Chai. The great German Sinologist Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I-Ching has been rendered into English by Cary F. Baynes. It was first published in two volumes in New York by Pantheon Books, 1950. Princeton University Press has republished it as volume XXIX of their Bollingen Series. Wilhelm's son Hellmut, a great Sinologist in his own right, has provided an excellent general survey of the I-Ching in his Change: Eight Lectures on The I-Ching, translated from the German by Cary F. Baynes (New York, Pantheon Books, i960).
Starting with these works the enthusiast may delve into the I-Ching, going far deeper than we do here.
Hexagram-Finding Key
Calligraphy by Liu Ta-yung
PART TWO The Eight Trigrams
A TRIGRAM in I-Ching terminology refers to a three-line configuration. The lines are of two kinds, solid ————— and broken — —. The total possible combinations of these lines is eight. The lines when combined to form trigrams take on a broad spectrum of symbolic meaning. In turn, the eight trigrams are combined to form 64 six-line configurations known as hexagrams. For divination purposes the hexagram is all important, but no adequate interpretation of the meaning of the hexagram is possible without an understanding of its component parts.
The order of information about the trigrams is as follows: 1) Wade-Giles system of romanization for pronunciation, the standard romanized name; 2) pronunciation of the Ingram in pinyin, the romanization system selected for national usage by the People's Republic of China; 3) Richard Wilhelm's translation of the trigram; 4) the trigram itself; and 5) the Chinese character for the trigram.
The human and natural affairs and phenomena associated with each of the eight trigrams follow:
1. CHI'EN qian Creative
Made up of three solid lines, this trigram symbolizes heaven and thus it is noble, lofty, and firm. It is light as opposed to dark. It also symbolizes the strong, the expansive, and the masculine. It is creative and active, perpetually moving, never stopping. Opposites confront each other in Chi'en and it is the time for decisive battles to be fought. Chi'en is energy while K'un, the next trigram and virtual opposite, is form.
People: Rulers, presidents, sovereigns, dictators, leaders, sages, founders of a religion, popes, church elders, prime ministers, board chairmen, military commanders, fathers, husbands, and old men.
Parts of the body: The head, face, lungs, pleura.
Sicknesses: Headaches, constipation, pulmonary diseases, broken bones, fevers, and swelling.
Places: Palaces, official halls, offices, temples, shrines, churches, theaters, schools, military encampments, markets, mountains, walls and fortifications, observation platforms, race tracks, stadiums, and athletic fields.
Occupations: Government service, the military, businesses concerned with machinery, sports equipment, precious metals, fruit, and watches or clocks.
Articles: Precious stones and metals, watches and clocks, stamps and chops (an official seal, stamp, or permit in India and China), automobiles, streetcars, bicycles, sewing machines, machine guns, overcoats, hats, umbrellas, mosquito nets, purses, mouth covers, clothing, cloth wrappers, and mail boxes.
Food: Rice, beans, canned goods, and fresh fruits. Animals: Horses, dragons, tigers, and lions.
Plants: The chrysanthemum, fresh fruits, and herbs.
Season: Late autumn or early winter, the time when opposites meet.
Weather: Clear, cold.
Color: Strong red.
Direction: Northwest.
Miscellaneous: Round shapes, abundance or fullness, rapid advancements, charity or donations, happiness or gratification, just before midnight, bravery and boldness, determination, wealth and high position, honor, pride, luxury, cold, ice, the color white, and acrid taste.
2. K'UN kun Receptive
Formed by three broken lines, K'un stands for the earth, a great plain able to grow a myriad of things. Hence it contains the meaning of mother. People trample and spit on the ground, yet it toils without rest. Therefore, it has the meanings of being gentle and yielding, durable, devoted, and toiling. The earth is formed by fine particles collected together and thus the trigram means mass or the majority. The heaven is lofty, solitary, and noble. The earth is lowly, humble, and yielding; hence K'un also means poor, lowly, and inferior. It is passive rather than active and dark as opposed to light. It is the time when peaceful labor is performed.
People: The people, the multitude, groups, mothers, old women, wives, workers, the industrious, handymen, the poverty-stricken, the incapable, and the ignorant.
Parts of the body: The spleen, stomach, and abdomen. Sicknesses: Diseases in the digestive tract.
Places: Fields, farms, empty lands, uncultivated wilds, and slum areas.
Occupations: Obstetrics, doctors treating gastrointestinal disorders, those who work with antiques or curios.
Articles: Cotton cloth, trousers, pants, chair cushions, sheets, mats, mattresses, square-shaped items, chessboards, boxes, suitcases, kettles, and carriages. As the earth is the base for all things, everything belonging to the bottom level is symbolized here.
Food: Powdered or ground food, sweet potatoes, taro, wheat, sugar, desserts or snacks.
Animals: Cows, mares, calves, and ants.
Plants: Flowering plants.
Season: Late summer, early autumn, the ripening season. Weather: Cloudy.
Color: Deep black.
Direction: Southwest.
Miscellaneous: Warmth, afternoon, yellow, sweet flavors, square or flat shapes, miserliness, caution, loads, tranquility, respect or reverence, and modesty.
3. CHEN zhen Arousing
Chen symbolizes the launching of energy and movement. It is the arousing, the initiator of life. And it is speed. Of the directions, Chen represents the east. When the sun rises in the east, a sense of vitality and vigor appears throughout the earth. Thus it is the time of blossoming, of expansion, and of the beginning of new things. New ventures and occupations are suggested. Chen also stands for thunder and earthquakes, and thus has the meaning of shocking or startling.
The bottom line is a yang line, a light rather than dark line. Its position there makes this one of the three light trigrams symbolizing the three sons.
People: Princes, famous people, eldest sons, youths, the nouveaux riches, newly risen people.
Parts of the body: Feet, liver, throat.
Sicknesses: Hysteria, spasms, convulsions and the like, phobias, liver and foot ailments, and disorders of the nervous system.
Places:
