The Great Vessel Blog

Getting started - Which Yijing?

From time to time I help people get started with the Yijing. This usually follows on from me doing a reading for them and their surprise at its precision and meaning. I know from talking to other Yijing users that this is a fairly common experience when doing a reading for someone for the first time. The problem then is which Yijing to recommend. These days I usually recommend “How to Use the I Ching” which was re-published as I Ching Plain and Simple . The translation is accurate and the commentary is clear, accessible and, unlike many entry level Yijings, it was written by someone who has dedicated their life to its study.

Yesterday I finally forced myself to go clothes shopping as I was getting dangerously close to being abducted to play as a beggar in Oliver Twist or something. I rewarded myself with a coffee at a street table near Leicester Square in London. Yes I dislike shopping that much! This question of which Yijing was still on my mind as I watched what seemed like half the world and every language walk by in the sunshine. I began to think that Symbols of Love might be a better starting book for many people. Despite its awful title it is a superb book. Get someone to buy it for you or wear a false beard to go into the bookshop. The translation benefits from Stephen Karcher’s years of work re-translating the Yijing for the Eranos Institute. The commentary is clear and informed. Though it is written with relationships in mind, it is not difficult to transpose the commentary to deal with wider matters.

I had other thoughts about Yijing translations which I will cover in the next blog.