Research on the Huainanzi · Tianwen: From the Perspective of the History of Calculation Techniques

Author: Tao Lei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-07-01
Features: Excerpt: The first "" represents the seal script character "" (a measure cup); the second "" represents "‘□’ with '/' inside." The Supplementary Notes cites a large number of relevant documents, broadening the knowledge background for understanding the Astronomy. The Astronomy was finalized in the early Han Dynasty, and it would be impossible not to reference documents from before the Han Dynasty. Whenever this occurs, the Supplementary Notes points out the similarity between the Astronomy and a certain book.
The second section of the Astronomy states: "The way of Heaven is round, and the way of Earth is square. Square governs the hidden, while round governs the bright. The bright is the one that breathes outward, hence fire is called the external brilliance; the hidden is the one that contains breath, hence water is called the internal brilliance. The outward breath manifests, while the contained breath transforms, thus the yang manifests and the yin transforms."
The Supplementary Notes comment: "All of the above can be found in the Zengzi Tianyuan chapter of the Da Dai Liji. It is Confucius's subtle teachings." The meaning of "Heaven is round and Earth is square" was explained by Zengzi to Shan Jili, saying: "What Heaven produces is the upper head, and what Earth produces is the lower head. The upper head is called round, and the lower head is called square. If Heaven is indeed round and Earth is indeed square, then the four corners would not overlap." This is the principle of the Hun Tian (spherical sky), and the Gai Tian (hemispherical sky) is the same.
The Zhou Bi Suan Jing states: "Roundness arises from squareness, and squareness arises from the square. By arranging the square to form a circle, and combining the square to form a square. The square belongs to Earth, and the round belongs to Heaven. Heaven is round, and Earth is square." Zhao Junqing's commentary notes: "Things have both square and round forms, and numbers have odd and even. Heaven moves in a round motion, and its number is odd; Earth is still in a square form, and its number is even. This reflects the pairing of yin and yang, but it is not the actual form of Heaven and Earth." This complements Zengzi's explanation.
The Supplementary Notes not only identifies the original source of the Astronomy but also cites the Zhou Bi Suan Jing and Zhao Junqing's commentary to further elucidate it, which is very helpful for readers to understand the concept of "Heaven is round and Earth is square." Especially Zhao Junqing's note, "This reflects the pairing of yin and yang, but it is not the actual form of Heaven and Earth," holds great value for understanding the Astronomy.
Regardless of whether Heaven is round or Earth is square, the connection between them and yin and yang is enlightening. The Astronomy in the 42nd section states: "Heaven and Earth are established, and they are divided into yin and yang. Yang arises from yin, and yin arises from yang." Heaven and Earth can indeed be analogized to yin and yang—Heaven as yang and Earth as yin. Following this logic, we can deduce that yang is round and yin is square. From squareness and roundness, we can further deduce outward breath and contained breath, and from that, manifestation and transformation. The Astronomy then states, "Thus, yang manifests and yin transforms," which follows naturally.
Extending from the interaction of yin and yang manifestation and transformation, the ideological foundation of the Astronomy—the concept of (in, mutual influence)—becomes easier to understand.
For example, the second section mentions: "In ancient times, Gonggong, in anger, struck the Buzhou mountain, causing the pillar of Heaven to break and the (,) of Earth to snap. Heaven tilted to the northwest, so the sun, moon, and stars moved accordingly; Earth was not level in the southeast, so the floodwaters and dust gathered there." The Supplementary Notes comment: "This story is found in the Tangwen chapter of the Liezi, an ancient account of the Gai Tian theory. Zula's Astronomy Records states: 'There are three ways the ancients described the shape of Heaven and Earth: one is the Hun Tian (spherical sky), two is the Gai Tian (hemispherical sky), and three is the Xuan Ye (celestial night). The Gai Tian theory has three forms: one says Heaven is like a chariot cover, moving among the eight poles; one says Heaven's shape is like a hat, high in the center and lower at the edges; one says Heaven is like a chariot cover, higher in the south and lower in the north.'" The "higher in the south and lower in the north" refers to "higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest." The Supplementary Notes go on to provide a lengthy explanation, which is too extensive to include here.
This Supplementary Note not only clarifies the origin of the story of Gonggong striking the Buzhou mountain but also points out that the Astronomy reflects the ancient Gai Tian theory. It cites Zula's Astronomy Records and details various ancient cosmic theories, identifying which category the Astronomy belongs to. This is also very valuable for readers.
Another example is under the section "What are the Nine Fields" in the eighth section, where the Supplementary Notes comment: "All of the above are quoted from the You Shi Chun chapter of the Lü Shi Chunqiu. I have supplemented them with Gao You's annotations." Whenever the Supplementary Notes encounter similar records in other books to the Astronomy, they extensively cite them without hesitation, which is very helpful for reading and researching the Astronomy. Such examples are numerous, and I will take one from the eleventh section "What are the Eight Winds."
The configuration of the Dipper holding the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions has a very long history. The Shiji·Tian Gong Shu states: "The Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions govern the twelve states, and the Dipper oversees them, a tradition that has long existed. When Qin was strong, the observation was based on the Venus, with divination on the Wolf and the Arc. When Wu and Chu were strong, the observation was based on Mars, with divination on the Bird and the Balance. When Yan and Qi were strong, the observation was based on the Star of Antares, with divination on the Void and the (Witch House). When Song and Zheng were strong, the observation was based on Jupiter, with divination on the Room and the Heart. When Jin was strong, the observation was also based on the Star of Antares, with divination on the Horn and the Punisher."
Regarding this configuration, there are currently two unearthed artifacts: one is the painted lacquer box cover image from the Zeng Hou Yi tomb in Lei Gu Dun, Su County, Hubei, unearthed in 1978 (Figure 6), and the other is the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions astrolabe from the Shuanggu Dui No. 1 Tomb mentioned earlier (Figure 12). The former features a large seal script character "" (Dipper) in the center of the cover, surrounded by the names of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions in seal script. Influenced by the Dipper, the names of the mansions are written in an olive shape, small at both ends and large in the middle. The latter consists of two plates: the celestial plate shows the seven stars of the Dipper (not connected), with the fifth star overlapping the center of the plate. The center of the plate has a cross-shaped lacquer line, one long and one short. The outer edge of the celestial plate has densely arranged small holes, the size of rice grains, which do not penetrate. After counting and calculating, there are a total of 365 small holes around the circumference, which can be considered as the degrees of the celestial circle (one-fourth of the fraction is not counted). The terrestrial plate has small holes on its slanted edges with engraved seal script names of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, marked with degrees. The center of the terrestrial plate also has a cross-shaped lacquer line, one long and one short. The long line aligns with "Jiao" and "Kui" at both ends, while the short line aligns with "Dipper" and "Dongjing" at both ends.
The purpose and function of the former are not entirely clear, with scholars suggesting it may be an early form of a diagram. The purpose of the latter is debated: some believe it is the precursor to ancient astrolabes, others think it was used to determine the degrees of the Six-Wang divination plate, still others suggest it is the earliest instrument for measuring angles, or for determining the position of the sun. Some consider it a regional divination plate, or a "Five Planets Observation Instrument." Personally, I believe it is an early form of a shi plate, as described in the Zhou Li·Chun Guan·Da Shi as "time of Heaven." The Dipper holding the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions can determine the time of Heaven.
We know that the Dipper and the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions are all stars, and their relative positions are fixed. The handle of the Dipper always points to the Jiao mansion, as the saying goes, "The Dipper carries the Dragon's Horn." However, the ancients them different functions: "The Dipper is the chariot of the Emperor, moving in the center, governing the four directions, dividing yin and yang, establishing the four seasons, balancing the five elements, moving the seasonal degrees, and determining the records—all are tied to the Dipper." The Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions are seen as a ruler in the sky, based on which the movements of the sun, moon, and five planets are observed. The imagery of the former is movement, as stated in the Jin Shu·Tian Wen Zhi, "The Dipper is the chariot of the Emperor, taking the meaning of movement." The imagery of the latter is stillness. Added to the influence of the Gai Tian theory, the Dipper seems to have the function of governing the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, known as "governing the four directions." This is clearly reflected in ancient numerology:
Li Ji·Qu Li Shang: "When walking, face the Vermilion Bird in front and the Azure Dragon behind, with the Green Dragon on the left and the White Tiger on the right. The Zhaoyao is above."
Wu Zi·Zhi Bing: "Must have the Green Dragon on the left, the White Tiger on the right, the Vermilion Bird in front, and the Azure Dragon behind. The Zhaoyao is above, and the officials are below."
Mawangdui《》: "This uses the great square of the Dipper, hence the Green Dragon is on the left and the White Tiger on the right. The Vermilion Bird is in front and the Azure Dragon behind. The Zhaoyao is above, and □□ is below. Riding the Dragon and wearing the Dipper, one will surely win in battle and achieve success in campaigns. The good ones are below."
In the cited texts, Zhaoyao represents the Dipper, and the Green Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Azure Dragon represent the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions. The Xing De Bing chapter explicitly states, "This uses the great square of the Dipper," showing that the configuration of the Dipper paired with the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions was indeed very important in ancient numerology.
In the Zhou Jia Tai Qin bamboo slips, there is a set of slips that reads:
Jiao: The Dipper holds Jiao, guests are present, what is said is urgent. Lawsuits, inauspicious; contracts, successful; chasing thieves, successful; chasing lost people, successful; predicting illness, cured; predicting travelers, not yet departed; predicting arrivals, not yet here; predicting markets, inauspicious; predicting objects, yellow and white; battles, inauspicious.
Kang: The Dipper holds Kang, guests are present, what is said is about affairs, requests, unsuccessful. Lawsuits, inauspicious; contracts, unsuccessful; chasing thieves, successful; predicting illness, serious; predicting travelers, not yet departed; predicting arrivals, not yet here; predicting markets, inauspicious; predicting objects, blue and red; battles, inauspicious.
Di: The Dipper holds Di, guests are present, what is said is about worries and illness. Lawsuits, unresolved; contracts, chaotic; chasing thieves, successful; predicting illness, serious; predicting travelers, not yet departed; predicting arrivals, urgent; predicting markets, inauspicious; predicting objects, blue and yellow; battles, inauspicious.
Fang: The Dipper holds Fang, guests are present, what is said is about family affairs, middle children, many siblings. Lawsuits, resolved; contracts, successful; chasing thieves, successful; predicting illness, minor; predicting travelers, not yet departed; predicting arrivals, not yet here; predicting markets, auspicious; predicting objects, white; battles, inauspicious.
Xin: The Dipper holds Xin, guests are present, what is said is about rewards and punishments. Lawsuits, unresolved; contracts, successful; chasing thieves, unsuccessful; predicting illness, minor; predicting travelers, already departed; predicting arrivals, urgent; predicting markets, auspicious; predicting objects, red and yellow; battles, inauspicious.
Wei: The Dipper holds Wei, guests are present, what is said is auspicious. Lawsuits, victorious; contracts, successful; chasing thieves, successful; predicting illness, cured; predicting travelers, already departed; predicting arrivals, urgent; predicting markets, auspicious; predicting objects, blue and yellow; battles, inauspicious.
Ji: The Dipper holds Ji, guests are present, what is said is urgent, good deeds succeed, bad deeds do not. Lawsuits, urgent, resolved later; contracts, unsuccessful; chasing thieves, successful but then lost; predicting illness, serious; predicting travelers, not yet departed; predicting arrivals, urgent; predicting markets, self-determined; predicting objects, yellow and blue; battles, inauspicious.
Below, there are divinations for the Dipper holding the seven mansions of the north, west, and south, with largely similar divinations, which are too lengthy to include here. These divinations can be seen as direct evidence of the divination based on the Dipper holding the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions. That is, there was indeed an ancient divination system based on the Dipper and the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions. The Dipper and the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions are both celestial bodies, and the time obtained from them is considered "Heaven's time," hence we call the astrolabe from the Shuanggu Dui No. 1 Tomb "Heaven's time." This astrolabe is likely an early form of a shi plate.
The configuration of the Dipper holding the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions is not only used for divination of time but also for divination of direction. A prominent example is the "Xuan Ge" chapter of the Shi Book from the Sleepy Hollow Qin bamboo slips:
October: Xin. Wei, Ying Shi—extremely inauspicious; Xin, Wei—deadly; Bi, Ci—extremely auspicious; Zhang, Yi—minor auspiciousness; Zhaoyao—unstable; Xuan Ge—unstable.
November: Dou. Lou, Xu—extremely inauspicious; Jiao, Fang—deadly; Wei, Kou—auspicious; Liu, Qi Xing—minor auspiciousness; Zhaoyao—unstable; Xuan Ge—unstable.
December: Xu Nü. Dou, Jian Niu—extremely inauspicious; Jiao, You—deadly; Kui, Lou—auspicious; Dong Jing, You Gui—minor auspiciousness; Zhaoyao—unstable; Xuan Ge—unstable.
Below, there are divinations for one to nine months, which are too lengthy to include here. Scholars have studied that the divinations in pairs of stars and constellations, such as Wei, Ying Shi—extremely inauspicious, are indeed referring to directions. This is undoubtedly correct, as the appearance of such paired constellations is very regular, making it unlikely that they refer to real stars, while referring to directions is more reasonable. In fact, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions were originally paired with directions. As mentioned earlier, the cross-shaped lacquer lines on the Shuanggu Dui No. 1 Tomb's astrolabe point to "Jiao" and "Kui" and to "Dou" and "Dong Jing," which are the starting constellations of the four cardinal directions. Thus, that shi plate could also be used for divination of directional auspiciousness.
Additionally, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions are often represented by the Four Symbols, which are often paired with the four directions and four seasons in the Astronomy:
Eastern: Wood, its sovereign is Tai Bu, its assistant is Gou Mang, holding the compass to govern spring; its deity is Jupiter, its beast is the Azure Dragon, its tone is Jiao, its days are Ji and Yi.
Southern: Fire, its sovereign is the Flame Emperor, its assistant is Zhu Ming, holding the balance to govern summer; its deity is Mars, its beast is the Vermilion Bird, its tone is Zheng, its days are Bing and Ding.
Central: Earth, its sovereign is the Yellow Emperor, his assistant is Hou Tu, holding the rope to govern the four directions; its deity is the Star of Antares, its beast is the Yellow Dragon, its tone is Gong, its days are Wei and Ji.
Western: Metal, its sovereign is the Lesser Emperor, his assistant is Rui Shou, holding the ruler to govern autumn; its deity is Venus, its beast is the White Tiger, its tone is Shang, its days are Geng and Xin.
Northern: Water, its sovereign is Zhuan Xu, his assistant is Xuan Ming, holding the power to govern winter; its deity is the Star of Antares, its beast is the Azure Dragon, its tone is Yu, its days are Ren and Gui.
Among these, the four beasts—Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Azure Dragon—represent the Four Symbols, hence the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions can be used to represent directions.