Jiao's I Ching Lin Notes (Volumes 1 and 2) (Revised Edition)

Author: Jiao Yanshou (Western Han Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The Jiao Shi Yilin originates from the I Ching, yet it possesses unique and distinct characteristics. The I Ching contains 450 hexagram and line texts, while the Yilin has 4,096 divinatory variations, ten times more than those in the I Ching, greatly enriching the informational content. The Jiao Shi Yilin builds upon the 64 hexagrams by further transforming them, resulting in 64 hexagrams per original hexagram, or a total of 4,096 hexagrams. Thus, when one hexagram transforms into another, it is referred to as a "zhigua" (transformed hexagram). Subsequently, corresponding texts are paired with these transformed hexagrams, known as four-word poetic divinations. The divinatory texts of the Yilin are similar to those of the I Ching, but the Yilin is uniformly formatted in four-word poetry (with occasional three-word poetry), whereas the I Ching lacks this uniform structure. The Yilin is undoubtedly four-word poetry, just like the Book of Songs, albeit shorter! For this reason, some have praised it as "ancient, elegant, and profound," noting that "the world fails to recognize it as more than a divination book." It is described as "resonant and mysterious, deep and urgent," and "concise and exquisite." The Yilin establishes its principles through rational and numerical methods, where literary expression is secondary. Yet, the height of its literary power and the subtlety of its intent are such that hundreds of words cannot fully capture them, all contained within a single character or phrase, leaving a lingering resonance.