Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).
Bamboo:... would any of you mind telling the story here of how you met Yi, what your initial impressions were, what your first queries were, and what most valuable thing have you gotten from the relationship, why does it hold your interest, and so on and so forth?... what is your word of advice to those who have just discovered the Book of Changes...
would any of you mind telling the story here of how you met Yi, what your initial impressions were, what your first queries were, and what most valuable thing have you gotten from the relationship, why does it hold your interest, and so on and so forth?
Bamboo:
I adhere, but need some time. Maybe I will post by parts, each one mixing some story with some advice. Perhaps, some slices of life. With a little of chinese, of course, and some slang if you don't feel hurt.
All the best,
Charly
I blame my mother! No, she still doesn't know the difference between "I Ching" and "itching" but it was one of her old magazines I picked up, circa 1974 or thereabouts, that had an article about the Yi. Boredom? Nothing in the 4 B&W TV channels we had back then in Uruguay? Lack of a girlfriend? No Playboy around? I'll never know... The thing was that I became an instant Yi junkie. Cool thing when you are a teen that could do fortune telling for friends...
If I'm only allowed one then it'll have to be supercalifragilisticexbealidocious.What is your word of advice to those who have just discovered the Book of Changes.
Thank you both Brad and Mike. I think you can see what I mean when I say the storylines beind these accounts are so tintillating.
I have an image of young Bradford, longhaired hippy intellectual, shirtless, laying out in the sun with his book and coins...the beginnings of the Rogue River Commentaries which have always enthralled me. and now a white-collar engineer torn between his search for science and his growing fascination with symbols and how they were speaking to him.
anytime you all want to add pictoral details, particular readings, experiences, please feel free.
I am writing a screenplay about Clarity and the fascinating relationships here both with Yi and with each other. If I ever decide to send this to a publisher, i would ask hilary's permission and that of any participants ( altho my work will be fiction based on facts).........however....would any of you mind telling the story here of how you met Yi, what your initial impressions were, what your first queries were, and what most valuable thing have you gotten from the relationship, why does it hold your interest, and so on and so forth?
ALSO: what is your word of advice to those who have just discovered the Book of Changes.......any and all of the above.....I want to have a lot of reality meat with which to cook my stew.
Hi Bamboo
The first part's not far off at all. I was the resident scowler on the Big Sur commune, and a naked goatherder (wore clothes for the beekeeping though). But as to the white collar - I haven't worn a tie even once since my high school photo. And being self-taught in engineering, architecture and planning has allowed me to work for myself, barefoot, for most of my life, and average only about one day a week at that. Hence all the free time to study and write.
I guess another anecdote is warranted. One thing about writing the book over and over: the logical pace to do this is at one gua a day. Of course this becomes a little like an invocation, and so the day tends to fill up with both memories and new experiences that illustrate the meanings of the Gua du jour. This process, cycled through several times, became more of a foundation for my understanding than the practice of divination.
That"s great stuff. love the goatherding image
bamboo,
In the 50's I got to read some of Carl Jung's unpublished (maybe still isn't?) stuff so that got me interested in the I Ching. I got to be a "friend " of the I Ching. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone I didn't know in person. No way, no how. "Art is long. but life is short," as Goethe said. Don't play God. It is difficult to try to relate to the person before you in any situation. That is the way it is. You love or you fail, and you never give enough. "When it rains, the streets are wet," as Gurdjieff said. "We are one another." Friends are rare and precious. Know your friends and enemies well: both are necessary to learn to live . Avoid those who claim to know and don't, including the well-meaning ones , who are often no more than "virgins teaching pornography." You already know this if you think seriously, so what is your aim in solicting responses? That is an open "query" ! It will be interesting to read what you write as a result of your work.
The I Ching can assist in seeing the conditions. It can't make you accept them. A forum like Clarity provides an opportunity to learn and deserves our support.
1966 - age 21, fresh out of the Navy, searching for and developing career path. Met college and musician friends at work, turned on, introduced to Jung and Wilhelm by best friend from high school.
The following years were about high minded idealism, spirituality, psychedelic drugs, sex, oracles, drugs, idealism, music, Carlos Castaneda, meditation, Krishna Consciousness, touring, singing, writing songs, wife and two sons.
20 years of various Christian practices, secretly connecting Biblical scriptures with I Ching metaphors, understanding Christ as the Great Man, who says "I am The Way, the truth and the life". The Way became a man? Hmm.. followed that path a long time.
2000, Divorce from first wife of 32 years, divorce of former religious practices and literal beliefs, divorce from a 20 year media career, beginning a decade of hexagrams 23 and 36.
Now in a Meng condition, with no idea what comes next.
Wish you inspiration with your screen play, Bamboo.
Holy Sh*t! is that really you? lol. now that's an image.How about this goat herding image? Bradford plays Giles Goat Boy in '73
Thank you Bruce!
well, you and Luis sort of gave me resumes rather than the meaty snippets, but I sort of have gleaned enough about you both to use my imagination. all flattering of course
How about this goat herding image? Bradford plays Giles Goat Boy in '73
Oh, please don't feel it needs to be flattering.
bamboo,
My best friend's suicide,in his early 20's, is linked in memory with my introduction to the I Ching. This is why I said I didn't wish to recommend it to others. The I Ching had nothing to do with his suicide - which seems to have been karma - but the possible consequences of inviting another to go into their unconscious when they might not be ready to do so is something I have learned to take seriously.This is partly why I went on as I did. I have seen many waste their lives by being drawn to teachings and gurus before they were ready. Perhaps there is something in this to consider when you write your book "about I Ching aficionados." The Clarity community is a positive and healthy one. But it includes many examples of how different people encounter and deal with the I Ching and themselves. Some may seek to escape from life and become more isolated and one-sided and use the I Ching in a negative way.
How about this goat herding image? Bradford plays Giles Goat Boy in '73
Nice words.:bows:it was always solid-feeling, gently bringing me into life, not out of it or under it.
hi Bamboo
here goes my story too . .
8 years ago, visiting my best friend in London, at my wits' end, trying to 'detoxify' from my big, intense relationship with my jazz pianist partner, my friend mentions Yi -maybe it would help get a grip? Aw well, why not . .
That was my first encounter . . it lasted about 6 months . . she had already warned me about multiple translations and since I wouldn't trust whatever greek translations around I looked the internet and came across Lise's site. After some time I left everything concerning that chapter of my life behind and Yi went with it.
Fast forward 4 years . . already well into a different cycle which was reaching a high, decisive point, I'm making plans for a big move, highly debatable from most people around me . . I can certainly see why but it's hard to accept the regularity of settling down. Again at my wits' end, I remember Yi. Look around the internet again, since I wanted to look at something different this time . . came across Bradford's translation . . wow, this is . . well, you know what this is . .
I do remember my first reading this time around . . 61.4: off we go
but life is too demanding to have time for contemplation and throwing coins -action is demanded, so no time for Yi.
they do say 3rd time's a charm right? Sometime over a year ago, having made my move and loving it mostly, but also dealing with some tough consequences, really missing my greatest support system, and well, I once again turn to Yi and haven't left it since
Too new in this to really offer advice, although I have been thinking lot's of 41.2 lately . . .
good luck with your writing -can't wait for the actual thing!!
Brad:If anybody cares to know them, there are proper terms for "Chinging" and "I-Chinger"
One who is not an adept is a Buren. A professional or someone really good is a Bushi.
Bu is the name for Yi divination. Ren is a person, Shi is an advanced student.
For those who don't know it, and despite what some fools claim, there are no "Masters"
of the Yi. Never were.
Bamboo:... nothing like a jazz pianist to get one divining...
Brad:
Maybe you were not speaking of me, but I felt hurt. If you were speaking of another persons good to say of which.
Charly
Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).