Background
The I Ching is an ancient Chinese divination text, originally a divination manual of the Western Zhou period (1000–750 BC), later expanded with the philosophical commentaries known as the Ten Wings. It became one of the Chinese Five Classics in the 2nd century BC.
How it works
Each of six lines is made by tossing three coins (or by sorting 50 yarrow stalks): solid yang or broken yin, some marked as changing. The resulting hexagram, and any second hexagram formed by the changing lines, is read in the text.
Notes and limits
Safety: The text is a prompt for reflection, not a prediction.
Licensing: James Legge’s 1882 translation (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16) is in the public domain. The Richard Wilhelm German translation and its Cary F. Baynes English rendering are still under copyright and are not quoted.
At a glance
- Also called
- Yijing, Yi King, Zhouyi, 易經, Book of Changes
- Traditions
- Chinese, Confucian, Taoist
- Regions
- East Asia
- You need
- A question, A random draw
- Time
- About 5 min
- Price
- Free