Part 2
But how to gain access to this 'void' through the pages of a book? It is the Taoist belief that humans are a microcosm of the universe. Just as a tiny section of a holographic strip contains the information of the whole image, so, it is said, the universe can be found within each and every one of us. By clearing our minds and entering into a meditative state, we can descend through the levels of our consciousness into our subconscious -- uniting both -- and going beyond. Therefore it is vitally important that anyone wishing to use the I Ching successfully must continually cultivate the kind of character that can achieve this aim. The I Ching describes this 'Superior Person' and how such qualities may be attained.
One must frame the question one wishes to ask and keep it focused clearly and powerfully in the mind. Then the process of divining the appropriate hexagram can begin. This can be achieved through various methods. Traditionally, fifty dried stalks of the yarrow plant are used. Though this method is time-consuming, it lends itself well to aiding the diviner to settle into a still state of mind. More popular, probably due to the short time it takes to complete, is the three-coin method. Any coin will do, but representations of Chinese coins with holes through their centres are usually favoured.
At this point, the western academic will ask how the apparently random dividing of yarrow stalks or the throwing of coins can, in any meaningful way, select a hexagram that is connected to the question being asked. As explained by Carl Jung in his foreword for the third edition of Richard Wilhelm's epic translation of the I Ching, the Taoist mind is very much interested in the state of the moment. Since all things in the universe are ultimately connected, even the 'chance' settling of three tossed coins is as much a perfect representation of the moment as the turning of distant planets, the tumbling to the ground of individual snowflakes and the question being held, in that instant, in the mind of the diviner.
It is, in its way, a snapshot of a dynamic process; but one in which the process can be investigated and understood, both in its backward and in its forward motion. The attached judgements and commentaries help reveal the meanings of the lines. Beginners may have trouble interpreting the meanings, but with just a little practice, their murky depths soon become clear.
The diviner is now connected with the universe. Or, rather, he has always been connected, but now realises its full potential by being aware of the connection and focusing his attention on it. It is said that spiritual agents, known as shen, intervene and speak to us directly through the I Ching. Whether these spirits exist in the literal sense, or they are metaphors for the higher levels of our selves, I cannot say. What can be said is that a channel of communication is now opened and through it can be heard words that would otherwise go unheard.
Inherent in most hexagrams divined is dynamic tension. These are represented by the 'changing' lines: lines which become their opposite to form a new hexagram -- one which gives an insight into the outcome of events if specific causes are put into place in the present. And in all hexagrams, the potential for bringing good or bad fortune that a decision carries with it is explained in full.
This is what sets the I Ching apart from the art of fortune-telling. Whereas a fortune-teller will predict events in your future, such as the meeting of a spouse or the coming into of a large sum of money, for which one may patiently wait, the I Ching advises what to do if you are to bring about a desired change. Ask the I Ching if you will gain promotion at work and the answer will not be 'yes' or 'no' but 'it depends'. What it depends on are the causes you put into place today to bring about the effects you want tomorrow. It also depends, in no less a way, on the character you cultivate within yourself.
Cynics often test the I Ching by asking the same question of it twice and, upon receiving two different answers, declare this as proof that, as an oracle, the I Ching leaves much to be desired. But what these people do not understand is what has been explained above: given that the hexagram divined is a snapshot of the moment the yarrow stalks were divided or the coins were tossed, it cannot be replicated. That moment will never exist again -- not in this our spatial, temporal world. It is gone forever. The second tossing of the coins, even if the question remains the same, can only be a snapshot of its own unique moment -- a moment that bears no resemblance to any that have gone before or are yet to come. The hexagram divined in that moment is as appropriate as any other.
There is then the question of the relationship one builds with the I Ching that might well be compared to that which would be built between a student and a teacher. Mutual respect must be established. If you were to ask a teacher for advice and then, upon ignoring that advice, ask the same question again, the teacher may well indulge you one last time; but continue to treat the teacher in such a manner and you'll find that her accumulated knowledge and wisdom are now closed to you. And be so impertinent as to test her with trick questions, you'll be sent on your way. But remain open to her wisdom and apply her advice diligently and the relationship between the two of you deepens. There will also come a time when you do not keep going to her with your problems as her lessons have been so effective as to leave you better equipped to understand the dynamics of a given situation on your own. And you most certainly do not bother her with such trivial queries as: 'Should I cut my hair or leave it long?'
Part 3
