The exact origin of the Book of Changes (I Ching), still eludes us. Like all text from those ancient times, the precise way the I Ching was created remains a mystery to us. The fact is, there are few texts still in use today that can be traced as far back as the Book of Changes. The beauty of the I Ching is that it is not based on any particular religious belief. It does not force the doctrine or belief in the existence of any supreme being. It does not discourage the belief in divine forces, but does not attempt to put a flavour on the divine doctrines we tend to believe in. It is religiously neutral.
The person seeking counsel from the I Ching can still have faith in his own divine direction yet learn from the proper path put forth by the ancient wisdom of the I Ching text. If the person does not believe in any form of Supreme Being, the counsel in the Book of Changes can still be an invaluable source of wisdom and inspiration. What is right is right. What is wrong is wrong. And then there is everything in between. The I Ching is in harmony with all religious faiths, yet compatible with those who have no faith in organized religion.
The I Ching has been a source of inspiration to Chinese scholars throughout the past five thousand years. Much of China’s cultural history has been influenced by this monumental piece of Chinese literature.
Fu Hsi, King Wen, the Duke of Chou, and Confucius are the four men who have been acknowledged to have made the most significant contributions to the I Ching.
According to ancient Chinese folklore, Fu Hsi originally formulated the trigrams, along with their meanings, some 3000 B.C.. He created the Yin/Yang line system and used them to from trigrams which are groups of 3 lines. He then combined a pair of trigrams to form hexagrams that he would then interpret. This knowledge was originally handed down orally from generation to generation.
The version of the I Ching that is presently in use was originally aimed at the mandarin lords and courts, about 1000 B.C.. The form of the text which now exists can be attributed to King Wen and the Duke of Chou.
King Wen performed his work on the I Ching while being held as a prisoner of the Shang dynasty. He was not proclaimed king until his son, the Duke of Chou, overthrew the Shang dynasty, and began the Chou dynasty. Unfortunately, King Wen died before his son ennobled him with the title of King. The Duke of Chou later continued his father’s work by adding comments to the moving lines.
About 500 B.C., Confucius added his own comments to the I Ching. The Book of Changes was an inspiration for much of the work that is now attributed to the Confucian school of thought. Another work of importance which was written during this same period is Lao Tze’s, Tao Te Ching, which was based on the I Ching for much of it’s founding inspiration.
In the year 213 B.C., Emperor Chin Shih Huang Ti, ruler of the period, decided to eliminate from the I Ching, any concept that did not conform to his own personal ideals. He ordered the incineration of all parts of the I Ching which did not correspond to his model of what the Book of Changes should be. The comments previously added by Confucius where specifically slated to be destroyed. Fortunately, Emperor Chin’s strategy failed because some people were able to hide their copies of the text until the Han dynasty took power in the year 206 B.C. The I Ching, along with other works of Confucius, then became the core curriculum for the schooling of administrators over the following centuries.
There is no question that the survival of the I Ching can be attributed to the reality that it included wisdom of the highest significance. People have gained from its counsel throughout the years, and the universal truths contained within its pages are still valuable in today’s modern society. The decisions people must make today may have grown in complexity but, the innate knowledge of right and wrong, and everything in between, endures unchanged. This is the nature of the I Ching, and the reason why it’s wisdom can never be silenced.
The Book of Changes has been the foundation for two of China’s greatest contributions to the world of philosophy. Both the Taoist and Confucian schools of thought have gained much of their inspiration, from the wisdom contained within its pages.
One of the later versions of the I Ching to come out of China was re-organized during the reign of K’ang Hsi sometime around 1700 A.C. It is named Chou I Che Chung. This version has served as the foundation for most of the modern forms of the Book of Changes.
|
|
|
|
