Bollingen Series #19: The I Ching Or Book Of Changes

by R. Wilhelm

Hardcover, 1987

Status

Available

Call number

299.51482

Collections

Your library, Philosophy, Zen & Eastern Philosophy

Publication

Bollingen (1987), Edition: Twenty-second Printing

Description

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, a common source for both Confucianist and Taoist philosophy, is one of the first efforts of the human mind to place itself within the universe. It has exerted a living influence in China for 3,000 years, and interest in it has been rapidly spreading in the West.

Media reviews

NBD / Biblion

De Yijing (I-tjing) is een oud Chinees orakelboek opgebouwd rond 64 figuren gevormd door hele en onderbroken strepen, die samen alle mogelijke situaties in hun ontwikkelingstendens representeren. Rond deze zgn. hexagrammen hebben zich van de 10e tot de 4e eeuw v.Chr. talrijke, meestal duistere,

commentaren verzameld. Deze uitgave is de ongewijzigde druk van de Nederlandse hervertaling door A. Hochberh-van Wallinga (1953) van de Duitse vertaling door Richard Wilhelm, oorspronkelijk verschenen in 1923. Wilhelm doet in zijn bewerking geen poging de verschillende historische lagen te onderscheiden, maar biedt het werk aan als één bron van wijsheid. Zijn vertaling en zijn uitvoerige toelichting dragen sterk het stempel van zijn tijd, maar zijn indrukwekkende prestatie is nog steeds niet verbeterd. De Nederlandse hervertaling bevat ook een vertaling van het voorwoord door C.C. Jung geschreven voor de Engelse hervertaling (1950). (Biblion recensie, Dr. W.L. Idema.)

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User reviews

LibraryThing member shieldwolf

OK This is the granddaddy of I Ching primers in English, Cary Baynes Translation for Richard Wilhelm's German version is considered to be THE reference book for all other English books on the subject until very recently. If you are young and know a little about Chinese Romanization the book is

written in English with Wade/Giles Chinese Romanization (i.e. chi'ng instead of the modern Pinyin qing Tao/Dao etc.)But nevertheless for a good understanding and significant historical background of the I Ching outside of China itself I highly recommend it. Mr. Wilhelm traveled, lectured and taught for many years in the early 20th Century on this and related Taoist subjects. He was very famous in his own right and Baynes English translation gave him the :market in America as well as his native Germany/European audiences.

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11 more

LibraryThing member jayrogers

This hoary old literal translation of the chinese is a little obscure, but you can't beat it for giving you a feel for what the original must have been like.

LibraryThing member aelfgifu

From the back of the book: "The central theme of the I CHING or BOOK OF CHANGES is the continuous change and transformation underlying all existence. It is a work of great inspiration and reflects and answers all human conditions. It presents nothing less than a time-tested philosophy of life."

Er,

yes, it does, but this translation is also reflects a thoroughly male-centric view of the universe. There is a lot of talk about 'the superior man' but women don't seem to exist. One might argue this is just the way English was written back then, but it can jar a little. If you'd like a gentler and more female-oriented version, try Diane Stein's Kwan Yin Book of Changes.

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LibraryThing member mewilbur

This is not a book for the idly curious. It requires careful reading and study to gain even a superficial understanding of it. However, the effort is worth it.

LibraryThing member aannttiiiittnnaa

Like this version. Have the hard back copy and it is nice quality. Also a 'Pocket I Ching' version of this same edition was published in the 80's, just containing the 64 Hexagrams each with: Condition/ Judgment/ Image/ Degrees of change, which has been very useful to take away on trips.

In my

experience this really works. Don't use it so often, but when I have it's been very useful, shockingly accurate at times.

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LibraryThing member wallabyj

This book has been my guide and my mentor for almost 35 years now - I couldn't be without it. Of this book Carl Jung says "For lovers of self-knowledge, of wisdom - if there be such - it seems to be the right book." I totally agree.

LibraryThing member yogarific

Wow! The trick is to not think of these things as signs. but symbols. A sign means one thing and a symbol reverberates with meaning. You can not pin it down. Allow it to speak. Try not to corral it into some meaning.

LibraryThing member atinayam

I keep coming back to this old friend for advice and counsel.
The book will never tell you "what to do" but only how to think about
or approach the question of doing.

LibraryThing member ronsea

Written before WWII so references to societies - Europe and China - are interesting. This is basically a cook book but the amplifications are very interesting psychologically. A discussion of how the way applies to artists is very interesting.

LibraryThing member xuebi

An ancient Chinese manual for divination, the I-Ching (Yijing 易經) has long been the source of much interest both inside and outside of China.

This version, the translation by Richard Wilhelm (the eminent German sinologist), is still one of the best around.

LibraryThing member questbird

This is the book I would like with me on a desert island.

LibraryThing member mykl-s

I finally realized the I Ching was more about politics and generalship than about problem solving.

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