Yixiang tushuo 易象圖說

Yixiang tushuo 易象圖說 is a book on hexagram divination based on the Classic Yijing 易經 "Book of Changes". It was written during the Yuan period 元 (1279-1368) by Zhang Li 張理 (1304-1372), who is also known as the author of the text Dayi xiangshu goushen tu 大易象數鉤深圖.

The book of 6 juan in length is divided into two parts, namely an Inner Section (neipian 內篇) and an Outer Section (waipian 外篇). The Inner Section consists of three parts titled Ben tushu 本圖書 "Basic diagrams and inscriptions", Yuan guahua 原卦畫 "Original hexagrams and drawings", and Ming shice 明蓍策 "Elucidation of divination stalks". The Outer Section contains three chapters on images and numbers (Xiangshu 象數), hexagram lines (guayao 卦爻), and degrees and numbers (dushu 度數).

The descriptive bibliography Siku quanshu zongmu tiyao 四庫全書總目提要 notes that Zhang's book explains the rise and fall of cosmic cycles (yuanhui yunshi 元會運世), the progression of seasonal warmth and cold, the waxing and waning of the sun and moon, the hidden mechanisms behind the governance and disorder of society "zhi luan zhi suo yi yifu 治亂之所以倚伏), the growing and shrinking of the Heavenly principle and human desires (li yu zhi suo yi xiao zhang 理欲之所以消長), as well as the methods of governance and the order of the world by the kings of old. It traces all these issues back to diagrams and descriptions (tushu 圖書).

The author believes that the diagrams were symbols of Heaven and Earth and the interaction of Yin and Yang 陰陽. The reason why the Yijing can "manifest transformation and govern spirits and deities" (cheng bianhua er xing guishen 成變化而行鬼神) lies entirely in the relationship between the symbols and numbers of the diagrams and their descriptions. Therefore, this book expands on the nine diagrams appended to Zhu Xi's 朱熹 (1130-1200) commentary Zhouyi benyi 周易本義, emulating twelve diagrams to elucidate the imagery of Yin and Yang, hard and soft, and odd and even.

Among these, the explanations of the circular diagrams (yuantu 圓圖) and square diagrams (fangtu 方圖) align with Daoist interpretations of the Yijing. Zhang's book is considered to belong to the tradition of Shao Yong's 邵雍 (1011-1077) cosmological book Huangji jingshi 皇極經世 and is one of the essential works of the Diagram School (tushu xuepai 圖書學派) associated with Chen Tuan 陳摶 (871-989) and Shao Yong.

The text is found in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書, the Daoist Canon Daozang 道藏, Tongzhitang jingjie 通志堂經解 and Chizaotang siku quanshu huiyao 摛藻堂四庫全書薈要.