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I Ching, the book of changes |
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Abraxas
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 Posted February 27th, 2008 07:25 IP   
Hi all,
one of the most fascinating books I have come across is the I Ching.
64 hexagrams, each offering six lines that can change from Yin to Yang and vice versa. To me, like to so many others it's a treasure chest of wisdom.
Just reading it allows to discover the eternal rules of mindful behaviour.
But to consult it reveals so much more.
If you don't have a living master to ask for advice, here you have the mystery itself replying to you.
But don't expect, as a beginner, it's as easy as baking bread with a simple recipe. That comes later, with practice. A dancer will know what I'm talking about. You need to learn the rules, the steps before you can enjoy the dance with the oracle, cause it takes 2 to tango. Compare it to savouring a sutra, or the Tao Te Ching. You need some time...let the lotus unfold, slowly, in it's own time.
Who else likes the I Ching here?
:namaste:
ABRAXAS
(Edited by Abraxas)
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Mr._Opporknockity
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Posts: 220
Registered: Dec 2007 |
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Posted February 27th, 2008 12:59 IP
Quote:
Abraxas wrote:
But don't expect, as a beginner, it's as easy as baking bread with a simple recipe. That comes later, with practice. A dancer will know what I'm talking about. You need to learn the rules, the steps before you can enjoy the dance with the oracle, cause it takes 2 to tango.
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I'm just getting started reading about the I Ching. In the vernacular of dance, I'm finding a good studio and getting advice on where to buy shoes! :P
Do you always do yarrow sticks? Have you done coins?
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These aren't the Droids we're looking for. Go on about your business. |
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Abraxas
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Posted February 27th, 2008 13:28 IP
Hello, Mr. Opporknockity!
Pleased to meet you. I've never done yarrow sticks, cause I like simplicity. Just 3 coins, compared to so many sticks, and then I would surely lose them. also, 3 same coins are always at hand. If you lose one, you just take another out of your wallet. Yes, I use simple coins from my wallet. The smallest ones, so they can turn around better between my hands.
It 's also a lot faster this way. Gives me more time for other things.
:namaste:
Abraxas
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Michelle
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Posts: 133
Registered: Aug 2007 |
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Posted February 27th, 2008 19:44 IP
I like counting the stalks. It's very centering, really puts one in a meditative state of mind when consulting. I will often use the stalks when asking a particularly important question because it silences all that "monkey mind" chatter. 
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"The Tao is very close, but everyone looks far away.
Life is very simple, but everyone seeks difficulty."
-- Taoist Sage, 200 B.C
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mystic light
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Posts: 6815
Registered: May 2006 |
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Posted February 27th, 2008 20:00 IP
Hi, Abraxas and all,
I always used coins. I'd sometimes shake them for a long time and become half tranced while doing so. It's a very monotonous action and helps the mind to become focused. Sometimes it took me minutes before I got the feeling: Throw. I've also had the mind traveling while doing so, not sure where to, and become totally blank. I was just shaking and then suddenly returning to the question. It's like meditation perhaps.
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http://schmuckzauberei.blogspot.com/ |
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Abraxas
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Posted March 1st, 2008 08:24 IP
Quote:
Michelle wrote:
I like counting the stalks. It's very centering, really puts one in a meditative state of mind when consulting. I will often use the stalks when asking a particularly important question because it silences all that "monkey mind" chatter.
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Would you like to describe how counting the stalks works, Michelle?
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Michelle
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Posts: 133
Registered: Aug 2007 |
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Posted March 17th, 2008 00:19 IP
Hello Abraxas,
How counting works to silence the chatter? Because it takes concentration, and your mind can't chatter away on all sorts of diverse thougths and pathways when you are concentrating on one thing.
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"The Tao is very close, but everyone looks far away.
Life is very simple, but everyone seeks difficulty."
-- Taoist Sage, 200 B.C
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Abraxas
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Posted March 17th, 2008 09:33 IP
Thanks Michelle, but I wanted to know how 'you' do the I Ching with stalks.
I didn't mean the silencing of chatter.
But since we are talking about it, I think while you shake the coins, and concentrate on your question.... this should get the mind quite focused, on one particular thought, so that not much room would be left for chatter....imo.
Don't you think?
But now, how do you do the I Ching with stalks?
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Michelle
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Posts: 133
Registered: Aug 2007 |
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Posted March 18th, 2008 21:23 IP
Quote:
Abraxas wrote:
But now, how do you do the I Ching with stalks?
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It's rather long to post here, so I made a blog entry complete with pictures.
Follow this link:
Yarrow Stalk Method to Generate I Ching Hexagram
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"The Tao is very close, but everyone looks far away.
Life is very simple, but everyone seeks difficulty."
-- Taoist Sage, 200 B.C
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Persephone
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Posts: 244
Registered: Jul 2006 |
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Posted March 19th, 2008 02:08 IP
Michelle,
I have the coins, I haven't been able to find the yarrow sticks, although they speak to me in a stronger fashion. Where did you find your sticks?
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A good example is the tallest kind of preaching.
African proverb |
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Michelle
Member
Posts: 133
Registered: Aug 2007 |
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Posted March 19th, 2008 06:07 IP
Quote:
Persephone wrote:
Where did you find your sticks?
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Hi Persephone,
The sticks in the pictures are actually bamboo skewers from the grocery store.
Over the years, I have used wooden toothpicks, and yarrow stalks from plants I have grown in my back yard though the stalks tend to crumble rather rapidly with continued use.
You can use any sort of stick that you like. The source of the tool is less important than how you use it, and the respect with which you treat and care for it.
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"The Tao is very close, but everyone looks far away.
Life is very simple, but everyone seeks difficulty."
-- Taoist Sage, 200 B.C
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Abraxas
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Posted March 19th, 2008 08:04 IP
Thanks Michelle!
I think sticks are too complicated for me. I'll stick to coins. That is a lot easier for me.
But thanks for explaining it, well done, with pictures! Did you take them ?
I'll read it when I have time and try to get a feeling for it.
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Michelle
Member
Posts: 133
Registered: Aug 2007 |
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Posted March 19th, 2008 20:42 IP
Quote:
Abraxas wrote:
But thanks for explaining it, well done, with pictures! Did you take them ?
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Yup, I took the pictures; that's my hand in a couple of them. In hindsight, there was a better way I could have done it, but they work for now.
I have meant to take pics and post about the stalk method for a while....just didn't have the motivation, so thank you for being my motivation.
Counting the stalks seems complicated to start, but once you practice a few times and become familiar with the process, it's quite easy, really.
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"The Tao is very close, but everyone looks far away.
Life is very simple, but everyone seeks difficulty."
-- Taoist Sage, 200 B.C
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Abraxas
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Posted March 20th, 2008 00:03 IP
Beautiful job, Michelle. :heart:
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Persephone
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Posts: 244
Registered: Jul 2006 |
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Posted March 20th, 2008 01:19 IP
Thank you, Michelle, for your answer. I have spoken to people who only use the coins, and years ago I had a friend who only used the sticks.
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A good example is the tallest kind of preaching.
African proverb |
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Michelle
Member
Posts: 133
Registered: Aug 2007 |
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Posted March 20th, 2008 15:42 IP
Abraxas and Persephone,
Thank You both!
Persephone, I heard of a person who used gaming dice. My son plays those role-playing games where they use multi-sided dice, so I had him pick up two eight-sided dice (one for the upper and one for the lower trigram) and I assigned each number to its trigram, and one regular six-sided die to determine the changing line.
I don't use that method too often because of the limitation in the number of changing lines....you can only get one.....but there is no reason not to use dice, or anything else if you like, and as long as you can get into a quiet, mindful place before you consult. Ni Hua-Ching teaches a method using seeds in his book The Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth.
People should use whatever works for therm.
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"The Tao is very close, but everyone looks far away.
Life is very simple, but everyone seeks difficulty."
-- Taoist Sage, 200 B.C
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