I Ching

From Barbelith

Categories: Divination

There's a general discussion here (http://www.barbelith.com/topic/8964) on the I Ching.

It may blossom into something soon.

Table of contents

1 How it works

1.1 To toss coins:
1.2 To use tokens
1.3 To use yarrow stalks
1.4 Interpretation
1.5 Components of the commentaries

2 Translations

2.1 Richard Wilhelm
2.2 Alfred Huang
2.3 Other translations

3 The Hexagrams

4 Further Reading

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How it works

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is a classic of Chinese mysticism and literature. Its effect on Chinese society can not be overstated and is at least as influential as the Bible or Homeric epics have been to the Western world. At its heart, it is a divination system based on binary. One asks a question of the oracle, and receives an answer in the form of six different broken or unbroken lines that form one of the 64 possible hexagrams. Each individual hexagram describes a unique situation, and collectively they cover the whole gamut of human experience.

The book illustrates a fundamental difference in Eastern and Western mythic thinking. Whereas in the West, myths and tales of spirits are essentially stories to be passively absorbed, and higher powers are to be submitted to, Eastern thinking places the individual into direct conversation and interaction with the world of spirit and myth.

In a hexagram, the broken lines stand for yin and the unbroken, yang. These two kinds of lines are further divided into either transforming lines, that is, transforming from yin to yang or yang to yin, or stable lines. These illustrate the constant influence of change inherent in everything.

A group of three lines is called a trigram, which represents a fundamental force or component of nature (such as "Water" or "Earth"). In casting the I Ching, two trigrams are put together to form a hexagram. There are eight possible trigrams, which combine to form 64 possible hexagrams. (See also Ba Gua for more on the Eight Trigrams.)

The I Ching, then, is the book containing a collection of ancient commentaries on all 64 hexagrams. Some commentaries describe the hexagram as a whole, while others describe the meaning of each of the six lines in context, one by one.

Traditionally, to obtain the necessary six lines, a diviner would cast stalks of yarrow in a complicated mathematical ritual, or toss coins. Other systems use dice or similarly random elements to obtain one of four possible results (unchanging yin, changing yin, unchanging yang, changing yang).

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To toss coins:

Take three coins. The "heads" side is assigned the number 2 and the "tails" side is assigned the number 3. Toss all three and add the numbers together to create a line.

If the numbers total 6 (three tails), you have a changing yin line. 

If the numbers total 7 (one heads), you have an unchanging yang line. 

If the numbers total 8 (two heads), you have an unchanging yin line. 

If the numbers total 9 (three heads), you have a changing yang line.

Notice that all heads or all tails are changing lines, and that odd numbers are yang while even numbers are yin.

Repeat six times to create a hexagram, then consult the book to discover its meaning in the commentaries.

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To use tokens

The token method uses 16 marbles or identically shaped tokens: One of a first colour, three of a second colour, five of a third colour and seven of a fourth colour. The one token stands for transforming yin. The three are transforming yang. The five are stable yang. The seven are stable yin.

Put them in a bowl. Whichever one you draw out is your first line. Put it back, take another one at random, it's the second etc.

It's meant to combine the ease of use of the 3-coin method, while still conserving the maths of the yarrow method.

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To use yarrow stalks

The oldest known method of casting the I Ching is also the most ceremonial of the popular methods. It may be particular and long winded, but it's a lot easier than it sounds.

-The caster begins with 50 similar sticks (traditionally stalks of yarrow).

-From this 50, one stick is removed and set aside. This stick is the "witness". It remains untouched throughout the rest of the process.

-The remaining sticks are randomly seperated into two groups. The caster then takes one stick from the pile on the left and holds it between the fourth finger and pinkie of the left hand.

-The pile on the right is picked up and held in the left hand. Using the right hand, it is counted into bundles of four until a remainder of one, two, three or four is left (There must be a remainder). This remainder is held between the third and fourth fingers of the left hand.

-The left pile is now picked up and counted into groups of four exactly as above. The remainder is placed between the second and third fingers of the left hand.

-The sticks held between the fingers are now grouped together and put to the side as they are now "out of play". The groups of four are gathered together to repeat the process a further two times.

-After the third pass, the caster counts how many groups of four are left this time. There will be six, seven, eight or nine of these, which respectively stand for Transforming Yin, Stable Yang, Stable Yin and Transforming Yang.

-This is the bottom line of the hexagram. All sticks, save the one witness stick, are gathered together and the process is repeated a further five times to complete the Hexagram.

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Interpretation

Once one has the first hexagram, one then changes the transforming lines to produce a second hexagram. This is illustrative of the nature of the I Ching, in that one thing is always somewhere in the process of becoming something else and that any situation has the potential within it to transfrom into/incorporate any other situation.

According to some, the first hexagram represents the present situation and the second hexagram represents the likely future outcome; others say the second hexagram represents advice for the best possible outcome, and still others say the second hexagram commentaries should be disregarded except for those discussing those lines that have changed (which replace those lines from the original hexagram). With experimentation, you should be able to find the system that works for you.

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Components of the commentaries

Introduction/description. This is the translator's overview of the meaning of the hexagram.

The Judgement. This is a verse describing the hexagram as a whole. For example, from Eclectic Energies' Hexagram #49. Revolution (http://www.eclecticenergies.com/iching/consultation.php?lns=787798):

Revolution. On your own day
You are believed.
Supreme success,
Furthering through perseverance.
Remorse disappears.

The Image. This describes the visual image the lines depict; it's a useful mental tool for "seeing" the hexagram. Broken (yin) lines are often water, and solid (yang) lines are often earth or fire, so an image might describe a river winding through a ravine, or a fire being doused by a lake. Also, the meanings of the eight trigrams are often used to create images. For example (same hexagram):

Lake
----
Fire

Fire in the lake: the image of Revolution.
Thus the superior man
Sets the calendar in order
And makes the seasons clear.

This is generally followed by an explanation of the verse.

The Lines. These are the individual descriptions of each line's significance, intended for use with the changing lines. They may describe various ways a character can face the situation described in the Image and Judgement, and may include blunt descriptions like "good fortune" or "misfortune." The "first" line is at the bottom -- hexagrams are built from the ground up.

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Translations

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Richard Wilhelm

This is, more or less, the canonical European translation of the I Ching, (translated again, from German into English, by C.F. Baynes).

Here's (http://www.schoolofwisdom.com/wilhelm.html) a biography.

And here's his translation (http://oaks.nvg.org/re5ra19.html#1).

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Alfred Huang

Master Huang was imprisoned for 13 years during the Cultural Revolution for daring to study the Yijing, and moved to Hawaii after his unexpected release in 1979. He originally intended to write a simple commentary on the Wilhelm translation in English, but it soon turned into a new translation aimed at capturing some of the spirit of the Chinese language original -- especially explaining the pictograms that name each hexagram. (For instance, gua 18, or Gu, which he translates as "Remedying" and Wilhelm translates as "Work On What Has Been Spoiled," is represented by a pictogram showing three worms in a container -- a good picture of stagnation and motion denied liberty, which is what this hexagram is really all about.)

His The Complete I Ching (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0892811455) came out in 1998.

He's not always taken as an authoritative voice -- Joel Biroco's review (http://biroco.com/yijing/karcherhuang.htm) explains some of the flaws in his analysis. (Note, however, that none of the criticisms are aimed at Huang's discussion of the pictograms.)

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Other translations

Here's a pdf sample of Freeman Crouch's poetic translation, The Chameleon Book (http://www.chameleonbook.com/chambk_samp_03_05.pdf). In an appendix, he explains:

One of the things that motivated me in this was seeing that very few Yijings, including verse translations, tried very hard to closely follow the poetics of the Yijing. I was absolutely floored when I read Kunst's dissertation.

It has the Mawangdui source text, a word by word transliteration with the rhyming words marked, and a cautious free translation. I nearly wept when I realized: The I Ching rhymes. It's a bunch of little songs. My whole vision of this book was turning inside out.

While I could not preserve the rhyme scheme, there were things I could preserve that translations usually failed to address, and others, such as puns and double entendres that I could at least point out in some cases.

You may be interested in reading more about the Mawangdui Silk Texts here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma-wang-tui_Texts). These are China's equivalent of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including a copy of Yijing commentaries from 168 B.C., found in a tomb in Hunan in 1973.

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The Hexagrams

These are numbered according to the King Wen sequence.

The Tai Chi movements associated with each hexagram come from Da Liu's T'ai Chi Ch'uan and I Ching: A Choreography of Body and Mind. (http://www.alibris.com/search/books/author/Da%20Liu) For Da Liu, the lines seem to be quite important, with each place signifying an area of the body -- first place = foot, second place = abdomen, fifth place = chin, etc. The nuclear trigrams also seem to be especially relevant to body positions, while the lower and upper trigrams often correspond to more general symbolism or movement. Note that the three movements after Grasp bird's tail are not associated with hexagrams but with three trigrams: pull back, press forward and push forward are linked to k'un, k'an and li respectively.

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1. Qian (Ch'ien)

..... Tai Chi movement: Grasp Bird's Tail and Push. Da Liu links the "bird" in this form to the dragon mentioned in the Lines commentary. Nine in the second place, the dragon appears - your hand (the dragon) begins at your abdomen (the second place). Nine in the fifth place, the dragon flies - your hand rises to, but not above, your chin. If it rises too high, the dragon becomes arrogant, and your tai chi becomes ungraceful.

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2.

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3. Chun

Difficulty at the beginning.

..... Tai Chi movement: Wave hands like a cloud. Upper trigram k'an means "water" or "cloud," lower trigram chen means "thunder," "wave" or "horse." Upper nuclear trigram ken means limbs (hands, arms or legs), while the lower nuclear trigram, k'un, refers to the belly and the body. The cloud (k'an) of the hands (ken) turn (chen) like waves (k'an) or a wheel (k'an) across the belly (k'un). The image also concerns clouds and thunder, and the legs are kept in horse stance -- as seen in the second line, describing a horse separated from a wagon.

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4. Meng

Youthful folly.

..... Tai Chi movement: Kick with toes. Upper trigram ken means "arm," "leg" or "mountain." Lower trigram k'an means "water," "danger" or "fetters" (handcuffs?), and can indicate the genitals. Upper nuclear trigram k'un means body (especially abdomen) and lower nuclear trigram chen means "arousing" or "foot" (thus, an arousing foot, a foot ready to kick). Ken and Chen together mean one foot planted like a mountain, one foot ready to kick. The kick is placed below the abdomen, toward the genitals. Ken also suggests the hands, raised in a block. The final line suggests this movement be used only as a defensive measure.

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5.

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6.

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7. Shih

Army.

..... Tai Chi movement: Snake creeps down. Upper trigram k'un symbolizes belly, body, earth. Lower trigram k'an means "water" or "snake." Upper nuclear trigram is k'un, while lower nuclear trigram chen evokes movement. The leg posture suggests a snake creeping on the earth, bringing the belly close to the knees. The Image of Shih discusses water within earth. The Lines, especially the fourth place, suggest a strategic retreat -- enabling the offensive success of the next movement, Golden Cock on One Leg (Hexagram 61, Chung Fu).

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8.

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9.

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10.

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11.

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12.

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13.

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14.

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15. Ch'ien

Modesty.

..... Tai Chi movement: Step forward and punch to opponent's lower abdomen. Upper trigram k'un means "earth" or "abdomen," lower trigram ken means "mountain," "arm" or "leg." Upper nuclear trigram chen means "movement," lower nuclear trigram k'an means "water," "danger" or "genitals." The third line, the only strong, unbroken line, signifies a fist placed below the abdomen. The overall description is of modesty, as t'ai chi ch'uan should embody, but the fifth place line shows the use of force, as Da Liu quotes from elsewhere in the I Ching, "in order to chastise the disobedient."

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16. Yu

Enthusiasm.

..... Tai Chi movement: Step forward and punch. This move follows brush knee, from hexagram 18. The fourth line symbolizes a fist at waist level. Lower nuclear trigram, ken, suggests legs like a mountain. Lower trigram kun suggests belly or earth. Upper trigram chen suggests foot in motion, stepping forward. Upper nuclear trigram k'an suggests water or heart, or a bow (as in shooting your hand forward like an arrow to the heart).

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17. Sui

..... Tai Chi movement: Play guitar. Upper trigram tui means "joyous" or "oval", the lower trigram, chen, can mean "foot," and "arousing," the upper nuclear trigram, sun, can mean "wood" or "string" and the lower nuclear trigram, ken, can mean "limbs" -- either legs, arms, hands or fingers. Thus, a wooden oval with strings that is fingered to cause joy -- a guitar, or pipa. The oval shows the movement of the hands, the arousing foot shows you are ready to kick. The second line refers to the act of grasping an opponent's arm.

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18. Ku

Decay.

..... Tai Chi movement: Brush knee and push. The combined images of the trigrams suggest a mountain, hand or leg (ken) moving like a gentle wind or willow tree (sun) to push out against impurities. The wind blows low on the mountain -- gently blocking while pointing at your opponent's throat.

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19.

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20.

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21. Shih Ho

Biting through.

..... Tai Chi movement: Hit opponent's ears with fists. Upper trigram li suggests an arrow and two parallel fists. Lower trigram chen suggests strength or movement. Upper nuclear trigram k'an suggests ear or danger. Lower nuclear trigram ken suggests bow, arm, hand or forehead. Thus, a blow to the ear or forehead. The final line (nine at the top) describes punishment administered to the ears by a device called a cangue, made of two pieces of wood that grip the neck. The foot here takes the form of a bow (one leg bent) and arrow (one leg straight).

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22. Pi

Grace.

..... Tai Chi movement: White Crane spreads its wings. Upper trigram, ken, symbolizes "wing," lower trigram, li, symbolizes "bird" or "eye" -- thus a hand rising above the eye. Nuclear trigrams chen and k'an suggest forest and water, the habitat of the bird.

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23.

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24.

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25. Wu Wang

Innocence.

..... Tai Chi movement: Turn body and kick. Upper trigram ch'ien means heaven, strength, energy, turning. Lower trigram chen implies movement, especially the arousing foot (ready to kick). Upper nuclear trigram is sun, "gentle wind," while the lower is ken, "mountain leg." Thus, the body turns and kicks (Da Liu gets the body by reversing all the lines of ch'ien to become k'un) with the gentle ease of a light wind, with one leg as firm as a mountain. The Image says "under heaven thunder rolls," a good summation of this move's energy.

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26. Ta Ch'u

Taming power of the great.

..... Tai Chi movement: Play arms like a fan. Upper trigram ken means "small" and "hand," lower trigram ch'ien means "strong" and "great." A folding fan can be great or small. Upper nuclear trigram chen suggests rising, like the practitioner's hands, and can mean "bamboo," describing how the hands should move -- unfolding like a bamboo fan. Da Liu says: "The Image 'Heaven within the mountain,' gives the essence of the form."

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27. I

Corners of the mouth (providing nourishment).

..... Tai Chi movement: Fist under the elbow. Upper trigram ken means fingers, lower trigram chen indicates feet and arousing (a foot ready to kick). Both nuclear trigrams are kun, meaning belly, empty, or hidden. Thus, a hidden fist and kick simultaneously. The fourth line commentary suggests keeping a keen eye on your opponent, in case of just such a simultaneous attack.

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28. Ta Kuo

Preponderance of the Great.

..... Tai Chi movement: Turn body and strike fist to back. Upper trigram tui means "fist," "lake" or "smash," whild lower trigram sun means "gentle" or "wind". Identical nuclear trigrams ch'ien symbolize a strong turn -- the turning of the body. The third line reveals the image of the fist thrown back (the sagging ridgepole) as the body turns, while the sixth line shows the fist dropping like rain on the opponents head as the practitioner turns. This hexagram is inversely related to Hexagram 62, Needle at Sea Bottom, which also warns of an attack from behind (in the third line).

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29.

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31.

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32.

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33. Tun

Retreat.

..... Tai Chi movement: Step back and repulse monkey. Upper trigram ch'ien suggests movement, lower trigram ken means monkey, back, stop, and mountain. Thus, step backward away from the monkey. Upper nuclear trigram ch'ien means "energy," lower nuclear trigram sun means "gentle." Thus, a gentle application of energy. The Image of the hexagram suggests the same, "not angrily, but with reserve." The Commentary adds, "Retreat. Success." Don't use strength against strength, but retreat and wait to counterattack to become powerful as a mountain.

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34. Ta Chuang

..... Tai Chi movement: Step forward and strike with shoulder. The overall appearance of this hexagram suggests a goat butting a fence, and this is the image to maintain with this posture. The third line warns that the move must be delicately positioned if it is to be effective.

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35. Chin

..... Tai Chi movement: Beginning of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Li, the sun, rising over Kun, the earth. The parallel lines of Li evoke the rising arms -- strong outside, empty inside -- over Kun, which also means belly.

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36. Ming I

Darkening of the Light.

..... Tai Chi movement:Cross hands. Upper trigram kun is receptive earth. Lower trigram li is fire and sunlight -- thus the image of a setting sun. The three broken lines at the top mean two hands begin separately. Li, made of a broken line between two unbroken lines, suggests the hands end crossed. They rise, then sink like the sun toward the chest.

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37.

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38.

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39.

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40. Hsieh (Xie)

Deliverance.

..... Tai Chi movement: Shoot tiger. Upper trigram chen signifies movement, strength, thunder, foot. Lower trigram k'an is water, danger, wheel, bow, rain. Lower nuclear trigram is li, or "arrow." Chen, inverted, is ken -- the upside-down tiger. Two fists move forward (chen), aiming like arrows (li) at the temple and ribs. Commentary states that danger produces movement, by moving away from danger we are delivered.

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41.

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42. I

Increase.

..... Tai Chi movement: Hit tiger. Upper trigram sun means "gentle wind," lower trigram chen shows the arousing foot (ready to kick). Upper nuclear trigram is "ken": "tiger," "arm," and "temple" (of the head). Lower nuclear trigram is "k'un", meaning "ribs" or "quietness." The final Line says, "Indeed, someone even strikes him." A gentle blow from one fist against the temple and another against the ribs.

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48.

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49. Ko

..... Tai Chi movement: Single whip. The hexagram symbolizes revolution; the nuclear trigrams ch'ien (turning) and sun (gentle wind) describe how the body should make its 120-degree turn.

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50. Ting

Caldron.

..... Tai Chi movement: Circle Fist. Upper trigram li signifies "strong outside, empty inside," as well as eyes and weapon. Lower trigram sun represents wood, gentleness, strength. Upper nuclear trigram tui represents smashing, hurting and right side. Lower nuclear trigram is ch'ien, representing the head. Thus, the nuclear trigrams suggest a fist circling to smash the opponent's head. The two fists of this movement are embodied in the upper line of tui; the two firm legs are represented by sun. (A flexible strength, perhaps?) This movement ends the second section and, when repeated, the whole t'ai chi form. It either leads into the repetition of the movements from the beginning of the form, with the sunrise (Hexagram 35, Chin) or, in the second section of the t'ai chi form, with crossing hands, the sunset (Hexagram 36, Ming I).

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51. Chen

Arousing (shock, thunder).

..... Tai Chi movement: Separate feet and kick. Both trigrams are chen, the arousing foot. the upper nuclear trigram is k'an, the dangerous water. Lower nuclear trigran, ken, along with both primary trigrams suggest the movement of the arms and feet -- one foot poised for kicking, one planted, flowing motion like water. The Image suggests the suddenness of the hand strikes and low kick in combat.

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52. Ken

Keeping still.

..... Tai Chi movement: Carry tiger to the mountain. Upper and lower trigrams are both ken, hands (but also meaning "tiger" and "mountain), while the upper nuclear trigram, chen, means "embracing," thus the image of embracing a tiger and releasing it at the mountain. The Commentary discusses the importance of timing, and this is the beginning of the second section of the form -- a good place to stop if you're not ready.

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53. Chien

Development.

..... Tai Chi movement: Ride tiger to the mountain. Upper trigram sun means "gentle wind," lower trigram ken means "mountain," "arm," "leg," and "tiger." The upper nuclear trigram is li, meaning "arrow," lower nuclear trigram is k'an, meaning "bow" in this context. The broken line of sun represents the practitioner's legs.

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54.

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55. Feng

Abundance

..... Tai Chi movement: Step forward, seven stars. Upper trigram chen is "arousing foot" (ready to kick), lower trigram li is "sun," "eye," or "fire." Upper nuclear trigram is tui, "to hurt," while lower nuclear trigram is sun, "gentleness" or "strength." So, for chen, one foot is ready to kick, and the one broken line of tui brings two fists before the chest. Sun means the move is done gently. The Judgement evokes li, the sun at midday, referring to the two fists. The "seven stars" in this move are the Big Dipper, evoked in the Lines for the second place: "the polestars can be seen at noon." The trigram sun also evokes advance and retreat, moving forward and backward, also present in the Commentary which explains that as the sun reaches midday, it begins to set. The move leads into Ride Tiger to Mountain (Hexagram 53, Chien), a retreating motion.

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56. Lu

The wanderer.

..... Tai Chi movement: High pat on horse. Upper trigram li suggests "fire," "horse," and "empty inside, strong outside." Lower trigram ken suggests stillness, mountain, arm and patting. Upper nuclear trigran tui means "oval," and "to hurt," while lower nuclear trigram sun means "high, gentle wind." High (sun) Pat (ken) on Horse (li), gently (sun). Tui suggests the arc of the hand, which can continue in a throat strike. Ken suggests the lower hand grasping the opponent's hand.

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58.

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59. Huan

Dissolution.

..... Tai Chi movement: Slant flying. Upper trigram sun indicates wind and penetration. Lower trigram k'an implies water, ear or bow. Upper nuclear trigram ken means leg, hand or the temple (the part of your head, not the church building). Lower nuclear trigram chen means foot and movement. Thus, a forward step (foot movement) as the hand moves to strike the opponent's temple. The image of slant-flying may also come from another meaning of sun -- "chicken," as a bird that flies low down the slopes of a river bank to k'an, the water. Descend or face the danger of drowning.

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60. Chieh

Limitation

..... Tai Chi movement: Fair Lady works at shuttles. Upper trigram k'an means "water," "turn" or "wheel," lower trigram tui signifies a fair lady, but also means "right" or "oval." Upper nuclear trigram ken is "mountain," "arm" or "leg," lower is "chen," meaning "movement" or "wood" -- especially the moving wood of a shuttle -- as well as "cut" and "left." Tui and chen suggest the shuttle moving left and right. The body turns like a water wheel four times, like the four seasons as mentioned in the Commentary.

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61. Chung Fu

Inner truth.

..... Tai Chi movement: Golden cock on one leg. This is the offensive move following Snake creeps down (Hexagram 7, Shih). Upper trigram sun can mean "chicken" (remember Slant flying?), or "gentle wind." Lower trigram tui is "metal," thus golden. Lower nuclear trigram is chen, "arousing foot," and upper is ken, "mountain leg." The nuclear trigrams describe the one firm leg and the one leg ready to strike with the knee. They also suggest the placement of the hands over the knee.

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62. Xiao Kuo

Preponderance of the small.

..... Tai Chi movement: Needle at Sea Bottom. The double broken and unbroken lines make this "big k'an," a large body of water (thus, the sea). The broken lines at top are like waves, the broken lines below are like the unfathomable depths. The lower nuclear trigram, sun, implies a long, straight thread. The upper nuclear trigram, tui, means metal and suggests the needle. The upper nuclear trigram, ken, suggests the arousing foot (ready to kick) and the lower nuclear trigram, ken, means "leg" or "still". The Image describes water rising over trees -- the straight needle (like a pine tree) sinking to the bottom of the sea.

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63.

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64. Wei Chi

Before completion.

..... Tai Chi movement: Turn body and do lotus kick. Upper trigram, li, represents "sun," "fire," and "eyes." Lower trigram, k'an, is "water," "wheel," "turn," and "devil." The upper nuclear trigram is k'an again, and the lower nuclear trigram is li again. The whole body turns like a wheel. The Lines for the fourth place says, "Shock, thus, to discipline the Devil's Country." Da Liu helpfully explains that "shock" here refers to a kick, and "Devil's Country" is a Taoist symbol for the kidneys. Ouch.

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