Zhou Yi and I Ching are two concepts that are often confused, and many people think that they are the same, but they are not. There are clear differences between the I Ching and the I Ching in terms of meaning, content, and application. This article will introduce the differences between Zhou Yi and I Ching, as well as their cultural value, from two perspectives, broad and narrow.
The difference between broad and narrow sense
Broadly speaking, the Zhou Yi and the I Ching are different. The Book of Changes is a general concept that includes three ancient Book of Changes, namely Lianshan Yi, Guizang Yi, and Zhou Yi. These three books of change appeared in different historical periods, reflecting different divination methods and philosophical ideas.
Lianshan Yi is the earliest book of changes, which is said to have been created by Fu Xi, headed by the Gen hexagram, mainly talking about the confrontation of the yin and yang hexagrams. "Returning to Tibet" is the second book of changes, which is said to have been created by the Yellow Emperor, headed by the Kun hexagram, mainly talking about the transformation of the yin and yang hexagrams. "Zhou Yi" is the third book of changes, which is said to have been created by Ji Chang, the king of Zhou Wen, headed by the Qiangua, mainly talking about the changes of the Yin and Yang hexagrams.
In a narrow sense, the Zhou Yi and the I Ching are the same. Since the "Lianshan Yi" and "Guizang Yi" have been lost, the only I Ching that people can see today is the "Zhou Yi". Therefore, Zhou Yi has become synonymous with the Book of Changes, and it is also the root of traditional Chinese culture and the head of the group classics.
Zhou Yi consists of two parts, one is the Sutra, that is, the sixty-four hexagrams and hexagrams, which are used for divination. The second is the Biography, which is the ten commentaries written by Confucius, for understanding.
The difference between I Ching and I Chuan
I Ching and I Chuan are the two components of Zhou Yi, and their difference lies in their content and function. The I Ching was written by King Wen of Zhou and his son Gongdan of Zhou, and consists mainly of sixty-four hexagrams and hexagrams, which are figures composed of yin and yang, and which are interpretations of hexagrams. The function of the I Ching is to be used for divination and **, by observing the changes in the natural world, to speculate on the good and bad of people. There are two methods of divination in the I Ching, one is the Zheng method, that is, the use of yarrow for divination. The second is the hexagram method, that is, the use of copper coins or other items to divinate the hexagram.
The Book of Changes was written by Confucius, and consists of ten commentaries, namely "Biography", "Xiang Chuan", "Wenyan Chuan", "Dictionaries", "Diagrams", "Preface Hexagrams", "Miscellaneous Hexagrams", "Litigation Biography", "Bichuan" and "Guan Chuan". The role of Yi Chuan is to use it for understanding, to reveal the philosophical ideas of the I Ching through the interpretation of hexagrams. There are two methods of commentary in Yi Chuan, one is the elephant, that is, the use of words to explain the meaning and symbolism of the hexagram. The second is mathematics, that is, using numbers and logic to analyze the structure and laws of hexagrams.
The difference between the three easys
The Three Changes refer to the three ancient Yi books of "Lianshan Yi", "Gui Zang Yi" and "Zhou Yi", which differ in their times and contents.
Lianshan Yi is the earliest book of changes, which is said to have been created by Fu Xi, headed by the Gen hexagram, mainly talking about the confrontation of the yin and yang hexagrams. The hexagram of "Lianshan Yi" is composed of yin and yang, each hexagram has eight hexagrams, a total of eight trigrams, each hexagram has a hexagram, and there is no hexagram. The divination method of "Lianshan Yi" is to use tortoise shells or animal bones to divinate hexagrams, and to judge good luck and evil by observing the cracks on the tortoise shells or animal bones. The philosophical thought of "Lianshan Yi" is based on yin and yang, and believes that yin and yang are the root of all things in the universe, and yin and yang are opposed, mutually restricted, and interdependent, forming a dynamic balance.
"Returning to Tibet" is the second book of changes, which is said to have been created by the Yellow Emperor, headed by the Kun hexagram, mainly talking about the transformation of the yin and yang hexagrams. The hexagram of "Returning to Tibet" is composed of yin and yang, each hexagram has six hexagrams, a total of eight trigrams, each hexagram has a hexagram, and there is no hexagram. The divination method of "Returning to Tibet" is to use yarrow to divinate hexagrams, and judge the good and evil by observing the length and odd and even of yarrow. The philosophical idea of "Returning to Tibet" is to take yin and yang as changes, and believes that yin and yang are the driving force of all things in the universe, and yin and yang transform each other, influence each other, and promote each other, forming a dynamic change.
Zhou Yi is the third book of Yi, which was created by King Wen of Zhou and his son Zhou Gongdan, headed by the Qiangua, mainly talking about the changes of the Yin and Yang hexagrams. The hexagram of "Zhou Yi" is composed of yin and yang, each hexagram has six hexagrams, a total of sixty-four hexagrams, each hexagram has a hexagram, and each hexagram has a hexagram. The divination method of "Zhou Yi" is to use copper coins or other items to divinate hexagrams, and judge good luck and evil by observing the front and back of copper coins or other items. The philosophical idea of "Zhou Yi" is based on yin and yang, and believes that yin and yang are the changes of all things in the universe, and that yin and yang change each other, adapt to each other, and coordinate with each other, forming a dynamic harmony.
History
The development of the I Ching can be divided into several stages:
Stage 1: In ancient times, the sages Fuxi, the Yellow Emperor, and King Wen of Zhou created three Book of Changes, "Lianshan Yi", "Guizang Yi" and "Zhou Yi", using Bagua and Sixty-four Hexagrams to analyze the laws of change in the natural world, leaving valuable wealth for future generations.
The second stage: During the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius conducted in-depth research on Zhou Yi, reinterpreted the hexagrams and epigrams, and created the Yi Chuan, which pushed Zhou Yi's philosophical thought to a new height and provided important guidance for future generations.
The third stage: In the Han Dynasty, Zhou Yi and Yi Chuan were divided into two schools, and the Jing school was dominated by Confucianism, studying Yi Chuan's philosophical thoughts, emphasizing the ideals of self-cultivation, governing the country, and leveling the worldThe miscellaneous school is mainly Taoist, and studies the divination methods of the I Ching, emphasizing the techniques of yin and yang, the five elements, and feng shui.
The fourth stage: During the Tang and Song dynasties, Zhou Yi and Yi Chuan began to integrate and develop, and new schools and ideas such as Yi Xiang Xue, Yi Mathematics, Yi Lixue, and Yi Xin Xue appeared, combining Zhou Yi and Yi Chuan with Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and other ideas, forming the characteristics of diversification and integration.
Conclusion:
Zhou Yi and I Ching play an extremely important role in Chinese cultural traditions and are one of the treasures of Chinese civilization. In a broad sense, the Book of Changes is a general term that includes the Lianshan Yi, the Guizang Yi and the Zhou Yi, while the Zhou Yi in the narrow sense refers to the book Zhou Yi. These three ancient books of change differ in time, content, and philosophical thought, but together they form the cornerstone of the Chinese system of Yi learning.