Chapter 3: The Confucian Perspective of the Pre-Qin Period: The Master of Yi Does Not Divinate

Section 3.1: Confucius and the Yi — The Deeper Meaning of "Binding the Bamboo Slips Until They Fell Apart Three Times"

Confucius deeply loved the Zhouyi in his later years. Although the Records of the Grand Historian (史记) is a later text, the Analects already contains several key clues. The Analects, "Wei Zheng" (为政) chapter, records Confucius' words:

"If Heaven would grant me a few more years, I would devote fifty years to the study of the Yi, and then I might be without great fault." (加我数年，五十以学《易》，可以无大过矣。)

This sentence deserves repeated contemplation. What is the result of studying the Yi according to Confucius$24 Not "one can know good or ill fortune," not "one can seek advantage and avoid harm," but "one can be without great fault" (可以无大过矣)—one can avoid major mistakes.

Why can studying the Yi lead to "no great fault"$25 Because the Yi teaches one to understand the laws of change—when to advance, when to retreat; when steadfastness is needed, when gentleness is needed; when a stage is a beginning, when it is a peak. By understanding these principles of change, one can make reasonable judgments in complex life situations, thereby avoiding major errors caused by ignorance.

This is completely different from divination. Divination is seeking externally from spirits—I don't know what to do, so I ask the spirits to tell me. But what Confucius understood by studying the Yi is cultivating oneself internally—by understanding the Way of Change, one enhances one's own judgment and wisdom.

The Analects, "Zi Lu" (子路) chapter, also contains a very important record:

"The Master said, 'The people of the South have a saying, "A man who is not constant in his virtue cannot be a shaman or a physician." Good indeed!' 'One who is not constant in his virtue, will receive shame.' The Master said, 'This is clear without divination.'" (子曰：“南人有言曰：人而无恒，不可以作巫医。’善夫！‘不恒其德，或承之羞。’子曰：‘不占而已矣。’")

The last four characters of this passage—"clear without divination" (不占而已矣)—are truly striking. Confucius quotes the ninth line statement of the Heng (恒) hexagram, "One who is not constant in his virtue, will receive shame," and then says: "It is clear without divination."

What does this mean$26 Confucius believed that the principles contained in the hexagram and line statements are life wisdom that can be directly applied without needing divination. "One who is not constant in his virtue, will receive shame"—Does this truth require divination to be known$27 Of course not. It is itself an irrefutable principle of life.

Confucius here explicitly elevates the Zhouyi from a "tool of divination" to a "book of life wisdom." This is not his "innovation," but rather a "return" to the original function of the Yi.

Section 3.2: Re-examination of Shi-Divination Examples in the Zuo Zhuan and Guoyu

The Zuo Zhuan and Guoyu record numerous instances of Shi-divination, which are often cited as ironclad proof that the Zhouyi is a "book of divination." However, if we carefully read these divination examples, we will find a very interesting phenomenon: what truly influences the final judgment is often not the hexagrams themselves, but the diviner's political wisdom and insight into human affairs.

The most famous example appears in the Zuo Zhuan, the 15th year of Duke Xi's reign. Before the Battle of Han Yuan between Qin and Jin, Duke Xian of Jin performed a divination:

"He divined, and obtained the Gu (蛊) hexagram." (筮之，遇《蛊》。)

This is followed by an explanation of the hexagram. However, if we read carefully, we will find that the diviner did not mechanically interpret the hexagram statement to judge good or ill fortune, but rather integrated a comprehensive analysis of the political situation, military strength, and moral stance of both Qin and Jin, and then "embedded" this analysis into the interpretation of the hexagram.

Another example, in the Zuo Zhuan, the 25th year of Duke Xiang's reign, records Cui Wuzi's divination for marriage with Tang Jiang:

"He obtained the Kun (困) hexagram changing to Daguo (大过). The scribes all said it was auspicious. Chen Wuzi said, 'To follow the wind implies danger; a wind that destroys one's wife is not to be married. Moreover, the accompanying text says: "Trapped by stones, supported by蒺藜, entering his palace, he does not see his wife—misfortune."' (遇《困》之《大过》。史皆曰吉。陈文子曰：‘夫从风，风陨妻，不可娶也。且其繇曰：困于石，据于蒺藜，入于其宫，不见其妻，凶。’")

Here, an interesting divergence arises: The official scribes said it was auspicious, while Master Chen Wuzi said it was inauspicious. The same hexagram yields completely opposite conclusions. This is because the key to judging good or ill fortune lies not in the hexagram itself, but in the wisdom of the interpreter. Master Chen Wuzi judged it inauspicious because he had deep insight into Cui Wuzi's character and the political consequences of this marriage. The hexagram merely served as a linguistic tool for him to express this insight.

This is akin to how we use idioms and allusions today to express our judgments—quoting an idiom is not "divination," but "borrowing shared wisdom from a cultural community to convey one's views."

The Shi-divination examples in the Zuo Zhuan precisely prove that: in the actual usage by pre-Qin aristocrats, the Zhouyi was more often treated as a "symbolic system for expressing wisdom" rather than a "mechanical tool for predicting fortune."

Let's look again at a famous record in the Guoyu, "Jin Yu Si" (晋语四). Duke Chong'er of Jin (later Duke Wen), while in exile, performed a divination:

"He obtained the Tun (屯) hexagram changing to Yu (豫), both totaling eight. The divinatory scribes interpreted it, and all said it was inauspicious. Sikong Jizi said, 'Auspicious. This is in the Zhouyi, both lines say: "It is favorable to establish feudal lords."' (遇《屯》之《豫》，皆八也。筮史占之，皆曰不吉。司空季子曰：‘吉。是在《周易》，皆利建侯。’")

Again, a disagreement! The divinatory scribes said inauspicious, while Master Sikong Jizi said auspicious. What was Master Sikong Jizi's basis$28 He cited the common phrase "favorable to establish feudal lords" from both the Tun and Yu hexagrams, believing this presaged Chong'er's eventual establishment of hegemony.

The key here is: Master Sikong Jizi's judgment did not come from a mechanical interpretation of the hexagrams, but from his political assessment of Chong'er's abilities and the overall trend of the world. He first had the opinion that "Chong'er will surely succeed," and then found textual support for this opinion in the hexagram statements. This is less like "divination" and more like "using Yi principles to validate political views."

Section 3.3: Master Xunzi's Astonishing Statement

Among the pre-Qin Confucians, Master Xunzi's analysis of the relationship between the Yi and divination is the clearest and most incisive. In the "Da Lue" (大略) chapter of Xunzi, there is an astonishing passage:

"The master of Shi poetry does not expound; the master of Yi does not divine; the master of Li rites does not officiate as a general guide. Their minds are the same." (善为《诗》者不说，善为《易》者不占，善为《礼》者不相，其心同也。)

The significance of this statement cannot be overstated. "The master of Yi does not divine" (善为《易》者不占)—those who truly master the Yi do not divine.

Why$29 Master Xunzi places the Yi alongside the Shi and Li: a master of Shi does not need to explain every word and phrase because he has already grasped the spirit of the poetry; a master of Li does not need to provide specific guidance for rites (as an officiant, "xiang," 相) because he has already internalized the spirit of the rites. Similarly, a master of Yi does not need to divine because he has already grasped the fundamental laws of the Way of Change and can directly apply this wisdom to deal with all life situations.

Master Xunzi's assertion reveals a profound truth: Divination is merely a low-level application of the Yi—a temporary measure for those who have not yet grasped the Way of Yi. The true value of the Yi lies in the fundamental wisdom it contains regarding change, order, and how to conduct oneself between Heaven and Earth.

This is entirely consistent with Confucius's attitude of "clear without divination." The core stance of pre-Qin Confucians is: The Yi is a book of the Way, not a tool of divination.

Section 3.4: "Pure, Tranquil, Subtle, and Minute—This is the Teaching of the Yi": Its Position in the Book of Rites

In the "Jing Jie" (经解) chapter of the Book of Rites (礼记), there is a very important passage recording Confucius's summary of the educational functions of the Six Classics:

"Entering a country, its teachings can be known. If its people are gentle and sincere, it is the teaching of Shi poetry. If they are broad and knowledgeable, far-seeing and discerning, it is the teaching of Shu history. If they are magnanimous, expansive, easy-going, and good, it is the teaching of Yue music. If they are pure, tranquil, subtle, and minute, it is the teaching of Yi changes. If they are reverent, frugal, solemn, and respectful, it is the teaching of Li rites. If they arrange words and compare events, it is the teaching of Chun Qiu Spring and Autumn Annals." (入其国，其教可知也。其为人也温柔敦厚，《诗》教也。疏通知远，《书》教也。广博易良，《乐》教也。洁静精微，《易》教也。恭俭庄敬，《礼》教也。属辞比事，《春秋》教也。)

"Pure, tranquil, subtle, and minute—this is the teaching of the Yi" (洁静精微，《易》教也). The qualities cultivated by those who study the Yi are "pure, tranquil, subtle, and minute"—purity of mind, tranquility of spirit, precision of thought, and subtlety of insight.

What kind of qualities are these$30 These are clearly the qualities of wise persons and philosophers, not of diviners. What does a diviner need$31 Skill in divination techniques, memory of numerological systems, and decisiveness in judging good or ill fortune. But "pure, tranquil, subtle, and minute" describes a highly introspective, deeply contemplative spirit that can perceive subtle changes in things.

This is precisely the spirit of "observation" (观)—the heart of a wise person who looks up to observe the astronomical phenomena, looks down to observe the terrestrial patterns, and observes humanity in between. "Pure, tranquil, subtle, and minute" is less a teaching for divination and more a teaching of philosophy.