【導讀】
Introduction The Classic of Yijing “Yijing” , also known as “I Ching” or “Book of Changes” , deals with the two basic cosmic principles of yin ( 陰) and yang ( 陽), is one of the Five Classics of Confucianism (Wu Jing 五經). Yijing was first presented as 64 symbolic hexagrams ( 六劃卦 , 重卦 ), each consists of 6 lines of either yin and yang by King Wen ( 文王 , 12th century BC). King Wen is the father of King Wu ( 武王 ) , the founder of Zhou dynasty ( 周朝 c. 1111–255 BC). Commentaries in Yijing by Duke of Zhou ( 周公 ) and Confucius ( 孔子 , 551–479 BC) had been added later to form the main body of this Classic. It explains the nature of universe and its principles, regarding humans and the environment to form a single system . Yijing has great importance in the history of Chinese philosophy and influences almost all aspect of life of the Chinese culture.
Classification under the Principles of Yin and Yang The natural principles of Yin and Yang apply to everything in the universe: Characteristics | Yang( 陽) | Yin ( 陰) | Space of human habitat | Heaven | Earth | Time of the day | Day | Night | Seasons of the year | Spring, Summer | Autumn, Winter | Gender | Male | Female | Temperature | Heat | Cold | Moisture in air | Dry | Wet | Weight | Light | Heavy | Light intensity | Brightness | Darkness | Motion | Ascending | Descending | | Outward | Inward | | Mobile | Inert | Body parts | Posterior | Anterior | | Upper, superior | Lower, inferior | | Lateral | Medial | | Exterior | Interior | | Superficial | Profound | | Qi (air or vital force) | Blood | | Skin and hair | Bone and tendon | Activity states | Enhancing | Inhibiting | | Accelerating | Degenerating | He-tu （河圖） , the diagram of Huang He Dots representing numbers from 1 to 10 signifies the relationships between the five elements and the four directions. Five elements | Numbers | Five Directions | Water | 1, 6 | North | Fire | 2, 7 | South | Wood | 3, 8 | East | Metal | 4, 9 | West | Earth | 5, 10 | Central | |
