大衍之数“五十有五”说补证

Supplement to the Argument that the Number(of the Yarrow Stalks)in the Great Expansion Method of Divination is Fifty-five

当代学者已从多方面论证了"大衍之数"当为"五十有五",有理有据,但尚有补证的空间。汉唐时期关于"五十有五"说的文献证据以及清人程廷祚、徐灏等人关于"五十有五"说的论证,则可以更好地补证大衍之数"五十有五"说的合理性。换言之,则可以进一步论证:通行本《系辞》所云"大衍之数五十,其用四十有九"的确存在"脱误"问题,大衍筮法从五十五根蓍草中所拿出的六根蓍草,恰好可以用来"布六爻之位",是为"自然之妙"。

Contemporary scholars have from many aspects argued that the number of the yarrow stalks used in the Great Ex pansion method of divination ought to be fifty five （rather than fifty）. Although the evidence they gave was solid, there is still some room for supplemental considerations. The philological proofs discovered in works of the Han-Tang （202 BCE-907 CE） scholars and the demonstration given by the Qing （1616-1912） scholars such as Cheng Tingzuo 程廷祚（1691-1767） and Xu Hao 徐灏 can make the argument more reasonable. In other words, these testimonies could further attest to the point of view that there were indeed some omissions and errors in the sentence that ＂the number of the great expansion is fifty [yar row stalks], of which we use forty-nine＂ in the received version of the Xi ci （Commentary on the Appended Phrases）, and taking six stalks from the fifty-five to be used to display the positions of the six lines （of a hexagram） could just manifest a natural wonder.