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Chapter 1 of 1
毕法赋
Bifa Fu is an important classic in the art of Liuren (Six Ren) divination. Comprising one hundred methods in total, it systematically summarizes the principles for judging fortune and misfortune in Liuren chart interpretations. This text presents the full body of the ode along with detailed annotations for the first twenty-one methods, covering core divination domains such as promotion, examinations, official salary, public and private matters, advance and retreat, seeking wealth, seeking refuge, cooperation, and pregnancy and childbirth.
Methods One through Four address promotion and official merit: the Former-Leading and Rear-Following pattern (Qian Hou Yin Cong) is auspicious for promotion and relocating one's residence; First and Last Meeting (Shou Wei Xiang Jian) within the same ten-day cycle indicates that matters from beginning to end can be accomplished; the Curtained Noble (Lian Mu Gui Ren) overlooking the Day Stem and Year Destiny indicates success in examinations; the Officer-Urging Envoy (Cui Guan Shi Zhe) overlooking the Day Stem and Year Destiny indicates swift departure for one's post.
Methods Five through Six address Yin-Yang movement and stillness: Six Yang complete is favorable for public affairs but unfavorable for private schemes; Six Yin in succession is favorable for private matters but unfavorable for open dealings—both judged by the Yin-Yang positions within the chart and transmissions.
Methods Seven through Eight address the auspiciousness and inauspiciousness of the Salary Star (Lu): Flourishing Salary overlooking the self warns against reckless action; authority improperly held when Salary overlooks the Branch indicates being controlled by others.
Methods Nine through Ten address avoiding misfortune and seeking auspiciousness: seeking refuge and escape from danger requires abandoning the old and moving toward the new; rotten wood cannot be carved—one should change professions and pursue alternative paths.
Methods Eleven through Fourteen address ghosts/officials and wealth: though numerous ghosts appear prominently, there is no need to fear when a saving spirit is present; the fox borrows the tiger's might—using the Branch to control the ghost; when the ghost bandit is in season, there is no taboo because the ghost, flourishing in its prime, is greedy and does not harm; when transmitted wealth is excessively abundant, wealth反而 diminishes because the self is too weak to bear it.
Methods Fifteen through Sixteen address depletion and void: depletion upon depletion guards against deception; void upon void—pursue such matters no further.
Methods Seventeen through Eighteen address choices of advance and retreat: advancing into void should lead to retreat; stepping on void while retreating indicates that advancing is appropriate.
Methods Nineteen through Twenty address pregnancy: fetal wealth with the Spirit of Growth indicates the wife is pregnant; fetal wealth with the Spirit of Death indicates harm to the pregnancy.
Method Twenty-One addresses the relationship of intersecting chariots: intersecting chariots in mutual harmony benefit collaboration; host and guest in mutual harmony make all endeavors viable.
Methods One through Twenty-One of Bifa Fu establish the foundational framework of Liuren divination. Its core ideas can be summarized as follows:
I. Spirits and stars form the substance; the chart structure serves as the function. Former-Leading and Rear-Following, First and Last Meeting, the Curtained Noble, and the Officer-Urging Envoy are all judgments based on specific spirits and stars or chart structures. The positional relationships among the Day Stem, Branch, Three Transmissions, and Four Lessons determine the direction of fortune or misfortune.
II. Yin-Yang distinguishes public from private; advance and retreat differentiate fortune and misfortune. Six Yang favors open affairs; Six Yin favors private strategies. Advancing into void suggests retreat; retreating into void suggests advance. Within Yin-Yang and advance-retreat lies dialectical thinking.
III. Generation and control have their logic; the saving spirit is most valued. Though numerous ghosts appear prominently, one need not fear—the key lies in a saving spirit upon the Day Stem that controls the ghosts. The fox borrowing the tiger's might is fundamentally about borrowing the power of the Branch to resolve the restraint upon the Stem. Within the chain of generation and restraint, the relationship of control and transformation matters more than simple assault.
IV. Flourishing and decline determine victory and defeat; time and space determine success and failure. When the ghost bandit is in season, there is no fear because the ghost, riding its flourishing energy, is greedy and does not harm. When transmitted wealth is excessively abundant, wealth反而 diminishes because the self is too weak to bear it. The integration of flourishing/decline with the seasonal mandate is key to judging the weight of fortune or misfortune.
V. The method of pregnancy and fetal matters involves multi-dimensional information. The fetal spirit, Spirit of Growth, Spirit of Death, wife's wealth, Year Destiny, Branch position, and other multiple factors interact—reflecting the multi-symbol overlay characteristic of Liuren judgment.
Method One, "Former-Leading and Rear-Following for Promotion Auspicious," can be understood in the modern workplace as: when a person has noble support front and back (leading and following), with auspicious spirits (Salary, Noble) shining upon them, promotion opportunities naturally arrive. The example of the land sale on a Geng-Chen day shows that the first and final transmissions flanked and clamped the Day Noble, with the middle transmission chong-ing open the tomb spirit—though the first transmission being empty wealth indicated initial expense, the final result still yielded substantial profit. This reminds us: short-term fluctuations do not alter medium-to-long-term trends—what matters is whether the pattern holds.
Method Two, "First and Last Meeting—Appropriate from Beginning to End," emphasizes the completeness of a closed ten-day cycle. In modern project management, this corresponds to closed-loop management: all elements operate within the same system, no information is omitted, and execution is strong. The example of stock divination for Ronglian shows that with the chart and transmissions circling back and the Stem and Branch cycling, matters encountered obstruction—even if the pattern appeared favorable, the closed loop sometimes also implies a lack of external breakthrough opportunities, requiring seasonal considerations.
Method Three, "Curtained Noble for High Ranking in Examinations" has modern significance in that invisible supporters in key positions (the Curtained Noble) play a decisive role in outcomes. In examinations, competitive hiring, and evaluations, the presence of behind-the-scenes patrons or tacit recognition greatly increases success rates. In Wei Qianli's case, the first transmission was empty and sinking while the final transmission produced the seal—despite setbacks, both exams were passed. This shows that invisible support can turn the tide at critical moments.
Method Four, "Officer-Urging Envoy—The Time to Depart for Office" reveals an interesting phenomenon: the Officer spirit riding the White Tiger overlooking the Stem and Year Destiny appears inauspicious, yet for those seeking office, it is a signal urging departure. This reminds us that the same symbol can carry entirely different meanings in different contexts. In the modern workplace, "pressure" (officer-ghost) can sometimes be precisely the impetus driving promotion.
Methods Five through Six regarding Yin-Yang judgment evolve in modern society into: matters that benefit from open resolution should follow formal channels (Six Yang); matters requiring secrecy or private negotiation should follow informal channels (Six Yin). In the debt collection case of Miss Li, the chart showed Six Yang in full transmission, yet she asked about private matters—hence unfavorable. This reminds us that matching the approach to the nature of the matter is crucial.
Method Seven, "Flourishing Salary at the Self—Reckless Action in Vain," offers the modern insight: do not act rashly when resources are in hand. Salary is a stable source of income; acting recklessly in pursuit of uncertain opportunities often results in losing what one already has. However, if Salary encounters void or rides Dark Martial, then holding to Salary is unwise—one should proactively seek change. This parallels the modern investment concepts of opportunity cost and risk-return analysis.
Method Nine, "Seeking Refuge and Escape—Abandon the Old," centers on timely loss-cutting. When all three transmissions are unhelpful (empty wealth, ghost restraint, depletion), yet the Stem receives generation, this means abandoning the original path and seeking new avenues. This corresponds to the modern decision-making principle that sunk costs should not influence future choices.
Method Fourteen, "Excessive Transmitted Wealth反而Diminishes Wealth," aligns remarkably with leverage risk in modern finance: abundant wealth with a weak self is like excessive borrowing for investment—wealth is plentiful but one lacks the capacity to manage it, resulting in losses. In Mr. Fu's partnership case, all three transmissions were wealth, but the Day Stem was powerless—he ultimately worked himself to illness without making money. This warns us to act within our means.
Method Twenty-One, "Intersecting Chariots in Mutual Harmony Benefit Collaboration," is crucial in modern business cooperation: the Stem generating and combining with the Branch, and the Branch generating and combining with the Stem, means mutual benefit between both parties. Conversely, intersecting chariots with mutual depletion means mutual exhaustion; mutual harm combination indicates hidden sabotage. In Mr. Zhang's marriage case, mutual generation in intersecting chariots indicated that the emotional foundation remained; what was needed was communication—mutual effort sustains long-term relationships.
| Method | Modern Application Scenario | Decision Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Former-Leading and Rear-Following | Career promotion, relocation decisions | When noble support surrounds you front and back, actively pursue promotion or relocation |
| First and Last Meeting | Closed-loop project management | Patterns of cyclical completeness favor overcoming difficulties, but caution is advised for open-ended matters |
| Curtained Noble | Examinations, competitive hiring, evaluations | When invisible support exists, prepare thoroughly—results can be expected |
| Officer-Urging Envoy | Transfer, assuming new post | Officer-ghost at the self is反而 a signal of urgency for office-seekers—act swiftly |
| Six Yang / Six Yin | Handling public and private affairs | Take formal channels for public matters, informal channels for private matters |
| Flourishing Salary at the Self | Career stability and change | Do not act rashly when Salary is substantial; when Salary is void or riding Dark Martial, actively seek change |
| Seeking Refuge from Danger | Loss-cutting and transformation | When all transmissions are unhelpful, decisively abandon the old for the new |
| Excessive Transmitted Wealth | Investment decisions | When wealth abounds but the self is weak, do not chase size—act within capacity or share through partnership |
| Depletion upon Depletion | Fraud prevention, resource protection | Amidst serial depletion, beware of deception—do not trust lightly |
| Void upon Void | Expectations and disappointment | Void upon void means expectations are hard to fulfill—adjust expectations accordingly |
| Advancing/Retreating into Void | Strategic advance and retreat | Advancing into void suggests retreat; retreating into void suggests advance |
| Intersecting Chariots in Harmony | Cooperation and negotiation | Mutual generation and combination favor cooperation; mutual depletion and harm warrant caution |
The deep philosophy contained in the first twenty-one methods of Bifa Fu is the concentrated embodiment of the concept of "time and position" in Chinese numerological culture.
The dimension of "time": Former-Leading and Rear-Following, First and Last Meeting, emphasize temporality within positional relationships—the former as guide (future trend), the latter as follower (existing foundation). That the ghost bandit, when in season, is not feared, directly incorporates seasonal flourishing and decline into judgment. This continues the I Ching idea of "moving in step with the times."
The dimension of "position": Six Yang and Six Yin judge public and private matters through positional yin and yang; stepping onto void with each advance and retreat judges fortune based on position upon advance/retreat; Salary at the Stem versus Salary at the Branch judges authority based on host-guest positioning. Position determines nature; nature determines fortune.
The wisdom of "control": The absence of fear despite numerous glaring ghosts is fundamentally a control-and-transformation mindset—where there is restraint, there is generation; where there is harm, there is salvation. This resonates with the medical principle "excess causes harm; the sustaining force controls." Though ghost restraint is inauspicious, if there is an imprint to transform it or a food-hurt to control it, then within misfortune lies salvation. Though wealth is auspicious, if the self is too weak to bear it, it becomes a burden. Fortune and misfortune reside not in the thing itself, but in the relationship between the thing and oneself.
The dialectic of "void": Advancing into void suggests retreat; retreating into void suggests advance—void is not simply "nothingness" but a signal indicating a shift in direction. Encountering void while advancing calls for retreat; encountering void while retreating calls for advance—embodying the dialectical logic of "the reversal of the Way is its movement."
The generative meaning of "pregnancy": The contrast between fetal wealth with the Spirit of Growth and fetal wealth with the Spirit of Death reveals that birth and death are two sides of the same coin. The Spirit of Growth governs flourishing; the Spirit of Death governs withering; and the fetal spirit sits precisely between life and death—this is an eminently philosophical symbol: new life is always accompanied by the "death" of old forms.
These philosophical reflections elevate Bifa Fu beyond mere divination technique into a comprehensive model of decision-making thinking: examining time, assessing circumstances, clarifying position, understanding control, discerning void, and distinguishing life from death—finding certainty within change while remaining alert to variables within certainty.
Contemporary scholars' research on Bifa Fu focuses mainly on the following areas:
Bifa Fu was born in an agrarian society centered on the civil examination system, official salary, and residential compounds. In modern society:
The core value of the first twenty-one methods of Bifa Fu lies in providing a systematic situation-based judgment model. In transmission, the following should be noted: