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  • I Ging

    Dear Family,

    do you have some experience with I Ging?
    It is supposed to be the oldest book known to the modern world (as it is the oldest Chinese classic) with it´s age of around 3000 (?) years.
    I´ve got the Richard Wilhelm translation (Chinese to German). In my humble opinion he projects far too much Christian values into ancient Chinese thought.

    Yet it is quite difficult to read and I wonder if someone can recommend a proper introduction.

    Here are some useful links on this subject:

    Introductions to I Ching

    Consult the Yijing (I Ching), famous chinese divination system with the sixty four hexagrams. / Consulter le Yijing (Yi king), le livre de la Chine antique portant sur les soixante-quatre hexagrammes.


    Best regards, Anton
    Engage and maintain joyful practice!

    May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

    Anton Schmick
    Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

    shaolinwahnamchina.com
    http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
    http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
    http://kungfu-luebeck.de


  • #2
    "If you are sincere in your heart, whatever you do succeeds" - 29th the Abysmal, I Ging
    inspiring quote from I Ging
    Engage and maintain joyful practice!

    May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

    Anton Schmick
    Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

    shaolinwahnamchina.com
    http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
    http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
    http://kungfu-luebeck.de

    Comment


    • #3
      Dear Anton,

      I am so interested in a good translation of this too. As usually happens with this jewels good translations are hard to find... but not impossible. I like to read different translations and then compare them, but sometimes they have some contradictions (this happened to me with the Nei Jing)
      what about this one? it is not into german



      perhaps someone else can give us another one.

      quote, “One should act in consonance with the way of heaven and earth, which is enduring and eternal. The superior man perseveres long in his course, adapts to the times, but remains firm in his direction and correct in his goals.”

      Regards,

      Vero

      Comment


      • #4
        Virtual Oracle

        Here is a fun virtual I-Ching to consult:

        http://www.eclecticenergies.com/iching/virtualcoins.php
        Sifu Andy Cusick

        Shaolin Wahnam Thailand
        Shaolin Qigong

        sigpic

        Connect:
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        "a trained mind brings health and happiness"
        - ancient wisdom

        Comment


        • #5
          Total I Ching

          Hi,

          The I Ching (Yijing) was the first spiritual book I ever bought (from a dusty back street bookshop in Manchester). I was fascinated by the strange symbols on the front of it which I now know to be the yin yang symbol and the Bagua.

          Up until recently I also found I needed to compare and contrast different versions. But about a year ago I bought the "Total I Ching" by Stephen Karcher (and his slimmed down version called "How to use the I Ching"). I would now categorically say that this is all you need due to the nature of the author's scholarship and its linking to the mythical origins of the text which gives a fantastic context for where you are on the spiritual journey.

          IMHO using the I Ching is in effect a personal dialogue with the Tao and you have to engage with it regularly to better understand the dynamic nature of your changing world. One aspect that is easy to get caught up in is asking for predictions. This does not work - it communicates with you by giving you images to describe where you are and the best courses of action or strategies for right now.

          Also, I have found that the clarity of the reading the I Ching presents is directly related to your state of mind i.e. meditating or doing Qigong before using the I Ching definitely produces clearer answers. You might say this should be self-evident but most people feel drawn to using the I Ching precisely when there are issues or choices in their life which are emotionally confounding.

          I don't know if including Amazon links is permitted here but here it is:






          Also, here is his website:

          Like it or not, we are living in a whirlpool of change. Everything around us seems to be dissolving into confusion. When we experience ourselves as passive victims of this dark rushing river of change, we feel cut off, isolated, angry and panicked. If we can become a part of the deep dialogue
          Last edited by RDBoucher; 6 November 2012, 03:55 AM.
          Kind regards,
          David

          Comment


          • #6
            I had a workshop some months ago, where we learned the traditional I Ching divination, its origins, etc. I specifically asked if there was any particularly good translation, the answer I got was that every translation has the essential (which is the text itself), any one will do. My interpretation is that the skill of the interpreter is what matters most.

            Also, one of the takeaways is that you should ask open questions, instead of true/false questions. You should also question the I Ching with reverence, don't bother it with mundane questions.

            I also have the Wilhelm translation, and I found that his terms are a little outdated, at least for my English level. I think any translation will do, as long as you are comfortable with the text.

            Comment


            • #7
              "Online clarity" is a site I used to consult as they have a useful discussion forum(!)

              If you'd like to compare and contrast various versions of the I Ching there are a set of reviews and recommended versions here:

              The I Ching is a modest little book written in Old Chinese. (I believe its original core, the Zhouyi, could all fit on a single page of a broadsheet newspaper.) But most of us get to know the book in translation, and the version we choose ends up being 'the I Ching' for us. So our choice of trans

              The I Ching is a modest little book written in Old Chinese. (I believe its original core, the Zhouyi, could all fit on a single page of a broadsheet newspaper.) But most of us get to know the book in translation, and the version we choose ends up being 'the I Ching' for us. So our choice of trans
              Kind regards,
              David

              Comment


              • #8
                The Yijing (which is the way the Mandarin-speaking would spell it) is a a race/culture-neutral book. I have been studying and practising it under a master for some time, and I have found that being a native Chinese and fluent in the language is not necessarily an advantage.

                I have had very accurate readings with the Yijing, but my teacher tells me that this is more due to my qigong practice and "comfort level" in the mystical or internal arts. There are also some in my country who do not know a word of Chinese (which is rare) but are just plain gifted in divination without even reading the "Yao" (not sure what it is called in English - it refers to the words accompanying the symbols).

                So, I agree that any translation will probably do, but all things being equal, someone who can read the nuances of a Chinese word (like English, some words in Chinese have multiple meanings) may have access to more than one possible interpretation.
                百德以孝为先
                Persevere in correct practice

                Comment


                • #9
                  There's a previous forum thread on the Yijing here:



                  Alex recommends a Karcher and a Huang version, and for those new to the Yijing I would also suggest acquiring the Wilhelm-Baynes as a classic translation against which these modern interpretations can be compared.

                  There's a nice online Yijing here, but I prefer casting a reading manually and using my books.

                  Consult the Yijing (I Ching), famous chinese divination system with the sixty four hexagrams. / Consulter le Yijing (Yi king), le livre de la Chine antique portant sur les soixante-quatre hexagrammes.
                  Kind regards,
                  David

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Did you know that the foundation of informatics (binary systems) was formed by Leibniz, who in turn was inspired by the I ching?



                    It is quite intriguing to read this development with background of cultural evolution which is found in the second book of R. Wilhelm´s translation. There the I ching states that the main achievements of humanity were inspired by it´s hexagrams.

                    So was the internet inspired by the I ching???

                    hahaha
                    Enjoy your practice

                    Anton
                    Engage and maintain joyful practice!

                    May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

                    Anton Schmick
                    Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

                    shaolinwahnamchina.com
                    http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
                    http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
                    http://kungfu-luebeck.de

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Richard Wilhelm

                      Dear Anton
                      I have been using the I Ging Translation by Richard Wilhelm for many years now and I like it a lot. I never take the text literary, I use it for meditation and let my own pictures and images arise in my mind.
                      This is actually how divination happens, the message is just for you and for this very occasion and it only gives you an impulse to create your own answer that you actually already know, even if it is hidden deeply inside. I have read some other translations too, but I decided to keep using Richard Wilhelm text and grow with it. Now it has become mine. Maybe you just need to find yours.

                      There is one text by a Russian author Ю.К. Щуцкий "Китайская Классическая Книга Перемен" you may look at this. :-) Thanks God you know the language :-)

                      All the best.
                      .•´¯`•.¸¸.•´¯`°irene°´¯`•.¸¸. ´¯`•.

                      ---------------------------------------
                      “I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.”
                      Hafiz

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Hey Irina!

                        Big great thanks for the russian translation! I will have a look in it asap

                        It is also possible to work online with these two links and 3 coins:



                        Consult the Yijing (I Ching), famous chinese divination system with the sixty four hexagrams. / Consulter le Yijing (Yi king), le livre de la Chine antique portant sur les soixante-quatre hexagrammes.


                        I think with the chi kung state of mind we have an advantage to understand it easier

                        Best regards, Anton
                        Engage and maintain joyful practice!

                        May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

                        Anton Schmick
                        Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

                        shaolinwahnamchina.com
                        http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
                        http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
                        http://kungfu-luebeck.de

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I have discovered my favorite Iching translation by Richard Lynn.

                          It is very insightful and correct, sometimes too precise, but in general a digestible read. The language is fresh and clear. It does not mix Christianity with Taoism, which was my issue with the Wilhelm translation.

                          The commentary itself is made by Wang Bi a famous chinese scholar from 3rd century A.D. Wang Bi´s commentaries were supposed to have laid the foundation for the latter, more widespread commentaries of Iching, claims Lynn.

                          When the text becomes very precise and difficult, I switch to the Wilhelm version for a deeper understanding.

                          Kind regards, Anton
                          Engage and maintain joyful practice!

                          May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

                          Anton Schmick
                          Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

                          shaolinwahnamchina.com
                          http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
                          http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
                          http://kungfu-luebeck.de

                          Comment

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