New Issue Merge Official Board Sound Meaning Annotations: Yuanhai Ziping

Author: Xu Ziping (Song Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-02-01
Features: The book Yuanhai Ziping, compiled by Yang Cheng of the Ming Dynasty in the 27th year of the Jiajing era (1548 AD), was supplemented by the eunuch Li Qin. The original author was not signed. The Book of Li Xuzhong's Fate, listed in the Tang Dynasty's Art and Literature Catalogue, does not include this title. The Song Dynasty's Catalogue first mentions 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) under the category of Numerology are relatively complete. As for 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, without mentioning 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). This theory actually originated in the Song Dynasty and contradicts the earlier content significantly. Moreover, many of the official titles mentioned in the book are related to the Song Dynasty, indicating that it was not entirely written by Li Xuzhong. This is very evident." 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 to analyze fate. It was not until Xu Ziping of the Song Dynasty that the Four Pillars were used to analyze fate, hence the name Ziping Method for the divination technique. Comparing the two, the Ziping method is indeed far superior to Li Xuzhong's method. 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 element," emphasizing its importance. For example, the saying "Using the element as an official does not harm, using it as wealth cannot be taken away" is exceptionally profound. Third, it establishes frameworks and clarifies the roles of family members, making each judgment distinct. In this way, the entire process of fate analysis forms a very complete theoretical system.