General Principles Outline: Virtue Combination and Auspicious-Ominous
Overall Paraphrased Translation
This chapter elucidates the core principles of Virtue Combination and Auspicious-Ominous:
- Hexagrams encountering vitality and Heavenly Virtue Combination indicate longevity across generations.
- The body and fate encountering punitive restraints often lead to premature death, poverty, or low status.
- The ratio of Yin and Yang heavenly stems influences parental longevity.
- The severity of responses distinguishes between stem restraint and sound restraint.
- The manifestation of auspicious or ominous events varies in timing and spatial proximity.
Below is a detailed section-by-section translation and explanation:
Hexagrams Meeting Vitality and Heavenly Virtue Combination Bring Longevity Across Generations
Vitality refers to the长生 (cháng shēng, growth) direction of the Three Combinations (e.g., 亥卯未 combination has growth in 亥) or the Yin stem growth (e.g.,甲乙 wood grows in 亥). If the day or hour pillar includes Heavenly Virtue Combination (Heavenly Virtue:丁 in the first month, 坤 in the second month, etc.; Heavenly Virtue Combination refers to stems/branches that combine with the Heavenly Virtue stem/branch), it indicates longevity and enduring blessings.
🌰 Example:己亥 year (Nayin: wood) born, sixth month,甲寅 day and hour—Heavenly Virtue in the sixth month is甲,甲 combines with己, wood grows in亥, hence世代长寿 (longevity across generations).
🌰 Example:壬子 year (Nayin: wood) born, fourth month,辛亥 day and hour—wood grows in亥, but no stem combination, only indicates longevity without nobility.
🌰 Example:丁未 year (Nayin: water) born, third month,壬午 day and辛亥 hour—亥 is vitality,壬 is Heavenly Virtue Combination, auspicious.
🌰 Example:庚午 year (Nayin: earth) born,己卯 month,甲申 day—earth grows in申, Heavenly Virtue Combination brings auspiciousness.
Body and Fate Meeting Punitive Restraints Lead to Premature Death or Poverty
The body and fate (day pillar or Nayin) encountering punitive restraints indicate premature death or poverty/low status. Punitive restraints include branch punishments and Nayin restraints.
🌰 Example:辛巳 year (Nayin: metal) born, fifth month,丙寅 day and hour—寅 punishes巳, fire restrains metal, premature death and low status.
🌰 Example:壬申 year (Nayin: metal) born, fourth month,乙巳 day and hour—巳 punishes申, fire is strong and restrains metal, loss of禄 (lu, prosperity) and major decline.
🌰 Example:庚午 year (Nayin: earth) born,壬午 day and hour—self-punishment, wood restrains earth, ominous.
| Pillars | Year | Month | Day | Hour |
|---|
| Ten Gods | 正财 | 比肩 | Self (M) | 比肩 |
|---|
| Stem | 辛 | 丙 | 丙 | 丙 |
|---|
| Branch | 巳 | 寅 | 寅 | 寅 |
|---|
| Hidden Stems | 丙比戊食庚才 | 甲枭丙比戊食 | 甲枭丙比戊食 | 甲枭丙比戊食 |
|---|
| Stage | 建 | 长生 | 长生 | 长生 |
|---|
Luck cycles乙丑甲子癸亥壬戌辛酉庚申己未戊午
Note: The original text does not specify the month stem-branch;丙寅 month is used as an example. Actual calculations should be based on the specific year.
Four Yang Stems Established Indicate Difficulty Having a Long-Lived Mother
Four pillars with many Yang stems (甲,丙,戊,庚,壬) and few Yin stems indicate the mother’s early demise. If the hour pillar restrains the year, the mother dies in childhood; if not, the mother dies in middle age.
🌰 Example:甲子 year,丙寅 month,戊申 day,甲寅 hour,丁巳胎—four Yang, one Yin, mother dies first.
Full Yin Coverage Without Yang Indicates Father’s Short Lifespan
Four pillars with many Yin stems (乙,丁,己,辛,癸) and few Yang stems indicate the father’s early demise.
🌰 Example:乙丑 year,戊寅 month,丁未 day,癸卯 hour,己巳胎—four Yin, one Yang, father dies first.
Hour Restraining Day: Sound Ominous but Stem Restraint Light
Stem restraint indicates minor head/face ailments; sound restraint (Nayin restraint) indicates severe bodily harm. Sound restraint is more severe than stem restraint.
🌰 Example:辛巳 year (metal) with丁亥 day and hour—丁 restrains辛 (stem restraint), but earth generates metal, poverty first then wealth.
🌰 Example:辛巳 year (metal) with己丑 day and hour (fire)—fire restrains metal (sound restraint), ominous.
🌰 Example:辛巳 year (metal) with乙丑 day,乙未 month,丁亥 hour—sixth-month earth is strong and generates metal,丁 ghost becomes官 (guan, authority); fifth month brings ghost restraint and misfortune.
Misfortune and Official Disasters: Distinctions in Proximity Define Gain and Loss
Spatio-temporal manifestation of auspiciousness/ominousness:
- 返吟 (fǎn yín, opposition) indicates misfortune in other lands.
- 伏吟 (fú yín, repetition) indicates gain/loss in the local area.
- Punitive restraint during strong energy brings official troubles; during weak energy, it brings illness.
- Proximity is determined by the胎 (fetal),月 (month),日 (day), and时 (hour) pillars.
🌰 Example:丁未 year (water person) with丁丑 day and hour—返吟, misfortune in other lands.
🌰 Example:戊申 year (earth person) first month甲寅 month,甲辰 day,己巳 hour—wood strong restrains earth, official troubles and misfortune.
🌰 Example:庚午 year (earth person) eighth month庚子 day,乙卯 hour—earth in休囚 (xiū qiú, weak state), spleen disease leads to death.
🌰 Example:壬申 year (metal person)壬寅 month,乙未 day,丙戌 hour—spring metal imprisoned and punished, severe illness or imprisonment.
| Pillars | Year | Month | Day | Hour |
|---|
| Ten Gods | 偏财 | 比肩 | Self (M) | 正财 |
|---|
| Stem | 戊 | 甲 | 甲 | 己 |
|---|
| Branch | 申 | 寅 | 辰 | 巳 |
|---|
| Hidden Stems | 庚杀壬枭戊才 | 甲比丙食戊才 | 戊才乙劫癸印 | 丙食戊才庚杀 |
|---|
| Stage | 绝 | 建 | 衰 | 病 |
|---|
Luck cycles乙卯丙辰丁巳戊午己未庚申辛酉壬戌
Two Sides in Conflict: Recognize Superior and Inferior
Hierarchy: Year (superior) >胎 >月 >日 >时 (inferior).
- Inferior restraining superior is逆凶 (nì xiōng, adverse and ominous).
- Superior restraining inferior is顺吉 (shùn jí, favorable and auspicious).
- Hour restraining胎: ancestral decline.
- Month restraining year: parental decline.
- Day restraining body: loss of wife/wealth.
🌰 Example:庚子 year,丙戌 month,壬寅 day,戊申 hour,丁丑胎—hour stem restrains day stem, day restrains month, month restrains year, harms superiors but the self is lightly affected.
🌰 Example:庚子 year (earth),壬午 month (wood),壬申 day (metal),甲辰 hour (fire)—hour sound restrains day, day restrains month, month restrains year, superiors die early or are low-status.
Three Offenses to Month and胎: Ancestral Misfortune
Multiple restraints on the month pillar and fetal Nayin indicate long-standing ancestral misfortune.
🌰 Example:甲辰 fire as胎 and月, day/hour have丁丑 water,丙午 water—ancestral breakdown and early death.
丙戊丁甲 with戌亥 Hour: Taoists or Monks
Many occurrences of甲,丙,戊,丁 in the pillars, with地支戌 or亥, indicate Taoists or monks in the family.
🌰 Example:甲戌 year,乙亥 month,丁亥 day,辛亥 hour—monks in the household.
魁罡 (Kuí Gāng) Appearing: Prison Officials, Butchers, Litigation
Many辰 and戌:
- Strong and active: prison officials.
- Weak and imprisoned: butchers or jailers.
- Indicates litigation and unethical gains.
🌰 Example:庚辰 year,丙戌 month,庚戌 day,庚辰 hour—metal active, unethical wealth.
🌰 Example:庚戌 year,壬辰 month,壬辰 day,庚戌 hour—excessive energy brings lawsuits and disputes.
🌰 Example:戊午 year,壬戌 month,壬辰 day,庚辰 hour—prison lawsuits and arguments.
寅申庚甲: Merchants or Officials
寅申庚甲 combination:
-寅 is功曹 (gōng cáo, official clerk).
-申 is传送 (chuán sòng, messenger/road).
- Indicates merchants or government clerks.
🌰 Example:庚寅 person with甲申 month/hour, or甲申 day, etc.—manifests as merchant or official.
子午 with庚甲: Establishing in Other Lands
子午 meeting庚甲:
-子午 represents the Yin-Yang road.
- Indicates drifting and settling in foreign lands.
🌰 Example:甲子 person meeting庚戌甲午 day/hour—establishes life in other lands.
癸乙壬 with卯酉: Private Affairs of Men and Women
癸 (Black Tortoise),乙 (Six Harmony),壬 (Empress) meeting卯酉 (private door) indicates secret romantic affairs.
🌰 Example:乙卯 year,壬午 month,癸亥 day,乙卯 hour—many private affairs.
乙辛丁巳亥酉: Official Matters and Women’s Issues
乙,辛,丁,己,亥,酉 combination indicates official troubles and issues related to women.
🌰 Example:丁卯 year,乙巳 month,辛酉 day,己亥 hour—official matters and disturbances from women.
Stem Tombs and Branch Tombs: Detail Superior and Inferior Auspicious-Ominous
Stem tombs (e.g.,甲乙未), branch tombs, sound tombs:
- No strong energy:墓 (mù, tomb, ominous).
- With strong energy:库 (kù, treasury, auspicious).
- Responses affect: superiors/elders (upper), self/wife (middle), women/children (lower).
🌰 Example:甲寅 year tenth month乙未 day己卯 hour—strong and active, not a tomb.
🌰 Example:甲子 year fifth month丙申 day乙未 hour—weak and defeated, tomb, ominous.
🌰 Example:甲子 year first month乙丑 day and hour—first treasury then tomb, death of women.
🌰 Example:丙子 year fourth month壬辰 day and hour—branch and sound share tomb, misfortune for elders and wives/concubines.
| Pillars | Year | Month | Day | Hour |
|---|
| Ten Gods | 偏印 | 偏财 | Self (M) | 正印 |
|---|
| Stem | 甲 | 庚 | 丙 | 乙 |
|---|
| Branch | 子 | 午 | 申 | 未 |
|---|
| Hidden Stems | 癸官 | 丁劫己伤 | 庚才壬杀戊食 | 己伤丁劫乙印 |
|---|
| Stage | 胎 | 帝旺 | 病 | 衰 |
|---|
Luck cycles辛未壬申癸酉甲戌乙亥丙子丁丑戊寅
Virtue Combination Meeting Auspicious Stems: Observe Proximity
Virtue Combination (e.g.,甲 virtue in甲,乙 virtue in庚) meeting auspicious stems:
- Combining with胎: distant.
- Combining with月: initial.
- Combining with日: near.
- Combining with时: late.
🌰 Example:乙未 year (metal person) seventh month庚申 day and hour—metal strong, combination brings early success.
🌰 Example:甲子 person first month甲寅 day and hour—same stem combination, auspicious.
🌰 Example:乙丑 person fifth month庚戌 day and hour—defeated and empty combination, ominous.
甲寅辛丑: Official Matters and Punitive Misfortune
甲寅 meeting辛丑:
-甲 is official clerk.
-辛 to丑 (甲’s官 tomb).
- Earth restrains water.
- Indicates official troubles and punitive misfortune.
🌰 Example:甲寅 month (water person)辛丑 day and hour—inferior restraining superior, ominous.
癸未庚申: Thieves and Death
癸 (Black Tortoise)未 broken foot,庚 (White Tiger)申 at the pavilion, indicates thieves or death on the road.
🌰 Example:庚申 day癸未 hour—thief misfortune.
🧠 In-Depth Understanding
Core Concepts 💡
- Virtue Combination and Vitality: Harmony between heaven and human; virtue combination and vitality symbolize cosmic harmony, leading to longevity and blessings.
- Punitive Restraint and Balance: Punishment disrupts harmony; restraint causes imbalance; the ratio of Yin and Yang stems affects family structure.
- Spatio-Temporal Manifestation: Auspicious/ominous events have dimensions of time and space; the hierarchy reflects social ethics.
- Symbolic Representation: Stem-branch combinations like魁罡,寅申, etc., correspond to social roles and events.
Modern Interpretation 🌟
- Longevity Factors: In a modern context, "Virtue Combination" can be analogized to good lifestyle habits and environmental harmony; "vitality" resembles a state of vigorous vitality. Longevity requires a combination of genetics, lifestyle 🌱 (diet and routine), and environment ⛰ (living quality).
- Application of Restraint: Restraint can be interpreted as sources of stress or conflict. For example, "sound restraint is severe" hints at physical health risks, emphasizing check-ups and prevention; "stem restraint is light" symbolizes superficial setbacks, easily resolved.
- Yin-Yang Balance: The ratio of Yin and Yang stems reflects family dynamics. In modern nuclear families, parental health is influenced by multiple factors; this theory can serve as a cultural reference rather than an absolute prediction.
- Career and Mobility:寅申庚甲 corresponds to modern business and logistics;子午庚甲隐喻跨地域发展 (metaphor for cross-regional development);魁罡 is related to law, police, or conflict-prone professions.
Practical Value ⚡
- Decision-Making Reference: When choosing dates for weddings, moving, etc., consider "Virtue Combination" days (e.g., Heavenly Virtue Combination days) to enhance positive energy.
- Risk Avoidance: Avoid major investments during periods of heavy "punitive restraint" (e.g., year of self-punishment or conflict) to reduce disputes.
- Family Planning: If the八字 has excessive Yin, pay more attention to the father’s health; if excessive Yang, focus on the mother’s well-being.
- Career Choice: Those with魁罡 or寅申 are suited for dynamic industries like law, trade, and transportation.
Philosophical Reflection 🤔
- Heaven-Human Resonance: Ancient systems connected nature and human affairs through stem-branch symbols, reflecting a "holographic universe" view—the part reflects the whole.
- Causality and Timing: Auspicious/ominous is not absolute; it depends on spatio-temporal position (proximity, strength/weakness) and behavioral choices (favorable/adverse, superior/inferior), emphasizing the wisdom of "timely balance".
- Dialectical Thinking: The auspicious/ominous nature of tombs/treasuries changes with strength/weakness, revealing the dialectic of fortune and misfortune—crisis contains opportunity (e.g., poverty then wealth).
📚 Related Knowledge
- Related Concepts:
- Three Combinations Vitality: 亥卯未→亥,申子辰→申, etc., derived from the Twelve Palaces of五行长生.
- Heavenly Virtue and Monthly Virtue: Traditional auspicious deities; Heavenly Virtue Combination refers to combining stems/branches (e.g.,甲 combining with己).
- Nayin Responses: Nayin五行 restraint indicates substantial bodily harm; stem restraint indicates superficial issues.
- 返吟 and伏吟:六冲 (liù chòng, six oppositions) is返吟 (e.g.,子午冲); same stem-branch is伏吟, indicating repetition or change.
- Further Reading:
- 《渊海子平》(Yuan Hai Zi Ping) on stem-branch punishment and combination.
- 《三命通会》(San Ming Tong Hui) Volume 4 "On Virtue Combination".
- 《五行精纪》(Wu Xing Jing Ji) explanation of Nayin responses.
- Modern Research:
- Scholar Li Juming applies Virtue Combination to modern feng shui date selection.
- Empirical studies show that traditional restraint theory has metaphorical value in stress psychology (e.g., "restraint" corresponds to chronic stress).
