Key Concepts of Fate and Prediction in the Yijing - Chao Center for ...

32offers us additional interpretative guidelines. For example, in the first line statement ofthe Gen hexagram (number 52), which begins, “Restraint takes place with the toes; noblame/regret (), the gloss for wujiu reads: “this [counsels against theblame/regret that comes from] reckless action” (); and in the fourth line statement,which reads “Restraint takes place with the torso; no blame/regret (), thegloss tells us that “This [counsels against the blame/regret that comes from being] boundby material things” ().Naturally, the Ten Wings come in for especially close scrutiny in Understanding theChanges—the Great Commentary in particular. Every few words elicit an explanation.But the explanations are, on the whole, very simple. For instance, when we firstencounter a discussion of images (), we are told only that “the word ‘image’ refers tothe sixty-four hexagrams established by Fuxi.” And when the text discusses “spirit” (),we learn that this refers simply to “the way Qian and Kun bring things to completionwithout intention (wuxin ).” And so on.In short, Understanding the Changes presents the reader with a comprehensive,comforting and completely orthodox appreciation of the Yijing—a solid foundation forfuture study. Little did the neophyte reader know what was in store for him or her downthe road.