Customer Reviews

I Ching and the Genetic Code: The Hidden Key to Life

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There seem to be three books on the subject of the correspondence between the genetic code and the I Ching: Schonberger's, "DNA and the I Ching: The Tao of Life" by Johnson Yan ASIN:1556430973, and Katya Walter's "Tao of Chaos: DNA and the I Ching". Schonberger's book is showing its age. It was first published in the early 1970's (and no, it wasn't Schonberger who first noticed the link between the genetic code and the I Ching; it was Carl Jung's disciple, Marie-Louise von Franz who first wrote about it in the 1960's) and there has been considerable evolution of thought since the publication of this title. Of the three, Katya Walter's shows the most insight to this link. (Interestingly, von Franz, Schonberger and Walter all identify themselves as Jungians. Yan comes from a synchretic traditional Chinese/modern scientific point of view.) Unfortunately, Walter's book is out of print, though it is still available used on Amazon. By all means read this book, but if you find yourself feeling at the end, "But isn't there more?", read Walter's "Tao of Chaos".

This book was disappointing. The material that is actually relevant to the title could be consolidated into 10 pages. The author branches off into Buddhism and Zen. He also talks about many things that are maybe remotely relevant and are basically philosophical in nature. The substance in this book is very low. He compares the I Ching to Leibniz's binary system but basically he just shows that they are both a 64 states system. He then does the same with the DNA strand by picking a state for each amino acid but he doesn't really go beyond what's obvious. He then goes back to abstract theological/philosophical matters, which I normally read and enjoy except not in this book. He just stretches the book beyond what it has to contribute. I feel the author should have written two books to satisfy his desire for expressing all his thoughts. You can buy this book if you are a die hard fan of the I Ching don't expect much substance though.

One of the most beautiful ways to relate old fashioned knowledge to "modern" science. When you summary it all the only conclusion is that ancient people knew everything that scientist pretend to find out and God's creation has been described from old times...I found it amazing, thrilling, exciting, scientific, beautiful.

It seems to me I have an Achilles heel buying the books with a word `hidden' in the title:) What was hidden here was the genetic code the author Dr. Martin Schönberger revealed inside the ancient Chinese Book of Changes with tables, diagrams, and evidences. Sounds so tasty and inquisitive, and looks and is a wonderful discovery. I really like idea that many people will know about it and get own point of view, the book and work worth it (1973, 1992).

Intriguing 155 pages include The Discovery, The Genetic Code, Freedom and Programme in the I Ching, Law of Chance, Chance and Necessity in DNA, Surrealism and I Ching, The Opinion of a Mathematician, the Opinion of an Elementary Particle Physicist -- eight chapters of eighteen in content.

On p.49 in the Fu Hsi's table is a misprint: instead of trigram Ch'ien must be Sun, on p.65 the features of hexagram 41 Sun are wrong, hexagram 25 must be 45, hexagram 29 must be 49, on p.66 hexagram 46 Sheng must be hexagram 56 Lü with translation The Wanderer (correction made according The I Ching, or Book of Changes, Wilhelm/ Baynes splendid edition).

The I Ching code is both unique and universal, in the nearest future we can become witnesses of applying this code to something else we just don't have a clue is still hidden in the deepness of The I Ching recently. I am 100% sure of it, and going to keep to pay for the books with the word `hidden' in the title^^