THE I CHING SPEAKS

My I Ching Coins

I’ve mentioned in several recent blog posts the I Ching – the ancient Chinese Book of Changes, or The Book of Transformation. Pronounced Yee Ching, it is a text that dates back over 3,000 years.

One of the books known in China as “The Five Classics” the I Ching has been used by rulers and common people alike to read the movement of the Tao and discern the right course of action based on circumstances (seen and unseen) and the movements of the Tao, of the Universe.

Developed between the 10th and 4th centuries BCE, and written about with volumes of commentary over many centuries, the I Ching, along with the Tao Te Ching, forms much of the basis of Eastern thought and religion, as well as the foundations of Zen, Tai Chi, Qigong, other martial arts, and the Japanese arts of calligraphy, flower arranging, archery and the Tea Ceremony.

Some basics of the I Ching, how it functions and how to consult it are discussed in my April 30th blog post, “Guided by the Light (And the Dark)”.

This blog post will delve deeper into how anyone can use the I Ching to help guide them in their daily lives.

The first thing to do is to formulate a question. It is a good idea to keep the question simple, rather than multi-part, to promote clarity in one’s mind.

It’s also a good idea to write the question down, again for clarity. I keep a notebook where I have a record of my queries so I can go back and review my past I Ching sessions and see how things turned out or find information that I was given but might have missed in the initial reading.

Then I consult the Oracle.

The ancient way of asking the I Ching was to repeatedly throw a bundle of yarrow sticks to come up with a number between 6 and 9. A simpler way is to throw 3 coins, which will come up heads or tails.

Let heads = 3 (Yang) and tails = 2 (Yin).

Thus 3 heads would be 3+3+3 = 9

3 tails would be 2+2+2 = 6

Other combinations will add up to 7 or 8.

Odd numbers (7 or 9) result in a solid (Yang) line:

Even numbers (6 or 8) give us a broken (Yin) line:

When we get three heads (9) or three tails (6) that means that the line is “moving.” A moving line changes to its opposite, showing that the forces of the Tao are in flux for that particular line.

The coins are thrown 6 times to build a 6-line “hexagram.” The hexagram is built from the bottom up, so the first coin toss gives us the lowest line (Line 1).

With these two possibilities (Yin or Yang) times 6 lines in a hexagram, it means that there are 64 different possibilities! Each of these 64 hexagrams represents a possible state or condition of the Tao, of our life, or of circumstances, which can then inform our situation and guide any decisions we might have to make.

To demonstrate, I will do a I Ching reading for myself, with this question:

How can these blog posts reach more people, so I can help more people.

I then ceremoniously throw the three coins. It’s a good idea to keep special coins just for consultations and periodically cleanse their energy. Salt is good for this, as is purified water or even sunlight.

Throwing the coins this is the result I got:

2+2+2=6 **

3+2+2= 7

3+3+2 = 8

3+2+2 = 7

3+2+2 = 7

3+2+2 = 7

** Because the top line came up as three 2’s (Line 6) it is a moving line, changing from broken to solid.

When a hexagram has lines that change, we are then given another, entirely new hexagram to consider!!

There are many books and websites (some better than others) one can use to consult the I Ching and read the hexagrams and the often very nuanced and varied interpretations of the hexagrams and lines.

The seminal guide to the I Ching is the very first translation of the Chinese texts into Western languages done by Richard Wilhelm. A noted Sinologist, Wilhelm translated it from the Chinese into German. It was then translated into English by Cary F. Banes, with a foreword by none other than Carl Jung.

The original hexagram is read first. It most often is the basic answer to our question.

Then we consider the moving line, which gets special treatment: it has some commentary all its own.

Then the new hexagram resulting from the changing line is consulted as well. Often this can tell us what the results of our actions may be, if we follow the guidance given to us, or not.

When we take action that is “firm and correct” a I Ching term that is oft repeated, usually good follows. Or at least we will avoid danger and harm. Or danger and harm can be transmuted to something that ultimately benefits us. The I Ching is a guide to moral action, decisions and behavior that comports with the Tao.

From the coins I’ve thrown, we look up the original hexagram. We see we’ve been given Hexagram #5, which is called Waiting or Patience. It also has an ancillary meaning: Nourishment.

Then we look at the lines, first as groups of three, which are known as a “Trigram”. The three lower lines are all solid. This is the image of Heaven. The three upper lines show water, specifically moving water.

So, we have Water over Heaven (or water in the Heavens). This idea gave the ancient the image of waiting for the rains to come. What can one do about that? Nothing. One must wait.

But waiting in Taoism is not passive, helpless, hopeless waiting. Waiting for the Taoist Masters is an activity: active, anticipating, poised to act, in a state of readiness. So, when the moment arrives, like an actor waiting in the wings, the good actor is alert for their cue and comes onto the scene to play their part at just the right moment.

Wilhelm’s commentary on Hexagram #5 says:

Waiting. If you are sincere,

You have light and success.

Perseverance brings good fortune.

It furthers one to cross the great water.

Some of the qualities that the I Ching considers of the highest order are sincerity and perseverance. “Crossing the great water,” is a constant theme throughout the I Ching. It usually means to undertake a significant activity to further ones aims (provided that they are sincere, of course.)

Each hexagram also has an “Image.” The Chinese pictorial language often depicts a representation of the hexagram’s idea. The Image here is:

Clouds rise up to heaven:

The image of waiting.

Thus the superior man eats and drinks,

Is joyous and of good cheer.

The I Ching constantly refers to “the superior man” (or today we should refer to this ideal as the superior person) who is the model for how we should comport ourselves in times of plenty and in lean times as well. Here one waits with joy, unworried about the situation.

One of my favorites of the online I Ching sites is I Ching With Clarity. In that site’s blog on Hexagram 5, they write:

Waiting is not a passive, inert activity.

Have truth and confidence

(the most vital component of any offering or ritual);

shine out; dare to cross rivers, taking risks to move towards what you need.

This is important, because our modern associations with ‘waiting’ are quite different: ‘this is beyond your control, so all you can do is be patient and have faith.’

The dancing shaman, pouring with sweat, is not just being patient.

For my question, I take this to mean I am to continue writing, striving, hoping, and being determined to keep the blog posts coming each week – all the while waiting for the heavens to break and the deluge of good nourishing water to flow to me, and also from me out to nurture and support others.

There is (of course) much, much more information to glean from this hexagram, but it’s time to look at the moving line and see what it has to say for my blog posts. And then to look at the new hexagram created by the moving line.

Line 6 moves from broken to solid (Yin to Yang) and has this commentary:

One falls into the pit.

Three uninvited guests arrive.

Honor them, and in the end there will be good fortune.

In other words, it’s always darkest before the dawn! Help comes, although it is not clear at the outset if these three uninvited guests are here to rescue or destroy. In the end, by honoring them, one ultimately escapes danger. Wilhelm writes: Even happy turns of fortune often come in a form that at first seems strange to us.

The changing topmost line gives us a new hexagram:

This hexagram is called, The Taming Power of the Small, referring to the broken Yin line in the middle.

Yin is the Earth, the earth-y, female, yielding, dark, docile energy of the Tao. Although “weak” it holds this esteemed place in the center. Its smallness is a great power that tames and restrains the stronger Yang lines, holding them in check, through its smallness (aka humility).

Here, Heaven is still below but above it now is the trigram that is an image of the wind. The gentle Wind above Heaven, blowing across the sky. The wind restrains the clouds, thus the energy builds, and the clouds grow dense, but they are not yet strong enough to produce the nourishing rain.

The commentary this hexagram says:

The Taming Power of the Small.

Has success.

Dense clouds, no rain from our western region.

The image in the Wilhelm text is:

The wind drives across heaven:

The image of The Taming Power of the Small.

Thus the superior man

Refines the outward aspect of his nature.

This second hexagram, as you can see, fits perfectly with the original hexagram and the changing line, as it relates to my question!

I am being told, if I read it correctly, that active, energetic waiting is still necessary for these blog posts to really reach the huge numbers of people I hope will be helped by my words. Waiting -- while being active -- is a skill that needs to be developed further.

The prospect of greater success will depend on my sincerity. It will be contingent upon continued work on myself to become a better, healthier person – mentally, emotionally, spiritually. These may seem like small things – nothing like a big juggernaut of success – but in spiritual matters, to grow and help others – these are the most important things if one seeks to accomplish great things.

Wilhelm writes, The time has not yet come for sweeping measures.

Message received!

One last thing (for now) about the I Ching:

It knows the deal! It knows what’s really going on. So, your question may be sincere and seem to be the most pressing question. But it may not be the question that is answered.

The Oracle will go to the heart of the matter. It will pick up and respond to what’s really going on. So, make sure that your question is a true and honest inquiry into the most and deepest part of the matter. And prepare to be surprised!

Enjoy Your Sunday,

John

I am available to do Prosperity Now! individual or group sessions or general life-coaching, I Ching readings, dream interpretation or join us for our weekly Wednesday Course in Miracles group. Please contact me at prosperitynowlifeofdreams@yahoo.com or sign up on my website: http://www.johnafrederick.com