The Book of Change begins with efforts to find ways to resolve one’s own curiosity and to overcome difficulties in human being’s way of life, that is, activities in the nature and society. Human beings have attempted to find grounds and rationale ...
The Book of Change begins with efforts to find ways to resolve one’s own curiosity and to overcome difficulties in human being’s way of life, that is, activities in the nature and society. Human beings have attempted to find grounds and rationale of their own activities and results of those by relying on rules or phenomena of nature, in the process of determining and resolving problems of human history such as fortunes. And nature has played a role as a kind of two-way entrance in interest relationships such as relationships between human being and nature, human being and human being, and human being and society. They have guided and improved lives of human beings, or livings and conditions thereof in historical horizon in the world of space and time, through using concepts such as negative and positive, five elements, eight trigram, and sixty four trigram.
Hexagram-lines of the Book of Change is a record of history of rise and fall and process thereof between Eun Dynasty and Ju Dynasty. It especially contains condensed efforts and factors affected on success and failures when establishing Ju Dynasty led by Mun King, Mu King, Ju-Gong, and Seong King. This article focuses on historical aspect and factual relationships reflected in the Hexagram-lines of Ju-Yeok. Historical method is a research method that is recently getting attention when studying the Book of Change. Using this method, this article attempts to examine historical events contained in the Hexagram-lines. According to this historical method, the Hexagram words is a history book that recorded historical events of Ju Dynasty in a form of a fortune book. Thus, focusing on historical features of the Book of Change, this article will explore historical events and contexts as historical records thereof condensed in the hexagram words and explain these through matching with historical events of Ju Dynasty.
There have been special relationships between the study of fortune-telling and the study of history. Although these two belong to different categories, in terms of the study of Chinese classics, there have been close relationships between these two studies. Both studies pursue to figure out and understand historical knowledge of the society and comprehensive principles of development of the society.
Historical knowledge in this context means a knowledge of historical events or persons. The study of fortune-telling and the study of history can be said to be on the same way in that these two pursue developmental processes and principles of history general through these knowledge. That is, the study of fortune-telling converts its own issues into cases through the study of history; and the study of history accumulates its own theory through the study of fortune-telling.
In the Chinese study of history, traditionally, way of thinking based on the study of fortune-telling has been deemed as to be the highest principle; and many people tried to accomplish it in discussions of history. The study of history, especially, is a study suggesting developmental steps and principles of whole history based on changes in the society, history of institutions, and activities of historical figures.
Among other research methods, this article uses historical research method. This method is getting the most attention recently, and bearing many fruits. This study will examine historical aspects and meaning of contents of the Hexagram-lines of the Book of Change based especially on research findings of Dae-Yong Lee’s A New study on the Book of Change. Lee thinks the Hexagram-lines as a record of achievements of Ju Dynasty’s Mun King, Mu King, Ju-Gong, and Seong King, developmental process of Eun Dynasty’s perishment caused by Ju Dynasty, and causes of success and failures in the process. Lee’s research is an achievement of researching the study of fortune-telling through completely integrating 『Ju-Yeok』 and the study of history.
Also, a method of interpreting the Book of Change is to interpret and explain original meaning of the Book of Change by setting the time period in which the Book of Change was written as historical backgrounds. This is to examine historical events through social life, custom, and productivity at the time and related documented resources, and to suggest implications of the Hexagram-lines, in order to recover original meaning of the Book of Change. Exposition and selection of letters are used as methods for disclosing implications of the Hexagram-lines based on historical records. Historical materials, especially, have important meaning as means for interpreting the Hexagram-lines. It is to study the Book of Change and historical perspective of rise and fall, historical perspective of circulation, and historical perspective of change, in terms of issues of the study of history. Historical research method has worked as metaphysical mechanism with tradition and diversity, while passing through long historical processes. It emphasizes process of ‘situations’ and ‘changes’ in the relationship between self and others. Opened system with wholeness that is revealed in this process, traditionally, can be understood as self-organizing of human society. Especially, it traditionally worked as interactive substantial mechanism such as supreme ultimate, yin and yang, and Five elements, and re-interpretation of these has contributed in understanding of dynamics and directivity of human society.
The Ultimate goal of the Book of Change is to make better lives through estimating continually changing problems in real by a method of fortune-telling. It is a product of human being’s examination of creation and changes of all nature and realization of principles and methods of life. It is very complex and difficult matter to describe ancient China in which dynasties rose and fell several times. Despite of the fact, a task reviewing process of ancient history and its origin would be good example, guidance, and lesson for us who are living in a modern society.