Spirit

十四、精神

人有精神，不可以一偏求也，要在损之益之得其中。

原注，精气神气皆无气也，五行大率以金水为精气，木火为神气，而土所以实之者也。

有神人不见其精，而精自足者，有精足不见其神，而神自足者；有精缺神索，而日主虚旺者；

有精缺神索，而日主孤弱者，有神不足而精有余者，有精不足而神有余者，有精神俱缺而气

旺；有精神俱旺而气衰，有精缺得神以助之者，有神缺得精以生之者，有精助精而精反泄无

气者，有神助神而神反毙无气者，二者皆由气以主之也。凡此皆不可以一偏求也，俱要损益

其进退，不可使有过不及也。

任氏曰：精者，生我之神也；神者，克我之物也；气者，本气贯足也。二者以精为主，

精足则气旺，气旺则神旺，非专以金水为精气，木火为神气也。本文末句云：“要在损之益之得其中”，显非金水为精，木火为神，必得流通生化，损益适中，则精气神三者备矣。细

究之，不特日主用神体象有精神，即五行皆有也。有余者则损之，不足则益之，虽一定理，

然亦有一定中之不定也，惟在审察“得其中”三字而已。损者，克制也；益者，生扶也。有

余损之，也有余者宜泄之；不足益之，过不足者宜去之。此损益之妙用也。

盖过于有余，损之反触其怒，则宜顺其有余而泄之；过于不足，益不受补，则宜从其不

足而去之，是不可以一偏求也。总之精太足宜益其气，气太旺宜助其神，神太泄宜滋其精，

则生化流通，神清气壮矣。如精太足，反损其气，气太旺，反伤其神，神太泄，反抑其精，

则偏枯杂乱，精索神枯矣。所以水泛木浮，木无精神；木多火炽，火无精神；火炎金无精神；

金多水弱，水无精神。原注以金水为精气，木火为神气者，此由脏而论也。以肺属金，以肾

属水，金水相生，藏于里，故为精气，以肝属木，以心属火，木火相生，发于表，故为神气，

以脾属土，贯于周身，上所以实之也。若论命中之表里精神，则不以金木水火为精神也，譬

如旺者宜泄，泄神得为精足，此从里发于表，而神自足矣；旺者宜克，克神有力为神足，此

由表达于里，而精自足矣，如土生于四季月，四柱土多无木，或干透庚辛，或支藏申酉，此

谓里发于表，精足神定；如土多无金，或干透甲乙，或支藏寅卯，此谓表达于里，神足精安；

土论如此，五行皆同，宜细究之。

癸酉 甲子 丙寅 戊戌

癸亥 壬戌 辛酉 庚申 己未 戊午

此造以甲木为精，衰木得水滋，而逢寅禄为精足，以戊土为神，坐戌通根，寅戌拱之为

神旺。官生印，印生身，坐下长生为气贯流通，生化五行俱足。左右上下情协不悖，官来能

挡，劫来有官，食来有印，东西南北之运，皆可行也，所以一生富贵福寿 ，可谓美矣。

癸未 乙卯 丙辰 庚寅

甲寅 癸丑 壬子 辛亥 庚戌 己酉

此造以大势观之，官印相生，偏财时遇，五行不缺，四柱纯粹，俨然贵格，不如财官两

字休囚，又遥隔不能相顾，支全寅、卯、辰。春土克尽，不能生金，金临绝地，不能生水，

水之气尽泄于木，木之势愈旺而火炽，火炽则气毙，气毙则神枯。行运北方，又伤丙火之气，

反助取木之精；即逢金运，所谓过于有余，损之反角其触，以致终身碌碌 ，名利无成出。

戊戌 乙丑 丙辰 己丑

甲子 癸亥 壬戌 辛酉 庚申 己未

此四柱皆土，命主元神，泄尽月干，乙木凋枯，所谓精气枯索。运逢壬戌，本主受伤；

年逢辛未，紧克乙木，卒于九月患弱症而亡。

此造运用逆行，大抵是枯命。

Spirit

XIV. Spirit

Holistic Interpretation

The spiritual essence (Jing, Qi, Shen) in a person's destiny cannot be pursued unilaterally; the key lies in achieving dynamic balance through restraint (reduction) and nourishment (augmentation) 🌱. The original annotation states: Both Jing (essence) and Shen (spirit) originate from Yuan Qi (primordial energy). In the Five Elements, Metal 🌬 and Water 🌊 represent internal Jing, while Wood 🌲 and Fire 🔥 symbolize external Shen, with Earth ⛰ providing overarching support. However, actual destiny configurations are infinitely varied:

• Some have abundant Shen but latent yet self-sufficient Jing.
• Some have ample Jing but introverted yet self-thriving Shen.
• Some suffer from deficient Jing, withered Shen, and a floating Day Master.
• Others may have an isolated Day Master, insufficient Shen but surplus Jing, or deficient Jing but excess Shen.
• There are even cases where both Jing and Shen are lacking but Qi is vigorous, or where both Jing and Shen are strong but Qi is weak.
• Additionally, some compensate for lacking Jing with Shen, or rely on Jing to nourish deficient Shen.
• Most critically: Over-augmenting Jing may lead to leakage of Yuan Qi, while over-augmenting Shen may extinguish vitality—all governed by the dominance of "Qi" 🔥. In short, extremes must be avoided, and adjustments must be made based on the dynamics of advancement and retreat to prevent excess or deficiency.

Ren's Supplement: Jing is the energy that nourishes the Day Master, Shen is the element that restrains the Day Master, and Qi is the fundamental force that permeates the entire configuration 🌪. Among the three, Jing is the core: Sufficient Jing leads to vigorous Qi, which in turn strengthens Shen. It is not fixed that Metal and Water represent Jing, nor Wood and Fire represent Shen! The original text's concluding emphasis on "balancing reduction and augmentation" underscores the need for the Five Elements to flow and transform dynamically, achieving equilibrium to complete the spiritual essence. Further, not only the Day Master but all Five Elements require this balance:

• Surplus elements should be restrained or drained, while deficient ones should be nourished or removed.
• However, note: When surplus is extreme, forceful restraint may provoke conflict, and it is better to guide its flow; when deficiency is extreme, nourishment may prove ineffective, and it is better to eliminate the deficient part entirely.
  For example: Excessive Water floats Wood (Wood loses its spirit 🌲❌), excessive Wood overpowers Fire (Fire loses its spirit 🔥❌), excessive Fire melts Metal (Metal loses its spirit 🌬❌), and excessive Metal weakens Water (Water loses its spirit 🌊❌). The original annotation associates Metal and Water with Jing and Wood and Fire with Shen, based on organ theory (Lung-Metal and Kidney-Water as internal Jing, Liver-Wood and Heart-Fire as external Shen, with Spleen-Earth connecting the whole body ⛰). But destiny's spiritual essence is not limited to this: Surplus elements should be drained, as draining Shen may lead to sufficient Jing (internal manifesting externally); surplus elements should be restrained, as restraining Shen effectively may lead to sufficient Shen (external manifesting internally).
  For instance, in a season of strong Earth ⛰: Excess Earth without Wood, with Geng-Xin (Metal) appearing or Shen-You (Metal) hidden (Metal restrains Wood), signifies internal Jing flourishing; excess Earth without Metal, with Jia-Yi (Wood) appearing or Yin-Mao (Wood) hidden (Wood restrains Earth), signifies external Shen flourishing—the same logic applies to all Five Elements and requires detailed study.

Case 1: Destiny configuration: Gui-You, Jia-Zi, Bing-Yin, Wu-Xu (Great Fortune Cycle: Gui-Hai → Wu-Wu). With Jia-Wood 🌲 as Jing, the weak Wood is nourished by Water 🌊, meeting Yin's support to achieve sufficient Jing; with Wu-Earth ⛰ as Shen, rooted in Xu and harmonized by Yin-Xu, Shen flourishes. The official generates the seal, the seal generates the body, with the longevity position ensuring Qi flows freely, completing the Five Elements' transformative cycle. Conflicts involving officials, adversaries, or the resource star are all resolved, ensuring smooth fortune in all directions and a life of wealth, nobility, and longevity.

Case 2: Destiny configuration: Gui-Wei, Yi-Mao, Bing-Chen, Geng-Yin (Great Fortune Cycle: Jia-Yin → Ji-You). Superficially, the configuration shows mutual generation of official and seal, with occasional resource star appearances, resembling nobility. In reality, the resource star and official are dormant and distant. The branches form a complete Yin-Mao-Chen 🌲, with spring Earth ⛰ entirely restrained. Metal 🌬 approaches extinction and fails to generate Water 🌊, leading to Water draining Wood and Fire 🔥 becoming excessive, resulting in exhausted Qi and withered Shen. Northern Water fortune further harms Bing-Fire, amplifying Wood's Jing; encountering Metal fortune "reduction only provokes its fury," leading to a lifetime of obscurity.

Case 3: Destiny configuration: Wu-Xu, Yi-Chou, Bing-Chen, Ji-Chou (Great Fortune Cycle: Jia-Zi → Ji-Wei). All pillars are Earth ⛰, with Bing-Fire's 🔥 primordial energy entirely drained. The month stem Yi-Wood 🌲 is withered, representing exhausted Jing and Qi. When the fortune reaches Ren-Xu, restraining Yi-Wood, and the year encounters Xin-Wei's severe restraint, the individual dies in September from deficiency-related illness. This exemplifies a "withered destiny."

� Deep Understanding

Core Concepts 💡

The essence of destiny's "spirit" is the dynamic balance system between the Day Master and the Five Elements: Jing (nourishing force), Shen (restraining force), and Qi (permeating force) must achieve the "Middle Way" through reduction and augmentation (restraint and nourishment). Excess or deficiency leads to imbalance, emphasizing "flow and transformation" over fixed pairings.

Modern Interpretation 🌟

• Personal Development: Analogous to balancing ability (Jing), pressure (Shen), and resources (Qi) in the workplace—excessive overtime (strong Shen) requires stress relief, while insufficient ability (weak Jing) requires training and support.
• Health Management: Case 3's "exhaustion" resembles modern chronic fatigue syndrome, warning against energy depletion (e.g., Earth draining Fire 🔥) and emphasizing lifestyle adjustments.
• Decision-Making: Translate "balanced reduction and augmentation" into a "risk-action" model: When surplus, prioritize drainage (e.g., Case 2 should drain Wood rather than restrain it); when deficient, decisively cut losses (e.g., eliminating ineffective habits).

Practical Value ⚡

• Self-Assessment: Use the Five Elements as metaphors for life: Wood 🌲 represents growth (learning), Fire 🔥 represents passion (action)—if "Fire blazes," burnout is likely, requiring Water's 🌊 calming influence.
• Action Steps:
  1. Hypothesis: A Five Element surplus in the destiny (e.g., excessive work pressure).
  2. Action: Apply reduction—restrain (reduce load) or drain (redirect energy).
  3. Review: Observe physical and mental changes over three months to verify balance.
• Risk Checklist: Imbalance manifests in problems (e.g., Case 2's "withered Shen" corresponds to poor decisions).

Philosophical Reflection 🤔

• Reveals a "Middle Way" worldview: Mutual generation and restraint among all things (e.g., Water 🌊 restrains Fire 🔥 but nourishes Wood 🌲); extremism breeds chaos.
• Critiques mechanistic thinking: Ren overturns the original "Metal-Water = Jing" rule, showcasing traditional wisdom's dialectical nature—rules must adapt to individual contexts.
• Modern Insight: In a fast-paced society, spiritual balance advocates the "less is more" philosophy.

📚 Related Knowledge

• Linked Concepts:
  • Five Elements Cycle: Wood generates Fire → Excessive Fire restrains Metal.
  • Day Master Strength: Case 1's Bing-Fire flourishes with seal support, achieving "Qi flow."
  • Ten Gods Relationship: The chain of official (restrains me) generating seal (nourishes me).
• Further Reading:
  • Yuan Hai Zi Ping: On Spirit details Day Master balance.
  • San Ming Tong Hui: Volume 4 analyzes Five Elements reduction/augmentation techniques.
• Modern Studies:
  • Scholar Xu Lewu's Supplement to Di Tian Sui interprets "Jing-Qi-Shen" through psychology.
  • Li Juming's Dialectics of Destiny applies reduction/augmentation to business decision-making.