[Cuis-dev] Book of Changes

ken.dickey at whidbey.com ken.dickey at whidbey.com
Wed Jan 19 11:41:53 PST 2022


On 2022-01-19 10:19, Nicola Mingotti via Cuis-dev wrote:
> anyway i tried to run it. I found this little bug:
> https://pasteboard.co/vQhivC9nza9u.png
> 
> removing message "dontShrinkTitle" it works.

You need to pull Cuis-Smalltalk-UI and reload

   UI-Base-Morphs.pck.st


> i have absolutely no idea what this is ;)

Ancient Chinese oracle.  Earlier precursors, but came into use circa  
1000 BCE.

The basic idea is that one has a significant question or problem, asks 
the question, performs a casting/divination (divides bundle of yarrow 
stalks or casts coins by formula) and builds up from the bottom a series 
of 6 broken or whole lines (a hexagram) which comments on the current 
condition and also yields zero or more "changing lines" which give a new 
hexagram prognosticating tendency for the future.

Where am I?  What can I do here?

Many views of this.  Just a bit of (serious) fun.

One usually starts being agitated/concerned about something.  Posing a 
terse question requires some focus.  Dividing bundles of Yarrow sticks 
or casting coins is a calming ritual.  Contemplating the resulting 
images leads to lateral thinking and widens one's point of view.

So you really don't have to have a specific set of beliefs about doing 
this to derive the benefit: more flexible thinking and calming effect 
similar to Japanese tea ceremony.

I particularly like a recent reinterpretation:
   https://www.biroco.com/yijing/Language_of_the_Lines.pdf

Wilhelm Baynes translation is probably the best known:
   http://www.akirarabelais.com/i/i.html
hardcover:
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/069109750X/qid%3D996565491/sr%3D2-1/102-1791842-4862542

The "Virtual Yarrow Stalks" web page is more practical, but I could not 
resist doing a bit of Cuis code.  And as long as I did this, why not 
share it?

I will add to the README.md.

Thanks!
-KenD





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