《归藏》

The surviving contents of the Guicang are fragmentary. In the Rites of Zhou, it is listed as one of the “Three Changes,” alongside the Lianshan and the Zhouyi. Zheng Xuan explained the name “Guicang” to mean that all things return to it and are stored within it. Du Zichun held that the Lianshan was the Book of Changes from the time of Fuxi, while the Guicang was the Book of Changes from the time of the Yellow Emperor. Later scholars have generally regarded the Guicang as a Book of Changes from the Xia or Shang dynasty.

The Book of Rites: The Conveyance of Rites records that Confucius once said he wished to investigate the ritual system of the Shang. He went to the state of Song, but could find insufficient evidence; all he obtained were two sections, “Kun” and “Qian.” Zheng Xuan believed these sections belonged to a Yin-Shang book on Yin-Yang. Since the Guicang was among the related works preserved at the time, he also regarded it as the Shang Book of Changes.

The Book of Han: Treatise on Arts and Letters does not list the Guicang. The work first appears in the Catalogue of the Central Library of the Jin dynasty. In his Seven Records, Ruan Xiaoxu described the Guicang as a divination book containing mixed material. The Book of Sui: Treatise on Classics and Records records that it consisted of thirteen volumes, with annotations by Xue Zhen, an aide to the Grand Commandant during the Jin dynasty. The Treatise on Arts and Letters in the Book of Tang gives the same number of volumes. The Catalogue of Books from the Zhongxing Era of the Southern Song records three sections: “Basic Scripture,” “Mother of Qi,” and “The Original Stalks.”

Many scholars consider the Guicang a later forgery. Zheng Qiao, in his General Records: Summary, argued against this view: the book deals with divination, and its language is plain while its meaning is ancient and obscure. Later scholars, finding its prose insufficiently polished, doubted it and left it unread. They did not consider whether later writers could really have produced such simple, archaic writing.

Yang Shen also said, “The Lianshan was kept in the Orchid Pavilion, and the Guicang in the Grand Diviner’s office.” This passage appears in Huan Tan’s New Discourses. It shows that the Lianshan and Guicang still existed in the Eastern Han. Their absence from the bibliography in the Book of Han is no reason to doubt their existence.

The surviving hexagram and line texts of the Guicang include passages such as: “Qu: There is a qu and a gu. Night grain is made into wine, set in two jars. Two rams drink it; only after three days do they revive. A man has a marsh; I take its fish”; “A good man obtains his jade; a gentleman obtains his millet”; “There are mandarin ducks. Night grain is made into wine, set in two jars. Two rams drink it; only after three days do they revive. A man has a marsh; I take its fish”; “A good man obtains his jade; a gentleman obtains his millet”; and “There are mandarin ducks, and wild geese and swans.” These are all rhymed, songlike passages: archaic and unusual, yet pleasing to read aloud. They resemble the divination verses recorded in the Zuo Tradition—phrases used in divination to explain good and ill fortune. The Jiao Shi’s Forest of Changes also derives from this tradition.

Some passages, such as “the day of Bi” and “the moon’s flight,” are strange and fantastic. Yet the Zhouyi also uses images such as “dragons fight in the wilds” and “a cartload of ghosts” to express the hexagram figures; this does not detract from their meaning in divination.

However, the Guicang, as a Yin-dynasty book of Changes, includes records of “King Wu’s divination with stalks” and “King Mu’s casting of the hexagrams.” These were probably records of divination results later added to the book by the Grand Diviners who oversaw divination in the Zhou dynasty. Their contents could not have been fabricated by anyone from the Han dynasty onward.

By now, even the three chapters transmitted in the Song dynasty have been lost. In his Examination of the Meaning of the Classics, the Ming scholar Zhu Yizun gathered and arranged the material in great detail. The author used his work as a base text, supplied what it had omitted, and added commentary by various scholars, compiling everything into one volume. Read alongside the so-called Qifen Guicang in the Book of the Three Tombs circulating today, this volume makes it immediately possible to distinguish the genuine from the false.

—Ma Guohan, styled Zhuwu, of Licheng

The Guicang: First Scripture

Zhu Zhen says in his Changes from the Han River: “The Changes of the Guicang…”

Zhu Zhen says in Hanshang Yi: “The Initial Classic of the Guicang embodies the original intent of Pao Xi (Fuxi).”

Initial Qian: The wording of this entry is disputed in the passages cited by Gan Bao in his Commentary on the Rites of Zhou and by Zhu Zhen in Collected Discussions on the Changes. Li Guo’s Xixi Discussions on the Changes and Hu Yigui’s Supplementary Transmission on Initiating the Zhou Changes also cite related passages.

Initial Kun: Gan Bao’s Commentary on the Rites of Zhou records this as “Kun.” Zhu Zhen says, “Kun: the blossoming of lush vegetation.” Xixi Discussions on the Changes and Supplementary Transmission on Initiating the Zhou Changes also include related records. When citing it, Zhu Yizun’s Examination of the Meaning of the Classics writes “lush and flourishing.”

Initial Hen: Gan Bao and Zhu Zhen both cite this as “Gen,” while Li Guo’s Xixi Discussions on the Changes and Huang Zongyan’s Images and Words of the Zhou Changes both write “Hen.” Huang Zongyan explains: “Gen carries the sense of firmness and harshness. The Gen hexagram has the image of looking back and observing; one does not speak or smile, so a person’s expression and demeanor can be observed. Is this why it takes the meaning of ‘firm and harsh’?” This is followed by “a fox cries out clearly and brightly,” meaning that a fox gives a clear, ringing cry. Xixi Discussions on the Changes and Supplementary Transmission on Initiating the Zhou Changes also cite this phrase.

Initial Dui: Gan Bao’s Commentary on the Rites of Zhou and Zhu Zhen’s Collected Discussions on the Changes record this as “its words are earnest.” Xixi Discussions on the Changes and Supplementary Transmission on Initiating the Zhou Changes also include related citations.

Initial Luo: Gan Bao’s Commentary on the Rites of Zhou and Zhu Zhen say that this hexagram is Kan. Li Guo explains: “Kan is called ‘Luo’ because ‘Luo’ carries the meaning of toil; all things toil within Kan.” Huang Zongyan explains: “Kan is the hexagram of toil, so the phonetic element from the character for ‘toil’ was taken and abbreviated. Oxen are the most laborious of animals, so the character is written with the ox radical.” This is followed by “bringing good fortune, the body remains still,” meaning that it brings good fortune and leaves the body settled and unmoving. Xixi Discussions on the Changes and Supplementary Transmission on Initiating the Zhou Changes also include this phrase.

Initial Li: Gan Bao’s Commentary on the Rites of Zhou and Zhu Zhen’s Collected Discussions on the Changes cite this as “Li, shining and bright.” Xixi Discussions on the Changes and Supplementary Transmission on Initiating the Zhou Changes also include related records.

Originally, the character “li” appears in Gan Bao’s Zhouli Commentary. Zhu Zhen calls it “zhen,” and Li Guo explains: “The Zhen hexagram is connected with ‘li.’ Li means to govern and bring things into order. The emperor rises from the direction of Zhen, and all things begin to grow from there, gradually taking on order.” Huang Zongyan says: “Zhen should correspond to li, and the Li hexagram may also have been written as ‘li.’ But the connection between li and Zhen is not quite apt. Could it mean that thunder shakes the earth and makes a sound?” “Xun” describes a sound like rolling thunder. These views appear in the Xixi Commentary on the Changes and the Supplementary Account of the Enlightenment Tradition.

Originally, the Xun hexagram appears in Gan Bao’s Zhouli Commentary and Zhu Zhen’s Collected Discussions on the Changes. There, it is described as “a bird drawing down its wings just before it is about to fly.” Related accounts also appear in the Xixi Commentary on the Changes and the Supplementary Account of the Enlightenment Tradition.

The Collected Discussions on the Changes says that every hexagram consists of six lines. This account appears in volume one of Wang Yinglin’s Study of the Han Bibliographic Treatise.

Zhu Yuansheng’s Comprehensive Study of the Three Changes says: “The Returning and Storing Changes begins with the pure Kun hexagram. Kun represents the earth, within which all things are stored. The Discussion of the Trigrams says, ‘Kun is used to store all things.’ The fundamental workings by which Heaven and Earth transform and bring forth the myriad things are often held within this act of storing.

“Each great cycle of time has its own transformation, so things are stored at the transition between Guihai and Jiazi. Each year has its own transformation, so things are stored at the turning points between the winter and summer solstices. Each day has its own transformation, so things are stored at the turning points between midnight and noon. This shows that the ‘storing’ of the Returning and Storing Changes is present everywhere.

“Of the sixty-four hexagrams, sixteen govern storing and forty-eight govern application. Qian is the father of the sixty-four hexagrams, and Kun their mother: Kun encompasses the hexagrams that govern storing, while Qian encompasses those that govern application. Thus Kun and Qian form the beginning of the sixty-four hexagrams. Application follows from storing, and the pure Kun at the head of the sequence therefore leads to the pure Qian.”

Xu Shan says in The Four Changes: “The hexagram sequence in Gui Cang is Kun, Zhen, Kan, Gen, Dui, Li, Xun, and Qian. The bottom line of Zhen is one yang line arising within pure Kun. From there, this yang line advances in sequence to the middle line of Kan and the top line of Gen. It then joins with the middle position, forming the two yang lines of Dui, while one yin line remains above them. In Li, the middle yang line rises to the top position; in Xun, the original yang line rises to the middle position, and thus a pure Qian form is completed. This is the order in which yang Qi gradually grows.

“Viewed in reverse, the bottom line of Xun is one yin line arising within pure Qian. From there, this yin line advances in sequence to the middle line of Li and the top line of Dui. It then joins with the middle position, forming the two yin lines of Gen, while one yang line remains above them. In Kan, the middle yin line rises to the top position; in Zhen, the original yin line moves into the middle position, and thus a pure Kun form is completed. This is the order in which yin Qi gradually grows and yang Qi returns to concealment.

“The name ‘Returning to the Storehouse’ (Gui Cang) probably derives its meaning from this. If the hexagram numbers are traced upward from the bottom, they begin at eight and end at two. This is because yang Qi goes from nonexistence to existence, following the principle that ‘to know what is coming is to go against the current.’ If traced downward from the top, they begin at two and end at eight. This is because yang Qi returns from existence to nonexistence, following the principle that ‘to count what has passed is to follow the current.’ The sages probably named this book Gui Cang to teach people the principle of returning to the root and going back to the beginning.”

According to Li Guo’s Xixi Explanations of the Changes, the sixty-four hexagrams include only sixty, from Qian to Matu. The four missing hexagrams should, it would seem, be supplied.

Four hexagrams are missing from the quotation in Xixi Explanations of the Changes. Jia Gongyan’s Subcommentary on the Book of Rites says: “This Gui Cang Yi takes the Kun hexagram as its beginning.” On this basis, the Kun hexagram is inserted.

Four hexagrams are missing from the quotation in Xixi Explanations of the Changes. Jia Gongyan’s Subcommentary on the Book of Rites says: “This Gui Cang Yi takes the Kun hexagram as its beginning.” The Kun hexagram is inserted on the basis of the First Scripture.

The Qian hexagram appears in Xixi Explanations of the Changes; the same applies below.

The Tun, Meng, Ru, and Song hexagrams.

This passage lists the names of the hexagrams in the Guicang and discusses studies by Xixi, Huang Zongyan, and others on how some of these names correspond to hexagram names in the Zhouyi.

“Xiao Du Xu” corresponds to “Xiao Xu” in the Zhouyi, and “Da Du Xu” corresponds to “Da Xu.” Huang Zongyan argues that du carries the sense of “ting du,” meaning to transform and nurture. Thus, “Da Xu” and “Xiao Xu” can also be written “Da Du Xu” and “Xiao Du Xu.”

“Lin Huo” corresponds to “Lin.” “Cheng” corresponds to “Sheng.” Huang Zongyan explains this as the correspondence between trees and soil: when the soil is deep and rich, trees grow luxuriantly; when it is barren, they grow thin and stunted. “Pu” corresponds to “Bo.”

“Mu Wang” corresponds to “Wu Wang.” Huang Zongyan says that mu simply means “wu,” and wang simply means “wang,” with no further significance. “Qu” should correspond to “Guan.” One view, however, holds that the citation in Xixi already includes “Guan,” and that if “Qu” appears before “San Jia Ren,” it should correspond to “Kui.”

“San Jia Ren” corresponds to “Jia Ren,” though Huang Zongyan says its meaning can no longer be established with certainty. “Huan” corresponds to “Huan.” Ancient writing sometimes added radicals and sometimes omitted them, so the forms of characters could vary. “Li” corresponds to “Xie.” Huang Zongyan says that “Li” can also mean gathering and dispersing. “Yuan” corresponds to “Sun.”

Huang Zongyan said, “Xian is the same as xian.” Grand Historian Zhu said, “If sun is read as yuan, then since xian comes after yuan, it should be yi.”

Huang Zongyan said, “Qin should belong to the Lü hexagram.” Grand Historian Zhu said, “Qin comes before Heng, so it should be the Xian hexagram.”

Heng

Gui

Ye

Huang Zongyan said, “Gui should belong to the Jie hexagram, and ye should belong to the Mingyi hexagram.” Note: The sources cited in the Xixi Explanation of the Changes already include Jie and Mingyi. Grand Historian Zhu said, “It is uncertain which hexagrams the names gui and ye correspond to. They may be Guai and Gou, or Shike and Bi.” Note: In ancient times, people modeled contracts and tokens of proof on the Guai hexagram; the meaning of gui is close to this. Ye may draw on the meaning of meeting and a woman marrying in the Gou hexagram. It can therefore be inferred that gui should belong to Guai and ye to Gou.

Xun

Dui

Li

Luo

Huang Zongyan said, “Qian is the same as jian.”

Fen

Huang Zongyan said, “Fen should belong to the Kui hexagram.” Grand Historian Zhu said, “If qian is written as jian, and fen comes after it, then fen should be the Yu hexagram.”

Guimei

Jian

Jin

Mingyi

Cenji

Huang Zongyan said, “Cenji should belong to the Bi hexagram.” Grand Historian Zhu said, “Cenji comes before Weiji, so it should be the Jiji hexagram.”

Weiji

A character with tuan above and a walking radical below

Huang Zongyan said, “Dun is this character. Its form and meaning originally correspond, with no other interpretation.”

Shu

Huang Zongyan said, “Gu is the same as shu; shu is also a kind of insect.”

Matu

Grand Historian Zhu said, “If gu is read as shu, and matu comes after it, then matu should be the Sui hexagram.”

The sixty hexagrams above are all cited from the Xixi Explanation of the Changes. The Shi hexagram was added on the basis of the First Classic.

Yinghuo (an ancient name for a star, also referring to Mars)

Qilao (an elderly person of virtue and standing)

“Great Brightness” is the name of a hexagram in the Guicang. In his Annotations to the Lushi, Luo Ping says that the hexagrams in the Initial Scripture of the Guicang each had six lines and included Mingyi, Yinghuo, Qilao, and Daming, among others. Xia Qi once obtained the Mingyi hexagram through divination. When Gun was controlling the floods, he divined with milfoil stalks and obtained the Daming hexagram. Xia Jie obtained the Yinghuo hexagram, and when King Wu of Zhou campaigned against the Shang, he divined with milfoil stalks and obtained the Qilao hexagram.

Commentators have determined that “Mingyi” in the cited passage refers to the Mingyi hexagram. The original text should also include a hexagram called “Shi,” which has been supplied here on the basis of the Initial Scripture as quoted by Gan Bao and Zhu Zhen. Together with Yinghuo, Qilao, and Daming, these additions bring the total to the sixty-four hexagrams. According to the interpretations of Huang and Zhu, the hexagrams Shike, Bi, and Zhongfu are still missing. Since it is unclear where they belong, they are noted here.

In his Complete Examination of the Three Changes, Zhu Yuansheng says that the Guicang Yi pairs the Six Jia—the sixty combinations of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches from Jiazi to Guihai—with the sixty-four hexagrams. What it contains is the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and what it employs is their categories. He also says that the Guicang Yi begins with the Kun hexagram and ends with the Bo hexagram. The work is divided into two sections: the sequence from Jiazi to Guisi is called “Before Jia,” and the sequence from Jiawu to Guihai is called “After Jia.” The number of milfoil stalks used is 10,800.

The Twelve Sovereign Hexagrams are a group of hexagrams matched with the twelve Earthly Branches and the months: Zi corresponds to Fu, Chou to Lin, Yin to Tai, Mao to Dazhuang, Chen to Guai, Si to Qian, Wu to Gou, Wei to Dun, Shen to Pi, You to Guan, Xu to Bo, and Hai to Kun. Grand Historian Zhu points out that in the original text of the Guicang, “Dun” was written with a character formed from “tuan” and the “walking” radical, while “Bo” was written as “pu.” Xu Shan’s Four Changes also records this group of Twelve Sovereign Hexagrams.

Xu Shan says, “The twelve bi hexagrams in the Gui Cang are what is called the Shang dynasty Yi. Bi means ‘ruler’; here it refers to the hexagrams that govern the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang in a given period. The method of derivation is as follows: begin with a six-line Kun hexagram and, one by one, change its six Yin lines into Yang lines. This yields the five bi hexagrams Fu, Lin, Tai, Dazhuang, and Guai. Then begin with a six-line Qian hexagram and, one by one, change its six Yang lines into Yin lines. This yields the five bi hexagrams Gou, Dun, Pi, Guan, and Bo. Once these ten bi hexagrams have appeared, the framework for the derivation is established.

“Next, take another six-line Kun hexagram. Using the Fu hexagram as the basis for change, one can derive six hexagrams with one Yang line; using Lin as the basis, fifteen hexagrams with two Yang lines; using Tai, twenty hexagrams with three Yang lines; using Dazhuang, fifteen hexagrams with four Yang lines; and using Guai, six hexagrams with five Yang lines. Continue the derivation, and it becomes the all-Yang Qian hexagram. In this way, the sequence of the sixty-four hexagrams is determined.

“On closer inspection, we find that the six positions of the Qian hexagram have gradually become new lines, while the six positions of the Kun hexagram remain unchanged as old lines. In other words, the Yang lines in the hexagrams have changed, while the Yin lines remain as they were. So, taking the newly formed Qian hexagram as the starting point, use Gou as the basis for change to derive six hexagrams with one Yin line; use Dun to derive fifteen with two Yin lines; Pi to derive twenty with three Yin lines; Guan to derive fifteen with four Yin lines; and Bo to derive six with five Yin lines. Continue the derivation, and the six-line, all-Yin Kun hexagram is renewed as well.

“In the final analysis, there are not two separate processes of derivation. Rather, the sixty-four hexagram positions are worked through in sequence. Proceeding forward from Kun through seven transformations yields one hundred and ninety-two Yang lines, ultimately revealing the form of pure Kun. Tracing backward from Qian through seven transformations yields one hundred and ninety-one Yin lines, ultimately revealing the form of pure Kun as well. Through this repeated movement forward and backward, all three hundred and eighty-four line changes are unfolded.”

The meaning of the title “Qimu” in the Qimu Jing of the Guicang is unclear. Some scholars have argued that the Guicang begins with the Kun hexagram, which symbolizes the earth, mother of all things. Guo Pu also quoted a Zhengmu Jing in his commentary on the Shanhaijing. Some have suggested that “Qimu” may be connected with the twelve sovereign hexagrams, perhaps by assigning each of the twelve hexagrams to one of the twelve territorial divisions. Whether this is so, however, cannot be determined.

“Qu”: There is a qu, and there is a gu. Brew wine with millet harvested at night and pour it into two jars. Two sheep drank the wine and did not wake until three days later. Someone has a pond; I take his fish.

In his commentary on the section “Sheep” in the Erya, Guo Pu quoted the phrase “two jars, two rams” from the Guicang. Xing Bing’s subcommentary says that this passage comes from the Qimu Jing of the Guicang. However, the Xixi Yishuo records a hexagram named “Qu” in the Guicang, so the text here may be a line statement for the Qu hexagram. Xing Bing’s attribution of it to the Qimu Jing is probably inaccurate.

The Zhengmu Jing of the Guicang

Mingyi says: In ancient times, Xiahou Qi consulted the divination about riding a flying dragon up into the sky. Qi then asked Gaoyao to divine the matter, and Gaoyao said, “Auspicious.” In his Commentary on the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Guo Pu quotes the Zhengmu Scripture of the Guicang: “Xiahou Qi consulted the divination about riding a flying dragon up into the sky; it was auspicious.” The wording quoted here differs slightly from quotations in other books, but it refers to the same passage.

In ancient times, Xia Qi consulted the divination about moving the Nine Tripods. Later, Xia Qi did indeed move them.

In ancient times, Xia Shun consulted the divination about ascending to heaven and becoming a spirit. The two spirits, Huang and Long, who were obtained through the divination, said, “Inauspicious.”

When King Wu campaigned against King Zhou, he asked the elders to divine the matter. They said, “Auspicious.”

In ancient times, Gun consulted the divination about controlling the floods, then asked Daming to divine the matter. Daming said, “Inauspicious. Things begin smoothly, but end badly.”

In ancient times, Jie of Xia divined whether to attack the state of Tang. He repeatedly consulted the deity Yinghuo and received this judgment: “It is inauspicious. To send out troops would be unfavorable; it would be favorable to remain where you are and take no action. The other side is like a wildcat, and we are like a mouse. Do not act, or you may harm its father.”

When this passage from the Guicang is quoted in juan 82 of the Taiping Yulan, it reads, “They are wildcats; we are mice,” omitting the word “we.” The quotation in juan 912 of the Taiping Yulan is also textually incomplete, while another quotation reads, “They are wildcats, and we are mice.” Wang’s Han Yiwen Zhi Kao groups the related quotations in one section, and this work follows that arrangement. The Bowu Zhi quotes only as far as “Jie divined about attacking the state of Tang, and the judgment was inauspicious,” leaving out the divination text; this may simply be an abbreviated quotation.

In ancient times, Yi was skilled at archery. He shot down the ten suns and eventually brought them all down. Guo Pu’s commentary on the Shanhaijing quotes this passage from the Zhengmu Jing of the Guicang. The subcommentary to “The Song of the Five Sons” in the Shangshu and the commentary on Duke Xiang, year four, in the Chunqiu Zuozhuan also quote the phrase “Yi bi” from the Guicang.

The lost line statements in the appendix are explained as follows: Xu Shan argues in the Si Yi that the Guicang had 384 lines, six lines per hexagram, the same number of lines as the Zhouyi. These materials should therefore belong to the scripture itself. Among the materials from the Guicang quoted in commentaries, only the Qimu and Zhengmu chapters can be securely identified. Other materials either mention only a hexagram name or mention one without clearly identifying their source, so it is impossible to determine which chapter they belong to. They are therefore appended after the scripture under the heading “Remaining Lines,” to distinguish them from the main text.

The Kun Opens for Divination records that Emperor Yao married his two daughters to Shun as his wives.

The statement of the Tun hexagram is “Tun Grease.” The Xixi Commentary on the Changes says: “When we compare the Zhouyi with the Guicang, we find that not only do the hexagram names use Shang-period terminology, but the statements also preserve old Shang wording. For example, ‘Tun Grease’ in the Tun hexagram, ‘Commanding the Army’ in the Shi hexagram, ‘Taking a Wife’ in the Jian hexagram, and ‘Bearing a Basket’ in the Guimei hexagram all retain old statements from the Shang Changes.”

The statement of the Shi hexagram is “Commanding the Army,” meaning to lead troops.

The statement of the Xiao Du Xu hexagram (that is, Xiao Xu) is “Her Husband.” Zhu Zhen’s Collected Explanations in the Hanshang Commentary on the Changes quotes this phrase from the Xiaoxu section of the Guicang.

The statement of the Ding hexagram is “The ding has yellow handles; it is good for catching eels and carp.” This means that the ding has yellow handles and is suitable for catching eels and carp.

The statement of the Pu hexagram (written as Bo in some versions) is “The worthy man obtains his jade; the common man obtains his grain.” This means that a virtuous person obtains jade, while an ordinary person obtains grain. The Taiping Yulan quotes it as “Bo”; Ma Su’s Yishi quotes it as “The noble man obtains his grain.”

The statement of the Jie hexagram is “The Shang king establishes his state; he should never be like a valley.” Jia Gongyan’s commentary on the Zhouli, in the section on the Spring Official and Grand Diviner, quotes the Guicang and says this sentence appears in the Jie hexagram. Luo Ping’s commentary on the Lushi quotes it as “He should never be like a valley moon.”

The statement of the Guimei hexagram is “Bearing a Basket,” meaning carrying a bamboo basket.

The statement of the Jian hexagram is “Taking a Wife,” meaning marrying.

The statement of the Mingyi hexagram is “Its wings hang down,” meaning that its wings droop.

These line statements, whose hexagrams can be identified from their names, are arranged here according to the hexagram sequence given in the Xixi Commentary on the Changes.

The line statements whose hexagram names can be identified above are arranged according to the hexagram sequence in Xixi’s Explanation of the Changes. As for “Its contention speaks” in First Qian, “the blossoms of Rongluo” in First Kun, “the yowling fox” in First Gen, “its speech is earnest” in First Dui, “to celebrate, the body does not move” in First Luo, “Li is dark and deep” in First Li, “a sound like thunder” in First Li, and “a bird is about to arrive, its wings drooping” in First Xun: although each includes a hexagram name, each also bears the word “First,” so they belong to the First Scripture and are not copied here. The remaining passages, whose hexagram names cannot be identified, are listed below.

White clouds rise from Cangwu and drift into Daliang.

A parasol tree drifts into Daliang.

Even a luxuriant stalk will draw in cloud Qi, which condenses on the stalk into a knot or swelling.

Qian is a zither in the wind cave of Mount Jishi.

There are wild ducks and mandarin ducks, as well as geese and suhuang, a bird of legend.

Someone is about to come and give me valuables. When he arrives, I can make use of them; whatever I seek, I can obtain. Good fortune is on its way.

The nobleman prepares a carriage; the commoner prepares to walk.

Someone is about to come and give me money. From nightfall onward, I have been watching for him.

The passage cited in the Yuhai is incomplete; only the text above remains.

Someone is coming, leaving me some money. I have kept watch since nightfall, waiting for him to arrive.

On Yarrow

Yarrow grows for two thousand years and then produces three hundred stalks. Its roots are old, so it can be used to discern good and ill fortune.

When yarrow’s tips are thicker than its roots, this is an auspicious sign of the highest order. When mugwort’s tips are thicker than its roots, it is an auspicious sign of the next order down. If the tips of thorn plants, arrow bamboo, or bamboo are thicker than their roots, each likewise indicates an auspicious sign of a lower order. Yarrow possesses five parts divine power, mugwort four, thorn plants three, arrow bamboo two, and bamboo one. These five materials are all kept in storage for divination. Used in sequence to make inquiries, they draw the spirits together.

Before divining, one must bathe, observe purification, and burn incense. The yarrow must be bathed regularly each day, and must be washed five times; the same applies to the tortoise shell. “Bathing the yarrow” and “bathing the tortoise” refer to the ritual cleansing of the yarrow and tortoise shell before divination.

Opening the Divination

Looking up at the lofty sky, now bright, now dim. Xihe’s son emerges from Yang Valley. Xihe is a deity in myth associated with the sun chariot and the sun’s course; Yang Valley is the legendary place where the sun rises.

Gonggong has a human face and a serpent’s body, with red hair.

The son of Mount Li has blue feathers, a human face, and a horse’s body. Another quotation says, “The son of Mount Li drums.”

The Feathered People have bird beaks and red…

Drum, son of Lishan, had blue feathers, a human face, and a horse’s body.

The Feathered People looked like this: they had bird beaks, red eyes, and white hair.

The son of Jinshui was named Yumeng. After divining, he said, “The Feathered People gave birth to all kinds of birds.” The version quoted in the Taiping Yulan adds the words “So he went to the Feathered People” before this sentence.

The floodwaters surged without end. Boyun therefore used growing stones and growing earth to block the flood. These were legendary stones and soil said to grow on their own.

Three years after Gun died, his body had still not decayed. People cut open his body with a Wu blade, and he turned into a Yellow Bear. In legend, the Yellow Bear was a strange beast.

Yu was born when Gun’s body was cut open with a large Wu blade. This passage follows the legend that Yu came into being from Gun’s corpse.

Long ago, the music called Bian was performed in the same palace as the music of the Celestial Emperor. This set of songs was called the Nine Songs.

People in the human world must not steal Bian and the Nine Songs, claim them as their own, and use them to govern the state.

Long ago, Xia Hou Qi offered sacrifices to the spirits among the ruins of Jin and performed Bian in the same palace as the Celestial Emperor. This set of songs was called the Nine Songs.

People in the human world must not steal Bian and the Nine Songs, claim them as their own, and use them to govern the state.

Long ago, Xia Hou Qi offered sacrifices to the spirits among the ruins of Jin and built the Xuan Terrace on the south bank by the water. The Xuan Terrace was a legendary raised structure.

In ancient times, Xiahou Qi consulted the oracle before preparing to offer sacrifices to the spirits at Daling, then climbed the Jun Terrace. He had Mei divine the auspiciousness or misfortune of Gao Yao’s fate. The result was: “Inauspicious.”

The Qian trigram symbolizes Heaven, the ruler, the father, the color scarlet, emperors, ministers, horses, and grain. It also symbolizes the hexagram associated with blood.

When the Azure Emperor rose to power, blue clouds bore up the sun; when the Red Emperor rose to power, yellow clouds bore up the moon.

Dongjun and Yunzhong: These two names appear in the Guicang Yi. Dongjun is the deity of the East, and Yunzhong is the cloud deity.

In ancient times, Nüwa consulted the oracle about whether to set up a cloud canopy. After Mei performed the divination, he said: “Auspicious. The Nine Provinces shine clearly, and the sun and moon take turns in their courses; the land is evenly apportioned, and the states in the four directions live in harmony.”

In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor fought the Flame Deity in the wilderness of Zhuolu. As battle was about to begin, the Yellow Emperor consulted Wu Xian and received this result: “The matter is indeed as expected, but calamity will follow.”

Chiyou attacked Kongsang. Kongsang was where the Heavenly Emperor lived.

Chiyou was born from sheep’s water. He had eight arms and eight legs, and a broad, open head. He climbed Mount Jiunao and attacked Kongsang. The Yellow Emperor killed Chiyou at Qingqiu and composed the ten-part Song of the Drumbeat—a piece that depicts war through drum music. The first section was called “Thunder Shakes and Startles,” the second “Fierce Tigers Terrify,” the third “Birds of Prey Strike,” the fourth “Dragon Steeds Prance,” the fifth “Divine Kui Roars,” the sixth “Vultures and Eagles Vie,” the seventh “Warriors Exert Themselves,” the eighth “Bears Roar,” the ninth “Stones Shake the Cliffs,” and the tenth “Waves Surge through the Gorges.”

In ancient times, Chang’e took an elixir of immortality and fled toward the moon. Another account says she took the Queen Mother of the West’s elixir of immortality, then flew to the moon and became its essence.

In ancient times, the Earl of the Yellow River sought an oracle to learn how a battle with the spirit of the Luo River would end. He consulted by the method of milfoil divination, and Kunwu cast the oracle for him. The result was inauspicious.

King Mu once hunted in the Wilds of Ge.

In ancient times, a son of King Mu once sought an oracle from Yuqiang.

In ancient times, the Son of Heaven Mu sought an oracle on whether to travel west. The reading was inauspicious. The oracle text said: “A dragon descends from heaven; the road is long. It flies high into the sky, its feathers a deep blue.”

The Book of Rites records Confucius as saying, “I wanted to investigate the ritual system of the Yin-Shang, so I went to the state of Song. But there were no longer enough documents there to verify it. While I was there, I came upon a book called Kunqian.”

The Classic of Mountains and Seas says that the Yellow Emperor obtained the River Chart, a legendary auspicious diagram. The Shang people therefore called this book Guicang.

The Rites of Zhou, in its section on the Grand Diviner, says that the Grand Diviner was in charge of three methods of divination using the Changes: first, Lianshan; second, Guicang; and third, the Zhou Changes. Each of the three books had eight basic trigrams, from which sixty-four hexagrams were derived.

Du Zichun considered Guicang a book from the time of the Yellow Emperor. Huan Tan said that Guicang contained 4,300 characters and was divided into eight categories, each with sixty-four variations. He also said that the book was kept by the Grand Diviner.

Zheng Kangcheng considered the surviving Guicang to be a Yin-Yang book of the Yin-Shang. Chunyu Jun explained that “Guicang” meant that all things return to and are stored within it. Ruan Xiaoxu said that Guicang recorded divination texts and various miscellaneous matters.

Liu Xie said that the text of Guicang contains many accounts of strange and fantastic events, such as the legends of Yi shooting down ten suns and Chang’e flying to the moon.

The Book of Sui says that Guicang had already been lost. An examination of the Zhongjing catalog from the Jin dynasty shows that Guicang was once listed there, but its contents dealt only with divination and did not accord with the purpose of classics composed by sages.

Kong Yingda considered Guicang to have originated in the time of the Yellow Emperor. He also said that sages adapted to their times and acted according to circumstances, so the various books of Changes need not have descended from one another. The hexagram names and sequence in Guicang also differ in many respects. When Confucius said, “I came upon Kunqian,” he meant that the Yin-Shang version of the Changes began with the Kun hexagram, and so placed Kun before Qian.

Jia Gongyan says that the Guicang Yi begins with the pure Kun hexagram. Kun represents the earth: all things return to the earth and are stored within it. He also says that the Shang dynasty took the twelfth lunar month as the first month of the year and called this system the “Earth’s Rule,” so it placed the Kun hexagram first.

Yuan Zhen says that Mu Jiang’s encounter with the Gen hexagram is sufficient proof that the records of ancient history are credible. Confucius, too, obtained the Kun hexagram and followed the Guicang order, with Kun first.

Li Shi says that, according to the Qian Zao Du, when Fuxi devised divination with yarrow stalks, hexagrams could already be doubled to form the sixty-four hexagrams. But customs were simple in those days, and divination used only the numbers seven and eight. None of the sixty-four hexagrams changed: Qian remained Qian, and Kun remained Kun; neither could transform into another hexagram. The Xia and Shang dynasties continued this method, divining with seven and eight, as in the Lianshan and the Guicang. Later, as social customs grew increasingly shallow, people began to divine with nine and six, allowing the hexagrams to change. Without this, they would not have been able to respond adequately to the changes in the world.

Liu Chang says that Kun is where all things gather and return. The Shang dynasty placed the Kun hexagram first. The Book of Rites says, “I obtained Kun and Qian”; this refers to the Guicang Yi.

Xing Bing says that the Guicang was composed by Tang the Successful and is one of the three Yi texts.

Ouyang Xiu says that by the end of the Zhou dynasty, the Yi texts of the Xia and Shang had been lost. Although the Guicang still existed in the early Han, it was no longer the ancient version. Today only three passages remain, and their content is difficult to verify.

Shao Yong says that the Shang dynasty took the month of Chou—which corresponds to the twelfth lunar month—as the first month of the year, a system called the “Earth’s Rule.” The Yi was called the Guicang and began with the Kun hexagram, which represents the earth.

Fang Que says that the Guicang begins with the Kun hexagram: all things return to their roots and keep their activity hidden within. These features reflect Shang practice and accord with the seasonal order of the earth’s workings. The Shang followed the “Earth Calendar,” so they called this book the Guicang.

Huang Shang says that discerning what is hidden and subtle through what is manifest is the wisdom of the Yi. For this reason, the Shang dynasty called the Yi the Guicang. “Returning and storing” means keeping activity concealed.

Wang Guoguo says that the Book of Rites records Confucius as saying, “I gave this book its name.”

Huang Shang said, “The principles of things emerge from what is subtle and hidden. This is the wisdom of the Changes. For this reason, the Changes of the Shang dynasty was called the Returning to the Hidden. That name refers to the way the functions of all things ultimately return to storage.”

Wang Guanguo said: The Book of Rites records Confucius as saying, “I obtained the Kun-Qian.” Zheng Xuan’s commentary explains that this was a Shang dynasty book about Yin and Yang, of which the Returning to the Hidden is the surviving work. The “Section on Sheep” in the Erya records “male yú,” a kind of ram. In his commentary, Guo Pu quotes the Returning to the Hidden: “Two pots, two yú.” The “Clouds” section of the Chuxue ji also quotes the work: “White clouds rose from Cangwu and entered Daliang.” These passages all serve as evidence that a book called the Returning to the Hidden once existed.

The Zhongxing Book Catalogue records that the Returning to the Hidden had thirteen chapters in the Sui dynasty. Today, only three chapters remain: “First Classic,” “Mother of Qi,” and “The Basis of Divination Stalks.” Their texts are badly damaged and disordered, making them difficult to interpret.

Wu Hang said: The Rites of Zhou records that the Grand Diviner, the official in charge of divination, administered three Changes: the Linked Mountains, the Returning to the Hidden, and the Changes of Zhou. Each had eight fundamental trigrams and sixty-four hexagrams formed by combining them. This shows that the hexagram images of the Linked Mountains and the Returning to the Hidden already used doubled trigrams in the era of the Three Sovereigns, while the Changes of Zhou took this form in the time of King Wen.

Wu Renjie said: The Linked Mountains and the Returning to the Hidden used unchanging lines in divination, with judgments based solely on the original hexagram. The Changes of Zhou, by contrast, used the original and changing hexagrams together when divining with unchanging lines. Records in the Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals can be used to verify this.

Wei Liaoweng said: Among the three Changes described in the Changes of Zhou, “closing the gates” symbolizes the Kun hexagram and corresponds to the Returning to the Hidden. “All things end and all things begin; none is more flourishing than Gen” corresponds to the Linked Mountains.

Li Gang said: The Returning to the Hidden was the Changes of the Shang dynasty. It began with the Kun hexagram, which is why it was called the Returning to the Hidden. When Confucius investigated Shang customs and rites in the state of Song, he obtained a book called the Kun-Qian. This was probably the Returning to the Hidden.

Zhu Zhen says: The “Initial Classic” of the Guicang expresses the fundamental intent of Fuxi, the legendary ancient sage-king credited with creating the Eight Trigrams (Bagua). The three Changes mentioned in the Rites of Zhou each had eight primary trigrams. These “primary trigrams” are the Eight Trigrams in the “Initial Classic.”

Zhang Xingcheng says: In the Shang dynasty, the Guicang was called the “Earth Changes,” and the ideas in the Yuanbao were modeled on it.

Zheng E says: The Guicang begins with the Kun hexagram and is the Changes of the Shang dynasty. It places one Kun hexagram above another, which is why it is called the Guicang: like the earth, it contains all things, and in the end all things return to it and are hidden within it.

Zheng Qiao says: The Lianshan has been lost. In the Tang dynasty, there were thirteen volumes of the Guicang annotated by Sima Ying, but these too have since been lost; in the Sui dynasty, Xue Zhen produced an annotation in thirteen volumes. Today, only three sections can still be seen: the “Initial Classic,” “Mother of the Qi,” and “Root of the Yarrow.” They concern divination, and their language is plain while their meaning is arcane and ancient. Later scholars doubted and discarded the work because its prose was not ornate enough. Perhaps the Lianshan was lost for a similar reason. They did not realize that people of later generations might no longer be able to write books like these.

Yang Jian says: The Guicang was still extant during Confucius’s lifetime, which is why there is a saying that he “obtained the Kunqian in Song.”

Luo Mi says: The Yellow Emperor established the Kun and Qian hexagrams, distinguished the Li and Kan hexagrams, and derived numerical principles from the images of the hexagrams, using them to institute measures suited to his age. Because earth was regarded as auspicious, he placed two Kun hexagrams together at the beginning; this is what is called the Guicang Changes. He also says that the Guicang was the book of the Guicang clan, which the Shang people adopted, and that it used the Eight Trigrams.

Luo Ping says, “The Gui Cang was the Yi of the Yellow Emperor. But the Kun: Qi Shi chapter says that ‘Yao gave his two daughters in marriage to Shun,’ and the Jie hexagram records things like ‘the Shang king’s state often had no grain to harvest.’ Its hexagrams are indeed those of the Gui Cang, but its text does not date from the age of the Yellow Emperor. It was probably compiled in the time of Tang of Shang.”

Lin Xuemeng says, “When the Yi Shu discusses the Lian Shan and Gui Cang, it gives two views: one holds that they were works by Fuxi and the Yellow Emperor; the other, that they were the Yi of the Xia and Shang dynasties. Which view is correct remains uncertain.”

Jiang Junshi says, “When the Shang arranged the Yi, they placed the Kun hexagram first. The Shang preference for simplicity and for the color white in their ritual system also stemmed from this.”

Li Guo says, “The Yi Chao records: ‘Heaven is high and honored, while Earth is low and humble; this is the original position of Qian and Kun. Yet the Yi of the Shang placed Kun first. Was that not to regard Earth as more honored than Heaven?’ The Yi of the Shang was later lost because people did not know that the Shang began the year in the chou month—the twelfth lunar month—and treated the twelfth month as the first month of the year. They used the opposition between chou and wei to represent Earth’s governing cycle. Kun symbolizes Earth, and the Shang adopted Earth’s cycle, so Kun had to be placed first.”

Wang Yinglin says, “The Yue Jue Waizhuan quotes Fanzi: ‘The Dao gives rise to Qi; Qi gives rise to Yin; Yin gives rise to Yang.’ In my view, Yin preceding Yang is precisely what the Gui Cang’s placing Kun first means: first closing, then opening; first stillness, then movement.”

Ma Duanlin says, “The Lian Shan and Gui Cang were the Yi of the Xia and Shang dynasties, and originally predated the Zhou Yi. But the Han Zhi does not list the Gui Cang, and the Sui Zhi does not list the Lian Shan. These two books probably appeared only sometime between the Jin and Sui dynasties. Historical records clearly say that the Lian Shan was forged by Liu Xuan. The Gui Cang may well belong to the same category.”

Ge Yinyan says, “The Gui Cang is the Yellow Emperor’s Central Heaven Yi: the Yi of the Yellow Emperor’s time, occupying the central position.”

Jia Xuanweng believed that the versions of texts such as the Guicang now known probably did not appear until the Jin and Sui periods. Historical records clearly state that the Lianshan was forged by Liu Xuan. Jia surmised that the Guicang might belong to the same category.

Ge Yinyan said that the Guicang was the “Central Heaven Changes” of the Yellow Emperor’s time. Jia Xuanweng also considered the Guicang to have been composed in the Yellow Emperor’s era. The system in which the sixty ganzhi cycle signs ran alongside the sixty-four pre-heaven trigrams was what was called the Central Heaven Guicang Changes.

Zhu Yuansheng believed that although tradition attributed the Guicang to the Yellow Emperor, in fact it followed Fuxi’s sequence of trigrams. The Treatise on Pitch Pipes and Calendrics in the Book of Han states: “Fuxi drew the Eight Trigrams, beginning from numbers; by the time of the Yellow Emperor, they had been brought to full completion.” From this, Zhu inferred that Fuxi’s Changes and the Yellow Emperor’s Changes belonged to a single lineage. He also pointed out that the Rites of Zhou records the Grand Diviner as being in charge of the methods of the Three Changes, while the Diviners likewise oversaw the Three Changes and distinguished nine kinds of divination. This shows that the Guicang was not abandoned when the Zhou Changes became popular. In the ninth year of Duke Xiang of Lu, Mu Jiang’s divination yielded “Gen changing into Eight.” Du Yu explained that this resulted from using the Lianshan, Guicang, and Zhou Changes together. This shows that the Guicang was still in circulation during the Spring and Autumn period. Zhu Yuansheng further said that the Guicang took the Yellow River Diagram as its model. Since the Yellow River Diagram concealed the number ten, the Guicang likewise omitted ten.

Wu Cheng believed that the Guicang was the Changes of the Shang dynasty. The Changes of both the Xia and Shang probably used the trigrams drawn by Fuxi for divination, but arranged them in an order different from the pre-heaven sequence. Thus the Lianshan began with the Gen trigram, while the Guicang began with Kun.

Wu Lai said that the Guicang consisted of three volumes, with a commentary by Xue Zhen of the Jin dynasty. Some of its contents are now scattered through other books; their style closely resembles Jiao Gan’s Yilin, and they are not from an ancient edition of the Changes.

Zhao Daoyi says: The Yellow Emperor, Xuanyuan, adopted Fuxi’s trigrams and followed Shennong’s principle of doubling them to form the sixty-four hexagrams. He established the theory of the Eight Trigrams, calling it the “Eight Cords,” to investigate the meaning of doubled trigrams. The Yellow Emperor was also known as the “Returning to the Storehouse Clan,” so he titled the book he compiled Returning to the Storehouse. This book is regarded as the beginning of the Classic of Changes (Yi).

Zhu Yinlao says: Returning to the Storehouse was the Yellow Emperor’s version of the Classic of Changes, with the Kun hexagram first. Calendars that began the year in the month of Chou (the twelfth lunar month) all honored this tradition; it was not limited to the Shang dynasty.

Zhu Sheng says: Returning to the Storehouse placed the Kun hexagram first, reflecting an order that proceeds from stillness to movement.

Ding Yidong says: Although the Xia dynasty’s Linked Mountains and the Shang dynasty’s Returning to the Storehouse began with the Gen and Kun hexagrams respectively, in divination both treated the lower half of a hexagram as the “primary” part and the upper half as the “changed” part. That is why the Great Plan says only that divination uses two parts.

He Qiaoxin says: The Treatise on Classics and Books in the Book of Sui records that Returning to the Storehouse consisted of thirteen scrolls, presented by Liu Guangbo. Its contents were considered shallow and rudimentary, and the book was later lost. However, the phrase “Kun stores them” in the Classic of Changes preserves the meaning of Returning to the Storehouse.

He Mengchun says: The Shang version of the Classic of Changes placed Kun before Qian, proceeding first from stillness and then to movement. This is the fixed principle governing the operation of Yin-Yang. The phrase “Kun stores them” in the Classic of Changes also preserves the meaning of Returning to the Storehouse.

Yang Shen says: Linked Mountains was kept in the Orchid Terrace, and Returning to the Storehouse in the Office of Great Divination. This record appears in Huan Tan’s New Discourses, showing that Linked Mountains and Returning to the Storehouse still existed during the Eastern Han. Their existence should therefore not be doubted simply because they are absent from the bibliography in the Book of Han.

Hu Yinglin said: The Book of Returning to the Hidden (Guicang) does not appear in the Qilüe. It was first entered in the Zhongjing Bu, and the Book of Sui: Treatise on the Classics later repeated this record. The Sui Treatise says that it “records only divination and does not accord with the intention of the sages.” This shows that people in the Tang dynasty already suspected it was a forgery.

Zheng Yuanxi said: The Guicang begins with the Kun hexagram, meaning that one first stores and nurtures, then sets things in motion. Confucius said, “I wanted to understand the governing principles of the Shang dynasty, and I obtained the Kun and Qian hexagrams.” Zheng Yuanxi believed that Confucius probably approved of the Guicang. Compared with the Book of Changes (Zhouyi), however, the Guicang is relatively brief.

Shen Maoxiao said: The Shang dynasty’s Changes begins with the Kun hexagram and values storing and restraint. The impulse that sets change in motion arises precisely from this.

Hao Jing said: The Guicang begins with the Kun hexagram. Kun symbolizes the earth: after all things flourish, they return to the earth. That is why the text is called the Guicang.

Jiao Hong said: The Guicang begins with Kun; Shang scholars valued stillness and steadfastness.

Dong Sizhang said: The Guicang Changes has long been lost. Only the names of its sixty-four hexagrams remain, and four of those are missing. Its hexagram names also differ from those in the Zhouyi.

Sun Qifeng said: The Guicang begins with the Kun hexagram, and Kun carries the meaning of storing. The affairs of the world are often exhausted not through setting things in motion, but through storing them away. If one cannot withdraw and store things carefully, vitality is lost and gradually withers. Thus, storing is also a form of nurturing; Kun’s fundamental function is to nourish all things.

Xu Shan said: The Guicang has been lost for a long time. Some searched for it in the Ancient Three Tombs and in the writings of Sima Ying and Xue Zhen, then mistook related materials for the Guicang. Others took books about returning souls and the Najia method for the Guicang—a shallow understanding. Some twisted the saying “Qian rules, Kun stores” and insisted that the square diagram was the Guicang—a forced interpretation. As for the Wei family, they went so far as to put pen to paper and fabricate it at will, an act of sheer recklessness.

Zhu Yizun observes that, according to historical evidence, the Guicang was still preserved in the Sui dynasty, and that by the Song dynasty its three chapters, “Chu Jing,” “Qi Mu,” and “Ben Shi,” were also still extant. The passages quoted in commentaries and annotations are ancient and obscure. Kong Yingda states in his Correct Meaning that the Guicang is a forged book, but that judgment may not be entirely correct.

The Book of the Three Tombs calls the Guicang Yi the Qi Tomb and records its line statements and hexagram images as follows: “The qi of Heaven returns; the qi of Earth is stored away; the qi of Wood gives birth; the qi of Wind moves; the qi of Fire grows; the qi of Water nourishes; the qi of Mountains comes to rest; the qi of Metal brings death.” The book also provides separate commentaries explaining these statements. Yet this account differs greatly from the Guicang passages quoted in commentaries and annotations, and the two do not fit together.

Ma Su says: The Rites of Zhou records that the Grand Historian was in charge of three Yi. Scholars in recent times have regarded the Guicang as the name of the Yin dynasty’s Yi. The Guicang hexagram statements quoted in various books are, for the most part, plain and substantial in style.

The Qin-slip version of the Guicang refers to the bamboo-slip text of the Guicang unearthed from Qin tomb no. 15 at Wangjiatai, Jiangling.

The Wangjiatai Qin bamboo slips of the Guicang comprise 394 slips. Of these, 164 are numbered, while another 230 are fragmentary. The slips are badly damaged, and so far not even one complete slip has been reconstructed. Their original arrangement is also difficult to determine.

Among the slips, researchers identified 70 groups of hexagram diagrams. Sixteen groups are repeated; after removing duplicates, 54 distinct diagrams remain. The diagrams use “—” for a yang line and “∧” for a yin line. A total of 76 hexagram names appear, including 23 repetitions, leaving 53 distinct names. Some hexagram statements are also repeated. The slips come in two types, broad and thin and narrow and thick, leading researchers to suggest that the Guicang may have existed in two copies.

All the hexagram diagrams in the Qin slips of the Guicang correspond to hexagrams in the received Zhouyi. Most of the hexagram names are also the same as those found in the received Guicang, the silk manuscript of the Zhouyi, and the received Zhouyi. The transcriptions below present selected passages. They follow the bamboo slips’ original content, recording repeated passages only once; where a diagram and a name complement each other, both are included. The passages are arranged approximately in the order of the “Sixty-Four Hexagrams” in Ma Guohan’s Yuhanshanfang Collection of Lost Texts. The numbers below the text are the slips’ original numbers assigned during cataloguing; those above are temporary sequence numbers. “◇” marks a break in a slip, and “□” marks a blurred or illegible character. Loan characters and variant forms are not separately noted. Where the context suggests a character has been omitted, it is supplied in “【】”.

These transcriptions are an initial draft prepared just after the bamboo slips were cleaned. They have not yet been carefully checked and may contain errors. If they differ from the contents of the eventual official publication, the official publication should be followed.

1. The “Gua” hexagram says: The unkind person was Xia Hou Qi, ruler of the Xia dynasty. When he ascended to the place of the Celestial Emperor, the Emperor judged him unworthy and cast him into the abyss. At the hour of Yin, Gonggong fell into the river…

2. The “Tianmu” hexagram says: In the morning… unfavorable to plants and trees… it is called being below…

3. The “Zhun” hexagram says: Long ago, Xiaolong divined whether he would ascend to Heaven, and afterward…

4. The “Meng” hexagram says: Long ago,… divined…

5. The “Song” hexagram says: Long ago,… divined about a dispute… Qi…

6. The “Shi” hexagram says: Long ago, the Son of Heaven Mu (King Mu of Zhou) divined whether to send out troops, and afterward… divined… A dragon descended from Heaven… flew far away, rising into the midst of the vast sky…

5. The “Song” hexagram says: Long ago,… divined about a dispute… Qi…

6. The “Shi” hexagram says: Long ago, the Son of Heaven Mu (King Mu of Zhou) divined whether to send out troops, and afterward… divined… A dragon descended from Heaven… flew far away, rising into the midst of the vast sky…

7. The “Bi” hexagram says: Bi with… Bi with… bore two children, one in charge of Yin and one of Yang… the surname…

8. The “Shaodu” hexagram says: Long ago,… a young man divined whether his state would face trouble, and afterward…

9. The “Lü” hexagram says: Long ago, Yi shot at a stone in Zhubi Village, and Yi indeed hit it. The hexagram was named “Lü”…

10. The “Nai” hexagram says: Long ago, Kaolong divined… and afterward… The divination result was: “Inauspicious; this cannot be endured…”

11. The “Pi” hexagram says: Long ago,…

12. The “Tongren” hexagram says: The Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor fought… The divination result was: “Just as expected, but there will be trouble…”

13. The “You” hexagram says: Long ago, Lord Ping divined whether his state would suffer disaster, and afterward… divined. The spirit Lao divined, saying: “In ancient times there was a child… clarity among the four directions… reverence… wind and thunder do not…”

14. The “Daguo” hexagram says: Long ago, the sun and moon divined on the day of the full moon…

15. The “Yi” hexagram says: Long ago…

16. The Kun Gua says: In ancient times, Xiahou Qi consulted the oracle on behalf of his state, asking whether disaster would befall it. The oracle said there would be no disaster.

17. The Jing Gua says: In ancient times, Xiahou Qi once consulted the oracle.

18. The Zi Gua says: In ancient times, the ruler of Song consulted the oracle about granting a fief, then performed a divination. Wu Cang interpreted the result for him, saying, “Auspicious.” The text further says that when the Zi Gua changed, there was trouble at first, but things eventually went well. It later records Xiahou Qi consulting the oracle on behalf of his state and asking whether disaster would befall it.

19. The Feng Gua says: In ancient times, the Heavenly Emperor consulted the oracle about a place of residence, then performed a divination. Da Ming interpreted the result for him, saying, “Inauspicious.” The later text mentions the characters chen, ti, pin, and zhi, but the original is damaged and its meaning is uncertain.

20. The Da Guo Gua says: In ancient times, a minor official consulted the oracle about fleeing to Tang, then performed a divination. Zhong Hui interpreted the result for him, saying, “Inauspicious.” The text mentions “Da Guo at its gate,” but the rest is damaged.

21. The Lin Gua: Only the name of the gua survives.

22. The Guan Gua says: In ancient times, Xiahou Qi once consulted the oracle. The rest is damaged.

23. The Zu Gua says: In ancient times, someone consulted the oracle about the appearance of clouds, then performed a divination. Another account says that the one consulting the oracle was an immortal, and that Qun and Jing interpreted the result for him, saying, “Inauspicious.”

24. The Fu Gua says: In ancient times, King Zhu consulted the oracle about a white pheasant. The rest is damaged.

25. The Wu Wang Gua says: If one enters and leaves the Tang chamber, lives in a secure dwelling, and finds the countryside peaceful, one can avoid loss.

26. The Qu Gua says: In ancient times, the King of Yin consulted the oracle to ask whether disaster would befall his state. The rest is damaged.

27. The San Gua says: In ancient times, someone consulted the oracle about scattered grain, then performed a divination. Da … The rest is damaged.

The “Regulation” hexagram says: Long ago, King Wu of Zhou consulted the oracle about whether to attack the Shang. The diviner held the tortoiseshell and performed the divination. The result said it was auspicious.

The “Dispersion” hexagram says: Long ago, Gao… (the original text is damaged).

The “Limping” hexagram… (the original text is damaged).

The “Decrease” hexagram says… (the original text is damaged).

The “Conjoining” hexagram says… (the original text is damaged).

Another passage is also labeled the “Conjoining” hexagram, but its contents are damaged.

The “Hengwo” hexagram says: Long ago, Nü Guo divined about making a jian (possibly a kind of object or tool). The result… (the original text is damaged).

The “Breakthrough” hexagram says: Long ago, a red shoe rested in a tree. The magpie was the first to call, and the shoe called afterward. A man took a wife, and she went to live in his home.

The “Encounter” hexagram says: Long ago… (the original text is damaged).

The “Joy” hexagram says: Dui… Yellow garments are born from metal; the sun and moon rise together; the beast… (the original text is damaged).

The “Radiance” hexagram says: Long ago, Shang… (the original text is damaged).

The “Toil” hexagram says: Long ago, Chiyou divined about casting the Five Weapons. The diviner held the tortoiseshell and performed the divination. The result was red… (the original text is damaged).

The “Humility” hexagram says: Long ago, the Red Crow divined about clearing the Yushui River. Later, a spirit appeared, taking the form of wood. This was the emperor… (the original text is damaged).

The “Delight” hexagram says: In the north there are yellow birds, mingled with Xiuxu. There are thickets of trees and plants there… and people… (the original text is damaged).

The “Returning Maiden” hexagram says: Long ago, Hengwo stole “Never Die”… and ran toward the moon. The diviner held the tortoiseshell and performed the divination… (the original text is damaged).

The “Gradual Progress” hexagram says: Long ago, the king of Yin divined for the state, asking whether disaster would strike. The diviner held the tortoiseshell and performed the divination. Wu Xian divined for him, saying, “It is inauspicious; it does not gradually proceed toward…” (the original text is damaged).

43. The Jin hexagram says: Long ago, someone divined at the old capital of Emperor Jin … [The original text is missing characters.]

The Jin hexagram says: The Xia ruler Qi once divined … [The original text is missing characters.]

44. The Mingyi hexagram says: The Xia ruler Qi once divined and obtained the reading “riding a flying dragon and rising into the sky.” A prognostication was then made … [The original text is missing characters.]

45. The Quan hexagram says: Long ago, the king of Yin divined for the state, asking whether disaster would strike. After the divination, Wu Xian gave his judgment, saying, “Inauspicious.” Quan cast away the mat … [The original text is missing characters.] In the north, Quan is female … [The original text is missing characters.]

46. … [The beginning of this slip bears the hexagram figure for Weiji] … divined … [The original text is missing characters.]

47. The Dun hexagram says: … Dan used “entering” as a feather; neither high nor low, and so the undertaking at the outset was favorable … [The original text is missing characters.]

48. The Gu hexagram says: Long ago, in the north … [The original text is missing characters.]

The Ye hexagram says: Long ago, in the north … A man divined about taking a woman as his wife … [The original text is missing characters.]

49. … says: Long ago, in the north there was … A man took a woman as his wife, and afterward divined … [The original text is missing characters.]

50. The Shi hexagram says: … asked a question by means of stalk divination … [The original text is missing characters.]

51. The Bi hexagram says: Long ago … [The original text is missing characters.]

52. Zhongfu says: The emperor … divined … [The original text is missing characters.]

The statement for the Great Strength hexagram says: In ancient times, Fenglong, a legendary deity, divined about the rain clouds that were about to descend. He used yarrow stalks to cast the divination and received an auspicious result. The clouds over the mountain were about to descend.

Guizang (One of the Ancient Books of Changes)

A careful examination of the relevant records yields the following. Du Zichun’s commentary on the Rites of Zhou says, “Guizang is the book of the Yellow Emperor.” Volume 609 of the Taiping Yulan, quoting the Chronicles of Emperors and Kings, says, “The Yin people called the Yellow Emperor’s book Guizang.” The “Liyun” chapter of the Book of Rites says, “I obtained Kun and Qian.” Zheng Xuan explains, “Among the books that have survived, there is Guizang.” The Correct Meaning of the Book of Rites, quoting Xiong Ansheng, says, “The Changes of the Yin dynasty began with the Kun hexagram, so Kun is mentioned before Qian.”

The bibliographic treatise in the Book of Sui and the catalogues in both the Old and New Books of Tang record Guizang in thirteen scrolls. The bibliographic treatise in the Book of Sui also says that Guizang had already been lost by the early Han, but appeared again in the catalogue of the Zhongjing in the Jin dynasty. This version recorded only divination and did not place the Kun hexagram before Qian, as a work composed by a sage would. Since it also preserved the original hexagrams, it was listed after the Zhouyi to make up for what was missing from the Yin dynasty’s Changes.

According to the statement from Huan Tan’s New Discourses quoted in volume 608 of the Taiping Yulan, the complete Guizang comprised 4,300 characters. This shows that the book existed by the late Western Han. The Bibliographic Treatise of the Book of Han, when listing works based on the Seven Epitomes, probably omitted it by chance. The Comprehensive Examination of Literature quotes the Chongwen General Catalogue: “Today, only three chapters survive: ‘First Classic,’ ‘Mother of Qi,’ and ‘Original Stalks.’” The Yuhai, quoting the Catalogue of the Zhongxing Era, gives the same account. The Wenyuange Book Catalogue does not list the work, suggesting that these three chapters were probably lost again around the transition from the Yuan to the Ming. Texts gathered from various works today amount to 846 characters, only a small fraction of the version Huan Tan had seen.

Long ago, the Yellow Spirit (the Yellow Emperor) and the Flame Spirit (the Yan Emperor) fought on the plains of Zhuolu. As they prepared for battle, they sought a divination from Wu Xian, an ancient shaman. The oracle said: “Indeed, so it is: yours…”

Long ago, the Yellow Deity and the Flame Deity fought on the plains of Zhuolu. Just before the two armies were to clash, they asked Wu Xian, a sorcerer in ancient legend, to divine whether the outcome would be auspicious or inauspicious. The oracle said, “The undertaking seems likely to succeed, but disaster will follow.”

Long ago, Fenglong, the cloud deity of legend, divined about the clouds and received an auspicious result. He then checked the divination.

Long ago, Hebo, the spirit of the Yellow River, divined to learn whether he should fight the spirit of the Luo River, using a method called mei divination, in which items such as yarrow stalks or bamboo slips are consulted one by one. Kunwu, a figure from ancient legend, interpreted the result for him. It was inauspicious.

Long ago, Chang’e—also known as Heng’e, the legendary immortal in the moon—took the elixir of immortality bestowed by the Queen Mother of the West, a goddess in mythology. She then flew toward the moon and became its lunar essence.

Yi asked the Queen Mother of the West for the elixir of immortality. After Heng’e stole it, she prepared to fly to the moon. Before setting out, she used mei divination with Youhuang, either a person’s name or the name of a diviner. Youhuang interpreted the result: “Auspicious. You will return lightly to the hexagram Gui Mei [The Marrying Maiden] and travel west alone. Along the way, you will encounter a sky darkened and without light. Do not be alarmed or afraid; afterward, you will flourish greatly.”

Gun divined in the Gui Cang, an ancient divination classic, and obtained the hexagram “Great Brightness.” The oracle said, “Inauspicious. At first, it may seem you have gained something, but in the end you will lose it.”

In ancient times, Xiahou Qi, son of Yu the Great, performed a sacrifice to the gods among the ruins in Jin and built the Jade Terrace, a tall platform adorned with fine jade, on the north bank of the river.

In ancient times, Xiahou Qi consulted the oracle, intending to sacrifice to the gods at Daling and ascend Jun Terrace. Among the diviners, Gao Yao, the legendary wise minister of antiquity, said, “This is inauspicious.”

Qi consulted the oracle about moving the Nine Tripods, ritual vessels that symbolized royal authority. He later did move them.

In ancient times, King Jie of Xia consulted the oracle, intending to attack Tang. The diviner received a pronouncement from Yinghuo, the Planet of Fire (Mars): “This is inauspicious. A campaign will go badly; staying at home will bring good fortune. They are like a wildcat, and we are like a mouse. Do not act rashly, or you may harm their father.”

When King Wu went to war against the Shang, the diviner asked the elders—men of age and experience—and received the answer: “This is inauspicious.”

In ancient times, the Son of Heaven, King Mu, consulted the oracle before setting out west. The reading was inauspicious and said: “A dragon descends from the sky; the road is long and far. It rises into the heavens, its wings vast and dark.”

King Mu once hunted on the plains of Ge.

In ancient times, one of King Mu’s sons consulted the oracle through Yuqiang, a legendary spirit.

The statement of the Jie hexagram says: “The Yin king governs his state, yet often has no grain to harvest.”

Hexagram Jie: The Yin king often governed the state when there was no grain to harvest.

Hexagram Bo: A good person obtains jade; a gentleman obtains grain.

Hexagram Ding: The ding vessel has yellow handles. It is fitting to obtain yellow croaker and carp.

There are wild ducks and mandarin ducks, as well as geese and swan geese, a bird mentioned in ancient books.

Hexagram Qian: There is a zither in the wind cave of Jishi Mountain. If the zither is placed there but cannot be set down securely, one will never recover for the rest of one’s life.

A gentleman should be wary when traveling by carriage and horse; a petty person should be wary when traveling on foot.

Above is a high terrace; below is Yong Pool, either a place name or a reference to a broad pond. To use these in serving the ruler is to attain honor as if transformed; to use them in trade is to make wealth flow abundantly like a river.

Someone is about to come and give me goods. If my conduct is upright, I will make progress; if I seek something, I will obtain it. A happy event is on its way.

Someone is about to come and give me money; I have been waiting for them since nightfall.

Dongjun, the deity of the East, and Yunzhong, the Cloud Lord, a deity.

Hexagram Qian symbolizes Heaven, the ruler, the father, deep red, kings, high ministers, horses, and grain crops. It is also associated with blood. In the commentator’s view, this passage may come from the “Explaining the Trigrams” section of the Guicang. It suggests that these ideas were already present in the Shang dynasty Book of Changes, rather than first appearing in the Ten Wings, the ten treatises on the Book of Changes.

The twenty-five items listed above were all cited without their chapter titles. The divination accounts from “Yellow Spirit” to “Xiahou Qi” likely come from the “Qi Shi” chapter. The references to King Wu and King Mu may have been added later by the Grand Diviner. Volume 101 of the Beitang Shuchao, quoting Huan Tan’s Xinlun, says: “The Guicang is kept by the Grand Diviner.” Thus, the Guicang, a Book of Changes from the Shang dynasty, can contain accounts of events from the Zhou dynasty. Everything beyond the divination texts is merely legend.

“Qi Shi” in the Guicang

In the time when Taihao (the ancient ruler Fuxi) flourished, white clouds rose from Cangwu and entered Daliang.

Long ago, Nüwa (an ancient goddess) asked through divination whether she should set up a canopy of clouds, and cast yarrow stalks. The spirits gave this judgment: “Auspicious. The Nine Provinces will shine brightly, and the sun and moon will take their turns in the sky. The land will be governed fairly, and the states will live in harmony.”

Gonggong (a figure from ancient mythology) had a human face and a snake’s body, with red hair.

Chiyou was born in the Yang River. He had eight arms, eight toes, and sparse hair on his head. He climbed onto the Nine Marshes (nine marshland sites) and attacked Kongsang, but was later killed by the Yellow Emperor at Qingqiu. The Lushi also says that Chiyou had sparse hair, a tiger-like body, eight arms, and eight toes; this account appears in the “Qi Shi” chapter of the Guicang.

Look up at the vast, lofty sky: at times it is bright, at times dim. Xi He’s son set out from Yang Valley and rose into the sky.

Emperor Yao married his two daughters to Shun as his consorts.

The floodwaters surged without end, stretching out without limit. Bo Gun tried to hold them back by filling them in with growing stones and growing soil—legendary materials that could multiply and grow on their own.

Three years after Gun died, his body had still not decayed. People cut it open with a Wu blade, and he transformed into a yellow dragon.

Three years after Gun was executed, his body had still not decayed. People cut it open with a Wu blade, and Yu was born from within it.

Gu, the son of Lishan, had blue feathers, a human face, and a horse’s body.

The son of the Jin River was named Yumeng. He later went to the land of the Feathered People and gave birth there to all the birds.

The Feathered People had beaks, red eyes, and white heads.

In ancient times, “Nine Darknesses” was housed in the same palace as the Emperor’s “Distinctions,” and the two were arranged in a set order. This is the “Nine Songs.”

Legend says that one must not steal Bian and Nine Songs in order to rule the world.

The Scripture of Zheng Mu records that in ancient times Yi was skilled at archery. He shot down ten suns, eventually shooting them all away.

Xia Hou Qi once consulted the oracle, asking whether it would be auspicious to ride a flying dragon up to heaven. The result was an auspicious sign. This also suggests that Xia Hou Qi later became an immortal. Another account says that Xia Hou Qi rode a flying dragon up to heaven, and that Gao Yao divined on this matter and also judged it auspicious. Related legends say that on Mount Songgao there is a stone formed from Qi’s mother, the mother of Xia Qi, and that Xia Qi too ascended to immortality.

The Initial Scripture lists eight names for the trigrams: Initial Kun, Initial Qian, Initial Li, Initial Kan, Initial Dui, Initial Gen, Initial Li, and Initial Xun. Another account gives them as Initial Qian, Initial Shi, Initial Gen, Initial Dui, Initial Luo, Initial Li, Initial Li, and Initial Xun, and says that each of these trigrams consists of six lines. Here, “Shi” means Kun, “Luo” means Kan, and “Li” means Zhen. The Gui Cang Mirror found on pottery inscriptions also uses the forms “Shi,” “Luo,” and “Li.”

Gui Cang: The Scripture of the Mother of Qi

The name of the hexagram is said to be “Qu You.” Someone filled a gu (an ancient drinking vessel) with wine brewed from millet and poured it into two pots. Two rams drank the wine and did not wake for three days. A scholar had a marsh, so I went there to fish.

Gui Cang: The Chapter on the Base Yarrow

When divining with yarrow stalks, the most auspicious result comes when the tips of the stalks are thicker than their roots. Mugwort, whose tips are thicker than its roots, ranks next in auspiciousness. Thorn branches, arrow bamboo, and bamboo follow in that order when their tips are thicker than their roots.

Yarrow has five numinous powers, mugwort has four, thorn branches have three, arrow bamboo has two, and bamboo has one. All five kinds of plants are used in divination and kept together; when divination is performed with them, the spirits gather. “Spirit” here refers to the responsive numinous power understood to operate in divination.