In my latest members’ survey, I asked:
“There are times for everyone when talking with the I Ching doesn’t feel as spontaneous and easy as it could be. The natural flow through asking, receiving an answer and integrating it into life gets blocked somehow.
I’m interested in how you experience this:
What’s the single biggest challenge you experience in working with the I Ching?“
I asked this partly because it seems like a good question to be thinking about, and I thought you’d be interested in the answers, and partly because I’m hoping it will help me to understand what’s really needed, and what I can help with.
So as not to influence or limit anyone’s response, I haven’t added any suggested answers to the survey; I just provided one empty text box to write in. And to my great delight, lots of people have, with answers ranging from a single word (like ‘awareness’ or ‘ego’) to streams of consciousness that overflowed the box. It’s startling how clear and distinct a picture emerges from all this diversity.
Another surprise was that more than half the respondents didn’t identify the practical business of interpreting the answer as their greatest challenge – at least, not the external elements of that, like clashing translations or ancient imagery. Instead, they talked about inner challenges.
Some seventeen people pointed to getting the right state of mind for the reading: asking with a quiet mind, interpreting with a genuinely open mind, not being driven by anxiety. (Another six mentioned framing a good question, which might be part of the same thing.)
Then on the other side of this same coin, there are a dozen people who talk about the problems of trusting one’s own interpretation, and doing so enough to act on it. Maybe anxiety or wishful thinking get in the way, creating a reluctance to accept the answer. Or – at least as likely – maybe the fear that perhaps one might be indulging in wishful thinking, or over-complicating things, or being too superficial, ties people up in knots.
Then a slightly smaller group of people talk about problems in the act of interpretation itself – actually making the connection between words on the page and the real-life situation, without the benefit of hindsight. It’s one thing to get help in recognising your repeating patterns, as one respondent said; it’s another to receive advice on major life changes and feel confident in acting on it.
Quite a few people specifically mentioned that applying the ancient imagery to modern situations was a problem – hopefully Words of Change will help with that. It’s a million miles from being a complete glossary, but people are finding it useful.
Others talked about dealing with apparent contradictions within readings. And five people said that they often did ‘get it’ right away, but were stumped when they didn’t. How to respond when you’re confronted with a reading that doesn’t connect? Some people would just leave it, and wait for the answer to arrive in its own time (maybe with benefit of Prof. Hindsight again). Others embark on a process of exploration and research.
It seems to me that a lot of this is about confidence. A successful reading means asking what really needs to be asked, interpreting the answer well, developing a new understanding, and acting in accordance with that. it takes considerable confidence to travel right through the process to the final stage – both self-confidence, and also just the assurance that this thing works, and so it’s worth the effort.
(In that connection, I’d just like to say that it not only works, it’s very robust. It continues to work even if your initial mindset isn’t an unrippled lake of calm; all you need is a genuine willingness to hear. I actually find that an intense emotional involvement can give that willingness an extra charge of energy that makes the whole reading experience clearer and stronger.)
So where does the confidence come from? I think it’s a combination of factual knowledge, skills and tools, and experience. With the I Ching Class and Course, I’ve tried to create a process where people can build up all of these in parallel: building up knowledge, adding tools (especially approaches to draw on when you’re stuck), all studied through a steady stream of personal readings.
With the class, I’m being reminded once again that while there’s no substitute for your own personal experience, access to other people’s experience is the next best thing. This is why the I Ching Community’s hexagram index is so popular, of course. It’s also true that the better you can get to know the people whose readings you study, and the more they share about the background and (especially) the outcome, the more valuable this becomes.
A smaller, private forum has a distinct advantage here, and I’m looking forward to getting a ‘Change Circle’ underway. I’d like to create an environment where people build up a shared reservoir of experience, develop skills and knowledge alongside experience. How to go about it? More quality time with the drawing-board…