How I stumbled into the I Ching, I can't quite remember.
Or perhaps, it was through my initial obsessions with Wealth Dynamics - an entrepreneur profiling system and scientific-philosophical framework based largely in the wisdom of the I Ching and its insight into the cyclic nature of time, change, and creation.
The Ancient Book Of Changes dates back thousands of years and has stood the test of time. Though its been popular as an oracle, similar to tarot card or other means of divination often used as a predictive tool, the texts contain a far deeper wealth of knowledge beyond the application of a superficial fortune-telling.
The I Ching is something one cannot come to understand quickly.
A person could study the Book Of Changes intensely in hopes of discovering its treasure trove of secrets, however it is only through consistent, conscientious observation of life through the lens offered through the I Ching over years that one deepens their capacities for effectively interpreting the wisdom offered through it.
Or in other words: this shit is deep. Mastery in its depth might be next to impossible. At the least, it would most likely take a person years to really get into.
It's not an information text. It's not something you read once or memorize. It's more like an ancient sage, speaking to situations through a wisened philosophical outlook - often using metaphors and allegories to convey key points to unlock pivotal shifts from one state of existence to the next naturally-progressing phase harmoniously (or warning of the consequences of acting out of alignment with the structured order of the time period.)
There are layers to the Book Of Changes.
One of the best explanations I ever heard came from psychedelic explorer & philsopher, Terence McKenna. The basic premise: just as there is a table of elements that lays out the basic foundational elements from which all matter is comprised, there are 64 individual archetypal phases through which time moves through...
Like the natural cycles of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, the underlying universal structures governing the progression of natural phenomenon follows specific patterns. From a person's various phases of life to business and economic cycles, relationship & cultural dynamics, and nearly any other aspect of human endeavor - there is always an underlying order at work.
The I Ching is like an alchemical map of these 64 territories.
Often, it's been as a divination tool.
A question is posed, and through a few tosses of coins or yarrow sticks, a sequence of 1-3 of the 64 hexagrams is presented as a sort of code through which information about the situation is accessed.
When one turns to the I Ching with an inquiry, the forces behind its presentation of the perfectly-suited answers defies logical explanation. Yet approaching the oracle with humility, it can be surprisingly how accurately its offering of words fit the situation(s) in question.
Of course, sometimes there might be the potential to project one's own presumptions onto whichever of the 64 scenarios is presented. And there could be an element of chance inherent in the process, that a particular hexagram description might be vague enough to apply to the topic of inquiry. But the more experience one has with the process, the less surprised they'd likely be after finding the amusement in just how precise the guidance of the sage often fits.
However, guidance is not always clear or straightforward.
Reading and interpreting the I Ching is a skill which takes time to develop.
Translations cannot always be taken literally. Nor are first impressions and reactions always reliable. Sometimes more time is required to sit in contemplation of the situation through the lens of the offered wisdom in order to interpret the options for how its meanings could apply.
If you're kind of interested by now, but still a bit confused... that's sorta how the I Ching works at first.
As much as I'd like to provide a 5-star "I Ching For Dummies" story that'd make everything about it clear and upfront, the Book Of Changes is an esoteric phenomenon that cannot exactly be "taught" in the traditional ways. Rather, it is more of a gateway to dimensions of timeless knowledge and insight which one can only come to understand through the development of their own intimate relationship with it through ongoing exploration.
The I Ching isn't a conventional book. It's an access point into a deepening consciousness into the structure within nature's unfoldment of cycles, such that one is able to increasingly better understand their relationship with themselves, others, and life as it is projected onto the screen of consciousness as a precise extraction of the genetic code through the dimension of time.
Now that may sound all fancy. Yet to go through the process of attuning one's senses to the subtleties of how the dynamics within the 64 chapters of time is an individual journey, itself is a great transformation.
More than just philosophy or a framework which some might interpret as "spiritual" or abstract, there also exists a deep, fascinating correlation between the I Ching and the genetic code.
While it goes way beyond the scope of this particular post, the link between the 64 hexagrams and DNA have been explored and elaborated on in books like I Ching and the Genetic Code: The Hidden Key to Life by Martin Schonberger.
One other particularly great resource and translation which gets into the genetic component is a modern one from American Richard Rudd, Gene Keys.
And then, there is Human Design.
Another more recent variation, Human Design fuses both the I Ching and astrology - using one's precise birth date to cast a chart spelling out an individual's genetic mapping utilizing the I Ching. The best two resources offering teachings in this branc are theInternational Human Design School and Jovian Archive.
source: Steven H. Cullinane
One other recommended source: Terence McKenna.
Easily-accessible via the YouTube videos below, his insights and communications on the I Ching is perhaps some of the best, most potently powerful there is.
Be prepared to watch these multiple times if they capture your attention, as there are countless layers of depth, upon which returning to shall reveal yet more insight into and awareness of the mystery schools contained within this domain.
"The I Ching is not a book of Chinese mysticism. It is a book of molecular dynamics that seize through biology to the physics that allow biology to come into existence."
"The people who pursued this understanding of time achieved as sophisticated an relationship to time as the western relationship to matter expressed through our ability to trigger fusion and fission...
We're on the brink of a fusion of western science with quote-unquote "eastern mysticism" - nothing mystical about it except that we call it mysticism. But the fusion of these two viewpoints is going to give us a complete understanding of the universe of space, time, matter, and energy."
While there are dozens of translations of the text available in bookstores and libraries, the absolute best source I've come across is the Yi Jing app for iPhone and iPad.
The excellent thing about this app is the ability to purchase multiple translations of the text and have them all at your fingertips.
Being able to instantly skip from one author's translation to another can be a very helpful way to begin understanding hexagrams from multiple perspectives and find a particular angle in which the key principles within resonate most in language accessible to your own understanding and situation.
Sometimes certain translations don't seem to make much sense on the surface, whereas another might provide great clarity. Having such easy access to a dozen quality translations is such a priceless - though each does have a reasonable additional price - resource, I cannot recommend this app highly enough to anyone interested in the I Ching.
Curious yet?
Dive in.
The above is about all I can say about the I Ching. From there, it is up to you for exploration should you feel inclined to do so - whether the spark for action comes now or later.
It took me years to sink my teeth in, and it wasn't a straightforward discovery process. The above direction and resources is priceless to shorten the learning curve.
Should the path into the dimensions of awareness accessed through the I Ching be one calling you, following through upon that interest shall not disappoint. It is a continuous journey of discovery that brings wisdom, clarity, discernment, and rewards unlike anything expected.
Happy journeys... ;-)
