In the "Biography of Zhou Yi and The Genealogy", it is said: "The Yi has the four ways of the saints: the one who speaks still has his words, the one who moves still changes, the one who makes the instrument still has his image, and the one who makes the instrument still has his possession." It can be seen that "Bu Zheng" is one of the important functions of Zhou Yi. "Bu Zheng" is also what the common people usually call "counting gua". The first thing to say is that "Bu" and "Zheng" are not the same thing. "Bu" is to use tortoise shells or animal bones burned on the fire, and after burning, observe the lines produced to make predictions. That means, in fact, it is similar to what we see now. The "master" said, "Beauty, put your hand out and show you a palm." "What are you looking at? It is also the texture of the palm. This is actually "Bu", you see this "Bu" word, is not like the shape of your "career line" (cracks, cracks) ? The algorithm of "Zhou Yi" is different. It is calculated using 50 yarrows, so it is called the "basket" method. The "Zheng" method of "Zhou Yi" has been completely preserved, and it is recorded in the "Yi Chuan", if you are interested, you can find detailed operation methods on the Internet, and even videos of real demonstrations, I will not repeat them here. Observe the gua xiang obtained after the yarrow calculus, and then combine the meaning of the gua and the word, and then make predictions. To be honest, an algorithm like looking at cracks and looking at palms, I can't really think of any practical significance. And is the "Zheng" method of "Zhou Yi" also fooling "good men and believing in women"? Does it make sense, can it say why?
As we know, those who study the Zhou Yi are generally divided into two factions: the Yili school and the Xiangshu school. In people's minds, the "righteous rational school" is talking about "reason", and the purpose is to expound the philosophy behind the trigram and the word. The "Xiangshu School" is to calculate the future and predict auspiciousness through guaxiang and arithmetic, which is what we often call "counting". It is reasonable to say that the two factions take a completely different route, a bit like Mr. Jin Yong's Huashan Sect Sword and Qi Erzong, and they should fight each other for their lives. But this is not the case. Anyone who studies "elephant counting" knows such a sentence: "To learn the work of Bu Bu, you must first read "Yi"." "If you don't read "Yi" well and read it thoroughly, your "fate" is not accurate. The masters of the "Yi Li School" are said to be very rational, paying attention to the word "reason" in everything, but strangely, they often "calculate". Is there really any rationality in this "calculation"? Or is it that their theory is nothing more than "fortune telling", so it is just a mystery?
Let's first take a look at Confucius, the "originator" of the "Yi Li School", who is said to have written yi Li's "Yi Chuan" profoundly, and his old man said that he should "worship ghosts and gods and stay away". But he often "calculates". The most famous is the one when he "got the "Ben" by himself" and "was not happy". And the "On Heng Bu Zheng" also records an interesting "counting gua" experience: Lu will cut yue, Xiao Zhi (this "筮" character is used very accurately), and get "Ding Fold Foot" ("Ding" 卦九四爻). Zigong Zhanzhi thought it was fierce. Why? Ding folds the foot and uses the foot, so it is called fierce. Confucius thought it was auspicious, saying: "The more people live in the water, the boat does not need to be enough, so it is called auspicious." "Lu Vayue, Guo Kezhi." Look, such a big thing as fighting a war also depends on "fortune telling", which is not at all like the rigorous style of his old man, and not only calculates it himself, but also leads his disciples to study it together as an academic. However, from this matter, we can also see that his "calculation" is based on a deep understanding of the words, and it actually seems to be very "reasonable".
In him, the so-called "easy reason" and "elephant number" boundary seems very blurred. Zhu Xi, such a big master of the "Yi Li School", did not speak well of "Reason", but thought that "Yi" was originally the book of Bu Zheng", so in his great work of righteousness, "Zhou Yi BenYi", the first chapter of the opening chapter made a complete set of Rituals of Bu Zheng, called "Li Yi", including the selection and arrangement of the yarrow room, the placement and specifications of the yarrow, the dress and position of the yarrow, etc., and even the color of the yarrow bag was exquisite, and the mouth also had to be carefully chanted: "The false Ertai is constant, and the fake Ertai is constant... ...。 It's almost like "thinking about it" feeling. In his case, a serious "science of science" is very unserious.
At the same time, the masters of the "Xiangshu Sect" who "sought against the heavens and the earth and conspired against the ghosts of men" also did not fall behind in the study of ideology and politics (philosophy) for a moment. The famous Ibu expert of the Three Kingdoms period, "Shen Bu" Guan Ren has a wonderful performance in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms": when Guan Ruan was a child, Lang Yan Tai Shou Shan Zi Chun heard about Guan Ren Daiming, summoned him to meet him in the palace, and talked with more than a hundred people who could speak, talking about Yi Li, it is said that Guan Ruan'an drank three liters of alcohol after this wěi talked, and his words were exquisite. Zi Chun repeatedly discerned difficulties, and replied like a stream, from dawn to dusk, wine and food could not be eaten. In the end, the crowd was impressed. It can be seen that the "Divine Bu" is so profound in its attainments. There is also Mr. Shao Yong, the mr. Kang Jie, who is said to have written two "elephant number" masterpieces of "Huangji Jingshi" and "Plum Blossom Easy Counting", who is not only a master of easy counting, but also a master of Northern Song Dynasty science.
So many examples have been given to let everyone know that the divination of "Zhou Yi" is based on Yi Li. The so-called "numerology" ultimately comes down to the "righteousness". Just like the example we gave last time, "The house of goodness will have a remnant, and the house of the unkind will have a remnant", it seems that numerology is still "righteousness" after all. As it is said in the Sayings of the Gua Chuan, "Harmony is in accordance with morality and righteousness, and exhaustion of reason is so that life is lived." At present, some of the so-called masters of the "YiLi School" and the "Xiangshu Sect" do not communicate with each other, and they do not interact with each other. "Academic theory" believes that elephant numbers are feudal superstitions, not easy to learn authentic. The "Xiangshu School" believes that the people of science only know how to find chapters and excerpts, and do not peek into the mysteries of "Zhou Yi". What has been done has really become a "sword and qi dispute", and I don't know whether it is superficial and narrow. Therefore, there are fewer and fewer quasi-masters of calculation!
Huashan pie
So, how to correctly view the Bu Zheng of "Zhou Yi"? Where is its truth, and how can it be accurate? We'll talk about that in the next issue.
Finally, I hope that my friends who are concerned about me will be able to understand. Because the original thing was time-consuming, just in time for the computer to malfunction, the mobile phone pulled an article, the speed is slower, scratch I am dizzy. So there have been no updates for many days. Originally, I wanted to discuss the sixty-four trigrams with everyone one by one, but I could only push back, first to clarify some conceptual things. Then let's take it slowly. In short, the "Zhou Yi" thing has to be tasted slowly and urgently.