Using Imagery as Media: On the Metaphorical Expression Mode of Xiang Thinking in the Zhouyi

The classic Chinese Book of Changes Zhouyi contains rich theories of natural philosophy and humanistic practice. The Xiang thinking with imagery (namely imagery thinking) as its core laid the foundation for the way of speaking in the philosophy of the Zhouyi. Metaphor, as a means of thinking and cognitive approach, breaks through the theoretical framework of the binary opposition between subject and object in the West from an internal perspective, presenting a cognitive path similar to the Xiang thinking. The paper analyzes the isomorphism between Yi-ology imagery thinking and cognitive metaphor theory, divides the expression patterns of Xiang thinking into several stages, and explains its operation process according to the way of metaphors' presentation.