The Numerology of the I Ching: A Sourcebook of Symbols, Structures, and Traditional Wisdom

This is a very interesting book for fans of the I Ching; it contains a lot of history about the I Ching including several fascinating layouts of the symbols and a lot of amazing mathematical secrets, including diagrams that show how the two-dimensional historic drawings used in ancient times to represent the I Ching were actually meant to convey three-dimensional information. There was also a brief--too brief--discussion of how the I Ching can be done on the fingers of the hand. This would be of great interest to math puzzle fans, I think, and to anyone who wants to know more about the historical foundations of the I Ching. My only complaints about the book were that I found myself wishing that it had been much longer; it seemed like a quick taste of something that left me wanting a whole meal. Specifically I wish that the author, or some other expert, would produce a workbook with exercises that would enable one to learn to apply the information that was really only touched on here.

This would not be a book for someone unfamiliar with the Yijing (Wade-Giles: "I Ching"), but for someone who has already cultivated a relationship with the Yijing, this book is invaluable. I have never seen so much about the inner meaning of the Yijing explained so clearly. Here the reader will find illumination about the He Tu ("The Yellow River Map"), the Lo Shu ("The Lo River Writing"), lines that are "central" and "correct" (aka "Governing" and "Constituting" rulers), the nuances of different judgements, and numerous traditional Yijing diagrams. Everything that is most obscure in, for example, the Wilhelm-Baynes "I Ching" is made clear here. Again, this book might be hopelessly confusing for someone new to the Yijing, but for someone who has spent time working with the oracle and who wants to deepen a relationship with it, I can think of no better book than this.

Like deciphering a hidden language, this Taoist exposition on the symbols and numerical attributes of the I Ching reveals a whole other underlying universe of knowledge, understanding and practice.

There is two ways to understand I Ching, first, the thematic approach and second, the structural approach. Mostly all books I have encountered for years were discussing I Ching from thematic approach and never explaining purpose of each line that represented Changes.The Numerology of The I Ching is a quite different book. It was explaining I Ching from the view of structural approach. It was quite enlightening and giving a deep understanding about true nature of every line that represented Changes. I will recomend it to every I Ching lover without doubt.

All I can say is read this book, one chapter at a time. Then After each chapter, go back and take notes. It is very well explained, and more than worth the time and energy. It has made my practice of using Master Alfred's Complete I Ching much smoother, and it demystifies a lot of nuts and bolts in the I Ching's stucture, while tracing the origins back to the He Tu and Lo Shu diagrams. Yet it is mainly a gateway, one that takes a lifetime to put into practice. One feels incredibly lucky to have discovered such wisdom in his/her own lifetime! I've seen many gimmicky packages of the I Ching that are unauthentic, but this version here rings true throughout.

A very good and detailed undertaking to explain the manner in which the I Ching was created, the meaning behind the number system and the symbols which direct the gua into place. I highly recommend it to anyone studying the I Ching in depth.

There were many very interesting and insightful parts of this book, but about half of it seems geared towards people who really like numbers and number crunching, which I didn't expect. If that's not your thing, you might consider looking at other companion books for the I Ching. However, the parts there is enough wisdom and insight in this little book to justify the money I spent on it, and I enjoy using it along side the author's main work, The Complete I Ching.

This book would be appreciated for serious students of I Ching. I do not recommend it as a starting point for exploring I Ching.This book interprets I Ching from a Taoist viewpoint. It is an excellent supplement to the author's translation of I Ching (The Complete I Ching)which presents a Confucist viewpoint.Numerology of the I Ching presents material from multiple viewpoints. It may seem repetitious to some, however, I found that each way Huang presented the material was an opportunity for new insight.

i suggest in my humble opinion reading the great commentary tucked in between the 1st. and 3rd. part of wilhelm’s translation…learn how to consult with the yarrow stalks and count through the seasons…number is the secret…the sages assigned the number 2 to represent the earth and the number 3 to heaven…earthly numbers even…heavenly numbers uneven...the sages...human beings of cosmic intelligence computed all further numbers and gave them their attributes...2 yin female earth shade...3 yang male heaven light ad infinitum...4 5 6 7 8 9... the dao imparts...it is a transactional pshychology…it is the good...if one sees good imitate it...that is in the yi too...look for it stay simple and it becomes easy... Yi zhuan has the dao...the principle...it is the wisest book in creation. I Ching or Book of Changes Ch'ung-Hu-Ch'en-Ching: Or the Treatise of the Transcendent Master of the Void - The Taoist Masters Fleeting Footsteps: Tracing the Conception of Arithmetic and Algebra in Ancient China Astronomy & Maths in Ancient China: The 'Zhou Bi Suan Jing' (Needham Research Institute Studies)I Ching or Book of ChangesCh'ung-Hu-Ch'en-Ching: Or the Treatise of the Transcendent Master of the Void - The Taoist MastersFleeting Footsteps: Tracing the Conception of Arithmetic and Algebra in Ancient ChinaAstronomy & Maths in Ancient China: The 'Zhou Bi Suan Jing' (Needham Research Institute Studies)

Excellent book for those interested in this subject. A perfect balance for his other books. see my other reviews

An interesting series of ideas about the I Ching and how it may be viewed and interpreted in a progressive light. A good companion to the author's other work on the Great Book.

The book gives deep insights!

Excellent!