Customer Reviews

The Mandate of Heaven: Hidden History in the Book of Changes

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This fascinating book balances rigorous historical research with a respect for the profundity of the *I Ching*. Marshall argues that the central text, the "Zhouyi", contains identifiable historical references to events in ancient China. Specifically, Marshall argues that the date of the Conquest of the Shang Dynasty by what would become the Zhou Dynasty can be located in the year 1070 BCE, on the basis of evidence in the "Zhouyi" --- including a hitherto undetected reference to a solar eclipse in the text of Hexagram #55! In the course of his argument, he brings to life the semi-mythical figures of King Wen & King Wu (virtuous founders of the Zhou Dynasty) and Zhou Xin (depraved tyrant, last Shang ruler). He cogently suggests specific links between Shang bone oracles and the text of the "Zhouyi". By citing Chinese characters in the text, and providing a glossary of them in the back, he allows the reader to feel a part of the detective work he is doing. Overall, I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone with an interest in ancient China and to anyone who works seriously with the *I Ching*. The former will find historical bases for figures often dismissed as mythological, while the latter will find profoundly meaning depth in some of the *I Ching's* inscrutable phrases.

For those who are interested in a deep historical look at the origins of the I Ching, this is a must book for your library. There are quite a few translations of the "Yi" on the market now, but there really aren't that many books on its historical origins. This book will not teach you how to use the I Ching. It will not teach you how to dissect the trigrams or memorize the Later Heaven Sequence. What it will do is give you a fascinating glimpse into the world that created the Book of Changes. I highly recommend it.