Announcing the first of our eBook series: The Shuogua. This previously unpublished translation by Stephen Karcher is a powerful tool for those who want to deepen their understanding of the hexagrams in the Yijing.
The Shuogua, or Eighth Wing of the I Ching, describes the meanings of the trigrams which make up the hexagrams. It is often left out of English language versions of the Yijing because its structure, trigram by trigram, prevents the text from being divided up under the hexagram headings like some of the other Wings. However it is crucial to understanding the dynamic images of the trigrams.
When two trigrams come together, to form a hexagram, they resonate to form a new cluster of charged images. Understanding these enables the reader to enter into a deep understanding of the dynamic energies represented by the hexagrams themselves.
Stephen refers to each Trigram as a ‘Spirit Helper’ - He says of this work:
“Like an incantation, each section includes natural powers and emblems, dream or totem animals, parts of the human body, colors and seasons through which the Eight Spirit Helpers can be invoked. These invocations hark back to the ceremonies of the Wu, the Intermediaries who call down the spirits to take their bodies and spread blessings to the human community. In making this translation, I have personified the gua to emphasize this aspect of the Bagua tradition, deliberately using archaic word meanings to emphasize their character as spirits and guides - semi-autonomous powers of the imagination that drive and open the Matrix of Change.”
His translation starts with an introduction which explains the Shuogua's origins and the different arrangements of the trigrams. Alongside the Bagua is a sparkling commentary which brings it together with the traditional meanings from the Yijing.
In addition he gives a beautiful translation of the Tuanzhuan (First and Second Wings) for those hexagrams which are made up of the doubled trigrams. This is often known as the Image of the hexagram.
Finally he returns to the Shuogua with a nicely rendered translation which maintains the evocative poetry of the original Chinese.
By bringing these parts together in one book Stephen has allowed the texts to amplify each other in a powerfully evocative manner. The work draws the reader in to these ancient Chinese images which really come alive in his translation.
We have taken a lot of care in choosing the software for our eBooks. It is friendly and renders the texts and images in a manner which is comfortable for on screen reading.
You can find out more here.
Kevin