The I Ching is said to be the oldest book in existence. Trigrams and hexagrams being used as divinatory systems date from 3000-5000 BCE. Legend says it was invented by Emperor Fu Hsi 2852-2738 BCE, the first recorded ruler in Chinese history. King Wen and his son Duke Chow (ca 1150 BCE) are the main authors of the present text and Confucius and his disciples (ca 500 BCE) authored the commentaries.
THE BOOK OF CHANGE is the bible of Chinese civilization. It serves as the foundation for all other practices.
The I Ching, is like a Chinese Tarot, and consists of 64 hexagrams. It's based upon the idea of change and the basic duality of the Universe, which runs on a cycle of birth, development, decay, death and rebirth. Change comes from the interaction of Yang and Yin, which make up the Universe or the Tai Chi.
Yang is Heaven, active, positive, male, firm, strong, light.
Yin is Earth, passive, negative, female, yielding, weak, dark.
Nothing is totally Yin or Yang, everything contains both qualities.
Progress is a combination of the elements of Li, fire or light, over Earth: the image of the sun rising over the earth, with ever-increasing light.
For example, the Hexagram of Nourishment, The Corner of the Mouth, is an abstraction of the physical Taiji posture of White Crane Spreads its wings. Looking at the pattern of the lines, one discovers that the Yin lines are in the middle, while the two Yang lines are on guard on the outside of the hexagram. This pattern corresponds to the outstretched arms--the Yang strong lines, protecting the soft torso of the Taiji player-- in the movement of a crane spreading its wings.
This may seems far fetch to some, but for a Taoist master who lives and breath the Book of Changes; the abstract pattern of the hexagrams takes on a vivid power and strength.
Deducing from the hexagram, we can further sense that the emptiness of the Yin lines within the Yang is a trap, like a mouth, linking the Crane posture to the practitioner's open chest. The outstretched arms will suddenly come together, closing in on the opponent just like a mouth closing on a morsel of nourishment. This is one of the martial application of Crane spreads its wings.
Furthermore, Taiji Quan is often called the Taiji of 13 postures. Many people, therefore, literally believe there are only 13 postures. Whereas, in reality, 13 is simply the sum of the 8 trigrams--the primal nuclear pattern of Yi Ching, and the 5 phases--the basic five natural elements of wood, fire, water, earth and metal.
Finally, all Taoist practice has the goal of reaching the greatest possible harmony of the Yin and Yang forces within the body and mind. The 63rd hexagram of Completion becomes the state of accomplishment, balancing the fire of Li and the water of Kan.
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