Loading...
Chapter 2 of 8
博山篇
The method of seeking the dragon begins with locating the positions of the ancestral mountain, the father mountain, and the mother mountain.
The so-called ancestral mountain occupies the highest position and is where the Fire Star accumulates. Its form rises abruptly, towering into the clouds like a grand hall. The Water Star reflects upon it in mutual illumination, forming what is called Fire and Water in Harmony, which is the most ideal ancestral mountain configuration.
The so-called father and mother mountains occupy the mid-elevation position and are where the Metal Star accumulates. The father and mother stars, one inner and one outer, illuminate each other—one being the father mountain, the other the mother mountain—forming a corresponding and complementary relationship.
The dragon vein departs from this point, undergoes transformation and shedding here, and experiences refinement and change here. Only after passing through these processes can it be called a traveling dragon, and only then can it possibly form a true acupoint.
If the dragon vein descends straight down from a great mountain in a single stretch, even if accompanied by dragon and tiger sands on both sides, it can only be called a false acupoint. Why? Because the dragon qi has not penetrated through to the summit, has not undergone the process of refinement and shedding, and the living qi has not truly gathered and coalesced.
One must recognize the true dragon. The true dragon resides in the center, with supporting mountains and escort mountains behind, and guardian mountains and wrapping mountains on both sides. If there are many supporting mountains, many escort mountains, many guardian mountains, and many wrapping mountains, the dragon spirit will be greatly noble, moderately noble, or slightly noble—by these one can infer its rank.
The bearing of a traveling dragon resembles the human body: spreading the arms, forming a figure-eight stance, thrusting out the chest, and moving straight forward. The dragon body may be upright, tilted, leaning left, leaning right, stacked in succession, inverted, rising higher, or descending lower—its variations are numerous. One must examine carefully, examine carefully!
The eight methods of physiognomy—what kind of physiognomy do they examine? The twenty-eight forms—what kind of forms are they? The nine stars with eight transformations—what kind of stars are they? From these one distinguishes wealth and honor, poverty and lowliness. The three methods of descent: descending from the shoulder, descending from the waist, and descending from the center. Each of these three descent methods branches into veins and divides into leaves.
Descent from the center is the highest, followed by descent from the shoulder, and lastly descent from the waist. When one reaches the very end point, there lies the true excellent acupoint! Excellent acupoint!
Distinguish the five configurations of potential: When the dragon emanates from the north and comes facing south, it is called the upright configuration; when the dragon emanates from the west, forms its acupoint facing north, and its facing mountain toward the south, it is called the lateral configuration; when the dragon travels against the water's flow while the facing mountain descends with the water, this is the contrary configuration; when the dragon travels with the water's flow while the facing mountain ascends against the water, this is the withdrawing configuration; when the dragon body turns back to face the ancestral mountain, this is the returning configuration.
These five configurations forming acupoints each have five favorable arrangements and five contrary arrangements. The contrary arrangement is considered noble, while the favorable arrangement has diminished power. The favorable or contrary nature of the configuration is determined by the greater water (the great river).
In the upright, lateral, contrary, and withdrawing configurations, the waters from the ancestral mountain can all flow into the bright hall. In the returning configuration, because the dragon body curves over great distances and is obstructed by sand mountains, the ancestral mountain's waters find it difficult to reach the bright hall. Yet the returning dragon coils and winds around, while water also encircles it—although the ancestral water does not reach the hall, its power is actually greater.
Having distinguished the configurations, one must also examine the water outlet, and simultaneously the lower sand. The key lies in preferring the contrary, not in yielding to the favorable. With a dragon of the contrary configuration, its essence connects with the water, and even without lower sand it can still form a site. With a dragon of the withdrawing configuration, if there is no lower sand, one may use a nearby table mountain instead.
Regarding the configuration of returning to the ancestral mountain, a distant one is superior while a nearby one is not good. Why? The longer the dragon, the more water it obtains; the shorter the dragon, the less water it obtains.
The dragon is like a tree, having great trunks and small branches. The trunk is long and large; the branch is short and small. The trunk brings glory; the branches serve as guardians. In discussing the rises and falls, how does one weigh the important against the minor? As long as one can obtain water, either may be used. If there is doubtful dragon on trunks or branches, one must examine carefully.
When mountains divide and run in two parallel paths, water flows between them; when water divides and runs in two channels, mountains embrace within. This is the principle of water delimiting the dragon.
When a traveling dragon vein encounters water, the water delimits and severs the vein, and the dragon stops. Why? Qi travels within the earth and is called inner qi; water flows upon the soil and is called outer qi. Where outer qi delimits and intercepts, inner qi ceases to gather and does not disperse.
The veins of branch dragons extend within the soil; the earth ridge is the manifestation of the vein. Within highland dragons, the stone skeleton is the manifestation of the vein. What is distant is called configurational potential; what is near is called form. When potential arrives and form settles, living qi may be harnessed and utilized.
The dragon must gather and not scatter; the dragon must settle and not roam. But if there is gathering within scattering, and settling within movement, it still obtains the essential principles of the earth. How does one know it gathers? When there are enclosing walls like a city, it gathers. How does one know it settles? When there is a place of formation, it settles.
Highland dragons belong to yin; their qi floats near the surface and greatly fears the wind. Branch dragons belong to yang; their qi sinks within and does not fear the wind.
What is called a gorged mountain passage? It is where the dragon vein is interrupted and narrowed. A gorge sandwiched between two mountains is auspicious; a gorge exposed to wind and pierced by water is inauspicious. Gorges may exit from the center, exit from the left, turn back in glance, exit askew from the center, or exit sidewise from the true path. As the gorge exits, so does the acupoint exit. To obtain the acupoint, one must first trace the gorge; one who understands the gorge may clarify the acupoint. Though it is the same incoming dragon, the gorges it passes through come in ten different varieties, and one should distinguish them carefully.
Regarding facing direction, word corresponds to word. See what dragon, make what facing. See what gorge, make what sitting. According to the dragon's length, determine the distance of the acupoint formation. Having discerned these, the acupoint may be fixed.
The dragon spirit undergoes transformation and exchange, shedding from large to small, from high to low. Broken again and again, entangled again and again, the acupoint it forms will surely be refined and tender. What has never been broken, never been entangled, will yield an acupoint that is crude and ugly. Encountering an inauspicious star, one must transform and exchange it into an auspicious star before using it. If it has not been transformed into auspiciousness but one still wishes to use it, companion stars and wandering stars must accompany it—one must discern this carefully.
Within the favorable there is restraint; within the contrary seek the favorable. If one does not understand this principle, misfortune will be created—how can such a place be used?
Only when the dragon emerges through a canopy is its power significant. A canopy containing metal and water is of the highest grade; a canopy of pure water is of middle grade; a canopy with bands on both corners is of the highest grade; a drooping canopy is of middle grade; one passing through the chest is of the highest grade; one passing through the corner is of the lowest grade. A canopy with noble persons beneath it is of the highest grade; with noble persons seated upon it, of the lowest. With a left pivot and right axle is the highest grade; with protection on only one side is the lowest.
Spiritual springs nourish the yin, extraordinary bones and remarkable features—these all serve as evidence of the dragon.
To investigate a site thoroughly, one must first distinguish the dragon. Without knowing the dragon, how can one know the acupoint? If one obtains a true dragon with a noble acupoint, flaws in the acupoint may still be remedied and repaired; but if the dragon itself is base and weak, repair is of no benefit.
The dragon is the mother of all; in what direction are its noble offspring born? One must distinguish carefully. Do not, because the dragon is noble, recklessly acknowledge an ugly acupoint. When you see the dragon's form, you should know the acupoint's form. Do not wait until you are at the acupoint and lose your true judgment.
The dragon takes various forms: the flying dragon, the coiled dragon, the dancing phoenix dragon, the crouching tiger dragon, the galloping horse dragon, the swimming snake dragon, the low ridge dragon, the towering cliff dragon, the piercing arrow dragon, the chaotic tangled dragon, and the solitary graceful dragon—eleven forms in total, by which one may infer the nature of the acupoint.
The dragon acupoint may form the shape of sacred scriptures, of flood dragons, of mythical birds, of lions and elephants, of horses and camels, of bows and swords, of stars and moons, of a general's mansion, of ceremonial altars, of military camps, of temples and shrines—one should discuss these carefully and seek widely.
According to the generations of the rear dragon, see which dragon occupies which celestial domain. Examine the constellations, inquire into the directions and corners. Hai, Gen, Dui, Xun, Bing, Ding, Xin, Geng are the directions of the auspicious dragon, suitable for establishing an acupoint [translator's note: "插" should be "扦," a fengshui term referring to positioning an acupoint]. Ren, Zi, Gui, Zhen are also considered middling.
On matching the acupoint: A Hai dragon is fittingly oriented toward Bing, Xun, or Ding; a Gen dragon toward Bing, Geng, Ding with Xin, or Xun, in harmony with the celestial stars and cosmic cycles. A Dui dragon toward Gen, Mao, or Xun. The Ding and Xun orientations, the Hai, Gen, Xin, and Bing orientations, also match the Gen, Xin, and Ding orientations. A Hai dragon approaching Xin harmonizes with Geng, Xun, Mao, Gen, Si, opposite to the Hai palace. A Ren dragon's orientations are only Kun, Yi, Zi, Gui—all being Wu, Kun, while Mao orientations correspond to the Geng and Xin positions. These dragon-acupoint combinations all accord with noble configurations.
The ultimate secret of seeking the dragon: recognize the mountain-peak star bodies, gaze for the location of spiritual qi. Determine whence the dragon vein comes and whither it goes, examine the auspiciousness of directions, infuse true qi, and apply proper control—only then may benefit be obtained.
On the way of the dragon spirit, the discussion is detailed yet not exhausted. There are certain celestial palace configurations that few can comprehend. One must recognize the full picture to know where the great earth lies. There are the Ziwei Enclosure, the Taiwei Enclosure, and the Tianshi Enclosure. When the celestial rainbow comes and the heavenly horse arrives, this is the configuration of ancient capital cities. Sleeping or not sleeping—one must elevate one's gaze and inscribe this upon the heart. With these teachings, such is the way of the dragon.
The Boshan Chapter on Dragons systematically elaborates the core methodology of "seeking the dragon and locating the acupoint" in fengshui geomancy. Its central themes include:
Translating the logic of this classical text into a contemporary context:
The underlying logic throughout On the Dragon is the concrete manifestation of the traditional Chinese theory of qi and the relationship between form and qi. The essence of the dragon vein is the pathway along which qi travels; mountains are the carriers of qi, and water is its boundary. This mode of understanding treats the earth as a living organism, bearing deep structural similarity to modern ecological concepts of "landscape connectivity" and "ecological corridors."
The concept of "transformation" is particularly profound: it reveals that the formation of any vital force necessarily involves processes of negation and re-negation. A dragon unrefined is not noble, just as a person unattested by adversity does not mature, and things not disassembled and reconstructed cannot reach their essence. This is the projection of the I Ching notion that "ceaseless change" onto the observation of natural topography.
The dialectical relationship between "potential" and "form" also merits deep consideration: potential is the macroscopic trend and overall direction; form is the specific configuration and present state. Potential is invisible; form is visible. Yet what truly determines outcome is often the invisible "potential." This resonates remarkably with the systems-theory insight that "structure determines function."
Finally, the observation that "highland dragons belong to yin, their qi floating near the surface and greatly fearing the wind; branch dragons belong to yang, their qi sinking within and not fearing the wind" underscores that environmental judgment cannot be applied uniformly—entities of different natures have completely different degrees of sensitivity to environmental conditions. Extended to human affairs, this is the principle of teaching according to aptitude and acting according to circumstances.
| Concept | Definition |
|---|---|
| Dragon Vein | The form and momentum of mountain range, winding along like a dragon's body |
| Transformation | The process by which the dragon vein transitions from large to small, coarse to fine |
| Father/Mother Mountain | The rear-support mountain near the acupoint, divided into father and mother mountains with distinct stellar attributes |
| Canopy | The lateral mountain range spread out along the dragon's travel, like a canopy unfolding, serving as the dragon qi's protection |
| Gorge | The constricted, narrow transition point of the dragon vein, like a wasp waist or crane knee, the critical site for verifying the dragon's authenticity |
| Water Outlet | The portal in front of the bright hall where waters converge or exit; sands and peaks enclosing this outlet are noble signs |
| Lower Sand | A sand mound beside the water outlet that locks and secures the water, preventing dragon qi from leaking |
| Inner/Outer Qi | Qi traveling within the earth is inner qi; water flowing upon the soil surface is outer qi |
| Five Configurations | Upright, lateral, contrary, withdrawing, and returning—the five relationships between dragon approach and water flow |
| Celestial Enclosures | Ziwei Enclosure, Taiwei Enclosure, Tianshi Enclosure—three grand topographical configurations corresponding to the three astronomical celestial palaces |