A mythical investigation of Fuxi's painting hexagrams

"Xiayi Cohesion" said: "The ancients embraced the king, looked up at the sky and looked down at the ground. Watching the culture of birds and beasts and the suitability of the land, taking all the bodies close and taking all the things far, so it starts gossip to understand the virtues of the gods and the feelings of all things. "

Here, gossip, as the basis of the Book of Changes, was created by the prehistoric Fuxi. Whether this statement is true or not, scholars in the past have followed suit without raising any doubts. However, in modern times, people gradually questioned this. At present, the earliest archaeological data about the hexagrams in Yijing is the number of hexagrams in Shang Dynasty. Divination numbers are a series of numbers, some are three numbers, some are six numbers, and these numbers can be translated into Yi Gua according to the principle that odd numbers are positive and even numbers are negative.

For example, "1 1688 1" is the "Yi" divination lost in the next earthquake. Yi gua originated from divination. Known examples of divination include several pieces unearthed from the Yin Ruins, some used in utensils, such as pottery, stone tools, bronze molds, etc., and some found in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, not earlier than the middle of the Yin Ruins, namely Wuyi and Wen Ding. In Shaanxi and other places, the number of cases of divination in the remains of the late Shang Dynasty and the early Zhou Dynasty has greatly increased, indicating that Zhou people may use divination more widely than Yin people, and this divination method has become more complicated and mature.

1929, Gu Jiegang wrote the story in the book of changes, inferring that the book of changes should be written in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. This statement is accurate and reliable, and is believed by scholars. From this point of view, the hexagrams of Yi can't be painted by Fuxi. Fuxi's divination is just a legend, and Fuxi is just a figure in myths and legends. Whether there is such a person in history is still a question.

However, the legend of "Fuxi painting hexagrams" has a long history. Sima Qian once said in the preface to the biographies of Taishi Gong in Historical Records: "The ancestor said,' The fineness of Fuxi is the gossip of Yi'." It can be seen that at least in the Qin and Han dynasties, the legend of Fuxi painting hexagrams has prevailed. So how did the legend of "Fuxi painting hexagrams" come into being? What are the cultural implications of the hexagrams from Fuxi to Yijing? This paper attempts to discuss it from the perspective of mythology. There are many ways to write Fuxi's name in ancient books. In addition to Fuxi (Zhuangzi's human life), there are Fuxi (Zhuangzi's great master), Fuxi (Fa Yan Wen), Baoxi (once) and Fuxi. It's written in different ways. It's all homophones. "Postscript 1 of Shangshu Dao" said: "Fu, worry, drama and words have the same meaning. Historical biography may say that it is the most despicable to lead a cow to ride a horse because of the number of sacrifices and the number of sacrifices to fill the kitchen. According to Zhuang Zhou and other ancient books, they all pay attention to drama, and no one is opinionated. Fu Xigu still used drama, but the word cow didn't use drama. How can it be taken, and there is a royal word? Therefore, the Century says,' If future generations are confused or worried, they will lose their ambition.' "Here, he thought that the original writing should be" Fuxi ",and other writing methods were changed by later generations. ?

Fuxi is regarded as "the head of Huang San" and "the head of a hundred kings" in the genealogy of emperors in China's ancient legend era, and its position is very prominent. However, a noteworthy problem is that Fu appeared in ancient books later than the ancestors of the Chinese nation such as the Yellow Emperor. The earliest record of Fuxi was Zhuangzi in the middle and late Warring States Period, but Zhuangzi, which wrote more than 10,000 words, generally told fables. What Fuxi said is also empty and real, and god is also human. Most of them use names to set up a metaphor, which is not a history of faith in terms of image. There are five records about Fuxi in Zhuangzi, and the names are written in three ways, either Fuxi, Fu Yao or Fuxi, which are inconsistent. Identity confusion, or people or gods; In ancient emperors, the order was uncertain, either after Yu, Shun and Huangdi or before them. This shows that in the period of Zhuangzi, Fuxi was still in the legendary period and in the process of creation, and he was an uncertain and unformed figure. Historical Records began in Huangdi, not for Fuxi. Han Shu by Ban Gu in the Eastern Han Dynasty broke through the boundaries of historical records and pushed the ancient emperors from Huangdi to Fuxi. "Han Shu Fa Li Ji" quoted Liu Xin's "World Classics" and said: "He who worships heaven is the king, and he is the first of a hundred kings. The first virtue began with wood, so the emperor was Tai Hao. " In the history of the Han Dynasty, Fuxi was described first, followed by Yanhuang, with Fuxi as the historical source. At this point, Fuxi began to enter the official history. Huangfu Mi's "Imperial Century" in the Jin Dynasty describes the imperial lineage that began in Huang San and ended in the Han and Wei Dynasties. Huang San ranks first in Fuxi, saying that Fuxi is "the queen of heaven", "writing eight diagrams", "writing a book contract", "writing thirty-six strings", "making a wedding", "offering sacrifices to a stove" and so on. Fuxi is regarded as the ancestor of the Chinese nation and the pioneer of culture. In the ancient books handed down from ancient times, Fuxi experienced an evolutionary process from scratch, from god to emperor, from disorder to system. Therefore, the appearance of Fuxi is the result of the continuous enrichment of people's historical consciousness. To borrow Gu Jiegang's words, Fuxi and his great achievements were gradually "stratified" in the long historical development process.

In fact, Fuxi is first of all a mythical figure, a creator in ancient mythology.

The most authoritative textual research on Fuxi by neighbors is the Textual Research on Fuxi by Wen Yiduo, a senior scholar. In the first half of this paper, Wen Yiduo collected a large number of dragon and snake records from handed down documents, and together with the bricks and stones of Han Dynasty portraits found at that time, it proved that Fuxi was a dragon totem. In the second half, the ethnic minorities in Southwest China collected nearly 50 stories and folk information about the marriage of Fuxi Nuwa's brother and sister after the flood, which proved that Fuxi was Pangu, the ancestor of Miao and Manchu in South China. This article was widely quoted in the next half century and became a difficult theory.

Dong Chuping published the article "The Creation Myth of Ancient China" in the third issue of China Social Sciences in 2002, and provided new evidence for Wen Yiduo's argument by interpreting a book of Chu silks of the Warring States in Changsha ammunition depot. Chu Silk Books of Changsha Bullet Library were unearthed at 1942. According to 1973 tomb excavation report, the age of the tomb is in the middle and late Warring States period. The first chapter of Chu Silk Book is a complete creation myth text, and Dong Chuping explains it to the effect that:

When the world was in chaos before the formation of heaven and earth, Fuxi married Nuwa, and Fuxi and Nuwa Er Shen gave birth to four sons. These four sons later became the four gods representing the four seasons. The four gods created the world because they knew the law of yin and yang. Yu and Qi managed the land, worked out the calendar, made the stars rise and fall in an orderly way, made the mountains and tombs unblocked, and made the mountains and rivers and seas ventilate with yin and yang. At that time, there was no sun and moon, and the four gods took turns to represent four points. Among the four gods, the eldest is called Qinggan, the second is called Zhu Sidan, the third is called Bai Daran, and the fourth is called Mogan. A thousand years later, the emperor gave birth to the sun and the moon. From then on, Kyushu was peaceful and Shan Ye was peaceful. The four gods also built a canopy to make it rotate and reinforced it with colored wood essence. Emperor Yan sent Zhu Rong to lay the foundation of four gods, three days and four poles. People worship for nine days, seeking peace, and dare not despise gods. Di Jun then formulated the rules for the operation of the sun and the moon. Later, * * * Gong made ten dry and leap months and made a more accurate calendar. A night is divided into clouds, morning, day and night [2]? .

The interpretation of a silk book of Chu in the Warring States period found in Changsha ammunition depot gives us the following understandings: first, it is the only complete creation myth in the pre-Qin period that we can see, and it retains more ancient traces of prehistoric myths and the characteristics of primitive thinking than the creation myths circulated by various ethnic groups in modern China; Secondly, it is the earliest unearthed document record about Fuxi that we can see, which proves that Fuxi legend existed in the middle and late Warring States period; Third, prove Fuxi's identity as a creator.

A large number of murals found in modern archaeology, masonry portraits of Han tombs, and the story of Fuxi and Nuwa's brother and sister getting married after the flood to rebuild mankind are all the remains of Fuxi's creation myth. In the murals and portraits of Han tombs, Fuxi and Nu Wa are snake heads and conjoined. In the picture, Fuxi holds the sun or sundial, and Nu Wa holds the moon or moon moment. Holding the sun and the moon is a symbol of dominating the universe, and holding the rules is a symbol of creation. Some pictures of Fuxi's copulation with Nu Wa are also accompanied by portraits of the four gods. For example, as mentioned in Chapter A of Chu Silk, the four gods are the sons of Fuxi and Nu Wa, the representatives of the four seasons, and the great gods who manage heaven and earth.

Fuxi, as the concept of the origin and origin of the universe.

After confirming that Fuxi is the creator god, the next question is, how did Fuxi become the creator god? ?

Ethnological data show that the main way to produce and spread the creation myth is the primitive religious sacrifice activities. After mankind entered the early civilization, religion began to think about the origin of the universe, and the result of thinking was the myth of creation. The origin and formation of the universe, which is considered by the myth of creation, is also a problem to be discussed in early human philosophy. In recent years, the bamboo slips "Taiyi Shengshui" unearthed from Guodian Chu Tomb shows a systematic and complete universe generation model. The origin of the universe is "Taiyi", which is the same as Laozi's so-called "Tao".

Chapter 25 of Laozi: "Things are mixed and born naturally. Lonely and lonely, independent and unchanging, Zhou Xing is not in danger, and can be the mother of the world. I don't know its name, the word is called, stronger than the name. " "Big" and "Too" are called "Taiyi", and Lu Chunqiu says: "Those who are also Taoist are extremely refined, and they can be named Taiyi."

The universe originated from "Taiyi", which is originally the invisible vitality of chaos. "Huai Nan Zi Yan Quan Xun": "The point is the same as heaven and earth, and chaos is simple. Anyone who does not build it is called Taiyi. " Henkel seduced: "Taiyi, Yuan God is the master of all things." The universal god should be Fuxi. "Xi" and "Shuowen" explain: "Those who are, are also." "Taiyi" is qi, and Fuxi is also qi, which is the chaotic qi at the beginning.

The form of "Taiyi" is "chaos", and the universe originated from chaos. Chaos myth remains intact in the southern Pangu story. "Magnolia" Volume II quotes "Thirty-five Calendars": "Heaven and earth are chaotic like chickens, and Pangu was born in it, eight thousand years old. Heaven and earth are open, Yang Qing is the sky, cloudy and turbid is the ground, and Pangu is in it, which changes nine times a day. " "Chaos" and "gourd" are opposites, and "chaos" is equivalent to "chaos", which is changed to "gourd" in slang [3]? . Hulu means Pangu (Zan), Pangu and Fuxi, so Pangu is Fuxi. Wen Yiduo described in detail the transformation and evolution path of "Chaos-Gourd-Pan Hu-Pangu-Fuxi", which is not superfluous. The Nine Songs written by Qu Yuan, a poet of Chu, contains "The Emperor of the East is too one". Wen Yiduo interprets it as Fuxi, which proves that Fuxi originated from the original myth and the concept of the origin of the universe, and from the original philosophical concept. ?

Fuxi's prototype is the original image and concept of the universe. With the evolution of civilization, people are thinking and exploring history more and more deeply, which is the fundamental explanation of the facts of civilization. The exploration of the origin of the world was only an idea at first, and it first existed in the form of myth. Mythical thinking is an inevitable initial stage in the development of human thinking, which disappears in philosophy and history with the development of human thinking. People first ask how the universe originated, then imagine a god of creation, and then imagine this god of creation as their ancestors. The appearance of Fuxi's image is such a process of philosophizing and conceptualizing myths and legends and historizing this legend and concept. "On Yi Cohesion" said: "It is easy to have Tai Chi, and it is to give birth to two instruments, two instruments give birth to four elephants, and four elephants give birth to gossip." This passage can be regarded as the theoretical program of Zhouyi, and it is also the universe generation model described in Zhouyi.

The Book of Changes, like Taiyi Shengshui and Laozi, believes that the universe originated from Taiji, and Taiji is Taiyi. Confucius' Ying Da Shu: "Taiji refers to the fact that before the heavens and the earth are separated, the vitality has been mixed into one, that is, the beginning and the beginning. Therefore, "Lao Zi" said that "Tao gives birth to one". That is, this tai chi is also. Also known as mixed elements, that is, there is heaven and earth. Therefore,' Taiji gives birth to two devices', that is,' Laozi' cloud' two lives'. " Gao Feng more clearly links Taiji with Oneness and Taiyi: "Taiji practitioners are also the noumenon of the universe. The ontology of the universe is called "One" in Laozi, "Taiyi" in Lu's Chunqiu Pian, and "Taiji" in cohesion. " "Four elephants, four o'clock. The four seasons have their own elephants, so they are called four elephants. " [4]

"Taiji" has the same meaning as "Tao" and "Taiyi" and is the origin of the primitive world universe. On the balance of heaven: "The proponent of Yi said:' The vitality is not divided, and chaos is one. Shuowen explains "one" and says: "It begins with Tai Chi and the Tao stands in one. Create a world and turn it into everything. " Liezi Tian Rui: "If the husband is tangible and he is born invisible, then the world will be safe." ? So, it's too easy, too early, too early, and Tai Su. Too easy, no gas; Too early, the beginning of qi is also; The beginning is the beginning of form; Tai Su is the beginning of quality. The air quality is not divided, so it is called turbidity. Muddy people say that everything is muddy and there is no separation. Can't see, can't hear, can't keep up, so it's easy. "Without gas, it is too easy. The gas starts too early, the shape starts too early, and the quality begins with Tai Su. The state in which qi, shape and quality are integrated without separation is called chaos. Chaos is vitality, and the state of undivided vitality is Taiji. " Huainanzi Astronomical Training: "The universe is full of vitality. "In the creation myth recorded in Chu silk, Fuxi was born in chaos. From the sound training, we see that chaos is a gourd, "Xi" is "qi" and Fuxi is vitality. Folklore remains also say that Fuxi was born from the gourd.

The creation process of the universe described in Huainanzi Spiritual Practice is quite similar to that described in Chu Silk Book: "When there was no heaven and earth in ancient times, there were only invisible, invisible, boundless, indifferent and unknown doors." I've been living a miserable life, and I've been camping every day. I don't know the end of the hole, and I don't know the end of it. Therefore, it is different from yin and yang, divided into eight poles, rigid and flexible, and everything is shaped. According to Chu silk, "Er Shen" should refer to Fu Xi and Nu Wa, which are the representatives of Yin and Yang. From a philosophical point of view, it is both yin and yang; From a mythical point of view, it is Fuxi and Nu Wa Er Shen. In the murals and portraits of Han tombs, Fuxi holds the sun or sundial to represent Yang. Nu Wa holds the moon or the moon moment, representing Yin. Fuxi married Nu Wa and gave birth to four children before she had everything, which was the beginning of the transformation of Yin and Yang into everything.

"Two instruments give birth to four images". There are Jin Mu's fire-water theory and East-West-North-South theory. But from the creation myth, it should refer to the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. "Li Yun Pian" said: "The husband's ceremony must be divided into heaven and earth, yin and yang, and changed into four seasons." Taiji gives birth to two instruments, one yin and one yang, symbolizing "-"and "". Adding a yin and a yang to each instrument gives birth to four images: Taiyin, Shaoyang, Shaoyin and Sun. Less yang means spring, and the yang gradually increases; Less yin is autumn, and Yin Qi will last forever; Lunar means winter, and Yin Qi has reached the extreme of winter solstice; The sun means summer, and the sun is the spirit from solstice to summer. Use the interactive transformation of yin and yang to describe the change and cycle of seasons.

"Four images give birth to eight diagrams", that is, eight natural objects or forces, namely, heaven, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountains and mountains. The first chapter of the Book of Chu Silk says that the four gods opened the heavens and the earth, built the sky cover and made it work by the method of yin and yang, so the stars rose and fell in an orderly way, and the mountains and mountains were unobstructed, and yin and yang ventilated between the mountains and seas. From then on, Kyushu was peaceful and Shan Ye was peaceful. "Yi Shuo Gua" says: "Heaven and earth are positioned, mountains and rivers are ventilated, thunder and lightning are thin, and water and fire are not harmonious." The eight natural forces operate in harmony, so yin and yang rise and fall, and everything is endless. By comparing the universe generation process described in Chu Silk Book and Yi Jie, we can see that

Fuxi (Taiyi)-Fuxi, Nu Wa (Yin and Yang Er God)-Zisi (Four Seasons)-Everything.

Taiji-Liangqi-Sixiang-Bagua

Tai Chi was born out of Fuxi, the two instruments were born out of Fuxi and Nu Wa Er Shen, and the four images were born out of the four gods of Fuxi and Nu Wa, that is, the four seasons. "Cohesion" makes a more abstract summary of the universe generation mode described in Fuxi's creation myth, and the comparison between them shows the evolution process from myth to philosophy in detail. Myth is the mother of philosophy. Western philosophers say that any mythical god is only an objective or real intuitive philosophical theory. The early thinking form of human beings has always been visual and emotional. In Vico's "New Science", the historical comparison method is used to find the value of primitive myths in the process of all nationalities in the world from barbarism to civilization, and it is considered that mythical thinking mode is an inevitable initial stage of human thinking development. It is believed that this "metaphysics of poetry" and "wisdom of poetry" are the cognitive level achieved by human beings through senses and imagination. Although it is different from the abstract rational level of philosophy and science, it is also their foundation and source.

Because of the intuition and integrity of China's traditional way of thinking and the pictographic features of language, China's early philosophy showed the characteristics of mythical thinking to a great extent. The basic categories and concepts of China's early philosophy, such as Tao, Taiji, Yin and Yang, Five Elements and Yi, are all abstracted from the concrete images of mythical thinking.

Through the investigation of Fuxi's creation myth, we can see that Fuxi, as a historical figure, actually does not exist. He is first of all the product of people's imagination, which stems from people's pursuit and imagination of the origin of the universe. In mythology, Fuxi is an image of the creator who created the world and incarnated everything; The concept that entered the field of philosophy and was summarized and abstracted as the origin and foundation of the universe originated from "primordial energy" and "Taiyi" and became "Tai Chi" in Yi. In Yi, the creation myth is summarized as the cosmic generation mode of "easy to have Tai Chi, which means to have two devices, two devices to have four images, and four images to have eight diagrams".

The legend of "Fuxi painting hexagrams" is regarded as a lie by modern Yi scholars and is not accepted. However, through the investigation of mythology, we can find the myth prototype of primitive philosophy from Fuxi's creation myth, and specifically see the evolution track from Fuxi's creation myth to Yi Gua. In the process of China's early philosophy, I Ching was in a transitional stage from mythical thinking to theoretical thinking and from primitive thinking to philosophical abstract thinking. Concepts such as Taiji, Yin and Yang, Four Images, Eight Diagrams, and the general understanding of the universe in the Book of Changes are all abstracted from the concrete representation of mythical thinking, which is the result of abstracting and logicizing the mythical world outlook.