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Bagua (concept)
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Bagua is conceptually a template or a ruler within the Taoist cosmology to track changes. There are two types of Bagua, firstly the Primordial Bagua (????) or Fuxi Bagua (????) attributable to Fuxi (2852 BCE) as a tool to track manifestations before changes, and secondly as the Manifested Bagua (????), which has wider applications including astronomy, astrology, geography, geomancy, anatomy, time, the seasons as well as the twenty-four Jieqi (??). In Taoism eschatology and in the Chinese creation myth (...?
The Earlier Heaven (known as the Primal arrangement) and the Later Heaven (known as the Inner-World arrangement) are relatively well known, differing arrangements exist which are unknown.
The octagonal arrangement shown here is not the earliest form. The circular arrangement, where each trigram symbol is aligned to a cardinal compass point, is considered to be earlier. SOUTH being at the Top, with EAST to the left, WEST to the right, and NORTH at the bottom. Trigrams arranged in this manner are known as a cyclic sequence. Each cyclic arrangement differs by the respective sequential order of the trigrams.
By using combinatorial mathematics it is possible to recreate 40320 (factorial 8!) differing trigram arrangements. Non-combinatorial arrangements, incorporating more than one trigram of the same type, also exist.
A number of ancient artifacts, fashioned from china, wood, metal, paper and stone, portraying differing cyclic sequences, can be found in a number of museums.
Recent research, suggest that each individual trigram cyclic sequence actually represent a computer disc. Where mathematical and scientific information is encoded and stored in a symbolic format, similar to a modern computer diskette, where information is stored magnetically.
It should be noted that these trigram arrangements, formed from yang and yin components represent a symbolic language. This language may be extended, by placing one trigram over another, to create a six line linear symbol known as a hexagram. Sixty-four hexagrams can be created in this manner.
To identify the two individual trigram components, which form the respective hexagram, an eight by eight square matrix grid may be utilized. Here, each sequential cyclic trigram arrangement is arranged along the top (horizontal alignment) and on the left hand side (vertical alignment) of the matrix.
The HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT of trigrams usually STARTS on the left hand side with the trigram assigned to the SOUTH cardinal compass point position, and continues with trigrams assigned to SW - WEST - NW - NORTH - NE - EAST finishing with NE on the right hand side.
The VERTICAL ALIGNMENT of trigrams, follows the same sequential trigram order, commencing at the TOP of the matrix and finishing at the BOTTOM.
Each matrix square has a different hexagram number assigned to it.
Recent research suggest that this matrix grid could form the visual display unit(VDU)of an ancient computer system. Where each individual hexagram square represents a single computer pixel. Thus, by using a selection process, similar to a modern central processing unit (CPU), highlighted hexagrams on this matrix would create a pictographic pattern.
Reference - The I Ching Project - The I Ching Key - Volume 1 - The Secret Computer of the Ancient Gods by John C.Compton ISBN 978-0-9554482-0-1
Origin There are two possible sources of bagua:
The first is from traditional Yin and Yang philosophy. The interrelationships of this philosophy were described by Fuxi in the following way:
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The Limitless produces the delimited, and this is the Absolute
The Taiji produces two forms, named yin and yang
The two forms produce four phenomena, named lesser yang, great yang (taiyang also means the Sun), lesser yin, great yin (taiyin also means the Moon).
The four phenomena act on the eight trigrams (ba gua), eight eights are sixty-four hexagrams.
Another philosophical description of the source is the following, attributed to King Wen of the Zhou Dynasty: "When the world began, there was heaven and earth. Heaven mated with the earth and gave birth to everything in the world. Heaven is Qian-gua, and the Earth is Kun-gua. The remaining six gua are their sons and daughters".
Note that "South" is always found at the top of the Bagua.
The Eight Trigrams (Pre-King Wen "Earlier Heaven" order) ??
Name | ??
Nature |
Season | ??
Personality | ??
Family | ??
Direction | ??
Meaning |
|---|
| Qian | ? Heaven | Summer | Creative | ? Father | ?? Northwest | Expansive energy, the sky. | | Xun | ? Wind | Summer | Gentle | ?? Eldest Daughter | ?? Southeast | Gentle penetration, flexibility. | | Kan | ? Water | Autumn | Abysmal | ?? Middle Son | ? North | Danger, rapid rivers, the abyss, the moon. | | Gen | ? Mountain | Autumn | Still | ?? Youngest Son | ?? Northeast | Stillness, immovability. | | Kun | ? Earth | Winter | Receptive | ? Mother | ?? Southwest | Receptive energy, that which yields. | | Zhen | ? Thunder | Winter | Arousing | ?? Eldest Son | ? East | Excitation, revolution, division. | | Li | ? Fire | Spring | Clinging | ?? Middle Daughter | ? South | Rapid movement, radiance, the sun. | | Dui | ? Lake | Spring | Joyous | ?? Youngest Daughter | ? West | Joy, satisfaction, stagnation. |
The Eight Trigrams (King Wen "Later Heaven" order) ??
Name | ??
Nature |
Season | ??
Personality | ??
Family | ??
Direction | ??
Meaning |
|---|
| Li | ? Fire* | Summer | Clinging | ?? Middle Daughter | ? South | Rapid movement, radiance, the sun. | | Kun | ? Earth* | Summer | Receptive | ? Mother | ?? Southwest | Receptive energy, that which yields. | | Dui | ? Lake | Autumn | Joyous | ?? Youngest Daughter | ? West | Joy, satisfaction, stagnation. | | Qian | ? Heaven | Autumn | Creative | ? Father | ?? Northwest | Expansive energy, the sky. | | Kan | ? Water* | Winter | Abysmal | ?? Middle Son | ? North | Danger, rapid rivers, the abyss, the moon. | | Gen | ? Mountain | Winter | Still | ?? Youngest Son | ?? Northeast | Stillness, immovability. | | Zhen | ? Thunder | Spring | Arousing | ?? Eldest Son | ? East | Excitation, revolution, division. | | Xun | ? Wind | Spring | Gentle | ?? Eldest Daughter | ?? Southeast | Gentle penetration, flexibility. |
Note,* some trigrams are also among the five elements of Wu Xing: Water and Fire. The element of Earth corresponds with both the trigrams of Earth and Mountain. The element of Wood corresponds with the trigrams of Wind (as a gentle but inexorable force that can erode and penetrate stone) and Thunder. The element of Metal corresponds with the trigrams of Sky and Lake.
Bagua used in Feng Shui The Bagua is an essential tool in the majority of Feng Shui schools. The Bagua used in Feng Shui can appear in two different versions: the Earlier Heaven Bagua, used for burial sites and the Later Heaven Bagua, used for the residences.
Xiantian Bagua or Earlier Heaven Bagua
In Xiantian Bagua, also known as Fu Xi (2852 - 2737 BCE) Bagua, the Heaven is in the higher part and the Earth is in the lower part. The trigram Qian (Heaven) is at the top, in the South (in the past, the South was located at the top in Chinese maps), and Kun (Earth) at the bottom, in the North. Li (Fire) and Kan (Water) on the left and on the right-hand side form a pair. Zhen (Thunder) and Xun (Wind) form another pair, while being one opposite the other. Gen (Mountain) and Dui (Lake) form another pair, while being one opposite the other, in balance and harmony. The adjustment of the trigrams is symmetrical by forming exact contrary pairs. They symbolize the opposite forces of Yin and Yang and represent an ideal state, when everything is in balance.
Houtian Bagua or Later Heaven Bagua
The sequence of the trigrams in Houtian Bagua, also known as the Bagua of King Wen (1099 - 1055 BCE), describes the patterns of the environmental changes. Kan is placed downwards and Li at the top, Zhen in the East and Dui in the West. Contrary to the Earlier Heaven Bagua, this one is a dynamic Bagua where energies and the aspects of each trigram flow towards the following. It is the sequence used by the Luo Pan compass which is used in Feng Shui to analyze the movement of the Qi that affects us.
Bagua of the eight aspirations – also called Bagua Map
Feng Shui was made very popular in Occident thanks to the Bagua of the eight aspirations. Each trigram corresponds to an aspect of life which, in its turn, corresponds to one of the cardinal directions. Applying Feng Shui using the Bagua of the eight aspirations made it possible to simplify Feng Shui and to bring it to the reach of everyone. The Masters of Traditional Feng Shui call it Neo Feng Shui or Mc Feng Shui, for its simplicity, because it does not take into account the forms of the landscape or the temporal influence or the annual cycles. The Bagua of the eight aspirations is divided into two branches: the first, which uses the compass and cardinal directions, and the second, which uses the Bagua by using the main door. It is clear that, without taking into account the cardinal directions, the second is an even more simplified manner without any sense.
Bagua map A bagua map is a tool used in modern forms of Feng Shui to map a room or location and see how the different sections correspond to different aspects in one's life. These sections are believed to relate to every area or aspect of our lives and are divided into such categories as: fame, relationships/marriage, children/creativity, helpful people/travel, career, inner knowledge, family/ancestors/health, and wealth/blessings.
In this system, the map is intended to be used over the land, one's home, office or desk to find areas lacking good chi, and to show where there are negative or missing spaces and what may need rectifying or enhancing in life or the environment.
For example, if the Bagua grid is placed over the entire house plan and it shows the toilet, bathroom, laundry, or kitchen in the wealth/blessings area it would be considered that the money coming into that particular environment would disappear very fast, as if to be 'going down the drain.'
In Popular Culture The Unicode character set has characters for each of the eight trigrams at codepoints U+2630 to U+2637:
In the cartoon Jackie Chan Adventures, the trigrams are each written on a face of the Pan Ku Box, though Lake is reassigned to mean Moon.
The creators of the television series Lost incorporated the bagua symbol into the logos for the DHARMA Initiative stations found around the island.
In the anime/manga Naruto, the clan known as the Hyuga clan uses combat based on the Eight Trigrams, with their main attack called the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, involving a series of heavy strikes into pressure points on the opponent's body, or as a means of fast weaker attacks against many opponents.
In the anime Cowboy Bebop, episode titled Boogie Woogie Feng Shui, the device that Maefa uses with the Sunstone contains trigrams from the Bagua, shaped in a Octagon that has a gyroscopic outer and inner ring. The device was used as a MacGuffin of sorts to get Maefa and Jet Black out of trouble. This would be in contrast to the Sunstone, which functions more as a Plot coupon: it not only powered the device, but was destroyed with a single shot from Spike's Swordfish II and opened a rift in hyperspace to provide a resolution to the story.
In the anime/manga Outlaw Star, there is a form of energy called Tao Magic which is employed extensively by the Kei Pirates. There is a somewhat obscure bagua reference near the end of the series when the Kei Pirate Hazanko constructs a method to force the Galactic Leyline open. When the method is completed, a giant bagua-like shape appears in space with the Leyline as the center just before the way inside is opened.
In the Nickelodeon television show , air bending is based on baguazhang (sometimes called "Bagua" for short). The forms used in the show for airbending are similar or identical to baguazhang techniques. All four bending styles are based on four ancient forms of Chinese martial arts. Firebending is based on Northern Shaolin Kung Fu; Waterbending is based on taijiquan; and Earthbending is based on Hung Gar.
The 8 Diagrams, an album released by The Wu-Tang Clan in 2007, features an adaptation of the Bagua map on its cover. The title of the album itself is a reference to the eight trigrams that are found around the outside of the map.
See also
External links
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