"River and Luo Essence" Annotations introduce

Author: Jiang Shenxiu (Qing Dynasty) Guo Yu (annotation and introduction)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features:
"The river gives birth to the map, the Luo gives birth to the book, the sages followed them——《I Ching》The sages' essence is shown through the hexagrams, and the sages' profound meaning is revealed through the hexagrams—Zhou Dunyi's Yi Tong
1. The speaker values the words: Explores the numerical symbols and meanings in the Imperial Compilation of the I Ching and the Enlightenment of the I Ching and the Appendix to the Enlightenment.
2. The mover values change: Provides a detailed examination of the mechanism of the divining stalks and changing divination, surpassing the Enlightenment of the I Ching.
3. The inventor values the images: Examines the hexagram images in up to 17 categories and 373 items, exhausting previous theories.
4. The diviner values divination: Deeply discusses the Na Jia divination method, Shi Ying, Fei Fu, Liu Qin, coin throwing examples, the twelve Bixgua, the thirty-six palaces, and more comprehensively.
5. The cultural compass: The three needles in the central seam, Jing Yin Jing Yang, the sixty dragons through the earth, the sixty dragons of expansion and contraction, the seventy-two dragons through the mountains, the twenty-eight constellations belonging to the seven luminaries, the nine stars flipping the hexagrams, the small and large You Nian, the five elements, the Yuan Chen Dou Shou, the Qimen Dun Jia, the Zibo Luo Shu, and more—all explained in detail.
6. The theory of music and sound: The calculation of the empty diameter of the lute tube, the three-part reduction and benefit, the generation of eight intervals, the algorithm of the twelve equal temperament, the Na Yin, the sixty lutes, etc., with appropriate reasoning and precise calculations.
7. The geometry of the He and Luo: The Shang Gao theorem, the continuous ratios of Euclidean geometry, the theory of dividing the middle and end line, all explained using the He Tu and Luo Shu.
8. Traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis: Six pulses, twelve zang pulse diagnosis, the theory of Yi Gui being the same source, the transmission of Sha Jing, the Ren and Du meridians, etc., sufficient for reference by professionals.
The Dao exists between heaven and earth. At the beginning, only the sages could understand it, so the map and the book came after, and the hexagrams were born. Thus, they opened the way to create and manage affairs, covering the Dao of the world as innovation. In reality, it was because of this. Confucius praised the I Ching for knowing that the hexagrams originated from the map and the book, so he elaborated on it in the Great Commentary. The founder of the teaching believed that the He Tu was given to Cai, and Meng followed it to draw the hexagrams. The Luo Shu was given to Yu, and Yu followed it to develop the Fan Ren. The two theories diverged, and their explanations were contrary to the sages. However, Meng Jian understood that they were interwoven as warp and weft. Yet, he could not explain them in detail.
The Mr. Jiang Shenxiu of Wuyuan wrote extensively, and in his later years, he was particularly fond of the I Ching. He searched for ancient and modern theories, combined them with his own insights, and compiled the Essence of the He and Luo in nine volumes, divided into the inner and outer chapters. The inner chapter discusses the origins of the map, the book, and the hexagrams, the theory of the and, and the methods of the divining stalks and changing divination, presenting the essence of the He and Luo. The outer chapter discusses the broader implications of the map, the book, and the hexagrams, extending and connecting them, presenting the of the He and Luo. He claimed it filled the gaps left by previous scholars. Huang Zi Yun of Xuanzhou edited and published it.
I have read that the Song Dynasty bibliography mentions over two hundred books on the I Ching, and some have been able to elaborate on its essence, but few remain. Moreover, the theory of the I Ching is vast and complete, with each person writing their own book and interpreting it differently. Those who once believed they had grasped its essence may later find it crude. The I Ching contains the sky and the earth, and listing everything would be exhausting.
This book uniquely grasps the theory of the sages following the map and the book to create the I Ching, tracing the original principles, and includes many insights previously unmentioned. It extends and elaborates, intertwining and combining to seek harmony. Although it may not encompass the entire essence of the I Ching, it is clear that only those deeply versed in the I Ching could have written it.