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Chapter 4 of 5
大六壬探原
Tracing back to the ancient Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, the Six Ren was established as the ancestor of numerological arts. The Heaven and Earth plates separately arrange the twelve earthly branches, with the monthly general added to the current hour to establish the lesson. The Celestial Noble proceeds or reverses, dividing boundaries between Qian and Xun; the images of yin and yang reside in Zi and Wu. The heavenly and earthly stems and branches above and below combine, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms, interlacing in changes, exquisite and ingenious. The palace where the day stem lodges is the seat of virtue and emolument; the four cardinal positions of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You have no lodging palaces and require careful search. The four lessons interweave for selection—the first and third lessons stand before as yang, the second and fourth behind as yin. Calmly investigate the profound secrets of the three transmissions; the nine methods of initiating transmission are the fundamental guidelines. The matter of "Crossing Harm" requires repeated deliberation—retrograde through the earth plate to return to the original position, observe the subtlety of depth, and select the one receiving the deepest克制 as the initial transmission. Fan Yin and Fu Yin conceal profound mechanisms. Other Assignments and Eight Specializations both contain exquisite principles; the ancients' established laws must not be violated. Once the three transmissions are fixed, the lesson form gains substance, and within it prosperity and decline require detailed discussion. Mantling spirits and bearing baleful influences hold esoteric interpretations; profound meaning resides in the interaction of spirits and baleful influences. The auspicious require vital energy; the inauspicious require declining energy. Whether there is root or no root must be carefully weighed. The layers of depth must be understood—do not treat life and death alike. Layer upon layer penetrates deeper; the three-five sequence of favorable and adverse must be detailed. Adverse, though auspicious, makes the good incomplete; favorable, though inauspicious, makes the bad not to be feared. Yet still one fears the three transmissions are not easily assessed; among the three stems' evasion lies weight and lightness—select those approaching life and prosperity, for penetrating the One Aperture of Heaven is most perspicacious. Beware of clash, punishment, piercing, and breach; whether auspicious or inauspicious, all require tranquility. Traverse the patterns of heaven and earth plates; interpenetrate the four lessons and three transmissions. Carefully examine autumn, winter, spring, and summer; the five phases must be paired with transformation. The ten-day period has yin-yang concealment, the stems have evasion; yet the hour branch alone occupies the lower position. Both intentions require dedicated investigation; the day, hour, year, and month jointly determine the judgment. But use the beginning affair to infer the end affair—good fortune and calamity must not mislead others. Further refine the hand-measure of upper and lower—static matters belong to earth, dynamic matters belong to heaven. The Celestial Noble also has heaven-earth distinction; the yin-yang dual plates must be discriminated. The natal fate and annual fortune demand meticulous attention; even among several people sharing one lesson, results are never identical. For males, the annual fortune proceeds from Yin; for females, from Shen—yin and yang diverge in paths with separate directions of flow. Further from the annual fortune raise the birth months; all twelve months of the year are examined in full detail. Consulting both Heaven and Earth discuss the spirits; their rising and falling, controlling and克制, reveal distinctions of fortune and misfortune. The yang lesson represents oneself; the yin lesson represents others. Dynamic matters belong to this; static matters are yin. Within these lies the true subtlety of cosmic mystery; dissecting all the causes of human affairs.
This formula, in sixty-four rhymed lines, summarizes the core principles of Six Ren, covering the Heaven-Earth plates, monthly general added to the hour, Celestial Noble direction, four lessons and three transmissions, the nine great methods of initiating transmission, the depth analysis of Crossing Harm, the interaction of deities and baleful influences, the use of concealed stems, and natal fate and annual fortune—serving as the master outline of Ren studies.
"The day stem obtaining emolument requires careful search; before and after the four cardinal positions, linger and reflect" discusses the relationship between the ten stems' lodging palaces and virtue-emolument. The four cardinals (Zi, Wu, Mao, You) have no lodging palaces—this is actually a numerological expression of ancient astronomical observation and calendrical systems. "The matter of Crossing Harm demands repeated deliberation" emphasizes the complexity of this lesson, reminding scholars that when multiple克制 branches appear simultaneously, one must compare depths position by position—a method remarkably similar to multi-factor weight analysis in modern decision theory.
"Auspicious requires vital energy; inauspicious requires declining energy" suggests to modern people: advantageous factors should be ridden when momentum is favorable; unfavorable factors should be awaited until their decline. "The natal fate and annual fortune demand meticulous attention; among several people sharing one lesson, results are never identical" reveals the principle of individualized judgment—the same lesson yields different results for different people, similar to the individualized thinking in modern data science where "the same model produces different predictions for different individuals."
"The yang lesson represents oneself; the yin lesson represents others" places the unity of opposites between subject-object, dynamic-static, yin-yang at the core, reflecting the fundamental epistemological view of Chinese philosophy that "all things carry yin and embrace yang." While the claim of "dissecting all the causes of human affairs" may be exaggerated, the systematic thinking embedded in "all things have causes and can be analyzed" quietly resonates with the concept of "holistic interconnectedness" in modern complexity science.
The old saying goes: to judge fortune and misfortune, one must examine the lesson form in detail; if the lesson form is unclear, fortune and misfortune are difficult to measure. The importance of lesson forms goes without saying. The Lesson Classics and Heart Mirror list numerous lesson form names with profound implications that beginning students often find hard to penetrate. Though the Classics of Warp and Weft only lists ninety lesson forms, from bandit-conquest to emptiness, the essentials are complete, regrettably with much textual repetition. Now I shall extract the key points:
Classified by conquest and banditry—"Qian Kun" (one above overcoming below is called Head of Origin; one below banditing above is called First Entry; one above overcoming and one below banditing is called Double Examination), "Knowing the One" (when matters fork into two paths, choose the good), "Crossing Harm" (taking the deepest crossed, matters encounter many difficulties; taking the Four Young, matters lie in hesitation; taking the Four Middle, matters require defense against plots; taking the stem's upper deity, matters involve contention), "Distant克制" (when the deity remotely克制s the stem, first fear then peace), "Mao Star" (startling perils abound; patient endurance is best), "Other Assignment" (incomplete and mutilated, alternate plans are best), "Eight Specializations" (two men of one mind can cut through metal; yang governs rapid advance, yin governs delayed retreat), "Fan Yin" (excited and restless, only favorable for old affairs), "Fu Yin" (lying low and unchanged, slowly plan new enterprises).
Classified by stem and branch—"Returning Blessing" (branch added to stem generates stem; those who generate me are many), "Condescending Compliance" (stem added to branch receives generation; seeking from others is abundant), "Draining Me" (branch added to stem receives generation; when a person comes as thief), "Passing Through Void" (stem added to branch generates branch; seeking one's own diminishment), "Bullying Me" (branch added to stem克制s stem; the petty man's way grows), "Bringing Shame" (stem added to branch receives克制; fault lies with oneself), "Attracting Husband" (branch added to stem遭受克制; obtaining undeserved wealth, "Adopted Son-in-law" (stem added to branch克制s branch; receiving advantage from others), "Strengthening Foundation" (branch added to stem comparable to stem; gaining many with virtue), "Nurturing Roots" (stem added to branch comparable to branch; rejoicing in completing others' goodness), "Returning Union" (branch added to stem unites with stem; effortless gain), "Seeking Union" (stem added to branch unites with branch; bending one's will to follow others).
Classified by the three transmissions forming chains—"Linked Bamboo" (favorable sequence dominates linked advancement; adverse sequence dominates linked retreat), "Interrupted Separation" (favorable sequential separation causing obstacles to advancement; adverse causing obstruction to retreat).
Classified by the five elements of the twelve earthly branches—"Mysterious Womb" (indicates thriving vitality), "Barrier Separation" (indicates damage to the household), "Seedling Cultivation" (indicates plowing the fields), "Wood Bureau" (indicates benevolent governance extending afar), "Fire Bureau" (indicates the image of civilization), "Metal Bureau" (indicates keen blades and killing frost), "Water Bureau" (indicates inexhaustible origins flowing on).
Classified by generation-克制 naming—"Official Seal" (indicates strong support), "Hurting Appetite" (indicates depletion brings calamity), "Official Ghost" (indicates the official demon in power), "Wealth Star" (indicates toil yielding profit), "Comparison Robbery" (indicates matched strength).
Classified by Lifelong Growth and Purification Bath—"Far-Reaching Age" (Lifelong Growth riding Azure Dragon initiating transmission), "Self-Purification" (Purification Bath riding Dark Warrior initiating), "Mourning Garb" (Coronation riding White Tiger initiating), "Robes and Emoluments" (Official Proximity riding Grand Constancy initiating), "Honored Position" (Imperial Vigor riding Celestial Noble initiating), "Dissolute Indulgence" (Decline riding Heaven's Empress initiating), "Long Ailment" (Sickness riding Hooked Elder initiating), "Dark Death" (Death riding Greater Yin initiating), "Restrained Bondage" (Tomb riding Sky Void initiating), "Absolute Severance" (Extinction riding Vermilion Bird initiating), "Pregnant Child" (Womb riding Sixfold Harmony initiating), "Strange Birth" (Nurture riding Flying Serpent initiating).
Classified by Punishment, Breach, Harm, and Union—"Punishment-injury" (must lead to separation), "Shaking-Motion" (must lead to circumstance change, "Damage-Broken" (must lead to injury or death), "Foe-Hatred" (must lead to in-fighting), "Harmonious Union" (must lead to joy).
Classified by Courier Horse, Grand Year, Monthly General, Monthly Construction—"Future Prospects" (Courier Horse initiating), "Heavenly Grace" (Grand Year initiating with auspicious general), "Heavenly Calamity" (Grand Year initiating with inauspicious general), "Gaining Power" (in-season five elements initiating), "Losing Season" (out-of-season five elements initiating), "Already Past" (the one generating me initiating), "Yet to Come" (the one I generate initiating), "Current Prosperity" (monthly general and construction initiating with auspicious general), "Current Adversity" (monthly general and construction initiating with inauspicious general).
Classified by generation-克制 names encountering disembodiment—"Orphan's Grief" (Official Seal voided), "Adopted Larva" (Hurting Appetite voided), "Widower's Abode" (Wealth Star voided), "Widow's Abode" (Official baleful voided), "Lost Companion" (Comparison Robbery voided).
Classified by the twelve celestial generals initiating—"Petitioning Nobility" (Celestial Noble initiating), "Fear Trembling" (Flying Serpent initiating), "Documentation" (Vermilion Bird initiating), "Betrothal Union" (Sixfold Harmony initiating), "Lawsuit Contention" (Hooked Elder initiating), "Jubilant Celebration" (Azure Dragon initiating), "Facing Heaven" (Sky Void initiating), "Calamity-Injury" (White Tiger initiating), "Banquet Feast" (Grand Constancy initiating), "Escape Elusion" (Dark Warrior initiating), "Dark Obscurity" (Greater Yin initiating), "Deputizing Women" (Heaven's Empress initiating).
Classified by grand images of lesson and transmission—"Wheeling Axle" (three transmissions Mao-Xu-Si), "Casting Seals" (three transmissions Si-Xu-Mao), "Canopy Canes" (three transmissions Wu-Mao-Zi), "Severing Passes" (Chen-Xu over stem and branch initiating), "Six Yin" (transmissions and lessons all containing six yin branches), "Six Yang" (all containing six yang branches), "Circling Return" (three transmissions replicating the four lessons), "Undivided Unity" (three transmissions You-You-You).
Classified by three transmissions embodying voids and the head-tail of the ten-day stems—"Decapitation" (initial transmission void), "Broken Bridge" (middle transmission void), "Amputation" (final transmission void), "Table through Finish" (initial transmission is the ten-day head, final is the ten-day tail).
The above are no more than an outline of lesson essentials. As for fortune and misfortune, compliance and avoidance—one should examine the annual fortune, natal fate, whichever general rides, whichever deity belongs, whichever deity is seated upon—consulting each in detail before one can be free from error. Should one seek deeper mastery, one must still carefully read the Lesson Classics and Heart Mirror.
The lesson form is the judgment framework of Six Ren divination, equivalent to a "classification model" in modern analysis. Each lesson name is a "label" containing specific auspicious-inauspicious orientations and topical directions. The original text systematically organizes dozens of lesson types with definitions and key judgment points.
"Crossing Harm" requires in-depth comparison of multiple克制 paths' depths, similar to "path-dependency analysis" in modern risk assessment—not merely whether risk exists, but the depth and scope of risk transmission. "Other Assignment" signifies "incompleteness justifying alternative plans," corresponding with the modern management principle of "adjusting strategy when existing options are incomplete, rather than forcing advancement."
"Broken Bridge" (middle transmission void) signifies "abandoned halfway," reminding modern project managers of the importance of mid-term reviews and resource assurance. "Decapitation" (initial void) corresponds to insufficient preparation at start-up. "Amputation" (final void) signifies "few who finish," consistent with the classical admonition: "Many begin well; few carry through to the end."
The foundational logic of lesson form classification is "categorizing by image"—reducing the complex relationships of heaven and earth plates into limited fundamental patterns. This mode of thinking shares cognitive structures with "equivalence class partitioning" in mathematics and "clustering/classification" in modern machine learning: by identifying core features, rendering infinite specific phenomena manageable as typical categories.
The twelve celestial generals each have their respective five-phases: Celestial Noble yi earth, Flying Serpent ding fire, Vermilion Bird bing fire, Sixfold Harmony yi wood, Hooked Elder earth, Azure Dragon jia wood, Sky Void earth, White Tiger geng metal, Grand Constancy ji earth, Dark Warrior gui water, Greater Yin xin metal, Heaven's Empress ren water. However, when judging generation and克制 in Ren lessons, use the five phases of the earthly branch ridden by the celestial general as the standard, rather than the general's inherent five phases. Even when such seem discussed, it is only as in "deity克制s general," which is internal warfare indicating heavy worry; or "general克制s deity," external warfare indicating lighter worry. There is also the transformation of克制 into generation—first inauspicious then auspicious (as in Xinsi You day, three transmissions Yin-Wu-Xu: branch deity fire ordeal克制s stem, yet the celestial generals Noble, Constancy, Hooked are all earth generating the stem).
As for regular judgments of great good and great evil, the standard must be the five phases of the earthly branch the general rides. For example, the Celestial Noble inherently belongs to earth, but riding Shen-You converts to metal, so discussion of generation and克制 should refer metal. The White Tiger inherently metal, but riding Chou-Wei converts to earth, so its ungenerous discuss as earth. Because the twelve branches do not themselves mark good or ill—generating the stem is auspicious,克制ing the stem inauspicious. Though the twelve celestial generals mark good or ill, if the ridden deity generates the stem, even the inauspicious general becomes auspicious; if the ridden deity克制s the stem, the auspicious general becomes inauspicious.
Therefore, do not rigidly adhere to the general's nominal auspiciousness; the ridden deity's generation-克製 must be carefully researched. To distinguish the deployment's alternation, first note which branch deity the general rides of its respective elements, then reciprocally compare with day-stem, day-branch, lesson, transmissions, year, fate—who generates whom, who deftones, such that each person brings blessings or mischief, whose affairs succeed, what necessarily fail, supplying the inference network to divine judgment.
The classic states: Celestial Noble克制s day—the judge immediately and censures, seeing some forced esteem…ed day克制noble—joyous matters arrive themselves; Flying Serpent克制s day—occult conception turns estranged births; day克制s serpent—priate and monstrous mishaps crossbloom; Queen herum; Vermilion Bird克制s day—blazes, fires, blighted comets tearing the catastrophe; day克制s bird—letters, evidence, treaties favoring courts so precise.
Six Harmony克制s day—women intrigue lawsuits apart by common-room judgments; day克制sscombinein marriage mandates uniting each covenant by fixed rites.… Hooked Elder克制sserdiaryperpetual recovery claims scep…ed dayy克制eldentanglements tangling bureaucratic interrogations remended to authority suit procedures; Azure Dragon克制sylful dayinvountleasure destroyed finances losing gains; dayynDrancotfocprofit multiples by storage accruals; Heavenly-net人反乱日: If Sky embrac defeat by my control–Treachery seemsbut emptiness from day facing duty reverse Faith the Seers —though Cloud void shows avalidity defense gamer Rarity inversé at my governanceIliad revalends Basterage and honor fthe lord sayswhen officials shuns to foster ground by countrivers indeed …
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Then Time takes meds whatever our fortunes borne —for Day overriding Woven Hour might of horse-pass retars no chariots; Grand Constancy克crawl from frequent feasts pugdishfood-po but we once will our personal rules ring what th….
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For commentary by specific advice each party spirit yields.
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On Manifestation: Class deities entering lesson and transmissions constitutes manifestation; entrance into year-fate sits next. Absence from lesson-transmission-year-fate all equals concealment. Each follows suitable appropriateness in determining fortune. Some benefit from manifestation rather than concealment—such as asking office regarding official star, affairs wealth with wealth-deity. Some favor hidden without displays—accordingly probing for malarian curse to control ailment each turning Bird channel subpoenade.
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