Connecting I Ching Wisdom with Other Philosophical Systems

The I Ching, with its profound insights into change, balance, and the interconnectedness of events, offers a unique lens through which to view the world. Its core principles resonate surprisingly well with various philosophical systems from different cultures and eras. Exploring these connections can deepen one’s appreciation for both the I Ching and other wisdom traditions, revealing universal truths expressed in diverse forms.

The I Ching (also known as the Yijing or Book of Changes) began as a divination manual roughly three thousand years ago during China’s Early Zhou dynasty, though its precise purpose for its original authors and readers is debated. It evolved from predicting the future or uncovering the hidden, with some seeing it as a text of moral or ethical philosophy before it became read as metaphysical philosophy. Over time, it came to be seen as encompassing a broad and great way, covering everything from astronomy, geography, music, and military methods to numerical calculations and alchemy. Chinese thinkers of nearly every philosophical persuasion cited the Changes for authority.

Core I Ching Concepts for Comparison

Before diving into specific philosophies, let’s recall some key I Ching concepts that lend themselves to comparative study:

Yin and Yang: The fundamental concept of complementary opposites whose dynamic interplay creates all phenomena. This is not about good versus evil, but about interdependent forces like light/dark, active/passive, masculine/feminine, creation/reception.
Change (易 - Yì): The central theme. The universe is in constant flux, and understanding the nature of change allows one to navigate life more effectively.
The Tao (道): While more explicitly central to Taoism, the underlying principle of the “Way” or natural order of the universe is inherent in the I Ching’s depiction of cosmic and human processes.
Hexagrams as Archetypes: The 64 hexagrams can be seen as archetypal situations or patterns of energy, reflecting recurring human experiences and cosmic states.
Cyclical Patterns: The I Ching emphasizes cycles of growth and decay, a common theme in many philosophies that observe natural processes.
Harmony and Balance: Achieving and maintaining harmony—within oneself, in society, and with the cosmos—is a key goal implicitly suggested by the I Ching.
Action and Non-Action (Wu Wei): The wisdom of knowing when to act decisively and when to be receptive or allow things to unfold naturally is a subtle but important aspect of I Ching guidance.
Self-Cultivation: The I Ching often advises on the development of character, virtue, and awareness as essential for navigating life’s challenges.

Connections with Key Philosophical and Other Systems

Confucianism

The I Ching is a Confucian classic and an accepted object of study for Confucian scholars. From a Confucian viewpoint, the main purpose in studying the I Ching is to apply its philosophical instruction to life, expounding on the meaning of the hexagrams to understand the relationships among Heaven, Earth, and human beings. Neo-Confucian cosmology and metaphysics, particularly during the Song dynasty, were formatively influenced by the I Ching’s Appendices.

Imperial China’s examinations for prestigious government positions required knowledge of the I Ching and writing academic commentaries on it. The literati spent lives refining their understanding of it. Some interpretations, such as Zhu Xi’s Originalist approach, viewed divination as a means for cultivating self-knowledge.

Orthodox Confucian views, like Zhu Xi’s, sometimes criticized the influence of other traditions like Taoism on I Ching studies. The Confucian understanding of te (virtue) differs from the Taoist understanding. In Tokugawa Japan, Confucians used the I Ching to advocate the unity of Confucianism and Shinto and enrich Shinto ideas. Reading the I Ching for moral philosophy in the Confucian tradition involved emphasizing defined hierarchies and categorizing (Lèi) to understand the holistic meaning.

Taoism (Daoism)

Along with Confucianism, Taoism is often mentioned in relation to the I Ching. Taoists found Daoist meanings in the Changes. The I Ching is considered essential for both Eastern rationalism and Taoist occultism. It is ranked first among three major texts known as the Three Mysteries in the Taoist scriptural tradition.

Wang Bi, an influential commentator, interpreted the I Ching through the lens of the Tao Te Ching. He also advocated seeing events as the natural course of the Tao rather than imposing moral judgments. A Taoist understanding of te relates to embodying the Tao.

The I Ching has been used for its magical applications in Taoist mysticism. It represents a rule book for how qi flows in nature, fundamental to Taoist metaphysics, astrology, and feng shui. Studying the I Ching for its philosophical value is considered a form of Spiritual Cultivation within Taoist mysticism.

Integrating I Ching divination into the Five Arts of Taoist metaphysics often relies on understanding the Wu Xing (five phases of change) correspondences. Shao Yong’s numerology-based divination methods (Plum Blossom methods), developed under the Image and Number tradition, are also part of Taoist metaphysics. Syncretism and the search for unity are viewed as a Taoist approach, such as when attempting to reconcile the I Ching with tarot.

Buddhism

Buddhist apologists often used the trigrams, hexagrams, and commentaries of the I Ching to explain their ideas. Chan (Zen) Buddhism, particularly in China and Japan, used the I Ching; for instance, monks used it to explicate the doctrine of the five ranks (goi setsu).

Ouyi Zhixu’s commentary, Zhouyi Chanjie, analyzes hexagrams in terms of dhyana (meditation) and prajna (wisdom), integrating traditional meanings with Buddhist interpretations and contending that Buddhism and the I Ching share the same insight into ultimate truth. Fazang attempted to reconcile Huayan Buddhism with the I Ching.

Ichijo Kanera used the I Ching to expound the doctrine of the unity of the Three Teachings: Shinto, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Medieval I Ching scholarship in Japan was eclectic, included in the Mahayana Buddhist system, and fused elements from other traditions. In Vietnam, scholars advanced scholarship at the intersection of the I Ching and Buddhism. Applying a Buddhist interpretation to an I Ching reading is a specific practice mentioned.

Stoicism

This ancient Greek philosophy, founded by Zeno of Citium, offers compelling parallels with I Ching wisdom, particularly in its approach to navigating life’s challenges and cultivating inner resilience.

A cornerstone of Stoicism is the “dichotomy of control”—distinguishing between what is within our power (our thoughts, judgments, responses, actions) and what is not (external events, outcomes, others’ actions). The I Ching, similarly, often guides individuals on the appropriate inner attitude and responsive action to external situations, implying a focus on one’s own conduct rather than futile attempts to control the uncontrollable.

Stoics also strive to live in accordance with Nature or Logos (universal reason), which resonates with the I Ching’s underlying principle of the Tao and the importance of understanding and aligning with the natural flow of cosmic and human events.

For Stoics, virtue (wisdom, justice, courage, temperance) is the only true good. While the I Ching doesn’t frame it as exclusively, the development of inner character, ethical conduct, and perseverance, as advised in many hexagrams, is crucial for successfully navigating the changes it describes and maintaining integrity.

Furthermore, Stoicism encourages an acceptance of fate (Amor Fati)—not with passive resignation, but with an understanding that events unfold according to a larger order. The I Ching, by revealing the patterns of change and the tendencies of situations, can also lead to a wiser acceptance of current conditions as a basis for skillful action or patient endurance.

Finally, the Stoic practice of premeditating adversity (Premeditatio Malorum), mentally preparing for potential difficulties to reduce their shock and impact, finds a counterpart in how the I Ching’s wisdom can help one anticipate potential challenges and prepare an appropriate mindset or course of action, especially when consulted in times of uncertainty.

Shinto

In Tokugawa Japan, Shintoists, alongside Confucians, used the I Ching to elucidate the doctrine of the unity of Confucianism and Shinto and to develop their Shinto ideas. New Ise, Yoshida, and Suika Shinto believed in this unity and employed the I Ching.

Watarai Nobuyoshi suggested both Shinto and the Way of the I Ching (Ekidō) were founded on loyalty and honesty. Kikkawa Koretari identified Shinto gods with T’ai-chi and yin and yang. Yamazaki Ansai referred to the I Ching as “China’s kamiyo no maki” and the Nihon shoki as “Japan’s I Ching” to advocate unity.

The relationship between the I Ching and Shinto dates back to ancient and medieval periods, with Shinto classics containing related ideas like yin-yang wu-hsing. I Ching scholarship in Japan became eclectic and naturalized through the fusion of Shinto, Confucianism, and Yin-yang thought (Onmyodo). Hirata Atsutane, a Shinto theologian, interpreted the I Ching through a Shinto paradigm, even believing it was authored by a Shinto deity.

Onmyodo (Way of Yin and Yang)

This Japanese tradition is also mentioned as incorporating the I Ching, alongside Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Early Shintoists used yin-yang and wu-hsing ideas (related to I Ching). Fusion with Onmyodo contributed to the eclectic and naturalized nature of I Ching scholarship in medieval Japan.

Western Philosophy and Science

The I Ching’s influence extended westward. Jesuit priests saw perceived biblical myths within the I Ching. Bouvet in the 1700s suggested a connection between the Jewish Kabbalah and the I Ching based on a shared geometrical system, potentially linked by calculus. Bouvet also related the eight trigrams to Aristotelian elements.

In Tokugawa Japan, scientists like Shizuki Tadao studied the intersection of I Ching cosmology and Newtonian physics. The I Ching has also been discussed in relation to mathematics, including combinatorial and probabilistic mathematics. Leibniz’s binary notation and the I Ching have been compared.

Jung believed the I Ching’s thought, based on synchronicity, was absent in Western philosophy since Heraclitus, reappearing faintly only in Leibniz.

Jungian Psychology

Carl G. Jung engaged in a “dialogue” with Asian philosophies and texts, including the I Ching. Richard Wilhelm’s translation was crucial in introducing the I Ching to the West and Jung saw its relevance to psychology. Jung believed the I Ching embodied the spirit of Chinese culture and was suitable for analytical psychology.

He saw the I Ching as a way to approach the reality of the psyche, finding in it the principle of synchronicity to explain psychological phenomena not covered by causality. The symbolism of the I Ching is seen as a tool for exploring the psyche and unconscious in a Jungian context.

Reflecting on a reading is likened to dream interpretation, and interpreting the symbolic outcome is like free association. The structure of trigrams/hexagrams aligns with Jung’s archetypal theory, and Jung acknowledged the I Ching’s contribution to his study of archetypes and the unconscious.

Some sources explicitly link the I Ching, Psychology of Heart, and Jungian Analysis. Divination is seen as potentially embracing depth psychology by “uncovering the hidden”. There are even suggested practices for applying I Ching principles to questions related to transpersonal psychology derived from Jungian analysis.

Other Practical and Cultural Areas

Beyond religious and philosophical systems, the I Ching’s influence extends to practical fields mentioned by Oracle school scholars, including medicine, the military, business, agriculture, and meteorology. It had a strong impact on medicine, politics, martial arts, sciences, performing arts, literature, agriculture, commerce, religion, and folklore in Tokugawa Japan.

Huang Zongxi noted its influence on medicine. Ippaku applied the I Ching to medicine. Wu-hsing and bagua are found in Tibetan medicine and geomancy. It played a role in the development of cultural practices like the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, popular drama, and martial arts.

It is mentioned as encompassing astronomy, geography, music, the study of rhymes, numerical calculations, and alchemy. It also influenced art, architecture, literature, music, mathematics, science, and technology. In later periods, people drew wisdom from it to address political, economic, and cultural crises.

The I Ching is also linked to feng shui and astrology and has been compared and sometimes reconciled with systems like the Tarot and Qabalah in Western occultism. Statecraft and governing have historically been key applications.

Overall, the I Ching’s influence is described as broad, eclectic, and penetrating into many areas of culture and life. Its abstract nature allowed its principles to be applied to different areas of thought and culture. Historically, different systems and schools of thought have used the I Ching to promote their own theories, finding their own truths reflected within the text. This led to a diversity of interpretations and approaches throughout its history.

How to Engage in Comparative Study

Identify Core Principles: Start by understanding the fundamental tenets of the I Ching and the other philosophical system you are exploring.
Look for Analogous Concepts: Search for ideas that serve similar functions or address similar human concerns, even if the terminology is different.
Note Differences in Emphasis: Where do the systems diverge? What unique perspectives does each offer? For example, while both the I Ching and Stoicism deal with adversity, their prescribed approaches might differ in nuance.
Read Secondary Sources: Scholars and philosophers have often written about these connections. Their analyses can provide valuable starting points.
Personal Reflection: How does understanding one system illuminate the other for you? How can these combined insights apply to your own life and understanding of the world?

Conclusion

Connecting the I Ching with other philosophical systems is not about reducing one to the terms of another or claiming direct historical influence in all cases. Rather, it’s an exercise in recognizing universal patterns of human thought and experience. The I Ching’s enduring wisdom lies in its ability to articulate these patterns through its unique symbolic language, offering a framework that can be enriched by, and in turn enrich, dialogue with other great traditions of thought. This comparative approach can lead to a more holistic and nuanced understanding of the human condition and our place in the ever-changing cosmos.