The I Ching or Book of Changes Read Online Free PDF Page B

edition, I am indebted to Professor Wilhelm also for an explanatory note concerning the Chinese title page, and to Mr. R. F. C. Hull, the translator of the Collected Works of C. G. Jung, for having called my attention to an error of translation in Jung’s foreword. With minor changes, the foreword was publishedin 1958 in Psychology and Religion: West and East (Collected Works of C. G. Jung, vol. 11).
    The Western student of the I Ching is always grateful for aid in the understanding of the Book. He will find such aid in two works of Professor Hellmut Wilhelm published since the first edition of the English version of the I Ching in 1950: Change: Eight Lectures on the I Ching (New York: Bollingen Series LXII, and London, 1960) and “The Concept of Time in the Book of Changes,” in Man and Time (Papers from the Eranos Yearbooks, 3; New York: Bollingen Series XXX, and London, 1957).
    C. F. B.
    Morris, Connecticut, January I967

Preface
    BY R ICHARD W ILHELM
    This translation of the Book of Changes was begun nearly ten years ago. After the Chinese revolution [1911], when Tsingtao became the residence of a number of the most eminent scholars of the old school, I met among them my honored teacher Lao Nai-hsüan. I am indebted to him not only for a deeper understanding of the Great Learning [Ta Hsüeh], the Doctrine of the Mean [Chung Yung], and the Book of Mencius, but also because he first opened my mind to the wonders of the Book of Changes. Under his experienced guidance I wandered entranced through this strange and yet familiar world. The translation of the text was made after detailed discussion. Then the German version was retranslated into Chinese and it was only after the meaning of the text had been fully brought out that we considered our version to be truly a translation.
    While we were in the midst of this work, the horror of the world war broke in upon us. The Chinese scholars were scattered to the four winds, and Mr. Lao left for Ch’ü-fou, the home of Confucius, to whose family he was related. The translation of the Book of Changes was laid aside, although during the siege of Tsingtao, when I was in charge of the Chinese Red Cross, not a day passed on which I did not devote some time to the study of ancient Chinese wisdom. It was a curious coincidence that in the encampment outside the city, the besieging Japanese commander, General Kamio, was reading the Book of Mencius in his moments of relaxation, while I, a German, was similarly delving into Chinese wisdom in my free hours. Happiest of all, however, was an old Chinese who was so wholly absorbed in his sacred books that not even a grenade falling at his side could disturb his calm. He reached out for it—it was a dud—then drew back his hand and, remarking that it was very hot, forthwith returned to his books.
    Tsingtao was captured. Despite all sorts of other tasks, I again found time for intensive work on the translation, but the teacher with whom I had begun the work was now far away, and it was impossible for me to leave Tsingtao. In the midst of my perplexities, it made me very happy to receive a letter from Mr. Lao saying that he was ready to go on with our interrupted studies. He came, and the translation was brought to completion. Those were rare hours of inspiration that I spent with my aged master. When the work in its essential features was almost finished, fate called me back to Germany. In the meantime my venerable master departed this world.
    Habent sua fata libelli . In Germany I seemed to be as far removed as possible from ancient Chinese wisdom, although in Europe also many a word of counsel from the mysterious book has here and there fallen on fertile soil. Hence my joy and surprise were great indeed when in the house of a good friend in Friedenau, I found the Book of Changes—and in a beautiful edition for which I had hunted in vain through all the bookshops of Peking. My friend moreover proved a friend indeed, in making this happy find