Frequently Asked Questions

Let's look at historical facts: Confucius said at age 50, "If I had started studying I Ching earlier, I wouldn't have made so many mistakes." He spent his later years intensely studying I Ching, leading to the famous story of "binding breaking thrice," ultimately writing the Ten Wings as commentary.

A logical question: Would Confucius spend years studying something without practical value? This suggests I Ching fulfilled certain needs for him.

From a data science perspective: Modern large language models rely on "computational brute force," projecting concepts into high-dimensional space through massive calculations. However, in machine learning, there's a method called SVM (Support Vector Machine) that doesn't require brute force computing yet cleverly projects to high-dimensional mappings.

Three thousand years ago, King Wen had no computing power, but he had abstraction abilities. Ancient people may have observed "changes" (Yi) and summarized patterns from this black box—similar to SVM's approach. We cannot dismiss ancient wisdom just because they lacked modern computing power.

These master-level figures' usage perfectly demonstrates I Ching's profound value far beyond "divination":

1. Psychology Master: Carl Jung

His Assessment: Jung believed I Ching is not superstitious fortune-telling, but a profound psychological tool—a "psychological mirror" for exploring the human unconscious. He considered I Ching the perfect embodiment of "Synchronicity."

Non-Divination Usage:

• Psychological Diagnostic Tool: Jung never asked I Ching "what will happen tomorrow." When patients were trapped in psychological dilemmas and couldn't express themselves logically, he'd invite them to consult I Ching. He believed the randomly obtained hexagram was a "meaningful coincidence" reflecting the patient's unconscious state.
• Hexagram as Archetypal Story: He viewed hexagrams as "archetypal situations" of patients' inner states. By interpreting these stories together, he helped patients understand which psychological pattern they were stuck in.
• Theoretical Foundation: Decades of I Ching study helped Jung fully develop his famous "Synchronicity Principle," opening entirely new fields in modern psychology.

2. Mathematical & Philosophical Giant: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

His Assessment: Leibniz's evaluation was purely mathematical and logical. He marveled at the perfect binary mathematical order embedded in the 64-hexagram arrangement, considering it the highest manifestation of ancient Chinese sages' wisdom.

Non-Divination Usage:

• Mathematical Structural Analysis: He never performed divination but conducted mathematical analysis of I Ching. When he saw the Fu Xi 64-hexagram diagram, he discovered that treating yang lines (—) as 1 and yin lines (- -) as 0, the arrangement perfectly matched his binary numbers (0 to 63).
• Philosophical Confidence: This discovery convinced him that his binary system wasn't just a clever invention, but an ancient, universal truth, providing enormous philosophical confidence for his scientific work.

3. Nobel Literature Laureate: Hermann Hesse

His Assessment: Hesse viewed I Ching as the crystallization of Eastern wisdom—a "game" model capable of integrating all human knowledge and art.

Non-Divination Usage:

• Literary Creative Inspiration: His masterpiece "The Glass Bead Game" was deeply inspired by I Ching's structure. The mysterious "glass bead game" in the novel attempts to integrate mathematics, music, philosophy, and art using a universal symbolic language—strikingly similar to I Ching's attempt to simulate all phenomena with 64 symbols.
• Philosophical Integration: Hesse's works like "Siddhartha" are filled with Eastern philosophy, exploring change and cyclical thinking—all closely related to I Ching wisdom.

4. Father of Historiography: Sima Qian

His Assessment: As a rigorous historian's objective affirmation. In "Records of the Grand Historian," he clearly documented Confucius's late-life intensive I Ching study, famously "breaking the binding thrice."

Establishing Historical Status: By writing Confucius's profound relationship with I Ching into official history, Sima Qian established I Ching's lofty position in Chinese intellectual history from a historical perspective. He recorded not whether I Ching is "accurate," but a fact: our greatest sage regarded this book as ultimate wisdom. That itself is the most powerful endorsement.

Deeper Insight: These masters all penetrated beyond the surface application of "divination." What fascinated them was I Ching's rigorous mathematical structure, comprehensive situational models, profound psychological insights, and grand philosophical concepts. They used it as theoretical foundation, source of thought, and artistic inspiration—this is why I Ching is revered as a classic.

The Original Method: Yarrow Stalk Algorithm (Da Yan Method)

The most ancient and orthodox I Ching divination algorithm, detailed in the "Commentaries on the Appended Phrases" (系辞传) from the Ten Wings. Called the "Great Expansion Divination Method", it uses fifty yarrow (shī) stalks through a series of complex, rigorous, and ritualistic mathematical steps (dividing by two, hanging one, counting by fours, returning remainders, etc.), requiring eighteen calculations to determine one line.

This process is very time-consuming—a complete hexagram (six lines) may take 15 to 20 minutes. It emphasizes achieving inner calm, clearing distractions, and aligning with the Tao through slow, focused calculation.

Later Simplified Version: Three-Coins Method

Because the "Great Expansion Method" was too complex for daily use, during the Han Dynasty, I Ching masters like Jing Fang developed simplified methods to make divination more accessible, eventually evolving into today's "three-coins method."

Three-Coins Method Rules:

• Toss three coins simultaneously: heads = 3 points (yang), tails = 2 points (yin)
• Record total: 6 = old yin (changing), 7 = young yang, 8 = young yin, 9 = old yang (changing)
• Repeat six times, recording from bottom to top to get six lines

Why Was the Simplified Version Widely Accepted?

Later scholars proved through mathematical calculation that the three-coins method's probability of producing old yin, old yang, young yin, and young yang closely approximates the ancient Great Expansion Method. Though slight differences exist, the overall distribution aligns with I Ching's principles of yin-yang transformation.

Statistical Analysis: Probability Comparison

Three-Coins Method Probabilities (8 total combinations):

• Old Yang (9): 1/8 = 12.5%
• Young Yang (7): 3/8 = 37.5%
• Young Yin (8): 3/8 = 37.5%
• Old Yin (6): 1/8 = 12.5%

Yarrow Stalk Method Probabilities (analyzed by scholars like Zhu Xi):

• Old Yang (9): 3/16 = 18.75%
• Young Yang (7): 7/16 = 43.75%
• Young Yin (8): 5/16 = 31.25%
• Old Yin (6): 1/16 = 6.25%

Key Differences:

• Old Yang probability: Yarrow method is 6.25% higher
• Young Yang probability: Yarrow method is 6.25% higher
• Young Yin probability: Yarrow method is 6.25% lower
• Old Yin probability: Yarrow method is 6.25% lower

In simple terms: The yarrow method tends toward yang-biased results (higher old yang and young yang probabilities), while the coins method has a more symmetrical, balanced distribution. But the differences are minor, and both effectively embody I Ching's principle of transformation.

In the computer age, this tool uses the coins method algorithm, completing calculations in seconds and greatly enhancing the efficiency of I Ching study and research.

Suitable Questions:

• Major decisions: career choices, investment directions with multiple options
• Complex situations: life choices requiring multi-dimensional thinking
• Directional questions: situations needing inspiration and reference

Unsuitable Questions:

• Trivial matters
• Binary yes/no questions (like "Will it rain tomorrow?")
• Precise numerical predictions (like lottery numbers)
• Repeatedly asking the same question

The I Ching text says: "The first consultation brings an answer; repeated inquiries show disrespect, and disrespect receives no answer." Scientifically, this also relates to different random probabilities each time.

I Ching often doesn't give clear answers, but rather insights and directions, helping you "understand" and gain conviction.

This is a particularly interesting direction. Traditional I Ching interpretation faces challenges:

Traditional Problems:

• Obscure original text (What does "the dragon has cause to regret" mean?)
• Requires expert commentary to understand
• Different eras have different interpretations (original text → Confucius' Ten Wings → later commentaries)

AI Advantages:

1. Massive Context: Can input all versions of interpretations from ancient to modern (original, Ten Wings, modern expert commentaries)
2. Personalized Interpretation: Combined with your question and background, provides targeted insights
3. Multi-angle Enumeration: LLMs can exhaustively brainstorm possibilities based on rich context
4. Deep Understanding: With sufficient context, AI can truly "understand" your situation

Simply put: AI doesn't replace I Ching, but helps you better understand its wisdom, presenting ancient abstract thinking in modern ways.

Key Principles:

1. Sincerity Matters: Questions should be clear and specific, focusing on current choices or situations
2. Don't Depend on It: Combine with reality and common sense; reference the hexagrams but never be superstitious
3. Avoid Frequent Consultation: Repeatedly consulting on the same issue disturbs judgment; consult at key moments
4. Rational Perspective: I Ching is a decision-support tool, not a prophecy machine

Correct Mindset:

• Treat it as a "thinking mirror" reflecting your current state
• Gain insight into your true inner thoughts through hexagrams
• Use the inspiration to make more confident decisions

As Confucius commented in the Ten Wings: "Heaven's movement is powerful; the superior person makes himself strong and untiring." I Ching is a book of wisdom that helps the strong become stronger, not a tool for passive waiting.

Basic Rules:

• Zero changing lines: Read the primary hexagram's judgment
• One changing line: Read the line text of that changing line in the primary hexagram
• Six changing lines: Depends on the hexagram; often read the "use" line or relating hexagram's judgment
• Other multiple changing lines: Focus on the relating hexagram's judgment and reference the changing line texts

Structure Explanation:

• Six lines arranged from bottom to top: yang line = 1, yin line = 0
• Old yin (6 points) and old yang (9 points) change, forming the "relating hexagram"
• Primary hexagram represents current situation, relating hexagram shows development trend, changing lines are key transition points

This tool automatically calculates your primary hexagram, relating hexagram, and changing lines, providing corresponding judgments and line texts for reference.