Summary
Wang Bi's commentary on the *I Ching* argues that the text should not be read literally, but as an expression of abstract moral and political ideas. This interpretation views the *I Ching* as a source of wisdom, not simply a manual for divination.
The commentary, presented here for the first time in English, offers a significant philosophical interpretation of the *I Ching*. Richard Lynn's introduction contextualizes Wang Bi's work within the history of the *I Ching* and its use as a divination tool, including explanations of the stalk and coin methods. The book includes aids for understanding, such as a chart of trigrams and hexagrams, an index, and a glossary.
Key concepts
- Abstract ideas — Wang Bi's central argument is that the *I Ching* expresses underlying philosophical concepts rather than literal meanings.
- Moral and political wisdom — This is the primary category of insight Wang Bi attributes to the *I Ching*.
- Divination — The *I Ching* is presented as a text used for fortune-telling.
- Trigrams and hexagrams — These are fundamental structural elements of the *I Ching* used in divination.
- Stalk and coin methods — These are specific techniques for consulting the *I Ching*.
From the book
Description: Used in China as a book of divination and source of wisdom for more than three thousand years, the I Ching has been taken up by millions of English-language speakers in the nineteenth century. The first translation ever to appear in English that includes one of the major Chinese philosophical commentaries, the Columbia I Ching presents the classic book of changes for the world today. Richard Lynn's introduction to this new translation explains the organization of The Classic of Changes through the history of its various parts, and describes how the text was and still is used as a manual of divination with both the stalk and coin methods. For the fortune-telling novice, he provides a chart of trigrams and hexagrams; an index of terms, names, and concepts; and a glossary and…
Snippet: Wang Bi interpreted the I Ching as a book of moral and political wisdom, arguing that the text should not be read literally, but rather as an expression of abstract ideas. Lynn places Wang Bi's commentary in historical context.