I Ching

Author: Yang Quan
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Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: The I Ching (Book of Changes) is the foundation of Chinese civilization and is known as the first of the Six Classics of Confucianism. It has had the deepest, widest, and longest-lasting influence on later generations. The I Ching originally served as a divination text, used to "resolve doubts and make decisions." The character "" (Yi) means "simple and easy," indicating that the divination method was simpler than divination by oracle bones. It also means "changeability." It is said that King Wen of Zhou, while imprisoned in Youli, practiced the Bagua () of Fuxi and developed them into the 64 hexagrams. The Duke of Zhou wrote the hexagram lines (), and Confucius wrote the Ten Wings (). Confucius evaluated the I Ching as follows: "Its names are small, but its analogies are vast; its meaning is profound, and its language is elegant; its words are subtle yet direct, and its matters are open yet hidden. It uses the principle of 'double' to guide people's actions and clarifies the rewards of virtuous conduct." The I Ching's phrase "The sky moves vigorously, and the nobleman should carry things with great virtue" has inspired countless noble-minded individuals. The I Ching is the source of wisdom for philosophers in observing the world; it is the cornerstone of the theory of yin-yang balance in traditional Chinese medicine; it is the lifelong study of Taoist practitioners; it is the dialectics of scientific research, with its phrase "When the bad reaches its extreme, the good will follow" revealing the mysteries of change in things. And even modern computers are built upon the binary system used in the I Ching! Confucius said, "If only I had more years, I would study the I Ching at the age of fifty, and I would not make great mistakes." Confucius studied the I Ching with the hide of oxen. The importance of the I Ching is evident!