From the hexagram images to the judgments, to the commentary on the decisions, the commentary on the images, and the line statements, only then can we understand the auspicious and inauspicious signs. What does this mean? It means that by comprehending the virtues of the divine and classifying the nature of all things, we must gradually engage in deep questioning, study, and understanding of the judgments, decisions, images, and line statements mentioned above. Through this process, we come to know the auspicious or inauspicious implications of each line position and each image position. The first step is to observe the beauty of capturing images—observing things to derive their images. This differs from the Western aesthetic view, which is called plastic arts. Thus, when we apply this theory, we classify all Chinese calligraphy and painting as plastic arts. Plastic arts prioritize design first. Didn’t some students mention this the other day? Design comes first—this is how it is in the West, where design plans are created in advance. However, when we look at calligraphy today, especially exhibition-style works, they are often designed beforehand, making it difficult to express the true sentiment of spontaneous writing. Let me explain how to observe things and derive their images. Art requires imagination. Does calligraphy, as an art form, require imagination? What do you think? Of course, it does. Let’s explore this term. Why is it “imagining elephants” (想象, xiǎngxiàng) in Chinese? Why not “imagining dogs,” “imagining chickens,” “imagining cats,” or “imagining cows or horses”? Why specifically “imagining elephants”? This is worth pondering. Let me ask you a question: Henan, our Henan Province, what is its abbreviated name? Yu (豫). How is the character “Yu” (豫) written? Correct. What does this tell us about Henan? Exactly, it was a place where elephants roamed. Archaeological discoveries later confirmed that in Henan, Hebei, and the Central Plains region, many elephant remains were indeed found. However, by the Western Zhou Dynasty or even later, elephants had disappeared from the area. Another story: “Blind Men Touching an Elephant.” Where does this fable originate? “Blind Men Touching an Elephant” is a fable from India. As we all know, India is known as the “Land of Elephants,” right? Think about it: in a place known as the “Land of Elephants,” where elephant herds are commonplace, would such a test question even arise? Could it be that in an ancient Indian kingdom, the king summoned blind men to the scene, brought an elephant led by curious onlookers, and asked them to describe what an elephant looks like?
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