Examples of Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Years Producing Great Nobles
📚 Overall Paraphrased Translation
The Compendium of Three Fates records ten sets of special Eight Character combinations, considered to inevitably produce extraordinary individuals:
- Years of the Six Jias (Jiazi, Jiaxu, etc.) born in the Dingmao month, Yiwei day, Wuyin hour
- Years of the Six Yis (Yichou, Yihai, etc.) born in the Jimao month, Jiaxu day, Yihai hour
- Years of the Six Bings (Bingyin, Bingzi, etc.) born in the Gengyin month, Dingsi day, Bingwu hour
- Years of the Six Dings (Dingmao, Dingchou, etc.) born in the Bingwu month, Renchen day, Dingwei hour
- Years of the Six Wus (Wuchen, Wuyin, etc.) born in the Renxu month, Jichou day, Wuyin hour
- Years of the Six Jis (Jisi, Jimao, etc.) born in the Xinwei month, Jiwei day, Bingyin hour
- Years of the Six Gengs (Gengwu, Gengchen, etc.) born in the Jiashen month, Gengshen day, Xinsi hour
- Years of the Six Xins (Xinwei, Xinsi, etc.) born in the Bingshen month, Gengwu day, Xinsi hour
- Years of the Six Rens (Renshen, Renwu, etc.) born in the Xinhai month, Renchen day, Dingwei hour
- Years of the Six Guis (Guiyou, Guiwei, etc.) born in the Bingchen month, Bingchen day, Wuzi hour
Ancient scholars asserted that these combinations inevitably produced emperors, generals, ministers, or transcendent figures 🔥. However, the author Wan Minying, through historical research, found that none of the Ming Dynasty emperors matched these combinations, and there were numerous cases among commoners with identical Eight Characters but vastly different destinies. He listed five comparative pairs:
- Huang Maoguan (Vice Minister) and Shen Jia (Vice Commissioner) shared the same Eight Characters. Huang died in battle 🌪️, while Shen died peacefully of old age.
- Zhu Heng (Minister of Works) and Li Tinglong (Provincial Administration Vice Commissioner) shared the same Eight Characters. Zhu held high office and lived long, while Li held lower office and died early.
- Wan Ju (Jinshi/High Official) and Rao Cai (Provincial Graduate/Prefect) shared the same Eight Characters. Wan was exiled, died early, and had few sons; Rao died peacefully with many sons.
- A Certain Foot Soldier and Duke Lu (High Official) shared the same Eight Characters. When Duke Lu was rewarded, the soldier was punished, their fates completely opposite ⚖️.
- The Prefectural Professor of Ezhou and The Prefectural Professor of Huangzhou shared the same Eight Characters. Huang died early due to "excessive enjoyment of wealth and honor," while E lived frugally and eventually became a Prefect.
Conclusion: The author emphasizes that the Eight Characters are not the sole determinant of fate 🌱. Personal cultivation (such as frugality, propriety, diligence in study) and environmental differences (family background, career choices) jointly shape one's life trajectory. The so-called "destiny of great nobility" requires combining it with real-world effort to manifest its value.
🧠 In-Depth Understanding
Core Concepts 💡
- Debunking Determinism: Special Eight Character combinations ≠ inevitable nobility, refuting the absolutist notion that "destiny cannot be changed."
- Multidimensional View of Fate: Family background 🌏, personal choices ✊, behavioral habits ⚖️, and era opportunities ⏳ collectively influence one's life.
- Cultivating Virtue as Foundation: Restraining desires ("not overindulging"), diligent study, and observing propriety are more important than relying on "good Eight Characters."
Modern Interpretation 🌟
| Traditional Concept |
Contemporary Meaning |
| "Excessive enjoyment leads to early death" |
Overconsumption/indulgence harms physical and mental health |
| "Born into hardship yet survives" |
Adversity builds survival skills and social resilience |
| "Cultivating virtue and advancing study" |
Continuous learning + moral discipline shapes core competitiveness |
Practical Value ⚡
- Viewing Fate Theory Rationally: The Eight Characters can serve as a reference for personality traits, but not as a life script 📜.
- Actionable Advice:
1️⃣ Mitigate Risks: If the Eight Characters indicate a "destiny of wealth and honor," be even more vigilant against the harms of arrogance and extravagance (e.g., the drunken youth in the case).
2️⃣ Strengthen Advantages: Those with "resilience" indicated in their Eight Characters can focus on long-term capability accumulation (e.g., the Ezhou Professor).
3️⃣ Dynamic Adjustment: Regularly review the relationship between actions and outcomes (reference the "Hypothesis — Action — Review" model).
Philosophical Reflection 🤔
"Ming" (Destiny) is the innate potential, "Yun" (Fortune/Luck) is the field of later practice.
Just as a seed (Eight Characters) needs suitable soil (environment), cultivation (effort), and climate (opportunity) to grow 🌾,
Neglecting any element can lead to "same seed, different fruit."
📚 Related Knowledge
- Associated Concepts:
- Systems thinking within "First Fate, Second Luck, Third Feng Shui"
- The cultivation view in Liao Fan's Four Lessons ("The Learning of Establishing Destiny") echoes this text's perspective.
- Further Reading:
- Compendium of Three Fates, Volume 4: Discussion on "Fate Theory Should Not Be Applied Rigidly"
- Drops of Heavenly Nectar, The Human Way Chapter: "Virtue does not match position; disaster is inevitable."
- Modern Research:
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong's Research on Social Mobility in Ming-Qing Fate Theory Literature points out:
Analysis of 72 sets of "identical Eight Characters cases" in Ming Dynasty notes shows that social class mobility relied more on educational investment and economic strategy.
