SKETCHES INSPIRED BY THE BOOK OF CHANGES
Changes? Why sketches?
Lines on paper are not set in stone. After all, there’s an eraser at the end of the pencil.
Or make a chalk drawing. The little boy isn’t the least bit afraid of making mistakes. Again the eraser works wonders.
The old man in China comes to the park every odd-numbered day of the week. After just a few minutes, the sun evaporates his water-painted characters.
With a rake and a stick he draws geometry in the Portuguese sand. How long will it last? The sea gives; the sea takes away.
Sketches inspired by the Book of Changes. Its history dates back to the Zhouyi, written in the Bronze Age. Since then, nothing in everyday life has remained the same. Only change itself has remained a constant.
The imagery employed in the book traces the interplay between eight natural phenomena. Just as a chessboard is eight squares wide and eight squares long, comprising sixty-four squares, so the Book of Changes comprises sixty-four chapters. Eight natural archetypes, followed by sixty-four fundamental encounters and at last an infinite number – let’s call it a thousand, for convenience’s sake – of possible changes. Just like moves on the chessboard.
There are three types of works on the I Ching. Original, direct translations from Chinese. Commentaries on these. And texts and visual works loosely inspired by the Book of Changes. What you will find in 8ismeerdan1000 falls into the latter category.
A Bronze Age text is not easy to understand. Comparing multiple sources side by side helps to make sense of it. In the index below, I refer to the sometimes differing naming of the chapters used by the various authors.
AH = Alfred Huang wrote The Complete I Ching, an original translation from Chinese into English. A classic and extremely readable work.
RW = Richard Wilhelm lived in China as a missionary in the early 20th century. He translated the I Ching into German. For a long time, this was regarded as the most authoritative translation in the West.
JB = Jack Balkin wrote The Laws of Change. A book with the clarity of a legal scholar, which he in fact is.
JJ = Julie Tallard Johnson wrote the I Ching for Teens. Unconventional, original, and not only for teens.
DM = Deng Ming-Dao wrote The Living I Ching. Excellent structure and poetic.
RR = Richard Rutt wrote Zhouyi with the subtitle Translation with Commentary of the Book of Changes. Indispensable historical perspective.
SD = Sarah Denig wrote The Everyday I Ching. The influence of Carl Gustav Jung, who wrote the introduction to Richard Wilhelm’s I Ching, shines through.
INTRODUCTION
chapter 1: INITIATING / Initiating (AH) / The Creative (RW) / The Dynamic (JB) / Initiation (JJ) / Heaven (DM) / Active (RR) / The Creative Force (SD)
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chapter 2: RESPONSE / Responding (AH) / The Receptive (RW) / The Receptive (JB) / Mother Earth (JJ) / Earth (DM) / Earth (RR) / Responsiveness (SD)
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chapter 1 & 2: Initiating & Response
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A MOVIE WITHOUT END
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THE NAVEL OF THE WORLD
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LINES AND ARROWS
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chapter 3: BEGINNING / Beginning (AH) / Difficulty at the Beginning (RW) / Difficulty in the Beginning (JB) / Difficulty at First (JJ) / Sprouting (DM) / Massed (RR) / Difficulty In The Beginning (SD)
coming soon …
chapter 4. PLAY / Childhood (AH) / Youthful Folly (RW) / Youthful Inexperience (JB) / Youthful Energy (JJ) / Youth (DM) / Dodder (RR) / Inexperience (SD)
chapter 5: WAITING / Needing (AH) / Waiting - Nourishment (RW) / Waiting (JB) / Waiting (DM) / Waiting (RR) / Waiting (SD)
hoofdstuk 6: CONFLICT / Contention (AH) / Conflict (RW) / Conflict (JB) / Crossroads (JJ) / Dispute (DM) / Dispute (RR) / Conflict (SD)
chapter 7: MULTITUDE / Multitude (AH) / The Army (RW) / The Army (JB) / Spiritual Warriors (JJ) / Armies (DM) / Troops (RR) / The Army (SD)
coming soon …
chapter 8: UNITY / Union (AH) / Holding Together (RW) / Union (JB) / The Sacred Dance of Love (JJ) / Joining (DM) / Joining (RR) / Joining the Right Group (SD)
coming soon …
chapter 9: STARTING SMALL / Little Accumulation (AH) / The Taming Power of the Small (RW) / Small Accumulation (RB) / Starting Small (JJ) / Smallness Tames (DM) / Farming: Minor (RR) / Exercising Restraint (SD)
chapter 10: WALK / Fulfillment (AH) / Treading (RW) / Treading (JB) / Caution (JJ) / Walking (DM) / Stepping (RR) / Treading Carefully (SD)
chapter 11. ADVANCE / Advance (AH) / Peace (RW) / Peace (JB) / Peace of Mind (JJ) / Prospering (DM) / Great (RR) / Overall Harmony
coming soon …
chapter 12. STANDSTILL / Hinderance (AH) / Standstill (RW) / Standstill (JB) / Boredom (JJ) / Clogging (DM) / Bad (RR) / Stagnation (SD)
chapter 13. LIKE-MINDED / Seeking Harmony (AH) / Fellowship with Men (RW) / Fellowship with People (JB) / Lovers, Friends and Like-minded People (JJ) / Kindred (DM) / Mustering (RR) / Cooperating with Others (SD)
chapter 14. GREAT HARVEST / Great Harvest (AH) / Possession In Great Measure (RW) / Great Possession (JB) / Inheritance (JJ) / Great Holdings (DM) / Large (RR) / Outstanding Good Fortune (SD)
chapter 15. MODEST / Humbleness (AH) / Modesty (RW) / Modesty (JB) / Being Grounded (JJ) / Humility (DM) / Rat (RR) / Modesty (SD)
chapter 16. INTENSITY / Delight (AH) / Enthusiasm (RW) / Enthusiasm (JB) / Intensity (JJ) / Delight (DM) / Elephant (RR) / Thinking Ahead (SD)
chapter 17. FOLLOWING / Following (AH) / Following (RW) / Following (JB) / Getting What You Want (JJ) / Following (DM) / Pursuit (RR) / Being Adaptable (SD)
chapter 18. DECAY / Remedying (AH) / Work on what has been Spoiled (RW) / Remedying (JB) / Mend what is Broken (JJ) / Poison (DM) / Mildew (RR) / Dealing with Decay (SD)
chapter 19. APPROACHING / Approaching (AH) / Approaching (RW) / Overseeing (JB) / Something Approaches (JJ) / Arrival (DM) / Keening (RR) / Moving toward your Goal (SD)
chapter 20. OBSERVING / Watching (AH) / Contemplating (RW) / Viewing (JB) / You Really Are what You Think (JJ) / Beholding (DM) / Observing (RR) / Taking an Overview (SD)
chapter 21. BITING THROUGH / Eradicating (AH) / Biting Through (RW) / Biting Through (JB) / Removing Obstacles (JJ) / Biting (DM) / Biting (RR) / Getting Down to Essentials (SD)
chapter 22. BEAUTY / Adorning (AH) / Gratie (RW) / Adornment (JB) / Beauty And The Beast (JJ) / Adornment (DM) / Bedight (RR) / Adornment (SD)
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chapter 21. BEAUTY #2
chapter 23. SCATTERING / Falling Away (AH) / Splitting Apart (RW) / Splitting Apart (JB) / Falling Apart without Losing It (JJ) / Splitting (DM) / Flaying (RR) / Doing Away with the Old (SD)
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chapter 24. RETURNING / Turning Back (AH) / Return (RW) / Return (JB) / A Tuning Point (JJ) / Returning (DM) / Returning (RR) / The Turning Point (SD)
chapter 25 INNOCENCE / Without Falsehood (AH) / Innocence (RW) / Innocence (JB) / Truth (JJ) / Innocence (DM) / Unexpected (RR) / Innocence (SD)
chapter 26. ACCUMULATION / Great Accumulation (AH) / The Taming Power of the Great (RW) / Great Accumulation (JB) / Practice Under Fire (JJ) / Great Restraint (DM) / Farming: Major (RR) / Controlling your Resources (SD)
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chapter 27. JAWS / Nourishing (AH) / The Corners of the Mouth (RW) / Nourishment (JB) / Food for the Soul (JJ) / Nourishing (DM) / Molars (RR) / Nourishing (SD)
chapter 28. GREAT EXCEEDING / Great Excess (AH) / Preponderance of the Great (RW) / Greatness In Excess (JB) / Extraordinary Times (JJ) / Great Excess (DM) / Passing: Major (RR) / Overload (SD)
chapter 29. DARK / Darkness (AH) / The Abysmal (RW) / The Abyss (JB) / Living the Tao (JJ) / Pit (DM) / Pit (RR) / Danger (SD)
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chapter 30. LIGHT / Brightness (AH) / The Clinging (RW) / Radiance (JB) / Flaming Rainbow (JJ) / Brilliance (DM) / Oriole (RR) / Shedding Light on Things (SD)
chapter 31. RESONANCE / Mutual Influence (AH) / Influence - Wooing (RW) / Mutual Influence (JB) / Attraction (JJ) / Feeling (DM) / Chopping (RR) / Mutual Attraction (SD)
chapter 32. LONG LASTING / Long Lasting (AH) / Duration (RW) / Enduring (JB) / The Web of Life (JJ) / Constancy (DM) / Fixing (RR) / Perseverance (SD)
chapter 33. WITHDRAWAL / Retreat (AH) / Retreat (RW) / Retreat (JB) / Backing Off (JJ) / Withdrawal (DM) / (RR) / Retreating (SD)
chapter 34. GREAT STRENGTH / Great Strength (AH) / The Powe of the Great (RW) / Great Power (JB) / Authentic Power (JJ) / Great Vigor (DM) / Big Injury (RR) / Great Power (SD)
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chapter 35. ADVANCE / Proceeding Forward (AH) / Progress (RW) / Progress (JB) / Improvement (JJ) / Advancing (DM) / Advancing (RR) / Progress (SD)
chapter 35. STRAIGHT AHEAD #1
chapter 36. DARKENING OF THE LIGHT / Brilliance Injured (AH) / Darkening of the Light (RW) / Darkening of the Light (JB) / A Time of Darkness (JJ) / Smothered Light (DM) / Crying Pheasant (RR) / Keeping a Low Profile (SD)
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chapter 37. FAMILY / Household (AH) / The Family - The Clan (RW) / The Family (JB) / The Family And The Gang (JJ) / Family (DM) / Household (RR) / The Family (SD)
chapter 38. ESTRANGEMENT / Diversity (AH) / Opposition (RW) / Opposition (JB) / Misunderstandings (JJ) / Estrangement (DM) / Espy (RR) / Opposition (SD)
chapter 39. OBSTACLE / Hardship (AH) / Obstruction (RW) / Obstruction (JB) / Between a Rock and a Hard Place (JJ) / Hindered (DM) / Stumbling (RR) / Facing Obstruction (SD)
chapter 40. LIBERATION / Relief (AH) / Deliverance (RW) / Deliverance (JB) / Freedom (JJ) / Releasing (DM) / Unloosing (RR) / Release From Obstruction (SD)
chapter 41. DECREASE / Decreasing (AH) / Decreasing (RW) / Decrease (JB) / Disappointment (JJ) / Decrease (DM) / Deminishing (RR) / Decrease (SD)
chapter 42. INCREASE / Increasing (AH) / Increasing (RW) / Increase (JB) / Opportunity (JJ) / Increase (DM) / Enriching (RR) / Increase (SD)
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chapter 43. BREAK-THROUGH / Eliminating (AH) / Break-Through - Resoluteness (RW) / Resolution (JB) / Breakthrough (JJ) / Decisiveness (DM) / Skipping (RR) / Determination (SD)
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chapter 44. ENCOUNTER / Encountering (AH) / Coming to Meet (RW) / Encounter (JB) / Encounters (JJ) / Copulating (DM) / Locking (RR) / A Meeting of Opposites (SD)
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chapter 45. GATHERING / Bringing Together (AH) / Gathering Together (RW) / Gathering Together (JB) / Gathering Together (JJ) / Collecting (DM) / Together (RR) / Gathering Together (SD)
chapter 46. GROWING UPWARD / Growing Upward (AH) / Pushing Upward (RW) / Ascending (JB) / Becoming (JJ) / Rising (DM) / Going Up (RR) / Pushing Up (SD)
chapter 47. EXHAUSTION / Exhaustion (AH) / Oppression (RW) / Oppression (JB) / Exhaistion (JJ) / Distress (DM) / Beset (RR) / Being Restricted (SD)
chapter 48. REGENERATION / Replenishing (AH) / The Well (RW) / The Well (JB) / Well-Being (JJ) / Well (DM) / Well (RR) / The Wellsprings of Life (S
chapter 49. REVOLUTION/ Abolishing the Old (AH) / Revolution (RW) / Revolution (JB) / Coming-of-Age (JJ) / Reform (DM) / Leather (RR) / Total Transformation (SD)
coming soon …
chapter 50. EMBRACING THE NEW / Establishing the New (AH) / The Cauldron (RW) / The Cauldron (JB) / The Cauldron (JJ) / Cauldron (DM) / Cauldron (RR) / The Cauldron (SD)
chapter 51. SHOCK / Taking Action (AH) / The Arousing (RW) / Shock (JB) / The Thunderers (JJ) / Thunder (DM) / Thunder (RR) / Shock (SD)
chapter 52. KEEPING STILL / Keeping Still (AH) / Keeping Still (RW) / Keeping Still (JB) / Being Still (JJ) / Stilling (DM) / Cleaving (RR) / Living in the Present (SD)
coming soon ..
chapter 53. GRADUALLY / Developing Gradually (AH) / Development - Gradual Progress (RW) / Developing Gradually (JB) / What’s the Rush (JJ) / Gradually (DM) / Settling (RR) / Gradual Development (SD)
chapter 54. SUBORDINATE / Marrying Maiden (AH) / Marrying Maiden (RW) / The Marrying Maiden (JB) / Being Undermined (JJ) / Marrying Sister (DM) / Marriage (RR) / Playing a Subordinate Role (SD)
chapter 55. ABUNDANCE / Abundance (AH) / Abundance (RW) / Abundance (JB) / Abundance (JJ) / Plentiful (DM) / Thick (RR) / Abundance (SD)
chapter 56. GUEST / Travelling (AH) / The Wanderer (RW) / The Wanderer (JB) / The Traveler (JJ) / Traveler (DM) / Sojourner (RR) / Stranger in a Strange Land (SD)
chapter 57. PENETRATING / Proceeding Humbly (AH) / The Penetrating (RW) / Gentle Influence (JB) / Running a Marathon (JJ) / Wind (DM) / Food Offerings (RR) / Gentle Influence (SD)
chapter 58. JOY / Joyfull (AH) / The Joyous (RW) / Joy (JB) / The Art of Happiness (JJ) / Exchange (DM) / Satisfaction (RR) / Joy in Communication (SD)
chapter 59. DISPERSING / Dispersing (AH) / Dispersion (RW) / Dispersion (JB) / Forgiveness (JJ) / Spreading (DM) / Gushing (RR) / Obstacles Fade Away (SD)
chapter 60. DISCIPLINE / Restricting (AH) / Limitation (RW) / Limitation (JB) / Reasonable Limits (JJ) / Regulation (DM) / Juncture (RR) / Self-Control (SD)
chapter 61. INNER TRUTH / Innermost Sincerity (AH) / Inner Truth (RW) / Inner Truth (JB) / Trusting your Intuition (JJ) / Confidence Within (DM) / Trying Captive (RR) / The Power of the Inner Truth (SD)
chapter 62. LITTLE EXCEEDING / Little Exceeding (AH) / Preponderance of the Small (RW) / Exceeding Smallness (JB) / Small Steps (JJ) / Small Crossing (DM) / Passing: Minor (RR) / Attention to Detail (SD)
chapter 63. IT’S DONE / / Already Fulfilled (AH) / After Completion (RW) / After Completion (JB) / Fulfillment (JJ) / Already Across (DM) / Already Across (RR) / Mission Accomplished (SD)
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chapter 64. BACK TO SQUARE ONE / Not Yet Fulfilled (AH) / Before Completion (RW) / Before Completion (JB) / Change Is the Rule of Life (JJ) / Not Yet Across (DM) / Not Yet Across (RR) / Nearly Home and Dry (SD)
