The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is the traditional Chinese text used for divination and guidance about the future. Believed to be deeper and more holistic than astrology, it has been in use since ancient times, and has gained popularity in the West over the past century. This unique edition of the I Ching, illustrated with vibrant artwork, simplifies and beautifies the original text for everyday use.
Millions of people who cast the I Ching to find answers to their deepest questions refer to the classic Wilhelm-Baynes translation of the ancient Chinese divinatory text, The I Ching or Book of Changes, published by Princeton University Press. The I Ching Companion: An Answer for Every Question is a study guide to be used in conjunction with the Wilhelm-Baynes translation. The I Ching oracle has survived millennia exactly because of its elusive nature. It is replete with phrases and imagery that are unfamiliar to the Western mind. The text in itself tells many stories from ancient China, when the Chou overthrew the Shang dynasty, and contains every aspect of the human experience, both secular and spiritual. Richards has compiled a concordance of the primary symbols in the Wilhelm-Baynes text such as 'to cross the great water', 'furthering', the four directions, colors, 'the great man', 'the inferior man', and the 'superior man' so that students of the I Ching can conduct their own study and gain their own understanding of how the changes described by the I Ching are connected in an eternal cycle of beginning, conflict, and resolution.
Translations of the Yi jing into western languages have been biased towards the yili ('meaning and pattern') tradition, whereas studies of the xiangshu ('image and number') tradition - which takes as its point of departure the imagery and numerology associated with divination and its hexagrams, trigrams, lines, and related charts and diagrams - has remained relatively unexplored. This major new reference work is organised as a Chinese-English encyclopedia, arranged alphabetically according to the pinyin romanisation, with Chinese characters appended. A character index as well as an English index is included. The entries are of two kinds: technical terms and various other concepts related to the 'image and number' tradition, and bio-bibliographical information on Chinese Yi jing scholars. Each entry in the former category has a brief explanation that includes references to the origins of the term, cross-references, and a reference to an entry giving a more comprehensive treatment of the subject.
The I Ching is an ancient Chinese work of divination that examines the patterns, or hexagrams, traditionally formed by dropping bundles of dried grass stalks. This edition features interpretations of the 64 hexagrams, including the Judgment, written by King Wen in the 12th Century BCE; The Commentary and The Image (both attributed to Confucius); and The Lines, written by King Wen's son, and here enhanced by modern commentary.
Composed in 2 B.C., as "The I Ching revised and enlarged," The Elemental Changes is a divination manual providing a clear method for distinguishing alternative courses of action. Structured in 81 tetragrams ( as opposed to the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching), the book offers much to the modern reader. Today in the West, The Elemental Changes is an essential tool for understanding the Tao as it operates in the Cosmos, in the minds of sages, and in sacred texts. It is also one of the great philosophical poems in world literature, assessing the rival claims on human attention of fame, physical immortality, wealth, and power while it situates human endeavor within the larger framework of cosmic energies. The complete text of The Elemental Changes and its ten autocommentaries are here translated into accessible and, whenever possible, literal English. Following the Chinese tradition, supplementary comments are appended to each tetragram in order to indicate the main lines of interpretation suggested by earlier commentators.
An important, new interpretation of the I Ching, the 5,000-year-old Chinese book of wisdom, in a unique workbook format designed to help truth-seekers find new meaning and enlightenment in its ancient lore. Designed for those actively exploring this ancient system in order to better understand their lives, The I Ching Workbook serves as a simple guide to the study and interpretation of the I Ching's advice. It provides a format for each of the 64 hexagrams that allows one to record the various responses of the I Ching. Insights regarding health, relationships, business, politics, travel, career, social events, and inner development have been sought of the I Ching, or Book of Change, for thousands of years. With contiinued consultation of the I Ching concerning all apsects of your life, you will begin to preceive patterns to the I Ching's responses—and therefore, certain patterns to the changes in your life. R.L. Wing's new interpretation incorporates cultural and linguistic changes that will greatly enhance your understanding of our world's most ancient book. You can now begin to use this valuable tool to bring new meaning and insight into your life.
From the acclaimed translator of the Tao Te Ching and The Art of War, his award-winning translation of the ancient Chinese oracle and book of wisdom, in a stunning Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition Pose a question, then toss three coins (or cast your yarrow stalks) to access the time-honored wisdom of the I Ching. The I Ching, or Book of Change, has been consulted through the ages, in both China and the West, for answers to fundamental questions about the world and our place in it. The oldest extant book of divination, it dates back three thousand years to ancient shamanistic practices involving the ritual preparation of the shoulder bones of oxen. From this early form of communication with the other world, it has become the Chinese spiritual book par excellence. An influence on such cultural icons as Bob Dylan, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Philip K. Dick, and Philip Pullman, the I Ching is turned to by millions around the world for insights on spiritual growth, business, medicine, genetics, game theory, strategic thinking, and leadership, and of course for the window it opens on China. This new translation, over a decade in the making, is informed by the latest archaeological discoveries and features a gorgeously rendered codex of divination signs—the I Ching’s sixty-four Tarot-like hexagrams. It captures the majesty and mystery of this legendary work and charts an illuminating path to self-knowledge. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
