The Philosophy of the I Ching

by Carol K. Anthony

Chapter 1. This book presents the cosmological background of the I Ching and its many concepts. It describes the Tao, the binary system of numbers that forms the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, the Sage who speaks through it, the I Ching view of existence, and the hidden Cosmic order that underlies all apparent chaos. Thus rather 'In the beginning there was chaos,' one sees that 'In the beginning there was order.' Chapter 2 describes what in the I Ching is called the 'superior man' or 'noble Self' as the unconditioned true self; the 'inferior man' is seen as the socially constructed self-image, or ego. The 'superiors' or 'helpers' described by the I Ching are revealed as inherent character-traits, such as natural modesty, natural kindness, and the capacity for patience and perseverance. The 'inferiors' are discussed as aspects of the bodily self that speak, as when they say, 'I am hungry, I am tired.' Also discussed are the many references in the I Ching text to cultivating the true self and that imply self-development to be necessary if we are to learn how to harmonize ourselves with the way the Cosmos works.// Chapters 3 and 4 discuss the anonymous wise Sage who speaks through the I Ching, and the attitudes that are important on the part of the I Ching student if he is to gain the Sage's help.// Chapters 5, 6, and 7 describe the process of self-cultivation undertaken when we accept the Sage as our teacher. It describes how the Sage teaches us mostly in real-life learning situations, so that what is perceived in the head is transmitted to the heart as wisdom. It also describes many important I Ching principles, such as coming-to-meet-halfway, and working through the power of Inner Truth.// Chapters 8 and 9 describe the more technical aspects of the I Ching within the context of its historical the development of the lines, trigrams, and hexagrams. It also describes its traditional methods of use, but gives an entirely new method discovered by the author that enables the student to understand its messages very precisely.

Genres: Philosophy, Taoism, Spirituality, Divination

236 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 1998

Reviews

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The I Ching is the ancient Chinese text of divination based on the random selection of "hexagrams"—consisting of six lines per hexagram, where each line may be solid, representing yang, or broken, representing yin. For each of the 64 possible hexagrams, the I Ching has a reading, in which the seeker is given advice from a cosmic perspective, by the "Sage."

The first thing to note about divination by means of the I Ching is that it has nothing to do with predicting the future. Each hexagram summarizes salient aspects of the current circumstances of the seeker and shows the correct attitude and approach to navigate these circumstances in a spiritually mature way.

How can the random selection of a hexagram uniquely represent the most significant aspects of the circumstances in which we find ourselves? I cannot answer this question except to say that the intuition of the seeker should invariably make sense of the hexagram and its accompanying advice to further correct action and spiritual growth. I am reminded of William Blake in Auguries of Innocence:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

In other words, according to Blake, the world is one, and its totality must be contained in each of its smallest aspects, a flight of birds, the pattern of raindrops on a window, the throw of coins or manipulation of yarrow stalks to select a hexagram, and so on. This, I believe, is the correct manner in which to approach all forms of divination, the I Ching included. These systems are not about predicting the future, but rather about helping the seeker to grasp what is most needful to know now.

The Richard Wilhelm translation of the I Ching, published in 1967, has long been regarded as its canonical form in English. However, the language of the I Ching and the meanings of its recurring special terms make it difficult for the beginner to make progress. Carol K. Anthony has written several books which make it easier to get a grip on the right approach to the I Ching: notably, her most famous book, A Guide to the I Ching, but also this book, The Philosophy of the I Ching.

The Philosophy of the I Ching was published initially in 1981. An expanded second edition was published in 1998, but my review here is of the first edition.

Anthony begins with some chapters explaining the history, structure, and significance of the I Ching. She continues to develop I Ching concepts such as the superior and inferior elements of the personality, the nature of the Sage and the Sage-student relationship, self-development in the context of the I Ching, correct action in human relationships, and universal and individual goals.

Anthony's reasoning is entirely based on quotations from the Richard Wilhelm version of the I Ching. The writing is quite dense, and it took me a long time to get through this book, as I could only read a few pages at time.

However, The Philosophy of the I Ching is interesting. Anthony presents the I Ching as a valid path for self-development and ultimately spiritual enlightenment. One should use the I Ching daily, with humility and an open mind, to interpret the advice of the Sage for that day. There are both Taoist and Confucianist strands in the I Ching, though the former, which goes back to the origin of the I Ching, is certainly dominant. Indeed, Anthony claims that the I Ching and the Toaist classic Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu are mutually reinforcing: neither can be understood properly without the other.

There must be hundreds of translations and/or interpretations of the I Ching in English these days. However, for an understanding of the significance of the I Ching and how to use it for spiritual development, it is worth taking a good look at The Philosophy of the I Ching as well as Carol K. Anthony's other works on the subject.

[Michael Patton]

No book has challenged me as much as this one. I don't mean the ideas were difficult to penetrate. I mean the ideas challenged me as a human being.

[Mohammed Hindash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very glad that I read this book. This book is very beneficial to all humans. Thank you for your work on this topic.

[Tony Gualtieri · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a self-help book than a philosophical treatise. There were some interesting observations on applying insights from the I Ching to personal situations.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually a book that sits beside my reading chair always. It's tattered and underlined pages are as important to me as The IChing.