Postscript
Overall Paraphrased Translation
A guest asked me: With science so advanced today 🌍 and superstitions being dispelled, the study of astrology and fortune-telling seems like a spent force. Should it be preserved or abandoned? I replied: Any discipline that has survived for thousands of years without fading away must hold significance and value. From a scientific perspective, the study of fate and destiny essentially belongs to the realm of mathematics and logic, with profoundly intricate principles. However, modern scholars tend to favor Western learning, leading to the neglect of this profound 🔮 divinatory art. Meanwhile, practitioners in the field lack rigorous study and deep understanding, distorting the original meaning with fragmented interpretations. This has caused the loss of truth, allowing superficial knowledge to deceive people 🌪️ for personal gain. As a result, it has been looked down upon by society and rejected by scholars. Upon hearing this, the guest gained some insight, nodded, and departed.
Mr. Wei Qianli is a young and talented individual 👨🎓, who inherited his family’s scholarly tradition from a young age and delved deeply into the study of fate. My association with him has not been long. Previously, I came across his compiled work Song Lu Ming Hua on the desk of the elderly Mr. Jiang Qingqu and felt its content was too brief. Recently, he published Yue Yan on Fate Principles, originally authored by Chen Xiangguo of Haining. Due to its antiquity, the work was nearly lost, with no printed editions available in the world. At Mr. Jiang’s request, I proofread it, allowing me to read it beforehand. After completing the proofreading, Mr. Wei wrote to me requesting a preface. I am not a specialist in the study of fate and destiny, but by nature, I am curious 🤔. In my spare time from official duties, I enjoy researching it, though my reading is limited and my knowledge shallow. Regrettably, many fate-related books I’ve read in the past are often unclear in expression, illogical in reasoning, and filled with fallacies and heterodox theories, making them difficult to finish. In contrast, Yue Yan stands out as exceptional—its discourse is cautious 📚, its structure rigorous, consistently grounded in facts, and frequently citing orthodox theories as support. It distinguishes truth from falsehood, eliminates absurdities, and aligns with the trends of the times 🌊. This book can be regarded as an orthodox model among works on fate and destiny, helping future learners avoid the pitfalls of straying onto the wrong path. Mr. Wei’s contribution is indelible, and fellow scholars of fate studies should celebrate this achievement 🎉.
—Recorded by the Master of Jinghua Pavilion in Guyue, in the late spring of the Guiyou year
🧠 In-Depth Understanding
Core Concepts 💡
- Longevity of Traditional Arts: Any discipline that has endured for millennia must contain profound value. The study of fate and destiny, as a mathematical and logical system, possesses academic rigor in its principles.
- Critical Inheritance: The author points out that the decline of fate studies is primarily due to the superficial misuse by practitioners, not the inherent invalidity of the discipline itself, emphasizing the need to separate truth from falsehood.
- Empiricism-Oriented Approach: The author praises Yue Yan on Fate Principles for its foundation in facts and orthodox theories, opposing empty talk and fallacies.
Modern Interpretation 🌟
- In an era dominated by scientific rationality, fate studies can be viewed as a probabilistic model and decision-support tool 🔢, rather than absolute prophecy. Its mathematical logic (such as the sexagenary cycle and the interactions of the Five Elements) can be integrated with modern methods like data analysis and risk assessment.
- Societal skepticism toward fate studies often stems from commercialization and misuse ⚠️. However, core concepts such as the balance of Yin and Yang and cyclical patterns remain relevant for personal planning (e.g., career choices and health management).
- The author’s affirmation of Wei Qianli highlights that academic inheritance requires both rigor and adaptability to the times—reconstructing classical wisdom in modern language while avoiding rigid conservatism.
Practical Value ⚡
- Personal Development: The Five Elements attributes in fate studies (e.g., 🔥 Fire representing initiative, 🌊 Water symbolizing adaptability) can help individuals identify their inherent traits and optimize life strategies.
- Cultural Education: As an essence of traditional culture, fate studies can cultivate systematic thinking and a dialectical perspective. For example, analyzing case studies of Ba Zi (Eight Characters) helps understand the interaction between environment and the individual.
- Risk Awareness: Divination conclusions can be transformed into a “hypothesis-action-review” model. For instance, before making significant decisions, list potential variables and develop contingency plans.
Philosophical Reflections 🤔
- Tension Between Tradition and Modernity: Science seeks falsifiability, while fate studies emphasize empirical induction. The two are not opposing—the former explores “how things happen,” while the latter addresses “why they are so,” together forming multiple dimensions of cognition.
- Free Will vs. Determinism: Fate studies provide a framework, not a constraint 🌱. Like a weather forecast suggesting carrying an umbrella, the final action still depends on the individual. This wisdom of “understanding fate and using it” encourages agency within constraints.
📚 Related Knowledge
- Associated Concepts:
- Study of Fate and Destiny: A traditional fate system integrating astronomy and calendars 🔭, the sexagenary cycle, the Five Elements, and deity-stellar systems. Its core includes Ba Zi (Eight Characters) divination and Zi Wei Dou Shu.
- Mathematical Principles: The sexagenary cycle and the sixty-year Jia Zi cycle reflect modular arithmetic; the interactions of the Five Elements analogize ecological balance 🌍 and can be linked to modern systems theory.
- Further Reading:
- Yuan Hai Zi Ping—A foundational work on Ba Zi fate studies, detailing the Ten Gods and structural patterns.
- Plum Blossom Numerology—Emphasizes the integration of “image, number, principle, and divination,” suitable for beginners exploring Yijing thinking.
- Modern Research:
- Scholar Li Juming integrates fate studies with psychology, proposing the “fate adjustment” theory.
- The Harvard-Yenching Institute has published Examinations of Chinese Occult Arts, analyzing the social functions of fate studies from a historical perspective.
