The Practical Wisdom of "The Image is that which resembles"

I happened to read a passage by Yang Wanli (楊萬里，1127–1206):

What is the Xiang (象, Also translated as “Image”)? It is used to depict the formless principles and meanings that underlie all things in the world. What is a Yao (爻, Also translated as “Line”)? It is used to exhaust the endless transformations and changes of all affairs in the world. What does it mean to depict the formless principles of the world? The loftiness of the sky, the depth of the earth, the brilliance of the sun and moon, the nourishment of rain and dew — all of these can be seen by everyone, for they all belong to things that have tangible form. But as for why the sky is lofty, why the earth is deep, why the sun and moon are brilliant, why rain and dew are nourishing — these are things that ordinary people cannot directly perceive, because the principles behind them have no physical form. If ordinary people cannot see these formless principles, then who can? It is the sages who can. The sages penetrate the most profound and most hidden principles between heaven and earth, and wish to depict and manifest these formless principles on behalf of all people under heaven, so that everyone may see the truths they themselves have come to understand. How might this be accomplished? It must be done by selecting tangible images and phenomena that everyone can commonly recognize, and using them as analogies to illuminate and explain the profound principles that only the sage has come to understand alone (象者何也？所以形天下無形之理也。爻者何也？所以窮天下無窮之事也。何謂形天下無形之理？今夫天之高，地之厚，日月之明，雨露之潤，人皆可得而見也，未離夫物之有形故也。至於其所以高，所以厚，所以明，所以潤，人不可得而見也，其理無形故也。人不可得而見，則誰見之？見之者聖人也。聖人見天下有至幽至賾之理，將與天下形其所無形，使天下見吾之所見，獨何說也？是必取眾人之所同識，以喻吾之所獨識). ¹

The "Ten Wings (《易傳》, also known as 《十翼》)" states: "The Image is that which resembles (象也者，像也)." — a mere five Chinese characters that encapsulate the core cipher of the "Book of Changes (《周易》)" 's method of establishing images to convey meaning. Many are perplexed: what exactly must the "Xiang" image? Why must the "Book of Changes" use "Xiang" as its medium rather than stating principles directly? Yang Wanli's perspective on his learning of Changes (易學) offers an illuminating answer — he held that "Li" (理, Principle) is inherently formless and substanceless, incapable of manifesting itself, and must rely upon concrete things as its vessel in order to externalize itself into a perceptible existence. From this, the cosmos divides into two interrelated worlds: the Phenomenal World (現象世界) — visible, tangible, and ever-changing — and the World of Meaning (意義世界) that lies concealed behind it, governing all things. The hexagrams (卦) and lines (爻) of the "Book of Changes" are precisely the symbolic signs through which the sages gave expression to the formless "Li"; by means of these signs, the sages revealed the world of meaning, and through the common reasoning readily understood by all, they expounded the heart of heaven and earth and the great Way of the cosmos as they themselves had come to comprehend it.

This interpretation essentially touches upon the core proposition of how a subject handles the relationship between "Yi" (意, also translated as “Meaning”) and "Xiang (象)" —namely, how human beings use phenomena as a bridge to capture and convey abstract principles. The "Xiang" is not an arbitrary accumulation of symbols, but rather a simulation and distillation of the phenomenal world. The essence of "Xiang" as " Resembling (像)" lies in allowing the intangible "Li" to be concretized and realized through the tangible "Xiang", rendering profound doctrines perceptible and comprehensible. Yang Wanli's discussion of the ontological subtleties of the "Book of Changes" is precise and apt; if one were to add the character "Application (用)" to his theoretical foundation, it would break open the static ontological understanding and transform it into a dynamic, practical system of "Cognition—Representation—Application (認知—呈現—應用)," forming a complete logic of "ontology as foundation (本體奠基), image as medium (象為媒介), and practice as verification (實踐驗證)." This is precisely the core value of the "Book of Changes" 's dictum: "Xiang" refers to the simulation and symbolization of the appearance of external things."

The "Book of Changes" is distinctively characterized by its use of images to convey principles, a mode of thinking that carries the poetic quality of art, employing methods inseparable from association and symbolism. Only through such an approach can one transcend the limitations of concrete things and attain a breadth of mind capable of embracing heaven and earth, encompassing the universe, and bearing the spirit that penetrates all things and cares for all living beings. This way of thinking is no mere abstraction; rather, it runs through every hexagram—most notably in the hexagrams of "Sun" (損, Decrease), "Dun" (遯, Retreat), and "Zhen" (震, Shock)—where it not only embodies the wisdom of traditional culture's emphasis on practice, but also manifests the dialectical thinking of "taking the contrary as the right way (以反為正)," achieving a perfect fusion of the symbolic meaning of  "Xiang" (象, Image) and the practical value of "Li" (理, Principle).

Hexagram Sun (損) With Gen (艮) above and Dui (兌) below (損卦艮上兌下). In the phenomenal world, it symbolizes a marsh lying beneath a mountain — the marsh, which by nature nourishes all things, finds itself beneath the mountain, seemingly suppressed, perfectly embodying the essential meaning of "Sun": reduction and restraint. In the realm of meaning, it signifies "Resting in joy with restraint (止於悅)" — that is, curbing the excessive pleasure that arises from material desires and maintaining inner temperance. Hence the Xiang Zhuan (象傳) states: "The noble person therefore restrains his anger and curbs his selfish desires (君子以懲忿窒欲)." Contemplating this hexagram image, the noble person should come to understand the principle of diminishing selfish desires and exercising emotional self-control.

Hexagram Dun (遯) with Qian (乾) above and Gen (艮) below. In the phenomenal world, this symbolizes a mountain beneath the heavens: Qian embodies vigorous strength, while Gen embodies stillness and cessation. The virtue of vigorous strength, though positioned above the mountain, actively withdraws — perfectly capturing the essential meaning of "Dun" as retreat and withdrawal from the world. In its realm of meaning, the hexagram signifies "retiring into seclusion to preserve one's aspirations" — not a passive escapism, but rather the maintenance of inner strength and self-respect amid turbulent times or adversity, using retreat to hold fast to one's original heart and preserve one's integrity. Hence the Xiang Zhuan states: "The noble person keeps away from petty men, without hatred but with dignity. (君子以遠小人，不惡而嚴)." The noble person, contemplating this hexagram image, should discern right from wrong, distance themselves from the treacherous and sycophantic, and uphold their own dignity and moral boundaries.

Hexagram Zhen (震) with Zhen trigrams both above and below. In the phenomenal world, it symbolizes thunder resounding in abundance — the rumble of thunder inspires awe, perfectly capturing the original meaning of "Zhen" as vibration (震動) and fear. In its realm of meaning, it conveys "Keep reverence and caution in heart, and constantly reflect upon and cultivate self (恐懼自省).": rather than treating fear as a negative emotion, it transforms fear into a moral sentiment, using reverence and awe to keep oneself vigilant. Hence the Xiang Zhuan emphasizes: "A gentleman cultivates his virtue through reverent awe (君子以恐懼修身)." Observing this hexagram, the noble person should approach the laws of Heaven and Earth and the principles of human affairs with a sense of awe, reflecting at all times, and transforming fear into an inner driving force for upholding law and virtue.

Looking across all three hexagrams, their philosophical characteristics align closely with the core logic of "The Image is that which resembles." First, all three hexagrams embody a dialectical mode of thinking that "taking the contrary as the right way." Sun, Dun, and Zhen are all associated with negative values in conventional thinking, yet the "Book of Changes" argues from the opposite direction: the Sun hexagram, through the imagery of frugal sacrifice, the alleviation of illness, and three people reducing to one in order to concentrate on accomplishing a task, reveals the principle of "diminishing selfish desires to enhance virtue (損私慾而益德行)"; the Dun hexagram, through " Favorable Retreat (好遯)," "Excellent Retreat (嘉遯)," and "Abundant Retreat (肥遯)," extols retreat and embodies the wisdom of "avoiding calamity and harm while preserving integrity"; the Zhen hexagram takes fear as its driving force, giving rise to the self-discipline of moral conduct.

Secondly, the three hexagrams perfectly embody the core method of "conveying principles through images (以象寓理)" — by means of symbolism and association, they penetrate the phenomenal world to reveal the world of meaning that lies beneath. When people apply the "meaning (意義)" embedded in the hexagram images to resolve real-world difficulties, the principles of the "meaning" are transformed from abstract metaphysics into concrete practice. The "meaning" here is essentially a moral code for conducting oneself and navigating human relationships, while practice serves as the sole criterion for testing its real-world value. Consequently, the world of meaning in turn validates the worth of the phenomenal world, guiding people to break free from the dualistic value judgments of conventional thinking and to view life's circumstances through a lens of dynamic development — understanding that good and bad, beauty and ugliness, virtue and vice, and the long and short are mutually transformative and complementary — ultimately settling into an open-minded and clear-sighted attitude toward life.

Examined from a philosophical perspective, The passage - "The Image is that which resembles." represents, at its core, a profound insight into three fundamental relationships: "phenomenon and essence (現象與本質)," "form and content （形式與內容）," and "ontology and practice (本體與實踐)." It constructs a distinctive system of "image-observing thought (觀象思維) " unique to traditional Chinese philosophy. The "Xiang (象)", serving as a bridge connecting two worlds, is not a simple replication of physical objects, but rather a distillation and symbolization of cosmic laws and life's philosophical truths. The process of "Resembling (像)" is simultaneously an externalization of "Li (理)" and a process through which humanity comes to comprehend the Great Way. Yang Wanli's view that "All form manifests the Formless (天下形其所無形)" shares the same lineage as "image-observing thought," and the connection between "ontological substance" (本體) and "Function" (用) further propels this mode of thinking from static theory toward dynamic practice, forming a closed-loop system of "establishing images (立象) — expressing meaning (表意) — engaging in practice (實踐) — verifying principle (證理)."

The value of this mode of thinking lies in breaking through the cognitive limitation of "black-and-white" thinking, viewing all things through a dialectical lens, and seeking dynamic balance while upholding truth within the unity of opposites. The principle of "taking the contrary as the right way" in the hexagrams of Sun, Dun, and Zhen is a vivid embodiment of this wisdom. Reduction as gain, retreat as steadfast adherence, fear as self-reflection — every seemingly negative state contains positive value. Ultimately, the "Xiang" of the "Book of Changes" are images of the laws governing the movement of heaven and earth, the moral principles of human conduct, and humanity's eternal pursuit of truth. Behind the statement "The Image is that which resembles" lies the Chinese people's profound understanding of the cosmos and human life — a philosophical wisdom of "Images embody Principle (以象載理) and Principle governs conduct (以理馭行)" that not only runs throughout traditional learning of changes, but can also provide guidance for people today, enabling them to see through phenomena to their essence in a complex world, and to find balance in life and a direction for growth within the unity of opposites.

Reference

1. 楊萬里：《誠齋易傳（四）》（上海：商務印書館，1935年），頁259。