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Chapter 5 of 7
壬归
For daily divination regarding agriculture and silkworm farming, the matters requiring inquiry are truly numerous. Why place agriculture and sericulture at the forefront of all divinations? Because the common people are the foundation of the state, and the basis for stabilizing the people is precisely clothing and food. Therefore, the Son of Heaven has the ritual of personally plowing the sacred field, and the empress has the duty of personally tending silkworms and mulberries. Only after the people are neither hungry nor cold can rites and moral instruction be discussed—this is the reason agriculture and sericulture take precedence among trivial divinations. 🌱
Concerning divination for fields and gardens, the Day Stem represents the farmer. The farmer is like a small heaven, vigorous and unceasing, hence categorized by Qian yang. The Day Branch represents the fields and gardens, which receive heaven and bear things, gentle and boundless, hence categorized by Kun yin. What determines the fortune or misfortune of the farmer and the fields is the weather. Therefore, observe the flourishing, decline, mutual punishment, harm, emptiness, and breach of the upper spirits atop the Day Stem and Day Branch to judge fortune and misfortune. If the Day Stem is not harmed by its upper spirit, the farmer is pure and safe; if the Day Branch is not harmed by its upper spirit, the fields flourish abundantly. If the upper spirits of the Day Stem and Day Branch generate and unite with each other without punishment, harm, or emptiness, then the harvest is plentiful and tangible benefits are in hand. If the Initial Provider spirit further generates and enlivens its categorized spirit, then the expected crop will surely bear fruit; and where the Year Star and Annual Cycle upper spirits show additional support, the harvest will surely double. When the categorized spirit's noble qi enters the transmission, the momentum should favor vitality and prosperity, and it must also occupy an appropriate position, not falling into emptiness or suffering injury. When the Yin Spirit of the categorized spirit harms it, planting will be futile; when the Yin Spirit harms the Day Stem or Annual Cycle, calamity from crops extends to the person. In all cases where the Provider spirit generates the categorized spirit but harms the Day Stem, it is also not advantageous for fields and gardens.
As for divination regarding earliness or lateness of planting, observe the Three Transmissions: if the Initial Provider rides an auspicious spirit and generates vitality in its category, or the categorized spirit appears in the Initial Transmission without harming the upper spirits of the Day Stem and Branch, then early planting is suitable; if the Middle Transmission is auspicious, mid-season planting is suitable; if the Final Transmission is auspicious, late planting is suitable.
For divination regarding paddy fields versus dry land, observe the Day Stem and Branch: if the Day Stem is auspicious, dry land is suitable, following yang; if the Day Branch is auspicious, paddy fields are suitable, following yin. These are the general principles of field and garden divination. ⛰️
Dengming (Hai) and Shenhou (Zi) represent rice—rice is an aquatic grain that cannot grow without water, hence categorized by water spirits. Where water spirits ride auspicious vitality, generate unity with the upper spirit of the Day Branch, and do not harm the Day Stem or Year Star upper spirits, rice planting is suitable. Dengming suits japonica rice, Shenhou suits glutinous rice—glutinous rice is yang, japonica is yin, each following its nature. 🌊
Yin and Mao are the categorized spirits of grasses and trees. Those whose root is grass but whose nature is wood are the five grains. Hence Gongcao (Yin) and Taichong (Mao) serve as their categories. Where the Provider sees a wood spirit, riding auspicious vitality, generating unity with the Day Branch upper spirit, without harming the Day Stem or Year Star upper spirits, all five grains are suitable. Grass resembling wood is governed by Gongcao; grass remaining grass is governed by Taichong; wood is yang and grass yin, as determined by nature. 🌱
Si and Wu are the categorized spirits of fire. Their nature blazes upward; their image is high ground. Millet and beans thrive on high, dry land rather than low, damp places, hence Taiji (Si) and Shengguang (Wu) serve as their categories. Where the Provider spirit sees a fire spirit, riding auspicious vitality, generating unity with the Day Branch upper spirit, without harming the Day Stem or Year Star upper spirits, millet and beans are both suitable. However, distinctions of color and height must not be ignored: the tall millet is called liang, mostly red in color; Shengguang is pure fire and red, hence governs it. The short millet is called su, mostly yellow; Taiji combines fire and earth and is yellow, hence governs it. Beans likewise have yellow and red distinctions—by analogy, this extends beyond millet alone. 🔥
Shen and You are the categorized spirits of metal. Their nature is transformative, belonging to autumn. Barley and wheat are born in autumn and ripen in summer. Autumn is harvest, gathering the metal qi of the four seasons, beneficial to the grinding of metal and stone, hence Chuansong (Shen) and Congkui (You) serve as their categories. Where the Provider sees a metal spirit, riding auspicious vitality, generating unity with the Day Branch upper spirit, without harming the Day Stem or Year Star upper spirits, barley and wheat are suitable. Barley is yang and large; wheat is yin and small.
Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are the categorized spirits of earth. All things derive life from them; they receive heaven with gentleness, hence called crops and harvests. What crops and harvests encompass is vast—all the hundred grains are categorized by earth spirits. Where the Provider sees an earth spirit, riding auspicious vitality, generating unity with the Day Branch upper spirit, without harming the Day Stem or Year Star upper spirits, all hundred grains are suitable. Yet among the four earth branches, Daji (Chou) is more auspicious still, hence also named "field." Calling Daji the "field master" is because Chou bears the image of a field, following its category. These are the categorical distinctions of field and garden divination.
However, principles have constant ways, but divination requires adaptive variation. Clinging to one method invites error. Hence, when divining what crop type to plant this year, speak according to the category revealed by the Initial Provider: if auspicious, follow it; if inauspicious, avoid it. The good farmer is one who does not abandon cultivation due to drought or flood. If the Provider spirit is inauspicious toward the category, yet does not harm the Day Branch; or although it harms the Branch, the Middle or Final Transmissions offer rescue; or the Year Star or Annual Cycle upper spirits have controlling transformations that support the Day Stem and Branch—then pursue the category accordingly; whether the categorized spirit appears or not is not the primary concern.
If one's agricultural intentions already focus on a specific crop, and one wishes to divine its suitability, then merely take the categorized spirit and observe above and below. Where the categorized spirit occupies an appropriate position, flourishes without emptiness, and the upper spirit atop it does not engage it in punishment or battle while generating unity with the Day Branch upper spirit—without harming the Day Stem or Year Star upper spirits—it is usable. As for whether it must enter the transmissions—if one still considers its absence from the transmissions problematic, that would itself be erroneous. The upper spirit of the categorized spirit is precisely its Yin Spirit.
In brief: the Day Stem is the farmer, the Day Branch is the field. The upper spirit above the Day Branch represents what is planted; the upper spirit above the Day Stem represents the weather upon which one relies. The Initial Provider is the starting point for seeking the category; the Annual Cycle is the handle for seeking plans; the Year Star is the sovereign of all things—all are observed through their upper spirits and compared. Since the Provider spirit takes its ride as its category, one must also observe its upper spirit—the Yin Spirit of the Provider spirit—which shares responsibility in judgment.
Hence, when an auspicious spirit rides atop the Stem and generates the Stem, the farmer is pure and safe, and more so when flourishing with generative unity; when an inauspicious spirit rides and conquers the Stem, the farmer faces calamity, and more so when declining and conquering. When an auspicious and vital spirit rides atop and generates the Branch, the garden flourishes; when declining and overcome, the land lies fallow. When the Day Stem generates the Branch's upper spirit, crops thrive abundantly while labor multiplies in effect; when the Branch generates the Stem's upper spirit, expenses are few while results are many. When the Stem's upper spirit is inauspicious and deadly while overcoming the Day Branch's upper spirit, cultivation and irrigation may not be timely; when the Branch's upper spirit is auspicious and generative while overcoming the Stem's upper spirit, though harvest arrives, it ends in empty blossoms.
When the categorized spirit's noble qi enters the transmissions, do not let it decline, die, or become exhausted; it should also occupy an appropriate position and not fall into emptiness. For divinations seeking a category, one need not be constrained by whether the categorized spirit is hidden or manifest—flourishing and unempty are invariably best. If there is no pre-established focus, take the Provider spirit as the category, and only that which generates the Branch spirit is usable.
Paddy versus dry land is decided by the Stem and Branch; earliness versus lateness of planting depends on the Initial and Final Transmissions. When the Three Transmissions ride auspiciousness with sequential generation, generating the Day Stem, Day Branch, and their upper spirits, farming and herding suffer no calamity. When the Three Transmissions ride inauspiciousness with sequential conquest, conquering the Day Stem, Day Branch, and their upper spirits, there is poor harvest with subsequent misfortune.
When the categorized spirit and Provider spirit encounter vitality, yet their Yin Spirits harm the Stem or Branch, then although harvest may be secure, one should guard against pestilence. When the Provider and categorized spirits seem ordinary, yet their Yin Spirits auspiciously generate the Branch or Stem, then although cultivation involves toil and expense, real profit may be reaped. Viewing the overall situation, the Annual Cycle is the root of the querent—hence the Day Stem, Annual Cycle, Provider spirit, and categorized spirit are most忌讳 punishment and injury. Fortune and misfortune arise from spirits; verification comes from baleful emanations; where gods, generals, and influences are concerned, harmony is advantageous.
Though agriculture and sericulture are humble, they concern the people's livelihood. Image divination is not easy; one must think comprehensively. Extended and expanded, all matters follow this principle. If there are repeated verifications from multiple angles, it is not without benefit.
In all cases, Wu represents the silkworm's fate. Wu is the offspring of wood and the flourishing spirit of summer. Wu among the twelve earthly branches is Shengguang, hence its meaning derives from "first"—where first appears twice, the year brings two harvests, and insects embody its image. The silkworm takes meaning similarly: Wu trigram is Li, the former-heaven Qian position, following "heaven" and "first"—the images differ but the principle is one.
Hence, at the time of Qingming (Clear and Bright), silkworms emerge from their eggs into life. By Guyu (Grain Rain), the entire realm witnesses their first molting rest. By the time of Xiaoman (Lesser Fullness), molting concludes and they feed freely. And at Xiazhi (Summer Solstice), the entire realm witnesses them spinning cocoons. This is why Wu serves as the silkworm's fate, the summer's sovereign spirit, and wood's offspring.
Wei represents the mulberry because Wu and Wei unite in Combination, and Wei is the storehouse of wood. Only through the storehouse can offspring find their support; only through combination can offspring feed without harm. Wei flourishes in summer, when the merits of wood and fire together reach completion—this is why Wei serves as the mulberry.
When the silkworm spins its cocoon, though spoken of as completing its work and retiring, it is truly transforming itself to incubate its offspring—this is why Yin categorizes the cocoon.
Mao represents silk because Mao wood at Wu is in the Bath stage. Bath represents the image of silk. Silkworms are bathed in warm water before silk is reeled out—this is why Mao categorizes silk.
Chen represents the silkworm frame (silkworm rack) because Chen at Wu is in the Adorning stage. Adorning signifies the implements of adulthood. Chen is the last month of spring, and at its core is the Tomb—the Tomb being a place of seclusion where silkworms must dwell before being raised onto the frames. Once raised on the frames they spin cocoons—an image of growth. Chen also belongs to the category of mountains, hence the common saying that calls the silkworm frame "the mountain." This is why Chen categorizes the frame. ⛰️
Si represents the silkworm basket because Si at Wu attains the Official stage and rivals Wu in vitality. Rivalry signifies assistance; the lower obeys the upper, and the containment of fire is its capability. The silkworm's innate nature urgently seeks to avoid cold, hence Si fire can basket the silkworms. This is why Si categorizes the basket.
Shen represents floss silk because Shen is at Wu's Illness stage and at Yin's Breach stage. The benefit of cocoons to humanity lies in silk and floss alone: reeling yields silk threads; breaking them yields only floss. What the silkworm suffers is the breaking—suffering at the cocoon and broken by the cocoon. This is why Shen categorizes floss.
You represents stiffened (dead) silkworms because Wu dies at You, and metal holds the meaning of hardness and strength. Thus it is said: in life it is soft and weak; in death it is hard and strong.
Xu represents yellow cocoons because Wu is entombed at Xu, and yellow is its color.
Hai represents calamity and severance because Wu fire is extinguished at Hai.
Zi represents rat damage because Zi and Wu oppose and overcome each other; Wu fire is injured, and rats embody its image.
Chou represents molting transformation because Chou and Wu detach and harm each other. Detachment occasions molting rest, while the body portends change; transformation signifies metamorphosis.
Hence, in all divinations of sericulture, first take Wu as the silkworm's categorized position and observe it from above. Observing from above means examining the spirit atop Wu to pronounce fortune or misfortune:
The spirit observed from above is precisely the "heaven" upon which the category relies, and thus must be examined.
As for Congkui (You) stiffening, Tiankui (Xu) yellowing, Dengming (Hai) death, Shenhou (Zi) rat damage, and Daji (Chou) molting—these are all disadvantageous to silkworms and should not appear atop the silkworm's fate. If they already appear atop the silkworm's fate while their riders and attributes are also inauspicious, calamity is even more severe.
However, for all the various auspicious categories, though appearing as spirits atop Wu, the spirits they themselves bear must be individually distinguished. Where flourishing with auspicious riders without internal or external punishment or battle, these categories are pronounced auspicious; where controlled by injunctions from above while declining and empty, they are considered inauspicious.
Where the household master's Annual Cycle or Bens (birth years) produce the wealth spirit generating vitality, the silkworm harvest will surely double. But only when the silkworm sits atop the Annual Cycle is the concern more direct: only when both generate each other, flourishing and qi-filled, is it wholly auspicious.
In general, when the silkworm harms the household master's Day Branch, silkworms bring adversity to the people; if the silkworm additionally rides ill-omened gods, generals, and baleful influences, the silkworms will surely produce no harvest—such matters are not to be undertaken. When the household master's Day Branch harms the silkworm, the people bring adversity to the silkworms; if the silkworm additionally rides auspicious gods, generals, and good influences, a silkworm harvest may be hoped for, muching choosing that within the silkworm province which is most advantageous.
As for the silkworm chamber's auspicious directions, each year has its attributed quarter. The method is to overlay the household master's Annual Cycle atop the Year Star, and only Yin, Shen, Wu, and Wei beneath them are auspicious directions. Among the four, selecting the most convenient beyond conflicting encroachments is permissible.
The method of earliness or lateness follows the Three Transmissions: where the Initial Transmission is auspicious and vital, generating unity with the upper spirit of the silkworm's fate, early raising suits; a middle auspicious transmission suits mid-season; a final auspicious transmission suits late.
Auspiciousness of molting intervals is likewise deduced from the progressive orders within the transmissions: a vital Initial Transmission, then the first molt arises uniformly; the Middle governs the second molt; the Final speaks to the third. Only Wu County uniquely has silkworms of four molts, called "Great Molt." The timing of the Great Molt equivalently looks to the Final Transmission.
Various texts do not address the Four Lessons because when targeting specific affairs one need only examine the category, without seeking extraneous matter to confuse the aim. How could one discard the overall framework and simply erase the duality of Stem and Branch correspondence? Day represents person, Branch represents thing—how could these be abandoned? Observing the farmer's relationship to fields, gardens, and crop categories, one can extend the analogy accordingly.
The "Rengui · Agricultural Affairs" section constructs a system of image-number correspondence among Heaven, Human, and Earth:
| Element | Image | Principle |
|---|---|---|
| Day Stem | Farmer/Household Master | Qian yang vigorous, active unceasing |
| Day Branch | Fields & crop environment | Kun yin gentle, bearing all things |
| Upper Spirit | Weather/external conditions | The spirit ridden by Stem or Branch, representing external influence |
| Three Transmissions | Temporal progression | Initial/Middle/Final correspond to early/mid/late phases |
| Year Star | Annual fortune | Sovereign of all things |
| Annual Cycle | Personal decree | The handle of the querent |
Its core logic: the generative/controlling relations between the categorized spirit and its environment determine the success or failure of crops or silkworms. A categorized spirit that is vital, well-positioned, generating unity with the Day Branch's upper spirit, and not harming the Day Stem or Year Star is auspicious. This framework is essentially a systematized agricultural decision model that folds heaven's timing, earthly advantage, and human harmony into a unified symbolic language.
The pivotal creativity of silkworm divination runs still deeper: taking Wu fire as the silkworm's fate, and then using the entire twelve-branch system's birth-vitality-tomb-extinction relations around Wu to sequentially build the silkworm industry chain's image-category system:
| Branch | Image | Relation to Wu | Logic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yin | Cocoon | Wu's Long Life | Transformation/incubation |
| Mao | Silk | Wu's Bath | Bathing yields filaments |
| Chen | Silkworm frame | Wu's Adorning | Growth and mounting |
| Si | Silkworm basket | Wu's Official | Rivaling vitality, assistance |
| Wu | Silkworm's fate | Native position | The silkworm itself |
| Wei | Mulberry leaves | Wu's Combination | Source of nourishment |
| Shen | Floss silk | Wu's Illness | Broken cocoons yield floss |
| You | Stiffened silkworm | Wu's Death | Dead, hence hard and strong |
| Xu | Yellow cocoons | Wu's Tomb | Chamber's hue |
| Hai | Calamity/severance | Wu's Extinction | Fire extinguished in Hai |
| Zi | Rat damage | Wu's Clash | Clash and overcome; injured |
| Chou | Molting transformation | Wu's Detachment | Detached, body changes |
This is the integrated application of the Twelve Life Stages with Six Combinations and Clash relationships, revealing an exquisitely refined symbolic thought. 🔥
From Divination to Decision Support
The essence of the "Agricultural Affairs" section can be understood as a decision-support system for ancient agrarian conditions. The questions it attempts to answer correspond remarkably with modem agronomy and agricultural economics:
The Silkworm Industry's Supply-Chain Thinking
What is particularly noteworthy is the systematic nature of sericulture divination: from mulberry leaves (Wei) to silkworm life (Wu), from silkworm baskets (Si) to silkworm trays (Chen), from cocoon formation (Yin) to silk reeling (Mao), from fine silk (Mao) to inferior floss (Shen), from healthy silkworms (Wu in旺) to stiff silkworms (You)—this effectively outlines a complete value chain map of the sericulture industry. Each link is endowed with symbolic-numerological significance, allowing for independent assessment.
From a modern perspective, the forward-thinking nature of this thinking lies in this: it does not treat "sericulture" as a vague concept, but rather decomposes it into subsystems that can be independently observed and independently judged. This is precisely the primitive precursor of modern systems theory and modular thinking.
The Practical Significance of "Tongbian" (Adaptive Change)
The text specifically emphasizes: "Principles have constancy, but divination must adapt to change; clinging rigidly to them invites error." This principle holds immense modern value. It means:
This aligns closely with the modern risk management concept that "prediction is not the goal; decision-making is the goal." The purpose of divination is not to make people avoid fortune and misfortune into inaction, but to help people make better choices under adverse conditions.🌟
Reference Significance for Modern Agricultural Decision-Making
Although the divination methods of the "Agricultural Section" are no longer suitable for direct application to modern agriculture, its decision-making framework still offers inspiration:
Insights from Sericulture Divination for Modern Animal Husbandry
Transformable Methodology
To convert divination conclusions into executable action plans, the following "Hypothesis-Action-Review" framework may be adopted:
| Divination Conclusion | Hypothesis | Action Plan | Review Indicator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category deity auspicious and vigorous | The crop is suitable for this season | Invest resources as planned | Actual yield vs. expectation |
| Category deity constrained | Limiting factors exist | Seek remedial measures (change crop/change timing/change location) | Post-remediation benefits |
| Yin Deity inauspicious | Indirect risks exist | Strengthen monitoring, reserve emergency resources | Whether risks materialize |
| Three Transmissions auspicious and mutually generating | Smooth throughout the full cycle | Proceed according to rhythm | Achievement rate at each stage |
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"The Body as a Miniature Heaven" and Unity of Heaven and Humanity
"The Day Stem is the farmer; the farmer is a miniature heaven, firm and unceasing in vitality"—this is a direct projection of the Qian (Heaven) hexagram of the Yi Jing (Zhouyi), "Heaven moves with vigor; the noble person strives ceaselessly to strengthen oneself," into agricultural divination. The farmer is given the symbolic status of a "miniature heaven," meaning that human agency is placed on the same level as heaven. This is not fatalism—quite the contrary, it emphasizes: human beings should emulate the vigorous, unceasing movement of heaven and act proactively. This stands in stark contrast to the common understanding of "succumbing to fate."
"Bearing Heaven and Carrying All Things" and the Virtue of Kun
The Day Branch represents the fields—"gentle and boundless"—derived from the Kun hexagram: "Earth's topography is Kun; the noble person carries all things with magnanimous virtue." The land is endowed with moral attributes: gentleness, bearing, tolerance. This manner of personifying and moralizing natural objects embodies the traditional Chinese philosophical concept of "Heaven and humanity united in virtue." Land is not merely a productive resource; it is a symbol of virtue.
"Tongbian" and the Essence of the Yi Jing
"Principles have constancy, but divination must adapt to change"—these eight characters distill the most core philosophical spirit of the Yi Jing (Zhouyi). "Constancy" is law; "change" is application. The Xici Zhuan states: "When the Yi reaches its limits, it changes; when it changes, it becomes unobstructed; when it becomes unobstructed, it endures." The true value of divination lies not in providing fixed answers, but in helping people find an open path in a world of constant flux. "One must not treat it as a fixed rule; only change is what one adapts to"—this is precisely the meaning.
Life Metaphors in the Sericulture Symbol System
The twelve-branch symbolic system of sericulture divination, starting from Wu (silkworm life), passing through Wei (feeding), Si (nurturing), Chen (growth), Yin (cocoon formation), Mao (silk production)—this constitutes a complete cycle of life growth and transformation. Particularly profound is that Shen is "illness" yet yields floss imagery, You is "death" yet yields stiff silk imagery, and Xu is "tomb" yet yields the color yellow—in the vision of Chinese philosophy, death and ending are not pure negation, but alternate forms of transformation and value. The silkworm dies before silk emerges; the cocoon must be broken before floss is obtained—this is a dialectical wisdom of "achieving use through destruction."
The Practical Philosophy of "One Who Plows Regardless of Drought or Flood Is a Good Farmer"
This saying is extraordinarily incisive. When divination signals inauspicious omens, "abandoning cultivation" is not an option—"If truly inauspicious generals appear, should one abandon farming?" The answer is clearly negative. This embodies the resilient practical rationality of Chinese agricultural civilization: Heaven's way has constancy but also variation; human affairs have favorable and adverse turns, but cultivation itself can never be abandoned. This follows in the spirit of Confucius's "knowing it cannot be done yet still doing it," and it is likewise the intellectual foundation upon which the Chinese nation has endured countless famines and disasters throughout its long history while remaining ever vital.🤔
| Concept | Source | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Twelve Life Stages | Sanming Tonghui and others | The core framework of sericulture symbolism, centering on Wu and mapping the full cycle of growth, birth,沐浴,冠带,临官,帝旺, decline, illness, death, tomb,绝, gestation, and nourishment |
| Twelve Heavenly Generals | Da Liu Ren Zhi Nan | Subjects of auspicious/inauspicious judgment—the twelve generals such as Guiren, Tianshe, Zhuque, etc., when superimposed upon category deities, produce auspicious or inauspicious effects |
| System of Shensha (Spirit Stars) | Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu | Expressions in the text such as "if the Chen is harmed, yet there is salvation in the middle and final transmissions" involve the restraining and generative relationships of shensha |
| Liuhe (Six Harmonies) | Bu Zheng Zong | Wu-Wei Liuhe is the core basis of the silkworm-mulberry relationship |
| Day Stem and Branch Generation/Control | Earlier volumes of Ren Gui | The basic framework of Day Stem as person and Day Branch as thing receives concrete application in the Agricultural Section |
| Theory of Category Deities | Da Liu Ren Lei Ji | Methodology of taking images by branching categories; the Agricultural Section is one of its most systematic applications |
The Ren Gui Agricultural Section is one of the most systematic and most mature professional divination methods within the Da Liu Ren system. Using the Day Stem and Day Branch as its basic framework, category deities as its analytical core, the Three Transmissions as its temporal dimension, and the Yin Deity as a risk warning mechanism, it constructs a complete agricultural and sericulture decision-making model. Its value lies not only in historical and documentary significance, but above all in the systematic thinking, adaptive-change principles, and practical rationality it embodies—qualities that remain profoundly inspiring for today's decision-making theory and practice.🌱