Oriental Health Aesthetics: The Time of Professor Qiu Zhenglun’s Explanation of the Book of Changes(21）

This afternoon we will review the entire system as a whole. First, the introductory section of I Ching aesthetics—essentially the prologue—incorporates what was covered this morning. Our first topic is the fundamental structure of the I Ching.

The composition of the I Ching begins with “the single stroke that created the world,” evolving into “One generates Two, Two generates Three, and Three generates all things,” as described by Laozi. How does the I Ching elaborate on this? “One” refers to the Great Ultimate (Taiji). The Great Ultimate generates Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang generate the Two Poles (Liang Yi), the Two Poles generate the Four Symbols (Si Xiang), the Four Symbols generate the Eight Trigrams (Bagua), the Eight Trigrams determine fortune or misfortune, and from fortune or misfortune arises great achievement.

What constitutes the I Ching ? It begins with a single line—divided into solid (Yang) and broken (Yin) lines—as established by ancient sages. These differentiate into the Four Symbols. The Two Poles are simply Yin and Yang. Notice that everything beyond this is symbolic: “Liang Yi” (Two Poles) is symbolized by two complementary forces. The Four Symbols are the Azure Dragon (Qinglong) to the east, White Tiger (Baihu) to the west, Vermilion Bird (Zhuque) to the south, and Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) to the north.

From the Four Symbols emerges the Eight Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Kun (Earth), Zhen (Thunder), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Xun (Wind), Li (Fire), and Dui (Lake). Superficially, these represent natural phenomena—heaven, earth, thunder, rain, wind, mountains, fire, and lakes. Yet once integrated into the I Ching system, they transcend nature and become embodiments of human culture.

By overlapping the trigrams, we form the 64 hexagrams. Further expanding these yields 384 individual lines (Yao). The foundational symbols—the solid (Yang) and broken (Yin) lines—are human-defined constructs. Within the trigrams and hexagrams, odd numbers signify Yang, while even numbers signify Yin. “The alternation of Yin and Yang is called the Dao,” and the Dao is the One (Unity).

In the diagram, Qian (Heaven) occupies the upper position, representing the sky, while Kun (Earth) rests below, symbolizing the earth. The upper position corresponds to the south, the lower to the north. The Azure Dragon on the left signifies the east, and the White Tiger on the right signifies the west.