Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture for Children - Volume 1 -- I Ching

Author: Yang Quan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The I Ching is the foundation of Chinese civilization and is known as the first of the Six Classics of Confucianism. It is an ancient text that has had the deepest, widest, and longest-lasting influence on later generations. The I Ching originally served as a divination book, used to "resolve doubts and determine indecision." The character "Yi" means "simple and easy," indicating that the divination method was simpler than divination by oracle bones. "Yi" also means "changeability." It is said that King Wen of Zhou, while imprisoned in Youli, practiced the Bagua of Fu Xi to create the 64 hexagrams, and the Duke of Zhou composed the hexagram lines, while 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 dualism to guide people's actions and clarifies the rewards of virtuous conduct." The I Ching's phrase "The sky moves with vigor, 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, and its phrase "When the bad reaches its extreme, the good will follow" contains the mysteries of changes in things. It is even said that modern computers are based on the binary system used in the I Ching! Confucius said, "Give me a few more years, and I will study the I Ching at the age of fifty, and I will avoid great mistakes." Confucius studied the I Ching with hide from oxen. The importance of the I Ching is evident!