I Ching

The I Ching (역경/易经 literally meaning "Classic of Changes") or Zhouyi (주역/周易 meaning "Changes of Zhou") is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts, which contain a divination system of cosmology and philosophy.

In Korea, under the Confucian system, the I Ching was admired by people of all ranks as a textbook of oriental philosophy (의리/義理) as well as a tool for divination (상수/象數).

Structure
Its 64 hexagrams are composed of two three-line arrangements called trigrams (괘/卦 (中) guà).
 * The solid line (———) represents yang (양/陽), the creative principle.
 * The open or broken line (— —) represents eum (음/陰 (中) yin), the receptive principle.
 * There are eight trigrams (팔괘/八卦 (中) bāguà) as illustrated below.
 * 111 ☰ 건/乾 (中) qián: heaven (천/天) the Creative force
 * 110 ☱ 태/兌 (中) duì: lake (택/澤) the Joyous open
 * 101 ☲ 리/離 (中) lí: fire (화/火) the Clinging radiance
 * 100 ☳ 진/震 (中) zhèn: thunder (뢰/雷) the Arousing shake
 * 011 ☴ 손/巽 (中) xùn: wind (풍/風) the Gentle ground
 * 010 ☵ 감/坎 (中) kǎn: water (수/水) the Abysmal gorge
 * 001 ☶ 간/艮 (中) gèn: mountain (산/山) Keeping Still bound
 * 000 ☷ 곤/坤 (中) kūn: earth (지/地) the Receptive field

These principles are also represented in a common circular symbol (☯), known as taegeuk-do (태극도/太極圖 (中) taijitu), but more commonly known in the west as the yin-yang (陰陽) diagram, expressing the idea of complementarity of changes: when Yang is at top, Eum is increasing, and vice versa.

Telling the Future
Reading the I Ching involves casting coins or yarrow stalks to build a series of 6 lines of hexagram. In ancient China, the I Ching was used as an oracle to decide important matters.

Later great scholars such as 정현(鄭玄), 왕필(王弼), 주희(朱熹) added philosophical thingking to the readings of the I Ching. Actually, in-depth understanding of the Book needs no more casting of coins and may lead to telling the future.

In Korea, Tanheo (탄허/呑虛, His secular name was 김금택/金金鐸, 1913-1983), a Buddhist monk well versed in not only Budhist scriptures like the Avatamska Sutra (화엄경/華嚴經) but also the I Ching, predicted the future of the East Asian countries including Korea based on the teachings of the I Ching. Tanheo said in his Analects: [탄허, 탄허록/呑虛錄, 휴출판사, 2012, pp. 44-55.] Also Tanheo foretold some interesting phenomena as follows:
 * As Korea has come through the hardships of history, it will become the center of world (간방/艮方) with the help of the United States. According to the I Ching, Korea is like a young man (간소남/艮小男) while America is like a joyful young woman (태소녀/兌小女). So their marriage will be benevalent each other. Korea could unprecedently survive the Korean War and other socio-economic difficulties with the timely support of America.
 * The United States will be defeated in the Vietnam War as if iron is melted down in fire. (His prediction was made in the late 1960s.)
 * China and Russia will go in a way separated each other. Because China is like a old bachelor while Russia is a middle-aged man, they are on bad terms in every aspect of life.
 * As the fire deep inside the Earth is going through the Arctic Ocean, the arctic glaciers are gradually melted away and the sea level will increase. Sooner or later most of the Japanese Islands located off the Continent (손방/巽方) will be submerged losing two thirds of the territory.
 * At that time, the tilt of Earth's axis will become upright, and everything on the Earth will be automatically normailized. In the course of great upheavals and earthquakes on the Earth, China will lose its arsenal and terrain. On the contrary, Korea will gain its territory in the west and north.
 * However, it is not the end but the start of the new age of world.
 * These days women like to show their naked body-line more and more without shame. Likewise the Earth will turn itself more and more naked and plain. 여자들이 부끄러움 없이 자신의 몸을 노출하고 다니는 것처럼 지구도 적나라(赤裸裸)하게 변신을 할 것이다.
 * Don't move in the crowd, nor engage yourself in chatting with others in group. 사람들과 휩쓸리지 말고 무리지어 잡담하지 말라.
 * Put your thoughts high, and keep your beliefs firm. 뜻은 항상 고상하되, 지조는 굳게 가져라.
 * Never get in on fraudulent and unfaithful activities at all. 모든 거짓과 진실치 못한 행동을 하지 말라.
 * Then you Koreans will save the world with noble moral culture. 그리하면 한국에서 세계인류를 구출할 정신문화가 일어나 꽃을 피울 것이다.

World of Changes
Confucius (공자/孔子) said, "The stream flows day by day. All things of the world are changing like this." Confucius studied the I Ching diligently.

The text of the I Ching describes each of the 64 hexagrams, and later scholars added commentaries and analyses of each one.

Its readings can be challenging to interpret, because they show a picture of the situation. So the influence of the I Ching cannot be underestimated in the political, economical, social and cultural life of the East Asian people. Notably, each of the 6 lines of the hexagram describes a specific individual from a servant to a king, and the outcome of their endeavor.