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The Opinions of Scholars on the History of the I Ching
Scholars disagree on the history of the book, which grew by gradual accretion over a period of three millenia. The origins are shrouded in mystery because of their great antiquity, and the difficulty of deciphering the classic texts and related sources. For example, the Honan oracle bones have not yet been completely translated. However, modern scholarship has revealed the main steps of the evolution of the classics, as follows.
A. Kua (Divining Tablets), containing the hexagrams and their names only, dating from 2000 BC. at least.
The character Kua, usually translated hexagram, actually means divining-tablet. The meanings of the names are difficult to deduce. For example, the hexagram Ch'ien originally meant Dry, and later came to be called Heaven after the text was added. And Wu Wang apparently was a disease, and later came to mean Integrity, or Unexpected.
B. Lien Shan (Mountains Standing Together), containing the hexagrams, names, and peasant-omens, dating from the Hsia dynasty, 2205-1766 BC.
This text began with the hexagram Ken, originally Mountain, or Difficulty, which later became Desisting or Stilling. A complete reliable version no longer exists, but fragments of about half of the sections have been published. For example, corresponding to section 25 of the We'n order:
Wu Wang
The pest wu-wang,
If you tie it to a bull,
The passers-by will get
The village people's pest.
The disease wu-wang
Needs no medicine for its cure.
Waley associates this to a primitive scape-goat ritual for ejecting pestilence, and compares it to a passage in the Yueh Ling,
The officials are ordered to perform the great demon-expulsion and to put out clay bulls in order to send away the cold-spirit.
Other sections of the Lien Shan suggest esoteric phenomena of various kinds, as well as peasant-omens.
C. Kuei Ts'ang (Reverting to the Hidden), similar to the Lien Shan, from the Shang (Yiu) era, 1766-1150 BC.
This version began with the hexagram K'uu, originally Earth, and finally, The Passive Principle, or The Creative. It differs from the Lien Shan mainly in the order of the sections, and apparently the text was cut up and reordered many times, for cultural reasons.
D. Chou I (Changes of Chou), containing the hexagrams, their names, and modified texts, from the Chou dynasty, 1150-249 BC.
This is the beginning of the I Ching in its current form and is universally attributed to Wen. He changed the order of the Kuei Ts'ang, for example interchanging the order of the first two sections to put Ch'ien first, perhaps because Chou was a patriarchy. At this time the accompanying texts, called the T'uan, or Judgements, replaced the peasant-omens. They are more sophisticated, and are full of moral values. For example,
Wu Wang ( ) Integrity, The Unexpected
Integrity. Sublime success! Righteous persistence brings reward. Those opposed to righteousness meet with injury. It is not favourable to have in view any goal.
To this was added the Yao, brief remarks on the individual lines of the hexagram. These are usually attributed to Tan, son of Wen, and brother of Wu, the first Chou ruler. Hellmut Wilhelm suggests that the Yao were added by Shang people who were employed as divinators by the early Chou, and they also added augeries, such as "good fortune," to the T'uan of Wen.
At this stage, a typical section had the form
25. Wu Wang ( ) Integrity, The Unexpected
Text: Integrity. Sublime success! Righteous persistence brings reward. Those opposed to righteousness meet with injury. It is not favourable to have in view any goal.
Lines
6: If it is unexpected, a journey now would be injurious. This is a time favourable for those with no destination in view.
5: Unexpected illness, but it will be best not to treat it.
4: Something can be accomplished by righteous persistence and no error is involved.
3: Unexpected calamity. Someone ropes an ox and leads it off - a gain to the passer-by but a loss to the farmer (who owns it)!
2: Do not calculate the size of the harvest while the ploughing is still in progress, nor gloat over the third year's crop while still planting the virgin ground. It is favourable to seek some object (or destination).
1: Moving onward with integrity brings good fortune.
Here, the Yao are rearranged in the order of the corresponding lines of the hexagram. Note that remnants of the Lien Shan appear in the Yao of Tan, but not in the T'uan of Wen. This seems characteristic. For another example, in the Lien Shan.
Chien
He who goes stumbling shall come praised. A great stumble means a friend shall come.
while in the Chou I
39. Chien Trouble
Text: Trouble. The west and the south are favourable, but not the east and north. It is advisable to see a great man.
Persistence in a righteous course brings good fortune.
Lines
6: To proceed would lead to trouble; coming will produce excellent results. It is advisable to see a great man.
5: In the midst of severe trouble, friends (or a friend) arrive.
4: To proceed would lead to trouble, whereas those coming will forge useful connections.
3: To proceed would lead to trouble; therefore turn back!
2: The king's minister meets with difficulty upon difficulty, but through no fault of his.
1: Going involves trouble; moving wins praise.
E. I Ching (Classic of Changes), consisting of the Chou I and commentaries (The Ten Wings) ascribed to the school of Confucius, 551-479 BC.
The commentaries are:
• T'uan Chuan (Commentary on the Decisions)
• T'uan Chuan (Commentary on the Images)
• Ta Chuan (Great Commentary) Wen Yen (Commentary on the Words of the Text)
• Shuo Kua (Discussion of the Trigrams)
• Hsu Kua (Order of the Hexagrams)
• Tsa Kua (Notes on the Hexagrams)
Fu Zi
Scholars disagree on the history of the book, which grew by gradual accretion over a period of three millenia. The origins are shrouded in mystery because of their great antiquity, and the difficulty of deciphering the classic texts and related sources. For example, the Honan oracle bones have not yet been completely translated. However, modern scholarship has revealed the main steps of the evolution of the classics, as follows.
A. Kua (Divining Tablets), containing the hexagrams and their names only, dating from 2000 BC. at least.
The character Kua, usually translated hexagram, actually means divining-tablet. The meanings of the names are difficult to deduce. For example, the hexagram Ch'ien originally meant Dry, and later came to be called Heaven after the text was added. And Wu Wang apparently was a disease, and later came to mean Integrity, or Unexpected.
B. Lien Shan (Mountains Standing Together), containing the hexagrams, names, and peasant-omens, dating from the Hsia dynasty, 2205-1766 BC.
This text began with the hexagram Ken, originally Mountain, or Difficulty, which later became Desisting or Stilling. A complete reliable version no longer exists, but fragments of about half of the sections have been published. For example, corresponding to section 25 of the We'n order:
Wu Wang
The pest wu-wang,
If you tie it to a bull,
The passers-by will get
The village people's pest.
The disease wu-wang
Needs no medicine for its cure.
Waley associates this to a primitive scape-goat ritual for ejecting pestilence, and compares it to a passage in the Yueh Ling,
The officials are ordered to perform the great demon-expulsion and to put out clay bulls in order to send away the cold-spirit.
Other sections of the Lien Shan suggest esoteric phenomena of various kinds, as well as peasant-omens.
C. Kuei Ts'ang (Reverting to the Hidden), similar to the Lien Shan, from the Shang (Yiu) era, 1766-1150 BC.
This version began with the hexagram K'uu, originally Earth, and finally, The Passive Principle, or The Creative. It differs from the Lien Shan mainly in the order of the sections, and apparently the text was cut up and reordered many times, for cultural reasons.
D. Chou I (Changes of Chou), containing the hexagrams, their names, and modified texts, from the Chou dynasty, 1150-249 BC.
This is the beginning of the I Ching in its current form and is universally attributed to Wen. He changed the order of the Kuei Ts'ang, for example interchanging the order of the first two sections to put Ch'ien first, perhaps because Chou was a patriarchy. At this time the accompanying texts, called the T'uan, or Judgements, replaced the peasant-omens. They are more sophisticated, and are full of moral values. For example,
Wu Wang ( ) Integrity, The Unexpected
Integrity. Sublime success! Righteous persistence brings reward. Those opposed to righteousness meet with injury. It is not favourable to have in view any goal.
To this was added the Yao, brief remarks on the individual lines of the hexagram. These are usually attributed to Tan, son of Wen, and brother of Wu, the first Chou ruler. Hellmut Wilhelm suggests that the Yao were added by Shang people who were employed as divinators by the early Chou, and they also added augeries, such as "good fortune," to the T'uan of Wen.
At this stage, a typical section had the form
25. Wu Wang ( ) Integrity, The Unexpected
Text: Integrity. Sublime success! Righteous persistence brings reward. Those opposed to righteousness meet with injury. It is not favourable to have in view any goal.
Lines
6: If it is unexpected, a journey now would be injurious. This is a time favourable for those with no destination in view.
5: Unexpected illness, but it will be best not to treat it.
4: Something can be accomplished by righteous persistence and no error is involved.
3: Unexpected calamity. Someone ropes an ox and leads it off - a gain to the passer-by but a loss to the farmer (who owns it)!
2: Do not calculate the size of the harvest while the ploughing is still in progress, nor gloat over the third year's crop while still planting the virgin ground. It is favourable to seek some object (or destination).
1: Moving onward with integrity brings good fortune.
Here, the Yao are rearranged in the order of the corresponding lines of the hexagram. Note that remnants of the Lien Shan appear in the Yao of Tan, but not in the T'uan of Wen. This seems characteristic. For another example, in the Lien Shan.
Chien
He who goes stumbling shall come praised. A great stumble means a friend shall come.
while in the Chou I
39. Chien Trouble
Text: Trouble. The west and the south are favourable, but not the east and north. It is advisable to see a great man.
Persistence in a righteous course brings good fortune.
Lines
6: To proceed would lead to trouble; coming will produce excellent results. It is advisable to see a great man.
5: In the midst of severe trouble, friends (or a friend) arrive.
4: To proceed would lead to trouble, whereas those coming will forge useful connections.
3: To proceed would lead to trouble; therefore turn back!
2: The king's minister meets with difficulty upon difficulty, but through no fault of his.
1: Going involves trouble; moving wins praise.
E. I Ching (Classic of Changes), consisting of the Chou I and commentaries (The Ten Wings) ascribed to the school of Confucius, 551-479 BC.
The commentaries are:
• T'uan Chuan (Commentary on the Decisions)
• T'uan Chuan (Commentary on the Images)
• Ta Chuan (Great Commentary) Wen Yen (Commentary on the Words of the Text)
• Shuo Kua (Discussion of the Trigrams)
• Hsu Kua (Order of the Hexagrams)
• Tsa Kua (Notes on the Hexagrams)
Fu Zi