The system of using the Chinese “Book of Changes” or “Classic of Changes” (“I-Ching”), which is rooted in the deepest antiquity, reveals at its core the binary number system and the positional principle of writing numbers upon careful analysis. The I-Ching predates binary code by as much as 5,000 years and gives us reason to question our faith in digital technology.
It seems incredible that the ancient Chinese possessed such mathematical knowledge that our modern civilization began to actively use only in the twentieth century, entering the era of computing technology based precisely on these principles. And even more incredible seems the similarity of the principles contained in the “Book of Changes” with the latest achievements of modern physics.
From ancient times to the present day, the I-Ching has had a tremendous impact on the entire life of Chinese society. The influence of the ideas of the “Book of Changes” can be found in all philosophical schools of both ancient and modern China. In its practical application, it is regularly used in every Chinese family, and recently, it has become widely used all over the world.
The specificity of using the I-Ching is that it does not predict the future but determines a detailed description of the current situation and recommendations, following which you can come to an optimal solution to problems and favorable development of events. In other words, the “Book of Changes” claims that its methodology can be used to determine the properties of any life situation and its development trends.
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According to the theory of the I-Ching, the entire world process is an alternation of situations, resulting from the interaction and struggle of the forces of light and darkness, tension and compliance. Each of these situations is symbolically expressed by one of the 64 signs (hexagrams), consisting of two types of features.
One type is whole horizontal lines called yang. The other one is the horizontal stroke interrupted in the middle, called “yin.” Each icon (hexagram) has six such features placed in various combinations, for example:
Each hexagram consists of two so-called trigrams (an icon of three strokes). It is believed that the lower trigram refers to the inner life, to the advancing and creating, and the upper one to the outer world, to the receding, to the collapsing.
All known sources attribute the invention of trigrams to the legendary ruler of ancient China, Fu Xi, who was in power, as is commonly believed, from 2852 to 2737 BC (5000 years ago). Fu Xi depicted these symbols in the following sequence:
In the philosophy of the I-Ching, the reality is not entirely real. It is something more like a dream or an illusion. This dream of reality arises from the binaries of Yin and Yang, as they play out their infinite combinations. It is not surprising from the I-Ching’s perspective that anything in the dream of reality can be represented as a model of its binary constituents, in a string of 1s and 0s, processed by a computer.
Leibniz’s work influenced By I-Ching
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s work influenced centuries of technological innovation, and his own influencers included Chinese I-Ching. Leibniz, a philosopher, and mathematician developed the binary number system that is still used today, but his approach to writing in binary code made direct references to the hexagrams and cosmological ideas found in the I-Ching.
He is considered to be one of the first Western intellectuals to adopt ideas from traditional Chinese philosophies. He wrote about his own fascination with the manual (I-Ching) and noted that the text’s hexagrams corresponded with the binary numbers from 000000 to 111111, arguing that the authors were much more advanced in mathematics than Leibniz’s contemporaries believed.
Leibniz claimed that all matter can be represented in binary sequencing as ones and zeros or, as it was expressed in ancient literature, Yin and Yang, which he identified as terms that represent polar abstract concepts.
By seeing binary representation in ancient texts, Leibniz was compelled to continue his own writing of binary systems. This, in turn, became the language of modern computing still being used today, thus linking a 5,000-year-old text to the formation of the digital age.
This article has decided me to reinvestigate the I-Ching after almost 60years; I used to regularly dabble in my early 20s, now intend to do so again!
There are quite a few inaccuracies with this article.
*** You say: The I-Ching predates binary code by as much as 5,000 years.
No. The I Ching (Yijng, or just Yi) was written and was first used about 900-800 BC, so that is about 2,800 years ago, not 5,000!
Oracle or ‘dragon’ bone divination is dated back to around 1200 BC, so it’s only around 3,200 years old.
*** You say: Leibniz’s binary system was influenced by the I Ching.
Again, no. Leibniz ()1646-1716) had developed his system and at some point after that someone showed him a diagram titled ‘The Directional Positions of Fu Xi’s 64 Hexagrams’ which had two hexagram arrangements: a circular one on the outside, with a linear one (in rows) within the circle. And Leibniz noticed that the arrangement of the inner hexagrams could be based on his binary system.
This diagram is attributed to Shou Yong (1011-1077 AD); so even if it is based on a binary system it is only about 600 years before Leibniz’ system, and not 2,800 or 5000 years earlier! Also this binary system and thinking is not found at all in the Yi itself – and instead came much later.
*** You say: And even more incredible seems the similarity of the principles contained in the “Book of Changes” with the latest achievements of modern physics.”
This comparison between the I Ching and modern physics always baffles me. I find nothing in the hexagram and line verses that reminds me at all of physics. Sometimes people also talk about Quantum Mechanics, but they don’t offer any really evidence of why they are saying this.
It feels more like it’s a cool thing to say, to talk about spirituality, Quantum Mechanics and the I Ching all at the same time.
*** You say: “According to … I-Ching [theory], the entire world process is an alternation of situations, resulting from the interaction and struggle of the forces of light and darkness, tension and compliance.
This is describing Yin/Yang theory or cosmology. It is true that both Confucian and yin/yang thought became associated with the I Ching. However, this was not the case when the Yi was first written and used as an oracle or divination system.
I don’t have a sense that yin/yang thought was fully developed at this time. Instead we have a book that seems to contain omens, snippets of stories, or historic events – and includes dragons, and stepping on a tiger’s tail, and wagons breaking down, and an old woman taking a new husband, and a well with a broken bucket, and the sun being hidden at noon …. but not a well-defined system of ‘opposites’ that later became associated with the Yi.
There is some ‘anecdotal’ evidence for this: the word ‘yin’ is only found one time (with the meaning of ‘shade) in the Zhouyi – the original part of the Yi containing the hexagram (judgement) and line verses:
‘Calling crane in the (yin) shade / its young one joins in the calling’ – line 61.2
The word Yang is not present at all. And the word dao is found a few times, but can be thought of as a ‘road’ or pathway, and not necessarily as The Dao!
Regards, David