A Brief Overview of the Pa Gua (or Ba Gua) symbol Copyright 2001-2004 by Nate Willis The Pa Gua, or Ba Kua, (/pa kwa/ or any number of similar pronunciations), is an ancient Chinese system used to describe the fundamental forces of nature which, through their interaction, create the fabric of reality as we know it. When I say ancient, I mean REALLY old, predating most civilizations, let alone written languages, even runes. In the West, the Pa Gua system is also called the Eight Trigrams. The Eight Trigrams are composed of three-lined characters, each line being either solid or broken, supposedly based upon the pattern on the inside of tortoise shell. The solid lines indicate the force of Yang, the positive force. Yang force can describe positrons, daytime, a closed circuit, and even the sun, which is called 'tai yong' in Chinese, loosely translated as "great-ultimate yang-force". The broken lines refer to Yin, the negative force, which can describe electrons, nighttime, an open circuit, or the moon. The Chinese character for 'water' looks very similar to the trigram K'an, which refers to at type of water, with wavy instead of straight lines. Yang forces emanate their own energy (like the sun), whereas Yin forces reflect energy, as the moon reflects the light of the sun. Positrons create their own field, and electrons flow in reaction to the positrons. You get the idea. Depending on how these solid or broken lines are positioned, they come out in eight different possible combinations, the Eight Trigrams. Each of these trigrams can in turn be combined with any one of the other trigrams to create 64 hexagrams (six-lined characters). An application of the system of 64 hexgrams in the field of divination is known as the I Ching. The Eight Trigrams have appeared throughout all of Asian history. They are most commonly seen arranged in a circle around a yin/yang symbol. This is the Pa Gua, the symbol of the Tao (/dow/), meaning 'way'. Once it adorned the ceremonial robes of the Taoist sorcerers, who also used the symbols in their rituals and the focus of their meditations. And now, without further ado. here are the meanings of each trigram: ----- ----- ----- Chi'en /chee EN/ The Creative. Symbolizes Heaven. That which makes something out of nothing. The force that tells matter to become plants and birds and people. Like Tien, the Jade Emperor, symbolic of law and order. Chi'en is called "the father". -- -- -- -- -- -- K'un /koon/ The Receptive. Symbolizes Earth. That which is fertile. The force that changes form based on outside influences. Like Kwan-Yin, symbolic of the nurturing and compassionate nature. K'un is called "the mother". -- -- -- -- ----- Chen /chen/ The Moving. Symbolizes Thunder. That which is in motion. The force that sees the imbalance of yin and yang in something, like the clouds, and brings restoration to the balance by creating a channel, which we see as lightning. Like the energy in the air during a thunderstorm. Chen is called "the eldest son". ----- ----- -- -- Sun /soon/ The Yielding. Symbolizes Wind. That which is flexible. The force that tells the willow tree to bend as the huge unflexible oak tree breaks during a strong wind. Like a receptive gene. Sun is called "the eldest daughter". -- -- ----- -- -- K'an /kan/ The Abysmal. Symbolizes Water at the depths of the ocean or at the bottom of a waterfall. That which lurks hidden in the depths. The force which creates the unseen variable in the equation. Like a hydroelectric plant. K'an is called "the middle son". ----- -- -- ----- Li /lee/ The Clinging. Symbolizes Fire. That which binds things or draws things to it. The force that keeps fire attached to the object it's burning (or makes the object continue to combust). Like gravity or static cling. Li is called "the middle daughter". ----- -- -- -- -- Gen /gen/ or /ken/ The Calm. Symbolizes a Mountain. That which endures. The force which becomes unstoppable because is slow and steady. Like a glacier. Gen is called "the youngest son". -- -- ----- ----- Tui /doo EE/ The Joyous. Symbolizes a calm, clear pond. That which excites the senses. The force that allows us to appreciate beauty and that which drives us to achieve happiness in life. Like a relaxing day on the beach. Tui is called "the youngest daughter". The arrangement of these trigrams was originally conceived by the very first mythical emperor of China, Fu Hsi (/foo see/). By mythical, I mean that there is no more evidence of his existence than written stories, giving as little credence to his existence as any other "mytho-historical" figure such as King Arthur. Even Lao Tzu (/loud zoo/), the father of Taoism, left behind no imprint of his existence other than a single book, leaving scholars to debate whether he truly was a man, a group of men, or a nom de plum from a creative mind who, practicing what he preached, did not desire notoriety. Over 1,000 years later, during recorded history, King Wen, who was very adept at the system rearranged the positions of the Pa Gua to what he felt seemed more appropriate. His son continued his work. Now the King Wen Arrangement is what you will most commonly see, though the Fu Hsi Arrangement is still utilized by some traditionalists. Confucious, though balking at the notion of "sorcery", taught the system to his disciples, devising many tools and techniques to use with them, including the throwing yarrow sticks to create the patterns which could be used for telling the future. His students recorded his teachings on each of the 64 Hexagrams in writing, the I Ching. The combining of the forces of yin and yang creates 'ching', or change, and the word 'I' (/ee/) means book, therefore I Ching means "Book of Changes". When two trigrams are combined, a reaction occurs. For instance, Fire under Water can produce steam, whereas Earth covering Fire can mean a volcano. When combining the two different types of Water, The Abysmal over The Joyous is seldom a good thing, whereas the reverse can be. The definitions of the 64 Hexigrams may be found in any book on the I Ching. There are many different translations of this book, but I would recommend Wilhelm's, and for further study, 'The Eleventh Wing'. (copyright Nate Willis, 10/10/03, all rights reserved)