Ling Chi Ching a Classic Chinese Oracle

By Ralph D. Sawyer

Book Overview

The Ling Ch'I Ching was first created by an unknown Chinese scholar who consciously sought to present the world with a more accessible oracle than the esoteric I Ching. For centuries the Ling Ch'I Chinghas been a popular divination device for attaining self-knowledge and wisdom. Like its more famous cousin, the I Ching, the Ling Ch'I Chingis rich in poetic language and metaphorical imagery, linking the dynamic principles of heaven and earth with the affairs of people. But the Ling Ch'I Chingis far more accessible than the I Ching, focusing on the concerns of day-to-day life and positive accomplishment, with no "moving lines" to interpret. The method of consultation includes throwing twelve coins, which are then arranged in three rows to yield one of 125 possible trigraphs. In the text, each trigraph is represented by a core oracle describing a situation, problem, or event, and its internal dynamic, along with a verse emphasizing the trigraph's more subtle, intuitive qualities. To aid the reader in interpreting the oracle, selections from classical commentaries have been included, as well as the translators' own commentary on the text.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813341744
• ISBN13: 9780813341743
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Not the I Ching

This is the Spirit Token Oracle. As such, it's somewhat different from the I Ching and the "judgments" have a different flavor. To use it you're going to need 16 tokens for the Chinese Chess pieces used to consult the oracle. To construct a single judgment, all 16 tokens are shaken and then tossed onto a surface. Four of the tokens are marked TOP, four marked MIDDLE and four marked BOTTOM. The Constructed firgure depends on how many of each type of marker fall upright. The author does a wonderful job of including several standard Chinese experts for each judgment as well as his own translation of the meaning at the end. For those who depend on the moving lines of the I Ching, the Ling Ch'i Ching does not include moving lines. Nevertheless, the Ling Ch'i Ching is an accurate oracle.