The Ontology of Yi-Dao: A Constructive Philosophical System of the Changes, the Dao, and Number

The Ontology of Yi-Dao constructs a philosophical system that unites "the Changes (Yi), the Dao, and Number" into a triune whole. It distinguishes the "Substance of the Dao" (before differentiation, falling into neither 0 nor 1) from the "Function of the Dao" (after differentiation, being both 0 and 1), and establishes the ontological status of Taiji—the Supreme Ultimate—as the first observer endowed with "meta-awareness." Taking the Dao's temporal rhythm of "0→1→0" and the recursive generation of 2ⁿ as its logical skeleton, the system presents the evolutionary path of all things in the cosmos; the Taiji Diagram serves as the icon of the law of causality, corresponding to the two ultimate ethical principles of justice and benevolence. The system further establishes a four-dimensional view of space-time grounded in the Yijing (Book of Changes), giving rise to a layered structure of perception—"Primordial Spirit–Yin-Yang Qi (soul)–Consciousness"—and the corresponding three stages of personality, and undertakes a study of the theory and norms of application of the method of embodied verification (tizhengfa). Finally, in the chapter on embodied realization, the work offers illuminating reflections on spiritual interiority, free will, and the meaning of life. This ontology provides theoretical support for the reorganization of traditional Chinese culture, opens a new theoretical path for comparative religion, and responds to many predicaments of the Western philosophical tradition.