Chapter 1 of 7
精选命理约言
Yuan Xu (Yuan's Preface)
In the summer of the year Ding Si 📅, Yuan Shushan traveled to Jinchang on business. While visiting his teacher Zhang Jingfu, he came across a meticulously transcribed copy of Ziping Essentials. The author was Chen Su'an (given name Zhilin, courtesy name Yansheng) 🔥, a native of Haining, Zhejiang. He achieved second place in the imperial examinations during the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, served as Minister of Rites, and later became a Grand Secretary under the Qing Dynasty. The original work comprised ten volumes, but Yuan only saw two. Nevertheless, he found the content profound, blending Confucian thought with various schools of philosophy, offering unique insights into destiny theory 🌱. Later, with the assistance of friends Jin Songtao, Jiang Qingqu, and Xuan Zhongce, he gradually supplemented the missing chapters and discovered that Essentials of Destiny Theory Compilation and Essentials of Ditian Sui were also authored by Chen Su'an. Yuan initially intended to publish the complete work but was hindered by his busy schedule. It wasn't until Wei Qianli published a lead-type printed edition of Selected Essentials in four volumes that the work saw the light of day. Although not the complete original, it contained its essence, particularly the twenty annotated fu (rhymed prose) texts with concise commentaries, making it suitable for beginners 📖.
Jiang Xu (Jiang's Preface)
Jiang Qingqu revered Essentials of Destiny Theory as a classic text in the field, ranking it alongside Analysis of Doubts in Destiny Theory and True Explanations of Ziping. He obtained a manuscript copy through his friend Xuan Zhongce and collaborated with Yuan Shushan to complete the missing parts. Jiang emphasized that the study of destiny theory requires discussion and exchange. Encouraged by Yuan, he promoted Wei Qianli's efforts to compile and publish the work. He believed that after being lost for three hundred years, its rediscovery could help illuminate the study of destiny and promote social understanding of fate and adherence to one's station in life 🌍.
Wei Xu (Wei's Preface)
Wei Qianli recounted learning Ziping techniques from his father in his youth. His father stressed the importance of "reading extensively to refine one's scholarship and examining numerous fate charts to gain rich experience" 🧠. After accumulating five years of experience and reviewing thirty thousand fate charts, Wei deeply felt that one should not rigidly adhere to ancient texts. Upon receiving Essentials of Destiny Theory from Jiang Qingqu, he was amazed by its forward-thinking insights and subsequently edited and published it as Selected Essentials of Destiny Theory. He made slight deletions of redundant material and added annotations to the fu texts to benefit both beginners and advanced scholars. He humbly stated that the publication aimed to promote the wisdom of past sages, not to claim any personal merit 🌟.
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