N. The Trigram Tree of the Eighth Wing of the I Ching
It is interesting to compare the ancient Hebrew Sefer
Yetzirah (Book of Formation) with various aspects of the eighth
and oldest wing of the Chinese I Ching (Book of Change),
called the Shuo Qua. For instance, one can superimpose the
circular version of the flat Tree of Life diagram from the Sefer
Yetzirah (see Diagram)
)
directly over the “Before-the-World Sequence” produced from verses of the Shuo Kua (see Diagram). In the Sefer Yetzirah, the Sefiroth are
created in pairs. The phrase “balancing in weight” in the first
verse of the Sifra Detzniyutha alludes to this. In the Shuo Kua,
the three-lined Trigrams are also created in pairs. Earlier, we
identified the three columns of the flat, vertical version of the
qabalistic Tree, with a middle column balancing two polarized
side columns. One could similarly identify three columns in the
Shuo Qua Tree. )
In the Sefer Yetzirah, the Central Column
manifests between the Sefiroth Above and Below. In the Before the-World Sequence, the same Central Column manifests
between the Trigrams Heaven and Earth. The polarized side
columns on the qabalistic Tree are referred to as “male” (right)
and “female” (left), and reflect a descent from the supernal
World of Atziluth to the material creation of Asiyah. In the Shuo
Qua Tree, the two side columns are likewise polarized, reflecting
the separation and changing differentiation of the pre-celestial
yang (right) and yin (left) in the descent from the most yang
condition of Vast Face in Trigram Heaven to the most yin
condition of Small Face in Trigram Earth.
The Trigrams explicated in the Shuo Kua are eight permutations of yang (Vast Face) and yin (Small Face) lines in sets of three. In the I Ching, the Trigrams are variously combined to produce sixty-four different sets of six lines, called Hexagrams. The Trigrams can also be correlated respectively with six of the Hebrew Double Letters plus the two Mother Letters Mem (Water) and Shin (Fire). Each of the Hexagrams can thus be correlated to a combination of two of the eight Hebrew letters. (see Diagram)
)
In the I Ching, the Fallen Tree finds its counterpart in the
“After-the-World Sequence” (see Diagram).
)
The After-the-World Sequence is of particular significance to Taoist internal
alchemy. In this context, the Taoist Tree alludes to a
transformation of consciousness. The qabalistic Tree becomes a
Fallen Tree when the Sefirah Knowledge/First in the throat
center ostensibly “falls” and becomes the Sefirah Kingdom in the
anal center. The qabalistic Tree once again becomes a Tree of
Perfection in human consciousness when Kingdom returns to its
original position in Knowledge/First and the entire Creation is
seen as a Unity in Small Face in the Mind of Vast Face. In the
Taoist Tree, when the world manifests, the Trigrams rotate and
assume different positions, with Fire moving into the position
formerly occupied by Heaven, and Water moving into the
position formerly occupied by Earth.
