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)
is being rewritten …
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) / De Aanvangsmoeilijkheid (RW) / Difficulty in the Beginning (JB) / Difficulty at First (JJ) / Sprouting (DM) / Massed (RR) / Inexperience (SD)
coming soon …
chapter 4. PLAY / Childhood (AH) / Difficulty at the Beginning (RW) / Youthful Inexperience (JB) / Youthful Energy (JJ) / Youth (DM) / Dodder (RR) / Inexperience (SD)
chapter 5: WAINTING / 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) / Het Leger (RW) / Het Leger (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: SARTING 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 / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 12. STANDSTILL / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 13 LIKE MINDED / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 14. GREAT HARVEST / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 15. MODESTY / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 16. INTENSITY / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 17. FOLLOWING / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 18. DECAY / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 19. APPROACHING / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 20. OBSERVING / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 21. BITING THROUGH / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 21. BITING THROUGH #1
chapter 22. BEAUTY / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
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chapter 21. BEAUTY #2
chapter 23. SCATTERING / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
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chapter 24. RETURNING / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 25 INNOCENCE / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 26. ACCUMULATION / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
is being rewritten …
chapter 27. JAWS / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 27. JAWS #2
chapter 28. GREAT EXCEEDING / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 29. DARK / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 30. LIGHT / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 31. RESONANCE / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 32. RESILIENT
chapter 33. WITHDRAWAL / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 34. GREAT STRENGTH / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 34. GREAT STRENGTH
chapter 35. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 35. STRAIGHT AHEAD #1
chapter 36. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 36. DARKENING OF THE LIGHT #1
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chapter 37. FAMILY / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 38. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 38. ESTRANGEMENT
chapter 39. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 39 OBSTACLES
chapter 40. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 40. LIBERATION #1
chapter 41. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 41. DECREASE
chapter 42. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 42. INCREASE
chapter 43. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 43. BREAK-THROUGH
chapter 44. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 44. ENCOUNTER
chapter 45. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 46. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 46. GROWING UPWARD
chapter 47. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 47. EXHAUSTION
chapter 48. REGENERATION / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 49. REVOLUTION / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
coming soon …
chapter 50. EMBRACING THE NEW / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 50. EMBRACING THE NEW
chapter 51. SHOCK / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 51. SHOCK
chapter 52. KEEPING STILL / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 53. GRADUALLY / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 53. GRADUALLY
chapter 53. SUBORDINATE / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 53. SUBORDINATE
chapter 55. ABUNDANCE / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 56. GUEST / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 56. GUEST
chapter 57. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 57. GENTLE AND PENETRATING #1
chapter 58. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 58. MIRROR #1
chapter 58. MIRROR #2
chapter 58. MIRROR #3
chapter 59. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 59. DISPERSION #1
chapter 59. DISPERSION #2
chapter 60 / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 60. CONCENTRATION
chapter 61. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 62. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 63. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)
chapter 63. PERFECT
chapter 64. / (AH) / (RW) / (JB) / (JJ) / (DM) / (RR) / (SD)