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Chapter 106 of 131
Zeng Shan Bu Yi — Revised I Ching Divination
Overall Paraphrased Translation
Wild Crane says: Someone asked me, "Is there any logic behind using divination to seek divine guidance for medical treatment and taking medicine?" I replied, "If there were no logic, what would be the purpose of Fu Xi creating the trigrams and Shen Nong tasting herbs?" 🌱
The person said, "But why are there times when it fails to save lives?"
I said, "There are two reasons. First, the medical art may not be mastered thoroughly—if it were perfected, there would be no failures. Second, human illnesses can be categorized as having roots or being rootless. Those with roots can be saved; those without cannot. Human fate is like the movement of stars through palaces or the transition of luck—akin to the year of transplanting flowers or trees: if you move a rooted plant, shelter it from the sun 🌞 above and water it 💧 below, it will survive; without watering or shelter, it will wither under the sun. The same principle applies to seeking divine guidance and taking medicine for illness. If it is a rootless tree or a flower without a stem, even watering and sheltering will be useless. Therefore, it is common for divine guidance and medicine to fail—this is the ultimate truth of the universe. If people do not understand this, they may unjustly lose faith in divine medicine! 😔
In divination, the Ghost Line represents worry and should not be disturbed recklessly; the Fortune Line (Descendant Line) represents joy and needs support and nurturing.
Whether divining for oneself or on behalf of others, the Ghost Line is the symbol of worry. If the Ghost Line holds the World Line or activates within the hexagram, and the Descendant Line activates to subdue it, this doctor can be consulted and will cure the illness effortlessly. If the Descendant Line is in the Response Line, it indicates a renowned doctor. Why? The Descendant Line is the deity that subdues the Ghost Line—not to suppress evil spirits but to eliminate the deity of worry, freeing me from anxiety. 🔥
The Response Line represents the doctor and should not be in a state of Void, Month Break, Tomb, or Extremity.
When divining for oneself to seek a doctor, the Response Line represents the doctor; when divining on behalf of a relative, the Response Line also represents the doctor. If the Response Line is in Void, Month Break, Tomb, Extremity, weak and dormant, or strong but struck by Day, Month, or activating lines, or if it activates and transforms into a Ghost Line, Extremity, or回头克 (returning克制), the medicine will be ineffective. ⚠️
The Descendant Line subdues the Ghost Line and is most favorable when strong and supported.
Whether the Descendant Line is in the World Line, Response Line, or activates within the hexagram, it must be strong and free from penalties, clashes,克制, or harm, and not encounter breaks, tombs, extremities, or voids. Under these conditions, the medicine will surely be effective. If the Descendant Line activates and transforms into a Ghost Line or克制, the medicine is of poor quality; if it activates and transforms into Void, it will be effective when the Void is filled; if it activates and transforms into growth, strength, or advancement, the medicine will be even more potent. The ancients said that if the Descendant Line transforms into another Descendant Line, the medicine will be mixed—this is incorrect. If the Descendant Line transforms into another Descendant Line and is strong, it signifies a change in medication, comparable to an elixir. 🌟
If the doctor (Response Line)克制 the Useful Line, acute illnesses will be cured immediately.
When divining for one’s own illness, if the Response Line克制 the World Line, it means subduing my illness; the same applies if the Response Line克制 the Useful Line. However, this is unsuitable for chronic illnesses and those with weak constitutions, as it may harm the body while subduing the illness. If the Response Line is adjacent to the Sibling Line or Ghost Line and克制 the Useful Line or World Line, whether for chronic or acute illnesses, harm will inevitably occur. 💥
If the Parent Line holds the World Line, even miraculous medicine will be difficult to adjust.
When divining for one’s own illness, if the Parent Line holds the World Line, medicine will be ineffective. It is better to rest quietly, avoid excessive desires, and calm anger. If the Sibling Line holds the World Line and the Descendant Line activates, a doctor can be consulted, but beware of the Ghost Line activating strongly, as it may lead to misguided medication. If the Wealth Line holds the World Line, avoid consuming rich and sweet foods; if strong and supported, a good doctor can be found; if weak and struck by clashes or克制, there is no cure. 🌊
A son should not divine medicine on behalf of his father, nor a wife on behalf of her husband. (However, this is a rigid view that fails to distinguish between symbolism and principle. The Descendant Line representing medicine falls under symbolism, while the interplay of auspiciousness and inauspiciousness falls under principle. Divination prioritizes principle over symbolism, with principle accounting for 80-90% and symbolism for 10-20%. The value of divination lies in flexibility and adaptability. I have verified that the Original Spirit is the medicine. For example, if a husband is unconscious and unable to cast a hexagram, and only his wife is present, should the divination be powerless and unable to predict outcomes?) 🤔
The direction for seeking a doctor lies in the Descendant Line; the doctor’s location is determined by the Response Line.
If the Descendant Line in the hexagram is strong, seek a doctor in the direction corresponding to the Descendant Line. For example, if the午火 (Noon Fire) Descendant Line is strong or activates, seek a doctor in the south, and so on.
If the Descendant Line is weak, void, or broken, check whether the Response Line is strong. If the Response Line is strong and supports the Useful Line, seek a doctor in the direction corresponding to the Response Line. For example, if the Response Line is adjacent to申金 (Monkey Metal), seek a doctor in the southwest, and so on.
If a single line in the hexagram activates and supports the Useful Line, seek a doctor in the direction corresponding to that line. Determine the doctor’s surname based on the Five Elements: if a Water line activates, seek a doctor with a surname related to water; if a Fire line activates, a surname like fire; if a Wood line activates, a surname with grass or wood radicals; if an Earth line activates, a surname with earth; if a Metal line activates, a surname with metal. For example, when divining for a wife’s illness, if the Wife Line belongs to Water and the申金 (Monkey Metal) activates to support it, seek treatment from a doctor with the surname Qian (钱, which contains metal), and so on. 🧭
For incurable illnesses, the hexagram will not indicate a doctor; for immediately recoverable ailments, the lines will not report medication.
It is common in medical divination hexagrams that for illnesses with no cure, the divine will not show a doctor. This is evident if the Useful Line transforms into a Ghost Line, the Ghost Line transforms into the Useful Line, the忌神 (Taboo Deity) transforms into a Six-Relationship Line, a Six-Relationship Line transforms into the Taboo Deity, or the Useful Line transforms into Extremity,克制, or Tomb. For chronic illnesses, encountering clashes, voids, or following the ghost into the tomb also indicates no cure. For immediately recoverable illnesses, the divine will not show a doctor. For acute illnesses, if the hexagram is not六冲 (Six Clashes), check if the Useful Line is in Void or transforms into回头生 (returning growth). For self-divination, if the Descendant Line holds the World Line, these indicate recovery without medication. ⚡