About Book of Changes Academy
Book of Changes Academy is an open scholarly resource dedicated to making the I-Ching (易經) accessible to modern readers while preserving the depth of its classical tradition.
Our Approach
Every hexagram page presents the original classical Chinese text alongside multiple layers of commentary: Richard Wilhelm's foundational German-to-English translation, Bradford Hatcher's character-by-character pinyin glosses, and modern interpretive commentary that connects these timeless patterns to contemporary life.
We believe the I-Ching is best understood through direct engagement with the source text. That's why each page includes character-by-character breakdowns—so readers can develop their own relationship with the classical language, rather than relying solely on any single translation.
Sources & Methodology
Our content draws from three primary scholarly sources:
- Wilhelm-Baynes Translation — The most widely referenced English translation, originally rendered from Chinese to German by Richard Wilhelm and translated to English by Cary F. Baynes.
- Bradford Hatcher Glosses — Character-by-character pinyin romanizations and English meanings, enabling readers to study the original Classical Chinese directly.
- Modern Commentary — Interpretive commentary connecting each hexagram's themes to contemporary situations and decisions.
The Project
Book of Changes Academy is created by Augustin Chan at Digital Rain Studio, drawing on years of research into Chinese classical texts and divination traditions. The project is a companion to Six Lines and 8-Bit Oracle, our interactive I-Ching consultation tools.
For inquiries, reach us at contact@digitalrain.studio.
Get Started
New to the I-Ching? Start with the eight trigrams to understand the building blocks, then explore the 64 hexagrams or browse by topic.