The I Ching (commonly translated as ‘Book of Changes’ or ‘Classic of Changes’) is an ancient philosophical Chinese text and one of the most important books in world literature. It is the oldest of the Five Classics of Confucianism and offers practical wisdom for any situation and an ordering of the universe. Although the I Ching was originally used for divination purposes, it later became an important part of the Chinese philosophical system as well. The influence of the I Ching is still felt even today as many concepts that characterize the traditional Chinese world view, including Yin and Yang , Qi, and the Five Elements are expounded in this ancient text.
The I Ching is cryptic in nature and many interpretations of and commentaries on the text were written over time. According to the traditional Chinese view, it was only during the reign of King Wu of Zhou (the founder of the Zhou Dynasty who lived during the 11 th century BC) that the most profound interpretation of the I Ching was written. The king’s brother, Duke Wen of Zhou , is believed to have written the Yao Ci (‘Explanation of Horizontal Lines’) which explained the significance of each horizontal line in each hexagram.
The I Ching employed a form of divination known as cleromancy, which involves the casting of lots. One’s reading may be casted in a number of ways, including the flipping of coins, the counting of cracks on oracle bones , and the yarrow stalk divination method. The numbers would then be converted into hexagrams and one’s fortune may be interpreted.
The importance of the I Ching extended beyond the realm of divination as many of its concepts were incorporated into the philosophical system of the Chinese civilization. This is most evident in the teachings of Daoism, as its doctrine of the naturally changing world is drawn directly from the I Ching. Given that Confucius is traditionally regarded to be the author of the Shi Yi, the I Ching is also an important text in Confucianism, and major commentaries on the text were written by adherents of this school of thought.
The I Ching’s influence can be felt even today, not only as an oracular text or an Oriental philosophical system but also in our everyday lives. The story begins in the late 17 th century when the I Ching became known to the West for the first time. It was Jesuit missionaries working in China who decoded the text in such a way that they could use it as an argument for the universal truth of Christianity. It was from the Jesuits that the German philosopher and mathematician, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, learned about the I Ching, which led to the creation of his binary code . While Leibniz did not find any use for his creation during his lifetime, the binary code is used today in almost every modern computer.
