The landmark translation that introduced an ancient Chinese Classic to the West—more than one million copies sold
The Wilhelm-Baynes translation of the I Ching, or Book of Changes, has inspired millions with its timeless insights into the changing nature of existence. First set down in the dawn of history as a book of oracles, the I Ching grew into a book of wisdom, eventually becoming one of the Five Classics of Confucianism and providing a common source for both Confucianist and Taoist philosophy. With this groundbreaking translation, the ancient Classic came to the West, where it has influenced countless artists and writers, from Bob Dylan and Philip K. Dick to John Cage and Octavio Paz. Organized for easy reference, it presents the sixty-four hexagrams alongside their commentaries and interpretations, including the Ten Wings, supplemental writings traditionally ascribed to Confucius that provide indispensable perspectives on the symbolic structure of the hexagrams. Featuring C. G. Jung’s illuminating foreword, and now with a new introduction by internationally acclaimed essayist Eliot Weinberger, this essential edition preserves the spirit of the ancient text while providing a vital key for anyone seeking to live harmoniously with the immutable law of change.
Richard Wilhelm (18731930) was a sinologist, theologian, and missionary who translated many ancient Chinese works and wrote several books on Chinese philosophy and civilization. His acclaimed German translation of the I Ching from Chinese served as the basis for this Bollingen edition. Cary F. Baynes (18831977) was a translator and Jungian psychologist. C. G. Jung (18751961) was the founder of analytical psychology and one of the great intellectual figures of the twentieth century. Hellmut Wilhelm (19051990) was a scholar of Chinese literature and history and a world-renowned expert on the I Ching. He was the son of Richard Wilhelm. Eliot Weinberger is a translator, essayist, and critic whose many books include Nineteen Ways of Looking at Wang Wei and The Life of Tu Fu.
