I-ching Chin., lit. “Book of Change(s)” ; a Chinese book of wisdom and oracles, dating from the transition period between the Yin and Chou dynasties. The essential philosophy of the I-ching is based on Confucianism, but there are also Taoist ideas present. The Book of Change(s) is based on the idea of two polar energies, by whose activities all things are brought about and come into being. Initially, these two energies were simply called the light and the dark, but later were referred to as yin and yang (yin-yang). The interaction of yin and yang produces change (i), which is to be understood as the movement of the Tao.
The basic structure of the Book of Change(s) is formed by the eight trigrams (pa-kua), which consist of three broken and/or unbroken horizontal lines. The various combinations of these trigrams in pairs produce the sixty-four hexagrams. The root text of the Book of Change(s) describes the individual hexagrams and their lines, representing states or tendencies of transformation, and explains the social and political aspects of whatever sign is under discussion. The various commentaries (Shih-i) on this root text were added later and are Confucianist interpretations.
In all probability the I-ching was originally used as a manual of prophecy. When oracles were first cast in China, the answer to a question would be simply Yes or No, indicated by either an unbroken (-) or a broken (- -) line. In the face of the complexity of reality, this method of prediction soon proved inadequate, and this led to the introduction of trigrams and hexagrams composed of broken and/or unbroken lines.
These trigrams and hexagrams reflect events in Heaven and on Earth, and the prediction is based on the transformation of one state into another. The relevant processes are described in concise sayings that refer to basic cosmic or social situations. Change is inherent in the hexagrams themselves, because they are said to be in a continuous state of motion, so that one or several lines may change into their opposite and thus into another of the sixty-four hexagrams. This makes it possible to embrace the whole of reality in the prediction.Traditionally, oracles were cast by throwing fifty yarrow stalks or in a simplified procedure three coins. The best-known translations of the original Chinese text of the I-ching, containing also a description of the method of obtaining a prediction, are Wilhelm 1967 (an English translation of Wilhelm’s German translation) and Blofeld 1965.
The hexagrams of the I-ching were adopted by the followers of the Inner Alchemy (nei-tan), to symbolize various internal processes (ch’ien and k’un, k’an and Ii).
In the traditional view the Book of Change(s) goes back to Fu Hsi, who is said to have invented the eight trigrams and some of the sixty-four hexagrams. The remaining hexagrams allegedly originated with King Wen, one of the founders of the Chou Dynasty. Some scholars say both the trigrams and the hexagrams should be attributed to King Wen, while others hold that King Wen created the trigrams, and the Duke of Chou the hexagrams. The main commentary (also called the Ten Wings) on the root text is attributed to Confucius (K’ung-tzu) but in actual fact stems from a later period, in all probability the early Han Dynasty.The
I-ching is the only philosophical work to survive the burning of the books ordered in 213 C.E. by Ch’in Shih-huang-ti, the first historical emperor of China, who himself consulted the I-ching as a book of prophecy.
The I-ching was commonly used for purposes divination at the time, both by the fang-shih and the followers of the yin-yang chia. Subsequently it came to be considered primarily a book of wisdom and of the official state doctrine.The I-ching has been used for casting oracles since the time of the Chou Dynasty. During the Han Dynasty methods of prediction by the use of emblems and numbers began to spread and reached their highest popularity in Confucianist circles during the Sung Dynasty. The most common-and at the same time, most reliable method of putting a question to the oracle was by throwing fifty yarrow stalks. This method symbolizes the harmony between the macrocosmicorder of nature and the microcosmic order at the precise moment of consultation.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
I-ching documents
Books on I-ching
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