The wisdom of the I Ching is transmitted through an ingenious system of symbols and text. This system is hierarchically structured, forming a unique cognitive framework.

From a textual perspective, the Book of Changes (Zhouyi) consists of two major parts: the “Classic” (Jing) and the “Commentaries” (Zhuan). The Classic is made up of the names, hexagram statements, and line statements of the sixty-four hexagrams, and originally served mainly for practical divination. The Commentaries are ten later exegetical texts attached to it, which further elevate these symbols and texts into a philosophy of the cosmos and human life. In this sense, the I Ching is both a book of divination and a book of reflective thought.

If we think of this system as a language, the hexagram images are the alphabet, the hexagram names and hexagram statements are the words and short sentences, and the Ten Wings (Yi Zhuan) are a deep reading and creative unfolding of this entire language. Seeing it this way helps us stop treating the I Ching as a pile of mysterious symbols and instead as a learnable and usable expressive system.

First Layer: Core Symbols

• Yin-Yang Lines: Representing the most fundamental opposing yet unified forces in the universe
• Eight Trigrams: Composed of three lines, symbolizing eight basic natural elements such as heaven, earth, water, and fire
• Sixty-Four Hexagrams: Eight trigrams combined in pairs, forming a complete model simulating the complex changes of all things

Structurally, each hexagram is formed by stacking an upper and a lower trigram, and the six lines, counted from bottom to top, together create a complete situation. Yang lines are often denoted by the number nine, yin lines by the number six; the odd–even distinction quietly encodes the polarity of yin and yang and tightly links image and number. With the textual explanations attached to each figure, this yields a mode of expression in which image (xiang), number (shu), and text (ci) work together.

Second Layer: Classical Text

• Hexagram Statements: Interpreting the core meaning of each hexagram
• Line Statements: Explaining the subtle changes of each line among the six lines

In most cases, when people speak of the “original text” of the I Ching, they mainly mean the hexagram and line statements of the sixty-four hexagrams, which preserve the brevity and suggestiveness of early divination language. Paired with them, the Ten Wings of Yi Zhuan attempt to explain, on a higher philosophical level, the ideas behind these texts: what “change” means, what “timing” means, and how a person should make choices amid change. In this sense, the Classic provides the symbols and raw material, while the Commentaries provide the concepts and interpretations.

Third Layer: Philosophical Interpretation

• The Ten Wings of Yi Zhuan: Traditionally attributed to Confucius and his disciples, elevating the divination symbol system into a complete philosophy of universe and life.

In actual use, the I Ching has largely unfolded along two paths. One leans toward divination: casting and interpreting hexagrams to offer reference points for concrete decisions. The other leans toward thought: even without divination, using the hexagrams, their statements, and key ideas from the Ten Wings as tools for understanding the world and human life. The former emphasizes “using hexagrams”, the latter emphasizes “contemplating principles”, and together they shape the dual character of the Yijing tradition.

These three layers are interlocked, making the I Ching both profound and systematic as a treasure of wisdom.