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YI JING OR ZICHOU
ONE INDIVIDUAL'S [ MIS - ] [ ? ] UNDERSTANDING

On the left is the Chinese Word for Yi, which means Change.

On the right hand are two Chinese characters, which collectively mean ZiChou or The Book of Chou.

Sequence of the Trigrams

Fu Xi Arrangement of Trigrams is to the right.

The base line for the trigrams is the line closest to the center of the circle.

King Wen Arrangement of Trigrams is below, on the left.

Diviner's Arrangement of Trigrams is below, on the right.

The Diviner's Arrangement is most commonly found on Feng Shu mirrors. The name for this sequence arose because it is most commonly associated with diviners.

John Blofeld (1965: 218) briefly mentions the diviner's arrangement. Steve Moore (1989: 110) suggests that it is a centripetal flattening of time into space. Consequently, he aligns all three of these diagrams into a Three Dimensional Box.

A search of Yahoo Clubs, reveals the existence of a dormant group Three Dimensional I Ching . Unfortunately, only nine messages are archived. On reading them, I am unable to tell whether or not Moore's thesis was the intended subject.

Other names for these arrangments are:

This list is just a few of the more common terms. The difference between the two is that the temporal order is the abstract order spiraled out in time. The Yi Jing derives much of its philosophy from these differences. Chinese tradition holds that to fully understand the superiority of the temporal order, over the abstract order, one must be a sage, and fully understand the abstract order, in all of its intricate workings. The abstract order is the temporal order centrifugally flattened into space.

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• The Yellow River Map
• Lo River Map
• The Diviner's Arrangement

are a possible source for the sequence of the hexagrams in the Yi Jing. Depending upon what one wishes to use, one will utilize either of these, or occasionally, two of them together! For example, I Ching Astrology Sherrill & Chu: (1976; 1977).

Tradition holds that Fu Xi found the Yellow River Map on the back of a Dragon-Horse. This map pictures each hexagram, and thus demonstrates its meaning. A copy is found to the right.

On the left is the Tortoise. The Lo River Map, so the legend goes, came from the back of a Tortoise which swam ashore from the Lo River, and presented the map to King Wen, so that he could put the hexagrams in their "proper" order. The proper order is correct only in a very subtle way. Both layouts are equally valid, depending upon what one wishes to know, or to do. These give rise to the different interpretations of the trigrams. For example, in the abstract order, the youngest son is "Fire", whilst in the temporal order, the youngest son is "Mountain". There are several other differences, just in the family relationships. In other aspects of divination these differences are even greater. See, for example, divination about the family house, and the rooms therein.

These differences emphasize the overriding concept of the Yi Jing --- Things Change. Every so often, the Yi Jing itself has to undergo a change. Man has not changed, nor seems as willing to change, as the Yi Jing has. This is why the old interpretations have been kept. These interpretations are still valid, even though they are for an age that expired about three thousand years ago. It has been suggested that we ought to be ready for another arrangement of the hexagrams, and of the trigrams. An arrangement that would be equally profound, and legitimate, as opposed to the illegitimate one used by 'street fortune tellers' and 'Diviner's'. Other arrangements have been seen, which appear to have no significance, or esoteric meaning. At this juncture may I point out that the traditional method of teaching a person in the Orient has been: I will teach you 20% of what I know, and you will work out the remaining eighty percent by yourself. Perhaps there is an esoteric significance to the Diviner's arrangement, above and beyond that of the Earth or Heaven orders. However, it is more likely that the Diviner's arrangement is simply that of a fortune teller who forgot the actual order of the Fu Xi arrangement, and contrived this. On the other hand, there is Moore's theory about it providing a third dimension. The only difference between the two is that the "corners" are moved a quarter-circle. Do remember that the primary theme of the Yi Jing is that things change --- things have to change.

The Yi Jing is composed of hexagrams that are composed of trigrams and bigrams, which are composed of lines, which represent the four states of yin and yang. This blending of yin and yang is the foundation for most of the applied philosophy of the orient. See for example: Odsen ( 1985), Praytor (1982), Munenori Yagyu (1983). Yin is the shadow. It is the north side of the mountain, but the south side of the river. It is the receptive, the passive, yang which has been split into two. Yang is the light, the south side of the mountain, but the north side of the river, the creative, the active, yin which has fused itself together. Yin is even, yang is odd. The T'ai Chi is simply a reminder that the closer to the extremes which one moves, the closer to the opposite one also moves. There are numerous mind games which one can play, using the T'ai Chi as a basis. However, does anybody really benefit from knowing that Alaska is the easternmost state of the states in the United States? Likewise with mind games ---- especially those of the Yi Jing.

Do bear in mind a quotation from the Dao De Jing.

The Dao created the ONE
The ONE created the TWO
The TWO created the THREE
and the THREE created the MANY.

Within the framework of the Yi Jing this becomes:

The DAO created the T'AI CHI.
The T'AI CHI created the YIN and the YANG.
The YIN and the YANG created the LINES.
The LINES created the TRIGRAMS and BIGRAMS.
The TRIGRAMS and BIGRAMS created the HEXAGRAMS.
The HEXAGRAMS created the DAO.

As an alternative, the cosmology of Huai Nan Tzu: Dhiegh (1973: 35)

1. There was a beginning.
2. There was a beginning of an anteriority to this beginning.
3. There was a beginning of an anteriority to this beginning even before the beginning of this anteriority.
4. There was being.
5. There was non-being.
6. There was "not yet a beginning of the non-being."
7. There was "not yet a beginning of the not yet beginning of non-being."

To the left is a diagram showing the bigrams. Doing the diagramming ought not to be difficult, but it is. The problem arises in that the different translations of the Yi Jing draw them differently. For example; Legge ( 1963: 423 ) contrasted with Wilhelm/Baynes (1950/1977: 319) contrasted with Blofeld (1965: 67). I have used Legge (1971: 358) as the source for the scores as Frank Fiedeler in Schonberger ( 1979: 149 ) states that the Wilhelm/Baynes translation of the Yi Jing contains a printing error. Most English language commentaries on the Yi Jing are based upon the Wilhelm/Baynes translation of the Yi Jing.

Now, for a brief discussion of the meanings of the lines: Nine is old yang, and is represented by a line with a circle over the line ---o--- . To me, a more aesthetically accurate way of portraying it would be a line with an arrow at both ends, pointing out <------->. This is because young yang has yin as a part of it, but old yang does not, and the internal force of yang is to try to push out of the confined space. Likewise, young yin has a part of yang in it, but old yin does not. In old yin, the internal force is collapsing of its own pressure, and thus causing the break of the line to disappear, ---X--- . Thus nine and six are moving lines, whilst seven and eight are not. Furthermore, it can be seen that the lines require a bit of their "opposite" in order to function effectively. Thus the movement to yin, and to yang respectively. Thus, one could say that in a very real sense there are twelve lines in a hexagram, not six. This is something that might be useful in some functions, but not with any immediately useful consequences, in general usage.

Then, since there is the idea that each line is in actuality two lines, there is also the idea that two line should combine, and form one line, thus giving each hexagram a Golden trigram, which is the essence of all that is in the trigram, whilst the hexagram is an expanded aspect of the trigram. This does give rise to the temptation to view each hexagram as a glorified trigram. There has been the long standing idea that the top two lines are representative of heaven, and the middle two lines are representative of man, and the two base lines are representative of earth.

Schonberger (1979: 71) states that the genetic code is expressed in the Yi Jing

He then proceeds to state that there is no distinct proof for this correspondence, there is a relationship, which might be there coincidentally, or might be synchronization at work. He points out a number of similarities. These are:

Schonberger (1979) describes the similarities of many of the codons, and hexagrams, noting the similar outcome associated with each. Walter (1994) elaborates upon the similarities, and relates the Yi Jing to the atomic level of the Codons. Walter provides a slightly different matching of Codons to bigrams, than Schonberger does.

I am not a biologist, much less a genetic engineer. I do wonder whether some of the devasting results that genetically engineered food has inflicted upon mankind, could have been predicted by this application of the Yi Jing.

Another purely coincidental piece of evidence is that the Chinese symbol for "I" change is very similar to that of DNA molecules, as photographed under an electron microscope.

Probably the best way to view these datapoints, is as an interesting case of synchronisity. Do not attach any other significance to it.

The Bigrams, also corresponds to an unqualified 'yes' for 9, 'yes, but...' for 7, 'no, but...' for 8 and an unqualified 'no' for 6, according to Reifler (1974: 13). Sherril & Chu (1977: 68) ascribe 6 and 8 &laquo; Yin &raquo; to Yes, whilst 7 and 9 &laquo; Yang &raquo; to No. These also correspond to the four elements of the Chinese four-element-theory-of-the-multiverse. Young yin is wood, which is up, down and all around. Young yang is metal, and receives everything. Old yang is fire, and it goes up and opens up everything, and old yin is water, and it drains everything away.

The related functions/attributes are not always a result of the order of trigrams which one uses. The graphic below shows four columns of five trigrams each --- Water is at the base and top of each column. This is an elaboration of how the meanings associated with the trigrams arose. Each column is associated with a different function, whilst each trigram is associated with a specific element of the Chinese five-element-theory-of-the-multiverse.

A look at the charts will show that the Creative, the Receptive and Thunder are missing. This is not because they do not have any elements associated with them, but rather that the associated elemental changes, according to the which schemata of the Yi Jing one is using. Their elements differ thus: In Plum- Blossom-Numerology, the Creative is Metal, Thunder is Wood, the Receptive is Earth and Lake is Water, and is repeated twice.

The reason for the repetition of Lake is that Plum-Blossom-numerology is a variation of nine-House Astrology, which requires nine parts for the nine houses. If one were to use another system, for example, Ho-Map-Lo-Map-Rational-Number-Astrology, then one would find that Wood was both the Creative, and the Receptive, Fire is both Mountain & Lake, Earth was Fire and Water, and Metal is Wind and Thunder, and Water is the Creative and Receptive, if Ten Celestial Stems utilized. These columns are mainly, but not exclusively used in prediction. They are both an asset, and a hindrance in understanding why a hexagram means what is does.

The first column --- the cycle of what produces/generates what. Water produces Wood by providing nourishment. Wood generates fire by providing something to burn. Fire generates Earth in this case Mountain by providing ash especially as a volcanic eruption. Earth generates Metal, by providing the salts for the metal. Metal produces Water, or rather a liquid, when heated to high temperatures. The rational here are not traditional, but I use to help me keep the orders straight.

The second column --- the cycle of what destroys what, works on the same lines. Water puts out Fire. Fire, as heat, evaporates the Lake, but it also melts Metal. Metal Lake destroys Wood by chopping it down. Wood destroys Earth, by reshaping it. Earth absorbs water, and thus destroys it. Then, the cycle starts again.

The third column --- the cycle of exhaustion is similar, but states what depletes the energy of the element, without requiring the element to be destroyed. Water rusts Metal away here it does so by adding to the Lake to the degree that the Lake can not hold any more and is threatening to burst. If there is too much Metal, the Earth will be Dissolved away Lake erodes the Mountain. If there is too much earth, the fire will not be able to burn Mountain is denuded with nothing to provide nourishment for the fire. Too much Fire will deplete the Wood, and thus no Wood would be left. Fire burns all the Wood. Finally Wood absorbs the Water, and hence uses it all up. Either Wind evaporates the Water, or alternatively, Wood Absorbs the Water from the earth. In either case there is no water left. Thus the cycle repeats itself.

The final stage is that injury --- the interaction of the elements with each other, to the point that they hurt each other, but do no lasting harm, except in a long drawn out 'battle,' which is where the exhaustion or destruction cycles are more likely to come into play. Water injures the Mountain by erosion &laquo; Metal dissolves the earth, by breaking it &raquo;. The Mountain blocks the Wind &laquo; Wood being stunted by a lack of food from Earth &raquo;. The Wind evaporating the Lake is Wood Dulling Metal, or as an alternative, Wood prevents the Lake from increasing in size, when used as a dam wall. Lake inhibits the growth of Fire. &laquo; Metal does not burn. &raquo; Fire turns Water into Steam, and thus injures it, by changing its form. None of these is a lasting injury, but are enough to stop the element for a short time.

The cycles of production and destruction are commonly used in Feng Shui, and trying to determine the most harmonious placement for an individual.

Use the "Fate Trigram", and the "Subject Trigram", respectively, in working out the relationship of the trigrams, to each other.

The Fate Trigram contains the moving line, whilst the subject trigram does no. The Fate Trigram is placed on the top for these cycles. Each trigram is directly below every other trigram, somewhere in the set of cycles.

The Subject Trigram is the base trigram, in these instances.

For example, using Zhen as the fate trigram, and Sun as the subject trigram. First problem, Zhen isn't listed, per se. Not an omission, because first we have to decide what element Zhen is representing. Using Plum-Blossom-numerology Zhen would be Wood, whilst Sun is also Wood. No problem we simply remember that likes reinforce likes. Thus, since are the same element, this will, usually bode good fortune.

Another example: Zhen is the subject trigram and Li is the Fate trigram. Looking at the cycles we see that Fire exhausts Wood. This indicates possible great misfortune. &laquo; This assumes we were using Plum-Blossom-Numerology for our decision of what Zhen will be &raquo; Each cycle has a specific indication associated with it --- The production Cycle indicates good fortune, whilst the injury cycle indicates slight misfortune. The Destruction cycle indicates misfortune and the exhaustion cycle indicates gross misfortune.

In some rare instances both trigrams have moving lines. That being the case, fate rules supreme. You can not do anything except flow with the flow. Paradoxically, you will have many choices which give you apparent control. These may or may not be shams.

Also rare is to have no moving lines. This would indicate that whilst there is no apparent control, one is in total control of the situation, if one flow with the Dao. Here, the fates are heavy upon one, but with no aids.

Also notice that the lower trigram represents the manifestation on the tangible material plane. The upper trigram represent the spiritual force that is dominant for individuals.

Look as Qian, Kun and Zhen more closely. Qian is the trigram that is pure yang, whilst Kun is the trigram that is pure Yin, hence are explicitly implied by every other trigram, by the lines within the trigram. Likewise, these two trigrams are the basis for all acts of creation, by their interaction. Whilst not as obvious, Thunder is implied in every other trigram, as it is the result of interaction of action, with non-action. Heaven creates Thunder, but only with the help of Earth. Thunder is latent energy, and has to be tapped by both, before either can use it, and therefore is implied by all the other trigrams --- they can only be made manifest by the action of Thunder.