Understanding changes

Zhouyi is a short name for The Zhou Dynasty’s Book of Changes. According to Confucius, the Hsia and Shang Dynasties also have their own Book of Changes (or I Ching), known as 'Lian Shan' and 'Gui Cang' respectively which are probably lost to posterity. Until these books resurfaced through archaeology finds in Chinese ancient tombs, the only I Ching (or Yijing) available to humanity is the Zhouyi.

If what Confucius said in passing was true, and there is not much reason to doubt his words, the ancients must have been much fascinated with the study of changes through the ages. Understandably changes such as the four seasons, day and night, light and dark, are natural phenomena that affect heaven, earth, man and the ten thousand things. Man therefore needs to examine and investigate changes that affect humanity and possessions.

These changes were then depicted in the firm (unbroken) and yielding (broken) lines representing light and dark for the holy men and sages to determine what actions to take which lead to good fortune or misfortune. They differentiate the states of change from the images of the eight trigrams; phenomena in the hexagrams; the superior and inferior places in the six lines; knowing that events follow definite trends, each according to its nature.

Therefore in the Da Chuan / The Great Treatise it is said: “In the heavens phenomena take form; on earth shapes take form. In this way change and transformation become manifest.” “The Creative knows the great beginnings. The Receptive completes the finished things.” “The Creative knows through the easy. The Receptive can do things through the simple.” “By means of the easy and the simple we grasp the laws of the whole world. When the laws of the whole world are grasped, therein lays perfection.” [W/B]

Of the three types of changes, non change serves as the starting point; cyclic change is natural and easy to understand; while sequent change is easy to predict and simple to follow. Just like nightfall comes after daylight and summer follows spring, when we understand the constant laws of changes we can perhaps grasp the laws of the whole world.

If we know the timing of each change we can possibly grasp some of heaven’s laws too. To know the phenomena and timing of heaven we have to study all three types of changes, the non change, cyclic change and the sequent change. This could then take the Yi student to the sphere of omens and heaven’s secrets beyond what will be discussed. Just be aware that it is possible if earnest and sincere Yi diviners diligently work towards the objective to be the most entire sincere to manifest the spirit (shen). (Refer to the Doctrine of the Mean / Chung Yung.)



To be continued.