If you want a second source, have a look at the recommended I Ching books page here.

As for how long to leave between readings… there is no rule. If there were one, it might be, ‘Until you’ve understood the previous reading.’

Thank you for your input, its helpful. Where would I go to extract the meaning below the layer of Wang Bi in an English translation?

One other question I often ponder on, is how mush time and space to allow between the reading of a Hexagram, eg on both old and new line Hexigrams? Before you do another reading?

“As I understand it, in the proper use or consultation of I Chang. One does not ask a question for an answer. You just develop a hexagram based at the moment of time”

This is certainly one way of consulting the I Ching, but by no means the only ‘proper’ one. Asking a carefully-thought-out question often works best.

There are a few ‘layers’ of I Ching books you should be aware of:

• There’s the ancient Chinese, which tradition says was written by Wen and his family.
• There’s a long line of commentators on the Chinese. Wang Bi was one of the very first.
• Nowadays there are people who translate the Chinese…
• …and then there are those who write about translations. Mostly there are people who write about the Wilhelm/Baynes version, which is still the most famous.

The closer you can get to the words of the original, the more reliable a foundation you have to build your own understanding. The original work is very concise, and anyone who writes about it must needs build up a personal edifice of what they think it’s trying to say. Sometimes that’ll help you with your own - sometimes it won’t. The important thing is to keep going back to what the I Ching itself says, and your personal response to its words.

Sorry to say I don’t believe anyone has written a ‘guide’ in response to the Lynn translation.

I’m new to this site and normally don’t blog.

However I like the comments here and I may find some help in the brains trust present.

To put things in perspective with some back ground, I’m an avid user of Wang Bi translations of I Chang by Richard J Lynn’s. I consider Lynn’s the most important indispensable book on I Chang on my book shelf. (How ever I have had no time to compare or use other works that are available).

As I understand it, in the proper use or consultation of I Chang. One does not ask a question for an answer. You just develop a hexagram based at the moment of time (in my case with 3 coins X 6) to discover what is occurring around me.

This consultation for information I need as I endeavour to create and lead projects of significants forward around obstacles that confront me.

The reason I turn to Lynn’s work is simply I have no one to consult with on complex high risk business and personal matters that I have put in motion (you only live once).

This is the handicap I find I work with when one leads the development of what some would consider extreme risk business and life projects, that most people say can’t be done.

It’s important for me to obtain a purity of information, that is uncontaminated by other peoples positive or negative life experience and phobias.

This leaves me quite alone in dealing with the matters at hand that have been generated by me for the most part moving forward from thought into implementation and there for risk.

In my life (I’m 62) I have founded a number of companies, none of it was easy. I found there was no way for me to get a constructive opinion on matters confronting me. So I have used Lynn’s book extensively since its publication. I found in my hands in its use unnerving correct for the moment in time I called up a Hexagram.

As it identified the events happing around me and my position in it and the action I should take or not.

The problems I have some times experienced are my reading of the yang and yin old lines and judgments I question are they correct?

To help me clarify my understanding I discovered not long ago A Guide to I Ching by Carol Anthony that at times I find is helpful and at times confusing.

As an example, say you draw hexagram 23 in Lynn’s translations it’s called Bo (peeling) the translated explanations can be unnerving especially if one draws the old lines. That change into and new Hexagram.

However if you read Carol Anthony take on Hexagram 23 she calls it Po/(Splitting apart) she ends up with a very different spin on this hexagram 23.

I know her work is a reference on the translation and writings of I Ching by Wilhelm & King Wen and his son and not Richard Lynn’s.

If you compare the hexagram 23, and read as old lines, 2nd and 3rd Yin of Lynn’s translations and Carols’ guide. There seems to be a radical difference in the meanings of these yin lines? Does any one care to comment my take on this?

That leaves me wondering and wishing for a guild on Lynn’s translations of I Chang Does any one know if there is one?

Thank you all, for your input,
Jon

Anyway, I like your idea of re-applying ‘I Ching for…’ books. I’m going to take the Tao of Organization off the shelf (not that it’s really an ‘I Ching for…’, but it’s the nearest I’ve got) and see how it works out for analysing inner dynamics as well as outer.

karcher i like but i’m unfamiliar with his names of the hexagrams, new age i ching, hazel good for instant english answers, the buddhist i ching and dynamic one great for human dynamics in life situations.

some months i look in at the changes every day, ask question after question like a detective interrogating his own mind, trying to find the hidden clue, what stirs beneath.

other times, i don’t look at the yi for months, or go off into the bhagavad gita, or some other eastern philosophy.

i think the javascript i ching is great for instant answers, and also the i ching square, rabe has a good perspective on the english translations.

all up, if i had to go to the moon tomorrow, its one book i would have to take. the yi.

I’m leery of ‘I Ching for…’ books, as it’s already ‘for’ everything. But I can see it would be interesting to try applying them on subjects beyond their intention - seeing your ‘business and decision making’ through a lens of ‘love and relationships’ or vice versa. I do have the Cleary/ Cheng Yi book - I should get it off the shelf more. Thanks for the suggestion.

OK—I didn’t have difficulty with Wilhem’s- I’ve always liked it, I actually found Stephen Karcher’s “I Ching” much less helpful.Although nowI’ve realized many yrs later, that his terminology is different than I initally understood.I did like S.Karcher’s and Rudolph Ritsema’s “First Complete Translation with Concordance” much better, but even that I’ve only played with as in free associating, I don’t use it often.
I really like Carol Anthony’s Guide to the I Ching.
Now before I mention the next few, I want to say–that sometimes looking at a description and interpretation from a different standpoint entirely is useful and helpful.
In other words, I mean to say that instead of using an I Ching which confine’s it’s focus to work and decision -making for *that* purpose alone, I find it helpful to use such a one for other issues too–but of course not by itself.
I don’t generally like the ones which focus only on love/relationships or work or organization matters etc.–but!
I learned a *lot* from reading a couple of them, and still do utilize Cleary’s “The Tao of Organization”–and again–not only for issues related to work or a group–(although as we know, a lot of situations with people or other matters can be “organization”-related anyway if you know what I mean).
Getting back to reading “specialized” I Ching books, and whether they are at all worth looking into–they are, and they are not—
For instance I never look at ‘The I Ching of Love’ by Guy Damian Knight anymore at all, but when I read it quite a bit about 18 yrs ago, what I gathered there, I still utilize when I’m interpeting something today..it enters into the picture anyway, though I don’t like the book much.
Does that make sense?