易經
I Ching · Book of Changes
☯
Translated & Interpreted by Richard Wilhelm and James Legge
Additional Interpretations by ClaudeAI
Compose your question for the Oracle
Your Question
The I Ching is an ancient book of wisdom and divination. As an Oracle, it responds to questions about any matter of importance, speaking to what is in your heart. To consult the Oracle, concentrate on your question as you enter it and press the “Consult the Oracle” bar. The answer will be in metaphoric form which requires interpretation. It indicates the path that the superior man would take. The choice of whether to follow that path is always up to you.
The Oracle’s answers take one of two forms. In the first, you’ll receive a single Hexagram, all in black, and the related interpretations as your answer. However, if the initial Hexagram has one or more moving lines, which appear in red, you’ll also receive the interpretations of those lines. The moving line interpretations must be considered in understanding the Oracle’s answer. The moving line or lines will also generate a new Hexagram, all in black. The first Hexagram is considered to be the current situation, while the new Hexagram is an indication of how things will turn out in the future.
This program is not a toy. It is completely based on the translations and interpretations of the I Ching by Richard Wilhelm into German, as translated into English by Cary F. Baynes, and by James Legge. Additional interpretations by ClaudeAI have been included as needed. Where you see the labels “Wilhelm/Baynes” or “Legge,” the words are theirs. “Tuan Zhuan · Commentary on the Judgment” and “Xiang Zhuan · Commentary on the Image” indicate the later Commentaries by Confucius. Since it includes such, the I Ching contains not just a fortune-telling system, but the wisdom of Confucius. Because of copyright considerations, Wilhelm’s Commentaries aren’t directly quoted. The artificial intelligence interpretations of his words in the spirit of the original are denoted by the label “ClaudeAI · Commentary Derived from Wilhelm.” Please refer to Wilhelm’s translation if you would prefer to see his original wording.
For authenticity, the lines that establish the Hexagrams in this program are drawn using the exact statistical probabilities of the original casting of yarrow stalks rather than the later, abbreviated, three-coin method. The casting of the stalks is not considered to be random, but instead to represent universal conditions, reflected in the answer, at that exact moment.
Confucius is said to have relied on the I Ching. He stated that, in his experience, it had only been wrong once. Subsequent scholars have pointed out that Confucius was blinded by personal issues in his single judgment of the Oracle’s failure, and that it was actually correct in that event as in all others. The Oracle requires interpretation, but many have felt that its advice is helpful and worth consideration. For the superior man, perseverance furthers.
If you find errors or anomalies, please let me know and I will correct them.