The I Ching is, together with the Bible, the world’s oldest book in continuous use. For three thousand years, Chinese turned to it for advice on important decisions, as well as wisdom and moral guidance. Even Mao Zedong was said to have consulted it, despite his public rejection of traditional Chinese philosophy. In the sixties, with readable new translations, the Changes became a Western classic as well. A book that could appeal to both a dictator and do-your-own-thing hippies of the counterculture is certainly worth knowing about.
This interactive lecture program, illustrated with pictures and diagrams, will demonstrate how an ancient classic, filled with obscure phrases such as, “favorable to cross the great water,” or “Six at the top means: He gets his head in the water,” can both provide a picture of life at the dawn of humanity and be applied to life situations in the twenty-first century.
The program will conclude with demonstrations of actual consultation of the I Ching, using both the ancient stick method and faster ones suited to the pace of modern life.
(Quotation from Wilhelm/Baynes 248)
