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Overall Paraphrase

Da Liu Ren Duan An (Great Six-Ren Case Judgments) is a collection of Six-Ren divination case records by the renowned Song dynasty master Shao Yanhe. According to the calculation from his own self-divination on the topic "motion and stillness," the master was born in the second year of Emperor Yingzong's Zhiping reign in the Song dynasty (Yisi year, 1065 CE) and passed away in the third year of Emperor Gaozong's Shaoxing reign (Guichou year, 1133 CE), living to approximately sixty-nine years of age. Regarding his native place, the original text provides geographical evidence through two judgment statements: one states, "In the future, [he] will move toward the northeast, nearly two hundred li away," and indeed in the Xinhai year, during the tenth month, he passed through Wuzhou, traveling one hundred eighty li from his hometown—thus his hometown should be one hundred eighty li southwest of Wuzhou, namely Taifu (in the area of present-day Longyou, Quzhou, Zhejiang); another statement says, "In the Renzi year, [he] passed through Yanzhou, going from the northeast of his hometown to the northwest," indicating his hometown lies southeast of Yanzhou, likewise pointing to Taifu. Corroborating both pieces of evidence, Shao Yanhe was indeed a native of Taifu.

Master Shao was a consummate practitioner of Six-Ren divination, and none of his judgments failed to be verified. More commendably, after making his judgments, he often admonished others with the principles of loyalty and filial piety, correcting faults and encouraging goodness, tailoring his instruction to the capacity of each person he addressed. From this, it is evident that he was an elder of advanced years and noble virtue, by no means a person distinguished solely for technical skill in divination.

The case judgments left by the master were originally compiled and organized by his disciples and students, with detailed and clear records intended to instruct later learners. However, with the passage of time, these texts suffered severe loss and dispersal, and the fact that later transcribers each followed their own opinions and made selective abridgments meant that the original texts could no longer be recovered. According to the preface of Bifa Fu (Rhapsody on the Complete Methods) by Ling Fuzhi, as early as the Baoqing reign period (1225–1227 CE) of Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song dynasty, someone had already split and rearranged Shao's case judgments for profit—let alone the fact that from the Southern Song to the compiler's own era, more than 670 years had elapsed. The extent of the loss and dispersal can well be imagined.

The compiler states in his own account that from before the age of twenty he was deeply devoted to this art; whenever he encountered any of Shao's case judgments, he would transcribe and treasure them. Over thirty years, he obtained only five versions:

These five versions vary in extent and differ in wording. The compiler carefully examined and collated them, selecting those with superior reasoning, and arranged them by category, yielding a total of 216 cases. The specific breakdown is as follows:

The compiler considered this organized edition to serve as a paradigmatic teaching text for the study of Six-Ren divination. At the same time, he candidly acknowledged: the master lived to nearly seventy years of age, and his case judgments number far more than this; what is presented here is merely compiled from what the compiler personally encountered. If fellow enthusiasts can supply unseen scattered materials to complete the full collection, that would be the compiler's greatest hope.

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Specific Case Example: Shao Sanweng Divining on His Residence

Shao Sanweng, born in the Guihai year and aged forty-six at the time, asked about his family residence. The divination time was the Xinsi day of the eighth month in the Wushen year, using the Chen general with the Hai hour.

The Greater Six-Ren chart is as follows:

    Gou  He  Zhu  She
    Xu  Hai Zi  Chou
Qing You            Yin  Gui
Kong Shen          Mao  Hou
    Wei  Wu  Si  Chen
    Hu  Chang  Xuan  Yin

Four Lessons:
    Hou  Kong  Gou  Hou
    Mao  Shen  Xu  Mao
    Xin  Mao  Si  Xu

Three Transmissions:
    Wealth  Jimao  Hou
    Sibling  Shen    Kong ◎
    Father  Dingchou  She ⊙

Master Shao judged: This lesson is governed by the wife. The day stem Xin goes to rest upon the branch Si—the husband leaves to be taken by the wife; the wife becomes the elder, and the husband becomes the younger. However, your present wife was originally your elder brother's wife. Only after your brother passed away could you marry her, and you will remain together for only nine years. In the eighth year, conflict with brothers will arise over the construction of a burial ground—hard to obtain this land in life, and likewise unable to be buried here in death. For the present, the primary manifestation is the loss of the wife, stemming from the image of the millstone pressing the eastern gate—Shen is the millstone, Mao is pressed beneath the eastern gate, hence the misfortune of remarriage.

Principle and Qi Analysis: In the case of Xin, Mao is the wife (Xin metal conquers Mao wood; wood serves as metal's wealth, i.e., the wife line). Upon Mao rests the Celestial Queen (Hou), hence the wife takes command. The stem further attaches itself to the branch, leading to entanglement, because the Sky Hook (Gou Chen) is above it. Shen rests upon Mao with the Sky Void (Kong) above it; Shen is of the same category as Xin (both metal), resting upon the wife line—this is the elder brother's wife. Shen shows the image of a brother, resting upon Mao, the wife line, explicitly pointing to "the brother's wife." Moreover, Shen falls in the Void (Kongwang) and additionally bears the Sky Void (Tian Kong) general, indicating the elder brother has already passed away—hence Master Shao dared to make this judgment. Had Shen not been void, this conclusion could not have been made lightly. In the final transmission, Chou is Xin's tomb, resting upon Shen metal of the same category, bearing the Flying Serpent (Teng She); Chou corresponds to the number eight, therefore the eighth year is determined. Chou earth generates Shen metal—this is an image of the "birthplace"—thus the conflict with brothers over constructing a burial ground arises. The figure of nine years is derived from Xu resting upon Si: the upper deity Xu counts five, the lower deity Si counts four, combining to make nine.

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🧠 Deeper Understanding

Suggested Applications in Modern Contexts

Although this lesson is a Song-dynasty divination about residence and graves, the pattern of tension in family relationships it reveals remains relevant today. When, in the lesson and transmissions, the wife line is occupied by a sibling-class deity and the sibling has fallen into the Void, this indicates a "inherited/inheritable" relationship pattern within the family—in a modern context, this may correspond to previous spouse dynamics in remarried families, transfers of marital resources within families, or substitution of family roles (such as a younger brother taking over the elder's role). The discrepancy between "the eighth year" and "nine years" in the judgment suggests that special attention should be paid to periods of tension among siblings as critical temporal junctures within family decisions involving real property (land, housing).

For modern application, this type of chart can be transformed into a family property early-warning system: when a Greater Six-Ren chart displays a combination of "wife line suppressed by one's same-category others" and "tomb deity bearing the Flying Serpent in the final transmission," one should proactively examine whether property certificates, land usage rights, and other ownership documentation harbor hidden disputes—especially in the window around the eighth to ninth year cycle (which can be understood as 8–9 years after purchasing a property, or 8–9 years into a marriage). One should proactively communicate and confirm ownership boundaries with relevant family parties, thereby avoiding the stalemate of "hard to get this land in life, unable to be buried here in death" from recurring in modern guise in other forms.

Core Principles 💡

This case exemplifies several core tenets of Greater Six-Ren judgment:

1. Stem resting upon branch; husband taken by wife: The day stem actively rests upon the branch and generates it, which is called "taking" or "attaching to branch"—it signifies one being drained by family affairs or being placed in a passive position within domestic relationships.
2. Locating the wife line and the arrival of correlated deities: Xin metal takes Mao wood as the wife; Hau (Celestial Queen) rests upon Mao, strengthening the wife's dominance. Shen metal is Xin's counterpart (both metal)—depicting a brother—and rests upon the wife line, forming the unique construct of "the brother upon the wife."
3. Combined judgment using Void and Sky Void: Shen falls in the Void and bears the Sky Void deity—this is the key evidence for determining "the elder brother has already passed." In Six-Ren practice, the Void represents not merely "absence" or "emptiness," but also frequently points to deceased persons or relationships existing in name only.
4. Timing calculations using tomb deity and serpent: The final transmission Chou is Xin's tomb bearing the Flying Serpent; Chou corresponds to eight, hence the "eighth year" judgment. Xu upon Si yields nine by adding their respective counts—this method of adding the counts of upper and lower deities is a classic technique for determining timeframes in Six-Ren.
5. Symbolic imagery combination: "The millstone pressing the eastern gate"—Shen is the millstone (stone grinder), Mao is the gate; Shen resting on Mao and falling void creates the image of a "millstone pressing the gate," indicating the household's door is constrained, extended by inference to harm upon the wife.

Modern Interpretation 🌟

From a modern perspective, the most compelling element of this case is the interlinking entanglement of marriage and property within the family. That Shao Yanhe determined "the wife is originally the elder brother's wife" points, within the Song-dynasty social context, to levirate marriage or the transfer of a wife to another male family member after the husband's death within the clan. In modern society, while such specific forms are exceedingly rare, their structural logic persists: the circulation of shared resources (spouse/property) among family members is often accompanied by ambiguous ownership claims and accumulated psychological grievances.

The verdict "In the eighth year, conflict arose with brothers over the construction of a burial plot" exposes the destructive force of land/property changes upon family relationships. In the modern context, "constructing a burial ground" can be correlated with relocating graves, building family tombs, selling ancestral homes, or dividing homestead land—all sensitive decisions involving ancestral properties. When mishandled, these can trigger fraternal estrangement at particular temporal junctures.

The image of "the millstone pressing the eastern gate" also has modern resonance: the gate symbolizes the family's ingress and egress as well as its boundaries; the millstone embodies slow, persistent grinding. When a family harbors prolonged hidden pressures (such as mother-in-law/daughter-in-law tensions, financial burdens, or property disputes), this "grinding pressure" will gradually erode the family's core relationships, ultimately fracturing the marriage.

Practical Value ⚡

• Risk forecasting in family decisions: Before undertaking decisions involving ancestral property disposition, property transfers, or grave construction, this case can serve as a judgment framework for evaluating timing (whether one is within a sensitive period) and relational state (whether latent conflict among siblings exists).
• Identifying "implicit inheritance" in marital relationships: When a marriage is built upon some form of "takeover" or "substitution" foundation (such as remarriage or family arrangement), the psychological and property legacies left by predecessors must be squarely acknowledged—rather than interpreting the "Void" as "does not exist," it should be understood as "the issue that has never been truly faced."
• Modern conversion of timing frameworks: Conceive of figures such as "the eighth year" or "nine years" as risk windows within long-term project management, proactively engaging in communication and legal documentation at critical time points to prevent problems before they arise.
• The ethical dimension of divination: Shao Yanhe's stylistic approach of "speaking of loyalty and teaching filial piety, correcting faults and encouraging goodness" reminds modern practitioners: practical divination arts should not stop at predicting fortune or misfortune; they should, at the operational level, provide ethical counsel and behavioral admonition.

Philosophical Reflection 🤔

At its deepest philosophical level, this case reveals the dialectic of "emptiness" and "substance." Shen metal falls in the Void and bears the Sky Void deity—appearing to be "nothing"—yet it was precisely from this "nothing" that Shao Yanhe divined the definitive truth: "the elder brother has already passed." In Daoist philosophy, emptiness is not non-existence but unmanifest existence; the message conveyed through the Void is often nothing other than those latent truths most deserving of serious attention.

The judgment that "the husband leaves to be taken by the wife; he becomes younger while she becomes elder" reveals the reversal of power in relations: the nominal leader (the husband) may in the actual structure occupy a passive, emotionally drained position. This observation carries sociologically transcendent implications—whether in the family, in organizations, or even at the level of nation-states, those formally subordinate often hold the substantive lever of influence.

The verdict "hard to obtain this land in life, and likewise not to be buried here after death" exposes the deep connection between land and identity. For agrarian civilizations, land is far more than a factor of production—it is the extension of personhood and the emblem of lineage. Struggles over land are profoundly struggles over "presence" and "belonging." Even in modern society, this is why disputes over real estate hold such an extraordinary capacity to stoke intense emotions.

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📚 Related Knowledge

Associated Concepts

Recommended Further Reading

• Da Liu Ren Zhi Nan (The Guide to the Great Six-Ren) by Chen Gongxian—late Ming/early Qing authoritative text, deepens understanding of Shao text
• Bifa Fu (Rhapsody on the Complete Methods) authored by Ling Fuzhi — major regulation-oriented Six-Ren treatise with axioms
• Liu Ren Cui Yan (Culled Discourses of the Six-Ren) compiled by Liu Chijiang, integrating the cumulative research of the Qing.
• Ren Gui (Return to the Six-Ren)—Qing classic rich in categorization-model verdicts on many cases for stand-alone scrutiny
• Da Liu Ren Lei Ju (Categorically Sorted Cases of the Greater Six-Ren)—an organized index amenable for oblique or supportive framing studies

Modern Research

Contemporary investigations regarding Shao Yanhe's case files principally have shaped along facets, listed sequentially:

1. The study of predictive–temporal mechanics: Six-Ren scholars notably seek generalizations within the deterministic avenues to day-success probabilities etc., examining case-bulk and distilled aggregated clock-time distributions(such as among the triad-count recursion along multiple schemas).
2. Judging the face-down through blanks related to human topology: These corroborated veris-study form specifically detecting older brothers within zero-spirit assignment rules for post mortem.
3. Connecting matrices- structured familial relationships appearing in system-theory linear schemas: experimenting placement between spirits embedded pedagogics-tracing house-issue readings near system coupling tools generatable toward conversational direction or consultation.
4. Notes On Shao's place/achievements discovery: establishing conclusivity “Taifu,” about lifespan anchors pivotal by assessment and of significance now associated recognized widely in state wide historical-Textual corpus studies on Xing Divination sect sida-era experts.