Cosmological Construction and Rational Essence of the Original Functions of the *Book of Changes* Based on Divination Tracing
This article traces the origins of the *I Ching*, arguing from oracle bone inscriptions of the character "shi" (筮) that its original function was not divination. It contrasts divination and *shi* to reveal the essential nature of early *Yi* studies as employing mathematical modeling to understand cosmic operations and perceive patterns of change, rooted in the philosophical wisdom of ancient peoples for comprehending nature and grounding existence rather than merely predicting fortune.
Section 6.4: Inquiring into the Fundamentals: What Was the Original Function of the Yi$50
After layer-by-layer analysis, we can offer a comprehensive answer:
The original function of the Zhouyi was a symbolic system and thinking tool created by ancient peoples to understand and describe the laws of cosmic change.
Specifically, it included at least the following levels of function:
I. Cosmological Function—Establishing a cosmological model describing the birth, change, and demise of Heaven, Earth, and all things through the symbolic system of Yin and Yang, Eight Trigrams, and sixty-four hexagrams. "The Yi has the Supreme Ultimate, which generates the Two Modes. The Two Modes generate the Four Images. The Four Images generate the Eight Trigrams"—this is a complete cosmology.
II. Epistemological Function—Through the method of "observing images" (观象), abstracting universal laws of change from astronomy, geography, and human affairs. "Looking up, one observes the astronomical phenomena; looking down, one examines the terrestrial patterns. Thus, one understands the causes of obscurity and clarity"—this is a systematic epistemology.
III. Practical Function—Providing wisdom guidance for human actions in various situations through hexagram images and line statements. "In action, the emphasis is on change"—this is a guide for action and decision-making.
IV. Educational Function—Cultivating personal qualities of "pure, tranquil, subtle, and minute" and intellectual abilities of "deeply probing and minutely examining" through the process of studying the Yi. This is a course in mental cultivation.
V. Technological Function—Inspiring technological creation and social system construction through hexagram images. "In making artifacts, the emphasis is on images"—this is a tool for stimulating innovative thinking.
VI. Divinatory Function—Based on the above five functions, the Yi can indeed be used for divination—but this is only one of its many functions, and the most superficial one.
We can even boldly say: The Zhouyi is the earliest "meta-knowledge system" of Chinese civilization—a knowledge about knowledge itself, a study about change itself, an order about order itself. It does not answer specific questions, but provides a basic framework for answering all questions.