The Alluring Myth
Is there a single I Ching original text? No. The full story spans three thousand years.
The I Ching is not a book written by one author. It is more like a river of wisdom that has gathered many streams of thought as it flowed through Chinese history.
This stream began with ancient fortune-telling marks. It grew with basic judgments and line texts. Later, deep philosophical comments were added. The book we hold today is just one snapshot of this river at a key point in its journey.
So what are we actually reading when we open the I Ching? Let's go back in time to find out.
Primordial Seeds
Shang Dynasty Oracle Bones
Long before any book existed, during the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE), people used heat on tortoise shells or ox bones. They read the cracks to get answers from ancestors and gods.
This isn't the I Ching yet. But it shows how Chinese culture has long sought guidance through set methods. It laid the groundwork for what would come.
Zhou Dynasty Numerals
The direct ancestors of the I Ching's sixty-four hexagrams came from the Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046–256 BCE). These weren't texts yet, but numbers and symbols.
Researchers have found these early forms on bronze pots and bamboo strips:
- Simple numbers: Sets of numbers like one, five, six, seven, eight, and nine were used for fortune-telling. They stood for the basic ideas of yin and yang, and changing lines.
- Sets of numbers: These numbers were combined to form early versions of the hexagrams. Each set meant a specific outcome.
- Graphic symbols: Over time, these number sets turned into the stacked lines we know today. Often they had no words with them.
The key point is that the structure—the sixty-four hexagrams—existed long before the words we now know were written down.
A Snapshot from the Past
A 2,200-Year-Old Library
Our search jumps forward with one of the biggest finds of the 20th century. In the 1970s, tombs were dug up at Mawangdui, China. They held a perfectly kept library from the Western Han Dynasty.
The most important tomb, sealed in 168 BCE, contained many silk and bamboo texts. Among them was a nearly complete version of the I Ching, called the Zhouyi in this text.
Rewriting History
This 2,200-year-old version proves the I Ching changed over time. It is not the same as the book we read today. The differences are small but important. They show how the text was understood before it was made standard.
A direct comparison shows how much the text was still changing during the Han Dynasty.
| Feature | Mawangdui Silk Text (c. 168 BCE) | Received Text (Wang Bi, c. 226-249 CE) | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hexagram Order | A different, seemingly non-standard sequence. | The familiar King Wen sequence. | Suggests the now-standard order was not yet universal. |
| Hexagram Names | Some names are different (e.g., 乾 is 键, 坤 is 川). | The standard names we use today. | Reflects phonetic shifts or different conceptual understandings of the hexagrams. |
| Textual Content | Some judgment and line texts vary in wording. | The standardized, philosophical interpretations. | Shows the text was still fluid and being interpreted differently across regions or schools. |
| Commentaries | Includes the Xici Zhuan (Great Commentary), but in a different form. | The Ten Wings are typically separated from the core text. | Raises questions about when and how the commentaries became integral parts of the book. |
What These Differences Tell Us
The Mawangdui text is a valuable, older snapshot of the I Ching tradition. But it is not the "original" in a pure sense.
Instead, it shows one branch of the textual river. It proves that the I Ching original text was not one fixed book that got changed over time. It was a living tradition with many versions, each competing for influence.
Creation of a Classic
Who was Wang Bi?
Our journey now moves to the mind of one brilliant scholar who shaped the I Ching for the next 1,800 years. This was Wang Bi (226–249 CE), a genius of the Three Kingdoms period.
Living in troubled times, Wang Bi was a leader in the "Profound Learning" movement. These thinkers looked at classic texts like the Laozi, Zhuangzi, and the I Ching to find deeper meaning.
A Philosophical Masterpiece
Wang Bi took on a huge task: to edit the Zhouyi and write a commentary that would explain its core ideas. He worked against the trend of his time, which had buried the text under complex systems of numbers, stars, and magic.
He stripped away these layers. He saw the I Ching as a deep work of philosophy. He used Daoist ideas to explain the hexagrams as symbols of natural laws that control all change.
Canonizing a Version
Wang Bi's commentary and his edited version were so clear and deep that they quickly became the standard. His work was adopted by imperial scholars and became the official text.
This is the version that formed the basis for almost all later Chinese commentaries. It is also the version that Richard Wilhelm used for his famous German translation, which was then translated into English by Cary F. Baynes.
The book most of us have is a direct descendant of Wang Bi's 3rd-century philosophical re-interpretation. It is real and powerful, but it is seen through his specific lens.
Redefining the Original
Is Older Better?
This history raises a question. Is the Mawangdui text, being older, more "authentic" or "better" than Wang Bi's text?
The answer isn't simple. To see Wang Bi's philosophical layer as a corruption misses the point of the I Ching's lasting power. His work wasn't a distortion but a deep evolution. He helped the text grow from a fortune-telling manual into a timeless wisdom text.
A Conversation Through Time
We can view the I Ching as a talk across generations. The early Zhou people added the core symbols and judgments. Later scholars, linked to Confucius, added the moral layers of the Ten Wings. Thinkers like Wang Bi then added a new layer of depth.
When we use the I Ching today, we are not just using an ancient oracle. We are joining a 3,000-year-old talk about change, strategy, morality, and the nature of reality. Knowing this history makes every reading richer, letting us hear the different voices in the text.
Spirit Over Letter
In the end, looking for the "true" I Ching original text might be missing the point. The true original is not a set of words, but the system behind them: the elegant pattern of the sixty-four hexagrams and the dynamic principles of yin and yang they show.
The words are the brilliant, changing human commentary on this timeless structure.
Navigating the River
Choosing Your Translation
This historical awareness can guide how we approach the I Ching today. When choosing a version, we are choosing which part of the textual river we want to step into.
Most popular English translations, including the Wilhelm/Baynes and Richard John Lynn versions, are based on Wang Bi's text. This is not a bad thing; it means you are using the text as a philosophical classic.
For those interested in the earlier version, translations of the Mawangdui text, like Edward Shaughnessy's, offer a fascinating comparison.
- For philosophical depth: Start with a good translation of the received text. It is the foundation of the I Ching's global influence.
- For historical study: Compare a received text translation with one based on the Mawangdui manuscript to see the changes for yourself.
- Check the introduction: A good translator will always state their source text and explain their approach. This is your most important guide.
Reading with History
With this knowledge, we can learn to read the I Ching with "historical ears."
When you read a simple line text, imagine its origin as a stark, practical sign for a Zhou Dynasty fortune-teller. When you read a passage from the Ten Wings, hear the voice of early Confucian scholars thinking about morality and the cosmos. When you read a translation influenced by Wang Bi's thought, appreciate the subtle Daoist philosophy woven into it.
Conclusion: The Unbroken Thread
Our journey has taken us from ancient numbers on bone, to a 2,200-year-old silk manuscript, and finally to the brilliant mind of a 3rd-century philosopher who defined the classic for thousands of years.
The search for a single I Ching original text is less useful than appreciating the text's dynamic, layered, and living history.
The I Ching's unbroken thread of relevance comes from this very evolution. It has survived for three thousand years precisely because it was never a static relic. It is a living river of wisdom, and each generation has added its own voice to the current, ensuring it continues to flow.
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