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By Jiu Yang Lecture one: Brief introduction to the elementary knowledge of Chou Yi Section one: The origins of The Book of Changes Yi, also called The Book of Changes, is the most outstanding one among The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Rites, The Book of Changes, and The Spring and Autumn Annals. Chou Yi has three different names during Xia, Shang and Chou Dynasty.It¡¯s called Lian Shan during Xia Dynasty, Gui Zang during Shang Dynasty, and Chou Yi during Chou Dynasty. ¡°People of Xia Dynasty named the Hetu got by Fuxi as Lian Shan, People of Shang named the Hetu got by the Yellow Emperor as Gui Zang, People of Chou named the Hetu got by Sir Lieshan as Chou Yi.¡±, Yu Hai cites Shan Hai Ching as proof. Lian Shan and Gui Zang have been lost and only Chou Yi has been preserved. Sectio n two: Brief introduction to Chou Yi Some experts think that Chou Yi is the most outstanding one among all of the books and the precursor of traditional Chinese Culture including ancient philosophy, divination science, prediction science, information science, system science, morality science and cosmic algebra, and so on. Chou Yi, the source of Chinese Culture, has great influence over astronomy, geography, meteorology, calendar, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, martial arts, practicing Dan, way of keeping in good health, philosophy, history, literature, art, education, folklore, psychology, ethic, military affairs, religions, divination, Feng Shui, etc. In traditional view, Yi has three meanings. Qian Zao Du of Yi Wei by Zheng Xuan says, ¡°The word ¡®Yi¡¯ has three meaning: easy, changeable and unchangeable.¡± He thought that the easy means the virtue, the simple and the easy helps one establish the virtue, and be no superfluous or confusing, so it¡¯s the easy; what can be changeable is Qi, the Qi can¡¯t be flowed if universe can¡¯t change, so it¡¯s the changeable; what can be unchangeable is position, such as, the heaven is up, and the earth is down; the monarch faces the south when sitting, the ministers, the north; the son will knee down when his father is sitting. All these can¡¯t be change, so it¡¯s the unchangeable. The theory of Zheng Xuan is typical and inherited by many historical scholars. ¡°The form of the compound Chinese character ¡®Yi¡¯ consisting of the two parts sun and moon is a pair of Yin and Yang¡±, recorded in Understanding of Characters and Literature,and so is the meaning of Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi. The explanation of Yi in dictionary contains lizard, exchange, change, easiness, repair, etc. Yi can be explained by only one word--change. The Eight Diagrams is composed of negative Lines and positive Lines, Chinese character--Yi consists of the upper part sun and the lower part moon. And the form of it is Yin and Yang, the sun is Yang, and the moon, Ying, which expounds the change law of everything by the growth and decline, rise and fall, change of Yin and Yang, so do the congenital Eight Diagrams and the acquired Eight Diagrams. Chou Yi is a book on philosophy and the natural law and can be applicable to everything in the world because it tells not only one divides into two and two combine into one, Yin and Yang, but also positive and negative, the negation of negation. Section three: Content of Chou Yi Chou Yi consists of Yi Ching and Yi Zhuan. Yi Ching consists of the first Ching and the second Ching, the first Ching consists of thirty diagrams; the second Ching, thirty four diagrams, each diagram consists of six grams except heaven and earth consisting of seven grams, (heaven diagram use nine, and earth diagram, six; the gram here is not really gram, but the action of it is similar to gram, so call it gram. In fact, it¡¯s a mysterious gram.) There are altogether three hundred and eighty six grams (this number equals the days of bissextile year of Chinese traditional calendar. Each diagram has form, name and explanation). There are total four hundred and fifty explanations of diagrams and grams and five thousand words. It is said that the explanations of diagrams are written by King Chou Wen, explanations of grams are writen by Duke Chou. Yi Zhuan, a famous philosophical writing consists of Tuan composed of the first part and the second part, Xiang composed of the first part and the second part, Xi Ci composed of the first part and the second part, Wen-yan, Shuo Gua, Xu Gua, Za Gua total ten articles. Yi Zhuan explains the Yi Ching and is said being written by Confucius and his disciples. It also can be understood that Confucius¡¯ disciples arranged his articles and explanations of Yi Ching for this book. Shuo Gua of Chou Yi says, ¡°Grasp
the theory thoroughly, perfecting and making full use of one¡¯s original
spirit, and life too.¡± We should follow a great teacher to cultivate
and practice Qigong to cure diseases, improve health and prolong
life. All of us want to be longevity, why not go ahead with it?
Lecture
two :Theory of Yin and Yang Yin and Yang, a pair of concept of ancient Chinese philosophy, is summarization of the unity of opposites of natural things and phenomenon. Theory of Yin and Yang, which illustrates the law and the root of the change of things by representing two aspects of the unity of opposites of things with Yin and Yang, is a simple philosophical theory on materialism and dialectics. From the standpoint of it, the appearance, change and development of all things should be due to the movement of the Qi of Yin and the Qi of Yang. This is the world outlook and methodology of the ancients. Section one: The origin of theory of Yin and Yang and the source of Qi of Yin and Qi of Yang 1. The origin of theory of Yin and Yang. The basic doctrine of Yi Ching is the theory of Yin and Yang, the basic symbols of Eight Diagrams are Yang gram ¡°¡ª¡±and Yin gram¡°- -¡±.Combine one or two of them for three times, resulting in eight different form¡ªEight Diagrams. It¡¯s originally called Lian Shan Yi during Xia Dynasty. ¡°Yin and Yang is what is called ¡®Tao¡¯¡±, says in Chou Yi. The various schools of thought and their exponents from the spring and autumn to warring-states period developed the theory of Yin and Yang very well with this point. It¡¯s applied to medicine to explain many biological phenomena in The Internal Classic of Yellow Emperor. ¡°Yin and Yang is the Tao of the heaven and earth, the rule over all things, the root of changes, the origin of life and death, the residence of wisdom. (Study of Yin and Yang of Su Wen) 2. The source of Qi of Yin and Qi of Yang. Xi Ci of Chou Yi says that Yi is that Taiji produce two appearances, two appearances produce four forms, and four forms produce Eight Diagrams. ¡°The movement of the world origins from one¡±, it also says. What¡¯s moved is the Qi of Yin and Yang, the one is Qi, means Taiji. Tao Te Ching says ¡°Tao produce one, one produce two, two produce three, three produce all things.¡± The one is Taiji, the Qi of Taiji. One produce two, Taiji produce two appearances, the two and the two appearances mean Yin and Yang, two can be called two appearances of heaven and earth, two and two appearances are also Qi of Yin and Qi of Yang, the Qi of Yin and Qi of Yang produce four forms -- old Yin, old Yang, Young Yin and Yang Young, and then, four forms produce Eight Diagrams and all things. Yin and Yang exists in the visible and macroscopic things, the invisible and microscopic things and the state of field in mysterious-origin. The state of field of the one Qi produces, changes, decides and drives the state of field of the two Qi, and consequently decide and dominate the change and development of all things, making the world rich and colorful. Section two: Specific characteristic of Yin and Yang 1. The unity of opposites of Yin and Yang The same as the unity of opposites of contradiction mentioned in The Theory of Contradiction by Mao Ze Dong, Yin and Yang is opposite and contradictory, meanwhile, a unity that can¡¯t be separated, and if it¡¯s separated, the opposite character will lose, contradiction will vanish, and things will not be able to develop, change or go on. 2. Interdependence between Yin and Yang The opposite aspects existing in things or phenomenon, are opposing and complementary, one aspect is prerequisite to another, such as there is no Yin if no Yang, or no Yang, no Yin; no heaven, no earth; no man, no woman; no left, no right; no day, no night, etc. 3. Growth and decline of Yin and Yang The opposite aspects existing in things or phenomenon, are moving and changing, and always in the state that as one growing, another declining, or one declining, another growing, which maintains the normal development and change of things. Xi Ci says, ¡° The phenomenon that Day turns into night, night turns into day, it turns hot into cold, or cold into hot are all the growth and decline of the change of space-time. 4. The characteristic of the transformation between Yin and Yang The transformation means Yin and Yang, two kind of different attribute of things and phenomenon, under given conditions, can be changed into the reverse. A good example, the course of failing ill, is the transformation from Yang to Yin, owning to the upsetting of balance of Yin and Yang; the course of recovery, is the transformation from Yin to Yang. 5. The universality of Yin and Yang In our world, Yin and Yang exist in anything, anywhere, from the small to the large, the inside to the outside. 6. Yin and Yang embrace everything The big Yin-Yang body embraces numberless small Yin- Yang bodies, and the small body embraces numberless much smaller Yin-Yang bodies, so it¡¯s numberless. 7. Inter-comprehension of Yin and Yang Yin contains Yang and Yang contains Yin; you contain me and I contain you, empty contains reality and reality contains empty. 8. Multiple levels of Yin and Yang There are many different levels in the field of Yin-Yang from the biggest Yin-Yang body to the smallest, such as, the universe is a Yin-Yang body, so is the Galaxy, the solar system, the Earth, human body, life, viscus, cell, molecule and atom, etc. The characteristic of
Yin and Yang is too numerous to be counted, the exposition above
is aimed to being knew, understood, discriminated, applied and grasped
Yin and Yang better.
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