Overview

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is an ancient Chinese book of wisdom and divination. Rather than foretelling the future, however, the I Ching tells us what we should do if our lives are to be in harmony with the forces of the Universe that determine the future. In this respect, the knowledge it imparts is far more valuable than a mere foreseeing of future events, for it tells us those actions we might take that are most beneficial for our life on this planet as we face the future.

History

The I Ching, also known in the West as The Book of Change, is the most widely read of the five Chinese Classics. The book was traditionally written by the legendary Chinese Emperor Fu Hsi (2953-2838 B.C.) and may be the oldest book in the world.

It is possible that the I Ching originated from a prehistoric divination technique which dates back as far as 5000 B.C. Originating among the courtly shaman-diviners of ancient China, it springs out of the unadulterated consciousness of primeval humanity. A great number of philosophers have written commentaries about the images in the I Ching. The legendary contributions of Confucius, or Kung-fu-tse, from about 500bc are the most celebrated, but there have been many others of comparable scope and quality. The images have been interpreted from the point of view of many of the world's religions, including Christianity, and they have been related to secular concerns in translations like the one that has guided the affairs of present-day Japan's pre-eminent corporate leader, Matsushita.

Benefits

The I Ching is a practical guide through the perplexities and insecurities of daily life, giving you the clarity and confidence to move forward. It roots our actions, experiences and expressions in the fundamental ground of existence. It's beautiful commentaries help to give us the moral strength we need to fulfill our ideals. The loveliness of its images provide endless joys of meditation, study and contemplation.

Procedure

An I Ching interpretation is performed by making six binary decisions (a hexagram). This is called 'casting the I Ching'. These are written down as a stack of six solid or broken lines. This was traditionally done either by tossing yarrow stalks or coins, although there is no reason why the hexagrams can't be generated by some other means.

The resulting hexagram is then looked up in the I Ching itself, to yield a passage describing what each of the 6 lines means. There are 64 possible hexagrams, each of which can be further broken down into groups of 3 lines called "trigrams". I Ching readings can be challenging to interpret, precisely because they paint a very complete picture of the situation. Notably, each of the 6 lines of the reading describes a specific individual, and the outcome of their endeavor. This is what makes the I Ching so unique and powerful - where Tarot or Runes may give you an understanding of your circumstances, the I Ching actually gives you an understanding of your OPTIONS. You will find the I Ching easier to interpret if you consider that it was written in ancient China, and think of the more peculiar expressions in that context. For example, an example of an anachronistic term is "efficacious tortoise" - a reference to the food of a wealthy man, similar to the meaning of "fresh smoked salmon" to many modern Britons.

Source of information: www.wholarts.com/psychic/iching.html | www.sacred-texts.com/ich/