The I Ching – The Book of Changes
The I Ching (also Yijing) is one of the oldest books in the world. In 64 figures it describes the basic situations of life and how they change. For millennia it has been consulted as a book of wisdom and as an oracle.
History
Its origins go back more than 3,000 years to ancient China. Tradition says the legendary Fu Xi created the eight trigrams. King Wen of Zhou is said to have combined them into the 64 hexagrams around 1050 BC and written the judgments; his son, the Duke of Zhou, added the line texts.
Later came the “Ten Wings”, commentaries attributed to Confucius and his school. The I Ching became one of the five Confucian classics and deeply shaped Taoism as well.
In 1924 the sinologist Richard Wilhelm published his German translation, made together with the Chinese scholar Lao Naixuan. It is still considered authoritative and became known worldwide through its English version, with a foreword by C. G. Jung.
Core idea: change
Everything is constantly changing. The I Ching sees every moment as an interplay of two forces, yin and yang. Whoever recognises the direction of a change can act in harmony with it.
How a reading works
1. Collect yourself and ask an open, honest question, e.g. “What should I keep in mind about …?” rather than a plain yes/no question.
2. Toss three coins six times. Heads counts 3, tails counts 2. Each sum (6, 7, 8 or 9) gives one line.
3. Lines are built from the bottom up until the hexagram is complete.
4. Read the judgment and the image. If there are changing lines, read their texts – they are considered especially important.
5. Changing lines turn into their opposite. This forms a second hexagram showing where the situation is heading.
How to read the answer
The I Ching does not predict the future like a horoscope. It mirrors the situation and advises on your attitude. Read calmly, let the images sink in and relate them to your question. Don't ask the same question again right away.
Key terms
- Yin
- The soft, receptive, dark. Shown as a broken line (– –).
- Yang
- The firm, creative, light. Shown as a solid line (—).
- Line
- The smallest unit. Six lines form a hexagram, counted from the bottom up.
- Trigram
- Three lines. There are eight: heaven, earth, thunder, water, mountain, wind, fire, lake.
- Hexagram
- Six lines made of two trigrams. There are 64, each with a name, judgment, image and line texts.
- Changing line
- A line with value 6 (old yin) or 9 (old yang). It is in motion and turns into its opposite.
- Resting line
- Value 7 (young yang) or 8 (young yin). It stays unchanged.
- Judgment
- The core text of a hexagram, assessing the situation as a whole.
- Image
- Describes how the two trigrams interact and derives advice for how the “superior person” acts.
- Changed hexagram
- Formed by reversing all changing lines. Shows where the situation is moving.
- Superior person
- Someone who acts wisely and in tune with the times – the role model of the texts.