The Complete I Ching: The Definitive Translation by the Taoist Master Alfred Huang

247 Pages·1998·44.73 MB·English

by  Taoist Master Alfred Huang

THE
COMPLETE
I CHING
The Definitive Translation
by the
Taoist Master Aped Huang
Inner Traditions
Rochester, Vermont
Inner Traditions International
One Park Street
Rochester, Vermont 05767
www.InnerTraditions.com
Copyright O 1998 by Alfred Huang
During this great time of change
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in
this book is dedicated to those who
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo-
are longing to change and ready to
copying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
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successfil Zfe of abundance and
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
happiness.
I ching. English.
The complete I ching :t he definitive translation from the Taoist Master
Alfred Huang.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-89281-656-2
I. Huang, Alfred. 11. Title.
PL2478.D43 1998 97-37533
299'.51282-dc21 CIP
Printed and bound in the United States
Note: The cover shows the ideograph of shi, which depicts an act of divination.
On the top are two little plants, representing yarrow stalk. Below are two
peopZe kneeling in a hall with a ro~froaon~d centralpillar. Onep erson is the
divine the other the iny uirer.
Text design and layout by Kristin Camp
This book was typeset in Caslon with Papyrus as the display typeface
THE
UPPER
CANON
The Upper Canon contains thirty gua, from Qan
and Kun to Kan and Li. Qan represents the initiative
power of Heaven, Kun represents the responsive
power of Earth. Kan represents the darkness of the
moon, Li represents the brightness of the sun. The
canon begins with the interplay of Heaven and Earth;
ends with the ceaseless cycle of darkness to bright-
ness, as in sunset to sunrise; and sheds light upon the
yang aspect of natural phenomena, the Tao of
Heaven.
Q'an Initiating
Qan Heaven
Qan Heaven
In Richard Wilhelm' book, Qan is translated as The Creative. In John
h
Blofeld's translation, ian is The Creative Principle. In this book, it is
translated as Initiati g. This gua is made up of two primary pa-Heaven
-= above, Heaven = below. All six yao are solid. Primary gua are de-
scribed as "trigran$ in most English translations. The structure of six
solid yao presents a picture of the perfect yang essence. It is the symbol of
the firmest, healthiest, and purest yang energy in the universe.
The Chinese character Qan is an image of a rising sun radiating its
light and energy-chi-and nourishing the whole world. The ancient
Chinese ideograph of Qan, shown here, depicts a sun on the left side of
the picture. Above the sun, there is a shoot of grass with two tiny leaves
sprouting on the left and right. Underneath the sun, the root of the plant
penetrates deeply into the ground. On the right side the chi disperses
from the sun and spreads out under the sky. In Chinese, Qan possesses
the same sound as the word for health. It denotes health and vitality. In
the process of the creation of the world, QLan took an active role as the
initiator, providing the purest yang energy, the healthiest action, and the
most powerful strength for Kun, the Responding, to receive.
In the I Ching, King Wen placed Qan as the initial p a a nd Kun as
the second. Qan represents Heaven, and Kun represents Earth. It is worth
mentioning that King Wen did not name the first p aH eaven; instead he
named it Qan, Initiating. According to the ancient sage, Heaven refers to
celestial bodies or, to the Chinese, the divine deity, the Heavenly Elderly by a professor named Wang Kuo-wei (1877-1927) at herbal medicine
Father. The purpose of the I Ching is not to expose the nature of the stores in Beijing. Professor Wang recognized that these incised markings
celestial bodies or the divine deities but to offer guidance for favorable were inscriptions from the Shang dynasty. Searching for the orign of
life and at the same time to avoid misconduct that these bones and shells led him to the site ofYin, the ancient capital of the
when Qani s named, its emphasis is upon func- Shang dynasty on the plains of Hunan Province. Eventually, in 1899, a -
-
2 cache of oracle bones was uncovered, and, over time, one hundred thou-
sand pieces of oracle bone were unearthed. These oracle bones were the
Heaven and Earth have come into existence,
royal records of divination of the Shang court. According to the ancient
and Kun are the origin, thc source of Cre-
pictographs of these four characters, yuan denotes the origin, heng de-
ation.
notes the sacrificial offerings, li denotes the harvest of grains with a knife,
4
and zhen denotes the divination.
From these pictographs we know that in ancient times, more an two
Decision
thousand years before the time of Confucius, when people cons ed divi-
Initiating. nation, they first honored their origins. They comprehended th in look-
Sublime and initiative. ing forward to the hture they had to look back as well. In divination, it
Prosperous and smooth. was necessary to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth and to the ances-
Favorable and beneficial. tors. They cooked foods, burned incense, and offered flowers, allowing
Steadfast and upright. the divine spirits to enjoy the fragrance and aroma of their offerings.T hese
acts, they believed, were beneficial to their divinatory consultations. Heng
Qan represents the nature and function of Heaven. It is endowed with
and zhen, the sacrificial offering and the divination, are key words in the
the four Chinese characters yuan, heng, li, and zhen, the four attributes of
I Ching. Heng appears forty-four times and zhen occurs 108 times within
Heaven, symbolizing the virtues of an emperor, a leader, or a superior
the sixty-four pa. From the ancient pictographs of yuan, heng, li, and
person. Yuan means sublime and initiative. Heng means prosperous and
zhen we comprehend that one needs to prepare for divination by ahgmng
smooth. Li means favorable and beneficial. Zhen means steadfast and
upright. Throughout the I Ching you will find these four phrases attrib- with the spirit of Heaven and Earth and presenting sincerity and rever- .
ence as sacrificial offerings; then one will reap the harvest of the divina-
uted to certain pa,t hough few are so auspicious as to have all four. These
tion to obtain guidance for favorable actions and to avoid misconduct
four Chinese characters also indicate the hnctions of the four seasons of
that invites misfortune.
a year: originating, developing, maturing, and declining, referring to spring,
summer, autumn, and winter.
These are actually the viewpoints of the Confucian schools expressing
Commentary on the Decision
the philosophical aspect of the I Ching. Their main purpose in studying
the I Ching is to apply the philosophical instruction to life. They ex- Vart indeed is the greatness of the Initiating.
pound upon the meaning of the Decisions on the Gua, or the fastening It is the source of all beings
text, to understand the relationships among Heaven, Earth, and human And regdates all creations under Heaven.
beings. They seek to follow the natural order and live in harmony with
CZou&frow and rainf alls.
Nature. The fastening text, in the original Chinese, indicates the text that
All beings complete theirf orms.
is attached to the p at o explain the significance of the symbol.
Originally, King Wen's Decision on Qan-yuan, heng, li, and zhen- Greatly ltmiinous,fiom beginning to nrd
had a different connotation. At the turn of the twentieth century, pieces Each of the six stages completes itseyin its own time,
of animal bone and tortoise shell with incised markings were discovered As mounting on six dragons soaring in tie sky.
1
(I) Qian 25
Thw ay of the Initiating is change and tranformation Probably leapingfiom an abyss,
So that each being obtains its true nature and destiny In advance tbere will be no fault.
And the union of path armony is preserved
Fifth Nine
-- This is what isf avorable and upright.
- Dragon flying in the sky.
----
The Initiating is bigb above all beings. Favorable to see a great person.
And thus all countries are united in peace.
DragonJlying in the sky,
L
There arises a great person to be a leader.
Commentary on the Symbol
Top Nine
Heaven acts with viral9 andpmistence. Haughty dragon.
In cowespondmce wit8 this There is regret.
The superior person keeps himseIfvital without ceasing.
Haughty dragon, tbere is re@.
A state of abundance cannot lnst long.
All Nines
1. Initial Nine There appears a group of dragons without a chief.
Dragon lying low. Good fortune.
Do not use.
FollMoing the virtue of Heaven,
Dragon Iying low, do not use, One should not appear as a chief:
Fm the yang is in the lowestp lace.
2. Second Nine
Dragon arising in the field.
Favorable to see a great person. This accomplished p ai s one of the eight that is constructed b-y d oubling
1 one of the primary pa. Here the accomplished p ai s Qan Z,I nitiat-
Dragon arising in thefield
ing, the primary gua is Heaven e.Q an expounds the nature of Nature,
His virtue infuences extensive&.
the principle of Creation. Qgm, the Initiating, is the most sublime, the
3. Third Nine most firm, the most central, and the most upright. It possesses the at-
The superior person- tributes of initiation, prosperity, harmony, a ~sdtea dfastness. It moves for-
All day long, initiating, initiating. ward endlessly and inexhaustibly. It is an ideal model of human conduct.
At night, keeping alert. . For this reason, Confucius did not tire of explaining it in minute detail.
Adversity,no fault. According to him, Qan and Kun are the gate of I, which means that if
one intends to understand the I Ching one should first understand Qan
All day long, initiating, initiating.
and Kun; then the gate of I opens for understanding the rest of the gua.
One ir on the proper way over and over again.
King Wen's Decision gives yuan, hew, li, and zhen--the four attributes
4. Fourth Nine of Heaven. Translated into English, they also encompass the meanings
Probably leaping from an abyss. of sprouting, growing, blooming, and bearing fruit. Each of these four
No fault. attributes gives way to one another according to the change of the sea-
sons, cycling around and starting again. The ancient Chinese believed
\
(I) Qian 27
that humans should follow the way of Heaven, understanding the nature excess and no insufficiency. Applied to human lives, all our actions should
of change and adjusting to the situation, knowing when to advance and follow the way of Heaven, maintaining an equilibrium. In other words,
when to retreat. When it is not favorable to advance, it is time to gather every action should be in accord with the proper time and circumstances.
one's strength, hold one's faith, and stand steadfast waiting for the right When the time and situation are not suitable for one to move, one should
=
time and proper situation. When the time is right to progress, one still have patience. On the other hand, when the time and circumstances are
-
should guard against arrogance and rashness, making no move without favorable for one to advance, one should not lose the opportunity. This is
careful thought and always keeping in mind that things that go beyond what the ancient sage meant: following the way of Nature. It is as simple
their extremes will alternate to their opposites. as putting on more clothing when the weather gets cold. When your stom-
The significance o w p ais to explore the healthiest movement of ach feels empty, take something to eat. Likewise, the ancient sage encour-
Heaven. In ancient times, the Chinese believed that the Tao of Heaven ages the diviner to follow the way of a superior person, always vitalizing
was also the Tao of Humanity, especially for an emperor, who was re- and advancing oneself. In this way, one will obtain the four attributes of
/'
garded as the Son of Heaven and whose duty was to lead and educate his Heaven: initiation, prosperity, favorableness, and steadfastness.
people to practice the Tao of Heaven. King Wen's father, Ji Li, was a Following the steps of his father, the Duke of Zhou used the image of
nobleman of the Shang dynasty. He was granted the title of the West six dragons to expound upon the six stages of change represented by the
Lord and ruled the territory on the west side of the Shang empire. Ji Li six yao. The dragon was the most revered animal in ancient China. It was
manifested the Tao of Heaven; people from all around were drawn to believed that the dragon was able to swim in the ocean, walk on the ground,
him. The emperor of Shang felt threatened and killed Ji Li. King Wen and fly in the sky. Its constantly changing actions were unpredictable, like
carried on his father's magnanimous administration with great humility changes in the weather.
and circumspection for fifty years. He still could not escape the Tyrant of The host of this $ua is the solid line at the fifth place. Qan represents
Shang's suspicion and jealousy, and eventually he was imprisoned. Dur- the Tao of Heaven; thus, the fifth place is the symbolic seat of Heaven.
A
ing his seven years of imprisonment King Wen worked with the I and Qan also illustrates the Tao of an emperor, and in that regard the fifth
pondered his future duties. He realized that every undertaking or revolu- place is also the symbolic seat for an emperor. This place possesses the
tionary cause needed to pass through the four stages of yuan, heng, li, and four virtues of the yang aspect-firm, strong, central, and correcand is
zhen, or sprouting, growing, blooming, and bearing fruit. He visualized thus the most suitable place for the host of this pa. Confucius's Com-
that his sublime initiation (yuan) would be prosperous and smooth (heng), mentary on the Decision says, "As mounting on six dragons soaring in the
. . .
favorable to the people and successful (li), and should be kept steadfast sky. The Initiating is high above all beings." This is the Tao of the
and upright (zhen). At that time he had already worked out an overall Initiating, the perfect time and position. Beyond this position, things be-
plan of how to rescue the people from the Ty;mt of Shang's brutality. He gin to alternate to their opposites. In this yao, a yang element is at a yang
was deeply attached to the Tap of Heaven and the law of natural develop- place, indicating a perfect situation for a ruler or a leader. One in this
ment. He rearranged the safourg ua and put Qan at the very begin- position requires the qualities of a superior person: firm, strong, magnani-
ning to serve as the general guideline of the Upper Canon and as the mous, and energetic.
polestar of his revolutionary course. %n is one of the twelve tidal gua, representing the fourth month of
Heaven's movement is constant, persistent, and stable; it follows its the Chinese lunar calendar. In the solar calendar, this month is May.
orbit without deviation, still maintaining its equilibrium. (According to
ancient Chinese cosmology, Earth was the center of the universe.) (I) InirialNne. Qian alternates to Encountering ($4) E
Confucius said that "with vitality and endurance Heaven acts without This line is represented by a dragon lying low. The dragon is in the lowest
ceasing! Heaven's motion is the healthiest." Greatly influenced by the sig- of the six lines, indicating an initial stage. The time is not suitable and the
nificance of this pa, Confucius explored its truth in his Doctrine of the circumstances are not favorable for action. However, it is a time for prepa-
Golden Mean. The nature of Heaven is to follow the central ~atwhi th no ration. This was exactly King Wen's situation when he was
El
imprisoned by the tyrant of the Shang dynasty for seven years, but he (5) F@ Nine. Qian alternates to Great Hmvwt (14)
conducted himself with remarkable patience and self-restraint. The fifth line is the central line of the upper pa. It is a yang element at a
yang place-central, correct, and most auspicious. It indicates that the 1 J \ I
0)
SecondNine. Qian alternates to Seeking Harmony (13)
time and situation are ripe for taking action. The dragon is already fly- -
The second line is symbolized by a dragon arising in the field. This line i n g a m an of great virtue is ready to be a leader. Everythng is -i n i- ts --
is in the central place of the lower pa. It means that a great person is on proper place. However, even in this context a wise leader still needs to
the central path. The time is coming, and the situation is suitable; he is seek assistance from worthy people. It is said that this p ar epresents how
ready to take action, and his virtuous influence will spread extensively. King Wu, under the instruction of his father, sent armed forces to sup-
But before a definite goal and direction have been established, it is advis- press the tyrant of the Shang dynasty, gaining the love and esteem of the
able to seek guidance from someone who is great in virtue or experience. people.
This was King Wen's situation when he was released after seven years of
confinement. (6) Top Nine. @an alternates to Eliminating (Af)
The sixth line is in the uppermost place. The haughty dragon reaches its
(3) TbinlNine. Qian altmaf;~~ulf;lZm(1m0t) E
limit. One i/n this place should be cautious of not going too far and after-
The third line represents a situation in which one has gone beyond the ward having regrets. The I Ching always reminds us that extreme joy
central place and reaches the top of the lower gua. This line is a yang begets sorrow. How can one expect a state of abundance to be everlasting?
element at a yang place-it is not good to become too yang, meaning self- Always remember that one loses by pride and gains by modesty. The Yao
willed and arrogant. One who is at this place should be watchful of not Text says, "Haughty dragon. There is regret."The haughty dragon repre-
straying too far from the central path and thus creating an unfavorable sents the Tyrant of Shang. He had committed countless evil deeds and
from
situation. King Wen found himself in this position when he returned was heading for his doom.
prison to his own state and made determined efforts to prepare himself
and influence his people to reestablish his kingdom. The Yao Text says,
"The superior person4d ay long, initiating, initiating. At night, keep- All nines indicates that all yang lines alternate to yin lines. Among the
ing alert. Adversity, no fault."This describes King Wen's actions precisely.
sixty-four pa, only this one and Responding have an extra Yao Text ap-
plied 40 the situation when all six lines move. When all six lines change,
(4) Fourtb Nine. Qian akernates to Little Accarmulation (9)
one should read the Decision on the approached pa. The ancient Chi-
The fourth line symbolizes a dragon getting ready to leap out of the abyss
nese believed that, although dragons were the strongest and most power-
and fly into the sky. Since this is the first line of the upper pa, the time ful creatures, they never fought for leadership. Only the most magnani-
and the circumstances have reached a new level, but only at the initial
mous and humble, the one who is able to manifest the will of Heaven and
stage. Before taking action, one should wait for the best timing. In both
represent Heaven, would be selected by Heaven. Thus Confudus says in
advancing and retreating, it is important to wait for favorable timing. It is 6
his commentary, "Following the virtue of Heaven, one should not appear
worth mentioning that in this yao, the Duke of Zhou uses the word huo, ! as a chief." An emperor or a leader is an initiator, but at the same time he
meaning "if" or "probably." The dragon can either leap or take no action.
is responsive. He is responsive to the will of Heaven. Thus, the next pa,
One should be extremely cautious. The Duke of Zhou reminds us that in
Responding, expounds the Tao of the Subordinate. In this way, Initiating
a difficult or dangerous situation one should act cautiously; then there
and Responding, the yang and the yin, merge into one. This yao indicates
will be "no fault."This yao is exemplified by the actions of King Wu, son
that the subordinates of the Shang dynasty did not regard the tyrant as
ofbgW en, who, under the instruction of King Wen, sent troops against their leader. It was time for a true leader to be ordained by Heaven. Thus
the Shang dynasty and then retreated, making only an exploratory attack.
good fortune follows.
He was testing his capability for success.
(1) Qian * 31
Fl
Additional Reference Information for This Gua: planations of the texts of the six yao. The second section stresses how to
advance virtue and improve one's social conduct. In the third section,
Heaven above, Heaven below
Image:
emphasis is laid on the importance of doing the right thing, in the right '
Recite as: Qan represents Heaven -
'
- po&ion, at the 'right time. The central theme of the fourth section shifts -
Element: Metal =-
-- to the principle of Heaven. In Chinese, it is called Tian Tao, the Tao of -
Structure: Six yang
Heaven. The theme of the f f is ection is still Tian Tao. Coficius, with
Month: The fourth month of the lunar year, or May
his whole heart and mind, praises the magnificence of the principle and
Host of the Gua: Fifth Nine
---- the qualities of Heaven, that is, yuan, heng, li, and zhen. Two lines in this
Opposite Gua: Kun (2) EE
-- section are considered key to studying the I Ching:
Inverse Gua: Qan (1) =r
--
Mutual Gua: Qan (1) == Alternations of the six yao unfold the W;
Transformations of the opposites bringf wth thcfeling.
In the final section, Coficius summarizes his conclusions, based on
WENY EN
the text of the six yao, on how to lead an ethical life.
(Confucius's Commentary on the Words of the Text)
The Wen Yen maLkes up t h of the T en Wings. It comments
exclusively on the Decision and the Yao Text of the first and second gua; Yuan, the sublime and initiative,
however, most of the comments are on the first gua. Confudus believed Is thefirst and chief yuality of goodness.
that Qan and Kun were the gateway of the I Ching, the rest of the gua
Hmg, the prosperous and smooth,
being developed from them. He never tired of explaining them in detail. ,
Is the accumulation of excellence.
In this commentary Confudus went further, particularly emphasizing the
moral content of the text of the I Ching. The authorship is traditionally Li, thef avorable and beneficial,
credited to Confucius, but later studies indicate that it may have been Is the harmony of all that isj ust.
written by scholars of various Cohcian schools at different times.
Wen,t he steadfast and upright,
This piece represents the ideological system of Confudanism and has
Is the core of action.
profound influence in Chinese culture. It is worth mentioning that before
the Jin dynasty (265420) this commentary was only a part of the Ten Because the superior person embodies all that is human,
Wings; it was not a part of the I Ching. Wang Pi, one of the most emi- He is able to be the head of men.
nent I Ching scholars of j e J in dynasty, &st published it, along with
Because he presents the assemblage of excellences,
Qan and Kun, as an integral part of the I Ching. Almost all later editions
He is able to unitep eople through courtesy.
of the I Ching folluwed his initiative.
The commentary is divided into six sections. The fmt section analyzes Because he isf avorable and beneficial to all beings,
yuan, heng, li, and zhen, the four qualities and characteristics of Heaven, He is able to bring them into harmony withj ustice.
which is the Chinese concept of God. It indicates that the superior per-
Because he is stea+st andupright,
son should comprehend and exemplfy the utmost goodness of humanity
He is ablr to carry out all kina? of achievements.
represented by these four virtues of Heaven: in so doing he is qualified to
be a leader. The superiorperson applies these four virtues in actions,
In the second, third, and fourth sections, Confixius gives detailed ex- Therefore, it is said Qian is yuan, heng, li, and den.
W
2 All day long, initiating, initiating.
At night, keeping alert.
In itdN ine says:
Adversity, no fault."
"Dragon lying low.
-
-
-- Do not use." What does it mean?
-
The Master says:
What does it mean?
The Master says: The sage advances in virtue
And improves his deed.
The dragon holds virtue but conceals his ligbt.
He makes no change with the infuence of the world With true heart and good faith
He acts on nothing to secure hisf ame. He advances in virtue.
Withdrawingfiom the world, he bears no regret. With attention to his word and stable sincerity
Experiencing disapproval, he embraces no sadness. He improves in deed.
Acts withj oy fhe is able to carry his principles into action. Knowing the utmostpoint to be reached and reaching it,
Casts oflsorrow fhis time has not come. He is able to grasp opportunity.
Knowing the end to be rested in, and resting in it,
He is able to comprehend appropriateness.
For this reason, he is able to not be pmud in a superior position
Second Nine says: And not distressed in a lowly one.
'Dragon arising in thefield T h ,b eing active and creative as circumstances demand, and
Favorable to see a great person. " watchfil,
In this way, even in a situation of adversity,
What does it mean?
He will not make any mistake.
The Master says:
The dragon shows his virtue, Fourth Nine says:
He is properly in the centralplace. 'ProbabZy leapingfrom an abyss.
Truth@ in his ordinary word, Nof ault."
And cautious in his usual conduct.
What does it mean?
Guarding against degenmacy
The Master says:
And maintaining in his sincerity.
He dedicates himseyto the world but yithout the least boasting, Ascending or descending,
And his virtue is extensive/y displayed, having great inJuence. There is no constant ride
Thus the I says, But not to commit mi].
"Dragon arising in thef;eld Advancing or retreating,
Favorable to see a great person.* Them is no permanent measure
This rcfm to the palities of a superior person. But not to desert others.
The superiorperson advances his virtue and improves his deea3
Third Nine says: In order to seize the opportune time.
"The superiorpmon- Thus, no fault can be made.