The Book of Changes: What is the basis for the arrangement of the sixty-four hexagrams?

The core system of the Book of Changes is sixty-four hexagrams. The arrangement order of these sixty-four hexagrams is worth studying. The first thing to understand is, how many arrangements are there? The second is to find out why this arrangement should be made.

One of them, and the most authentic one, is the arrangement order of the sixty-four hexagrams in the original Zhouyi. Folk handed down a poem, used to make everyone familiar with this order by reciting:

Gankun Tunmeng needs a lawyer. He is better than a small animal. The same person is very modest and he is looking forward to it. It's better to stay away from a big animal than to skin it. Xianhengdun and Dazhuang, Jin and the family: solving the profit and loss and lifting the trapped well; Gen gradually returned to her sister's rich journey, and she was blessed by the festival; Younger than Gigi and not helping, it's for the next 34.

This poem was first seen in Zhu's Book of Changes. It is said that it was written by Zhu, or it may have been collected by him from the people. As can be seen from the poem, there are sixty-four hexagrams in Zhouyi, which are divided into thirty-two groups, each with two hexagrams. For example, Gankun is one group and Tunmeng is another. The two hexagrams in each group have two laws: first, the yin and yang of the previous hexagram are exchanged in the same position of the latter hexagram. For example, the first hexagram sticks to six yang hexagrams from bottom to top, and the next hexagram sticks to six yin hexagrams from bottom to top. The second is to turn the upper and lower six hexagrams of the previous one upside down and become the latter one. For example, two sticks are buried in the chariot, one of which sticks in the mire and the other sticks in the earthquake. From top to bottom, the six sticks are turned upside down, the top one sticks to the root and the bottom one sticks to the mire. Mainly these two laws.

However, there are still significant differences between these two exchange methods. For example, Kangua and Ligua are a combination, following the pattern of six hexagrams in the same position as Gankun. Because six hexagrams are upside down, it's still one hexagram. Only when the six hexagrams become yang and the yang becomes yin can they become divinatory symbols. Of course, Kangua also faces the same problem. So the clutches become a group. There are also Zhongfu who have encountered the same problem. Six hexagrams are upside down or crouching. Only Yin He was exchanged, which corresponds to small divination. Of course, it is too small to reverse the six hexagrams, so you can only choose yin and yang exchange.

Also, it is essentially different to exchange these six stubborn yin and yang and turn them upside down. For example, the golden hexagrams and hexagrams are a group, which adopts an inverted model. If it is changed to the yin-yang exchange mode, the golden divination should be changed to the required divination. The need for divination has also become a group with the litigation of divination. Therefore, the golden divination can only be paired with the Ming divination. So we must use these two patterns to match all the sixty-four hexagrams.

Then there is a question here: since each group of hexagrams is combined in a different way, is there a connection between these two hexagrams? For example, are Gangua and Kungua two independent hexagrams or interact with each other?

I have read a lot of texts that interpret the order of the sixty-four hexagrams in the Book of Changes. I think the sixty-four hexagrams represent the sixty-four development and change processes of things, starting with the dry hexagrams, then entering the Kun hexagrams, then entering the standing hexagrams, then entering the Mongolian hexagrams ... and finally ending with useless hexagrams. It is believed that the arrangement order of sixty-four hexagrams is the development and change process of everything in the world. Some articles are very clear, for example, why "Golden Oracle" followed, and why "Qian Oracle" followed. These are all related and progressive.

Judging from the author's long-term research, this interpretation may be debatable. Because each group has two hexagrams, the two hexagrams before and after are either yin and yang interchanged or reversed. What is the operation of things, and how does it develop and change? And not one model, but two models. Today is dry, tomorrow is Kun, the day after tomorrow is Tun, the day after tomorrow is Mongolia, and the day after tomorrow needs to wait. It seems that a person is going south today, going north tomorrow, going up today, going down tomorrow, standing on the bright side today and standing on the dark side tomorrow. Today it's sunny and cloudy, and tomorrow it's sunny and cloudy. Does this conform to the law of development and change of things? And is there a connection and progressive relationship between the 32 groups of hexagrams? If so, what is the basis?

A more objective understanding should be that ancient people remembered and inquired about the sixty-four hexagrams for the convenience of people who studied the Book of Changes. For example, sixty-four hexagrams paired into thirty-two groups are easy to remember. As long as you remember the hexagrams, you can also remember them. Remember the nakedness, and remember the small fruit. Remember divination, and remember divination. Remember hexagrams as auspicious, but also remember hexagrams as poor. It is equivalent to only sixty-four hexagrams. As long as you remember the 32 hexagrams, you can change the other 32 hexagrams. Just turn the hexagram upside down, or change it into yin and yang, and you will know another hexagram. As for this order, there is no connection between hexagrams and hexagrams. (Zhou Qiupeng)