Coping with Contingency and Uncertainty: The Yijing Hexagrams on Decay and Discordance

Abstract

ABSTRACT:As a manual for divination, the Yijing is filled with stern warnings about calamity, regret, and remorse, as if the world is falling apart. These warnings not only underscore the contingency and unpredictability of the universe, but also direct attention to the dark side of human existence and things such as disease, deformation, degeneration, and death. Over the centuries, many commentators have attempted to make sense of these warnings. In this article, I will compare three commentators' interpretations of four hexagrams: Gu 蠱 [inline-graphic 01] (Decay, #18), Daguo 大過 [inline-graphic 02] (Crossing of the Great, #28), Kui 睽 [inline-graphic 03] (Discordance, #38) and Jian 蹇 [inline-graphic 04] (Crippled, #39). Through the comparison, I demonstrate how the Yijing can be used to address the human fear of uncertainty and chance.