|
The Elementary Knowledge of Chou Yi |
|
|
|
|
The Elementary Knowledge of Chou YiBy Jiu YangLecture one: Brief introduction to the elementary knowledge of Chou Yi Section one: The origins of
The Book of Changes Chou
Yi, also called The
Book of Changes, is the most outstanding one among The Book of
Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Rites, The Book of Changes,
and The Spring and Autumn Annals. Yi has three
different names during Xia, Shang and Chou Dynasty.It’s called Lian
Shan during Xia Dynasty, Gui Zang during Shang Dynasty, and
Chou Yi during Chou Dynasty. “People of Xia Dynasty named the Hetu
got by Fuxi as Lian Shan, People of Shang named the Hetu got by the
Yellow Emperor as Gui Zang, People of Chou named the Hetu got by
Sir Lieshan as Chou Yi.”, Yu Hai cites Shan Hai Ching as
proof. Lian Shan and Gui Zang have been lost and only
Chou Yi has been preserved. Sectio Some experts think that Chou Yi is the most outstanding one
among all of the books and the precursor of traditional Chinese Culture
including ancient philosophy, divination science, prediction science,
information science, system science, morality science and cosmic algebra,
and so on. Chou Yi, the source of Chinese Culture, has great influence
over astronomy, geography, meteorology, calendar, mathematics, physics,
chemistry, biology, medicine, martial arts, practicing Dan, way of keeping
in good health, philosophy, history, literature, art, education, folklore,
psychology, ethic, military affairs, religions, divination, Feng Shui,
etc. In traditional view, Yi has three meanings. Qian Zao
Du of Yi Wei by Zheng Xuan says, “The word ‘Yi’ has three
meaning: easy, changeable and unchangeable.” He thought that the easy
means the virtue, the simple and the easy helps one establish the virtue,
and be no superfluous or confusing, so it’s the easy; what can be
changeable is Qi, the Qi can’t be flowed if universe can’t change, so it’s
the changeable; what can be unchangeable is position, such as, the heaven
is up, and the earth is down; the monarch faces the south when sitting,
the ministers, the north; the son will knee down when his father is
sitting. All these can’t be change, so it’s the unchangeable. The theory
of Zheng Xuan is typical and inherited by many historical scholars. “The form of the compound Chinese character ‘Yi’ consisting of
the two parts sun and moon is a pair of Yin and Yang”, recorded in
Understanding of Characters and Literature,and so is the
meaning of Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi. The explanation of Yi in
dictionary contains lizard, exchange, change, easiness, repair, etc.
Yi can be explained by only one word--change. The Eight Diagrams is
composed of negative Lines and positive Lines, Chinese character--Yi
consists of the upper part sun and the lower part moon. And the form of it
is Yin and Yang, the sun is Yang, and the moon, Ying, which expounds the
change law of everything by the growth and decline, rise and fall, change
of Yin and Yang, so do the congenital Eight Diagrams and the acquired
Eight Diagrams. Chou Yi is a book on philosophy and the natural law and
can be applicable to everything in the world because it tells not only one
divides into two and two combine into one, Yin and Yang, but also positive
and negative, the negation of negation. Section three: Content of Chou Yi Chou Yi consists of Yi Ching and Yi Zhuan. Yi
Ching consists of the first Ching and the second Ching, the first
Ching consists of thirty diagrams; the second Ching, thirty four diagrams,
each diagram consists of six grams except heaven and earth consisting of
seven grams, (heaven diagram use nine, and earth diagram, six; the gram
here is not really gram, but the action of it is similar to gram, so call
it gram. In fact, it’s a mysterious gram.) There are altogether three
hundred and eighty six grams (this number equals the days of bissextile
year of Chinese traditional calendar. Each diagram has form, name and
explanation). There are total four hundred and fifty explanations of
diagrams and grams and five thousand words. It is said that the
explanations of diagrams are written by King Chou Wen, explanations of
grams are writen by Duke Chou. Yi
Zhuan, a famous
philosophical writing consists of Tuan composed of the first part
and the second part, Xiang composed of the first part and the
second part, Xi Ci composed of the first part and the second part,
Wen-yan, Shuo Gua, Xu Gua, Za Gua total ten
articles. Yi
Zhuan explains the Yi Ching and is said being written by
Confucius and his disciples. It also can be understood that Confucius’
disciples arranged his articles and explanations of Yi Ching for
this book. Shuo Gua of Chou
Yi says, “Grasp the
theory thoroughly, perfecting and making full use of one’s original
spirit, and life too.” We should follow a great teacher to cultivate and
practice Qigong to cure diseases, improve health and prolong life. All of
us want to be longevity, why not go ahead with it? Lecture two Yin and Yang, a pair of concept of ancient Chinese philosophy,
is summarization of the unity of opposites of natural things and
phenomenon. Theory of Yin and Yang, which illustrates the law and the root
of the change of things by representing two aspects of the unity of
opposites of things with Yin and Yang, is a simple philosophical theory on
materialism and dialectics. From the standpoint of it, the appearance,
change and development of all things should be due to the movement of the
Qi of Yin and the Qi of Yang. This is the world outlook and methodology of
the ancients. Section one: The origin of theory of Yin and Yang and the
source of Qi of Yin and Qi of Yang 1.
The origin of theory of Yin and Yang. The basic doctrine of Yi
Ching is the theory of Yin and Yang, the basic symbols of Eight
Diagrams are Yang gram “—”and Yin
gram“- -”.Combine one or two of them for three times, resulting in eight
different form—Eight Diagrams. It’s originally called Lian Shan Yi
during Xia Dynasty. “Yin and Yang is what is called ‘Tao’”, says in
Chou Yi. The various schools of thought and their exponents from
the spring and autumn to warring-states period developed the theory of Yin
and Yang very well with this point. It’s applied to medicine to explain
many biological phenomena in The Internal Classic of Yellow
Emperor. “Yin and Yang is the Tao of the heaven and earth, the rule
over all things, the root of changes, the origin of life and death, the
residence of wisdom. (Study of Yin and Yang of Su Wen) 2. The
source of Qi of Yin and Qi of Yang. Xi Ci of Chou Yi says
that Yi is that Taiji produce two appearances, two appearances produce
four forms, and four forms produce Eight Diagrams. “The movement of the
world origins from one”, it also says. What’s moved is the Qi of Yin and
Yang, the one is Qi, means Taiji. Tao Te Ching says “Tao produce
one, one produce two, two produce three, three produce all things.” The
one is Taiji, the Qi of Taiji. One produce two, Taiji produce two
appearances, the two and the two appearances mean Yin and Yang, two can be
called two appearances of heaven and earth, two and two appearances are
also Qi of Yin and Qi of Yang, the Qi of Yin and Qi of Yang produce four
forms -- old Yin, old Yang, Young Yin and Yang Young, and then, four forms
produce Eight Diagrams and all things. Yin and Yang exists in the visible and macroscopic things, the
invisible and microscopic things and the state of field in
mysterious-origin. The state of field of the one Qi produces, changes,
decides and drives the state of field of the two Qi, and consequently
decide and dominate the change and development of all things, making the
world rich and colorful. Section two: Specific characteristic of Yin and Yang 1.
The unity of opposites
of Yin and Yang The same as the unity
of opposites of contradiction mentioned in The Theory of
Contradiction by Mao Ze Dong, Yin and Yang is opposite and
contradictory, meanwhile, a unity that can’t be separated, and if it’s
separated, the opposite character will lose, contradiction will vanish,
and things will not be able to develop, change or go on. 2.
Interdependence
between Yin and Yang
The opposite aspects
existing in things or phenomenon, are opposing and complementary, one
aspect is prerequisite to another, such as there is no Yin if no Yang, or
no Yang, no Yin; no heaven, no earth; no man, no woman; no left, no right;
no day, no night, etc. 3.
Growth and decline of
Yin and Yang The opposite aspects
existing in things or phenomenon, are moving and changing, and always in
the state that as one growing, another declining, or one declining,
another growing, which maintains the normal development and change of
things. Xi Ci says, “ The
phenomenon that Day turns into night, night turns into day, it turns hot
into cold, or cold into hot are all the growth and decline of the change
of space-time. 4.
The characteristic of
the transformation between Yin and Yang The transformation means Yin and
Yang, two kind of different attribute of things and phenomenon, under
given conditions, can be changed into the reverse. A good example, the
course of failing ill, is the transformation from Yang to Yin, owning to
the upsetting of balance of Yin and Yang; the course of recovery, is the
transformation from Yin to Yang. 5.
The universality of
Yin and Yang
In our world, Yin and
Yang exist in anything, anywhere, from the small to the large, the inside
to the outside. 6.
Yin and Yang embrace
everything
The big Yin-Yang body
embraces numberless small Yin- Yang bodies, and the small body embraces
numberless much smaller Yin-Yang bodies, so it’s numberless. 7. Inter-comprehension of Yin and
Yang Yin contains
Yang and Yang contains Yin; you contain me and I contain you, empty
contains reality and reality contains empty. 8.
Multiple levels of Yin
and Yang
There are many
different levels in the field of Yin-Yang from the biggest Yin-Yang body
to the smallest, such as, the universe is a Yin-Yang body, so is the
Galaxy, the solar system, the Earth, human body, life, viscus, cell,
molecule and atom, etc. The characteristic of Yin and Yang is too numerous to be
counted, the exposition above is aimed to being knew, understood,
discriminated, applied and grasped Yin and Yang better. |
|
| ||
|
| ||
