I Ching As Language

 

Character symbols are the basic building units of written language. Characters form words, words form sentences, and sentences form language.


I we look at grams as characters, we could write something like this:

ABC EF GHIJK L.

Each of those letters would correspond to a gram.


What meaning could a word like 'ABC' have? How could we construct a new, combined meaning from the meanings of individual grams?


If grams represent states, ABC could represent state A which changes into state B which changes into state C, thus describing the dynamics of a more complex state.

We also have a way to mark the changes between A and B: the XOR operation.


If grams represent changes, ABC could represent change A flowing through change B flowing through change C, thus describing a more complex change.

Once again, we could mark the states between the hops with the help of the XOR operation.


If grams represent both states and changes, we could have one of the intermediary solutions: change A is applied to the result of applying change B to state C, thus describing a more specific state.

(How would words form sentences? That would depend on the words.)


States and changes are just a duality too; it could be more prudent to see them as aspects of the same flow. (States are yin, changes are yang.)


It is important to note that such constructions of language, as other similar constructions, rely heavily on context, and gain purpose from being used in context.

Such languages are operations of relativity.

The illuminations that may result from operations of language have meaning from observing its contrast with the context the user or users bring with them.

 


Aeria Gloris / I Ching Integration / I Ching As Language