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Bushi Zhengzong · The Orthodox Tradition of Divination
Eighteen Questions · Birth, Tomb and Extinction
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
Question Twelve: How do we judge good and ill in the Four Births, Tomb and Extinction?
Answer: The Four Births, Tomb and Extinction occur in three ways:
First: Birth, Tomb or Extinction through the day.
Second: Birth, Tomb or Extinction through the Flying line.
Third: emergence through a moving line’s change.
An avoided influence attaining Birth brings no small misfortune. The Useful Spirit at Tomb or Extinction brings no ill if rescued. Such are the fixed rules; adapting them depends on the person.
Reading note: The supplied 忌辰畏生 is read through the parallel 忌辰長生, an avoided influence attaining Birth; no extra branch or timing rule is supplied.
Divination: On what day will money be obtained? Divination: A wife’s illness.
Hexagram: Li as Fire, changing to Thunder over Fire, Feng. Hexagram: Zhen as Wood, changing to Thunder over Fire, Feng.
Reading note: The supplied Zhen image is designated Wood; its phase wording is retained.
Palace: Li Fire. Cycle Void: Shen, You. Missing line: [no entry supplied]. Palace: Zhen Wood. Cycle Void: Shen, You. 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.
Vermilion Bird; Self; Ｏ; Si Brothers; Xu Descendants; Wu; Si. Gouchen; Self; Xu Wealth; Ji; Wu.
Green Dragon; Wei Descendants; Yin. Vermilion Bird; Shen Officer; Mao.
Dark Warrior; You Wealth. Green Dragon; Wu Descendants.
White Tiger; Response; Hai Officer. Dark Warrior; Response; Ｘ; Chen Wealth; Hai Parents.
Soaring Snake; Chou Descendants. White Tiger; Yin Brothers.
Gouchen; Mao Parents. Soaring Snake; Zi Parents.
Judgment: You Metal Wealth is still. Money must be obtained tomorrow, Mao day. He asked, “Brothers moves and holds Self; how can there be money?” I answered, “Brothers changes into Xu Tomb and cannot control. Tomorrow is when the still Useful Spirit meets Clash—do you not know this?” This was verified.
A person brought this hexagram for inquiry. The discussion asks: “Chen Earth moves, so Chen Earth Wealth is the Useful Spirit. It changes into Hai Water at Approaching Office, suggesting survival. But Chen Earth is at Death on Mao day. How should this hexagram be judged? Should Earth’s Death at Mao mean certain death?” The answer was, “A recent illness with Six Clashes is not fatal.” Asked the recovery day, I answered, “Chen Earth moves to Clash with Self. Xu Earth at Self combines with the day. Wait until tomorrow, Chen day, Clashes up Xu Earth Wealth at Self: recovery follows.” This was verified.
Reading note: The supplied speaker marks in this inquiry are uneven. The full exchange is retained without adding a named interlocutor.
Divination: Childbirth. Divination: Will a son’s illness be favorable?
Hexagram: Mountain over Earth, Bo, changing to Wind over Earth, Guan. Hexagram: Wind over Mountain, Jian, changing to Wind over Lake, Zhong Fu.
Reading note: The supplied 中乎孚 is read as the hexagram name 中孚, Zhong Fu, as in the parallel case.
Palace: Qian Metal. Cycle Void: Wu, Wei. Missing line: Brothers. Palace: Gen Earth. Cycle Void: Xu, Hai. 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.
Vermilion Bird; Yin Wealth; Wu; Yin. Soaring Snake; Response; Mao Officer; Xin; Zi.
Green Dragon; Self; Ｘ; Zi Descendants; Si Officer; Shen Brothers; Zi. Gouchen; Si Parents; Zi Wealth; Wei.
Dark Warrior; Xu Parents. Vermilion Bird; Wei Brothers.
White Tiger; Mao Wealth. Green Dragon; Self; Ｏ; Shen Descendants; Chou Brothers.
Soaring Snake; Response; Si Officer. Dark Warrior; Ｘ; Wu Parents; Mao Officer.
Gouchen; Wei Parents. White Tiger; Ｘ; Chen Brothers; Si Parents.
Judgment: Zi Water Descendants changes into Si Fire. Water meets Extinction at Si: the child will be born and die at Si hour today. A bystander who understood the Changes asked, “Green Dragon occupies Descendants; how can you judge this?” I answered, “Wait and see whether it is verified.” It was. He asked again, “Descendants occupies the day and Green Dragon accompanies it. How did you make that remarkable judgment?” The answer was, “Descendants as the day means today. Si hour means the present hour. Birth followed by death means an auspicious spirit changing into Extinction and into Ghost.”
Judgment: Shen Metal Descendants holds Self and changes into Chou Earth, Metal’s Storehouse. Wei day Clashes open Chou, and the day together with moving Chen Earth generates it. Recovery will occur this afternoon. This was verified.
Divination: The illness of a friend’s father. Divination: A younger brother’s illness.
Hexagram: Water over Thunder, Zhun, changing to Zhen as Wood. Hexagram: Water over Fire, Ji Ji, changing to Thunder over Fire, Feng.
Palace: Kan Water. Cycle Void: Zi, Chou. Missing line: [no entry supplied]. Palace: Kan Water. Cycle Void: Zi, Chou. 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.
Dark Warrior; Zi Brothers; Jia; Chen. Green Dragon; Response; Zi Brothers; Bing; Shen.
White Tiger; Response; Ｏ; Xu Officer; Shen Parents; Yin. Dark Warrior; Ｏ; Xu Officer; Shen Parents; Chen.
Soaring Snake; Ｘ; Shen Parents; Wu Wealth. White Tiger; Ｘ; Shen Parents; Wu Wealth.
Gouchen; Chen Officer; Wu Wealth. Soaring Snake; Self; Hai Brothers; Wu Wealth.
Vermilion Bird; Self; Yin Descendants. Gouchen; Chou Officer.
Green Dragon; Zi Brothers. Vermilion Bird; Mao Descendants.
A person brought this hexagram for inquiry. The discussion asks: “Shen Metal Parents is the Useful Spirit. Metal meets Extinction on Yin day: is that Extinction?” I answered, “Yes.” “Xu Earth, the Source Spirit, changes into Shen, its Birth, generating and supporting Parents: is that Birth at a place of Extinction?” I answered, “Yes.” Asked whether the gravely ill father would therefore be safe, I answered, “Today at Wu hour his life is hard to assure.” The questioner departed without speaking, and the father died at Wu hour.
He returned to ask, “Is Birth at a place of Extinction useless after all?” I answered, “It has repeatedly meant rescue in danger. Here Shen Metal is at Extinction on Yin day, but the day generates and assists Wu Fire’s returning Control. Xu Earth generating Metal would ordinarily be auspicious, yet Xu Earth is at Month Break and has no power to generate or assist. Although it changes into Birth at Shen, Shen is Clashed by the day and also at Extinction on Yin day. Thus the ominous judgment.”
Judgment: Zi Water is in Cycle Void and Hai Water is not. Here leave the substantial and follow the empty: take Zi Water Brothers as the Useful Spirit. It enters Tomb through the day. Shen Metal, the Source Spirit, moves, and moving Xu Earth in turn generates the Source Spirit. Though Zi Water enters Tomb or Storehouse, it is only a serious illness. At Jia Zi day the Useful Spirit leaves Void and Clashes away Wu Fire, leaving the Source Spirit uninjured; recovery follows. This was verified.
If entering Storehouse necessarily meant death, Soaring Snake moving meant death, White Tiger moving meant mourning, and Xu in autumn were also a Bathing Sha especially feared in illness, why did this patient survive? In reading a hexagram, give precedence to the Useful Spirit. Generation without Control is auspicious; assisting the Avoided Spirit and injuring the Useful Spirit is most ominous. Study the method hexagram by hexagram, examine heaven’s mechanism line by line, and adapt carefully: why yield to Junping’s divination of the Changes?
Reading note: The supplied 不遇病重 is read through the parallel 不過病重, “only a serious illness.” The opening’s uneven repeated speaker marks do not justify inventing a named speaker.
Divination: A son is making a living in Chu; on what day will he return? Divination: Is a nephew safe away from home?
Hexagram: Mountain over Lake, Sun. Hexagram: Heaven over Thunder, Wu Wang, changing to Wind over Thunder, Yi.
Reading note: The supplied second changed image says Wind over Thunder while naming Yi; both are retained rather than replacing Wind with Mountain.
Palace: Gen Earth. Cycle Void: Yin, Mao. Missing line: Descendants. Palace: Xun Wood. 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.
White Tiger; Response; Yin Officer; Gui; Shen. White Tiger; Xu Wealth; Gui; Shen.
Soaring Snake; Zi Wealth; Chou. Soaring Snake; Ｏ; Shen Officer; Zi Parents; Chou.
Gouchen; Xu Brothers. Gouchen; Self; Ｏ; Wu Descendants; Xu Wealth.
Vermilion Bird; Self; Chou Brothers; Shen Descendants. Vermilion Bird; Chen Wealth.
Green Dragon; Mao Officer. Green Dragon; Yin Brothers.
Dark Warrior; Si Parents. Dark Warrior; Response; Zi Parents.
Judgment: Shen Metal Descendants is hidden beneath Chou Earth, Tomb or Storehouse at Self. That is already unfavorable; how could it also suitably enter Tomb through the day? I fear great trouble for your son. He said, “A recent letter says he will depart in the eighth month, so I ask whether he is coming.” I answered, “This hexagram makes his return date difficult to judge.” His uncle then said, “I will ask whether my nephew is safe abroad.”
Judgment: In the first hexagram, Descendants is absent and enters Tomb. In the second, it appears and changes into Tomb. Yin Wood, the Source Spirit, is truly broken and truly empty, with no Generation or support. Shen Metal, the Month Commander, as Officer and Ghost occupies the road and moves. The two hexagrams together show an ominous sign. He said, “A message arrived recently saying he died in the fifth month when a boat capsized on the Yangtze. The report is certain. Hearing that your understanding of the hexagrams is clear, we merely tested it in play.”
Divination: The illness of a husband’s sister. Divination: A woman asks whether her younger brother’s wife, ill and at full term, will give birth safely.
Hexagram: Lake over Mountain, Xian, changing to Water over Mountain, Jian. Hexagram: Lake over Water, Kun, changing to Kan as Water.
Palace: Dui Metal. Cycle Void: Xu, Hai. Missing line: Wealth. Palace: Dui Metal. Cycle Void: Chen, Si. 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; Wei Parents; Bing; Hai. Dark Warrior; Wei Parents; Yi; Mao.
Dark Warrior; You Brothers; Yin. White Tiger; You Brothers; Wei.
White Tiger; Ｏ; Hai Descendants; Shen Descendants. Soaring Snake; Response; Ｏ; Hai Descendants; Shen Brothers.
Soaring Snake; Self; Shen Descendants. Gouchen; Wu Officer.
Gouchen; Wu Officer; Mao Wealth. Vermilion Bird; Chen Parents.
Vermilion Bird; Chen Parents. Green Dragon; Self; Yin Wealth.
Judgment: Gu here means the husband’s sister, so use Officer and Ghost as the Useful Spirit. Wu Fire Officer is at Birth, but Hai day’s Water controls it. Hai Water also changes into its Birth, and Shen Metal moves to assist Water’s Control: this illness must be fatal. She died on Yi Hai day. It corresponded to Yi Hai because Hai Water was in Cycle Void and this was the day that filled Void.
Judgment: A younger brother’s wife is represented by Wealth as the Useful Spirit. Yin Wood Wealth enters Tomb or Storehouse on Wei day: this is the present illness. Hai Water changes into Shen Metal, attains Birth, and generates and combines with Wealth: the delivery will be safe. He asked, “On what day?” I answered, “Hai Water changes into Shen and moves to combine with Self: tomorrow.” She gave birth the next day, with mother and child safe. After delivery, the old illness also recovered completely.
Divination: Impeaching another person by memorial. Divination: Impeachment for mishandling military provisions.
Hexagram: Fire over Mountain, Lu. Hexagram: Thunder over Fire, Feng, changing to Fire over Mountain, Lu.
Palace: Li Fire. Cycle Void: Xu, Hai. Missing lines: Parents, Officer. Palace: Kan Water. 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; Si Brothers; Ding; Si. Vermilion Bird; Ｘ; Xu Officer; Si Wealth; Wu; Wei.
Dark Warrior; Wei Descendants; Mao. Green Dragon; Self; Shen Parents; Shen.
White Tiger; Response; You Wealth. Dark Warrior; Wu Wealth.
Soaring Snake; Shen Wealth; Hai Officer. White Tiger; Hai Brothers.
Gouchen; Wu Brothers. Soaring Snake; Response; Chou Officer.
Vermilion Bird; Self; Chen Descendants; Mao Wood. Gouchen; Ｏ; Mao Descendants; Chen Officer.
He said, “I want to impeach a powerful corrupt official, but fear suffering his retaliation. Please judge directly.” I answered, “Without Mao day’s Clash, You Metal at Response would be judged at Birth through year and month. With Mao’s Clash, it should instead be judged as controlled by the Si year and month: injury without rescue. His power will decline from now.” Asked whether he himself would suffer harm, I answered, “Descendants holds Self: what harm is there?” The memorial was approved and the corruption investigated.
Judgment: Self occupies the day and is generated by the Month Commander. Xu Earth moves and also generates the Officer position: safety can be assured. Others disagreed, not knowing that an extraordinary achievement would preserve his official standing. Someone asked, “Mao Wood Descendants moves; how can there be no harm?” I answered, “Wood is at Extinction through the day and Tomb through the month. How could it obstruct?”
Divination: Seeking land for a burial point.
Hexagram: Lake over Fire, Ge, changing to Water over Fire, Ji Ji.
Palace: Kan Water. Cycle Void: Chen, Si. Missing line: Wealth.
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.
White Tiger; Wei Officer; Ren; Mao.
Soaring Snake; You Parents; Yin.
Gouchen; Self; Ｏ; Hai Brothers; Shen Parents.
Vermilion Bird; Hai Brothers; Wu Wealth.
Green Dragon; Chou Officer.
Dark Warrior; Response; Mao Descendants.
Judgment: Hai Water at Self changes into Shen Metal’s returning Generation. Although in Rest and Imprisonment, receiving Generation makes it strong. But Yin day Clashes with Shen: wait until autumn to obtain excellent land. Self changes into Birth at Shen, so the site is southwest. Land was obtained in the seventh month. After burial, all three sons achieved examination success. Someone asked, “Shen Metal is Clashed. Why not predict Si month combining with it? Why Shen month?” I answered, “Si can combine with Shen, but Hai at Self then meets Clash. How could it be accomplished?”
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