The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life [Hardcover]

Jack M. Balkin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 26, 2002

As important to Chinese civilization as the Bible is to Western culture, the I Ching is 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 one’s 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 Ching’s divinatory system helps the reader discover the book’s underlying philosophy through applying its insights to everyday problems.

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 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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Balkin, a Yale law professor, offers an engaging translation and interpretation of this Chinese classic. Based on a system of 64 hexagrams and their associated oracular statements, the I Ching began as a Bronze Age divination manual for rulers seeking advice on upcoming battles, marriage plans and human sacrifices, among other things. While it continues to be a popular medium for fortune-telling, centuries of scholarly commentary have made it a centerpiece of Confucian and Taoist philosophy. In addition to the text of the I Ching, Balkin provides a fascinating history of the work along with a lucid introduction to Chinese philosophy. But he is most interested in the I Ching as a system of practical wisdom applicable to everyday problems. By "enticing us to make sense of" its "vague and cryptic" language, he argues, it "induces us to abandon logical and linear thinking" and stimulates intuition and inspiration. Balkin includes detailed commentaries that help make sense of the book's pronouncements, which are sometimes self-evident ("Perseverance brings good fortune") but more often based on oblique metaphors ("Cart and axle separate / Husband and wife roll their eyes at each other" warns of "accidents" leading to "loss of dignity," while "He bites through the tender meat,/ So that his nose disappears / No blame" means that clearly beneficial reforms should be pursued energetically). Regardless of its prognosticatory powers, the I Ching's evocative imagery makes it a great work of literature, now more accessible than ever thanks to Balkin.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

"[A]n engaging translation and interpretation of this Chinese classic. . . . [T]he I Ching's evocative imagery makes it a great work of literature, now more accessible than ever thanks to Balkin.-- Publisher's Weekly

"[A]n excellent I Ching to consult. . . . Balkin [has] grasped the essence of the Changes."-- S.J. Marshall, Yijing Dao

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 672 pages
• Publisher: Schocken; 1 edition (November 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080524199X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805241990
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.3 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,154,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Commentaries on the I Ching, December 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life (Hardcover)

This book is the best I Ching if you want in depth discussions of what the hexagrams and lines really mean. I own several different versions and in most of them there's only a paragraph or a few sentences. I'm always left wanting more. In this version everything is made very clear and it makes the book even more relevant to my life. There's also a great discussion of lots of different ways to cast the hexgrams, more than in any other book I've seen. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who uses the I Ching on a regular basis.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Practical Version, Filled With Wisdom East & West, January 2, 2003

By 

K.M. McKay (Eugene, OR, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life (Hardcover)

This is a wonderfully realised English translation of the ancient bronze age divinatory tool, the I Ching. Mr. Balkin, a careful writer who renders crisp yet meaningful prose, has given modern thinkers a true gift in this book. 'The Laws of Change' strikes a poetic balance between the Wilhelm/Baynes edition and some of the accessible recent versions. It's easier to get into than the Wilhelm/Baynes and much deeper in its wisdom than its competition.

What's particularly well done is Balkin's well thought out commentary on the lines, which, though retaining a level of unconscious symbolism for a unique interpretation, give a pracitical, useful approach to understanding situations. I found myself wishing the author was my uncle or grandfather -- that I could probe his mind for answers to some of my life's toughest issues!

This is an I Ching for people wishing to do better in their organizations, for understanding how best to deal with complex and difficult social/business situations, and for making personal decisions with far-reaching affects. It's also quite good if you're like me and are still trying to learn how the world really works. As the author says, "You should not be afraid of the changes that you want to make." (Thanks, Mr. Balkin, for reinvigorating the resolve to make important changes. Your respect for this ancient text is clearly shown and helpful to all.)

K.M. McKay

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most lucid version of the Yi available, April 26, 2006

By 

J. Thomas "fyreflye" (Sebastopol, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life (Hardcover)

First of all, this is not a "translation" from the Chinese but a clear interpretive reworking of the text of Wilhelm/Baynes (with a nod to Blofeld) informed by the most recent scholarship and decades of personal use. It's a book for those who use the Yi for divination or for the study of its philosophy rather than for scholars. After a solid no-nonsense review of the Yi's historical origins and a summary of the philosophy that informs it, Balkin leads the reader through each hexagram with a text that follows the Wilhelm/Baynes version but includes a commentary that makes clear what the Baynes translation sometimes leaves muddled. Yes, there are even footnotes referring some of the key phrases back to their Chinese originals with variant readings. Jack Balkin is a Professor of Constitutional Law at Yale, not an occultist or a writer looking for a quick buck with an I Ching knockoff. This is a true labor of love and the fact that it's being remaindered with no paperback yet in sight is a real tragedy. Grab this book while it's still available in its beautifully produced hardcover edition. It doesn't deserve to become another lost classic.