Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Traditional customs - Meaning of I Ching

Meaning of I Ching

The I Ching, also known as the Book of Changes, is a classic philosophical work of ancient China, and is known as "the fundamental book of Chinese culture".

Expansion: The I Ching is a classic text of ancient China and an important part of traditional Chinese culture. The I Ching contains ethical, philosophical, religious, political and other aspects, and is known as "the classic of Chinese culture".

The I Ching, formerly known as the Zhou Yi, is divided into two parts: the I Ching and the I Chuan, which were handed down from the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty. The I Ching expresses the relationship between human beings and nature and society through the "trigrams", which are composed of two "lines" connected by yin and yang. Each hexagram represents a natural phenomenon, a social state or an interpersonal relationship, and expresses the philosophical ideas of change, adaptation and harmony.

The core idea of the I Ching is "Taoism is the law of nature", that is, human beings should follow the laws of nature and integrate into the universe to achieve harmony. In dealing with human relationships and managing the country, the I Ching puts forward many valuable ideas and methods, such as "the gentleman is peaceful but different" and "the man who knows others is wise and the man who knows himself is wise," which have far-reaching effects on the development of human society.

As an important part of Chinese culture, the I Ching has not only had a profound impact on ancient Chinese philosophy, religion, and culture, but has also had a wide influence on the entire East Asian culture. Especially in contemporary times, as people's understanding of the universe, nature, and human society deepens, the ideas and concepts of the I Ching have again aroused in-depth thinking and research.