Complete I Ching [Hardcover]

Previously, these other translations have relied upon a Western perspective and understanding, leaving something important behind... the cultural wisdom behind the I Ching. Even the best translations available prior to that of Master Huang (those by Wilhelm, Legge and Blofeld) have failed to fully relate the cultural wisdom inherent in the I Ching. They've come close, but close isn't close enough. These translations lack the open-endedness of the Chinese I Ching that lead to its multiple interpretations and are inherent in the Chinese writings of antiquity. To gain an understanding from a Chinese perspective requires an understanding that only someone living within the culture and fluent in the language, with many years of practical experience (and training), has to offer. Enter Huang.

To truly experience a culture, and its wisdom, one must experience it first hand. Raised in China and spending a good many years of his life working with the I Ching, Master Huang has gained an understanding of the I Ching that most of us could only hope to experience. He has taken on the monumental task of translating this amazing book into English, with the cultural wisdom, open-endedness and fluidity of the original I Ching, and succeeded.

This is, bar-none, the best English translation of the I Ching published to date, and the only version you'll ever need (unless you enjoy collecting books). I cannot recommend it enough!

To quote Master Huang, "Many Westerners know the I Ching, but they do not know the Tao of I". I means change; this book is about Changes, a master template to understand change and our place in it. There is no other I Ching I've read which so clearly expounds the Tao of I, the central yet difficult to discern theme of the I Ching. Many versions are limited to defining the meaning of each Hexagram in isolation, or dwell at length on the Yao (Line) texts, neglecting a thorough treatment of the situation expounded by the complete hexagram. Master Huang's Complete I Ching presents the text as a coherent, interrelated whole. The names of the hexagrams are carefully chosen to reflect this connection. The moving lines present the hexagram that will appear after the line changes from yin to yang or viceversa, making it easy to see what the progression of the situation will be. The text presents lots of additional reference information for each hexagram, useful for intermediate to advanced students. The Author also presents fascinating interpretations of the hexagrams based on references to the historical period when the I Ching is said to have been written. All this, compounded with a lucid, terse prose, make this book fascinating and easy to read (so you can keep going back to it time and again).

Master Huang mentions in his preface: "Sometimes when I have used English translations [of the I Ching] to divine, I have felt so depressed....When I use the Chinese text... there is always hope", and comments on his intention to recover this spirit in his translation. I believe he has attained this objective, and surpassed all other translators in presenting this greatest of Chinese classics for the western reader. Bravo, Master Huang! I Ching enthusiasts and newcomers, BUY THIS BOOK!