Soulful Sundays: Changes

"To change the world around us, we need to change ourselves first." -C. Joybell C.

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is often recognized as the most well-known Chinese text in the world. The original manuscript dates as far back as the 10th century B.C. and incorporates themes from Taoism and Confucianism, with later interpretations influenced by Buddhism. It presents a system of 64 hexagrams, each formed from different combinations of eight unique trigrams. (8 × 8 = 64.) Each trigram consists of three binary lines—either solid (yang) or broken (yin). Since each line has two possible states, the total number of trigrams is 2 × 2 × 2 = 8. Simple, elegant, and profound, the I Ching is often used as a tool for divination, but its value extends far beyond fortune-telling. The 64 hexagrams are further differentiated by each of their six lines, producing 384 distinct readings that draw from mythology, moral allegory, and historical wisdom.

The I Ching is a remarkable work of spiritual insight and philosophical depth, rooted in Chinese cosmology. Cosmology is one of the eight branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine and plays an essential role in helping individuals understand their place within the broader order of the universe. The system of hexagrams is a symbolic representation of divine influence—what some call sacred geometry—and the meanings attached to each hexagram convey a view of reality that is orderly, interconnected, and deeply reflective of human experience.

Interestingly, modern digital technology mirrors the same binary foundations found in the I Ching. Computers operate on a binary system, assembling bytes in exponential groupings—2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64—all powers of two, just like the trigrams and hexagrams. Similarly, the human nervous system operates in binary: a neuron is either at rest or firing; there is no partial signal. In both nature and technology, complexity emerges from simplicity through binary structure.

Cosmological thinking, of course, is not unique to Chinese culture. Across civilizations, numerical synchronicity has held deep symbolic meaning. In Christianity, sacred numbers abound—the Holy Trinity, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, the Seven Deadly Sins. Entire books have been written on the symbolism of numbers, but beneath all these efforts to codify the divine lies a common thread: changes within permanence.

At first glance, “change within permanence” may sound like an oxymoron. Yet, like all sublime truths, paradox lies at its core. Few works illustrate this better than the I Ching. Every hexagram and every line emphasizes that true transformation begins within. The text speaks in the voice of the seeker aspiring to emulate the sage—urging introspection, humility, and alignment with the natural order. It does not promote domination of others; when force appears, it is always a warning. This reverence for self-mastery—growth through one’s own discipline—is a recurring theme across many spiritual traditions.

Only by aligning ourselves internally can we hope to connect with the divine. While the sacred is often portrayed as unchanging, omnipresent, and omnipotent, it also contains an adaptive quality—it meets us where we are. In this way, the divine evolves with our perception. The more we change ourselves, the more the sacred reveals itself—ever just beyond reach, always beckoning us forward.