EBOOK
The I Ching Compendium
The Simplest Way to Cast · All 64 Hexagrams · 384 Lines Explained
The simplest, easiest I Ching book there is. Learn to read it, learn to cast — this one book is all you need.
- 64hexagrams
- 384lines
- 120kwords
- 737pages
English edition · PDF · 737 pages · A5
Buy once, download it and keep it.
Look inside
Real pages from the book (Hexagram 11, Peace, and the finder table at the back). Tap a page to read it full size.
Read it as textHexagram 11, Peace · Nine at the beginning (exactly as it appears in the book)
Nine at the beginning
初九：拔茅茹，以其彙，征吉。
Pull up one reed and its roots come with it, together with its kind. Setting out brings good fortune.
Meaning: One person moving at the right time draws prepared companions with them, like connected roots rising together.
In your life: A new opening may benefit not only you but also people who have worked toward the same goal. This doesn’t mean bringing friends merely to divide the rewards. Choose those who share the direction and will carry responsibility. If you rush ahead alone, a force that could have grown together may scatter before it takes root.
A reminder: Name the people who genuinely prepared with you, and give their work a place in the plan and the result. Shared purpose matters more than simple closeness.
If this line changes: it becomes Pushing Upward (Shēng), Hexagram 46. Companions support the first rise, but development must still grow one stage at a time. Turn favorable momentum into roots, a trunk, and steady progress.
The website and the book
| taocup.com (free) | The book | |
|---|---|---|
| Each line | The line in English, plus its meaning in a sentence or two | Meaning, what it says about your life, a reminder, and where it leads if it changes |
| Five areas of life | One line each | A full paragraph each, drawing on Takashima |
| Reading | Online, one hexagram per page | Offline once downloaded; contents, bookmarks and finder tables take you anywhere in a tap |
Five things in one book
- The original textEvery Judgment and every line of the I Ching, printed in Chinese beside the English
- Plain EnglishAll 64 hexagrams and 384 lines explained the way a wise friend would put it, not in a dusty translation
- TakashimaThe practical insights of Takashima, the great Meiji-era master of the I Ching, woven through every chapter
- Three numbersThe simplest way to cast, from the Song-dynasty tradition of Shao Yong: three numbers and two minutes
- Real lifeWhat each hexagram says about timing, money, love, home and health, so you can use it today
From the classic text of ancient China to Takashima’s practical readings and today’s plain English, the best of three thousand years of the I Ching, in one book. That’s why we call it a compendium.
What’s in the book
- Large, clear typeEasy to read on a phone or tablet, and it prints nicely too
- One tap awayContents, bookmarks and finder tables jump straight to any hexagram or line
- Tap or scanTwo QR codes in each chapter: one for a short video, one for that hexagram on taocup.com. Reading on your phone? Just tap them
- Works with the websiteCast at taocup.com, then turn straight to your line in the book
See the full contents
- Before you begin
- How to cast with three numbers, how to read the primary hexagram, the moving line and the relating hexagram, and the eight trigrams at a glance
- 64 hexagrams
- One chapter each: the Judgment, the Commentary and the Image, in Chinese and English, and the situation the hexagram describes
- Five areas of life
- Career and timing, money, love and marriage, home and family, health, for every hexagram
- 384 lines
- Every line: the original, its meaning, what it says about your life, a reminder, and where it leads if it changes
- Ask yourself
- Three questions at the end of each chapter to help you think the matter through
- At the back
- Find Your Hexagram, an 8 × 8 table that takes you from your numbers to the right page, and a Line Finder for every moving line
Questions
How do I get the book?
After you pay on Gumroad, the download link is emailed to you, and you can also download it straight from the checkout page.
How can I pay?
Credit card, PayPal and other options. The methods available are shown at checkout. The price is in US dollars; Gumroad may show it in your local currency, and the final amount is the one at checkout.
No email, or the download doesn’t work?
Check your spam folder first. Still nothing? Write to info@taocup.com with the email you used at checkout, and we’ll sort it out.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. If the book isn’t right for you, write to info@taocup.com within 7 days of buying and we’ll refund you, no questions asked.
Is it the same as the Chinese edition?
No, they are two separate books, sold separately. This one is written in English for English readers. The Chinese edition, 《易經大典》, is here.
Is this fortune-telling?
No. It’s a classic text and a tool for reflection. A hexagram offers a point of view to help you think things through. It doesn’t make decisions for you, and it isn’t a substitute for medical, legal or financial advice.
Is the website still free?
Yes. Casting and the readings on taocup.com are always free, with no sign-up. Your reading is worked out on your own device, not uploaded, and your history stays in your own browser. If you share a reading, the link includes your numbers and topic.
About this edition
The original texts follow the standard received editions: the I Ching with its Ten Wings, Jiao’s Forest of Changes (Han dynasty), the number-casting method of the Shao Yong tradition (Song dynasty), and Takashima Kaemon’s readings (Meiji Japan). These classic texts are in the public domain. The English translations, explanations and arrangement are by TaoCup.
October 2026 edition. Spotted a mistake or have a question? Write to info@taocup.com.