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Sanming Tonghui · A Comprehensive Account of the Three Destinies
Concentrated Five-Phase Energy and Its Combinations
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Bending and Straightening
A Jia or Yi day obtaining a Hai–Mao–Wei configuration must have Hai carrying Seal to fit. Without Hai but with Mao, there is only Wood's original energy, and Metal and Earth are needed for nobility. Without Hai or Metal and Earth, Wood has neither refinement nor fruition and nobility is difficult to claim. Jiayin day with Hai and Dingmao hour has Robbing Wealth, Yang Blade, and Hurting Office; though noble, it does not entirely fit. A poem says: “Jia and Yi days with complete Hai–Mao–Wei must have honor and nobility in Bending and Straightening. Without Hai in the pillars, Earth and Metal are appropriate, giving a birth-place for enjoying blessing.” Another says: “Jia and Yi born with Yin, Mao, and Chen are also named Benevolence and Longevity. Complete Hai–Mao–Wei dislikes the White Emperor; meeting Kan's position must bring personal honor.”
Translator's note: Both Wood groupings, the Hai/Seal requirement, partial-fit example, and both poems are retained. White Emperor and Kan remain the source's directional symbols, not newly supplied rules.
Blazing Upward
A Bing or Ding day meeting Yin–Wu–Xu must have Yin carrying Seal to fit. Without Yin it is only a fate among miscellaneous callings near nobility. If Fire flourishes on its own without Hai Water providing balance, there is no nobility. Northeastern fortune is favored. Chen, Chou, Wu, and Ji are avoided, dimming Fire's light and often indicating eye illness or wind disorders. Wood in the pillars restraining them creates nobility. Water and Metal territory is avoided, and clash feared. A poem says: “Bing and Ding days seated with Yin–Wu–Xu produce the Blazing Upward configuration. Without Yin and Hai, fame is unachieved; Earth dimming Fire is avoided and indicates disability.”
Translator's note: The need for Yin and for Hai Water's balance, despite the later avoidance of Water territory, remains as supplied. Medical and disability statements are historical assertions.
Following Transformation
A Geng or Xin day seeing Si–You–Chou needs one or two occurrences of Bing, Ding, Si, or Wu to become useful material, but Fire must not be excessive. Xinsi, Xinyou, and Xinchou days dislike fifth-month birth, injured by Fire. The eighth month is suitable, or Water and Earth nourishing Food Spirit and Seal and Ribbon, which is auspicious. A poem says: “White Tiger meeting Si–You–Chou forms Following Transformation, with abundant reputation. Few occurrences of Bing, Ding, Si, and Wu forge noble energy for lasting office.” Another: “Metal in Following Transformation wins noble people's esteem; transformation pure and elevated has the deepest blessing. Fire coming to mix the four pillars leaves only the empty gate, arts and skills, and vain discussion of classics.”
Translator's note: The limited amount of Fire required for working Metal is distinguished from excessive or mixing Fire. All three Xin day examples and both poems remain.
Moistening Downward
A Ren or Gui day seeing complete Shen–Zi–Chen avoids being led to Mao and Si, Death and Extinction ground, or territory of three punishments and four clashes. Death and Extinction stop its flow; clash and punishment make it overflow sideways. Annual and major fortunes are the same. Another view says excessively overflowing Water needs one or two Earth spirits restraining it into embankments. With Earth present, gathering Wood is feared as harmful. Wood injuring Earth needs Metal Seal for rescue and resolution, yet the lifetime still has success and failure. Fortune favors west, not southeast. A poem says: “Ren and Gui days meeting Shen–Zi–Chen most truly form Moistening Downward. Si and Wu together with Chen and Xu are required; Shen holding authority gives incomparable nobility.” Another: “Ren and Gui Heavenly Stems favor winter birth, with Shen and Chen further gathering a configuration, or all returning to Hai, Zi, and Chou: one rises easily to blue clouds.”
Translator's note: The prose's Mao/Si prohibition, first poem's Si/Wu and Chen/Xu requirement, alternative Earth restraint, and both complete poems are retained without silently reconciling them.
Sowing and Reaping
A rhapsody says: “Wu and Ji gladly meeting the four season-ending months are named Sowing and Reaping.” Wu and Ji born in these months favor Wood as Office; only one Wood is excellent. Much Wood makes Earth hollow, indicating a deceitful, family-ruining, unkind person. Chen and Wei are ground where Earth gathers; Si and Wu Fire give nobility, but should not be many, for excess dries Earth so it cannot nurture all things. Chou and Xu Earth contain Metal energy and should not recur heavily, lest Killing energy remain and fail to generate things. Metal draining energy is also unsuitable and not noble. Autumn Earth is unformed dead Earth because it contains Metal; winter Earth is unformed mud because it contains Water. Thus Earth belongs only to the four season-ending months here. A poem says: “Wu and Ji days suit the four season-ending months. Guard against Chou and Xu spoiling Metal energy. Wood or the Fire-like luminary encountered at birth reveals truly honorable nobility.” Another: “Wu and Ji born within the fourth month need the complete printed Wu, Chen, Chou, and Wei. Wealth territory is favored, Office and Killing disliked; fortune arriving east must bring harm.”
Translator's note: The fourth-month wording and Wu rather than Xu in the last list are retained as printed. The first verse's luminary wording is not expanded into a missing planetary rule. One Wood, limited Fire, and the distinct Chen/Wei versus Chou/Xu treatment remain.
Earth Configuration in Moistening Downward
A rhapsody says, with a damaged final word: “Wu and Ji residing in Moistening Five drift like duckweed and broken stems in foreign lands.” This image is Wushen, Wuzi, or Wuchen day born in Shen, Zi, Chen, Ren, or Gui territory of flourishing Water. It indicates not only poverty, low status, and wandering, but limb and eye illnesses, or death from severe sores with pus and blood. Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei fortunes bring the indicated outcome. Other hollow Earth meeting Water configurations likewise drifts. Yet the source's printed eye-flourishing Earth in a Water configuration has wealth and nobility, developing through Fire territory. Wuchen, Jiazi, the printed Wu–Jia, Yimao is hollow Earth meeting Moistening Downward, hence eye illness and military service. Xinwei, Gengzi, Wuchen, Renzi has Earth following the many Waters, obtaining Earth as embankment. Bingshen and Dingyou fortunes generate Wealth and bring great advancement. Yiwei fortune and Wuwu year lose Wealth, yet a chief-ministerial post is obtained again. Thus Wu and Ji residing in Moistening Downward cannot routinely be called harmful.
Translator's note: Moistening Five, eye-flourishing Earth, and the invalid Wu–Jia pillar are supplied damaged expressions and are not silently repaired. Both complete chart sequences as printed, fortune/year labels, and the author's final counterexample to blanket harm judgments remain.
White Metal and Clear Water
A rhapsody says: “White Metal and Clear Water: these people should achieve examination degrees.” The image is Gengshen or Xinyou day born under autumn's monthly command and led through the hour into Hai or Zi Water territory. Metal is white and Water clear. Without punishment, clash, disruption, or harm, substantial riches are indicated. Summer birth is firmly avoided and does not fit. Spring Metal in the second or third month with northwestern fortune is also acceptable. Gengchen, Gengzi, Guisi, Guiyou, or Guichou days born under autumn or winter command, without Fire injury or Earth restraint and with balanced Metal and Water forming a configuration, also fit. A poem says: “Clear Metal and White Water govern honor and nobility, refined literary accomplishment surpassing the crowd. Without Fire or Earth punishing and restraining, reputation rises high among academy scholars.”
Translator's note: The two primary and five additional day examples, summer exclusion, spring exception, and the poem's reversal of the white/clear words are retained.
Wood and Fire Shining Together
A rhapsody says: “Bright Fire and refined Wood find honor through spring-month birth.” This image includes Jiaxu, Jiawu, Jiayin, Bingwu, Bingyin, and Bingxu days born in spring or summer, with no Metal or Water injuring them and Wood and Fire in the hour. Wood and Fire fortune is favored. A Wood day with refined Fire proceeds south; a Fire day with refined Wood proceeds east, indicating pure nobility and abundant blessing. A Fire day with refined Fire also has nobility going east. Bingchen day born in a Fire-flourishing month with Wood and Fire fortune is acceptable too, but gives wealth rather than nobility. Refined Wood without Fire cannot form the configuration, because the image requires Wood and Fire's communicating brightness. Dingsi, Jiachen, Jiayin, Dingmao; Jiawu, Bingyin, Dingmao, Bingwu; and Dingsi, Jiachen, Yisi, Dinghai are three charts of Wood and Fire's brilliance and pure nobility.
Translator's note: All seven day examples, distinct Wood-day/Fire-day fortune directions, Bingchen wealth-only qualification, and all three complete charts remain.
Fire and Metal Casting a Seal
A rhapsody says: “Metal cannot become a useful object without Fire; Fire cannot display its uses without Metal. Metal and Fire balanced have the image of Casting a Seal.” Chou is avoided as Damaging the Mold. A rhapsody says: “Riding a carriage and wearing a ceremonial cap: how abundant Metal and Fire.” Another says: “Metal's Ghost has no one-sidedness.” This is the meaning.
Translator's note: The Chou mold-damage prohibition and both brief concluding quotations are retained without adding a missing chart or phase ratio.
Fire and Earth Mixed Together
Fire meeting Earth darkens; Earth lodging Fire dims it. Thus Fire remaining Fire and Earth remaining Earth, neither concealing the other, is excellent. Fire and Earth mixed together indicate dullness and turbidity. A classic says: “Empty Fire and gathered Earth serve what use? Surely a dusty, toiling ordinary person.” Wushen, Jiwei, Bingwu, Yiwei; Gengxu, Yichou, Bingchen, Wuxu; and Wuxu, Dingsi, Jiwei, Bingyin are three ordinary charts with Fire and Earth mixed.
Translator's note: All three complete charts and the source's image of neither phase obscuring the other remain. Its character and status judgments are historical assertions.
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