New Issue Merge Official Board Sound Meaning Annotations Yuanhai Ziping

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: The book "Yuanhai Ziping" was compiled by Yang Cheng of the Ming Dynasty in the 27th year of the Jiajing era (1548 AD) and supplemented by the eunuch Li Qin, without the original author's name attached. "Li Xuzhong's Fate Book" is not listed in the Tang Dynasty's "Arts and Literature Catalogue," but it first appears in the Song Dynasty's catalogue with "Li Xuzhong's Fate Framework" in two volumes. Although it has been (circulated) since then, it has been fragmented and incomplete. Only the "Yongle Dadian" (Yongle Encyclopedia) and the "Siku Quanshu" (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries) in the category of "Mathematics and Divination" are relatively complete. Regarding its content, the preface of the "Siku Quanshu" states: "After a thorough examination of the book's principles, it primarily discusses the 60 Jiazi cycles but does not mention the time of birth in terms of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Its method largely aligns with Han Yu's "Muzhi" (Inscription on the Tombstone) regarding the year, month, and day of birth, but it frequently refers to the four pillars (year, month, day, and hour) afterward. This concept actually originated in the Song Dynasty and contradicts the earlier text significantly. Moreover, many of the official titles mentioned in the book are from the Song Dynasty, indicating that it was not entirely written by Li Xuzhong but rather heavily influenced by the Ming Dynasty." From the above, it can be seen that before Li Xuzhong of the Tang Dynasty, there were those who discussed fate based on the Na Yin Five Elements and those who focused on the year. Li Xuzhong, however, combined the year, month, and day for analysis. It was not until Xu Ziping of the Song Dynasty that the four pillars (year, month, day, and hour) were used to discuss fate, hence the name "Ziping Method" for fate-reading techniques. Comparing the two, the Ziping method is indeed far superior to Li Xuzhong's. Its essence lies in three key points. First, it prioritizes the day and combines it with the four pillars, providing a more nuanced understanding of fate and improving accuracy. Second, it clearly states the principle of the "using factor" (Yong Shen), emphasizing its supreme importance, with arguments like "using it as an official does not harm, using it as wealth cannot be taken" being exceptionally profound. Third, it establishes frameworks and clarifies the roles of family members, making each judgment distinct and specialized. This way, the entire process of fate-reading forms a highly complete theoretical system.