The I Ching or Book of Changes [Hardcover]

Richard Wilhelm (Translator), Cary F. Baynes (Translator), Hellmut Wilhelm (Preface), C. G. Jung (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1967 | ISBN-10: 9780691097503 | ISBN-13: 978-0691097503 | Edition: 3rd

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, a common source for both Confucianist and Taoist philosophy, is one of the first efforts of the human mind to place itself within the universe. It has exerted a living influence in China for 3,000 years, and interest in it has been rapidly spreading in the West.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

More than just a translation, Richard Wilhelm's I Ching is a profound introduction to the Chinese world-view. The I Ching (Yi Jing) is recognized by both Confucians and Taoists as a foundational work, and Wilhelm shows why. He separates his work into three books. The first book is about the hexagrams--the meanings of the lines and Wilhelm's extensive comments. The second presents two early commentaries that interpret the wisdom of the divinatory text, also with Wilhelm's helpful notes. And the third book takes us back to the hexagrams for more detailed commentary from both ancient Chinese thinkers and Wilhelm. Wilhelm is able to offer such enormous assistance because he spent the better part of a decade in China studying under classically trained scholars. His love for the work is thus as broad as his understanding.

The I Ching was originally used for divination, kind of like palm reading or interpreting the stars. It differs from simple prognostication, however, in that it demands us, as diviners, to cultivate an understanding of the world and ourselves. Without this understanding, the text is useless, hence the value of the commentaries, particularly Wilhelm's. This version is not without its biases, of course--it is a European's understanding of the I Ching, through a late-Qing dynasty Confucian perspective, translated into English by a Jungian psychoanalyst. Nonetheless, it succeeds like no other. --Brian Bruya

Review

Princeton's Bollingen edition--still regarded as the best and most authentic by I Ching aficionados. (The New York Times Book Review)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 806 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; 3rd edition (October 1, 1967)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780691097503
• ISBN-13: 978-0691097503
• ASIN: 069109750X
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Divination > I Ching
  • #13 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Eastern > Taoism
  • #23 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Eastern Religions & Sacred Texts

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

216 of 228 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "The clouds pass and the rain does its work... January 30, 2000

By Susan Byers VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

...and all individual beings flow into their forms." The I Ching is a book in that it has pages and printed text, but it is also an actual, living oracle, with its roots in antiquity and fresh leaves emerging every spring. It can tell you how you are doing, where you are headed if you continue in this way, and what you might do to change the course of your destiny if you don't like the results. I have had a deep relationship -- and that is precisely what it becomes -- with this book for almost 30 years, and it has never betrayed me. I have thrown it across the room in anger; I have approached it, trembling, on my knees, with my most profound existential fears and questions; I have wept with relief, or shivered with guilt at its answers and advice. It has seen through my confusion, stroked my forehead, slapped my cheek, poked me in the ribs. It has been kind or cold, bestowed blessings or blame, as was deemed cosmically necessary. It will reward even the casual visitor with wisdom and a way to be happier and more successful in this life.

I have heard many complaints about this particular edition of the I Ching. Apparantly, some people feel that it is "muddy," or encrusted somehow with the translator's limitations. However, I have read or used more than ten other versions, and the Wilhelm/Baynes remains the benchmark for them all. They all rest on a knowledge of the Wilhelm/Baynes version to provide the screen upon which their translation is projected. None are so thorough, and none provide the glorious, exalted poetry of the original. For example, Confucius says of one of the lines in the 13th hexagram, Fellowship with Men:

"Life leads the thoughtful man on a path of many windings. Now the course is checked, now it runs straight again.... Here winged thoughts may pour freely forth in words, There the heavy burden of knowledge must be shut away in silence. But when two people are at one in their inmost hearts, They shatter even the strength of iron or of bronze. And when two people are at one in their inmost hearts, Their words are sweet and strong, like the fragrance of orchids."

Some people find parts of the direct translations too wierd: "Penetration under the bed. Priests and magicians are used in great number." "The flying bird leaves him." "There is a large fruit still uneaten." But these poetic images have always had a striking impact on my subconscious, helping me to fathom the deeper meanings of the hexagrams and individual lines, and giving me a much richer depth of understanding. I find the use of many other translations valuable, and always appreciate the different highlights and perspective, but I used the Wilhelm/Baynes edition exclusively for many years and still consider it my primary resource. It is the one book -- of any kind -- that I would take with me to the proverbial desert island, if I could only take one. Don't hesitate to buy this book; you will never regret it! Read more ›

81 of 85 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars More than a divination tool; A Key to understanding the Self October 26, 1998

By [e-mail]

Format:Hardcover

Those approaching the "I Ching" for the first time are generally looking for that tool of divination that will fortell the future. Sorry to say, the "I Ching" is not for them. It is for the student of the self seeking to find a key to self-understanding, and a knowledge that things "change." The "I Ching" is, after all, the "Book of Changes." This particular volume is the definitive translation and commentary on the hexagrams, and the serious student will learn more about him/herself than about an uncertain and changing future. Because, you see, the future is not fixed. The individual controls his/her own destiny. For the newcomer to Eastern philosophy, or the initiate to the mysteries, Baynes masterful and insightful translations and commentaries (along with some delightful comments by Carl Jung), make this edition of the "I Ching" an invaluable addition to the shelf of any person seeking spiritual enlightenment, as well as a greater understanding of the "self" within us all.

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Standard by which the Others are Measured November 9, 2001

By Thomas F. Ogara

Format:Hardcover

There are a considerable number of translations of the Yi Jing on the market. For my money, this is still the benchmark. It is true that it is old, and it was a translation of a German version, but such things are not all that unusual in the world of translating; to date, the best all-around Arabic-English Dictionary - the Wehr-Cowan - is a German translation.

People use this version for divination, but I feel that Wilhelm's translation is primarily a text for studying and meditation, and I find the depth of his version still surpasses any other that I have seen. If you consider the Yi Jing to be a serious book, you should obtain this translation, if only to supplement your understanding of the matter.

53 of 57 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Unending Wisdom at Your Disposition. September 8, 2004

By Maximiliano F Yofre

Format:Hardcover

I was set into the path of The I Ching in an unusual way: by reading a sci-fi classic "The Man in the High Castle". The I Ching is used all along that interesting book and my curiosity was aroused.
I've started reading the first translation I was able to catch. Then I bought William Legge's translation. Finally I discovered Wilhem's translation and I was amazed.
So many deep commentaries & explanations! It was and is a delightful experience
The fact that Wilhem was a Christian missionary do not diminish the insightful lessons, it make them more understandable for Westerners that as myself have a Christian background.

This is not a book to read lightly, is full of ancient wisdom and each hexagram is discussed lengthily.
When used for divination many meaningful paths are at your disposition. You must be patient and read each answer more than once. The Book of Changes will never fail you. May be sometimes it will let you baffled. May be other times the answers are not the ones you were expecting. But if you put your questions in writing and date them as I did, you'll see how accurate the answers were, and even if at the moment you are not able to understand them, after a time they will be clear for you.
An extra feature is Carl G. Jung's foreword, it gives the reader a very short & compact introduction to the significance of this book and also how you can use it.

Afterwards I have collected some other versions and translation of this amazing book, but Wilhem's remains unsurpassed.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.