What is Hào?
A yao (爻) is the basic unit composing a hexagram in the I Ching, consisting of two line types, yin and yang, with six yao arranged from bottom to top forming one hexagram.
Also called: 爻
What is a yao in the I Ching?
A yao (爻) is the smallest unit that makes up an I Ching hexagram. Each yao is a horizontal line, and there are two kinds: the yang yao (a solid line, symbol ⚊) and the yin yao (a line broken in the middle, symbol ⚋). Six yao stacked from the bottom up form one of the 64 hexagrams. Each hexagram is therefore read as a sequence of six successive situations, from the first yao (bottom) to the top yao (topmost).
Why are the yao important when interpreting a hexagram?
If the hexagram indicates the general context, then the yao indicate the specific position of the querent within that context. In the same hexagram, yao 1 and yao 5 carry very different meanings: yao 1 usually suggests a beginning, while yao 5 usually suggests a central, leading position. That is why, when interpreting, practitioners often identify the moving yao (the yao that changes when the hexagram is cast) in order to look more deeply into the situation being asked about.
How are the yao used?
In practice, the yao appear on two levels. First, the yao are a structural component: to read a hexagram is to read six yao in order from the bottom up. Second, the yao are a unit of interpretation: each yao has its own yao text (yao ci), describing one aspect of the situation. Depending on the method, the interpreter may use only the hexagram, only the moving yao, or a combination of both.
Distinguishing the yao from easily confused terms
A yao differs from a hexagram: the hexagram is the whole of six yao, while a yao is each individual line that makes it up. A yao also differs from a trigram (bagua): one trigram consists of three yao, and two trigrams stacked on each other form a six-yao hexagram. In addition, one should distinguish the yao from the yao text: the yao is the line, while the yao text is the explanation attached to that line. Many beginners tend to merge these two concepts into one, which leads to confusion when looking things up.
What should be kept in mind when using the yao?
The I Ching is a system of traditional knowledge of a reference nature, and it has not been verified by science. The ways of interpreting the yao and hexagrams belong to the realm of culture, philosophy and traditional divination, and should not be used in place of decisions based on factual data.
How do different schools understand the yao?
- The structural understanding: The yao are viewed purely as units of composition: two kinds of lines, yin and yang, six yao to a hexagram. The focus is on the position of and relationships between the yao, with little emphasis on the divinatory element.
- The divinatory understanding: The yao are viewed as signals for interpretation, especially the moving yao. Practitioners rely on the moving yao and the yao text to offer advice for a specific situation.
- The philosophical understanding: The yao are viewed as symbols of the movement of yin and yang, expressing the laws of change in things. The focus is on philosophical meaning rather than on application to predicting events.
Related articles
What are the six yao positions in a double hexagram?
| Order from the bottom up | Position name | If it is a yang yao | If it is a yin yao | Position within the hexagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First | First Nine | First Six | Lower trigram, bottommost yao, the beginning of the matter |
| 2 | Second | Nine Two | Six Two | Lower trigram, middle of the lower trigram, usually the position of centrality |
| 3 | Third | Nine Three | Six Three | Lower trigram, the boundary, the most volatile position |
| 4 | Fourth | Nine Four | Six Four | Upper trigram, just stepping into the upper half, not yet steady |
| 5 | Fifth | Nine Five | Six Five | Upper trigram, middle of the upper trigram, the most honored position in the hexagram |
| 6 | Top | Top Nine | Top Six | Upper trigram, topmost yao, the matter has reached its extreme |
The yao are counted from the BOTTOM up, the reverse of the usual way of reading text: the first yao is at the bottom and is called the First yao, and the sixth yao is at the top and is called the Top yao.
The names combine position and nature: a yang yao is called Nine (the number 9) and a yin yao is called Six (the number 6); these two numbers come from the method of casting hexagrams with yarrow stalks. Thus the same position has two names depending on whether that yao is yin or yang.
The lower three yao combine to form the lower trigram, and the upper three yao combine to form the upper trigram; it is these two single trigrams joined together that give the double hexagram its name.
The figures in the table match the results of the lookup tools on Nhật Nguyệt.
