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APPENDIX V.
Treatise of Remarks on the Trigrams.
Chapter I. 1. Anciently, when the sages made the Y1, in order to give mysterious assistance to the spiritual Intelligences, they produced (the rules for the use of) the divining plant.
2. The number 3 was assigned to heaven, 2 to earth, and from these came the (other) numbers.
3. They contemplated the changes in the divided and undivided lines (by the process of manipulating the stalks), and formed the trigrams; from the movements that took place in the strong and weak lines, they produced (their teaching about) the separate lines. There ensued a harmonious conformity to the course (of duty) and to virtue, with a discrimination of what was right (in each particular case). They (thus) made an exhaustive discrimination of what was right, and effected the complete development of (every) nature, till they arrived in the Yi) at what was appointed for it (by Heaven).
Chapter I, paragraphs 1-3, treats of the rise of the scheme of the Yi from the wonderful qualities of the divining plant, the use of certain numbers, and the formation of the lineal figures.
P. Regis translates paragraph 1 by- The ancient (sages), the most excellent men, were the authors of the Yi-king, in making which they were assisted by an intelligent spirit, who for their help produced the plant called Shih.
But the text will not admit of this version, nor have I found the view given in it in any Chinese writer. It is difficult to make up one's mind whether to translate —the sage,' or 'the sages.' Khung Ying-Lâ contends that the writer had Fa-hsî and him alone in his
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| SR No. | 007676 |
| Book Title | Text of Confucianism Part 02 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | James Legge |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1882 |
| Total Pages | 2405 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 43 MB |