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Chapter 30 of 50
基础知识
Though the Way of Heaven is profound and distant, in the final analysis it is nothing more than the principles of human affairs. The study of destiny is essentially the study of reasoning and ethics. It is neither a simple cyclical ebb and flow of yin and yang, nor a rigid and fixed cycle of the Five Elements' generation and control, nor a mechanical application of simple naturalistic concepts such as cold, warmth, dryness, and dampness. The study of destiny is a higher-level knowledge system that has gradually developed and evolved layer by layer from these basic elements.
The logic of evolution applies not only to the evolutionary development of all things in the world, but equally to knowledge systems built upon the superstructure, such as the study of destiny. Since what is being deduced is the fate of "human beings," it is necessary to adopt a theoretical framework that fits "human beings," rather than mechanically applying the relational concepts of "objects." Today's society has entered the stage of comprehensive moderate prosperity, and the principal contradiction of the nation has undergone a qualitative change. If the mindset of destiny analysis remains stuck in the outdated era of egalitarian "eating from the same big pot," it will inevitably be left far behind by the rolling tide of the times.
What, then, is a framework for destiny analysis suitable for "human beings"? The answer is clear: a theory built upon the fundamental laws and principles of social operation, one that both guides patterns of human behavior and predicts the trajectory of human life.
In simple terms, this is — "Pattern" (Géjú). This "pattern" is not what is commonly referred to on the market as "cognitive scope," but rather, within the destiny system, a general framework that deconstructs and governs the Eight Characters using the "Ten Gods" (Shíshén) as its basic elements.
From today onward, we formally enter the study of Pattern knowledge. The ability to master patterns directly determines the ultimate level of proficiency one can achieve in destiny analysis.
Patterns are the watershed moment in destiny study's transition from "natural philosophy" to "social philosophy." Early traditional destiny analysis emphasized natural attributes such as the Five Elements' generation and control, and cold/warmth/dryness/dampness — essentially using the laws of "objects" to deduce the fate of "human beings." The pattern system, however, breaks out of this paradigm by using the Ten Gods (Direct Officer, Seven Killings, Direct Seal, Deviated Seal, Direct Wealth, Deviated Wealth, Eating God, Hurting Officer, Shoulder, Rob Wealth) as the basic analytical unit, placing the Eight Characters within a coordinate system of social relationships for interpretation.
The essence of pattern thinking is modern "role positioning" thinking.
In traditional agrarian society, the trajectory of one's fate was relatively fixed — scholar, farmer, artisan, merchant — with identity largely inherited across generations. The Ten Gods patterns in that social context were more a confirmation of one's position within an established social order. In modern society, by contrast, roles are highly diverse, occupational boundaries are blurred, and class mobility is accelerated. The core value of pattern analysis is no longer "authoritative fortune-telling" about one's occupation, but rather:
The original text's judgment that "the principal contradiction of modern society has undergone a qualitative change" essentially requires destiny analysts to simultaneously update the "era parameters" of patterns. Interpreting patterns with outdated occupational hierarchies is like explaining quantum computing with an abacus — equally anachronistic.
Studying the pattern system offers the following direct values in practical destiny analysis:
The concept of "Pattern" deeply embodies a "relational ontology."
Within the pattern system, there is no such thing as an isolated Day Master. What a person "is" essentially depends on "what relationships" he has with the world. Direct Officer is your relationship with social rules; Seven Killings is your relationship with pressure and challenges; Direct Seal is your relationship with knowledge, protection, and resources. The Day Master itself has no pattern; relationships generate patterns. This aligns remarkably with the contemporary philosophical trend of "relationalism" — existence precedes essence, and the sum of relationships constitutes essence.
Meanwhile, the original text's proposition that "the logic of evolution applies to destiny study" reveals a profound insight: destiny study itself is a product of evolution. It is not an unchanging "heavenly text," but a body of knowledge that continuously reconstructs itself as human social forms evolve. Today's pattern theory is the result of "natural selection" and "adaptive variation" from earlier forms of destiny study; tomorrow's destiny study will surely continue to grow as social structures further evolve.
| Concept | Relationship with Patterns |
|---|---|
| Ten Gods | The basic component elements of patterns; patterns are combination modes of the Ten Gods |
| Strength of the Day Master | An important reference for determining whether a pattern can be established and its level |
| Month Command (Yuèlìng) | Traditional pattern methodology primarily determines the pattern from the month command's dominant qi; the month command is the primary source of patterns |
| Useful God (Yòngshén) | The core regulating mechanism after a pattern is established; mutually related to the pattern as substance and function |
| Resolution (Tōngguān) | The method for resolving internal contradictions within a pattern (e.g., Wealth nourishing Killings, Hurting Officer meeting Officer) |
| Seasonal Adjustment (Tiáohòu) | A parallel analytical dimension in traditional destiny study that must not be neglected alongside patterns |
Contemporary destiny scholars' research on the pattern system displays the following main trends:
The core message of this opening chapter on patterns is: Patterns are not classification labels for the Eight Characters, but rather a thinking framework for understanding how individuals position themselves within complex social networks. Learning patterns is, in essence, learning a more advanced "ability to read social relationships."