On the Interpretation of I Ching

[remod]

While comparing human-provided answers with my GPT experiment I noticed two things that others do and I don't and I wonder if I'm losing something.

• I strictly use the "material" that I've been given. Namely the hexagram judgment, its image, the changing line, and the secondary hexagram judgment and image. I may add consideration about the lower and upper trigram and (very rarely) the position and nature of the line. Never to the "core hexagrams".
• I read all the above in the context of the question "as I formulated it", trying to avoid questions that could be ambiguous and, conversely, trying to read the answer as if it was referring to some other question.

I never consider the commentary text while interpreting a response. I treat them as "study material" to better understand the general aspects and possible meanings of each hexagram. I don't think they have a role in the interpretation of the response.

The same for the "core hexagram", useful for the general meaning but not for the response.

Also, I never consider things like the relationship with the previous or following hexagram, the inverse hexagram, or any other external reference that I didn't get through the process of casting the hexagrams.

I believe that's because I've always lived to the concept that if you add more and more data, you can get any result you (even unconsciously) want. I fear that by adding more external references and overstructures I could end up finding the "answer I wanted to get" rather than "the answer I have been given". There is a very interesting and amusing video on YouTube on this by Matt Parker and I believe he's spot on this.

And regarding the question, I've taken the habit of spending quite some time crafting the right wordings to ensure that when I get the response, I will not be tempted to think that, in reality, the I Ching was answering some hidden, unconscious question that I had in my mind. It happened in the past and I got warnings directly from the I Ching that this was not the proper way to ask questions.

What do you think? Am I using too little "material" for my interpretations? Did you get any benefit from incorporating other "relationships" in your readings? Are you leaving more room in your question to get a better insight?

 

[remod]

Of course, I should have asked the I Ching about it! And I did, getting 35.5 > 12 as response to the question: "Is it ok to just use the hexagram and line text for hexagram interpretation?".

I've asked Yishi for an interpretation and here is the summary (which is quite aligned with what I got from my own interpretation):

Summary​

Your query about the adequacy of using only the hexagram and line text for interpretation is met with an affirmative yet nuanced response. Hexagram 35, "The Progress," suggests that focusing on these core elements can lead to clarity and progress in your understanding. The changing line 35.5 reinforces this by advising not to be deterred by the complexities of deeper analysis and assuring that your sincere efforts will be rewarding. However, Hexagram 12, "The Stagnation," serves as a cautionary note that this approach, while beneficial in certain respects, might also limit the depth of insight and understanding. Thus, while it is acceptable to focus primarily on the hexagram and line text, being open to exploring the I Ching more comprehensively could lead to greater enrichment and avoidance of stagnation in your learning journey.

Full reading: https://chat.openai.com/share/0debe9c1-ba30-4a0d-8113-397f7b4f006b

 

[my_key]

I was going to write a general reply to you, without looking at the reading implications of 35: 5 <>12, along the lines of:

Everyone has their own way of speaking to YI that is right for them. However, there is more richness to be found through the landscape in and around than can be found in the restricted structure created by hexagram and line text only. That is not to say that the hexagram and line text is not enough for a clear interpretation.The fancy add-ons are, indeed, not always necessary but can bring added or supportive insights that help dispel the fog. Remember, though that embracing and learning about the fancy add-ons only serves to develop and deepen your relationship with Yi.

It seems that Yishi got there before me.

 

[remod]

I was going to write a general reply to you, without looking at the reading implications of 35: 5 <>12, along the lines of: ....

I got the same feeling from the response 35.5>12.
I really love when the I Ching uses such "dissonant" hexagrams to make you aware of something. It's like he tugs your sleeve and says: "Yes, is all good but don't forget to look at THIS, too!"