Quality Alchemist (品質煉金術師): I Ching and the Wisdom of Life IV (易經與人生智慧)

2023年4月22日星期六

I Ching and the Wisdom of Life IV (易經與人生智慧)

Prof. Peng’s (彭泓基教授) introduction course for I Ching named “I Ching and the Wisdom of Life” (易經與人生智慧) Lecture 4 was held on 22^nd Apr 2023. The course has four lectures and this is the last course. I would like to summarize some key points for sharing below. In the beginning, Prof. Peng briefed the wisdom of I Ching and numerical fortune-telling.

He then mentioned the Ching Xiang Thinking (易象思維) and quote 王弼 that “得意可以忘象” meaning that get the concept and forget the image.

And then Prof. Peng briefed the history of divination “占卜” and said performing divination when doubt. If you haven’t doubt, no need for divination. (卜以決疑，不疑何卜。) It is not superstition (迷信) if and only if you understand the concept behind and connected with real situation plus your logic thinking.

After that Prof. Peng demonstrated the old-style divination using yarrow (sci. name: Achillea alpina) (蓍草). It is very time consumption to predict each Gua (卦).

He also mentioned five elements (五行) eight classics hexagrams (八經卦) as well as Innate gossip and Acquired gossip (先天後天八卦). It is key concept and important part of I Ching.

Why Chinese fortune-teller always count their fingers in the firm? After Prof. Peng explanation, I understood that related to eight classics hexagrams (八經卦).

And then he introduced another divination method named “money divination” (金錢卜筮法). Use three coins for divination each time. Many Chinese film used Turtle and Coins (龜背銅錢) for divination.

He demonstrated how to get the Yao (爻) based on the coins’ front and back surface.

Once six Yao collected, he explained the original Gua (本卦) and its processing Gua (互卦) and then to Change Gua (變卦).

Finally, Prof. Peng stated the Code of Conduct for divination master (斷卦師) that is very important because of affecting peoples’ decision.

Lastly, Prof. Peng shared one of classmates Ms. Wong’s business case and using card of I Ching to demonstrate the result. Ms. Wong also shared her experience.

The divination named “Seven Star Array” (七星芒陣) and the sequence meaning are: Top 1 – Suggestion; Middle Left – Present, Middle Middle – Development, Middle Right – Family; Low Left – Missing, Low Middle – Past and Low Right – Environment.

During Q&A, I asked that how accuracy for I Ching apps predication that seems to random draw. Prof. Peng said it depended on how your interpretation for the Gua (卦).