It’s one of those FAYQ*:
“Does the Yijing always answer the question you ask?”
My standard answer is yes, almost always. And yes, it is always good to assume in the first place that this is what’s happened, and you’re looking at an answer to your question. The alternative – always wondering whether perhaps it might be talking about something else – is no way to have a conversation, and no way to build up a robust relationship with the oracle. It opens up far too much temptation to decide, in the heat of the moment, that surely it can’t be saying that about me, so it must be about something else…
So yes, as a rule, the oracle answers your question. This is why it’s so important to be crystal clear in your own mind what that question is – so that when you receive the answer, you’ll know exactly what it’s describing.
If you ask, ‘Should I start x or carry on with y?’ then does your answer describe a) what you should do (you work out whether it’s describing x or y) or b) the consequences of doing x or c) something else…?
If you ask, ‘What if I start x?’ then you know the answer will describe exactly that, the experience of starting x. You’re free to interpret the answer without first having to interpret the question.
Of course, having stated this with such lovely, clear boundaries I can expect Yi to come along and blur them.
Take, for instance, the perfect train wreck of a question asked by one of my class members last week. The outline of it was, ‘Is x the case, or am I wrong?’ Oh help, I thought. Since Yi doesn’t have a hexagram for ‘yes’ or ‘no’ (let alone for both at once), is the answer going to talk about the facts of the case, and if so, how? Or is it maybe going to talk about the accuracy of her perceptions? Or something else I can’t quite imagine yet?
Such a question is obviously the supreme recipe for confusion – except that in practice, the person asking it has a fine intuitive gift, and she recognised at once that the answer was actually giving her advice. It was perfectly clear to her, she acted on it promptly, and the situation was resolved.
Yi answers the questions it’s asked – and at the same time, it responds to the whole person asking. This is why, when I’m talking to people about their choice of question, I always listen hard for their deepest concern. Asking a ‘good, sensible’ question when your soul is crying out for the answer to a question that isn’t sensible at all is not going to work. The same is true of asking about something emotionally manageable in an attempt not to think about the big stuff. It’s unlikely that Yi will go along with that.
I even saw a small-scale example of this with the question I asked for the last podcast. I might have wanted to ask about money in general, as universal principle, but the answer I was given reflected what most of us are likely to think about right now when we think about money.
I think that’s a good example of how this works. Yi answered my question – it did tell me something we need to understand about money. And it also ignored my desire for a timeless answer, because it doesn’t just answer questions, it also talks to people.
*Frequently asked Yijing questions
I don’t agree, with the approach in asking a single clear question, in fact your question may not have validity or be relevant as to what is really going on around you.
I found time and time again a far richer perspective is waiting for me in my reading then asking an isolated pressing question, then the one I may want to ask.
I found I receive a far more rewarding insight, as asking a question, maybe too limiting as to what is about to influence your life.
You’re not running a risk of missing out if your pressing question has value in your reading it will not be ignored if it turns out to be of greater importance in your present universe of the moment.
The point of a reading is to understand what is occurring around you, to give you an insight in your moment in time.
From my experence and point of view your questions need not be asked and if you do ask them say mentally, in fact, they don’t need to be really crystal clear at all, as you’re seeking an understanding as to what’s up in your path in life?
In my 30 years of hexagarm readings, asking a crystal clear question may block out your perception of the real meaning offered in your hexagarm reading, your understanding may become slanted to only your question when more insight is on offer.
I found for my use, that the real strength of a reading, is to discover an independent point of view from my own on my present understanding the situation I’m seeking answers for.
An open approach to a hexagram reading can be far more rewarding and significant, then the question I have in mind or want to ask.
One tip….If you have a lot of critical events of importance surrounding or impacting you and you feel you require an above average comprehensive understanding of what is occurring in your life and the people that affect you. Take time out and make a reading of 6 lots of hexagrams plus the changes of the new of line hexagrams and read them all.
There is no short cut in a quality reading, if you’re looking for critical possible life changing insight and answers to questions you never thought to ask it’s the way to go.
As my mother said all will be revealed in time.
All the best,
Jon
I think it depends what’s meant by a ‘single clear question’. If someone only ever asks such questions as ‘How can I achieve x?’ or ‘What if I do y?’ then they are certainly limiting what they’re available to hear. But then, ‘What do I need to understand about this?’ is also a single clear question, and a real ear- and eye-opener.
I recommend a balance of wide-open and more focussed questions. Open as in ‘what do I need to be aware of now?’ – not even specifying an area of life, much less a goal or choice. And focussed as in ‘What to understand about x?’ or ‘How to achieve y?’ or ‘What could I do differently about z?’ and so on.
The reason for this is to try to get around all those human capacities for self-limitation or self-deception. Very specific questions can limit what we’re available to learn. Very open questions can encourage self-deception:
‘What to be aware of?’
‘21.6’
‘Oh, of course that must be about X and how he never listens to a word I say.’
Whereas
‘How am I doing in my relationship with X?’
‘21.6’
‘…’
– much harder to get out of that one.
Finally, rather than six readings for an in-depth understanding, I’d suggest making a single reading and taking six times as long to contemplate it. 😉