THE ZHOUYI AND THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL NATURE

OF THE COSMOS

Simone de la Tour [i] and Kevin de la Tour [ii]

(International Center of High Studies of Conscientiology, Brazil [CEAEC] [iii] )

INTRODUCTION

    Over the millennia humankind has contended with its nature, striving to find meaning in life. As the centuries have moved on, it has developed from a mostly instinctual survival -oriented organism into a somewhat erudite purpose -oriented organism. Realizing that mere survival is not a sufficient end in and of itself, humanity has endeavored to look beyond its corporeal raiments to perceive what is beneath the superficial appearance of physical reality. There are those who contend that the path of evolution is to be found in conducting one's day-to-day affairs with dignity, balance and grace. And yet, whereas the mental well-being found in living with integrity in the moment is not to be undervalued, the authors consider the finer truth to be a broader, ultimately a multidimensional truth. The term multidimensional, as it is used here, refers to the multiple dimensions of human existence, namely the material and nonmaterial or the intraphysical dimension, wu zhi wei du , and the extraphysical dimension , fei wu zhi wei du , as they are known in conscientiology. Whereas the search for meaning is often relegated to the field of religion, as it is variously defined, the authors would argue that the inevitable human search is not a trite and self-serving quest for self-justification but, in its higher sense, an inquiry into truth and realism; necessarily a realism that transcends the physical state of things that we experience on a day-to-day basis. In this regard, the Zhouyi , a representative miniature of the cosmos initiated 5000 years ago in China by the legendary Fuxi (2953-2838 b c ) [1] can be seen as a tool for bringing a higher level of awareness in relation to its multidimensional or physical and nonphysical nature, thereby fostering the evolution of the human consciousness. As the authors consider that the first indications of the science of conscientiology, are to be found in ancient Chinese thought, references will be made to concepts in conscientiology and their relationship to those found in Chinese philosophy. Conscientiology studies the human consciousness, also regarded as one's essence or the intelligent principle, and all of its manifestations in the various dimensions of existence. In Chinese philosophy, the consciousness would seem to be expressed as jingshen . This paper is divided into four parts: (1) the multidimensional cosmos; (2) the paradigm of the consciousness; (3) the Zhouyi as a tool for multidimensional evolution; (4) the responsibility of knowledge.

THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL COSMOS

    For many years scientists, including Einstein, have hypothesized that the physical universe is finite. Recently, for example, a team of physicists have concluded, utilizing data on background radiation collected by NASA, that the universe is finite, being shaped much like a soccer ball (Markey 2003). When Jeffrey Weeks, a New York mathematician who participated in this research, was asked what is beyond a closed universe, he replied: “The universe is finite, but there's no boundary to it.” According to the interviewer, this implies that “there is no beyond, or that if there is, then its nature is left to your imagination and is outside the closed system that astronomers can ever hope to see.” [2] If the physical universe is indeed finite then it must be a construct within a larger infrastructure. This larger infrastructure would then seem to be nonphysical because, according to this theory, the physical world is limited in its extent. If the larger infrastructure were physical, it would simply be an extension of the physical universe. In this way the multidimensional cosmos would include the nonphysical or more rarefied infrastructure which, in turn, includes the denser physical universe or multiple universes. This fits the definition of multidimensionality as a compound of intraphysical and extraphysical dimensions and would also seem to be in line with the Chinese thinker Fang Dongmei's opinion that the cosmos is not material or mechanical, but a “living residence for the entire existing world.” [3] We would thus ask those who interpret the Zhouyi as a mono dimensional work and not a multi dimensional work to consider recent observations on the part of some scientists who recognize the likelihood that the physical universe is finite and not infinite. If we consider yin - yang to represent more than a physical dynamic, it can be portrayed as being multidimensional , in the sense of illustrating the interaction between the extraphysical and intraphysical dimensions. According to the Zhouyi , through the process of change ( yi ) there is a continuous exchange between the yin and yang elements of the universe in which those elements comprised of the denser yin energy become yang in nature and the elements comprised of the more subtle yang energy become yin in nature. In this way, the constituents of the universe complement each other, creating a complex compound whole of continuous mutation and interchange.

    In light of the above, we need to reconsider what actually exists. We readily accept that the physical universe exists. However, must we not just as readily conclude that there is also necessarily a nonphysical infrastructure which houses the physical structure? If it is the case, then we can posit at least two dimensions: (1) a more restricted intraphysical dimension; (2) a broader extraphysical dimension which “contains” the intraphysical dimension as we know it. If this is the case, the world and therefore life is multidimensional. Is it then also possible to consider that even within this apparently physical universe the nonphysical substratum interpenetrates, passes through and supports, much like a skeleton, the physical stratum? If so, then is there not a possibility of interacting with this greater, nonphysical infrastructure? It is perhaps just a matter of tuning into said infrastructure.

    According to conscientiology, the various spheres of existence are energetic dimensions having varying densities or frequencies. This concept is echoed in Chinese philosophy with the ideas of form-formless, concreteness-incorporeality, and being-nonbeing. These ideas clearly illustrate the multidimensional perspective in ancient Chinese thought. With regard to being-nonbeing, for example, Vincent Shen explains that:

    First, ontologically, you means being, the real, the actual; wu means nonbeing, the possible, the potential. Second, spiritually, you means fulfillment and constraint, whereas wu means transcendence and freedom. Third, ontically, you means full, presence, whereas wu means void, absence. [4]

    The idea that reality consists of a spectrum of energetic strata seems to resonate with the thought of Zhang Zai (1020-1070), who considered that the gathering or scattering of qi is what determines being and nonbeing, as seen in the following passage:

    When qi gathers then its brightness becomes effective and it has form. When qi does not gather then its brightness does not become effective and it is without form…. The condensation and dispersal of qi in ultimate space is like the freezing and melting of ice in water. When one knows that ultimate space is qi then there is no beinglessness. (Correcting the Unenlightened I, Ultimate Harmony) [5]

    In this way we could refer to denser and more subtle dimensions made up of the same original substance termed immanent energy in conscientiology. In Chinese philosophy this has been ascribed variously as: quintessential qi , in the Guanzi ; original qi , in Han dynasty works; taiyi , The Great One, in the Chunqiu , Spring and Autumn Annals; taixu , the Great Vacuity, by Zhang Zai; taiji , the Great Ultimate, in the Zhouyi and the Dao in the Dao de Jing . Wang Bi (226-249), the great interpreter of the Zhouyi and Laozi , expressed this concept of Dao, as it is seen in the Laozi , as nonbeing. [6] The Zhouyi , one of the oldest Chinese philosophical texts, lays this out clearly in the following two passages from the “Great Treatise” ( Xi Ci Zhuan ):

    Therefore there is in the Changes the Great Primal Beginning. This generates the two primary forces. The two primary forces generate the four images. The four images generate the eight trigrams. [7]

    In the heavens phenomena take form; on earth shapes take form. [8]

    We only need to consider the preceding in order to surmise that there is something beyond the concrete that is more than subtle energies coursing through our body and physical nature. Multidimensionality is a fact that can be witnessed and experienced. The literature, both East and West, is filled with case studies of transcendent experiences, namely those that go beyond ordinary experiences related to the human body and its five senses. These occurrences that individuals undergo, if we are not going to interpret their separate personal realities as madness, should be taken as seriously as any other documentary evidence and not be compartmentalized and conveniently “shelved” for further examination at a later date. What are being referred to as “transcendent experiences” here are those that go beyond the ordinary five senses. They are also called “exceptional human experiences” or EHEs, a term coined by Rhea A. White in 1990 to label experiences considered “anomalous” within the scientific paradigm. The following are some historical examples of these experiences, presented here in chronological order:

1. Yan Hui . Confucius' (551-479 b c ) favorite disciple Yan Hui (514-483 b c ) is considered by some to have had a great understanding of the Yijing , perhaps superior to that of Confucius, and would seem to have developed personal sensitivities. Yan and Chen (2005: 101) point out the passage in the Tang dynasty (618-907) encyclopedia Bei Tang Shu Chao taken from Han Shi Wai Zhuan :

    Zi Gong was asked to come to Confucius, but he did not come. Confucius divined it. He got hexagram Ding (Caldron, the 50 th hexagram in the received version of the Zhouyi ) then he told his disciples. (By the omens manifested by the hexagram) they all claimed that Zi Gong would not come, when only Yan Hui smiled with one hand covering his mouth. Confucius asked: “Hui, why do you smile?” Yan Hui replied: “I think Zi Gong will come.” Confucius asked: “How will he come?” “By boat.” Later, Zi Gong came just as Yan Hui predicted.

2. Zhuangzi . The noted Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi (c. 360 b c ) registered his practice of “setting his mind at flight” and entering the “land of nothingness,” as well as his portrayal of “absolute freedom,” in which he could “experience the bounteous Tao and wander in the realm of infinity” (“ ying di wang ”, [Competent Emperors and Kings]). These observations furnish the telltale indicators of someone whose reality is a multidimensional one.

3. Plotinus . The Roman Neoplatonic philosopher, Plotinus (205-270), relates his experience in a letter to Flaccus, saying:

    You ask, how can we know the Infinite? I answer, not by reason. It is the office of reason to distinguish and define. The Infinite, therefore, cannot be ranked among its objects. You can only apprehend the Infinite by a faculty superior to reason, by entering into a state in which you are your finite self no longer – in which the divine essence is communicated to you. This is ecstasy. It is the liberation of your mind from its finite consciousness. Like only can apprehend like; when you thus cease to be finite, you become one with the Infinite. [9]

4. Balzac. Along the same lines, the French writer Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) announced the appearance of a new science in his 1832 autobiographical novel Louis Lambert, in which he states:

    If I was here while sleeping in my bedroom, does this fact not constitute a complete separation between my body and inner being? Well, if my spirit and my body could separate during sleep, why could I not equally divorce them while awake? These facts are verified by the power of a faculty which puts in movement a second being for which my body serves as a housing. If, during the night… in the most absolute immobility I went through space, then humans have inner faculties which are independent from external physical laws. Why have humans reflected so little until now upon the accidents of sleep that indicate a double life? Could there not be a new science in this phenomenon? (some italics added) [10]

    As mentioned in a previous article [11] , given the connectedness between morality and the flow of the cosmos, those who become more transparent with regard to their understanding and following of the workings of the cosmos tend to become literally more perceptive. This condition is often alluded to by the term “spirit-like.” Ancient Chinese philosophy, including the Zhouyi and the Zhongyong is replete with references to the condition of being spirit-like. The following, for example, is a passage from chapter 24 of the Zhongyong which refers to the characteristics of the individual who has a high degree of cheng : “ It is characteristic of the most entire cheng to be able to foreknow…. He who has cheng is like a spirit.”

    The process of developing spirit-like capacities could be compared to encountering an extremely foreign language for the first time and initially declaring it to be constituted of nonsense scratches and lines, only to come to grips with the depth and colorfully expressive nature of this heretofore foreign language after further ponderation. Unfortunately, the “markings” of the cosmos that are constantly being placed before us are mostly either unperceived or misperceived and therefore misunderstood. This brings humans to odds with nature.

THE PARADIGM OF THE CONSCIOUSNESS

    Humanity has, by and large, concluded that it needs to compartmentalize and domesticate nature through what it calls a scientific understanding in order to allow a better standard of living for all human beings. The authors suggest, however, that the truest nature of the universe is its extraphysical nature. In the same way that the written words you are reading at this moment began as ideas, our physical reality begins as concepts. This would seem to find parallel with Zhuxi's juxtaposition of li (principle) and qi (material or vital force) as source and manifestation, respectively. Science generally observes physical objects and processes, and ponders its genesis from a preceding physical event. It does not, however, generally cogitate upon an extraphysical origin. Whereas it may seem that the authors are addressing a territory that pertains to the arena of belief, they would argue that this more subtle realm is indeed one of experience. It is a realm of personal experience and personal conclusion, although necessitating consensus among experiencers. In the interest of clarifying the previous statement, that physical matter begins in abstract concept, it is useful to point out that conscientiology has proposed what is called the consciential paradigm. In brief, the consciential paradigm does not base its perspective on the physical but instead upon the consciousness per se, which is necessarily an extraphysical point of reference. The consciousness is considered to be: (1) more than energy; (2) more than the brain; (3) more than the neurons; (4) more than the biological body. [12] This evidences the complexity involved in the investigation of the consciousness. When investigating the complex issue of human nature, many Chinese thinkers would also seem to adopt a metaphysical perspective that is sourced in the extraphysical dimension. An example of this would seem to be found in the first chapter of the Zhongyong , which states that: “What tian has conferred is called nature.” [13]

    How does a multidimensional perspective apply to the Zhouyi ? When we appreciate the dynamics of the Zhouyi we can reflect upon its categorization by some as a holographic model of the universe in the sense that it is a comprehensive model of the universe in miniature. Edgar Mitchell [14] , the astronaut who walked on the moon, reports that NASA has discovered the Unified Field Theory, also called the Theory of Everything (TOE). This theory states that the universe is holographic in nature or, in other words, that the entirety of the universe is contained in its every fragment [15] . The Zhouyi , of course, is based upon the same premise that everything is interconnected, this providing the basis for the process of divination: intimate connectedness with the cosmos. It is significant that NASA is putting forth a concept that was embodied in the bagua 5000 years ago in China. This sentiment is also reflected in the words of the great Neo-Confucian thinker Wang Yangming in his concept of the unity of the universe with humankind at its center when he said: “ The adult [great man] is an all-pervading unity – one substance – with heaven, earth, and things. He views the earth as one family and his country as one man.” [16] Regarding the concept of oneness, the renowned physicist Fritjof Capra, in his classic book The Tao of Physics says the following:

    The basic oneness of the universe is not only the central characteristic of the mystical experience, but is also one of the most important revelations of modern physics. It becomes apparent at the atomic level and manifests itself more and more as one penetrates deeper into matter, down into the realm of subatomic particles…. As we study the various models of subato mic physics we shall see that they express again and again, in different ways, the same insight – that the constituents of matter and the basic phenomena involving them are all interconnected, interrelated and interdependent; that they cannot be understood as isolated entities, but only as integrated parts of the whole. [17]

    The Zhouyi addresses and is a realistic representation of the cycles that occur in life. It would seem, however, to have an understanding of the universe that transcends Newtonian physics. Its dynamic of the changes that come about in the universe are not based only upon changes due, for example, to simple physical dynamics, which occur in the case of gravity or orbiting planets. This can be seen in the following passage in chapter 4 of “The Great Treatise”:

    In it [ the Book of Changes ] are included the forms and the scope of everything in the heavens and on earth, so that nothing escapes it. In it all things everywhere are completed, so that none is missing. Therefore by means of it we can penetrate the tao of day and night, and so understand it. Therefore the spirit is bound to no one place, nor the Book of Changes to any one form. [18]

    But if these cycles are not only generated by physical forces such as gravity or physical heat and cold, what determines them? If we are willing to look beyond the ideological comfort and complacence of our familiar night-day, hot-cold, winter-summer dualistic opposites, we must presume that there is some type of intentionality not only regulating but driving the manifestations of the physical universe. This does not imply a religious connotation but, we could say, a “suprascientific” significance. It is common knowledge that at different points in Chinese history tian has been taken to mean: (1) the physical sky; (2) the supreme being that rules the world, and even; (3) a moral, transcendent, incorporeal realm. Zhang Dainian, for example, comments that “Ancient religion maintained that heaven [ tian ] had a will and was the master of the universe.” [19] Giving it a religious connotation would make tian the equivalent of God. Regardless of the tendency of some ancient Chinese philosophers, such as Mozi ( 480-390 b c) and Mencius (370-286 b c), to interpret tian in a more religious and godlike manner, the position that tian is intelligent and intentional can be seen in the following two passages:

    Those who obey the will of heaven, loving without discrimination, aiding others, will surely obtain a reward; those who oppose the will of heaven, by discrimination and unfriendliness and by doing wrong to others, will surely obtain a punishment. ( Mozi 26, Will of Heaven A , lines 22-23) [20]

    Wan said, “Yes, but Shun had the empire so who gave it to him?” He [Wan Zhang] replied, “Heaven gave it to him.” “Heaven gave it to him,” Wan said.” Was this with any command to him?” He answered, “No. Heaven does not speak. It simply showed what it did through his [Shun's] conduct and governance.” ( Mencius 5, Wan Zhang A, #5) [21]

    If tian , the extraphysical tian , is taken to be intelligent and intentional, then we must inquire as to how someone can have an intimate direct understanding and appreciation of this supraphysical force. Given our research, both scholarly and empirical, it is concluded that indeed the physical and the “subtle” but somewhat physicalized manifestations that we live among are the end result, and not the source, of the intentionality of tian , more precisely that of an intelligent agent, as illustrated in the above passage from the Mencius . When we adopt the interpretation of nonbeing, as it is seen in Daoism, for example, tian would then be consistent with the concept of extraphysical dimension. The transformation from nonbeing to being, formless to form, original qi into yin and yang , as well as the transformational power of qi per se , would seem to be due precisely to the intentionality of the consciousness. Tian would then represent an energetic dimension and the consciousness would be the intelligent agent behind the actualization and transformation of the intraphysical and extraphysical dimensions or the multidimensional universe. In its physical expression, the consciousness is considered to utilize qi , although a more condensed qi , to form the corporeal body or “vehicle of manifestation.”

    With regard to qi , in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM, Zhongyi ) it is understood that whereas blood and neurological impulses do course through the body there are also other subtler “forces” that likewise circulate along the meridians. In feng shui it is appreciated that, just as veins of water and gas flow throughout the earth's crust, there are also more subtle energies that run along the same lines. In the West such veins of telluric energy are referred to using terms such as lay lines, Curry lines and the Hartmann grid. Throughout history, various groups have endeavored to take advantage of these channels of energy in order to construct buildings and even entire cities. Examples of the latter are Bagua city in Xinjiang autonomous region, Jinhua city in Zhejiang province, and Zi jin cheng , the Forbidden City, in Beijing. In the cases of Bagua and Jinhua, the entire city plan follows the layout of the bagua or eight trigrams. As well, outside Jinhua city, eight small hills form another eight trigrams. Each portion of the city includes a round well designed to resemble a yin-yang symbol.

    Although it would seem that natural energetic forces run automatically, it is suggested that they are moved through intentionality or that there was at least an initial impulse behind them. For example, while our breathing is taken for granted and considered to be automatic we can, through the application of our will, modify our respiratory rate. Both TCM and feng shui study the principles by way of which the energies of the body and architectural structures, respectively, can be managed to optimize the flow of energy or qi . It is felt that an appropriately free-flowing qi ensures greater “prosperity” in terms of physical health, intellectual capacities, well-being and financial success. Whereas qi naturally flows on its own, in the same way that our respiration is “automatic,” it can also be either blocked or facilitated by the human will. We can see this echoed in the Mencius in the following passage:

    The will is the leader of the qi [22] . The qi pervades and animates the body. The will is first and chief, and the qi is subordinate to it. Therefore I say, maintain firm the will and do no violence to the qi . [23] ( Mencius 2, Pt. 1, Ch. 2)

    In conscientiology, a distinction is made between “immanent energy” or that energy that permeates the cosmos, also called the Great Ultimate in the Zhouyi , and “consciential energy” or that energy that takes on the individual's profile when it is instilled with that person's thoughts and emotions. That is to say, energy is directed and characterized or formatted through the willfulness of the individual. If the cosmos and its currents of energy can be said to be imbued with a comprehensive intent that determines the makeup of physical life itself, and our personal energy takes on its characteristics and influences our life as a consequence of our thoughts, feelings and will, it could be postulated that the intentionality of an individual might function better or meet with “fortune” when that intentionality is aligned with the most subtle and all-embracing force, that of the cosmos .

THE ZHOUYI AS A TOOL FOR MULTIDIMENSIONAL EVOLUTION

    How do fortune and misfortune relate to the divinatory use of the Zhouyi with regard to avoiding misfortune and encountering fortune? First one must decide how both of these terms, misfortune and fortune, are going to be defined. For this we need to briefly examine our understanding of the purpose of life. On a simpler level, life is about surviving, remaining healthy, prospering and proliferating. For those who take into consideration only the immediate physical world, this would stand to reason. It would seem that millions and indeed billions of years of continuing evolution have endorsed the timeworn equation of: live, prosper, procreate and finally, of course, perish, but that your offspring might continue. We may then ask: “If our purpose is merely this, would it not seem that life is a fairly mundane avenue that can only be improved by increased standards of living, more sophisticated technology, advancements in the physical sciences and coexistence provided by sufficiently elevated moral standards, allowing us all to get along?” If life is, however, more than simply four seasons a year, three meals a day, thousands of breaths in a twenty-four hour period, and so on, we must reconsider the flow of the cosmos to be somewhat more transcendent than we have heretofore dared mathematize it as being. If the purpose of our process is evolution of the consciousness and not mere survival, we may then, succinctly speaking, define “fortune” as evolutionary fortune and “misfortune” in terms of lost opportunities to evolve.

    Nature moves forward, although gradually and, if one does not pay proper attention, imperceptibly. Humans also have the potential to progress and to do so even beyond the Darwinian sense. In this day and age, for at least a fair portion of the population of this planet, the daily needs of breathing and eating are more assured than was previously the case. It then becomes important to move beyond these basic matters; otherwise, as Confucius is quoted as saying, “Hard is it to deal with him who will stuff himself with food the whole day without applying his mind to anything good!” It would thus be hoped that we can turn our attention to matters such as evolution of the consciousness and the opportunity to perform assistance to humanity, which it entails. The theme of assistance involving the interplay between the “three powers” of tian , ren , and di [24] is clearly portrayed in Appendix 5 of the Yizhuan in the following:

    Anciently, when the sages made the Y? , in order to give mysterious assistance to the spiritual Intelligences, they produced (the rules for the use of) the divining plant…. They (thus) made an exhaustive discrimination of what was right, and effected the complete development of (every) nature, till they arrived (in the Y? ) at what was appointed for it (by Heaven). Anciently, when the sages made the Y? , it was with the design that (its figures) should be in conformity with the principles underlying the natures (of men and things), and the ordinances (for them) appointed (by Heaven). With this view they exhibited (in them) the way of heaven, calling (the lines) yin and yang; the way of earth, calling (them) the weak (or soft) and the strong (or hard); and the way of men, under the names of benevolence and righteousness. Each (trigram) embraced (those) three Powers; and, being repeated its full form consisted of six lines. [25]

    The concept of the “three powers” of tian , ren and di is characterized in the Zhouyi , of course, wherein each line in a trigram and/or each couplet in the six lines of a hexagram represent tian, ren and di respectively. This is clarified by Legge when he observes:

    The top line in each trigram thus belongs to the category of heaven; the bottom line to that of earth; and the middle line to that of man. [26]

    In the trigram, the first line represents earth; the second, man; and the third, heaven; in the hexagram, the first and second lines are assigned to earth; the third and fourth, to man; and the fifth and sixth, to heaven. These are the three Powers. [27]

    The relationship between the three powers is also seen in the “triad” concept outlined in the Zhongyong wherein the sage serves as a bridge between tian and di promoting transformation and actualization in the concrete realm of human existence, as shown in the following passage:

    The spirit of the Zhouyi is not one of mere fatalism, but of informing humankind of the opportunity to participate in the creative dynamic of the cosmos, to the degree that we are willing to be aligned with the flow of that selfsame cosmos. Thus, the more aware of and in harmony one is with the flow of the cosmos, his or her evolutionary “fortune” will be enhanced and one's goal will be achieved. Since the cosmos is an energetic matrix we could refer to being sensitive to the energetic flows and changes that take place within that infrastructure. To the degree, then, that we can be aware of and enter into resonance with the energetic workings of our world we can begin to take appropriate actions at the right time, in the right way and with the correct intentionality. We can thus perceive the role and responsibility of human beings in regard to the operations of the universe. In conscientiology the participation of the individual (microcosm) in his or her working relationship with the cosmos (macrocosm) is referred to as being a “minicog of an assistential maximechanism.” In order to better understand the role of humankind in the transformation of the cosmos, let us first examine the interrelationship between dimensions.

    The Yizhuan (4:1) makes statements regarding “the outgoing and returning of spirits,” such as the following passage:

    Looking upward, we contemplate with its help the signs in the heavens; looking down, we examine the lines of the earth. Thus we come to know the circumstances of the dark and the light. Going back to the beginnings of things and pursuing them to the end, we come to know the lessons of birth and death. The union of seed and power produces all things; the escape of the soul brings about change. Through this we come to know the conditions of outgoing and returning spirits. [29] , [30]

    Comments that refer to spirits and to the realm which they allegedly populate, which is not uncommon in Chinese philosophical texts, would naturally lead us to wonder about the dynamics of that reality. Tian , at its most transcendent, can be taken as an extraphysical dimension which is the source or template for physical manifestations, as previously discussed. If there are intermediary dimensions that account for spirit populations does it not stand to reason that there would be an added layer of interaction? If the dynamic of this interaction is addressed by the Zhouyi , this would appear to expand the possibilities of evolution and indeed the interactions of the sage with the dimensions of tian and di . It would also logically seem to be the case with any dimension in between those two in the sage's process of assistance, as well as the continued evolutionary possibilities of the human consciousness over longer periods of time. Indeed, some schools of thought feel that the sage, upon physical death, survives the loss of the biological body and continues to exist. It is held that ordinary individuals survive as well, but that the “psychic body” is more delicate and requires support from their surviving family members in the form of ancestor worship. It is curious to note that while Chinese philosophy has traditionally placed so much emphasis on ancestor worship, the circumstances of those ancestors after death does not receive in-depth attention. It is furthermore apparently held that “the ancestors return to this world after they have lived for a while in the other world.” [31] Can this be an indication of the continuity of the evolution of the consciousness? Could this more soundly explain why individuals are born with different capacities and some even with innate ideas? If this is the case, then we can see the sense behind the concept of “life mission” which resonates with the concept of ming in Chinese philosophy. Confucius, for example, showed an extremely strong sense of purpose, and is said to have felt that his life task was actually a “mandate of heaven.” This is exemplified by the familiar passage depicting his personal conviction during an incident in which an attempt was being made on his life when he is quoted as saying, “Heaven produced the virtue that is in me. What can Hwan Tui do to me?” [32] Conscientiology research findings indicate that many people have a notion, as in the abovementioned case of Confucius, of the specific individual task to be performed in one's lifetime, reflected in the term “existential program.” Existential programs fall into two categories: primary and advanced. Primary existential programs are those dedicated to specific personal matters and are more self-centered in nature, whereas advanced existential programs are dedicated to the well-being and evolution of many and take on a profile of expanded assistance. Execution of an advanced existential program necessitates that the individual present a profile that includes: neophilia, incessant personal renovation, and logical prioritizations within a personal universalistic approach. The fulfillment of the existential program is the theoretical and practical result of these prioritizations. Behind the term existential program is the proposition that the striving consciousness comes into this world far from randomly but, on the contrary, with a definite preplanned trajectory. This trajectory is determined by the stage of the individual's personal evolutionary process as a consciousness.

    As a result of our research findings, we propose that: (1) the universe is an ever evolving one that provides an infrastructure for individual consciousnesses to grow and evolve; (2) “fortune,” as previously mentioned, is synonymous with evolutionary success or evolutionary progress; and (3) one's evolutionary success or progress can be measured by the degree to which one has learned to (a) evolve and (b) accompany the crescendo of personal development that is dictated by the dynamics of the intraphysical and extraphysical dimensions. The individual's existential program comprises one's participation within an evolutionary quantum during this lifetime, the present lifetime. When regarding the spectrum of human evolutionary levels, from the petty person ( xiao ren ) to the superior person ( jun zi ) to the sage ( sheng ren ) and even beyond [33] we can appreciate the possibility that some do not simply arrive in this world as sages but that perhaps, in some past, we have all been petty individuals and are participating in the greatest meritocracy of all: the process of evolution of the consciousness. When we consider the attainability of evolutionary goals it is worthwhile to reflect upon the perspective of Wang Yangming (1472-1509), who only accepted as his students those with an ardent desire to become a sage and is quoted as saying, “My own nature is, of course, sufficient for me to attain sagehood.” [34] The Zhouyi can then be expanded in its scope as we understand the nature of more and more realms, and extend our perceptions toward these realms in the interest of furthering the mathematicization of the interactive process between tian , di , and all that lies between, as well as the coherent execution of the existential program.

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF KNOWLEDGE

    It can be seen that Fuxi's development of the trigrams was not an act of intellectual arrogance. He was, at that time, not trying to impress anyone, but the intention was instead to perform assistance. The challenge was to offer humankind a foundation with which it could better contextualize the world, allowing the race to get its bearings, as it were, or orient itself more effectively, thereby providing it with the wherewithal needed to propel itself forward. We can thus consider Fuxi's act of creating the trigrams as an act of purely fraternal assistance. But why do people perform any kind of assistance at all? It is because they feel the weight of the world on their shoulders to some degree or another; they feel responsibility with regard to the well-being of others. It is not just a matter of “oughtness,” expressed in the concept of yi , namely doing what one ought to do. Certainly, if we are human beings, and thereby more than animals, we ought to act with a certain degree of sensitivity toward our fellow being and act with correctitude toward each other. It is not merelhy because someone is your blood relative or can return a favor, thereby assuring physical survival, that you should provide him or her with assistance. This needs to be surpassed. Phrases such as those implying that we are another's “keeper” are edicts convincing us to care for each other and are burdens of imposed responsibility. True assistentiality arises from an inner sense of fraternity, a genuine sense of caring for others. When we view others as an extension of ourselves, we naturally relate to and care about them. In this condition we see humanity as one.

    According to conscientiology, assistance can be placed into two categories: the consolation task and the clarification task. Attending to basic human needs, such as food, clothing, money and emotional support, is related to the “consolation task.” Providing the information or “know-how” for multidimensional evolution, on the other hand, is termed the “clarification task” [35] . The clarification task, in its broader sense, involves evolutionary responsibility or concern toward others, which extends to all individuals and dimensions of existence. Assistance of this type operates at a “wholesale” level. For example, a single transcendent intellectual treatise such as the Zhouyi provides clarification forever, rendering a great deal of “food for thought:” tools and insight that can, if we would avail ourselves of this information, smooth out and dynamize our progress toward evolutionary complétude .

    When we speak in terms of evolutionary fortune and misfortune in the lines of the Zhouyi , we must not underestimate this contextualizing tool. As previously mentioned, it is proposed that we broaden our perspective to appreciate the view that when an individual's intentions and actions echo the intentionality of the cosmos then he or she is bound to succeed. The converse, an egotistical lack of harmony with the intentionality of the cosmos, of course, results in failure or misfortune. Helmut and Richard Wilhelm, in Understanding the I Ching, refer to this idea and highlight our responsibility in the dynamic of the cosmos in the following passage:

    From this comprehensiveness of the tao , embracing both macrocosm and microcosm, the Book of Changes derives the idea that man is in the center of events; the individual who is conscious of responsibility is on par with the cosmic with forces of the heaven and earth. This is what is meant by the idea that change can be influenced. To be sure, such an influence is only possible by going with the direction of the change, not against it. [36]

    The question then becomes, “How can we position ourselves within the ‘machinery' of the way things operate in order to accelerate human evolution or evolution of the consciousness?” This is the burden that is felt by those who feel a responsibility toward the planetary population. It is not just because they care about their fellow being but because they know that they have the wherewithal to provide a tool that will more greatly optimize the human process. They know that omission of such a tool would, in fact, jeopardize humanity. In sum, we come to the realization that if we can provide an insight which would facilitate the advancement of the human race it is incumbent upon us to do so. Understanding the interconnectedness of everyone and everything in the cosmos – as illustrated by the Zhouyi – and operating as mini-cogs of a maxi-mechanism, it is necessary to pay greater attention to whether our every act is disturbing or contributing toward the progress of all. Unfortunately, many studious individuals are not engaged in moving humankind forward; they simply want to get through life successfully. They may research because it promises greater financial return; they produce because they must, as expressed in the phrase: “Publish or perish.” Few innovate because it is “in their blood” to do so. Fewer still have innovation in their blood and feel a responsibility toward humankind . This sense of responsibility with regard to knowledge is the hallmark of pioneers in the clarification task, such as Fuxi.

CONCLUSION

    In this article we have discussed the likelihood that our reality is a multidimensional one, with the interpenetrating and interdependent intraphysical and extraphysical dimensions of life in a continuous feedback process. It was concluded that with ongoing interaction between realms, the qualities of all dimensions are mutually influenced, thereby resulting in the complex multi-tiered environment within which we operate. The concepts of the intentionality behind tian and the paradigm of the consciousness have also been addressed, suggesting that the driving force behind the “flow” of the cosmos is actually the consciousness itself, which thus serves as the most suitable point of departure or zero coordinate in establishing a system of reference. When we regard these possibilities and view the Zhouyi and its proposals through the lens of multidimensional evolution and the assistance which it entails, we naturally arrive at the notion of the responsibility of knowledge and the premise that not only is assistance to humankind an optimizing option but part and parcel of a more advanced evolutionary process. This having been said, it is eminently clear that regardless of whether we approach evolution of the consciousness through the prism of a pre-scientific intellectual heritage passed down from a legendary sage or the more recent revelations of modern physics and consciousness research, we are, as vital reflections of the cosmos, all interconnected and therefore interdependent. We depend upon each other for our continued evolution. This is the foundation of the bagua and the evolutionary patrimony provided to humanity by ancient Chinese wisdom 5000 years ago and still so relevant today. Let us work to synthesize ancient and modern insights and move forward together in the pioneering spirit initiated by Fuxi. For those who follow the horizon, the sun never sets.

ENDNOTES

[i] Simone de La Tour (Brazilian), Academic Director of the Sino-Brazilian Academic Exchange Center, researcher at the International Center for the Higher Studies of Conscientiology (CEAEC), Brazil.

[ii] Kevin de La Tour (American), Executive Director of the Sino-Brazilian Academic Exchange Center, researcher at the International Center for the Higher Studies of Conscientiology (CEAEC), Brazil.

[iii] The Center for the Higher Studies of Conscientiology (CEAEC) was founded by Waldo Vieira, M.D. in 1995 and is located in Foz do Igua?u, Brazil.

[1] As represented in I Ching 1978: ii. The birth and death of Fuxi are usually not cited with exact years as he is a legendary figure and precise information is not available on his life.

[2] Robert Roy Britt, “Space Seen as Finite, Shaped Like a Soccer Ball,” New York: Imaginova, 2003. http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/universe_soccer_031008.html. For a more in-depth discussion of this theory the interested reader may wish to consult Jeffrey Weeks' book The Shape of Space , 2002, New York: Marcel Dekker.

[3] Guo Qiyong 郭齐勇 : “An Outline of the Modern New Confucian Scholar's Thought Based on the Yi 《现代新儒家的易学思想论纲》 ”, Zhouyi Studies (English Version) 《周易研究》 ( 英文版 ), 2005, 3:1, p. 11.

[4] Vincent Shen, Laozi (Lao Tzu), See Cua edited by Antonio S. Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy . New York: Routledge, 2003, p. 357.

[5] Zhang Dainian , Key Concepts in Chinese Philosophy. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 2002, pp. 159-160.

[6] Alan K. L. Chan, “Wang Bi”, See Cua 2003, p. 741.

[7] Richard Wilhelm (German) and Cary F. Baynes (English) (trans.), The I Ching or Book of Changes . Princeton: Princeton University Press (Bollingen Series XIX), 3 rd ed., 1967, p. 318.

[8] Ibid., p. 280.

[9] Richard Maurice Bucke, Cosmic Consciousness – the Classic Investigation of the Development of Man's Mystic Relation to the Infinite . New York: Penguin Putnam, 1923, p. 123.

[10] Waldo Vieira, Projectiology: A Panorama of Experiences of the Consciousness outside the Human Body 《 意识投射学 : 体外意识经验概览 》 . Foz do Igua?u: Associa??o Internacional Editares, Brazil, 2005, p. 61.

[11] See “The Yijing , Early Confucian Metaphysics and Evolutiology,” Zhouyi Studies , English version 3:1, 2005, pp. 49-72.

[12] Waldo Vieira, Projectiology: A Panorama of Experiences of the Consciousness outside the Human Body 《 意识投射学 : 体外意识经验概览 》 . Foz do Igua?u: Associa??o Internacional Editares, Brazil, 2005, p. 234.

[13] The reader will note that several references are made in this article to passages in the Zhongyong 《中庸》 . The authors consider it reasonable to cite this work in an article on the Zhouyi given the similarities of some of the concepts that they both portray, as well as the apparent fact that early Confucian texts, such as the Zhongyong , owe their transcendent nature, in large measure, to the influence that the Yijing had on Confucius' ideological perspective. It is also possible that resemblances between them are more than coincidental when we regard comments made by the renowned sinologist James Legge (1815-1897), for example, who states the following about the authorship of the third and fourth Appendices of the “Ten Wings” or Yizhuan ( 《易传》 ): “Much more might be said on the third Appendix, …I would only further say that the style of this and the author's manner of presenting his thoughts often remind the reader of ‘the Doctrine of the Mean.' I am surprised that ‘the Great Treatise' has never been ascribed to the author of that Doctrine, Dze-sze, the grandson of Confucius…. The style and method [of the fourth Appendix] are after the manner of ‘the Doctrine of the Mean' quite as much as those of ‘the Great Treatise.' See I Ching – Book of Changes , trans. by James Legge. New York: Bantam Books, ii, 1978, p. 46.

[14] Edgar Mitchell, a former NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S.A.) astronaut, is the founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, a consciousness research institution based in California, U.S.A.

[15] Drunvalo Melchizedek. “Alternative Healing: Divination and Diagnosis” The Spirit of Ma'at , Vol. 1, No. 8, March 2001, Sedona: Alllife, http://www.spiritofmaat.com/archive/mar1/prns/dnation.htm

[16] Frederick Goodrich Henke, The Philosophy of Wang Yang-Ming . London: The Open Court Publishing Co., 1916, p. 203.

[17] Fritjof Capra, The Tao of Physics – An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism . Boston: Shambala Publications, 2000, p. 131.

[18] Richard Wilhelm (German) and Cary F. Baynes (English) (trans.), The I Ching or Book of Changes . Princeton: Princeton University Press (Bollingen Series XIX), 3 rd ed., 1967, p. 296.

[19] Zhang Dainian , Key Concepts in Chinese Philosophy. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 2002, p. 4.

[20] Ibid., p. 5.

[21] I bid., p. 6.

[22] The term “qi” has been used as a substitute for Legge's “passion-nature.”

[23] Mencius, The Works of Mencius: Translated with Critical and Exegetical Notes , Prolegomena, and Copious Indexes by James Legge. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1990, 188.

[24] Referring to heaven, the human being, and earth, respectively.

[25] James Legge (trans.), I Ching – Book of Changes . New York: Bantam Books, ii, 1978, pp. 423-424 .

[26] Ibid., p. 424 (footnote).

[27] Ibid., pp. 351-352 (footnote).

[28] Zhongyong, ch.22.

[29] Richard Wilhelm (German) and Cary F. Baynes (English) (trans.), The I Ching or Book of Changes . Princeton: Princeton University Press (Bollingen Series XIX), 3 rd ed., 1967, p. 294 .

[30] On this passage Wilhelm comments that “The spiritual forces that produce the building up and the breaking down of visible existence likewise belong either to the light principle or to the dark principle. The light spirits ( shên ) are outgoing; they are the active spirits, which can also enter upon new incarnations. The dark spirits ( kuei ), return home; they are the withdrawing forces and have the task of assimilating what life has yielded.” (Ibid. , p. 295.)

[31] Richard Wilhelm (German) and Cary F. Baynes (English) (trans.), The I Ching or Book of Changes . Princeton: Princeton University Press (Bollingen Series XIX), 3 rd ed., 1967, pp. 293- 294 .

[32] The Analects, 7.22. In Confucius: Confucian Analects, The Great Learning & The Doctrine of the Mean , trans. by James Legge. New York: Dover, 1971.

[33] The authors have made a more in-depth parallel between these evolutionary levels in conscientiology and Confucianism in their article “Confucian Metaphysics and Human Evolution” in Tamkang University's 淡江大学 Journal of Chinese Literature 《中文学报》 , Vol. 12, June, 2005.

[34] Tu Wei-Ming, Neo-Confucian Thought in Action: Wang Yang-Ming's Youth (1472-1509) . Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976, p. 119.

[35] Waldo Vieira, Projectiology: A Panorama of Experiences of the Consciousness outside the Human Body 《 意识投射学 : 体外意识经验概览 》 . Foz do Igua?u: Associa??o Internacional Editares, Brazil, 2005, pp. 1099, 1101.

[36] Hellmut and Richard Wilhelm, Understanding the I Ching . Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995, p. 31.

CHINESE G LOSSARY

From：Center for Zhouyi & Ancient Chinese Philosophy

Author：Simone de la Tour and Kevin de la Tour

『I want to say something about this article』