Discourses on Yi studies are always good for students, experts and scholars alike to extend their knowledge on the subjects discussed. Those earnest can always take this opportunity to double check the correctness of what they have learned through self-studies, from teachers or from past discourses. It is therefore important to discern what the experts and scholars say and to learn from their divination experiences as well. If doubts still exist, then it is timely to refer to ancient thoughts on the subject matter.
Hilary recently raised two issues relevant to Yi studies in her Answers blog. One is on ‘how long does a divination lasts’ and the other is ‘whether trigrams appeared before hexagrams’? From ongoing discussions on the trigrams issue, apparently some scholars had indicated that the trigrams first appeared in the Han dynasty (around 200 BC) or later. While others say they appeared earlier.
Well, a good example of how much ancients know before the Han dynasty is a recorded milfoil divination performed and interpreted by a Zhou historiographer during the Spring and Autumn era:
The YI JING (I Ching) or ZHOU YI in the Zuo Zhuan
Duke Chuang, 22nd Year -- 671 B.C. (Legge, p. 102, col. 8 & p. 103, col. 2)
Duke Li of Chen was the son of a daughter of the house of Cai. In consequence, the people of Cai put to death Wu Fu and raised him [i.e., Li] to the marquisate. He begat Jing Zhong, during whose boyhood there came one of the historiographers of Zhou to see the marquis of Chen, having with him the Zhou Yi. The marquis made him consult it by the milfoil [on the future of the boy], when he found the diagram Guan, and then by the change of manipulation, the diagram Pi.
"Here," he said, "is the deliverance: ‘We behold the light of the state. This is auspicious for one to be the king’s guest.’ [cf. the Yi on the 4th line of the diagram Guan]. Shall this boy in his generation possess the state of Chen? Or if he does not possess this state, does it mean that he shall possess another? Or is the thing foretold not of his person but of his descendants? The light is far off, and its brightness appears reflected from something else. Kun [lower trigram of Guan] represents the earth; Xun [upper trigram of Guan], wind; Qian [top trigram of Pi], heaven. Xun becoming Qian over earth [as in the diagram Pi] represents mountains. [Thus this boy] has all the treasures of mountains, and is shone on by the light of heaven. He will dwell above the earth. Hence it is said, ‘We behold the light of the state. This is auspicious for him to be the king’s guest.’ A king’s guest fills the royal courtyard with the display of all the productions [of his state], and the offerings of gems and silks, all excellent things of heaven and earth. Hence it is said: ‘It is auspicious for him to be the king’s guest.’ But there is still that word, ‘Behold,’ and therefore I say the thing perhaps is to be hereafter. And the wind moves and appears upon the earth. Therefore I say it is to be perhaps in another state. If it be in another state, it must be in that of the Jiang, for the Jiang are the descendants of the Grand Mountain [Yao’s chief minister]. But the mountains stand up as it were the mates of heaven. There cannot be two things equally great. As Chen decays, this boy will flourish."
When Qin received its first great blow [in 533 B.C.], Chen Huan [the representative of the Gongzi Huan in the 5th generation] had begun to be great in Qi. When it finally perished [in 477 B.C.], the officer Cheng was directing the government of the state.'
The above divination and interpretation depicts the “time span for a divination” – almost two centuries (from 671 to 477 B.C.) on matters of State(s). The “usage of trigrams” for interpretation by a Zhou Court diviner was almost five centuries before the establishment of the Han dynasty. And through the divination, the Yi had “foretold the future”.
Although we can do limited research and analysis on our own, without scholars spending much time and expense to collate and document historical evidence to support their findings before eventual publications to the world, we could miss out on relevant ‘hidden’ issues related to Yi studies. This means that we still have to rely on the Yi scholars and experts to improve our knowledge. After all, to what extent do we really know about the Yi?
Notwithstanding that, we still have to discern the reliability of their findings and works?
2 comments:
Thanks for the reminder of the Zuozhuan, Allan. Definitely pre-Han... and I do take your point about the time-span...
But it is important to remember that this wasn't written until 'the late fourth or third century BC' (quoting Richard Rutt): late Warring States period, not Zhou dynasty. It seems more likely to be a reconstruction by a diviner of that time, than a perfect record of a Zhou divination.
Hilary,
Thank you for pointing out Richard Rutt’s findings. It was good of him to be meticulous. Someone has to record the end result two centuries later. Probably by a Zhou court official as there were officials put in charge of milfoil divinations.
If I may, the Zhou Dynasty lasted almost 800 years and this time span includes the Spring and Autumn, and Warring States eras. All the Zuhou or rulers of these states were supposedly under the rule of the Zhou emperor although his power over them was waning during the Spring and Autumn era (the times of Sunzi, Laozi and Confucius) and almost non existent at the tail-end of the Warring States era. The Zhou Empire officially ended when the Chin conquered the other states including the capital of Zhou, and established the Chin Dynasty (c 221 BC).
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