The laws of change : I ching and the philosophy of life

As important to Chinese civilization as the Bible is to Western culture, the I Ching or Book of Changes is one of the oldest treasures of world literature. In this masterful new interpretation, Jack Balkin returns the I Ching to its rightful place as a book of wisdom that teaches how to live one's life in a changing and confusing world. Balkin's comprehensive and perceptive commentaries highlight a clear, understandable version of the core text of the I Ching that preserves its striking imagery while remaining faithful to the long tradition of ethical interpretations of the work. The I Ching is nothing less than an explanation of the laws of change in the world and how human beings can learn to live in harmony with them. Balkin presents it as a work of practical philosophy and ethics, concerned with helping people to cultivate their characters, achieve emotional balance, and maintain personal integrity in the face of adversity and ever-changing circumstances. He shows how the I Ching's divinatory system helps the reader discover the book's underlying philosophy through applying its insights to everyday problems. The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life offers the most detailed commentaries available in English on the I Ching's ethical and philosophical teachings, a comprehensive survey of different methods of consulting the I Ching, and an excellent history of the I Ching's transformation from a Bronze Age diviner's manual to a beloved book of wisdom that lies at the very heart of Chinese culture. This is an indispensable work for anyone who wants to understand the I Ching and its history. An In-depth Introduction To The Mysteries Of The I Ching Describes The History, Philosophy, Interpretation, And Practical Applications Of The Ancient Text And Provides A Definitive New Translation Of The Text That Includes Sixty-four Chapters Based On The Six-line Figures Around Which The Book Of Changes Is Organized. An Introduction To The Book Of Changes And Its Philosophy -- The Philosophy Of The Book Of Changes -- How The Book Of Changes Works -- The Symbolism Of The Book Of Changes -- How To Consult The Book Of Changes -- A Short History Of The Book Of Changes -- The Book Of Changes With Commentaries: A Note On The Text And The Commentaries -- The Upper Canon (hexagrams 1-30) -- Qian -- The Dynamic -- Kun -- The Receptive -- Zhun -- Difficulty In The Beginning -- Meng -- Youthful Inexperience -- Xu -- Waiting -- Song -- Conflict -- Shi -- The Army -- Bi -- Union -- Xiao Xu -- Small Accumulation -- Lu -- Treading -- Tai -- Peace -- Pi -- Standstill -- Tong Ren -- Fellowship With People -- Da You -- Great Possession -- Qian -- Modesty -- Yu -- Enthusiasm -- Sui -- Following -- Gu -- Remedying -- Lin -- Overseeing -- Guan -- Viewing -- Shih He -- Biting Through -- Bi -- Adornment -- Bo -- Splitting Apart -- Fu -- Return -- Wu Wang -- Innocence -- Da Xu -- Great Accumulation -- Yi -- Nourishment -- Da Guo -- Greatness In Excess -- Xi Kan -- The Abyss -- Li -- Radiance -- The Lower Canon (hexagrams 31-64) -- Xian -- Mutual Influence -- Heng -- Enduring -- Dun -- Retreat -- Da Zhuang -- Great Power -- Jin -- Progress -- Ming Yi -- Darkening Of The Light -- Jia Ren -- The Family -- Kui -- Opposition -- Jian -- Obstruction -- Jie -- Deliverance -- Sun -- Decrease -- Yi -- Increase -- Guai -- Resolution -- Gou -- Encounter -- Cui -- Gathering Together -- Sheng -- Ascending -- Kun -- Oppression -- Jing -- The Well -- Ge -- Revolution -- Ding -- The Caldron -- Zhen -- Shock. Jack M. Balkin. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 625-632) And Index. As important to Chinese civilization as the Bible is to Western culture, the I Ching i s one of the oldest treasures of world literature. Yet despite many commentaries written over the years, it is still not well understood in the English-speaking world. In this masterful new interpretation, Jack Balkin returns the I Ching to its rightful place as a book of wisdom that teaches how to live ones life in a changing and confusing world. The I Ching is nothing less than an explanation of the laws of change in the universe and of how human beings can learn to live in harmony with them. Balkin presents it as a work of practical philosophy and ethics, concerned with helping people to cultivate their characters, achieve emotional balance, and maintain personal integrity in the face of adversity and ever-changing circumstances. He shows how the I Chings divinatory system helps the reader discover the books underlying philosophy through applying its insights to everyday problems. Balkins comprehensive and perceptive commentaries highlight a clear, understandable version of the core text of the I Ching that preserves its striking imagery while remaining faithful to the long tradition of ethical interpretations of the work. The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life affords us the opportunity to experience a world masterpiece anew with unprecedented depth and understanding. "The I Ching is nothing less than an explanation of the laws of change in the universe and of how human beings can learn to live in harmony with them. Balkin presents it as a work of practical philosophy and ethics, concerned with helping people to cultivate their characters, achieve emotional balance, and maintain personal integrity in the face of adversity and ever-changing circumstances. He shows how the I Ching's divinatory system helps the reader discover the book's underlying philosophy through applying its insights to everyday problems."--BOOK JACKET. An in-depth introduction to the mysteries of the I Ching describes the history, philosophy, interpretation, and practical applications of the ancient text and provides a definitive new translation of the text that includes sixty-four chapters based on the six-line figures around which the Book of Changes is organized. 15,000 first printing. The Book of Changes (I Ching or Yijing) is one of the world's oldest books.