About Stuart’s Introduction to the Book of Sun and Moon

The Book of Sun and Moon, more popularly known as the Yijing or Book of Changes, is one of the oldest surviving literary works in the world. At the same time, it remains one of the most profound pieces ever composed.

It serves many functions at once. It is:

• A book of wisdom

• A book of divination

• A cosmological text

• A system of calculation

• A philosophical work

• A scientific model

• A treasury of imagery

• A foundation for internal alchemy

• A means of mapping all phenomena

It is remarkably simple in its structure—broken and unbroken lines—and yet so complex that even some of the greatest minds in Chinese history could not fully exhaust its depths.

Calculation and Intuition: Two Essential Modes

The Yijing is both:

• A book of calculation

• A book of divination

To work with it properly, one must develop and apply intuition.

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of studying the Yijing is developing intuition regarding the hexagrams—the 64 images composed of broken (yin) and unbroken (yang) lines.

At the same time, the Yijing has a precise logical and mathematical structure. Its ability to calculate and determine possible outcomes for a situation involves examining:

• The internal logic of the hexagram

• Its correlations

• What image it changes into

• What that transformation implies

If we simply translate the Yijing without engaging its deeper structural associations, we limit what it can offer us. We reduce it to partial meaning and miss the full picture.

The Detective Analogy

As Stuart often said, using the Yijing is like being a detective or a tracker.

• The hexagrams are the clues.

• The structure is the evidence.

But a good detective does not rely only on deduction and observation. They must also have intuition.

Depending on the question being asked:

• Some consultations rely more heavily on intuition.

• Others require deeper engagement with calculation and structural transformation.

If we cannot apply both intuition and calculation, we only receive half the message. We limit the amount of information available to us.

To truly work with the Yijing, both faculties must be developed.

The Yijing and Taoism: Shared Roots

Taoism is extremely close to the Yijing. In fact:

The Yijing is Taoism’s deepest structural and symbolic foundation.

Both arose from the same early Chinese worldview. They share the same source.

Many core Taoist concepts come directly out of the Yijing, including:

• Yin–yang philosophy

• The Five Phases (Wuxing)

• The understanding of change as cyclical and meaningful

• Wu-wei (non-forcing, right timing rather than willpower)

These are not later inventions. They are rooted in the worldview expressed by the Yijing.

Manual of Change vs. Way of Life

You could think of the Yijing as:

• A manual of change

• A situational diagnostic tool

It describes the structure and timing of a moment.

Taoism, on the other hand, is a lived philosophy—a way of life. It is experiential.

The Yijing tells us:

What kind of moment we are in.

Taoism tells us:

How to be within that moment.

Not Fortune-Telling, But Truth-Telling

The Yijing is often described as a book of fortune-telling. But that misses the point.

It is not fortune-telling. It is truth-telling based on reality.

Sometimes what it says can be uncomfortable. It may not align with what we want to hear. But it describes the situation as it actually is.

From this perspective:

Truth—even an uncomfortable one—is the highest form of compassion.

That is very Taoist in spirit.

A Taoist approach to the Yijing is not:

“How do I get what I want?”

It is:

“How should I be in this situation?”

Because the Yijing is about timing, it reveals the quality of the present moment.

If we want to move in harmony with what is unfolding, we must ask:

• What kind of moment is this?

• What response fits this timing?

Confucian and Taoist Readings of the Yijing

When you pick up a copy of the Yijing, you will find many versions.

One thing Stuart emphasized is that many commonly available versions have a Confucian filter.

This does not make them wrong. But it does shift the tone and interpretation.

Historically:

• The Confucians canonized the Yijing.

• They elevated it as a classic.

• They added layers of commentary, including the Ten Wings.

Because of this, academically, it is correct to call it a Confucian classic.

However, if you strip away the Confucian overlays—such as certain moralizing commentaries—the core text does not read as Confucian in spirit.

The Confucian Shift

Confucianism tends to approach the Yijing with questions like:

• How should a good person act?

• What would the proper person do?

• What is morally correct here?

This frames the text as a guide to moral behavior and social order.

Again, there is wisdom in that. But it is a particular interpretation layered onto the older text.

The Core Voice of the Yijing

If we listen to the core voice of the Yijing itself, it says something simpler:

• This is the situation.

• This is what is happening.

• If you act in accordance with it, these are the results.

• If you do not, these are the consequences.

It does not moralize. It does not judge. It describes. It reveals the pattern of the moment and the outcomes of alignment or misalignment.

Taoism Recognized Itself in the Yijing

One way to understand the difference:

• Taoism looked at the Yijing and saw itself in it.

• Confucianism looked at the Yijing and attempted to domesticate it.

That is not a criticism—it is simply a different orientation.

The Taoist reading emphasizes:

• Timing

• Natural flow

• Alignment with reality

Whereas the Confucian reading emphasizes:

• Proper conduct

• Moral cultivation

• Social harmony

Both are valid perspectives. But they are distinct.

Why This Matters When Choosing a Translation

So when picking up a version of the Yijing, it is helpful to ask:

• Is this translation framed through a Confucian lens?

• Is it framed through a Taoist lens?

• Is it attempting a structural or cosmological interpretation?

None is necessarily wrong. But they will guide your understanding differently.

Being aware of the background of the translation allows you to recognize what kind of interpretation you are receiving.

Final Distinction

In essence:

• The Yijing tells us what kind of moment we are in.

• Taoism teaches us how to live within that moment.

• Confucianism interprets that moment through moral and social categories.

Understanding these distinctions helps us approach the Book of Sun and Moon with clarity and depth.

It is not about predicting the future. It is about recognizing the structure of change—and aligning ourselves with it.