I Ching
The I Ching is one of the earliest philosophy and cosmology texts of Chinese culture. A book of symbols and meanings, the I Ching is often used as a divination tool.
Fast Facts:
- Also known as "Yi Jing" or "Book of Changes"
- Earliest Known Publication: 2700 B.C.
- Studied by Confucius
- Text is 64 hexagrams or predictions
- 3 basic principles Simplicity, Variability & Persistency
- Earliest known use of binary math
- Carl Jung used to base theories of synchronicity
- Used by George Harrison of the Beatles
- Seen in the ABC network series Dark Shadows
Brief Background
The I Ching is one of the oldest known Chinese texts. It contains tools for divination that involve 64 lines called hexagrams. According to the text, if one follows the process that is laid out in the book, one can find the answers to one's questions.
The text is said to have been used by Confucius, and some have argued that it has had an influence on a variety of Chinese schools of thought, ranging from Taoism to Confucianism.
It was first translated into English in the late 19th century and has since gain popularity in western culture and art. Artists and thinkers such as Carl Jung, George Harrison, Philip K. Dick, Hermann Hesse, and Michael Mann has all been influenced by or made reference to the I Ching in their work.
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