Symbols of change

The I Ching is the book of changes. It is also a book of symbols. In fact, before it became a book of written language, the I Ching existed in a form of symbols only. Symbols are displayed as gua. (In Chinese, gua means hanging up, i.e., hanging up for people to see.)

According to ancient Chinese cosmology, there was nothing before creation. It is called Tai Chi. Eventually Tai Chi differentiated into two primary energies, the yang and yin. The ancient sages used a solid line (—) to represent yang, and a broken line (- -) to represent yin.

After the two primary energies were generated, they started to interact. Four interactions are possible (yang-yang, yin-yang, yang-yin, and yin-yin). These four forms of yang and ying energy continued to interact and generated the eight primary gua. (In Chinese, ba gua, ba means eight.)

The names of the eight primary gua are symbols as well. The ba gua can be memorized with the help of an ancient verse:¹

• (1) Qian, the initiating Heaven, has three lines unbroken.
• (8) Kun, the responding Earth, has three lines broken.
• (4) Zhen, the arousing Thunder, is like a cup standing upright.
• (7) Gen, the stable Mountain, is like a bowl lying inverted.
• (2) Dui, the joyous Lake, has an open top.
• (5) Xun, the penetrating Wind, has a cracked bottom.
• (6) Kan, the dangerous Water, is firm in the center.
• (3) Li, the clinging Fire, is disconnected in the middle.

The eight primary gua, in turn, generates sixty-four hexagrams. Recognizing them, comprehending their symbolism, helps one to understand the advice from the I Ching.

The ancient sages observed the different phenomena in the universe and created the gua. By examining the symbolic meanings of the qua, they were able to understand the changes of the phenomena. The attributes of the eight primary gua are summarized in the table below.²

	Name	Symbol	Function	Key to change
1	Qian	Heaven	initiating	firm
8	Kun	Earth	responding	yielding
4	Zhen	Thunder	moving	arousing
7	Xun	Wind	penetrating	dispersing
6	Kan	Water	sinking	moisturizing
3	Li	Fire	clinging	radiating
7	Gen	Mountain	standing still	resting
2	Dui	Lake	delighting	pleasing

The ancient sages used symbols, no words, when they created the I Ching. Over centuries, words were appended to the symbols. Gradually the meaning of the symbols became obscure. Yet the symbols are as important as the words.³ Each gua is dense in symbolic meaning, but succinct in style.

The I Ching promotes symbolic thinking and understanding through analogy. I think the attributes of the gua are analogous to the characteristics of living processes. Here is an example: Initiating and Responding are the first and the second hexagram of the I Ching. Already Fulfilled and Not Yet Fulfilled are the last two hexagrams. After sixty-four successive changes, pure yang and pure ying change into the two most harmonious and balanced hexagrams. Every thing or event in the universe is in a process of seeking harmony and balance. After this is attained, a new cycle of disharmony and imbalance begins.⁴ This is one of the lessons learned in the book of change.

Notes
1. Alfred Huang, The Numerology of the I Ching: A Sourcebook of Symbols, Structures, and Traditional Wisdom, Chapter 1.
2. Ibid.. Columns 2, 4 and 5 in the table are from Chapter 2. Columns 1 and 3 are from Chapter 3.
3. Ibid., Chapter 4.
4. Ibid., Preface.

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