From lines and levels to hexagrams

[evan]

Does anyone know if there is a good explanation of how yin and yang at the three levels give the hexagrams.

If this is the correct way to derive the hexagrams I have trouble understanding lake.

Thanks for all suggestions.

[bradford]

did you mean to say trigrams?

[evan]

Sorry, yes trigrams.

I get how the trigrams go together to create the hexagrams but not so well how the lines at three levels create the trigrams.

Apologies for the goof up.

[bradford]

I've tried, but I haven't been able to find meanings for the three line positions within the trigrams. There are some hints that the eldest/middle/youngest son/daughter. was part of the early thinking, especially in language about little sister Dui. In contrast, there is plenty of evidence that there have always been meanings for the six line positions within the hexagram (toes in line one, heads in line 6, etc).
In the Wings there are some suggestions made of a correlation between the three positions and the San Cai, Three Powers of Heaven, Man and Earth, but I can't make any sense out of it with regard to trigram attributes (See page 24 of my Volume 2).

[evan]

HI Bradford,

People have told me that the three positions refer to heaven, people, earth. But I haven't found this written anywhere.

[bradford]

Try reading my post more slowly, and follow the reference there

[evan]

Thanks. It seems that you see the three levels divided by yin and yang as a later interpretation.

You do seem to give some credence to these levels having meaning. I take it that you mean that yin should be treated roughly as something close to 'receptive' rather than inert.

In that case do you think the trigrams are just arbitrary?

Many thanks for your reply.

Evan