An Exposition of the Zhou Changes cover

An Exposition of the Zhou Changes

Rating 4.4
Word count
325K words
Chapters
23

Tags

Summary

Zhouyi Shu is a work on the Yi (Book of Changes) by Hui Dong of the Qing dynasty. In twenty-three juan, Zhouyi Shu takes the Han Confucians Xun Shuang and Yu Fan as its main authorities, consulting as well the doctrines of Zheng Xuan, Song Xian, Gan Bao, and others, and provides commentary and subcommentary explicating the Zhouyi. The eight juan of Yi Hanxue trace and verify the pathways of Han-dynasty Yi learning. The two juan of Yi Li forge the old Han Confucian doctrines into a statement of the fundamental principles of the Yi.

Editor's review

The Zhouyi Shu is a representative work on the Yi by the great Qing scholar of Han learning, Hui Dong. Taking Xun Shuang and Yu Fan as its main authorities and drawing also on the explanations of Zheng Xuan, Song Xian, Gan Bao, and other schools, it provides annotation and subcommentary on the text of the Zhouyi, striving to restore the image-number and meaning-principle systems of Han dynasty Yi learning. This volume also includes the Yi Hanxue and the Yili: the former traces and verifies the pathways of Han dynasty Yi learning, while the latter fuses the old explanations of the Han Confucians to elucidate the fundamental categories of the Yi. Read together, the three works reveal the overall scope of Hui Dong's Yi scholarship. Its value lies in its systematic organization of the Han Yi legacy, providing a solid documentary foundation for understanding image-number Yi learning; it is suitable for reference by those studying the history of Yi learning and Qing scholarship. Readers need some familiarity with the basic concepts of Han dynasty Yi learning to appreciate the care behind its annotation and subcommentary.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Professional readers studying the history of Yi learning, especially Han dynasty image-number Yi studies
  • Scholars researching Qing dynasty Han learning and Hui Dong's scholarly thought
  • Readers with some foundation in Yi studies who wish to deepen their understanding of Han Confucian methods of annotating the Yi
  • Students in university courses related to Chinese literature, philosophy, and history

Not a good fit for

  • General readers with no prior knowledge of the Zhou Yi who are looking for an introductory book
  • Readers interested only in the divinatory applications of Yi studies and not in textual annotation
  • Readers who prefer vernacular interpretation and are unwilling to read classical Chinese annotations

Reading tips

  1. First read Yi Han Xue to understand the origins of Han dynasty Yi learning, then proceed to the annotated text of Zhou Yi Shu.
  2. Read alongside Wang Bi's commentary or a commonly available edition of the Zhou Yi to better identify Hui Dong's orientation in drawing on Han interpretations.
  3. Take notes on the image-number terminology of Xun Shuang and Yu Fan, build up gradually, and then return to reread key hexagram examples.
  4. One may begin by reading the annotations for several hexagrams as samples, and after becoming familiar with the format, read the whole book.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 序
  3. 卷一
  4. 卷二元和惠栋撰
  5. 卷三
  6. 卷四 元和惠栋撰
  7. 卷五 元和惠栋撰
  8. 卷六 元和惠栋撰
  9. 卷七 元和惠栋撰
  10. 周易述卷八元和惠栋撰
  11. 周易述卷九元和惠栋撰
  12. 周易述卷十元和惠栋撰
  13. 周易述卷十一元和惠栋撰
  14. 周易述卷十二元和惠栋撰
  15. 周易述卷十三元和惠栋撰
  16. 周易述卷十四元和惠栋撰
  17. 周易述卷十五元和惠栋撰
  18. 周易述卷十六元和惠栋撰
  19. 周易述卷十七元和惠栋撰
  20. 周易述卷十八元和惠栋撰
  21. 周易述卷十九元和惠栋撰
  22. 周易述卷二十元和恵栋撰
  23. 周易述卷二十一元和恵栋撰

FAQ

What is the relationship between Zhou Yi Shu, Yi Han Xue, and Yi Li?
According to the source materials, the twenty-three juan of Zhou Yi Shu are Hui Dong's main work of annotation on the Zhou Yi; the eight juan of Yi Han Xue trace and verify the approaches of Han dynasty Yi learning; and the two juan of Yi Li fuse the old theories of Han Confucians and elucidate the fundamental principles of the Yi. The three books differ in nature but complement one another, and read together they provide a relatively complete understanding of Hui Dong's system of Yi learning.
Can someone with no foundation in Yi studies read this book directly?
It is not really recommended. This book consists mainly of annotations based on the image-number theories of Han Confucians such as Xun Shuang and Yu Fan, and its terminology and format pose a fairly high barrier for beginners. Without a foundation in the Zhou Yi text and basic image-number concepts, readers are likely to struggle, and it is better to read introductory works before turning to this book.
Which Han Confucian theories does Hui Dong mainly rely on in annotating the Yi?
According to the source materials, Hui Dong relies mainly on Xun Shuang and Yu Fan, while also consulting the theories of Zheng Xuan, Song Xian, Gan Bao, and other scholars, using them to annotate and explain the Zhou Yi, which reflects his scholarly orientation of honoring Han learning and emphasizing image-number.

Related on WeRead

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

惠栋 Author

Hui Dong was a Qing-dynasty scholar. Public information about his life and official career is limited, and his scholarly profile is known mainly through his surviving writings. The library holds six of his works, including Zhouyi Shu and the collected and individual volumes one, two, and three of Jiuyai Zhai Biji. Zhouyi Shu concerns the exposition of the Book of Changes and belongs to classical and philosophical reading; Jiuyai Zhai Biji, written in note form, records reading reflections and textual notes and leans toward classical literature and literary appreciation. On the whole, Hui Dong's writing focuses on close study of classical texts and on the analysis of meaning and documentary evidence. His prose is plain and concise rather than ornate. His works are later classified among philosophical readings and classics, offering reference value to readers of classical scholarship and the Book of Changes. Given limited materials, details of his life and associations await further research.

More by the same author

Top rated in the same category