The I Ching offers us a wonderful way to enter the primeval era of our ancestors' creation. By restoring and empathetically understanding their wisdom of measuring the world, we can gain a deeper insight into the simplicity, changeability, and unchanging nature of the I Ching. The idea of "simplicity" is all about being pure, single-minded, and free from distractions when understanding the world. "Change" is about seeing the world from a changing perspective. And finally, "unchanging" is about embracing the fact that the only thing in the world that never changes is change itself! It's only by adapting to change that we can stay true to ourselves. This world of constant change and rebirth is actually unchanging.

Once you understand the I Ching's underlying logic, it's like opening a door to a whole new world! Jung said something really interesting about this. He thought that the I Ching only focused on chance and not on law, which seems a bit one-sided to me. He didn't fully appreciate the experience and even rational thinking of the I Ching.

Let's dive a little deeper into this together and see where it takes us! As we chatted about earlier, the ancient folks started with one simple step and used a pole to measure the shadow to observe the stars. They had some pretty smart ideas!

The start of the month is called "shuo," which is the day when the moon is hidden and can't be seen. The beginning of the year is the winter solstice, which is a really special time! Isn't it fascinating that it takes 19 years for the winter solstice and the day of the new moon to fall on the same day? The ancients had a lovely way of referring to this as "one chapter." So, chapter basically means the meeting of the sun and the moon, which marks the end of a period. The ancients placed a lot of importance on the number nineteen. Zhuangzi was so devoted to the way of heaven that he repeated his fables nineteen times! And there's more! Chapter also has the meaning of alternating patterns, the chapter method, regulations, articles, and music.

In the time system of our ancestors, four chapters were equal to one "蔀." (sū), which was made up of the radical "艸". (cǎo) and the component "部" (bù). It took 81 chapters, or one "tōng," which is a really long word! (tǒng), for the winter solstice and new moon to begin at midnight on the winter solstice in 1539. After the cycle of the Three Unifiers, it is the time of the One. In 4617, the Winter Solstice, the Day of the New Moon, and the Day of the Rat will all begin at midnight, at the beginning of the night. This is the One, and it's also the meaning of the great time we often refer to as "the beginning of the year and the renewal of all things."

If the winter solstice is the relationship between the sun and the earth, and the new moon and dawn are the relationship between the moon and the earth, then the day of the cycle is the observation and naming of heaven and earth by us humans! We could say that this is the "logic of humanity." Isn't it fascinating that the time period needed for the heavens, the earth, and humans to start at midnight on the same day is called the "yuan"? This is how the Chinese culture understands the meaning of "great unification" and "starting from the bottom" in terms of time and space.

This amazing "big time system" wasn't just stumbled upon through experience. It was carefully crafted through reason, hypothesis, observation, and verification. In other words, this is the Chinese people's way of understanding time, full of the scientific spirit. As for how this time harvest affects us as individuals and as a civilization, we're still learning and don't yet fully understand. It's possible that our ancestors didn't fully understand the significance either, but this grand principle still shines over the top of culture and history. It lets us know that our ancestors had wisdom and achievements that went beyond just using things for practical purposes.

Chinese culture is not only grand and meaningful in this way; its methods are also effective on a micro level, which is pretty cool. Take the Chinese system of time measurement, for instance. In this system, five days is considered "slight," while fifteen days is seen as "significant." This is what we often refer to as "seeing the significance in the slight." The Chinese have a wonderful way of understanding the 360-odd days in a year. They see that the endless interplay of yin and yang can give rise to unique human landscapes. Yin and yang are the parents of the four symbols of shaoyang, taiyang, shaoyin and taiyin. These four symbols are like siblings, and together they give rise to the eight trigrams of zhen, li, dai, qian, xun, kan, gen and kun. And it doesn't stop there! The eight trigrams also give rise to the eight seasons of the four seasons and the two equinoxes and solstices. As time marched on, our ancestors made a big change. They went from hunting and fishing to farming.

As our ancestors expanded their farming methods from dry and extensive to paddy field and meticulous, they made an amazing discovery. They realized there was a special relationship between the fifth and fifteenth days of the eight solar terms! This is what they say: "observe the heavens to understand changes in time; observe human culture to change the world."

After rediscovering the I Ching through the clues of time, I was so excited to write The Book of Time and The Book of Festivals! I'm so happy to say that both books were recommended for the Wenjin Book Prize and have also received a certain amount of attention in society. This just goes to show that my grasp of solar terms and festivals is recognized by many people, which is such a wonderful feeling!

Part 2

We've just tried to understand the important value of the I Ching from the outside, from a macroscopic perspective. Now, let's dive into the text of the I Ching together to get a feel for what this classic is all about.

Since the legendary Fu Xi created the eight trigrams, the I Ching has been through a lot! It's been through the "Lianshan Yi" of the Yanhuang era and the "Guicang Yi" of the Yao-Shun-Yu era, which was still in circulation until the Shang Dynasty. These were the cultural achievements of the tribal hunting stage and the matriarchal society stage, respectively. In the Zhou Dynasty, the wonderful "Zhouyi" made its appearance! King Wen of Zhou made some changes to the original Bagua created by Fu Xi. He replaced Fu Xi's innate Bagua with the later Heaven Bagua and reordered the 64 hexagrams that make up the Bagua. It's said that King Wen performed the "Yi" and that King Wen and the Duke of Zhou put together the hexagrams of the I Ching. Once the Zhouyi came along, the Lianshanyi and Guicangyi took a little step back to let it shine.

Back then, the I Ching had just 64 hexagrams, along with inscriptions for each of the six lines. In other words, there were 64 hexagram inscriptions and 384 line inscriptions! These inscriptions were super helpful for the ancients! They not only described the state of the 64 hexagrams, but also served as a manual for their actions. Take the hexagram of the most famous one, "Qian," for example. Its text is "Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen." The text of the six lines is an explanation like "Qian Long Wu Yong" and "Kang Long You Hui." It's so lovely to see how these hexagram texts are there to offer people guidance and support. The hexagram text of the "Tun" hexagram is even more obvious: "Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen, Wu Yong, You You Wang, Li Jian Hou." Isn't that fascinating? It means you can achieve great things! One of the hexagrams of the "Tun" hexagram says, "If you chase a deer into the forest without a guide, it is better to give up than to go on, for you will be sorry." It's also making a suggestion, and it's a great one! It's specific, clear, and really vivid. It's a gentle reminder that if you chase a deer into the forest without a guide, it's probably best to give up. We've all been there! It's also a way of saying that if you act rashly without the necessary conditions, you might end up making a mistake. So, you see, the I Ching is like an application manual that the ancients couldn't live without!

The I Ching is a wonderful tool, but it can be tricky to understand. With only 450 sentences and lots of symbols, it can be difficult for anyone to grasp its meaning. It can be tricky to connect all the dots between the 400+ sentences. When people read the I Ching, they often just pick up on a few words and phrases to guess and make connections. This is just one of the many ways you can use the I Ching. It can be connected to anything! Because of something called "survivor bias," people feel like this connection makes total sense.

Confucius was really touched when he studied the I Ching in his middle years. He even said, "If I had a few more years, I could learn the I Ching by the age of 50 and there would be no major problems." Historical records tell us that the Master loved the I Ching when he grew old. When he sat, he sat on a mat; when he walked, he walked with a staff in his hand. The Master loved the I Ching when he grew old. He studied all the different parts of the I Ching, from the hexagrams to the text, diagrams, explanations, and even the ancient language! He was so devoted to the I Ching that the leather binding of his books broke three times! Later on, Confucius shared all of his wonderful insights from studying the I Ching with his dear disciples, including Zixia.

By the time the Qin and Han dynasties rolled around, these works of Yi learning had been passed down for ten generations! This is recognized in the history of Yi learning as the "Ten Wings," which were written by Confucius and his disciples for the Zhouyi. They are called "Tuan Shang Chuan," "Tuan Xia," and so on. And there's more! We've got "Chuan", "Xiang Shang Chuan", "Xiang Xia Chuan", "Xi Ci Shang Chuan", "Xi Ci Xia Chuan", "Wen Yan Chuan", "Shuo Gua Chuan", "Xu Gua Chuan" and "Zha Gua Chuan"! These ten works are lovingly known as the "Yi Zhuan." Together with the text of the "Yi Jing," they are known as the "Zhouyi."

The "Yi Zhuan," which is attributed to Confucius, is a helpful summary of the "Yi Jing." It helps us understand the meaning of the "Yi Jing" more clearly. To put it another way, the text of the Yi Jing is a bit all over the place. Of all the texts, the "Xie Ci Zhuan" is the one that really gets me thinking. I truly believe that this text is the pinnacle of Chinese people's thinking before the Qin dynasty. It's a truly remarkable piece of Chinese culture. The "Shuo Gua Zhuan," "Xu Gua Zhuan," and "Zha Gua Zhuan" are some great texts that explain the 64 hexagrams. The remaining Tuan Zhuan and Xiang Zhuan are great resources for learning more about the 64 hexagrams. Let's take the lovely "Qian" hexagram as an example. The Tuan hexagram's literal meaning is: Oh, how great the origin of the Qian truly is! It's the beginning of everything, and it rules the heavens! It gives rain and sends the clouds, arranging the flow of all things, just like a kind and caring friend. It's bright and constant, and when the six positions are complete, it rides the six dragons to control the heavens. The wonderful way of the Qian is always changing, but everything always finds its perfect place, and the great harmony is always maintained. It's really beneficial and true! It's the first thing that shows up in our lives, and it brings peace to everyone! The first trigram hexagram is all about the power of positive action! It says that when we strive for self-improvement, we can achieve great things.

When it comes to the order of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, most people know that it starts with Qiankun, followed by the hexagrams of Tun, Meng, Xu, Song, Shi, and so on. The lovely "Preface to the Hexagrams" says: The first two hexagrams are Qiankun, which represents the world and the sky. Everything else in the I Ching comes between these two, so to speak. So, the third paragraph goes on to say "Tun." The "Tun Gua" hexagram is all about embracing the fullness of life. It's the period when things begin to emerge and take shape, and it's a truly beautiful time! Once things are born, it's important to help them grow and learn. That's why the next one is the "Meng Gua." The name of the "Meng Gua" hexagram means enlightenment and education. This shows us that things are still in their early stages and are just beginning to grow and develop. The name of the "Xu Gua" hexagram is all about the joy of eating and drinking for health. And as we all know, the pursuit of food, drink, enjoyment, wealth, and status will inevitably lead to disputes over more or less and the need to discuss fairness. So, the next topic we'll explore is the phenomenon of people rising up to compete. And the most intense competition is war. And then we come to the "Division of the Teacher," which explains the principles of war.

We might not all see eye to eye on the order of the "Preface to the Six Trigrams," for instance. I think I understand the order of "The Beginning of Heaven and Earth, 屯蒙," but I'm not sure why the "Division of the Teacher" is linked to the "Division of Contentions." In the ancient world of universal harmony, and in the modern world of each taking what they want, don't we all just want to avoid contention? I'm also wondering why the hexagram of litigation is followed by the hexagram of the teacher.

It's hard to pinpoint a general reason for this sequence, but it's been used throughout the history of the I Ching study! I've been doing a lot of research on the I Ching, and I've come to appreciate this hexagram sequence as a literary or aesthetic thing, but I don't really agree with it.

I studied the I Ching from a chronological perspective and discovered something really interesting. It seems that time has its own order! After reading all the wonderful works of I Ching experts like the brilliant Professor Pan Yuting, I found that the existing books couldn't give me any more clues, so I went online to search for more materials. I was really inspired by some netizens who used binary as an entry point. Later on, I came across some really interesting I Ching articles by Zhang Zhen from Shaanxi. They combined the ideas of the Han Confucians in a really fascinating way. It was like a lightbulb moment! I suddenly understood that the I Ching is actually a kind of hexagram calendar, a summary of all the news and phenomena that have happened in time and space. The binary system helped me see that the Han scholars had made a little mistake when they settled on the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. So many things became clear!

Many people have chatted about the connection between the I Ching and time. Some have seen the eight trigrams as a journey of the sun rising in the east and setting in the west throughout the day, while others have viewed them as a path of the moon. I've found that it's easiest to think of the I Ching in terms of a solar year.

The eight trigrams are the eight solar terms that have been known for thousands of years. Spring begins with the vernal equinox, which is when the sun crosses the celestial equator and the days start to get longer. Summer begins with the summer solstice, when the days are longest and the sun is highest in the sky. Autumn begins with the autumnal equinox, when the days start to get shorter again. Winter begins with the winter solstice, when the days are shortest and the sun is lowest in the sky. The 64 hexagrams are another way of dividing the eight trigrams. They help us to see the 365 days of the year in 64 different modules, each with more than five days.

Just picture the sun moving back and forth between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn! When the sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer, it's the "Kun hexagram," which corresponds to the winter solstice. This is the day when the harsh winter in the north begins, so it's a good idea to be extra cozy and warm!

As the sun's direct point starts to move back from the Tropic of Capricorn to the north, it first enters the "Fù Guà" cycle, which means "returning." This is such a lovely, welcoming sign! This cycle includes the lovely hexagrams "朋来无咎"! (meaning "friends will come without fault") and "出入无疾" (meaning "there will be no illness when going in and out"), which is exactly the lovely tradition of the Chinese giving red envelopes towards the end of the year. I think it's also worth mentioning that in recent years, people have been paying more attention to their health around the winter solstice, which is great!

Another great example is that as the sun's direct point continues to move north for some time, the Chinese welcome in the Jingzhe solar term, which corresponds to the "Li" hexagram in the 64 hexagrams. It's so lovely to see the animals waking up from hibernation! But we humans haven't yet started large-scale farming. Our ancestors had to make a living, so hunting was the best way to do it. Let's dive a little deeper into the hexagram of "Li" and the shape of the character "离." (Li) both have the lovely meaning of "net." And guess what? The hexagram has a similar meaning too! The hexagram says, "Keep female cattle, and you'll be blessed with good luck." It's that time of year again! The cows are pregnant and easy to catch.

Spring is just around the corner! The sun is directly overhead at the equator, marking the spring equinox and the 64th hexagram of "The Hexagram of the Same Person." The "same person" we're talking about here is all about the start of spring planting. It's a great time to bring folks together to work in the fields!

And then, the lovely sun's direct point crosses the equator and continues to move north, which is the "損卦." (損, loss), which corresponds to the days after the vernal equinox and before the Qingming Festival. The "損卦" is a really interesting one! (損, loss) is all about embracing the ups and downs of life. It's always a joy to welcome guests from the countryside with a hearty feast. But during the period before Qingming when food is in short supply, it's also a kind gesture to offer a simple yet sincere meal of two big bowls.

By the time summer rolls around, it corresponds to the "Tai hexagram." I'm sure we've all heard the saying, "When things are at their worst, they will turn for the better." This is a wonderful time of prosperity for all things in the world! The sun is getting closer and closer to the Tropic of Cancer! And there's a special hexagram called "Gua." This "Gua" is the right half of the character for "decision," which symbolizes the decisive battle for the harvest before the summer solstice.

When the sun directly shines on the Tropic of Cancer, it's the summer solstice! This is when we celebrate midsummer in the northern hemisphere. It's the perfect time to enjoy the sunshine and all the beauty the season brings. As the saying goes, "Everything reaches a limit and then reverses itself." After the summer solstice, even though the temperature keeps rising, it's not as fast as it was before. It's like the momentum can't be sustained.

Have you ever thought about how many interesting things can happen in a year? For instance, the "Li Gua" period is around March 8th, which is International Women's Day. The "Da Zhuang Gua" period is around June 1st, which is Children's Day. The "Lü Gua" period is around October 1st, which is National Day. And the "Huan Gua" period is about the autumn flood. It's really quite fascinating to think about how the position of the 64 hexagrams in the year reflects the ancient Chinese people's knowledge of mathematics, agricultural production, and the memory of the time of year.

Gu Yanwu was a wonderful thinker from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. He once said that "more than three generations ago, everyone knew astronomy." What a beautiful sentiment! It shows that in ancient times, people had a deep connection with the heavens and all things. It's so sad that for thousands of years since Confucius, everyone has lost communication with the heavens. This means that many of us only think about things in the Zhou Wenwang Gua Xu, and we respect the I Ching from afar or mystify it. You know, everyone can have a dialogue with the I Ching if they want to!

After finishing my interpretation of the I Ching, I thought of so many famous modern and contemporary Chinese people! Sun Yat-sen, Lu Xun, Hu Shi, Chen Duxiu, and Wang Guowei—they were all such fascinating people! I thought it would be fun to substitute them into the 64 hexagrams! Wang Guowei is the lovely "Guan hexagram." His name was Guantang, and his wonderful book was called Guantang Jilin. And Lu Xun is the "Dun hexagram." "Find a cozy little spot and stick together, no matter what season it is." Hu Shi is the "Kun hexagram," and the message is that tolerance is more important than freedom. Sun Yat-sen is the "Cui hexagram," who sees the feelings of all things in the world with a loving heart. ... I'd love to substitute world-famous people: Einstein is the "Ge hexagram," which means he's a great thinker. Kant, Shakespeare, and others are the "Jui hexagram," which means they're wise and insightful. Churchill is the "Guan hexagram," which means he's a strong leader. These historical figures really brought the hexagrams of the I Ching to life! And the hexagrams of the I Ching gave us a great overview of their personalities and life fortunes. I've found the source code for each of these folks! In other words, each of us is born with a special password from heaven and earth. This is the beautiful yin-yang relationship between time and space at that time. The lines represent the hexagram, and the Chinese characters express the name of the hexagram.

The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching are like 64 beautiful forests, with all the branches, flowers, and fruits connected to the human heart. It can also be seen as 64 systems in time and space. If we think about time and space in terms of the binary system, it makes sense that they must have generated 64 parts! The great thing about these 64 parts is that they're not fragmented. They're connected and echo each other, which is pretty cool! We all belong to one of these 64 systems! This is what I mean when I say that each of us receives one sixty-fourth of the knowledge and energy from one solar year. We're all in this together! No one is omniscient. Everyone has the wonderful fortune of enjoying the unique characteristics of the time and space to which they belong. Let me give you some examples. Lu Xun was a "Duan Gua" person, who rejected everything throughout his life. Hu Shi's life was related to the "Kun Gua." Salinger was an "Yi Gua" person, who lived a reclusive life and educated the public. And the physicist Stephen Hawking's way of existing was the "Tun" character. As we chatted about earlier, the meaning of the "Tun Gua" is to be fulfilled and to create. As the saying goes, "Even if I am locked in a nutshell, I still consider myself king of the infinite." Even though Stephen Hawking has spent most of his life in a wheelchair, he still managed to make some pretty amazing achievements in physics!

After the publication of Big Time, some friends said, "You only wrote about time, not space." The I Ching is all about change, but it also has a great understanding of space. I was really excited to discover that the 35th parallel north is actually in the "Li" trigram, which in the I Ching system represents civilization. I divided the Earth's equator into the eight trigrams at a latitude of 90 degrees north of the equator and found this out! Just a little further north is the lovely "Zhen" trigram zone at about 40 degrees north latitude. This is also the earthquake zone of the northern hemisphere. "The emperor comes from the shock, unites with the south, meets with the separation, assigns tasks to the earth, speaks words to the mouth, fights on the stem, labors in the abyss, and completes words in the mountain." I think it's fair to say that the separation and shock belts are the 'lucky latitude belts' of the northern hemisphere, as praised by modern Western scholars.

When I was measuring space, I found that the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching were really useful, especially when it came to understanding ourselves better. We all have a natural preference for how we orient ourselves in space. It's not something we choose, but rather a result of how our bodies and minds interact with the world around us. The Chinese have a soft spot for the south, but it's interesting to see how many people still live their lives with a north orientation. Some folks live in the east, but why do they like the west so much and like to stay up late? Have you ever wondered why parents want to switch seats with their children in the classroom? These questions are all about how we like to live our lives in space. I came across the nine palace eight trigrams diagram for this reason, and the name, which appears in martial arts and traditional Chinese martial arts, has actually become one of my favorite discoveries! I still find it really interesting to think about!

The I Ching is actually a concept of "big time," which I find really fascinating! It's a model of the universe that was discovered by chance during the childhood of Chinese culture. It's an original concept of time and space! So, it's used in all kinds of ways! On a small level, it teaches us to avoid harm and seek gain. On a large level, it teaches us how to view life. And on an even higher metaphysical level, it teaches us how to deal with the relationship between man and nature. Feng Youlan once said something really lovely. She said, "The I Ching is like a basket. You can put anything in it." This is both to say that it is versatile and, to some extent, one of the reasons it has been mystified and demonized.

We'll wrap up our discussion of the I Ching here, but we'll pick it back up again soon!

I think the I Ching has so much potential for future use! It's probably one of the most important contributions the Chinese people have made to human civilization. I'd also like to mention Carl Jung and others who have found inspiration in the I Ching. I think it would be wonderful if the I Ching could provide more concrete results and guidance for each of our lives! If the logic behind the mobile Internet, which we all use every day, is 0 and 1, which is the world created by the mathematical binary system, then the logic behind the I Ching is yin and yang, which is the world created by the mathematical binary system and other multi-bit systems. I really hope that more people will work towards this goal, because I think using the I Ching to understand the world should be a major topic in the civilized world.