Introduction to the Yijing
The Name Yi 易- change, exchange, easy, lizard Jing 經- classic book, scripture with significance
Historical Timeline • 2600 BCE - Fu Xi creates the Bagua. • 1400 BCE - Shang Dynasty – Oracle Bones are used for divination. • 770 BCE - Zhou Yi is used for divination. • 550 BCE - Confucius popularizes the use of the Zhou Yi. • 168 BCE - Mawangdui Silk Text are entombed. • 136 BCE - Zhou Yi is canonized -jing suffix added - Yi Jing. • 2 BCE – More text is added - the “Great Image” and “Image Text”. • 1900 CE - Oracle Bones are discovered. • 1973 CE – Mawangdui Silk Texts are discovered.
Dissecting a Hexagram
YIN YANG Dark Light Feminine Masculine Receptive & Submissive Creative & Dominant Flexible Firm The Earth & Ground The Heaven & Sky Understanding Wisdom Mystery Clarity Space & Mass Time & Energy
Small Images
WATER WOOD METAL FIRE
Water Earth Air Fire
North East West South
Winter Spring Autumn Summer
Old Yin Young Yang Young Yin Old Yang
To Dare To Keep Silent To Know How To Will
The Man The Bull The Eagle The Lion
Liquid Solid Gas Plasma
Trigrams of Earth
000 EARTH (Greater Earth) 坤 Kun The Receptive Accepting Yoni
001 MOUNTAIN (Lesser Earth) 艮 Gen Keeping Still Stillness Earth
Trigrams of Water
010 WATER (Greater Water) 坎 Kan The Abysmal Exposure Moon
110 LAKE (Lesser Water) 兌 Dui The Joyous Satisfaction Water
Trigrams of Fire
100 THUNDER (Lesser Fire) 震 Zhen The Arousing Arousal Fire
101 FIRE (Greater Fire) 離 Li The Clinging Arising Sun
Trigrams of Air
011 WOOD/WIND (Lesser Air) 巽 Xun The Gentle Adaptation Air
111 HEAVEN (Greater Air) 乾 Qian The Creative Creating Lingam
Upper Trigram of a Hexagram • Outside of Self • Universal • Broadening • Macro Picture
Lower Trigram of a Hexagram • Inside the Self • Personal • Centering • Micro Picture
The Body in Hexagram Lines Top / 6th – Head 5th – Neck, Mouth, Upper Back 4th – Arms, Hands, Heart 3rd – Stomach, Heart 2nd – Thighs, Legs Initial / 1st – Feet
Methods of Divination • 3 Coins • 50 Yarrow Stalks • 8 Sided Die • 16 Marbles • Bibliomancy • Flash Cards • Online Generators • Staves • Instinct
Yin and Yang Lines of a Reading 6 = Old Yin ------Changes to Yang 7 = Young Yang 8 = Young Yin 9 = Old Yang ------Changes to Yin
What Text to use in a Reading Initial Hexagram: • Image Text • Judgment Text • Text or Lines that Changed Resultant Hexagram: • Image Text • Judgment Text
Tools for Interpretation • Trigram Positions • Shape of Hexagram • Which Lines Change • The Text • Chinese Symbolism • Personal Associations • Establishing a Core Meaning for each Hexagram • Using Various Translations • Coming up with your own Key Words • Instinct and Gut Feelings • Going back to the context of the Inquiry
Other Uses and Practices • Create Exercises • A Hexagram a Day • Keep a Journal • Create a storehouse of associations • Using the Symbols – Trigrams, Hexagrams, Language • For Meditation • In Art • As a Talisman or Point of Intention • In Ritual
Online Resources: Hilary Barrett - Clarity Online http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/index.php
Wilhelm Online http://www.akirarabelais.com/i/i.html
Crowley Online http://hermetic.com/crowley/libers/lib216.html
Russell Cottrell http://www.russellcottrell.com/VirtualYarrowStalks/index.asp
Lise Heyboar http://www.yijing.nl/i_ching/index.html
Harmen Mesker http://www.yjcn.nl/wp/
Chinese Text Project http://ctext.org/book-of-changes
Bradford Hatcher – Gua Ming http://www.hermetica.info/GuaMing.htm
Bradford Hatcher – Main Site http://www.hermetica.info/
Richard Sear’s Chinese Etymology http://www.chineseetymology.org/
Translations: Aleister Crowley - The Yi King Alfred Huang - Complete I Ching Bradford Hatcher - The Book of Changes Vol. 1 & 2 Charles Ponce - The Nature of the I Ching Diana Ffarington Hook - The I Ching and You Edward Shaughnessy - The Composition of the Zhouyi Gregory Richter - I Ching / Yi Jing Gea Tung - Metaphor and Analogy in the I Ching Hilary Barrett - I Ching Hua Ching Ni - The Book of Changes and The Unchanging Truth Jack Balkin - The Laws of Change John Blofeld - I Ching - The Book of Change James Legge - I Ching Richard Bertschinger - Yijing, Shamanic Oracle of China Richard Kunst - Original Yijing Richard Wilhem and Cary F. Baynes - I Ching - The Book of Changes Richard Lynn - The Classic of Change Jane Schorre/Carrin Dunne - Yijing Wondering and Wandering Stephen Karcher - I Ching: Classic Chinese Oracle of Change Steven Karcher - The Elements of the I Ching Thomas Cleary - Buddhist I Ching (In files listed below) Wu Jing Nuan - Yi Jing