Is it okay to ignore most of the commentary?

[bostonian]

On a few occasions, I asked the I Ching a question, and while most of the commentary didn't seem relevant, one sentence -- or in one case, one word -- seemed to stick out, making me feel that I have been fully answered.

For example, my fiance and I were discussing some course of action. She had an idea which seemed probably okay to me, but i just didn't know if i should trust her judgment in this case. So I asked the I Ching if i should trust her judgment, and I got 37 Family. In general, I didn't feel the text was responsive to my question, and I do realize that in the I Ching, the "family" and references to women and men are symbolic and don't necessarily refer to actual families or females or males. But the sentence in Hex 37 "The perseverance of the woman furthers" seemed to clinch it for me: I decided the I Ching was advising me to trust her judgment, which I did.

Another example, I asked the i ching why a young man I know well committed suicide. I got 40 Deliverance. Just the title seemed to explain everything to me. But the rest of the text seemed irrelevant.

Your thoughts?

 

[rosada]

If your question is answered, your peace of mind restored, with one or two key phrases jumping off the page, terrific. The problems kick in when you get an answer, skim the commentary, decide "This doesn't make any sense" and so ask a second question without comprehending the answer to the first. In hexagram 4 the seeker asks a question and doesn't throughly digest the response before asking yet another question. The I Ching calls this "importuning" and flat out states "If he importunes I give him no information."

I would add, however, that even though it may not seem important that the commentary make total sense to you when you are reading it in response to a question, it is not a bad idea to read it over a few times anyway. The fuller meaning may kick in later on when your mind is not so focused on trying to solve a problem and maybe the problem itself was Higher Mind trying to attract your attention to the lesson of that particular hexagram. I say this just incase if we don't understand the full lesson of a hexagram we are somehow doomed to repeat it.

On the other hand, if we all waited to take action until we completely comprehended our answers we would probably never made a decision at all. The lines of hexagram 4 refer to this problem of not knowing what it is we need to know and advise the inexperienced youth to experiment with his half knowledge.

"How ya gonna find out what you gotta find out till you find out what you gotta find out?"
-Chico Marx

rosada

 

[meng]

On a few occasions, I asked the I Ching a question, and while most of the commentary didn't seem relevant, one sentence -- or in one case, one word -- seemed to stick out, making me feel that I have been fully answered.

For example, my fiance and I were discussing some course of action. She had an idea which seemed probably okay to me, but i just didn't know if i should trust her judgment in this case. So I asked the I Ching if i should trust her judgment, and I got 37 Family. In general, I didn't feel the text was responsive to my question, and I do realize that in the I Ching, the "family" and references to women and men are symbolic and don't necessarily refer to actual families or females or males. But the sentence in Hex 37 "The perseverance of the woman furthers" seemed to clinch it for me: I decided the I Ching was advising me to trust her judgment, which I did.

Another example, I asked the i ching why a young man I know well committed suicide. I got 40 Deliverance. Just the title seemed to explain everything to me. But the rest of the text seemed irrelevant.

Your thoughts?

I completely can identify with both of your cases.

The answer we need may not include the whole enchilada.

 

[Trojina]

On a few occasions, I asked the I Ching a question, and while most of the commentary didn't seem relevant, one sentence -- or in one case, one word -- seemed to stick out, making me feel that I have been fully answered.

For example, my fiance and I were discussing some course of action. She had an idea which seemed probably okay to me, but i just didn't know if i should trust her judgment in this case. So I asked the I Ching if i should trust her judgment, and I got 37 Family. In general, I didn't feel the text was responsive to my question, and I do realize that in the I Ching, the "family" and references to women and men are symbolic and don't necessarily refer to actual families or females or males. But the sentence in Hex 37 "The perseverance of the woman furthers" seemed to clinch it for me: I decided the I Ching was advising me to trust her judgment, which I did.

Another example, I asked the i ching why a young man I know well committed suicide. I got 40 Deliverance. Just the title seemed to explain everything to me. But the rest of the text seemed irrelevant.

Your thoughts?

I'd say you got your answer straight away, no need to look further or distrust yourself on your instinct here.

 

[fkegan]

There are times when it is NOT Okay to ignore the Yi...

Hi Bostonian,
The Yi Oracle answers you with what you NEED to know. The books of commentary give their full understanding of the hexagrams in general. One is subjective; the other is objective. There is no requirement to eat everything available on the buffet.

Of course, there are considerable difficulties associated with not reading enough of the commentary to hear the Oracle's answer to what you NEED to know. I remember visiting friends back in the day, one of whom had been mugged on his way to the corner store for snacks, spending a number of months with his jaw wired shut to heal. He mentioned later that he had cast the Yi Oracle just before walking out the door; however decided not to bother reading his Wilhelm right then.

Later, when he was able to read it the oracle advice was hex 60.1 >> hex 29 which he interpreted as strong advice to stay home that moment. He never left a Yi Oracle's advice unread after that.

Frank

 

[dianna48]

Sometimes the title says it all.

In May of 08, I was having health problems but the timing for going to the doctor was very bad from both a financial and practicle side. I asked Yi what would be the result of waiting until October and got 36, Darkening of the Light. No need to wonder what it could mean! I didn't even read the commentary. I called the doctor instantly and by the time a few tests were run, I knew Yi had advised me correctly.