The I Ching, or, Book of Changes

✍ Scribed by Wilhelm and Baynes, trans.

• Year: 1967
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 808
• Edition: 3
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The Richard Wilhelm translation from Chinese
into German
Rendered into English by Cary F. Baynes
With a Foreword by C. G. Jung
and a Foreword to the new edition by Hellmut Wilhelm

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is one of the first efforts
of the human mind to place itself within the universe. It
has exerted a living influence in China for three thousand
years, and interest in it has been spreading in the West.
First set down in the dawn of history as a book of oracles,
the Book of Changes deepened in meaning when ethical
values were attached to the oracular pronouncements;
it became a book of wisdom, eventually one of the Five
Classics of Confucianism, and provided the common
source for both Confucianist and Taoist philosophy.
Richard Wilhelm's rendering of the I Ching into Ger-
man, published in 1924, presented it for the first time in a
form intelligible to the general reader. Joseph Needham,
author of Science and Civilization in China, has called it
probably the best translation available. Wilhelm, who
translated many other ancient Chinese works and wrote
several books on Chinese philosophy and civilization,
long resided in China, and his close association with its
cultural leaders gave him a unique understanding of the
text of the I Ching. In the English translation, every effort
has been made to preserve Wilhelm's pioneering insight
into the spirit of the original.

This third edition, completely reset in a convenient
new format, contains a new foreword by Hellmut Wil-
helm, the son of Richard Wilhelm and one of the most
eminent American scholars of Chinese culture. He dis-
cusses his father's textual methods and summarizes
recent studies of the I Ching both in the. West and in
present-day China. The new edition contains minor
textual corrections, bibliographical revisions, and for the
first time an index.

✦ Table of Contents

(Title)......Page 6
CONTENTS......Page 8
Preface to the Third Edition (H. Wilhelm)......Page 16
The Major Divisions of the Material......Page 22
Foreword (C. G. Jung)......Page 24
Translator's Note (C. F. Baynes)......Page 43
Preface (R. Wilhelm)......Page 48
Introduction (R. Wilhelm)......Page 50
1. THE USE OF THE BOOK OF CHANGES......Page 52
2. THE HISTORY OF THE BOOK OF CHANGES......Page 61
3. THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE TRANSLATION......Page 64
Book I: THE TEXT......Page 66
1. Ch’ien / The Creative......Page 68
2. K’un / The Receptive......Page 75
3. Chun / Difficulty at the Beginning......Page 81
4. Mêng / Youthful Folly......Page 85
5. Hsü / Waiting {Nourishment)......Page 89
6. Sung / Conflict......Page 93
7. Shih / The Army......Page 96
8. Pi / Holding Together [Union]......Page 100
9. Hsiao Ch’u / The Taming Power of the Small......Page 105
10. Lü / Treading [Conduct]......Page 109
11. T'ai / Peace......Page 113
12. P'i / Standstill [Stagnation]......Page 117
13. T’ung Jên / Fellowship with Men......Page 121
14. Ta Yu / Possession in Great Measure......Page 124
15. Ch’ien / Modesty......Page 128
16. Yü / Enthusiasm......Page 132
17. Sui / Following......Page 136
18. Ku / Work on What Has Been Spoiled [Decay ]......Page 140
19. Lin / Approach......Page 143
20. Kuan / Contemplation (View)......Page 147
21. Shih Ho / Biting Through......Page 151
22. Pi / Grace......Page 155
23. Po / Splitting Apart......Page 158
24. Fu / Return (The Turning Point)......Page 162
25. Wu Wang / Innocence (The Unexpected)......Page 165
26. Ta Ch'u / The Taming Power of the Great......Page 168
27. I / The Corners of the Mouth(Providing Nourishment)......Page 172
28. Ta Kuo / Preponderance of the Great......Page 176
29. K’an / The Abysmal (Water)......Page 179
30. Li / The Clinging, Fire......Page 183
31. Hsien / Influence (Wooing)......Page 187
32. Hêng / Duration......Page 191
33. Tun / Retreat......Page 194
34. Ta Chuang / The Power of the Great......Page 198
35. Chin / Progress......Page 201
36. Ming I / Darkening of the Light......Page 204
37. Chia Jên / The Family [The Clan]......Page 208
38. K’uei / Opposition......Page 212
39. Chien / Obstruction......Page 216
40. Hsieh / Deliverance......Page 219
41. Sun / Decrease......Page 223
42. I / Increase......Page 227
43. Kuai / Break-through (Resoluteness)......Page 231
44. Kou / Coming to Meet......Page 235
45. Ts’ui / Gathering Together [Massing]......Page 239
46. Shêng / Pushing Upward......Page 243
47. K’un / Oppression (Exhaustion)......Page 246
48. Ching / The Well......Page 250
49. Ko / Revolution (Molting)......Page 254
50. Ting / The Caldron......Page 258
51. Chên / The Arousing (Shock, Thunder)......Page 262
52. Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain......Page 265
53. Chien / Development (Gradual Progress)......Page 269
54. Kuei Mei / The Marrying Maiden......Page 273
55. Fêng / Abundance [Fullness]......Page 278
56. Lü / The Wanderer......Page 281
57. Sun / The Gentle (The Penetrating, Wind)......Page 285
58. Tui / The Joyous, Lake......Page 288
59. Hüan / Dispersion [Dissolution]......Page 292
60. Chieh / Limitation......Page 296
61. Chung Fu / Inner Truth......Page 300
62. Hsiao Kuo / Preponderance of the Small......Page 304
63. Chi Chi / After Completion......Page 309
64. Wei Chi / Before Completion......Page 313
Book II: THE MATERIAL......Page 318
Introduction......Page 320
CHAPTER I......Page 327
CHAPTER II......Page 330
CHAPTER III......Page 337
I. The Changes in the Universe and in the Book of Changes......Page 345
II. On the Composition and the Use of the Book of Changes......Page 352
III. On the Words Attached to the Hexagrams and the Lines......Page 355
IV. The Deeper Implications of the Book of Changes......Page 358
V. Tao in Its Relation to the Light Power and to the Dark Power......Page 362
VI. Tao as Applied to the Book of Changes......Page 366
VII. The Effects of the Book of Changes on Man......Page 367
VIII. On the Use of the Appended Explanations......Page 369
IX. On the Oracle......Page 373
X. The Fourfold Use of the Book of Changes......Page 379
XI. On the Yarrow Stalks and the Hexagrams and Lines......Page 381
XII. Summary......Page 386
I. On the Signs and Lines, on Creating and Acting......Page 390
II. History of Civilization......Page 393
III. On the Structure of the Hexagrams......Page 401
IV. On the Nature of the Trigrams......Page 402
V. Explanation of Certain Lines......Page 403
VI. On the Nature of the Book of Changes in General......Page 408
VII. The Relation of Certain Hexagrams to Character Formation......Page 410
VIll. On the Use of the Book of Changes: The Lines......Page 413
IX. The Lines (continued)......Page 414
X. The Lines (continued)......Page 416
XI. The Value of Caution as a Teaching of the Book of Changes......Page 417
XII. Summary......Page 418
1. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS......Page 421
2. THE EIGHT TRIGRAMS AND THEIR APPLICATION......Page 422
4. THE PLACES......Page 424
5. THE CHARACTER OF THE LINES......Page 425
6. THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE LINES TO ONE ANOTHER......Page 426
7. THE RULERS OF THE HEXAGRAMS......Page 429
Book III: THE COMMENTARIES......Page 432
1. Ch’ien / The Creative......Page 434
2. K'un / The Receptive......Page 450
3. Chun / Difficulty at the Beginning......Page 463
4. Mêng / Youthful Folly......Page 470
5. Hsü / Waiting (Nourishment)......Page 475
6. Sung / Conflict......Page 480
7. Shih / The Army......Page 485
8. Pi / Holding Together [Union]......Page 490
9. Hsiao Ch’u / The Taming Power of the Small......Page 495
10. Lü / Treading [Conduct]......Page 500
11. T’ai / Peace......Page 505
12. P'i / Standstill [Stagnation]......Page 511
13. T’ung Jên / Fellowship with Men......Page 516
14. Ta Yu / Possession in Great Measure......Page 521
15. Ch'ien / Modesty......Page 526
16. Yü / Enthusiasm......Page 531
17. Sui / Following......Page 536
18. Ku / Work on What Has Been Spoiled [Decay]......Page 541
19. Lin / Approach......Page 546
20. Kuan / Contemplation (View)......Page 550
21. Shih Ho / Biting Through......Page 554
22. Pi / Grace......Page 559
23. Po / Splitting Apart......Page 565
24. Fu / Return (The Turning Point)......Page 569
25. Wu Wang / Innocence (The Unexpected)......Page 574
26. Ta Ch’u / The Taming Power of the Great......Page 579
27. I / The Corners of the Mouth(Providing Nourishment)......Page 584
28. Ta Kuo / Preponderance of the Great......Page 589
29. K’an / The Abysmal (Water)......Page 595
30. Li / The Clinging, Fire......Page 600
31. Hsien / Influence (Wooing)......Page 605
32. Hêng / Duration......Page 610
33. Tun / Retreat......Page 615
34. Ta Chuang / The Power of the Great......Page 620
35. Chin / Progress......Page 624
36. Ming I / Darkening of the Light......Page 629
37. Chia Jên / The Family [The Clan]......Page 634
38. K’uei / Opposition......Page 638
39. Chien / Obstruction......Page 644
40. Hsieh / Deliverance......Page 649
41. Sun / Decrease......Page 654
42. I / Increase......Page 660
43. Kuai / Break-through (Resoluteness)......Page 667
44. Kou / Coming to Meet......Page 673
45. Ts’ui / Gathering Together [Massing]......Page 679
46. Shêng / Pushing Upward......Page 684
47. K’un / Oppression (Exhaustion)......Page 688
48. Ching / The Well......Page 694
49. Ko / Revolution (Molting)......Page 700
50. Ting / The Caldron......Page 706
51. Chên / The Arousing (Shock, Thunder)......Page 712
52. Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain......Page 717
53. Chien / Development (Gradual Progress)......Page 722
54. Kuei Mei / The Marrying Maiden......Page 728
55. Fêng / Abundance [Fullness]......Page 734
56. Lü / The Wanderer......Page 739
57. Sun / The Gentle (The Penetrating, Wind)......Page 744
58. Tui / The Joyous, Lake......Page 750
59. Huan / Dispersion [Dissolution]......Page 754
60. Chieh / Limitation......Page 759
61. Chung Fu / Inner Truth......Page 763
62. Hsiao Kuo / Preponderance of the Small......Page 768
63. Chi Chi / After Completion......Page 774
64. Wei Chi / Before Completion......Page 779
APPENDIXES......Page 784
I. On Consulting the Oracle......Page 786
II. The Hexagrams Arranged by Houses......Page 790
INDEXES......Page 794
An Index of The Hexagrams......Page 795
General Index......Page 797
Key for Identifying the Hexagrams......Page 806