ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <title>The Canada Society of Yi Jing (The Book of Changes)</title> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> <meta name="keywords" content="Canada Society of Yi Jing, The Book of Changes, Yi Jing, I Ching, Yi" /> <meta name="robots" content="all" /> <meta name="author" content="Serena Deng" /> <meta name="description" content="Canada Society of Yi Jing - The Book of Changes" /> <link href="../includes/css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <script type='text/javascript' src='../includes/javascript.js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='../includes/calendar.js'></script> </head> <body> <div id="main"> <div id="left"> <!-- Left side elements placed here --> <div id="logo"> <!-- Logo image placed here --> <!-- Logo must be at a fixed width of 150px --> <img src="../images/yjlogo.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="The Canada Society of Yi Jing (The Book of Changes)" /> <img src="../images/space.gif" height="5"> </div> <div id="nav"> <!-- Navigation items placed here --> <!-- Main navigation items should be enclosed by <a> tags --> <!-- Subnavigation items should be in a list (<ul> tags), with each item separated by <a> and then <li> tags --> <!-- Maximum width of images here is 148px --> <div> <a href="index_en.htm">Home</a> <div id="nav01">&nbsp;</div> </div> <div onMouseOver="subNavOpen('nav02')" onMouseOut="subNavClose('nav02')"> <a href="javascript:subNavChange('nav02')"><img class="navarrow" src="../images/arrowd.gif" />About Yi Jing</a> <div id="nav02"><ul> <a href="whatis.htm"><li>What is Yi Jing</li></a> <a href="reducfallacy.htm"><li>Fallacy: A Divination book</li></a> <a href="unilaws.htm"><li>Laws Of the Universe</li></a> </ul></div> </div> <div onMouseOver="subNavOpen('nav03')" onMouseOut="subNavClose('nav03')"> <a href="javascript:subNavChange('nav03')"><img class="navarrow" src="../images/arrowd.gif" />Yijing, Science & Civilization</a> <div id="nav03"><ul> <a href="exampley&s.htm"><li>Yijing and Modern Science</li></a> <a href="exampley&cs.htm"><li>Yijing and Chinese Science</li></a> </ul></div> </div> <div onMouseOver="subNavOpen('nav04')" onMouseOut="subNavClose('nav04')"> <a href="javascript:subNavChange('nav04')"><img class="navarrow" src="../images/arrowd.gif" />The Study of Zhou Yi</a> <div id="nav04"><ul> <a href="handbook.htm"><li>Handbook</li></a> <a href="evidenceyi.htm"><li>New Evidences</li></a> <a href="evidencebased.htm"><li>Evidence-based Interpretation</li></a> <a href="classicalbook.htm"><li>Classical Books</li></a> <a href="bookreview.htm"><li>Book Review</li></a> </ul></div> </div> <div onMouseOver="subNavOpen('nav05')" onMouseOut="subNavClose('nav05')"> <a href="javascript:subNavChange('nav05')"><img class="navarrow" src="../images/arrowd.gif" />History of Yi Academy</a> <div id="nav05"><ul> <a href="profilehistory.htm"><li>Profile History</li></a> <a href="indeterminate.htm"><li>Origin of Indeterminate Analysis</li></a> </ul></div> </div> <div onMouseOver="subNavOpen('nav06')" onMouseOut="subNavClose('nav06')"> <a href="javascript:subNavChange('nav06')"><img class="navarrow" src="../images/arrowd.gif" />Prehistory of Yi Academy</a> <div id="nav06"><ul> <a href="fuxigua_e1.htm"><li>Archaeology of Fu Xi Yi</li></a> <a href="fuxigua_e2.htm"><li>Preshistorical Investigation</li></a> </ul></div> </div> <div onMouseOver="subNavOpen('nav07')" onMouseOut="subNavClose('nav07')"> <a href="javascript:subNavChange('nav07')"><img class="navarrow" src="../images/arrowd.gif" />Yi Divination and Sciences</a> <div id="nav07"><ul> <a href="yidivination_e1.htm"><li>Basic Differences</li></a> <a href="yidivination_e2.htm"><li>Science Basis</li></a> </ul></div> </div> <div onMouseOver="subNavOpen('nav08')" onMouseOut="subNavClose('nav08')"> <a href="javascript:subNavChange('nav08')"><img class="navarrow" src="../images/arrowd.gif" />Traditional Applications of Yijing</a> <div id="nav08"><ul> <a href="yimedicine.htm"><li>Yijing and Chinese Medicine</li></a> <a href="fengshuisci.htm"><li>Feng Shui and Sciences</li></a> <a href="fatecalculation.htm"><li>Fate Calculation and Sciences</li></a> </ul></div> </div> <div onMouseOver="subNavOpen('nav10')" onMouseOut="subNavClose('nav10')"> <a href="javascript:subNavChange('nav10')"><img class="navarrow" src="../images/arrowd.gif" />Members Area</a> <div id="nav10"><ul> <a href="society.htm"><li>Society Board</li></a> <a href="bylaws.htm"><li>Society Bylaws</li></a> <a href="news0205.htm"><li>Monthly Newsletter</li></a> <a href="memberappl.htm"><li>Membership Application</li></a> </ul></div> </div> <a href="links.htm">Links</a> <img src="../images/space.gif" height="5"> </div> <div id="splash"> <!-- Splash items placed here --> <!-- This section is optional; delete the splasharea div area to leave it blank --> <!-- Maximum width of images here is 138px --> <div id="splasharea"> <p>The Canada Society <br /> of Yi Jing <br />(The Book of Changes)<br /> 10939-38 Avenue<br /> Edmonton, AB<br /> Canada T6J 0K6</p> </div> </div> <div id="splashend"> <!-- Additional splash items may be placed here, but this section is fixed at 100 pixels in height; overflow material is hidden --> <!-- Maximum width of images here is 140px --> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> <div id="content"> <!-- Main page content is placed here --> <!-- h1, h2, p, a, img, ul tags styled --> <!-- Maximum width of images here is 430px --> <h1>Profile of the History of Yi Jing </h1> <p>by Deng Honghai</p> <p> As the first academic system of the mankind in the earth, Yi Jing (the Book of Changes) has served the people for 8,000 years, which can be divided into the first 6 thousands of years and the last 2 thousands of years. </p> <p> <ol> <li><p>The evolution of Yijing in the first 6 thousands of years was divided into two eras: prehistoric and historical.</p></li> <ul> <li><p>In prehistoric era, Yi Jing was a practical knowledge system for people to realize the universe and develop science and technology for maintaining and improving their livelihood.</p></li> <li><p>In the historical era, Yi Jing was increasingly deified to be the highest Holy Classic full of the Heavenly, Earth and Human laws to direct everything, including divination and other forms of decision making, in national affairs and people s livelihood.</p></li> </ul> <li><p>For the last 2,000 years, especially since the monopoly of the Confucian school was established over the Chinese academic world in the Han Dynasty, the mainstream of Yijing studies have shifted towards two extremes: on the one extreme, pro-Confucian scholars adapted Yijing theories to a Confucian milieu by interpreting Yijing as  a divination book flooded with extremely mysterious and abstruse; on the other extreme, skeptic scholars tried to turn Yijing into a  divination book full of flaws by juggling with words. However, people, including Taoists and natural scientists, have kept their efforts to restore the truth of Yi Jing.</p></li> </ol> </p> <p> The Yi Jing was originally founded over 8,000 years ago by Fu Xi, the legendary first Dynasty of Chinese rulers who is said to have invented the rods or linear signs manifested as the groups of numbers and formulated 64 hexagrams, which were transformed into 8 three-lined trigrams and 64 six-lined hexagrams in later ages. Following the Fu Xi Yi, Yi Jing was successively upgraded into Shen Nong Yi, Huang Di (Yellow Empire) Yi, Lian Shan Yi, Gui Zang Yi and Zhou Yi. In the historical development of Yi Jing, Fu Xi  s natural number Gua (grouping) system, which was suitable for implementing the Yinyang (four quadrantal) Calendar, developed structurally into graphic Gua systems, which was suitable for implementing the Wuxing (five phase) Calendar, and then the lined Gua (grouping) system, which was suitable for implementing the Yinyang-Wuxing combined Calendar. </p> <p> King Wen, the progenitor of the Zhuo Dynasty ( 1150-249 B.C.) was said to have appended brief judgment to each of the hexagrams, thereby laying the groundwork for much of the acknowledged wisdom of Yi Jing philosophy. King Wen s son, the Duke of Zhuo, wrote the texts pertaining to each of the individual lines of the hexagrams, assigning meanings to them, which contained wisdom embodied the Heavenly Dao, Earth Dao and Human Dao and ancient historical experiences. Their contributions were entitled the Zhuo s Yi and enable the book to become the highest classic to guide every physical and spiritual activities of the national and individual activities, including their divination. </p> <p> With the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, the Zhuo s Yi classics subsequently came to be used as oracles and updated interpretations of the Yi Jing were drastically altered, expanding its philosophy to take on the colorings of divination. This was the status of the book when Lao Zhi, Confucius, Mo Zi and other scholars began their lifetime study, interpretation and application of Yi Jing with their judgments and images. Lao Zi restored and interpreted the philosophy mainly of the Gui Zang Yi . Confucius interpreted mainly the social philosophy of Zhou Yi with a series of commentaries that are generally referred to by the term  Wings . Mo Zi interpreted mainly Lian Shan Yi. </p> <p> Emperor Qin treated Yi Jing as the highest classic to guide his empire. Since Confucianism s monopolization in the academic world was established in the Western Han Dynasty, Yi Jing began to become firmly established as a book of divination and magic. Ban Gu (32-92), a scholar in the Eastern Han Dynasty, first assumed that Yi Jing escaped the fate of other books at the time of the burning of books under the emperor Qin because it was originally a book of divination. In addition to spreading Ban Gu s assumption that  Yijing was originally a book of divination , pro-Confucian scholars adapted Yijing theories to a Confucian milieu by interpreting Yijing as  a divination book flooded with extremely mysterious and abstruse. Coming along with them, skeptic scholars tried to turn Yijing into a  divination book full of flaws by juggling with words. </p> <p> To meet the challenges of pro-Confucian and skeptic scholars, Taoists and natural scientists continuously made outstanding achievements in mathematics and natural sciences to reveal the truth of Yi Jing. It was not until around A.D. 226 that the Book of Yi Jing came to be re-regarded as a book of wisdom. By the time of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) some aspects of the book had evolved further, some textbooks relating to statecraft and the philosophy of life of the Yi Jing were published. Zhu Xi s (1130-1200), the new Confucian leader, duet that  Yijing was originally a book of divination, but contains the laws of the nature . This has been the so-called two-point doctrine that has made Ban Gu s assumption become an official definition of  divination book . From on then, his two-point doctrine has been promoted by pro-Confucian scholars until today. </p> <p> During the ages of the later dynasties, more and more books on interpretation and commentaries of the Yi Jing from the viewpoint of its theories of magic were published and they have been regarded as the exalted divination texts. Traditional practitioners of wits, such as fortune-teller, Feng Shui masters, quack doctors, itinerant entertainers, etc., have abused Yijing as a book of divination to swindle others for money in the name of Yijing. With the introduction of Western culture into China, skepticists have used the definition of  divination book to completely negate Yijing. The pro-Confucian mystifying and the Skeptic belittling of Yijing have exerted an imperceptible influence on people s thinking from generation to generation. The influence has already permeated into every corner of the Chinese society and the international academic world so that abusing Yijing as a divination book has become an obstinate habit of the people. </p> <p> Although Yijing has been abused as a divination book for two thousand years, the development of Chinese culture and civilization has been interacted with the rise and decline of the Yi Jing. The unchangeable fact is that Yi Jing is the general root of Chinese cultural disciplines, such as Taoism, Confucianism, Sunzi s Art of War, Chinese Traditional Medicine and its Acupuncture, Qigong, Tai Ji, martial arts, Feng Shui, various forecast methodologies and so on. It is the greatest and most significant in the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization history; Chinese people s practices have either taken their inspiration form it or have exerted an influence on the interpretation of its texts and meanings. </p> <p> As the source of wisdom, Yijing belongs to the whole of mankind. By the 17th century, it had been misused for a long time as a  divination book in the East and gradually lost its grace. However, it began to shine on the West as soon as it was introduced into the new world. With the spread of Yijing over the West, Leibniz and Hegel became the representatives of the first generation of western philosophers to re-find the truth of Yijing. More and more achievements in all fields of modern science have proven that Yijing is the initial idea source of modern sciences and technology developments, such as computer, genetic engineering, new materials, information technology and a series of forward sciences theories. People can get wisdom from it for everything including their healthy living and successes in their study and profession. The international efforts for restoring the truth of Yi Jing as  the sum of universal laws are getting more extensive and intensive. </p> <div align="center"><img src="../images/fuxi06.gif" name="img1" height="88" /></div> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div id="right"> <!-- Right side elements placed here --> <div id="rightnav"> <table> <th><a href="../Yi_Jing_EN/profilehistory.htm">Eng</a></th> <th><a href="../Yi_Jing_TC/profilehistory_bg5.htm">A~SO</a></th> <th><a href="../Yi_Jing_SC/profilehistory_GB.htm">€{SO</a></th> </table> </div> <div id="rightwhite"> <!-- Whitespace, ignore --> <div id="cornertl"> <!-- Top left page corner decoration; do not modify --> <img src="../images/cornertl.gif" /> </div> <!-- Top right page corner decoration; do not modify --> <div id="cornertr"> <img src="../images/cornertr.gif" /> </div> </div> <div id="rightmain"> <div id="righttext"> <!-- Right blurb items, such as ads or related items, here --> <!-- Maximum width of images is 130px --> <h1>Your inputs are always welcome!</h1> <p> You are welcome to input your comments, suggestions, supports and donations. </p> <p> There is a bank account of our society for raising funds. </p> <p> All proceeds will be used to fund publishing the books mentioned above, developing international cooperation on the theme, promoting Universe Yi research and education. </p> <p> You can contact us by mail via our mailing address on the left side of the page or email at <a href="javascript:antiSpam('jvs','shaw.ca')">jvs@shaw.ca</a>. </p> </div> <p><CENTER> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> getBgn(); </SCRIPT> </CENTER></P> </div> <div id="rightend"> <!-- Additional blurb area; items may be placed here but this section is fixed at 100 pixels in height; overflow material is hidden --> <!-- Maximum width of images is 140px --> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> <div id="footer"> <!-- Page copyright information; do not modify --> <!-- Bottom left page corner decoration; do not modify --> <div id="cornerbl"> <img src="../images/cornerbl.gif" /> </div> <div> <p id="foottext"> &copy; 2004 The Canada Society of Yi Jing (The Book of Changes). 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