explanation (to each line of the diagrams), to determine the good or evil indicated by it. Hence those (lines with their explanations) are denominated Imitations (the Yao).
40. (The diagrams) speak of the most complex phenomena under the sky, and yet there is nothing in them that need awaken dislike; the explanations of the lines speak of the subtlest movements under the sky, and yet there is nothing in them to produce confusion.
41. (A learner) will consider what is said (under the diagrams), and then speak; he will deliberate on what is said (in the explanations of the lines), and then move. By such consideration and deliberations he will be able to make all the changes which he undertakes successful.
42. ‘Here hid, retired, cries out the crane; Her young’s responsive cry sounds there. Of spirits good I drain this cup; With thee a cup I'll freely share.’
The Master said:—‘ The superior man occupies his apartment and sends forth his words. If they be good, they will be responded to at a distance of more than a thousand li;—how much more will they be so in the nearer circle! He occupies his apartment and sends forth his words. If they be evil, they will awaken opposition at a distance of more than a thousand 1i;—how much more will they do so in the nearer circle! Words issue from one’s person, and proceed to affect the people. Actions proceed from what is near, and their effects are seen at a distance. Words and actions are the hinge and spring of the superior man. The movement of that 362 THE APPENDIXES. SECT HI.
hinge and spring determines glory or disgrace. His words and actions move heaven and earth;—may he be careless in regard to them?’
43. ‘(The representative of) the union of men first cries out and weeps, and afterwards laughs.’ The Master said, on this:— ‘The ways of good men (different seem). This in a public office toils; That in his home the time beguiles. One man his lips with silence seals; Another all his mind reveals.
But when two men are one in heart, Not iron bolts keep them apart; The words they in their union use, Fragrance like orchid plants diffuse.’
44. ‘The first line, undivided, shows its subject placing mats of the white grass beneath what he sets on the ground.’ The Master said:—‘ To place the things on the ground might be considered sufficient; but when he places beneath them mats of the white grass, what occasion for blame can there be? Such a course shows the height of carefulness. The white grass is a trivial thing, but through the use made of it, it may become important. He who goes forward using such careful art will not fall into any error.
45. ‘A superior man toiling laboriously and yet humble! He will bring things to an end, and with good fortune. The Master said on this:—‘ He toils with success, but does not boast of it; he achieves merit, but takes no virtue to himself from it;—this is the height of generous goodness, and speaks of the man who with (great) merit yet places himself below others. He wishes his virtue to be more and more complete, and in his intercourse with others to be more and more respectful;—he who is so humble, carrying his respectfulness to the utmost, will be able to preserve himself in his position.’
46. ‘The dragon (is seen) beyond his proper haunts; there will be occasion for repentance.’ The Master said on this:—‘ He is noble, but is not in his correct place; he is on high, but there are no people to acknowledge him; there is a man of virtue and ability below, but he will not assist him. Hence whatever movement he may make will give occasion for repentance.’
47. ‘He does not quit the courtyard before his door —there will be no occasion for blame.’ The Master said on this:—‘ When disorder arises, it will be found that (ill-advised) speech was the steppingstone to it. If a ruler do not keep secret (his deliberations with his minister), he will lose that minister. If a minister do not keep secret (his deliberations with his ruler), he will lose his life. If (important) matters in the germ be not kept secret, that will be injurious to their accomplishment. Therefore the superior man is careful to maintain secrecy, and does not allow himself to speak.’
48. The Master said:—‘ The makers of the Yi may be said to have known (the philosophy of) robbery. The Yi says, “ He is a burden-bearer, and yet rides in a carriage, thereby exciting rcbbers to attack him.” Burden-bearing is the business of a small man. A carriage is the vehicle of a gentleman. When a small man rides in the vehicle of a gentleman, robbers will think of taking it from him. (When one is) insolent to those above him, and oppressive to those below, robbers will wish to attack him. Careless laying up of things excites to robbery, (as a woman’s) adorning of herself excites tolust. What the Yi says about the burdenbearer’s riding in a carriage, and exciting robbers to attack him, (shows how) robbery is called out.
Chapter VIII, paragraphs 38-48. In the first two paragraphs here we have an account of the formation of the diagrams, and of the explanation of the whole hexagrams and of the individual lines. ‘The sage’ in paragraph 38 is intended presumably of Ffai-hst; but we cannot say, from it, whether the writer thought of him as having formed only the eight trigrams, or all the sixty-four hexagrams. In the diagrams, however, we have semblances, or representations, of the phenomena of nature, even the most complex, and hard to be disentangled. Paragraph 39 goes on to speak of the explanation more expecially of the individual lines, by the duke of Kau, as symbolical of good luck or evil, as they turned up in the processes of divination.
Paragraph 40 declares the usableness (so to speak) of the diagrams and the explanations of them; and 41 shows us how a learner or consulter of the Y? would actually proceed in using it.
In paragraphs 42-48 we have the words of Confucius on seven lines in so many hexagrams, or rather his amplification of the words of the duke of X4u’s explanations of their symbolism. The lines are 2 of hexagram 61; 5 of 13; 1 of 28; 3 of 15; 6 of 1; 1 of 60; and 3 of 40. What Confucius says is not without interest, but does not make the principles on which the Yi was made any clearer to us. It shows how his object was to turn the symbolism that he found to a moral or ethical account; and no doubt he could have varied the symbolism, if he had been inclined to do so.
I have spoken in the preceding chapter of the difficulty which the phrase ‘The Master said’ presents to our accepting the Appendix as from the hand of Confucius himself. But his words in paragraph 43 are in rhyme. He did not speak so. If he rhymed his explanation of the symbolism of the line that is the groundwork of that paragraph, why did he not rhyme his explanations of Chapter IX. 49. To heaven belongs (the number) 1; to earth, 2; to heaven, 3; to earth, 4; to heaven, 5; to earth, 6; to heaven, weatouearth,o; to heaven, 9; to earth, Io.
50. The numbers belonging to heaven are five, and those belonging to earth are (also) five. The numbers of these two series correspond to each other (in their fixed positions), and each one has another that may be considered its mate. The heavenly numbers amount to 25, and the earthly to 30. The numbers of heaven and earth together amount to 55. It is by these that the changes and transformations are effected, and the spirit-like agencies kept in movement.
51. The numbers of the Great Expansion, (multiplied together), make 50, of which (only) 49 are used (in divination). (The stalks representing these) are divided into two heaps to represent the two (emblematic lines, or heaven and earth). One is then taken (from the heap on the right), and placed (between the little finger of the left hand and the next), that there may thus be symbolised the three (powers of heaven, earth, and man). (The heaps on both sides) are manipulated by fours to represent the four seasons; and then the remainders are returned, and placed (between) the two middle fingers of the left hand, to represent the intercalary month. In five years there are two intercalations, and therefore there are two operations; and afterwards the whole process is repeated.
52. The numbers (required) for Aien (or the the other lines? To answer these questions categorically is beyond our power. The facts that suggest them increase the difficulty in ascribing this and the other additions to the Yi? to the later sage.
undivided line) amount to 216; those for Khwan (or the divided line), to 144. Together they are 360, corresponding to the days of the year.
53. The number produced by the lines in the two parts (of the Yi) amount to 11,520, corresponding to the number of all things.
54. Therefore by means of the four operations is the Yi completed. It takes 18 changes to form a hexagram.
55. (The formation of) the eight trigrams constitutes the small completion (of the Yi).
56. If we led on the diagrams and expanded them, if we prolonged each by the addition of the proper lines, then all events possible under the sky might have their representation.
57- (The diagrams) make manifest (by their appended explanations), the ways (of good and ill fortune), and show virtuous actions in their spiritual relations. In this way, by consulting them, we may receive an answer (to our doubts), and we may also by means of them assist the spiritual (power in its agency in nature and providence).
58. The Master said:—‘ He who knows the method of change and transformation may be said to know what is done by that spiritual (power).’
Chapter IX, paragraphs 49-58, is of a different character from any of the preceding, and treats, unsatisfactorily, of the use of numbers in connexion with the figure of the Yf and the practice of divination.
In the Thang edition of the Yi, published in the seventh century, paragraph 49 is the first of the eleventh chapter according to the arrangement now followed. Aang-3ze restored it to its present place, which it occupied, as has been proved, during the Han Chapter X. 59. In the Yi there are four things characteristic of the way of the sages. We should set the highest value on its explanations to guide dynasty, and to which it properly belongs. It and the next paragraph should be taken together, and are distinct from what follows, though the Thang edition is further confused in placing 51 before 50.
In 49 and 50 ‘heaven’ and ‘earth’ are used as we have seen Khien and Khwain are in paragraphs 30 and 34. Odd numbers belong to the strong or undivided line, which is symbolical of the active operation in nature, and the even numbers to the weak or divided line, symbolical of its inaction. The phraseology of the paragraphs, however, can only be understood by a reference to ‘the river map, which has been given in the Introduction, pages The map, as it appeared on the back of ‘the dragon-horse,’ consisted of so many circles, and so many dark circular markings, the former, it was assumed, being of the yang character, and the latter of the yin. Ff-hsi for the circle substituted the strong or undivided line ( ), and for the dark markings the weak or divided (—- —-). It will be seen that the yang symbols are the I, 3, 5, 7 and g circles, and the yin are the 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 circular markings, which is the pictorial delineation of paragraph 49. The only thing to be said upon it is that the arrangement of the five circles and ten circular markings is peculiar, and evidently devised ‘for a purpose.’ So far, however, as we know, no figure of the map was attempted till after the beginning of our twelfth century.
The same figure is supposed to illustrate what is said in paraeraph 50: ‘The numbers of the two series correspond to each other in their fixed positions.’ 1 and 2, and 3 and 4 certainly front each other, and perhaps 5 and 6; but 7 and 8, and 9 and 10 do not do so in the same way. It is said also that ‘each has another that may be considered its mate.’ So it is with 1 and 6, 2 and 7, 3 and 8, 4 and 9g, but hardly with 5 and ro. Further, 1+3+5 +7+9=25; 2+4+6+4+8+10= 30; and 25+30=55; all of which points are stated.
The last statement in the paragraph, however, derives no illustration, so far as I can see, from the figure. How can the numbers effect the things that are predicated of them? There is a us in speaking; on its changes for (the initiation of) our movements; on its emblematic figures for (definite action as in) the construction of implements; jargon indeed about the formation of the five elements, but in order to make it appear not reasonable, but capable of being related, writers call in ‘the Lo writing’ to the aid of ‘the Ho map;’ and ‘the five elements’ is a division of the constituents of material things, which is foreign to the Y?.
Paragraph 51 is intended to describe the process of divination in manipulating the stalks, but the description is confused by introducing into it the four seasons and the subject of intercalation, so as to be very difficult to understand.
In the middle of the Ho map are the five circles symbolical of heaven and the ten dark terrestrial markings (five above and five below the others). These multiplied together give fifty, which form ‘the great expansion. But 50 divining stalks or slips, when divided, give either two odd numbers or two even; and therefore one was put on one side. The remaining 49, however divided, were sure to give two parcels of stalks, one containing an even number of stalks, and the other an odd, and so might be said fancifully to represent the undivided or strong, and the divided or weak line. It is needless to go minutely into the other steps of the process. Then comes in the counting the stalks by four, because there are four seasons in the year, and those that remain represent the intercalary days. But how could such a process be of any value to determine the days necessary to be intercalated in any particular year? The paragraph shows, however, that, when it was written, the rule was to intercalate two months in five years. But it does not say how many days would remain to be carried on to the sixth year after the second intercalation.
Paragraph 52. The actual number of the undivided and divided lines in the hexagrams is the same, 192 of each. But the representative number of an undivided line is 9, and of a divided line 6. Now 9 x 4 (the number of the emblematic figures) x 6 (the lines or each hexagram)=216; and 6x4x6=144. The sum of these products is 360, which was assumed, for the purpose of working the intercalation, as the standard length of the year. But this was derived from observation, and other considerations;—it did not come out of the Y?.
Paragraphs 53-56. The number in 53 arises thus:—rg2 (the CHAP. Io. APPENDIX III. 369 and on its prognostications for our practice of divination.
60. Therefore, when a superior man is about to take action of a more private or of a public character, he asks (the Yi), making his inquiry in words. It receives his order, and the answer comes as the echo’s response. Be the subject remote or near, mysterious or deep, he forthwith knows of what kind will be the coming result. (If the Yi) were not the most exquisite thing under heaven, would it be concerned in such an operation as this?
61. (The stalks) are manipulated by threes and fives to determine (one) change; they are laid on opposite sides, and placed one up, one down, to make sure of their numbers; and the (three necessary) number of each series of lines in the sixty-four hexagrams) x 36 (obtained as above) = 6912, and 192 x 24 = 4608, the sum of which =11,520. This is said to be ‘the number of all things,’ the meaning of which I do not know. The ‘four operations’ are those described in paragraph 31. They were thrice repeated in divination to determine each new line, and of course it took eighteen of them to form a hexagram. The diagrams might be extended ad infinitum, both in the number of lines and of figures, by the natural process of their formation as shown in the Introduction, page 14, without the aid of the divining stalks; and no sufficient reason can be given why the makers of the figures stopped at sixty-four.
It is difficult to believe the first statement in paragraph 57 and to understand the second. What is it ‘to Shan or spiritualise virtuous actions?’ ‘The concluding statement approximates to impiety.
We may grant what is affirmed in paragraph 58, but does the Yf really give us any knowledge of the processes of change and transformation in nature? What wiser are we after all the affirmations about numbers? “Change’=changings, understood actively:—the work of Heaven; ‘ transformations’ =evolution:—the finish given by earth to the changing caused by Heaven.
changes are gone through with in this way, till they form the figures pertaining to heaven or to earth. Their numbers are exactly determined, and the emblems of (all things) under the sky are fixed. (If the Yi) were not the thing most capable of change of all things under heaven, how could it effect such a result as this?
62. In (all these operations forming) the Yi, there is no thought and no action. It is still and without movement; but, when acted on, it penetrates forthwith to all phenomena and events under the sky. If it were not the most spirit-like thing under the sky, how could it be found doing this?
63. The (operations forming the) Yi are the method by which the sages searched out exhaustively what was deep, and investigated the minutest springs (of things).
64. ‘Those operations searched out what was deep:’—therefore they could penetrate to the views of all under the sky. ‘They made apparent the minutest springs of (things):’—therefore they could bring to a completion all undertakings under the sky. ‘Their action was spirit-like:’—therefore they could make speed without hurry, and reached their destination without travelling.
65. This is the import of what the Master said, that ‘In the Yi there are four things indicating the way of the sages.’
Chapter X, paragraphs 59-65, enlarges on the service rendered to men by the Y?, owing to the way in which it was made by the sages to express their views and carry into effect their wishes.
Paragraph 59 mentions the four things in which its usefulness appears. ‘The emblematic figures’ are the four hsiang, which are produced by the manipulation of the undivided and divided CHAP. II. APPENDIX III. T4T Chapter XI. 66. The Master said:—‘ What is it that the Yi does? The Yi opens up (the knowledge of the issues of) things, accomplishes the undertakings (of men), and embraces under it (the way of) all things under the sky. This and nothing more is what the Yi does. Thereby the sages, through (divination by) it, would give their proper course to the aims of all under the sky, would give stability to their undertakings, and determine their doubts.’
67. Therefore the virtue of the stalks is versatile lines, and whose representative numbers are 9, 8, 7,6. ‘ Divination’ appears in the paragraph as pfi-shih, which means ‘divination by the tortoise-shell and by the stalks.’ But the tortoise-shell had nothing to do with the use of the Yi. Before the composition of these Appendixes the two terms must have been combined to express the practice of divination, without reference to its mode.
Paragraph 60 speaks of the explanations and prognostications of the Yi. The ‘exquisiteness’ ascribed to it would be due to the sages who had devised it, and appended their explanations to it; but the whole thing has no existence save in cloud-land.
Paragraph 61 speaks of the operations with the stalks till the various changes in the results issued in the determination of the emblematic figures, and then in the fixing of the individual lines and entire hexagrams. Even Af Hs? admits that the references to the different processes are now hardly intelligible.
Paragraph 62. How could the writer speak of the Yf without thought or action as being most ‘spirit-like?’ If it did what he asserts, those who contrived it might be so described? They would have been beings whose operation was indeed like that of spirits, inscrutable, ‘unfathomable’ (paragraph 32), even like that of the Spirit of God (VI, 10).
Paragraphs 63 and 64 ought not to be taken as saying that the sages did the things described for themselves by the Yf. They knew them of themselves, and made the Y? that others might come by it to do the same. So the writer imagined. No words could indicate more clearly than those of paragraph 65 that the paragraphs between it and 59 did not come from Confucius, but from the compiler of the Great Appendix, whoever he was.
372 THE APPENDIXES. SECTiti.
and spirit-like; that of the diagrams is exact and wise; and the meaning given by the six lines is changeful to give (the proper information to men). The sages having, by their possession of these (three virtues), cleansed their minds, retired and laid them up in the secrecy (of their own consciousness). But their sympathies were with the people in regard both to their good fortune and evil. By their spirit-like ability they knew (the character of) coming events, and their wisdom had stored up (all experiences of) the past. Who could be able to accomplish all this? (Only our) ancient sages, quick in apprehension and clear in discernment, of far-reaching intelligence, and all-embracing knowledge, and with a majesty, going spirit-like to its objects;—it was only they who could do so.
68. Therefore (those sages), fully understanding the way of Heaven, and having clearly ascertained the experience of the people, instituted (the employment of) these spirit-like things, as a provision for the use of the people. The sages went about the employment of them (moreover) by purifying their hearts and with reverent caution, thereby giving (more) spirituality and intelligence to their virtue.
69. Thus, a door shut may be pronounced (analogous to) Khwan (or the inactive condition), and the opening of the door (analogous to) A Zien (or the active condition). The opening succeeding the being shut may be pronounced (analogous to what we call) a change; and the passing from one of these states to the other may be called the constant course (of things).
The (first) appearance of anything (as a bud) is CHAP. II. APPENDIX III. 373 what we call a semblance; when it has received its complete form, we call it a definite thing.
(The divining-plant having been produced, the sages) set it apart and laid down the method of its employment,—what we call the laws (of divination). The advantage arising from it in external and internal matters, so that the people all use it, stamps it with a character which we call spirit-like.
70. Therefore in (the system of) the Yi there is the Grand Terminus, which produced the two elementary Forms. Those two Forms produced the Four emblematic Symbols, which again produced the eight Trigrams.
71. The eight trigrams served to determine the good and evil (issues of events), and from this determination was produced the (successful prosecution of the) great business (of life).
72. Therefore of all things that furnish models and visible figures there are none greater than heaven and earth; of things that change and extend an influence (on others) there are none greater than the four seasons; of things suspended (in the sky) with their figures displayed clear and bright, there are none greater than the sun and moon; of the honoured and exalted there are none greater than he who is the rich and noble (one); in preparing things for practical use, and inventing and making instruments for the benefit of all under the sky, there are none greater than the sages; to explore what is complex, search out what is hidden, to hook up what lies deep, and reach to what is distant, thereby determining (the issues) for good or ill of all events under the sky, and making all men under heaven full of strenuous endeavours, there wn are no (agencies) greater than those of the stalks and the tortoise-shell.
73. Therefore Heaven produced the spirit-like things, and the sages took advantage of them. (The operations of) heaven and earth are marked by (so many) changes and transformations; and the sages imitated them (by means of the Yi). Heaven hangs out its (brilliant) figures from which are seen good fortune and bad, and the sages made their emblematic interpretations accordingly. The Ho gave forth the map, and the Lo the writing, of (both of) which the sages took advantage.
74. In the (scheme of the) Yi there are the four symbolic figures by which they inform men (in divining of the lines making up the diagrams); the explanations appended to them convey the significance (of the diagrams and lines); and the determination (of the divination) as fortunate or the reverse, to settle the doubts (of men).
Chapter XI, paragraphs 66-74, treats of divination, and the scheme of it supplied in the Yi. That scheme must be referred first to Heaven, which produced the spirit-like things,—the diviningplant and the tortoise; and next to the sages, who knew the mind of Heaven, and made the plant and shell subservient to the purpose for which they were intended.
Paragraph 66 answers the question of what the Yi does; and if there were truth or reason in it, the book and its use would be most important. I have closed the quotation of “the Master's” words at the end of the paragraph; but really we do not know if they extend so far, or farther.
Paragraphs 67 and 68 glorify the sages and their work. The virtues of the divining-plant all belonged to them, and it was thus that they were able to organise the scheme of divination. The production of ‘the spirit-like things’ is, in paragraph 73, ascribed to ‘Heaven;’ the characters about them in these paragraphs mean no more than is expressed in the translation.
Chapter XII. 75. It is said in the Yi, ‘Help is given to him from Heaven. There will be good fortune; advantage in every respect. The Master Paragraph 69 shows how the antinomy of the yin and yang pervades all nature, and how the sages turned it, as existing preeminently in the divining-plant, to account.
Paragraph 70. Evidently the author had in view here the genesis of the diagrams of the Yi, the number of figures increasing in a geometrical progression with the ratio of 2, while the lines of the figures form an arithmetical progression with the common difference of 1. This is quite plain after ‘the two elementary forms (——— and —- —)’ have been made. They give birth to ‘the four emblematic symbols,’ each of two lines (——, ==, —=,, == =}, known, in this order, as the Grand or old Yang, the young Yin, the young Yang, and the Grand or old Yin). By the addition to each of these symbols first of the yang line, and then of the yin, there arise the eight trigrams, each of three lines; and the process of formation might be continued indefinitely.
But how was the first step taken in the formation of the two elementary lines? Here, it is said, they were produced by the Thai Ki, or the Grand Terminus, This is represented in At Hsi’s ‘Youth’s Introduction to the Study of the Yi,’ by a circle; but he tells us that that representation of it was first made by Kau-jze (A.D. 1017-1073, called also Kau Tun-t, Kau Mau-shf, and, most of all, Aau Lien-#Ai), and that his readers must be careful not to suppose that Fa-hsit had such a figure in his mind’s eye. I fail myself to understand how there can be generated from a circle the undivided and the broken line. Given those two lines, and the formation of the sixty-four hexagrams proceeds regularly according to the method above described. We must start from them, whether we can account or not Jor the rise of the idea of them in the mind of Ff-hsi.
Leaving the subject of the figure of the Thai A?, the name gives us hardly any clue to its meaning. A? is used for the extreme term of anything, as the ridge-pole of a house, or the pinnacle of a pagoda. The comment on the first sentence in the paragraph by Wang Pi (a.p. 226-249) is:—‘ Existence must begin in nonexistence, and therefore the Grand Terminus produced the two elementary Forms. Thai A7 is the denomination of what has no denomination. As it cannot be named, the text takes the extreme said:—‘ Yd (jf) is the symbol of assisting. He whom Heaven assists is observant (of what is right); he whom men assist is sincere. The individual here indicated treads the path of sincerity and desires to be observant (of what is right), and studies to exalt the worthy. Hence “Help is given to him from Heaven. There will be good fortune, advantage in every respect.” ’ 76. The Master said:—‘ The written characters are point of anything that exists as an analogous term for the Thai AY’ Expanding Wang’s comment, Khung Ying-ta says:—‘Thai Ki means the original subtle matter, that formed the one chaotic mass before heaven and earth were divided;’ and then he refers to certain passages in Lao-zze’s Tao Teh King, and identifies the Thai Ki with his Tao. ‘This would seem to give to Thai A? a material meaning. The later philosophers of the Sung school, however, insist on its being immaterial, now calling it lf, the principle of order in nature, now t4o, the defined course of things, now T%, the Supreme Power or God, now sh4n, the spiritual working of God. According to KAang-3ze, all these names are to be referred to that of ‘Heaven, of which they express so many different concepts.
Paragraph 71 speaks of divination in practice, and paragraph 72 celebrates the service done by that through the plant and shell, as equal to, and indeed the complement of, all the other services rendered by heaven and earth, the seasons, the sun and moon, the sages, and the greatest potentates. Surely, it is all very extravagant.
The last two paragraphs resume the theme of the making of the Yi by the sages, and their teaching the practice of divination. Of the Ho map and the Lo writing, I have spoken in the Introduction, pages 14-18. But if we accept the statement that the Lo writing had anything to do with the making of the Yi, we must except Ffi-hsi from the sages to whom we are indebted for it. It was to the Great Yii, more than a thousand years later than Ff-hsi, that the Lo disclosed its writing; and Yiiis never said to have had anything to do with the Yf. Nor is either of these things mentioned in Section ii, paragraph 11, where the work of Ff-hsf is described more in detail.
not the full exponent of speech, and speech is not the full expression of ideas;—is it impossible then to discover the ideas of the sages?’ The Master said:—‘ The sages made their emblematic symbols to set forth fully their ideas; appointed (all) the diagrams to show fully the truth and falsehood (of things); appended their explanations to give the full expression of their words; and changed (the various lines) and made general the method of doing so, to exhibit fully what was advantageous. They (thus) stimulated (the people) as by drums and dances, thereby completely developing the spirit-like (character of the Yi).’
77. May we not say that Ahien and KhwAan [=the yang and yin, or the undivided and divided lines] are the secret and substance of the Yi? hien and Khwan being established in their several places, the system of changes was thereby constituted. If Akien and Khwan were taken away, there would be no means of seeing that system; and if that system were not seen, A Zien and Khwan would almost cease to act.
78. Hence that which is antecedent to the ma: terial form exists, we say, as an ideal method, and that which is subsequent to the material form exists, we say, as a definite thing.
Transformation and shaping is what we call change; carrying this out and operating with it is what we call generalising the method; taking the result and setting it forth for all the people under heaven is, we say, (securing the success of) the business of life.
79. Hence, to speak of the emblematic figures:— (The sage) was able to survey all the complex phe- 78 THE APPENDIXES. SECTAk ee nomena under the sky. He then considered in his mind how they could be figured, and (by means of the diagrams) represented their material forms and their character. Hence those (diagrams) are denominated Semblances. A (later) sage was able to survey the motive influences working all under the sky. He contemplated them in their common action and special nature, in order to bring out the standard and proper tendency of each. He then appended his explanation (to each line), to determine the good or evil indicated by it. Hence those (lines with their explanations) are denominated Imitations (the Yao).
80. The most thorough mastery of all the complex phenomena under the sky is obtained from the diagrams. The greatest stimulus to movement in adaptation to all affairs under the sky is obtained from the explanations.
81. The transformations and shaping that take place are obtained from the changes (of the lines); the carrying this out and operating with it is obtained from the general method (that has been established). The seeing their spirit-like intimations and understanding them depended on their being the proper men; and the completing (the study of) them by silent meditation, and securing the faith of others without the use of words, depended on their virtuous conduct.
Go Chapter XII, paragraphs 75-81, endeavours to show how we have in the Y? a representation of the changing phenomena of nature, and such a representation as words or speech could not convey.
Paragraph 75 has a good meaning, taken by itself; but it has no apparent connexion with the rest of the chapter. A Hs? thought Section II.
Chapter I. 1. The eight trigrams having been completed in their proper order, there were in each the (three) emblematic lines. They were then it was misplaced in its present position, and should be at the end of chapter 8. Compare paragraph 14.
The first two statements of paragraph 76 are general, but made here specially to exalt the Y?, as teaching more clearly and fully than written characters could have done. The Khang-hs? editors decide that ‘the emblematic figures’ here are the eight trigrams of Ffi-hsi,—against the view of AQ Hsi, which restricts them to signify the undivided and divided lines. The repetition of the words, ‘The Master said,’ is probably the error of an early transcriber.