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Chapter 17 of 22
Ming Li Tan Yuan — Origins of Destiny Study
Overall Paraphrased Translation
Once the Useful God is established in BaZi astrology, a specific pattern is inevitably formed, and the pattern itself varies in nobility and commonality. Whether it is a pattern of wealth, authority, seal, resource, kill, harm, rob, or blade, there are examples of both nobility and poverty. From the extremely noble to the extremely common, the variations are endless and difficult to summarize in a few words. However, the fundamental principle lies in two key relationships: "affectionate or unaffectionate" and "powerful or powerless."
For example, the pattern of a proper official paired with a seal is generally less pure and noble than one where a wealth star is revealed. However, if the Four Pillars contain a harm officer, it is better to pair it with a seal. For instance, if the Day Master is Jia (甲) born in the You (酉) month, with the proper official revealed, and if the Ding (丁) fire harm officer is also revealed but is restrained by Ren (壬) water, this is called "harming the harm to preserve the official," which反而 becomes a noble pattern—this is because the elements within the pattern cooperate affectionately.
Wealth stars dislike competition from compare and rob, but if the rob wealth combines with the seven kill, the rob wealth can反而 be utilized. For example, if the Day Master is Jia wood born in the Chen (辰) month, with the Wu (戊) earth wealth star revealed, encountering Yi (乙) wood as the rob wealth, and further meeting Geng (庚) metal as the seven kill, the Yi and Geng combine, allowing both to be utilized—this also results in a noble pattern due to the affectionate nature of the pattern.
If the Day Master is strong, the seven kill is revealed, and the resource god is vigorous, such as Yi wood born in the You month, with the Xin (辛) metal seven kill revealed and the Ding fire resource god robust, and the autumn wood deeply rooted, all three elements are present, forming an extremely noble pattern—this is because each element is powerful.
If the proper official is strong, the wealth star is revealed, and the Day Master sits on its禄 or刃, such as Bing (丙) fire born in the Zi (子) month, with the Gui (癸) water proper official revealed, the Geng metal wealth star exposed, and the Day Master seated on the strong roots of Yin (寅) or Wu (午), the balance of these three elements results in great nobility—this is also due to their power.
There are also perfect combinations that are both "affectionate" and "powerful." For example, if Jia uses the You official, and Ren water combines to remove the harm officer, preserving the purity of the official, while Ren water itself is deeply rooted, this is both affectionate and powerful. Another example is if Yi uses the You kill, and the Ding fire resource god restrains the seven kill, while the禄 of Xin metal (the kill) is the长生 of Ding fire (the resource god), and both share the same root in the monthly order—this is both powerful and affectionate. These represent the highest levels of patterns.
Conversely, if Jia uses the You official, and the Ding fire harm officer is revealed, with Gui water controlling the Ding fire, the restraint of Gui is less affectionate than the combination of Ren—this is "affectionate but not fully affectionate." If Yi wood encounters the You kill, and the Ding fire restrains the kill, but if the kill is strong while the Ding fire is slightly weak, or if the Ding fire is vigorous but the seven kill is not strong enough, or if both Xin and Ding are vigorous but the Yi wood Day Master lacks deep roots, these are all cases of "powerful but not fully powerful," representing secondary patterns.
As for patterns like the seal pattern using the seven kill, which is originally noble, if the body is strong and the seal is vigorous, revealing the seven kill may反而 lead to孤 and贫—this is because a strong body does not need the seal to nurture it, and a vigorous seal does not need the kill to assist it. Overemphasis on already strong elements makes it unaffectionate. The harm officer paired with a seal is originally pure and noble, but if the Day Master is too strong, the harm officer is weak, and the seal star is too heavy, it may反而 lack nobility and purity—attempting to assist the body when it is already strong, or restraining the harm officer when it is already insufficient, results in an excessive and unaffectionate seal.
Similarly, if the seven kill is strong, the resource god is vigorous, but the Day Master lacks roots, or if the Day Master is strong, the compare and rob are heavy, but the wealth star lacks energy, it may lead to夭折 or poverty—this is due to insufficient power. These are low-level, useless patterns.
However, discerning the nobility and commonality of patterns is extremely subtle. Sometimes, a single character can have the power of a thousand jun, altering the entire pattern; other times, half a character can破坏 the beauty of the whole situation. It is necessary to analyze each specific BaZi flexibly, as it is difficult to generalize. What is discussed here is only the general principle.
In contemporary society, the "affectionate" aspect of BaZi patterns can be understood as resource coordination ability and harmonious interpersonal relationships; the "powerful" aspect can correspond to personal capability foundation and quality of resource reserves.
High-level patterns equate to having good internal qualities配合 with external environments: strong abilities paired with suitable opportunities, ample resources that can be effectively utilized. Low-level patterns may involve a mismatch between abilities and opportunities or internal conflicts and consumption of resources.
The theory of BaZi patterns reflects the "harmony and balance" philosophy in Chinese thought—avoiding excess, avoiding bias, and emphasizing mutual cooperation. The highest state is not the extreme strength of a single element but the harmonious coexistence and mutual achievement of all elements.
This mindset can be applied to modern management, personal growth, and interpersonal relationships: success is not determined by a single factor but by the coordinated cooperation of all elements in the system. Strength and weakness, abundance and scarcity, all need to be恰到好处, meeting the needs of the whole.
Related Concepts:
Further Reading:
Modern Research:
Contemporary BaZi scholars focus more on dynamic analysis of patterns, considering the impact of major and yearly cycles on patterns, and how to adjust and optimize pattern configurations in practical life.
Embedded chart
| Stem-branch set | Set 1 | Set 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Stem | 甲 | 官 |
| Branch | 酉 | 丁 |
Embedded chart
| Stem-branch set | Set 1 | Set 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Stem | 甲 | 戊 |
| Branch | 辰 | 乙 |
Embedded chart
| Stem-branch set | Set 1 | Set 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Stem | 乙 | 辛 |
| Branch | 酉 | 丁 |
Embedded chart
| Stem-branch set | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stem | 丙 | 癸 | 寅 |
| Branch | 子 | 庚 | 午 |
Please translate the above content into English, maintaining the original format and structure.