I Ching, Plainly
All 64 hexagrams of the Book of Changes, with original text, literal translation, and plain reading.
- Category
- Classics
- Platforms
- Web
- Pricing
- Free to read
Overview
I Ching, Plainly is a free reading site for the I Ching, also known as the Yijing, the Zhouyi, or the Book of Changes. It presents all 64 hexagrams, and for each one it lays out the classical texts in three layers: the Chinese Original, a Literal translation, and a Plain reading that explains the line in modern language.
The I Ching is hard to approach. Its oldest layer is terse, full of images like dragons, wells, cauldrons, and river crossings, and the later commentaries assume you already know how hexagrams are built. Many popular books skip the text and go straight to fortune-style summaries. We wanted the opposite: a page where you can see exactly what the classic says, line by line, and then get a careful explanation of it.
Each hexagram page shows its symbol, its lower and upper trigrams, and the main texts: the Judgment, the Tuan commentary, the Image, and all six line texts, each with its own small Image comment. Hexagrams 1 and 2 also include their extra line (Use of Nines and Use of Sixes). Previous and Next links move through the book in the traditional order.
We treat the I Ching as a classic text for reading and reflection. The site is a reader, not a fortune-telling service, and it does not make predictions. If you cast hexagrams with coins yourself, you can use the site to look up and study the texts you arrive at.
Key features
Original, literal, and plain for every text
The Judgment, Tuan, Image, and each of the six lines appear in the Original Chinese, a Literal translation that stays close to the words, and a Plain reading that explains the meaning in everyday terms.
Hexagram structure at a glance
Each page shows the hexagram symbol and labels its Lower and Upper trigrams, so you can see how the figure is built from two three-line images before you start reading the lines.
All six lines, in order
The Six lines section runs from the bottom line to the top, using the traditional line names such as Nine in the Third or Six in the Fourth, and explains each line in the context of its position in the hexagram.
Catalog of all 64 hexagrams
The Catalog lists every hexagram with its pinyin name and a common English title, for example Qian / The Creative, Tai / Peace, or Wei Ji / Before Completion.
Six languages and pinyin help
The reading is available in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and German, and Chinese characters in the original text can show their pinyin when you hover over them.
How to use I Ching, Plainly
- Open iching.pomodiary.com/en/ or pick your language from the Language menu.
- Choose a hexagram from the Catalog, either one you are curious about or one you obtained by casting coins.
- Look at the symbol and the Lower and Upper trigrams first, so you know what images the hexagram is built from.
- Read the Judgment for the overall situation, then the Image for the picture the commentary draws from the two trigrams.
- Read the six lines from bottom to top. If you cast the hexagram and have changing lines, give those lines the most attention.
- Use the Literal layer to check the exact wording and the Plain reading to understand it, then write down your own interpretation in a notebook.
Who it’s for
- Readers who want to understand the I Ching as a classic of Chinese thought rather than as a fortune-telling tool.
- People who already cast hexagrams with coins and want a clear, line-by-line text to study the result.
- Students of Chinese who want classical text alongside literal glosses and pinyin.
- Readers of the Tao Te Ching who want to explore its companion classic in the same format.
FAQ
- Does the site cast hexagrams or tell fortunes?
- No. I Ching, Plainly is a reader for the 64 hexagram texts. If you want to cast, you can use three coins on your own and then look up the resulting hexagram on the site.
- What are the Judgment, Tuan, and Image?
- The Judgment is the short text attached to the whole hexagram. The Tuan and Image are early commentaries traditionally counted among the Ten Wings. The Tuan explains the Judgment, and the Image reads the hexagram through its two trigrams.
- Why are lines read from the bottom up?
- By convention, a hexagram is built from the bottom line upward, and the line texts follow that order. The first line describes the beginning of a situation and the top line its end or excess.
- Is it free, and do I need an account?
- It is free to read in the browser, and no account is needed.
- Is the plain reading the correct interpretation?
- It is one careful reading, written to make the text approachable. The I Ching has a long and varied commentary tradition, so we encourage comparing it with other translations.
Guides and articles
- How to Read an I Ching Hexagram: Trigrams, Lines, and Changing Lines
A clear, step-by-step guide to the structure of an I Ching hexagram: the eight trigrams, yin and yang lines, changing lines, and the coin method.
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Questions about I Ching, Plainly? Email hi@pomodiary.com or visit our contact page.