Misplaced Pages

I Ching: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 00:11, 18 February 2008 editYossarian (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers4,838 editsm →Criticism: effet -> effect← Previous edit Revision as of 01:51, 18 February 2008 edit undoMccready (talk | contribs)3,705 edits see talk on ORNext edit →
Line 2: Line 2:
{{POV|Feb 2008 as per talk and AN/I}} {{POV|Feb 2008 as per talk and AN/I}}
{{Citations missing|date=December 2007}} {{Citations missing|date=December 2007}}
Historian of Chinese intellectual history and science ], in his second volume of ''Science and Civilization in China'' (p. 311) stated: "Yet really they would have been wiser to tie a millstone about the neck of the ''I Ching'' and cast it into the sea."<ref>Snow, Eric. (], ]) . Retrieved on: ], ]</ref>

{{ChineseText}}
{{Chinese|t=易經|s=易经|showflag=p|p= Yì Jīng|w=I<sup>4</sup> Ching<sup>1</sup>|i=jɪk<sub>22</sub> kɪŋ<sub>55</sub>|j=jik6 ging1|poj=e̍k-keng|l= "Classic of Changes" }}
The '''''I Ching''''' (Wade-Giles), or “Yì Jīng” (Pinyin); also called “Book of Changes” or “Classic of Changes” is one of the oldest of the ].<ref>Wilhelm, R. . English translation by Cary F. Baines; HTML edition by Dan Baruth. Retrieved on: ], ].</ref> The book is a symbol system used to identify order in chance events. The text describes an ancient system of ] and ] that is intrinsic to ancient Chinese cultural beliefs. The cosmology centres on the ideas of ''the dynamic balance of opposites'', ''the evolution of events as a process,'' and ''acceptance of the inevitability of change'' (see ''Philosophy'', below). In ] cultures and modern East Asia, the ''I Ching'' is sometimes regarded as a system of ]. The classic consists of a series of symbols, rules for manipulating these symbols, poems, and commentary.
==Implications of the title==
* 易 (''yì''), when used as an adjective, means “easy” or “simple”, while as a verb it implies “to change“ or 'to exchange/substitute one thing for another'.
* 經 (''jīng'') here means “classic (text)”, derived from its original meaning of “regularity” or “persistency”, implying that the text describes the ] which will not change throughout the flow of time. This same character was later appropriated to translate the Sanskrit word ']' into Chinese in reference to Buddhist scripture. In this sense the two concepts, in as much as they mean 'treatise,' 'great teaching,' or 'canonical scripture,' are equivalent.

The ''I Ching'' is a "reflection of the universe in miniature." The word "I" has three meanings: ease and simplicity, change and transformation, and invariability.<ref>Dy, Manuel B., Jr. . Chapter XX. Retrieved on: ], ]</ref> Thus the three principles underlying the ''I Ching'' are the following:
# ''Simplicity'' - the root of the substance. The fundamental law underlying everything in the universe is utterly plain and simple, no matter how abstruse or complex some things may appear to be.
# ''Variability'' - the use of the substance. Everything in the universe is continually changing. By comprehending this one may realize the importance of flexibility in life and may thus cultivate the proper attitude for dealing with a multiplicity of diverse situations.
# ''Persistency'' - the essence of the substance. While everything in the universe seems to be changing, among the changing tides there is a persistent principle, a central rule, which does not vary with space and time.
::&mdash; 易一名而含三義：易簡一也；變易二也；不易三也。 commented on by ] (鄭玄 ''zhèng xúan'') in his writings ''Critique of I Ching'' (易贊 ''yì zàn'') and ''Commentary on I Ching'' (易論 ''yì lùn'') of ].

==History==
===Traditional view===
Traditionally it was believed that the principles of the ''I Ching'' originated with the mythical ] (伏羲 ''Fú Xī''). In this respect he is seen as an early ], one of the earliest legendary rulers of China (traditional dates ]-]), reputed to have had the 8 ] (八卦 ''bā gùa'') revealed to him supernaturally. By the time of the legendary ] (禹 ''Yǔ'') 2194 BCE–2149 BCE, the trigrams had supposedly been developed into 64 hexagrams (六十四卦 ''lìu shí­ sì gùa''), which were recorded in the scripture ] (《連山》 ''Lián Shān''; also called ''Lian Shan Yi''). ''Lian Shan'', meaning “continuous mountains” in Chinese, begins with the hexagram ] (艮 ''gèn''), which depicts a ''mountain'' (::|) mounting on another and is believed to be the origin of the scripture's name.

After the traditionally recorded ] was overthrown by the ], the hexagrams are said to have been re-deduced to form ] (《歸藏》 ''Gūi Cáng''; also called ''Gui Cang Yi''), and the hexagram ] (坤 ''kūn'') became the first hexagram. ''Gui Cang'' may be literally translated into “return and be contained”, which refers to ''earth'' as the first hexagram itself indicates. At the time of Shang's last king, ], ] is said to have deduced the hexagram and discovered that the hexagrams beginning with ] (乾 ''qián'') revealed the rise of ]. He then gave each hexagram a description regarding its own nature, thus ] (卦辭 ''guà cí'', “Explanation of Hexagrams”).

When ], son of King Wen, toppled the Shang Dynasty, his brother ] is said to have created ] (爻辭 ''yáo cí'', “Explanation of Horizontal Lines”) to clarify the significance of each horizontal line in each hexagram. It was not until then that the whole context of ''I Ching'' was understood. Its philosophy heavily influenced the literature and government administration of the ] (1122 BCE - 256 BCE).

Later, during the time of ] (722 BCE - 481 BCE), ] is traditionally said to have written the Shi Yi (十翼 ''shí yì'', “Ten Wings”), a group of commentaries on the ''I Ching''. By the time of ] (漢武帝 ''Hàn Wǔ Dì'') of the ] (circa 200 BCE), ''Shi Yi'' was often called ''Yi Zhuan'' (易傳 ''yì zhùan'', “Commentary on the I Ching”), and together with the ''I Ching'' they composed ''Zhou Yi'' (周易 ''zhōu yì'', “Changes of Zhou”). All later texts about ''Zhou Yi'' were explanations only, due to the classic's deep meaning.

=== Modernist view ===
In the past 50 years a “Modernist” history of the ''I Ching'' has been emerging, based on context criticism and research into Shang and Zhou dynasty ], as well as Zhou bronze inscriptions and other sources (see below). These reconstructions are dealt with in a growing number of books, such as '']'', by S. J. Marshall, and Richard Rutt's ''Zhouyi: The Book of Changes'', (see ''References'', below).

Scholarly works dealing with the new view of the Book of Changes include doctoral dissertations by Richard Kunst and Edward Shaughnessy. These and other scholars have been helped immensely by the discovery, in the 1970s, by Chinese archaeologists, of intact Han dynasty era tombs in ] near ], ] province. One of the tombs contained more or less complete 2nd century BCE texts of the ''I Ching'', the ] and other works, which are mostly similar yet in some ways diverge significantly from the “received”, or traditional, texts preserved by the chances of history.

The tomb texts include additional commentaries on the ''I Ching'', previously unknown, and apparently written as if they were meant to be attributed to Confucius. All of the Mawangdui texts are many centuries older than the earliest known attestations of the texts in question. When talking about the evolution of the Book of Changes, therefore, the Modernists contend that it is important to distinguish between the traditional history assigned to texts such as the ''I Ching'' (felt to be anachronistic by the Modernists), assignations in commentaries which have themselves been canonized over the centuries along with their subjects, and the more recent scholarly history aided by modern linguistic textual criticism and ].

Many hold that these perspectives are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but, for instance, many Modernist scholars doubt the actual existence of Fuxi, think Confucius had nothing to do with the Book of Changes, and contend that the hexagrams came before the trigrams. Modern scholarship comparing poetic usage and formulaic phrasing in this book with that in ancient bronze inscriptions has shown that the text cannot be attributed to King Wen or Zhou Gong, and that it likely was not compiled until the late Western Zhou, perhaps ca. the late 9th century BCE.

Rather than being the work of one or several legendary or historical figures, the core divinatory text is now thought to be an ] of Western Zhou divinatory concepts. As for the Shi Yi commentaries traditionally attributed to Confucius, scholars from the time of the 11th century A.D. scholar ] onward have doubted this, based on textual analysis, and modern scholars date most of them to the late ] period (403/475 BCE-256/221 BCE), with some sections perhaps being as late as the ] period (206 BCE-220 AD).

==Structure==
The text of the ''I Ching'' is a set of predictions represented by a set of 64 abstract line arrangements called '']'' (卦 ''guà''). Each hexagram is a figure composed of six stacked horizontal lines (爻 ''yáo''), where each line is either ] (an ''unbroken'', or ''solid'' line), or ] (''broken'', an ''open'' line with a gap in the center). With six such lines stacked from bottom to top there are 2<sup>6</sup> or 64 possible combinations, and thus 64 hexagrams represented.

The hexagram diagram is conceptually subdivided into two three-line arrangements called ''trigrams'' (卦 ''guà''). There are 2<sup>3</sup>, hence 8, possible trigrams. The traditional view was that the hexagrams were a later development and resulted from combining the two trigrams. However, in the earliest relevant archaeological evidence, groups of numerical symbols on many Western Zhou bronzes and a very few Shang oracle bones, such groups already usually appear in sets of six. A few have been found in sets of three numbers, but these are somewhat later. Note also that these numerical sets greatly predate the groups of broken and unbroken lines, leading modern scholars to doubt the mythical early attributions of the hexagram system (see, e.g., Shaugnessy 1993).

Each hexagram represents a description of a state or process. When a hexagram is cast using one of the traditional processes of ], each of the yin or yang lines will be indicated as either ''moving'' (that is, changing), or ''fixed'' (that is, unchanging). Moving (also sometimes called “old”, or “unstable”) lines will change to their opposites, that is “young” lines of the other type -- old yang becoming young yin, and old yin becoming young yang.

The oldest method for casting the hexagrams, using ] stalks, is a ''biased'' ] generator, so the possible answers are not equiprobable. While the probability of getting either yin or yang is equal, the probability of getting old yang is three times greater than old yin. The yarrow stalk method was gradually replaced during the Han Dynasty by the three coins method. Using this method, the imbalance in generating old yin and old yang was eliminated. However, there is no theoretical basis for indicating what should be the optimal probability basis of the old lines versus the young lines. Of course, the whole idea behind this system of divination is that the oracle will select the appropriate answer anyway, regardless of the probabilities.

There have been several arrangements of the trigrams and hexagrams over the ages. The ] is a circular arrangement of the trigrams, traditionally printed on a mirror, or disk. According to legend, Fu Hsi found the bā gùa on the scales of a tortoise's back. They function rather like a magic square, with the four axes summing to the same value (e.g., using 0 and 1 to represent yin and yang, 000 + 111 = 111, 101 + 010 = 111, etc.).

The ] is the traditional (i.e. “classical”) sequence of the hexagrams used in most contemporary editions of the book. The ] was explained for the first time in , where it is shown to contain within it a demonstration of advanced mathematical knowledge.

]
===Trigrams===
The solid line represents ''yang'', the creative principle. The open line represents ''yin'', the receptive principle. These principles are also represented in a common circular symbol ({{unicode|☯}}), known as ] (太極圖), but more commonly known in the west as the '']'' (陰陽) diagram, expressing the idea of complementarity of changes: when Yang is at top, Yin is increasing, and the reverse.

In the following lists, the trigrams and hexagrams are represented using a common textual convention, horizontally from left-to-right, using '|' for yang and '¦' for yin, rather than the traditional bottom-to-top. In a more modern usage, the numbers 0 and 1 can also be used to represent yin and yang, being read left-to-right.

There are eight possible trigrams (八卦 '']''):

{| border="1" cellpadding="6" class="wikitable"
|----- align="center"
!
! Trigram Figure
! Binary Value
! Name
! Translation: ''Wilhelm''<ref>Wilhelm, R. & Baynes, C., 1967: “The I Ching or Book of Changes”, With foreword by Carl Jung, Introduction, pp.l-li. Bollingen Series XIX, Princeton University Press, (1st ed. 1950)</ref>, others
! Image in Nature <ref>Wilhelm, 1967, pp.l-li</ref>
! Direction <ref>The Shuo Kua. Translated in Wilhelm, 1967, p.269</ref>
! Family Relationship <ref>The Shuo Kua. Translated in Wilhelm, 1967, p.274</ref>
! Body Part <ref>The Shuo Kua. Translated Wilhelm, 1967, p.274</ref>
! Attribute <ref>The Shuo Kua. Translated Wilhelm, 1967, pp.l-li, p.273</ref>
! Stage/ State <ref>Wilhelm, 1967, p.l-li</ref>
! Animal <ref>The Shuo Kua. Translated Wilhelm, 1967, p.273</ref>
|----- align="center"
| 1 || <nowiki>|||</nowiki> ({{unicode|☰}}) || 111 || 乾 ''qián'' || ''the Creative'', Force || heaven, ] (天)
| northwest || father || head || strong || creative || horse
|----- align="center"
| 2 || <nowiki>||¦</nowiki> ({{unicode|☱}}) || 110 || 兌 ''duì'' || ''the Joyous'', Open || swamp, marsh
| west || third daughter || mouth || pleasure || tranquil (complete devotion) || sheep
|----- align="center"
| 3 || <nowiki>|¦|</nowiki> ({{unicode|☲}}) || 101 || 離 ''lí'' || ''the Clinging'', Radiance || fire (火)
| south || second daughter || eye || light-giving, dependence || clinging, clarity, adaptable || pheasant
|----- align="center"
| 4 || <nowiki>|¦¦</nowiki> ({{unicode|☳}}) || 100 || 震 ''zhèn'' || ''the Arousing'', Shake || thunder (雷)
| east || first son || foot || inciting movement || initiative || dragon
|----- align="center"
| 5 || <nowiki>¦||</nowiki> ({{unicode|☴}}) || 011 || 巽 ''xùn'' || ''the Gentle'', Ground || wind (風), wood
| southeast || first daughter || thigh || penetrating || gentle entrance || fowl
|----- align="center"
| 6 || <nowiki>¦|¦</nowiki> ({{unicode|☵}}) || 010 || 坎 ''kǎn'' || ''the Abysmal'', ] || water (水)
| north || second son || ear || dangerous || in-motion || pig
|----- align="center"
| 7 || <nowiki>¦¦|</nowiki> ({{unicode|☶}}) || 001 || 艮 ''gèn'' || ''Keeping Still'', Bound || mountain (山)
| northeast || third son || hand || resting, stand-still || completion || wolf, dog
|----- align="center"
| 8 || <nowiki>¦¦¦</nowiki> ({{unicode|☷}}) || 000 || 坤 ''kūn'' || ''the Receptive'', Field || earth (地)
| southwest || mother || belly || devoted, yielding || receptive || cow
|}

The first three lines of the hexagram, called the ''lower trigram'', are seen as the ''inner aspect'' of the change that is occurring. The ''upper trigram'' (the last three lines of the hexagram), is the ''outer aspect''. The change described is thus the dynamic of the inner (personal) aspect relating to the outer (external) situation. Thus, hexagram 04 ¦|¦¦¦| Enveloping, is composed of the inner trigram ¦|¦ Gorge, relating to the outer trigram ¦¦| Bound.

===Hexagram Lookup Table===

{| class="wikitable"
|-----
| width="10%" |
<p>'''Upper →'''</p>

<p>'''Lower ↓'''</p>
| valign="top" align="center" width="10%" | <nowiki>|||</nowiki><br>
'''Qian<br>Heaven'''
| valign="top" align="center" width="10%" | <nowiki>|¦¦</nowiki><br>
'''Zhen<br>Thunder'''
| valign="top" align="center" width="10%" | <nowiki>¦|¦</nowiki><br>
'''Kan<br>Water'''
| valign="top" align="center" width="10%" | <nowiki>¦¦|</nowiki><br>
'''Gen<br>Mountain'''
| valign="top" align="center" width="10%" | <nowiki>¦¦¦</nowiki><br>
'''Kun<br>Earth'''
| valign="top" align="center" width="10%" | <nowiki>¦||</nowiki><br>
'''Xun<br>Wind'''
| valign="top" align="center" width="10%" | <nowiki>|¦|</nowiki><br>
'''Li<br>Flame'''
| valign="top" align="center" width="10%" | <nowiki>||¦</nowiki><br>
'''Dui<br>Swamp'''
|-----
| align="center" width="10%" | <nowiki>|||</nowiki><br>
'''Qian<br>Heaven'''
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
|-----
| align="center" width="10%" | |¦¦<br>
'''Zhen<br>Thunder'''
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
|-----
| align="center" width="10%" | ¦|¦<br>
'''Kan<br>Water'''
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
|-----
| align="center" width="10%" | ¦¦|<br>
'''Gen<br>Mountain'''
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
|-----
| align="center" width="10%" | ¦¦¦<br>
'''Kun<br>Earth'''
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
|-----
| align="center" width="10%" |
<p align="center">¦||<br>
'''Xun<br>Wind'''</p>
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
|-----
| align="center" width="10%" |
<p align="center">|¦|<br>
'''Li<br>Flame'''</p>
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
|-----
| align="center" width="10%" |
<p align="center">||¦<br>
'''Dui<br>Swamp'''</p>
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
| align="center" width="10%" | ]
|}

===The hexagrams===
The text of the ''I Ching'' describes each of the 64 hexagrams, and later scholars added commentaries and analyses of each one; these have been subsumed into the text comprising the ''I Ching''.

Each hexagram's common translation is accompanied by the corresponding R. Wilhelm translation, which is the source for the ] names.

{|
|-----
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable"
|-----
! Hexagram
! R. Wilhelm
|-----
| ]
| The Creative
|-----
| ]
| The Receptive
|-----
| ]
| Difficulty at the Beginning
|-----
| ]
| Youthful Folly
|-----
| ]
| Waiting
|-----
| ]
| Conflict
|-----
| ]
| The Army
|-----
| ]
| Holding Together
|-----
| ]
| Small Taming
|-----
| ]
| Treading (Conduct)
|-----
| ]
| Peace
|-----
| ]
| Standstill
|-----
| ]
| Fellowship
|-----
| ]
| Great Possession
|-----
| ]
| Modesty
|-----
| ]
| Enthusiasm
|-----
| ]
| Following
|-----
| ]
| Work on the Decayed
|-----
| ]
| Approach
|-----
| ]
| Contemplation
|-----
| ]
| Biting Through
|-----
| ]
| Grace
|-----
| ]
| Splitting Apart
|-----
| ]
| Return
|-----
| ]
| Innocence
|-----
| ]
| Great Taming
|-----
| ]
| Mouth Corners
|-----
| ]
| Great Preponderance
|-----
| ]
| The Abysmal Water
|-----
| ]
| The Clinging
|-----
| ]
| Influence
|-----
| ]
| Duration
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable"
|-----
! Hexagram
! R. Wilhelm
|-----
| ]
| Retreat
|-----
| ]
| Great Power
|-----
| ]
| Progress
|-----
| ]
| Darkening of the Light
|-----
| ]
| The Family
|-----
| ]
| Opposition
|-----
| ]
| Obstruction
|-----
| ]
| Deliverance
|-----
| ]
| Decrease
|-----
| ]
| Increase
|-----
| ]
| Breakthrough
|-----
| ]
| Coming to Meet
|-----
| ]
| Gathering Together
|-----
| ]
| Pushing Upward
|-----
| ]
| Oppression
|-----
| ]
| The Well
|-----
| ]
| Revolution
|-----
| ]
| The Cauldron
|-----
| ]
| Arousing
|-----
| ]
| The Keeping Still
|-----
| ]
| Development
|-----
| ]
| The Marrying Maiden
|-----
| ]
| Abundance
|-----
| ]
| The Wanderer
|-----
| ]
| The Gentle
|-----
| ]
| The Joyous
|-----
| ]
| Dispersion
|-----
| ]
| Limitation
|-----
| ]
| Inner Truth
|-----
| ]
| Small Preponderance
|-----
| ]
| After Completion
|-----
| ]
| Before Completion
|}
|}

The hexagrams, though, are mere mnemonics for the philosophical concepts embodied in each one. The philosophy centres around the ideas of ''balance through opposites'' and ''acceptance of change''.

==Unicode==
In ], monograms cover code points U+268A to U+268B, digrams cover code points U+268C to U+268F, trigrams cover code points U+2630 to U+2637, hexagram symbols cover code points U+4DC0 to U+4DFF (19904 – 19967).

]({{lang|zh|]}}) digrams cover code points U+1D301 to U+1D305, tetragrams cover code points U+1D306 to U+1D356. The monograms cover code points U+1D300 (earth), U+268A (yang), U+268B (yin).

==Philosophy==
Gradations of binary expression based on yin and yang -- old yang, old yin, young yang or young yin (see the ''divination'' paragraph below) -- are what the hexagrams are built from. Yin and yang, while common expressions associated with many schools known from classical Chinese culture, are especially associated with the ]s.

Another view holds that the ''I Ching'' is primarily a ] ethical or philosophical document. This view is based upon the following:
* The Wings or Appendices are attributed to Confucius.
* The study of the ''I Ching'' was required as part of the Civil Service Exams in the period that these exams only studied Confucianist texts.
* It is one of the Five Confucian Classics.
* It does not appear in any surviving editions of the ].
* The major commentaries were written by Confucianists, or Neo-Confucianists.
* Taoist scripture avoids, even mocks, all attempts at categorizing the world's myriad phenomena and forming a static philosophy.
* Taoists venerate the non-useful. The ''I Ching'' could be used for good or evil purposes.

Both views may be seen to show that the ''I Ching'' was at the heart of Chinese thought, serving as a common ground for the Confucian and Taoist schools. Partly forgotten due to the rise of Chinese Buddhism during the ], the ''I Ching'' returned to the attention of scholars during the ]. This was concomitant with the reassessment of Confucianism by Confucians in the light of Taoist and Buddhist ], and is known in the West as ]. The book, unquestionably an ancient Chinese scripture, helped Song Confucian thinkers to synthesize Buddhist and Taoist cosmologies with Confucian and Mencian ]. The end product was a new ] that could be linked to the so-called “lost Tao” of ] and ].

===Binary sequence===
In his article '']'' (1703) ] writes that he has found in the hexagrams a base for claiming the universality of the ]. He takes the layout of the combinatorial exercise found in the hexagrams to represent binary sequences, so that ¦¦¦¦¦¦ would correspond to the binary sequence 000000 and ¦¦¦¦¦| would be 000001, and so forth.

The binary arrangement of hexagrams is associated with the famous Chinese scholar and philosopher ] (a neo-Confucian and Taoist) in the 11th century. He displayed it in two different formats, a circle, and a rectangular block. Thus, he clearly understood the sequence represented a logical progression of values. However, while it is true that these sequences do represent the values 0 through 63 in a binary display, there is no evidence that Shao understood that the numbers could be used in computations such as addition or subtraction.

==Divination==
{{main|I Ching divination}}

The ''I Ching'' has long been used as an oracle and many different ways coexist to “cast” a reading, i.e., a hexagram, with its dynamic relationship to others. In China the ''I Ching'' had two distinct functions. The first was as a compendium and classic of ancient cosmic principles. The second function was that of divination text. As a divination text the world of the ''I Ching'' was that of the marketplace fortune teller and roadside oracle. These individuals served the illiterate peasantry. The educated Confucian elite in China were of an entirely different disposition. The future results of our actions were a function of our personal virtues. The Confucian literati actually had little use for the ''I Ching'' as a work of divination. In the collected works of the countless educated literati of ancient China there are actually few references to the ''I Ching'' as a divination text. Any eyewitness account of traditional Chinese society, such as ] ''The Middle Kingdom'', and many others, can clarify this very basic distinction. Williams tells us of the ''I Ching'', "The hundred of fortune- tellers seen in the streets of Chinese towns, whose answers to their perplexed customers are more or less founded on these cabala, indicate their influence among the illiterate; while among scholars, who have long since conceded all divination to be vain..." (''The Middle Kingdom'', vol. 1, p. 632)

==Symbolism==
]
] used Trigram Li - Fire]]
The ] contains the ] symbol, or ''tàijítú,'' (yin and yang in dynamic balance, called '']'' in Korean), representing the origin of all things in the universe. The ''taegeuk'' is surrounded by four of the eight trigrams, starting from top left and going clockwise: Heaven, Water, Earth, Fire.

The flag of the ] used the ''Li'' (Fire) trigram and was known as ''cờ quẻ Ly'' (Li trigram flag) because the trigram represents South. Its successor the ] connected the middle lines, turning it into the Qián (Heaven) trigram. (see ]).

==Influence on Western culture==
{{main|I Ching's influence}}
<!-- Please see subarticle, main points of which this section should summarize-->
The ''I Ching'' has influenced countless Chinese philosophers, artists and even businesspeople throughout history. In more recent times, several Western artists and thinkers have used it in fields as diverse as ], music, film, drama, ], and fiction writing.

==Criticism==
Early ], as with western civilization, accepted various pre-scientific explanations of natural events, and the ''I Ching'' has been cited as an example of this. As a manual of divination it interpreted natural events through readings based on symbols expressed in the trigrams and hexagrams. Thus any observation in nature could be interpreted as to its cause and effect. This might be compared to the ] practice of basing decisions of state on animals' livers. While usually sympathetic to the claims of Chinese culture and science, ], in his second volume of ''Science and Civilization in China'' (p. 311) stated: "Yet really they would have been wiser to tie a millstone about the neck of the ''I Ching'' and cast it into the sea."<ref>Snow, Eric. (], ]) . Retrieved on: ], ]</ref>


However, as Abraham (1999) notes, ]' ten commentaries, called the Ten Wings, transformed the ''I Ching'' from a divination text into a "philosophical masterpiece." It was this form of the ''I Ching'' that inspired the Taoists, ] and ]. It has influenced Confucians and other philosophers and scientists ever since.<ref>Abraham, Ralph H. (1999) . Retrieved on: ], ].</ref> However, as Abraham (1999) notes, ]' ten commentaries, called the Ten Wings, transformed the ''I Ching'' from a divination text into a "philosophical masterpiece." It was this form of the ''I Ching'' that inspired the Taoists, ] and ]. It has influenced Confucians and other philosophers and scientists ever since.<ref>Abraham, Ralph H. (1999) . Retrieved on: ], ].</ref>

Revision as of 01:51, 18 February 2008

This article is about the ancient Chinese classic text. For the Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk, see I Ching (monk). For the DC Comics character see I Ching (comics).
The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (Learn how and when to remove this message)
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "I Ching" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Historian of Chinese intellectual history and science Joseph Needham, in his second volume of Science and Civilization in China (p. 311) stated: "Yet really they would have been wiser to tie a millstone about the neck of the I Ching and cast it into the sea."

However, as Abraham (1999) notes, Confucius' ten commentaries, called the Ten Wings, transformed the I Ching from a divination text into a "philosophical masterpiece." It was this form of the I Ching that inspired the Taoists, Chuang Tzu and Lao Tzu. It has influenced Confucians and other philosophers and scientists ever since.

Translations

  • Anthony, Carol K. & Moog, Hanna. I Ching: The Oracle of the Cosmic Way. Stow, Massachusetts: Anthony Publishing Company, Inc., 2002. ISBN 1-890764-00-0. The publisher's internet address is www.ichingoracle.com.
  • Balkin, Jack M. 2002. “The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life”. New York: Schocken Books. ISBN 0-8052-4199-X
  • Benson, Robert G. 2003. I Ching for a New Age: The Book of Answers for Changing Times. New York: Square One Publishers.
  • Blofeld, J. 1965. The Book of Changes: A New Translation of the Ancient Chinese I Ching. New York: E. P. Dutton.
  • Cornelius, J Edward & Cornelius, Marlene (1998) Yî King: A Beastly Book of Changes. Red Flame: A Thelemic Research Journal (5) 1998. This book contains Aleister Crowley's notes and comments on the Yi Jing.
  • Huang, A. 1998. The Complete I Ching: the Definitive Translation From the Taoist Master Alfred Huang. Rochester, N.Y: Inner Traditions.
  • Hua-Ching Ni. 1999. I Ching: The Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth. (2nd edition). Los Angeles: Seven Star Communications.
  • Karcher, Stephen, 2002. I Ching: The Classic Chinese Oracle of Change: The First Complete Translation with Concordance. London: Vega Books. ISBN 1-84333-003-2. The publisher can be found at www.chrysalisbooks.co.uk. This version manages to pull together a wide variety of sources and interpretations into a coherent, intelligible whole which is generally easier to understand than the Wilhelm/Baynes edition. Especially interesting are its multiple translations of the Chinese words used and the concordance at the end.
  • Legge, J. 1964. I Ching: Book of Changes. With introduction and study guide by Ch'u Chai and Winberg Chai. New York: Citadel Press.
  • I Ching, The Classic of Changes, The first English translation of the newly discovered second-century B.C. Mawangdui texts by Edward L. Shaughnessy, Ballantine, 1996. ISBN 0-345-36243-8.
  • Wilhelm, R. & Baynes, C., 1967. The I Ching or Book of Changes, With foreword by Carl Jung. 3rd. ed., Bollingen Series XIX. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press (1st ed. 1950).
  • Lynn, Richard J. 1994, The Classic of Changes, A New Translation of the I Ching as Interpreted by Wang Bi. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-08294-0
  • Wei, Wu 2005. “I Ching, The Book Of Answers” Power Press ISBN 0-943015-41-3 New revised edition, interpreted by Wu Wei. Appears to follow the Wilhelm and Baynes translation real well, leaving out the sometimes confusing mechanics. Would be handy to use in conjunction with Wilhelm and Baynes when divining for the lay person.
  • Cheng Yi translated by Cleary, Thomas 1988, 2003. “I Ching: The Book of Change” Shambala Library, Boston, London ISBN 1-59030-015-7

Footnotes

  1. Snow, Eric. (June 27, 1999) "Christianity: A Cause of Modern Science?". Retrieved on: February 16, 2008
  2. Abraham, Ralph H. (1999) Commentaries on the I Ching. Chapter 1 Legendary History. Retrieved on: February 15, 2008.

References

  • Herbie Brennan, 1973. The Syncronistic Barometer, Analog, August 1973.
  • Marshall, S. J. 2001. The Mandate of Heaven: Hidden History in the I Ching. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-12299-3
  • Rutt, R. 1996. Zhouyi: The Book of Changes. Curzon Press.
  • Reifler, Samuel. 1974. “I Ching: A New Interpretation for Modern Times.” Bantam New Age Books. ISBN 0-553-27873-8
  • Shaughnessy, Edward L. (1993). “I ching 易經 (Chou I 周易) ”, pp.216-228 in Loewe, Michael (ed.). Early Chinese Texts: A Bibliographical Guide, (Early China Special Monograph Series No. 2), Society for the Study of Early China, and the Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley, ISBN 1-55729-043-1.
  • His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman also contains references to the I Ching.
  • Aleister Crowley - liber CCXVI- The Book of Changes- I CHing - The Equinox, Vol III NO 7. A.'.A.'.
  • Phillip K. Dick's Hugo Award-winning novel 'The Man in the High Castle' features numerous I Ching references.

External links

Template:Dmoz

Original Chinese text at Chinese Wikisource (維基文庫) : 易經
Chinese classics and Confucian texts
Four Books
Five Classics
Thirteen Classics
San Bai Qian
Seven Military Classics
Mathematics
Others

Template:Cmyth


Template:Link FA Template:Link FA

Categories: