The triple meanings of "Yi" in the Book of Changes

Excerpts from listening to books: (with books)

It was named after Yi. What exactly does Yi mean? Professor Ceng Shiqiang believes that "Yi" has three meanings:

The first one is very simple.

The second is change.

Third, it is not easy.

What is "simple"? Take chopsticks as an example. We use chopsticks every day, but we may not know the Yijing truth contained in chopsticks.

Chopsticks must be paired, two chopsticks represent one yin and one yang, and together they are Tai Chi. Think about when we use chopsticks, we often move one without moving the other. After seeing the target, the two chopsticks cooperate with each other. What is fixed is the fulcrum, the moving force. When you gently hold it, you will get delicious food. This is the way of "one yin and one yang".

Many foreigners who have just come into contact with chopsticks can't use them well, either they both move or they don't move, because they don't know the truth of yin and yang, and naturally they don't have a chance to eat delicious food in the end.

Chopsticks are simple and easy to carry, without the complicated rules of western knife and fork culture. We eat with chopsticks, we can clamp them if we can, but we can't clamp them with chopsticks forks. Neither action works, so pick up the plate and dial a little into the bowl. This trilogy solves all the problems. This is "simplicity", that is, don't make the problem too complicated.

The principle of "simplicity" was widely used in ancient times. For example, the brush used by the ancients has a simple structure, but its functions are endless. All you need is a brush, both thick and thin, to draw on a book with endless changes.

"Change" and "difficulty" are relative. "Change" means rapid change. "Not easy" means never changing. Nothing in the world will change. They coexist and are inseparable. There is a constant in change, and there is also a constant in change, but change is only a phenomenon, and there must be a constant behind it, that is, the laws of nature.

And how should we deal with this change and invariance in life? Mr. Ceng Shiqiang believes that only by changing from a constant position can we not change at will.

We often fall into some misunderstandings about change:

First, we feel that things are impermanent and can't be grasped. But the Book of Changes tells us that change is just a phenomenon, and there must be something unchanging behind it. No matter how the universe changes, it is still the universe. When we think of change, we must think of the same, and when we think of the same, we must think of change. This is called "the way of one yin and one yang" Change and invariance are combined and inseparable.

Second, we always attach more importance to "change" and despise "unchanged". In the process of "change", we can't help wondering, is "unchanged" really useless? The Book of Changes tells us that it is not! Home should not be changed frequently, otherwise you will be unstable; Don't change the rules frequently, otherwise the society will be in chaos; The world should not change constantly, otherwise no one will escort our personal efforts. Therefore, when we are changing, we must respect the unchangeable principles behind the change, either natural laws or social norms. If you can't do this, you can only shoot yourself in the foot. We can "embrace change", but this value must have a premise, and embrace positive change within a suitable scale.

Third, we tend to look at the problem from the absolute perspective of "clear distinction between good and evil" and "opposition between good and evil" Children like to ask adults a question while watching TV. Is this a good person or a bad person? In fact, everything is Artest's qi, with yin in the yang and yang in the yin; Yang Can can become Yin, and Yin can become Yang. So we have to understand that there is no absolute good and there is no absolute bad. If the current difficulties are handled well, they may become opportunities for success. If the prisoner is reformed well, he may become a useful person to society. We should learn to look at the world and think about life from a changing perspective.