Xiang Shu began to be used by Meng Xi, Jingfang, Zheng Xuan and others in the Han Dynasty to interpret the Yi with Xiang Shu. Until now, it is generally believed that Xiang Shu is a term in the Book of Changes and is an integral element of the Yi. In the "Book of Changes", "Xiang" refers to hexagram images and line images, that is, the things represented by hexagrams and lines and their time and position relationships; "number" refers to the number of yin and yang and the number of lines, which is the basis for hexagram divination.
But before the Han Dynasty, "Xiang" in the "Book of Changes" referred to "typical things". See "Book of Changes, Series 1": "This is the old husband Xiang. The sage used to see the treasures of the world, and describe them to describe them, and resemble them appropriately. This is why we call them Xiang." Translated into modern language, it is: "So Those images are because the sage who compiled the "Book of Changes" had a way of introducing the actual situation in the world. He planned to introduce typical people or things in the many actual situations in the world in the scriptures, and then selected the most appropriate things among them by analogy. So Call these selected typical things "Xiang." "Shu" means "Shu Shuo" (saying one thing one by one). This view is evidenced by the passage about "Xiang Shu" in "Zuo Zhuan: The Fifteenth Year of Xi Gong". The current translation is as follows:
"Zuo Zhuan: The Fifteenth Year of Duke Xi" Turtle ⑴ means elephant ⑵; 筮 ⑶ means number ⑷. Things ⑸ are born ⑹ and ⑺ are followed by ⑻ images, images are followed by nourishment ⑼, and nourishment is followed by ⑽ numbers. How many of the defeats and virtues of the late king can be counted?
The words on the tortoise shell of the translation record all typical things; yarrow divination produces hexagrams, and the words written under the hexagrams and lines explain these typical things one by one. When people live together, typical things will happen. After there are typical things, the number of typical things will gradually increase. After the number of typical things gradually increases, one thing can only be explained one by one. His exposed conduct as a previous monarch. Can it be compared with good numbers?
Note ⑴ "turtle" text. "Kangxi Dictionary" and "Yupian": Wenye (writing).
⑵ "Xiang" typical things. "Book of Changes·Xi Ci": "This is the old husband Xiang. The sage has the ability to see the world's treasures, and describe them in order to resemble the things that are appropriate, so it is called Xiang." (Shape: Tong "type". Model. ; Model; Typical )
⑶ "筮" is an ancient superstitious activity using yarrow for divination. "Shuowen": "筮, the hexagram of Yi uses yarrow."
⑷"number" shǔ"Chinese Dictionary" says numbers, one by one. "Book of Rites·Confucianism": "If you count them quickly, you can't finish them; if you count them all, you can keep them, and you can't finish them." Kong Yingda Shu: "Numbering, talking about it."
⑸ "thing" people, people. "Zuo Zhuan·The Eleventh Year of Zhao Gong": "Xun and Wu of Jin Dynasty said to Han Xuanzi: 'You can't save Chen, and you can't save Cai, because you have no relatives.'"
⑹ "Sheng" life. "Chu Ci·Li Sao": "I took a long breath to cover my tears, mourning the hardships of the people's livelihood."
⑺ "And" means succession, that is, the two connected parts are juxtaposed, connected or connected in meaning. progressive relationship. It can be translated as: Just, and sometimes it doesn’t need to be translated. "Xunzi·Encouragement to Learning": "A gentleman is knowledgeable and examines himself every day."
⑻ "You" occurs, appears, and comes into being. "Zuo Zhuan·Xianggong Twenty-sixth Year": "Then I attacked Gaoyu, and heavy rain came from its sinus."
⑼ "Zi" grows; increases. "Zuo Zhuan·Xi Gong's Fifteenth Year": "After the object is born, it has an image, after the image it has nourishment, and after nourishment it has numbers." Kong Yingda Shu: "Since it is an image, it breeds more, and after it breeds more, it has its number."
⑽ "Have" adverb. Only; had to; only. "Warring States Policy·Zhao Cesan": "He became the emperor unruly, and then he was in the world, and even went to the East China Sea and died."
⑾"Xianjun" the previous monarch. "Poetry·Beifeng·Yanyan": "The thoughts of the first emperor are used to seduce the widowed people."
⑿"Defeat" is exposed. Xun Yue of the Han Dynasty's "Han Ji: Chronicles of Emperor Zhaodi": "Yancang, the father of Huigai Master Sheren, knew about his plan and reported it to Yang Chang, the chief agricultural officer... When the King of Yan heard about it, he said to Xiang Ping: 'The matter has been defeated, so why not send troops?" '"
⒀"De" morality and conduct. "Xunzi·Kingdom": "No virtue is not noble, no ability is not official."
⒁ "Ji" is comparable to, can be compared with... "Warring States Policy Qi Ce": "How can Mr. Xu be as good as the king?"
⒂ "Ke" is good, good.
"Zuo Zhuan·The 22nd Year of Duke Xi": "Isn't it okay to block it and drum it up?"