CHESMAYNE
I Ching
Also known as the ‘Book of Changes’, which is one of the five classics of the Confucian Canon. Its early portions date from 1000 BCE, and it
began as a book of divination.
Commentaries and additions known as the ‘Ten Wings’ later supplemented
it. It accepts that life is centered
upon cosmic order, and yet cosmic order is subject to change. The I Ching contains the famous ‘eight
trigrams’, which symbolize the eight basic constituents of the universe,
and the 64 hexagrams which symbolize the universal archetypes of human
consciousness. The Eight Diagrams are
symbols of mystic and talismanic power. Each
consists of three lines, which may be full --- or broken - - -, placed one
above the other, making eight possible combinations in all. They are the earliest known examples of binary
notation. Each trigram has an
associated symbolism, including a numerological value. When one trigram is
placed on top of another, a hexagram of six lines is formed. The I Ching is an ancient system of Chinese
divination, using a form of linear symbolism.
Trigrams and hexagrams are made up of broken and unbroken lines with
each set having a traditional meaning.
The linear groups are chosen in sequence by throwing coins and by the
permutation of broken and unbroken lines.
The meaning of the symbols is then found in a book listing all the traditional
interpretations. The 64 hexagrams make
up the diagrams of the I Ching.
01 --- Ch’ien Heaven
---
---
02 --- Sun Wind
- -
- -
03 --- K’an
- -
---
04 - -
- -
- -
05 - - K’un Earth
- -
- -
06 - - Chen Thunder
---
---
07 - - Li Heat
---
- -
08 ---
The most sophisticated oracle
ever devised, but also a complete system of symbolic wisdom
arranged in playful form. As with other symbolic systems the I Ching, or Chinese Book of
Changes, is an elaborate structure built from simple units, which reflects the
structure of the universe itself.
Yang/Yin each contain the seed of its opposite (the seed of transformation). Originally the oracle provided the answer
‘yes’ or ‘no’, like heads or tails when tossing a coin. Separating and combining produces the
symbolic patterns that reflect the pattern of
life. For the oracle this also produced
new shades of meaning in the answer.
From the Chou dynasty in the 12th century BC, ‘Eight
Trigrams’ were used. By simply
separating two sets of eight trigrams, and then relating them to each other in
every possible combination of figures made up of six lines, you reach the final
permutations of this extraordinary book of wisdom - arranged like an elaborate game. The pattern of opposites is the basic
pattern of life, of symbolism and of the I Ching.
Starting with the simple
contrast of Yang/Yin, it develops via the arrangement of the trigrams opposite
each other, and is the continuous underlying theme of the final sequence of 64
hexagrams, for example, all are arranged in pairs of opposites, so far as the
patterns of lines are concerned, where the pattern of lines cannot be turned
upside down it is reversed. A continual sequence of flux and change. The seed changes into the tree and
back into the seeds. It is certainly a
highly sophisticated oracle, but whether or not it works or not cannot be
tested in theory, because there is no scientific theory to cover what happens
randomly, either in nature or in tossing coins or, picking yarrow sticks from a
bundle which was the original way of consulting the oracle. However, it can be tested by experiment: by
asking a question, tossing three coins in the air six times, and looking up the
answer. The answers do not seem so
vague and two-way as the Delphic
Oracle appears to have been at
times.
Alchemy was a significant element in religious Taoism in
01 Classic of Odes (Shih Ching),
02 Classic of Rites (Li Ching),
03 Classic of History (Shu
Ching),
04 The Spring and Autumn Annals
(Chun Chiu) and
05 The Classic of Changes (I
Ching), which is a book of divination and philosophy. These five books became the basis of Chinese
civil service examinations from the time of the later Han dynasty
(206BCE-220CE).
The ‘I Ching’ or ‘Book of Changes’ is
an ancient Chinese text used as an oracle to find out the answers to
troubling questions such as “what does the future hold for me?” The book consists of 64 “hexagrams,” each
consisting of six broken or unbroken lines. (Sixty-four is the number of
possible combinations of six broken or unbroken lines). The lines represent the two primal cosmic
principles in the universe, yin and yang. Yin (Mandarin for
moon) is the passive, female principle. Yang (Mandarin for sun) is the active, masculine principle. According to legend, the Chinese emperor Fu
Hsi claimed that the best state for everything in the universe is a state of harmony represented by a balance of yin
and yang. Why the I Ching has six
lines, however, is a mystery, since the ancient Chinese believed there were five
elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water), five planets, five
seasons, five senses, as well as five basic colors, sounds
and tastes. Unsurprisingly, legend has
it that, according to Fu Hsi, true harmony requires yang to be dominant. It’s just the nature of things.
The hidden cosmic meanings of the hexagrams were
divined many years ago by Chinese philosopher-priests in tune with the tao,
- Chinese for ‘path’ or ‘way’. They consist of such bits of fortune cookie
wisdom as: “Treading upon the tail of the tiger. It does not bite the man”. Or, “the superior man discriminates between
high and low”.
The ‘I Ching’ is consulted in several
ways. One way is by flipping
coins. Each coin is assigned a
number. The coins are tossed and the
numbers added up to determine the hexagram.
Another method involves a complex divination based on dividing up
bundles of yarrow stalks. One can also
consult the oracle either on the internet or on a CD.
It is not too difficult to understand why ancient peoples
would look to random coin tosses, plant stalks, bird’s entrails, the stars, lines on burnt bones,
etc., to help them decide what to do next with their lives. They had no science, little knowledge of the
nature of things, and not much more to guide them in this life than the
teachings of superstitious mythmakers and storytellers. It is not
too difficult to imagine why the mythmakers would come up with such methods of
divination: you can make money from it and, if you are clever and vague enough,
nobody can prove you wrong.
Also, such beliefs lend themselves to confirmatory
experiences and are bound to have many satisfied customers. Anything that vaguely resembles an accurate
prediction will be significant. What
would count as counter-evidence is not clear and is certainly not actively
sought out or attended to. Some
prophecies, too, become self-fulfilling.
Furthermore, the oracle satisfies a need which many
people seem to have: the need to be told what to do with their lives. The same is true today, though it may be
disappointing to some graduates of
See
related entries on oracles and stichomancy.
International Lambdoma Research Institute: They show the relationships
all of the parts that we are discussing here.
The I Ching, The DNA Codons, The Harmonic
Octave. The 8 x 8 Grid, the color coded
musical scale, Mandela’s and more. For
those of you that are interested the URL is…….
http://members.aol.com/Lambdom/Home/ILRIHomePage.html