The encounter between Confucius and the I Ching was a milestone event in Chinese intellectual history. This relationship can be divided into three stages, completing a fundamental philosophical transformation.

First Stage: Late-Life Intellectual Turn

According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Confucius developed a strong interest in the I Ching in his later years, expressing “If I could have a few more years, studying the I Ching at fifty, I could avoid major mistakes.” During this period, he studied the I Ching so intensively that he “wore out the leather bindings three times.”

Second Stage: Creative Reinterpretation

Confucius’s greatest contribution was his “creative transformation” of the I Ching. He downplayed its divination function, instead emphasizing “observing its virtue and righteousness,” infusing the ancient hexagram symbols with new ethical connotations.

Third Stage: Establishment of Classical Status

Through the compilation and interpretation by Confucius and his disciples (the composition of Yi Zhuan), the I Ching evolved from a divination book into an important Confucian classic, establishing its lofty status as the “First of All Classics” in Chinese culture.

This transformation made the I Ching truly become the source of wisdom for the Chinese nation.