Eastern thinkers perceived the basic unity of nature – the Taoists of ancient China called it the Tao or the way of acceptance, the way of being part of all things. It is to them that we owe this Book of Changes.
Like its western counterparts such as astrology and tarot that were superceded by modern science, the I Ching (or the Book of Changes) is neither magic nor superstition. Though it may no longer be part of mainstream culture, the I Ching is not a parlour game. It too was once a mainstream doctrine believed in and practiced by many. The psychological and moral depth of its oracles testifies to that. To understand the I Ching is to understand that it is as much a book of
philosophy as it is a book of fortune telling.
The principle behind the I Ching is that of change, as Yin (feminine / negative)
Changes to Yang (masculine / positive) and vice verca. The symbols indicate to the seeker his
natural direction or way of life. The Yin / Yang principle
represents the constant change
and motion of the universe – and thus of human experience.
The I Ching consists of the sixty four possible combinations of eight basic
trigrams (a
trigram is a diagram consisting of three broken / unbroken lines). The trigrams represent heaven, earth, thunder, water, mountain, wind, fire and
mist respectively. Each
Trigram has its own attributes, and the combination of any two trigrams gives rise to unique oracles or predictions.
Heaven represents inspiration and power, earth represents faithfulness and
submissiveness,
thunder represents impulsiveness, water represents danger, mountain
represents inertia, wind represents subtlety, fire represents enlightenment and mist
represents happiness.
Thus, by combining the trigrams of fire and heaven, we get fire above heaven. This is the symbol for wealth without greed, posession without desire.
Though in its essence the I Ching is Taoist, its various interpretations draw upon the diverse streams of Chinese culture, be they Taoist, Confucian or Buddhist.
The book is subtitled “A new interpretation for modern times” - perhaps to appeal to a wider audience, but there is no doubt that its historical importance far outweighs its current relevance.
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