How Six Lines Differs from I-Ching Reference Apps
Scholarly depth instead of shallow lookups
Two extremes
I-Ching apps tend to fall into two categories. The first is the academic reference: plain text of the hexagram judgments and line statements, sometimes with the Wilhelm translation. Apps like I Ching Oracle and various "Yijing" apps on the App Store follow this pattern. They are useful as lookup tables but offer no analytical framework.
The second category is the novelty app. Shake your phone, get a hexagram, read a paragraph. These treat the I-Ching as a toy. No commentary layers. No structural understanding. No scholarly grounding.
Six Lines exists between these extremes. It is a serious reference tool that also teaches you how to read what you are looking at.
Three commentary layers
Every hexagram in Six Lines includes three distinct layers of commentary. The original classical Chinese text comes first. Then a character-by-character Hatcher Matrix translation that shows you how the Chinese maps to English at the structural level. Finally, original interpretive essays written for each hexagram.
Most I-Ching apps give you one translation. Six Lines gives you the tools to understand the translation itself.
Liu Yao structural analysis
Liu Yao (六爻) is the classical Chinese method of structural hexagram analysis. It assigns Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to each line through najia (纳甲) mapping, then derives the Six Relatives (六親) and Five Element dynamics.
This is not a modern invention. Liu Yao has been practiced for over two thousand years and remains the primary analytical framework in classical Chinese hexagram consultation. Most I-Ching apps ignore it entirely. Six Lines includes full Liu Yao analysis with najia branch mapping and Six Relatives for every reading.
Complete Yilin
The Yilin (焦氏易林), also called the Forest of Changes, is Jiao Yanshou's collection of 4,096 poetic verses. Each verse describes one hexagram transforming into another. The complete set covers every possible transformation.
In Six Lines, every Yilin verse is accompanied by original Chinese ink brush artwork. That is 4,096 individual pieces. No other I-Ching app includes the complete Yilin, let alone with original artwork for each verse.
Built-in tutorial
The I-Ching has a steep learning curve. Six Lines includes a built-in tutorial that teaches hexagram reading from scratch. Not a FAQ page. A structured guide grounded in classical scholarship that builds understanding step by step.
The Gua guide provides deep consultation for life decisions. It is honest when hexagrams are severe. The Yao guide runs entirely on your device as a line translator and study companion, explaining individual lines in context.
Comparison
| Feature | Other I-Ching Apps | Six Lines |
|---|---|---|
| Hexagram text | Single translation (usually Wilhelm) | Classical Chinese + Hatcher Matrix + interpretive essays |
| Liu Yao analysis | Not available | Full najia branch mapping and Six Relatives |
| Yilin (Forest of Changes) | Not available | Complete 4,096 verses with original ink brush artwork |
| Learning resources | None or basic glossary | Gua guide + Yao on-device study guide |
| Casting methods | Coin toss only | Three-coin method + authentic 49-stalk yarrow process |
| Chinese almanac | Not available | Activity-specific daily almanac from Xieji Bianfang Shu |
| Scholarly grounding | Varies. Often unattributed | Classical source texts cited throughout |
A reference tool, not a lookup table
The I-Ching is a living tradition with layers of commentary spanning millennia. A lookup table gives you one layer. Six Lines gives you the depth that the tradition warrants.
If you are studying the I-Ching seriously, or if you want a consultation tool grounded in classical scholarship rather than pop summaries, Six Lines is built for that work.