Aesthetics In The Symbols And Numbers Of Zhouyi

The Symbols and the Numbers of Zhouyi are the basic frameworks of Chinese culture, Which are the antetypes of art and technology, sensibility and logos, aesthetics and truth. The aesthetic idea either shows or conceals in the Divinatory Symbols and Scriptures of Zhouyi. This paper attemps to illustrate the idea from five aspects: the Symbols of Yi and Aesthetics, the Numbers of Yi and Aesthetics, The Symbols and Numbers of Yi and Chinese Art, The Symbols and Numbers of Yi and Chinese poetic Life and Modern Thinking on the Aesthetic Values of the Symbols and Numbers of Yi ,and also tries to show its profound and permanent influence on Chinese culture, such as Chinese aesthetics construction, artistic creation, Chinese preference and disposition, inhabitancy idea and modern life etc.Both Chinese culture and aesthetics esteem the Symbols , and the philosophic origin point is the Symbols of Zhouyi. The Symbols is not only the construction of basic shapes in ancient Chinese culture but also the beginning of Chinese classical aesthetics. The Yin (--) and the Yang (—) is the kernel of the Symbols, of which contains lots of system organization theory, discriminated thought and aesthetics imply. We will discuss the relationship between the Symbols ofYi and Aesthetics from four aspects as following:First, The diversity of aesthetics Guan and the Symbols. The Eight Diagrams are results which our forefathers looked up at sky and looked down at earth .They watched birds flying and animals running and adopted something nearby or far off. Such analogy reflected the peculiarity of Chinese ancient people's thinking and such experience was a kind of abstract aesthetic tasting . The Eight Diagrams and the Sixty-four Diagrams, the result of the " view", indicate graceful shapes with symbolic imply or representation, and are the unification of concrete and abstract beauty. The " view", the special way of aesthetics , caused the realist tradition of the Chinese literature, therefore "The absolute being an outcome for establishing teaching" of ancient now becomes the objective of aesthetics for us . The "View Thing" Theory is the basic element of the future generations' "feel things". The way of " View" influence and constitute the special aesthetic way of "wander" in Chinese art.Second, aesthetics imply of the Yin-&-Yang and "feels". The vigor of the Yangyao and the gentle of the Yinyao are very important tokens in the Symbols, which uncover the beautiful veil of the world creatures. "One Yin and one Yang Constitute Tao", which reveals main stream of the aesthetic of human's life. "Establishing the symbol" is for thesake of "exhausted idea", the beauty of the "idea" lies in the feelings, affection and appreciation for the love of life. Influenced by the Symbols of Zhouyi, the Chinese ancient aesthetics emphasizes on the vitality of beauty, trying hard to grasp the truth of beauty in the course of development.Third, exceeding the symbol and the beauty of "Dahe". "Establishing the symbol is to finish good idea " conceives the symbolic beauty. The real state of the "satisfied" is "forgetting the symbol" . Exceeding the symbol, then we can step forward to the aesthetic freedom between similarity and dissimilarity. The free state esteem middle and good terms . It is a harmonious and happy state which stands oppositely and "match with the world's virtuous". It is also an state of aesthetics and of innocence which unify the nature and man as one.Forth, the ancestors' pursue of "Simple" in the Symbols of Zhouyi. " Qian is brightness for its change and Kun is capable of being simple .It is change which makes Yi bright while simple makes Yi be followed ". Lines of the Symbols are the origin of Chinese art. The Symbols of Zhouyi intends to use "a painting" to see through the complex world . They fix attention on the cosmic essence and the symbol of the life, and develop into a kind of unimaginable art of lines. "Baibi not to be blamed" is an origin of Chinese esthetics "splendid return in insipid ". Not only calligraphies and paintings, poetries and essays, but also dramas and dances are influenced by the Baibi when they pursue Su(Simplicity).In a word , the aesthetics of the Symbols is the esthetics of views, of signs, of symbols, and is the unification of concrete and abstract beauty ; It is the esthetics of the unification of the thing, concrete and idea ;_It is also the life esthetics which the Yang is vigorous and the Yin is soft . It is the free esthetics which nature and man unite as one, with both similarity and no-similarity , both opposite and moderate. It is esthetics of lines, which advocate simple and "Baibi".The Numbers of Zhouyi is not the simple combination of mathematical signs with calculation; It is the combination of Chinese philosophy, culture, astronomy etc. with mathematics; It is the combination of nature mystery with people's lives. Therefore it has profound sense of humanities and the esthetics charm. This paper analyzes 'The Numbers of Zhouyi and aesthetics" from the aspects as following:First , the beauty of casting lots . "The man of honour viewed the symbols and played the dictions while residing , then viewed the change and played casting lots while moving ". It is the "play" that the human explores the unknown world. The ancestors got great happiness from the "play" and see through the secrets of heaven. The high state ofhappiness belongs to the wise men. This kind of "grasping play" is of elegant and appropriately virtuous with aesthetics imply. Such "play and ponder" through divining can not be broken away from "the big developed numbers". To a certain degree, mystery of the divining makes it have some similarities with that of aesthetics.Second, the aesthetics imply of the "a diagram out of river, a book come out of Luo ". "A diagram had come out from river and a book had come out from Luo ,then Man of God follow them." said in the book of Zhouyi , has close relationship with the Numbers of Zhouyi, inspired lots of mysterious and intelligent works and created wonders of the world . "The River Diagram, the Luo Book ", generated from it, symbolizes cosmos which revolves phenomenally with equilibrium, namely "the square permits the circle inside", "Heaven and earth change each other then come in peaceful and prosperous times hands over the ". It is very beautiful and generous, and it is the exact presentation of the "moderate beauty"—the Chinese ancient times aesthetics idea , and it is a clear certificate that the Numbers oiZhouyi have the life aesthetics imply and the unlimited beauty, which influenced profoundly on the Chinese culture and aesthetics, and its diversity brings about marvelous feelings for people's life, even it can deduce a lot of interesting mathematical games which can make people wise and bring endless fun to people.Third, the culture and esthetics meaning of the numbers of heaven and earth .Number one ,two ,three ,four ,five ,six ,seven ,eight ,nine and ten all have special esthetics meaning just as limitless beauty, radiate beauty , changing beauty, Yin-Yang beauty , opposite beauty, moderate beauty , symbol beauty , stable beauty , lofty beauty, the circle beauty, square beauty, positive beauty , virtuous beauty, and so on . All the heaven and earth numbers lead to the music , dance, art and esthetics. They are mystery but fine, represent that our ancestors tried to use a certain and artificial sign language to contact the universe . The way of cognition has much influence on the Chinese aesthetic history, particularly on the Chinese painting, music, building esthetics.The divinatory symbols and numbers has unbreakable relationship with the Chinese art, especially music and dance, calligraphy and painting. There are music and dance activities through the divining in Zhouyi. And the divining contains very big influence on the development of music and dance. We can find many divinatory symbols in music and dance, such asXu, Yu , Li, Zhongfou, Jian ,Guai and so on . Moreover, it is said that "the Eight Diagrams music score" is the most ancient music score in the history of dance .The idea Yin-Yang and the spirit theory in Zhouyi have deeply permeated into the traditional music theories and swing. The divinatory symbols and numbers in Zhouyi connect the Chinese calligraphy and painting mutually: First, the origins of the Chinese calligraphy andpainting have been contacted with the divinatory symbols in Zhouyi ;Second, the spirit in Zhouyi such as "viewing things then taking the symbols ", " the Yin and Yang" and "play" etc. has deeply permeated into Chinese calligraphy and painting consciousness ; Third, the famous calligraphers and painters pursued through the ages to the state of the "Yi" as well as the painting theories.The Chinese ancient buildings emphasized on conformation with "the divinatory symbols and numbers ", especially in choosing the capital city. Our ancestors all paid much attention to "unit the nature and the man as one", "accept heaven's will and be contented", and it is such attitude that makes Chinese people pursue a kind of poetry environment. From many divinatory symbols, such as Dazhuang, Li, Daguo , Guam., Huan, Cui , Zhen ,and so on , we can find that divinatory symbols have influenced the architectures of China. It is viewed that the numbers in Zhouyi have got the extensive application in the palace buildings. Among them, the number three( three poles) and nine( use nine) were the most popular .In conclusion, the Chinese parks and gardens and buildings all pursue aesthetics states just as the harmonious coincidence in Yin-Yang . Chinese people try to achieve an state "the nature and man unites as one"(theory that man is an integral part of nature)and attain ultimate harmony between human and environment.The book Zhouyi makes China well-known around the world. Many western thinkers have attached great importance to its influence on Chinese culture, and think it is an important work in human civilization . "The book Zhouyi should not be let go far away". We Chinese should also find its modern value, and let it gliter. Because: First, combine aesthetics of the divinatory symbols and numbers together with the science and technology, finding its practical value; Second, let aesthetics of the divinatory symbols and numbers go together with worrying mentality, so that we can "burn up a perfect world "; Third, let aesthetics of the divinatory symbols and numbers contains the humanities spirit to achieve the "Taihe" state. Re-collect the humanities spirit, re-mold the "Grow-up" image, and bring new ideas into the culture of "enjoying life ": That is the contemporary aesthetic imply of the divinatory symbols and numbers lies in.