Yes - No answers

[clarissa]

Are they possible? I'm asking because I asked a yes-no question and received an answer that certainly seemed like a clear "yes". (I can't see how it would be interpreted as a "no".) Normally I don't ask yes-no questions but in this case I did.

 

[yly2pg1]

Possible. Why not?

A clear 'yes' means 'auspicious'.

That depends on:
(1) your question and situations,
(2) the Hexagram(s)
(3) the no. of changing lines and
(4) the content of the line(s) itself.

There is no absolute answer in Yi, but a clear 'yes' or 'no' is possible.

 

[dobro p]

I think yes/no questions are possible, but I think it's not the best use of the oracle. It's like playing a piano with only one finger - you're not taking advantage of what the instrument really has to offer.

Not only that, but I have a suspicion that the Yi 'doesn't like' yes/no questions. I think the Yi 'prefers' us to approach situations and problems holistically, with a 'what do I need to know about this' approach, which always has the capacity to surprise you and really suggest new ways to deal with the situation. By contrast, yes/no questions always play to the questioner's agenda, not the Yi's.

Eg "Does he love me?" "Are his feelings for me as strong as my feelings for him?" "Does this relationship have a future?" - All these yes/no questions turn on the assumption that the relationship is in fact desirable. But if you ask the Yi: "What do I need to know about this relationship?" and you draw Hex 33, what does that say about the questioner's assumptions?

 

[clarissa]

Thank you for your comments. To give a little more detail...

In this particular case both the hexgram and the changing line were directly related to the question. In fact, the changing line even *explicitly* mentioned the subject in question in a favorable manner. Even the relating hexagram made sense given the question and situation...and was positive. My first impression was a definite "yes" and that it would be impossible to interpret it as a "no". However, I thought the Oracle wouldn't give yes-no answers...so I thought about it for a few days. I came back to..."yes". There really wasn't any other way to see it.

Now, I'm not going to get into the habit of asking yes-no questions...but I was rather surprised at this particular answer.

 

[hilary]

I think the oracle certainly will and can convey a 'yes' or 'no'. The main reason I don't recommend them is that they can make the answer a whole lot harder to interpret.

In this case you had to recognise that what the oracle was referring to positively was in fact what you'd asked about. You needed to know yourself, your question and the oracle pretty well.

Making up an example at random: imagine someone thinking of moving from the town out to the country, where it's quieter, but not sure whether the stress and expense of making the move is worthwhile. She asks 'should I move?' and gets, say, Hexagram 33. Does that mean a) 'Yes, retire to the country' or b) 'No, back off from this idea'? In-depth exploration of what moving meant to her might enable you to tell.

 

[yly2pg1]

The approach of yes/no?

Most of our problems in life cannot be simplified in the manner of yes or no. And it is not easy to draw a clear line between our choices, decisions and direction. For the Oracle to stay intact with life and to prescribe appropriate recommendations at the same time, a yes/no approach could impede its effectiveness.