Before I left Melbourne I bought a copy of the I Ching, or Book of Changes, that most ancient of Chinese texts that helped guide Confucius and, I think, Lao-Tzu also. It’s the Richard Wilheim translation which is much fatter than usual but will hopefully prove to be more informative than the more slender editions.Upon browsing throug it, it looks like the sort of book that one could study for many years and still feel like a stranger to it. It is both a book of wisdom and an oracle, and during a moment of impetuousness, even though I am not yet familiar with its contents, I decided to use it as the latter. I asked it about my forthcoming journey and, after tossing some coins into the air several times, the following hexagrams were revealed to me:
29 K’an/The Abysmal (Water) with a moving line in the 4th and 5th, which gave rise to:
40 Hsieh/Deliverance
It is extremely difficult to interpret, but I came up with the following:
29 K’an: 4th line - In times of danger I must be sincere and have the honest intention of mutual help. I must always begin with what is lucid and proceed from that point. 5th line – Danger will come if I am too ambitous. When this happens I must take the path of least resistance and try to get out of danger rather than attempt to accomplish something great.
40 Hsieh: 1st line – I should complete my own urgent tasks and then help others. 2nd line – In order to be of service to others I must be self-aware and serious, and act with dignity. It is important not to relinquish myself. 3rd line – If there are 3 people, one will have to go. A close bond is only possible between 2 people. When I am lonely, I will find a companion who complements me. 6th line – That perserverance will allow me to accomplish my task, and that many will benefit from this.
It is pretty weird shit, so if anyone has any knowledge or experience with this book please help me…
