Teaching the I Ching (Book of Changes)

Abstract This book is about the Book of Changes, arguably the most important of the Chinese ancient classics. Its earliest portions were composed early in the first millennium BCE. These are referred to as the Zhouyi, while the received version that includes the canonical commentaries is referred to as the Yijing (I Ching). Many university faculties find the Changes difficult to teach because of its seeming obscurity. For this reason it often has not received the attention it deserves. The present work provides an in-depth background for teaching the Yijing, or for beginning serious study. It was developed in response to audience requests made at a major academic conference. The Changes began as a divination manual, but from the Warring States onward was also regarded as a book of wisdom. Mythology attributed its origins to Fu Xi, King Wen, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius. Many of China’s most renowned philosophers provided commentaries, including Wang Bi, Shao Yong, and Zhu Xi. These traditional views were challenged by the influential early twentieth-century Doubting Antiquity movement. During the Cultural Revolution the Changes was initially condemned as feudal and later extolled as consistent with Marxism. Critical philology has reconstructed the earliest meanings, and study of newly excavated texts has further deepened our knowledge of the Changes. References to women in the Zhouyi are covered in detail. The Yijing’s reception in the West and its influence on psychology and esotericism are discussed. Also provided is a detailed reader’s guide through the challenges of reading the classic, including evaluation of the major translations and instructions for divination.