First questions, 'Pushing Upward' and 'Grace'..?

[tripconey]

Hello everyone, I hope you're all very well.

Before I ask for some help, I thought I'd tell you a little about how I got here.

I have always been interested in consciousness, dreams, and so on, but only very recently started to pay this side of my life any serious consideration (I have a very academic background, and have always struggled to shake off what became a quite annoying scepticism.) I have been reading lots of Jung, McKenna, and so on, and after paying attention to my dreams, their qualitative content really increased, which I found very surprising.

My readings around this area led me to the I Ching. Now, I am interested in making a change in my life, away from a career that really doesn't interest me - I wondered if the I Ching could help me clarify what options are open to me, or what avenues I might find most rewarding.

When it came to formulating particular questions, I asked a quite general one -

(i) "What do I need to know about myself? " - I received the hexagram, 'Pushing Upward' (no. 48 in Wilhelm's translation.)

The following day, I asked a similar question (prompted by the suggestion on this website) -

(ii) "What do I need to know now?" - I received the hexagram, 'Grace' (no. 22 in Wilhelm's translation), with first and last lines changing.

Could I ask advice on two points, please? In your experience, how specific a question might the I Ching answer? And what is the 'best' way to get 'inside' the hexagrams? How do you, as more experienced users, begin to interpret your readings?

Sorry for the rather long (first) post, and for what might be rather naive questions.

Thanks.

 

[gato]

22.1.6 start working toward your goal.

 

[tigerintheboat]

Divination

Could I ask advice on two points, please? In your experience, how specific a question might the I Ching answer? And what is the 'best' way to get 'inside' the hexagrams? How do you, as more experienced users, begin to interpret your readings

Well, I Ching is a language...thoughts are expressed in the hexagrams and the moving lines. As such, it can answer questions on almost any level, and the answers, in my experience, are surprisingly relevant.

Which is not to say that every reading is equally useful, or that you will understand each reading equally. But to learn to start to use the language, you should start to pose the questions in such a way that you may understand the answers. For example, if you ask a "yes/no" question, understand that Yi does not answer "yes" or "no" and so you may be confused by the answer. If you ask an extremely general question, expect a very general answer. If you are looking for your lost shoe and you ask about it, you will have to interpret the symbols in terms of the question. (There was a thread recently, I think by Maremaria, about a lost cable, or something lost that was found under the bed. You should check it out!)

But regular practice in asking questions and interpreting the answers is essential, as it would be in learning any other language. Ultimately, you want to think in the symbols and you can only approach that goal with usage.

Another thing to understand is that in the Chinese this is derived from, the symbols have multiple meaning. So a translation does not have a simple linear meaning. It can be understood on many levels. Similarly, there are "wings" in the book, layers of commentary from different eras and different perspectives. Then these are explained by modern translators and commentators whose backgrounds and thought processes are radically different.

In practice, this means that you should own several "translations" and learn to understand their points of view. Certainly buy Hilary's book when available, and look at a classic, like Wilhelm's book (which I own and almost never look at). I like Jack Balkin's book very much, and that it where I go if I want practical advice on how to behave. But if I wanted a more mystical approach, I might go to Stephen Karchner, and if I wanted a more literal Chinese approach, I would go to Master Alfred Huang. For simplicity at home and when I travel, I use Blofeld, which is a thin book that I have used since I was in college, and the pocket edition by Cleary. People have strong opinions about these translations, and I only mention a few. I did not really begin to be able to use my own intuition until I had assembled many of these translations and begin to see the common threads between them. It is a relatively small but worthwhile investment to own these diverse translations.

I hope this helps.

Tiger

 

[tripconey]

Thank you both - gato and tigerintheboat - very much.

Tigerintheboat, thank you for your taking the time to write such a lengthy reply - I'll definitely take your advice on board. I've been using Wilhelm exclusively, but I can see the sense in your advice to have more than one translation. I've ordered the Karchner version as a starting point.

 

[tigerintheboat]

Blofeld

I've been using Wilhelm exclusively, but I can see the sense in your advice to have more than one translation. I've ordered the Karchner version as a starting point.

Used copies of Blofeld are inexpensive ($2.15 plus shipping), but be sure to get the hardcover, not the paperback. A thin useful book!

Used copy of Blofeld at Amazon

Good luck on your journey.

Tiger