Yi-Blog

Behold! Here is my Yijing Master:

The other day I wrote an entry in my Spanish blog about this. I'd like to translate it so there are no ambiguities regarding how I feel about this:

One of the bad things about the Web is that one becomes a mercenary reader--well, we should not blame the Web entirely, deep down, all of us are mercenary readers... Much to read and little time to do it. What is worst is that all of this subtracts from whatever time we have to write our own stuff. Where did the month of April go? It isn't lack of ideas but, one cannot read and write at the same time. Perhaps you can take notes about something you are reading, but write, write, it is an exclusive acitivity. Days go by and weeks are compressed in hours.

Something I wanted to write for a while has to do with one of the great classics in human history, the I Ching. (If perhaps you've been living under a rock and don't know what the I Ching is and why it is considered a "classic", don't be lazy and search for information) What I wanted to comment about, and make clear, is what the book it is not: A system that lends itself, or caves in, to dogmatism. (in the first definition of the word: 1 : positiveness in assertion of opinion especially when unwarranted or arrogant)  Of course, the bad thing is that there will always be someone that believes he found the key and the truth behind the I Ching and will teach "his/her version", what he/she understands as truth. The danger is not for himself--each one of us understands the I Ching in a very personal way--but for those that are formed through the teachings of those that see things this way and wrap them in dogmas that do not exist.

For those that may want to get closer to the I Ching I have some advise: if you really want to objectively learn,  find your own materials, read at your discretion, use it and form your own conclusions. If after a few years of studying and using the I Ching (I repeat, "a few years") you believe to have reached the limits of your comprehension and need to advance in your studies, it is always possible to find somebody that has more experience and other points of view to share. Try to stay away from those that call themselves "Masters of the I Ching", in any language. Those, in and by themselves, do not exist. Those that name themselves "Masters", from the very first moment, are throwing out the window the humbleness needed to comprehend something about the I Ching.

With a little shame, since it can be interpreted as lack of modesty to mention years of study and experience, and to assert what I'm sharing, I must say that after some 33 years of study and constant use of the I Ching, and having a whole library dedicated to it, I still feel like an infant regarding my understanding of the vastness of this classic. Yes, I can talk and write extensively about it; explain as many techniques are used to consult the I Ching; how to personally interpret answers to consultaions; explain rules and temporal parameters; what kind of philosophies have been born and formed based on it; etc., etc., but, erudition, in the case of the I Ching, it is not synonymous with "Mastery." The same way it applies to me, it applies to all.

To the beginners: be advised and avoid falling in dogmatic traps.  

Just before some smart-assed commentator throws the "dogmatic" ball back at me for asserting things that can be construed as such, let me clarity that my only "dogma" is to eradicate them all and invite each and every one of you to form your own, independent opinions about the Yijing, sans "Masters." If that can indeed be construed as "dogmatic", so be it.

Technorati Tags: dogmas, I Ching, meditations, Yijing

A couple of weeks ago I was honored to have my Yi Toons site linked by the ladies that brought us the book "Yijing Wondering and Wandering", Jane Schorre and Carrin Dunne. I believe their book gives a very good insight into the history and workings of the Yi and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

The one thing that had me thinking is the comments attached to my link:

A light hearted site by Luis Andrade, featuring his Yi-cartoons and an accompanying Yi-blog. Seems to be geared toward a small "in" group of Yi-aficionados. Most of his cartoons are over my head, but it is great to se someone having fun with Yijing and I say, "More power to him"

Makes me wonder about my assumptions regarding my target "audience"... I realize that to really "get" the cartoons a reader must know something about the Yijing; however, they should not fly "over the head" of fellow Yi-aficionados, specially not of the caliber of published Yi-aficionados. The cartoons are designed, albeit humorously, based upon the text of the Yijing and its implied concepts. They are conceived as "dialogues" between hexagrams because I believe one way to conceptualize the transition from an "obtained hexagram" and a "resulting hexagram," the one that is created once the moving lines of the first are mutated to their opposite, is a conversation between the two. This concept is a perfect fit to find humor in the Yi. Mind you, this is a very personal concept and point of view and perhaps is not shared by all fellow aficionados. This, I accept and respect; however, once the concept is clear, even if it is not accepted, the cartoons should be easy to understand with a little knowledge of the Yijing.

The cartoons are also conceived as an invitation to find their "punch line" by whetting the curiosity of the readers, specially novices, and having them study the Yijing seriously enough to pass over the "fun hill" of divination and find the deeper layers of this timeless classic.

As for inspiration, I find it everywhere. One source is the Yi forums I attend and goof around, specially Clarity, which is where I spend most of my time. There is never a shortage of questions and combinations of hexagrams to find hilarious and cartoonish "situations". Those people yes, I consider them to be my "in" crowd, but, the goal, wish and hope, is that the "out" crowd finds a way "in" by studying the classic deeper.

Today I received the sweetest email from Jane Schorre, one of the lady authors of "Yijing, Wondering and Wandering". She was concerned that she might have offended me with her comments to the link to my page in their website. My reply was a rotund NO. There is no way somebody like her, a fellow, and very knowledgeable Yijing aficionado would offend me by making a remark like that, specially a remark that makes me think about my "artistic" work.

Bear with me on this. She did make me think about the cartoons and I wish I had more feedback like hers. My goal is that the cartoons work like epiphanies with somebody that has some knowledge of the Yijing; an instant recognition. If they don't work like that, then I must be doing something wrong and assuming too much on the level of knowledge needed to read them. Obviously, I do make them to have fun with them myself, but if that was the only goal, they would be kept private. By sharing them, I want to share the "why" I think they are funny. Thus, I must figure out how can I best make them readable by all.

I certainly thank Jane for being candid. It show that she is a very real lady.