I Ching -- Basic Collection of Chinese Family Books (New Edition)

Author: Zhang Shanwen
Translation Notes:
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The I Ching is a classic text that has been essential for scholars throughout the ages and the root of traditional Chinese culture. Today, as we inherit and promote our excellent traditional culture and cultivate the moral character of people, studying the I Ching should be one of the most beneficial measures. Song Confucian Cheng Yi once said, "The Way of the I Ching is vast and profound. When extended, it is boundless; when discussed in detail, it is tranquil and righteous. Between heaven and earth, the principles of all things are without difference." He also remarked, "The Way of the I Ching is indeed supreme! The sages used its principles to elevate their virtue and achievements!" (Chu Hua Cheng Shi Jing Shuo). This is both an extreme praise for the Way of the I Ching by the predecessors and an embodiment of the noble purpose of studying it. This book is based on the four-volume Basic Meanings of the I Ching published by the Wuying Hall during the Qing Dynasty, and the order of the Zhou and Transmissions volumes follows its sequence. Any occasional revisions to the original text are annotated with their sources. As for the content of the "Introduction," "Annotations," "Translation," and "Comprehensive" sections, it is inevitable that there may be errors or omissions, and we sincerely hope that fellow scholars will correct them. If readers who are new to the study of the I Ching can gain some insight into its philosophical essence from this work, it would be the author's greatest honor.