes; hang one aside to resemble the Three Powers; count by fours to resemble the Four Seasons; set aside the remainder to resemble the intercalary month. In five years, there are two intercalary months, hence only after setting aside twice is one hung aside." (Dà yàn zhī shù wǔ shí, qí yòng sì shí yǒu jiǔ...)
Note the repeated use of the character xiàng (resemble/model) in this passage: "xiàng liǎng"—resembling the division into Yin and Yang; "xiàng sān"—resembling the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, Man); "xiàng sì shí"—resembling the Four Seasons; "xiàng rùn"—resembling the adjustment for the intercalary month. The procedural steps of yarrow divination itself constitute a symbolic system—each operation emulates a specific aspect of Heaven and Earth's operation.
This contrasts sharply with scapulimancy. In turtle shell divination, the symbol (the crack pattern) is directly produced by natural force; humans are merely passive interpreters. In yarrow divination, the symbol (the Yao) is actively generated by humans through emulating the celestial process; humans are active participants. "Yao are those that emulate this" (Xiào)—the subjectivity contained within this word aligns perfectly with the active operation of yarrow divination.
From an archaeological perspective, the abundance of oracle bone inscriptions unearthed at Yin Ruins indicates that the Shang dynasty relied primarily on scapulimancy. The tradition represented by the Zhou Yi, based on yarrow divination, is more closely associated with Zhou culture. The shift from scapulimancy to yarrow divination was not merely a change in divinatory technology but a profound transformation in epistemology—from passively receiving the Heaven's will via "cracks" (zhào) to actively emulating the Dao of Heaven and Earth via the "Yao." The philosophical significance of this transformation is precisely what is carried by the word xiào.