Hexagram Notes for the I Ching

(the I Ching being a "language of the vague")

(copyright © 2003-2004 C. J. Lofting)

(last update 27 November 2004)

Abstract

The method of deriving the hexagrams of the I Ching is called 'recursion' - it is where we take the yin/yang dichotomy and repeatedly apply it to itself. See this diagram showing each level of derivation of recursion of any dichotomy and the qualities that come from each level - level 6 being, for the I Ching, the hexagrams of the I Ching (where A = yang, and NOT-A = yin).

This method of recursion is such that the whole gets encoded into the parts, and so is recoverable from each part. Through recursion all is linked together and we can use hexagrams as sources of analogy to describe the natures of other hexagrams. These notes cover what emerges from analysis of these connections and so shows the depth we are dealing with in analysis of the I Ching (click here for a large, specific, diagramatic, example of the hexagrams in binary order), ordered from yin to yang, the numbering below is from yang to yin)

We also focus on a method of enquiry that includes your general feelings about a situation to derive a more appropriate representation of that situation in the form of a hexagram. This method is derived from analysis on how our brains process information, and so showing the qualities found in the I Ching as fundamental to our brain's processing of information.

In the below table are links to the hexagrams of the I Ching with a selection of notes in bullet-point form asserting basic relationships of hexagrams with a focus upon hexagram pairs. These relationships have been uncovered through an analysis on how the I Ching was created and how the I Ching reflects properties of our brain (for summary see the .pdf format paper "The Language of the Vague") in its attempts to derive meaning where the method of derivation of hexagrams automatically associates hexagrams into pairs (2), quartets (4), and octets (8). with the traditional binary sequence. but you may also want to see the particular page on exaggerations and balance in the I Ching.

The pairings in the binary sequence reflect expressions based on differences in the TOP line, where a yin line reflects an interpretation of the hexagram meaning as being focused around issues of integration, whereas a yang top line reflects an interpretation of the hexagram meaning as being focused around issues of differentiation. This relationship of differentiation/integration is reflected across the whole sequence, e.g. in the local relation of 01 to 43 and in the global relation of 01 to 02.

There is also reference to the traditional sequence of hexagrams given in the basic numeric order from 1 to 64. BOTH sequences appear to be derived using recursion and so the focus is on 32 pairs of hexagrams in each sequence. There will also be reference to a sequence called 'variations on a theme' where we see emerge a focus on quartets in the context of meaning derivation:

01 43 14 34 09 05 26 11 10 58 38 54 61 60 41 19 13 49 30 55 37 63 22 36 25 17 21 51 42 03 27 24 44 28 50 32 57 48 18 46 06 47 64 40 59 29 04 07 33 31 56 62 53 39 52 15 12 45 35 16 20 08 23 02

This sequence relates pairs of hexagrams as being variations on a theme where the variation is the BOTTOM line of the hexagram. Thus the top row of hexagrams have a yang line as base, the bottom row has a yin line as base. Each bottom-line/top-line pair reflects a basic theme 'skewed' in interpretations by the nature of the bottom line. These pairs form into quartets when associated with another, semantically-related, pair.

There are occasional references in the hexagram comments to properties in Five-Phase Theory that come through due to the association of trigrams to the theory. For some background on Five-Phase see my webpages covering the Five-Phase I Ching where we identify Five-Phase as a property of our species and of recursion and so not something unique to China but something well-developed by the ancient Chinese.

We can also focus on LINE POSITION MEANINGS in the I Ching to aid in bring-out all aspects of a hexagram.

Below are given the links to pages of all 64 hexagrams with their names, general comments on trigram make-up, and the detailed comments on relationships of hexagram pairs as cooperative and competitive (opposite) forms in the expression of meaning. An additional page of material is accessable by clicking on hexagram image, top left of the page.

For information on the IDM-related properties see the links to the trigrams for each hexagram. The numbers given are the hexagrams traditional numbering as found in most modern interpretations. For essays etc on the I Ching see the ICPlus essay page and/or the ICPlus main page.