I Ching

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I Ching
Chinese culture has over time, been embellished with aspects of philosophy and religion. The Chinese have shown development in their culture beginning from the bronze inscriptions and ancient oracle bones to the establishment of various schools of thought. The I Ching is an oracle used both in China and across the world by people seeking answers in different aspects of their lives (Smith Par. 4). The “I” means change whereas the “Ching” means classic thus making it the Classic of Change or rather the Book of Change. The origin of the I Ching goes back to the Bronze Age when the Chinese especially from the Shang Dynasty, used to offer sacrifices to determine the right time to perform important activities such as planting and harvesting of rice. The Chinese noted that cracks used to appear on the bones after the meat was burnt as an offering, and at first, they thought it was the spirits answering their requests, but with time it was concluded that it was the quality of the moment that was more important. The Chinese then stopped giving expensive offerings and turned to using tortoise shells or ox scapulae, on which the diviners submitted their questions in oracle bone script using a sharp tool. The Oracle would then be subjected to intense heat until the shell or bone cracked forming patterns that diviners would interpret appropriately. Today, the I Ching is read differently, by the use of stalks or coins. The I Ching makes use of the philosophical principle that no situation is permanent and the world is constantly changing.

Hexagrams consisting of six lines, which relate to the variations, have been invented for interpretation of the answers to questions asked. For example, the question ‘How long can I live’ gives two hexagrams with readings of 31, meaning influence, changing to 15 meaning integrity. Every hexagram reading is related to a certain saying or quote, and with connecting the two, a clear interpretation can be attained.

Works Cited
Smith, Richard J. “I Ching: The Religion That Inspired 7 Great Thinkers.” HuffPost, 26 June 2012, www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-j-smith/i-ching-religion_b_1453281.html. Accessed 6 Feb. 2018.