Lesson 1 · Lines and images

Read the Yi as an image, not a script to recite.

This lesson builds on the Tianji opening: each line is yin or yang, the eight trigrams each describe a situation, and a single changing line is what sets the picture in motion. Scroll down to build a reading yourself.

Scroll to begin

Section 2 · How you approach the text

When you open the Yi, where do you start?

Pick the approach that feels closest to yours. There’s no score — just a note on where that approach tends to lead.

Section 3 · Compose a trigram

The bottom line is set. Choose the two above it.

Trigrams are read from the bottom up. Toggle the middle and top lines, then see which of the eight names the three lines form.

Bottom
Middle
Top
Middle line
Top line

Your trigram

乾 Qián

Heaven

Three unbroken lines. Qian is creative force, initiative, and the sky’s constant motion. In this course, it’s the image of acting while the moment is still open.

Section 4 · One line changes

Keep the trigram, then change one line.

Change (变易, biànyì) isn’t about starting over. One line flips, and the image becomes one of the other eight.

Before

乾 Qián

After

The new trigram appears here after a line changes.

Section 5 · Qian and Kun

Match a situation with Heaven or Earth.

Choose a scenario, then pick Qian or Kun. The note explains the image you chose — it isn’t a pass or fail.

Choose a scenario to begin.

Section 6 · Carry this forward

Three ideas to take with you

  1. 1Start with the image. The written name is just a label for a picture you can test.
  2. 2The eight trigrams are three lines read from the bottom up. Broken and unbroken lines are enough to describe a whole situation.
  3. 3Change happens one line at a time. Flip a single line and you get a different trigram — while Qian and Kun remain the two poles every later hexagram builds on.
Unlock Full Course - $19.99

One-time payment. Instant access.