The Development of Dao(Taoism): From Knotting Records to the 64 Hexagrams – The Wisdom System of Chinese Civilization

The concept of “Dao(Taoism)” in Chinese civilization represents a philosophical system that has evolved over thousands of years, developing from primitive recording methods to a complete cosmic cognition model.

I. The Origins of Civilization: Knotting Records and Hetu-Luoshu

1. Knotting Records: The Primordial Wisdom Before Writing

• Historical Records: The Book of Changes (Zhouyi·Xici) clearly documents that “in ancient times, people governed by knotting ropes, which later sages replaced with written contracts.”
• Archaeological Evidence: The knotting traditions preserved by ethnic minorities in China’s Yunnan province show striking similarities to Peru’s Inca Quipu system.
• Philosophical Significance: The size and positional relationships of knots already contained the embryonic idea of yin-yang unity of opposites.

2. Hetu-Luoshu: The Numerical Code of the Universe

Hetu (5 Heavenly Numbers, 5 Earthly Numbers)

North: 1 (Water)·6  
South: 2 (Fire)·7  
East: 3 (Wood)·8  
West: 4 (Metal)·9  
Center: 5 (Earth)·10

The generating numbers (1-5) define the Five Elements’ essence, while the completing numbers (6-10) reveal their transformational laws.

Luoshu (Magic Square of Order 3)

4 (Xun) 9 (Li) 2 (Kun)
3 (Zhen) 5 (Center) 7 (Dui)
8 (Gen) 1 (Kan) 6 (Qian)

All straight-line triplets sum to 15, establishing a dynamic equilibrium model.

II. Core Systems: The Derivation of Five Elements and Bagua

1. The Five Elements System: Material Expression of Hetu

2. The Evolution of Bagua: From Four Symbols to 64 Hexagrams

1. Taiji Generates Two Forms: Yin-Yang differentiation (⚊ solid line, ⚋ broken line)
2. Two Forms Generate Four Symbols:
   • Greater Yang (⚌) → Summer/South
   • Lesser Yin (⚍) → Autumn/West
   • Lesser Yang (⚎) → Spring/East
   • Greater Yin (⚏) → Winter/North
3. Four Symbols Generate Eight Trigrams:
   • Qian ☰ (Heaven), Kun ☷ (Earth), Zhen ☳ (Thunder), Xun ☴ (Wind)
   • Kan ☵ (Water), Li ☲ (Fire), Gen ☶ (Mountain), Dui ☱ (Lake)
4. Trigrams Combine into 64 Hexagrams: e.g. Qian for Heaven (䷀), Kun for Earth (䷁)

III. Systemic Connections and Application Frameworks

1. Mathematical Relationships Between Hetu-Luoshu and Five Elements

• Generating Numbers Define Elemental Properties: 1-Water, 2-Fire, 3-Wood, 4-Metal, 5-Earth
• Completing Numbers Reveal Cycles: E.g., “Earth 8 generates Wood” (3+5=8) shows Earth nourishing Wood
• Central Earth’s Special Status: Hetu’s center 5/10 establishes Earth as mother of all things

2. Bagua’s Spatiotemporal Model

3. Practical Application Fields

• Traditional Chinese Medicine: Five Elements correspond to organs, Bagua relates to diagnostic principles
• Feng Shui: Luoshu’s nine palaces guide architectural layouts
• Destiny Analysis: Five Elements interactions in Four Pillars astrology
• Martial Arts: Bagua Zhang’s directional footwork patterns

IV. Rediscoveries Through Modern Science

1. Mathematical Verification
   • Luoshu magic square applied in cryptographic matrix operations (ETH Zurich research)
   • Hetu number sequences map to Fibonacci series
2. Systems Science
   • Five Elements correspond to control theory’s feedback mechanisms
   • 64 Hexagrams match the number of genetic codons
3. Ecological Wisdom
   • Five Elements’ generative-destructive cycles applied in ecological restoration
   • Nine Palaces model informs urban functional zoning