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

Summary of Interpretation

For each line:

1. Is it in the Right Place?
2. Is it the same as the corresponding line in the other trigram?
3. Is it favorable or unfavorable, in respect to the other line of the bigram?
4. What is on top of it?
5. What is below it?
6. Is it Yang, or Yin?
7. Is it fixed or moving [ young or old ] ?
8. Is its action favorable, or unfavorable, whilst moving?
9. What is its Constituting Ruler?
10. What is its Governing Ruler?

For each trigram:

1. What does the trigram symbolize?
2. What is the sex of the trigram --- both the Fu Xi and King Wen Arrangements?
3. What is the nature of the trigram?
4. What is its family relationship to the other trigram?
5. Which sex is leading?
6. Which sex is following?
7. Which direction is it moving?
8. How many moving lines does it have?
9. What is the position of these lines?
10. What trigram is ultimately formed, with the moving lines?
11. What trigrams are formed by the combination of moving lines
12. How do these relate to the major hexagrams?
    « Cast, Moving, Nuclear, Moving Nuclear, Integrated, Moving Integrated, Married & Moving Married. »
13. What is its position in the Fu Xi Sequence?
14. What is its position in the King Wen Sequence?
15. What is its position in the Diviner's Arrangment?
16. What element is it?
17. Which cycle is it below the other trigram?
18. Which cycle is it above the other trigram?
19. What is its psychological process?
20. What is its Consciousness?

For each Hexagram:

1. Repeat the series of questions for the trigrams, substituting hexagram for trigram.
2. What is the interaction of the symbolism of the trigrams?
3. What is the direction of the flow of the energy of the trigrams?
4. How does the hexagram affect the other major hexagrams?
5. How does the Inverse Hexagram affect it?
6. How does the Reverse Hexagram affect it?
7. How does the Nuclear Hexagram affect it?
8. How does the Moving Hexagram affect it?
9. How does the Primary Hexagram affect it?
10. How does the Evolved Hexagram affect it?
11. How does the Interlaced Hexagram affect it?
12. How does the Married Hexagram affect it?
13. How do each of the Axillary Hexagrams affect it?
14. How do each of the Ji Fan Hexagrams affect it?
15. How does the Golden Trigram affect it?
16. Which course of action indicates good fortune?
17. What course of action indicates misfortune?
18. What is the proper timing?
19. Is the proposed course of action flowing with the Dao?

This list of questions has its source in Sherrill & Chu (1977: 34 - 35).

The rational for the final question --- Is the Proposed course of action flowing with the Dao --- is that as far as both the Yi Jing and the Dao De Jing are concerned, a correct action, done by an incorrect person, or at the incorrect time, or for an incorrect reason, or any combination thereof, is an incorrect action, and therefor is not flowing with the Dao.

The fourth question --- how do other hexagrams affect it --- refers specifically to the other hexagrams that can be derived from the hexagram.

The trigrams are used to derive the hexagrams upon the following page. The underlined hexagram is the cast hexagram, whilst the trigram in square brackets is the moving hexagram.

• The "--" indicates that the row is a part of the Cast Trigram.
• The "==" indicates that the row is a part of the Moving Trigram.
• The "xx" indicates that the row is a part of the Nuclear Trigram.
• The "$$" indicates that the row is a part of the Moving Nuclear Trigram.

Some sources have claimed that there is a distinct "pecking order" for both trigrams and hexagrams. For trigrams the sequence is:

• upper
• upper nuclear
• lower nuclear
• lower

• Cast: P
• Moving: M
• Nuclear: N
• Moving Nuclear: X

For those that subscribe to that belief, the following table provides a list of "unacceptable" derived hexagrams.

Interpretations of the remaining hexagrams:

Cast hexagram:

This is the situation, without any frills or simplifications.

Moving Hexagram:

This is the situation that is to be, if one acts as a superior person.

Nuclear Hexagram:

This is the essence of the situation.

X Hexagram:

This is the essence of the situation to be.

Interpretation of the Trigrams:

Upper:

This is the outcome of the situation.

Upper Nuclear:

This is the core of the situation.

Lower Nuclear:

This is the danger inherent within the situation.

Lower:

This is the foundation of the situation.

Thus, one puts the hexagrams with the trigrams together, to come to an interpretation. However, there are still some missing hexagrams, here:

A few specific hexagrams derived from the cast hexagram:

P6/P5

This amplifies the outcome.

P4/P3

This amplifies the foundation.

P4/N5

This amplifies what was to be.

N5/N4

This is the final outcome of the situation to be. It has to be either # 1, # 2, # 63 or # 64. It indicates whether the situation is ultimately going to be creation, reception, perfection or transition, respectively.

X6/X5

This amplifies the essence of the situation to be, as regards the final outcome.

X4/X3

This amplifies the essence of the foundation of the situation to be.

X5/N4

This amplifies the essence of what is to be. This is usually where the dates are found

X5/X4

This amplifies the essence of the final outcome.

Thus, a general picture of interpretation lies. The deeper one wishes to delve into the Yi Jing the more one looks at all of the hexagrams which can be derived from a specific hexagram. This will also involve looking at the inverse and reverse hexagrams, including tearing them apart to reconstruct them.

Lest that worry you, may I remind you that the Yi Jing proper consists of 10 000 words or about half the length of this paper --- the Judgment, and the lines. Everything else is a commentary upon the main text, as a casual reading through Book III of Wilhelm/Baynes ( 1950/1977 ) will show:

• The Sequence
• Miscellaneous Notes
• The Judgment --- the Text, proper
• Commentary on the decision
• The Image
• The Lines --- the text proper, for the most part.

Of the Ten Wings of the Yi Jing, Wilhelm/Baynes 1950/1977 only has three appended, apart from the main text --- Wing # 5 and Wing # 6: The Ta Chuan or Hsi Tz'u Chuan. And Wing # 8: The Shou Kua which is a discussion of the Trigrams.

Legge (1963) lists all the Wings in their own section, thus showing how compact the Yi Jing is, for the text proper. Furthermore, it can -- with some legitimacy --- be argued that the Lines are also a commentary, upon the Judgment. This is as the lines are a restatement of the judgment, within the context of the trigrams, and the judgment of the various hexagrams which influence it, by various means and factors.

By letting go, it all gets done;
The world is won by those who let it go!
But when you try and try,
The World is then beyond the winning.

The Way of Life: Blakney (1955: 101)

Increase is not a quantitative thing;
it must be measured qualitatively

Hexagram # 42: Hiegh: (1982)

Using hexagram # 42 as an example: Hexagram # 27 « Providing Nourishment » is the moving hexagram -- which is 9 in the fifth place. Sun is the fate trigram, whilst Zhen is the subject trigram.

Substituting Thunder, as Wood, we see that these trigrams are of the same element, and hence reinforces each other. However, with the moving hexagram, we note that Gen is the fate trigram, and is injurious to Thunder. Thus this bodes that whilst the final outcome will be acceptable, there will be some slight set backs, to one, although they will be fairly easy to overcome. The text from Wilhelm/Baynes ( 1950/1977 ) for the respective hexagrams.

Hexagram # 42
INCREASE

It furthers one to undertake something.
It furthers one to cross the great water.

Increase.

Decreasing what is above and increasing what is below;
Then the joy of the people is boundless.
What is above places itself under what is below:
This is the way of the light.
And it furthers one to undertake something:
Central, correct and blessed.
It furthers one to cross the great water:
The way of Wood Creates success.
INCREASE moves, gentle and mild:
Daily progress without limit.
Heavens dispenses, earth brings forth;
Thereby things increase in all directions.
The way of INCREASE everywhere
Proceeds in harmony with the time.

Wind and THUNDER: The image of INCREASE.
Thus the SUPERIOR Man:
If he sees good, he imitates it;
If he has faults, he rids himself of them.

Hexagram # 27:
THE CORNERS OF THE MOUTH.

Perseverance brings good fortune.
Pay heed of the providing of nourishment,
And to what a man seeks
To fill his own mouth with.

The corners of the mouth
Perseverance brings good fortune. Good fortune comes
Pay heed to the providing of nourishment
that is, pay heed to what a man provides nourishment for.
To what he seeks to fill his own mouth with,
That is,
Pay heed to what a man nourishes himself with.
Heaven and Earth provide nourishment for all beings.
The holy man provides nourishment for men of worth
And thus reaches the whole people.
Truly great is the time of PROVIDING NOURISHMENT

At the foot of the Mountain, Thunder:
The image of PROVIDING NOURISHMENT.
Thus, the superior man is careful of his words
and temperate in his eating and drinking.

At which point, I think that the point is clear, that there is a very definite link between the two hexagrams, and the interaction of the two can lead to greater self-awareness, if one so chooses. In both these hexagrams « # 42 & # 27 » it is obvious that the superior man is to look at what he is, and that he is to act accordingly --- he is to help others, but not if they are not worthy of it. To do a more extensive study of these hexagrams is now relatively simple, as all has to do now, is simply to go through the text of the Yi Jing.

Sequences by which to study the Hexagrams.

The first two hexagrams to study are #1, and #2 --- Qian & Kun, respectively. These are the source hexagrams, from which all else springs. Then study hexagrams number 51, 29, 52, 57, 30 and 58. These are respectively, Zhen, Kan, Gen, Sun, Li and Dui. These are the hexagrams that show the most power, of each of the trigrams. Then one should study hexagrams 11, 12, 27, 62, 63, 64, 61 & 32. These are T'ai, P'i, I, Hsiao Kwo, Chi Chi, Wei Chi, Chung Fo and Heng. Then study hexagrams 31, 41, 32, and 42. These are Hsien, Sun, Heng and I, respectively. Then one studies hexagrams 43, 10, 53, 18, 16 & 24. These are Kuai, Lu, Qian, Ku, Yu and Fu. Then one studies hexagrams 14, 61, 55, 27, 8, 46, 47 and 33. These are Ta Yu, Chung Fu, Feng, I, Pi, Sheng, Kun Tun.

At this juncture, I ought to point out that various mandalas of the Yi Jing have been given, and used to study further into each of the hexagrams. I ought to point out that the sequence in which you study the hexagrams will affect the way that you understand each of the hexagrams. Switch the order of study about, and you will discover different things about each of the hexagrams. It is for this reason that there is no fixed order to studying them, but rather sequences to be used if one wishes to understand the direction of each hexagram, or the consciousness of each hexagram, or some other specific quality of them.

Thus I end my paper, with you the reader, to do the commentary that this implies.

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