THE RETURN OF THE I CHING
I realize that all of my Christian friends find the use of an Oracle to be despicable, pagan, and anti-Christian. In response to that seemingly appropriate reaction, I feel it is necessary for non-prejudiced people to remember that, once Judas hanged himself, the remaining eleven disciples threw dice to select his replacement.
The I Ching, also known as the Book of Changes, is one of the oldest Chinese classics and a foundational text in both Confucian and Taoist traditions. Its origins trace back to the Western Zhou period, around 1000–750 BCE, when it was primarily used as a divination manual.
The core text, known as the Zhou Yi, likely reached its current form by the late 9th century BCE, during the reign of King Xuan of Zhou. Over time, especially during the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), it evolved into a more philosophical and cosmological work with the addition of interpretive commentaries called the Ten Wings.
There are also legendary accounts that push its symbolic origins even further back—some say to Fu Hsi, a mythical emperor from around 3000 BCE, who is credited with discovering the trigrams by observing patterns on a turtle’s shell.
I guess I’m saying this is not a passing fad.
Enough of the verbal foreplay!
Let us begin.
I threw the coins this morning, the day after fourteen 30,000 bombs were dropped on Iranian nuclear sites. I asked the oracle (since we get nothing but lies and propaganda on television and in magazines) what the situation was in Israel today and what we might expect in the future.
My dear friend Bill Hughes once told me that any hexagram can be interpreted in any way. In fact, this is usually the case. Consider, however the gua I came up with this morning. My throw included three changing lines (#3, #5, #6).
The initial hexagram (Xian - Mutual influence) tells me that the USA and Israel worked together to create yesterday’s amazing success. What do the moving lines say? All three of the English summaries include (according to Alfred Huang’s translation) the phrase MUTUAL INFLUENCE.
Of course, nothing stays the same in this world besides congress, so here’s the new Hexagram, describing the future of the US/Iran war: Disturbingly, hexagram 23 (BO - Falling Away) seems to point to the dissolution of the resolve or partnerships of one side or another.
Of course, the Democrats are already calling for another impeachment of our President. Happily, most people (including Dems) are sick of the KKK Party and it may soon dissolve and leave us with an actual moderate government in place. But that has nothing to do with the I Ching; so I am stopping typing, now.
As one of your Christian friends, I want to say that I don't find your use of an oracle "despicable." I have done worse things.
I do consider it pagan, and anti-Christian, but that is no shock or surprise, especially in this day and age.
You said, "In response to that seemingly appropriate reaction, I feel it is necessary for non-prejudiced people to remember that, once Judas hanged himself, the remaining eleven disciples threw dice to select his replacement."
First, the apostles prayed before casting lots (not necessarily dice). They prayed to a personal God who determined the outcome in a very important and practical matter for His church. Thus, the result of the lot was not one of random chance, and completely different from I Ching.
I Ching is based on a completely false conception of the universe, and hence is completely useless as a means of determining the future.
Moreover, it is not good for us to know the future. We can think and speculate and plan of course, but we are not guaranteed tomorrow, and hence need to focus on living rightly today - living rightly meaning according to the teachings of Christ.
You said the initial hexagram revealed "the USA and Israel worked together to create yesterday’s amazing success." Wow! I could have told you that. And not everything we see in the media is lies. Much of it is, especially the mass media, but a lot of basic facts are presented - and books are often a more reliable source of information, not for the latest info but for the necessary background.
You say "seems to point to the dissolution of the resolve or partnerships of one side or another." Once again, anyone could have told you that. A partnership might dissolve - but maybe not.
I cannot see anything you gained except a loss of time.
We do not live in a random universe but in a universe created by God, and created by a supreme and infinite mind.
If you want to think more about these things without reading the Bible, I suggest Epictetus or Seneca. Their Stoic philosophy posits a mind behind the universe and seeks a life lived in conformity with that reason which underlies all reality.