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Hello all,
I’m wondering if anyone would care to share their experiences with I ching divination and whether they have found it be of value in practical affairs or as an aid on the spiritual path; what translation is preferred, specific methods used, or other considerations. I have been dabbling with the Karcher I ching for some time and have found it to be intriguing but also frustrating. Some readings produce truly mind expanding insights, others seem meaningless, or just fall flat somehow. When I try to pin down specific answers to specific questions the readings often seem elusive or non-committal somehow. I’m aware that there is a large body of technique in the interpretation beyond simply reading the relevant texts from the hexagrams that are cast, but I have not delved into these refinements and don’t know how much additional insight they might provide.
Any thoughts or experiences appreciated.
elephantHi elephant,
I don’t use the I-Ching much myself, so I’m not really an expert on it. So I defer you to others who use it more for better advice. I know Michael recommends the Karcher Total I-Ching, which sounds like the one you are using. He uses it extensively, so he can probably provide more practical advice here.
But just a few words based on my limited experience . . .
My intuition about it is that the main purpose is to divorce yourself from a locked mental pattern when struggling with a particular issue and so by shifting to outside cosmological advice it allows guidance to occur without so much interference from the brain. Thus my intuition is that if you do some grounding practice and/or qigong before doing a reading, it is likely to be helpful as it will get you more into your body and out of your head, and thus consequently you will be more receptive to the true underlying message that is divined with less interference from preconceived ideas of the mind. This has been my approach when I’ve used it, but then again, as I said I don’t use it much, so others (say Michael) who use it more may have some refined advice that will help enhance your reading skill and use.Qi,
StevenI have been using it rarely, but over a long period of time, long before I was into chi kung. I guess I used when there was a lot of confusion in me, and I needed somehow to disentagle my neurons 🙂 I used the coins method and the book was by Zivorad Mihajlovic Slavinski, who although was never so much into tao and chinese cosmology, he used it a lot and teaching it. I never changed that book because it emphasizes responsibility on yourself. So my results in getting the confusion out of me using I Ching are either one of these:
1. Getting me out of the question and meaningless mind games and gently moving my focus towards what is more or really important for me.
2. Getting the exact answer, and helping me realize that only reason why I wasn’t going for that direction originally is because it is out of my comfort zone. Its really easy sometimes to say I am getting out of my comfort zone and I am brave and bla bla, but to realize what is the nature’s (nature and chi inside I mean) path or flow and discern it from mind can be challenging sometimes. And I Ching has helped me in that, and has helped me once in critical life changing event. I found it as a life saver in that confusing situation.
My general experience:
1. I find the answers consistent (although they may vary in the angle).
2. The answers are related to my state of consciousness and inner world.
So I guess sometimes it has helped me understand the question deeper because it really answers the underlying question not the exact words that I use. So in a way I would say that it answers my deeper question and helping me connect with my true nature.I have had frustrations myself but found out (eventually) that it because one of these reasons:
– Going with the natures flow sometimes is out of my comfort zone (and discerning what is comfort zone, mind and natures flow might not be obvious at the time)
– I Ching with me is sometimes trying to get me out of that question because the question is just not the right question. And the sooner I realize this the sooner I can get on with real life (instead of mind games) 🙂
So it takes a while to develop a relationship with I Ching, and to trust it, but my experience is that is really worth it.
Cheers
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