I Ching - LiuYao Divination – A Link Across Time and Space

The 《I Ching》 is an ancient Chinese book of philosophy and divination that predicts future fortunes and misfortunes. “Divination” involves predicting the development of future events, and the 《I Ching》 summarizes the principles and theories behind these predictions. The fundamental concept of the 《I Ching》 is the 《Bagua(Eight Trigrams)》, which represent all natural phenomena in both their dynamic and static states. Each hexagram is composed of three lines. 《LiuYao Divination》 is a method recorded in the 《I Ching》, based on ancient observations of natural patterns, used to identify the corresponding sixty-four hexagrams.

Before we begin, let’s discuss why predicting the future is considered possible. In the article What is luck? What is "Qi"? How can we change our fortune? , it is mentioned that quantum entanglement confirms a connection that can link the states of two particles across both space and time. Therefore, regardless of where you are in the future or what happens, there must be some connection between that event and the present you. The 《I Ching》 attempts to find the patterns in such connections.

Although we don’t yet know how these connections are formed, this doesn’t prevent us from utilizing them. Just as in the past, when humans didn’t know how fire was created, it didn’t stop them from using it to cook meat.

A well-known saying in the I Ching is: “The Void (wuji) produces the Absolute (taiji). The taiji produces two forms (namely Yin and Yang). The two forms produces four phenomena: Lesser Yang, Greater Yang (taiyang also means ‘sun’), Lesser Yin, and Greater Yin (taiyin also means ‘moon’). The four phenomena produces the Bagua(eight trigrams), which generate all things.”

Wu Ji represents nothingness, while Tai Ji represents existence. Wu Ji can be understood as the state of the universe before it was formed, while Tai Ji represents the entire universe. The universe evolves from nothingness to existence, constantly expanding and eventually self-destructing back into nothingness. This reflects the idea that when anything reaches an extreme, it is bound to change.

To make this easier to understand later, let’s use the example of a coin that appears from nothing.

All things in the universe have two sides: Yin and Yang, right and wrong, male and female, good and bad. In the 《I Ching》, 《Yin》 is represented by “⚋” and 《Yang》 by “⚊”.

A coin has two sides: a face with a number (Yin, marked as 1) and a blank back (Yang, marked as 0). This is opposite to real-life records, as the 《I Ching》 considers “nothingness” to be closest to birth when Yang energy is at its strongest, so 0 represents Yang.

Although everything has two sides, some things have more positive aspects, while others have more negative aspects. In the 《I Ching》, things are further classified into:

These are the four phenomena.

Take three coins and toss them at the same time. After they spin and naturally stop, there will be four possible results.

In the《 I Ching》, the lines that make up Yin and Yang are called Yao. For example, “⚊” is called a Yang Yao, while “⚋” is called a Yin Yao.

As mentioned earlier, a trigram consists of three Yao, and these Yao can be either Yang or Yin, resulting in 3 combinations, which form the Eight Trigrams.

The Bagua(Eight Trigrams) form the basis of many applications in the 《I Ching》, with many rules and methods extending from them. One common method for predicting the future is the LiuYao Divination (Hexagram Divination).

You may have noticed that the numbers in the previous explanation are all binary: 2^0 = 1, 2^1 = 2, 2^2 = 4, 2^3 = 8. One Yao corresponds to the Four phenomena, three Yao correspond to the Eight Trigrams, and six Yao correspond to the 64 Hexagrams. With the changes in hexagrams, there are a total of 64 x 64 = 4,096 combinations, written as “111111111111” in binary, a 12-digit binary code.

In computing, all information is stored in binary form, such as:

With a 3D printer, you can even print an object encoded with its binary code. Information about the human body is also stored in DNA in an encoded form, although humans currently don’t the ability to decode DNA.

LiuYao Divination (Hexagram Divination) helps you find the code that connects you and the matter you want to predict and decodes this code into a human-readable language.

Prepare three identical one euro coins.

Get ready with the question you want to predict.

In this example, we get the “Waiting” Hexagram out of the 64 Hexagrams. Each hexagram in the 64 has interpretations related to business, marriage, decision-making, seeking fame, etc. Continuing with the example of “going to Vietnam to find a supplier,” the “Waiting” Hexagram’s prediction for business is:

Business: In the beginning, the situation is challenging. You must exercise great patience, create conditions and opportunities, act with integrity, observe changes, and wait for the right moment to achieve your goals. When you are close to success, be extra cautious to avoid any last-minute failures.

The hexagram you obtained initially is called the “Primary Hexagram,” representing the current prediction. However, sometimes the development of things is not fixed. A “Transformed Hexagram” represents the possible changes in future events. Not all predictions have a Transformed Hexagram; only when there is at least one “Extreme Yang” (000) or one “Extreme Yin” (111) will a Transformed Hexagram occur. When “Extreme Yang” appears, it changes to Yin, and when “Extreme Yin” appears, it changes to Yang. The hexagram after these changes is the “Transformed Hexagram.”

In the example above, we need to change the first line (1st) from Extreme Yang to Yin, and the sixth line (6th) from Extreme Yin to Yang, resulting in the Transformed Hexagram shown below.

This is the “Ground” Hexagram, and its explanation for business is:

Business: The market competition is fierce, and the risks are high. Business activities must be conducted with utmost caution, adhering to business ethics. Treat competitors, colleagues, and customers with humility, and you will certainly gain benefits.

After considering the predictions from the LiuYao Hexagram (Hexagram Divination), would you decide to go to Vietnam immediately to find a supplier?

Hexagram Divination contains 64 hexagrams, and with the addition of Transformed Hexagrams, there are also 64 hexagrams, resulting in a total of 4,096 possibilities. You can find explanations for all 64 hexagrams at the link below.

64 Hexagram List Link (todo)

If you have an important goal you want to achieve, it is suggested to create a bracelet with the result of your Hexagram Divination and wear it with you.

Interpretation of the 64 I Ching Hexagrams - LiuYao Divination