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Chapter 2 of 5
雪心赋
The ancients, in selecting dwellings and burial sites, had long possessed the essential principles of this practice, yet they had not yet formed a systematic written expression. Later sages wrote treatises and established doctrines, transmitting this learning through families and practicing it throughout the world.
Burial must receive and harness the Vital Qi; the mountain range's configuration must be recognized through its Dragon's Origin; the selection of the acupoint never departs from the Three Stops method, while the mountain formations are classified according to the Eight Trigrams directions.
Regarding human qualities, nothing is more precious than a pair of eyes that can discern the finest details; if one is ignorant of the principles of geography, who can attain that mysterious and subtle realm?
The transformations of Yin and Yang, of favorable and unfavorable currents, are inherently difficult to comprehend; the hidden conditions of ghosts and spirits are even more impossible to perceive.
Arrange the eight directions to correspond to the Eight Trigrams; examine the Four Configurations to grasp the Four Corners. Mountains and waters have their departures and arrivals; configurations have their movement and stillness.
⛰ Distant mountain ranges originate from the Patriarch Mountain, deriving descendant mountains from the Ancestor Mountain through successive generations. 🌊 Gushing waters surge forth from their sources, branching from the root into numerous tributaries.
When entering the mountains, first seek the Water Mouth; upon entering the hall, carefully observe the Bright Hall.
Mountains and rivers gather the spiritual essence of constellations; the host and guest configurations fully display the beauty of the southeast direction.
Establishing the orientation places importance on welcoming Officials and receiving Emoluments; positioning the acupoint must approach auspiciousness and avoid inauspiciousness.
One must cite ancient examples to verify present methods; the value lies in ascending heights and gazing far, comprehending the overall perspective.
The mountain range departs from the hall-like main peak, winding its way for a thousand miles. Tracing the dragon, inquiring after the ancestor and lineage — how could one stop halfway on the journey?
Where the Ancestor Mountain rises tall and imposing, its subsequent descendants will certainly be noble. Where host and guest mountains mutually approach each other, their sentiments naturally correspond in harmony.
The right-hand Guardian Mountain must lie recumbent, the left-hand Guardian Mountain must descend low — in this manner, the spirit is a hundredfold. When the front has responsive presence and the rear has supporting form, the bearing is myriad and profound.
Those who discern mountain ranges understand the principle that a single main trunk divides into different branches. Those who discuss water methods grasp the subtlety of the Three Forks and Nine Bends.
Divination pronounces it auspicious, and ultimately it proves truly fortunate. Auspicious lands are governed by the spirits; good people are assisted by Heaven.
Generals, ministers, marquises, and dukes — all are nurtured from this place. Glory, wealth, and honor — which of these does not arise from it.
Those who simply know this learning are not as good as those who truly delight in it; do not dismiss these words lightly. Having already attained understanding, one must further delve into profound study, for it indeed contains exquisite principles.
This chapter constitutes the general outline of the Xue Xin Fu (Snow Heart Rhapsody), systematically presenting the core framework of Feng Shui:
Within the contemporary context, the geographical principles discussed in this chapter can be transformed into a systematic observational approach to the human living environment:
| Classical Principle | Modern Application Scenario |
|---|---|
| Enter mountains, seek the Water Mouth | When purchasing a home, investigate the community entrance, surrounding road configurations, and garage access points |
| Enter the hall, observe the Bright Hall | Upon entering a house, observe whether the living room frontage is open and whether there is bright space before the windows |
| Host and guest approaching each other | Assess whether the relationship between the residence and surrounding front-back-left-right buildings is harmonious, without oppression or direct confrontation |
| Ancestor Mountain standing tall | Observe the core landmarks, mountain ranges, or architectural high points of the area when selecting a site |
| Three Forks and Nine Bends | Pay attention to whether nearby waterways and roads curve gracefully, avoiding straight rushes and inverted bows |
Practical Recommendations: These principles can serve as an observation checklist for site selection. Through on-site inspection, record mountain-water configurations, architectural relationships, Bright Hall and Water Mouth conditions item by item, then comprehensively assess environmental quality rather than relying on any single indicator.
This chapter embodies a profound ontological proposition: the human-land relationship is a bidirectional correspondence. "Auspicious lands are governed by spirits; good people are assisted by Heaven" is not a simple matter of karmic retribution, but rather points to a classical worldview of Heaven-Human Resonance — a sympathetic resonance between human virtue and the spirituality of place. This notion has its transformed form in contemporary times: a person's respect for the environment, sensitivity to spatial qualities, and reverence for nature are themselves forms of "virtue," and this virtue guides them toward wiser decisions in site selection and environmental management. In other words, good environmental judgment is itself an ability to "attain land," and the cultivation of this judgment is inseparable from one's personal cultivation, breadth of vision, and inner sense of order.