JSNYC
This post is about the book, the Baguan Yuce (Eight Trigrams Divination) method, and learning the trigrams. The book's full title is: Seeking the Spirit of the Book of Change - 8 Days to Mastering a Shamanic Yijing (I Ching) Prediction System.
And yes, the book is as hokey as it sounds, really, eye-popping hokey sometimes. But it has its good points. I would give it 2 stars out of 5. The 2 stars come from the divination system and his unusual character, which is generally hokey, but is sometimes enjoyable. This book is 9 chapters, an introduction and a chapter for every trigram. However, he doesn't actually talk about the trigram in the chapters, he mainly talks about having tea. However, some people use this as a criticism, he is just using the tea to symbolize the trigrams in many ways.
One of the primary reasons this book drops to a 2 is because he has an entire chapter of real readings he did for his students and they are almost all medical! His students are medical students! He is trying to show the divination method by "diagnosing" medical ailments!!! I was quite incredulous while reading this chapter... And he calls himself a master as well...
OK, so skip to the good part. I really like his "divination" system. He calls is the Baguan Yuce (Eight Trigrams Divination). And it is very simply this, "get" a 3-digit number, divide the number by 8, and use the remainder (0 = 8, so 1 - 8) to find a trigram. He puts the trigrams in the sequence of completion, so it looks like this:
I like it for two reasons. First, because I do find that the numbers "around us" have meaning. So the next time I am looking for a answer, I will keep my eyes open for 3-digit numbers as well.
Also, even if the divination method is bogus I believe it is a great way to think about and learn the trigrams. So I will try it now! What is the best use, the strength of this divination method?
831 - (/8) remainder = 7, Gen
Gen (Kên in Wilhelm's translation) is the trigram of Keeping Still, its image is the mountain. Gen is beginnings and endings, representing this divination method as a useful gateway to the world of the Yijing. Meditation, introspection, or contemplation is also linked with Gen. Gen is calm and still, and has the 2 receptive Yin lines from Kun as well as sharing the same element, Earth. Gen represents development, but hidden or inner development, representing the value of learning and using the trigrams within this divination method. In the Inner-World arrangement, Gen comes just before the explosion of spring in Zhen.
I will note, the book has one other redeeming quality. I like his approach to the Yijing; he did make me think about different ways to approach the Yijing. Only 2 stars so I don't recommend it, but 2 stars isn't total trash, it has a gem or two.
And yes, the book is as hokey as it sounds, really, eye-popping hokey sometimes. But it has its good points. I would give it 2 stars out of 5. The 2 stars come from the divination system and his unusual character, which is generally hokey, but is sometimes enjoyable. This book is 9 chapters, an introduction and a chapter for every trigram. However, he doesn't actually talk about the trigram in the chapters, he mainly talks about having tea. However, some people use this as a criticism, he is just using the tea to symbolize the trigrams in many ways.
One of the primary reasons this book drops to a 2 is because he has an entire chapter of real readings he did for his students and they are almost all medical! His students are medical students! He is trying to show the divination method by "diagnosing" medical ailments!!! I was quite incredulous while reading this chapter... And he calls himself a master as well...
OK, so skip to the good part. I really like his "divination" system. He calls is the Baguan Yuce (Eight Trigrams Divination). And it is very simply this, "get" a 3-digit number, divide the number by 8, and use the remainder (0 = 8, so 1 - 8) to find a trigram. He puts the trigrams in the sequence of completion, so it looks like this:
HTML:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0/8
Qian Dui Li Zhen Xun Kan Gen Kun
--- - - --- - - --- - - --- - -
--- --- - - - - --- --- - - - -
--- --- --- --- - - - - - - - -
Also, even if the divination method is bogus I believe it is a great way to think about and learn the trigrams. So I will try it now! What is the best use, the strength of this divination method?
831 - (/8) remainder = 7, Gen
Gen (Kên in Wilhelm's translation) is the trigram of Keeping Still, its image is the mountain. Gen is beginnings and endings, representing this divination method as a useful gateway to the world of the Yijing. Meditation, introspection, or contemplation is also linked with Gen. Gen is calm and still, and has the 2 receptive Yin lines from Kun as well as sharing the same element, Earth. Gen represents development, but hidden or inner development, representing the value of learning and using the trigrams within this divination method. In the Inner-World arrangement, Gen comes just before the explosion of spring in Zhen.
I will note, the book has one other redeeming quality. I like his approach to the Yijing; he did make me think about different ways to approach the Yijing. Only 2 stars so I don't recommend it, but 2 stars isn't total trash, it has a gem or two.