From its mythological origins inprehistory (seeFu Xi) and the earliest dates of recorded history in China, theI Ching has been added to by a succession of philosophers, scholars and rulers. Thus, it reflects a thread of thinking and a commoncosmology that have been passed through successive generations. In addition to theI Ching's broadly recognized influence on Confucianism and Taoism, it has been shown to have influencedChinese Buddhism.Fazang, patriarch of theHuayan school, is believed to have drawn on a mode of thought derived from theI Ching.[4]
One of the earliest versions of theI Ching (called,Zhou I, orChanges of Zhou) was the oracle of theZhou. It played a role in their overthrow of theShang dynasty by ZhouKing Wu in 1070 BCE. An account of Wu's conquest tells of asolar eclipse believed by the King to be an omen from Heaven to march against the Shang. This account has been matched with a solar eclipse that occurred on June 20, 1070 BCE. Thus, the earliest layer of theI Ching has been shown to preserve a hidden history that went undetected for three millennia.[5] TheZhou Yi has been called one of the most important sources of Chinese culture. It has influenced fields as varied as mathematics, science, medicine, martial arts, philosophy, history, literature, art, ethics, military affairs and religion.
Joseph Campbell describes theI Ching as "an encyclopedia oforacles, based on a mythic view of theuniverse that is fundamental to all Chinese thought."[6]
Confucius was fascinated by theI Ching and kept a copy in the form of "a set of bamboo tablets fastened by a leather thong, [which] was consulted so often that the binding had to be replaced three times. [Confucius] said that if he had fifty years to spare, he would devote them to the I Ching."[7] The ten commentaries of Confucius, (orTen Wings), transformed theI Ching from a divination text into a "philosophical masterpiece".[8] It has influenced Confucians and other philosophers and scientists ever since.[8]
Prior to the Tokugawa period (1603–1868 CE) inJapan, theBook of Changes was little known and used mostly for divination until Buddhist monks popularized the Chinese classic for its philosophical, cultural and political merits in other literate groups such as the samurai.[9] TheHagakure, a collection of commentaries on theWay of the Warrior, cautions against mistaking it for a work of divination.[10]
American historian Michael Nylan, representingUC Berkeley noted the considerable influence of theI Ching on intellectuals in Europe and America. She stated that it is the most familiar of the fiveChinese classics, and without doubt, the best-known Chinese book that laid the foundation of modern Western culture beginning the 17th century.[11]
In a 1965 interview,Bob Dylan stated that the book is "the only thing that is amazingly true, period...besides being a great book to believe in, it's also very fantastic poetry" and in a mid-1970s rendition of his songIdiot Wind he sang "I threw the I-Ching yesterday, it said there might be some thunder at the well."[15]
The poetAllen Ginsberg wrote a poem calledConsulting I Ching Smoking Pot Listening to the Fugs Sing Blake in 1966.[16]
MusicianGeorge Harrison, who composed theBeatles songWhile My Guitar Gently Weeps, recalls he "picked up a book at random, [theI Ching] opened it, saw "gently weeps", then laid the book down again and started the song".
In the 1977 novelMonkey Grip byHelen Garner, the protagonist consults theI Ching for its synchronicities relating to a romance with her partner.
Francophone authorEzechiel Saad and his bookYi King, mythe et histoire delves into the shamanic roots of oracular Chinese thought, and examines the real or legendary bestiary, searching for meaning from psychoanalysis and Western culture.[19]
In the late 1960s, the comic bookWonder Woman temporarily changed the title character from asuperhero to asecret agent, and placed her under the guidance of an elderly mentor known as "I Ching".
^Wilhelm, Richard; Baynes, Cary F. (5 December 2005). Dan Baruth (ed.)."Introduction to the I Ching". Archived fromthe original on 16 August 2013. Retrieved8 June 2010.
^abPerkins, Franklin.Leibniz and China: A Commerce of Light. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. p 117. Print.
^Needham, J. (1991).Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 2, History of Scientific Thought. Cambridge University Press. p. 307.ISBN978-0-521-05800-1.
^Douglas Adams (1991).The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul. Simon and Schuster. p. 97.ISBN978-0-671-74251-5. Retrieved8 June 2010.It was much like an ordinary pocket calculator, except that the LCD screen was a little larger than usual in order to accommodate the abridged judgments of King Wen on each of the sixty-four hexagrams, and also the commentaries of his son, the Duke of Chou, on each of the lines of each hexagram. These were unusual text to see marching across the display of a pocket calculator, particularly as they had been translated from the Chinese via the Japanese and seemed to have enjoyed many adventures on the way.
^I.G. Bearden (17 May 2010)."Bohr family crest". Niels Bohr Institute (University of Copenhagen). Archived fromthe original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved7 June 2010.
