The Book of Changes, authored by sages of yore, emerged from profound reverence for the divine, giving birth to the divinatory system with the casting of yarrow stalks, connecting heaven and earth in its numerical significance. Observing the interplay of the universe’s dual forces, it formed hexagrams, expressing the interplay of firmness and yielding, harmonizing with moral principles to elucidate righteousness, exhaustively exploring principles and nature to illuminate destiny.
The sages of old fashioned the Book of Changes to align with the principles of human nature and destiny. In the interplay of three elements lies the harmony, thus the “Book of Changes” manifests hexagrams through six strokes, delineating yin and yang, alternating between softness and hardness, hence the “Book of Changes” structures its chapters through six positions.
The positioning of heaven and earth, the communication between mountain and marsh, the harmony between thunder and wind, the non-interference of water and fire, these eight trigrams intertwine. Following the natural order, understanding the reverse, hence the “Book of Changes” elucidates the counterintuitive. Thunder incites movement, wind disperses, rain nurtures, the sun illuminates, the mountain halts, the lake elucidates, heaven governs, earth conceals.
The emperor emerges from thunder, harmonizes in wind, encounters in fire. Serving diligently in earth, expressing in lake, battling in heaven, toiling in water, achieving in mountain. All things originate from thunder, the east. Harmonizing in wind, the southeast, harmonizing signifies the purity of all things. Fire signifies illumination. All things intersect, the trigram of the south. The sage faces south, listening to the world, governing with clarity, drawing wisdom from this. Earth, the nurturer of all, thus serving diligently in earth. The lake, autumn, where all things express, thus expressing in lake. Battling in heaven, heaven, the northwest trigram, signifying the interplay of yin and yang. Water, the north, signifies toil, where all things converge, thus toiling in water. Mountain, the northeast trigram, where all things conclude and commence, thus achieving in mountain.
The divine orchestrates the myriad phenomena, moving them swiftly like thunder, guiding them like wind, igniting them like fire, harmonizing them like a lake, nourishing them like water, culminating them like mountain. Therefore, when water meets fire, when thunder meets wind, when mountain meets marsh, only then can transformations occur, bringing forth the myriad manifestations of existence. Dryness symbolizes vigor; receptiveness represents compliance; thunder signifies movement; wind denotes penetration; water represents sinking; fire embodies radiance; mountain signifies stillness; and marsh denotes communication.
Dryness corresponds to the horse, receptiveness to the ox, thunder to the dragon, wind to the chicken, water to the pig, fire to the pheasant, mountain to the dog, and marsh to the sheep.
Dryness represents the head, receptiveness the abdomen, thunder the feet, wind the thighs, water the ears, fire the eyes, mountain the hands, and marsh the mouth.
Dryness symbolizes the heavens, hence it is called the father. Receptiveness symbolizes the earth, hence it is called the mother. Thunder represents the first son obtained with a single cast, hence it is called the eldest son. Wind represents the first daughter obtained with a single cast, hence it is called the eldest daughter. Water represents the second son obtained with two casts, hence it is called the middle son. Fire represents the second daughter obtained with two casts, hence it is called the middle daughter. Mountain represents the third son obtained with three casts, hence it is called the youngest son. Marsh represents the third daughter obtained with three casts, hence it is called the youngest daughter.
Dryness represents the sky, roundness, sovereigns, fathers, jade, gold, coldness, ice, deep red, good horses, old horses, lean horses, and spotted horses, as well as fruits of trees.
Receptiveness represents the earth, mothers, fabrics, cauldrons, frugality, equality, mother and son oxen, large carriages, literature, crowds, handles, and is black in relation to the earth.
Thunder represents thunder, dragons, dark yellow, specialization, vastness, eldest sons, impulsive decision-making, bluegrass, and reeds; concerning horses, it represents good neighing, firm hooves, and high spirits; concerning crops, it represents vigorous growth and lushness.
Wind represents wood, wind, eldest daughters, straight ropes, craftsmanship, whiteness, length, height, advancement and retreat, unproductiveness, and odor. In humanity’s essence, characterized by sparse hair, broad forehead, and frequent white-eyed glances, proximity to the lucrative market triples. This essence delves into the realm of restlessness.
Water embodies the abyss, conceals itself, maneuvers subtly, bends the bow, and wields the wheel. In human terms, it amplifies worries, afflicts the heart and ears, symbolizes blood, and gleams red. In equine terms, it shapes elegant withers, agitates the spirit, bows low, boasts thin hooves, and trails behind. In vehicular context, it attracts numerous adversities, facilitates passage, invites thievery, and toughens wood with resilience.
Fire signifies the sun, sparks, electricity, femininity, armor, and infantry. For humans, it signifies substantial abdomens and dominance, while in nature, it manifests as turtles, crabs, lizards, snails, and tortoises. In arboreal realms, it fosters sturdy upper growth.
Mountain denotes paths, rocky trails, pebbles, gateways, fruitfulness, guardian temples, pointing fingers, dogs, and rodents. It encapsulates the rugged features of the land and trees with robust branches.
Marsh represents lakes, enchanting maidens, shamans, verbal conflicts, destruction, and attachments. In geological terms, it’s resolute and accommodating, harboring mistresses and grazing sheep.
Note: Some characters are placeholders representing complex ideograms.
