Practicing Yi Jing – Book of Changes
Yi Jing – I Ching
Method involved in Practicing Yi Jing, Book of Changes, Unification of heaven, earth and man.
Theories of images and numerals, carrying out adjustments and regulations for peoples’ diseases, resulting in healing.
CONTENT:• Yi Jing theory’s, explanation and methods of use
• Yi Jing Divination
• Eight-lines forecasting
• Eight-characters divination
• Big dipper numerals calculation
• Half palm foretelling
• And more…
The Study of the 《Yi Jing-The Book of Changes》
Today’s ‘Book of Changes’ is the joint completion of a monumental historical work by China’s three Great Sages, composed in three great parts respectively, ‘Changes’, ‘Classic’, and ‘Commentaries’.
In the most ancient historical times, sage Fu Xi brought about ‘Changes’, namely the Tai Ji diagram, the Yin Yang concept and the eight trigrams. In the middle ancient times the sage Duke Zhou and King Wen derived the ‘Classic’, namely the《Zhou Yi》. In the near ancient times the sage Confucius took it a step further and wrote ‘Commentaries’, namely the《Commentaries on the Changes》. Successively, the Yi Jing was passed on through five thousand years of history, not to mention the countless research studies of the Yi Jing and the new insights on it arisen in the two thousand years after Confucius. The《Yi Jing》was not only instrumental in Chinese civilization and development, but also made incomparable contributions to the world’s culture and progress. The ancients’ viewpoint of the universe was altogether based on the observation of the sun and the moon:
“The Sun and Moon act as the Changes, images of the Yin and the Yang.”
By looking at the ancient Chinese pictographs, we can derive some of their original meaning. The character for ‘Yi’ is made up of a ‘日’ at the top, which represents ‘Supreme Yang’, or the sun. Below is made up of ‘月’, which represents the moon. The sun is yang, the moon is yin, and therefore ‘Yi’ is Yin and Yang forming one integral and holistic entity. Yi is exactly the concept of Yin and Yang:
‘The sun and the moon act as the changes,
softness and hardness mutually push each other’.
‘Yi’s’ greatest distinguishing feature is its transformations. Like with the sun and the moon, in the daytime the sun shines, and in the evening, the moon rises. Yang changes into Yin, Yin changes into Yang. The ‘Yi’ also follows this pattern with the Tai Ji diagram’s Yang unbroken lines “—” and Yin broken lines “–” , that is, Tai Ji gives birth to the two polarities of Yin and Yang. The two polarities give birth to the four divisions, the four divisions give birth to the eight trigrams, going one step further after the arrangement and composing of the eight trigrams the 64 hexagrams are generated.
“The ‘Tai Ji Diagram is precisely the ‘Boundless Infinite Diagram’.
The ‘Boundless Infinite’ is exactly Yin embracing Yang,
Yang embracing Yin,
Yin and Yang not yet being separated,
the time of heaven and earth not yet having taken shape.”
Fu Xi recognized that before heaven and earth were divided, the universe was Yin-Yang and the primal chaos integrated in one organic entity called the ‘ Infinite Boundless Diagram’. In this condition and state of turbidity, no polarities could be divided. The Tai Ji diagram is commonly called ‘the Yin-Yang Fish’, depicting the state of turbidity before the beginning of the universe, before the opening of heaven and the splitting of earth. At its core is the philosophy of opposition, the philosophical principles of Yin-Yang equilibrium, more profound than language. This kind of turbid condition of the primordial chaos could be roughly divided into four stages:
‘Not yet visible Qi’, ‘the initial Qi’, ‘the commencement of form’, and ‘the formation of matter’;
The creation of life is used below to exemplify this point:
‘Not yet visible Qi’:
Eventually a Yin egg is formed inside the female ovaries via sublimating over a long time. The mature Yin egg begins to seek a Yang sperm, from the ovaries it advances and enters the Child’s Palace, namely the womb. In the matured males testicles, a Yang sperm forms also through a long period of sublimation. Through the male and female love-making, the Yin egg and the Yang sperm converge in the female womb.
If one regards the womb analogy as the Tai Ji diagram’s outer ring, then the Yin egg and the Yang sperm are exactly resembling the Yin and Yang fish inside the Tai Ji diagram. The Yin egg and the Yang sperm will eventually mutually attract each other to one place. This stage is the ‘Not yet visible Qi’ phase, impossible to perceive or sense.
‘The initial Qi’:
Once the Yin egg and the Yang sperm happen to collide, they mutually join together, just as the two Yin-Yang fish do inside the Tai Ji diagram, and new transformative combinations begin to grow.
‘The commencement of form’:
Once tiny life is formed in the womb, it undergoes chemical changes initiated by the mother’s Yin and Yang, as well as by its own Yin and Yang. Therefore it continues to absorb nutrients, and gradually grows into an “infant”.
‘The formation of matter’:
Even though it is gradually and slowly taking shape, there are also sudden bursts. ‘Ten months of pregnancy, every childbirth exactly will rest on quantitative changes causing qualitative changes.”
There were no Chinese characters at the era of Fu Xi , the eight drawn images compare well with the characterless heavenly book. Lao Zi in the 《Dao De Jing》 draws up a figurative metaphor:
“The Dao gives birth to One,
One gives birth to Two,
Two gives birth to Three,
Three gives birth to the ten thousand things.”
The Three giving birth to the ten thousand things denotes comprehensively the ten thousand forms, namely every phenomenon in this world. Fu Xi drew only eight images, and no further. Each trigram being divisible into three levels. Fu Xi realized that eight images already reached integral completion and were able to thoroughly encompass the ten thousand matters, the ten thousand things, the ten thousand phenomena within this universe.
Since the ‘Yi’ reflects the changes of the sun and the moon, the transformations of the universe, and the shifts in the human world, its transformations are limitless and infinite.
It contains ‘the Simplistic’, ‘the Changing’, and ‘the Unchanging’: three types of conditions.
‘The Simplistic’
Although the transformations of the ten thousand things in the universe are without limits and infinite, the universe only possesses the two Yin and Yang talismans, out of which everything is formed and composed.
This incorporates the notion that the more complicated a system seems, the more simple are the rules it is based upon. If issues arise, one must search out for the laws that govern the system. Fu Xi found out these rules and regulations. The rules and regulations are ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’.
‘The Changing’
Although all matters and substances of this natural world undergo infinite transformations, they all obey to laws. Once humans recognize these kinds of rules and laws, they consequently will be able to adapt and assimilate. They will be able to transform and determine the changes of matters and affairs.
‘The Unchanging’
However there are some nature governed transformations that seem to be everlasting and permanent, that cannot be altered or modified by human will. People must follow the natural order, and they must not violate the natural rules.
‘Some things necessitate action, others require non-action.’
If the Tai Ji diagram and these eight trigrams that were given rise by Fu Xi are regarded as the language of the wordless heavenly book, then Duke Zhou and King Wang are thus the first people who deciphered the secret code, founded the《Zhou Yi》, as well as disclosed and solved the wordless heavenly books. Duke Zhou’s and King Wen’s contributions were not only the founding of the post-heaven eight trigrams, but also the writing and composing of brief statements for each of the 64 hexagrams. The son of Duke of Zhou also wrote statements for each line, which combined make up 386 lines. Altogether they composed a perfectly comprehensive system. This was the birth of the Zhou dynasty’s《Classic》.
The ‘Classic’ denotes the great principles of Heaven and Earth, and of human life. Since the ‘Classic’ expounds on the Heavenly Dao, the Earthly Dao and the Human Dao, it is the holiest, the mightiest, and the most authoritative work, as well as also being the original source of all principles.
《The Commentaries of the ‘Yi》’ are generally divided into ten parts, or simply abbreviated as the ten wings. The great sage Confucius gave pen-birth to them seven hundred years after the《Zhou Yi》, during the time of Spring, Autumn and Warring States eras. He carried out deep and penetrating research in terms of the《Zhou Yi》. After he gained a thorough grasp on the 《Zhou Yi》, he wrote detailed explanations of the interpretations of every single hexagram and of every single line. There is no need to speak further about the Yi Jing as there are already many publications and articles about it. The main point in studying and exploring the Yi Jing is to grasp its theories, purposes and objectives. There are several concepts one must understand:
(1)
‘Still, quiet and unmoving, perceiving, thereupon communing’
Only if one lets go of all original cognition, knowledge and attachments, will one truly be able to naturally communicate and unify with Heaven and Earth, as well as the ten thousand things and the higher dimensions. Only then will one be able to open one’s wisdom and perceive the true meanings of the universe and the ten thousand things. For instance sitting meditation and the cultivation of stillness will enable one to open the three eyes, enlighten one to the truth that common people are not aware of.
(2)
‘Sages do not fortune-tell.’
The word ‘Sages’ refers to realised people, awakened to the true essences of the universe and the ten thousand things. They are in no need to take advantage and exploit the divinatory casting methods, foretelling fortune and misfortune, gain and loss.
(3)
‘Clear-visioned people fall into the well.’
One should not dispute and quarrel about a person’s gains and losses. Despite being fully aware of one’s disadvantage, one must still proceed out of responsibility, out of duty, out of compassion and out of love.
“A man of noble character harms himself for the benefit of others,
the lower man harms people for the benefit of himself.”
