The steps of I Ching analysis are the reverse of the steps of refinement; we analyze by breaking down. The format for this study is:
The concept of level membership comes from the interpretation of the I Ching as a book showing paths of refinement.
In the analysis phase, the study of inner and outer trigrams as part of a hexagram has been refined to the level of the study of inner and outer hexagrams. This is not accomplished via a 12 line symbol,but via the manner in which the trigrams are analyzed. This is accomplished via specific ordering of the trigrams due to a change in levels, achieved as a result of refinement where we 'move' from the thought world (ideals) to the senses world (material).
This movement is not that well documented in the many versions of the I Ching and I suggest that it's discovery by the author is based on extending the concept of refinement. This process suggests alchemy, and the text containing the details is part of the 'Ten Wings', or commentary text, developed well after the 'raw' I Ching. This text was written at a time when alchemy was developing as part of the foundations of Taoism.
To summarize, in the traditional I Ching there are two 'arrangements'. One is called the primal, or world of thought, arrangement or Sequence of Earlier Heaven and credited to the mythological originator of the I Ching, Fu Hsi (Circa 3000 BCE). The other is called the Inner World , or world of senses, arrangement or Sequence of Later Heaven and is credited to King Wen (circa 1100BCE).
Fu Hsi's arrangement correlates with the manner in which we have generated the hexagram system shown in figure 4 of the previous page, based on the concept of complements.
Using King Wen's arrangement we have an alternative system, outlined in shown figure 6 below. The latter's trigram order, starting from the trigram in the 'West' position and moving clockwise replaces the trigram order in figure 4, one for one, on the same 'template'. This sequence is then used to generate the hexagrams for this new 'level'. The method of hexagram generation for both systems is the same, starting with the leftmost trigram as a base trigram and building up eight sets of eight hexagrams.
-- -- ------ ------ -- -- -- -- ------ -- -- ------ -- -- ------ -- -- -- -- ------ ------ ------ -- -- ------ -- -- ------ -- -- ------ ------ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ Fig 6 - King Wen sequence - first eight hexagrams. The trigram sequence for the top position is the base for generating the full sequence.
These systems cause the assigning of subtle variations in meanings to every hexagram. The Fu Hsi system is based around complementarity and balance and has a structural bias in that hexagrams stand on their own. The King Wen system is based around a temporal bias and in this system we introduce the flow of hexagrams. This can be seen in the order of diagram 6 where on the left we have the hexagram for birth - The Arousing, and on the right we have the hexagram for death - Keeping Still; the latter being the gateway back to the 'primal' level. As for the thought (Fu Hsi) level, the senses (King Wen) level can be taken literally as well as metaphorically.
The hexagram/line relationship is part of the author's analysis and is developed from trigram analysis within a hexagram. It arises from the author's questioning of the 'traditional' approach to a 'changing' line, this being a line that is supposed to be in the process of changing to it's complement (i.e. yin into yang). Basically if a line is supposed to be changing within a hexagram then we read the comments supplied in the text about the line change as well as the text regarding the hexagram created by the change:
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64 32
(01) (44)
What we find, is that there is little, or no, relationship between the meanings of the traditional line comments given for the changing line (line 1 of hexagram 64) and the resulting hexagram (32). However, using the author's analysis method, a simple step is added that shows the influence of a hexagram on the line comments. This step is to interchange the trigrams of the newly created hexagram. In the above, this gives us:
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64 32 60
(01) (44) (09)
The logic for this is that, in a hexagram, the bottom trigram symbolizes OUR inner and the top trigram symbolizes OUR outer, but for an external influence, which is what can cause change, these points of view would be reversed, OUR inner would be seen as THEIR outer. This simple change in perspective brings to life the traditional line comments within the I Ching since it suggests the possible foundations of their creation; upto now credited to the 'intuitive' meditations of The Duke of Chou, circa 1000 BCE. (This is in fact the base level of a hierarchy of hexagram influences; see the last half of the home page for more details).
In the traditional I Ching, excluding the comments, we find only the hexagrams and their names as well as some text called 'The Judgement'. The additional texts, including the changing line texts, were added sometime after the appearance of the original text. These additions span from 1000BCE to 100CE, and are grouped under a common title, 'The Ten Wings'. The I Ching in it's common form of hexagrams, hexagram names, judgement text, image text (a wing), and line change text (a wing), was in use circa 600BCE. At no time has there been any description of the meaning of an unchanging line in a hexagram; a hexagram was taken as a whole; no details were given to the meanings of the lines in the symbol other than the meaning when a line changed and the meaning of the position the line occupied (begin/middle/end etc).
The ability to associate a hexagram meaning with a specific changing line in another hexagram introduces the possibility of finding influences on a line that does not change. This is simply done by assuming that, if a hexagram is directly associated with a changing line, then that hexagram's complement must be associated with the line when it is not changing. This simple association introduced a further level of refinement, for, this associates a hexagram pair with the possible states of a single line. This suggests that the pair also has an association with the line position in the hexagram.
By associating a hexagram pair with a line position we associate the pair's meaning with the position. Since the lines of the hexagram symbolize levels of refinement within the whole hexagram, the meaning of the top line (the last level of refinement) should be found to be associated in some way with the name of the hexagram (The former is the finished product, the latter encompasses both the product and the steps to it). This does infact seem to be the case. This fact reinforces this author's line/hexagram association and suggests that either (a) the pattern was developed within the original (primal) I Ching but became explicitly 'lost' over the early centuries or (b) the pattern was part of a possible 'word of mouth' tradition, or (c) the pattern is an emergent property, a consequence of the manner of construction and therefore unobserved in the past.
The I Ching means "Book of Change". As refinement progresses so the current state transforms into the next state. As far as yin/yang is concerned, this incorporates the possible changing of a yin line into a yang line at the next level, or the possible mutation of the current line into it's opposite. In this scenario, the format of refinement changes. By treating each hexagram as a specific path of refinement, one can actually analyze the steps involved. These steps lead to a refined form, however, external influences can manipulate the process causing subtle variations, or even gross changes, to occur. A yang line, symbolizing expansion, my be influenced to reverse to contraction, as a yin line ,symbolizing contraction, may be influenced to reverse to expansion.
Being able to determine the overall influences on a specific line of a hexagram means that models of these influences varying the characteristics of a line are easy to create and study.
For example, the base line of hexagram 64(01), The Creative is influenced by hexagram 5(16), called Enthusiasm. If this line changes then the influence is hexagram 5's complement which is hexagram 60(09), called The Taming Power of the Small. Hexagram 60(09) symbolizes a lack of capabilities combined with perseverance. The traditional text for a changing line 1 in hexagram 64(01) reads:
"Immersed dragon, no availing-of".
CH'IEN LUNG WU YUNG
Richard Wilhelm, one of the best known of the I Ching translators in Western civilization, transcribes this as:
"Hidden Dragon. Do not act"
A more 'western' interpretation is:
"Although having potential, one must lie low (hidden) for now."
The influence to this statement is from hexagram 60(09), The Taming Power of the Small, which symbolizes a lack of capabilities, we only have potentials or are only capable of making small gains.
The influence on the line in it's unchanged mode is hexagram 5(16), Enthusiasm. This hexagram symbolizes motivation as well as foresight. Combined with the line position (raw/begin) we have "On the path of the Creative, one starts with enthusiasm / motivation / foresight".In the hexagram section, for each hexagram, the meanings for each line position are given together with hexagram influences and the traditional line change comments.
Consideration must be given to the effects of the changing of more than one line in a hexagram at any one time. This extends one's analysis since each position within a hexagram has a specific meaning. For example, positions 2 and 5 are traditionally associated with leadership. What happens to a hexagram if these both change? In hexagram 01, The Creative, changing the lines at position 2 and 5 from yang into yin and then interchanging the trigrams (although in this example, both trigrams are the same), the resulting hexagram of influence is hexagram 30, The Clinging. The hexagram associated with guidance, direction, and ideology. By changing just line 5 we end up with hexagram 13 Fellowship with Men, and by changing line 2 we end up with hexagram 14 Possession in Great Measure. All three possibilities manifest levels of change that reflect concerns with leadership.
If we change lines 1 and 4, both symbolic of aides to leaders, workers in line 1 and ministers in line 4, the hexagram of influence is hexagram 57 The Gentle which is associated with controlling influences. These lines, in relation to the trigrams they are in, also relate to the beginning of things; here symbolized as the establishment/ need for a controlling influence. By changing just line 4 we end up with hexagram 44 Coming to Meet, a hexagram symbolic with forms of persuasion, useful for a minister. By changing line 1 we end up with 09 The Taming Power of the Small, symbolic of someone with potential but socially weak capabilities (as are most 'nobles' when they first enter 'court'). All three possibilities manifest levels of change that reflect attempts to influence control.
If we change lines 3 and 6, both symbolic of transition points in the form of ending becoming a beginning and as far as people are concerned with the local noble (position 3) and the sage (position 6), the general hexagram of influence is hexagram 58 The Joyous, manifesting both the concept of stimulation and of self reflection. By changing just line 6 we end up with hexagram 10 Treading, symbolic of controlling one's behaviour (Self control). By changing line 3 we end up with hexagram 43 Breakthrough, another concern about excess and behaviour (Self control).
We now consider the changes of pairs of lines. If we change lines 2/3 and lines 5/6, leaving the two 'beginning' lines as yang, then we get hexagram 51, The Arousing (symbolic of beginnings). If we change lines 1/2 and 3/4, leaving the two 'ending' lines as yang, then we get hexagram 52, Keeping Still (symbolic of ending).
As another example, we use hexagram 51, The Arousing. In this hexagram, lines 2 and 5, the lines of leaders, are passive. By converting both to yang, and then interchanging the trigrams, the influence is found to be hexagram 58, The Joyous, an attribute of which is stimulation, something active leaders do. Changing just line 5 and interchanging the trigrams gives hexagram 54, The Marrying Maiden, the emphasis is on too much energy at the top, the arousing influence is being overused. By changing just line 2 and interchanging the trigrams gives hexagram 17 Following, symbolic of establishing a belief system or a belief in someone to be aroused about.
For each changing position in each hexagram there is an influencing hexagram for a relationship with the potentially 1 to 5 other changing positions. In hexagram 01, if all lines change then the hexagram of influence is hexagram 02. As a detailed example, all the possible changes for hexagram 01 are given in a link in hexagram 01's page.
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