In this study, an effort has been made to try to clarify the important philosophical value of the 『I Ching』 and the essence that the author of the book had tried to convey. The essence means the important principle and core metaphysical concept. F...
In this study, an effort has been made to try to clarify the important philosophical value of the 『I Ching』 and the essence that the author of the book had tried to convey. The essence means the important principle and core metaphysical concept. For that purpose, it is necessary to understand the ancient Confucian philosophy and its historical circumstances. The sentences of the『I Ching』 of the pre-Qìn era was analysed. The original text of the『I Ching』 was interpreted and analyzed in terms of the four virtues: sentence(辭), change(變), shape(象), and divination(占). This is called a 'sentential study(繫辭的 硏究)'. The objects of the study are zhòng-zhēng(中正) and shí-zhòng(時中) which are the core philosophy of the 『I Ching』.
To be more precise, ① the『I Ching』 is explained by general, philosophical, and transformative interpreting systems and the meaning of the zhòng-zhēng and shí-zhòng is also examined. ② The sentence, change, shape, and divination of 6.2. and 9.5. yáo by which the zhòng-zhēng was acquired had been analyzed and classified into the fortune(吉) and misfortune(凶). Thus the dual meaning of the zhòng-zhēng has been studied. ③ The core concepts of the 『I Ching』 including shí(時) were analyzed through the sentential study, and the meaning of the shí in a context of variety in the expressions of the shí has been defined. At the same time, it is explained that the zhòng-zhēng and the shí-zhòng are two different concepts.
The definition of the shí is not just time as if the definition of the zhòng is not just middle. The metaphysical meaning of the tĭ(體) and the yòng(用) in the『I Ching』 is explored through the sentential interpretation of the『I Ching』 on the basis of the structure and philosophical consideration of the guà-yáo(卦爻).
In the『I Ching』, the shí-zhòng is a concept of which the yīn(陰) and yáng(陽) are balanced. The change(變易) is the representation of the universe and nature, and the tiān-shí(天時) and sì-shí(四時) are presented as the evidences. The principle of the circulation and change never pauses and it is the reason for the nature and the universe to do what they do by doing nothing. The shí-zhòng in the『I Ching』 is the highest stage that one can do nothing by doing anything. The shí-zhòng is a combination of the shí and zhòng-zhēng, so the shí-zhòng includes ‘rén-yì-zhòng-zhēng(仁義中正)’ which is the human morality and is the principle of lètiān-zhīmìng(樂天知命). This is the way to follow when a human attempts to become a saint. The shí-zhòng in the『I Ching』 contains the philosophy of oneness of the heaven and humans. The philosophy is contained in the principle of tài-jí(太極) which is called the principle of the generation of the universe. It is 'the highest tao without thinking' that exists in the harmony of the heaven, earth and humans(天地人).