The Living I Ching: Using Ancient Chinese Wisdom to Shape Your Life [Paperback]

Ming-Dao Deng (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2006

From the author of 365 Tao and a leading authority on Taoist practice and philosophy comes a completely innovative translation of the classic text of Eastern wisdom, the I Ching.

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is an ancient manual for divining the future. Its basic text is traditionally attributed to the Chinese King Wen, the Duke of Zhou, and the philosopher Confucius. By tossing coins, rolling dice, using a computer, or, more traditionally, counting yarrow stalks, one can create a seemingly random combination of heads or tails, odd or even, yin or yang, to construct six lines (for example, solid for odd numbers or broken for even numbers). These six lines make up a hexagram that provides advice, predictions, and answers to questions on topics from love and career to family and finance.

While known mostly as a tool of divination, the I Ching is also a repository of centuries of wisdom. Most of the existing translations offer either dense, scholarly commentary or little more than fortune-cookie platitudes, but in The Living I Ching Deng Ming-Dao takes a more holistic approach. His new translation recovers the true wisdom and philosophy of this ancient classic, so that the I Ching becomes more than just a book of fortune-telling -- it becomes a manual for living.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Deng Ming-Dao is the author of eight books, including 365 Tao, Everyday Tao, Scholar Warrior, and Chronicles of Tao. His books have been translated into fifteen languages. He studied qigong, philosophy, meditation, and internal martial arts with Taoist master Kwan Saihung for thirteen years, and studied with two other masters before that. He is an award-winning graphic designer and fine artist whose work is in several collections, including those of the Brooklyn Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Deng’s watercolors appear at the beginning of each chapter in this I Ching.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (April 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060850027
• ISBN-13: 978-0060850029
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,959 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > I Ching
  • #28 in Books > History > Ancient > China
  • #97 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Eastern Religions > Taoism

More About the Author

Deng Ming-Dao is the author of eight books, including 365 Tao, Everyday Tao, Scholar Warrior, and Chronicles of Tao. His books have been translated into fifteen languages. He studied qigong, philosophy, meditation, and internal martial arts with Taoist master Kwan Saihung for thirteen years, and studied with two other masters before that. He is an award-winning graphic designer and fine artist whose work is in several collections, including those of the Brooklyn Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lyrical Wisdom, September 8, 2007

By 

Naomi Dozono "Naomi" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Living I Ching: Using Ancient Chinese Wisdom to Shape Your Life (Paperback)

Ming-dao does a marvellous job of conveying the essential mystery and poeticism of the I-Ching, capturing its exotic flavor, while at the same time, in the second double-page, explaining the gist of the message for the western reader. Still, it is good to own several versions, because each author provides a valuable slant on the material. I rate this a bit higher than Wu wei's, although his is more straightforward.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful introduction and reference work, March 21, 2009

By 

Thom Mitchell (Providence, RI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Living I Ching: Using Ancient Chinese Wisdom to Shape Your Life (Paperback)

For those with interest in the I-Ching, or Book of Changes, Deng Ming-Dao does a spectactular job translating the intent, beauty and complexity of each hexagram and trigram. Each Hexagram gets 4 pages showing the character, the pinyin, the statement and the lines with a detailed discussion.

This is far more than a new-age surface reading of the I-ching. The translations and discussion are fresh and timeless with illustrations by Mr. Ming-Dao himself. Whether you are trying to develop a deeper undertanding of Chinese Culture or are looking for a guidance in living your life this volume is well worth picking up, reading and rereading.

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dragon man, May 17, 2006

By 

dragon man - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Living I Ching: Using Ancient Chinese Wisdom to Shape Your Life (Paperback)

As with all of Deng Ming Dao's books, this one is very well written and beautifully designed. He has written as clear of an explanation of the I Ching as I have ever read and if you've ever read any other books about it you know what I mean. I highly recommend this book if you have any interest in learning about the I Ching or if you'd like to learn more about it.