Confucius’s discourse on the I Ching, concentrated in Yi Zhuan, formed a distinctive I Ching thought system, whose core can be summarized in three progressive levels.
Foundation Level: Virtue as the Basis
Confucius explicitly proposed the thought of “replacing divination with virtue,” believing that “without constant virtue, one will bear shame.” Those lacking enduring virtue find no meaning even in obtaining auspicious hexagrams. He placed moral cultivation above divination and prediction.
The encounter between Confucius and the I Ching was a milestone event in Chinese intellectual history. This relationship can be divided into three stages, completing a fundamental philosophical transformation.
First Stage: Late-Life Intellectual Turn
According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Confucius developed a strong interest in the I Ching in his later years, expressing “If I could have a few more years, studying the I Ching at fifty, I could avoid major mistakes.” During this period, he studied the I Ching so intensively that he “wore out the leather bindings three times.”
Divination is the direct bridge between the I Ching and its users. This practice encompasses both operational methods and deeper meanings.
Operational Level (Three Simple Steps)
1. Preparation and Focus
Prepare three coins, calm your mind, and clarify the question at hand
2. Casting and Recording
Cast six times consecutively, recording each result according to yin-yang rules
Form the primary and changing hexagrams, interpret using hexagram and line statements
In our rapidly changing modern society, we constantly face choices: whether to change jobs, accept a new collaboration, or continue a relationship. The I Ching offers a timeless framework for decision-making. Its aim is not to “predict the outcome,” but to help us see the situation more clearly, understand our role, and steady our mind so that we can make choices we are less likely to regret. This wisdom is built on a deep understanding of two core elements.
The wisdom of the I Ching is transmitted through an ingenious system of symbols and text. This system is hierarchically structured, forming a unique cognitive framework.
From a textual perspective, the Book of Changes (Zhouyi) consists of two major parts: the “Classic” (Jing) and the “Commentaries” (Zhuan). The Classic is made up of the names, hexagram statements, and line statements of the sixty-four hexagrams, and originally served mainly for practical divination. The Commentaries are ten later exegetical texts attached to it, which further elevate these symbols and texts into a philosophy of the cosmos and human life. In this sense, the I Ching is both a book of divination and a book of reflective thought.
The I Ching, known as the “First of All Classics,” is an ancient classic about change and life wisdom. It originated from early divination practices, gradually developed over a long historical process, and eventually evolved into a comprehensive work integrating philosophical reflection, cosmological ideas, and lived experience.
Three Ways It Matters Today
1. Philosophical Foundation
Its yin-yang dialectics and the idea of the unity of heaven and humanity invite us to see the world as dynamic and interconnected. When we face career choices, relationship tensions, or emotional ups and downs, thinking in terms of shifting balance rather than rigid “right or wrong” helps us understand situations more calmly and adjust our stance with more nuance.
