Avoid a question which demands for a Yes or a No

[signs]

For years I'am working with the I Ching and still sometimes I don't understand the answer I got. Mostly I have the feeling this is because underneath there is a ego part that won't accept the answer and therefor in a way it doesn't want to understand.
A thing I want to share which seems to make much sence in my opinion is the way one put ones question into words. What I learned is that the clearer you formulate your question the clearer the answer will be understood.
An important thing to avoid is putting ones question into words in a way it demands a Yes or a No answer. In avoiding this kind of questioning the question will create a richer interaction with the answer.

 

[applegirl]

True, true

Thanks for the post Signs. As a newbie I can't hear that advice too often - it is tempting to formulate questions that lead to a yes/no answer but clearly the subtleties that the iChing offers are wasted on asking it such questions. I'm amazed at how rich and symbolic the iChing is and how one can dwell for days on the various layers that an answer will provide.

A major thing for newbies to learn IMHO is to formulate the right question, it's like helping the iChing to help you as far as I can see

Applegirl

 

[fkegan]

What is Yes/No?

Hi Signs,
The Yi oracle we use nowadays developed as an innovation on earlier Shang dynasty bone divination which only answered Yes/No to a specific question asked such as "Will it rain tomorrow?"

The Yi has the format of answering in terms of oracles that describe situations and developing processes in 64 alternatives that can become any of the 64 again with the moving lines. In such detailed richness what use would it be to ask a Yes/No question? Especially since in abstract logic Yes/No is not actually a question at all. It is a demand for agreement with your premise or a refusal to agree or negation of your premise. Either way it is all YOU and your question with only a coin flip of choice offered to the oracle.

In general, "demanding" an answer to one's question is not likely to be successful in any realm. So, what is it that is available as a better alternative? The Yi oracle answers in terms of scenarios describing a situation and highlighting the development of that situation either through its own 6 stages from first line through to its top line OR a development where one or more of those stages of the original oracle hexagram is being highlighted and accentuated until its emphasis is tending to change the entire process situation towards a totally new resulting hexagram.

Given the nature of the Yi oracle answers those questions are best that invite an answer in terms of what the Yi has to respond. Yes/No is all about your own thoughts and expectations and the best one can hope for would be an oracle response that describes where your expectations are limiting you.

The oracle works better when you either ask about yourself and your ego issues where the response can highlight your expectations for you; OR you ask about the situation with something outside of yourself where the oracle can give you a real scenario of the situation and developing dynamics.

In the Confucian commentaries they note that one should wait until one is over 40 to consult the Yi oracle. This is not so much an age bar such as prohibiting alcohol sales to those under a certain age as it is a statement in ancient Chinese terms that the answers of the oracle will make more sense to those who are old enough to have married, had children and now experiencing their grandchildren so that they have the opportunity to stretch a bit beyond their personal ego to see things in abstract generalities and their personal experience as more of a panorama of these possibilities than just what is exciting right now it is unique confrontation with you.

In more contemporary terms, as you read through the whole of whatever text or commentary you use to interpret your oracles and become familiar with what is the range of possible answers, it becomes somewhat clearer when framing a question what will work and what will be inscrutable.

Asking Yes/No questions is always trouble--that is why they are preferred in the courtroom. However, asking for a description of what is the objective situation in a specified circumstance and how is it developing tends to work far better.

Frank

 

[el_2]

It is called "The Book of Changes" and for good reason. Although I'm a newbie too, I find that the most helpful way to get meaningful answers is to enquire about the dynamics of a specific situation and the best way to act (or not act) on the advice given. I also state my goal-when I have one. Of course, there are times when you want to explore the validity of your goal or to find out what is your goal or your real motives etc. So, the more specific the question, the more meaningful the answer will be.

The thing that worries me though is that interpretation is a complicated process. When my question has been specific I tend to assume that the Yi gives an answer to that specific question. This way it gets a lot less complicated. But what if the Yi tries to tell me something entirely different that I can only understand if I assume that it is not answering my question specifically but wants to point out something else I'm missing? Sometimes you can see this clearly but not always. I guess those with years of experience have found a way to get past through this problem.

el_2

 

[meng]

I think yes/no questions are okay, providing you're open to receive a more in-depth answer than yes or no, usually an explanation. I'll typically look at the answer as a picture of the thing I'm dealing with, and that gives me a clearer, more objective view, which better enables me to make the yes or no decision, or something in-between yes and no.

Another question that I discourage: What should I do about (such and such)? I discourage it because what you "should" do should be decided by you. But if you can ask 'what should...' with an open mind, as with the yes/no question, you'll receive an intelligent and useful response from Yi. Still, I prefer a question more like: What is the most productive (useful, helpful - whatever) course of action or non-action to take?

So, imo, it's fine to ask yes/no and should questions, so long as you're willing to work to arrive at your own answer, with Yi's help.