The I Ching has many, many relations to Natural Laws of the Universe - as can be illustrated through its applications in almost all Chinese sciences- And I can only intend this to be a beginning point - an exploration of the Essence of the Tao. Please don't take my words for the truth but search out your own understanding as it is by this method of each of us understanding that we find the true truth through knowing as a whole.
Even one of our world's greatest teachers the first Buddha said this of his own teachings -How can we place humble words above such a great teacher? It is written that Buddha said: "Do not to accept any teaching, not even his, on faith alone, but to test its wisdom against one's own life experience."
To visit a web page comparing the teachings of Buddha to Taoism and Confucianism - Click on the Lotus Flower:
History Repeats Itself as the Basis for The I Ching
The I Ching
The I Ching is a Roadmap
A style of writing in the 4th dimension.
Describing to us how things move/change through time.
It begins with a point in the past.
Midpoint is the present,
Stops in the future.
It uses the simple language of the Tao made of two words only ¡V Yin and Yang.
These are methods of contrast ¡V shadow and light.
Not fixed, but representative.
As Shadow and light we have different intensities:
Used for making up individual characteristics.
Always opposing ¡V always contrasting.
The I Ching contrasts are made up of intensities of 1/6 so I¡¦ll describe them beginning with 100% -to see the reality ¡V compare the lines of Yin (--) and Yang (-) with the percentiles.
An important part is to see which (light or shadow) rides on top.
I use the Primal Order of the I Ching for this analysis.
The Primal order beginning with the number one place at the top and counting clockwise = 1Heaven, 2Wind, 3Water, 4Mountain, 5Earth, 6Thunder, 7Fire, 8Lake.
Heaven/Sky = brightest light = 100% = sunlight
Earth = total darkness = 0%
Fire = 4/6 Light riding on 2/6 Shadow = firelight
Water = 4/6 Shadow riding on 2/6 Light
Heaven contrasts Earth
Fire Contrasts Water
The above is the past
--
The below are the future
Wind = 4/6 light riding on 2/6 shadow
Thunder = 4/6 shadow riding on 2/6 light
Mountain = 2/6 light riding on 4/6 shadow
lake = 2/6 shadow riding on 4/6 light
Wind contrasts Thunder
Mountain contrasts Lake
Variations in the Primal Order
In using the I Ching, when one point is out of order, its contrasting opposite must also be out of order.
So - the point begins to be, how to know the beginning of the cycle?
If 4 points represent the past and the remaining 4 points the future - then it seems important to know the beginning. At my present point of learning, this position is held by Heaven which is made of 6 yang lines.
A Game to practice this analysis of the I Ching is the card game of Free Cell ¡V the future that you want to get to, is to have all the cards in the order from Ace to King in their 4 slots at the top of the layout. The past and present, which you can work with is the bottom of the layout.
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Copyright © 2003, 2004 by McMullion
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