The I-Ching is also known
as "The Book of Changes" and is vaguely dated to being 5000 years old. Many
stories surround the birth of the I-Ching, but the truth of the matter is
that its real origins are lost somewhere in the history of time. The I-Ching
is commonly considered as the basis for China's major philosophies such as
Confucianism, Taoism and Zen.
The universe being considered as always changing, the I-Ching explains (and
illustrates) the ways of the universe and its rules. An analogy can be made
to a river and its bed. The bed never changes but its contents, namely the
river, is ever changing. The river can have a lot of water, and sometimes
little water. The currents can be strong or weak. It will always change. Such
is life.
The basis of the I-Ching are the Trigrams which in turn gave birth to the
Hexagrams. The Trigrams are the Yin and Yang lines that surround the Pa-kua
symbol arranged in eight combinations of three lines. Pa-kua philosophy analyzes
even the simplest elements as having three parts: An egg consists of three
parts, the shell, the white and the yoke; an apple incorporates three parts,
the peel, the fruit and the pits. Even the skin itself has three layers. This
is the concept of SKY MAN EARTH, which is a recurring classification in Pa-kua
studies. Doubling the eight combinations of Sky Man and Earth lines of the
Trigrams attained the sixty-four Hexagrams. The I-Ching is an explanation
of these sixty four Hexagrams.
Fu Hsi, a mythological figure of Chinese history, is accepted as being the
creator of the Trigrams. One story relates that Fu Hsi observed a certain
pattern on the back of a turtle coming out of the river. His elaboration upon
his observations formed the Trigrams. Another version of the origins of the
Trigrams is that Fu Hsi noticed three burning logs in a campfire and the pattern
they were forming. Upon observation of another angle of the campfire, a different
pattern combination emerged. Fu Hsi, inspired by the possibilities, thus formed
the Trigrams.
Numerous stories exist about the origin of the I-Ching after the formation
of the Trigrams, and even the most commonly accepted stories are known with
many variations. The truth about it is probably lost in the history of times
and only legends remain. What is totally clear is that the I-Ching is the
most ancient book of Chinese knowledge. Many figures of Chinese history had
a hand in the compilation of the I-Ching including King Wen, his son the Duke
of Chou and Confusius.
Each of the 64 parts of the I-Ching contains:
· A Chinese symbol or name · A linear representation (Hexagram)
· A judgement ·
On each of these parts there are commentaries.
The I-Ching, although readable once translated, contains information that
is not explained nor clear. It is traditionally used for divinations, prediction
of the future and explanations of the past as well as the present. The symbolic
significance of the 64 Hexagrams is expressed in cryptic poetic passages and
philosophical commentaries. Not only are there many translations of the original
text but it is also left open for various interpretation that will differ
one from the other. This makes the I-Ching hard to read and deal with, leaving
it obscure and very enigmatic.
No matter what answer is found in the I-Ching, it is always a study in something
essential about the human conditions. The center of concern in the I-Ching
is always ethics, morality and the behavior of human beings.
One of the main reason to study Pa-kua and one of the main concerns of Pa-kua
is Harmony. This harmony can be divided in to two categories: Harmony within
one-self and harmony with ones surroundings. The I-Ching is an important tool
to achieve these goals.
Through understanding our past we can predict
our future.
This is not a magical statement. This does not mean that through the study
of Pa-kua, the I-Ching or other knowledge we become magicians. It might seem
like magic or divination but in fact it is only knowledge. For instance, when
a person studies seeds he will understands the whole concept: by putting a
seed in the ground, after a certain amount of gestation time a tree will grow.
This person can therefore predict, after having put the grain in the ground,
that a tree will sprout from it. To someone who has no knowledge of this process,
he will seem like a magician, one who can see in to the future, when in fact
it is nothing of the sort.
Through the observation of life, its rules and the study of the proper behavior
we can learn to know what are the proper paths to be taken in our life. Just
like the study of a seed and the subsequent growth of a tree, the study of
the past will tell us the future. The actual knowledge of why things happen
and how they do, helps us choose the correct way to behave in the ever changing
situations we are faced in our lives.
The study of the Trigrams and the Hexagrams gives us a technique to use in
order to understand ourselves, other people and situation we are faced with.
Through this study we can then work for a better harmony within ourselves,
others and the situations we face.
The opening of a book to a certain page or the tossing of coins is not a matter
of luck, it is a way to stimulate a person to find other avenues of thinking,
resolutions of problems and help in various aspects of life.
A thinking person, when faced with a certain situation, might come up with
a few ways to resolve it. When stimulated by the I-Ching and its knowledge,
he will discover other avenues in which to proceed. The I-Ching is a tool
to dig deeper in to oneself and facilitate the discovery of solutions.
To begin developing an understanding of the I-Ching, one needs some understanding
of the Trigrams. Through meditating on the Trigrams, one can personalize them
and make them his own. Each Trigram represents one of the eight elemental
forces of the I-Ching and embodies qualities needed to navigate through life.
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