Thursday, March 28, 2024

62 Book of Changes

A4.11|12

Xibo reigned for about fifty years. When he was imprisoned in Youli, he increased the eight hexagrams of the Book of Changes to sixty-four hexagrams. The poet praised Xibo, most probably because he adjudicated the dispute between Yu and Rui in the year when Xibo accepted the mandate of heaven and became king. Ten years later, Xibo died and was posthumously named King Wen. He revised the laws and established the calendar. He honored Gugong as King Tai and Gongji as King Ji. And probably the auspicious signs of becoming a king started with King Tai.

When King Wu ascended the throne, Senior Duke Wang served as the Grand Tutor, Duke Zhou Dan was King Wu's assistant, and Duke Zhao, Duke Bi and others assisted King Wu and inherited King Wen's legacy.


西伯盖即位五十年。其囚羑里,盖益易之八卦为六十四卦。诗人道西伯,盖受命之年称王而断虞芮之讼。后十年而崩,谥为文王。改法度,制正朔矣。追尊古公为太王,公季为王季:盖王瑞自太王兴。

武王即位,太公望为师,周公旦为辅,召公、毕公之徒左右王,师脩文王绪业。