"Chu Hsi [Sung Dynasty] argued that the student of the I Ching must work their way back from the T'uan commentary of Confucius to the laconic hexagram statements of King Wen, back further to bare hexagrams recorded by Fu-hsi, and ultimately to the same unmediated reading of the world that Fu-hsi himself engaged in." (emphasis added)

This approach is the path that strengthens intuition and other clairvoyant abilities is called the Li or Pattern School. The Li or Pattern method emphasizes direct and immediate experience. See also, the page of Hexagram 51, "A Yaqui Shaman teaches Wu Wei."

The Pattern approach attempts see the world in an immediate, direct way in an imitation of Fu Hsi and the Clan of Pao Hsi. The Pattern approach resulted in the later development of two main branches: In Taoism there was an emphasis on nature, sexuality, and spontaneity-type meditations. Early Taoist teachings emphasized sitting meditation along such places as river banks and observing the patterns, or the wen in the movements or water. Other schools developed moving meditations and began to imitate shore birds and other creatures as they acted in their natural settings. For example, t'ai chi chuan, the elegant moving meditation, began by imitating such animals as the crane, standing quietly poised looking for bait or a serpent striking. This ideas were the beginning of t'ai ch'i, ch'i- kung exercises and other Taoist arts.

Seeing the pattern without defining the way things are was a belief of Ch'eng I, scholar of the Sung Dynasty (c.1200 AD). He calls it "seeing the Li." "Li i erh fen shu," " The pattern is unitary, its divisions multiple." But more important was the thought of Ch'eng I: How is Li

The total immersion method means just what it says. You must use your life and immerse yourself in the teachings of the I Ching. At the beginning it is best to use the I Ching for simple problems rather than profound and complex life-changing questions. Sometimes, however, the profound and complex may find prematurely appear in your divinations. In that event you should consult an expert.

Another path traditionally has always been the "number and line" school which looks for numerical correlation and esoteric mathematical patterns. The "number and line" person emphasizes intellect over intuition.

While every diviner-in-training must master the text and symbols of the I Ching it is important not to overly emphasize the intellectual aspect of learning the I Ching. Intellectualization of the I Ching tends to emphasize the duality between the querent and the I Ching and in doing so the ideals and teachings of the Yi tend to be superficial . Such a person fails to penetrate to the real meanings of the book and wastes her precious human life. The intellectual exercise of the number and line method seems to have appeal to westerners which accounts for its inadvertent popularity today. Attempts to fit the hexagrams into the DNA code and other esoteric disciplines, in my view, defeat the very purpose of learning the I Ching.

Wang Bi, c. 800 AD, a famous scholar of the T'ang era, held that the Yi is built on the principle of symbols, meaning pattern or li: " the words clarify the images and then one forgets the words, obtaining the meaning, one forgets the images".

The Classic of Changes, A New Translation of the I Ching as Interpreted by Wang Bi (1994) and The Eleventh Wing, An Exposition of the Dynamics of I Ching for Now by Khigh Alix Deigh (1973).

The intuitional or pattern branch expressed itself in China and Mongolia as the Chan Buddhist tradition. Tun-wu in Chinese is the sudden, immediate experience leading to enlightenment. As a Mahayana sect, Chan also emphasizes the practice of compassion for all sentient life. Its monks live an austere life with the constant practice of meditation. Living simply they accomplish much:

Any activity that brings one into intimate contact with the natural world on a prolonged basis qualifies as the intuitional approach. Sailing, fishing, even wading or swimming and kayaking are excellent way to heighten one's awareness.

Nor are land-based activities to be left out: Hiking, gathering, and camping, to name a few, are also excellent ways to practice the intuitional method. You may also use any teaching such as Native American wisdom which allows this part of yourself to unfold.

This means using the I Ching in every area of your life and keeping a diary of your readings so that you begin to have a working knowledge of the hexagrams. A notebook and journaling or writing about your readings will help you. You can divide your notebook into the major areas of your life, career, family, and relationship matters and start divining! You will make mistakes but they should be memorable and deepen your understanding of your spiritual path. Live your life simply and richly!

In the early days of Taoist and Zen thought fishermen, farmers, woodcutters, and herdsmen, [perhaps even housewives and mothers(!)], were held in high esteem. Indeed the Sixth Patriarch, Hui-neng (683-713 AD) was a woodcutter. His story is given in the Platform Sutra which says, other things being equal, a simple person who discovered the truth for himself was to be preferred over a formal scholar; that is the reason Hui-neng, a simple woodcutter, was chosen over scriptural scholars to be the Sixth Patriarch.

The great beauty of the intuitional method is that you together with your I Ching are for the most part your own student without formal schools and discipline. Actually the truth is you are on your own and must make judgments about teachers and teachings. Let the I Ching be your guide! In divination, the hexagram 42, Increase, is by far the most favorable sign. This sign indicates you may have confidence in the teacher and the path. Use the I Ching as your guide for both spiritual growth and for understanding the cosmos. Hexagrams 28, 33, 36, 41, or 44 indicate the path or teacher is not for you.

Chinese scholars throughout the centuries kept the Yi alive, even through the times of book- burning, dynastic struggles and enemy invasion. Almost all current I Ching books are from the root text of the Kangxi edition written during the Song Dynasty (c. 420-479 AD). The imperial Khanghsi edition of 1715 includes commentaries from 218 scholars is the definitive I Ching work and the basis for almost all modern I Ching books.

One of those books is the monumental work, The I Ching or the Book of Changes by Lao Naixuan, Richard Wilhelm and Cary F. Baynes. As soon as the book was published in 1950 it created a renaissance of interest in the I Ching around the world. Today it is considered the most comprehensive I Ching work in the world. This book is a fundamental text, a must-read.

This book by Naixuan, Wilhelm, and Baynes (NWB) is a compilation of all three earliest known versions of the I Ching: The Lianshan of the Xia (c. 1127-1045 BC), the Guicang of the Shang (c.1560-1040 BC), and the Zhouyi of the Zhou (c.1127-1108 BC). (Dates are approximate) The book is a valuable tool in studying the contributions of these most ancient peoples who created turtle shell divination and later, the writings that became known as the Book of Changes.

It is also meritorious to study I Ching authors with whom we have a certain karmic connection. For me, that book, more than any other, is The Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth by Hua-Ching Ni of the Universal Society for the Integral Way (USIW.org in the links section). The book may be ordered online at Seven Stars Communications, also at USIW.org.

Others have found such Buddhist writers, Carol K. Anthony, Brian Browne Walker and John Blofeld to be of great help to them in their personal lives. Newer books such as Albert Huang's The Complete I Ching and the Zhouyi by Richard Rutt are commendable each in their own way and there is an abundance of reading material which will enrich your understanding of the Book of Changes. Thomas Cleary's Taoist I Ching is interesting because the commentary is from a Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian perspective which is very useful and illuminating.

Available online is James Legge's translation of the Book of Changes which is a good historical work. Divination can also help you choose the book that is right for you. (Favorable: Hexagrams 42, 45, 35; 26 unfavorable 33, 29, 44, 36)

The diviner's formulae or the line statements, contain the work of I Ching diviners whose life work is recorded there. Sometimes their cryptic statements are confusing; other times illuminating. The line statements may not really relate very well (it seems) to the overall theme of the hexagram and since done by humans, they are fallible. They represent the life's work of people we would otherwise never have a chance to know. If you are a diviner, you must recognize the ones who have gone before have tried to give you the benefit of their experience. Please remember their great kindness. And remember you a part of ancient lineage and you must in turn leave your own insights and lessons on the Yi to be a beacon to those coming after.

The history of the cults of not only Pao Hsi and Fu Hsi and the clan of the Fu Hao but also the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties. - the hexagrams and commentaries reveal not only the grand themes of their dynastic struggles but also the human-scale themes of life -, marriage, birth, and death, spiritual aspiration, tragedy, sacrifice, and triumph, to name a few. (The word "cult" is used in its original meaning as a spiritual group, not the antisocial true-believer sects of today.)

The Confucian philosophy, (5th-6th Century BC) is a moralistic but also valuable humanistic overlay which have found their way into the Commentaries. The contributions of other schools such as the Han scholars and the philosophical and mystical Song are also to be found.

The symbols and imagery of Books II and III. The oldest portions of the I Ching are associated with the cult of Pao Hsi and the mythical inventor of the hexagrams, Fu Hsi. The portions of the text contain the most ancient and rich archetypical symbols and are typically the least understood. Book III: The Commentaries of NWB are the main source of these images.

The passages found in Book III, The Commentaries seem to have sprung directly from the intuition of the original diviners and their clans. These ancient passages came out of their relationship with the land and water forged over generations which in turn is responsible for how they saw themselves in the pattern of space and time. It was not a reality they projected on their environment but a reality that came from their environment. Their symbols and images spring from this intimate relationship and tell us what they found significant and meaningful.

This means a commitment to living your life through the I Ching and accepting its spiritual lessons. Regular spiritual practice is a commendable way for achieving this. A spiritual family allows you be with people who support your spiritual aspiration. Atisha, the great dharma teacher said, "The highest nobility lies in training your own mind. " Learning to control the wild horse (the mind) is perhaps 98% of the spiritual path. The rest will exceed your grandest expectations.

The divination skill must be used appropriately. People who seek your help should have their privacy respected. You must not allow the Book of Changes to be used for cheap amusement. You must have a commitment to help people. While you may charge an appropriate fee, you must not turn away people who need your help. You must always assist and help other diviners!

2. Total Immersion - The learning of the Book of Changes is a lifelong pursuit if you want to understand the Book of Changes completely to understand it processes and bring your life into harmony with Tao.

3. Be alert for learning opportunities. If you see an opportunity and you are not sure or just want to know, drink from the Well (use the I Ching). Walk your spiritual path with the I Ching as your loyal guardian and friend.

1. The Pattern or Li Method- Seeing the pattern instinctively is the most reliable way to achieve great divination skills. Deeper understandings are beyond words. The world that Fu Hsi and his people engaged in produced their language and myth, their ideas of space and time, and their spiritual universe. Their mental continuum extended outward and meshed inextricably with the other sentient life found in their environment. Strengthen these instincts and you be more open to both the natural and invisible world.

2. Total Immersion Method - Live closely with the Changes, keep a diary of your divinations to avoid mistakes in future. You will begin to "see" the hexagrams as the appear in your life and this will sharpen your hunches and give you confidence.

1. The heart energy or heart chakra method is a quick, safe, and productive way to both achieve the clairvoyant skills and the heart practice relieves one's own mental pain and is a reliable pathway to spiritual realizations. This path is based upon the teachings of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso in the book Universal Compassion, available through Tharpa Publications. This is best learned from a teacher and all New Kadampa Buddhist Centers offer this course as one of it's beginner courses.

2. Consider a path such as the Integral Way, which is method directly joining your energies with that of the cosmos. Recommended reading: The Hua Hu Ching, a work attributed to Lao Tze, written by Brian Walker or by Hua-Ching Ni, available through Seven Stars Communications.

3. Take advantage of learning opportunities. There seems to be a renaissance of truly achieved individuals who teach summer retreat courses: Healing Tao USA has a renowned faculty (Jampa MacKenzie Stewart, Michael Winn to name two.) Every summer they offer courses in internal alchemy, tai chi, and chi gung. The Universal Society for the Integral Way also has good teachers and courses of study. The best study is to advance gradually by building up small things.

4. Traditionally there is always a note of caution given at the point of becoming clairvoyant because, not all will have the capabilities to do this, and the path to the higher realms can be deleterious to some: Your best guide, if you do not have a spiritual adviser, is to drink from the Well (use the I Ching). Hexagrams such as 13, 14, and 42 are favorable. Hexagrams such as 4, 33, 36, and 62 indicate problems. You will find the I Ching to be a loyal friend and advisor.