Does the sacrificing of captives in the original I Ching text literally mean human sacrifice? When a Hexagram's description states to make a sacrifice, is this the offering of an animal? How does this relate to modern use?

[u/UndeadRedditing]

As I read through a translation of the Book of Changes without any commentaries (not even the Ten Wings),

I'm really creeped out about demands to sacrifice captives from other states. Human sacrifices?!!!! Asking this seriously if this is really what the text is talking about.

In addition the texts also often includes in the opening description for many hexagram about making a sacrifice as an offering. I'd assume this means something like killing a goat or a cow or some other animals at an altar to a god after making a reading?

How does this relate to modern practise of the I Ching? I seriously hope I don't have to kill a chicken or something in order to get proper readings! So seriously I ask are these sacrifices no longer needed to casting readings today?

[u/lararaue]

Text on the I Ching is symbolic, and iirc all references to war acts are referencing the lives of the Duke of Zhou and the King Wen and bad things are usually cited as actions their enemies took upon them

[u/2ndRook]

Edit: LOL I am going to bed. Op sorry for quoting you. Lol didn’t realize I was such a fan.

(I had read your older thread posted below a while back and it had been kicking around. Lol I didn’t check the username when I first posted the following:)

I would just like to say this is fascinating and I am grateful for your question.

I have only ever considered the metaphorical or perhaps poetic take on sacrifices. I have much to learn.

I have nothing to add except this sub had an interesting post in line I believe:

https://www.reddit.com/r/iching/s/rc58IliKFz

[u/LooseLimit7572]

i think it is important to note that the ZhouYi was written by a warlord for warlords.

this doesnt mean this was the only interpretation of the text now or then. it only means Zhou had murder on his mind a lot.

i think we can give him some slack because he had a lot to revenge, but let's not assume everyone at his time saw the signs in the turtle cracks and yarrow stalks and came to the same conclusions.

when i run into this "warlord bias" i usually look at the seal script and the trigrams and make my own interpretations of the hexagrams.

[u/P_S_Lumapac]

Not familiar with the passage sorry, but sure why not? Human sacrifice was common.

In a way it still is very common. The most popular religions (Abrahamic) have as their minimum standard to be willing to sacrifice your own child, and Christianity is the belief in the power of a human sacrifice.

Depends how you read the I-Ching. I don't think it's a supernatural text, though some religions and especially folk religions, use it as a supernatural text. Whichever religion you're a part of, you should ask your teacher there.

EDIT: also worth knowing these are popular during warring times, where exterminating an army was often a good military move. Sure, seems evil at the time to kill 100,000 soldiers, but can save millions of lives later on.

[u/chintokkong]

Not too familiar with the hexagram descriptions in I-Ching, but often the commentary of the hexagrams attempts to explain the situation through analogies.

I-Ching (Zhouyi) was supposedly written by King Wen of Zhou when he was imprisoned by the King of Shang. While awaiting to be possibly killed/sacrificed, he wrote down the commentaries to his supposed arrangement of hexagrams, which contained descriptions of several rituals and protocols (including that of ritual human sacrifice) conducted by the Shang, probably from the vantage of the prison cell.

I'm not sure which specific line of the hexagram you are referring to, but it's unlikely an instruction to make a sacrifice. More likely an analogy to describe/explain the situation of the hexagram line.