Winter Solstice Ceremony of Confucius Worship at Zusi Academy
At 17:20 this afternoon, we mark the moment of the Winter Solstice. Within the span of a year, we bid farewell to the utmost yin, and from this moment, yang energy begins to rise. Today, I had the great honor of being invited by Dean Wang Junlin of Qufu Normal University to attend the Confucius Worship Ceremony at Zusi Academy. The experience was deeply moving throughout. Despite the outdoor temperature of -5°C, welcoming the new year in this way felt profoundly warm. I also had the opportunity to meet many esteemed scholars of Yi studies and Confucianism, making the experience even more rewarding.
Confucius devoted his life to studying the I Ching (Book of Changes), to the point of "binding the text thrice over due to wear." Before the age of 46, Confucius approached the I Ching much like his contemporaries, using it for divination and fortune-telling. However, the I Ching is far more than an ordinary text. At 68, after returning to the State of Lu following his travels through the various states, Confucius used divination to gain clarity about his life’s path. Realizing he lacked the fortune for officialdom, he came to understand his true mission was to pursue scholarship. He discovered that the I Ching is not merely a manual for seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune but a profound work elucidating the universal principles and natural laws.
Thus, Confucius translated the yin-yang "heavenly principles," the rigidity and flexibility of the "worldly way," and the benevolence and righteousness of the "human way" into a systematic philosophy using the accessible language of a teacher. These teachings became ethical, practical, and emotional norms that everyone could understand. In doing so, he illuminated Chinese feudal culture for thousands of years with an enduring light—a true embodiment of the phrase, “If Heaven had not given birth to Confucius, it would be as if the world lay in eternal night.”
It was beside this humble "Inkstone Well" over 2,500 years ago that Confucius praised the I Ching, transforming its esoteric wisdom into a code of moral conduct familiar to every Chinese household. This foundation established the value system and behavioral norms of the Chinese people. As Confucius said, "Time flows like a river, ceaselessly day and night." Standing here today, we may well be witnesses to a turning point in history—perhaps a coincidence, but certainly a stroke of fortune.
How was the I Ching written? Fuxi, inspired by the He Tu and Luo Shu diagrams, created the Eight Trigrams, while King Wen of Zhou, during his imprisonment by King Zhou of Shang, further developed the trigrams. Where did their inspiration come from? Who exactly was Fuxi? What connection does he have with Daoist civilization? How did he conceive the Eight Trigrams? And who was Nüwa? Why are Fuxi and Nüwa both depicted as having human heads and serpent bodies, and why were they said to live such long lives? To explore these questions, one can delve into the fascinating tale shared in the "Messages from Inner Earth".
