Since the beginning of time, humanity has always been blessed with an innate sense of curiosity and enthusiasm for objects and situations. The famous Chinese book “I Ching” can be considered a divine book because of its influence on Eastern spirituality and the root cause for judging the universe in different ways. It is a set of principles that guide the many fields of literature, the arts, medicine, and other fields. Let’s get a comprehensive overview of what “I Ching” or “The Book of Change” is.
I Ching: A Wrinkle in History
We are all familiar with the world’s major religions and their divine books, but remarkably, I Ching is one of the oldest books available today. The ca. The origin of this book dates back to (2852-2737 BC), which is considerably old. The remarkable aspect of it is the content of the book and how beautifully the philosophical concepts of one’s past and future relate to each other. In addition, there is also a certain analysis of behavior, characters and habits. These are the most important moral characteristics that we possess as humans, but it is an extraordinary achievement to design these complex networks of relationships into one beautiful concept of I Ching. Many myths exist about the origin of this book. All this not only explains why and how this book was revealed to humanity. They are given as follows
Myth 1
It is believed that China’s first emperor, Fu Shi, was the first to lay the foundation for the I Ching. It is said that one day he was sitting next to a lake, and suddenly a turtle emerged and swam to shore. The marking on the turtles’ backs made him realize the importance of the patterns found in nature as they navigate the chasm of life. He saw that the series of three lines or broken lines, the trigrams, were of remarkable importance in explaining the flow of energy through living things.
Myth 2
Similarly, the myth once again revolves around the tortoise shell, as the early Chinese heated the shells under fire until they cracked and observed the patterns that emerged. This was probably the beginning of the science of trigrams in the I Ching book. Some of these shells are kept in the National Museum in Taiwan.
Myth 3
The other myth concerns the female diviners of the Shang dynasty who interpreted the symbols from the shell of a living turtle. It was then believed that they became queens and royalty. Lao Tzu, the leader of Taoism and the author of the book Tao Te Ching, is also believed to belong to this clan.
Theory of the I Ching
I Ching can also be considered a book of wisdom, as it is a collection of poetry, philosophy, art and advice. The wisdom offered in the books is far greater in comparison than anything else. It has been an accumulation of experiences, advice, observations and science of the nature of things over the past (2500-3000) years. It is the voice of the ancestors of Chinese philosophy and spirituality, which has had a tremendous effect on the lives of people around the world to this day. The book, which is available at a local marketplace, consists of 64 chapters. They represent the 64 hexagrams of I Ching. Each hexagram is a stack of six lines, which are continuous or broken.
The I Ching system
To interpret the Book of Changes “I Ching” requires a system that categorizes human experiences in a format. The methods used to adopt the general advice from the book depend on the type of system. It involves the prediction of a certain situation or the analysis of the energy flowing through the system. It means that it tells us how it can tell what is likely to happen to a person. The I Ching book consists of this system in the form of lines.
The concept of Ying Yang is perceived in the book through the representation of lines. The solid line (-) represents yang, while the dashed line (- -) represents yin. The yin-yang system can be used, but because it can only predict four possibilities, that is, the relationship of yang to itself and yin to itself is two, while in relation to each other they also have two possibilities. The genius I Ching system devises a unique system that organizes the yin-yang into three separate lines. This is called the trigram. Each trigram has a total of eight possibilities. This is then linked to another trigram, which in turn forms a hexagram.
Consult I Ching and build a hexagram
There are countless methods by which you can consult and certainly interpret the message of the I Ching. This can be done by tossing coins, sorting yarrow sticks, or pulling marbles from a bag. However, the process is simple and the translation will easily point you to the correct hexagram. The hexagram consists of lines that continue to grow into a solid line or break off. While you understand the collection of texts you are being referred to, you must also observe the lines. The hexagram not only shows this, but also tells the continuity of the pattern in the next chapter and at the same time shows the energy flow through that situation. I Ching, also called the Book of Changes, maintains the aspect of change in the transition from one hexagram to another.
Importance of I Ching and its uses
The question we are now asked is: what could I Ching achieve for us? This is a much better inquiry than What Would I Ching Do for Me? Since I Ching it has mainly been about philosophy of life and nature. The correlation with the life of creatures makes it important to ask what it brings to us. The fact is that no matter whether you go to the best healer, fortune teller or paranormal analyst, no change will happen in life unless we are willing to change. That is why the I Ching is a guideline for life. It gives your question an answer with which you can build your life.
Brings harmony
Harmony is not only the peace and stability in our relationships, but it is also a precursor to a happy life. It strengthens our relationships and helps society become stronger. In addition to rooting a relationship in a deeper spiritual desire, I Ching also helps attorneys make an important decision. A business investor can seek help with his investment and business. Although the applications are technical, one should not be skeptical of the advice, as it is the energy and our feelings associated with a situation that tell us how we react. Judging is better, although I Ching can certainly help us with that.
Sincerity and respect
I Ching, also known as the Book of Wisdom. It tells how important it is to value one moral code, whether in a relationship or other ventures. Human relationships are of paramount importance and concern to I Ching. Because it helps remarkably in supporting a relationship. It will help you understand your soulmate better with sincerity and respect.
An example hexagram from I Ching
Although there are a total of 64 hexagrams describing different aspects of life and human experiences. Here we would discuss the first hexagram to get an idea of what it is about.
Qian
Qian means enormous, great and something from which power comes. This is a hexagram of six solid lines, which translates into the following.
- The dragon hides in the depths. Great power is stored in one, but it is not the time to act actively.
- The dragon now appears in the fields and its influence grows.
- It refers to being active and alert all day long. It also indicates that you are repeatedly following the right path.
- This shows its power: it still jumps into the deep end, but once it breaks free, there will be no more mistake.
- It says how the dragon is now in the air and the man will raise himself up to work. It shows activity and working.
- There will be an opportunity for repentance when the dragon oversteps his proper boundaries.
The wisdom embodied in I Ching is not something that can be easily interpreted into something simple, but it is indeed the divine experience of life, expressed and organized into a system of predictions. This 3,000 year old book not only offers a philosophical perspective, not the lives of people, but shows the principles by which it should be guided. Therefore, it is and has been an important source of inspiration for the most important Eastern spiritual leaders and religions.
