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| Bagua | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 八卦 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Eight trigrams | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet | Bát quái | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chữ Hán | 八卦 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hangul | 팔괘 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanja | 八卦 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 八卦 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hiragana | はっけ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thebagua (Chinese:八卦;pinyin:bāguà;lit. 'eight trigrams') is a set of symbols fromChina intended to illustrate the nature of reality as comprising mutually opposing forces reinforcing one another.Bagua is a group of trigrams—composed of three lines, each either "broken" or "unbroken", which representyin and yang, respectively.[1] Each line having two possible states allows for a total of 23 = 8 trigrams, whose early enumeration and characterization in China has had an effect on the history ofChinese philosophy andcosmology.
The trigrams are related to the divination practice as described within theI Ching and practiced as part of theShang and Zhou state religion, as well as with the concepts oftaiji and thefive elements within traditional Chinese metaphysics.[citation needed] The trigrams have correspondences inastronomy,divination,meditation,astrology,geography,geomancy (feng shui),anatomy,decorative arts, the family,martial arts (particularlytai chi andbaguazhang),Chinese medicine and elsewhere.[2][3]
Thebagua can appear singly or in combination, and is commonly encountered in two different arrangements: thePrimordial (先天八卦), "Earlier Heaven",[4] or "Fuxi"bagua (伏羲八卦), which is so named according the legend of Fuxi being the first primordial being to identify the eight trigrams;[5] and theManifested (後天八卦), "Later Heaven",[4] or "King Wen"bagua, which arose recorded Chinese history.
In theI Ching, two trigrams are stacked together to create a six-line figure known as ahexagram. There are 64 possible permutations. The 64 hexagrams and their descriptions make up the book. The trigram symbolism can be used to interpret the hexagram figure and text. An example from Hexagram 19 commentary is "The earth above the lake: The image of Approach. Thus the superior man is inexhaustible in his will to teach, and without limits in his tolerance and protection of the people."[6] The trigrams have been used to organizeYijing charts as seen below.
There are eight possible combinations to render the various trigrams:
| Trigram figure | Possible binary value[7] | Possible decimal sequential number[7] | Name | Translation:Wilhelm[8] | Image in nature(pp.l-li) | Phase | Later Heaven's Direction(p. 269)[citation needed] | Later Heaven's Equinox or Solstice[citation needed] | Earlier Heaven's Direction[citation needed] | Earlier Heaven's Equinox or Solstice[citation needed] | Family relationship(p. 274) | Body part(p. 274) | Attribute(p. 273) | Stage/ state(pp.l-li) | Animal(p. 273) | Obtained Images[9] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ☰ | 111 | 7 | 乾 qián | the Creative, '(natural) force' | heaven, sky 天 | metal | northwest | south | Summer Solstice | father | head | strong, persisting | creative | 馬 horse | 三連 three lines | |
| 2 | ☱ | 110 | 6 | 兌 duì | the Joyous, 'open (reflection)' | lake, marsh 澤 | metal | west | Fall Equinox | southeast | third daughter | mouth | pleasure | tranquil (complete devotion) | 羊 sheep, goat | 上缺 flawed above | |
| 3 | ☲ | 101 | 5 | 離 lí | the Clinging, 'radiance' | fire, glow 火 | fire | south | Summer Solstice | east | Spring Equinox | second daughter | eye | light-giving, humane "dependence" | clinging, clarity, adaptable | 雉 pheasant | 中虛 hollow middle |
| 4 | ☳ | 100 | 4 | 震 zhèn | the Arousing, 'shake' | thunder 雷 | wood | east | Spring Equinox | northeast | first son | foot | inciting movement | initiative | 龍 dragon | 仰盂 face-up jar | |
| 5 | ☴ | 011 | 3 | 巽 xùn | the Gentle, 'ground' | wind, air 風 | wood | southeast | southwest | first daughter | thigh | penetrating | gentle entrance | 雞 fowl | 下斷 broken below | ||
| 6 | ☵ | 010 | 2 | 坎 kǎn | the Abyssal, 'gorge' | water 水 | water | north | Winter Solstice | west | Fall Equinox | second son | ear | dangerous | in-motion | 豕 pig | 中滿 full middle |
| 7 | ☶ | 001 | 1 | 艮 gèn | Keeping Still, bound | mountain 山 | earth | northeast | northwest | third son | hand | resting, stand-still | completion | 狗 dog | 覆碗 face-down bowl | ||
| 8 | ☷ | 000 | 0 | 坤 kūn | the Receptive, field | ground, earth 地 | earth | southwest | north | Winter Solstice | mother | belly | devoted, yielding | receptive | 牛 cow | 六斷 six fragments |
TheScripture of Changes 易經 (I Ching) listed two sources for the eight trigrams. Its chapterXì Cí shàng; 'Great Treatise Beginning' explains the first source thus:[11][12]
| Original text 易有太極， | Transliteration Yì yǒu tàijí, | English translation Having change is the great-axis, |
Taiji is the encapsulation of all the universe, space and time.
It is derived from Wújí 無極 (without axis) the formless, dimensionless, limitless, unbounded, infinite void.
When the formless void began to stir and move, Taiji came into being.
The beginning of the universe begot the twin forces:
The twin powers producefour aspects named:
The four aspects are the differing levels of energy in world. Primarily they are associated with the solar terms, the two solstices and the two equinoxes. Being aspects they are also associated with the four main compass directions. Each direction is associated with a level of solar energy, and a mythological animal.
The four phenomena act through the eight gates (bā guà):
Another chapter,說卦;Shuō Guà; 'Discussing the Trigrams', characterizes the relationship of the trigrams as being:
who have three sons:
and have three daughters:
The son trigrams all have a single ⚊ yáng line in their formation. The Yang trigrams correspond to odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7.
The daughter trigrams all have a single ⚋ yīn line in their formation. The Yin trigrams correspond to even numbers 0, 2, 4, 6.
Their ordering is from bottom line, mid line, top line.
The trigrams are related to the five phases of theWuxing. The phases are: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal.
The major qualities associated with the 5 phases are:
These qualities are associated with the seasons.
Typically the trigram-to-phase correspondences are given as follows:
Notably, more than just their seasonal correspondence, the elements have interactions with each other and relationships of promoting and subverting other elements, as well as reversals where there is insufficiency in one element, resulting in an unbalanced relationship giving unexpected results where it should normally promote or subvert another element, but gives the opposite effect.
The wuxing and it's promoting/subverting relationship system is also used as a frame work for understanding the relationships in spacial features infeng shui as well as the relationships between the organ systems intraditional Chinese medicine.
Eight trigrams stacked atop another eight trigrams give sixty-four variations of hexagrams, with the dominant quality above, and the secondary quality below. These sixty four hexagrams make up the main body of the Yijing oracle used for divination. The Yijing itself gives a pithy explanation for each hexagram.
The ways can be thought of as eight main expectations, and each variation is an outcome either typical, inverted; promoted, subverted; nurtured, neglected; surprised or disappointed; depending on circumstance. The sixty-four hexagrams give many possibility for how an endeavor may turn out.
Diviners consulting the Yijing oracle use a variety of methods to elicit a response from the oracle, such as throwing yarrow stalks, tossing coins, pulling cards from a deck, or consulting exterior signs, such as examining the shapes of sacrificed animal entrails, examining the cracking patterns of bones tossed into a fire, observing the flight path of startled birds, etc.
| Name 卦名 | Nature 自然 | Season 季節 | Personality 性情 | Family 家族 | Direction 方位 | Meaning 意義 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 乾 Qián | 天 Sky, Heaven | Summer | Creative | 父 Father | 南 South | 健 Expansive energy, the sky. For further information, seetiān. |
| 巽 Xùn | 風Wind | Summer | Gentle | 長女 Eldest Daughter | 西南 Southwest | 入 Gentle penetration, flexibility. |
| 坎 Kǎn | 水 Water | Autumn | Deep | 中男 Middle Son | 西 West | 陷 Danger, rapid rivers, the abyss, the moon. |
| 艮 Gèn | 山 Mountain | Autumn | Still | 少男 Youngest Son | 西北 Northwest | 止 Stillness, immovability. |
| 坤 Kūn | 地 Earth | Winter | Receptive | 母 Mother | 北 North | 順 Receptive energy, that which yields. For further information, seedì. |
| 震 Zhèn | 雷 Thunder | Winter | Arousing | 長男 Eldest Son | 東北 Northeast | 動 Excitation, revolution, division. |
| 離 Lí | 火 Fire | Spring | Clinging | 中女 Middle Daughter | 東 East | 麗 Rapid movement, radiance, the sun. |
| 兌 Duì | 澤 Lake | Spring | Joyous | 少女 Youngest Daughter | 東南 Southeast | 悅 Joy, satisfaction, stagnation. |
| Name 卦名 | Nature 自然 | Season 季節 | Personality 性情 | Family 家族 | Direction 方位 | Meaning 意義 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 離 Li | 火 Fire | Summer | Clinging | 中女 Middle Daughter | 南 South | 麗 Pulsing motion, radiance, the luminaries. |
| 坤 Kun | 地 Earth | Summer | Receptive | 母 Mother | 西南 Southwest | 順 Receptive energy, that which yields. |
| 兌 Dui | 澤 Lake | Autumn | Joyous | 少女 Youngest Daughter | 西 West | 悅 Joy, satisfaction, stagnation. |
| 乾 Qian | 天 Heaven | Autumn | Creative | 父 Father | 西北 Northwest | 健 Expansive energy, the sky. |
| 坎 Kan | 水 Water | Winter | Abyssal | 中男 Middle Son | 北 North | 陷 Danger, rapid rivers, the abyss, the moon. |
| 艮 Gen | 山 Mountain | Winter | Still | 少男 Youngest Son | 東北 Northeast | 止 Stillness, immovability. |
| 震 Zhen | 雷 Thunder | Spring | Arousing | 長男 Eldest Son | 東 East | 動 Excitation, revolution, division. |
| 巽 Xun | 風 Wind | Spring | Gentle | 長女 Eldest Daughter | 東南 Southeast | 入 Gentle penetration, flexibility. |
Thebagua is a tool in the majority of feng shui schools. Thebagua used in feng shui can appear in two different versions: theEarlier Heaven bagua, used for burial sites, and theLater Heaven bagua, used for residences.
Primordialbagua is also known asFuxibagua or Earlier Heavenbagua. Named after the mythological first emperor of China. In thePreface of Shang Shu by Kong Anguo, he writes that "In ancient times, Fu Xi ruled the whole world. It was he who began to draw Eight Trigrams and to create Scripts in order to substitute the system of tying knots."[14] In traditional Chinese medicine, this sequence is known as the prenatal sequence and is used to understand familial risk for illness or disease, similar to western medicine's understanding of formative medicine and the study of genetics. The Heaven trigram is at the top, the Earth trigram is at the bottom (the South was located at the top in Chinese maps of this period) of thebagua. The Fire trigram is located on the left, while the Water trigram is on the right. Thunder and wind form another pair, being the opposites of each other; the first is on the bottom left next to fire, while the second is next to Heaven on the top right of thebagua. Mountain and Lake form the last pair, with one opposite to the other. The adjustment of the trigrams is symmetrical by forming exact contrary pairs. They symbolize the opposite forces of Yin and Yang and represent a state in which everything is in balance.
The sequence of trigrams in the Later Heavenbagua is attributed toKing Wen. It is also known as the postnatalbagua arrangement in traditional Chinese medicine; it is used to understand physical, emotional and environmental patterns that influence health or disease, similarly to western medicine's inquiry into functional medical science.[15] In this arrangement, Water is placed downwards and Fire at the top; Thunder is in the East, while Lake is in the West. Contrary to the Earlier Heavenbagua, the Later Heavenbagua is dynamic; energies and the aspects of each of its trigrams flow towards the following. It is the sequence used by the Luo Pan compass, which is used in feng shui and referred to as the manifest pattern; it analyzes the movement of theqi that practitioners believe affect them.
The popularity of feng shui increased in the West because of thebagua of the eight aspirations. Each trigram corresponds to an aspect of life that also corresponds to one of the cardinal directions. Applying feng shui using thebagua of the eight aspirations (orbagua map for short) made it possible to simplify feng shui and to use it for the general public. Westernbagua focuses more heavily on intention than the traditional forms of feng shui.[16]
Experienced practicers of traditional feng shui disregard Westernbagua[17] for its simplicity, since it does not take into account the forms of the landscape, time, or the annual cycles. Thebagua of the eight aspirations is divided into two branches: the first, which uses the compass and cardinal directions, and the second, which uses thebagua by using the main door.
Abagua map is a tool used in Western forms of feng shui to map a room or location and see how the different sections correspond to different aspects in one's life. These sections are believed to relate to every area or aspect of life and are divided into categories such as fame, relationships/marriage, children/creativity, helpful people/travel, career, inner knowledge, family/ancestors/health, and wealth/blessings.
In this system, the map is intended to be used over the land, one's home,office or desk to find areas lacking goodchi, and to show where there are spaces that may need rectifying or enhancing in life or the environment.
For example, if thebagua grid is placed over an entire house plan and it shows the toilet, bathroom, laundry, or kitchen in the wealth/blessings area of the map, it would be said that the money coming into that particular environment would disappear very fast.
Thebagua symbols in theMiscellaneous Symbols block of Unicode include the following:
| Official name | Glyph | Unicode # | HTML | Element |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trigram for Heaven | ☰ | U+2630 | ☰ | Metal |
| Trigram for Lake | ☱ | U+2631 | ☱ | |
| Trigram for Fire | ☲ | U+2632 | ☲ | Fire |
| Trigram for Thunder | ☳ | U+2633 | ☳ | Wood |
| Trigram for Wind | ☴ | U+2634 | ☴ | |
| Trigram for Water | ☵ | U+2635 | ☵ | Water |
| Trigram for Mountain | ☶ | U+2636 | ☶ | Earth |
| Trigram for Earth | ☷ | U+2637 | ☷ |
The Miscellaneous Symbols block also encodes the constituents⚊ (yang—U+268A, ⚊) and⚋ (yin—U+268B, ⚋), as well as the digrams⚌ (greater yang—U+268C, ⚌),⚍ (lesser yin—U+268D, ⚍),⚎ (lesser yang—U+268E, ⚎), and⚏ (greater yin—U+268F, ⚏).
Thehexagrams they form are separately encoded in theYijing Hexagram Symbols Unicode block.
In traditional Chinese medicine, including the profession ofacupuncture, the Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven arrangements are used to understand the pathogenesis of disease or illness and to select treatment plans specifically related and tailored to a patient's constitution.[18]
TheFlag of South Korea has the four cardinal trigrams (qian,kun,kan,li) surrounding thetaegeuk, ortaijitu. These are specific representations of the movement and harmony of yin and yang. These trigrams were also depicted on the commissioning pennant of theSouth Korean Navy.
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