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.