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Bushi Zhengzong · The Orthodox Tradition of Divination
Eighteen Questions · The Three Transmissions Control the Useful Spirit
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
Eighteen Questions with Verified Cases
Question One: When the Three Transmissions—the year, month and day commanders—control the Useful Spirit, and one line moves to generate while another moves to control it, is this also called being intent on Generation and forgetting Control?
Answer: The few certainly cannot oppose the many. Even one generating line opposed by one controlling line, together with a change into Control, is unfavorable. How much more so when the Three Transmissions assist Control?
Further question: What if the month controls and the day generates, or the day controls and the month generates?
Answer: They are evenly matched. Then look for another moving line: if it generates, count Generation; if it controls, count Control.
Divination: A younger brother is already dangerously ill. Divination: What good or ill follows a younger brother being sued?
Hexagram: Water over Fire, Ji Ji, changing to Lake over Fire, Ge. Hexagram: Lake over Water, Kun, changing to Thunder over Wind, Heng.
Palace: Kan Water. Cycle Void: Chen, Si. Missing line: Wu Wealth. Palace: Dui Metal. Cycle Void: Yin, Mao. Missing line: [no entry supplied].
Six Beasts; Self/Response; hexagram.
Line; Qian.
Branch; Six Spirits; stems and branches; Six Spirits; Hidden.
Spirit; Hexagram Body; Day.
Chen; Month Commander; Tai Sui; Six Beasts; Self/Response; hexagram.
Line; stems and branches; Six Spirits; stems and branches; Six Spirits; Hidden.
Spirit; Hexagram Body; day designation; Month Commander; Tai Sui.
Green Dragon; Response; Zi Brothers; Bing; Chen. Green Dragon; Wei Parents; Ding; Wu; Chen.
Dark Warrior; Xu Officer; Shen. Dark Warrior; O; You Brothers; Shen Brothers; Wei.
White Tiger; ｘ; Shen Parents; Hai Brothers; Hidden. White Tiger; Response; Hai Descendants.
Soaring Snake; Self; Hai Brothers; Wu Wealth. Soaring Snake; ｘ; Wu Officer; You Brothers.
Gouchen; Chou Officer. Gouchen; Chen Parents.
Vermilion Bird; Mao Descendants. Vermilion Bird; Self; Yin Wealth.
Judgment: In this hexagram, Hai Water Brothers is the Useful Spirit. Chen month controls it, Shen day generates it, and a moving Shen Metal line also generates it. There is rescue at the point of danger.
At You hour that very day, a renowned physician saved his life. He recovered completely on Hai day.
Judgment: You Metal Brothers is the Useful Spirit. Wu month controls it and Wei day generates it: they seem evenly matched. But Wu Fire, the Month Commander, also moves to control it, an image of great ill fortune. He asked, “When will the harm occur?” I answered, “This year is Chen, and the Grand Year combines with it, so there is no harm for now. It changes into a Retreating Spirit at Shen; I fear disaster in the Wu year, Shen month.”
Reading note: The supplied text writes Jia month. The corresponding classical transcription has Shen month, matching the named Retreating Spirit. This reading is disclosed without altering the Chinese source.
He did indeed receive a severe punishment in the Wu year, Shen month.
Reading note: The supplied Jia month is read as Shen month, as in the preceding passage and its parallel classical transcription.
Divination: Will a younger sister’s approaching childbirth be favorable? Divination: A person asks about their own illness.
Hexagram: Fire over Earth, Jin. Hexagram: Lake over Wind, Da Guo, changing to Fire over Wind, Ding.
Palace: Qian Metal. Cycle Void: Xu, Hai. Missing line: [no entry supplied]. Palace: Zhen Wood. Cycle Void: Chen, Si. Missing lines: Descendants, Brothers.
Reading note: The supplied 干金 is the Qian Metal palace designation; no table column or absent line is reconstructed.
Six Beasts; Self/Response; hexagram.
Line; Qian.
Branch; Six Spirits; stems and branches; Six Spirits; Hidden.
Spirit; Hexagram Body; Day.
Chen; Month Commander; Tai Sui; Six Beasts; Self/Response; hexagram.
Line; stems and branches; Six Spirits; stems and branches; Six Spirits; Hidden.
Spirit; Hexagram Body; day designation; Month Commander; Tai Sui.
Vermilion Bird; Si Officer; Wu; Wu. Dark Warrior; ｘ; Wei Wealth; Si Descendants; Yi; Si.
Green Dragon; Wei Parents; Chen. White Tiger; O; You Officer; Hidden; Wei.
Dark Warrior; Self; You Brothers. Soaring Snake; Self; Hai Parents; You Officer; Wu Descendants.
White Tiger; Mao Wealth. Gouchen; You Officer; Hidden.
Soaring Snake; Si Officer; Hidden. Vermilion Bird; Hai Parents; Yin Brothers.
Gouchen; Response; Wei Parents; Zi Descendants. Green Dragon; Response; Chou Wealth.
Judgment: You Metal Brothers is the Useful Spirit. The month controls it and the day generates it, so I promised no harm. The birth must occur tomorrow at Mao hour, with mother and child safe. It corresponds to Mao hour because You Metal combines with Chen day.
The Golden Counsels says, “If held by Combination, wait until Clash opens it.” Here the month controls and the day generates, with no further Generation or Control added.
Judgment: Hai Water at Self is the Useful Spirit. Wei Earth moves to control Self and You Metal moves to generate Self: this is being intent on Generation and forgetting Control, turning ill to good. But the day should not also control it, nor should it meet the month’s Clash. Even though the You Metal Source Spirit moves to generate it, it is like a tree without roots and cannot be raised.
Reading note: The supplied 無憎 is read through the corresponding 無增, “no addition,” in the classical parallel.
He died on Mao day. This was the corresponding day because it Clashed away the Source Spirit, while the Avoided Spirit came together with it to control and harm.
Divination: A burial site.
Hexagram: Mountain over Earth, Bo.
Palace: Qian Metal. Cycle Void: Wu, Wei. Missing line: Brothers.
Six Beasts; Self/Response; hexagram.
Line; Qian.
Branch; Six Spirits; stems and branches; Six Spirits; Hidden.
Spirit; Hexagram Body; Day.
Chen; Month Commander; Tai Sui.
Vermilion Bird; Yin Wealth; Hidden; Wu; Shen.
Green Dragon; Self; Zi Descendants; Shen Brothers; Zi.
Dark Warrior; Xu Parents.
White Tiger; Mao Wealth.
Soaring Snake; Response; Si Officer.
Gouchen; Wei Parents.
Judgment: The day’s Descendants line holds Self and the Month Commander generates it. Green Dragon plays in water: water must circle the burial point from the left, near a large body of water, or a long stream must reach the open ground before it. White Tiger occupies Mao Wood. Zi and Mao combine Penalty with Generation, and because it occupies Wealth, there is no harm. Response is the distant facing hill, belongs to Fire and is controlled by Self, so that hill is not high. Xu Earth before Self is the nearer facing rise; Earth controls Self, so this rise is somewhat higher.
Reading note: The supplied 子卯寅中帶生 is read through the parallel 子卯刑中帶生, “Zi–Mao Penalty containing Generation.”
He said, “Every point is correct.” Within three years of burial, both sons achieved examination success.
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