I Ching | Bob Schwartz

October 26, 2026

AI: “We are as gods and might as well get good at it.”

We are as gods and might as well get good at it.
–Stewart Brand

When Stewart Brand birthed the Whole Earth Catalog in 1968, a version of this motto appeared in the introduction to that first issue: “We are as gods and might as well get good at it.”

WEC was an exercise in what we might call Human General Intelligence. It covered literally everything and everyone on earth and in the universe. It was aimed at getting readers—all of us—aware of everything and everyone, so that we could get on an enriched and enlightening learning and acting path of knowledge and ability about anything and anyone.

In a nutshell, that is what AI offers. AI is not “as a god”, though from a certain perspective it may look to some that way. We are “as gods” with it at our command, and not since putting world-destroying weapons in human control has that been clearer.

Think about the last time, or all the times, you used AI. Would you consider that a godlike experience, or was it a matter—not illegitimate, no judgment—of taking an easier and more convenient way to pass a school assignment or complete a work task? Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with that, maybe. But if with AI at your side you might be “as a god”, is that all you plan to do with it?

Note: That first issue begins and ends with two of my greatest inspirations, Buckminster Fuller and the I Ching. It may not be enough to know their Biggest Picture view of life and the universe and our place in it, but it is a start. What would they/do they think of AI?

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June 6, 2026

A Hundred Uglinesses or A Thousand Stupidities: The Upright Cauldron

Despite a hundred uglinesses or a thousand stupidities, the upright cauldron is naturally beneficent.
Zen Master Hongzhi

A note in Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi says:

As an idiom, “cauldrons,” means simply “uprightness.” The cauldron is a traditional Chinese implement for alchemy and cooking and so is associated with spiritual transformation. Here it is an image for the context of meditation practice and its yogic reliability. Cauldron is the name of hexagram 50 in the ancient Chinese classic Book of Changes, or I Qing: “To change things nothing compares to the cauldron; this is the vessel used to refine the wise, forge sages, cook buddhas, and purify adepts. How could it not be very auspicious and developmental?”

About I Ching Hexagram 50—Ding (Cauldron), Establishing the New—Master Alfred Huang says:

This gua [hexagram] takes the image of a sacrificial vessel to expound upon the importance of honoring and nourishing wise and virtuous persons for the growth of a new country or a new situation. The image of the gua is an inverse form of the preceding one. The preceding one is an act of revolution to abolish the old system or condition. The purpose of revolution is not merely to overthrow the old but, more important, to establish a new situation and a better order. Abolishing the old is difficult; establishing the new is even more so. Both abolishing the old and establishing the new need qualified personnel of extraordinary ability. This gua offers a proper way to reorganize the old order. The key point is to respect wise and virtuous persons and rely on them to establish the new order. On the other hand, eliminating those who are mean and unqualified for their position is equally important.

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February 24, 2026

Confucius discovered the I Ching in his 60s or 70s. It is never too late to discover treasure.

Confucius (551–479 BCE) offered much wisdom to China and the world. Among that wisdom are the Ten Wings commentaries on the I Ching that are attributed to him. The core text of the I Ching dates to around 1000–750 BCE.

This chronology means that Confucius could have been aware of the I Ching throughout his life. Yet it is thought by some that he might have only discovered and paid attention to the I Ching when he was in his 60s or 70s.

This should come as great news to all of us, even if we are not Confucius. There is always time, as long as we are around, to discover treasure, some of which may be right in front of us. With some limitations, it is never too late.

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December 31, 2025

New Year: I Ching Hexagram 64—Not Yet Fulfilled

64
Fire Over Water
Wei Ji • Not Yet Fulfilled

The ideograph of wei above is meticulous—it looks simple, yet its meaning is profound. The stem of the ideograph is a tree, mu. A second curved stroke was added through the tree and thus the ideograph of wei was created. Without the horizontal stroke we have a picture of a tree with its roots growing downward and its branches growing upward. The horizontal stroke represents the ground. The portion of the tree underneath the ground is still alive. It has already grown to its full height (fulfilled its growth), and now it starts a new cycle of growth. The structure of the ideograph supplies a vivid picture of having achieved one’s goal, but not yet having been fulfilled. There is a new cycle to come. The meaning of the ideograph of ji signifies crossing a river, from here to there, or from beginning to end.

SIGNIFICANCE

This gua ends the sixty-four gua and the three hundred and eighty-six yao of the I Ching. But the principle of change continues without end. Events in the universe move forward and alternate in cycles. The stage of Not Yet Fulfilled will gradually reach the stage of Already Fulfilled. The stage of Already Fulfilled is merely the fulfillment of certain events or of a certain stage in a cycle of events. If some occurrences have reached the stage of Already Fulfilled, there are always others that are Not Yet Fulfilled. The stage of Already Fulfilled is also the stage of Not Yet Fulfilled. The stage of Not Yet Fulfilled is the beginning, like the dark before the dawn. The I Ching starts with Qian, the Initiating, and ends with Wei Ji, Not Yet Fulfilled. When the development of events reaches the end of a cycle, Already Fulfilled, then another cycle, Not Yet Fulfilled, begins. In this way, the cycles of change and development repeat endlessly.

A transition from disorder to order is representative of the I Ching as a whole. In the beginning it swings from extreme to extreme, with no balance in between. By the time it reaches the final gua, Already Fulfilled and Not Yet Fulfilled, a perfect state of balance has been achieved.

During King Wen’s sitting in stillness he reflected on the past in light of the present. The destiny of the Shang dynasty had been fulfilled. The destiny of the Zhou was not yet fulfilled. Its situation was like that of the little fox who had almost crossed a river. There was success in store, and nothing was unfavorable.

The Complete I Ching, Taoist Master Alfred Huang

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July 23, 2025

Oreo I Ching

On the plate I saw my usual desert of four Oreos, two chocolate, two golden.

Binary, I thought. Dark and light. The digital universe is binary: zero and one. Morse code is binary: dot and dash.

The I Ching is binary: broken line (yin, dark) and solid line (yang, light). Six lines stacked, sixty-four combinations (hexagrams).

Instead of broken and solid lines, what if we stack six chocolate and golden Oreos? Oreo I Ching.

Which I did. The above picture represents Hexagram 27, Nourishing.

27
Yi • Nourishing

DECISION

Nourishing.
Being steadfast and upright: good fortune.
Watch your nourishment;
Pay attention to what is in your mouth.

SIGNIFICANCE

This gua outlines the principle of nourishing. In ancient times, the Chinese concept of nourishing included nurturing, especially nurturing one’s virtue. To the ancient Chinese, nourishing without nurturing was the way of animals. The revered sage Mencius says,

Filling with food,
Warming with clothes,
Living leisurely without learning,
It is little short of animals.

If you consult the I Ching, occasionally or regularly, consider using Oreos, or the cookies of your choice, to represent your hexagram. When you are done, you can enjoy a sweet treat along with the valuable advice.

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April 13, 2025

A new Passover tradition: Matzah oracle

On the first morning of Passover, I came across a book on using the letters of the Hebrew Bible as an oracle.

To be clear, oracles—the I Ching is a well-known example—don’t foretell particular outcomes in a detailed way, though that is one perspective. Instead, they open your mind to deeper visions of the questions you ask and the situations you are confronting.

The first morning of Passover is also a time to think about matzah, as in: What am I going to have for breakfast that includes matzah rather than bread?

That is the origin of the matzah oracle. The steps:

1. Put a sheet of matzah in a one-galloon storage bag.

2. Place the storage bag with the matzah on a hard surface, a table or the floor.

3. Ask your question or seek some insight.

4. Drop a heavy object on the storage bag. For my first oracle, I used a book, a 700-page commentary on the Torah. But it doesn’t have to be a book and it doesn’t have to relevant. Just something that will break the matzah into pieces but won’t obliterate it to total crumbs.

5. Remove the pieces to a plate so you can count them. The difference between a small piece and a crumb can be hard to determine. Don’t worry. Remember that this is an oracle to deepen your thinking, not a predictor, so it won’t matter.

6. Count the pieces. My first matzah oracle contained ten pieces, which corresponds to the letter Yud.

7. Find the Hebrew letter or combination of letters corresponding to that number. Here is a list:

א (Aleph)
1

ב (Bet)
2

ג (Gimel)
3

ד (Dalet)
4

ה (Heh)
5

ו (Vav)

ז (Zayin)
7

ח (Cheth)
8

ט (Teth)
9

י (Yud)
10

כ (Kaf)
20

ל (Lamed)
30

מ (Mem)
40

נ (Nun)
50

ס (Samech)
60

ע (Ayin)
70

פ (Peh)
80

צ (Tzaddi)
90

ק (Qof)
100

ר (Resh)
200

ש (Shin)

300

ת (Tav)
400

A number greater than ten requires a combination of letters, e.g., 12=Yud (10)+Bet (2).

This oracle is a work in progress, and I have a few ideas about how to deal with letter combinations. The simplest suggestion is to consider both letters. In the example above, consider both Yud and Bet.

Also, it is unlikely that the matzah oracle will generate all the letters. A piece of matzah that breaks into 400 pieces is likely a pile of crumbs. Maybe there are those committed enough to count all the crumbs.

8. Once you have a letter or letters, there are a number of books and countless websites devoted to the meaning of Hebrew letters—some more valuable than others.

Here are two books that offer thoughtful insights:

A New Oracle of Kabbalah: Mystical Teachings of the Hebrew Letters by Richard Seidman

The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet by Michael Munk

Once you are done with the oracle, the matzah is available for eating. My suggestion, since the matzah is already in pieces, is to soak them in water, combine them with a beaten egg, and fry them into matzah brei, the best of all Passover breakfast dishes.

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April 10, 2025

I Ching about Trump tariffs on China

The I Ching, the venerable Book of Changes, is estimated to have first been composed around 1000 BCE. About 3,000 years ago.

The point is that China and its constituent states have been managing very complex and difficult governmental and social situations for millennia. Those who are leading contemporary China may face a lot of current challenges, as their ancestors have faced so many other challenges. They know their way around difficulties and difficult people. They have managed, starting in 1949, to build the world’s second largest economy. They have done it, by the way, paying close attention the I Ching. The Trump administration would do well to do the same.

Asking the I Ching about Trump tariffs on China it says:

52
Gen • Keeping Still

Mountain above
Mountain below

NAME AND STRUCTURE

The attribute of Mountain is stillness. When Mountain is doubled, it is extremely still.

From the very beginning of Chinese culture, ancient sages emphasized keeping still. Keeping still is not keeping merely the body still but the mind and spirit as well, and is called “sitting in stillness” or “nourishing the spirit.” While sitting still in a lotus posture, one is shaped like a mountain. Sitting in stillness, or in meditation as Westerners call it, is a self-disciplinary training. While doing this, one is able to control the mind and the breath, to be introspective about one’s shortcomings and to cultivate inner strength and virtue. Mencius says, “I am skillful in nourishing my imperishable noble spirit.” When one is in a state of stillness, one is oblivious to one’s surroundings. This is the highest stage of nonattachment. In such a state there is no fault in one’s being. It is believed that when Heaven is about to confer a great mission on a person, it first exercises his or her mind and spirit with discipline. Keeping still is meant to prepare one’s mind and spirit to progress when the time comes.

Commentary on the Decision

Mountain.
It is keeping still.

Keep still when it is time to keep still.
Remain active when it is time to remain active.
When action and resting do not miss their time,
Their way becomes promising and brilliant.

SIGNIFICANCE

Keeping Still expounds the truth of knowing when and where to stop before one’s action goes too far. The key to success is to advance when it is time to advance and to stop when it is time to stop. Every action should accord with the time and situation. Never act subjectively and blindly. Keeping still means to be tranquil and stable. It is a phase of advancement. Advance and stillness complement each other. Keeping still is preparing oneself for a new advance. All the lines of this gua take images of different parts of the body to indicate particular times and situations.

When King Wen abolished slavery and reestablished the Jing land system, people were shocked, as if a thunderstorm had struck. Those who were liberated were happy, but not the slave owners—especially those who were close to the tyrant. Dangerous counterattacks were anticipated. King Wen retreated, sitting in stillness to contemplate the situation and foresee the future. The Duke of Zhou describes King Wen’s different stages and moods of stillness. Eventually his honesty and sincerity brought good fortune.

The Complete I Ching, Master Alfred Huang

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March 24, 2025

Coyote consults I Ching today: Country in harmony

37
Jia Ren • Household

The image of the gua is Wind above, Fire below. The wind springs forth from the fire. This gua symbolizes that the wind of harmony is fed by the flames of love….

The ancient sages always applied the principle of managing a household to governing a country. In their view, a country was simply a big household. With the spirit of sincerity and mutual love, one is able to create a harmonious situation anywhere, in any circumstance.

Master Alfred Huang, The Complete I Ching

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November 5, 2024

I Ching Election Non-Prediction: Watching (Hexagram 20)

“There are two aspects of watching, subjective and objective. Subjective watching deals with one’s self; it is to examine one’s inner motives. Objective watching deals with others; it is to watch others’ reactions to one’s conduct. The wisdom of watching is like looking at a mirror, checking one’s original intention and outward conduct.”

The I Ching/Yijing can’t predict the election.

The pollsters can’t predict the election.

The political experts can’t predict the election.

The difference is that the I Ching embodies centuries of human affairs and history. Which makes it wise, wiser than the pollsters, the political experts, and us.

Primary is its wisdom that everything changes. One line changing to its opposite. Hexagrams changing one to another. Randomly but not randomly. People choose and change what happens. It begins with Creation (Hexagram 1). It almost ends with After Completion (Hexagram 63). But it ends with Before Completion (Hexagram 64). As if it is going to start all over again. Which it always has and will.

Q: What will be the outcome of the 2024 U.S. election?

A: Hexagram 20

Guan • Watching

NAME AND STRUCTURE

Guan means watching, observing, examining, contemplating….

Sequence of the Gua: When things become great, they require careful attention. Thus, after Approaching, Watching follows.

In China a Taoist temple is termed Tao Guan; literally it is “a place for watching the Tao.” The esoteric secret of Taoist meditation is watching—watching the breath, or the flowing of energy, or nothing. The purpose of watching is keeping alert. While chanting or reciting scriptures both Buddhist and Taoist monks beat wooden fish rhythmically. Because fish never close their eyes, the wooden fish remind one to stay alert. The Chinese name for Avalokiteshvara (an incarnation of the Buddha) is Guan-yin. Guan-yin means watching (guan) the sound (yin). To the Chinese, contemplation is watching; contemplative watching is focusing on one point and being attentive. During meditation, the sect that worships Guan-yin watches the sound either inside or outside the body. Watching the sound but not getting caught up in it, one is totally detached from the world. This gua not only sheds light on meditation but also expounds the truth that people should always keep their eyes open, watching the virtue of a leader. Thus a leader should always be sensitive to morality and justice and manifest these qualities to his people….

SIGNIFICANCE

The theme of the gua is to demonstrate the wisdom of watching. There are two aspects of watching, subjective and objective. Subjective watching deals with one’s self; it is to examine one’s inner motives. Objective watching deals with others; it is to watch others’ reactions to one’s conduct. The wisdom of watching is like looking at a mirror, checking one’s original intention and outward conduct. The ancient sages believed that inner sincerity is always revealed through one’s conduct.

The Complete I Ching: The Definitive Translation by Taoist Master Alfred Huang

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September 6, 2024

Some of my tools

Above is a photo of some of my tools, representations of some of my tools. Tools for living.

Why tools?

Tools of all kinds are how we live. If you think of tools as enablers, everything can be thought of as a tool. (Thinking of things as tools rather than just themselves is a matter for much deeper exploration not here.)

Why just some?

Over time, I’ve discovered and used a number of tools for living, of which these represent only a few. Some are too big to include in a simple small photo. Some are not easy to picture.

Why not stick to a limited number of tools, maybe just one?

One genius item from Buddha is the idea of upaya, skillful and expedient means. Things that move us along, sideways, or up are appropriate to the moment, what things are like in the moment, who we are in the moment, all of which is changing, whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not. The tool for now is the tool for now. When we have a nail we need a hammer, when we have a screw we need a screwdriver.

What are these particular tools?

Hebrew letter cards: Hebrew letters make up not only the words of the Torah but, according to one view, all of creation. In the system of gematria, each letter is assigned a numeric and religious interpretive value.

Tarot cards: Contrary to a view that Tarot is the frivolous pastime of amateur soothsayers, it is a well-developed tool of inspection and introspection.

I Ching cards: In terms of historic and cultural influence, the I Ching (pronounced yijing) rivals the Bible. It has been my constant wisdom companion for decades.

Dice: Gregory Bateson said that inside his holy of holies he would have a random number table. We get attached—over attached—to beliefs, especially belief in our own power. One way out of this trap is to adhere to a belief in chance. Chance may be uplifting, humbling or devastating. Besides generating random numbers for use in other divinations, a dish of dice is a reminder of how things really work.

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Tag: I Ching