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Chapter 20 of 25
皇极经世
As the most spiritual of all things, humans belong to the category of "walking beings," and "walking" pertains to yin, so the human lifespan takes one hundred twenty years as its norm.
Some categories of things take "days" as their lifespan unit, some count by "months," some by "hours," some by "years," some by "decades," and there even exist things lasting hundreds, thousands, or ten-thousand years. Heaven and earth themselves are also "things," and equally have their fixed numbers.
In the opposing relationships of the hexagrams, a pattern of six yang and six yin always appears. In the I Ching, hexagram pairs matching six yang with six yin total twelve pairs. Excluding the four cardinal hexagrams (Qian, Kun, Kan, Li), pairs of eight yang with four yin and eight yin with four yang each number six. Pairs of ten yang with two yin and ten yin with two yang each number three.
The "circle" symbolizes the stars—does not the calendrical reckoning of years indeed originate from this? The "square" symbolizes the earth—were not the methods of dividing the nine provinces and the well-field system modeled upon this?
The circle corresponds to the numbers of the River Chart; the square corresponds to the script of the Luo Writing. Therefore Fuxi and King Wen created the I Ching based upon them, and Yu the Great and Jizi composed the nine categories of the Great Plan based upon them.
Once the Supreme Ultimate differentiates, the Two Principles are established. Yang descends to intersect with yin, yin ascends to intersect with yang, and the Four Images come into being. Yang intersecting with yin generates the four images of heaven; firmness intersecting with softness generates the four images of earth, whereupon the Eight Trigrams are formed. The eight trigrams interweave with one another, and then all things come to be generated. Thus one divides into two, two divides into four, four divides into eight, eight divides into sixteen, sixteen divides into thirty-two, thirty-two divides into sixty-four. Therefore it is said: dividing yin and dividing yang, alternately employing firmness and softness—thus the I Ching achieves its patterned completeness through the six positions. Ten divides into hundred, hundred divides into thousand, thousand divides into ten-thousand, just as roots generate trunks, trunks generate branches, branches generate leaves—the higher the level, the fewer in number; the finer the division, the more dense. Brought together, all returns to unity; extended outward, it reaches ten-thousand. Therefore Qian governs differentiation, Kun governs convergence, Zhen governs growth, Xun governs diminishment. Growth tends toward differentiation, differentiation tends toward diminishment, diminishment tends toward convergence. Qian and Kun establish fixed positions, Zhen and Xun represent the first intersection, Dui, Li, Kan, and Gen represent the second intersection. Therefore in Zhen yang is few and yin still numerous, in Xun yin is few and yang still numerous, in Dui and Li yang gradually increases, in Kan and Gen yin gradually increases—thus Chen (the direction of Xun) and fire (the direction of Li) do not manifest.
When one qi differentiates, yin and yang are determined. What receives more yang becomes heaven; what receives more yin becomes earth. Therefore when yin and yang are each half, form and substance are both complete; when yin or yang predominates, nature and disposition differentiate. When form and substance further divide, the more yang becomes firm, the more yin becomes soft. When nature and disposition further divide, the more yang becomes the extreme of yang, the more yin becomes the extreme of yin.
Dui, Li, and Xun are those receiving more yang. Gen, Kan, and Zhen are those receiving more yin, so they are employed by heaven and earth. Qian is the extreme of yang, Kun is the extreme of yin, so they do not directly participate in employment.
Qian takes one part from its own four divisions to give to Kun; Kun takes one part from its own four divisions to offer to Qian. Qian and Kun unite to generate the six subsidiary hexagrams (Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, Dui). The three sons (Zhen, Kan, Gen) are all yang; the three daughters (Xun, Li, Dui) are all yin. Dui divides one yang to give to Gen; Kan divides one yin to offer to Li; Zhen and Xun exchange with each other. In synthesis, yin and yang are each half, therefore water and fire both generate and overcome each other, and only then are all things accomplished.
The names and positions of Qian and Kun cannot be altered. The names of Kan and Li can be altered but their positions cannot. The positions of Zhen and Xun can be altered but their names cannot. Both the names and positions of Dui and Gen can be altered.
Li resembles Qian, Kan resembles Kun; Zhongfu resembles Qian, Yi resembles Li; Xiaoguo resembles Kun, Daguo resembles Kan. Therefore the eight hexagrams—Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Zhongfu, Yi, Daguo, and Xiaoguo—are all immutable.
Li resides in heaven occupying the night position, so within yang there is yin. Kan resides on earth occupying the daylight position, so within yin there is yang. Zhen begins to intersect with yin and yang is generated; Xun begins to diminish yang and yin is generated. Dui is yang in its growth; Gen is yin in its growth. Zhen and Dui occupy the yin position of heaven; Xun and Gen occupy the yang position of earth. Therefore Zhen and Dui have yin above and yang below; Xun and Gen have yang above and yin below. From the perspective of heaven's initial generation, yin is above and yang below—this is the meaning of mutual permeation (the union of heaven and earth). From the perspective of earth's completed formation, yang is above and yin below—this is the meaning of established hierarchy between venerable and humble.
Qian and Kun fix the positions of above and below; Li and Kan arrange the gates of left and right. Heaven and earth open and close through this; sun and moon come forth and enter through this. Therefore the alternation of spring, summer, autumn, and winter; the phases of the moon—dark, new, full, and crescent; the changing lengths of day and night; the waxing and waning of celestial motion—none is not determined by this.
Ascending from below is called "rising"; descending from above is called "falling." Rising means growth; falling means diminishment. Therefore yang is born below and yin is born above—thus all things are born in reverse orientation. Yin generates yang, yang generates yin; yin again generates yang, yang again generates yin; thus the cycle continues without end.
The differentiation of yin and yang generates the Two Principles; the intersection of the Two Principles generates the Four Images; the intersection of the Four Images generates the Eight Trigrams; the intersection of the Eight Trigrams generates the ten-thousand things. Thus the Two Principles generate the categories of heaven and earth; the Four Images fix the substance of heaven and earth. The Four Images generate the categories of sun and moon; the Eight Trigrams fix the substance of sun and moon. The Eight Trigrams generate the categories of all things; the doubled hexagrams (sixty-four) fix the substance of all things. "Categories" pertain to the order of generation; "substance" pertains to the intersection of images. To pursue categories, one must root in the logic of generation; to observe substance, one must follow the presentation of images. "Generation" is reverse-inferred from the future; "image" is forward-observed after form has taken shape. Thus sun and moon belong to the same category—arising together yet dwelling apart, in different places yet sharing the same image. Extending this outward, how could any thing escape this framework?
Heaven transforms and earth responds to categories. At the level of time, yin transforms and yang responds; at the level of categories, yang transforms and yin responds. Therefore time can be known by reverse inference, while categories must be accomplished by forward progression. Thus when yang is full, yin follows it; when yin moves counter-current, yang moves along the current.
From the perspective of "substance," heaven divides to become earth, earth divides to become the ten-thousand things, yet the Dao cannot be divided. From the perspective of "ending," the ten-thousand things return to earth, earth returns to heaven, and heaven returns to the Dao. Therefore the exemplary person treasures the Dao.
Wherever there is transformation, there must be response. What transforms within responds without; what transforms without responds within; what transforms below responds above; what transforms above responds below. Heaven transforms and the sun responds to it—therefore the transforming takes heaven as its model, and the responding takes the sun as its measure. Thus days are reckoned by stars, months converge with the celestial mansion [Chen], water is born from earth, fire lies hidden in stone; flying creatures perch in trees, walking creatures depend on grass; heart and lungs are linked, liver and gallbladder belong together—nothing is not the working of the pattern of "transformation" and "response."
What is rooted in heaven draws near to what is above; what is rooted in earth draws near to what is below—therefore "transformation" and "response" constantly exhibit a relationship of opposition.
Yang intersecting with yin generates the category of hoofed and horned beings (walking animals); firmness intersecting with softness generates the category of rooted and stemmed beings (plants); yin intersecting with yang generates the category of winged creatures (birds); softness intersecting with firmness generates the category of branches and trunks (trees). Heaven intersects with earth, earth intersects with heaven—thus there are those born with feathers that can walk (like the ostrich), those born with feet that can leap; within grasses there are woody varieties, within trees there are herbaceous varieties. Each extending according to its category, the kinds of living beings are nothing more than this. Walking creatures are suited to activity below; flying creatures are suited to activity above—this follows from their respective categories.
Creatures of the land inevitably have their counterparts in water, like reflections in a mirror. The land abounds in walking creatures; the water abounds in "flying" forms (those that dart swiftly)—this is the effect of "intersection." Therefore what is great on land is necessarily small in water; what is great in water is necessarily small on land.
The fur of tigers and leopards resembles grass; the feathers of eagles and hawks resemble trees.
Wood is the child of the stars, therefore fruits manifest the patterns of the stars.
Leaves pertain to yin; flowers and fruits pertain to yang. Branches and leaves are supple while roots and trunks are firm.
The human body is massive in structure and complex in its organization; the tree's trunk is massive with dense branches and foliage—both correspond to the numbers of heaven and earth.
The body of moving beings (animals) is horizontal; the body of planted beings (vegetation) is vertical. Humans should by nature be horizontal, yet are instead vertical—this itself is also an effect of "intersection."
Flying creatures have wings; walking creatures have digits. Human hands correspond to wings; human feet correspond to digits.
Flying creatures eat the fruits of trees; walking creatures eat grasses. Humans possess both, and moreover consume both flying and walking creatures—therefore humans are the most honored among all things.
The substance of all things must undergo "intersection" before it can be generated. Thus yang intersecting with firmness generates the heart and lungs; yang intersecting with softness generates the liver and gallbladder; softness intersecting with yin generates the kidneys and bladder; firmness intersecting with yin generates the spleen and stomach. The heart generates the eyes, the gallbladder generates the ears, the spleen generates the flesh, the kidneys generate the mouth, the lungs generate the bones, the liver generates the flesh (note: the original text states "the liver generates the flesh," though the spleen also generates flesh—this may be a scribal variant), the stomach generates the marrow, the bladder generates the blood. Therefore Qian corresponds to the heart, Dui to the spleen, Li to the gallbladder, Zhen to the kidneys; Kun corresponds to the blood, Gen to the flesh, Kan to the marrow, Xun to the bones; Tai corresponds to the eyes, Zhongfu to the nose [translator's note: the original is missing this character, supplemented here based on context and the imagery of the I Ching], Jiji to the ears, Yi to the mouth, Daguo to the lungs, Weiji to the stomach, Xiaoguo to the liver, Pi to the bladder.
Heaven and earth have eight images; humans have sixteen images. Why? Because it is the union of heaven and earth that generates humans, and the union of father and mother that generates children—thus there are sixteen images.
The heart resides below the lungs; the gallbladder resides within the liver. Why? When discussing "nature," one must attribute it to heaven; when discussing "substance," one must attribute it to earth. Within the earth there is heaven; within stone there is fire—thus the heart and gallbladder image this. The heart and gallbladder hang in an inverted position. Why? Plants and trees are the substance of earth, and humans and plants are all born in reverse orientation (the head pointing downward as the fetus in the womb)—therefore the heart and gallbladder hang inverted.
The mouth and eyes are horizontal; the nose and ears are vertical. Why? This is the manifestation that "substance" must intersect. Animals should be vertical yet are instead horizontal; plants should be horizontal yet are instead vertical—these are all effects of "intersection."
Heaven has four seasons, earth has four directions, humans have four limbs. Therefore through the joints of the fingers one can observe the way of heaven; through the patterns of the palm one can examine the principles of earth. The principles of heaven and earth are fully present within the finger joints and palm—how could one not hold this in high regard!
The spirit governs through the heart, qi governs through the kidneys, form governs through the head. Form and qi intersect while spirit presides within—this is the way of the Three Powers.
The four limbs of humans each have meridians; each meridian divides into three sections; each section has three indicators—corresponding to the numbers of heaven (heaven takes nine as its measure).
The heart stores the spirit, the kidneys store essence, the liver stores the soul, the gallbladder stores the animal spirit.
The stomach receives food and digests it, transmitting qi to the lungs, transmitting blood to the liver, and transmitting the fluids of grain and water to the bladder and intestines.
This chapter constitutes the essential outline of Shao Yong's philosophy of "observing things," whose central axis of thought can be distilled into the following layers:
I. The Mathematicized Schema of Cosmic Generation
Shao Yong describes the process of cosmic generation as a strict sequence of binary division: Supreme Ultimate → Two Principles → Four Images → Eight Trigrams → Sixteen → Thirty-two → Sixty-four. This is not mystical fabrication, but a rational attempt to understand the generation of all things through the logic of binary progression. Each level of "division" follows the principle of symmetrical interweaving between yin and yang, firmness and softness.
II. The Symmetry of Yin-Yang Intersection
"Transformation" and "response" are the core paired concepts in Shao Yong's philosophy. Any transformation necessarily elicits a corresponding response—inner transformation responds to outer, lower transformation responds to upper, heavenly transformation responds to the sun. This resonance is not externally imposed but is the natural unfolding of a thing's own nature. Yin and yang, firmness and softness, inner and outer, above and below—all attain the meaning of their existence through "intersection."
III. The Distinction between "Category" and "Substance"
"Category" pertains to the order of generation (the vertical sequence of time); "substance" pertains to the intersection of images (the horizontal structure of space). Pursuing categories must root in generation; observing substance must follow images. This is the core epistemological method of Shao Yong: from the logic of "generation," reverse-infer the unmanifested; from the presentation of "images," forward-view the already-formed.
IV. The Homology between Humans and Nature
The organs, sense organs, and limbs of the human body are incorporated into a corresponding network of the eight trigrams and even the sixty-four hexagrams. The heart corresponds to Qian, the kidneys to Zhen, the lungs to Daguo, the liver to Xiaoguo… This correspondence is not mere analogy, but is based on the ontological presupposition that "heaven and earth unite to generate humans": humans and the cosmos share the same origin and structure, thus humans can serve as a "miniature model" for observing heaven and earth.
Viewed within the contemporary context, Shao Yong's cosmological system can be re-examined from multiple dimensions:
From Systems Theory, the "Way of Transformation-Response"
"Where there is transformation there must be response; what transforms within responds without, what transforms without responds within"—this discourse aligns remarkably with the concept of "feedback loops" in modern systems theory. In any complex system, changes in one variable inevitably trigger responses in related variables, with internal and external factors mutually constraining and shaping one another. Shao Yong captured the core feature of systems thinking with the category of "transformation-response" a millennium ago.
From Fractal Geometry, "One Divides into Two"
The description of "one divides into two, two divides into four, four divides into eight… the greater the level, the fewer in number; the finer the division, the more dense" bears striking resemblance to the characteristic of fractal geometry in which structures continuously recur at progressively finer scales. The branching of trees, the tributaries of rivers, and the networks of blood vessels all follow the hierarchical differentiation pattern of "root generating trunk, trunk generating branch, branch generating leaf." Without the tools of modern mathematics, Shao Yong intuitively grasped the self-similarity of natural structures.
From Biological Taxonomy, "Category" and "Substance"
Shao Yong's classification of things by "one-day beings, one-month beings, one-hour beings, one-year beings" is in essence a typology of life organized by temporal scale. In contemporary ecology, the power-law relationships between species' life cycles and their body size and metabolic rates echo Shao Yong's observation that "what is great on land is necessarily small in water"—implicit here is a profound intuition about ecological niches and morphological adaptation.
From Holistic Medicine, "Zangfu Hexagram Correspondences"
Mapping the organs to the eight trigrams should not be understood as simplistic mystical correspondence, but as a functional classification system. The heart belongs to Qian (pure yang, command), the kidneys to Zhen (vitality, initiation), the lungs to Daguo (exchange, opening-closing)… This classification focuses on the functional role of organs within the overall life activity, rather than their anatomical position. In an age when systems biology is ascending, this function-oriented approach to organ classification has acquired new significance.
Observing the "Transformation-Response" Chain in Things
In modern life, when confronting complex problems (such as organizational management, investment decisions, or ecological conservation), one can employ the "transformation-response" framework to build an analytical structure: ① Identify core variables; ② Anticipate the response chains elicited by change; ③ Distinguish between "inner transformation eliciting outer response" and "outer transformation eliciting inner response"; ④ Formulate targeted adjustment strategies. For example, organizational restructuring (inner transformation) inevitably triggers passive adjustments in market strategy (outer response); conversely, changes in the market environment (outer transformation) inevitably pressure internal structural adjustment (inner response).
Understanding the Rhythm of the "Rising-Falling" Cycle
"Rising means growth; falling means diminishment"—all things possess rhythms of growth and decline. In career planning, recognizing the principle that "yang is born below" suggests that new growth points often sprout at the base or the margins, not at the summit. In personal development, the "yin" state of a trough period is often the necessary phase in which the next "yang" cycle accumulates its force.
Viewing the Homology of Humans and Plants from "Reverse Birth"
"Humans and plants are all born in reverse" —this perspective implies a non-anthropocentric conception of life. Humans do not stand above nature but share the same generative principle as plants and trees. In the context of ecological civilization, this thought provides support from classical Chinese philosophy for the concept of a "community of life between humans and nature."
The Micro-Observation of the "Finger-Joint Principle"
"Through the joints of the fingers one can observe heaven; through the patterns of the palm one can examine the earth"— If this statement is liberated from divinatory practice, it actually suggests: macroscopic laws can be perceived through microscopic structures. Just as a geologist reads hundreds of millions of years of tectonic transformation from the texture of a single rock, a manager discerns the underlying logic of organizational culture through the microscopic interactions of frontline employees. "Perceiving the great through the small" is not only a wisdom but also a trainable methodology.
The Holistic Standpoint of "The Dao Cannot Be Divided"
"The heavens divide and become the earth; the earth divides and becomes the myriad things, yet the Dao cannot be divided. In the end, all things return to the earth, the earth returns to the heavens, and the heavens return to the Dao." This statement contains profound holistic thought. Although the cosmos undergoes layer upon layer of differentiation, the "Dao" as the most fundamental unity always runs through all levels of differentiation. This is also why Shao Yong could follow the path of "exhaustively investigating principle, fully realizing nature, and thereby reaching destiny": from any single thing, one can return to the source of the "Dao."
The Dialectical Wisdom of "Use Through Non-Use"
"The Qian hexagram reaches the extreme of yang, and the Kun hexagram reaches the extreme of yin; therefore they are not employed." This is an excellent annotation for understanding the spirit of "the great function of the useless" in Chinese philosophy. The reason the apex of yang and the apex of yin are "not employed" is precisely like the North Star in relation to the starry sky—it itself appears "unmoving," yet it is the coordinate origin for all motion. True power does not display itself at the level of "function" but silently supports from the level of "substance."
Structural Thinking of "Opposition" and "Complementarity"
"The opposition of hexagrams all consist of six yang and six yin"—opposition is not antagonism but a kind of structural complementarity. Six yang and six yin form twelve pairs; this pairing is not accidental but is based on the necessary constraint of yin-yang balance. Philosophically, this means that opposites are not things to be eliminated but necessary conditions for structure to be established. Without yin, yang loses its meaning; without opposition, unity cannot be discussed at all.
The Ethical Implication of "Humans Being Most Noble Among All Things"
"Humans embody all of these yet also consume flying and walking creatures; therefore they are the most noble among all things"—Shao Yong believed that the reason humans are the noblest among all things is not because of some supernatural divinity but because humans, at the level of "category," encompass the characteristics of the flying, walking, and plant categories alike (two hands resembling wings, two feet resembling claws, and consuming both vegetation and flying/walking creatures). This "nobility" is not a privilege but a comprehensive responsibility. The special position of humans among all things derives from their ability to integrate the potential of all things, and this capacity simultaneously entails greater responsibility.
| Concept | Dimension of Relevance | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Hetu and Luoshu | Mathematical origin | Shao Yong traces the images of the circle and square respectively to the numbers of the Hetu and the text of the Luoshu, holding that the study of Changes and the Hongfan share this common origin |
| Fuxi's Prenatal Eight Trigrams | Hexagram sequence system | The yin-yang attribute analysis of the eight trigrams in this chapter is based on Shao Yong's prenatal trigram orientation theory (Qian south, Kun north; Li east, Kan west) |
| Twelve Sovereign Hexagrams | Waxing and waning of yin and yang | The logic of yin-yang waxing and waning described in "Zhen first intersects with yin and yang is born; Xun first dissolves yang and yin is born" is consistent with the generative mechanism of the twelve sovereign hexagrams |
| Najia Theory | Assignment of stems and branches to hexagrams and lines | The correspondence between hexagrams and organs and the body, in methodology, extends from the Han dynasty tradition of the Najia theory that correlates hexagrams and lines with the myriad things |
| Visceral Manifestation Theory in Chinese Medicine | Organ function | "The heart stores spirit, the kidneys store essence, the liver stores the soul, the gallbladder stores the animus" corresponds to the visceral manifestation theory of the Huangdi Neijing; "the stomach receives things and transforms them" is related to concepts such as the spleen governing transportation and transformation and the qi transformation of the Triple Burner |
| The Way of Three Powers | Heaven-human isomorphism | "Spirit is unified in the heart, qi is unified in the kidneys, and form is unified in the head" corresponds to the three-power structure of heaven, earth, and humanity |