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The I Ching Book of Changes translated by James Legge edited with an introduction and study guide by Ch'U with Winberg Chai
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May 25, 2024
A VERY USEFUL INTRODUCTION TO THE “BOOK OF CHANGES”
The Introduction by Ch’u Chai and Winberg Chai explains, “The most important literature of the five Confucian Classics is the ‘I Chin,’ usually called in translation the ‘Book of Changes.’ The original corpus or the I Ching is made up of the famous Pa Kua (Eight Trigrams), consisting of various combinations of straight lines … and arranged in a circle… Tradition asserts that the eight trigrams were invented by the mythological Emperor Fu His, and that the sixty-four hexagrams were formulated by wither Fu His or King Wen, one of the founders of the Chou dynasty (1150-249 B.C.).” (Pg. xxvii-xxviii)
They continue, “The I Ching was first of all a book of divination. To divine is to resolve doubts of the mind or mysteries of the universe. Would a particular day be auspicious for hunting or an expedition? Would rain come to relieve a long drought and the threat of death and famine? And, ever more important, would Heaven or Shang Ti (Supreme Being) be gracious enough to grant deliverance from the menacing calamities of the day such as the eclipse of the sun, the falling of meteors, and the incursion of barbaric tribes? Indeed, could its divine blessings be invoked and relied upon on the event of a great battle against an enemy attack? The proper course of action for such weighty matters was usually sought from the indications on the tortoise shell or the way in which the milfoil stalks grouped themselves.” (Pg. xxix)
They add, “The I Ching is also called the Chou I. ‘It was named Chou from the fact that it was composed by the people of the Chou dynasty, and ‘I’ because its method of divination was an easy one.’ The word ‘I’ means ‘easy’ as well as ‘change.’ … The book was originally a Chou manual on divination… but ‘we find nothing [in it] to justify’ its name as one of the Confucian Classics, until the commentaries and appendices known as the ‘Ten Wings’ were added to it.” (Pg. xxxi)
The authors state, “The I, as we have seen, was originally a book of divination. By manipulating the milfoil stalks, one finds a certain line of a certain hexagram, and then… consults the Tz’u attached to that line which is supposed to provide information as to what attitude should be adopted toward a given matter at a given time and in a given place.” (Pg. lxv)
They explain, “The authors of the I Appendices accepted the Confucianist tradition and emphasized a concern for human affairs. However, they were influenced by the Taoists and so were able to advance in their philosophical thinking and to attain the sublime… The Chinese mind oscillated between Taoism and Confucianism for a long time. Confucianism, since it is generally regarded as the philosophy of social organization, is therefore also the philosophy of daily life. It is concerned chiefly with performing the common task, rather than attaining the sublime. This is why Confucianism appears ‘this-worldly’… Taoism, on the other hand, is the philosophy that is essentially naturalistic and antisocial. This kind of philosophy is generally concerned with the transcendent sphere and sublime life, but it is incompatible with the manner of life in the world of affairs. Because of this, Taoism appears ‘other-worldly’ and reaches up to the sublime. These two streams of Chinese thought are somewhat like the traditions of classicism and romanticism in Western thought. They have been running counter to each other for centuries; and so they remain to this day.” (Pg. lxxxvi)
This edition (due to its excellent Introduction) is an excellent presentation of the I Ching.
The Introduction by Ch’u Chai and Winberg Chai explains, “The most important literature of the five Confucian Classics is the ‘I Chin,’ usually called in translation the ‘Book of Changes.’ The original corpus or the I Ching is made up of the famous Pa Kua (Eight Trigrams), consisting of various combinations of straight lines … and arranged in a circle… Tradition asserts that the eight trigrams were invented by the mythological Emperor Fu His, and that the sixty-four hexagrams were formulated by wither Fu His or King Wen, one of the founders of the Chou dynasty (1150-249 B.C.).” (Pg. xxvii-xxviii)
They continue, “The I Ching was first of all a book of divination. To divine is to resolve doubts of the mind or mysteries of the universe. Would a particular day be auspicious for hunting or an expedition? Would rain come to relieve a long drought and the threat of death and famine? And, ever more important, would Heaven or Shang Ti (Supreme Being) be gracious enough to grant deliverance from the menacing calamities of the day such as the eclipse of the sun, the falling of meteors, and the incursion of barbaric tribes? Indeed, could its divine blessings be invoked and relied upon on the event of a great battle against an enemy attack? The proper course of action for such weighty matters was usually sought from the indications on the tortoise shell or the way in which the milfoil stalks grouped themselves.” (Pg. xxix)
They add, “The I Ching is also called the Chou I. ‘It was named Chou from the fact that it was composed by the people of the Chou dynasty, and ‘I’ because its method of divination was an easy one.’ The word ‘I’ means ‘easy’ as well as ‘change.’ … The book was originally a Chou manual on divination… but ‘we find nothing [in it] to justify’ its name as one of the Confucian Classics, until the commentaries and appendices known as the ‘Ten Wings’ were added to it.” (Pg. xxxi)
The authors state, “The I, as we have seen, was originally a book of divination. By manipulating the milfoil stalks, one finds a certain line of a certain hexagram, and then… consults the Tz’u attached to that line which is supposed to provide information as to what attitude should be adopted toward a given matter at a given time and in a given place.” (Pg. lxv)
They explain, “The authors of the I Appendices accepted the Confucianist tradition and emphasized a concern for human affairs. However, they were influenced by the Taoists and so were able to advance in their philosophical thinking and to attain the sublime… The Chinese mind oscillated between Taoism and Confucianism for a long time. Confucianism, since it is generally regarded as the philosophy of social organization, is therefore also the philosophy of daily life. It is concerned chiefly with performing the common task, rather than attaining the sublime. This is why Confucianism appears ‘this-worldly’… Taoism, on the other hand, is the philosophy that is essentially naturalistic and antisocial. This kind of philosophy is generally concerned with the transcendent sphere and sublime life, but it is incompatible with the manner of life in the world of affairs. Because of this, Taoism appears ‘other-worldly’ and reaches up to the sublime. These two streams of Chinese thought are somewhat like the traditions of classicism and romanticism in Western thought. They have been running counter to each other for centuries; and so they remain to this day.” (Pg. lxxxvi)
This edition (due to its excellent Introduction) is an excellent presentation of the I Ching.
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July 23, 2024This book is changing my life! However, there was an error in one of the charts in the book I have. It freaked me out because I got a totally different meaning!
But I digress...
This here is a book of divination! For some reason, It cliques with me and I can be an oracle of sorts for my own self, and others, if they need be/ask me!
But I digress...
This here is a book of divination! For some reason, It cliques with me and I can be an oracle of sorts for my own self, and others, if they need be/ask me!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews