Fortune-telling was a mean to reach out for solution to the sky which is considered to be an ultimate being when human reaches a limit. Fortune telling is a catalyst for the sky to communicate its intentions to human beings, and human beings have made...
Fortune-telling was a mean to reach out for solution to the sky which is considered to be an ultimate being when human reaches a limit. Fortune telling is a catalyst for the sky to communicate its intentions to human beings, and human beings have made decisions based on the sky’s answer to resolute any questions ore fears they might have had. As one can see, a reason behind the presence of books and fortune telling was to ask the sky and god for answers which are considered to be higher beings than human. This approach has resulted in a strong desire to have a manual to interpret the meanings of the sky’s way of communications, thus the need for devices and procedures to understand the meaning.
『Book of Changes』contain hexagram statements and line statements about trigrams, and such has started out as reading the contents from received trigrams and interpret to tell the future’s good and bad. In order to use fortune-telling manual, one must obtain trigrams first, and that is the yarrow fortune telling method from Changes of Zhou, also known as calligraphy. When one is trying to study『Changes of Zhou』, it is ossible not to use yarrow to tell a fortune, but by neglecting and not understanding the procedures and processes, one cannot truly understand the way to communicate with the sky, and such will result in not being able to truly understand the way of the sky. For the reasons mentioned above, this study was focused on the procedures of the yarrow fortune telling method from 『Changes of Zhou』.
The yarrow fortune telling method from 『Book of Changes』, thus far, has been known to be completed and fixed by Zhu Xi of Song Dynasty, but there were many other method for the yarrow fortune telling prior which has Kong Ying Da’s theory, Zhu Xi’s theory, and Jeong Yak Yong’s theory as prime examples which are the three subjects we seek to compare in terms of philosophical meaning for this study.
This writing is divided into introduction, main paragraph (chapters 2, 3, 4, 5), and conclusion.
Introduction (Chapter 1) explains why the yarrow fortune telling method and its broad contents became a research subject while adding to explain how Kong Ying Da’s theory, Zhu Xi’s theory, and Jeong Yak Yong’s theory were chosen.
Chapter 2 describes the origin of the yarrow fortune telling method and the difference between compound method and calligraphy while examining their chronological development process.
Chapter 3 focuses on rituals before fortune telling and what instruments are used to ask and receive the sky’s intentions while describing what has good attitudes for the one carrying out the act of fortune telling and how one should be working to obtain trigrams. To show the details, we have described yarrow’s meaning and devices, required kit for the act of, and signature with conclusion.
In chapter 4, the philosophical meaning of the procedures in Kong Ying Da’s theory, Zhu Xi’s theory, and Jeong Yak Yong’s theory as one of the focuses from the study.
We have compared each the yarrow fortune telling method to identify the differences while providing reasons for such, and identified philosophical meaning for those differences.
Summary of each chapter was provided in our conclusion chapter while providing philosophical meanings and limitation of the study to provide subjects which need follow up studies. Moreover, we have concluded the study with the most important principles and attitudes to be a fortune teller.
This study has carried out a comparison study of three yarrow fortune telling methods to find differences while looking at philosophical meanings. It was rather difficult to decide on which the yarrow fortune telling method was more appropriate and closer to the original the yarrow fortune telling method from『Book of Commentaries』, but my personal opinion is that Jeong Yak Yong’s theory shows how it has attempted to follow original chapter from 「Book of Commentaries」while describes in more details as well to apart itself from other yarrow fortune telling method.
This study has showed that three yarrow fortune telling methods originated from same root while showing differences within yarrow fortune telling method described in a chapter of 「Book of Commentaries」. Despite the differences, however, it is meaningful to understand how they all tried to help ordinary people to understand the sky’s intentions and meanings by providing systemized explanations through their own methods.
The yarrow fortune telling method can be divided into two steps, first is how the sky reveals its intention through fortune telling which comes as a result of 18 changes, and second step is the way for human beings to understand the sky’s intention through obtained fortunes and eventually analyzing them. This study was limited to comparison study on the first step of obtaining fortunes as a result of changes in initial stage. Therefore, further comparison study on the second step in how hexagrams should be used for fortune telling.