The I Ching (Book of Changes): A Critical Translation of the Ancient Text PDF
Preview The I Ching (Book of Changes): A Critical Translation of the Ancient Text
The I Ching (Book of Changes) ALSO AVAILABLE FROM BLOOMSBURY Doing Philosophy Comparatively, Tim Connolly The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Chinese Philosophy and Gender, edited by Ann A. Pang-White The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Chinese Philosophy Methodologies, edited by Sor-hoon Tan The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Early Chinese Ethics and Political Philosophy, edited by Alexus McLeod Understanding Asian Philosophy, Alexus McLeod The I Ching (Book of Changes) A Critical Translation of the Ancient Text Geoffrey Redmond Bloomsbury Academic An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Bloomsbury Academic An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square 1385 Broadway London New York WC1B 3DP NY 10018 UK USA www.bloomsbury.com BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published 2017 © Geoffrey Redmond, 2017 Geoffrey Redmond has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the Author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the author. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: HB: 978-1-4725-0524-8 PB: 978-1-4725-1413-4 ePDF: 978-1-4725-1271-0 ePub: 978-1-4725-0594-1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Redmond, Geoffrey, translator, editor. Title: The I ching (Book of changes) : a critical translation of the ancient text / Geoffrey Redmond. Other titles: Yi jing. English. Description: New York : Bloomsbury Academic, [2017] | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2016052129| ISBN 9781472505248 (hardback) | ISBN 9781472512710 (epdf) Subjects: | BISAC: PHILOSOPHY / General. Classification: LCC PL2478 .D675 2017 | DDC 299.5/1282--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016052129 Cover design: Catherine Wood Cover image © Illustrations and calligraphy by Mingmei Yip Typeset by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NN To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com. Here you will find extracts, author interviews, details of forthcoming events and the option to sign up for our newsletters. Most of all, for Mingmei, who has always been there for me during my seemingly endless journey to the Far Side, to translate one of the world’s most enigmatic books in the world, and also for her profound knowledge of Chinese culture, both literary and popular. And especially for twenty-five years of love and companionship. An excerpt from the oldest (c. 300 bce) existing Zhouyi manuscript; the original is on bamboo strips. For the anecdote upon which it is based, see page 368. (All calligraphy and illustrations by Mingmei Yip) CONTENTS Preface ix Foreword xiii Acknowledgments xxi Quick Start Guide for the Ancient Book of Changes xxv Part 1 Approaching one of the world’s oldest books 1 Why another translation? 3 2 Making sense of divination 15 3 History and the intellectual context 23 4 The unique structure of the Book of Changes 43 5 Before the birth of the author: How the Zhouyi was composed 55 Part 2 The translation and commentaries Part 3 The quest for philosophy in the Zhouyi 6 What kind of book is the Book of Changes? 329 7 Philosophy in the Zhouyi 353 viii CONTENTS Part 4 Practical and theoretical aspects 8 Reading by topic 383 9 How to consult the I Ching 385 10 The challenges of translating the Zhouyi 393 Bibliography 411 Index 417 PREFACE Coming of age in the sixties, I was fascinated by what was still referred to as the “mysterious Orient,” as well as Western occultism, itself somewhat beholden to Asian religious and philo- sophical ideas. At the same time I became attracted to Chinese art, particularly Song landscape and Shang and Zhou bronzes. Western interest in China and Japan began far earlier than the sixties. It started with the early Jesuit missionaries and European philoso- phers, notably Gottfried Leibniz and Voltaire, who knew about China only through the accounts of others. The sudden rise of interest in Asian religion and philosophy in the sixties was partly due to media popularization, but also because the times were hungry for new ideas, particularly for philoso- phies that might offer something life-changing. Through my own engagement with Chinese culture this came true for me, though not entirely in ways I expected. I had limited opportunity to pursue this interest during the long years I was engaged in the ordeal of medical training, though I did find time to acquaint myself with the Dao De Jing in the translation of Gia-fu Feng and Jane English, a work that helped me through this difficult time. While my approach to science has always been strictly empirical, I found that Asian thought offered me something that Western science did not. It is not that I thought these philosophical traditions were somehow superior to science, rather, they addressed deep human concerns that the hard sciences by their nature cannot. For this reason I have always been impatient with the notion that science and spirituality are incompatible––humanity needs both. I was particularly fascinated by divination, not as a means of predicting for myself but as an alternative mode of knowledge, one that many still find of value in their lives. Scientism rejects such as not empirically verifiable, but neither is the beauty of a painting verifiable, despite its enhancing life.
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