Q and A on Yijing Symbols and Mahjong Connection
al
Mahjong
Re: Taiji Diagrams and Divination Hexagrams in card deck on page 55 of
Illustrated Book of the Mahjong Museum
Q. Have you tried to understand why those 18 (out of 64 total)
hexagrams
were selected for those cards and not the other hexagrams?
A. This is what I found. The first 18 hexagrams were taken in their
order from hexagram #1 to hexagram #18 in sequence. However, there may
be two mistakes. Hexagram 7 is given as #16 which is as shown,
repeated. Also hexagram #12 is given as hexagram #25 (may be in
error).
Essentially, a hexagram is for divination reading; a total of 18 for
two suites of cards. That is enough to indicate the purpose intended.
There is no need to do any interpretation of the individual hexagrams
or to inquiry why only 18 hexagrams were used.
Q. What, if any, is their significance?
A. Since the hexagrams are distributed in sequence from #1 to # 9 for
1- 9 taiji diagram and from #10 to #18 for 1- 9 Bamboo, there seems to
be no significance in the simple numerical order.
The names of the hexagrams are as follows. (1) Heaven, (2) Earth, (3)
Sprouting, (4) Youth, (5) Waiting, (6) Dispute, (7) Armies or (16)
Delight, (8) Joining, (9) Smallness Tames, (10) Walking, (11)
Prospering, (12) Clogging or (25) Innocence, (13) Kindred, (14) Great
Holdings, (15) Humility, (16) Delight, (17) Following, (18) Poison.
Q Why wouldn’t trigrams (hexagrams) also be on the ‘myriads suit?
A. Logically speaking, 18 hexagrams in 2 suits of cards serve
adequately to indicate the concept for the game. No more hexagrams are
needed. However, this is a good question that deserves a second look
and further consideration.
How about looking at it this way analytically? The trigrams and
hexagrams in the bamboo suite are dependent variables, meaning they
depend on the random outcome of the bamboo strips. Likewise the
trigrams and hexagrams in the taiji suite depend on the changes of yin-
yang combination. In other words, Bamboo strips and taiji suites are
independent variables. They produce resultant hexagrams.
Now the third suite consists of “ten-thousand things” which encounter
myriads of situations. They depend on the reading and interpretation
of hexagrams. Each hexagram has a different meaning and randomly
determined but not until it is divined. Assignment of hexagrams to the
“ten-thousand-things” is contrary to divination principle and
practice. Put it differently. Ten-thousand-things do not produce
hexagrams.
What is interesting is the possible bias behind the question. This
same question was never raised in reference to “string” and “myriad”.
Cash was never explicit in the “wan” suite of cads. It was assumed.
Q. Do you really feel that depictions of Yijing symbology on some
cards in decks of unknown dates means that all of that type of card
decks, and by extension mahjong, were created to reflect the Yijing?
A. Is this a loaded question or what? Perhaps multiple answers are
required. First, plain clear yijing symbols are by far better than
the unknown circles with a half dozen names in addition to a foreign
derivative, Cash.
Unambiguous taiji diagrams and bamboo divination strips are definitely
informative. Trigrams and hexagrams undoubtedly associate with Yijing.
The source of these symbols, page 55, photo 79, in the Illustrated
Book of Mahjong Museum is known. It is the Book of Changes.
A 'date' can be found later through some help from the publisher and
further searching. A conceptual frame work is more important than a
date at this point. The significance of the deck of cards in photo 79,
page 55, came to light only recently after a copy of the Illustrated
Book of the Mahjong Museum was procured through an agent in Japan.
Of course it does not mean “all” cards of that type were “created to
reflect the Yijing”. Why ask? That was not the claim. However, there
is a strong possibility that Yijing concepts form the basis for the
mahjong design. A connection between Yijing (I-Ching) and mahjong
(symbols and game-play) is hypothesized.
Q. Remark: “This does not make sense to me!”
A. It will. I don’t know what you are missing. Obviously, you don’t
either.
+++++++++++++++++++
Cheers....al
al
> Answers to Questions on Yijing Symbols and Possible Connection to
> Mahjong
>
2 + 3...that is the Key...
Thanks to Dan for his comments and questions on my hypothesis. Here
are more answers to his comments and questions on mahjong and Yijing:
My hypothesis essentially says that mahjong game design was probably
based on 2 polar opposites and 3 configured lines. The polar opposites
are Yin and Yang. The three lines make up the 8 trigrams called Bagua.
A trigram is a diagram of 3 parallel lines (solid and/or broken).
In the Book of Changes, the polar opposites are represented by a solid
line yang and a broken line yin. They are of equal length except the
yin line has a gap in the middle.
http://www.taopage.org/iching/image_5.gif
The basic idea is that the 2 lines interact and change into 8
trigrams. These 8 trigrams, according to the Book of changes, they are
symbols for the universe which includes Heaven, Earth, Lake, Mountain,
Fire, Water, Thunder and Wind. In other words the trigrams are
ten=thousand things because they represent everything in the universe.
The comments and questions here are all about the yin-yang opposites
and the three-line trigrams.
A few key notes I should mention before getting into details.
Mahjong may be hundreds, or even thousands, years old and played world-
wide. Its simplicity is probably a major factor in its longevity and
popularity. Simplicity is the basic premise of my hypothesis: 2 + 3 is
the key.
A second point to note is this. Mahjong has evolved from its early
initial version which has not been found. A modern mhjong set compared
to an ancient mahjong set is like a fresh grape compared to a dried
raisin. Accept the fact that there are differences and isolated
similarities may be all can be expected.
Why my hypothesis links mahjong with divination and the Book of
Changes is important to understand and appreciate. Mahjong is a game
of CHANCE and CHANGES. Similarly, divination depends on CHANCE and
CHANGES for its result. More on this is added at the end of this
post.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Comment / Question:
"For someone like you who is already convinced that the pair in
mahjong represents Yin & Yang, perhaps that explanation is sufficient,
but to me it is not!"
................Answer:
Generally it is true. People tend to rationalize what they believe.
So, it's clear that you are not yet convinced.
It is possible that I did not make my points clear or assuming others
can see my view as I saw it.
............................
Comment / Question:
"It just emphasizes that the only thing common between them is that
there are two!" [Reference to a pair in mahjong]
.............Answer:
Yes. That is correct. However, the important point should be noted is
the concept of creation as in this translation from Dao-De Jing:
"Dao begets One. One begets Two. Two begets Three. Three begets
Myriads. [Ten-thousand-thing"]
Thus Two, Three and Myriad [Ten-thousand] are metaphors; the essential
2 divided from One and multiplied to Ten-thousand Things.
The One is the very first from Void [Emptiness]. The Three's are
results of changes in Two. This is a theory of the universe formulated
thousands of years ago in ancient China. It was obviously simplistic.
Hey, we still don't know exactly how the universe was created. The Big
Bang theory is about as simple as Dao.
...................
Comment / Question:
"If one really wanted to have two tiles represent Yin + Yang, then
having a pair where one was either a 6 or 8
and the other was a 7 or 9 would be convincing to me."
................Answer:
Your comment suggests you are knowledgeable in divination using three
coins and counting 2 points for tails and 3 for heads, for example.
Your suggestion is contrary to the purpose and principle for
simplicity in game design. Mathematical precision is not needed.
In mahjong, a pair of identical tiles has been accepted all along as a
pair of eyes. It is known for a fact; one eye is not identical to the
other.
......................
Comment / Question:
"For those unfamiliar with the Yijing, both the yarrow (milfoil) stalk
and coin methods of determining the lines generate numbers from 6 to
9, [6 & 8 representing Yin and 7 & 9 representing Yang, with 6 & 9
representing their respective changing lines]. But that is not how the
eyes (pair) in mahjong are formed since mahjong uses an identical
pair! "
..................Answer:
In-depth knowledge is useful, but some times it can be a mental block
to simple ideas. Here is an example. I want to say your in-depth
knowledge and critical comments shed light to the yin-yang pairing
question. It's "eye-opening" so o speak. By the way did you ever
question the 'purpose or principle' for having the "eyes" in a mahjong
winning hand?
In my simplistic view, I see interactions of Pure Yin and Pure Yang,
first from 2 4 as in the example above (9 and 7 for Pure Yang and
Mixed Yang, 6 and 8 for Pure Yin and Mixed Yin). Next, 48 because 4
interact with 'yin AND yang'; then 8 16, 32, 64. That is how the
six lines in a hexagram built from bottom up. The multiplication
factor is 2, because interactions involve both yin and yang, exactly
as the first set of interactions from 2 to 4 or from 6 and 9 to 6, 7,
8, and 9.
So, from 2 and by 2 step-wise, the universe is filled with "ten-
thousand-things". And here is the conceptual principle for the pair
requisite in mahjong.
To emphasize its importance, I say: No Yim-Yong; no mahjong.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Comment / Question:
"In regards to the triplets possibly representing trigrams (and two
trigrams combining to represent hexagrams), again your analysis falls
far short of what would be convincing to me! "
..............Answer:
The preceding explanation should help clarify this point.
Conceptually any 3 tiles in sequence symbolize a trigram. The name for
a run, like 3, 4, 5, used to be 'kan'. One meaning, based on its
pronunciation, 'kan' is the trigram for 'Water'. Perhaps it might make
sense to have a sequence of tiles like running water?
The question about triplet, 3-of-a kind is only relevant if the tile
set is in triplicates or quadruplicated.
For a picture of the trigram / hexagram display on cards, refer to
photo 79, page 55 of Illustrated Book of the Mahjong Museum.
................
Comment / Question:
"If the triplets represent the 8 trigrams, then one might expect there
to be only 8 triplets that score points (or, if they rather represent
the 64 hexagrams, then one might expect there to be 16 triplets that
score points since hexagrams use two trigrams & 2x8=16), with all
other combinations only contributing to going out (mahjong) but not
for scoring additional points.
.............Answer:
Not every "one" would expect such sophistication in a scoring scheme.
A game is for fun. Some one once said. One reason the mahjong game
survives through time and played the world over is because it is not
difficult to play. Simplicity is its secret of longevity.
However, the bagua, although has only 8 trigrams, it represents all
the phenomena in the universe. The 64 hexagrams represent (64 x 64) or
4096 possible situations due to changes of the yin and yang lines.
(Refer to the 9, 7 and 6, 8 coin toss outcomes.)
Each hexagram can be interpreted as 2 trigrams. In fact that is how it
is done in divination. The lower trigram pertains to the present
situation and the upper trigram refers to future prospects. Further
reading of hexagrams and greater clarification of possible outcome of
events come from changing lines like 6 and 9 which are "old" and at
their maximum, as I understand it.
But why and where is the need to complicate everything and spoil the
fun and game?
...............................
Comment / Question:
"One would also expect there to be an equal probability to obtain each
of these 'trigrams', just like the equal probabilities for obtaining
each of the 8 trigrams in the Yijing. None of these conditions are met
with the known rules for mahjong! "
.................answer:
Do we know when the "known rules" for scoring come into play? I
believe I read that the scoring rules evolved.
I am not clear on your point about "equal probability". To clarify,
state what the rule should have been if "equal probability" had
applied.
..............
Comment / Question:
"Nor is there an explanation for what four-of-a-kind would represent
in the Yijing hypothesis, nor why they should score points. "
................. Answer:
Again, reference is made to mahjong sets of today. You have assumed a
set of 136 tiles from day-1. This remark is based on an assumption
that each tile was quadruplicated from the start.
Quadruplicating might not have been done for mahjong initially from
the start. Common sense can justify extra points for 4-of-a kind based
on relative probability.
...........................
Comment / Question:
"One may also expect to be able to assign a trigram specifically to
each scoring combination (e.g., perhaps the 'winds' could correspond
to the trigrams assigned to the corresponding directions in the Bagua
diagram). But I can not see any logical way to specifically assign all
8 (or 16) scoring combinations specifically to the 8 trigrams
(especially if one attempted to maintain equal probabilities for each
- note that if the suit tiles can be used for forming series, then the
probabilities for obtaining three-of-a-kind with those numbers
decrease since some players may hold on to those tiles for differing
purposes, thus affecting the probability that those tiles may be
discarded by players that have drawn them), nor is there any evidence
in any of the known rules that I am familiar with that would suggest
that this was ever done! "
.............Answer:
Only you would expect all that, Dan.
Complexity kills a game. Longevity goes with simplicity.
Even if there had been all those details in the initial design,
mahjong history can not show us. Chances are people have forgotten any
complicated scheme long ago or they would have found ways to simplify
it.
..................
Comment / Question:
"If specific trigrams were associated with specific scoring triplets,
and those trigrams could be combined to form hexagrams, then one might
expect special scoring hands could possibly be scored when certain
hexagrams, or combinations of hexagrams, are obtained in a hand. I see
no relation between the special hands that are currently known in
mahjong and possible connections to Yijing hexagrams (or other Yijing
concepts)."
..................Answer:
The level of analysis is extreme, but the frame of reference is out of
synch. I mean how long have you played mahjong and how many times have
you held a special [ limit ] hand? The inventor did not have to think
up possible special hands from day-one.
Difficult games get dropped and forgotten. Same as commercial products
with complex operating instruction failed to catch on in the market
place.
In olden day China, people memorized instructions in the form of
poems. Oral tradition spread errors everywhere in everything. So, it
is the simpler the better.
About special hands...it's possible that a pattern of the first "special
hand" was not recognized until the game was played for a time by many
people. Special hands are rare occurrences.
..................
Comment / Question:
"Much of the additional information that you have presented as
possible support for your Yijing hypothesis also falls far short of
what would be convincing to me."
................Answer:
Not sure what is specific in your remark, but as I pointed out,
present situation does not fit ancient setting. Again logic is fine,
but correct assumption is important. For example we do not know all
therules existed when mahjong was first invented, although we do know
other card games had different rules of play.
....................
Comment / Question:
"Symbols on decks of cards, and written descriptions of these cards,
for example, all seem to be inconsistent with your analysis: While the
3 cash card may have been described by Pan Zhiheng [translated by Lo]
as "like the shape of the qian (Creative) trigram," to me it is merely
a method of describing an arrangement of three objects on the card,
just like the 3 strings card "like the character pin" describes the
arrangement of three objects. Unless you can explain how the character
pin relates specifically to the Yijing, I do not see how the
arrangement indicated by the description of the qian trigram can be
thought of as meaning anything more significant."
...............Answer
I questioned the claim found in Sloperama FAQ #11 that says Matiao as
an "important progenitor" of mahjong. I could not see how and why such
claim can be justified. There was a long discussion, but the claim was
never adequately explained. That was before I had a chance to review
the Ma Diao article in the Playing-Card.
Then I get to appreciate the significance of the Yi Jing symbols only
after I saw the possible correlation with divination ideas. Of course
I had my doubts about the 'Cash base' and "money-suited" notion all
along. But when I found this link, the picture became even clearer.
http://www.taopage.org/iching/iching_symbols.html
And when I looked closely at photo79 on page 55 of the Illustrated
Book of the Mahjong Museum (1999 Japan), I was totally convinced.
Mahjong utilized concepts from Book of Changes in its design.
+++++++++++++++
Now I will explain how "pin" relates to Yi Jing for you.
"Pin" is a substitute for the myriad suit. 品 (bin or pin) = "conduct;
grade; thing; product; good;" taken from CEDICT.
物 品 = things. Why? It's interesting. The word 品 is made up of 3
mouths. For the 3 mouths, first and foremost of importance is food
stuff. Product or thing is one meaning for 品.. Edible product for
hungry mouths is the symbol. Also 3 mouths can represent a group of
people. What come out of those mouths reflect their conduct. Then
structurally, 品, looks like an organization chart which shows each
mouth (person) is at a level or rank, therefore indicating grade or
class. All are imprecise metaphorically, of course...
How pin or 品 relates to Yi Jing? The link is with the "ten-thousand-
THING" in Daoism. 物 品 = THINGs.
品 as 'product' was used in place of Myriad in a mahjong set. 品 as
'class' or 'rank' was also used for 4 cards in a mahjong set. Pictures
are available somewhere. When, where and why the changes were done?
Only the dead engraver knows.
..................
Comment / Question:
"Likewise, you have not demonstrated how things like a 'hairpin',
'bent foot', 'double pearl ring', 'six rivers', etc. etc. etc. could
relate specifically to the Yijing."
.................Answer:
What you see from the descriptions is probably different than what I
envision, as well as different from what Pan had in mind. You have
assumed accurate presentation of those items, but I do not have a
clear picture of them. For a long time, I did not choose those terms
for support of my taiji hypothesis. I never regard the unseen manual
by Pan as reliable source for mahjong and I have questioned and doubts
about some passages in the translation also. I have remarked that it
seemed so odd the description for a "money-suited" deck of cards had
so many references to symbols in Yi Jing. And I could not understand
why. Apparently you and some others do.
On the other hand, how would you justify Pan's using descriptive terms
chosen for "strings of cash"? I wonder how a string of "zero cash"
looked like.
.....................
Comment / Question:
"Until you do, the isolated Yijing concepts used in the descriptions
of the cards, and cited by you as support for the Yijing hypothesis
for mahjong, have no significant meanings to me."
...............answer:
Isolated concepts can be meaningful if they relate with each other and
correlate with something relevant.
Searching for an answer to origin of mahjong is like investigating a
'cold case' in crime. The game is hundreds and hundreds of year old.
Any isolated bit of information could be a clue and potentially
useful. The problem is even bits of evidence are rare.
Review the article in the Playing-Card publication. Note that "wine
drinking" games brought changes to many games including their
"principle and purpose". These "isolated" pieces of Yijing related
evidence could be remnants of older version of Ma Diao.
Logically there should have been different unwritten versions of Ma
Diao before the "wine drinking" era in Ming. We do not know the
sequence of changes taken place. The game was not "created" by Pan or
Feng. They wrote manuals for the existing game at the time.
Again here is an un-isolated group of reference from Yi Jing (I-
Ching).
http://www.taopage.org/iching/iching_symbols.html
Note that even the coins with square holes can pertain to divination
(in I-Ching). So, even if the round coin-like shapes in mahjong were
"cash", they could have been for divination purpose!
Look at the familiar hole-less coin at the far right bottom corner.
For a coherent presentation of Yi Jing symbols and written theme,
refer to photo 79, page 55 of the "Illustrated Book of the Mahjong
Museum" (1999).
Look into CEDIC for the meaning of Chinese characters on the first
card from the far right of both the bamboo slip suit and the taiji
diagram suit.
......................
Comment / Question:
"Long ago I had been in contact with you about Lo's article, and my
opinions have not changed since then. You have not addressed my
thoughts concerning the card descriptions (I think they are simply
using descriptions that indicate the arrangement of objects on the
cards rather than any specific significance to the Yijing),"
.................Answer:
Why in the world would Pan, or whoever, used Yi Jing terminology like
numerous trigrams to describe the card layouts in a Ma Diao deck? Does
that mean his readers were scholars who had studied Yijing? Does that
also mean possibly mahjong players were mostly Yijing scholars too?
..................
Comment / Question:
"and until you do, I see no reason to think that the information that
you have presented on this forum has any real meaning."
............Answer:
What were the thoughts you had expressed and that I did not address? I
do not recall. Give them to me again if you like.
As I said before, questions and critique helped. They direct me to
search for more specific answers. I am learning as I go.
++++++++++++
I have done arguing about mahjong origin. As for the game, it's like
any other invention. It had started in someone's mind as a concept. By
my observation and recent finding, that concept is expressed in
symbols.
First the concept is that of creation and divination. Why? It has been
said that element of CHANCE and element of CHANGE are in game play and
in divination practice. As I see it, mahjong embodies both of these
elements amply. For example, a player's mahjong-hand is a result of
CHANCE from throw of the dice; winning a hand depends on luck and
other variables. Similarly, divining for a hexagram, that has lines
can change, from toss of coins is an event of random chance.
Mahjong has divination symbol such as bamboo strips, Daoism symbol
like taiji diagrams and creation symbols like myriads [of things]',
additions include Heaven-Earth-Man, Phoenix and Dragon or 'White and
Red Flower for Yin and Yang.
Then of course, most important are the rules of play in mahjong and
how they seemingly relate to Yi Jing, the Book of Changes.
The game involves the formation of pattern which consists of sets of
tiles. One rule calls for a pair of two. Another rule calls for runs
of three. Players take turns to make changes to a fixed number of
cards on hand by a method like "draw and discard".
Thus the mahjong game is a pattern forming exercise which requires
continual changes or exchanges at every turn. The pattern in the form
of 2+3+3 etc is unique for the game.
The 2 is a pair. The sets of 3's are comparable to TRIGRAMS in Yijing,
allegorically of course.
The concept of 'CHANCE AND CHANGES' would have to come from yi Jing (I-
Ching), Book of Changes. For a fuller and clearer picture, see photo
79, page 55, in the Illustrated Book of the Mahjong Museum (Japan,
1999).
++++++++++++
From now on, I will let that photo and its contents do the
explanation. I do believe that the basic concept of mahjong design is
there in plain Chinese:
占卜 = divination.
八卦 = Bagua (Eight-Trigram).
Like divining for hexagram, mahjong is a game of CHANCE and CHANGES.
++++++++++
Cheers...
P.S. Mahjong longevity, made in simplicity.
Allan Lee
February 9, 2009