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Chapter 23 of 30
奇门遁甲秘笈大全
Heavenly Yuan is the yuan of the human hour, corresponding to the seating directions of the twelve positions; the Monthly General is determined by sequentially advancing through the hours, while the Noble must be examined through the day stem to convey information.
Heavenly Yuan symbolizes the sovereign, father, husband, master, and teacher, corresponding to elders, forebears, parents, and the head and skin; the Noble Spirit governs official salary, aspirations, and the master of the household, corresponding to subordinate officials, external wealth, and the chest, breasts, navel, and abdomen; the Monthly General symbolizes relatives and brothers, corresponding to internal wealth, wife, and the abdomen, waist, thighs, and calves; the Lower Direction corresponds to the young and lowly, subjects, concubines, as well as descendants, feet, and fine household items.
🔸 Stem overcomes Direction: The wife or concubine will show signs of movement; official wealth is damaged, subordinates are weary; abroad there will be demands and disputes; at home one must guard against displeasure.
🔸 Stem overcomes Spirit: Official salary shows movement; both office and wealth are obtained—most auspicious. But outsiders seeking gain harbor hidden harm; market affairs are unfavorable—better to disperse than delay.
🔸 Stem overcomes General: Internal wealth shows movement; seeking wealth brings much gain, but the wife is often ill; one may also know that the house beams and pillars hold authority; seeking wealth through capital is most profitable.
🔸 Stem generates Spirit: Relatives come to visit, and outsiders present abundant gifts; the gifts are mostly used by officialdom; borrowing and lending all prove effective.
🔸 Stem generates Monthly General: Internal wealth flourishes; people come bearing gifts sorted by category; inner and outer brothers are harmonious and amiable—know that a loving father cherishes his children and grandchildren.
🔸 Stem generates Direction: Grace is universally bestowed, shielding descendants, increasing servants and property; for childbirth divination, one knows the child will be easy to raise, with extraordinary favor coming from Heaven.
🔸 Spirit overcomes Stem: Official salary shows movement; one attains rank in office but should not expect abundant wealth; common people encountering legal matters may obtain official goods, yet there is illness in the throat and hidden loss of wealth.
🔸 Spirit overcomes General: Internal thieves arise; collusion, theft, fraud, framing, and usurpation deepen daily; wealth is lost and the young are harmed; beware of calamities and illness; hopes are unfulfilled; for illness divination, peril is indicated.
🔸 Spirit overcomes Direction: Obstruction arises; seeking wealth is slow, all matters delayed; the master's anger erupts, bringing disaster to servants; for illness divination, it indicates navel pain and lameness making walking difficult.
🔸 Spirit generates Stem: There is recommendation for promotion in office; people send gifts visible in official circles; offer timely sacrifices to express filial sincerity; the person sought will surely come to meet.
🔸 Spirit generates General: Marriage is harmonious; precious gifts arrive at the right time; hopes and endeavors all meet with success; the traveler will surely return—no need for doubt.
🔸 Spirit generates Direction: The obstructing spirit shows movement; through roundabout efforts, hope of success begins to appear; the master is harmonious, grace extends downward; household servants exert themselves, and the family estate flourishes.
🔸 General overcomes Stem: Obstruction and joy arrive together; joyful celebrations are predetermined by Heaven; seeking wealth meets obstruction, matters are difficult to accomplish; one must await the descent of Heavenly blessing before union is achieved.
🔸 General overcomes Spirit: Wealth movement arises; seeking wealth brings profit, but the wife falls ill; seeking office is difficult, illness is hard to cure; traveling abroad, physical forms ultimately suffer loss.
🔸 General overcomes Direction: Worry arises; sorrow and illness make the feet difficult to walk; the young suffer disaster; property and servants sustain much damage; litigation is hard to win; the household is unsettled.
🔸 General generates Stem: The pacifying star is auspicious; inner and outer harmony prevails; the wife is the rightful spouse; property prospers, children are filial—know that people and household are both at peace.
🔸 General generates Spirit: The harmonious star—all affairs are propitious, blessings and salary arrive together; children are filial, the wife is virtuous, the household is peaceful; charitable giving spreads widely, roads and bridges are level.
🔸 General generates Direction: The auspicious spirit's lesson—wealth comes from outside with relatives' assistance; joyous descendants are many and outstanding—know that Heaven protects the household's peace.
🔸 Direction overcomes Stem: The officer-ghost movement appears; official career prospers, but abroad there are litigation entanglements; disasters, worries, disputes, grudges, and injuries; self-reproach, and fleeing incurs punishment from the stem above.
🔸 Direction overcomes Spirit: Official salary shows movement; seeking office and obtaining salary will surely bring fame; but the spirit is wounded and suppressed—no one recommends you; punishments and imprisonment come repeatedly; officials are angered.
🔸 Direction overcomes General: External thieves are revealed; resources are depleted; wife and concubine suffer calamity and poison; know that the human desire originates within the household; lost items are found again upon search.
🔸 Direction generates Spirit: The joy-and-harmony star—roundabout efforts all meet with satisfaction; servants devote themselves, loyalty benefits the master—know that the foundation prospers and the dwelling is renewed.
🔸 Direction generates Stem: The loyalty-and-filiality star—parents, sovereign, and teacher all rejoice greatly; official seals and promotions bring much advancement—know that sacrificial blessings arrive together.
🔸 Direction generates Stem: The Ren star attains its ground, bearing auspicious celebrations to the door; harmonious marriage, fulfilled hopes, family harmony, and renewed enterprise.
Upper obedient, lower generating: Heaven bestows good fortune; outsiders deliver goods and wealth accordingly; adding offspring, all affairs harmonize; the traveler returns immediately; property prospers.
Lower obedient, upper generating: Favorable for travel; commerce profits as desired; seeking office brings recommendation, receiving favor and promotion; joyful news arrives from home.
Upper obedient, lower overcoming (external overcomes internal): Outsiders plot deceit, secretly harboring harm; frequent disputes over wealth; the superior oppresses the inferior; foot ailments and foundation decline dominate.
Lower obedient, upper overcoming (internal overcomes external): The young and lowly are disobedient; lawsuits destroy; entanglements lose wealth; much quarreling; vomiting and illness; parents are disturbed.
🔸 Stem and Spirit in harmony: Plan for oneself only; do not implicate relatives or burden others.
🔸 Spirit and General in harmony: Good relations with kin; endeavors may be entrusted to clan elders.
🔸 General and Direction in harmony: Friends assist; advance and retreat both rely on friends for accomplishment.
🔸 Stem and arms in harmony: Brothers of the same kind; plans lack substance; peers walk together.
🔸 Total harmony: Relatives multiply in connection; the lowly surpass the noble; the wicked seize from the righteous; upper and lower are confused without distinction—great inauspiciousness without good fortune; calamities and punishments arrive together.
🔸 Spirit united with Stem: The official union—scholars achieve glory in examinations and court appointment; vulgar people face litigation and official entanglements; minor hopes are difficult to fulfill.
🔸 Spirit united with General: The proper union—marriage accomplished, all matters prosper; much help from friends, relatives, and neighbors; only for illness divination does it indicate extension into autumn and winter.
🔸 General united with Direction: The distant union—marriage from afar may be accomplished in a future year; matters are delayed in completion; the sick person lies supine; the lowly move the elder; union is inherited in succession.
🔸 Stem united with General: Named "Ge" (barrier)—inner and outer defenses; late sending, late welcoming.
🔸 Direction united with Spirit: Matters of many years; the young and lowly petition the elder; affairs are completed late.
🔸 Direction united with Stem: Others scheme against oneself; when matters arise at the gate, contention begins; the star-qi directions coordinate with the gates and all generals; fortune and misfortune are balanced and evaluated according to the time.
🔸 Companions of the same kind are flourishing; what I generate is in phase; rest is wealth-official; imprisonment is ghost-general; death is parent—one must distinguish importance; with vital energy, great misfortune; without vital energy, only minor ailment.
🔸 A great auspicious star flourishing is certainly superior to a minor star, but when without vital energy, it is inferior to the minor star's unimpeded flow.
🔸 When auspicious lodgings encounter seasonal flourishing phases, ten thousand endeavors succeed completely; merit and achievement are commendable; regardless of bodily form or fixed destiny, the various schools disregard evil stars and fierce generals.
🔸 Official talismans and the Grand Duke Year all submit to obedience; suppressing baleful influences and elevating mysterious efficacy reveals truth; acting with flowing wealth, wealth immediately issues; acting with emptiness, prosperity arises within emptiness.
🔸 If encountering rest, imprisonment, and abandonment, I advise you not to seek advancement.
I now deduce the numbers of hexagrams and bureaus, transformations visible at all times to the Daoist practitioner. The Value Talisman is the warp; the Value Envoy is the woof, fully elaborating the complete arts of the Western Mountains. The Gate is the outer hexagram; the Palace is the inner hexagram; the Value Envoy governs the wandering of the time's primary hexagram. The moving lines that appear judge current affairs; the hidden lines reveal subsequent responses. The reversed hexagram is taken from the Former Heaven opposition; the enemy's direction may be retained for divination. Mutually examine future and posterity's affairs; in application, distinguish between flourishing and rest phases.
When the employed line is wounded, seek rescue through generation; even at the point of death, search for renewed life. The second volume clearly details these categories—please examine and deduce them one by one. The anchored palace's natal star resides among the Six Yi; the Jiazi annual cycle begins at the head of the natal star. From the natal palace palace start Jiazi, yin and yang flow in reverse and forward equally. The natal star and annual cycle are deduced according to the palace; then one knows the temperament, rise, and fall of strategies.
Among the Three Changes of divination, the Zhou Yi is primary; the enlightening divination method seeks through transformation. Weighing and investigating mysteries rests with oneself; reaching deep application requires utmost sincerity. If one can maintain this in every moment, only then can one gradually attain the highest cultivation.
This song-verse uses Qimen methodology to deduce the hexagram imagery of the Zhou Yi.
The mystery of Qimen lies at the Nine-Palace periphery—that is, the Peripheral Nine-Palace palm formula. Translocate to the Qiyi, transmitting in forward and reverse order.
Yang Dun spreads the Six Yi forward: Jiazi Wu, Jiaxu Ji, Jiashen Geng, Jiawu Xin, Jiachen Ren, Jiayin Gui; and spreads the Three Marvels in reverse: Star Marvel Ding, Moon Marvel Bing, Sun Marvel Yi. Yin Dun spreads the Six Yi in reverse and the Three Marvels forward.
Palace, bureau, star, and gate change with Jia: For example, in Yang Dun Bureau Two, begin Jiazi at Kun Two in the Peripheral Nine Palaces, counting to the time in question; wherever the Jia旬 talisman head falls, take that palace's star and gate for dual use—the star is the Value Talisman and the gate is the Value Envoy.
Day and hour must be translocated through the Five Zi Yuan: Jia-Ji still adds Jia, Yi-Geng uses Bing as beginning, Bing-Xin generates Wu Zi, Ding-Ren lives in Geng Zi, Wu-Gui falls where? Ren Zi is the true path.
First seek the talisman envoy from the Jia旬: That is, wherever the preceding Jia旬 falls, the star is the talisman and the gate is the envoy.
Next seek where the hour rests among palaces: Wherever the current hour falls, add the value gate upon it as the value envoy.
Then observe where the hour stem falls: For example, from Jiazi to the relevant Jia talisman head, count on the Peripheral Nine Palaces to the Jia palace; what remains are the Three Marvels. Yang Dun takes Bing, Ding, Yi; Yin Dun takes Yi, Bing, Ding. From the previous palace's Jiazi, begin Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui; observe where the current hour stem falls—the Value Talisman is there; the locations of Yi, Bing, Ding are likewise determined.
The palace number, star, and gate mark the correct pattern: One must clearly note the palace, star, and gate; then the bureau is established. The Eight Trigrams have fixed positions—even encountering Yin or Yang Dun, they do not fly; the Nine Stars also have fixed palaces, but must fly following the Value Talisman. Observe which bureau starts from Zi to the relevant Jia talisman head—that determines the star; counting again to the hour gives the gate. Like starting Wu from Jiazi, arriving at the hour stem, and so forth.
Then fly the talisman and envoy through the Nine Palaces: Fly the nine palace positions on the palm to know where Qimen's fortune and misfortune fall.
Rest arriving at Palace Two starts from Two: For example, in Yang Dun Bureau Two, Jiazi day, Yichou hour, Rest Gate flies to Kun Two palace and stops there; that becomes the value envoy gate.
Ren halts at Palace Three, arising at Three: Ren follows Palace Three—that is the talisman—that is Palace Three.
Star, marvel, gate united—this is the wonder: The Nine Stars, Marvels, and Gates must all be mutually united before use.
Eight Gates, stems, and branches added to the ground: The Eight Gates' stems and branches added to the earthly disk must all mutually generate before use.
Generation, restraint, flourishing, and resting determine fortune: Deduce fortune and misfortune through rest, flourishing, grave, and restraint.
These are the immortal spirit's secret formulas; though offered a thousand pieces of gold, one should not lightly impart them to others.
Two○ Seven○ Six○
Nine○ Five○ One○
Four○ Three○ Eight○
The wild horse leaps the ravine; upon encountering Yin, count the pig and dog; one bureau passes one palace; do not use Hai, Zi, or Chou.
Dui Seven (Shen) Gen Eight (You) Li Nine (Xu) Unused (Hai)
Qian Six (Wei) Unused (Zi)
Center Five (Wu) Unused (Chou)
Xun Four (Si) Zhen Three (Chen) Kun Two (Mao) Kan One (Yin)
Intercalary wonders have their own mysterious formula—intercalation based on the season.
The immortals refuse to explain clearly—intercalation precedes the Winter and Summer Solstices. In any month, the solar terms are based on thirty days plus five hours and two quarters; thirty days divide into six bureaus; the remaining five hours and two quarters constitute the intercalation. When Mangzhong (Grain in Ear) or Daxue (Great Snow) exceeds nine days, intercalation applies. Approximately five days form one yuan; one day has twelve hours.
The Jia-Yi two characters signal the talisman head—this Jia-Yi is the most crucial formula. Intercalation takes the Jia-Yi two characters as primary. If the Jia-Yi talisman arrives first, it is called Transcending; if the Jia-Yi talisman has not yet arrived, it is called Receiving; if Jia-Yi and the solar term arrive together, it is called Direct Transmission.
Zi, Wu, Mao, You establish the upper bureau: Zi, Wu, Mao, You form the upper bureau.
Yin, Shen, Si, Hai seek the middle bureau; Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei mark the lower bureau limit: Yin, Shen, Si, Hai form the middle bureau; Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei form the lower bureau.
Term connects talisman; talisman encounters term: Talisman refers to the Jia-Yi talisman head; term refers to the solar term.
Ten thousand taels of gold cannot lightly express it: Encountering the talisman before the term is Transcending; encountering the talisman after the term is Receiving. If one can understand Transcending Spirits and Receiving Qi, one becomes a guest beyond the three mountains and clouds.
The classic says: "If there is a purpose, all affairs should face the direction where the Six Jia abides, call their spirit's name, walk sixty paces, turn left into the Great Yin. Also, the sixth Ding is called Great Yin; upon seeing the Noble, there is joy; upon encountering battle formation, victory follows."
| Xun Head (Talisman Head) | Spirit Name | Utilization Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Jiazi Xun | Wang Wenqing | Ascending the altar, receiving general's appointment, taking command of military tallies. When the marshal plans strategy, raises troops, or distributes provisions, all should face that direction, call the spirit's name, walk sixty paces, turn left into the Great Yin—then command operates with divine efficacy |
| Jiaxu Xun | Xu He | Favorable for clearing mountains and forests, leveling roads, dividing river courses; achieved naturally, roads open without damage. All should face that direction, call the spirit's name, walk sixty paces, turn left into the Great Yin—then desired roads open themselves |
| Jiashen Xun | Gai Xin | For entering mountains for hunting, capturing tigers, wolves, insects, and beasts, all should face that direction, call the spirit's name, walk sixty paces, turn left into the Great Yin—insects and beasts naturally remain motionless |
| Jiawu Xun | Ling Guang | For setting camp, arranging formations, patrols, and battles, face that direction, call the spirit's name, walk sixty paces, turn left into the Great Yin—then victory is certain |
| Jiachen Xun | Han Zhang | For seeking office, receiving general's appointment, governing the people, or assuming a post, all should face that direction, call the spirit's name, walk sixty paces, turn left into the Great Yin—then the official will neither fail nor regret |
| Jiayin Xun | Jian Bing | For raising troops, displaying weapons, training formations, suppressing bandits, marching, or punishing the unrighteous, all should face that direction, call the spirit's name, walk sixty paces, turn left into the Great Yin—traveling to pacify borders, thieves naturally do not arise |
The above Six Jia govern the Five Elements' venerable spirits, whose disposition is tranquil. When conducting affairs, writing mutually restraining characters is auspicious. The Six Jia internally govern the Five Elements, their movement and stillness without fixed direction; the Five Elements house victory, with paths of mutual generation and restraint. The left hand images Heaven; the right hand models Earth; spirits delight in stillness—therefore writing the Five Elements' mutual restraint, transformation, and operation includes all without omission.
Specific method of writing characters in the palm:
| Purpose | Character Written |
|---|---|
| Deploying troops for battle | In the left palm, write in cinnabar the character "强" (Strong), grasp it in the hand, walk sixty paces, turn left into the Great Yin—able to overcome the weak and achieve victory |
| Meeting Nobles, seeking office, seeing officials of two-thousand-stone rank | Write the character "天" (Heaven) in the left palm |
| Merchant trade, forming friendships, marriage, signing contracts | Write the character "和" (Harmony) |
| Entering mountains for hunting | Write the character "狮" (Lion) |
| Commanding laborers and gatherings | Write the character "强" (Strong) |
| Crossing rivers and controlling waters | Write the character "土" (Earth) or "戊" (Wu) |
| Waves surging, boats about to capsize | Especially avoid the eight winds, touching Water Dragon, Zhaoyao, and Xianchi days; should write the character "戊" (Wu) |
| Wandering mountains and entering the Dao | Write the character "龙" (Dragon)—the dragon dares not move |
When the Value Talisman faces that direction, advance sixty paces, turn left into the Great Yin—one who attains this finds the Heavenly Way unobstructed. Such is the wondrous application of the Five Elements' mastery.
This chapter reveals a three-dimensional system of mutual generation and restraint built upon the four-tier structure of Heavenly Yuan (day stem) , Noble Spirit, Monthly General, and Direction. Its core logic can be summarized as:
Role Positioning of the Four Tiers:
| Level | Symbol | Corresponding Human Affairs |
|---|---|---|
| Heavenly Stem (Gan) | Sovereign, father, husband, master, teacher | Elders, superiors, head |
| Noble Spirit | Official rank, ambition, head of household | Position, career, chest |
| Moon General | Relatives, brothers | Peers, internal wealth, waist and abdomen |
| Direction | Inferiors, subjects, concubines | Subordinates, children, feet |
At its core, this system maps interpersonal relationships onto body parts and spatial directions, enabling the diviner to simultaneously assess multiple dimensions of information—personal affairs, family, official rank, and health—through the generative and controlling interactions of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. The underlying logic is the isomorphism of Heaven and Humanity: the human body is the cosmos, the family is the court, and the hierarchical order of superior and inferior is mirrored across the three plates of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.
The Deep Patterns of Generation and Control in Determining Fortune:
The modern value of this system lies not in literal fulfillment, but in the systematic thinking framework it provides:
1. Multi-Dimensional Association Analysis Model Qimen divination nests four layers—"self" (Stem), social role (Spirit), peer partners (General), and subordinate environment (Direction)—so that any action (generation or control) produces ripple effects across all levels. This closely resembles stakeholder analysis in modern systems theory—any decision must account for multiple feedback loops from superiors, peers, subordinates, and the external environment.
2. Dialectical Understanding of Generation and Control "The Stem controlling the Spirit brings official rank into motion; both rank and wealth are duly obtained" indicates that sometimes "control" is not detrimental; the key lies in whether what is controlled is what one needs. This embodies the modern management concept of "manageable conflict"—actively "controlling" (overcoming, striving for) certain domains yields positive returns. Conversely, though "Spirit generates Stem" is auspicious, it implies "others deliver things and official presence appears," bearing the connotation of passive acceptance; long-term reliance on external aid is not the path to self-reliance.
3. The Addition of the Temporal Dimension "Transcending the Spirit, Receiving the Qi, and Intercalation" resolves the core issue of misalignment between solar terms and talisman heads. The modern significance of this methodology lies in the recognition that any cyclical system requires a calibration mechanism. The distinctions among Transcendence (talisman arrives early), Reception (talisman not yet arrived), and Correct Conferral (talisman and solar term synchronized) fundamentally address the discrepancy between human timekeeping and natural rhythms—analogous to leap seconds and leap-year adjustments in modern calendars.
4. The Modern Transformation of "Character Writing for Victory" Among the Six Jia applications, the method of "writing characters"—stripped of its mystical veneer—is essentially a psychological anchoring technique: holding a specific symbol in the left or right hand, walking a fixed number of steps, turning toward a designated direction. This series of ritualized actions establishes situational awareness and decisive commitment at the psychological level. Modern athletes' pre-game rituals and military commanders' standardized pre-battle procedures operate on the same principle.
Applications in Decision Analysis:
The essence of "generation and control" is relationship, not victory or defeat. Within Chinese numerological systems, "generation and control" is not a simple binary of good versus bad, but rather a dynamic, balanced ecological relationship. For instance, "Direction controls Stem as official-ghost moves; rank prospers, yet litigation ensnares abroad"—a single "controlling" relationship simultaneously contains both "rank prospers" (favorable) and "litigation ensnares" (unfavorable), embodying the coexistence of positive and negative feedback loops in systems theory. The core insight of ancient sages: there is no absolute fortune or misfortune—only position and timing within relationships.
The Deep Warning of "Uniform Correspondence as Great Inauspiciousness": When all levels are perfectly correspondent, with no distinctions of generation or control, the system enters a maximally entropic state of stillness—no flow, no change, no vitality. This aligns with the I Ching's philosophy: "When the extreme is reached, change ensues; with change, circulation follows; with circulation, endurance prevails." A healthy system requires moderate "control" and "generation" to sustain dynamic vitality. The same applies to modern organizational management: teams with absolute harmony (uniform correspondence) often lack innovative drive, whereas organizations rich in "constructive conflict" prove more vibrant.
The Temporal Philosophy of "Transcending Spirit and Receiving Qi": The movement of the Heavenly Way is not uniformly rigid; slight deviations perpetually exist between humanity and natural rhythms. The Chinese conception of time acknowledges this deviation and reconciles it through intercalation, rather than forcibly leveling it. This mindset teaches us that when confronting cyclical misalignments and planning deviations, we should choose calibration and adjustment rather than denying the natural rhythms themselves.
The Ritual Power of "Character Writing for Victory": Wang Yangming spoke of "the unity of knowledge and action," and the sequence of "writing characters—clenching fists—stepping—turning" here constitutes precisely a ritual of body-mind integration. It reinforces psychological cognition through physical movements and anchors intentional commitment through symbolic writing. The "calling of names" of the Six Jia deities is, at a deeper level, an declaration of intent—humanity is not passively divining but actively invoking cosmic power. This closely parallels the process of building "self-efficacy" in modern positive psychology.
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Yizhi (Value Talisman) and Yishi (Value Envoy) | In the Qimen Dunjia plate, Yizhi is the star on duty among the Nine Stars, and Yishi is the door on duty among the Eight Doors; together they form the core "Talisman-Envoy" framework |
| Three Wonders and Six Instruments | Yi, Bing, Ding are the Three Wonders (Sun Wonder, Moon Wonder, Star Wonder); Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui are the Six Instruments, forming the basis of Qimen's Nine-Palace arrangement together with Jia (concealed) |
| Taiyin | One of the Nine Spirits in Qimen, governing concealment, protection, and covert assistance; serves as the mysterious direction of turning in the "Six Jia Applications" |
| Transcending Spirit, Receiving Qi, Correct Conferral | Three temporal relationships between solar terms and talisman heads, forming the core basis for Qimen intercalation and affecting the accuracy of situational configurations |
| Five Zi Elemental Cycle | Rhyme formula for determining the hour stem-branch from the day, a key step in setting up a Qimen chart |
| Wild Horse Leaping the Ravine | A unique movement pattern across the Nine Palaces in palm calculation, vividly describing the progression of palace positions like a wild horse jumping a ravine, skipping specific palaces |