Chapter 2 Biography of the Book of Changes-2

Now let me tell you a story: In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, there was a talented man, the very famous Yuan Mei——Yuan Zicai.He was from the Qianlong era, and his poems are of the spiritual style, which means that modern people advocate saying it casually, without embellishment, with thoughts, spirituality, and feelings, and don't be so rigid. I also agree with it very much.He was opposed by others at the time, but he was indeed a contemporary talent, so he was admitted as a Jinshi, served two terms as a county magistrate, and resigned when he was in his forties.He bought the Grand View Garden in Nanjing, renamed it Suiyuan, and enjoyed a lifetime of happiness. He is truly a world-renowned talent.He hung a pair at the gate of Suiyuan, quite proudly:

There are lofty mountains, luxuriant forests and bamboos, and the people of Sri Lanka have read three tombs, five classics, eight records and nine hills. Another celebrity at that time was Zhao Yi, a famous historian in the Qing Dynasty, a famous poet, and one of the talented scholars. He was very unconvinced and deliberately came to sarcasm.One day Zhao Yi arrived in Nanjing, wrote his name on a red post (the famous post in the Tang and Song Dynasties was called Ci), and personally took it to visit Yuan Mei.It happened that Yuan Mei was not there, and the family greeted Zhao Yi very politely: "May I ask Mr. Zhao for his visit?" He said that I was fine and just wanted to borrow two books.His family asked him what books he borrowed, and he said that he would borrow them to read.Yuan Zicai came back and knew that he was looking for trouble, so he removed the couplet at the door.

Sanfen, Wudian, Basuo, and Jiuqiu, don't say that modern people don't know, even our Mr. Yuan at that time didn't know.What are three tombs?The three tombs are the three changes: Lianshan, Guizang, and Zhouyi.What about the Five Codes?It is the Five Classics, or "Shangshu", Hong Fan Wufu.Basuo is gossip.Jiuqiu is Jiuchou, which is the theory of "Hetu" and "Luoshu".To be honest, Yuan Zicai has read all these things, but if we really want to talk about research, to be honest, he is not very expert.So Zhao Yi came to punish him on purpose to make a fool of him.

What does this story illustrate?It is not so easy to explain the difficulty of reading ancient Chinese books. When we talked about "Xi Zhuan", we talked about the two hexagrams of Qian and Kun at the beginning, and we have talked about these two hexagrams in the past.Lianshanyi begins with Gen hexagram, Gen hexagram represents the mountain, and Xiangshan comes out of the clouds, so it is called "Lianshan Yi", which is the Yi of Shennong era. "Gui Zang Yi" is the Yi of the Yellow Emperor's era, with Kun hexagram as the first hexagram.What we have in hand - "Book of Changes", starts with the two hexagrams of Qian and Kun.

Everyone should know that all hexagrams are a code name, which is symbolic logic to borrow the latest scientific term.But you have to know, you must never say that the symbolic logic of our Chinese culture is "is", and the word "is" is wrong.Symbolic logic is a recently emerging human science, which started in the Soviet Union and is now very popular in the United States.When it comes to the scientific spirit of Western symbolic logic, it can be said that we all had it thousands of years ago in China.For example, our Gua is a kind of symbolic logic, but it would be wrong to say that we are symbolic logic.This is because he does not understand Chinese culture, and it is considered polite to slap him three times. In ancient times, he should be slapped three hundred slaps, because his books have not been read at all.

why?Our ancestors already had it thousands of years ago, and symbolic logic is a new thing that has emerged in less than a hundred years in recent years.We insist on comparing our ancestors thousands of years ago with their cultural grandsons from outside: "Oh! Your stuff is really good, and our Chinese stuff is the same as yours!" Isn't this a joke!This is unreasonable, so everyone should pay attention. Now we turn around and say that whether it is the universe or the eighty-eight-sixty-four hexagrams, borrowing from the emerging concepts of the Western People's Congress, it is a symbol.It doesn't matter whether it is symbolic logic or logical symbols, but if it must be called something, it cannot be defined.

For example, in the two hexagrams Qian and Kun, Qian represents the sky and Kun represents the earth.In terms of people, Gan represents men, and Kun represents women.Take us as an example, Qian represents the head, and Kun represents the stomach.Taking Chinese history as an example, Qian represents the back and Kun represents the front.So it is indeterminate, and it can be placed on any side.Suppose now we take the two hexagrams of Qian and Kun as an example, Qian represents our head, and Kun represents our stomach, just use it as a code name, it is a symbol.If you have to say for sure what the two hexagrams of Qian and Kun are, then you should not learn them at all.Therefore, if you want to learn, you must think what the Qian hexagram represents and what the Kun hexagram represents. If you take it rigidly, you will not be able to understand it, and you will never be able to understand it.Because it applies to any field, whether it is physics or chemistry, this principle must be clarified.But Confucius' report is a general report. The two hexagrams of Qian and Kun represent the physical world of nature, and they are the symbols of nature that represent the physical world.Qian represents the sky, and Kun represents the earth. In our current universe, the two symbols of Qian and Kun represent it.

dignity in culture As far as Chinese characters are concerned, if one thinks that the sky is high above, it is very noble, and the earth below is very humble, very lowly, this kind of view is nonsense, and it should be hit three hundred times.Tianzun is honorable and far-reaching.When we look up at this space, the sky is above; when we reach space, there is still space above our heads, an eternal void, a boundless void.Above us is always lofty and noble, and this is called heaven. The land is very humble, and the humble are close.Especially our human culture is the culture of the big land.People cannot live without the land, the earth and the land are very humble to us.In other words, humility is very shallow, very shallow, very close.Therefore, it is said: the sky is so high and far away, the limitless and boundless space is endless; the earth, our earth, is so closely related to our human culture, very close.After understanding this principle and having this concept, it will be much more convenient to study again.Because our research on this sky, space research, has too much content.Even the study of geophysics is too extensive to describe.Therefore, the ancients summarized it into two simple symbols, so it is said that heaven is respected and earth is humble, and the universe is fixed.

Why is it called settling?Determination is a definite law that cannot be changed.For example, when we stand on the ground, we see the sky above our heads. When we get on the plane, we look up to the sky and see the sky above the void, and it is still the sky when we go out of space. Whatever we step on with our heels is the earth.For example, astronauts have no way to land in space, and they are always spinning.The thing that can be stepped on, down to earth, is called the ground.This law cannot be changed, so the universe is fixed. Well, now we understand that the words "heaven is respected and earth is humble, and the universe is fixed" have so many meanings.If we don't study it and read the text, I can understand it!It's the same as the vernacular!But let's go further!I really don't understand.At the same time, I would like to tell you all that the culture we talk about, where heaven is respected and earth is humble, has a long history.In the past, we saw a young master of a certain family get engaged to a young lady of a certain family. After posting a red post and eating their wedding cake, everyone would say in unison: "Very good, very good! The universe is settled." When the marriage is agreed, the universe is settled. carry on.The ancients wrote on the marriage certificate that "the gods and ancestors of Shangzhaotiandi, the two will be united forever", unlike today's marriage certificate, which is used for future divorce and litigation preparations, there must be an introducer and a notary to prepare It is a custom from Western culture to be a witness in court in the future.

Heaven is respected and earth is humble, and the universe is determined. These two sentences and eight characters show that "Book of Changes" begins with the two hexagrams of heaven and earth.In other words, the law of universe physics has reached human physics, and it has reached earth physics.The following sentences explain why the sky is so respectable and why the earth is called humble, with the two sentences of "high and low", "high and low", and "high and low". When we see Chinese characters, we think of a problem. Today's scholars criticize Chinese characters as illogical without learning much Western characters.Like here, some people will think that it should be the high and the low.Because the high is the sky, and the humble is the earth.The above said that heaven is respected and earth is humble, and the following explanation turned it upside down and said that the humble is superior.Because Chinese characters are different from Western characters, they are independent square characters, and one character represents several concepts and meanings.Now starting with vernacular education, many people do not know Chinese characters.

It takes several Chinese square characters to express a concept.Those who really want to study Chinese culture and Chinese characters will understand many concepts and thoughts if they know Chinese characters and understand these characters.This kind of character knowledge has now become a specialty. The study of Chinese characters only started in universities and research institutes. We started when we were seven or eight years old. It is called philology now, but it was called primary school in those days.So our ancient Chinese etiquette, when entering elementary school at the age of six, is to learn this—why is the word Tian written in this way?Why is the character written in this way?Which part does it belong to?Which range?Words plus explanations are called exegesis; a square character contains the meaning of Liushu, and it will be much more when it is used!Such as the evolution of the shape of the characters and the origin of the meaning of the characters, its fanqie, phonology, etc., constitute a science in itself.Its literal logic is not that of Western vernacular, so it can be used freely.Each character in Chinese characters not only has an independent concept, but also often involves many concepts.No matter how you place it, how you coordinate it, it turns around, and it still has the same meaning when it comes back.Therefore, the interpretation of the second sentence as "abomination and highness" does not affect the individual meanings of "humbleness" and "highness".The sky is so high and far away, immeasurable and boundless; the relationship between the earth and us is so close, so humble, and so related.If Chen is a phenomenon in nature, if we stay there, we can touch it every day in our lives, anytime, anywhere, every second, and every space is close to the sky and the earth.A lofty sky and a near earth are low and low, and they are naturally displayed and placed there. Noble and humble.Therefore, the formation of noble and humble in the human psychological concept, this position is determined.why?Human beings have a big problem. Things that cannot be obtained are always noble; things that are obtained are not precious, despised, and humble.Those who have not made a fortune see money.I always think about it in my dreams; but if I have money, if I have more money, I don’t know how to use the money, I will hate that money, and I will get bored when I hear the word money-of course, boredom is trouble, love is still love. The issue of high and low is due to the importance of human relationships, and the importance of distance and the importance of near.Human beings have psychological problems, like distant things, difficult things, especially things that are not easy to get, so it is difficult but easy.The harder it is, the more difficult it is to obtain, and the more expensive it is. Foreign monks can recite scriptures because they are rarely invited.Therefore, it is said that human relations are difficult but easy, and easy things are despised. "Difficult but easy" It is an ancient text, and I added "emphasis on distance and despise nearness" to it, attaching importance to things that are far away and untouchable, and despising things that are easy to get in front of you. Also, I added "emphasis on death and despise life" to it. Dead people and ancient people are all good, and living people are similar, so there is nothing special about it.Some students often say that the teacher is really amazing.I also joked with them: I am nothing special now. After I die, I will have great luck for three thousand years, and someone will build a temple for me. You’d better reincarnate to be the managers of my temple, and you can use my signboard to make a fortune. !There is nothing strange about being alive, but death is good.If you understand this principle, you will understand the principle of inferiority and inferiority. Therefore, none of the "Gua" is called good, and none is called bad. The same is true for the things in the world. The best thing is what you want but can't get.Everyone read Li Shangyin's poems, people still have that state when they are old: "This love can be regarded as a memory, but it was already at a loss at that time." If two people get married, they may still have a divorce lawsuit in their sixties!There is no such thing as "this love can be turned into a memory".So if you understand the principle of human beings being superior or inferior in psychology, it is like fortune-telling and divination, there is nothing to count or predict. "Those who are good at change do not know divination", after understanding the truth, don't tell fortunes or divination, everything will be understood. Some students who were in business came to me and asked the teacher to make a divination for me.I said what to ask, he said to do business.I said that I have already made a prediction for you, either to make money or to lose money. There are only two ways to make money and lose money, and there is no middle way.You said that you have been in business for three years and have neither made money nor lost money. I said that you have already lost money, and your time and energy have already been lost.Are you asking about taking medicine?Either dead or alive, there is no middle.The same is true for those who are good at changing things.Once you understand this truth, and then read ancient books and Confucius’ articles, you will be even more admired and admired: “Oh! The old master really has a way of Confucius’s articles.” However, his writing is very simplified. If people are now, every two sentences can make a doctoral thesis.You can use a lot of quotations, modern doctoral dissertations are easy to write, cite classics, there are hundreds of reference books from ancient and modern Chinese and foreign countries, especially those reference books that the reviewers have never read, this really scares them; then write When it's over, a thesis is produced, and the degree is also obtained.But after reading this paper, which is hundreds of thousands of words long, all the opinions are written by other people. If you ask your brother what the opinions are, I have no opinions at all.But the ancients were different. He contained so much content in a few simple words.So I say that the text is easy to understand, but the content is difficult to understand.Now we know that the high and the low, the high and the low, are connected to the above eight words, heaven is respected and the earth is humble, and the universe is fixed, which introduces the principles of the universe.