The I Ching or Book of Changes

I first discovered the I Ching at the age of 19. It was described in a short story I read as an ancient Chinese book of divination. Well, who doesn't want to know the future? So I looked it up in the Murray State library. Their copy had an introduction by Carl Jung, in which he interviewed the book, employing divination to enable the book to answer questions about itself, thereby making its own case for its efficacy as a tool of divination. That was probably a completely original idea. I doubt anyone ever asked the Oracle at Delphi or the runes or a pile of goat entrails "why should I believe you?", much less got cogent answers in reply. Anyway, I admired Jung for his writings on what he termed "synchronicity", and felt I had seen this force at work in my own life, and here he seemed to offer this book as proof of his theory. Sold me. The I Ching (or "Book of Changes") is thought to date back to the second or third millennium B.C., and posits that there are but 64 different situations in human life, and but 6 permutations of each of those situations. What could be simpler? That there are only 64 basic life situations may seem a rather limiting worldview, but it is uncanny how specifically accurate an I Ching reading can be, despite these limits. The authors of this tome actually made an 8 X 8 grid of every situation that could possibly arise in human life, and all one need do to find his place on that grid at any given moment, is to insert himself into the matrix of synchronicity via a random event, such as the fall of three coins. How those coins fall will reveal your situation, and the stage of that situation where you are currently at (pardon the preposition). It is helpful to read an impartial and dispassionate description of what you are going through, to read the natural evolution of this situation, and advice to help you achieve the best outcome, or meet the impending disaster, as the case may be. Once it told me, and I'm paraphrasing here: "Hey, if you had asked me 6 months ago, maybe I could have told you something. Now you'll just have to take what's coming. No, there is no way out." I tried rephrasing my question, hoping for a less scary answer. "Stop asking me," it said, "or you're going to get your feelings hurt." When I once again tried rephrasing the question for a more favorable answer, it called me a fool, and went on to say that I deserved what was coming, that I had brought this disaster upon myself, but that apparently disaster and utter ruin were the only ways a very stupid person like myself would ever learn anything. That hurt, alright. The I Ching is also a fascinating read for anyone interested in Eastern philosophies. The commentary draws heavily on Taoist and Confucian thought. Ancient kings and wise men have written commentaries on this book, which was ancient even to them, and through the ages these commentaries have also become part of the book. Their language is quite poetic and thought-provoking. I got my current copy cheap, at Amazon. There's tons of translations available, but this is the one with the introduction by Jung. There's an extensive section called "The Material", of commentaries on the text, which can be of some aid in one's use and understanding of the book.

This is the essential I Ching book to own. As a TCM practitioner, the I Ching was one of the first things we learned about in our curriculum. The basis of Taoism and Confucianism. This is one of the great masterpieces of written word.

I bought this book as well as the book by Taoist Master Alfred Huang. Both are great books but I find this book to be a little more precise and definitive. The book by Master Huang is more organized . All in all one should have both the books . I have done round about 30 readings by now . And since these are decisions , it is hard to say what is right and what is wrong . But the readings are remarkably accurate to what common sense was telling me about these decisions . I also have taken a few decisions based on iChing, the results of which will be clearer by the year end . I will try to update the review by then . But all in all I am quite dumbfounded by the accuracy of these readings . Review update October 31st 2024 After doing many readings using iChing I have come to the conclusion that these are not forecasts or predictive outcome . The iChing readings simply tell us what the soul telling us deep inside us when the mind is confused with many conflicting thoughts . It is a great tool to help us taking the decision that we truly want but sometimes not able to take because of internal conflict within our mind.

As always, Deng delivers depth in an approachable and practical way without sounding pedantic. This translation has become a go to reference and guide for me!

Anyone who is serious about studying the I Ching (Yi Jing) should most definitely have this book in their library. I purchased this book back in 1982 and to this day it is my "go to" when consulting the Yi. Some may find it a bit cryptic, but I see this book as a classic, and the closest English translation to the Mandarin. This Oracle system is over 5,000 years old, but it is very accurate if you take time to understand the manner in which is speaks to you. I've conducted several workshops using this book and my students have found it to be quite enlightening. The book I purchased in 1982 is a bit worn so having a new one is a fun addition to my collection of I Ching books.

Its pretty complex. Not for begginers...

I have tossed the coins for over fifty years. I look at the I Ching as an oracle (wise person). My two daughter and I have a tradition of doing our ai Ching every New Year’s Day. I have given my grandson a copy with instructions to respect the IChing, to ask your question thoughtfully, interpret the readings as guidance and mining your own inner wisdom. Look deeply…

I am a devoted advocate of the I Ching. I first discovered it almost by accident when I had just graduated from university. What drew me to it was the introduction to it by Carl Jung, the great psychoanalyst. I recommend his introduction to it to enable you to see it in a modern light, and to help you understand why it works. And it does work. I have proved it for myself time and time again. I have also kept track of my consultations over the years, and reviewing them am amazed at how perceptive they can be, especially if you are at a "stopping point" on something and simply are not sure what to do. The book itself, as its translator is the first to admit, is not easy to "read". Its 64 hexagrams are sometimes cloudy and imprecise, but there are plenty of interpretations to help you grasp the essential meaning for yourself if you are casting the coins or yarrow stalks. I must confess that I was so taken with the book that I followed the ancient Chinese instructions of how to gather and use yarrow stalks, which seems like gentle madness to a modern, but is actually a recipe for concentrating your mind on the task at hand. This book and its translation by Hellmut Wilhelm is regarded as the fundamental translation, but if you don't understand it, don't worry. There are plenty of other translators and philosphers who have tried their hands at the I Ching, and in their translations you will find one or more that explain things for you. And today it's easy to get into the I Ching. Simply go on line to www.ichingonline.com to put it on your computer with lots of backup assistance. Buy the book, but use it online. You'll be glad you did.

I have been called to learn I Ching, and this book has been recommended to be numerous times by friends- and there isn't many photos or reviews on this book itself. I'll start off with saying that the presentation of the book is in decent condition, the cover is a bit tattered but the book itself is in mint condition. I am after the knowledge in this product and so the condition of the book is not that much of a concern or priority. The second thing to note is this book is actually a hefty read, there is a total of 740 pages (this includes titles, appendages, references and authors comments). I have only begun reading the author's commentary on the writing of this book, and it has been really informative giving a lot of detailed background on the legitimacy and qualifications of the people who have gotten together in putting together this book. The font is fairly small so be prepared to read in a well lit place, and to use a bookmark to help space out each line making it easier on the eyes to focus. The book was shipping to me quickly without any issues, I am really happy with it and all I have to say now is that I have my work cut out for me in terms of going down this rabbit hole of learning I Ching!

beautiful book in its material form(as in binding etc) i first bought this book in Amsterdam,lost it and finally found it here on Am. It is still the willheim addition ,the hexagram key page folds out so makes it easy to use.it is yellow under the dust cover.

Ich studiere dieses Buch seit 25 Jahren und es gibt mir in meinen verschiedenen Lebenssituationen Hinweise, Trost, sagt mir, wo ich Fehler machte und auch wer in meiner Umgebung Fehler macht - mein Chef etwa - und manchmal sagte es mir klipp und klar meine Zukunft voraus. Ein Buch, das man mit Gold aufwiegen müsste. Allerdings: Man muss es studieren und lernt erst nach einer Weile seine Sprache, die weder politischer oder psychologischer Correctness verpflichtet ist.

Ok

I have had the Book of Changes (I Ching) translated from Chinese into German by Richard Wilhelm, and then from German into English by Cary F. Baynes, for a number of years. I also have other Book of Changes translated by Taoist Master Alfred Huang, Henry Wei, John Blofeld, Richard John Lynn, Hua Ching Ni, John Minford, and David Hinton. My first preference is the version translated by Richard Wilhelm and second Alfred Huang. The book contains sixty-four hexagrams with ancient commentary, each leverages the natural images to depict how life evolves and interacts with each other. The famous psychologist, Carl Gustav Jung, liked it so much that he wrote a foreword for the version translated by Richard Wilhelm in which he said: "Like a part of nature, it waits until it is discovered. It offers neither facts nor power, but for lovers of self-knowledge, of wisdom - if there be such - it seems to be the right book." The Richard Wilhelm version offers me practical advice and guides me step-by-step to understand the Book of Changes that I could not understand clearly in any other books. For easy understanding, it was divided in three sections (or three sub-book): simple sequence of the hexagram, then ancient commentary of the Chinese wisemen, and last is the deeper analysis of the interrelationship between the line within each hexagram. Some think that it is too much and repetitive, but I myself find it gives me a great assistance in understanding the Book of Changes. I mainly use it as a book of wisdom that offers practical advice, and I read it from time to time to absorb its offered wisdom during the week. If the book does not help me wiser, it does indeed point out where I made my mistake, and offer me guidance on how to avoid it in the future. I learn bit by bit and am still learning how to use it to guide my thinking and conduct in daily life because it teaches prudence and caution in action. The Book of Changes is not an easy read; wise men spent their lifetime studying it. I simply want to learn a bit, week by week, in the hope that I can understand the change and its transformation that underlying existence so that I can live in harmony with my environment.