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Seeking the Spirit of The Book of Change: 8 Days to Mastering a Shamanic Yijing (I Ching) Prediction System
The Yijing (I Ching) or "Book of Change" is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts and has held a key place in the Daoist tradition for thousands of years. Explaining the ancient Yijing system of prediction based on the Xiang (symbolism) and Shu (numerology) knowledge of Bagua (the eight basic trigrams), which have not previously been written about outside China, this book makes the Yijing accessible to the Western world in a new and fuller way. In the space of just eight days, Master Zhongxian Wu leads the reader towards a deep understanding of the Eight Trigrams of the Yijing and how to apply this knowledge in practical ways in daily life. Master Wu explores the numerology and symbolism of Yijing and clearly explains how the reader can use the Yijing divination system for themselves. This remarkable book provides a user-friendly eight day program that will be a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in learning more about the Yijing or Chinese philosophy and culture as a whole, as well as those who wish to learn how to use the Yijing for practical purposes.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2009
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About the author
Zhongxian Wu
27 books14 followersMaster Zhongxian Wu is the lineage holder of four different schools of Qigong and martial arts. He was Director of the Shaanxi Province Association for Somatic Science and the Shaanxi Association for the Research of Daoist Nourishing Life Practices. Since 1988, Master Wu has instructed thousands of students, both Eastern and Western. He synthesizes wisdom and experience for beginning and advancing practitioners, as well as for patients seeking healing, in his unique and professionally-designed courses and workshops.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 7, 2019
I have been doing a lot of rearranging in the house as of late, centered around a set of (what else?) bookshelves that I bought from an antique dealer who was going out of business. In the process of tidying up I found my copy of “Seeking the Spirit of The Book of Change,” one of a couple of different books I own that sort of act as “users manuals” for the I Ching. I don’t really remember how I ended up with this volume in my collection, but it was worth thumbing through again.
Now the I Ching (or Yijing as used in this book) is one of the true Chinese classics, widely used as a methodology for choosing “right action” by both the Taoist and Confucian schools of philosophy. You're taught to throw coins or yarrow sticks in order to obtain a hexagram which can then be decoded to allow insight into a particular question posed at the beginning of the process. There are a total of 64 possible hexagrams that can be achieved, each one carrying a distinct meaning that is intended to be read and meditated upon for personal growth with an eye towards choosing a path that answers the question asked at the start. Similar to my use of Tarot cards, I don’t ascribe any sort of supernatural properties to the use of the I Ching. It’s simply a fun and relaxing way to think about a problem or situation in more depth.
I typically do not perform I Ching readings for other people, though the I Ching can certainly be used in that fashion. Here is where I have to throw in my standard disclaimer for using tools of a subjective psychological nature: it’s important to note that the I Ching or other sorts of oracles should NEVER be confused with or used as therapeutic tools. Therapy should be left to professionals who are educated and licensed to practice in the fields of psychology and psychiatry.
Author and Yijing Master Zhongxian Wu sheds his light on the I Ching as a system for personal development of intuitive wisdom. He combines tea ceremony, meditation, history, and Qigong movement into a methodology for deeper understanding of the Tao and the I Ching itself. Master Wu does an interesting job of presenting the I Ching as a living system of philosophy and enlightenment that can be used for advice in any number of different situations. I like the way that the author approaches a reading as if it were an immersive study in meditation. Fashioning a session as a physical exercise allows for added dimension when it comes to the mental aspects of the art. I’m really not sure how practical that is for the average user, but it’s still an interesting concept.
Master Wu also dispenses with the traditional methods for obtaining a trigram/hexagram. His method involves thinking of a 3 digit number and then dividing to get a trigram. That's certainly not a system that I've ever seen or practiced before, so it will take some getting used to if you decide to use that methodology. As for me, I still use the old tried and true coin-flip method to obtain a hexagram.
Now there are a couple of huge weaknesses in this book. The author can, and does, get frequently bogged down by all sorts of mystical philosophy that really just comes across as a bunch of New Age foo-foo. As an example, the section on the Hidden Immortal Lineage just blew my freaking mind. It’s nothing more than an overwhelming and needless jumble that I would encourage you to blow off if you decide to acquire this book. The author has also formatted his program to be completed in 8 days. Listen, I know people who have been practicing I Ching for decades and still find new insights in the hexagrams. There is absolutely no way that ANYONE can master this immense body of knowledge in so short a time.
Which, quite honestly, leads me to not really recommend this book so much. My advice is to seek out a copy of the Wilhelm/Baynes translation from Princeton University Press. I’m lucky enough to have a 1977 printing of that volume with the fantastic forward by Carl Jung. That book is the absolute gold standard of ANY of the Western translations of the I Ching, and it’s a much better place to start with than this fluffbunny of an attempt at enlightenment.
CODA: So I remembered how I ran across this book after all. It was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for a review many years ago. The bones of that review are still here, but the passage of time and experience have bleached them somewhat. I dig the idea of approaching an I Ching reading as a physical and mental synthesis, but that’s really about the only thing of real value to be found here. Skip it, go find one of the Princeton Press printings, and drink some tea and do a few sit-ups while you throw your coins. You can thank me later.
Now the I Ching (or Yijing as used in this book) is one of the true Chinese classics, widely used as a methodology for choosing “right action” by both the Taoist and Confucian schools of philosophy. You're taught to throw coins or yarrow sticks in order to obtain a hexagram which can then be decoded to allow insight into a particular question posed at the beginning of the process. There are a total of 64 possible hexagrams that can be achieved, each one carrying a distinct meaning that is intended to be read and meditated upon for personal growth with an eye towards choosing a path that answers the question asked at the start. Similar to my use of Tarot cards, I don’t ascribe any sort of supernatural properties to the use of the I Ching. It’s simply a fun and relaxing way to think about a problem or situation in more depth.
I typically do not perform I Ching readings for other people, though the I Ching can certainly be used in that fashion. Here is where I have to throw in my standard disclaimer for using tools of a subjective psychological nature: it’s important to note that the I Ching or other sorts of oracles should NEVER be confused with or used as therapeutic tools. Therapy should be left to professionals who are educated and licensed to practice in the fields of psychology and psychiatry.
Author and Yijing Master Zhongxian Wu sheds his light on the I Ching as a system for personal development of intuitive wisdom. He combines tea ceremony, meditation, history, and Qigong movement into a methodology for deeper understanding of the Tao and the I Ching itself. Master Wu does an interesting job of presenting the I Ching as a living system of philosophy and enlightenment that can be used for advice in any number of different situations. I like the way that the author approaches a reading as if it were an immersive study in meditation. Fashioning a session as a physical exercise allows for added dimension when it comes to the mental aspects of the art. I’m really not sure how practical that is for the average user, but it’s still an interesting concept.
Master Wu also dispenses with the traditional methods for obtaining a trigram/hexagram. His method involves thinking of a 3 digit number and then dividing to get a trigram. That's certainly not a system that I've ever seen or practiced before, so it will take some getting used to if you decide to use that methodology. As for me, I still use the old tried and true coin-flip method to obtain a hexagram.
Now there are a couple of huge weaknesses in this book. The author can, and does, get frequently bogged down by all sorts of mystical philosophy that really just comes across as a bunch of New Age foo-foo. As an example, the section on the Hidden Immortal Lineage just blew my freaking mind. It’s nothing more than an overwhelming and needless jumble that I would encourage you to blow off if you decide to acquire this book. The author has also formatted his program to be completed in 8 days. Listen, I know people who have been practicing I Ching for decades and still find new insights in the hexagrams. There is absolutely no way that ANYONE can master this immense body of knowledge in so short a time.
Which, quite honestly, leads me to not really recommend this book so much. My advice is to seek out a copy of the Wilhelm/Baynes translation from Princeton University Press. I’m lucky enough to have a 1977 printing of that volume with the fantastic forward by Carl Jung. That book is the absolute gold standard of ANY of the Western translations of the I Ching, and it’s a much better place to start with than this fluffbunny of an attempt at enlightenment.
CODA: So I remembered how I ran across this book after all. It was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for a review many years ago. The bones of that review are still here, but the passage of time and experience have bleached them somewhat. I dig the idea of approaching an I Ching reading as a physical and mental synthesis, but that’s really about the only thing of real value to be found here. Skip it, go find one of the Princeton Press printings, and drink some tea and do a few sit-ups while you throw your coins. You can thank me later.
July 8, 2019
Serious study will take more than 8 days. A confusing introduction to an obscure process.
October 16, 2012
Wu's book is lovely. The purpose is more to inspire a frame of mind than to present an analytical explanation of how the I Ching works. The author describes his surroundings, tells history, shares personal anecdotes, instructs upon the nature of the I Ching, asks the reader to drink tea with him and provides a physical posture to encourage balance.
Go to this book with a receptive frame of mind and you will enjoy it. If you want something analytical and direct to the point you want, then it probably isn't the book for you.
Go to this book with a receptive frame of mind and you will enjoy it. If you want something analytical and direct to the point you want, then it probably isn't the book for you.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews