Users Comments and Testimonials

"I simply like it a lot, it has a good 'feel', not preformed in a certain way of thinking, but leaving the freedom to find out yourself. That means it was a lot more work for the maker, because the possibilities had to be built in too, not only one solution. For me that is very important."
"I enjoy the San Shan very much. Especially the accuracy of getting an appropriate answer. It is better than my coins. And very often I come across a way of translation which gives new ideas."
- Lise Heyboer, Holland, http://www.anton-heyboer.org/i_ching/index.html

"I value the San Shan Yi Jing very highly for its range of translations, commentaries and cross-references. I've got used to consulting with pen and paper, so I don't tend to use its consultation and journalling features. But I consult the translations almost every day. I especially appreciate being able to browse through the Chinese characters and their meanings. There just isn't any other product out there to compare. (Why on earth don't you put the price up??)"
- Hilary Barrett, United Kingdom, 'I Ching with Clarity, http://www.onlineClarity.co.uk'

"In many years of using San shan yi jing, my admiration has grown and grown. It is straightforward to use, of course, but - more importantly - packed full of knowledge, human understanding, learning and uncanny wisdom."
-Arthur Rope, United Kingdom

"This simple but detailed I Ching program was developed in England. The graphic interface is pleasant and user-friendly. Navigation begins and ends with a Bookshelf. You can select different volumes to view a list of topics on that theme. Your oracle casts are uncomplicated. Each reading includes notes on the main I Ching texts and a reading of individual cast lines. A compact program that will run directly from your hard drive.
The San Shan Yi Jing is a sincere presentation of the I Ching whose strength lies in the detailed information it collects and makes available. The program provides interesting descriptions of I Ching history and philosophy and in-depth discussions of the Trigrams, Hexagrams, and many other key I Ching topics. A few features which are unique to this software are included. You can view and study Hexagrams in several sequences. You can read your Hexagrams in several ways either with basic or annotated versions of the text. Another useful feature lets you choose any Hexagram and type in your own reading. All the edited text can be saved as an edition of the I Ching. You can view this edition during your consultations.
There is room for three separate custom editions of the Book Of Changes. If you were willing to spend the time, you could create editions based on your favorite translations of the I Ching or editions based on your own understanding of the Hexagram meanings. You can then have any one of these come up during your readings. The San Shan Yi Jing allows multiple users to keep separate entries in its Diary and access their entries with a password. This program also gives you an opportunity to begin direct exploration of the ancient text's original meanings by listing the basic translations of the Chinese characters themselves. The text readings are strongly influenced by Wilhelm/Baynes although the software does draw on a broader range of studies. By concentrating on text and background information this program brings the meanings of I Ching Hexagrams and the thinking behind I Ching readings into clear focus.
Now that the definitive scholarly approach to the I Ching, the Princeton University Press Multimedia I Ching, is no longer available, the San Shan software represents an excellent alternative for broad understanding of the I Ching. A fine starting point for serious study and for personal development through the I Ching oracle. The program is comprehensive without being too academic and easy to cast for oracle consultations."
- Henry Weinstein, USA

"I find your site the most enriching for the serious student of the 'Book of Changes', of those I've investigated on the internet . Your indepth study material that your site offers a student is from my experience rarely found in one package. I truly value your work, your effort and your site, very highly!".
- Bob Arber, Canada

"I have used San Shan Yi Jing for about a year. While I am no expert on the Yi Jing and certainly no Sinologist, I am sufficiently familiar with a number of the other respected versions of the text and commentaries to be able to say that, in my opinion at least, the san shan version is up there with all of them in terms of erudition, and surpasses all of them in both accessability and the simple poetry of the text and the essays provide helpful and fascinating insights into the system of thought and historical context which underlie and inform the yi jing. So far as the program itself is concerned, its visual attractiveness(which reflects the simple beauty of aspects of Oriental art and design) belies its technical brilliance with its many cleverly interconnecting functions and features, including the ability to construct one's own personal version. Despite all this, Mark Griggs-Smith has managed to make san shan rearkably easy and enjoyable to use. San shan yi jing is now my first port of call, both as an oracle and as a guide to conduct, the other acknowledged masters being relegated to second place. It is a true masterpiece. "
- Ian Strange, United Kingdom

"The San Shan Yi Jing program by Mark Griggs-Smith is a unique product whose many features reflects its origin as a tool Mark designed to support his own studies of the Yi Jing (I Ching). Just a few of the features of this incredibly useful program are the ability to control the level of detail in the readings, the ability to build a logbook of readings and the inclusion of a vast library of related material. The feature that is my personal favorite is the ability to add additional interpretations to the database, thus enabling you to develop this program into one uniquely your own. This program makes it much easier to pursue the study of the Yi Jing! It is in my opinion, the only such program worth purchasing."
- William Haltiwanger, USA

"If you are looking for a crisp and clean yijing (I Ching, if you must), I highly recommend this program. I have tried about every yijing software on the market, and in every case, found them severely lacking. While many have wonderful graphics and lots of glitz, they have always lacked the substance of a true divination program. San Shan, although somewhat lacking in graphics and glitz, contains all the substance I want from a software version of the yijing.
Any yijing starts with the text of this ancient classic, and San Shan has without a doubt the most substancial textual matter of any program I have seen. The text is clean and true to the original in most regards, and the option to include the original Chinese is a wonderful feature. Rather that wide open interpretations of the Classic, San Shan presents a very accurate translation into English, and allows the User to make any interpretations. For instance, the transliteration of the Judgement for Qian reads "creativity sublime success beneficial steadfast(ness)." The translation is "Creativity brings sublime success, it is beneficial to remain steadfast." Compare to Cleary: "Great success benefits the upright and true." I appreciate that little *glossing* has been done to the text, allowing me to decide for myself how to interpret these ancient words.
In addition to a superb yijing text, there are the almost boundless amounts of information in the *other* books. In most cases, the information is concise and correct, although some might find the approach a bit conservative. There are multiple resources to deepen your knowledge of not only the yijing itself, but also ample places to record your relationship with the text. This allows for an interactive approach that I really appreciate. A Diary automatically records each session, and a Notebook allows for comments on readings. All are easily accessed from a central point (the bookshelf).
Although not the most intutive interface I have ever seen, the program functions easily, buttons are clearly marked and have rollover descriptions. Many of the features are not inter-related, and one constantly needs to return to the bookshelf (the main screen) to move to other segments of the program. For instance, a reading of a particular Hexagram does not open in your chosen version. Mine is the Chinese-English version, So to read the text one must *change books* by returning to the bookshelf and entering your Hexagram by hand. Although not wholly unsatisfying (I do use multiple texts, so *looking it up* is a task I am used to), Nor can I find a way to interlink the Diary and the Journal, a feature I would love (hint). Also, only one window is allowed at a time, so one literally has to *close* one book before *opening another*.
All in all, the strengths of San Shan far outweigh the weakneses. If the graphics are poor, and you feel like you are running to the bookshelf every 2 minutes, you have fundamentally what the yijing is all about, a way of completing a divination and developing a clear, personal interpretation of the results. Yes, it takes some getting used to it, but the substance behind the program makes the learning very rewarding."
- Kevin Renaud, USA