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Chapter 6 of 8
太清神鉴
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Therefore, the voice of a noble person originates from within the elixir field, connects with the qi of the heart, and flows outward like vast waters. Why is this? The elixir field is the root of the voice; the qi of the heart is the source of the voice; the tip of the tongue is the external manifestation of the voice. When the root is deep, the manifestation is weighty; when the root is shallow, the manifestation is light. (The Yuguan Zhaoshen Ju says: "From this one may know that the voice arises from the root and manifests in its outward expression.")
If the voice is clear and round, firm and bright, slow yet intense, urgent yet harmonious, prolonged yet forceful and dignified—like the ringing of a great bell or the resounding beat of an alligator-skin drum, grand and far-reaching; or like the flowing tone of a cold spring or the plucked strings of a zither, clear and delicate—when conversing with others, one speaks with refined and essential words, and the speech ceases gracefully and unhurriedly. Such a good voice travels far without breaking, is clear in its shallowness, can hold depth in its profundity, is grand yet not turbid, subtle yet fresh, fine yet not disordered, emerges and is distinct, with lingering echoes that are vigorous, like the winding and flowing notes of a reed organ, able to be round or square. Such a voice signifies blessing, prosperity, and long life.
As for the voice of a petty person, it arises from the tip of the tongue, panting and hurried, unable to travel far, never leaving the lips, disordered and intermittent, urgent yet hoarse, slow yet obstructed, deep yet stagnant, shallow yet rash; or grand yet scattered, or prolonged yet broken, or light yet uneven, or lingering yet without rhythm, or glaring with sudden rage, or troubled and floating, coarse and turbid, flying and dispersed, halting and stammering, dull and impeded; or like the sound of a cracked bell or a broken drum, or like a cold hen feeding its chicks, or a hungry duck choking on meat, or like a sick ape seeking a mate, or like a lone goose separated from its flock; fine like an autumn earthworm humming low, grand like a cold cicada crying late at night; the masculine one like a dog barking violently, the feminine one like a sheep calling in solitude. Such voices are all signs of a shallow and superficial nature.
A man with a woman's voice, delicate and soft (The Yuguan Zhaoshen Ju notes: "This refers to being soft and delicate without being firm and intense."), will be solitary and poor all his life; a woman with a man's voice, violent and fierce (The Yuguan Zhaoshen Ju notes: "This refers to being firm and violent without being gentle and mild."), will bring harm to others throughout her life.
However, if the body is small but the voice is great, this is auspicious; if the body is great but the voice is small, this is inauspicious; if the body and voice are in harmony, this is good. If the voice is now dry and now moist, uneven, it is called the "net-casting voice"; if it is now small and now great, it is called the "male-female voice"; if it is slow at first and urgent later, or urgent at first and slow later, or if the breath is already exhausted before the voice ceases, or if the complexion changes before the voice is even emitted—all these are signs of a thin and shallow nature.
Therefore, when the spirit is settled within and the qi is harmonious without, the voice will be calm and orderly in speech, without changes in complexion. If the spirit is unsettled, the qi will surely be disharmonious, and speech will lose its proper order, with disordered expressions and coloring—all signs of a petty and inferior nature.
Those whose voice sounds like a broken bamboo tube will be wealthy; like broken tiles, base; like broken wood, poor; like broken bamboo, bitter. Those with a gander's voice will suffer much ruin and dispersion; those with a drake's voice will be of lowly station. Those with a voice violent as a wolf's or jackal's will cause much harm and injury. Those with a deep voice that echoes as if in a deep hall are blessed individuals. Therefore, a voice as fine as weeping signifies poverty, lowliness, and solitude; a voice as coarse as wailing signifies disasters and calamities pursuing one. A voice that is clear and lively signifies lofty aspirations; a voice that is tender and delicate signifies the decline and ruin of one's family estate.
Human beings are endowed with the forms of the Five Elements, and their voices also possess the imagery of the Five Elements. Thus, the Wood voice is high and soaring (The Yuguan Zhaoshen Ju notes: "Resonant and high-soaring, vigorous and harmonious."), the Fire voice is scorched and intense (Note: "Uttered too severely, like the fierceness of fire; if it is rash and shallow with violence, it is called turbid fire, an inauspicious response."), the Metal voice is harmonious and moist (Note: "Harmonious then not harsh, moist then not dry; struck, it is clear; beaten, it is pure, like a tung-tree pipe playing a melody or a jade chime flowing with sound."), the Water voice is round and rapid (Note: "Round and clear, rapid and smooth, firm yet not scattered, prolonged yet powerful, either fluent and flowing or resounding and forceful."), the Earth voice is deep and heavy (Note: "Deep then not shallow, heavy then not thin, grandly issuing forth from between the throat and larynx."). If the voice and the physical form mutually generate each other, it is auspicious; if they mutually overcome each other, it is inauspicious.
The voice is divided into three dominions, by which success and failure may be determined. If the voice is high at the beginning, youthful years will be strong and vigorous; if the voice is thin in the middle, middle age will be weak and declining; if the voice is faint at the end, later years will be lowly and mean. Therefore, the voice greatly influences one's fortune and destiny, and it must not be unvirtuous. Those with unvirtuous voices are all marked by malevolence and will surely encounter many calamities and physical adversities. Those with official positions will lose their posts; those with wealth will see it scattered; men will be unable to preserve their households, and women will be unable to preserve their families. (The Yuguan Zhaoshen Ju and the Yuebo Dongzhong Ji are in agreement.)
Among all things, the voice is the most difficult to distinguish. In general, the tongue should be round and perfect, the voice clear, moist, quick, and lively—it should not be anxious, stagnant, harmed, broken, or urgent. If a person is tall and large but the voice is small, they are not of great capacity; if a person is short and small but the voice is grand, they are of excellent caliber. One must also discuss it in conjunction with the Five Elements and the spirits, listening to whether the five sounds harmonize or not, whether they inflict harm or not, to make determinations—one cannot rely on mere words alone. Briefly, the five sound formulas are as follows:
When discussing the five sounds, one does not distinguish them by physical form or kind, because sound has no physical form—it can only be apprehended through hearing. Then, after detailed consideration of the principles involved, one determines fortune and misfortune, and only then can one be correct in every instance without fail.
The Five Elements disperse into the myriad things. Human beings hold the highest position among all things, and their voices can likewise be distinguished. Thus, the Wood tone is resonant and soaring, vigorous and harmonious; the Fire tone is cracking, fierce, and wrathful, like blazing flames; the Metal tone is harmonious and not harsh, moist and not dry, like the flowing sound of a jade chime; the Water tone is round and clear, rapid and smooth, either fluent and flowing or stirring and bursting forth; the Earth tone is deep and not shallow, heavy and not thin, as if grandly issuing from between the throat and larynx. If the voice and the physical form nurture and generate each other, it is auspicious; if they overcome and violate each other, it is inauspicious.
Walking is the rhythm of advancing and retreating, the measure of approaching and departing, by which one may discern the distinction between nobility and baseness in a person. Those who are skilled at walking move like a boat upon water—there is nowhere they cannot go with ease. Those unskilled at walking are like a boat that has lost its water—there is surely the peril of sinking.
Therefore, the walk of a noble person is like water flowing downward—the body heavy and the feet light. (The Yuguan Zhaoshen Ju notes: "The body is upright and straight like water flowing, departing swiftly and smoothly, the body not shaking.") The walk of a petty person is like fire blazing upward—the body light and the feet heavy. (Note: "Like fire swaying, the body not upright, the feet shaking and moving.")
When walking, one should not raise the head and stumble, nor incline the body and bend the waist. Too high indicates arrogance; too low indicates servility; too rapid indicates violence; too slow indicates sluggishness. The one who turns and moves without losing proper measure, who advances and retreats each conforming to appropriate degree, is of supreme nobility.
Those who walk with head lowered are possessed of much cunning and forethought; those who walk with head raised have little sense of loyalty and affection. Those who walk with chest bowed are foolish and base; those whose bodies are straight and level are blessed and auspicious. Those whose step is like the tiger's stride have fortune and emolument; those whose step is like the dragon's rush have power and honor. Those who walk with a goose's or duck's gait will accumulate a fortune of a thousand in gold; those who race like a horse or deer will toil and wander all their lives. Those who walk like an ox are wealthy and long-lived; those who glide like a serpent are poisonous and short-lived. Those who hop like a sparrow will never have enough to eat; those who skip like an ape will suffer ceaseless hardship. Those who walk like a turtle enjoy fortune and longevity; those who walk with a crane's step will see their emolument diminished. Those who walk like a wild goose are intelligent and worthy; those who walk with a rat's step are suspicious and base. Those who walk like flowing water or a boat on the move are wealthy and noble; those who rush like a frantic dog are lowly and mean.
Those who come with a halting, hobbling gait have behavior that is not auspicious; those who depart with unhurried ease have surplus wealth and food. Those whose heels do not touch the ground are poor and short-lived. Those who set off in a rush as if running will be base and subordinate to others. Those who glance left and right while walking harbor thoughts of thievery; those who look back over their shoulders while walking are given to alarm and disturbance.
In general, the noble walk is this: the waist is not bent, the head is not lowered, the starting step is quick, the advancing body is straight, the stride is wide, and one proceeds upright and without hesitance—this is the noble physiognomy. In advancing, retreating, approaching, and departing, one should conform to proper rule. The one who moves calmly and slowly with orderly grace is of good physiognomy.
For fat people, the physical body is heavy, and the walk should be swift as if flying; for thin people, the physical form is light, and the walk should be steady as if with hesitation—both of these are noble physiognomies. If one tilts the body and slants the shoulders, hopping like a magpie or slithering like a serpent, none of these are favorable physiognomies.
Sitting is the expression of resting and abiding. One should be calm and composed, level and upright, with the body neither inclined nor tilted, deep and weighty like a boulder, the lower back as if supported, tireless through the entire day, and the spirit and complexion growing ever clearer—this is the noble physiognomy. If one appears as if drunk or as if ill, or as if lost in thought, all of these are unfavorable physiognomies.
It is also said: A person's walking belongs to yang, and sitting belongs to yin. Thus, the walker is yang and moves, while the sitter is yin and is still. To remain unmoved and still is the virtue of sitting; those who shake their knees while sitting are shallow and inferior people. Those who sit with head lowered are of the poor and suffering class. Those who turn their bodies to look behind while sitting are cruel; those who shake their heads and sway while sitting are cunning. Those who sit solemn and unmoving as a stone are wealthy and noble; those who shift about restlessly like an ape are poor and base. Those whose spirit and qi remain still and unmoved once seated are loyal and good, possessing fortune and emolument; those whose expression and complexion become disordered and changeable once seated are fierce, foolish, and base.
The principle of sitting: if one is not proper and upright, the physiognomic pattern is not good; if one can be careful and strict, fortune and blessing shall increase daily.
Lying down is the time of rest. One should be calm and peaceful, still and unmoving—this is the person of fortune and longevity. Those who curl up like a dog are of superior physiognomy; those who bend like a dragon are noble persons. Those who sleep with mouths open are short-lived; those who gnash their teeth in dreams will meet death in war. Those who sleep with eyes open will die upon the road; those who talk in their sleep belong to the lowly lot of slaves and maidservants. Those who lie supine like a corpse are poor and short-lived; those who breathe coarsely like roaring while lying down are foolish and turbid and prone to early death. Those who sleep face-down will die of starvation; those who grow drowsy the moment they reach the bed are obstinate and base. Those who prefer side-lying are auspicious; those who toss and turn are of disordered temperament.
Those who sleep little have a clear spirit and are noble; those who sleep much have a turbid spirit and are base. Those who fall asleep easily and wake easily are clever and alert; those who are hard to rouse are foolish and stubborn. Those whose breathing is inaudible are long-lived; those whose breathing is even attain long life. Those who inhale much are long-lived; those whose qi is insubstantial are short-lived. Those who exhale with a whooshing sound are near death. Those whose bodies sway lightly while sleeping, never lying still, are of the lower class.
Blood and qi rely on eating and drinking to be nourished and strengthened; life and destiny rely on eating and drinking to be sustained. Thus, one should not speak while eating, nor become angry while chewing. Those who eat quickly tend to become fat; those who eat slowly tend toward many ailments. Those who eat little yet are fat have a generous and mild temperament; those who eat much yet are thin have a disordered nature. Those who drink slowly are gentle in temperament; those who eat like pecking grain are poor and base. Those who chew with closed lips are pure and harmonious; those who eat with open mouth are unrighteous; those whose teeth are exposed while eating are poor and short-lived.
Those who chew like a cow ruminating have fortune and emolument; those who eat like a sheep are honored and revered. Those who eat like a tiger hold the power of a general; those who eat like an ape hold the rank of an envoy. Those who look around while eating will be poor and hungry all their lives. One should eat quickly without pausing, composedly without being violent, chewing without sound, swallowing without noise.
The chain of "nurturing the body → nurturing the blood → nurturing the qi → nurturing the spirit" reminds modern people: physical management is the foundation of spiritual management. Regular exercise (nurturing the body) → promoting circulation (nurturing the blood) → enhancing energy (nurturing the qi) → improving mood (nurturing the spirit)—this chain corresponds exactly to the "exercise improves mood" mechanism in sports psychology.
4. The "Hypothesis—Action—Review" Framework for Decision-Making Reference
If physiognomic observation is used as a reference for decision-making, the following methodology may be adopted:
1. "Form" and "Spirit"—A Classical Expression of Mind-Body Monism
The opening of Volume Four—"Before the two qi are distinguished, the one body is mysteriously still; once heaven and earth take form, all things attain substance"—connects cosmology with the mind-body relationship, reflecting the mode of thinking of the isomorphism of heaven and humanity. The relationship between the human body (form) and spirit is analogized to the relationship between the formation of heaven and earth and the generation of all things—this is a philosophical perspective that structures micro-life and the macro-cosmos as isomorphic.
2. The Value Choice of "Rather Spirit Sufficient and Form Deficient"
This proposition carries profound philosophical significance: it implies that inner quality is superior to external conditions. Within the framework of physiognomy, this is in fact a correction to fatalism—even if physical conditions are unfavorable (innate insufficiency), abundant spirit (acquired cultivation) can still alter destiny. This echoes the Confucian tradition of "cultivating the self and nourishing one's nature."
3. "Categorizing by the Nature of Things"—Metaphorical Cognition of Humans and Nature
Comparing humans to cranes, phoenixes, tortoises, rhinos, tigers, lions, and dragons reflects the ancient mode of thinking that uses natural imagery as a cognitive framework. This methodology of "taking images and drawing analogies" shares much in common with metaphorical cognition theory in modern cognitive science—by understanding and classifying human characteristics through natural imagery, one is essentially constructing a cognitive model of the "human-nature" continuum.
4. The Moralized Interpretation of Behavior
Linking eating habits with moral qualities such as "righteousness" and "pure harmony" (e.g., "those who eat with a closed mouth are pure and harmonious; those who eat with a wide-open mouth are unrighteous") reflects the ancient tendency to ethicize daily behavior. From a modern perspective, these associations cannot serve as a basis for moral judgment, but the implicit view therein—"subtle behaviors reflect inner cultivation"—has room for dialogue with Goffman's theory of "the presentation of self in everyday life."
5. The Tension Between Determinism and Agency
The physiognomic framework of Volume Four carries an obvious deterministic bent (specific forms correspond to specific destinies), yet it repeatedly emphasizes "when form and spirit are in accord, the Dao is achieved" and "when the spirit is settled within, the qi harmonizes without"—implying that inner cultivation can transform outer manifestation. This tension is precisely the core contradiction of traditional Chinese destiny studies: acknowledging innate conditions while retaining space for acquired effort.