Ping Sha Yu Chi Bian Wei (平砂玉尺辨偽)

地理多偽書，《平尺》者，偽之尤者也。或曰：是書也，以目視之，儼然經也，子獨辨其偽，何居？曰：惟世皆以為經也，餘用是不能無辨。

Fengshui is a discipline where many fake books have been produced, and among them, the "Ping Sha Yu Chi Jing" (hereafter referred to as "Ping Chi") is the most fake of all. Someone questioned me: This book is right in front of us, appearing as a dignified "Classic," yet you insist it is false. What is your basis for this claim? I replied: Precisely because the whole world treats it as a "Classic" and follows it, I cannot help but step forward to clarify this issue.

今之術家守之為金科玉律，如蕭何之定趺法，苟出乎此，不得為地理之正道。術士非此不克行，主家非此不敢信，父以教其子，師以傳其弟。果能識此，即可以自號於人曰堪輿家，延之上座，操人身家禍福之柄而不讓，拜人酒食金帛之賜而無漸。

Nowadays, geomancers regard this book as the supreme authority, just like the laws established by Xiao He at the beginning of the Han dynasty, which are not to be altered. Any views outside of this book are considered not the proper path of "geography." Geomancers cannot proceed without following it, and those who do not listen to it are not trusted. Fathers use it to teach their sons, and teachers use it to pass on to their disciples. As long as one can memorize this set of doctrines, one can claim to be a "geomancer," be invited to sit in the upper seat, and take charge of the fortune and misfortune of a family without hesitation, receiving food, drink, money, and silk without feeling ashamed ("jian" is the same as "can," meaning shame).

是以當世江湖之客，寶此書為衣食之利器，譬農之來耜、工之斧斤，其於謀生之策，可操劵而得也。有朝開卷而成誦，暮挾南車以行術者矣。豈知其足以禍世如是之酷哉！知其禍世而不辨，餘其無人心者哉！

Therefore, nowadays, the itinerant diviners on the streets and in the markets regard this book as a crucial tool for making a living, just as farmers rely on their plows and carpenters on their axes to earn their daily bread. It is a sure way to secure their livelihood. Some even memorize the formulas in the book in the morning and, by evening, carry a compass (the "south carriage," a term here used to refer to the magnetic compass) to start their work of examining land for others. They have no idea how severely this book has harmed people. Knowing its harm to the world yet refusing to clarify it, how could I not be a heartless person!

或曰：是書之來也遠矣，千又安知其為偽也，乃從而辨之？曰：我亦辨之以理而已矣。或曰：亦一理也，彼亦一理也，安知子之理是而彼之理非與？曰：餘敵惠於先之賢哲，而授餘以黃石、青鳥、楊公、幕講之秘要，竊自謂於地理之道，得之真而見之確矣。

Some people have said: This book has been passed down for a long time, how can you know it is a forgery and dare to criticize it? I replied: I merely use the principle of 'reason' to examine it. The other person asked again: You have your own reasoning, and he has his own reasoning, how can you know your reasoning is correct and his is wrong? I answered: I have the good fortune to receive the blessings of the wise men of previous generations, who passed down to me the secret teachings of Huangshi Gong, Qingniao Zi, Yang Yunsong, and Mujiang Chan Shi. I believe that what I have received is the true诀 of geomancy, and what I have seen is a correct theory.

故於古今以來所謂地理之書，無所不畢覽，凡書之合於秘要者為真，不合秘要者為偽，而此書不合之尤者也。既得先賢之秘要，又嘗近自三吳兩浙，遠之齊魯、豫章、八閩之墟，縱觀近代名家墓宅，以及先世帝王聖賢陵墓古蹟，考其離合，正其是非。

Therefore, all the books that claim to discuss geography that have ever existed, I have read through without exception. Those that agree with this secret principle are genuine, while those that do not agree are fake. The "Ping Sha Yu Che Jing" is the most inconsistent with this principle. Having already obtained the secret teachings of the ancients, I have also traveled extensively in recent times, visiting the ruins and old sites of Sanwu, Liangze, Qilu, Jiangxi (Yuzhang), Fujian (Bamboo Forest), and examined the tombs and mansions of famous figures of modern times, as well as the tombs of emperors and sages from previous dynasties. I have checked whether they conform to what is written in the book, and based on this, I have corrected the errors and verified the truths within.

凡理之取驗者為真，無所取驗者為偽，而此書不驗之尤者也，故敢斷其偽也。益以黃石、青鳥、楊公、幕講斷之，以名家墓宅、先世古蹟斷之，非餘敢以私見臆斷之也。

Any theory that can be verified through practical evidence is true, while that which cannot be verified is false. This book is precisely the one that is most difficult to verify, so I have the courage to conclude that it is a fake. I use the methods of Huangshi Gong, Qingniao Zi, Yang Yunsong, and Mulu Jiaoshi to judge it, and I refer to examples from famous tombs and ancient sites of previous dynasties, rather than making up my own opinions out of personal bias.

或曰：然則秉忠之譔、伯溫之注盅與？曰：此其所以為偽也。夫地理者，裁成天地之道，輔相天地之宜，以經邦定國、禍福斯民者也。三代以上，明君哲相無不知之；世道下衰，其說隱秘，而寄之乎山澤之癯、逃名避世之士。

Someone asked: Then is this book, which is said to have been written by Liu Bingzhong of the Yuan dynasty and annotated by Liu Bowen of the early Ming dynasty, also unreliable? I said: This is precisely where its falsehood lies. This discipline of geography is "to shape the way of heaven and earth, and assist in the proper conditions of heaven and earth" (taken from the image text of the Tai hexagram in the Zhou Changes), a matter of great importance for governing the country and relating to the happiness and misfortune of the people. In the dynasties before the Xia, Shang, and Zhou, wise kings and discerning ministers all understood it; later, when the world declined, this discipline became secret, and was entrusted to reclusive hermits and lofty scholars who lived in mountains and waters, avoiding fame and the world.

智者得之，嘗以輔翼興王，扶持景運，而其說之至者，不敢顯然以告世也。文成公之事太祖，其最著者矣。及其沒也，盡舉生平所用天文、地理、數學之書進之內府，從無片言隻字存於家而教其子孫，況肯著書立說以傳當世耶？

A wise person who possesses this knowledge often uses it to assist an emerging emperor and support the prosperity of a dynasty. However, the most subtle aspect of it is not openly shared with the world. Liu Ji (posthumously known as Wencheng) assisting the Ming Taizu was the most famous example. When he died, he presented all the books on astronomy, geography, and divination techniques he had used throughout his life to the imperial court's inner library, and not a single word or sentence remained in his home for his descendants, let alone the idea of writing books to spread his knowledge in the present age.

故凡世本之稱青田者皆偽也。均之佐命之英，知青田則知秉忠矣。或曰：何是書之文辭井井乎，若有可觀者也？曰：其辭近是，其理則非（疏是先生不得不辨處）。葐亦世之通人而不知地理者，以意為之，而傳會其說，托之乎二公者也。餘特指其謬而一一辨之，將以救天下之溺於其說者。

Therefore, any book that claims to be "Qingtian" geomancy is fake (Liu Bowen was from Qingtian in Zhejiang, hence the name Qingtian). Liu Bingchong was also an outstanding general who assisted in founding the country; understanding the principles of Qingtian means understanding the principles of Liu Bingchong. Someone else asks: then why is this book well-structured and its wording seems quite commendable? I say: its wording may seem proper, but its principles are entirely wrong (the original edition has a marginal note here: "This is a point the master cannot help but clarify"). It is probably just a person who is knowledgeable in general matters but ignorant of geography, who fabricated it according to his own ideas, and then forced it to be attributed to Liu Bingchong and Liu Bowen. I specially point out its errors one by one and correct them, in order to save those people in the world who are deceived by this kind of doctrine.

山龍之脈與平洋龍脈，皆因水而驗其脈之動靜，而皆不以水而限其脈之去來。今先言山龍。夫，山剛質也，水柔質也，山之孔竅而水出焉。故兩山之間，必有一水，山窪下之處，即水流行之道。水隨山而行，非山隨水而行也。

The dragon lines of mountainous terrain and those of flat plains (water towns and plains) both rely on water to examine the movement and stillness of the qi. However, water cannot be used to determine the coming and going of the qi. Let us first discuss mountain dragon lines. Mountains are of a hard substance, while water is of a soft substance. Where the mountain has openings, water flows out from there. Therefore, between two mountains there must be a stream of water, and the low areas of the mountains are where the water flows. This shows that water follows the mountains, not the mountains following the water.

山之高者，脈所從起；山之卑者，脈所從止。山自高而卑，故水亦從之自高而卑，此一定之理也。往往大溪大澗之旁，小幹龍所憩焉；大江大河之側，大幹龍所休焉。蓋來山之眾支聚乎此，故來水之眾泒亦聚乎此也。

In high mountain areas, the mountain ridges are where the qi begins to rise; in low mountain areas, the mountain ridges are where the qi stops. As mountains go from high to low, water naturally follows the same direction, which is an unchanging principle. Therefore, beside large streams and ravines, there are often small dry dragons resting there; beside large rivers and major waterways, there are often large dry dragons stopping there. This is because numerous branches of the coming mountain converge here, so the numerous branches of the coming water also converge here.

然據水之順逆而論脈之行止，但可就其大概而言爾，若必謂水於此界，脈必於此斷；水向左流，脈必不向右行，則不可也。夫龍脈之起伏轉折，千變而不窮。有從小江小湖崩洪而過者矣；有從大江大河，越數百十里不知其蹤跡端倪而過者矣；有收本身元辰小水，逆行收數里而結者矣；有向大乾水逆奔數百里而結者矣。

However, judging the course of a dragon pulse by the flow of water, whether it flows with or against the current, can only be a rough estimate; if one insists that water marking a boundary means the pulse must necessarily terminate there, or that if water flows to the left, the pulse must not flow to the right, such reasoning does not hold. The undulations and turns of a dragon pulse are infinite and ever-changing: some pass beneath small rivers and lakes, "bursting through" and flowing secretly; some cross large rivers and lakes, traveling hundreds of miles without any trace or clue visible before they meet the pulse; some gather their own "original stream" small waters, flowing against the current for several miles before forming a mound; and some face a major dry river, flowing against it for hundreds of miles before forming a mound.

龍之真者，水愈斷而其過脈愈奇，勢愈逆而其骨力愈壯，豈一水之橫流，可遏之使斷，牽之使前乎？今《玉尺》云：順水直沖而逆回結穴，方知體段之真；若逆水直沖而合襟在後，斷是虛花之地。眾水趨歸東北，而坤申之氣施生；群流來向巽（震）辰，而乾亥之龍毓秀。甲卯成胎，不含酉辛之氣；午丁生意，豈乘坎癸之靈。據此而言，是天下必無逆水之龍也。豈其然哉。

The true dragon is such that the more water it intercepts, the more remarkable its passage becomes; the more it comes in a reverse direction, the stronger its bones and power appear. How could it be that a single flowing water could cut it off or lead it to flow smoothly away? Now the "Jade Measure Classic" says: "Only when water flows straight and then turns back to form a site, can we see the true form; if water flows in reverse and the meeting point of two waters, called 'hujin,' falls behind the site, it is definitely a false and useless place." It also says: "When all waters flow toward the northeast, the qi of the坤申 direction is then manifested; when all streams come from the巽辰 direction, the dragon of the乾亥 direction is then nurtured. Those formed in the甲卯 direction do not contain the qi of酉辛; those with vitality in the午丁 direction, how could they be able to ride the spirit of the坎癸?" These are exactly the key points of false statements. According to this, there would certainly be no dragon formed by reverse flowing water in the world. Is that really the case?

或曰：子所言，山龍也；《玉尺》所言，平壤也。故其言曰：幹源曠野，鋪氈細認交襟；極隴平坡，月角詳看住結。山龍有脈可據，故有逆水之穴，平壤無脈可尋，只就流神之來去，認氣之行止，豈與山之過峽起伏，同年而語乎。子生平專分山水二龍以正告天下，何又執此論也？

Someone defended the "Juching Jing" by saying: "You are talking about mountain dragons, while the "Juching Jing" discusses flatlands. Therefore, the book says: 'In vast plains and open fields, one should examine carefully the place where two streams meet, as if spreading out a carpet; on the highest and level ground, one should look closely at the subtle form resembling the moon's horn, and determine where the energy settles.' Mountain dragons have ridges and patterns to follow, so there are sites formed against the flow of water; in flatlands, there are no ridges to follow, so one can only recognize the movement of energy by observing the flow of water, which cannot be compared with the undulations and changes of mountain dragons. You have always divided mountain dragons and water dragons into two separate paths, warning the world, so why are you so stubborn here?"

解之曰：平壤固純以流神辨氣，與山之脈峽不同，至以水之來去為氣之行止，則我不取。我以為酉辛水到，則甲卯之脈愈真；癸坎流來，則午丁之靈益顯。坤申生氣，眾水必無東北之趨；乾亥成龍，群流必無巽辰之向。由此而言，《玉尺》不但于山龍特行特結之妙茫然未知，且於平壤雌雄交媾之機大相背謬。

I explained that although Pyongyang relies purely on flowing water to distinguish qi, it is different from the mountain dragon's discussion on ridges and valleys; but taking the water's coming and going directly as the movement of qi, I cannot agree. I think: it is precisely because the water from the west-southwest direction comes to the site that the ridge from the east-northeast direction appears more genuine; it is precisely because the water from the north-northwest direction flows in that the qi from the south-southeast direction becomes more vigorous. Since the southwest direction is where the life qi gathers, all the waters must certainly not flow toward the northeast (instead they should come from the northeast against the flow); since the north-northwest direction has formed a true dragon, all the streams must certainly not flow toward the southeast and east. Therefore, the "Juzhi Jing" not only fails to understand the subtle aspect of mountain dragons "special movement and special formation" (unique departure and unique convergence), but also contradicts the principles it discusses regarding the meeting of yin and yang in flat land.

至其統論三大幹龍，而以為北幹乃崑崙之丑艮出脈，而龍皆坤申；南幹乃崑崙之巽辰出脈，而龍皆乾亥；中條乃崑崙之寅甲、卯乙出脈，而龍皆庚酉辛。注者遂實其解曰：北幹無離巽艮震穴，中幹無震巽艮穴；建康只有南離、臨安只有坤兌、八閩只有坤申，固哉，《玉尺》之言也。

As for the general discussion of the three great dragon ridges of the world, it says that the northern dragon ridge originates from the Kunlun Mountains in the direction of Chou and Gen, so the dragons in that area all belong to the Gen and Shen. The southern dragon ridge originates from the Kunlun Mountains in the direction of Xun and Chen, so the dragons in that area all belong to the Qian and Hai. The central ridge originates from the Kunlun Mountains in the direction of Yin and Jia, and Mao and Yi, so the dragons in that area all belong to the Geng, You, and Xin. Those who make annotations simply take this to mean that the northern dragon ridge has nosite of Li, Xun, Gen, or Zhen; the central dragon ridge has nosite of Zhen, Xun, or Gen; and the southern capital (Jingkang) can only have the Li, Hangzhou (Lingan) can only have the Kun and Dui, and Fujian (Bamboo Region) can only have the Kun and Shen. The statements in the "Jade Measure Classic" are truly narrow-minded and laughable.

夫，舉天下之大勢，大抵自兌之震、自幹之巽、自坤之艮者，地勢之從高而下然也。至於龍之剝換轉變，豈拘一方。真脈性喜逆行，大地每多朝祖，若執此書順水直沖之說，遇上格大地，反以為不合理氣而棄之，而專取傾瀉奔流，蕩然無氣之地，誤以為真結而葬之，其詒害於人，烏有限量，餘故不得已，而叮嚀反覆以辨之也。

Taking a broad view of the entire realm, mountains and rivers generally flow from west (Dui) to east (Zhen), from northwest (Qian) to southeast (Xun), and from southwest (Kun) to northeast (Gen). This is merely the natural tendency of the land to slope from high to low. As for the transformation of dragon lines, how could they be confined to a particular direction? True lines tend to favor reverse movement, and the earth often shows a tendency to turn back toward their source. If one rigidly adheres to the notion of "following the water straight ahead," when encountering high-grade land, it would be considered unreasonable and thus discarded. Instead, one would selectively choose areas where water rushes freely and lacks energy, mistakenly taking them as true sites for burial. The harm caused by such errors has no limit. Therefore, I have no choice but to repeatedly emphasize and clarify this point.

易曰：立天之道，曰陰與陽。惟此二氣，體無不具，用無不包，是二者不可偏廢，故曰孤陽不生，獨陰不長，是二者未嘗相離。故曰陽根於陰，陰根於陽。舍陽而言陰，非陰也；舍陰而言陽，非陽也。

The "Shuo Gua Zhuan" of the "Zhou Yi" says: "Establishing the principle of Heaven, it is called yin and yang." Between heaven and earth, there are only these two energies of yin and yang: in terms of their essence, there is no single thing that does not depend on them; in terms of their function, there is no single affair that is not encompassed by them. These two cannot be neglected, so it is said "solitary yang cannot thrive, solitary yin cannot grow." These two have never been separated, so yang relies on yin as its root, and yin relies on yang as its root. To talk about yin without yang would not be yin; to talk about yang without yin would not be yang.

聖人作易，必扶陽抑陰者，何也？曰，道一而已，故曰幹分而為二，而名之曰坤。以兩儀之對待者言，曰陰陽；以一元之渾然者言，惟陽而已。言陽，而陰在其中矣。就人事言，則陽為君子、陰為小人。內君子外小人為泰、內小人外君子為否。由此言之，陽與陰不可分也。苟其分之，則貴陽陰，如聖人之作易。何也，若貴陰賤陽，是背乎聖人作易之旨，而亂天地之正道也。

So why did the sage compose the Book of Changes with the principle of supporting Yang and restraining Yin? Answer: The Dao originally is one, so Qian is divided into two, and the other half is named Kun. From the perspective of dual opposites, there is a distinction between Yin and Yang; but from the perspective of a single, unified principle, it is simply Yang. When Yang is spoken of, Yin is already included within it. In terms of human affairs, Yang represents the gentleman, and Yin represents the petty person. When the gentleman is inside and the petty person is outside, it is the卦 of Tai; when the petty person is inside and the gentleman is outside, it is the卦 of Po. Thus, Yang and Yin cannot be completely separated. If they must be divided, it should be to honor Yang and restrain Yin, as the sage composed the Book of Changes. Why? Because if one reverses this and honors Yin while belittling Yang, it would contradict the original intent of the sage in composing the Book of Changes, and would disrupt the proper way of heaven and earth.

《玉尺》乃以艮巽震兌四卦為陰之旺相而貴之，以乾坤坎離為陽之孤虛而賤之。即以納甲、八干十二支：丙納於艮，辛納於巽，庚納於震而亥卯未從之，丁納於兌而己酉丑從之，十者皆謂之陰而貴；以甲納乾，以乙納坤，以癸納坎而子申辰從之，以壬納離而午寅戌從之，十者皆謂之陽而賤。

The Yuzhi Jing strangely regards the four trigrams Gen, Xun, Zhen, and Dui as the flourishing and strong positions of yin, thus treating them with respect, while considering the trigrams Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li as the isolated and weak positions of yang, thus treating them with contempt. It applies the method of Najia, assigning the eight heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches accordingly: Bing is assigned to Gen, Xin to Xun, Geng to Zhen with Hai, Mao, and Wei (the triple harmony of wood) following, Ding to Dui with Si, Chou, and Jiyou (the triple harmony of metal, originally stated as Jiyou) following; these ten are all regarded as yin and thus esteemed. Meanwhile, Ji is assigned to Qian, Yi to Kun, Gui to Kan with Shen, Zi, and Chen (the triple harmony of water) following, and Ren to Li with Yin, Wu, and Xu (the triple harmony of fire) following; these ten are all regarded as yang and thus looked down upon.

於是當世之言地理者，不論地之真偽若何，凡見陰龍陰水陰向，則概謂之吉，而見陽龍陽水陽向，則概謂之凶，此乖謬之甚者也。夫，吉凶之理莫著於易，易六十四卦各有其吉，各有其凶，八卦，六十四卦之父母也，豈有四卦純吉、四卦純凶之理。八干十二支亦然。

Therefore, nowadays those who talk about geography, regardless of whether the land itself is genuine or not, whenever they see Yin dragon, Yin water, and Yin direction, they all say it is auspicious; whenever they see Yang dragon, Yang water, and Yang direction, they all say it is inauspicious. This is truly absurd to the extreme. The principles of auspiciousness and inauspiciousness are nowhere more thoroughly explained than in The Zhou Changes (I Ching): each of the sixty-four hexagrams has its own auspicious aspects and its own inauspicious aspects; and the eight trigrams are the parents of the sixty-four hexagrams. How could there be four trigrams that are entirely auspicious and four that are entirely inauspicious? The eight heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches are also the same.

吾謂論地，只論其是地非地，不當論其屬何卦體，屬何干支。若果龍真穴的，水神環抱，坐向得宜，雖陽亦吉也。若龍非真來，穴非真結，砂飛水背，坐向偏斜，雖陰亦凶也。

I think when judging a site, one should only consider whether it is a good site or not, and not consider which trigram it belongs to or which heavenly stem and earthly branch it falls under. If it is truly a dragon coming true, a proper site, with water spirits embracing it affectionately and the orientation properly arranged, then even if it falls in what they call the 'Yang' position, it is still auspicious. If the dragon is not truly coming, the site is not properly formed, the terrain is scattered and the water flows against the site, and the orientation is crooked and not correct, then even if it falls in what they call the 'Yin' position, it is still inauspicious.

又拘所謂三吉六秀，而以為出於天星，考之天官家言，紫微垣在中國之壬亥方，而太微垣在丙午方，天市垣在寅艮方。且周天二十八宿分佈十二宮，皆能為福，皆為災。地之二十四干支上應列宿，亦猶是也。何以在此為吉，在彼為凶，此與天星之理全乎不合？

It is also stuck to the so-called "three auspicious and six flourishing" directions, thinking that they come from the stars in the heavens. However, according to astronomers, the Purple Micro垣 corresponds to the Ren Hai direction in Chinese territorial divisions, the Tai Wei垣 is in the Bingwu direction, and the Tian Shi垣 is in the Yin Gen direction; meanwhile, the twenty-eight constellations in the whole sky are distributed among the twelve palaces, and each constellation can bring both blessings and calamities. The twenty-four heavenly stems and earthly branches on earth correspond to the constellations in the sky, and the reasoning is exactly the same. On what basis can something being in one direction be considered auspicious and something in another direction be considered inauspicious? This does not align with the principles of the heavenly stars at all.

至謂乾坤老亢、辰戌為魁罡、丑未為暗金煞，然種種悖理。夫乾坤為諸卦之父母，六子皆其所產，何得為凶。老嫩之辨在於龍，龍之出身嫩也，即乾坤亦嫩也；龍之出身老，即巽辛兌丁亦老也。

As for the statements that Qian and Kun are "old and fierce," Chen and Xu are "Kui Gang," and Chou and Wei are "dark metal evil," all these are illogical. Qian and Kun are the parents of all the hexagrams; Zhen, Kan, Gen, Xun, Li, and Dui are all born from them. How can they be considered凶 (evil)? The distinction between old and young lies in the dragon's origin: if a dragon is born young, even if it comes from the Qian or Kun direction, it is a young dragon; if a dragon is born old, even if it comes from the Xun, Xin, Dui, or Ding direction, it is an old dragon.

斗之戴匡為天魁，斗柄所指為天罡，此樞幹四時，斟酌元氣，造化之大柄也。理數家以為天罡所指，眾煞潛形，何吉如之，而反以為凶耶。五行皆天地之經緯，何獨忌四金？庚酉辛，金之最堅剛者也，既不害其為吉，而獨忌四隅之暗金，甚無謂矣。諸如此類，管郭楊賴從無明文，不知妄作，流毒天下，始作俑者其無後乎。我不禁臨文而三嘆也。

The part of the Big Dipper's handle called "Tiankui" is the head of the Dipper, and the direction pointed by the Dipper's handle is called "Tian Gang." It regulates the four seasons and balances the vital energy, being the great power of creation and transformation. Those who discuss principles and numbers all say that where "Tian Gang" points, "zhong sha" (malevolent forces) hide their forms. What could be more auspicious than this, yet it is regarded as inauspicious? The Five Phases are the meridians and threads of heaven and earth; why is there a particular aversion to the four "jin" (earthly branches) of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei? Even Geng, You, and Xin, which are the hardest and strongest among the metals, do not hinder them from being auspicious. Yet they specifically avoid the four corners known as "an jin" (hidden metal), which is entirely unreasonable. Such names and classifications have never been clearly stated by the sages such as Guan Lu, Guo Pu, Yang Yunsong, and Lai Wenjun. They are all pretending to understand when they do not, fabricating things out of nowhere, causing harm throughout the world. The first person to start this would surely be childless and without descendants (a phrase from the Mencius, Liang Huibing Wang, "The first person to make a clay figure of a person, will he not have no descendants?"). As I write this, I can't help but sigh repeatedly.

盈天地間只有八卦。先天之位，曰乾坤定位，山澤通氣，風雷相薄，水火不相射。八卦總之陰而已。山陽澤陰、雷陽風陰、火陽水陰，皆兩儀對待之象。對待之中，化機出焉。所謂玄牝之門，是為天地根，一陰一陽之謂道。

What fills the universe is the Eight Trigrams. The original position of the Eight Trigrams is: Heaven (Qian) and Earth (Kun) are positioned above and below, Mount Gen (Geng) and Lake Dui (Dui) communicate their energies, Wind Xun (Xun) and Thunder Zhen (Zhen) interact with each other, Water Kan (Kan) and Fire Li (Li) do not harm each other (as stated in The Zhou Changes, The Discourse on the Trigrams). In general, the Eight Trigrams are simply one yin and one yang: Mount Gen is yang, Lake Dui is yin, Thunder Zhen is yang, Wind Xun is yin, Fire Li is yang, Water Kan is yin. All of them are images of the two principles (yi) that are opposed and complementary. It is precisely in this mutual opposition and complementarity that the vitality of nature arises. This is what the Tao Te Ching says, "The mysterious female, the gate of heaven and earth, is called the root of heaven and earth." It is also what the Great Treatise of The Zhou Changes says, "To be one yin and one yang is called the Dao."

八卦者，天地之體；五行者，天地之用。當其為體之時，未可以用言也。故坎雖為水，此先天之水，不可以有形之水言也；離雖為火，此先天之火，不可以有形之火言也。故艮為山而不可以土言也、兌為澤而不可以金言也、震巽為風雷而可以木言也。

The Eight Trigrams are the "body" of heaven and earth, while the Five Phases are the "function" of heaven and earth. When they are in the position of "body," they cannot be explained by "function." Therefore, although Kan belongs to water, it is the water of the primordial heaven and cannot be explained by tangible water; although Li belongs to fire, it is the fire of the primordial heaven and cannot be explained by tangible fire. Similarly, Gen, although representing mountain, cannot be explained by "earth," Dui, although representing marsh, cannot be explained by "metal," and Zhen and Xun, although representing thunder and wind, cannot be explained by "wood" (the original text is missing a "not" in the last sentence).

若論後天方位八卦，而以坎位北而為水、以離位南而為火、以震位東而為木、以兌位西而為金，似矣。四隅皆土也，又何以巽木乾金不隨四季，而隨春秋耶？此八卦五行之一謬也。

If we use the later heaven directions to discuss the eight trigrams, considering the Kan trigram in the north as water, the Li trigram in the south as fire, the Zhen trigram in the east as wood, and the Dui trigram in the west as metal, this makes sense. However, the four intermediate directions, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, all belong to earth. Then why do the Xun trigram's wood and the Qian trigram's metal follow the seasons of spring and autumn instead of the earth of the four seasons? This is the first fundamental error in matching the eight trigrams with the five phases.

及論二十四龍則又造為三合之說。復附會之以雙山，更屬支離牽強而全無憑據。夫，既以東南西北為四正五行，則巳丙丁皆從離以為火、亥壬癸皆從坎而為水、寅甲乙皆從震而為木、申庚辛皆從兌而為金，辰戌丑未皆從四隅以為土，猶之可也。

When discussing the twenty-four mountains and their dragons, it introduces another concept called "Triple Harmony," and further connects it with the idea of "Double Mountains" (combining one heavenly stem and one earthly branch into one position). This becomes increasingly fragmented and forced, with no solid basis. Honestly speaking, since the directions East, South, West, and North have already been established as the four cardinal directions corresponding to the Five Phases, then巳 (Si), 丙 (Bing), and 丁 (Ding) are all grouped under Li (Fire), 亥 (Hai), 壬 (Ren), and 癸 (Gui) are all grouped under Kan (Water), 寅 (Yin), 甲 (Jia), and 乙 (Yi) are all grouped under Zhen (Wood), 申 (Shen), 庚 (Geng), and 辛 (Xin) are all grouped under Dui (Metal), and 辰 (Chen), 戌 (Xu), 丑 (Chou), and 未 (Wei) are all grouped under the four corners and belong to Earth. According to this pattern, the reasoning is consistent and can be somewhat accepted.

今又以子合申辰而為水、並其鄰之坤壬乙亦化為水；以午合寅戌而為火，並其鄰之艮丙辛亦化為火；以卯合亥未而為木，並其鄰之干甲丁亦化為木；以酉合已丑而為金，並其鄰之巽庚癸亦化為金。論八卦則卦爻錯亂，論四令則方位顛倒，此三合雙山之再謬也。所謂多岐亡羊，朝令夕改，自相矛盾，不持悖於理義，亦不通於辭說者矣。

Now it combines Zi with Shen and Chen to form a water pattern, and in doing so, also transforms the nearby trigrams Kun, Ren, and Yi into water; it combines Wu with Yin and Xu to form a fire pattern, and in doing so, also transforms the nearby trigrams Gen, Bing, and Xin into fire; it combines Mao with Hai and Wei to form a wood pattern, and in doing so, also transforms the nearby trigrams Qian, Jia, and Ding into wood; it combines You with Si and Chou to form a metal pattern (the original text says "Si Chou"), and in doing so, also transforms the nearby trigrams Xun, Geng, and Gui into metal. In this way, when considering the eight trigrams, the trigrams and their lines become disordered, and when considering the four seasons, the directions become inverted. This is the second level of error in the Triple Harmony and dual mountains. Indeed, as the saying goes, when there are too many wrong paths, even a sheep can get lost. There are contradictory instructions given in the same day, and the statements contradict each other. Not only do they violate the principles, but they also fail to make coherent statements.

又以龍脈之左旋右旋，而分五行之陰陽，曰亥龍自甲卯乙、丑艮寅、壬子癸方來者為陽木龍；亥龍自未坤申、庚酉辛、戌乾方來者為陰木龍。其餘無不皆然，謬之謬者也。

It also divides the Five Phases into yin and yang according to the left and right rotation of the dragon veins. It says that if the亥 dragon comes from the directions of Jia Mao Yi, Chou Gen Yin, or Ren Zi Gui, it is called 'Yang Wood Dragon'. If the亥 dragon comes from the directions of Wei Kun Shen, Geng You Xin, or Xu Qian, it is called 'Yin Wood Dragon'. All other dragons are similarly classified in this manner. This is truly a mistake on top of another mistake.

又以龍之所屬而起長生、沐浴、冠帶、臨官、帝旺、衰、病、死、墓、絕、胎、養；又以龍順逆之陰陽分起長生，曰陽木在甲，長生在亥，旺於卯、墓於未；陰木屬乙，長生在午、旺於寅、墓於戌。其餘無不皆然。舉世若狂以為定理，真可哀痛矣。

It also arranges the twelve palaces of growth, bathing, capping, officialdom, prosperity, decline, illness, death, burial, extinction, conception, and nurturing according to the five phases associated with the dragon. It then divides the beginning of life for each dragon according to its direction and yin-yang attributes. For yang wood, which belongs to Jia, the beginning of life is in Hai, prosperity is in Mao, and burial is in Wei. For yin wood, which belongs to Yi, the beginning of life is in Wu, prosperity is in Yin, and burial is in Xu. The rest follow the same pattern. The whole world treats this as an unchangeable rule, which is truly heartbreaking.

夫五行者，陰陽二氣之精華，散於萬象，周流六虛，盈天地之內，無處不有五行之氣，無物不具五行之體。今以龍而言，則直者為木、圓者為金、曲者為水、銳者為火、方者為土。又窮五行之變體，而曰貪狼木、巨門土、祿存土、文曲水、廉貞火、武曲金、破軍金、左輔土、右弼金。五行之變盡矣。此楊曾諸先覺，明目張膽以告後人者也。

In reality, the Five Phases are the essence of yin and yang, spread throughout all phenomena, circulating in all directions, filling the entire universe. There is no place without the qi of the Five Phases, and no object without the body of the Five Phases. Regarding the form of a dragon's body: straight forms belong to wood, round forms belong to metal, curved forms belong to water, sharp forms belong to fire, and square and upright forms belong to earth. Further examining the variations of the Five Phases, there are: Tanwang belongs to wood, Jumen belongs to earth, Luchun belongs to earth, Wenqu belongs to water, Lianzhen belongs to fire, Wuqu belongs to metal, Pojun belongs to metal, Zuo Fu belongs to earth, and You Bi belongs to metal—here the variations of the Five Phases are fully explained. This is the correct method openly taught by Yang Yunsong and Zeng Wenda and other wise men to later generations.

夫此九星五行者，或為起祖之星、或為傳變之星、或為結穴之星、或為夾從輔佐之星，或兼二、或兼三、或兼四，甚而五星傳變，則地大不可名言，以此見五行者變化之物，未有單取一行不變以為用者也。

These nine stars belong to the Five Phases, some serving as the originating star, others as intermediate transforming stars, some as the concluding star, and others as auxiliary protective stars. Some stars combine two functions, others three, and some even four. In extreme cases, the five stars may transmit and transform successively, leading to vast and indescribable areas. From this, we can see that the Five Phases are ever-changing, and there is no principle of using a single phase alone and keeping it fixed.

今不於龍體求五行之變化，而但執方位論五行之名字，是使天地之生機不變不化，取其一，盡廢其四矣。又從方位之左右旋分五行之陰陽，是使一氣之流行左支右絀，得其半而未能全其一矣。

Nowadays, people do not seek the changes of the Five Phases within the Dragon Body, but instead rigidly use the names of the Five Phases based on directions. This is equivalent to saying that the vital energy of heaven and earth remains unchanged and untransformed, selecting one of the Five Phases while completely discarding the other four. Furthermore, they divide the yin and yang of the Five Phases based on the left and right rotation of directions. This is equivalent to saying that the flow of vital energy is restricted on one side and weak on the other, only capturing half, and even failing to preserve a single Phase completely.

試以物產言之。若曰南方火地無大水；北方水地不火食；西方金地不產各材；東方木地不產良金，有是理乎？試以品性言之。盡人皆具五德，若曰東方之人皆無義；西方之人皆無仁；北方之人皆無禮；南方之人皆無智，有是理乎？

Taking the products of different regions as an example: could it be true that there is no great water in the southern region, which is associated with fire? Or that fire is not used for cooking in the northern region, which is associated with water? Or that there are no various kinds of timber in the western region, which is associated with metal? Or that the eastern region, which is associated with wood, does not produce good gold? Does such reasoning make sense? Taking human nature as another example: everyone possesses the five virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness. Could it be true that all people from the east do not value righteousness, all people from the west do not value benevolence, all people from the north do not value propriety, and all people from the south do not value wisdom? Does such reasoning make sense?

且不獨觀四時之流行乎，春氣一噓而萬物皆生，不特東南生，而西北無不盡生；秋氣一肅而萬物皆落，不特西北落，而東南無不盡落。是生殺之氣不可以方隅限也。

Moreover, just by observing the seasonal changes, one can understand clearly: when the spring energy arises, all things sprout together; not only does life arise in the southeast, but also in the northwest. When the autumn energy becomes severe, all things wither together; not only does decay occur in the northwest, but also in the southeast. This shows that the energies of growth and decay cannot be confined to specific directions.

又不觀乎五材之利用乎，棟樑之木遇斧斤以成材；入冶之金，須鍛鍊而成器；大塊非耒耜不能耕耘；清泉非爨燎不能飲食。道家者流，神而明之，故有水火交媾、金木合併之義，以為大丹作用，即大易既濟、歸妹之象也。故曰識得五行顛倒顛，便是大羅仙。相生者何嘗生，相剋者何嘗克乎。

Now let's look at the actual use of the five materials—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The timber used for beams must meet the axe and saw to become useful. Metal to be melted in a furnace must be tempered to become a tool. Large plots of land cannot be farmed without the plow and hoe. Clear spring water cannot be used for food without fire for cooking. The Daoists have deeply understood this principle, so they speak of "water and fire combining" and "metal and wood merging," using these concepts for the preparation of great elixirs. This is actually the imagery of the two hexagrams, "The Containing" and "The Return of the Young Girl," from the Zhou Yi. Therefore, alchemists say, "Recognizing the reversal of the five elements is to become a great immortal." Thus, the idea of mutual generation is not simply generation, and the idea of mutual control is not simply control.

今《玉尺》曰：癸壬來自兌庚，乃作體全之象；坎水迎歸寅卯，名為領氣之神。金臨火位，自焚厥尸；木入金鄉，依稀絕命。火龍畏見兌庚，遇北辰而自廢；東震愁逢火劫，見西兌而傷魂。是山川有至美之精英，而以方位廢之也。

Now the "Jade Measure Classic" says: "A dragon of Ren and Gui comes from Dui and Geng, only then does it form a complete body; Kan water welcoming back Yin and Mao, only then does it become a spirit that leads the energy. Metal approaching the fire position is like burning its own body; wood entering the metal territory seems to have its life cut off. A fire dragon most fears encountering Dui and Geng; when it meets northern Kan water, it automatically becomes ineffective; an eastern Zhen dragon worries about encountering fire disasters; when it meets western Dui, it will suffer soul damage." According to this, mountains and rivers originally have extremely beautiful essence, yet they are all dismissed with just one direction.

且五行之論生旺墓，而亦限之以方位，其說起於何人？若以天運言，則陽升而萬物皆生、陰升則萬物皆死，無此生彼死、此死彼生之分也。若以地脈言，有氣則萬物皆生、無氣則在在皆死，無此生彼墓，此旺彼衰之界也。

The Five Phases also discuss generation, prosperity, and burial, but they too are bound by fixed directions. So where did this theory originate? If we consider the heavenly movement, when yang energy rises, all things are generated; when yin energy rises, all things die. There is no distinction of generation here and death there, or death here and generation there. If we consider the earth's energy, where there is energy, all places are alive; where there is no energy, all places are dead. There is no boundary of generation here and burial there, or prosperity here and decline there.

今龍必欲自生趨旺，自旺朝生；水必來於生旺，去於囚謝；砂之高下亦如之，皆因誤認來龍之五行所屬，於是紛紛不根之論，咸從此而起也。

Now they insist that the dragon must go from growth to prosperity and back from prosperity to growth; that water must come from the direction of birth and prosperity and go to the direction of captivity and decline; even the height and lowness of the ridges are determined according to this principle. All this is due to a mistaken identification of the five phases of the dragon's origin. Thus, all sorts of baseless discussions arise from here.

更有謂龍之生旺墓若不合，別有立向消納之法。或以坐山起五行，或以向上論五行。不知山龍平壤皆有一定之穴、生成之向，豈容拘牽字義，以意推移。朝向論五行固為乖謬、坐山論五行亦未為得也。《玉尺》又兩可其說曰：可合雙山，作用法聯珠之妙；宜從卦例，推求導納甲之宗。又何其鼠首兩端，從無定見耶。

Some people say that if the birth, prosperity, and burial of the dragon are not in harmony, there is another method to determine the direction and its influence: either starting from the mountain's orientation to determine the Five Phases, or starting from the upper direction to determine the Five Phases. But in reality, whether it is mountain dragons or flat land, each has a fixed site and a naturally determined direction. How can people be allowed to be confined by words and impose their own interpretations? Taking the orientation to determine the Five Phases is certainly wrong, and taking the mountain's orientation to determine the Five Phases is equally incorrect. The "Yuzhi Jing" is vague and contradictory, saying: "It can be combined with dual mountains, taking advantage of the wonderful effect of linked pearls; it is also suitable to follow the hexagram examples, to explore the principles of Najia." How can it be so indecisive and never have a fixed view?

我願世之學地理者，山龍只看結體之五星、平壤只看水城之五星，此乃五行之真者。苟精其義，雖以步武楊賴亦自不難。至於方位五行，不特小玄空生克出入、宗廟洪範、雙山三合斷不可信，即正五行八卦五行亦不可拘。此關一破，則正見漸開，邪說盡息，地理之道始有入門。嗟乎，我安得盡洗世人之肺腸，而曉然告之以玄空大卦天元九氣之真訣，使黃石、《青囊》之秘，昭昭乎若揭日月而行也哉。

I wish that all those who study geography would look at mountain dragons only in terms of the five stars that form their structure, and when examining flat land, they should focus only on the five stars of the water city. This is the true meaning of the Five Phases. If one can thoroughly master this principle, even striving to reach the level of Yang Yunsong and Lai Wenjun would not be difficult. As for the Five Phases in terms of direction, not only should the minor Xuan Kong's generation and overcoming, the ancestral temple Five Phases, Hongfan Five Phases, and the triple harmony dual mountains be considered unreliable, but even the orthodox Five Phases and the Eight Trigrams Five Phases should not be rigidly adhered to. Once this barrier is broken, correct understanding will gradually become clear, and false teachings will naturally cease. Only then can the study of geography truly begin. Alas! How can I wash the hearts of all people and clearly explain to them the true secrets of Xuan Kong Da Gua and the heavenly origin of nine qi, so that the secret teachings of Huang Shi Gong and the Qing Nang Jing may shine brightly like the sun and moon across the world?

夫四大水口有至理存焉，楊公書中未嘗發露，惟希夷先生闢闔水法，倡明八卦之理，而四大水口之義寓於其中。此乃黃石公《三字青囊》所固有，楊公特秘而不宣，即希夷引而不發也。

Among the four great water mouths, there is a very subtle principle, which Yang Yunsong did not explicitly mention in his writings. Only Chen Xiyi discussed the "Opening and Closing Water Method," clarifying the principles of the Eight Trigrams. The meaning of the four great water mouths is contained within this. This was originally present in Huangshi Gong's "Three-Character QianNang," but Yang Yunsong deliberately kept it secret, and Chen Xiyi only hinted at it without fully revealing it.

今人不知天元八卦之妙用，妄以凡庸淺見測之，遂以為辰戌丑未為五行墓庫之方，輒以三合雙山附會曰：乙丙交而趨戌、辛壬會而聚辰、斗牛納丁庚之氣、金羊收甲癸之靈。鳴呼，謬矣。

Modern people do not understand the subtle applications of the Heavenly Stem and the Eight Trigrams. They use shallow and vulgar knowledge to speculate, and thus mistakenly believe that the directions of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are the locations of the Five Phases' Storage. They often resort to Triple Harmony and dual mountains to interpret, saying "Yi and Bing converge towards Xu, Xin and Ren gather towards Chen, the constellation Dou and Niu absorb the energy of Ding and Geng, and the constellation Jin Yang collects the power of Jia and Gui" (Dou and Niu refer to Chou, Jin Yang refers to Wei). Alas, this is entirely wrong!

以三合五行起長生墓庫之非，即龍上五行左旋為陽，右旋為陰而同歸一庫，穿鑿不通之論，前篇皆已辨之。獨此四大水口原屬卦氣之妙用，《青囊》之正訣，而亦為此輩牽合舛錯而亂真，余每開卷至此，不勝握腕，故又特舉而言之。

The absurdity of using the Triple Harmony and the Five Phases to determine the Growth and Storage, as well as the false reasoning of dividing the Dragon into the Five Phases, counting clockwise as Yang and counter-clockwise as Yin, and finally converging at the same Storage, has already been clarified in previous discussions. The four main water channels originally belong to the subtle application of hexagram qi and the correct method of the Qingnang Classic, but now they are wrongly combined and confused, with falsehoods passing for truth. Every time I read this part of the book, I can't help but feel regret and sigh, so I specially bring it up again to explain it.

夫圖南先生八大局皆從《洛書》八卦中來，一卦有一卦之水口。舉四隅之卦而言，則有四；若舉四正之卦而言，其實有八。然括其要旨，即一水口而諸卦之理已具。學者苟明乎此，山河大地，佈滿黃金矣。特以天心所秘，非人勿傳，故不敢筆之於書，聊因俗本，微露一端，任有夙慧者私心自悟。

Chen Tuan, whose courtesy name was Tunan, established the eight major sectors based on the Eight Trigrams of the Luo Book. Each trigram has its own water mouth. If we consider only the four corner trigrams,乾, 坤, 艮, and 巽, there are only four. But when we include the four central trigrams, 坎, 离, 震, and 兑, there are actually eight in total. However, the essential principle is that if one understands a single water mouth, the principles of all the trigrams are fully encompassed. If scholars can comprehend this, they will see gold everywhere in the mountains, rivers, and lands. Yet, since this is a secret of heaven's heart and can only be passed down to the right person, it is not written clearly in books. Therefore, this text only slightly reveals the idea, allowing those with innate wisdom to understand it intuitively.

若以為陽艮龍丙火，交於乙，墓於戌；陰亥龍乙木，交於丙，亦墓於戌，以為天根明窟，雌雄交媾，玄竅相通，種種痴人說夢，總因誤認諸家五行，不知卦氣之理，以訛傳訛，盲修瞎煉。

As for saying that the yang Gen dragon belongs to Bing fire, meeting at Yi and dying in Xu; the yin Hai dragon belongs to Yi wood, meeting at Bing and dying in Xu, this is called 'tian gen ming ku' (i.e., 'tian gen yue ku'), 'ci xiong jiao gou', 'xuan qiao xiang tong'—all of these are mere dreams of fools. In the end, it is due to wrongly recognizing the directions and the five phases of each school, not understanding the principle of hexagram qi, spreading errors, and blindly practicing and refining.

吾遍觀古來帝王陵寢，以及公卿名墓，何曾有合此四語者。若用此四語擇得合格之地，總與地理真機無涉，其為敗絕，亦猶是也。所謂勞而無功，聞餘言者，不識能惕然有動於中否。

I have examined the tombs of ancient emperors and the graves of high officials and distinguished families, and never have I found a single one that meets these four lines of verse. Even if one were to select a site according to these four lines and call it "qualified," it would have nothing to do with the true principles of geomancy. It would still result in the family's decline and extinction. This is truly a case of laboring in vain. Those who hear my words, I wonder if they will be startled in their hearts and moved by them.

天地之道，不過一陰陽交媾而已。天地有一大交媾，萬物各有一交媾，變變化化，施之無窮，論其微妙，莫可端倪而實有其端倪。故曰玄牝之門，是為天地根。地理之道，若確見雌雄交媾之處，則千卷《青囊》皆可付之祖龍。斯理甚秘，而實在眼前，若一指明，觸目可睹。然斷不在五行生旺墓上討消息也。

The way of Heaven and Earth, in the end, is nothing but a "yin and yang union." Heaven and Earth have a great union, and all things also have their own unions, constantly changing and acting without end. When speaking of its subtle aspects, it seems as if we cannot grasp its beginning or end, yet in reality there is indeed a beginning to be found. Therefore, the "Book of Dao" says, "The gate of the dark and the female is called the root of Heaven and Earth." If geomancy truly can accurately identify the place of the union between yin and yang, then thousands of volumes of the "Qingang" can be burned (the phrase "pay to the ancestor dragon" refers to the historical event of Emperor Qin Shi Huang burning books). This principle is extremely secret, yet it is actually right before our eyes. Once clearly pointed out, it is everywhere to be seen. However, it is certainly not found in the aspects of the Five Phases' generation, prosperity, and burial.

《玉尺》乃曰：有乙辛丁癸之婦，配甲庚丙壬之夫。又曰：陰遇陽而非其類，號曰陽差；陽見陰而非其偶，名曰陰錯。乃取必於乙丙之墓戌；辛壬之墓辰；丁庚之墓丑；癸甲之墓未，此真三家村學究之見也。

The Jade Measure Classic says: "There are these four yin stems, namely Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui, which act as wives, and they pair with these four yang stems, namely Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren, which act as husbands." It also says: "When yin meets yang but is not of the same kind, it is called 'yang difference'; when yang meets yin but is not its proper match, it is called 'yin error.'" Therefore, one must necessarily take Yi and Bing, which share the same burial ground at Xu, Xin and Ren, which share the same burial ground at Chen, Ding and Geng, which share the same burial ground at Chou, and Gui and Jia, which share the same burial ground at Wei. This is truly the understanding of a village schoolmaster.

夫陰陽交媾自然而然，不由勉強，亦活潑地不拘一方，豈可以方位板格死煞排算乎。即以天地之交媾者言，天氣一降，地氣一升，而雨澤斯沛矣，子能預定天地之交於何方，合於何日乎？更以男女之交媾者言，陽精外施，陰血內抱而胎元斯孕矣，子能預擬胎孕之何法而成，何時而結乎。

In fact, the union of yin and yang is a natural occurrence, something that cannot be forced in the slightest. Moreover, it is lively and spontaneous, not fixed to any particular side. How can one rigidly and mechanically calculate the twenty-four directions? Take the union of heaven and earth as an example: when the heavenly energy descends and the earthly energy ascends, the two energies meet, and rain falls abundantly. Can you prearrange in which direction heaven and earth meet or on which day they unite? Take the union of man and woman as another example: when the yang essence is given externally and the yin blood is embraced internally, the fetal origin is formed. Can you prearrange the method to be used for this pregnancy or the specific time when it should be formed? Clearly, the moment of union depends entirely on natural response, not on the fixed arrangement of directions.

知天地男女之不可以矯楺造作，則知地理之所謂天根月窟，亦猶是矣。此唯楊公《都天寶照》言之鑿鑿，不啻金針暗度，而因辨《玉尺》之謬而偶洩於此，具神識者，精思而冥悟之，或有鬼神之告也。

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are not artificially fabricated, but naturally formed, just as the concept of "heavenly root and lunar cave" in geomancy follows the same principle. This idea is clearly explained in Yang Yunsong's "Dutian Baozhao Jing," which is like secretly passing on a precious needle to others. I mention this here only because I am trying to correct the errors in the "Yuzhe Jing." Those with keen insight, if they calmly reflect and deeply contemplate, may be guided by supernatural forces.

今之地理家，分龍穴砂水為四事。或雲龍雖好、穴不好；或雲龍穴雖好，砂水不好。何異痴人說夢。古之真知地理者，只有尋龍定穴之法，無尋砂尋水之法。正以雖有四者之名，而其實一而已矣。穴者，龍之所結；水者，龍之所源；砂者，龍之所衛；故有是龍則有是穴，有是穴則有是砂水。未有龍穴不真而砂水合格者也。亦未有龍真穴的，而砂水不稱者也。

Modern geomancers divide dragon, site, sand, and water into four separate matters, often saying things like "the dragon is good, but the site is not" or "the dragon and site are good, but the sand and water are not." This is no different from a madman talking in his sleep. In ancient times, those who truly understood geomancy only had the methods of seeking the dragon and determining the site; there were no separate methods for seeking sand and water. Because although there are these four names, they are actually all about one thing: the site is where the dragon's energy converges; water is the source from which the dragon's energy comes; and sand is the protection of the dragon's body. Therefore, there is such a dragon, there is such a site; there is such a site, there is such sand and water. There has never been a case where the dragon and site are not genuine, yet the sand and water happen to be suitable, nor has there ever been a case where the dragon and site are genuine, yet the sand and water happen to be unsuitable.

《玉尺》反曰：龍穴之善惡從水，猶女人之貴賤從夫。穴雖凶而水吉，尚集吉祥。是以本為末，以末為本，顛倒甚矣。且其所謂吉凶者，只取四生三合，雙山五行，論去來之吉凶，而以來從生旺、去從墓絕者為吉，反此者為凶。既屬可笑。又以砂水在淨陰方位者為吉，在淨陽方位者為凶，尤為拘泥。

The Zhi Chi Jing actually says: "The quality of a dragon site depends on water, just as a woman's status depends on her husband; even if the site is凶, as long as the water is good, it can still gather auspiciousness." This reverses the fundamental and the secondary, and turns things upside down. Moreover, what it discusses regarding auspiciousness and inauspiciousness is limited to the "four sources," "triple harmony," and dual mountain five phases, focusing solely on the coming and going of water: coming water from the birth and prosperity directions and going water to the burial and decline directions is considered auspicious, while the opposite is considered inauspicious, which is already laughable. It further considers water falling in the "pure yin" direction as auspicious and water falling in the "pure yang" direction as inauspicious, making it even more rigid.

夫，水之吉凶只辨天元衰旺之氣，砂者，借賓伴主，只要朝拱環抱，其形尖圓平正秀麗端莊，皆為吉曜。若斜飛反去，破碎丑拙則為凶殺。或題之曰文筆、曰誥軸、曰御屏、曰玉幾、曰龍樓、曰鳳閣、曰仙橋、曰旗幟、曰堆甲屯兵、曰煙花粉黛，諸般名色皆以象取之，以類應之，而不可拘執。

The fortune of water is determined solely by the decline or strength of the heavenly stem trigram; as for the sand, it is merely a secondary element accompanying the main one. As long as it faces the main point, surrounds it, and shows affection, with shapes sharp, round, flat, upright, elegant and dignified, they are all considered auspicious stars. If they fly obliquely away, or are broken, ugly, coarse and clumsy, they are considered Inauspicious Sha. People give them various names, such as "Wenbi" (pen), "Gaozhu" (imperial scroll), "Yuping" (imperial screen), "Yujiji" (jade table), "Longlou" (dragon pavilion), "Fengge" (phoenix hall), "Xianqiao" (immortal bridge), "Zhiqi" (banner), or "Duijia屯bing" (pile of Jia troops), "Yuhuafen Dai" (flower powder and beauty), etc. All these names are merely metaphors based on their shapes and categories, and should not be rigidly adhered to.

亦須所穴者果是真龍胎息，精靈翕聚，而後一望臚列皆其珍膳兩假。如一山數家，同見貢砂，而一冢獨發，其餘皆否，非貴之與賤在龍穴而關於砂乎。況四神八國並起星峰，皆堪獻秀，何必淨陰之位則吉、淨陽之位則凶。龍穴無貴陰賤陽之分，砂水又豈有貴陰賤陽之分耶。

The chosen site must indeed be the true dragon's vital breath, where the spirit gathers together. Only then can the surrounding hills, when viewed from there, all appear as delicacies on the dragon's banquet table (the original text says '珍膳两假', which may have some errors). For example, several families living on the same mountain can all see the same noble hill, yet only one tomb brings prosperity, while the others do not. This shows that the distinction between noble and humble lies in the dragon's site, not in the hills. Moreover, if the four directions and eight trigrams all rise as star peaks, they can all display their beauty. Why must the pure yin position be auspicious and the pure yang position be inauspicious? Since the dragon's site has no distinction between noble yin and humble yang, how can the hills and water have such distinctions?

其云文筆在坤申為詞訟、旌旗見子午為劫賊；高峰出南離，恐驚回祿、印星當日馬，必遭瞽疾；幹戌為鼓盆之煞、坤流為寡宿之星；寅甲水、瘋疾纏身、乙辰水，投河自縊；又云：未離胎而夭折，多因沖破胎神、才出世而身亡，蓋為擊傷生氣。四敗傷生，雖有子而母明父暗、望神投浴，居官而淫亂可羞。諸如此類，不可枚舉，立辭愈巧其理愈虛。一謬百謬，難以悉辨。

It also says: "Wenbi sand appearing in the Kun Shen direction indicates lawsuits; Jingshi sand seen in the Zi Wu direction suggests theft and banditry; a high peak rising in the Nan Li direction may cause a fire disaster; the official star positioned at the Yimai location inevitably leads to eye disease; the Qian Xu direction signifies the 'gupen sha' (death of a wife); water coming from the Kun direction indicates a lonely and destitute star; water coming from the Yin direction may lead to madness, while water from the Yi Chen direction may result in suicide by drowning. It also says: if a child dies before birth, it is often due to breaking the fetal deity; if a child dies at birth, it is due to injuring the life qi; 'four failures' water harms the life qi, even if there are sons, the mother is clear and the father is hidden; 'wangs神 tou yu' (bathing water, a type of桃花 water) may lead to disgraceful immorality even if one holds an official position. There are countless such statements, with more elaborate wording, yet the reasoning becomes more hollow. A single mistake leads to many others, and it is truly impossible to distinguish all of them."

總其大旨曰：廢五行衰旺之說，破陰陽貴賤之名，可以論龍穴，即可以論砂水矣。我於是書，取其四語，曰：本主興隆，殺曜變為文曜；龍身微賤，牙刀化作屠刀。此則沙中之金，石中之玉也。釆葑採菲，無以下體。故特舉而存之。

In summary, my main point is just one sentence: discard the system of the Five Phases' decline and prosperity, and break away from the notions of yin and yang's superiority and inferiority; if we can judge a dragon ridge and a spirit site in this way, we can also judge the surrounding terrain and water in the same manner. In this book, I only take these four sentences: "The main ridge brings prosperity, and the killing stars turn into literary stars; the dragon body is of low status, and the dagger becomes a butcher's knife." These four sentences are truly gold in the sand and jade in the stone. The Book of Songs, in the section of Bei Wind, Gu Feng, says, "Gather wild leeks and wild radishes, do not discard them because of their roots." Those who gather wild leeks and wild radishes do not discard the stems and leaves just because the roots are not good, so I specially bring them out to preserve them.

水法中有「祿上御街」、「馬上御街」，其說鄙俚不經，而最能使俗人豔慕。又有八煞、黃泉二種禁忌，使人望而畏之若探湯焉。我以為其說皆妄也。

In the water divination texts there are terms such as "Lushang Yujie" and "Mashang Yujie," which are crude and unrefined, yet they most easily arouse the envy of common people. There are also two other taboos called "Bashash" and "Huangquan," which make people fear them upon sight, like reaching out to touch boiling water. I think all these statements are mere nonsense.

夫，祿馬貴人，起例見於六壬，在易課中已屬借用，與地理祿命皆無干涉。世人學術無本，一見干支便加祿馬，推命家用之，地理家亦用之，東挪西借，以張之子孫繼李之宗祖，血脈不通，鬼神不享。此在楊曾以前，從不見於經傳，後之俗子妄加添設，不辨自明。

The deities of official rank, horse, and nobleman are originally from the system of Six壬 (Liuren), and their use in the Yi Jing lessons is considered borrowed. They have nothing to do with geography or the system of official rank and destiny. People without solid knowledge see the heavenly stems and earthly branches and arbitrarily add official rank, horse, and nobleman. Diviners use them, and geomancers also use them, borrowing from different sources, like using the descendants of one family to inherit the ancestors of another. The bloodline is not connected, and the spirits will not accept them. These terms were never found in the classical texts before Yang Yunsong and Zeng Wenda. They were all falsely added by common people in later generations. There is no need to argue, and it is naturally clear.

夫，地理之正傳，只以星體為巒頭，卦爻為理氣，舍此二者，一切說玄說妙，且無所用之，況其鄙俗之甚者耶。其所稱馬貴者，亦有之矣，曰貴人、曰天馬，此皆取星峰以為名，不在方位也。水之御街亦以形言，不在方位。至於八煞、黃泉，尤無根據，全屬捏造。更與借用不同。

The true essence of geomancy is to discuss physical features using celestial bodies and to explain principles using trigrams and their lines. Without these two aspects, all talk of mystery and subtlety becomes useless, let alone such crude things. What it refers to as "horse" and "nobleman" actually exist: one is called "nobleman" and the other "heavenly horse," but these are names taken from the shapes of mountain peaks, not from directions. The so-called "imperial street" in water is also based on form, not direction. As for the eight evils and the Yellow Spring, they have no basis at all and are entirely fabricated, not even worthy of being called borrowed.

夫，天地一元之氣，周流六虛。八卦方位，先天後天互為根源，環相交合，相濟為用。得其氣運則皆生，違其氣運則皆死，但當推求卦氣之興衰而為趨避者，從無此卦忌見彼卦，此爻忌見彼爻之理。

The vital energy of the universe flows throughout the four directions and up and down. The positions of the Eight Trigrams are rooted in both the original and the transformed arrangements, interconnecting and supporting each other to form their functions. If they align with the prevailing energy of the time, they can all generate life; if they contradict the prevailing energy of the time, they all lead to death. Therefore, one should only investigate the rise and decline of the trigram energies, and use this to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune. There is never any reason to consider one trigram as harmful when another appears, or one line as harmful when another appears.

若失氣運，則巽見辛、艮見丙、兌見丁、坤見乙、坎見癸、離見壬、震見庚、幹見甲，本宮納甲正配尚足以興妖發禍。若得氣運，雖坎龍，坤兔、震猴、巽雞、幹馬、兌蛇、艮虎、離豬，而卦氣無傷，諸祥自致。我謂推求理氣者，須知有氣運隨時之真煞，實無卦爻配合之煞。今真煞之刻期刻應，剝膚切骨者不知避，而拘拘忌八曜之假煞，亦可悲矣。

If the auspicious energy is lost, then the proper matches according to the stem assignments within each trigram, such as Xun meeting Xin, Gen meeting Bing, Dui meeting Ding, Kun meeting Yi, Kan meeting Gui, Li meeting Ren, Zhen meeting Geng, and Qian meeting Jia, are still sufficient to cause calamities. But if the auspicious energy is present, even encountering the so-called "Eight Malevolent Stars" — "Kan Dragon, Kun Rabbit, Zhen Monkey, Xun Rooster, Qian Horse, Dui Snake, Gen Tiger, Li Pig" — will not cause harm as long as the卦气 (divinatory energy) remains unharmed, and all auspicious signs will naturally arrive. I believe those who study the principles of divination should understand that there are only true malevolent forces that change with the flow of energy, and not fixed malevolent forces determined by the trigrams and lines. Now, those who are overly concerned about the so-called Eight Malevolent Stars, which are false malevolent forces, while ignoring the real malevolent forces that change with the time, are truly pitiful.

黃泉即四大水口，而強增名色者也。故又曰四個黃泉能殺人，辰戌丑未為破軍；四個黃泉能救人，辰戌丑未巨門。故又文飾其名為「救貧黃泉」。夫，既重九星大玄空水法，則不當又論黃泉矣。何其自相矛盾一至於此。或亦高人心知其誣，而患無以解世人之惑，故別立名色，巧為寬譬耶，未可知也。其實則單論三吉水可矣，不必論黃泉也。

The so-called "Yellow Spring" is simply the four water outlets, but they have given it a name. Therefore, they also say "four Yellow Springs can kill people, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are the Breaker Star," and also say "four Yellow Springs can save people, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are the Great Gate Star." Thus, they have created another term called "Rescue Poor Yellow Spring." If one values the Nine Stars Great Xuan Kong Water Method, one should not discuss Yellow Spring separately. How could there be such contradictions? Perhaps there are wise people who know this is absurd, but are unable to dispel the confusion of others, so they have created another term to provide a convenient explanation. This might be possible. In reality, discussing the three auspicious waters is sufficient, and there is no need to discuss Yellow Spring.

且黃泉忌，於彼所言淨陰淨陽、三合生旺墓水法皆不相合。若論陰陽，則乙忌巽是矣，而丙則同為純陰；庚丁忌坤、申癸忌艮、辛忌幹是矣，丙壬則同為純陽，何以亦忌此？於淨陰淨陽，自相矛盾也。

Moreover, the taboo of Yellow Spring is inconsistent with their own theory of pure yin and pure yang, and the Triple Harmony method of generating, thriving, and resting water. If we follow the principle of pure yin and pure yang, it makes sense that Yi (Yi) is忌 (taboo) with Xun (Wind), since both are yin. However, Bing (Bing) and Yi (Yi) are both pure yin, and Geng (Geng), Ding (Ding) are taboo with Kun (Earth), Shen (Monkey), and Gui (Gui) are taboo with Gen (Mountain), and Xin (Xin) is taboo with Qian (Heaven), which also makes sense. But why are Bing (Bing) and Ren (Ren), which are both pure yang, also taboo? This creates a contradiction within the theory of pure yin and pure yang.

若論三合五行，則乙水向見巽、丁木向見坤、辛火向見幹、癸金向見艮，同為墓絕方，忌之是矣，丙火向見巽，庚金向見坤、壬水向見幹、甲木向見艮，皆臨官方也，何以亦忌此。於三合雙山，自相矛盾也。我即彼之謬者，而證其謬中之謬，雖有蘇張之舌，亦無亂以復我矣。

If we consider the Triple Harmony and Five Phases: Yi belongs to water, and its direction is Xun; Ding belongs to wood, and its direction is Kun; Xin belongs to fire, and its direction is Qian; Gui belongs to metal, and its direction is Gen. These all fall in the墓绝 (burial and decline) direction, and it is acceptable to avoid them. However, Bing belongs to fire, and its direction is Xun; Geng belongs to metal, and its direction is Kun; Ren belongs to water, and its direction is Qian; Jia belongs to wood, and its direction is Gen. These all fall in the Officialdom (officialdom) direction. Why are they also to be avoided? This creates a contradiction within the Triple Harmony and dual mountains. I will use his own erroneous statements to expose the further error within his error. Even if he has the eloquence of Su Qin and Zhang Yi, he will be unable to respond and cause further confusion.

《玉尺》遂飾其說曰：八煞黃泉雖為惡曜，若在生方，例難同斷，此真掩耳盜鈴之術。既云惡曜矣，又焉得雲生方；既云生方矣，又焉得稱惡曜。孰知惡固不真，而生方亦皆假也。又或者為之辭曰：黃泉忌水去而不忌來。或又曰：忌水來而不忌去。總屬支離，茫無一實。

The Yu Che Jing then tried to justify itself by saying, "Although the Eight Evil Directions and the Yellow Spring are considered evil stars, if they fall in the beneficial direction, they cannot be treated as a single case." This is truly a method of covering up one's mistakes, like plugging one's ears while stealing a bell. It first says they are evil stars, yet claims they can be in the beneficial direction; it says they are in the beneficial direction, yet calls them evil stars. In reality, the term 'evil' is not genuine, and the 'beneficial direction' is also false. Others have tried to defend it by saying the Yellow Spring only fears water going away, not water coming in; others say it only fears water coming in, not water going away. All these arguments are fragmented and fail to address the real issue.

我謂運氣乘旺，雖黃泉亦見其福；運氣當衰，雖非黃泉而立見其禍。苟知其要，不辨自明。而我之偲偲然論之不置者，以世人迷惑已久，如墮深坑，無力自脫，多方曉譬，庶以雲救也。嗚呼，當世亦有見餘心者耶。

I believe that when the vital energy and fortune are flourishing, even the Yellow Spring direction will still bring blessings; when they are declining, even if it is not the Yellow Spring direction, misfortune will immediately occur. If one understands this principle, there is no need for further discussion, and it will be naturally clear. I keep repeating this earnestly because people have been confused for a long time, as if fallen into a deep pit, unable to climb out on their own. Therefore, I have to use many analogies and explanations to guide them, hoping to save at least a few. Alas! In this world, are there still people who can see through my sincere concern?

夫葬者所以安親魄也，親魄安則眾子皆安，親魄不安則眾子皆不安。今之世家巨族，往往累年不葬，甚之遲之久久終無葬期，一則誤於以擇地為難，再則誤於以分房之說。一子之家猶可，子孫愈多，爭執愈甚，遂有挾私見以堤防，用權謀以自使者矣。

Burial is meant to settle the spirits of the deceased. When the spirit is at rest, all the descendants are at peace; when the spirit is unsettled, all the descendants are unsettled. Nowadays, many aristocratic families often delay burial for many years, sometimes dragging it on indefinitely, never finding a time to bury. This is due to two reasons: first, they are hindered by the notion that "selecting a suitable site is too difficult," and second, they are hindered by the idea of "division of property." For families with only one son, this is not so bad, but when there are more descendants, disputes become more intense. Thus, some people, driven by self-interest, constantly suspect others, engage in scheming, and act only for their own convenience.

有時得一吉地，惑於旁人之言，以為不利於己而阻之者，阻之不已，竟葬凶地，同歸於盡，亦可衰哉。原其故，皆地理書公位之說為之禍根。使人減倫理、喪良心，無所不極其至也。

Sometimes one may clearly obtain a favorable plot of land, yet listen to the words of others, believing it is detrimental to their own branch of the family, and thus interfere and obstruct. If the obstruction continues, they may eventually be buried in an inauspicious site, leading the whole family to perish together, which is truly pitiful. Investigating the cause, it is all due to the concept of "public position" (branch division) in geomancy texts, which has become the root of disaster, causing people to undermine ethics and lose their conscience, resorting to any means possible.

豈知葬地如樹木，根莖得氣則眾枝皆榮，根莖先撥則眾枝皆萎。亦有一枝榮一枝枯者，外物傷殘之耳。葬親者但論其地之凶吉，斷不可執房分之私見。吾觀歷來名臣宗室，往往共一祖地，各房均發者甚多。亦有獨發一房或獨絕一房者，此有天焉，不可以人之智巧爭也。

How could one know that choosing a burial site is like planting a tree: if the roots and trunk receive vital energy, all the branches will flourish; if the roots and trunk are first damaged, all the branches will wither. Occasionally, there may be a case where one branch thrives while another withers, but that is due to external damage. When burying a relative, one should only consider the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of this piece of land, and must not hold private notions of benefiting a particular branch of the family. I have observed that many renowned officials and noble families often share the same ancestral burial ground, and many branches of the family have prospered. There are also cases where only one branch thrives or one branch declines, but this is determined by heaven's will, not something that can be achieved by human cleverness or competition.

或問曰：然則公位之說全謬歟？又何以有獨發獨絕者耶？曰：是固有之，而非世人之所知也。其說在易曰，震為長男、坎為中男、艮為少男；巽為長女、離為中女、兌為少女。孟仲季之分房由此而起也。然其中有通變之機，非屬此卦即應此子、應此女之謂也。

Someone asked: So is the concept of "public position" entirely wrong? And why do single occurrences and single absences happen? I said: Such situations do indeed exist, but they are not as people commonly understand them. Their origin is found in the "Commentary on the Hexagrams" of the Zhou Yi: Zhen represents the eldest son, Kan represents the middle son, and Gen represents the youngest son; Xun represents the eldest daughter, Li represents the middle daughter, and Dui represents the youngest daughter. The classification of sons and daughters as elder, middle, and youngest comes from this. However, there is also a principle of flexibility and change involved, and it is not necessarily that a particular hexagram should apply to a specific son or daughter.

《玉尺》乃云：胎、養、生、沐屬長子；冠、臨、旺、衰屬仲子；病、死、墓、絕屬季子。即就彼之言以析之，生則諸子皆生矣，旺則諸子皆旺矣，死絕則諸子皆死絕矣，何以以此屬長、以此屬仲、以此屬季？

The Zhi Chi Jing says: the positions of fetal stage, nurturing, growth, and bathing belong to the eldest son; the positions of capping, officialdom, prosperity, and decline belong to the second son; and the positions of illness, death, tomb, and extinction belong to the youngest son. Taking its own words to analyze: if it is about birth, then all the sons are born; if it is about prosperity, then all the sons are prosperous; if it is about death and extinction, then all the sons are dead and extinct. On what basis is one section assigned to the eldest son, another to the second son, and another to the youngest son?

曰：亦以其漸耳。析之曰：以為始於胎養，繼而之旺，既而死絕，似矣，若有四子以往，則又當如何耶，其轉而歸生旺耶、抑另設名以應之耶？此不足據之甚者也。世人慎勿惑於其說也。

He will answer: It is merely taking the meaning of gradual progression. Then further analysis: speaking of beginning from the fetal stage, then to prosperity, then to death and decline, it seems to make sense; but if there are four sons or more, how should they be arranged? Should they turn back to the beginning and prosperity, or should another name be used for them? This is the most unreliable part. People should not be misled by such statements.

餘作《玉尺辨偽》既成，或問曰：子於是書訛謬，辨之則既詳矣，子謂吉凶之理在乎地，而非方位之所得而限也，然則八干、四維、十二支，寧無有吉凶之當論乎？曰：何為其然也！我正謂八干、四維、十二支皆分屬於卦氣，夫，卦氣吉凶之有辨，蓋灼灼矣，特非淨陰淨陽、雙山三合生旺墓之謂也。

After I finished writing this book, "Zhu Ci Bian Wei," someone asked: You have already explained the errors in this book very thoroughly. You said that the principles of fortune and misfortune lie in the earth itself, not limited by direction. Then, are the eight heavenly stems, the four directions (Qian, Kun, Gen, Xun), and the twelve earthly branches not subject to discussion regarding auspiciousness and inauspiciousness? I replied: How could it be like that! I am precisely saying that the eight heavenly stems, the four directions, and the twelve earthly branches all belong to the trigrams' energies; and the auspiciousness and inauspiciousness of these trigrams' energies are clearly distinguishable. It is just that they are not based on the system of pure yin and yang, double mountains, and the triple harmony of birth, prosperity, and burial.

乃若《青囊》正理，方位之辨實有之，其秘者不敢宣洩，姑就《玉尺》之文以概舉之。《玉尺》所畏者曰乙辰、曰寅甲，而以《青囊》言之，乙之與辰、寅之與甲，相去何啻千萬里也。有時此凶而彼吉，有時此吉而彼凶者矣。所最羨者，曰巽巳丙，而以《青囊》言之，巽巳之與丙，相去亦不啻千萬里也。有時此吉而彼凶，有時此凶而彼吉者矣。

As for the correct principles of the Qingnang Jing, there are indeed distinctions regarding directions; however, the most secret parts I dare not reveal, so I will just give a general idea based on the original text of the Yucheng Jing. The Yucheng Jing regards Yi and Chen, and Yin and Jia as ominous directions, treating them as a single category of bad directions; but according to the Qingnang school, Yi and Chen, Yin and Jia are separated by thousands of miles; sometimes one is ominous while the other is auspicious, and sometimes one is auspicious while the other is ominous. It most favors Xun, Si, and Bing, treating them as a single category of good directions; but according to the Qingnang school, Xun and Si, and Bing are also separated by thousands of miles; sometimes one is auspicious while the other is ominous, and sometimes one is ominous while the other is auspicious.

所最欲分別而不使之混者，曰丙午丁、曰乾亥、曰甲卯乙、曰辰巽、曰丑艮寅。而以《青囊》言之，午之與丙丁、亥之與幹、卯之與甲乙、巽之與辰、丑寅之與艮，所爭不過尺寸之間而已，有時而吉則必與之俱吉、有時而凶則必與之俱凶矣。

In reverse, it is most eager to separate them, fearing they might be confused, namely the group of Bingwu, the group of Dui and Hai, the group of Jia and Mao and Yi, the group of Chen and Xun, and the group of Chou and Yin and Gen; but according to the "Qingang" treatise, the contention between Wu and Bing, Ding, between Hai and Qian, between Mao and Jia, Yi, between Xun and Chen, and between Chou, Yin and Gen, is merely the difference in measurements on the compass: when it is appropriate for good fortune, they will certainly all be good; when it is appropriate for misfortune, they will certainly all be bad. There is no need to make such fine distinctions.

今乃於其當辨而不可不辨者，如黃精之與勾吻、附子之與烏頭，一誤用之而足以入口傷生者反置之不辨；於其易辨而可以不辨者，如白梁與黑秬，異色而皆可以養人，堇之與鴆，異類而皆可以殺人者，屑屑然悉舉而辨之，彼自以為智，而乃天下之大愚也。

Now he focuses on those things that should be distinguished but cannot help but be distinguished, like the yellow ginseng and the deadly poison vine, or the aconite and the aconite root, which look similar and can be deadly if mistakenly ingested, yet he sets them aside without distinguishing them. Instead, he meticulously distinguishes those that are easy to tell apart and actually do not need distinguishing, such as white millet and black millet, which have different colors but both nourish people, or the toxic wild ginger and the poison bird, which are different kinds but both can kill. He thinks himself clever, but in reality, he is the greatest fool in the world.

且生旺死絕之說，《青囊》未嘗不重之，故《葬書》曰：葬者，乘生氣也。卦氣之所謂生，非三合五行之所謂旺；卦氣之所謂死絕，非三合五行之所謂死絕。且地氣之大，生旺不知趨，而區區誤認一干一支之假生旺而求迎之；地氣之大，死絕不知避，而區區誤認一干一支之假死絕而思避之，悲夫，所謂雀以一葉障目，而謂彈者不我見也。以此為已，適以害己；以此為人，適以害人而已。

The concept of "life qi" and "prosperity and decline" is certainly valued in The Qingnang Jing, so Guo Pu's Zangshu begins by saying, "Burial is about riding the life qi." However, the "life" in the context of hexagram qi is not the same as the "prosperity" in the Triple Harmony and Five Phases theory; the "death and decline" in hexagram qi is also not the same as the "death and decline" in the Triple Harmony and Five Phases theory. He does not know how to follow the overall prosperity and vitality of the earth qi, yet he is overly concerned with mistakenly identifying a particular heavenly stem or earthly branch's false prosperity and vitality to welcome it. He does not know how to avoid the overall death and decline of the earth qi, yet he is overly concerned with mistakenly identifying a particular heavenly stem or earthly branch's false death and decline to escape it. It is truly pitiful! This is like a bird that covers its eyes with a single leaf, thinking that the person with the slingshot cannot see it. Using this method on oneself is exactly how one harms oneself; using it on others is exactly how one harms others.

故乎《玉尺》之於地理，猶鄭聲之於雅樂、楊墨之於仁義，一是一非，勢不兩立，實有關乎世道之盛衰，天地之氣數。竊聞嘉靖以前，其書尚未大顯，至萬曆時，有徐之鏌者為之增釋圖局而梓行之，於是江湖行術之徒，莫不手握一編以求食於世，至今日而惑於其說者，且遍天下也。

Therefore, the “Jade Measure Classic” in the field of geography is like the decadent music of the State of Zheng to the elegant music, or the teachings of Yang Zhu and Mo Di to the virtues of benevolence and righteousness; it is one or the other, mutually exclusive, and indeed relates to the prosperity or decline of the world and the fortune of heaven and earth. I have heard in private that before the Jiajing era, this book was not widely circulated, but by the Wanli era, a man named Xu Zimou added annotations and illustrations, and published it, so that all those who practiced divination in the world carried a copy, relying on it to make a living. By now, those who have been deceived by it are spread throughout the land.

悖陰陽之正，幹天地之和，與俶擾五行，怠棄三正者同其患，有聖人者出，而誅非聖之書，於陰陽一家，必以此書為之首。嗚呼，此書不破，世運何由而息水火，生民何由而儕仁壽哉。我拭目望之矣。

It violates the principles of yin and yang, transgresses the harmony of heaven and earth, and is of the same kind of calamity as the "disturbing the Five Phases and neglecting the three fundamentals" condemned in the "Book of Documents · Gan Shi." When a sage appears in the future, he will destroy those books that contradict the sacred teachings. Within the school of yin-yang and numerology, this book must certainly be ranked first. Alas! Without destroying this book, how can the world's affairs escape the depths of suffering and turmoil, and how can the common people all enter the realm of benevolence and longevity? I will keep my eyes open for that day.