Tian Ji Guan Zhi Hong Nang Jing (天機貫旨紅囊經)

地理秘訣。紅囊經，宜豐李三素著。兩議堂藏版。天機貫旨紅囊經原序，宜豐李三素註解。

This book is a geographical secret of geomancers, titled "The Red Sack Classic," written by Li Sansu of Yifeng, Jiangxi, and printed by the Liangyi Hall. The following is the original preface of "The Heaven's Mechanism Comprehensive Meaning Red Sack Classic," with Li Sansu of Yifeng providing annotations and explanations for each sentence.

陰陽地理山家卦，總是閒言話。更向山頭指撥砂，都是眼前花。休說閒星並祿馬，謾言災禍陰陽卦。休說六秀水，恰似眼前花。自言誇道會星辰，都是要傳名。連山鬼運固為妙，究竟亦非好。又向山頭指貴人，顛倒轉家貧。天星鬼卦都無用，諸星壺中空。說道黃泉十二路，的是無真趨。番見絕命諸卦，財一動見殃災。不曉紅囊經坐穴，下後人丁絕。卻將說惑愚蒙，聖術豈知蹤。

The so-called "Mountain Family Divination Examples" that talk about yin and yang geography are all useless talk; going up to the mountain top to point out which hill should be moved or collected is nothing more than a fleeting illusion. Do not talk about idle stars,禄存, or Heavenly Horse, nor use yin-yang divination to randomly predict misfortune. Do not say that the "Six Prosperous" directions with flowing water are definitely good, for that is also a fleeting illusion. Some people boast of their mastery of star knowledge, but in reality they just want to gain a reputation. The divination methods like "Continuous Mountains" and "Ghost Movement" may seem mysterious, but they are not really good methods. Some people randomly point out the Nobleman Peak on the mountain top, and when the direction is reversed, they actually lead people to poverty. Heavenly Stars and Ghost Divination are all of no use; all the star names are just empty talk in a gourd. Saying "Twelve Paths of the Yellow Spring" is really not true at all. Turning over and over the divination examples like "Destiny" and "Five Ghosts," once money is moved, misfortune follows. Without understanding the sitting method of the Red Bag Classic, after burial, the family line dies out, yet they still use these sayings to deceive the ignorant. The true essence of the sage's method of examining land is something they can never grasp.

九天玄女真口訣，逐一為君說。山合紅囊青囊，便得真，救得世間人。合得九星宗妙訣，五行要分別。七十二龍分五音，仔細認天星。六十甲子循環布，認得吉凶處。四十八局是分金，逐位細推尋。明穴明山明水路，尋取五行布。金木水火義精通，番值八山奇。分局佈局排星卦，五行通用也。番山番值五行蹤，世間少人逢。但將牢記取，禍福靈如鬼。不信但覆古人墳，處處合神文。此是楊曾真口訣，匪人休浪洩。有人傳得值千金，便是當年司馬身。

The true secret passed down by the Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven, I will now explain it to you one by one. If a mountain site can conform to the principles of the Red Bag Classic and the Green Bag Classic, then it is considered to have received the true transmission, and it can save people in the world. To conform to the fundamental secret of the Nine Stars, one must first clearly distinguish the Five Phases. The seventy-two dragons are divided into the five tones of Palace, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu, and one must carefully identify which heavenly star each belongs to. The sixty Jiazi cycles are arranged in the twenty-four mountains, and once recognized, one can know where the auspicious and inauspicious lie. The forty-eight layouts are called "dividing the gold," and one must carefully examine each one by one. Once the site, the mountain, and the water course are all understood, one can then seek the distribution of the Five Phases. Once the principles of the four layouts of metal, wood, water, and fire are thoroughly understood, they will show remarkable effects when matched with the eight mountains. The division of layouts, the arrangement of patterns, and the determination of stars and hexagrams are all universally applicable in the Five Phases method. By flipping mountains and values to trace the traces of the Five Phases, this skill is rarely encountered in the world. As long as one remembers it well, the judgment of fortune and misfortune will be as if aided by ghosts and gods. If you don't believe it, just look back at the tombs of ancient people, and you will find them all in agreement with the classics. This is the true secret of Yang Yunsong and his disciple Zeng Wenchuan. It is not something to be entrusted to anyone, so do not easily reveal it. If someone can pass on this school of thought, it is worth a thousand gold pieces, just like the famous Master Sima Tou tuo of old.

此乃序諸家之偽，而七十二龍也。地理穿山透地，皆言審龍。紅囊則專言坐穴。蓋龍係生成，而穴則待高人之妙用。古人謂一毫千里，一指萬山者，皆指此也，故不可不慎。後之人抱殘守缺，不信真傳，惟熟讀此篇，遍觀古墳，自當盡棄所學，岐路之悲，庶乎可免。

Li San Su remarks: This preface lists and refutes the false methods of various schools, ultimately leading to the true method of "seventy-two dragons." Geographical texts discuss "crossing the mountain" and "penetrating the ground," which are about examining the dragon's movement. The Hong Nang Jing, however, focuses specifically on "sitting the site." Since dragon lines are naturally formed, the site must be skillfully determined by an expert geomancer. Ancients said, "A difference of a single hair leads to a thousand-mile error," and "a mistake of a single finger misleads all mountains," referring precisely to the matter of sitting the site, so it must be approached with caution. Later generations cling to fragmented old doctrines, unwilling to believe in the true transmission. If one merely reads this passage thoroughly and examines various ancient tombs for verification, one will naturally discard all previous learning; the sorrow of going astray can thus be largely avoided.

地理之學等於天文，是以一訣千金，妙處不傳。曾公得教於楊公最為親切，其《青囊》云：楊公養老看雌雄，天下諸書對不同。又云：以偽傳偽竟不明，所以禍福為胡亂。故汗牛充棟之書顛倒參差，皆係偽種奇橫。是書出於《天玉》《青囊》《玉尺》與先賢歌訣，皆索一萬錢先之以問答，使略見大意。經中有辨疑者，不惜重言以審之。羅經口訣，不外於得金得卦，又不外於三七二八，總之則乘氣坐穴而已。

The study of geomancy is no less difficult and precise than astronomy, so a true secret is worth a thousand pieces of silver, and the most important parts are never easily passed on. Zeng Wenchuan personally received the teachings from Master Yang Yunsong, making his transmission the most direct and reliable. In his work, the Preface to the Green Satchel, he says, "Master Yang relied on the Yin and Yang to determine the vitality of the land, and all other books differ greatly." He also says, "The transmission of false methods has led to confusion, causing misfortune and fortune to be wrongly determined." Therefore, the numerous books on geomancy, which contradict each other and are inconsistent, are all products of false methods passed down through generations. The basis of this book comes from the Heavenly Jade Classic, the Green Satchel Classic, the Jade Measure Classic, and the rhymes of sages from past generations. These rhymes used to be worth a thousand coins to obtain, so I have written them in the form of questions and answers to give readers a general idea. Whenever there are difficult points in the classics that need clarification, I will not hesitate to repeat and explain them thoroughly. The rhymes on the compass can be summarized into two main things: "getting the golden measure" (aligning with the seventy-two dragons' dividing lines) and "getting the hexagram" (aligning with the sixty dragons' primary hexagram). These are also no more than the two methods of addition and subtraction, namely "three and seven" and "two and eight." In short, it is all about capturing the life qi and determining the sitting site.

《青囊》《玉尺》與先賢歌訣，皆地理家童而習之者耳。餘所發明即在耳之前，而非隱怪。尊《天玉》祭其祖之所自始。《紅囊經》專言坐穴，久無刻本，時為抄出，在得訣之人口傳心授，固不須文字。然守先待後，惟恐天下之人盡入火坑，則是書不可一日無。理者一定之理氣，趨避之訣可習可傳；巒頭則千變萬化，非踏破鐵鞋揣摩有素，雖父不能教其子。茲不及者，神而明之存乎其人。

The Qingnang Jing, the Yuzhi Jing, and the verses left by sages are all books that students of geography should read from a young age. The principles I have explained are right before people's eyes, and they are not any kind of obscure or strange talk. I especially revere the Tianyu Jing, just as worship should trace back to the original ancestor, because it is the source of this discipline. The Hongnang Jing specializes in the method of sitting the site, and for a long time there has been no printed edition, only people copying it from time to time; for those who have already received the secret, oral transmission is sufficient without the need for written words. But in order to carry on the tradition of predecessors and leave something for future learners, I really fear that everyone in the world would fall into a fire pit, so this book cannot be without for a single day. As for "li" (principles), it refers to the unchanging principles of qi and energy, which can be learned and passed on; as for "luantou" (formal aspects), they are ever-changing, and unless one has walked countless miles, studied for years, and cultivated a solid understanding, even a father cannot teach his son. The parts not covered in this book can only be understood by the reader himself.

然聚散向背之義，既發明於墳堂；惟《穴心賦》極其精微，《穴情賦》最極活潑乃為生氣，熟觀古墓才能自得。選擇之利害多在一紀，今以古墓定吉凶，豈能悉其造墓之期。固知年月日時，治近不能治遠也。先賢：方方位位有神殺，避得山通向又侵，惟有山家生氣旺，天機妙訣好留心。又云：七十二龍逢旺相。觀此則補山相主、弱孤造命之外，皆偽傳也。但選擇莫要於天文，惟秦西為最精，假我數年尚其矣之。

As for the convergence and dispersion of qi, and the orientation of mountains and water, these principles have already been explained in the section on the form and situation of the tomb site. Only the "Xue Xin Fu" discusses these matters with extreme precision, and the "Xue Qing Fu" presents them with the greatest flexibility; these are the texts that truly convey life qi, and one must thoroughly study ancient tombs to personally understand them. Regarding the advantages and disadvantages of choosing a burial date, their effects are mostly evident within a period of twelve years. Now, if we judge good or bad fortune based on ancient tombs, how can we possibly verify the exact date when the tombs were constructed? From this we can see that choosing the right year, month, day, and hour can only be effective for the short term, not for the long term. The ancients said: "Each direction has its divine and harmful influences; avoiding mountain obstructions and water intrusions is essential, but the most important is the thriving life qi of the mountain, so one must be careful to grasp the subtle secrets of heaven's mechanism." They also said: "Among the seventy-two dragons, only those in their prosperous and strong phase are favorable." According to these two statements, the study of choosing burial dates, apart from the methods of supplementing the mountain, matching the master, supporting the weak, and helping the isolated, is mostly false transmission. However, when it comes to choosing burial dates, the most important aspect is astronomy and calendar calculations. In this field, Western learning is the most precise. If I had a few more years, I might be able to explain it more clearly.

天機妙訣總在平分六十甲子，奉國禁則以盈縮代之，至朱蔡亦未知之，復還其固有而於坐穴。《天玉》《青囊》《玉尺》其傳未廣，二公亦竟不知。術家有知之者，疑盈縮為本來、平分為添設，而與楊曾截然異路。仰觀俯察之學皆始黃帝，惟楊曾得其緒耳。盈縮之非，大度六十一之謬，《頂門針》辨之既詳，茲不再贅。

The secret of the Heaven's Mechanism lies in the principle of "evenly dividing the sixty Jiazi": distributing the sixty Jiazi evenly among the twenty-four mountains. Later, because the government prohibited the common people from studying geography, geomancers could not openly discuss it, so they used the concept of "expanding and contracting the sixty dragons" as a substitute. Even great scholars like Zhu Xi and Cai Yuanping did not know the original truth. Now I intend to restore the original meaning and apply it to the selection of a site. The "Tianyu Jing," "Qingang Jing," and "Yuzhi Jing" were not widely circulated at that time, and Zhu and Cai did not even see them. Some geomancers who occasionally knew about this have instead doubted that "expanding and contracting" is the original method, and "even division" was added later, leading them down a path completely different from that of Yang Yunsong and Zeng Wenchuan. The study of observing celestial phenomena and investigating geographical features began with the Yellow Emperor, and only the disciples of Yang and Zeng inherited this lineage. The error of the "expanding and contracting sixty dragons" and the mistaken belief of dividing the entire sky into "big degree sixty-one" have already been thoroughly discussed in the book "Dingmen Zhen," so I will not repeat them here.

大五行即金木水火土，在先天為河圖，在後天為挨星，箕子之《洪範》實不外此。自《銅涵》《滅蠻》乃《洪範》之名，使人易信，非真《洪範》也。嗣後有一真談，即說一謬解，因奉國禁乃亦以偽傳偽。自宋及今，國禁既馳，必使此道明於中天，不惟有禆於富庶，實有助於國家養育人才矣，可不明辨之乎。

The so-called "Great Five Phases" refer to metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. In the Earlier Heaven, they correspond to the Yellow River Chart, and in the Later Heaven, they are known as "arranged stars." The Five Phases discussed by Ji Zi in the "Book of Documents: Hongfan" do not go beyond this scope. Later works such as the "Tonghan Jing" and "Mie Man Jing" merely borrowed the name "Hongfan" to make people more inclined to believe in them, but they were not genuine Hongfan Five Phases. Since then, every time a true theory appeared, a false interpretation followed. Also, due to court prohibitions, diviners took the wrong for the right and passed on the false as true. From the Song Dynasty to the present, with the relaxation of prohibitions, this discipline must surely become as clear as the sun at noon. This is not only beneficial for the people's prosperity, but also helpful for the state in cultivating talents. How can we not clarify this thoroughly?

謬種偽傳汗牛充棟，削不勝削，摘不勝摘，即《摧官篇》《頂門針》亦合者二三，離者七八。蔓草不除，則嘉禾不莠；辨之不早，真偽不分。惟《玉尺經》乃楊曾心法，引而不發，尚不如《天玉》《青囊》《紅囊》之奧，細心讀之，人人可以自得，故此未註，以待將來。河圖為先天，納音為後天，必尋到源頭，而五行之名始不虛設。餘也遍考性理並及河圖所論，納音總無不是，否則其圖愈多，觀與念亂。張思先有言曰：所恨古人不我見。我亦特為大息耳。宜豐李三素識。

Foolish fake methods spread everywhere, impossible to delete completely or extract thoroughly; even the works of Lai Wenjun's "On Hastening Officialdom" and Xu Shike's "Needle at the Top of the Head" can only be consistent in about two or three tenths, while the rest are contradictory. If weeds are not removed completely, good crops cannot grow; if distinguishing between true and false is not done early, the distinction between genuine and fake cannot be made. Only the "Juchijing" (Jade Measure Classic) is the true method of Yang and Zeng. Unfortunately, it only draws the bow but does not shoot the arrow, being reserved and not fully expressing itself. It is actually less profound than the "Tianyu Jing" (Heavenly Jade Classic), "Qingang Jing" (Green Bag Classic), and "Hongang Jing" (Red Bag Classic). As long as one reads carefully, everyone can understand it themselves, so I did not write annotations for it this time, leaving it for the future. The "Hetu" (Yellow River Chart) belongs to the Earlier Heaven, while the Nayin sound element belongs to the Later Heaven. One must trace back to the source in order for the concept of the Five Phases not to become empty. I have extensively studied the Neo-Confucian writings of the Song scholars, as well as various discussions on the Hetu, and all those who discuss the Nayin sound element are correct. Otherwise, the more diagrams there are, the more confused the readers' minds become. Zhang Sīxiān once said, "I regret that the ancients did not see me." When I read this, I can only sigh deeply. Li Sansu of Yifeng records.

宜豐李三素著。一卷：經囊經註解、九星歌訣、四下十八局定例、放水十四局（放水順也）、逆水局十六、收右水九局、收左水九局、十二支正神向、兌卦詳斷、破局詳斷兌卦、紅囊經四十八局坐穴。二卷：天機賦（論房分吉凶）、論挨星聯珠訣辨、論龍三謬辨、頂門針是非辨、穿山透地三盤卦例辨、論陰陽辨、奪神功改天命必兼用三針、論生死不論陰陽辨、論左右關之偽辨、得訣歸來好看書。

The entire book was compiled by Li Sansu of Yifeng. The first volume includes: the annotated text of the "Red Bag Classic," the Nine Stars Song, the forty-eight layouts and their rules, fourteen layouts of releasing water in the direction of the flow ("release" means following the water's course), sixteen layouts of facing the direction against the water flow, nine layouts for receiving water from the right side, nine layouts for receiving water from the left side, the correct deities' directions for the twelve earthly branches, a detailed analysis of the auspicious and inauspicious aspects of the Dui trigram in the first palace, a detailed analysis of the broken layouts of the Dui trigram, and a general overview of the forty-eight layouts for sitting on a site in the "Red Bag Classic." The second volume includes: the "Heavenly Mechanism Essay" (special discussion on the auspicious and inauspicious aspects of each branch), analysis of the sequential stars and pearls, analysis of three erroneous views on dragon lines, analysis of the correctness and errors of the "Gate Needle," analysis of the three disk examples of penetrating mountains and penetrating the ground, analysis of the concept of yin and yang, the necessity of using the main needle, the middle needle, and the sewing needle in the three disks to seize divine power and change destiny, analysis of the focus on birth and death without considering yin and yang, analysis of the falsehood of the left and right gate theories, and the article "After Mastering the Secret, One Can Read Books with Insight."

三卷：龍穴砂水釋名總說、論羅經說、羅經禍福辨、登山不用開羅經、望氣論、論認水立向、嘗水辨、求福即孝子、秘訣辨、論五行之謬、俯察提綱、論小玄空生克不論龍向、辨別地師法、萬物轉移天地之氣、天星卦例、辨真偽總綱、論雙金煞。四卷：天機出煞賦、夾竹梅花、論心訣、定向受法、論干支生旺、四路黃泉水斷、論八煞黃泉斷、論祿馬貴人砂、梅花穴向水路吉凶斷、論二十四龍斷、五星形勢、五星葬法、扦穴法、尋龍經上篇、中篇、下篇、論尋龍之法甚有關節。目次終。

Volume three includes: a general explanation of the four methods of dragon, site, sand, and water, discussion on the compass, discernment of fortune and misfortune based on the compass, the idea that one can climb mountains without using a compass, the method of observing qi, discussion on recognizing water and determining direction, the method of tasting water to discern its taste, seeking blessings is the duty of filial sons, discernment of so-called "secrets," discussion of errors in the Five Phases schools, examining the main points from below, discussion on small Xuan Kong focusing only on the water released before the site and not on the dragon and direction, methods to distinguish the skill of a geomancer, all things change with the qi of heaven and earth, the example of celestial stars and hexagrams, a general guideline to distinguish true from false, and discussion on the double gold煞. Volume four includes: "The Assignment of Evil Spirits" (Tian Ji Chu Sha Fu), the bamboo and plum flower诀, the heart诀, the method of determining direction, the method of receiving direction, discussion on the prosperity and decline of heavenly stems and earthly branches, the judgment of four directions yellow water, discussion on the eight evil yellow water, discussion on the sand of禄, 马, and Nobleman, the judgment of the auspicious and inauspicious of the plum flower site, direction, and water path, discussion on the judgment of twenty-four dragons, the forms of the five stars, the burial method of the five stars, the method of selecting a site, the upper, middle, and lower parts of the "Dragon Seeking Classic" (Xun Long Jing), and one article discussing the critical points of the method of seeking a dragon. The table of contents ends here.

紅囊經，上按周天七十二星，中應七十二節骨龍氣，下應七十二候。若能排列，真能發福如雷；不依此經，則一毫千里、一指萬山，其禍立見。唐喜宗廣平元年，黃巢做亂，楊筠松出江南，將此經傳與虔化曾文遄，有七十二穿山，名為七十二條來去水法。梅州虔化楊公作地，皆依此經。蓋內外六十甲子取諸陰陽消長，隔八相生，天地人物總不出陰陽消長之外，是以吉凶如向。

The book "Hongnang Jing" corresponds above to the seventy-two stars of the celestial sphere, in the middle to the seventy-two joints along the dragon's body and the qi flowing through them, and below to the seventy-two phases of the year. If it is properly arranged according to this book, the blessings it brings will come swiftly, like thunder and lightning; if not followed, even a slight error will lead to great mistakes, and a single mistake can mislead countless mountains, causing immediate calamity. In the first year of Guangming of the Tang Xizong era, Huang Chao raised an army and caused chaos, so Yang Yunsong fled south to Jiangnan to avoid the turmoil, and passed down this book to Zeng Wenchuan of Qianhua (now Ningdu, Jiangxi). It contains seventy-two methods for penetrating mountains, also known as the seventy-two water flow methods for coming and going. The landforms that Yang Yunsong personally selected in Meizhou and Qianhua areas were all based on this book. Because the inner and outer disks of the sixty Jiazi are based on the principle of yin and yang waxing and waning, and are arranged according to the rule of "geli xiangsheng" (interleaving generation). All things and people in the universe cannot escape the principle of yin and yang waxing and waning, so the verification of good and bad fortune is as accurate as an echo.

時師但知東西南北，不知五行有內外。臟腑調和則百病不生。紅囊經得自甲子，有盲師不識何物，因以授餘。餘細讀之，知為坐穴消長之用。前後兩序俱失作者姓名，中有避玄空者，未知燈是火，因消去。末有七十二圖，乃七十二條來去水法，無非喜生旺、忌休囚。《行程記》云：九天玄女有經文，此卷世間無。則此言之秘而不傳，已非一日。但七十二龍中有去取，而非七十二向，在奉禁時不是不諱言之。今則指明四十八局，務使楊曾心法如日中天，是以刪定其歌訣，竟削其圖。奧語之珠寶火坑、天玉經之雙山雙向，皆賴此書為註腳。今表而出之，使仁人孝子共讀神文，亦以見餘之專以七十二為分金而避百二十分金，非無所本也。

Nowadays, geomancers only know the directions of east, west, south, and north, but they do not understand that the Five Phases are divided into internal and external layers. Just as when the internal organs of the human body are in harmony, no illness will arise. I obtained this book called The Red Satchel Classic in a Jiazi year. At that time, a blind diviner did not recognize what book it was, so he passed it on to me. After I carefully read it, I realized it discusses the method of choosing a site and the rise and fall of energy. The preface and postface of the book have both lost their authors' names. One of them avoided mentioning the term "Xuankong" by speaking around it, not knowing that "lamp" is "fire," which is the same thing, so I deleted that part. Originally, the book had seventy-two illustrations at the end, representing seventy-two methods of water flow. The content is basically about favoring the beneficial and avoiding the unfavorable. The "Travel Notes" say: "The Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven has scriptures, but this scroll is not found in the world." This shows that this system has been secret and not passed down for a long time. However, among the seventy-two dragons, there are selections and omissions, not all seventy-two directions are usable. Under the ban of the court, geomancers also avoid openly discussing it. Now I will clearly state that only forty-eight sectors are usable, so that the methods of Yang and Zeng can be as clear as the sun in the sky. Therefore, I have revised the rhyming verses and decided to remove those illustrations. The "Esoteric Words of the Green Satchel" mentions "jewels" and "fire pits," while the "Heavenly Jade Classic" refers to "double mountains facing each other," all of which need this book as an explanation. Now I will promote this book, so that benevolent and filial people can read this marvelous text together. It also shows that my exclusive use of the seventy-two dragons to determine the golden point, and avoiding the method of one hundred and twenty golden points, is not without basis.

天南地北說東西，不識東西有玄微。五行真妙無人會，謬種星辰說是非。五行有先天、後天。後天之納音，即先天之河圖也。但先天本體，後天致用，徒拘方位則泛而無主。譬之某縣某家，止知其姓而不知其家中之人，各有賢愚，各有喜忌。故不用老五行，而用後天之納音耳。

The text says: People talk endlessly about directions such as east, west, south, and north, but they do not realize that the characters "east" and "west" contain another layer of subtle meaning. The true essence of the Five Phases is not understood by anyone; instead, they argue about a pile of incorrectly transmitted star names. Li San Su comments: The Five Phases have two systems, earlier heaven and later heaven. The later heaven "Nayin Five Phases" is another aspect of the earlier heaven Yellow River Chart Five Phases. However, the earlier heaven speaks of the essence, while the later heaven speaks of application. If one clings only to directions, it becomes superficial and lacks a central focus. It is like when someone mentions a county and a particular family, you only know their surname, but you do not know that the people in the family differ in virtue and wisdom, and each has their own likes and dislikes. Therefore, this book does not use the "old Five Phases" (the correct Five Phases, i.e., east wood, west metal, south fire, north water) to determine fortune and misfortune, but instead uses the later heaven Nayin Five Phases.

八山排舉五行論，位位分金有五星。二十四山排易識，得師口訣始為真。分金者，七十二龍也。其中有龜甲、有空亡，皆所不取，如淘沙撿金，故謂之分金。五星者，分金所屬之五行也。分金之偽，世俗止別有一百二十。至於同山論向而有兼左兼右，五行各別，則舉世茫茫，此二十四山所以不易識也。

The text says: The eight trigrams correspond to the eight mountains, each of which is associated with the Five Phases. Each division of the compass needle has its own five elements; although the twenty-four mountains seem to be arranged in order, one must actually obtain the oral transmission from a master to truly understand. Li San Su explains: The term "fen jin" refers to the seventy-two dragons. Among the seventy-two dragons, there are "turtle shell" (the central meridian of the twelve earthly branches) and "kong wang" (the boundary lines between two mountains), both of which are not to be used. Like sifting sand to find gold, the usable ones are selected out, hence the term "fen jin." The "five elements" refer to the five phases corresponding to each division of fen jin. The false methods of fen jin, the common people only know of another system called "one hundred and twenty fen jin." As for the same mountain with different directions, there are distinctions between the left and right, and the five elements obtained from the left and right are different. This aspect is completely unknown to the world. The reason why the twenty-four mountains are difficult to recognize lies exactly here.

先將水步究天星，山合紅囊七二神。若還會得其中趣，便是陰陽地理人。天星者，貪、巨、祿、文、廉、武、破、輔弼也。此云天星以生死旺衰言。蓋龍穴無吉凶，以水為吉凶；水無吉凶，以龍穴之生旺為吉，死絕為凶。時師家消水，每云水法多端，理難一致，遂將此是彼非，茫無定論。紅囊經以七十二龍為主，所喜迎生趨旺，所忌破旺沖生，此楊曾秘旨，非是俗師得知。

The classic text says: First, you must measure step by step the incoming and outgoing waters, and based on this, investigate the heavenly stars; for sitting on a mountain, you must combine with the seventy-two dragons system in the "Hongnang Jing." If you can understand the essence of this, then you are truly skilled in yin and yang geography. Li Sansu explains: The so-called "heavenly stars" refer to the nine stars: Tanlang, Jumen, Luchun, Wenqu, Lianzhen, Wuqu, Pojun, Fubì. Here, the heavenly stars are discussed in terms of the twelve long lives' birth, prosperity, decline, and death. Because the dragon and tomb themselves do not have good or bad fortune; their good or bad fortune depends on the water. Water itself does not have good or bad fortune; when it flows into the birth and prosperity directions of the dragon tomb, it is good; when it flows into the death and extinction directions, it is bad. Nowadays, geomancers who deal with water mouths often say that there are too many schools of water methods and the principles are hard to unify, so they each hold their own views and attack each other, never reaching a conclusion. The "Hongnang Jing," however, takes the seventy-two dragons as its main focus: it favors "yìng shēng qū wàng" — allowing incoming water to flow into the birth and prosperity directions; it avoids "pò wàng chōng shēng" — allowing water to flow and break the prosperity and birth directions. This is the secret teaching of Yang YunSong and Zeng Wenchuan, something not known by ordinary geomancers.

論山論水便論龍，水凶山吉不堪逢，龍凶山吉何須說，水吉龍凶百世窮。山者坐山也，水者流水也，龍者六十龍。吉以生養官旺言，凶以病死墓絕言。更論者以龍為主也。龍不合而求之坐山者，謬種偽傳，皆無定論。即水合旺而龍在病死墓絕之方，終難發福。窮者固窮也。

The text says: "Both the mountain where you sit and the flowing water should be considered, but ultimately, the dragon must be taken into account. If the water is凶 (harmful) and the mountain is吉 (favorable), such a place should not be chosen; if the dragon is凶 and the mountain is吉, there is no need to say more; even if the water is吉 and the dragon is凶, one must trace back for a hundred generations. Li San Su explains: 'Mountain' refers to the mountain where you sit, 'water' refers to flowing water, and 'dragon' refers to the sixty dragons (the sixty jiazi divided evenly among the twenty-four mountains, indicating the coming dragon).所谓吉 (favorable) means the dragon falls in the positions of 长生 (growth), 养 (nurturing), 临官 (officialdom), and 帝旺 (prosperity); 所谓凶 (unfavorable) means the dragon falls in the positions of 病 (illness), 死 (death), 墓 (grave), and 绝 (decline). The text especially emphasizes 'then consider the dragon,' indicating that among the three, the dragon is primary. If the dragon is not harmonious, yet one goes back to the mountain to make up for it, that is a wrong and false method, which can never reach a definite conclusion. Even if the water is harmonious and prosperous, but the dragon falls in the directions of 病, 死, 墓, or 绝, it will ultimately be difficult to bring about prosperity.所谓穷 (to trace back), means truly to trace back."

乙丁已辛癸，甲丙戊庚壬，智人能辨別，袖裡藏珍珠。按此分金語，子丑戌亥是，其餘地八支，居中非戊已。八干四維之正不載六甲，惟地支始有之。其各為七十二者，應七十二候也。居中非戊已，中氣當避；雖非戊已，而十二支之正名為龜甲也。此七十二換次排列二十四山。

The text says: the five yin stems, which are Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui, and the five yang stems, which are Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren, are distinguished by the wise. This is like having a precious pearl hidden in one's sleeve. According to these words, this refers to the division of the golden stems. The mountains of Zi, Chou, Xu, and Hai are arranged in this way, and the remaining eight earthly branches follow the same pattern. However, the central line of each branch is not Wu or Ji. Li San Su's commentary says: the eight heavenly stems (Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui) and the four directions (Qian, Kun, Gen, Xun) do not have the sixty jiazi arranged along their central lines. Only the earthly branches can accommodate the sixty jiazi. The reason there are seventy-two dragons is to correspond to the seventy-two seasonal divisions in a year. The phrase 'residing in the center is not Wu or Ji' means that the central line of the earthly branches belongs to the 'middle qi', which should be avoided. Although it is not actually the stems Wu or Ji, the central line of the twelve earthly branches has another name called 'turtle shell'. The seventy-two dragons are thus arranged in rotation beneath the twenty-four mountains.

仙輩露真機，時師不知體。甲子循環布，徹首而徹尾。乾卦為君統九州，丙巽朝來甲艮流。於中盡道無門戶，豈識貪狼錯路遊。二十四山共成四十八局，此言八卦者，舉一卦而概三山也。乾山右壬戌左乙亥，丙巽乃水之祿存，甲艮乃水之廉貞，惟坐穴乙亥即艮為貪狼，兼戌便非，故錯路也。愚按恐是金局，丙巽為貪狼，甲艮為門戶；若言乾山，則門戶非貪狼，能不錯路遊乎。

The text says: The previous sages have already revealed the true principles, but now the geomancers do not understand their essence. The sixty Jiazi cycles are arranged in order, running from beginning to end. The Qian trigram represents the sovereign, governing the nine provinces; water from the Bing and Xun directions flows towards the hall, and water from the Jia and Gen directions flows away. Everyone says there is no way to explain this, but how could even the star of the greedy wolf go astray? Li San Su comments: The twenty-four mountains together form forty-eight sectors. Here, only the eight trigrams are mentioned, which is taking one trigram to represent the three mountains it governs. Under the Qian mountain, to the right is the Renxu dragon, and to the left is the Yihai dragon. The Bing and Xun directions are the positions of the water's禄存 (Lu Cun), while the Jia and Gen directions are the positions of the water's 廉贞 (Lian Zhen). Only when sitting on the Yihai dragon does the Gen direction count as the greedy wolf; if it also includes the Xu direction, then it is not, hence the saying 'going astray'. I privately think this refers to the metal sector: the Bing and Xun directions are the greedy wolf positions of the metal sector, while the Jia and Gen directions are the water gate. If we take the Qian mountain as the standard, the gate is not the greedy wolf, how could it not go astray?

坎山流水是坤離，妙用時師怎得知。天上祿存人不識，貪狼流水向狐疑。坎山右丙子左庚子，兼右兼左皆宜。坤離者，胎養生之方也。但水歸巽已必流寅甲，若作單向則是戊子。坎為火之祿存，寅甲乃是貪狼，必疑流破，卻不知龜甲宜避，子山無單向之理。此舉一坎宮為例，以四十八局習用二八。

The text says: When water flows from the mountain of Kan towards the directions of Kun and Li, this subtle application is something today's geomancers would not know; they cannot recognize the禄存 star in the sky, and upon seeing water flowing away from the direction of Tanlang, they become suspicious. Li San Su explains: Below the mountain of Kan, the right side is the dragon of Bingzi, and the left side is the dragon of Gengzi; using either the right or the left is acceptable. The directions of Kun and Li are precisely where the fetal, nurturing, and growth stages are located. However, if the water flows towards the directions of Xun and Si, it must necessarily flow out from the directions of Yin and Jia. If neither the right nor the left is used, and only the single direction of Zi mountain is established, then it will fall on the central line of Wuzi. The direction of Kan is the禄存 position of the fire pattern, while the directions of Yin and Jia are the Tanlang positions. Seeing water flow away from the Tanlang direction causes suspicion of "flowing away," but they do not know that the central line of the turtle shell should be avoided, and the single direction of Zi mountain is not reasonable. This example is taken from the Kan palace to illustrate that in all forty-eight patterns, the "two eighths" (two parts to the left and eight parts to the right, or vice versa) are used to situate the site.

艮山流水自乾來，丑寅二山符安排。時師盡道貪狼照，誰知其中福不來。艮宮右癸丑左丙寅，論天星則艮為貪狼，不知兼丑兼寅有木火之別。水自乾來須兼丑，若兼寅則為破軍，福不足而禍有餘。

The text says: When water comes from the Qian direction to a mountain of Gen, it must be properly arranged on the dragons of Chou and Yin. Today, all geomancers say this is the influence of the Tanlang star, but no one knows that blessings do not come. Li Sansu explains: Below the Gen palace, the right side is the dragon of Guichou, and the left side is the dragon of Bingyin. If considering only the heavenly stars, the Gen position is indeed Tanlang; but they do not know that Guichou belongs to wood and Bingyin belongs to fire, which are entirely different in the Five Phases. Since the water comes from the Qian direction, the site must include Chou (Guichou belongs to wood, and water coming from Qian and Hai is the birth direction of the wood pattern); if instead, the site includes Yin, the Yin direction is the position of Pojun for this pattern, leading to insufficient blessings and excessive misfortune.

震宮納甲本相同，巽已貪狼自本宮。其中妙理無人識，卻向東邊認木龍。震宮右已卯左癸卯，此以巽已為貪狼者，宜兼左也。而正卯為辛卯，七十二作辛卯，作庚酉辛向，即乘木龍之氣，故本宮。

The text says: The stem assignment of the Zhen trigram is originally the same as this, and the greedy wolf (star) in the Xun and Si directions comes from within this trigram. The subtle principle here is unknown to people, who instead go to the east to look for the wooden dragon. Li San Su comments: Under the Zhen trigram, the right side is the Jimao dragon, and the left side is the Guimao dragon. Here, the Xun and Si directions are fixed as the greedy wolf, which is considered in conjunction with the left (Guimao). As for the central line of the卯 mountain, it is the Xinmao, and the seventy-two dragons also record it as Xinmao. Sitting on this dragon with the direction of Geng, You, and Xin is to ride on the qi of the wooden dragon, so it is said that the greedy wolf comes out 'from its own trigram'.

巽風分佈要先知，水入山趣有利宜。土木山頭有一撥，坤坎照人不便知。巽山右丙辰左已已，各有生旺。若從木而坤坎來照，則不便知。蓋坤為木破軍，坎乃木之文曲也，宜作土局。

The text says: The distribution of wind and air from the Xun direction should be clearly understood. The source of water entering the courtyard and the orientation of the main mountain should be considered, each having its own suitable aspects. The earth formation and the wood formation differ by only a small degree on this mountain. If water from the Kun and Kan directions is allowed to enter, people would be confused. Li San Su comments: Below the Xun mountain, the right side is the Bingchen dragon and the left side is the Jisi dragon, each having their own favorable and beneficial directions. If the wood formation is used but water comes from the Kun and Kan directions, it would be problematic: for the wood formation, the Kun direction is the position of Pojun (a malevolent star) and the Kan direction is the position of Wenqu (a literary star), both being inauspicious. In such a case, it is better to use the earth formation (i.e., the metal formation with earth influence) to determine the direction and eliminate the water's negative effects.

離宮坎滿事難明，要識其中旺那星。天上五行似倒用，總取貪狼本路行。離山本音金，右壬午左丙午，然各有生旺。以老五行作火，而另作水木論，故曰五行顛倒用。貪狼本生氣者，但逢死氣皆無取。

The text says: A pit in the Li (Fire) trigram with water filling the Kan (Water) direction, the principle behind this is hard to explain. The key is to recognize which star is dominant in this situation. The Five Phases in the heavens seem to be used in reverse, but ultimately one must follow the correct path of the Tanlang star. Li San Su comments: The Li mountain (noon mountain) has a Nayin sound element belonging to metal. On the right is the Renwu dragon, and on the left is the Bingwu dragon. Each dragon has its own prosperity and vitality. According to the orthodox Five Phases, the position of Wu belongs to fire, but here it is treated as a water situation and a wood situation instead. Therefore, it is said 'the Five Phases are used in reverse'. Tanlang originally represents life qi, but if this dragon falls on death qi, even if it is called Tanlang, it is not acceptable at all.

以母原來納火金，貪狼武曲一般尋。父子相生成配合，須認流神合那音。坤宮右已未左壬申，金之貪狼、火之武曲，故曰一般尋。父子相生者，三合也。三合起於納音，納音起於隔八相生。如甲子為夫，取乙丑為妻，數到八位則生子壬申；壬申為夫，取癸酉為妻，數至八位則生庚辰。此申子辰三合立向之法。須認流水為主，合納音生旺則吉，死絕則凶。

The text says: When considering the mother trigram, the Kun palace originally includes fire and metal, so the Tuanlang and Wugui should be sought in the same way. Father and son must be mutually generating to be compatible, and one must also recognize which Nayin sound element corresponds to the water deity coming and going. Li San Su comments: Below the Kun palace, the right side is the Jiwei dragon and the left side is the Renshen dragon. The Kun and Shen direction is the Tuanlang (Growth) position for the metal formation and the Wugui (Officialdom) position for the fire formation, so it is said that "they are sought in the same way." The so-called "father and son mutual generation" refers to the Triple Harmony. The method of Triple Harmony originates from the Nayin sound element, and the method of Nayin sound element originates from "the eight-step mutual generation": for example, Jiazi is the father, take Yichou as the mother, and count down to the eighth position to produce the son Renshen; Renshen is the father, take Guiyou as the mother, and count down to the eighth position to produce Gengchen—this is the origin of the Triple Harmony of Shen, Zi, and Chen directions. When applying it, one must take flowing water as the main factor: if the water aligns with the birth and prosperity directions of the Nayin sound element, it is auspicious; if it falls in the death and extinction directions, it is inauspicious.

兌上無頭是水源，五行顛倒要求玄。金火二星人未識，看他流水在何邊。兌上論西方則為金，論七十二龍則丁酉火。其實右水左土而用金火，顛倒求玄，總以流水為主。

The text says: The source of water is at the top of the Dui direction where there is no head. To find the hidden truth, the Five Phases must be reversed. The stars of metal and fire are not recognized by ordinary people; one only needs to observe which side the water flows. Li San Su comments: If the Dui direction is considered as the west, it belongs to metal in the standard Five Phases; if considered according to the seventy-two dragons, the mountain facing west is Dingyou, and its Nayin sound element is fire. In reality, the mountain to the right of You belongs to water, and the one to the left belongs to earth. However, when using it, it is treated as a metal and fire formation, which is called 'reversing to seek the profound'. In the end, it still depends on the flow and direction of the water.

坎離震兌並四維，五行相配是玄機。細察流神分音坐，父子相生福可稽。前言八卦，此專言坎離坤兌，以納音之屬分四局也。四維者，五行之四生四墓四臨官也。知山龍之陽干，而後以水龍之陰干相配，如甲以癸配、壬以辛配、丙以乙配、庚以丁配是也。分音生者，以水神為主也，五音坐穴也。

The text says: The trigrams Kan, Li, Zhen, and Dui, along with the four trigrams Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun, are the four directions. How these five elements correspond is the true secret. Carefully examine the water spirits coming and going, and determine the site based on the Nayin sound element. Father and son generate each other, and the fortune can be verified. Li San Su comments: The previous statements discuss the Eight Trigrams, while this one specifically refers to Kan, Li, Kun, and Dui, dividing the whole system into four sectors of water, fire, metal, and wood according to the Nayin sound element. The term 'four directions' refers to the four growth positions (those of亥,卯,巳,申), the four storage positions (those of辰,戌,丑,未), and the four official positions. First, recognize the yang stem of the mountain dragon, then match it with the yin stem of the water dragon: Jia dragon matches癸 water, Ren dragon matches辛 water, Bing dragon matches乙 water, and Geng dragon matches丁 water, following this rule. The term 'dividing the sound' refers to considering the prosperity and decline based on the water spirit; the term 'five sounds' refers to determining the site according to the tones Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu.

翻天倒地對不同，須教七二奪神功。穿透功夫斟酌用，兒孫代代福不窮。甲庚丙壬為龍，乙辛丁癸為水，不在羅經方，在納音之所屬。是以古今名墓，以老五行求之不合，以三合五行求之又不合，惟七十二龍之納音則禍福如向。但坐穴雖合，必須穿得真龍、透得真氣，然後三盤卦例總歸一卦，而福澤悠久。此七十二龍坐穴，所以又在穿山透地之外。

The text says: turning heaven and earth, arranging them upside down, each family has its own different method; only by using the seventy-two dragons system can one truly grasp the divine skill. The techniques of mountain penetration and ground penetration should be used with careful consideration. The descendants will enjoy endless blessings. Li San Su explains: the four yang stems, Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren, are mountain dragons, while the four yin stems, Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui, are water dragons. This does not refer to the directions on the compass, but rather to the Five Phases associated with their Nayin sound elements. Therefore, famous ancestral tombs from ancient times do not match when using the old Five Phases, nor do they match when using the common Triple Harmony Five Phases. Only by using the Nayin elements of the seventy-two dragons can the fortune and misfortune be like echoes that respond accurately. However, even if the site is suitable, one must be able to 'penetrate' the true dragon and 'transmit' the true energy. Only then can the three aspects of mountain penetration, ground penetration, and site selection all align with the same hexagram, ensuring long-lasting blessings. For this reason, the method of site selection based on the seventy-two dragons is established as a separate layer beyond the techniques of mountain and ground penetration.

流破生方主少亡，流破旺方財狼擋，養生官旺皆朝穴，子子孫孫福澤長。凡長生、冠帶、臨官、帝旺、胎、養皆不宜破，獨言生旺者，舉一隅也。生成之龍穴未有破生旺者，惟不明挨星，是以誤坐穴也。《青囊序》云：若還勘破箇中理，妙用本來同一體。楊曾心法不過順其自然，無拂其所當然而已。

The text says: If water flows and breaks the direction of Longsheng (Growth), it indicates that young people in the family may die prematurely; if water flows and breaks the direction of Diwang (Prosperity), the wealth energy is blocked. If waters from the directions of Tai, Yang, Longsheng, Linguan, and Diwang all flow towards the site, the descendants will enjoy continuous blessings. Li San Su comments: All the auspicious positions such as Longsheng, Guandai, Linguan, Diwang, Tai, and Yang should not be broken by water; the text only mentions 'Longsheng' and 'Diwang', which is just one example to lead people to understand the other three. Naturally formed dragon and site formations do not have water breaking the directions of Longsheng and Diwang; it is only because the geomancer does not understand the method of aligning stars that the site is wrongly chosen. The Preface to the Green Satchel says: "If one can understand the principles within, the skill is originally one and the same." The methods of Yang and Zeng are simply following the natural trends of mountains and waters, not opposing the inherent principles.

假如金山到頭，作寅山申向、卯山酉向，各帶天干，細看何方來水，即熟七十二龍分金。木水火土，取生旺巨三神潮入，放死墓絕水去，為永遠富貴之地。若不合此，雖富貴不久。其訣在水源頭上尋龍，龍上辨脈，龍上審氣，龍上立向。貧賤富貴壽夭，詳看龍，一代一節而斷之，萬無一失。

Li San Su said: For example, if the dragon comes to a golden formation, then the orientation should be either寅 mountain and申 direction or卯 mountain and酉 direction, each accompanied by a heavenly stem line. Then carefully observe from which direction the water comes, and become familiar with the seventy-two dragons' dividing gold. Regardless of the wood, water, fire, or earth formation, one must take the three auspicious directions of growth, prosperity, and the giant gate (decline direction) for the water to flow into the hall, while discharging the water from the directions of illness, death, tomb, and extinction. This is the way to achieve permanent wealth and honor. If this pattern is not followed, even if one becomes wealthy temporarily, it will not last. The key to this formula lies in seeking the dragon from the source of the water, identifying the ridges on the dragon, examining the qi flow on the dragon, and determining the direction based on the dragon. The poverty, wealth, longevity, and short life of a family must be carefully examined through the dragon. One section of the dragon determines one generation, and such a judgment is infallible.

養生貪狼位，沐浴冠帶文，武曲臨官旺，逢衰是巨門，病死廉貞是，大墓是破軍，絕胎是祿存，輔弼夾巨門。貪狼雖從養生起，實兼後面一辰數。假如水土論貪狼，未坤申同。拙指酉辛戌乾四個文，亥壬子方三個武，癸弼丑巨艮為輔，寅甲卯乙四個廉，辰巽二位是破軍，已丙午丁祿存主。金木水火在此分，仔細詳推莫著課。四局仿此。

The rhyme says: the positions of fetal, nurturing, and growth belong to the star Tuanlang; the positions of bathing and capping belong to the star Wenqu; the positions of officialdom and prosperity belong to the star Wukou; when encountering the declining position, it belongs to the star Jumen; the positions of illness and death belong to the star Lianzhen; the position of storage belongs to the star Pojun; the positions of exhaustion and fetal belong to the star Luchun; the stars Fu and Bi are located on either side of Jumen (the declining position). The rhyme also says: although Tuanlang starts from the nurturing and growth positions, in reality, it should also include the next position. For example, in the configuration where water and earth are together, the positions of Wei, Kun, and Shen belong to Tuanlang; then the positions of You, Xin, Xu, and Qian belong to Wenqu; the positions of Hai, Ren, and Zi belong to Wukou; the position of Gui belongs to Bi, the position of Chou belongs to Jumen, and the position of Gen belongs to Fu; the positions of Yin, Jia, Mao, and Yi belong to Lianzhen; the positions of Chen and Xun belong to Pojun; the positions of Si, Bing, Wu, and Ding belong to Luchun. The distinctions among the four configurations of metal, wood, water, and fire are determined in this way; one must carefully examine them, not blindly follow existing patterns. The other three configurations are all derived in the same manner.

《青囊序》云：二十四山分順逆，共成四十又八局。即七十二龍中四十八局。《紅囊經》七十二龍分為七十二條水法來去，或出於玄女，或為後人偽託，皆未知。不知淘沙揀金有去有取，遂謂七十二皆可立向。卜則魏乃有雙向單向，但取有情之說。龜甲、差錯、空亡久矣置之不講矣。

The *Preface to the Green Satchel* says: "The twenty-four mountains are divided into ascending and descending directions, making a total of forty-eight layouts." These forty-eight layouts are the forty-eight usable ones selected from the seventy-two dragons. The *Red Satchel Classic* divides the seventy-two dragons into seventy-two methods for water flow, but it is unclear whether this system originates from the Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven or was fabricated by later generations. People do not understand the need to select and discard like sifting sand for gold, so they mistakenly believe all seventy-two directions are usable. Thus, the schools of Bu Ying Tian and the Wei family introduced the concepts of dual and single directions, focusing only on the idea that "water must be affectionate." As for the three taboos— "turtle shell" (central axis line), "error" (line of conflicting yin and yang), and "void" (boundary line)—they have long been neglected.

《天玉經》雙山雙向水，零神富貴永無貧，若遇正神須敗絕，五行當分別。所謂正神即龜甲空亡也，然猶引其端，未嘗竟其說。魯公四十八局直指心傳，《玉尺》從而審之，乃云立向朝迎察七十二龍之關煞，惟中氣為煞、界縫為關，是以去其二十四，止存四十八局。又有正神零神之分，前兼後兼之異。厲伯韶語以二八坐穴，郭楊衣缽實不外此。

The Tianyu Jing talks about the water method of "double mountains facing each other," stating that if the direction is set on the zero spirit side, it brings wealth and never poverty, but if it meets the main spirit, it leads to ruin and extinction. This shows that the Five Phases must be clearly distinguished. Here, the so-called "main spirit" refers to the turtle shell line and the empty line. However, the Tianyu Jing only introduces the topic without fully explaining it. The "Fourty-eight Situations" by Lu Gong (the transmission of Zeng Wenchuan) directly points out the heart transmission. The Yuzhi Jing then confirms it, saying that when setting the direction and facing the front, one must examine the seventy-two dragons' critical points: the central vital line in the middle is called "sha," and the boundary line between the two mountains is called "guan." By removing these twenty-four lines, only forty-eight situations remain usable. In addition, there is the distinction between the main spirit and the zero spirit, as well as the difference between front inclusion and back inclusion. Li Boshao's method of using the "two-eighths" division to situate the grave site, as well as the transmission of Guo Pu and Yang Yunsong, all fall within this scope.

自魏孝文、唐玄宗嚴禁地理穿山透地，猶有能舉其名者，坐穴則帳之秘，又成絕學。張子微竊位國師，力舉單向，所謂七十二龍偽為七十二節之傳變。蔡西山發揮《玉髓》，仍其固陋，但知甲子平分，而單向雙向猶未豁然，以致庸術貽笑，謂教外別傳，朱蔡未解。嗣後坊刻展轉傳偽，皆以墓合、化合、納甲、三合，一龍分為數穴。至於同一山向而兼互異，五行不同，則慒然莫辨，茫茫千古，所以破旺沖生而不知。

Since the Northern Wei Xianwen Emperor and the Tang Xuanzong Emperor strictly prohibited the common people from studying the methods of mountain penetration and underground exploration, the names of these techniques have been largely forgotten. The method of sitting the site (zuo xue) was hidden within tents and kept secret, thus becoming a lost art. Zhang Zimou, who usurped the title of national master, strongly advocated for the use of only one direction, misrepresenting the so-called seventy-two dragons as the changes of the seventy-two solar terms. Cai Yuanding (Xishan) interpreted the "Yusou Zhenjing," continuing this flawed view, only knowing to evenly divide the sixty Jiazi, but never understanding the distinction between single and double directions. As a result, mediocre geomancers ridiculed this, saying it was a transmission outside the orthodox tradition, something even Zhu Xi and Cai Yuanding could not comprehend. Later, printed editions were copied and passed down, with errors spreading further. They all used methods such as墓合 (mùhé), 化合 (huàhé), Najia stem assignment (nàjiǎ), and Triple Harmony (sānhé) to force a single dragon into several sites. As for the layer where the same mountain direction may have different lines and thus different Five Phases, it remained completely misunderstood. For thousands of years, people have been in confusion, so when water breaks the prosperous and the beneficial directions, they are unaware of it.

餘悲赤子之無知，昔日何以富庶，今何以貧窮；昔日何以蕃衍，今何以伶看。堯舜周公孔子之道猶有待而行，惟此楊曾心法家喻戶曉則無可待，所以四十八局著為定例。便知龍有定方，水有定位，向有定局，合則為吉，反則為凶，按圖可以索解，沖生破旺之病庶其有謬矣。餘足跡所到，遍觀古墳，凡得金者果能得穴，福應如嚮；得穴者若不得金，反福為禍，又葬下泉而蟻、砂礫壘之應。苟能財丁救是列雙金之外，此為最要。必欲吝此珠寶，而坐視天下之人盡入火坑，寧非餘之罪也乎。

I grieve for the people as if they were infants in ignorance: why was there prosperity before and now poverty? Why was there a thriving population before and now solitude? The ways of Yao, Shun, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius still require the right time to be implemented, but the system of Yang and Zeng is so effective that it can be universally applied and immediately effective without waiting. Therefore, I have written the forty-eight layouts as fixed rules. With these, one can know that the dragon has a fixed direction, water has a fixed position, and the orientation has a fixed layout. Harmony brings good fortune, while opposition brings misfortune. By referring to the diagram, one can easily understand the principles, and the problems of conflicting, generating, breaking, and flourishing can be largely avoided. I have visited many ancient tombs throughout my travels: wherever the "golden division" (alignment with the seventy-two dragon divisions) is achieved, the burial site is indeed correct, and the blessings respond like echoes. But those who have the correct burial site but not the golden division often turn blessings into misfortunes, even causing water to come out of the coffin after burial, or ants to appear, or signs of failure such as accumulation of gravel. If they can still maintain wealth and descendants, it is mostly because they have avoided the double golden lines—this is the most important point. If I were to be stingy with this treasure, and see everyone falling into the fire pit, would I not become guilty of my own wrongdoing?

或者謂恐洩天機，收函石室，昔人所秘，今豈容洩乎。余曰不然。中針鏠針無定之天機也，宇宙有大關會，氣運為先，欲洩之而不可；真龍正穴有定之天機也，只為時師眼不的，亂把山崗覓，欲盡洩之而不能者。然則讀是書者必具楊曾之眼目，乃可以幾神化；否則名山大地詅落道傍，終成苦李。吾所洩者猶是紙上之空言而已，雖家喻戶曉，又何異石室之藏也哉。

Perhaps someone might say: This might reveal heavenly secrets? The ancients sealed them in stone chambers and kept them hidden, things that predecessors kept secret, how can we now reveal them? I say otherwise. The secrets of the needle in the middle and the sewing needle are not fixed heavenly secrets—cosmic great changes and trends are the main factors, and you cannot reveal them even if you want to; true dragon and correct site are fixed heavenly secrets—this is because today's geomancers lack accurate eyesight and randomly search on hills, so even if you wanted to explain everything fully, you couldn't. Therefore, those who read this book must possess the eyesight of Yang and Zeng to approach the divine realm; otherwise, famous mountains and great lands are like bitter plums sold by roadside vendors, left unappreciated and unused. What I have revealed is nothing but empty words on paper; even if they become widely known, how is that different from being hidden in a stone chamber?

《金彈》云：四龍剝換為專一，四局瀠洄問靜湍。四龍木火水金也，四局者乙丙交而趨戌、辛壬會而趨辰、斗牛納庚丁之氣、金羊收癸甲之靈。土居中而旺四季，是以五行獨出一位，其局寄於水者，與水相附而行也。自二十四山言之則有四十八局，自五行言之則為四局。以龍統局，以局合龍，而玄空大卦綱舉目張矣。

"The Golden Bullet" says: "Four dragons change and transform into a single focus, four layouts flow and return to quiet currents." The term "four dragons" refers to the four elements: wood, fire, water, and metal. The term "four layouts" refers to the four layouts mentioned in "The Esoteric Words of the Green Satchel": "Yi and Bing meet and head toward Xu" (the water mouth of the fire layout is at Xu), "Xin and Ren meet and head toward Chen" (the water mouth of the water layout is at Chen), "Dou and Niu receive the qi of Geng and Ding" (the water mouth of the metal layout is at Chou), and "Jin Yang receives the spirit of Ji and Jia" (the water mouth of the wood layout is at Wei). Earth moves in the center, and is temporarily strong in the four seasonal months of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei. Therefore, among the five elements, earth is not a separate layout; its layout is attached to the water layout and moves together with it. From the perspective of the twenty-four mountains, there are forty-eight layouts; from the perspective of the five elements, there are only four layouts. Using dragons to govern the layouts and using layouts to verify the dragons, this approach establishes the framework of the Xuan Kong Da Guan clearly and comprehensively.

挨星木震也，是為甲木生亥、旺卯、墓未，以癸水配，為能生木也，生卯、旺亥、墓未。其龍以辛酉（三辛 七酉）、戊戌（五戊 五辛）、已亥（五亥 五乾）、癸丑（三艮 七丑）、庚寅（五寅 五艮）、辛卯（五卯 五甲）、戊辰（三卯 七乙）為生旺；以壬子（三癸 七子）、已已（三辰 七巽）、壬午（正丙）、癸未（正丁）、庚申（七申 三庚）為休囚。其水以庚酉、辛戌、乾亥、正壬、癸丑、艮寅、甲卯、乙辰為吉，以正子、巽已、丙午、丁未、坤申為凶。四十八局屬木，亥卯未者以此為例。

The star system for wood belongs to the trigram Zhen (Thunder). It uses Jia wood as the mountain dragon: Jia wood is in growth in Hai, in prosperity in Mao, and buried in Wei. The accompanying water dragon is Gui water, as water nourishes wood; Gui water flows in reverse, with growth in Mao, prosperity in Hai, and burial in Wei. The seven auspicious dragons of this system are: Xinyou (three parts Xin, seven parts You), Wuxu (five parts Wu, five parts Xin), Jihai (five parts Hai, five parts Qian), Guichou (three parts Gen, seven parts Chou), Gengyin (five parts Yin, five parts Gen), Xinmao (five parts Mao, five parts Jia), and Wuchen (three parts Mao, seven parts Yi). The five inauspicious dragons of this system are: Renzi (three parts Gui, seven parts Zi), Jisi (three parts Chen, seven parts Xun), Renwu (correct line of Bing), Guiwei (correct line of Ding), and Gengshen (seven parts Shen, three parts Geng). In terms of water flow, water coming from the directions of Gengyou, Xinxu, Qianhai, Zhengren, Guichou, Genyin, Jiamao, and Yichen is considered auspicious; water coming from the directions of Zhengzi, Xunsi, Bingwu, Dingwei, and Kunshen is considered inauspicious. In the forty-eight systems, all those related to wood follow this pattern for the triple harmony of Hai, Mao, and Wei.

挨星火離也，是為丙火生寅、旺午、墓戌，以乙木配，為能生火也，生午、旺寅、墓戌。其龍以戊子（五子 五壬）、已丑（五癸 五丑）、丙寅（三寅 七艮）、甲辰（正辰）、乙已（正已）、戊午（三丁 七午）、已未（三坤 七未）為生旺；以丁卯（七甲 三寅）、丙申（五申 五坤）、丁酉（五庚 五酉）、乙亥（三戌 七乾）為休囚。其水以壬子、癸丑、艮寅、正甲、乙辰、巽已、丙午、丁未為吉，以正卯、坤申、庚酉、辛戌、乾亥為凶。四十八局屬火，寅午戌局以此為例。

The star of fire in this layout corresponds to the trigram Li (Fire). It uses Bing fire as the mountain dragon: Bing fire is in its growth phase in Yin, in its prosperity phase in Wu, and buried in Xu. The accompanying water dragon is wood, because wood generates fire; the wood dragon moves in reverse, with its growth phase in Wu, prosperity phase in Yin, and burial in Xu. The seven auspicious dragons of this layout are: Wuzi (five parts of Zi and five parts of Ren), Jichou (five parts of Gui and five parts of Chou), Bingyin (three parts of Yin and seven parts of Gen), Jiachen (the main line of Chen), Yisi (the main line of Si), Wuwu (three parts of Ding and seven parts of Wu), and Jiwei (three parts of Kun and seven parts of Wei). The four inauspicious dragons of this layout are: Dingmao (seven parts of Jia and three parts of Yin), Bingshen (five parts of Shen and five parts of Kun), Dingyou (five parts of Geng and five parts of You), and Yihai (three parts of Xu and seven parts of Qian). In terms of water flow, water coming from the directions of Renzi, Guichou, Genyin, Zhen甲, Yichen, Xunsi, Wuwu, and Dingwei is auspicious; water coming from the directions of Zhen卯, Kunshen, Gengyou, Xinxu, and Qianhai is inauspicious. In the forty-eight layouts, all those related to fire follow this pattern for the triple harmony of Yin, Wu, and Xu.

挨星金兌也，是為庚金生已、旺酉、墓丑，以丁火配為五，金得火而成器也，生酉、旺已、墓丑。其龍以癸卯（正卯）、庚辰（正乙）、辛已（正巽）、乙未（五丁 五未）、壬申（三坤 七未）、癸酉（七酉 三申）、庚戌（正戌）為生旺；以甲午（五丙 二午）、已亥（正亥）、甲子（七壬 三亥）、壬寅（七寅 三艮）為休囚。其水以甲卯、乙辰、巽已、正丙、丁未、坤申、庚酉、辛戌為吉，以正午、乾亥、壬子、癸丑、艮寅為凶。四十八局屬金，已酉丑以此為例。

The star of metal in this layout corresponds to the trigram Dui (Lake). It uses Geng metal as the mountain dragon: Geng metal is long-lived in Si, prosperous in You, and buried in Chou. The accompanying water dragon is Ding fire, which forms a pair with Geng metal; other elements are paired by mutual generation, but metal requires fire to be refined into a useful object, so this layout uses mutual control as the pairing. Ding fire moves in reverse, with its long-life in You, prosperity in Si, and burial in Chou. The seven auspicious dragons of this layout are: Gui Mao (main Mao line), Geng Chen (main Bing line), Xin Si (main Xun line), Yi Wei (biased Ding five parts, biased Wei five parts), Ren Shen (biased Kun three parts, biased Wei seven parts), Gui You (biased You seven parts, biased Shen three parts), and Geng Xu (main Xu line). The four inauspicious dragons of this layout are: Jia Wu (biased Bing five parts, biased Wu two parts), Ji Hai (main Hai line), Jia Zi (biased Ren seven parts, biased Hai three parts), and Ren Yin (biased Yin seven parts, biased Gen three parts). In terms of water flow, water coming from the directions of Jia Mao, Yi Chen, Xun Si, main Bing, Ding Wei, Kun Shen, Geng You, and Xin Xu is considered auspicious; water coming from the directions of main Wu, Qian Hai, Ren Zi, Gui Chou, and Gen Yin is considered inauspicious. In the forty-eight layouts, all those related to metal follow this pattern for the triple harmony of Si, You, and Chou.

挨星水坎也，是為壬水生申、旺子、墓辰，以辛金配，為能生水也，生子、旺申、墓辰。其龍以丙午（正午）、丁未（正未）、庚午（七丙 三已）、辛未（三五 七丁）、甲申（正坤）、戊申（正申）、壬戌（七戌 三乾）、癸亥（三壬 七亥）、丙戌（正辛）、丁亥（正乾）、丙子（正壬）、丁丑（正癸）、庚子（正子）、辛（正丑）為生旺；以乙酉（正庚）、已酉、甲寅（三甲 七寅）、乙卯（三乙 七卯）、戊寅（正艮）、已卯（正甲）、壬辰（五乙 五辰）、癸已（五已 五巽）、丙辰（七辰 三巽）、丁已（七已 三丙）為休囚。其水以丙午、丁未、坤申、正庚、辛戌、乾亥、壬子、癸丑為吉，以正酉、艮寅、甲卯、乙辰、巽已為凶。四十八局中屬水，申子辰以此為例。

The star system of water belongs to the trigram Kan. It uses Ren water as the mountain dragon: Ren water is born in Shen, reaches its peak in Zi, and is buried in Chen. The accompanying water dragon is Xin metal, because metal generates water; Xin metal moves in reverse, being born in Zi, reaching its peak in Shen, and being buried in Chen. The auspicious dragons of this system are: Bingwu (midday Wu), Dingwei (midday Wei), Gengwu (biased towards Bing seven parts and Si three parts), Xinchou (biased towards Wei three parts and Ding seven parts), Jiashen (midday坤 line), Wushen (midday Shen line), Renxu (biased towards Xu seven parts and Qian three parts), Guihai (biased towards Ren three parts and Hai seven parts), Bingxu (midday Xin line), Dinghai (midday Qian line), Bingzi (midday Ren line), Dingchou (midday Gui line), Gengzi (midday Zi line), Xinchou (midday Chou line). The inauspicious dragons of this system are: Yigeng (midday Geng line), Jiyou, Jiayin (biased towards Ji three parts and Yin seven parts), Yimao (biased towards Yi three parts and Mao seven parts), Wuyin (midday Gen line), Jimao (midday Ji line), Renchen (biased towards Yi five parts and Chen five parts), Guisi (biased towards Si five parts and Xun five parts), Bingchen (biased towards Chen seven parts and Xun three parts), Dingsi (biased towards Si seven parts and Bing three parts). In terms of water flow, water coming from the directions of Bingwu, Dingwei, Kun Shen, midday Geng, Xin Xu, Qian Hai, Ren Zi, Gui Chou is auspicious; water coming from the directions of midday You, Gen Yin, Ji Mao, Yi Chen, Xun Si is inauspicious. In the forty-eight systems, all water systems follow this pattern for the combination of Shen, Zi, and Chen.

挨星者六十龍也。乙丑、乙未納音之位在先天河圖之辛，而龍則皆從庚，局則皆從已酉丑。丁卯、丁酉納音之位在先天河圖之丁，龍則皆從丙，局則皆從寅午戌。辛卯、辛酉納音之位在先天河圖之乙，而龍則從甲，局則從亥卯未。乙酉、乙卯納音之位在先天河圖之癸，而龍則從壬，局則從申子辰。蓋律以呂為妻，則以婦從夫，陰從陽也。

The concept of "挨星" refers to the sixty dragons. For the dragons Yichou and Yiwei, their Nayin positions fall on the Xin position of the Earlier Heaven Yellow River Chart, but when discussing dragons, they are all traced back to Geng (Geng metal as mountain dragon), and when discussing the structure, they are all classified under the metal triple of Si-You-Chou. For the dragons Dingmao and Dingyou, their Nayin positions fall on the Ding position of the Earlier Heaven Yellow River Chart, but when discussing dragons, they are all traced back to Bing, and when discussing the structure, they are all classified under the fire triple of Yin-Wu-Xu. For the dragons Xinmao and Xinyou, their Nayin positions fall on the Yi position of the Earlier Heaven Yellow River Chart, but when discussing dragons, they are all traced back to Jia, and when discussing the structure, they are all classified under the wood triple of Hai-Mao-Wei. For the dragons Yiyou and Yimao, their Nayin positions fall on the Gui position of the Earlier Heaven Yellow River Chart, but when discussing dragons, they are all traced back to Ren, and when discussing the structure, they are all classified under the water triple of Shen-Zi-Chen. This is similar to the musical scale where "Lv" is the wife of "Lu," and the wife follows the husband; the yin drys are all assigned to the yang drys they are paired with.

東西南北乃天地之定位，有西南不可無東北；春夏秋冬乃天地之四時，有春冬不可無秋夏。是以五行之氣隨時則為消長，則地有盛衰。甲乙壬癸與丙庚丁辛並行不悖，不可偏廢。凡勢孤即為孤氣，虛者即為虛，金木水火皆有之。其孤虛旺相、貴賤吉凶皆論生死，不論陰陽。《玉尺經》云：生龍發足莫犯天罡，旺去出身休逢死絕。無非葬乘生氣，病死墓絕之龍皆所不取。

The directions of east, west, south, and north are fixed in heaven and earth; if there is a southwest direction, there must also be a northeast. The four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter are also fixed in heaven and earth; if there is spring and winter, there must also be summer and autumn. Therefore, the qi of the Five Phases changes with the seasons, increasing and decreasing accordingly, and the earth's qi also becomes strong or weak accordingly. The groups of Jia, Yi, Ren, Gui and Bing, Geng, Ding, Xin are parallel and do not interfere with each other; none of them should be neglected. Any mountain that stands alone is called "gu qi" (solitary qi), and any qi that is empty is called "xu" (hollow). The four patterns of metal, wood, water, and fire will each have instances of gu and xu. As for gu, xu, wangs, xiang, and the distinctions of precious, humble, auspicious, and inauspicious, they are all judged according to life and death, not according to yin and yang. The "Jade Measure Classic" says: "A dragon that starts from the life direction should not violate the Heavenly Gang, and a dragon that starts from the prosperous direction should not reach a dead or cut-off place." This means that a dragon originating from the life direction should not touch the Chen and Xu Heavenly Gang, and a dragon originating from the prosperous direction should not reach a dead or cut-off place. In summary, all these are for the purpose of burying in the life qi. Any dragon that is in a state of illness, death, tomb, or cut-off is not taken.

《玉尺經》云：入首衰微，生水會則人丁可救；到頭囚謝，旺水聚則財祿攸宜。此則休囚之龍又以水為救助，譬如男子無財而妻有助，但求好合必能旺夫相子。唯出卦則破旺沖生，一夫一婦且做寇仇，其害不可勝言。往古來今富豪不能有盛而無衰，尋龍之法必求其節節生旺、世世榮華，斷無是理。餘獨謂龍神長者納音不變則為專氣，雖天干死、天罡死絕間無一二，猶愈於出卦，子孫必不致敗絕。惟支龍駁雜其氣已短，而到頭入首又逢死絕，斯為下格。學者分別觀之，師古而無泥古可也。

The Jade Measure Classic also says: "If the initial dragon energy is weak, then if the water from the growth direction comes to meet it, the people and descendants can still be saved; if the dragon at the end is confined and weak, then if the water from the prosperity direction gathers in the hall, wealth and official rank will still be suitable." This shows that even a dragon that is weak and confined can be helped by water, just like a husband who has no money but his wife has a dowry to help him; as long as the couple is harmonious, they can still support each other and raise children. However, only when the dragon and water belong to different hexagrams (called 'out of the hexagram') will they destroy prosperity and harm growth. In that case, even husband and wife become enemies, and the harm is endless. From ancient times to the present, no wealthy family has ever remained prosperous forever. If one seeks a dragon, it is unreasonable to expect it to be prosperous and flourishing at every stage and generation. In my personal opinion, a dragon that is long and has a consistent nayin sound element is called 'special energy.' Even if there are occasional instances of heavenly stems falling into death or a few instances of heavenly gang death and decline, it is still much better than being out of the hexagram. The descendants will certainly not become extinct. Only those dragons with mixed and chaotic earth branches, short energy lines, and encountering death and decline at the beginning and end are considered the worst pattern. Scholars should distinguish between different cases, follow the ancients but not be rigidly bound by them. That is the right approach.

如壬兼亥（水）、癸兼子（木）、艮兼丑（木）、甲兼卯（火）、辰兼巽（火）、已兼丙（火）、坤兼申（金）、申兼庚（土）、酉兼辛（土）、戌兼辛（土）、乾兼戌（水）、亥兼乾（土）、申兼坤（水）、酉兼庚（水）。經云：向定陰陽順水裝，三子一齊昌。橫流非破旺即沖生，逆局則斷不可立此向矣。

There are a total of fourteen sections in the flowing water direction. "Release" means to follow the direction of the water. They are: Nengshan combined with Hai (water), Gui mountain combined with Zi (wood), Gen mountain combined with Chou (wood), Jia mountain combined with Mao (fire), Chen mountain combined with Xun (fire), Si mountain combined with Bing (fire), Kun mountain combined with Shen (metal), Shen mountain combined with Geng (earth), You mountain combined with Xin (earth), Xu mountain combined with Xin (earth), Qian mountain combined with Xu (water), Hai mountain combined with Qian (earth), Shen mountain combined with Kun (water), and You mountain combined with Geng (water). The classic text says: "Determine the direction with yin and yang, follow the water direction to set up." This means when setting the direction, distinguish yin and yang and follow the direction of the water, so that the three middle generations will flourish. If these fourteen sections meet a cross-flowing water, it will either break the prosperity or conflict with growth. If the terrain is against the water flow, then these directions must not be set.

如壬兼子（金）、癸兼丑（金）、寅兼艮（土）、寅兼甲（金）、甲兼寅（水）、卯兼甲（土）、乙兼卯（水）、巽兼辰（土）、巽兼已（木）、丙兼已（土）、午兼丙（木）、未兼丁（木）、庚兼申（木）、辛兼戌（火）、乾兼亥（火）、亥兼壬（金）。經云：貪富貴則棄生朝旺，圖嗣續則背旺迎生。經又云：入首衰微生水會，則人丁可救；到頭囚謝旺水聚，而財祿攸宜。橫流則忌破旺沖生，若順流切不可立此向。

There are a total of sixteen directions, each facing a particular mountain and accompanied by a specific branch, as follows:壬 mountain combined with Zi (metal direction),癸 mountain combined with Chou (metal direction),寅 mountain combined with Gen (earth direction),寅 mountain combined with Jia (metal direction), Jia mountain combined with寅 (water direction),卯 mountain combined with Jia (earth direction),乙 mountain combined with卯 (water direction), Xun mountain combined with Chen (earth direction), Xun mountain combined with Si (wood direction), Bing mountain combined with Si (earth direction),午 mountain combined with Bing (wood direction),未 mountain combined with Ding (wood direction), Geng mountain combined with Shen (wood direction), Xin mountain combined with Xu (fire direction), Qian mountain combined with Hai (fire direction), and Hai mountain combined with Ren (metal direction). The classic text says: "If one seeks wealth and honor, one should abandon the growth direction and let the prosperity direction's water flow into the courtyard; if one seeks descendants, one should face away from the prosperity direction and welcome the growth direction's water." This means that if one desires wealth and status, one should avoid the growth direction and let the prosperity direction's water flow into the courtyard; if one desires descendants, one should face away from the prosperity direction and welcome the growth direction's water. The classic text also says: "If the initial water is weak and meets the growth water, then the people and descendants can be saved; if at the end the water is trapped and the prosperity water gathers, then wealth and official rank are suitable." If these sixteen directions encounter a flowing water, they still avoid breaking the prosperity direction and conflicting with the growth direction; if the terrain naturally flows with water, then these directions should never be chosen.

如子兼壬（水）、子兼癸（土）、丑兼癸（水）、丑兼艮（土）、乙兼辰（木）、丁兼未（火）、庚兼酉（金）、戌兼乾（金）。此收右水局也，經所謂生向，右水倒左也。若左水倒右，則生來破旺，雖有子而何為。若順局，不可立此向。

There are a total of nine layouts that receive water from the right side: Zi mountain combined with Ren (water), Zi mountain combined with Gui (earth), Chou mountain combined with Gui (water), Chou mountain combined with Gen (earth), Yi mountain combined with Chen (wood), Ding mountain combined with Wei (fire), Geng mountain combined with You (metal), Xu mountain combined with Qian (metal). This type of layout is called "sheng xiang," meaning the water flows from the right side to the left. If the water flows in the opposite direction, from the left to the right, it becomes "sheng lai po wang," which means the water from the long life direction flows to break the prosperity direction. Even if sons are born, it is of no use. If the terrain naturally follows the water flow, these directions should not be chosen.

如艮兼寅（火）、卯兼乙（金）、辰兼乙（金）、已兼巽（金）、丙兼午（土）、午兼丁（水）、丁兼未（土）、未兼坤（水）、辛兼酉（木）。此收左水局也，經所謂旺向，左水歸右。若倒左則旺去沖生，縱富貴亦徒然。順水局不可立此向。

There are a total of nine layouts that collect water from the left: mountain facing寅 with艮 (fire), mountain facing卯 with乙 (metal), mountain facing辰 with乙 (metal), mountain facing巳 with巽 (metal), mountain facing丙 with午 (earth), mountain facing午 with丁 (water), mountain facing丁 with未 (earth), mountain facing未 with坤 (water), and mountain facing辛 with酉 (wood). This type of layout is called 「旺向」 as mentioned in the classic text, meaning water should flow from the left to the right. If the direction is reversed, flowing to the left, it becomes 「旺去冲生」 — the water from the prosperity direction flows to attack the growth direction. Even if there is temporary wealth and prosperity, it will be in vain. If the terrain naturally follows a water layout, these directions should not be chosen.

子山午（逆）、丑山未（橫）二山離卦也，宜左倒右。寅山申（順）、卯山酉（橫）二山震卦也，宜右倒左。辰山戌（橫局到左）、已山亥（宜逆倒右）坎卦也。午山子、未山丑（順局）兌卦也。申山寅、酉山卯（逆局到左）離卦也。戌山辰（橫局倒右）、亥山已（順局倒右）震卦也。八干四維之正神，乃十二支之界縫、關煞線路，非神明之不能立此向。若線路不清，誤犯關煞，為害不淺，學者慎之。

The proper deities for each of the twelve Earthly Branches are as follows: A direction facing south with its mountain facing north belongs to the reverse water pattern, and a direction facing north with its mountain facing south belongs to the lateral water pattern. These two directions are governed by the Fire Hexagram, and water should flow from the left to the right. A direction facing south with its mountain facing east belongs to the flowing water pattern, and a direction facing west with its mountain facing east belongs to the lateral water pattern. These two directions are governed by the Thunder Hexagram, and water should flow from the right to the left. A direction facing west with its mountain facing south belongs to the lateral pattern, and water should flow to the left. A direction facing east with its mountain facing north belongs to the reverse water pattern, and water should flow from the right to the left. These two directions are governed by the Water Hexagram. A direction facing south with its mountain facing north and a direction facing north with its mountain facing south belong to the flowing pattern, and are governed by the Lake Hexagram. A direction facing east with its mountain facing south and a direction facing west with its mountain facing east belong to the reverse pattern, and water should flow to the left, governed by the Fire Hexagram. A direction facing west with its mountain facing south belongs to the lateral pattern, and water should flow to the right. A direction facing east with its mountain facing south belongs to the flowing pattern, and water should flow to the right, governed by the Thunder Hexagram. As for the eight Heavenly Stems and the four cardinal directions of Heaven, Earth, Mountain, and Wind, the central lines are exactly the boundaries between the twelve Earthly Branches, which are the lines where the critical points lie. These lines cannot be established without the skill of the divine. If these lines are not clearly identified and one mistakenly violates the critical points, the consequences can be very serious. Scholars must be cautious.

兌卦十山水，宜過丑艮而出，為斗牛納庚丁之氣。未到丑艮而乾亥方即出，乃犯交而不及，中年夭折；直至甲卯方始出，此為過亢，主老年發達。辰巽已有水朝，大發人丁。丙丁水朝，是長生逢南極，生出高壽。丁未水朝，遇臨官為水赦文，主小房應福。坤申方山高水朝，定有題名之貴。

The water of the Dui trigram's ten mountains should flow through Chou and Gen directions before exiting, which is what the Esoteric Words of the Green Satchel says: "Dou Niu Na Geng Ding Qi" — the metal formation's water mouth is collected at Chou and Gen. If the water has not yet reached Chou and Gen and flows out first from Qian and Hai directions, it is called "Jiao Er Bu Ji," indicating the family will suffer early death in middle age. If the water is delayed until Jia and Mao directions before flowing out, it is called "Guo Kang," indicating success and prosperity only in old age. If there is water flowing towards the hall from Chen, Xun, and Si directions, the family will have great prosperity. If there is water flowing from Bing and Ding directions, it is the Longsheng position meeting the Southern Pole longevity star, indicating the birth of a long-lived person. If there is water flowing from Ding and Wei directions, it is the Lin Guan position, belonging to "Shui She Wen," indicating the younger branch will receive blessings. If there are high mountains in Kun and Shen directions with water flowing towards them, the family will certainly produce a nobleman who achieves success in the imperial examinations.

書云：官榮侍郎之尊，多因朝自申庚。若庚酉方長大水朝，富比陶朱，腰懸金印。如見巽庚二水合朝，流歸墓絕，會成兌卦，以生鋒銳，必膺將相之權。酉與巽水合朝，流歸墓絕為生旺，將見財丁兩盛。兌屬少女，必發聰明之女。若卯庚二水合朝，為胎祿相見，必產威武之男。若見高山焰起秀特，則為顯旌旗於震庚，大貴有威權之職。巽辛二山高特尖秀，是為文筆，書云：發文筆於巽辛，大旺功名之子。此吉水斷，餘卦亦類推。

The text says: "Officials achieve honor and prestige, often due to the influence of the metal element from the direction of Geng." If there are long and flowing waters coming from the Geng and You directions toward the hall, it indicates great wealth comparable to the wealthy merchant Tao Zhu Gong, and the person will have a golden seal hanging around their waist. If waters from the Xun and Geng directions converge and flow toward the tomb and absolute direction, they will form the Dui trigram, which is the metal element. The sharpness of metal will thus be generated, and the person will certainly hold high-ranking official positions. If waters from the You and Xun directions converge and flow toward the tomb and absolute direction, this is considered a meeting of the prosperous and strong elements, leading to both wealth and descendants flourishing. Since the Dui trigram represents a young girl, there will also be intelligent daughters. If waters from the Mao and Geng directions converge, this is the meeting of the fetal position and the禄 position, which will surely result in the birth of a powerful and authoritative son. If there are high mountains rising like flames and appearing particularly beautiful and outstanding, this is called "displaying banners and flags in Zhen and Geng," indicating a high and powerful position. If mountains in the Xun and Xin directions are tall, sharp, and outstanding, they are called the literary pen peak. The text says "displaying the literary pen in Xun and Xin," indicating that the son will achieve great success in scholarly pursuits. The above is the method of interpreting auspicious waters; other trigrams can be interpreted in a similar manner.

若見巽已水沖破，必乏人丁。若見午水挽已水合流，為四敗傷生，雖有子孫必多奸生。若午水朝來，或山腳似掀裙舞袖，必主淫亂；或有山似旗槍，必招劫賊之人。丁未被水沖破，是擊傷冠帶之氣，主損十餘歲上下之人。申庚被水沖破，是擊傷臨官之氣，主損三十歲上下之人。酉庚被水沖傷，貧乏無財；若山空缺，必主才高不第，是失官旺之貴，必主仲子遭禍。

The interpretation of the Dui hexagram breaking the situation is as follows. If the water in the Xun and Si directions is broken, it indicates a lack of people in the family. If the water from the Wu direction draws the water from the Si direction to flow together, this is called "four failures harming life" — the water of bathing harms the vital energy of growth, and even if there are descendants, they are mostly illegitimate. If the water from the Wu direction flows towards the place, and the mountain shape resembles a raised skirt or fluttering sleeves, it certainly indicates domestic disorder. If the mountain shape resembles a flag or weapons, it will bring in thieves and bandits. If the water breaks the Ding and Wei directions, it injures the energy of capping, leading to harm to teenagers around ten years old. If the water breaks the Shen and Geng directions, it injures the energy of officialdom, leading to harm to strong adults around thirty years old. If the water injures the You and Geng directions, it causes poverty and lack of wealth; if the mountain shape in this direction is missing, the person may be talented but fail in exams, as the official prosperity is lost, and the misfortune will definitely fall on the second son.

戌乾壬方有山如葫蘆形，主殘疾。乾亥方有山如木瓢盂缽，主乞丐。壬子水朝，有天亡橫禍之應。癸丑水來，應知合室遭刑。寅甲水朝，主產難虛勞之症。卯辰被水沖破，主有墮胎之應。若癸丑來從巽已方出，是天罡犯貪狼之位，難招半子之榮；流自庚酉方出，是破軍侵帝旺之鄉，身無一命之寄。照依斷法，應驗如神，餘卦亦可類推。

If there are hill shapes resembling a gourd in the directions of Xu, Qian, and Ren, the family is likely to have people with disabilities. If there are hill shapes like a wooden ladle or a bowl in the directions of Qian and Hai, the family is likely to have beggars. If water flows towards the directions of Ren and Zi, it indicates deaths and sudden misfortunes. If water flows from the directions of Gui and Chou, it suggests that the whole family will suffer from legal troubles. If water flows towards the directions of Yin and Chen, it indicates difficult childbirth for women and weakness for men. If water erodes the directions of Mao and Chen, it indicates miscarriages. If water flows from the directions of Gui and Chou and then flows out from the directions of Xun and Si, it means that the Heavenly Gang of Chen and Xu has clashed with the position of Tanlang, making it difficult to have even half a son. If water flows from the directions of Geng and You, it means that the position of Pojun has invaded the Prosperity direction, making it impossible to attain even a minor official position. Following this principle for judgment is as accurate as a god; other hexagrams can also be interpreted in the same way.

放水者十四局，龍虎砂雖有先到後到之分，而穴前水必直流，正所謂去流須去千百步是也。逆水者十六局，左關則水流左肋，縱穴有砂必不見，左水為吉；右關則水流右肋，縱有砂必不見水為妙。且不可宜沖，須曲有情，入口凝聚為上吉。或有近案上砂攔仕，免割腳方為盡善，不然撥面割腳反挑，均為不美。

When the water flows in the direction of the site, the fourteen layouts (局) require that the water flows straight out, with the dragon and tiger sands (龙砂虎砂) having differences in arrival order. However, the water in front of the site must flow straight out, which is exactly what is meant by "the flowing water should go a thousand or a thousand steps away" — it must flow straight and far away. For the sixteen layouts where the water flows against the site, if the water is blocked on the left side, it will flow along the left side, and even if there are ridges (砂) in front of the site, the water will not be visible, and receiving left water is considered auspicious. If the water is blocked on the right side, it will flow along the right side, and even if there are ridges, it is better not to see the water. Moreover, the water must not directly hit the site, but should bend and be affectionate, gathering at the water entrance without scattering. If there are nearby ridges and upper ridges to protect the site, avoiding cutting water (割脚水), then it is perfect. Otherwise, if the water flows over the face, along the feet, or jumps back and flows outward, it is not good.

收右水者，皆不利左水朝堂，非虎砂過案收氣，則龍砂短縮方合。收左水者，皆不利右水朝堂，非龍砂過案聚氣，則虎砂短縮方合。收左右水者，必非逆水橫流。蓋天地之大德曰生，真龍正結斷不外此，是為生生化化之源。凡繫做祖之地雖小必合，若反此則宮位必不均，其禍福相倍伏。縱有傍龍偏結、坦局精奇，亦不過漸福，非富貴悠久之全局也。

Any layout that collects right water is not favorable to left water flowing into the hall: either the tiger hill must pass through the hall to trap the energy, or the dragon hill must be shortened to allow space, which is considered proper. Similarly, any layout that collects left water is not favorable to right water flowing into the hall: either the dragon hill must pass through the hall to gather energy, or the tiger hill must be shortened to allow space, which is considered proper. As for layouts that collect water from both left and right sides, the terrain must certainly not be against the flow of water. The greatest virtue of heaven and earth is the character 'birth' (生). True dragon ridges and proper landforms will never deviate from this principle; this is the source of continuous generation and transformation. Any land suitable for a family's ancestral tomb, even if the layout is small, must conform to this principle. If it violates this principle, the fortune of each branch will be unequal, and calamities and blessings will accumulate in multiples. Even if there are lands with secondary dragons, flat and peculiar layouts, they can only bring gradual small blessings, not a complete layout for enduring wealth and honor.

蓋龍吉凶以水為吉凶，水無吉凶，以水之來去為吉凶。宜去而來便凶，當去而去便為吉。貪巨武輔名為四吉之神，出於同源，其福猶淺；惟順則左右兩宮分來而合去，此所謂向陰陽順水裝、三子一齊昌。是以論水城者，凡州府省會、一切大富貴之結作，多近大水左右，聚會順局而立。謬種偽傳之書，目不視大方，足不經大地，或駭為離鄉，或忌為退家。考其實，則隨龍大八字水皆合穴前，造福能不厚與。直沖而逆回結穴，則為逆水皆沐默；祖地大江逆朝，先賢有云：有地在鵝塘，只是少青囊。其龍乃真行偽落，是以坐穴不合，雖分茅列土，亦必先凶後吉，即此可為殷鑑。

In summary, the fortune of a dragon depends on the water. Water itself has no inherent fortune or misfortune; its fortune or misfortune is determined by the direction from which it comes and goes. If water that should go away comes instead, it is ominous; if water that should go away actually goes away, it is auspicious. The four auspicious deities, namely Tangan, Jumen, Wuqu, and Fubì, are renowned, but if they all originate from the same source and come together, their blessings are shallow. Only when the water from the left and right sectors flows separately and converges at the same place is it considered the so-called "the water flows in harmony with yin and yang, three sons will flourish together." Therefore, those who study water patterns will find that most major cities, provinces, and places of great wealth and honor are usually located near large bodies of water, where the water converges in a harmonious pattern. Some books that spread misinformation have never seen a grand layout and have not traveled far. They fear the term "flowing water" and say it "causes people to leave their homeland," or they avoid mentioning it as "causing the family to decline." In reality, the large water patterns that follow the dragon's path converge before the site, thus bringing great blessings. If the water rushes straight and then turns back to form a site, it is considered reverse water, which should be calm and reserved. If the ancestral land has a large river flowing against it, the ancients said, "There is land in the goose pond, but it lacks the green silk bag." Such a dragon is truly powerful but falsely settled, so the site is never properly aligned. Even if one attains high office and titles, it will inevitably first bring misfortune before bringing good fortune, which serves as a warning.

橫水局最為時師所喜，近肋小水有可朝堂，必係衰方位、胎神方位方為合格，否則宮位難均。又有借穴之法，金木水火皆係借坐就局，論龍其水必先出穴庫、後出龍庫，始可初年無禍。如乾亥火局也，木龍可借，亦可橫水；丁兼未土局也，金龍可借，則宜放水。此生成之變格，不容拘轍而疆同。

The horizontal water pattern is most favored by modern geomancers. If a small body of water near the two flanks can face the hall, it must come from the declining direction or the fetal god direction, otherwise the positions of each family will be uneven. Additionally, there is a method called "borrowing a site": the golden, wooden, water, and fire patterns can all borrow from other patterns to sit and adjust to their own, but when discussing the dragon, the water must first flow out of the storage area of the original site, and then the dragon's storage area, so that no misfortune will occur in the first few years. For example, the乾 and 亥 directions belong to the fire pattern and can borrow the wooden dragon for use, and can also receive horizontal water; the 丁 mountain combined with the 未 direction belongs to the earth pattern and can borrow the metal dragon for use, which is suitable for releasing the water in a smooth manner. These are all natural variations set by heaven and earth, and cannot be rigidly followed by fixed rules, forcing them to be the same in every case.

然千百不遇二三，就龍與局合，而其穴終不能疵論。正法則透地坐穴期歸一卦，四十八局皆以本龍本氣為主。總之有理即有氣，有氣即有形，雖千變萬化，而生生不息之理所以生人生物，無時不有，無處不然，乃成其高人妙用。惟使去水來山皆合情，一言以蔽之曰：棄死挨生而已。今之時師惟形是求，無論其氣，亂覓山崗，終年不得一穴；即遇逄真龍真穴，向指一差，反福為禍。斬人之福澤，天必斬其福澤；殺人之子孫，天必殺其子孫。可不審哉。（一卷終）

However, among these variations, only a few out of thousands can be encountered. Even if the dragon and the site arewith difficulty compatible, the site cannot be said to be entirely flawless. According to the correct method, the penetrating earth and the sitting site should belong to the same trigram. All forty-eight sites are based on the original dragon and its energy. In summary, there is reason, and thus there is energy; there is energy, and thus there is form. Although there are countless changes, the principle of continuous generation and renewal is always present, enabling the creation of human beings and all living things. It is always present and everywhere, and only when one understands this can one achieve the subtle application of a master. The key is to ensure that the flowing water and the incoming mountains are in harmony with reason. In one sentence, it is: discard death energy and follow life energy. Nowadays, geomancers only look for forms and ignore the energy, randomly searching on hills, and cannot find a single site throughout the year. Even if they encounter a true dragon and a true site, a slight mistake in direction can turn blessings into curses. Cutting off another's fortune will surely cut off one's own fortune; destroying another's descendants will surely destroy one's own descendants. How can one not be cautious? (End of Volume One)

嘗考尋龍之法，首看龍氣之盛衰，次觀向水之吉凶，審召瑞邀祥之妙，察陰陽朝應之情。生旺墓吊合於三方，孟仲季之公位攸分；十二宮配屬乎五行，貪巨武破之天星始定。人丁實繫於長生，財祿必根於官旺，是以生水朝堂，螽斯千古；旺神聚局，食祿萬鍾。

To examine the principles of seeking a dragon's arrival: first, assess the strength and decline of the coming dragon's energy, then observe the auspiciousness of the direction and water mouth. Examine the subtle aspects of inviting auspicious signs and understand the state of yin and yang responding to the direction. The three positions of growth, prosperity, and storage are harmoniously aligned in the three directions, thereby determining the positions of the eldest, second, and youngest sons. Each of the twelve growth positions is associated with the five phases, and the names of the heavenly stars such as Tengwang, Juming, Wujue, and Pojun are thus established. The number of descendants depends on the growth position, and the thickness of wealth and official rank is rooted in the officialdom and prosperity positions. Therefore, when water from the growth direction flows into the hall, descendants multiply endlessly as described in the poem from the Book of Songs, Zhongsi; when the prosperity deity gathers within the territory, one can enjoy abundant wealth and official rank.

貪富貴則棄生朝旺，圖嗣續則背旺迎生。破軍侵帝旺之鄉，身無一命之寄；天罡犯貪狼之位，難招半子之榮。生來會旺，聰明之子方生；旺去沖生，縱富貴亦徒然。旺去迎生，富貴之期驟至；而生來破旺，雖有子亦如無。未離胎而夭折，多因流破胎神；才出世而亡身，蓋為擊傷生氣。

If one desires wealth and honor, they should abandon the Longsheng direction and let the Diwang direction's water flow in. If one seeks descendants, they should face away from the Diwang direction and welcome the Longsheng direction's water. If the Pojun star invades the Diwang direction, one will never attain even a minor official position in their lifetime. If the Tian Gang of Chen and Xu invades the Tanlang position, one will hardly be able to have even half a son. Only when the water from the Longsheng direction meets the water from the Diwang direction can one give birth to a wise child. If the water from the Diwang direction flows away and conflicts with the Longsheng direction, even if one attains wealth and honor, it will be in vain. If the Diwang direction's water flows out to meet the Longsheng direction's water, wealth and honor will come quickly. Conversely, if the Longsheng direction's water comes and disrupts the Diwang direction, even if one has a son, it is as if he does not exist. If the fetus dies before birth, it is mostly because the water has disrupted the Taishen direction. If a child dies immediately after birth, it is because the Longsheng energy has been injured.

冠帶失齠齔之男，臨官喪成材之子。貪狼直步天罡，百歲頤壽；破煞倒沖生氣，丁眷奚堪。四敗傷生，雖有子而母明父暗；旺神投浴，恐居官而淫亂可羞。遇陽差而剋夫，見陰錯而傷妻。夫妻路遇，晚歲榮華；眷屬同情，家門孝義。情過而亢，呂望八旬方際會；交而不及，顏回三十便亡身。

The direction of the Crown and Belt is injured, which will cause harm to a boy who is around seven or eight years old and is changing his teeth; the direction of the Officialdom is injured, which will lead to the loss of a son who has already grown up. The water of the Greedy Wolf flows straight to the Heavenly Gang at the years of Chen and Xu, indicating that the person will live to be a hundred years old; the water of the Broken Army is reversed and conflicts with the Life Qi, making it impossible for the family's members to endure. The water of the Bathing (four failures) injures the Growth, even if there is a son, he will be clear-minded on the mother's side but unclear on the father's side, leading to questionable origins; the God of Prosperity turns back to the Bathing direction, possibly causing disgraceful misconduct even after holding an official position. If encountering the line of 'Yang Difference,' it will injure the husband; if encountering the line of 'Yin Error,' it will injure the wife. The couple only meet by chance on the road (the dragon water is勉强 compatible), and they will achieve honor only in their old age; if the family members are united and sympathetic (the dragon water is truly compatible), the family will produce virtuous and filial people. If the water is excessive and reaches the state of excess, it is like Jiang Taigong who met King Wen at the age of eighty; if the meeting is insufficient, it is like Yan Hui who died at the age of thirty.

秀水特朝破旺，應居官而卒任尸還。究房分之榮枯，品三方之等第，福有輕重，須明緩急，災祥應驗，必有先後。是故長兄寄位於貪狼，胎沐養生同斷；仲子取權於武曲，官臨衰旺無殊；三位第當叔季，分屬破軍休廢。

Beautiful water, although specially coming to the tomb site, if it disrupts the Prosperity position, it still needs to be considered in terms of officials dying in office and their bodies being sent back home. To investigate the prosperity and decline of each branch, one must evaluate the ranks of the three directions: blessings have light and heavy aspects, so one must distinguish which branch should respond first and which later; the verification of calamities and auspicious signs also certainly has a sequence. Therefore, the eldest branch is associated with the position of the Greedy Wolf, and the positions of fetal stage, bathing, nurturing, and growth are all considered together; the second branch takes authority from the position of the Martial Virtue, and the positions of officialdom, decline, and prosperity are not distinguished; the third position belongs to the younger brothers, assigned to the positions of the Broken General and the rest.

是以迢迢生水貫天罡，不特長兄毓秀；屈曲旺神歸墓庫，也應仲叔均榮。生與旺而同歸，人共財而咸吉；更從六秀方來，定擬滿門朱紫；如見曜方沖至，應知合室遭刑。乃若龍宜入首，水看源頭，天十位上宜來，須防流破；地支位上宜去，切忌朝歸。

Therefore, the water from the Longsheng direction flows continuously, coming from afar and passing through the Chen and Xu Heavenly Gang, not only bringing out the talent of the eldest son; the water from the Diwang direction bends affectionately and flows into the storage place, allowing the second son and the younger brother to also achieve honor. When the water from Longsheng and Diwang converges in one place, both people and wealth will be auspicious; if this water further originates from the six excellent directions, it can be predicted that the whole family will be filled with noble people wearing purple and red. If water from the Yasha direction rushes in and attacks, one should know that the whole family will suffer from legal troubles. As for the dragon, one should look at the section where it enters the site; for water, one should look at its source. It is favorable to have water coming to the ten heavenly stems, but one must beware of it flowing away and breaking the site; it is favorable to have water going out from the twelve earthly branches, but one must most beware of it flowing back to the site.

是故小赦文進，則貢福小男；大赦文退，則禍臨仲子。四柱有情，長房有福。酉巽發聰明之女，震庚產威武之男，艮丙巽辛交應，世出魁元；亥聯寅申、巽庚代膺將相。是以庚甲朝，腰懸金印；寅丙到局，身掛朱衣。少年蜚聲魁第，必是水來寅甲；官榮郎侍之尊，多因朝自申庚。亥壬為外任之司，已丙為內應之職。元辰水到，功名白首；垣星入局，立霸封侯；震庚朝而富堪敵國，已丙至而武將英雄。

Therefore, when the water from the small amnesty text flows in, it brings blessings to the youngest son; when the water from the great amnesty text recedes, misfortune falls upon the second son. If the water of the four pillars is harmonious, the eldest son will have good fortune. Water from the酉 (You) and 巽 (Xun) directions produces intelligent daughters; water from the 震 (Zhen) and 庚 (Geng) directions gives rise to strong and valiant sons. When 艮 (Gen) and 丙 (Bing) interact with 巽 (Xun) and 辛 (Xin), generations of top-ranking scholars emerge. If 亥 (Hai) connects with 寅 (Yin) and 申 (Shen), and 巽 (Xun) connects with 庚 (Geng), then generations of generals and ministers will appear. Therefore, when water from 庚 (Geng) and 甲 (Jia) flows into the hall, it signifies a high official with a golden seal around his waist; when water from 寅 (Yin) and 丙 (Bing) reaches the territory, it indicates wearing red official robes. Those who gain fame early and win the top rank in exams must have water coming from 寅 (Yin) and 甲 (Jia). Those who attain the rank of Deputy Chancellor are mostly due to water flowing from 申 (Shen) and 庚 (Geng). Water from 亥 (Hai) and 壬 (Ren) directions leads to official posts outside the capital; water from 巳 (Si) and 丙 (Bing) directions leads to positions within the court. When the water from Yuan Chen arrives, one must wait until old age to achieve fame; when the star of the Enclosure enters the territory, one can immediately become a hegemon and be enfeoffed as a marquis. When water from 震 (Zhen) and 庚 (Geng) flows in, wealth can rival a country; when water from 巳 (Si) and 丙 (Bing) arrives, heroic generals emerge.

戌朝為鼓盆之煞，坤流乃寡宿之星。卯酉本犯桃花，悠洋清澈，女反賢貞；子午必招軍賊，源流浩大，偏宜武職。乙辰至而投河自縊，丙丁朝而壽考無疆。赦文若帶桃花，難乘清白之風；六秀如遇曜氣，定出強梁之輩。少年橫死，為犯黃泉；流通四庫，婦女掌家。寅申已亥水朝，非瘟火則產難虛癆；戌乾辰兌來臨，非瘋疾則目盲喑啞。寅甲水朝，那堪風疾纏身；婁亢雙歸，應見持刀刎頸。寅亥午戌水歸垣，會乙辰而火災立至；申地子壬辰會局，逢亥水而飄蕩無遺。是故方位之純雜，有此吉凶之異應。

Water coming from the Xu direction signifies the 'Drum Funeral' calamity, which brings the loss of a wife; water flowing from the Kun direction indicates the presence of a lonely and destitute person. The卯 and 酉 directions are naturally prone to romantic affairs, but if the water is gentle and clear, the women will be virtuous and chaste. Water from the 子 and 午 directions will surely bring soldiers and thieves, but if the source is vast and powerful, it is actually favorable for military careers. If water from the 乙 and 辰 directions arrives, it indicates self-inflicted drowning; if water from the 丙 and 丁 directions comes, it signifies a long and healthy life. If the water from the赦文 direction carries the influence of romantic affairs, it is hard to maintain a pure family tradition. If the 六秀 directions encounter the influence of malevolent stars, there will certainly be people who are fierce and violent. Young people dying suddenly is due to the influence of the Yellow Underworld; if water flows through the four directions of 辰, 戌, 丑, and 未, the women in the family will take charge. Water coming from the 寅, 申, 巳, and 癸 directions will either cause epidemics, fires, or difficult childbirth and exhaustion; water from the 戌, 乾, 辰, and 兑 directions will either lead to madness or blindness and muteness. Water from the 寅 and 甲 directions will not withstand the effects of wind diseases; if water from the 娄 and 亢 stars arrives together, it will result in self-inflicted death by cutting one's own throat. If water from the 寅, 亥, 午, and 戌 directions converges, and it also meets water from the 乙 and 辰 directions, a fire disaster will occur immediately. If the 申 direction combines with the 子, 壬, and 辰 directions to form a complete set, and it also meets water from the 亥 direction, one will have to wander and end up with nothing. Therefore, the purity or mixture of directions leads to such different outcomes of good or bad fortune.

《天玉經》有云：惟有挨星為最貴，洩漏天機秘。所重者明在挨星矣。李遁庵云：挨星聯珠更有別名，不在丙而子。獨謂挨星即花甲聯珠不出卦，然遁庵非歟□答曰：天干星是也。二十四山之下，子則起甲，寅則起丙，辰則起戊，午則起庚，申則起壬，至戌亥二字周而復始，皆挨次排例，故謂挨星，又謂排星，即六十龍與七十二龍也。

The Tianyu Jing says: "Only the method of following the stars is most precious, revealing the secret of the heavens." This clearly shows that the text values the method of following the stars. Li Duan'an says that the method of following the stars, also known as the method of linked stars, is not determined by Bing but by Zi. He specifically holds that the method of following the stars is the method of linked Jiazi, not going beyond the primary hexagram. So is Duan'an's statement correct? The answer is: The term "following the stars" refers to the heavenly stems as stars. Under the twenty-four mountains, the sixty Jiazi are arranged: under the Zi mountain, it starts from Jiazi; under the Yin mountain, it starts from Bingyin; under the Chen mountain, it starts from Wuchen; under the Wu mountain, it starts from Gengwu; under the Shen mountain, it starts from Renshen; and it continues to Xu and Hai, then cycles again. Since they are arranged in order, it is called "following the stars," also called "arranging the stars," referring to the sixty dragons and the seventy-two dragons.

因奉國禁，是以不敢顯言。但挨星二字止見《天玉》《青囊》《玉尺》，並未及言，不知者疑為別教外傳。余按《青囊序》云：五行分佈二十四，時師此義何曾記。分佈者，挨星也。《玉尺》云：生穴水城倒右向，雖死而無妨；旺龍左水歸右向，由養方何害。坐穴而右水歸左則疑破旺，旺龍而左水歸右若疑沖生，此皆不識挨星之故。

Because of the court's prohibition, it has never been openly discussed. The term "ai xing" appears only in the "Tianyu Jing," "Qingnang Jing," and "Yuchu Jing," but none of them explain it clearly. Those who do not understand it mistakenly think it belongs to another school. According to the "Qingnang Xu," "The Five Phases are distributed among the twenty-four directions; how could the common teachers ever remember this?" Here, "distribution" refers to "ai xing." The "Yuchu Jing" says, "If the water city of the grave faces to the right, even if it goes through the dead direction, there is no harm; if the dragon is strong and the water flows to the right, leaving from the nourishing direction, it is also not harmful." This means that if the grave faces the direction of life and the water city flows to the right, even if it passes through the dead direction, there is no problem; if the dragon is strong and the water flows to the right, leaving from the nourishing direction, it is also not harmful. Some people see the water flowing to the left when they sit on the grave, and they suspect it breaks the strong direction; others see the water flowing to the right when they sit on the strong dragon, and they suspect it conflicts with the life direction. These misunderstandings are due to not knowing "ai xing."

《天玉經》不論老五行而論挨星。如亥乃木之長生，午乃木之死地，而作丙午向，不以亥為本而從挨星之水；已乃金之長生，子乃金之死地，而作癸子向，不以已為金而從挨星之火；午乃火之旺方，丑乃火之養位，而作癸丑向，不以午為火而從挨星之木；卯乃木之旺方，戌乃木之養方，而做辛戌向，不以卯為木而從挨星之金。此與四生三合是天機雙山五行全秘旨，皆以隱言令人自悟，然則挨星二字固既顯矣。

The Tianyu Jing does not use the old Five Phases but instead uses the sequential stars. For example, although Hai is the position of growth for wood and Wu is the position of death for wood, the direction of Bingwu is still used. This is not taking Hai as the root of wood, but instead using the sequential stars to consider it as water. Similarly, although Si is the position of growth for metal and Zi is the position of death for metal, the direction of Guichou is still used. This is not taking Si as metal, but instead using the sequential stars to consider it as fire. Also, although Wu is the position of prosperity for fire and Chou is the position of nourishment for fire, the direction of Guichou is still used. This is not taking Wu as fire, but instead using the sequential stars to consider it as wood. Combining this with the four positions of growth and the triple harmony, it forms the entire secret principle of the heavenly dual mountains and Five Phases. Ancient people expressed this in cryptic language, leaving it for others to understand. Therefore, the term "sequential stars" has already been clearly explained.

聯珠者，如珠相聯而不走動也，言穿山透地坐山有水同歸一卦，共成三合。《玉尺》云：夫妻路遇終強合而不諧，眷屬同情縱輕微而有用。蓋龍之吉凶從水，而水吉凶從向。透地坐穴雖與水合，而來龍不合，則夫妻路遇終難諧老，行至後龍必有破旺沖生之患，此三合而不聯珠也。穿透坐穴俱有水合，逐一節來龍無一不合，則子母公孫共成一家骨肉，此三合又聯珠也。

The concept of "lian zhu" is like a string of beads connected together and not loose, meaning that the mountain, the ground, the mountain position, and the water all converge into one trigram, forming a triple harmony. The "Juyi Jing" says: "A couple meeting by the road may be forced together but never harmonious; relatives with mutual sympathy, even if weak, are still useful." This means that the dragon and water are like a couple meeting by the road, forced together but ultimately not harmonious; they are like family members with mutual sympathy, even if their strength is weak, they are still useful. Because the fortune of the dragon depends on the water, and the fortune of the water depends on the direction. Although the penetrating ground and the sitting position are in harmony with the water, if the coming dragon is not in harmony, it becomes like a couple meeting by the road, ultimately not reaching old age together; pushing the dragon all the way to the back may bring about the disaster of breaking the prosperity and conflicting with the birth. This is called "triple harmony but not lian zhu." If the mountain, the penetrating ground, and the sitting position are all in harmony with the water, and each section of the dragon comes one after another without any section being out of harmony, then it is like the son, mother, father, and grandson forming a family of flesh and blood, which is called "triple harmony and lian zhu."

山頭不是同姓為婚，則奕世簪纓；則小地亦主子孫攸久。蓋挨星必以聯珠為貴，而聯珠仍以挨星為主。三盤卦例即《天玉》之先定來向。聯珠不相仿，即甲子乙丑也。要不外乙丙交而趨戌，辛壬會而趨辰，斗牛納庚丁之氣，金羊收癸甲之靈。燈即是火，遁庵蓋未之思耳。李濱湖《天人眼目》聯珠有零正，遂與徐試可言相反，雖為之不解。古之名墓無非此法。余按楊曾廖賴先師真行偽落而反無聯珠之說，臆見添設，想誤後人。能言距邪說者，即楊曾之徒。

The Heavenly Stems are: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui. The Earthly Branches are: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai. The Trigrams are: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth). The Esoteric Words of the Green Satchel is a classic text. Yang Yunsong and Lai Wenjun are famous geomancers. Yin and Yang are the fundamental principles. Jiazi and Yichou are the first combinations of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. If the mountain on which a site is located is not of the same surname as the dragon water, meaning they belong to the same Heavenly Stem and are not yin-yang compatible, then the family will continue to have distinguished descendants for generations. Even in small places, it indicates that the descendants will be long-lasting. This shows that the principle of linked stars (aixin) must be based on the linking of stars, and the linking of stars is still based on the principle of aixin. The three disk examples are exactly what the Tianyu Jing says: "First determine the coming mountain, then determine the direction." If the linked stars are not similar to each other, it is like Jiazi and Yichou, which are adjacent but not of the same nature. In conclusion, it is still the four lines from the Esoteric Words of the Green Satchel: "Yi and Bing meet and head towards Xu, Xin and Ren meet and head towards Chen, the constellation Dou and Niu absorb the energy of Geng and Ding, the golden sheep gather the spirit of Ji and Gui." A lamp is originally fire, the same thing. Duan'an probably did not think about it carefully. Li Binhu's Tianren Yanmu says that linked stars can be divided into zero spirits and main spirits, which is exactly the opposite of Xu Shike's view. I also cannot understand it. The famous tombs of the past used nothing but this method. I have studied Yang Yunsong, Zeng Wenchuan, Liao Yu, and Lai Wenjun, and they did not mention the linking of stars when discussing true and false positions. Later people added this idea based on their own assumptions, which may mislead later generations. Only those who can stand up and refute wrong doctrines can be considered disciples of Yang, Zeng, and others.

《玉尺經》注或後人假託，誠亦有之，而《教子書》則父以授子，皆是三合論龍，而左關右關亦如常解。子獨以甲庚丙壬為龍，豈龍生在三合之外乎。答曰：三合乃以論局，非論龍也。余讀《青囊》之序，不獨山有龍，而水亦有龍。上山龍神甲庚丙壬，論納音之所屬而不在方位；水裡龍神即乙辛丁癸，亦納音所屬。有是婦即有是夫。蓋山龍甲木，水龍必癸；山龍庚金，水龍必丁；山龍丙火，水龍必乙；山龍壬水，水龍必辛。具生旺互用，玄竅相通，眷屬一家。而乾道成男，坤道成女，則陰陽各別，是以山上龍神不下水，水裡龍神不上山也。

Someone asked: The annotations of the "Juching Classic" may have been falsely attributed by later generations, which is indeed possible; however, Wu Gong's "Teaching His Son" was passed down by the father to his son personally, and it uses the Triple Harmony to discuss the dragon, and the explanation of left and right gates is the same as the usual interpretation. Yet you specifically argue that only the four heavenly stems Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren are considered dragons, is the dragon's location outside the Triple Harmony? The answer is: The Triple Harmony is used to discuss the "layout," not the "dragon." I have read the "Preface to the Green Satchel" and know that not only mountains have dragons, but water also has dragons. The dragon spirits on mountains are Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren, which refer to the Nayin sound elements, not the compass directions. The dragon spirits in water are Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui, again referring to the Nayin sound elements. A wife of this kind has a husband of this kind: if the mountain dragon is Jia wood, the water dragon must be Gui water; if the mountain dragon is Geng metal, the water dragon must be Ding fire; if the mountain dragon is Bing fire, the water dragon must be Yi wood; if the mountain dragon is Ren water, the water dragon must be Xin metal. They support and enhance each other, their hidden openings are connected, like a family. However, the male principle gives birth to males, the female principle gives birth to females, yin and yang have their own boundaries, so "the dragon spirit on the mountain does not go into the water, and the dragon spirit in the water does not go onto the mountain."

《教子書》以局為龍，而不知山龍四神俱屬陽干，此正楊曾之蟊賊，誤人不淺。余讀吳公自序，惟《天玉》不忘得訣之由，故楊曾二記皆注於篇。其文曰：先考克誠君少好易筮，耽玩山水，一日遇異人傳授以《天玉經》三卷，曰：此楊曾心法也。歸取玩之，其義未解。後過信州，見一龍甚麗，自震奔騰入巽，天太二峰侵震，但忌大溪玄戈破局，惑不敢下。聞仙嶺有辛真人者智慧廣大，遂拜訪焉。

The "Jue" in the "Jiao Zi Shu" is regarded as "Long," but it does not know that the four dragon spirits of the mountain all belong to the yang stems. This is exactly the flaw in the teachings of Yang and Zeng, which have caused much harm and misled many. When I read Wu Gong's preface, he only remembered the origin of the secret when discussing the "Tian Yu Jing." Therefore, both the comments from Yang and Zeng were recorded in the text. The preface says: My father, Kecheng Jun, was young and fond of divination with the Zhou Changes, and also deeply interested in touring mountains and rivers. One day he met a strange person who passed on to him three volumes of the "Tian Yu Jing," saying, "This is the method of Yang YunSong and Zeng Wenchuan." He returned home and took it out to play with, but could not understand the meaning of the text. Later, when he passed through Xingzhou, he saw a dragon that was extremely beautiful, rushing from the Zhen direction into the Xun direction. The Tianyi and Taiyi peaks intruded into the Zhen position, but only a big stream looked like a "Xuange" and broke the layout. He was puzzled and dared not choose the site for burial. He heard that there was a Xin True Man in Xianling with great wisdom, so he went to visit him.

真人曰：吾為子楊曾二仙降神筆以決之。少頃二仙至，書曰：何不觀《天玉經》乎。答曰：其義未詳於解。袖復書曰：廉貞一陽龍，起震帝，出齊乎巽。庚丁配向是玄機，辛巽插天奇，坤申水來官祿旺，莫作玄戈斷。父曰：奈卦氣不符神怒。書云：曷不鑑吾師曰《龍潭記》。遂退。

Xin Zhenren said: I will summon Yang and Zeng two immortals to descend with their divine brush to determine this matter. After a while, the two immortals appeared and wrote: "Why don't you look at the Tianyu Jing?" My father replied: "I have not yet understood the meaning of the scripture." The two immortals then wrote again with their brush: "Lianzhen is a single yang dragon, arising from Zhen and the emperor emerges from Xun. The characters Geng and Ding are the key; the peaks Xin and Xun pierce the sky with extraordinary beauty, and water coming from the directions Kun and Shen brings official success and prosperity. Do not interpret that stream as a Xuan Ge breaking the pattern." My father said: "But the hexagram energy is not harmonious, I fear it may anger the divine beings." The divine brush then wrote: "Why don't you refer to my teacher's work, the Longtan Ji?" Then the two immortals withdrew.

父於是往觀之，其龍自坎癸入亥乾，楊公立巽向葉吉。後十餘年，公復至，稱說向有餘穴，遂再下一穴丙向。張氏因結之曰：何一龍而立兩向。書云：坎癸騰騰入亥乾，丙向夾蛇扦，著紫著緋並著綠。寅甲水來逐虎兔，馬山高起頂，莊田置萬頃。莫教水流沖午，夭折見貧窮。下後果富貴，歷百餘年水沖午，遂出有夭折貧窮之犯，與記合符。父嘆曰：寅甲主瘋魔之疾，以陽龍破陰局而反富，信《天玉經》生旺之有準，而神筆不誣也。

My father then went to examine the place mentioned in the "Dragon Pool Record": the dragon came from the Kan and Gui directions and entered the Hai and Qian directions. Master Yang set the Xun direction there, and it proved to be auspicious. After more than ten years, Master Yang came again and said that there was still another resting place along the dragon's path, so he selected another burial site facing the Bing direction. The Zhang family then asked why the same dragon could be oriented in two different directions. The record states: "The dragon from Kan and Gui flows into Hai and Qian, with the Bing direction flanked by a snake, resulting in purple, red, and green prosperity. The water from Yin and Jia follows the tiger and rabbit, with a high mountain rising at the peak, and vast fields of thousands of acres. Do not let the water flow towards the Wu direction, for it will bring early death and poverty." After burial, prosperity indeed followed, and after more than a hundred years, the water flowed towards the Wu direction, causing early death and poverty, exactly as the record predicted. My father remarked that water from Yin and Jia usually indicates madness, yet this site, by breaking the Yin pattern with a Yang dragon, brought wealth, proving that the "Heavenly Jade Classic" on prosperity and vitality is accurate, and the divine brush's guidance is not empty talk.

吳公本文定止於此，餘語必後人續貂。以神筆論之，廉貞卯也，正卯為癸卯入首，巽為辛已，納音皆屬金，山龍庚龍也，以丁火水龍配山庚龍。太乙者金生方，天乙者金旺方，生旺高聳，催官水朝，是以發福，此言六十龍與水合也。坎癸者，七子三癸也；亥乾者，五亥五乾也。初立巽向，木龍坐火穴；再下一穴丙向，乃是水穴。百餘年水破午丁，遂至夭年。午丁者火旺之方、水之養方，皆不宜破。此言六十龍與水合，而七十二龍與水不合也。

Wu Gong's original text must have ended there, and anything after that was certainly added by later people in a clumsy way. Based on the divine brush's indication, the line 'Lianzhen' points to the卯 (Mao) direction, and the central line of the卯 (Mao) mountain is the Guimao (Guimao) line entering the site. The巽 (Xun) direction is Xinsi (Xinsi), and both have the same Nayin sound element of metal, so the mountain dragon is the庚 (Geng) metal dragon, and the丁 (Ding) fire water dragon is used to match this Geng metal mountain dragon. The Taiyi peak is located in the long life direction of metal, and the Tianyi peak is located in the prosperity direction of metal. Both the birth and prosperity directions are high and prominent, and there is also a stream of official promotion water converging into the hall, so it can bring blessings—this refers to the combination of the sixty dragons with water. The so-called 'Kan癸 (Kan Gui)' refers to the line where the Zi (子) direction takes seven parts and the Gui (癸) direction takes three parts. The so-called 'Hai Qian (Hai Qian)' refers to the line where the Hai (亥) direction takes five parts and the Qian (乾) direction takes five parts. The original direction set was the wood dragon sitting on a fire grave; later, the丙 (Bing) direction grave was chosen, which is a water grave. After more than a hundred years, water broke through the午 (Wu) and丁 (Ding) directions, leading to premature deaths. The午 (Wu) and丁 (Ding) directions are the prosperity direction of fire and also the nurturing direction of water, and neither should be broken—this refers to the sixty dragons being compatible with water, while the seventy-two dragons are not compatible with water.

龍向水必歸一卦，若權宜非正法，生成缺陷，雖楊曾妙用亦無如之何。曾公亦樂克誠，使知水之吉凶皆論六十龍與七十二龍，不論卦氣。若合與卦氣論龍，則卯龍木何以為金，子癸水何以為木。此非精《天玉》不能及此。其序表彰《天玉》，而書遺背《天玉》，可知神經外傳非不山吳公之手。餘引證諸書，以《青囊》《玉尺》《天玉》《金彈》《鐵彈》《紅囊經》《行程記》為主，此外即賴氏《催官篇》皆疑假託，不敢附會，實明使楊曾口訣如終日，是以去取必嚴。若謂阿其所好，則吾不敢。

Dragon, direction, and water must all belong to the same trigram. If they are only adjusted for convenience, then it is not the correct method. The defects in the Earlier Heaven system cannot be overcome even by the skillful methods of Yang and Zeng. Zeng also gladly helped Kecheng King to understand that the auspicious and inauspicious effects of water must be discussed in terms of the sixty dragons and seventy-two dragons, regardless of the trigram energy. If water is judged according to trigram energy, then the卯 dragon, which belongs to wood, how can it become metal? The子癸, which belongs to water, how can it become wood? This point cannot be expressed by those who do not thoroughly understand the Tianyu Jing. Since Wu's preface praised the Tianyu Jing, yet the main text of the Jiaozi Shu contradicts the Tianyu Jing, it shows that the external versions of these mysterious scriptures may not all have come from Wu. I cite various books, mainly the Qingang Jing, Yuzhi Jing, Tianyu Jing, Jindanzǐ, Tiedanzǐ, Hongnang Jing, and Xingcheng Ji; even Lai Wenjun's Cui Guan Pian, I suspect may be a forgery, and I do not dare to force an interpretation. I really want to make Yang and Zeng's formulas as clear as daylight, so my selection and rejection must be strict. If someone says I am favoring my own preferences, I dare not claim that.

或問：俗解羅經古聚誦，予前所服膺者《頂門針》，今則以頂針而議之，豈昨非而今是乎。答曰：仰觀俯察乃天地間第一大學問。隆古則在君相，太王遷邠、古公卜洛，世衰傳在布衣，業斯術者口傳心授，不乏人獨於文義未必精曉，是以承偽種謬之書莫為改正。徐試可與諸生考究頗異，庸常其生平，避盈縮、避管局禽星，皆有確見，此子之所以服膺《頂門針》也。

Some people asked: "The books on the compass in the world are all old-fashioned clichés. You used to admire Xu Shike's "Top of the Head Needle" greatly, but now you criticize it. Is it that yesterday's views were wrong and today's are correct?" The answer was: Observing the heavens and examining the earth is the greatest scholarly pursuit in the world. In ancient times, this discipline was in the hands of the sovereigns and ministers. King Zhou of the Western Zhou Dynasty moved to Binxian and Gugong measured the site of Luoyi, both were applications of this discipline. In later generations, when it declined, it passed into the hands of common people. Those who practiced this profession passed down their knowledge orally, and among them were many capable individuals, but they did not necessarily understand the textual meanings and principles well. Therefore, the erroneous books that have been passed down have not been corrected by anyone. Xu Shike's approach was quite different from that of ordinary Confucian scholars. He held his views in a plain and practical manner, advocating the avoidance of the theories of the sixty dragons of expansion and contraction and the stars of the jurisdiction and birds, and these had clear and correct insights. This was the reason why I used to admire "Top of the Head Needle."

外此則隨俗附和，全無揣磨。如龜甲、差錯、空亡刺穴，空亡皆指七十二龍，去取甚嚴，遂止用丙庚丁辛。又三盤卦例不知另有穿山，竟少其一，因添設此盤分配為三，其宮位七十二多在界縫之間，並不相承，以至禍福百無一驗。七十二龍中若破旺沖生，其應如響。即以二八言之，七十二龍之辛亥偏遇於平分癸亥之左，七十二龍之癸亥偏遇於平分甲子之右；平分癸亥、甲子既繫三七，則四十八局明繫二八。若以丙庚丁辛為平分，正有三七並無二八，乃云一百二十分金既設穿山又在其後，其謬一也。

In addition, he simply followed the conventions of the world without careful consideration. For example, he failed to understand that lines such as the tortoise shell line, the error line, and the void line could harm the site of a grave. The void mentioned here refers specifically to the seventy-two dragons, with strict selection and rejection. Yet he only used four groups of metal, namely Bing, Geng, Ding, and Xin. Another example is the three-layered hexagram examples. He did not know about another layer called the mountain-crossing hexagram, and thus missed one layer, adding another to make three layers. The seventy-two positions of that layer mostly fell between the boundaries, not in sequence, leading to no accurate prediction of fortune or misfortune. In reality, if there is a breaking of the prosperous or a clash that benefits in the seventy-two dragons, the results are quick as an echo. Take the case of 'two eighths' for example: the Xin Hai of the seventy-two dragons is exactly to the left of the evenly divided sixty dragons Gui Hai; the Gui Hai of the seventy-two dragons is exactly to the right of the evenly divided sixty dragons Jia Zi. Since the evenly divided Gui Hai and Jia Zi are divided in a ratio of three to seven, the forty-eight sections are obviously divided in a ratio of two to eight. If Bing, Geng, Ding, and Xin are considered as the evenly divided ones, then there would be only three to seven and no two to eight. Yet he claimed that the one hundred twenty metal lines already included the mountain-crossing hexagram and were arranged later—this is the first mistake.

震兌不變，坎離相對，則天地陰陽之理亦絕而不續，渙而無情。納音之妙，金水相涵，木火互換，而後五行之理代禪如環奕端。《天玉》以已丙屬東，金生已也；以亥壬屬西，木生亥也；以坤艮屬南北，火生艮、水生坤也。三卦有天卦地卦，即屬左右旋三七二八。徐試可不知此義，而有三卦分配，妄加非議，其謬二也。

If the trigrams Zhen and Dui are fixed and unchanging, while the trigrams Kan and Li are merely relative, then the principle of heaven and earth, yin and yang, would be severed and disconnected, scattered and devoid of affection. The subtlety of the Nayin sound element lies in the mutual nourishment between metal and water, and the mutual exchange between wood and fire, only then does the principle of the Five Phases form a circular cycle, passing on continuously. The Tianyu Jing assigns Si and Bing to the East because metal's growth begins in Si; it assigns Hai and Ren to the West because wood's growth begins in Hai; it assigns Kun and Gen to the north and south because fire's growth begins in Gen and water's growth begins in Kun. Among these three trigrams, there is also a distinction between the heavenly trigram and the earthly trigram, corresponding exactly to left rotation and right rotation, three and seven, two and eight. Xu Shike did not understand this meaning and instead devised his own system of trigram distribution, and furthermore criticized it—this is the second error.

天星有帝王將相，天星之貴星九星雙起，無非貴星旺、賤休囚，是以山山可貴，山山可賤。唯已亥、丙寅、癸亥、庚寅俱屬臨官生地，正艮、正亥反屬病地，所云辛戌寅為六十龍之最貴，其謬三也。

In the celestial stars, there are various titles such as Emperor, King, General, and Minister. The so-called noble stars in the celestial stars are nine stars that rise together in pairs. In the end, it is only the dominant ones that are esteemed and the weak and confined ones that are considered inferior. Therefore, any mountain may be esteemed and any mountain may be inferior. Only the dragons of巳亥, Bingyin, Guihai, and Gengyin belong to the officialdom and growth positions; whereas the lines of 正艮 and 正亥 fall into the sickly position. He claims that 辛, 戌, and 寅 are the most esteemed among the sixty dragons—this is the third error.

東木西金、南火北水、中央土乃河圖之位，大言之則普天下共一五方，小有之則一家一邑各有五方。是以先天十二支支俱五行，而後條分縷析，毫釐必辨。納音之理即諸河圖方位，納音之緒即諸隔八相生，又取陰陽消長，天地人物總不出陰陽消長之外，此後天五行所以必重挨星。乃云或用正五行，或用雙山化合墓，合一定之準繩反作亡羊之岐路，其謬四也。

The east belongs to wood, the west to metal, the south to fire, the north to water, and the center to earth; this is the directional arrangement from the Yellow River Chart. In a broad sense, the whole world uses this system of five directions; in a narrower sense, each family and town also has its own five directions. Therefore, in the Earlier Heaven system of the twelve earthly branches, each branch has its own Five Phases, and then they are further analyzed in detail, with precise distinctions. The principle of Nayin sound elements comes from the directional arrangement of the Yellow River Chart, and its structure comes from the method of mutual generation through the eight intervals. It also requires the principle of the waxing and waning of yin and yang. All things in the universe, both human and material, cannot escape the waxing and waning of yin and yang, which is why the Later Heaven Five Phases must emphasize the method of star alignment. Yet he says that sometimes the correct Five Phases are used, and sometimes the dual mountain combination and burial combination are used, turning the originally fixed standard into a path where one may lose the way—this is the fourth error.

地盤之子午靜而有常，審龍坐穴皆用正針是矣。但選擇則用時憲曆，古人造葬之期皆用本龍之節氣，並查金木水火之會合。歲差無定，數過羅經，豈能預載千萬年之歷。於是縫針之子進前一位為侯氣之準，示歲之漸差而東，古之日在斗而今之冬至日在箕是也；以中之子退後一位為查緾度之準，示天之漸差而西，古之女二度過子而今之牛一度過子是也。

The Earth Plate's meridian line is quiet and constant. Determining the dragon direction and the sitting site should use the true needle, which is correct. However, when choosing the day for construction or burial, the Shixian calendar should be used. Ancient people selected dates for construction and burial based on the solar terms corresponding to the dragon's direction, and also examined the convergence of the four elements: metal, wood, water, and fire. The precession of the equinoxes does not have a fixed number, and over time it becomes inconsistent with the compass. How can the compass include the calendar for thousands of years in advance? Therefore, the Zi position of the sewing needle is advanced by one position to serve as a standard for measuring the solar terms, indicating that the solar terms gradually shift eastward each year — for example, the winter solstice was previously at the Dipper mansion but now is at the Winnowing Basket mansion. Also, the Zi position of the central needle is moved back by one position to serve as a standard for measuring the celestial degrees, indicating that the celestial degrees gradually shift westward each year — for example, the Girl mansion's two degrees were previously aligned with the Zi position, but now the Ox mansion's one degree is aligned with the Zi position.

作用之妙，以地盤而求合天盤，故曰向從天上向。而試可慨斥其非，而不知中針縫針是皆為作用之模範，其謬五也。以至穿山透地認殺主名，陰陽龍向分定差等，實為楊曾墨。余初讀時未聞一貫之旨，似為可喜；迨《天玉》諸書已經悟透，《頂門針》之誤自瞭然指撐。先賢云：今日得一訣，明日又非之。余讀書所見略同，惟求其理之當而已，豈好異同哉。

The beauty of the method lies in using the Earth Plate to harmonize with the Heaven Plate, hence the saying "the direction comes from the Heaven Plate." Xu Shike, however, universally condemns this as wrong, not realizing that both the middle needle and the sewing needle are actual operational standards—this is the fifth error. As for identifying mountain passes and penetrating the earth to recognize ominous influences and their names, determining the hierarchy of the dragon and the direction according to yin and yang, these are indeed the principles established by Yang and Zeng. When I first read the "Top Gate Needle," I had not yet heard of a unified principle, and found it quite pleasing; but after thoroughly understanding works like the "Heavenly Jade Classic," the errors in the "Top Gate Needle" became clearly apparent and could be pointed out. The ancients said, "Today I gain a secret, tomorrow I discard it." My experience in reading books is somewhat similar; I only seek the correctness of the principles, not at all seeking to be novel or different.

或問：天地之理必無兩是，地理則不變，則當有一定之說。乃遍觀群書，或此是而彼非，謬無定見；同此穿山，同此透地，而或以審龍，或以坐穴，紛然驟頌，學者何以適從。答曰：《天機貫旨》所由作也。《青囊奧語》有《青囊序》，即地理之學《庸》《論》《孟》也，人人能言之，人人不能言之，以至穿山透地三七八從無定解。其實穿山、透地、坐穴截然三事：穿山者，穿來龍逐節之山也；透地者，透入穴中之氣也；坐穴者，坐四十八局之穴也。氣有真偽，穴有醇疵，非三者則不能決所從，是以三盤例必須熟察。

Someone asked: The principles of heaven and earth cannot have two correct answers. Since geography is unchanging, there should be a definite explanation. However, when looking through various books, one school says yes, another says no, which is absurd and lacks consistency. All of them talk about penetrating mountains and understanding the earth, yet some use it to examine dragon lines, others to situate a site, and there is a cacophony of opinions. How can a scholar know which to follow? The answer is: This book, The Heavenly Principles, was written precisely for this purpose. The Esoteric Words of the Green Satchel and the Preface to the Green Satchel are like the Analects, the Mencius, and the Doctrine of the Mean in the study of geography. Everyone can recite a few lines, yet none fully understand them, leading to the lack of a fixed interpretation for terms like penetrating mountains, understanding the earth, and the three-seven and two-eight principles. In reality, penetrating mountains, understanding the earth, and sitting on a site are entirely different things: penetrating mountains refers to passing through the sections of the dragon line; understanding the earth refers to the qi entering the site; and sitting on a site refers to choosing one of the forty-eight sites. Qi can be true or false, and sites can be pure or flawed. Without these three layers, it is impossible to decide which to follow. Therefore, the examples of the three discs must be thoroughly studied.

後之人因奉國禁，諱言平分遂有盈縮，言七十二遂有一百二十分金，諱言穿山審龍遂有七十二為穿山。始而奉禁，得訣者明知其偽；既而相沿傳者浸妄其初喪，轉傳偽之所由始也。楊曾之旨，龍有生穴雖歸一卦，審龍有坐穴又分三層，故七十二之外原有穿山。謂七十二既其名，若遂以審龍，則八干四維皆虛位，其義將何屬。

Later people, due to compliance with court prohibitions, avoided the term "half division of sixty dragons," so they invented the "expansion and contraction of sixty dragons"; they avoided "seventy-two dragons," so they created the "one hundred and twenty parts of gold"; and they avoided using the method of mountain penetration to examine dragons, so they simply took the seventy-two dragons as the mountain penetration disk. At first, it was out of necessity for the prohibitions, and those who knew the true method were well aware these were false. However, over time, as they passed the knowledge down, they gradually lost the original true meaning—this was the beginning of spreading errors. The original intention of Yang and Zeng was that although the dragon and the site it produces belong to the same trigram, examining the dragon and sitting at the site should be considered in different layers. Therefore, beyond the seventy-two dragons, there was originally another mountain penetration disk. Since the seventy-two dragons already had another name, if one insisted on using them to examine dragons, then the eight heavenly stems and the four directions of heaven and earth would all become empty positions; where then would their meanings belong?

且透地之外另有坐穴。若以坐穴為透地，則氣從左來穴何以居右，氣從右來穴何以居左，二說藏有谷等之之半耳。今考甲子止有三層，而用之則為三盤。穿山尋宗問祖也，透地則到頭審氣也，用平分六十挨星，雖換而不外震兌坎離，故曰用先天以統龍；坐穴者饒減放棺也，耑用七十二作，雖巧而不外申子辰、寅午戌、亥卯未、已酉丑，故曰後天所以佈局。

Moreover, in addition to the concept of transpiring through the earth, there is another layer called the sitting and burial site. If one treats the sitting and burial site as the transpiring through the earth, then when the qi comes from the left, why can the site be seated on the right? When the qi comes from the right, why can the site be seated on the left? These two approaches each contain only half the truth. Now, examining the sixty jiazi, there are only three layers, which become three plates: the mountain penetration plate is used for tracing the ancestral lineage and the origin of the dragon; the transpiring plate is used at the head to examine the qi, employing the evenly divided sixty dragons' star system, although there are changes, they do not go beyond the four trigrams of zhen, dui, kan, and li, so it is said 'using the earlier heaven to unify the dragon'; the sitting and burial plate is used for adjusting the coffin placement and making minor adjustments to the coffin position, exclusively using the seventy-two dragons, although it is refined, it does not go beyond the four major triple harmony formations of shenzi Chen, yinwu Xu, haimao Wei, and siyou Chou, so it is said 'the later heaven is used for layout'.

總之葬乘生氣，有穿山而無透地，其氣必不真；有透地而無穿山，其福必不久；有穿山透地而坐穴不知，其消納砂水不能化殺生權。故坐穴所以乘此氣，是為既至之氣；透地所以迎此氣，是為將至之氣；穿山所以槒此氣，是為未至之氣。於此醒悟，則三盤不待外求而得矣，其餘《青囊》《玉尺》《天玉》探麗珠在手矣。

In summary, burial is about capturing life qi. If there is only a mountain penetration without ground penetration, the qi is certainly not genuine. If there is only ground penetration without mountain penetration, the fortune will not last long. If both mountain and ground penetration are present but the site selection is not understood, then when dealing with the terrain and water, it will not be possible to transform evil qi into power. Therefore, site selection is used to capture this qi, capturing the qi that has already arrived; ground penetration is used to welcome this qi, welcoming the qi that is about to arrive; mountain penetration is used to guide this qi, guiding the qi that has not yet arrived. Once this is understood, the method of the three layers does not need to be sought outside, and the precious insights from the "Qingang Jing," "Yuzhe Jing," and "Tianyu Jing" will all be in one's possession.

三七審龍、二八坐穴，皆從二十四山之多寡，認取渾天五行，其用之法秘而不傳。《玉涵經》序有云：庚子土山坤申水朝為吉，壬子木山坤申水朝為凶。地理家千言萬語，無非發明此義。所恨謬種偽傳，以至一卷之書不勝互異。餘作《天機貫旨》而融會貫通，無往不合，一索萬錢自始至今能免此非彼是甲乙之患矣。

Using the division of three and seven to examine the dragon (dragon line) and the division of two and eight to situate the site (穴), both methods should be based on the scores assigned to each of the twenty-four mountains, recognizing the Five Phases according to the浑天 system. This method has always been kept secret. The preface of the "Yuhan Jing" says: "For Gengzi (庚子) earth mountain, water coming from the directions of Kun and Shen is auspicious; for Renzi (壬子) wood mountain, water coming from the directions of Kun and Shen is inauspicious." The same water coming from Kun and Shen directions results in opposite fortune depending on the Nayin sound element of the dragon. Geomancers speak endlessly, all aiming to clarify this principle. It is regrettable that false methods have been widely spread, leading to contradictions within the same book, with inconsistencies too numerous to count. In my "Tianji Guanzhi," I integrate these methods, and everything fits perfectly. From now on, this eliminates the problem of a single verse of诀 being worth ten thousand coins, while different people say different things, some saying this is right and others saying that is wrong.

或問：夫婦、雄雌、牝牡，《玉尺》之所謂陰陽也。議者以八卦屬天干屬陰，故艮丙、巽辛、兌丁為陰陽相見。先賢云：陰陽相見，福祿永貞；陰陽相棄，禍咎臨門。《玉尺》又云：陰偶陽而非其類，號曰陽差；陰見陰而失其偶，名陰錯。其同其異孰從而辨之。

Someone asked: "Male and female, male and female, male and female, are what the Book of Jade Measure calls yin and yang. Those who discuss it say that the Eight Trigrams belong to yang and the Heavenly Stems belong to yin, so Gen (Mountain) is paired with Bing (Yang), Xun (Wind) with Xin (Yin), and Dui (Lake) with Ding (Yin), called 'yin and yang meeting.' The ancients said: 'When yin and yang meet, blessings and longevity follow; when yin and yang are abandoned, calamity and misfortune arrive.' The Book of Jade Measure also says: 'Yin is even and yang but not of its kind, called yang difference; yin meets yin and loses its pair, called yin error.' What are the similarities and differences among these statements, and on what basis should they be distinguished?"

答曰：先賢之所謂陰陽，即《天玉經》之陰陽也，唯不知看雌雄，遂強為之解耳。天地合而萬物興，故葬乘生氣總不離陰陽。所謂陰用陽朝、陽用陰應，以乙辛丁癸之水配甲庚丙壬之龍也。夫婦之道求其生育，未有不唱隨而能生育者。甲庚丙壬四龍神俱屬陽干，順行歸於墓；乙辛丁癸四龍神俱屬陰干，逆行而歸於墓。則以癸配甲、以丁配庚、以乙配丙、以辛配壬，生旺同歸，共成三合，如夫婦之一唱一隨。

The ancients spoke of yin and yang, which is the same yin and yang discussed in the "Tianyu Jing." It is only because later generations did not understand "seeing the yin and yang," that they made alternative explanations. When heaven and earth meet and combine, myriad things flourish, so burial must take advantage of life qi, which cannot be separated from yin and yang. The saying "yin uses yang to face, and yang uses yin to respond" refers to using the water of the yin stems, namely yi, xin, ding, and gui, to match the dragons of the yang stems, namely jia, geng, bing, and ren. The relationship between husband and wife is for the purpose of producing offspring; there is no way to have offspring without mutual response and harmony. The four yang stems, jia, geng, bing, and ren, are all yang stems and follow the direction to the storage place. The four yin stems, yi, xin, ding, and gui, are all yin stems and go against the direction to the storage place. Thus, gui matches jia, ding matches geng, yi matches bing, and xin matches ren. The directions of birth and prosperity converge at the same place, forming triple harmony, just like the mutual response between husband and wife, where one sings and the other follows.

若甲龍本配癸水，而局中反見乙辛丁水，則曰陰錯；癸水本配甲龍，而後換庚丙壬龍，則曰陽差，是為兄妹不交。如初二三節合而後龍不合，後二三節合始終不合，是夫婦路遇。又如本龍本出未坤而至戌方出，則為過亢；火龍本出戌乾而至丁未即出，是為不及。其所謂不取也，非沖生破旺，則必遇病死墓絕之水也。

If the Jia dragon should be paired with Gui water, but instead the Yi, Xin, and Ding waters appear in the chart, this is called "yin error"; if Gui water should be paired with the Jia dragon, but instead the Geng, Bing, and Ren dragons appear, this is called "yang error," just like siblings who cannot marry. Another example is when the first, second, and third sections are harmonious, but the dragon does not match; or when the second and third sections are harmonious, but the beginning and end do not match, this is called "husband and wife meeting by the road," meaning they only meet on the way. Also, if the dragon and water mouth of the chart should be at Wei or Kun, but instead they appear at Xu, this is called "excessive excess"; if the fire dragon's water mouth should be at Xu or Qian, but instead it appears at Ding or Wei, this is called "insufficient." These are not acceptable because they are either conflicting, generating, or breaking the strong, or they must encounter the water in the directions of sickness, death, mourning, or decline.

《鐵彈子》之山運水運，彈子之四龍四局，皆乙辛丁癸配甲庚丙壬。蓋婦從夫猶相其夫，故水火木之相配妙在相生，而五金不能成器，獨以相剋為配，生成雖異，相夫則一。是玄竅相通即為陰陽相見，玄竅不通即為陰陽相乖。所謂雌碓牝牡之外別無陰陽，正所謂楊公養老看雌雄，天下諸書對不同。

The *Tie Danzi* discusses mountain and water movements, as well as the four dragons and four layouts, all of which use the heavenly stems Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui to pair with the stems Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren. The wife follows the husband and also supports him, so the combination of water, fire, and wood is effective because they generate each other. The special aspect is mutual generation. However, metal cannot become a finished object without being refined by fire, so it is paired through mutual control. Although the methods of generation differ, the principle of supporting the husband remains the same. Therefore, when the hidden窍 are connected, it is called "yin and yang meeting," and when they are not connected, it is called "yin and yang conflicting." This shows that apart from the distinction of male and female, there is no other form of yin and yang. This is exactly the meaning of "Yang Gong养老 looks at the female and male, and all other books differ in their approaches."

或問：周公作指南車必用正針，正無縫針，《玉髓經》子午論為有理。余謂為中針、針，皆為造葬之用，然則《玉髓經》非歟。《金彈子》云：大中針內乘生氣。是乘氣以用中針也。厲公云：先將子午定山崗，卻把中針細較量，更加三七與四八，莫與時師說短長。所謂三七二八又在中針之外，千古疑團從何下手。

Someone asked: The compass used by the Duke of Zhou to make the south-pointing chariot must have been the true needle, since there was no sewing needle at that time. Therefore, the "Yuzhui Zhenjing" only discusses the true needle's directions of the beginning and end of the day, which seems reasonable. However, you say that both the central needle and the sewing needle are used in burial practices, so does that mean the "Yuzhui Zhenjing" is wrong? The "Jindanzizi" says: "The central needle carries the life qi." This suggests that carrying the qi requires the central needle. Li Beshaos says: "First determine the mountain's direction with the beginning and end of the day, then carefully measure with the central needle. Add three and seven, or four and eight, and do not argue with other masters." The terms three and seven, or four and eight, are outside the central needle. This ancient confusion, where should we start to resolve it?

答曰：正針不始於周公而始於黃帝。當其戰琢鹿之野，蟄尤作大露，士卒昏迷，黃帝乃作指南車以辨四方，遂克蟄尤。後至越裳來貢，歸路莫辨，周公仍從其制，皆為地理子午而設，此中針縫針所以不著於當日。文明漸啟，俯察之學必仰觀，然後知天地之關會、氣運之轉移，是知上古之縫針，然地理鏠針一其自不同，未可以昔日之無遂非今日之有。

The response said: The true needle was not first used by the Duke of Zhou, but by the Yellow Emperor. Long ago, when the Yellow Emperor was fighting the Chiyou at ZhuLu, Chiyou raised a great fog, causing the soldiers to be confused and unable to tell directions. The Yellow Emperor then invented the south-pointing chariot to determine the four directions, and finally defeated Chiyou. Later, when the Yueshang kingdom came to present tribute, the envoys could not find their way back, so the Duke of Zhou still used the old device of the Yellow Emperor to make a chariot for them. All these were for determining the directions of the earth, so the central needle and the true needle had not yet appeared at that time. Only when civilization gradually developed, and the study of geography had to be combined with the observation of celestial phenomena, did people come to understand the key of the meeting of heaven and earth, and the mechanism of the movement of qi and destiny. It was then that the true needle came into being. Although there were similar things in ancient times, the true needle used in geography was different from them. One should not deny what we have today simply because it did not exist in the past.

張子微著書自論《玉髓》，某形必某條，某物必下其穴，庸夫牧覽局為奇，孰知貽笑大方。考諸《天玉》《青囊》從無所說。厲伯韶因鷓鴣飛起處卜得佳穴，即號鷓鴣飛，以此命名，原非取象於此，則子微陋可知。子微論《玉髓》出自門人，故有指南車而抹殺縫針也。

Zhang Ziwei wrote a book called "Yusui Zhenjing," stating that certain shapes must be matched with certain rules and that certain objects must be associated with certainsite. Common people and shepherds found this strange and novel, but in fact, it was ridiculed by professionals. When studying the "Tianyu Jing" and "Qingang Jing," there is never such a statement. Li Bioshao once saw a bush pigeon flying from a certain place, and he chose a good site there, so he named that place "Zhegu Fei." This was just a name based on the event, not derived from the image of the bird. This shows how shallow Zhang Ziwei's views were. The "Yusui" discussed by Zhang Ziwei was actually written by his disciples, which is why there is only a mention of the south-pointing chariot and a dismissal of the needle technique.

天之漸西有歲之漸東，旋轉同而東西不同。經所謂渾天寶鏡，金水日月逢皆子，是取之。是以鏠針又不可無中針。今徽州經有一層分一板，蓋以漸東漸西終古無定位，故設此盤便於轉移，尚不失古人之遺意。

The celestial sphere gradually moves westward each year, while the solar terms gradually move eastward each year. Both move in the same direction, but differ in their east-west displacement. The classic text refers to "the celestial sphere mirror, with gold and water, sun and moon meeting at Zi" meaning exactly this. Therefore, there is a needle for the seam, but there must also be a central needle. Now, compasses made in Huizhou add one layer and divide into one board, because the westward and eastward movements never have a fixed position, so this compass is set up to allow for constant adjustment. This still retains the original intention of the ancients.

其用針之法，既以子午定其山崗，即以中針縫針審其星緾節氣，然後以本龍之三七、本穴之二八再三禘視，觀其合有不合。合則天之吉氣交環，一山不合則上下不交，純陰不生長。不獨造葬之時以此定吉凶，即行至後龍亦可以此是禍福。如地氣決於啼鶻，天星鑑於盤水，皆以天道之變觀地氣之常。

The method of using needles is: first use the main needle's Zi and Wu to determine the direction of the mountain ridge, then use the middle needle and the sewing needle to examine the degree of the star mansions and the solar terms. Then take the three-seventh fraction of the dragon and the two-eighth fraction of the site and carefully examine them to see if they match. If they match, the auspicious qi from heaven will encircle and embrace; if even one mountain does not match, the qi above and below will not connect, resulting in a purely negative qi that cannot support life. This method is not only used in determining auspiciousness and inauspiciousness during the construction and burial of a tomb, but also can be used to judge misfortune and fortune when looking at distant dragon mountains. For example, ancients used the cry of the hawk to determine the earth's qi, and used the reflection of water in a basin to examine the stars in the sky, all of which were methods of observing the regular state of the earth's qi through the changes of heaven.

此九天玄女之妙用，所以奪神功改天命，實有聖賢之前同歸至理。自魏孝文收葬書，唐一行倒裝五行，精地理者更詳天文，正以中針縫針開其端，久之而成絕學。耑用正針，已非立法之本意；至於縫針之法等於餼手，則楊曾廖賴之全能終古不著於天下矣。

This is the profound application of the Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven, enabling one to seize divine power and alter destiny. It truly aligns with the ultimate principles taught by ancient sages and virtuous men. Since the Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen confiscated The Book of Burial, and during the Tang dynasty, Yixing the Chan master deliberately reversed the order of the Five Phases, those skilled in geography have become even more focused on astronomy. This began with the use of the central needle and the sewing needle, and over time, it became a lost art. Using only the central needle already deviates from the original intent of the system. If one treats the sewing needle method as an optional gift to be casually discarded, then the complete skills of Yang Yunsong, Zeng Wenchuan, Liao Yu, and Lai Wenjun will never be fully recognized and spread throughout the world.

天與地是一非一，是二非二。知其是一非一，故用正針之後必用中針縫針；知其是二非二，故用中針縫針之時即用正針。所謂中針乘氣者，天與地合則為生，不合則為死。《鐵彈子》云：地無精氣，以星光為精氣；地無吉凶，以星氣為吉凶。實為楊曾必旨，是以舉其端而竟不明其說。先賢見一名山，即預知其某元甲子中出，至此而天地始合。楊文敏公祀墳二百年始生文敏，前此天光未照也。宇宙大關會氣運為先，而氣運之轉移繫乎天星之照臨也。

Heaven and Earth are said to be one, yet not entirely one; said to be two, yet not entirely two. Knowing that it is 'one yet not one,' after using the main needle, one must still use the middle needle and the sewing needle. Knowing that it is 'two yet not two,' when using the middle and sewing needles, one must still use the main needle. The middle needle is said to ride on Qi, meaning that when Heaven and Earth combine, it is life Qi; when they do not combine, it is death Qi. The Iron Bullet says: 'The earth has no refined Qi, using star light as its refined Qi; the earth has no auspicious or inauspicious, using star Qi as its auspicious or inauspicious.' This is indeed the essence of Yang and Zeng, but unfortunately, only the hint is given, and the true meaning is not clearly explained. The ancients, upon seeing a famous mountain, could foresee that it would produce a person in a certain yuán and jiazi. At that time, the Qi of Heaven and Earth would truly combine. Yang Wenmin's family ancestral tomb, after being buried, produced Yang Wenmin two hundred years later; before that, the heavenly light had not yet reached. The great turning points in the universe are first determined by the movement of Qi, and the movement of Qi depends on the illumination of the heavenly stars.

此為兼用三針者知之，而耑用正針者不能知之也。然則地盤挨星是不足乎。非也。天地者一家之夫婦也，然水者一身之陰陽也。譬如閨中女子，其耳目必聰明，血氣必和平，然後可以迎祥集福；若其破旺沖生則陰陽不和，不待于歸早已知其發生百病矣。是以奪神功改天命須用三針，如果乘氣坐穴必先用正針為主。後之學者知天地有轉移而地運應之，則分天地為二亦可，合天地為一亦無不可也，其於三針兼用之理思過半矣。如其不然，亦唯迎生趨旺，以俟天地之自合而已。

This level of understanding is only grasped by those who use all three needles, and those who rely solely on the main needle will not comprehend it. Does that mean the Earth Plate and its star arrangements are insufficient? Not at all. Heaven and Earth are like a husband and wife in a family, while Dragon and Water are like the yin and yang within a person's body. For example, a woman in seclusion must have sharp senses and balanced vital energy before she can invite good fortune; if she herself has broken prosperity and conflicting yin and yang, she can already be judged to suffer from many illnesses before she marries. Therefore, to seize divine power and change destiny, one must use all three needles; but when it comes to riding the qi and sitting at the site, the main needle must still be the primary. Later scholars only need to understand that heaven and earth change and the earthly cycle responds accordingly. Thus, dividing heaven and earth into two parts is acceptable, as is combining them into one, and they will have grasped most of the principle of using all three needles. If they cannot reach this level, then they can only stick to the four words "welcome the thriving and seek the prosperous" and wait quietly for the qi of heaven and earth to naturally converge.

或問：陰龍旺相、陽龍孤虛，《玉尺經》說也。後之論者謂乾坤辰戌龍俱發大福，歷觀古墳所在皆然，然則《玉尺》非歟。陰龍最貴者莫如真亥，《梅花院纂》云：亥無鱗甲不堪扦。豈真亥龍不足貴歟。

Someone asked: "Yin Long is prosperous and strong, while Yang Long is isolated and deficient," according to the Jade Measure Classic. However, later commentators said that the four Dragon lines of Qian, Kun, Chen, and Xu can bring great blessings, and examining ancient tombs everywhere indeed confirms this. So is the Jade Measure Classic wrong? Furthermore, among Yin Longs, none is more valuable than the true Hai, but the Meihua Yuan Zuan says: "Hai lacks scales and armor and is not suitable for burial." Is the true Hai Dragon not worth valuing after all?

答曰：天道有陽必有陰，人之道抑陰而扶陽。分陰分陽者，其體也；抑陰扶陽者，其用也。是以乙丑乙未納音之位在辛，而龍之生旺墓仍從庚；丁卯丁酉納音之位在丁，而龍之生旺墓仍從丙。律以呂為妻，則陰從陽也；地統乎天，母從乎父，是說也。

The response says: The heavenly way has yang necessarily accompanied by yin, but in human affairs, we suppress yin and support yang. Distinguishing between yin and yang speaks to the fundamental nature; suppressing yin and supporting yang speaks to application. Therefore, although the nayin sound elements of Yichou and Yiwei are located at Xin, the calculation of the dragon's birth, prosperity, and burial still begins with Geng; similarly, although the nayin sound elements of Dingmao and Dingyou are located at Ding, the calculation of the dragon's birth, prosperity, and burial still begins with Bing. In the theory of musical scales, "Lv" is regarded as the wife of "Lu," which is yin following yang; the earth is subordinate to the sky, and the mother is subordinate to the father, which is exactly this principle.

金木水火土分旺於四時，並行而不悖，惟方位則各有旺相孤虛，則以卦畫論。乾卦六畫皆奇，其陽既極，故乾之甲王為孤，而非謂天地四時之甲王皆孤；坤卦六書皆偶，其陰既極，坤之癸乙為虗，而非謂天地四時之癸乙皆虗。一百二十分金必去其孤虗，只存丙庚丁辛旺相，不合四十八局，乃《銅涵經》之偽設，此以混四十八局之真，而非孤虗之實論。如果甲壬為孤、癸乙為虗，則是天地止有西南而無東北、有夏秋無春冬，有是理乎。

Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth each flourish in their respective seasons, and they operate without conflict; however, in terms of direction, each element has distinctions of prosperity, strength, isolation, and emptiness. These distinctions should be determined according to the trigrams. The Qian trigram consists entirely of yang lines, indicating extreme yang energy, so the heavenly stems Jia and Ren associated with the Qian position are called "isolation" (孤). This does not mean that all Jia and Ren in the universe are isolated. The Kun trigram consists entirely of yin lines, indicating extreme yin energy, so the heavenly stems Gui and Yi associated with the Kun position are called "emptiness" (虚). This does not mean that all Gui and Yi in the universe are empty. The 120 divisions of metal must eliminate isolation and emptiness, leaving only the four groups of Bing, Geng, Ding, and Xin as prosperous and strong. This does not align with the 48 divisions, and it is fabricated by the "Tonghan Jing," used to confuse the true method of the 48 divisions. It is not the true meaning of isolation and emptiness. If Jia and Ren were truly all isolated, and Gui and Yi truly all empty, then the universe would have only the Southwest and no Northeast, only summer and autumn and no spring and winter. How could such a thing be possible?

二十四位半屬陰、半屬陽，其數實相等，乃成其為天地。謬種偽傳以為反氣，故有取乎陰，不知候氣於黃泉既為陰之極，必求諸十二陰龍，揆之配偶之義則不均，揆之抑陰扶陽之理，則以陽為君子、陰為小人，踵謬承偽，不待智者而知之矣。發明楊曾之吉莫如《玉尺》，所以貴陽賤陰、三吉六秀者，孰卦氣而言之。其結句云：例難執乎納甲，法莫妙於變通。明以玄空為主，而陰陽故有終。餘洩天機之秘，收函石室，無非隱而不發也。未又云：造化關通，神文自見，俟其人耳。

There are twenty-four positions, half belonging to yin and half to yang, with equal numbers, thus matching heaven and earth. However, erroneous false transmissions treat them as opposing forces, focusing only on the yin aspect. They do not realize that in the underworld, the yin has already reached its extreme. If one continues to search solely among the twelve yin dragons, it would be unbalanced according to the principle of pairing. Moreover, according to the principle of restraining yin and supporting yang, yang is the gentleman and yin is the petty person. Following such erroneous doctrines blindly is something even the clever can see through. The best exposition of Yang and Zeng's theories is found in the "Juyi Jing," which discusses the value of yang over yin and the three auspicious and six excellent directions, all based on the principles of trigram qi. It concludes by saying, "It is difficult to adhere strictly to the method of Najia, but the best method is flexibility." This clearly emphasizes the importance of Xuan Kong, while the theory of yin and yang naturally finds its conclusion. I have revealed the secret of heaven's mechanism, which should have been sealed away in a stone chamber as the ancients did, merely to keep it hidden. At the end, it says, "The workings of nature are interconnected, and the divine text will reveal itself naturally." It is simply waiting for the right person.

審氣篇云：乾坤到頭雖發福，而終歸敗絕；辰戌兩龍入，縱利達而世受孤寒。時師因此遂謂四龍不可用，殊不知葬乘生氣，得生旺而富貴雙全，若衰沐病墓絕行龍，以上之格在所不取。蓋乾之乙亥乃是絕鄉，坤之丙申乃是病地，戌之庚戌乃是衰位，辰之丙辰壬辰乃是墓方，皆指六十龍言。舊注以為老亢四金不可，然則丁亥為臨官、甲申為長生、甲辰為冠帶、戊戌為養，亦將盡舉棄之。所謂臨胎冠養生旺位，不須更論陰陽，不幾大相刺謬乎。

The *Yu Zhe Jing · Shen Qi Pian* says: "Although the Dragon of Heaven and Earth eventually bring blessings, they ultimately lead to decline and failure; when the Dragons of Chen and Xu enter, even if one achieves success, the family will suffer from isolation and poverty." Today, geomancers see this and say that the Dragons of Heaven, Earth, Chen, and Xu should not be used. But they do not realize that burial should only seek to ride the Life Qi: if the Dragon is in a state of birth and prosperity, then wealth and honor will be complete; if the Dragon moves toward decline, bathing, illness, tomb, or death, such a pattern is not desired. Originally, the Dragon of Heaven has Yihai as its death place, the Dragon of Earth has Bingshen as its illness place, the Dragon of Xu has Gengxu as its decline place, and the Dragon of Chen has Bingchen and Renchen as its tomb places—these are all referring to the sixty dragons. Old annotations mistakenly consider "old亢 four metals" as unusable; if that is the case, then Dinghai is officialdom, Jiashen is birth, Jiachen is capping, and Wuxu is nourishment, would they not also need to be discarded? The text clearly states that "officialdom, infancy, capping, nourishment, birth, and prosperity do not need to be further discussed in terms of yin and yang," which is not contradictory at all.

茲今時師矢口而談者，莫如真亥龍，然亥則不離乾壬也。《玉尺經》云：許通一路。癸亥乃水之臨官，已亥乃木之長生，是以許通一路也，方為楊曾之嫡泒。既無鱗甲，乃是正亥，縱有融結乃是病龍，所以到頭囚謝、入首衰微，雖發大福，故不堪扦。又云用心扦者何也。入首辛亥，坐西北向東南，易於沖生，難以立向，先賢所以審於扦寡龍也。經又云：巽地怕逢辰已，只愛單行。巽者辛已也，兼辰則兼已已，兼已則為癸已，龍居病絕皆所不取，此生旺休囚之說也。

Nowadays, when geomancers begin to speak, they often mention "true亥 dragon." In reality,亥 always relates to乾 and壬. The "Yuzhi Jing" says "allow only one path":Guihai is the official position of water, and Jihai is the growth position of wood, so only these two are allowed to travel along this path, which is truly the inheritance of Yang and Zeng. If one says "no scales," that refers to the straight亥 line, even if there is a fusion and consolidation, it is still a sick dragon, so in the end it becomes confined and weak, and at the beginning it is weak and declining. Even if it brings great fortune temporarily, it is ultimately unsuitable for a site. The text also says "use the mind to choose the direction." What does this mean? If the dragon at the entrance is Xinhai, facing southeast from northwest, it easily conflicts with the growth position, making it difficult to choose the direction. Therefore, the ancients were especially cautious about choosing such isolated dragons. The text also says: "The wind direction fears meeting辰 and巳, and only likes to go alone." Here,巽 refers to Xinsi; if it is combined with辰, it becomes Jisi, and if combined with巳, it becomes Guisi. These two dragons fall into the positions of sickness and decline, so they are all not chosen—this is still the theory of growth, prosperity, rest, and decline.

即駁換之義亦明指納音。如壬駁癸、癸駁壬，乃是水駁水；丁駁丙、丙駁丁，乃是木駁木。以至壬為壬寅、甲為已卯、艮為戊寅，去水來山取用不同，何堪並至；惟庚酉辛則皆水土，乃可雙行。《天玉》云玄空為主，而重在不出卦，後人讀之多不能解，《玉尺·審氣篇》乃其確注也。

Even the term 「驳换」 clearly refers to the Nayin sound element. For example, when壬 is exchanged with癸 or癸 is exchanged with壬, it is water exchanging with water; when丁 is exchanged with丙 or丙 is exchanged with丁, it is wood exchanging with wood. As for the position of壬 being Renyin, the position of甲 being Jimao, and the position of艮 being Wuyin, their use in taking water coming from the mountain varies, so they cannot be used together. Only the positions of庚, 酉, and 辛, which all belong to water and earth, can be used together. The Classic of Heaven and Jade says that the main principle is the Xuan Kong, and emphasizes 「not going out of the hexagram」. However, later people have mostly failed to understand this. The chapter 「Reviewing the Qi」 in the Classic of Jade Measure is the most accurate explanation of it.

但丙屬木而云火氣相須，蓋隨俗以丙丁屬火尚隱而不發耳。《天機賦》云：年少蜚聲科第，必是水來寅甲。後又云：寅甲水來那堪瘋疾纏身。一篇之內自相矛盾，無非天機玄妙，必須分別五行生衰旺。後之學者思其何以矛盾，則知山山有生旺、山山有休囚，倘在病死墓絕之鄉，不獨陽不取而陰且必不嫌，又何貴陰賤陽之是哉。

But the stem Bing is originally associated with wood in the nayin system, yet the "Jade Measure Classic" says it requires the fire element. This seems to be following common practice by still treating Bing and Ding as fire, or perhaps it is keeping this aspect hidden. The "Heavenly Mechanism Treatise" states: "A young man who gains fame and success in the imperial examinations must have water coming from the寅 and 甲." Later it says: "If water comes from寅 and 甲, how can one endure the torment of madness and illness?" Within the same text, there is contradiction, which shows the subtlety of heavenly mechanisms. One must distinguish the generation, decline, and strength of the five phases. Later scholars should think about why there is contradiction, and thus understand that each mountain has its generation and strength, as well as its decline and weakness. If a mountain falls into the areas of disease, death, mourning, or decline, not only is the yang dragon not suitable, but the yin dragon cannot escape either. How then can there be any distinction between valuing yin and despising yang?

左右關之說自古有之，如陽亥龍甲木、陰亥龍乙木，吳公《教子書》、劉賴《玉尺經注》莫不皆然。子獨言龍有甲庚丙壬而無乙辛丁癸，水有乙辛丁癸而無甲庚丙壬，豈前此之成書一切可廢乎，而子之臆見獨可信乎。

Some people say that the concept of left and right gates has existed since ancient times. For example, a yang亥 dragon is calculated as Jia wood, while a yin亥 dragon is calculated as Yi wood. Both Wu Gong's "Teaching His Son" and Liu Bingzhong and Lai Wenjun's "Commentary on the Jade Measure" all state this. Yet you alone insist that dragons are only Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren, and not Yi, Xin, Ding, or Gui, and that water is only Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui, and not Jia, Geng, Bing, or Ren. Is it really the case that all the existing works can be discarded, and only your personal opinion is trustworthy?

答曰：此非餘之臆說，乃《玉尺經注》之說也。《玉尺》云：乙辛丁癸之婦，而配甲庚丙壬之夫。明以龍屬陽、水屬陰。又曰：左陽右陰分兩片，而陽順陰逆氣本一原。本一原者，木即甲木生、金即庚金。又陽龍左旋從生趨旺，陰龍右旋自旺朝生。自旺朝生者，自卯逆數至亥也。若以陰龍亥為乙木，則自午逆數至卯，仍是從生趨旺，奚言自旺朝生也。

The response was: This is not my own speculation, but exactly what the "Commentary on the Jade Measure Classic" says. The "Jade Measure Classic" states: "A wife of the Yin stems, namely Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui, should be paired with a husband of the Yang stems, namely Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren." It clearly distinguishes the Yang as dragon and the Yin as water. It also says: "Left Yang and Right Yin divide into two parts, while Yang moves in a clockwise direction and Yin moves counterclockwise, yet their origin is the same." The phrase "originating from the same source" means that wood comes from Jia wood and metal comes from Geng metal. Furthermore, Yang dragons turn left, moving from Growth to Prosperity; Yin dragons turn right, moving from Prosperity back to Growth. The term "self-prosperity leading to birth" refers to moving counterclockwise from the卯 position to the亥 position. If the Yin亥 dragon is considered as Yi wood, then one would have to move counterclockwise from the午 position to the卯 position, which is still moving from birth to prosperity, how could it be called "self-prosperity leading to birth"?

審向篇云：四生三合是天機，雙山五行全秘訣。言五行在雙山之下，而三合以四生為主，實指甲庚丙壬。若有一龍則有一生，龍有八則生有八，胡為正言四者何也。雙山乃指二十四山之道，稱六十甲子設於雙山之下，而丑行始分，戌乾、亥壬皆為雙山，不止乾亥、甲卯、丁未也。

The *Yu Zhi Jing* *Shen Xiang Pian* says: "Four generations and triple harmony are heavenly secrets, dual mountains and five phases hold the complete secret." This means that the five phases are arranged beneath the dual mountains, and triple harmony is based on the four generations of growth. In reality, it refers specifically to the four stems: Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren. If there is one dragon, there is one generation of growth; if there are eight dragons, there should be eight generations of growth. So why does the classic specifically mention "four generations"? The term "dual mountains" refers to the arrangement of the twenty-four mountains. The sixty Jiazi are placed beneath the dual mountains, and only from the Chou position can they be distinguished. Xu and Qian, Hai and Ren are also considered dual mountains, not only Qian and Hai, Jia and Mao, Ding and Wei.

《天玉經》云：甲庚丙壬為四龍神，俱屬陽干行。不及陰干者，以其為水神也。人但知龍有陰陽，遂以乙辛丁癸亦為龍。故《雅》詩所言相其陰陽、觀其流泉，實地理之祖語。是以橫說豎說、分說合說，總不外陰陽合龍。有水而言，則龍屬陽而水屬陰；水之順行者亦謂之陽，龍之逆行者亦謂之陰。龍水之陰陽既相配，而陽龍取陰水、陰龍取陽水，無非孤陰不生、獨陽不長也，故雌雄必期於交會。

The Tianyu Jing says: "Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren are the four dragon spirits, all belonging to the yang stems." It does not mention the yin stems because the yin stems belong to the water spirits. People only know that dragons have yin and yang, so they also regard Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui as dragons. The Shijing, Da Ya, Gong Liu says, "Examine its yin and yang, observe its flowing springs," which is truly the original saying of geomancers. Therefore, whether speaking horizontally or vertically, dividing or combining, it is always about the combination of yin and yang to form dragons. If water is also considered, then dragons are yang and water is yin; the flowing water is called yang, and the reversing dragon is called yin. Since the yin and yang of dragons and water are matched, yang dragons should take yin water, and yin dragons should take yang water. This is because isolated yin cannot produce life, and isolated yang cannot grow, so the male and female must be sought to meet.

余初學堪輿，亦泥陽亥陰亥之說，歷觀古墳並無陰亥出戌乾，始悟其非。即今時師所習之《青囊》《玉尺》《天玉》而經文本的註釋，則以偽傳偽。後之學者能通解羅經，即當遍觀古墳名墓，用心揣摩其乘氣坐穴之法，皆可授古證今。至於汗牛充棟之書，即閉目不觀未為不可也。

When I first started studying feng shui, I was rigid in my belief about the concepts of Yang Hai and Yin Hai. I examined many ancient tombs, but never saw any Yin Hai dragon lines with water mouths flowing towards Xu or Qian. This made me realize that those ideas were wrong. Even today's classics such as the Qingnang Jing, Yuzhi Jing, and Tianyu Jing have correct texts, but their commentaries have passed down errors. Later scholars should understand the compass well and study famous ancient tombs, carefully analyzing the methods of capturing qi and sitting the grave. They can use the ancients to verify today's practices. As for the piles of books, even if one closes his eyes and does not read them, it is not a problem.

或問曰：閉戶造車，輪出門合轍跡，天下之道路固無不同；至於山水之融結處處奇，安能執古人之成格而謂某水口必係某龍、某龍必係某向。山水有靈，未必盡合撤於楊曾也。汗牛充棟之書千古相傳，而子無師承，恐是承偽踵謬語。孰是熟非，安得起楊曾而問之。

Someone asked: If you build a cart in a closed room and when you take it out, it fits perfectly with the road, that's because the roads in the world are all the same. But the convergence of mountains and water is always new and unique; how can we insist on the fixed patterns of ancient people, saying that a certain water mouth must match a certain dragon, and that a certain dragon must match a certain direction? Mountains and water have their own spirit, and they may not all conform to the patterns of Yang and Zeng. Moreover, there are mountains of books passed down through the ages, yet you have no teacher or lineage, so you might be inheriting mistakes. Who is right and who is wrong in all this? How can we bring Yang and Zeng back to ask them directly?

答曰：太古之初有師有承，聖人之所師者天地而已。當其仰觀俯察，見其天之道如此，則聞其說為天文，是千歲之日至可坐而致；是乎地之道如此，則闡其說為地理，是量山萬水百里江山一向間。蓋木旺於東，必胎養於西；金旺西，必胎養於東；火旺南，必胎養於北；水旺於北，必胎養於南。旺於偶然即為天地之變，楊曾心法用其常不用其變，乃人聽命於天地，非天地聽命於人也。

The answer says: In the very beginning, there were teachers and a tradition passed down. The sages only followed the pattern of heaven and earth. By observing the heavenly phenomena and examining the earthly features, they saw the way of heaven and called this study astronomy. Thus, even thousands of years later, the winter solstice could be calculated. By understanding the way of earth, they explained this as geography, so that measuring thousands of mountains and rivers, and hundreds of miles of land, could all be contained within a single compass. Wood is strong in the east, so it must be nurtured in the west; metal is strong in the west, so it must be nurtured in the east; fire is strong in the south, so it must be nurtured in the north; water is strong in the north, so it must be nurtured in the south. If something happens elsewhere by chance, that is an exception in heaven and earth. Yang and Zeng's methods only use the regular patterns, not the exceptions, because people must follow heaven and earth, not heaven and earth following people.

余幼時不信風水，藏書雖富總不寓目。自乙已冬，有祖墳傍穴老母所分得，而伯姆爭之，餘跪地哀勸，懇其義讓老母，只得強從，而終不說離亂。之後每語及讓塚，不勝嗚咽，餘自是有私心焉。歷觀祖墳聚散向背之間確有私意，心自惴是或一道也。乃遍延術士，不惜金錢，不憚跋涉，言之登山不能辨穴，陰陽有無問之羅經，不明線路挨加，不知為物。於是搜討群書，日夜不遑，思維求得其說，奈此是彼非，漫無頭緒，常廢書而嘆。念及老母，憂從中來，則又挽首卒讀，一知半解，按圖索駟又無一驗，蓋夙興夜寐反側於斯者十餘年。

When I was a child, I did not believe in feng shui. Although there were many books in our family, I never read them. Since the year Yisi, in winter, there was a certain site near our ancestors' tomb that my mother had been assigned, but my aunt-in-law came to claim it. I knelt on the ground and pleaded with her, begging her to give it to my mother according to reason. Only then did she reluctantly agree, but she never truly accepted it in her heart. After that, whenever we spoke about this matter of giving up the tomb site, my mother would always weep uncontrollably. From then on, I began to have a lingering worry. I carefully examined the gathering and dispersing of the ancestral tomb's energy, and the orientation of the mountains and waters, and realized there was indeed some principle involved. I secretly thought that this must be a genuine discipline. Therefore, I invited various diviners everywhere, not sparing money or effort, and did not mind the hardship of traveling. They went up the mountain, but could not identify the site. When I asked them about yin and yang, they could only look at the compass, and had no idea about the direction or alignment. They could not even explain what it was. Thus, I began to collect various books and thought about them day and night, hoping to find some truth. However, each family had its own opinion, and there was no clear direction, so I often gave up reading and sighed in frustration. Whenever I thought of my mother, sorrow would rise from my heart, and I had no choice but to continue reading. I understood only a little, and followed the maps and hints, but nothing ever worked out. I spent over ten years getting up early and going to bed late, tossing and turning, trying to find an answer.

憶崇禎庚午年間，有朱家瑗者登文質祖墳言福澤，既暫其後果驗，駭以為神，亟往審視。內出戌乾，外出未坤，而坐甲向庚兼卯酉，龍則火木相間，八節乃變甲寅數，其家世蔭七代，至八代而敗絕。餘豁然大悟，始信乎諸書皆妄，而破旺沖生不外乎六十龍、言七十二龍。執此以驗古墳，在在皆然。歸取《天玉》《青囊》《行程記》《紅囊經》讀之，如醉方醒，如夢初覺。得訣歸來好看書，是即余之師承也。雖不自附聞知之，而心疲力竭，爰取諸書而觀之，註釋盡為改正，豈敢故為好辨哉，亦為使天下仁人孝子皆避火坑而已。

I remember in the Gengwu year of the Chongzhen era, there was a man named Zhu Jiayuan who visited the ancestral tomb of the Wenzi family and predicted the family's fortune. Soon after, his prediction came true, and everyone was amazed, thinking he was a god. I hurried to examine it: the internal water mouth was at Xu and Qian, the external water mouth at Wei and Kun, the orientation was from Jia to Geng with a secondary direction of卯 and You. The coming dragon had fire and wood alternating, and only at the eighth section did it become the number Jiayin. This family had seven generations benefiting from the ancestral merit, but the eighth generation became extinct. At this point, I suddenly understood, and began to believe that all the writings of various schools were mere nonsense. The concept of breaking the prosperity and conflicting with the life force is nothing more than the sixty dragons and the seventy-two dragons. Using this principle to examine ancient tombs, everything matched perfectly. Returning home, I took out the Tianyu Jing, Qingnang Jing, Xingcheng Ji, and Hongnang Jing to read, and it was as if I had awakened from a drunken state or a dream. "After obtaining the secret, return home and read the books" — this is my inheritance. Although I dare not compare myself to those who know by hearing, I have exhausted my heart and effort. Therefore, I took the writings of various schools and corrected their annotations, not out of intentional argument, but merely to help all the benevolent and filial people avoid the fire pit.

堪輿之說，概而言之，不過龍穴砂水四法而已。然言龍則有祖宗、父母、枝幹、主從、退卸、博換、過峽、穿田等法；言穴則有穴星、穴形、穴情、太極圓暈、羅文土宿等法；言砂則有前朝、後坐、左龍、右虎、官鬼、禽星、曜、捍門、華表等法；言水則有來源、水口、水城、明堂等法。使不一一釋明於前，則不特不能入道，且不解讀古人之書矣。

Fengshui is essentially based on four main principles: dragon, site, terrain, and water. When discussing dragons, there are various terms such as ancestral mountains, parent mountains, branch dragons and main dragons, main mountains and secondary mountains, retreat, transformation, passage through a valley, and crossing fields. When discussing the site, there are terms like site star, site shape, site situation, Taiji circle, and Luo Wen Tu Su. When discussing terrain, there are terms like front mountains, rear mountains, left Azure Dragon, right White Tiger, official stars and ghost stars, bird stars, radiant energy, gatekeepers, and pillars. When discussing water, there are terms like water source, water mouth, water city, and bright hall. If these are not explained clearly at the beginning, one will not only fail to understand the basics but also be unable to comprehend ancient texts.

餘於龍則括之以星辰、枝幹、形格、化氣四種；於穴法則括之以正形正象、奇形怪穴二種；於葬法則括之以正葬、開鑿堆培二種；於砂法則括之以結作砂、用砂、秀砂三種；於水法則括之以配龍水、明堂、水城三種。四法各為專部，並不目力議論，俱取古仙最精最妙真如寶見之說，疏明於下，使人由此而了明山川之真性情、真結作。其人久久得悟，自難豁然於心、瞭然於目，覓然求穴探囊取物，始信地理果有一真道也。

I discuss dragons, summarizing them into four categories: stars, branches, form and structure, and transformed qi. I discuss grave sites, summarizing them into two categories: proper form and proper appearance, and strange form and strange grave sites. I discuss burial methods, summarizing them into two categories: proper burial and excavation and heap formation. I discuss terrain methods, summarizing them into three categories: consolidated terrain, use of terrain, and refined terrain. I discuss water methods, summarizing them into three categories: water matching the dragon, bright hall, and water city. Each of the four methods forms its own specialized section, not relying on mere eye observation to make arbitrary remarks, but all adopting the most refined and exquisite sayings of ancient sages, as if personally witnessing precious treasures. These are explained in detail below, enabling people to understand the true nature and genuine formations of mountains and rivers. Scholars, through prolonged study, will gradually gain insight. Even if they cannot immediately grasp the concept clearly in mind and see it clearly with their eyes, eventually when searching for graves, it will be as easy as reaching into a bag. Only then will they believe that geomancy indeed has a true path.

地理而不可解者，莫如《天玉經》。予獨擯斥諸書，侈談《天玉》，得毋近於隱怪乎。《天玉》楊曾之心法，其詞秘之而不宣，則楊曾之不得已也。帝王之興自有天命，是以金陵兩鳳交翅地，吳公曾為宋朝指而不能為宋朝下，明熙祖始下之。宋以前帝王不知此義，天文地理之禁甚嚴，楊公注《天玉經》不得不隱其詞。

The most difficult text to understand in geographical writings is the "Tianyu Jing." I deliberately focus on discussing the "Tianyu Jing" rather than other works, and I wonder if this seems like playing with mysticism. The "Tianyu Jing" is the core teaching of Yang and Zeng. Its wording is secret and not openly expressed, because Yang and Zeng had no choice but to do so. The rise of a dynasty is determined by heaven's mandate. For example, the "two phoenixes with wings crossing" land in Jingling was once pointed out by Wu Gong to the Song Dynasty, but he could not actually bury the emperor there. It was not until the Ming Dynasty's Xi Zu that the emperor was buried there. The emperors before the Song Dynasty did not understand this principle, and they strictly prohibited the study of astronomy and geography. When Yang Gong commented on the "Tianyu Jing," he had to express himself in a cryptic way.

迄宋而禁稍弛，朱蔡二公作《天表解》，即指明六十十龍，耑專以納音為主。納音者，後天之河圖也。有河圖即有五方，有五方即有五音，有五音即有六律，有六律即有六十甲子。東木西金南火北水中土，河圖之方位而為納音之祖，河圖見納音原始，故曰老五行。其金中有木、木中有金、水中有火、火中有水，即所謂識得五行顛倒顛，便是大羅仙。其同類娶妻隔八相生，取諸陰陽消長，即所謂乾遇巽兮觀月屈，地逢雷處見天根。聖人測天之時、候地之氣，胥是為準，是以審龍乘氣則首重乎分六十，而坐穴則用七十二。

By the Song Dynasty, restrictions were somewhat relaxed, and the two scholars Zhu Xi and Cai Yuanping compiled the "Tianbiao Jie," which clearly outlined the sixty dragons, focusing primarily on the Nayin sound element. The Nayin refers to the Later Heaven "He Tu" (Yellow River Chart). With the He Tu comes the five directions, with the five directions comes the five tones, with the five tones comes the six lu (laws), and with the six lu comes the sixty Jiazi (Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches). East is wood, west is metal, south is fire, north is water, and center is earth, which are the directional aspects of the He Tu, also the origin of the Nayin. From the He Tu, we can see the origin of the Nayin, hence it is also called "old Five Phases." Within metal there is wood, within wood there is metal, within water there is fire, within fire there is water, which is exactly what is said: "Recognizing the reversal of the Five Phases is to become a great immortal." It follows the principle of same elements marrying and generating through intervals of eight, reflecting the principle of yin and yang waxing and waning, which is also expressed as "When Heaven meets Xun, one sees the moon's cave; when Earth meets Thunder, one sees the root of Heaven." Sages measured the heavens and observed the earth's qi (vital energy) based on these principles. Therefore, examining dragons and their qi primarily emphasizes "evenly dividing the sixty dragons," while siting a dwelling requires the use of seventy-two dragons.

《天玉》之挨星即花甲也，《天玉》之玄空即四局也，《天玉》之本卦即震兌坎離也，《天玉》之聯珠即三盤同歸一卦也，《天玉》之零神正神即三七二八也，《天玉》之雙山雙向即四十八局也，《天玉》之三卦二父母即從生趨旺、自旺朝生也，《天玉》之共路兩神為夫婦，即乙丙交而趨戌、辛壬會而趨辰、斗牛納丁庚之氣、金羊收癸甲炎靈也。此今刻本始於大全，不識挨星為何物也。興國有舊註名拆骨體，亦在疑似之間。餘反覆尋繹不啻二十年始悟為羅經解，凡《青囊》《玉尺》彈子書及前賢歌訣，無非發明《天玉》之旨，則《天玉》實為大宗，而諸書皆為餘緒，餘之所以廢群言而獨尊《天玉》也。

The "ai xing" mentioned in the "Tianyu Jing" refers to the sixty jia characters; the "xuan kong" refers to the four sectors of water, fire, wood, and metal; the "ben gua" refers to the trigrams Zhen, Dui, Kan, and Li; the "lian zhu" refers to the three sections of mountain penetration, ground penetration, and sitting at the site all converging into one hexagram; the "ling shen zheng shen" refers to the two types of fractions, three and seven, and two and eight; the "shuang shan xiang xiang" refers to the forty-eight sectors; the "san gua er fu mu" refers to the movement from birth to prosperity and self-prosperity facing birth; the "gong lu liang shen wei fu fu" refers to "Yi and Bing meet and head toward Xu, Xin and Ren meet and head toward Chen, the constellation Dou Niu absorbs the qi of Ding and Geng, and the golden sheep absorbs the spirit of Ji and Gui." The current commonly circulated editions of the text come from the "Dili Daquan," and they have no idea what "ai xing" really is. Xingguo has another old commentary called "Chieh Gu Ti," which is also ambiguous. After repeatedly searching and pondering for over twenty years, I finally realized that it is actually an explanation of a compass. All books such as the "Qingang Jing," "Yuzhi Jing," and those involving the golden and iron balls, as well as the verses of previous sages, are all elaborating on the main idea of the "Tianyu Jing." Therefore, the "Tianyu Jing" is the main text, and all other books are its continuation. This is why I have abandoned all other interpretations and exclusively revered the "Tianyu Jing."

或問：精於巒頭自合理氣，則知巒頭可以不必知理氣，羅經之設不贅瘤乎。答曰：巒頭猶人之肢體也，理氣則其脈息也。人固有一望而可知者，若其外貎可觀，而終身不能逆料，必胗其脈息始知；羅經審其脈息。歷觀古垣局，非不精奇，當貴不能驟至，而後龍出卦，終歸敗絕，此則天地自然之缺陷，定於羅經。如黃編修本出八代公卿，而一代不保；劉漢四世祖地本出屢世王侯，而兄弟做賊，皆由向背一差，反福為禍。然則全龍全穴而作用之妙尤有待於羅經。但知巒頭不知理氣，不惟後代禍福不能審擇，即現在之真龍正穴，或貪朝對，或嫌去水，必至破旺沖生，反福為禍，此羅經不可須臾離也。

Someone asked: If one is skilled in the form and structure of terrain, then naturally it conforms to the principles of qi, so understanding form is sufficient and there is no need to understand the principles of qi. Then, is the compass not an unnecessary burden? The answer is: Form is like the limbs and body of a person, while the principles of qi are like the pulse and breath. Although some people can judge good and bad at a glance, if the appearance is good but one cannot predict the fortune or misfortune of a lifetime, then one must examine the pulse to know. The compass is used precisely to examine this pulse. Looking at the ancient sites, the forms are not without excellence, but wealth and honor come slowly, and the dragon ridge is out of the correct pattern, eventually leading to decline — this is a natural deficiency in heaven and earth, which can only be determined by the compass. For example, the family of Huang Bianshuo was supposed to produce eight generations of officials and ministers, yet none of them could be preserved; the ancestral site of Liu Han was supposed to produce generations of kings and dukes, yet his brothers became thieves, all because the direction was slightly wrong, turning blessings into calamities. This shows that even if the dragon and the site are complete, the subtle application still depends on the compass. If one understands form but not the principles of qi, not only can one not judge the fortune or misfortune of descendants, but even if one sees a true dragon and correct site, or desires a proper front and rear arrangement, or is suspicious of the water flowing away, one will inevitably cause destruction of prosperity and conflict of generation, turning blessings into calamities. Therefore, the compass is indispensable at every moment.

要其所謂作用者，不過順其自然，正其差謬，而初非有矯揉。是以楊曾心法不須易地改穴，而分金一轉即能為人造福。古今避理氣者，或以巒頭為人、理氣為星命，已屬可笑；即以巒頭為體、理氣為用，猶岐而二之。其實太極未分先有是理，所難者一訣千金，妙處不傳，遂成千古疑團，夢中說夢。

In the end, what is called 'action' is simply following the natural flow of mountains and waters, correcting any deviations, and there is nothing artificial or forced about it. Therefore, the methods of Yang and Zeng do not need to change locations or points, only by turning the feng shui line (fen jin) can they benefit people. In ancient times, those who avoided the principles of feng shui sometimes said that form (lun tou) is like a person and principles (li qi) are like stars and destiny, which is already very laughable. Even if they said that form is the body and principles are the use, they still divided them into two separate parts. In reality, the principle existed before the Taiji split. The difficulty lies in the fact that a single line of oral instruction is worth a thousand gold, and the most effective part is unwilling to be passed on, thus becoming a mystery of thousands of years, with everyone dreaming about dreams.

經勘破即不登山，而一觀水口能知其龍向，但言山向而可定其吉凶，以其有一定之理也。巒頭則千變萬化，不可名狀，自非踏皮鐵鞋揣摩有素，雖父不能以傳子。今之時師不知理氣，輒以巒頭自負，彼豈知巒頭之難言有十倍於理氣者乎。今而後有以巒頭為難知者，吾則與之言理氣矣。

Once this principle is understood, even without going to the mountains, just by looking at the water mouth, one can know the dragon and its direction. As long as the mountain and direction are mentioned, one can determine its fortune or misfortune, because there is a fixed and unchanging principle involved. As for the form of the terrain, it is ever-changing and hard to describe. Unless one has spent years studying it diligently, even a father would not pass it on to his son. Now, geomancers do not understand the principles of qi, yet they boast of being skilled in terrain forms. They do not realize how difficult it is to explain terrain forms, which is ten times harder than understanding the principles of qi. If someone in the future thinks terrain forms are hard to understand, I would be willing to discuss the principles of qi with him.

或問：巒頭理氣千古聚訟，以子作《天機貫旨》專言理氣。考之經云：何處山頭無子午，登山不用開羅經。然則前賢之說非歟。答曰：惟得訣之人實有是事，非時師所得藉口也。凡生成之龍必有生成之穴，放棺之所果能認定來脈，則挨左挨右原不可差毫釐；其龍虎朝應非此不登對，其砂水明堂非此必有走竄，然後用羅經格之，理氣自合，所謂不用羅經者一也。入山尋水口，而格地之方位坐向皆可逆料，登龍格之巒頭自合，所謂登山不用羅經者二也。

Someone asked: Luan Tou and Li Qi have been debated for thousands of years, yet your book "Tian Ji Guan Zhi" focuses on Li Qi. However, the classics say: "Wherever there is a mountain peak, there is a Zi and Wu; when climbing a mountain, one does not need a compass." Then, is the saying of the ancients wrong? The answer is: Only those who truly understand the secret can indeed experience this, and it is not something modern geomancers can use as an excuse. Any dragon that naturally forms must have a naturally formed grave site; if the place for placing the coffin can truly identify the coming pulse, then the left and right directions must not differ by even a fraction. The dragon and tiger, and the front and back formations, cannot be arranged without this; the surrounding terrain and water, and the bright hall, cannot be collected without this. When using the compass to measure, the principles of Li Qi will naturally align—this is the first meaning of "not needing a compass." Before entering the mountain, first find the water mouth, and the orientation and direction of the entire area can be predicted in advance; then climb the dragon body to measure, and the Luan Tou will naturally align—this is the second meaning of "climbing a mountain without a compass."

朱子云：天以陰陽之行化生萬物，氣以成形而理以賦焉。理者一定之理，氣者一定之氣，形則無一定之形。然形雖千變萬化，而終不能出此一方之外，則亦未嘗無一定之理。一定之氣合於一定之理、一定之氣則為生氣，不合於一定之氣、一定之理則為死氣。得訣之人羅經爛熟於胸中，是以真龍正穴有不用開羅經之時，正所謂巒頭之外別無理氣。餘仰止不知羅經，乃藉此言以闢理氣，謬矣。

Zhu Xi said: Heaven uses yin and yang and the Five Phases to generate all things. Qi gathers and solidifies into form, and principle is also contained within. Principle is a fixed principle, Qi is a fixed Qi, but form does not have a fixed form. However, although form changes endlessly, it cannot escape this one area, so there is no lack of a fixed principle within it. When a fixed Qi conforms to a fixed principle, it is called Life Qi; when it does not conform to a fixed Qi and a fixed principle, it is called Death Qi. Those who have mastered the诀 have thoroughly memorized the compass in their minds, so when they encounter a true dragon and a correct site, they do not need to use the compass. This is exactly what is meant by "there is no principle and Qi outside of form." Yu Yangzhi originally did not understand the compass, yet used this sentence to reject principle and Qi, which was a great mistake.

望氣者，望山川所升之氣以辨其龍之結作也。太祖之上，於夏秋之交、雨霧之後、丑寅之時必有升之氣，宜於此時望之。氣之發從山顛直起沖上，下小上大如傘，此為真氣；若橫于山腰者，乃云露之氣，非真氣之發也。氣清奇者貴，肥濁者富，端正者出文，偏斜者出武。要赤為上，青白黑次之，其詳《天機素書》。

The method of observing the qi involves looking at the qi rising from mountains and rivers to determine whether a dragon is truly forming a structure. On the peak of the great ancestor mountain, during the transition from summer to autumn, after the rain and mist have just cleared, especially in the hours of Chou and Yin, there must be qi rising. One should go to observe at this time. When the qi appears, it rises straight up from the mountain peak, with a small bottom and large top, resembling an umbrella; this is true qi. If the qi is only spreading horizontally along the mountain waist, it is merely cloud mist and dew, not true qi. Clear and peculiar qi indicates nobility, thick and turbid qi indicates wealth, upright qi produces scholars, and slanted qi produces generals. The color of the qi is best red, followed by green, white, and black. For more detailed explanations, refer to the book "Tian Ji Su Shu."

或問：《玉尺經·審向篇》耑言卦氣，而審向之重惟在認水立向，穴與向豈有方歟。秀水則曰當趨，休囚則曰當避則避，豈六秀亦有不當趨、休囚亦有不當避者歟。答曰：五行各有所屬，生旺休囚不同，若從拘卦氣，則所謂生者非真生，旺者非真旺，休囚非真休囚，不過如時師所傳六秀黃泉之類耳。《審向篇》云：其訣則全在認水立向。如卯龍坤水朝立木向，則化官為鬼；午龍乾水朝立水向，則化煞生權，此認來水之訣。又如水出巽口，向丁未為沖生，改未丁則巽在絕地；水流坤口，向申庚為破旺，改坤申則坤在衰方，此認去水立訣也。

Someone asked: The "Reviewing the Direction" section of the "Juchijing" specializes in the theory of hexagram qi, and the key to reviewing the direction lies solely in "recognizing the water and establishing the direction." Are there fixed directions for the grave and the direction? If beautiful water is said to be followed, and weak and confined water is said to be avoided, then among the six auspicious directions, are there ones that should not be followed, and among the weak and confined, are there ones that should not be avoided? The answer is: The five phases each belong to their own elements, and the states of birth, prosperity, rest, and decline differ. If one is rigidly bound to the theory of hexagram qi, then the so-called birth is not true birth, the so-called prosperity is not true prosperity, and the so-called rest and decline are not true rest and decline. It is merely like the current system of the geomancer's six auspicious directions and the underground water. The "Reviewing the Direction" section says: This set of rules is entirely about recognizing the water and establishing the direction. For example, if a dragon comes from the卯 (Mao) direction and water comes from the坤 (Kun) direction to face the hall, and one establishes the direction of wood, then the official star becomes a ghost star; if a dragon comes from the午 (Wu) direction and water comes from the乾 (Qian) direction to face the hall, and one establishes the direction of water, then the evil qi is transformed into power — this is the rule of recognizing the incoming water. Another example: if water flows out from the巽 (Xun) direction, establishing the direction of Dingwei (丁未) becomes a conflicting and beneficial direction, but changing to the direction of Wei Ding (未丁) makes the Xun direction fall exactly into the terminal position; if water flows out from the坤 (Kun) direction, establishing the direction of Shen Geng (申庚) becomes a breaking of prosperity, but changing to the direction of Kun Shen (坤申) makes the Kun direction fall exactly into the declining position — this is the rule of recognizing the outgoing water and establishing the direction.

龍與水如夫與婦，有是夫有是婦，有是龍水必有是向，故當以龍為主。惟六十龍秘而不傳，先以教人以認水立向。已不能認龍，又不能認水，而徒求之六秀三合。六秀者多不合生旺，合生旺者反為八煞黃泉，此六秀所以有不宜趨，休囚所以有不宜避也。

The relationship between dragon and water is like that between husband and wife: there must be such a husband to have such a wife, and there must be such a dragon and water to have such a direction. Therefore, dragon should be the main focus. However, the method of sixty dragons is secret and not passed down, so predecessors first taught people to start with recognizing water and determining direction. Now, people are neither able to recognize dragon nor water, and they only seek blindly among the six auspicious directions and triple harmony. Most of the six auspicious directions do not actually match with the favorable and thriving directions, while the truly favorable and thriving directions are mistakenly considered as eight evils and yellow springs. This is why among the six auspicious directions there are some that should not be pursued, and among the weak and confined directions there are some that should not be avoided.

《天機賦》云：生與旺而同歸，人共財而咸吉；更從六秀方來，定擬滿門朱紫。明生旺為主而六秀次之。又云：六秀如逢曜氣，定出強梁之輩。此則病死墓絕之方終為不吉。後之學者從穿山透地坐穴認取五行為主，則信手拈來，頭頭是道，即先賢之認水立向且落第二義，而六秀黃泉之非又不待言矣。

The Tian Ji Fu says: "When the water is born and vigorous, it leads to good fortune, and people and wealth are all auspicious; if it comes from the Six Auspicious directions, the whole family will surely achieve high status." This clearly emphasizes the importance of birth and strength, with the Six Auspicious as secondary. It also says: "If the Six Auspicious meet the shining energy, strong and powerful people will emerge." This shows that water falling in the directions of sickness, death, mourning, and decline is ultimately inauspicious. Later scholars, by focusing on the Five Phases as determined through mountain penetration, earth penetration, and the site of the dwelling, can easily apply the principles and find clarity in every aspect. Even the ancient sages' emphasis on recognizing water and establishing direction becomes secondary. As for the errors in the theories of the Six Auspicious and the Yellow Spring, there is no need to elaborate further.

水味可以知地脈之美惡，故有嘗水之法。平陽平崗不出澗水，須嘗其井水；高山則嘗其溪澗，須於多晴後嘗之。老山之中難以登臨，須逐澗嘗其水，其水香甜則此上有好穴，若水淡無味，其中不結穴也。凡水以香為貴，甜為富厚人丁；若甜而帶辣則出武貴，若味帶酸苦皆為不吉之所也。又水喜清忌濁，冬宜溫、夏宜冷為妙，論詳於後。昔吳公嘗朱子祖地有翰墨香，為朱氏扦此地，斷曰：當出一賢人，聰明如孔子。

The taste of water can determine the quality of the land's energy, so there is a method called tasting water. In flat plains or gentle hills where mountain streams do not flow, one should taste the well water. On high mountains, one should taste the stream water, and it is best to do so after several days of clear weather. In deep mountains and dense forests that are difficult to reach, one should follow each stream and taste the water. If the water is fragrant and sweet, it indicates a good site for a tomb. If the water is bland and tasteless, it suggests no good site. Generally, water is considered good if it is fragrant, and sweet water indicates wealth and a thriving population. If the water is sweet but has a spicy taste, it suggests the emergence of a military official of high rank. If the water is sour or bitter, it is considered an inauspicious place. In addition, clear water is considered favorable, while turbid water is considered unfavorable. In winter, water that feels warm and in summer, water that feels cold is most desirable. Detailed discussions will be provided later. In the past, Wu Gong tasted the water of the ancestral tomb of Zhu Xi's family and found a fragrance like ink and literature. He then selected this site for the tomb and predicted: This place will produce a virtuous person, whose wisdom can compare with that of Confucius.

或問：葬者藏也，期安其祖父，故程子五患皆為祖父起見，今必富貴之利祿誘其子孫，是安親之念不勝其求福之念也，忘親僥倖皆從此起，古之孝子慈孫果有是歟。答曰：不孝有三，無後為大，是子孫之有無關係祖父也。推之而事君不忠、範官不敬、戰陣無勇皆為不孝，使吾之子孫暫然繁衍，而上能致君、下可澤民，獨非孝乎。

Someone asked: "Burial means to hide, and the purpose is to ensure the ancestors are at peace. Therefore, Cheng Yi spoke of the 'five dangers,' all for the sake of the ancestors. Now, however, people use wealth, honor, and official rank to entice others' descendants, which shows that the idea of securing the ancestors' peace is outweighed by the desire for blessings. Forgetting the ancestors and harboring侥幸 (侥幸 means侥幸, which is a term for taking chances or hoping for luck) all begin here. Could ancient filial sons and kind grandsons be like this?" The answer was: "There are three kinds of unfilial behavior, and having no descendants is the worst. This shows that the presence or absence of descendants is directly related to the ancestors. Extending this idea, being unfaithful to the sovereign, being disrespectful in office, and being cowardly in battle are all considered unfilial. If my descendants can temporarily multiply, and if they can assist the sovereign above and benefit the people below, is this not filial?"

今葬法不審而破旺沖生，禍不旋踵，貽祖父之辱莫大於此。五患之說，程子猶洩之耳。古人所重固在積德於冥冥之中，然積德之外又能安其祖父以安其子孫，尤為大孝。若謂妄想僥倖皆從此起，然則學也祿在其中，是教人千祿也；以德行仁者王，是教人圖王也。充類至義之盡，無一可為，又不止風水而已也。

Nowadays, burial practices are not carefully examined, leading to situations where the旺 (prosperity) is broken and the 生 (life) is conflicting, causing misfortunes to arrive quickly, bringing great disgrace to the ancestors. Master Cheng mentioned five dangers, but only gave a general account. Although the ancients valued accumulating virtue in the unseen world, they could also arrange for the ancestors and thus secure the descendants, which is even greater filial piety. If one were to think that allby chance (侥幸 means侥幸, which can be translated as "侥幸" or "taking chances") comes from seeking blessings, then Confucius said, "Learning also includes official rank," which would imply teaching people to seek official rank; Mencius said, "Those who practice virtue and benevolence will become kings," which would imply teaching people to seek kingship. If this line of reasoning is taken to its extreme, then nothing can be done, not just in the case of fengshui.

有種地師並不開口講論巒頭理氣，有人詢之則曰：我有秘訣在。夫曰秘訣，是不可輕與人言之物也；不可輕言，則人問可不必對，又另一家之妙也。又另一家則古書不必通，只此二字可以省酧酢、廢誦讀，而又勝於讀盡諸書而始堪應答者，又可靜坐養神以謀利，抑何妙也。

There is a type of geomancer who never speaks about the principles of hill shapes and qi energy. When people ask him, he simply says, "I have my own secret method." Since it is called a secret, it is something that cannot be casually shared. If it cannot be casually shared, then when people ask, he may just choose not to answer, which is another advantage of this approach. There is yet another school that is even more ingenious: they do not need to thoroughly study ancient texts, only relying on the two characters "secret method" to avoid socializing, to skip reciting texts, and even surpass those who answer questions after reading extensively. They can also meditate in stillness and make profits while sitting, how wonderful that is.

然天下之道除妖術之外，無一事有秘訣者。作聖作賢、成仙成佛皆無有秘訣者，何獨地理有秘訣乎。顧即以秘訣論，則其訣亦無用之物也。何也。吾見魏科高甲、富商大賈，其子弟未必如父兄，彼非不訓誨也，蓋神明在人無訣可傳故也。若曰吾得一訣即可以了明天地之道，夫多讀精思者尚不能，而一訣何容如此哉。吾不能信矣，故言秘訣者非明師。

However, the principles of the world, apart from witchcraft, do not rely on secrets. To become a sage, a virtuous person, a immortal, or a Buddha, there are no secrets involved. Why then is there a secret for geography? Even if there really were secrets, they would be of no use. Why? I have seen families that have produced high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants, yet their sons and brothers may not be able to match their fathers and uncles. This is not because they are not taught, but because divine understanding lies entirely within each person, and there is no secret to pass on. If someone claims that he has obtained a single secret phrase and thus understands the ways of heaven and earth, even those who have extensively studied and thought deeply cannot achieve this. How could a single phrase have such power? I really cannot believe it. Therefore, anyone who talks about secrets is not a true master.

《天玉》之旨從來未經發明，得吾子如披雲露而見青天矣。外篇所重者耑在四經，內傳亦曾言之，子獨以為當闕疑，何也。答曰：四經之說群於外篇，而內傳一見於中編、再見於下篇，皆以上下文語氣不相蒙，中下篇數語必後人增入，外編是後人偽作。中編云：胎沐養生貪長，共冠臨衰旺仲，季子排來病死位墓絕亦皆是。此即皆生旺墓吊合於三方，而孟仲季之公位攸分。兄弟多者以一四七為長、二五八為中、三六九為小，本之河圖並非臆見。若又以四經分四男，是一山而有兩公位，其為後人增入斷斷無疑。

Some people say: The main idea of the "Tianyu Jing" has never been explained before, and now with the master's explanation, it is like clearing away the clouds to see the blue sky. However, the "Tianyu Wai pian" focuses particularly on the "four classics," which were also mentioned in the "Neichuan." Yet the master advocates doubt, so why is that? The answer is: The theory of the four classics is all concentrated in the "Wai pian," while in the "Neichuan," it appears only once in the middle part and once again in the lower part, and both times it does not fit with the surrounding text. This shows that the few sentences in the middle and lower parts must have been added by later people. The entire "Wai pian" is undoubtedly a later forgery. The middle part says: "Tai, Mu, Yang, Sheng belong to Ganlang in the first house, Guan, Lin, Cai, Wang belong to the second house, and the third son's positions are also disease, death, tomb, and extinction." This means that the positions of Sheng, Wang, and Mu are aligned with three directions, and the public positions of the first, middle, and youngest houses are thus determined. In families with many brothers, the first, fourth, and seventh sons are considered the first house, the second, fifth, and eighth sons the middle house, and the third, sixth, and ninth sons the youngest house. This is based on the "He Tu," not a random assumption. If we further divide the four classics to assign them to four sons, it would be like having two public positions for one mountain, which is clearly a later addition.

外編非無精義，獨以四經為主，大旨全乖，故知為後人假託。餘擇其確然可信者備錄於後。其一則玄空大卦歟訣也，訣曰：外卦玄空理最幽，乾坤艮巽明根由，坎離震兌分天地，五行即在此中求。坎離震兌者，水火木金也；乾坤艮巽則其生地。此即《天玉經》之三卦，所謂四龍四局也。

The "Outer Treatise" is not without profound meaning, but it focuses solely on the four classics, completely deviating from the main principles, so it is determined to be a later fabrication. I have selected several parts that are indeed credible and list them below. The first is the mnemonic for the Xuan Kong Da Guan, which says: "The outer trigram of Xuan Kong is the most profound, Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun clearly reveal their origins. Kan, Li, Zhen, and Dui divide heaven and earth, and the Five Phases are sought within them." Kan, Li, Zhen, and Dui represent the four sectors of water, fire, wood, and metal; Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun are the long life positions of these four sectors. This is exactly what the "Tianyu Jing" refers to as the three trigrams, also known as the four dragons and four sectors.

其一則五行合生命也，訣云：金木水火各一宮，生命不相同，查得五行合生命，自然發福勝石崇。如木局生命則天干必甲乙丁壬，地支必亥卯未寅，納音必屬木，推之金水火莫不皆然，此歷試而不爽者。

The second rule is about the Five Phases matching the deceased's life, as explained in the诀: "Each of the elements gold, wood, water, and fire belongs to one palace; the life is different; if the Five Phases are compatible with the life, then prosperity will naturally arise, surpassing the wealth of Shi Chong." For example, if setting up a wood pattern, the heavenly stem of the deceased's birth year should be Jia, Yi, Ding, or Ren, the earthly branch should be Hai, Mao, Wei, or Yin, and the Nayin sound element should also belong to wood; when calculating for the patterns of gold, water, and fire, the same principle applies. This rule has been consistently verified.

其一則四路黃泉也，訣云：庚丁坤上是黃泉，乙丙須防巽水先，甲癸向中休見艮，辛壬水路怕當乾。此專以去水言。庚丁者金局也，坤申同宮，來則為催官，故能救人；去則沖破官祿，故能殺人。木火水皆仿此。

The third rule is the formula for the four paths of the Yellow Springs. The formula says: "When the direction of Geng and Ding faces Kun, it is the Yellow Spring; when the direction of Yi and Bing faces Xun water, it must be guarded against; when the direction of Jia and Gui faces the middle, it should not meet Gen; when the direction of Xin and Ren faces water, it should not face Qian." This rule specifically refers to the direction of water flow. Geng and Ding belong to the metal sector, and Kun is in the same palace as Shen. If water comes from the Kun and Shen direction, it is called promoting official water, which can save people; but if water flows away from the Kun and Shen direction, it will clash with the official position, which can harm people. The principles for the wood, fire, and water sectors are all derived from this reasoning.

其一則救貧黃泉也，訣云：辛入乾宮百萬生，癸歸艮位煥文章，乙向巽流清富貴，丁坤終是萬斯箱。乾坤艮巽即木火金水，乙辛丁癸乃是四養方，所以救貧。又謂之黃泉者，此方去水如人之失所養，定主夭貧，此黃泉真訣也。

The fourth is the formula for saving from poverty in the Yellow Spring. The formula says: "Xin enters the Qian palace and generates a million, Gui returns to the Gen position and shines with literary success, Yi faces the Xun flow and brings clarity and wealth, Ding reaches the Kun and eventually fills ten thousand rooms." Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun correspond to the four directions of wood, fire, metal, and water. Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui are precisely the four nourishing directions, so they can save from poverty. It is also called the Yellow Spring because once these directions are drained of water, it is as if a person has lost their nourishment, inevitably leading to early death and poverty. This is the true formula of the Yellow Spring.

外此則與《天玉》不合。如金木水火山山有玄竅，所以為造化之妙；四經則不論納音而割裂二十四山，分為四局，律以生死衰旺之義總不可解，其謬一。乾為西金之關，艮為北水之關，則木之關宜在巽而反在坤，火之關宜在坤而反在巽，其謬二。金為父母，木為子孫，水為兄弟，火為孫媳，於義奚取；而既分公位，又別三才，又分天地人鬼，名目愈多支離愈甚，其謬三。

In addition to these four points, the "Outer Chapters" differ from the "Heavenly Jade Classic." For example, the four directions of metal, wood, water, and fire each have their own hidden openings on every mountain, which is the subtle and profound aspect of nature; however, the four classics do not consider the nayin sound element, but instead divide the twenty-four mountains into four directions forcibly, using the principles of birth, death, decline, and prosperity to measure them, which is altogether incoherent—this is the first error. The gate of the western direction, Qian, is the gateway of the metal direction, and the gate of the northern direction, Gen, is the gateway of the water direction. Therefore, the gateway of the wood direction should be Xun, but it is placed at Kun; the gateway of the fire direction should be Kun, but it is placed at Xun—this is the second error. It also says that metal is the parents, wood is the children, water is the brothers, and fire is the daughter-in-law. What principle does this take? It divides the public position, the three elements, and also divides heaven, earth, human, and ghost, with more names, leading to greater fragmentation and confusion—this is the third error.

沖生破旺皆論納音，其應如響，即所謂長生位上黃泉是下化之年定見形者，亦當以挨星為主。今而歸之四經，遍觀古墓百無一驗，其謬四。木旺於東是為東卦，金旺西是為西卦，水旺北、火旺南是為南北二卦，皆大父母為之主宰，故五行統於三卦，又統於天地二卦，舉天地而左旋右旋、順逆零正皆在其中。外編獨以乾卦為天卦、支卦為地卦，與《天玉經》之義前不相蒙，其謬五。

The principles of mutual generation, destruction, conflict, and strength should all be discussed in terms of Nayin sound elements, and their effects are verified as quickly as an echo. Even statements such as "the Yellow Spring appears at the position of growth, and the form is clearly visible in the year of transformation" should be based on the method of sequential stars. However, nowadays they are attributed to the four classics, and when examining ancient tombs, none of them are verified—this is the fourth error. Wood is strong in the east, so there is an eastern trigram; metal is strong in the west, so there is a western trigram; water is strong in the north and fire in the south, so there are northern and southern trigrams. All of these are governed by the great parent trigram, so the Five Phases are all subordinate to the three trigrams, which in turn are subordinate to the Heaven and Earth trigrams. As long as the Heaven and Earth trigrams are mentioned, the concepts of left rotation, right rotation, and the order of forward and backward movements are all included within them. However, the Outer Chapter separately refers to the Heavenly Stem trigram as the Heaven trigram and the Earthly Branch trigram as the Earth trigram, which does not align with the original meaning of the Tianyu Jing—this is the fifth error.

予初讀《天玉》如行露中，亦曾廢書而嘆，及悟其為羅經解，則觸處流通全無空礙，獨外編舛謬反覆，思之不得其說。然《青囊》《玉尺》皆發明內傳之旨，而四經獨無一字齒及，此必後人假託，無容附會。善讀者惟求其理之可信者從之。又云：五行無根水上折，時師那會得。似言穿透俱無可論，而後取四經折水，乃萬不得已之法，故袁波幹云：攢地奇驗，而造葬則無是理。

At first I read the Tianyu Jing as if walking through the night in dew, and I even gave up on the book and sighed in frustration. But when I realized it was actually an explanation of the compass, everything became clear and there were no obstacles. However, the Wai pian was full of contradictions and inconsistencies, and no matter how I thought about it, I could not understand it. Moreover, the Qingnang Jing and Yucesheng Jing all elaborate on the principles of the Neichuan, but they never mention the four classics, which suggests that they must have been falsely attributed by later people, and cannot be forced into a connection. A good reader should only follow those teachings that are credible. The Wai pian also says, "The Five Phases have no root, and the water will break, how can the common masters understand this?" This seems to suggest that penetrating the mountain and ground is impossible, and then they resort to the method of breaking water from the four classics, which is a last resort. Therefore, Yuan Bogen said that this method is quite effective for temporary burials (collecting the land), but if used for formal burials, there is no such reasoning.

余讀古今地理之書，其論巒頭者則謂巒頭重而理氣輕，論理氣者則謂理氣精而巒頭淺，聚誦紛紛幾成矛戟。不知有巒頭而無理氣，則乘真截偽、收水配向之功廢；執理氣而背巒頭，則真龍真穴真砂真水之情以違殊，失《青囊》之本旨矣。蓋有形斯有氣，有氣斯有理，因形以察氣，因氣以論理，一體一用不得偏廢者也。但古集雖多而二者不串論，以致一本兩岐而真道不明於世矣。餘故集巒頭理氣並取，作此星期合為一篇，體用兼舉，本末一貫，庶無偏而不舉之患雲。

I have read many ancient and modern geographical texts. Those who talk about the form (lun tou) say that form is important and the qi theory (li qi) is secondary, while those who talk about the qi theory say that the qi theory is subtle and the form is crude. There are many conflicting opinions, almost like swords facing each other. They do not realize that if there is form but no qi theory, then the skills of capturing true qi, cutting off false qi, collecting water and aligning directions are all wasted. If one clings solely to the qi theory and ignores the form, then the true dragon, true site, true sand, and true water will all be lost, and thus the fundamental meaning of the Qingnang Jing will be lost. There must be form before there can be qi, and there must be qi before there can be theory. By form we observe qi, and by qi we discuss theory. One is the body, the other the function; neither can be neglected. However, although ancient writings are numerous, they do not integrate both aspects, leading to the original source splitting into two divergent paths, and the true way thus becoming obscure. Therefore, I have combined both form and qi theory into one, presenting both body and function together, and connecting the root and the branch as one, hoping to prevent the mistake of focusing on one side and neglecting the other.

或問：小玄空古人用量山步水，袁波千雲平洋可論小玄空，山龍則在所後。近刻《地理原真》者並以龍穴論生入克入，紛紛聚訟，吾子將誰適從。答曰：小玄空乃穴前放水，非生成之水也。《造微賦》云：五行實無繫於龍家，禍福須聚於水路。相生相剋、生入克入為有情，生出克出為無情，是以生入克入則為吉神，生出克出雖旺來墓去亦為殺。《奧語》云：天心既辨穴何難，但把向中放水看。向中者，穴前也，穴前放水以消溝澮之盈。餘但將造賦熟讀之，自有渙然冰釋者，不待予言。

Someone asked: "The small Xuan Kong was used by ancient people to measure mountains and water. Yuan Boga said that for flat land, the small Xuan Kong can be discussed, but for mountain dragons, it should be considered secondary. Recently, the printed version of "The Original Truth of Geography" has even used the concepts of 'born into' and 'controlled into' when discussing dragon and grave sites. There are many conflicting views, so which school should we follow, sir?" The answer was: "The small Xuan Kong refers to the water released in front of the grave site, not natural large rivers. The "Zao Wei Fu" says: 'The Five Phases are not related to the dragon, but the fortune and misfortune must gather along the water path.' Among the mutual generation and control, 'born into' and 'controlled into' are considered to be affectionate, while 'born out' and 'controlled out' are considered to be unaffectionate. Therefore, 'born into' and 'controlled into' are auspicious deities, while even if 'born out' and 'controlled out' are favorable directions or directions of burial, they are still considered as evils. The "Qing Nang Ao Yu" says: 'Once the heavenly heart is distinguished, the grave site is not difficult, just look at the water released in the direction of the grave.' The term 'direction of the grave' refers to the front of the grave site; releasing water in front of the grave site is to drain the overflowing water in the ditches. All of you just need to read the "Zao Wei Fu" thoroughly, and it will naturally become clear, without needing me to explain further."

夫天下盡皆人子，則無一人無厝葬之事，是此事也須人人知之能之矣。然四民各業，勢不得也，其中乃有嗜好其道、精專是事者，人乃厚禮而延之為地師，於是有傳家之學焉。為地師則有利於是，漸變為射利之途焉；自為射利之途，而變偽百出，黎丘貌似真道，大喪而孝子仁人反受其害矣。世人雖知其弊，而勢不得不延師；勢必延師，則地之得不得在師，更急於得地也。

All people are the sons of others, so no one is without the matter of burying their ancestors. By reason, this matter should be understood and practiced by everyone. However, the four classes of society each have their own occupations, and thus cannot all do it. Among them, some people prefer this study and devote themselves to it, and others then invite them with generous gifts to be geomancers. Thus, there has been a family tradition passed down through generations. Since geomancy becomes profitable, this profession gradually turns into a means of making a living. Once it becomes a means of making a living, deceit and fraud become rampant, like the ghost of Litiu who appears exactly like the real thing. As a result, funerals are ruined, and the filial sons and benevolent people suffer. Although the world knows of this flaw, circumstances often force people to hire a geomancer. Since it is necessary to hire one, whether one can obtain a good site depends entirely on the geomancer. Therefore, choosing a good geomancer is more important than obtaining a good site.

然不能識師，焉能得師。餘於此中久矣，見師多矣，師非不可辨別之物，能知辨之之道，自不得之師也，故者相師之法為人子告焉。或曰：審若是，則世之射利者君而怨多矣。余曰：天下仁人孝子多，地師少，射利者究非地師，乃奸偽之徒也。葬親事大，射利事小，利人子之利溥，害地師之害微；況所利者乃仁人孝子，仁人；而所害者不過奸偽之徒哉。

However, if one cannot recognize a good geomancer, how can one invite a good one? I have been in this line for a long time and have seen many geomancers. A geomancer is not something that cannot be distinguished. As long as one knows the method of discernment, one will naturally not invite a mediocre one. Therefore, I write down the method of identifying geomancers to inform the sons. Some people say: According to your words, would not all those profit-seeking geomancers hate you? I say: There are many benevolent and filial people in the world, but few geomancers; those profit-seeking ones are actually not geomancers, but rather cunning and deceitful people. Burial of relatives is a great matter, profit is a minor thing; the benefit brought to the sons is great, while the harm done to the geomancers is slight. Moreover, those who gain are the benevolent and filial, while those who suffer are merely the deceitful and dishonest.

或問：木生於山，粟芽於室，以其有生氣也；既死之朽骨有何生氣而能澤其子孫。即太王遷邠、周公卜洛，建都立國或有形勢之說，而陰宅前此未聞。大儒朱紫陽酷信風水，而後世猶或非之，吾子專言理氣，獨未思之歟。答曰：上古之不信風水，猶之於草依木處也，利用前民之事皆以漸而興，何況風水，至於朽骨無知。

Someone asked: Trees grow on mountains, and millet sprouts in the house, because they have life qi; then what life qi do decayed bones have, which can shade descendants? Even if King Wen of Zhou moved to Bin and the Duke of Zhou planned Luoyi, perhaps there was some consideration of terrain for establishing a capital, but the concept of阴宅 (burial sites) had not been heard of before that. The great scholar Zhu Xi strongly believed in fengshui, yet later people still criticized him. If you specialize in discussing principles and qi, haven't you considered this point? The answer is: In ancient times, people did not believe in fengshui, just as they lived in nests and caves. All things convenient for people's livelihood gradually developed, let alone the study of fengshui. As for saying that decayed bones are without knowledge—

余幼以泥其說，偶以針浮杯水，亦如羅經之指南北，乃覺其非針與杯水有知也，其所以指南北者乃天地自然之氣也。天包地外，地在天中，則靈蠢蠕物皆轉移於天地之氣。故死者不必有知，而死者之骨實生人之根本，其澤及子孫者，天地之氣為之也。江南之桔樹之江北為枳，無非為天地之氣所使；知桔枳為氣所使，則知死者之骨亦為氣所使也。通天地人謂之儒，朱子為信天地之大者。至於《青鳥》《葬書》前此未聞，則前代有其時耳，豈可以草衣木食反咎今日之布帛宮室也哉。

When I was young, I was also puzzled by such questions. By accident, I floated a needle on a cup of water, and it pointed to the south and north like a compass. Then I realized that the needle and the water had no consciousness; they pointed in that direction because of the natural qi of heaven and earth. Heaven surrounds the earth, and the earth hangs in the middle of heaven. Therefore, all living beings, whether spiritual or not, and all creatures that crawl, move with the qi of heaven and earth. Therefore, the dead may not have consciousness, but their bones are the root of the living. Their bones can bless their descendants because it is the qi of heaven and earth that is at work. The orange tree from the south becomes a trifoliate orange when moved to the north, simply because it is controlled by the qi of heaven and earth. If we know that the transformation of the orange into the trifoliate orange is due to the qi, then we should also know that the bones of the dead are also due to the qi. Only those who can connect heaven, earth, and humanity are called Confucians. Master Zhu was exactly someone who believed in the vastness of heaven and earth. As for the "Classic of the Blue Bird" and the "Book of Burial," I had not heard of them before, simply because previous generations had not yet reached the time when they appeared. Can we blame the present day for the time when our ancestors wore grass clothes and ate fruits from trees?

或問：天星卦例有侈談秘訣者，又有斥其非者。餘仰止極貶星卦並黜理氣，而子耑言理氣又不及星卦，豈理氣在星卦之外歟。先賢云：得卦不得金，枉自費勞心；得金不得卦，謾自空閒話。彼所謂金卦者，獨非理氣歟。

Someone asked: The example of celestial stars and hexagrams, some people talk about it as a secret, while others condemn it as a mistake. Yu Yangzhi strongly criticized the star and hexagram method, even abandoning the principles of qi together; the master specializes in the principles of qi, yet does not mention the star and hexagram, how can the principles of qi be outside the star and hexagram? The ancients said: "Getting the hexagram but not the metal, is just a waste of effort; getting the metal but not the hexagram, is just empty talk." The "metal" and "hexagram" he referred to, are they not the principles of qi?

答曰：楊公云：世人愛把天星論，盡說貪狼武曲尊，嘗將兩字鉗龍脈，莫把天機亂指空。所謂兩字者，實指穿山透地。蓋奪神功、改天命則兼論天盤，而乘氣坐穴專以地盤為主。七十二龍所以坐穴，得金者得七十二龍之分金也；六十龍所以乘氣，得卦者得六十龍之本卦也。時師金卦乃以一百二十分金與卦外起卦，失之遠矣。

Master Yang once said a poem: "People love to discuss heavenly stars, all praising the greedy wolf and Wu Qu. They often use two characters to control the dragon's energy, but do not乱 point the heavenly mechanism in vain." The so-called "two characters" actually refer to the methods of passing through mountains and penetrating the ground. When seizing divine power and changing destiny, one must consider the Heaven Plate, while when riding the qi and sitting the grave, one should focus solely on the Earth Plate. The seventy-two dragons are used for sitting the grave, and "getting gold" means obtaining the dividing gold of the seventy-two dragons. The sixty dragons are used for riding the qi, and "getting the hexagram" means obtaining the primary hexagram of the sixty dragons. Now, geomancers talk about gold and hexagrams, yet they use a different set of one hundred twenty dividing golds and another hexagram outside the original, which is too far from the true method.

以假混真相傳既久，惟《鐵彈子》有云：用先天以統龍，當詳究子四龍之天星；用後天以布屬，宜熟察乎三盤之卦例。四龍者，金木水火也；三盤者，穿山一盤、透地一盤、坐穴一盤。故先天之卦用震坎離兌之局，辨在納音所屬何五行。自五行言之則為四卦，自二父母言之則為三卦，自甲庚丙壬、乙辛丁癸言之則為玄空大卦。其法以之先看坐穴五行所屬何卦，次看穴中透氣所屬何卦，又看逐節來脈所屬何卦，必同歸一卦，而後自山頭立向皆與水合，所謂富貴結全龍也；反此則為出卦，破旺沖生，終歸敗絕。

The mistaken practices have been passed down for a long time, but only the "Iron Bullet" is correct: "Using the Earlier Heaven to control the dragon, one must carefully examine the heavenly stars of the four dragons; using the Later Heaven for layout, one should be well-versed in the trigrams of the three disks." The four dragons refer to metal, wood, water, and fire; the three disks refer to the mountain penetration disk, the underground penetration disk, and the sitting site disk. Therefore, the Earlier Heaven trigrams use the four trigrams of Zhen, Kan, Li, and Dui, and when distinguishing them, one must fully consider the Nayin sound element belonging to which of the Five Phases. From the perspective of the Five Phases, it is four trigrams; from the perspective of the two parents, it is three trigrams; from the perspective of Jia, Geng, Bing, Ren and Yi, Xin, Ding, Gui, it is the great trigrams of Xuan Kong. Its method is: first look at the Five Phases of the sitting site, then look at the Five Phases of the incoming qi in the site, then look at the Five Phases of each section of the incoming ridge, and they must all return to the same trigram. Then, when establishing the direction from the mountain head, they can all harmonize with water. This is called "the complete dragon forming wealth and honor." Conversely, it is called "going out of the trigram," which breaks the prosperity and harms the life force, eventually leading to decline and failure.

天下至難辨者真偽，而以偽亂真猶莫如地理。蓋奪神功改天命，其術雖神，而遇不遇之機緣仍不能強。昔玄宗不知，疑其盜竊神器，乃至藏其書、禁其學，復飭一行禪師撰《銅涵》偽經，為亂雅奪朱之計。朝廷既忌其真，而習其者猶稀，其偽於是有一真說即設一謬解，以混其傳。

The hardest thing to distinguish is truth from falsehood, and nothing is more adept at confusing truth than geography. Because geography can seize divine power and alter destiny, this art is indeed profound, yet whether one meets with it or not still depends on opportunity, and it cannot be forced. Once upon a time, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty did not understand the matter well, suspected that people in the folk were using it to seize the divine treasure, and thus ordered the collection of the books, the prohibition of their study among the people, and the commissioning of Yixing the monk to compose the fraudulent text called the "Bronze Container Classic." His strategy was to confuse the orthodox with the refined and to replace the red with the purple. Since the court feared the true method, those who practiced the true method became even fewer, allowing the false method to spread widely. Every time a true interpretation appeared, a false explanation would accompany it, thus confusing its transmission.

如坎離正位人難識，差卻毫釐斷不靈，此真訣也，則有中針審龍、縫針定穴以亂其真。九星雙起雌雄異，玄關真妙處，此真訣也，則有艮丙為貪狼星、垣分貴賤以亂其真。二父母者陰陽之別名，三卦者從生趨旺、自旺朝生之隱語，此真訣也，則有天父地母二卦審生氣天醫以亂其真。穿山透地坐穴是為三盤，震兌坎離是為四卦，此真訣也，則有才官父子、卦外起卦以亂其真。甲庚丙壬俱屬陽而行，此真訣也，則有陽亥龍為甲木、陰龍為乙木以亂其真。

For example, "The positions of Kan and Li are hard to recognize, a slight error leads to failure," this is a true secret, yet some people use the methods of needle divination for dragon lines and needle determination of sites to confuse it. "The dual emergence of the nine stars with differing yin and yang, the true subtlety lies in the hidden gate," this is a true secret, yet some people use the method of associating Gen and Bing with the star Tianwang and dividing worth based on the垣局 to confuse it. "Two parents" is merely another name for yin and yang, "three trigrams" is just a hidden expression of the movement from birth to prosperity and self-prosperity towards birth, this is a true secret, yet some people use the method of the two trigrams of Heaven and Earth, and examining the life qi and Heavenly Doctor to confuse it. The three disks of mountain penetration, ground penetration, and site selection are called the three disks, and the combination of Zhen, Dui, Kan, and Li are called the four trigrams, this is a true secret, yet some people use the method of the six hexagrams of wife wealth, official ghosts, parents, and children, and starting another trigram outside the main one to confuse it. The stems Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren are all yang and follow the order, this is a true secret, yet some people use the method of calculating Jia wood for yang亥 dragons and Yi wood for yin亥 dragons to confuse it.

淨陰淨陽專言乘氣，兩氣交至是為雙金斗腦，此真訣也，則有陽射陰、陰射陽、向上雙金以亂其真。六十甲子分佈二十四山是為平分六十龍，此真訣也，則以盈宿六十龍以亂其真。七十二龍應七十二候，如淘沙撿金故謂之分金，此真訣也，則有百二十分金以亂其真。

Net Yin and Net Yang specifically refer to the interaction of energies; when two energies meet at a single point, it is called "Double Metal Meeting at the Brain," which is a true secret. However, some people use methods like Yang shooting Yin, Yin shooting Yang, and the upward Double Metal to disrupt it. Distributing the sixty Jiazi across the twenty-four mountains is called "Evenly Dividing the Sixty Dragons," which is a true secret. However, some people use the method of the hundred twenty divisions of the dragons to disrupt it. The seventy-two dragons correspond to the seventy-two seasonal divisions of a year, like sifting sand to select gold, taking some and leaving others, so it is called "Dividing the Gold," which is a true secret. However, some people use the hundred twenty divisions of gold to disrupt it.

二十八宿喜龍水生和、不宜克戰，此真訣也，則有甲子起角管禽星以亂其真。三百六十五度忌關煞空亡，此真訣也，則有天度六十以亂其真。納甲者先天之五行、納音者後天之五行，此真訣也，則有洪範卦氣以亂其真。廉貞破軍是為煞曜，破旺沖生是為黃泉，此真訣也，則有八煞黃泉以亂其真。大玄空乃生成之水，耑論俟星；小玄空實人力所為，穴前折水，此真訣也，則有向上起長生、潮水論生克以亂其真。

The twenty-eight mansions prefer to harmonize with dragons and water, and they should not be in conflict or battle, this is the true secret. Yet some people use the method of starting with Jiazi for the Horn mansion and managing the bird stars to disrupt it. The entire circle of 365 degrees should avoid the evils of the closing and void, this is the true secret. Yet some people use the idea of "heavenly degrees of sixty" to disrupt it. The method of assigning stems (Najia) is based on the Earlier Heaven's Five Phases, and the method of sound elements (Nayin) is based on the Later Heaven's Five Phases, this is the true secret. Yet some people use the method of the Book of Changes' hexagram qi to disrupt it. Lianzhen and Pojun are evil stars, and when they break the prosperity and clash with the birth, it leads to the Yellow Spring, this is the true secret. Yet some people use the method of the eight evils and Yellow Spring to disrupt it. The Great Xuan Kong discusses naturally occurring water, focusing on the stars; the Small Xuan Kong actually refers to human-made water, such as water diverted in front of the site, this is the true secret. Yet some people use the method of determining the birth based on the direction and the flow of water to disrupt it.

諸如賴氏《催官》乍合乍離，吳公《教子書》楊曾二計之外總無一是，矛盾參商其類非一。惟《玉尺》發明《天玉》，而無如倫父覆假劉賴之名為之註釋，展轉傳偽，千古長夜。雖以蔡西山、朱紫陽互相商討，然且縫針雙向依違無定；如《玉髓》陰陽流泉，莫知為理氣。後之人即欲不廢書而嘆，寧可得乎。

As for Lai Wenjun's "On Hastening Officialdom," it sometimes agrees and sometimes disagrees; Wu Gong's "Teaching His Son," apart from transcribing two comments from Yang and Zeng, has nothing else that is correct. There are many other books that contradict themselves and are in dispute. Only the "Jade Measure Classic" truly elaborates on the "Heavenly Jade Classic," but unfortunately,庸 people have falsely attributed it to Liu Bingzhong and Lai Wenjun, making annotations that have been passed down through generations, leading this discipline into an eternal darkness. Even the repeated discussions between Cai Yuanzheng and Zhu Xi on the topics of "sewing needle" and "bidirectional" remained ambiguous. The "Jade髓 True Classic" talks about yin and yang and flowing springs, yet it does not realize that this is precisely the principle of qi. Later generations, even if they wanted to sigh and abandon the books, how could they possibly do so?

予以參悟微言，鑑古人之成格而知五行有主，悟此則吉凶如見，迷此則悵悵何之。因而盡掃群言，獨標正義，作《天機貫旨》以遺天下仁人孝子，今而後楊曾之心法無所不貫也。天以陰陽五行化生萬物，氣以成形而理以賦焉，巒頭理氣是一非一、是二非二，是貫乎《中庸》也。龍陽則水必陰，龍陰則水必陽，天根月屈宛然一太極圖，是貫乎《易》也。相其陰陽即楊曾之看雌雄，觀其流泉即楊曾之認水立向，是貫乎《詩》也。萬事本於黃鐘、起於河洛，律呂旋宮，體用一源，是以後天五行耑重納音，是貫乎性理也。地在天中，為天之大氣所主，則天地之氣即地之氣，是葬乘生氣皆轉移於天地之氣，是貫乎天道也。

I have contemplated the subtle words of the ancients and verified their established patterns, and thus I have come to understand that each of the Five Phases has its own master. When I have grasped this, fortune and misfortune appear clearly before me; when I have lost this understanding, I am lost and do not know where to go. Therefore, I have set aside all other opinions and emphasized the correct path, composing this book, "The Heavenly Mechanism and Its Meaning," for the benevolent and filial people of the world. From now on, the methods of Yang and Zeng are fully integrated. Heaven uses yin and yang and the Five Phases to generate all things; the qi condenses into form and the principle is contained within. The physical form and the qi principle are one yet not one, two yet not two—this is the unity of the "Doctrine of the Mean." If the dragon is yang, then the water must be yin; if the dragon is yin, then the water must be yang. The heavenly root and the lunar cave are clearly a diagram of the Taiji—this is the unity of the "Book of Changes." "Examining its yin and yang" is Yang and Zeng's method of determining the male and female aspects, "Observing its flowing springs" is Yang and Zeng's method of identifying the water and establishing the direction—this is the unity of the "Book of Poetry." All things originate from the Huangzhong pitch and begin with the Yellow River Chart and the Luo Writing. The system of pitch pipes and rotating palaces originate from the same source, so the Later Heaven Five Phases emphasize the Nayin sound element—this is the unity of the study of nature and principle. The earth is suspended in the center of heaven, subject to the dominance of heaven's great qi. Thus, the qi of heaven and earth is the earth's qi, and the burial site takes advantage of the life qi, which shifts with the qi of heaven and earth—this is the unity of the way of heaven.

歲漸差而東，是以縫針之子午進前一位，所以示造葬家候氣之準；天漸差而西，是以中針之子午退後一位，所以示造葬家查緾度之準，是貫乎治歷也。夫滿屋散錢終歸一索，以萬錢同一孔也；同此後天則同此五行，萬事萬物舍是蔑由，而看於天機乎。或者曰：紫色龜聲，餘分閏位，又烏知夫偽之非真而真之非偽也。餘則曰：書以偽，天亦偽，地亦偽，古今之言天道性理者無非一偽，是則餘亦偽也，即謂《天機貫旨》之書以偽亂真也又不可乎。

The solar terms shift eastward each year, so the needle's Zi and Wu are moved forward by one position to serve as a standard for the geomancers to detect the qi changes; the celestial degrees shift westward each year, so the central needle's Zi and Wu are moved backward by one position to serve as a standard for the geomancers to measure the winding degrees — this is the integration of the calendar system. A thousand scattered coins eventually need to be strung together with a single thread, because all the square holes of the coins are the same; similarly, since it is the Later Heaven, it is the same system of the Five Phases, and all things and phenomena cannot be handled without it, let alone the discernment of heavenly mysteries. Perhaps someone might say: purple can be mistaken for red, the sounds of tortoises and beasts can be mistaken for the refined music, and the position of the leap year can also pretend to be the standard, so how can you know whether the false is true or the true is false? I would answer: if the book is false, then heaven is false, earth is false, and all those who have discussed the heavenly way and principles throughout history are all false, then I am also false; even if one says that the book "The Comprehensive Meaning of Heavenly Mysteries" is using falsehood to confuse truth, what is wrong with that?

或問：雙金煞紛紛不一，《行程記》云：不換雙金只管扦，休泥淨陰淨陽。楊曾傳授心法，固有不盡信矣。答曰：雙金乃論乘氣非立向也。卜宅兆者淘沙撿金，古人謂之分金，乃六十龍與七十二龍，後曰三針之下皆添設一百二十，謬種偽傳，遂相率而忘其初耳。六十甲子分佈二十四山，其氣不過一線，從來山起頂處仔細認取，方能使承接之間不差毫釐。如同一子也，丙庚為陽、甲戊壬為陰，既承而子氣不宜雜，以甲戌氣線在界縫之間，兩字雙行，是以雙金斗腦，陰陽駁雜無氣可乘，下後必絕。

Someone asked: The concept of double metal煞 is subject to various interpretations. The "Travel Notes" say: "Do not change the double metal; just proceed with the placement. Do not insist on pure yin or pure yang." This suggests that the methods passed down by Yang and Zeng may not all be reliable. The concept of double metal refers to capturing the qi, not to the direction. Selecting a burial site should be like sifting sand to find gold, a process called "dividing the gold," which refers specifically to the sixty dragons and seventy-two dragons. Later, it was said that under the three needles, one hundred and twenty divisions of gold could be added, leading to false methods being spread widely, and people followed them, forgetting the original meaning. The sixty jiazi are distributed under the twenty-four mountains, each line of qi being only as thin as a thread. One must carefully determine the origin of the mountain to the peak to ensure accuracy in the connection. For example, in the case of a Zi mountain, Bingzi and Gengzi belong to yang, while Jiazi, Wuzi, and Renzi belong to yin. Once the connection is made, it should not be mixed with both yin and yang. Since the lines of qi from Jia and Xu fall exactly at the boundary, when both are used together, it forms "double metal meeting at the head," resulting in a mixture of yin and yang with no qi to capture. If buried in such a place, the descendants will certainly become extinct.

《青囊經》云：更有淨陰淨陽法，前後八尺不宜雜。斜正受來陰陽取，氣乘生旺方無煞。來山起頂方要知，三節四節不須拘，只要龍神得生旺，陰陽卻與穴中殊。陰陽取者，陰則乘丙子氣，陽則受戊子氣也。泛論羅經何從而辨其為甲子、其為戊子，從來山頂起處認取，草蛇灰線之脊，或陰或陽有毫釐不可混之處。先賢云：一毫千里，一指萬山。所謂一毫一指者，辨在微茫。

The Qingnang Jing says: "There is also a method of pure yin and pure yang, with a front and back span of eight feet where no other elements should be mixed. The slope and straight lines are taken according to yin and yang, and the qi should be taken from the direction of birth and prosperity to avoid evil. When the mountain comes to the peak, one must know where it originates; three or four sections are not strictly required. What matters is that the dragon line should be in a state of birth and prosperity, and yin and yang may differ from the situation at the site of the grave." The phrase "taking yin and yang" refers to yin elements taking the qi of Bingzi and yang elements taking the qi of Wuzi. If one merely looks at the compass superficially, how can one distinguish whether it is Jiazi or Wuzi? One must recognize it from where the mountain originates. That subtle line running like a snake through the grass is either yin or yang, and there is no room for confusion, even in the smallest detail. The ancients said: "A hair can span a thousand miles, a finger can encompass ten thousand mountains." The distinction lies in these extremely subtle details.

故指出雙金合入之所趨避。《玉尺經》云：龍落空亡須明避忌。此那六十龍之空亡，即是大金，舊注指七十二失之遠也。《青囊經》之淨陰淨陽、《行程記》之不犯雙金，無非一理，特其文之少變耳。俗以小玄空論雙金於金庫，龍向猶為近似，其餘皆不合。總之以偽亂真，辨之必嚴，乘氣之訣此處明顯矣。

Therefore, it is necessary to point out the place where two metals meet, so that people can know when to approach and when to avoid. The "Jade Scale Classic" says: "When the dragon falls into an empty and dying position, one must clearly avoid and be cautious." This refers precisely to the empty and dying positions of the sixty dragons, which is the "great metal"; old annotations mistakenly refer to it as the seventy-two dragons, which is far from correct. The "Qingang Classic" speaks of pure yin and pure yang, and the "Travel Record" speaks of avoiding double metals, which are essentially the same principle, differing only in wording. The common practice of using small Xuan Kong to discuss double metals, placing them on the metal warehouse, is somewhat close when considering the dragon and the direction, but differs in other aspects. In summary, things that confuse truth with falsehood must be strictly distinguished. The诀窍 of riding the qi is now clearly explained here.

宜豐李三素著。天機出煞出何煞，不出災殃發。明得雙金直射墳，閃得是仙人。直山直向不須下，下後兒孫罷。天機穴裡披雙金，屬土急推尋。巽龍乾向龍虎正，絕了長房定。乾龍巽向亦如然，敗了長房田。艮龍坤向災殃發，亦犯雙金煞。坤龍艮向亦如之，敗了長房兒。

This passage was written by Li Sansu of Yifeng. What does the Heaven's Mechanism refer to when it talks about removing a煞? It refers to removing a harmful influence. If it is not removed, calamities will occur. If the double metal line is directly pointing at the tomb, only a deity can avoid its effects. Where the mountain and direction are directly opposite each other (straight mountain and straight direction), one should not bury a grave, for the descendants will suffer. If the site has double metal and the Nayin element belongs to earth, one must quickly investigate thoroughly. When a dragon from the Xun direction faces the Qian direction, although the dragon, tiger, and sand formations are proper, the eldest son's line will definitely end. The same applies when a dragon from the Qian direction faces the Xun direction, causing the eldest son's land to be lost. When a dragon from the Gen direction faces the Kun direction, calamities will immediately occur, as it has committed the double metal煞; similarly, when a dragon from the Kun direction faces the Gen direction, the eldest son's sons will be lost.

亥龍巽向龍虎偏，吉慶進田莊。艮龍丁向亦如此，主得兒孫富。甲庚丙壬龍直向，長子有災殃；乙辛丁癸亦如之，直射長房兒。坤申來龍寅甲向，壬癸向為上。庫逢子癸位端停，子癸最昌榮。癸山丁向是本法，亦犯雙金煞。離龍坎向亦如妨，壬癸何相當。坎龍午向暫時吉，久後人丁失。離龍單子一般凶，子息也除蹤。

A dragon from the亥 direction facing the巽 direction, even if the dragon and tiger sands are slanted, will still bring good fortune and the addition of farmland; similarly, a dragon from the艮 direction facing the丁 direction also brings prosperity to the descendants. If dragons of the甲, 庚, 丙, and 壬 directions face the correct direction, the eldest son will suffer misfortune; dragons of the乙, 辛, 丁, and 癸 directions will also cause harm to the eldest son's son. If the dragon comes from the坤 or 申 directions and faces the寅 or 甲 direction, it is actually better to face the壬 or 癸 direction. If the Storage is properly aligned and stored at the子 or 癸 position, then the子 and 癸 directions will be most prosperous. Although the癸 mountain facing the丁 direction is the correct method, it still incurs the double metal煞. Similarly, a dragon from the离 direction facing the坎 direction also causes problems, and the words 壬 and 癸 are not suitable. A dragon from the坎 direction facing the午 direction is temporarily auspicious, but over time the family will lose its descendants. A dragon from the离 direction facing the子 direction is also harmful, and the descendants will be cut off.

兌龍直卯何堪下，以卯為向□，又加左右庚甲兼不怕。卯龍直酉何堪裝，辛庚也無妨。十二山頭正直射，絕了長房也。十二支辰正直對，子午命傾危。直山直向合紫微亥也，家吉永無危。辛戌得龍又得穴，左右無空缺。丙丁庚辛水口連，立便進田莊。取得辛亥穴得正，水口流永吉。忽然左畔有高峰，右畔有凹風。左邊山風容易整，填滿便無病。有力之家用土培，無力之家用木栽。

How can one bury a dead person when the dragon of the Trigram Dui (Lake) is directly facing the Mao (Rabbit) position? If one insists on using the Mao position as the direction, as long as the sides are supplemented with the directions of Geng (Metal) and Jia (Wood), there will be no problem. Similarly, how can one bury a dead person when the dragon of the Trigram Mao is directly facing the You (Rooster) position? As long as the directions of Xin (Metal) and Geng (Metal) are supplemented, there will be no harm. If the head of a mountain corresponding to one of the twelve Earthly Branches is directly facing the main line, the eldest son will face extinction. If the mountain corresponding to Chen (Dragon) is directly facing the main line, people with the destiny of Zi (Rat) or Wu (Horse) will be in danger of their lives. If the straight mountain and straight direction exactly match the position of the Purple Micro Palace (Zhai Wei) in the Hai (Dog) position, then the family residence will be auspicious and safe forever. If the Xin and Xu directions are both true dragons and the main site is correct, the surrounding hills on both sides will be complete. If the water mouth of the directions of Bing, Ding, Geng, and Xin are connected, the family will immediately gain farmland and estates. If one takes the Xin Hai position and the site is correctly seated, the water will flow continuously and always bring good fortune. If suddenly there is a high hill on the left and a hollow wind on the right, the left hill wind is easy to manage; filling it up will eliminate the problem. Those with the means can use earth to raise the ground, while those without the means can plant trees to block the wind.

明得天心天穴子，便識陰陽山水口。陽山穴莫水流陰，閃受穴中心。二十四山依此識，不怕穴斜側。穴心水口合山頭，穴側也風流。龍虎穴正是本法，水口怕犯煞。水口龍虎若彎弓，富貴在其中。淺學時師無學識，只道穴斜側，不知其地有真龍，富貴即相逢。陰陽交雜正龍穴，穴正多啾唧；陰陽不雜穴偏側，偏側也為吉。此是太華出煞訣，依此全無煞。吾今特錄與時師，留下救人災。

If one can recognize the location of the heavenly heart and heavenly cave, then one understands the relationship between yin and yang and the mountains and water mouths. For a yang mountain, the cave should not allow water to flow to the yin side; it can be slightly avoided, and the water should be received at the center of the cave. All twenty-four mountains should be recognized in this way, and one will not fear that the cave is slanted. As long as the cave center and the water mouth match the mountain head, even if the cave is slightly slanted, it will still be beautiful. Although the dragon and tiger sands and the cave are properly aligned, it is still the correct method, but the water mouth is most afraid of evil influences. If the dragon and tiger sands on both sides of the water mouth embrace like a bow, wealth and honor will be within. A shallow-minded geomancer lacks insight and will only say that the cave is slanted or biased, not knowing that there is true dragon in the land, and wealth and honor will come immediately. If yin and yang are mixed but the cave is properly seated, even a properly seated cave will bring many troubles and gossip. If yin and yang are not mixed but the cave is slightly slanted, the slanting is actually auspicious. This is the method of eliminating evil from the Great Huashan Master. Following this method will completely eliminate evil influences. Today I specially copied it out for all geomancers, leaving it to save people from disasters.

龍有三難三易，穴有三吉四凶，砂有五曜方位，水有二十四沖。龍者變化也，自然盤起伏、爪分牙，枝分葉動，土形氣行，界合分明，出散明白，元神有顧，玄武垂頭支要顧，木氣要隨行，出身端正者為龍也。推車審龍，擔擔點穴，正所謂總審龍、散點穴也。

Dragon forms can be difficult to recognize in three ways and easy to recognize in three ways. The site has three good and four bad aspects. The terrain has five luminaries in specific directions, and water has twenty-four kinds of shooting directions.the so-called dragon refers to change: naturally winding and undulating, spreading like claws and teeth, with branches dividing again and leaves moving accordingly; the form of the earth and the movement of the qi are clearly distinct, with the emergence of the vein and the dispersion of the qi clearly defined; the origin god shows a sense of looking back, the top of the Black Tortoise hangs down, and the branch veins must look after each other, with the wood qi following continuously; only those that originate properly can be considered true dragons. Reviewing the dragon should be done like pushing a cart, searching along the way, and selecting the site should be done like carrying a load, balancing both ends. In short, reviewing the dragon is the overall consideration, while selecting the site is the specific action.

龍有死生，穴有不同，砂有真偽，水有吉凶，龍水相濟，福祿重重。龍不論形，星宿為名；砂不論相，龍合則榮；穴無所定，得氣為憑；水無遠近，協脈為情。無奴莫尋主，無君莫問臣。出身端正者為君為主，轉頭出血者為臣為奴。龍不仰揚，富貴不長；穴無動靜，所蔭不昌；砂不尊卑，枉用心機；水不屈曲，吉中不足。

Dragons may be alive or dead, and each grave site is different; hills may be genuine or false, and water may be auspicious or ominous. Dragons and water interact with each other, bringing forth abundance of blessings and honors. When discussing dragons, one should not be confined to their shape, but should determine their name according to the nine stars and star mansions; when discussing hills, one should not only look at their appearance, but only need them to harmonize with the dragon for prosperity. A grave site does not have a fixed position; it is only considered valid if it can capture the qi. Water does not need to be far or near; it is only considered harmonious if it agrees with the ridge. If there are no servants, there is no need to look for the master; if there is no king, there is no need to ask about the ministers. Those that originate properly are the king or the master, while those that branch off are ministers or servants. If the dragon does not rise proudly, wealth and honor will not last long; if the grave site lacks movement and emotion, the descendants it protects will not flourish; if the hills do not distinguish between honor and humility, all efforts are wasted; if the water does not bend and show affection, there will always be some deficiency even in auspicious situations.

要識亥卯離三難，須識壬子癸、巽已丙、庚酉辛之三易。丁壬乙審穴之三吉，辰戌丑未正穴之四凶。禽獸橫樑關軸位，此是大地五曜星。水從前後並左右，龍身不合者總為沖。南水沖面氣不北，西水沖面氣不東。步水作來藏聚理，莫在平波論北（比□）風。生處審來生處作，自然砂水合神功。

To recognize the three difficult dragon directions of Hai, Mao, and Li, as well as the three easy dragon directions of Renzi, Kuai, and Xunsi, is essential. Ding, Ren, and Yi are the three auspicious directions for examining the site, while Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are the four inauspicious directions for the main site. Qinxing, Shuxing, Hengliang, Guanxing, and Zhuxi are the five luminaries on the earth. Water coming from either front or side, if it does not harmonize with the dragon body, is considered a conflict. Water coming from the south to face the site will not carry the qi to the north; water coming from the west to face the site will not carry the qi to the east. Measuring the water flow should follow the principle of sheltering wind and gathering qi, not discussing northern wind on a flat water surface. To examine the dragon coming from the source of qi, also make the site at the source of qi, and the terrain and water will naturally harmonize with the divine effect.

記得古人傳受法，廖禹丁寧語伯通。看地只要會審龍，要看大地認雌雄。大地須要大合水，不比乾窩小局同。有水便把水來證，莫把龍身誤認宗。一等時師不識法，誤認窠凹窟突窮。水上再無水，龍上再無龍。岸畔作水終非吉，茵褥無龍總是空。自古山川有改變，焉知今與古時同。不是路通車馬析，也是山崩被水沖。有人識得其中訣，卻與楊曾郭鏷同。崑崙乃是山之祖，天下乾枝萬葉中。庚辛江北真奇脈，艮亥江南第一龍。已丙巽歸閩地旺，坤申只在六陽豐。戌乾坎癸南瓊盛，卯乙單行下章中。寅甲卻來蜀地走，離壬獨向廣陵宮。有人看遍人間地，萬里江山掌握中。

Remember the methods passed down by ancient sages, as Liao Yu repeatedly instructed Bo Tong. To examine a site, one must be able to discern the dragon line; to understand large terrain, one must recognize the yin and yang. Large terrain must have a great body of water converging with it, and it cannot be compared with small localities like dry pits. When there is water, use it as a standard; do not confuse the ancestral source of the dragon line. Some geomancers do not understand the principles and mistakenly take small features like pits, depressions, caves, and protrusions as true sites. If there is no water above the water, and no dragon above the dragon, then forcing water along the bank will ultimately bring misfortune. It appears soft and flat like a cushion, but without a dragon, it is all in vain. Since ancient times, mountains and rivers have changed, how can we know that the current situation is the same as in the past? Either it has been split by roads and carriages, or mountains have collapsed, or rivers have eroded them. Those who can understand the secret formulas are on par with Yang Yunsong, Zeng Wenchuan, and Guo Pu. Kunlun is the ancestor of all mountains, and thousands of branches of the main dragon and its offshoots all originate from there. The dragons of Geng and Xin are truly remarkable in the north of the Yangtze River, while those of Gen and Hai are the best in the south. The dragons of Si, Bing, and Xun converge most strongly in Fujian. The dragons of Kun and Shen are most prosperous in areas of six yang. The dragons of Xu, Qian, Kan, and Gui flourish in the southern area of Qiong崖. The dragons of Mao and Yi travel south alone, which will be explained in the next chapter. The dragons of Yin and Jia head toward Sichuan, while the dragons of Li and Ren go alone to Guangling. If someone can examine all the land on earth, then the entire country will be within their grasp.

論向尋龍道最微，雖知亥卯與南離，其中若得真消息，何患人家不富時。

Speaking of establishing the direction and searching for the dragon, this principle is most subtle. Even if you know about the亥 dragon,卯 dragon, and the southern Li dragon, if you cannot obtain the true information (i.e., the method of matching the dragon and water for prosperity and vitality), it is still not sufficient; once you have obtained the true information, who would not become wealthy?

亥龍一劍向南飛，乾上方知長子虧。壬氣中房多損敗，頂心長子十分奇。卯龍若至一樣牽，若當甲乙長房偏。當頭若立庚辛向，長富中房富貴全。離有獨火向南來，丁丙偏中長幼衰。個字有緣心上點，中房平地一聲雷。陽龍乾申及寅甲，坤乙原同長子春。坎卯離壬中子事，辰戌單行幼子身。

A dragon of the亥 branch resembles a sword flying directly south. If its energy is biased towards the乾 position, the eldest son will suffer losses. If it is influenced by the壬 energy, the middle son will suffer setbacks. If it directly faces the center line of the head, the eldest son will achieve remarkable success. Similarly, when a dragon of the卯 branch comes, it can be interpreted in the same way: if it aligns with the甲 or乙 energies, the eldest son will be weak. If it faces the庚 or辛 directions directly, the eldest son will be wealthy, and the middle son will also be prosperous. A dragon of the离 branch comes alone with fiery energy heading south. If its energy is biased towards the丁 or丙 energies, both the eldest and youngest sons will decline. However, if it is located at the central point of a「个」 shape branch, the middle son will suddenly achieve great success as if there was a thunderclap on flat ground. Yang dragons include乾,申,寅, and甲, as well as坤 and乙, which all indicate success for the eldest son. The坎,卯,离, and壬 directions govern the youngest son. The辰 and戌 branches, when moving alone as dragons, should be considered for the youngest son.

陰龍庚震合心同，亥已原來長子空。卯酉行龍中子事，切須艮丙丑尋沖。艮丙巽辛及兌丁，局前水法十分清。有人識得其中趣，何患茅屋不出卿。長幼水尋長幼龍，方知斷法有神功。羅經分明別向處，富貴分窮似鏡中。壬癸相沖似水渥，坎離水盛骨顏希。人家若犯相沖水，外絕瘋瘋浸死尸。

The dragon of the yin type, when paired with Geng, forms a single heart with Zhen; the Zi and Si directions originally indicate the eldest son's affairs are empty. The卯 and酉 directions govern the middle son's matters, and one should also be careful about the Gen, Bing, and Chou directions for any conflicting rays. Gen pairs with Bing, Xun pairs with Xin, and Dui pairs with Ding. As long as the water flow in front of the site is clear and affectionate, someone who understands the meaning can still expect officials to arise from a humble cottage. One must search for the dragon according to the eldest and youngest sons to know the effectiveness of this method. When the compass clearly distinguishes the direction, who is wealthy and who is poor is as clear as looking in a mirror. The waters of Ren and Gui conflict, and the burial ground is like being submerged in water. If the waters from Kan and Li are too strong, the bones and appearance will be hard to preserve. If a family is affected by such conflicting waters, the branch outside will face extinction, and there will be madness within the family, with corpses submerged in the coffin.

丑艮多朝瞎夫多，丑艮滿槨蟻成窩。其間若有單來艮，官事連綿怎奈何。寅甲橫朝瘋跛疾，更遭瘟火有千年。甲多寅少尸骸絕，寅土木根脅上橫。卯上定因軍賊傾，更嫌官事不曾停。若然真到身邊繞，吊死扛尸兩事興。乙辰向到而前朝，白蟻成窩直貫頭。遺腹單傳遺腹子，乙多有水浸棺浮。

The water coming from the Chou and Gen directions is excessive, leading to many blind men in the family and white ants building nests in the coffin; if only the Gen direction water comes, there will be continuous lawsuits, what can be done? Water coming from the Yin and Jia directions flows horizontally, causing insanity and lameness, and also suffering from plague and fire, which will persist for a long time. If there are many Jia directions but few Yin directions, the corpses will be cut off; since Yin belongs to earth and the wood roots grow horizontally, they will pass through the ribs of the coffin. Water coming from the Mao direction will result in loss of property due to soldiers and thieves, and also be plagued by continuous lawsuits; if that water really flows around to the vicinity, both hanging and carrying the corpse for burial will happen. If the water comes from the Yi and Chen directions facing forward, white ants will build nests all the way to the coffin head; the family will only rely on a child born from a pregnant woman, and if there is too much water from the Yi direction, it will even cause the coffin to float.

巽已兩朝敗絕多，若逢巽丙又多磨。棺材有水人離散，獨自尸身定不多。二水難當一兩沖，十人常有九為軍。官事未停遭賊敗，尸骸似石化為灰。丁未朝來受大災，丁多有水未吹骸。陰人難免癆癀病，離散為僧或道家。坤申一見退田塘，坤少申多骨自寒。水若單坤一穴水，扛尸官事莫能防。

Wind and Snake directions' water coming together brings much failure and destruction; if Wind and Bing directions' water also arrive, there will be great difficulties. Water entering the coffin leads to family separation and few remaining bones. When two streams of water rush in together, it is very hard to bear, with nine out of ten people going to join the army; lawsuits never end, and thieves ruin the family, the bones become hard as stone and finally turn to ashes. Water coming from the Ding and Wei directions brings great calamity; more water from the Ding direction and more wind from the Wei direction will blow away the bones; women are likely to suffer from chronic illness and swelling, and family members will scatter to become monks or Taoist priests. If water comes from the Kun and Shen directions, the fields and ponds should be abandoned; with less water from the Kun direction and more from the Shen direction, the bones will naturally become cold. If water flows into the grave pit only from the Kun direction, it will be difficult to carry the body out and to avoid legal troubles.

庚酉辛朝定損妻，庚宮若盛長房虧。酉宮能到官災起，十個夫妻九個悲。戌乾坤穴十分凶，乾戌分明水在中。戌宮單到生白蟻，夭壽官災兩事逢。亥水單朝不可當，初然一犯退田塘。投河氣疾連瘟病，須識雖遭白蟻傷。

Water coming from the directions of Geng, You, and Xin will certainly harm the wife; if the water in the Geng direction is too strong, the eldest son's fortune will be lost. When water from the You direction arrives, official troubles will arise, and out of ten couples, nine will be sorrowful. A grave situated at the Kun position with the Xu and Qian directions nearby is extremely dangerous, as there is clearly water between the Qian and Xu directions. Water alone from the Xu direction will cause white ants, and both short life and official troubles will occur together. Water coming alone from the Hai direction is the hardest to bear, leading to the loss of fields and ponds at first, followed by drowning, anger-related illnesses, and epidemics. It is also necessary to know that the coffin will be damaged by white ants.

庚辛不必丙丁朝，丙丁相剋似燒湯。丙丁若有庚辛到，金闋兒孫世代朝。壬癸何須甲乙來，龍被洩氣力斯衰。若還甲乙逢壬癸，富貴一發興似雷。亥卯未龍本屬陰，若逢已酉丑相侵。雖然合得淨陰理，後代兒孫也禍臨。寅午戌龍本屬陽，若逢申子辰相傷。雖然合得淨陽理，後代兒孫禍莫當。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Glossary: Shen-Zi-Chen = Water triad Hai-Mao-Wei = Wood triad Yin-Wu-Xu = Fire triad Si-You-Chou = Metal triad Geng and Xin dragons do not necessarily require water from Bing and Ding directions to flow towards the hall. Bing and Ding fire would overcome Geng and Xin metal, like pouring boiling soup on them. Conversely, if Bing and Ding dragons receive water from Geng and Xin directions, their descendants will be able to ascend to the Golden Palace and pay homage to the emperor in successive generations. Nen and Gui dragons do not need water from Jia and Yi directions. Water nourishes wood but also drains its energy, weakening the dragon's power. If Jia and Yi dragons encounter water from Nen and Gui directions, their wealth and status will rise suddenly, like thunder. The Wood triad (Hai-Mao-Wei) is inherently yin. If it encounters the Metal triad (Si-You-Chou) to attack, although it aligns with the principle of 'pure yin,' the descendants will still suffer misfortune. The Fire triad (Yin-Wu-Xu) is inherently yang. If it meets the Water triad (Shen-Zi-Chen) to harm it, although it aligns with the principle of 'pure yang,' the descendants will also face unavoidable calamities.

巽已單逢艮水來，長房幼子占文魁。艮脈若是單逢巽，一旦榮華一旦休。乾坤若有一泓坤，富貴驟興白屋門。坤宮若有乾水到，一敗如灰不可聞。不問橫朝遠近津，須知出去以為真。落囊低處宜為重，若犯三丁一樣雲。

The Wind trigram (Xun) combined with the Snake branch (Si) dragon, if it meets the Mountain trigram (Gen) water from the Gen direction, both the eldest son and the youngest son can attain literary excellence. However, if the Mountain trigram (Gen) dragon meets the Wind trigram (Xun) water from the Xun direction, there will be temporary prosperity followed by decline. If the Heaven (Qian) and Earth (Kun) trigrams have a stream of water coming from the Kun direction, even a poor and cold family can suddenly become wealthy and prosperous. Conversely, if the Kun trigram area has water coming from the Qian direction, the decline will be as severe as ashes, completely ruined. There is no need to consider the distance of the water crossing the river, what matters is the outlet of the water. The low-lying area where the water settles is most important. If it violates the Three Ding taboo, the situation is the same as described above.

庚丁坤上是黃泉，坤向庚丁不可言。甲癸向中憂見艮，辛壬水路怕當乾。乾向若教辛水見，艮逢甲癸宅須遷。巽逢乙丙須當忌，有人犯了定憂前。時師若與人開作，十墳葬了九墳遷。學來要作傳家寶，任是千金莫亂傳。

When facing the direction of Geng or Ding, the Kun direction is considered the Yellow Spring, which is inauspicious. Conversely, if the direction of Kun is chosen and there is water from Geng or Ding directions, it is also considered inauspicious. When facing the direction of Jia or Gui, the most feared situation is encountering water from the Gen direction. When facing the direction of Xin or Ren, the most feared situation is having a water path directly facing the Qian direction. If facing the direction of Qian and the water from the Xin direction is visible, or if facing the direction of Gen and encountering water from Jia or Gui directions, such graves must be relocated. Facing the direction of Xun and encountering water from Yi or Bing directions should also be avoided, as those who commit this mistake will face troubles soon. If a geomancer uses this method to select mountains and make burials, out of ten graves, nine will need to be moved. This set of rules should be treated as a family treasure, and even if given to a daughter, it should not be passed around carelessly.

甲向黃泉水在寅，此水逢之意便嗔。莊田花盡人丁死，何處求仙問此因。乙向墳前已水流，此是黃泉急要修。瘟癀歲歲莊田退，災禍重重怎奈何。丙向黃泉巽水流，人丁先損退田牛。此是黃泉八煞水，若臨墓宅禍無休。庚向墳前若見申，此水逢之不稱心。定出鰥夫並寡母，須教枉死少年人。

The Yellow Spring (a bad direction in feng shui) for the direction Jia is in the Yin direction. If water flows from this direction, it causes great annoyance: property is lost, people die out, and there is nowhere to turn to gods or spirits to find out the reason. For the direction Yi, if water flows from the Si direction in front of the tomb, this is the Yellow Spring, and it must be corrected quickly: there will be annual epidemics and swelling, property declines, and disasters pile up, leaving people helpless. For the direction Bing, the Yellow Spring is in the Xun direction. If water flows from Xun, it first causes loss of people, then loss of property and cattle; this is the Yellow Spring Eight Evil Water. Once it reaches the tomb or residence, misfortunes never end. For the direction Geng, if water from the Shen direction is seen in front of the tomb, encountering it brings dissatisfaction: there will certainly be widows and widowers, and young people will die in vain.

辛向黃泉何處尋，朝來乾上損人丁。定出瘟癀損人口，年年人帶白頭巾。壬向墳前亥水流，少年枉死人泉囚。任是錢財難免此，年年災禍不曾休。癸向黃泉艮莫流，艮向甲癸不須求。乙丙莫教流巽上，乙丙還憂已水流。辛壬作向怕乾位，乾向辛壬切須忌。庚辛還怕坤申水，乾見庚丁亦如是。

When facing the direction of Xin, the Yellow Spring is located in the Qian direction. If water flows from the Qian direction, it will harm the family members, causing plague and swelling diseases, and people will die yearly, with white headscarves being worn for funerals. When facing the direction of Ren, if water flows from the Hai direction in front of the tomb, young people will die unjustly, and people will be trapped in the Yellow Spring. Even with great wealth, disasters will continue every year. When facing the direction of Gui, avoid having water flow from the Gen direction. When facing the direction of Gen, there is no need to seek water from the Jia or Gui directions. When facing the direction of Yi or Bing, avoid having water flow to the Xun direction. Yi and Bing also fear water flowing from the Si direction. Using the directions of Xin or Ren, be cautious about water from the Qian direction. Facing the Qian direction, be careful about water from the Xin or Ding directions. The directions of Geng and Xin also fear water from the Kun or Shen directions. Facing the Qian direction and seeing water from the Geng or Ding directions is equally dangerous.

乾上有砂在二宮，但是天馬在其中。更向亥中逢祿馬，貴人壬上認其蹤。乾上有砂在二宮，便是天馬趕辛蹤。酉上有砂在辛宮，辛峰必與貴人同。午上有砂在二鄉，便是天馬在南方。已上有砂方作祿，必然丙是貴人郎。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Glossary: Heavenly Horse = Tian Ma Nobleman = Gui Ren When the Qian trigram area has ridges occupying two palace positions, the Heavenly Horse is among them; if the禄马 (favorable horse) is encountered in the Hai direction, the Nobleman can be traced to the Ren direction. When the Qian trigram area has ridges occupying two palace positions, it indicates the Heavenly Horse is following the Xin direction; if the You direction has ridges falling into the Xin palace, the Xin peak is certainly associated with the Nobleman. When the Wu direction has ridges occupying two positions, the Heavenly Horse is in the southern direction; if the Si direction has ridges, then the Bing direction is certainly the Nobleman.

午上有峰第一鄉，午上有峰第二祥。兩峰疊作祿馬到，貴人丁上姓名香。甲為庚祿卯為乙，假祿何須向貴人。更有寅甲並癸子，兩般真祿不多泰。艮巽誰知無祿馬，一身長在貴人宮。自有六秀贈祿馬，邀我同入紫微宮。

The southern direction has a peak which is the first class of auspicious land, and if there is another peak in the southern direction, it is the second level of auspicious signs; when two peaks overlap, it is considered as having both禄 and 马 together, and the Nobleman should be in the丁 direction, with his name spreading far and wide. The eastern direction is the禄 position of 庚, and the卯 direction is the禄 position of 乙; such false禄 positions are unnecessary to seek the Nobleman. There are two groups, namely 寅 and 甲, and 癸 and 子, which are the two true禄 positions, but they are rarely seen in the world. The 艮 and 巽 directions, who do not actually have禄 and 马, are entirely located in the Nobleman's palace; naturally, the six excellent directions will give禄 and 马, inviting me to enter the Purple Micro Palace together.

壬子丙向誤人多，田須無破不成禾。水浸亡人棺板壞，蟻子頭邊已做窩。壬子丙向空亡路，丙水流巽無去處。斷定離鄉落水人，破敗官災田地廢。戌乾二山巽莫下，地戶天關非吉封。兩頭無骨木如槽，家業浮沉日凋謝。

Renzi dragon facing Bing direction misleads many people: if the land is not broken or disturbed, it will not grow rice; water enters the coffin and drowns the deceased, the coffin boards rot and white ants have already made a nest near the head. Renzi dragon facing Bing direction is exactly on the empty亡 line; the water from the Bing direction flows to the Xun direction but has nowhere to go; it can be determined that the family will have people leaving home, drowning deaths, and also suffer from property loss, legal troubles, and land becoming wasteland. Do not face the Xun direction with the Wu and Qian mountains; that is the place of the earth gate and heaven gate, not a favorable burial area; the coffin has no bones at both ends, only an empty slot, family fortune fluctuates and gradually declines.

辛山若作乙辰向，失落黃金日化塵。墓內定知多積水，風聲速敗主家貧。兌山寅甲陰陽背，新婦卻言遭兒害。骨骸失落已無多，板內必成泥上塊。坤山不宜安艮向，板爛黃金遭水漲。木板之內亂交加，退敗田塘家業喪。

If the辛 mountain is oriented towards乙 and the direction is辰, all the gold items buried with the corpse will be lost and gradually turn into dust; there will certainly be much water accumulated in the tomb, and once the wind blows, the tomb will quickly deteriorate, leading to the family's poverty. If the兑 mountain has water flowing towards寅 and甲, yin and yang are exactly opposite, and the wife will be harmed by her son; the scattered bones are already not much, and the coffin will certainly only contain mud. It is not suitable to face艮 direction for the坤 mountain; the coffin will rot and the gold items will be submerged by water; inside the wooden coffin there will be disorder, the fields and ponds will decline, and the family's fortune will be completely lost.

離山已穴最不佳，週年田地水堆沙。泥土蓋尸棺板爛，黃金失落更生蛇。巽山不宜戌乾向，水流寅甲遭水漲。連年退敗見官非，更損牛羊家道喪。辰戌丑未水來潮，其家禍害不曾饒。官災橫事年年見，墓中棺木自然消。

The grave site located at the Si position with the mountain facing Li is very bad, causing the whole year's fields to be flooded with sand and mud; the soil covers the corpse, the coffin rots, the metal objects are lost, and snakes will also appear. A mountain facing Xun is not suitable for a direction facing Xu or Qian; if the water flows towards Yin or Bing directions, water will rise and cause disasters; there will be continuous losses, lawsuits, loss of cattle and sheep, and the family will decline. If water flows from the four directions of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, the family will constantly face misfortunes: official troubles and unexpected events happen every year, and the coffin in the grave will naturally decay over time.

乾坤二山損長房，鉅富小貴發中房。跏跎瞎吊生聾啞，定招二姓一小郎。坎離二山龍腰長，一發如雷又善良。不問諸房淫慾起，三男四子損妻房。艮山第一出賢良，小房發福富田莊。個個人賢才俊美，若逢百步探花郎。震山擬做少陰龍，為官必定到三公。若然十五三十步，牛羊富盛長房豐。

The mountains of Qian and Kun cause harm to the eldest son, but they can bring great wealth to the middle son, though his status is not high. The family will produce people who are lame, blind, commit suicide, or are deaf and mute, and certainly will welcome in a son from another family. If the mountains of Kan and Li have a long body, the dragon will move swiftly like thunder, and the people will be kind-hearted; however, no matter which family it affects, there will be a tendency towards lustful desires, and there will be three sons and four children, which may harm the wife. The mountain of Gen is the best, producing virtuous and capable people, with the youngest son becoming prosperous, the fields and estates rich, and everyone possessing good character, talent, and beauty. If the dragon travels a hundred steps before stopping, it can produce a person who ranks third in the imperial examination. The mountain of Zhen can be considered as a minor yin dragon, and those who live there will certainly attain high official positions, such as the Three Dukes. If the dragon travels only fifteen to thirty steps, then cattle and sheep will be abundant, and the eldest son will be prosperous.

巽辛二山澈骨清，過房二姓莫同興。庶子螟蛉難養育，只堪一姓住千秋。兌丁二山真好裁，不問親庶尺寬懷。長子房中人口旺，錢糧百萬繡衣郎。丙山十步勢來長，出富出貴在何方。幼子為官並兩府，長男貧賤又棲惶。庚山百步勢英雄，長子房中福更崇。中子旺人財帛盛，二三幼子共伶仃。

The mountains of Xun and Xin are clear and penetrating, but they cannot allow the child from another family to flourish together; the sons born out of wedlock and the adopted sons are difficult to raise, and they are only suitable for one family to live for thousands of years. The mountains of Dui and Ding are truly good places for choosing a burial site; regardless of whether the son is legitimate or not, they can be treated generously; the main branch of the eldest son has a thriving population, with millions of money and grain, and they are born into families wearing splendid official robes. If the mountain of Bing extends for ten steps with a continuous and enduring momentum, where exactly does the wealth and honor come from? The youngest son becomes an official and holds positions in two households, while the eldest son remains poor and in a state of hardship. The mountain of Geng extends for a hundred steps with heroic momentum, and the fortune of the eldest son is even more profound; the middle son has a thriving population and abundant wealth, but the second and third youngest sons are all lonely and destitute.

甲山乾向遠來長，中男次子出郎官。長子貧窮遭苦厄，何愁金榜不名香。乙龍獨怕屬青蛇，兩房死婦事如麻。患眼駝腰官府害，辰山氣盛主人邪。癸山單出寡婦娘，瘟病年年不可當。中房中子人丁旺，幼男長子生瘟癀。壬山壬水出豪強，百步朝來產秀郎。若得回龍為上吉，自然無事到官方。

The mountain of Jia faces the Qian trigram and has a long and distant dragon line; the second son of the middle son will become an official. The eldest son will be poor and in hardship, but he will not lack a reputation on the imperial examination list. The dragon line of Yi is only afraid of falling on the branch of the snake (Si); both branches will suffer the death of women, causing much trouble; family members will suffer from eye diseases, hunchbacks, and be harassed by the authorities. If the mountain of Chen is too strong, the master will take a wrong path. The mountain of Gui alone in power will produce widows; there will be annual epidemics that are hard to bear; the middle son of the middle branch will have a thriving population, but the younger son and the eldest son will suffer from epidemic diseases and swelling. The mountain of Ren paired with the water of Ren will produce strong and powerful people; if the incoming water flows for a hundred steps to the hall, it will produce talented scholars. If it can get the returning dragon to look back at the ancestors, it will be an excellent omen, naturally safe and trouble-free, without needing to go to court.

木直金灣土是橫，火星尖秀向南行。水星一似生蛇是，說與時師論五行。

The shapes of the five stars: the Jupiter star has a straight body like a mountain, the metal star has a curved body, the earth star has a square and horizontal body, the fire star has a sharp and elegant body that tends to move southward, and the water star has a body that is bent like a live snake. Say this to the geomancers so that they may use it to discuss the Five Phases.

金空不可當心下，土實須從角上裁。火星葬頂，水星嘴，木直須從節上埋。

The burial methods for the Five Stars: The Gold Star requires the mountain body to be hollow in the center, and the grave should not be placed directly at the center; the Earth Star has a solid mountain body, and the grave should be cut from its corners; the Fire Star should be buried at the top, the Water Star should be buried at the tip of the bend, and the Wood Star, which has a straight mountain body, should be buried at the joints.

蓋粘倚撞論星辰，吞吐浮沉饒減直。枕頂挨筋休破骨，銷金點穴莫傷唇。凡認穴情看住絕，水若行時脈不歇，停時當有小明堂，氣止水交方是穴。後面要令氣可乘，前頭要使交截水，若還鑿腦不傷唇，行急傷龍非融結。

When selecting a site for a grave, one should combine the four methods of covering, adhering, leaning, and colliding with the form of the stars. Then adjust using swallowing, spitting, floating, and sinking along with the reduction and straightening techniques. When the site is placed on the mountain peak, it should be adjacent to the sinew and vein, without breaking the bone. The point should be as fine as melting gold, without damaging the lip of the site. In identifying the site, one should determine whether the qi is "staying" or "cut off": if water is still flowing, the qi has not stopped; once the water stops, there should be a small bright hall in front. Only where the qi stops and the water converges is the true site. The back of the site should allow the qi to be supported, and the front should be able to intercept and converge the water. If only the top of the head is dug without damaging the lip, it is still good. However, if the dragon is too urgent, it is damaging the dragon and not truly forming a convergence.

尋龍先尋宗與祖，不辨祖宗何足語。大山高聳是真龍，踴躍奔騰儔可語。乾坤位尊陰陽分，龍布雌雄須認取。兩邊夾從看尊卑，三里五里相隨護。先看應龍在何處，主客相迎各回顧。或居水口或平田，或近江湖或大路。或如猛虎奔青山，或似弱龍投水去。欲落未落雁南飛，欲住未住群鴉聚。龍若住時山水回，龍未成時山水去。山崗到處有陰陽，只恐時師不遭遇。

To find a dragon mountain, one must first find its ancestral and main mountains. If one cannot distinguish between ancestors and descendants, how can one talk about finding a dragon? The true dragon is a high and towering mountain, with a dynamic and vigorous momentum that is worth noting. Heaven and Earth are fixed, and yin and yang are divided, so the dragon's energy is arranged with male and female pairs, which must be clearly identified. The side mountains that accompany and protect should be examined for their rank and status, and they should follow along for three or five li. First, look for the responding dragon mountain; the main mountain and the guest mountain should greet each other and look back at each other. It may be located at the water mouth, or on a flat field; it may be near a river or lake, or beside a major road. Some resemble a tiger leaping toward green hills, others like a weak dragon entering water; when about to settle but not yet, it is like geese flying south; when about to stop but not yet, it is like a flock of crows gathering. Once the dragon settles, the water and mountains will form a circular pattern; if the dragon has not yet formed, the water and mountains will continue to move forward. Every hill has both yin and yang, but the problem is that the geomancer may not encounter or recognize them.

特起高山作祖宗，降世行度若奔騰，驤可取也。景純謂勢如萬馬自天而下，卜氏謂辭樓下殿。論龍陰陽非乾陽坤陰，龍上而妙在雌雄二字。夾從護送山也，尊卑高低也，要隨護不皆應龍案也，迎者情繾綣也，平地大路指融結在彼也，猛虎渴龍謂行度體勢也，雁飛謂山水去也，鴉聚謂山水止也，山高急與府者屬陰，平支低浮仰者屬陽也。

The explanation says: A mountain that is specially high and prominent can be considered the ancestral mountain. It descends gradually like a rushing torrent, and its majestic, leaping appearance is what is desirable. Guo Pu (Jingchun) said, "The momentum is like ten thousand horses descending from the sky," and Bu Ying Tian said, "Leaving the palace and descending from the terrace," both refer to this. When discussing the yin and yang of the dragon, it is not divided as Qian (Heaven) being yang and Kun (Earth) being yin. The subtle aspect of the dragon lies in the terms "male and female."the so-called "夹从" refers to the protective mountains; "尊卑" refers to the distinction between high and low. The accompanying mountains should follow continuously, and they are not all the case mountains of the dragon.the so-called "迎" refers to the affectionate and attentive nature of the mountains. When talking about flat land and a broad road, it means the formation is located there. "Menghu" and "Ke Long" refer to the body posture of the dragon's movement. "Yan Fei" refers to the mountains and waters still continuing forward; "Ya Ju" refers to the mountains and waters having already stopped. A mountain that is high, steep, and crouching belongs to yin, while a mountain that is flat, gentle, and elevated belongs to yang.

或過江河或不見，任使時師尋教遍。或居虛谷或深潭，須看應龍子細辨。有人識得此真龍，一似楊曾親會面。卜氏謂棄甲洩兵，過水而重興營寨。若山谷深潭龍脈隱微，非在水低，謂言有龍必有案，故以應龍求之矣。

When a dragon crosses a river or stream but leaves no trace, the geomancer may search everywhere without finding it. Sometimes the dragon rests in an empty valley, sometimes in a deep pool. In such cases, one must rely on the response dragon to discern accurately. Those who can recognize such true dragons are as if meeting Yang Yunsong and Zeng Wenchuan in person. The commentary says: "Discarding armor and revealing troops, crossing water and re-establishing camps," which refers to the dragon crossing water and then regaining its momentum. If the dragon's energy is subtle between mountains and deep pools, it does not mean the dragon is really submerged beneath the water. The meaning is that wherever there is a dragon, there must be a ridge, so one must seek it through the response dragon.

或藏形或隱跡，要知去住登高覓。磊落高峰骨脈真，左右從龍君要識。斷續不過三五里，束帶蜂腰鶴膝是。龍若住時有明堂，入穴先看左右臂。面前玉案若橫遮，更有應龍當面起，請君下穴細裁量，不久子孫官爵至。藏隱者，微而難辨去住也，住止也；磊落群峰明也，從龍隨護山也；斷續者，藕斷絲連之狀，蜂腰中小、鶴膝中大，皆來氣過脈；穴自融結必獻明堂，則左右自然環抱，近案橫遮，遠案接應，官爵必然也。

When a dragon is present, it may sometimes conceal its form or disappear from view. To determine whether it has gone or stayed, one must ascend to a high place to search for it. The true nature of the dragon's ridge is revealed where the peaks are clearly distinct and lofty. The accompanying mountains on either side should also be clearly identified. When the dragon's ridge breaks off and continues again, it does not extend more than three or five li. The way it passes through is indicated by the bundle of energy like a belt, the narrow waist of a bee, and the thick knee of a crane. Once the dragon has settled, there will be a bright hall in front. Upon entering the site, one should first examine the two arms of the surrounding hills. If there is a jade table in front that blocks the view, and a dragon facing forward that rises prominently, then one should carefully determine the site. Soon, the descendants will attain official rank and noble titles. The commentary explains: "Concealment" refers to the form being faint and difficult to discern whether it has gone or stayed; "staying" means stopping. "Distinct" refers to the group of peaks being clearly defined; "accompanying dragon" refers to the mountains that accompany and guard. "Breaking and continuing" refers to a connection that is like a broken thread; "bee waist" refers to a narrow middle section, and "crane knee" refers to a thick middle section, both indicating the passage of energy. Once the site naturally forms, there must be a bright hall in front, with the surrounding hills naturally embracing the site. The near case is horizontal and blocks the view, while the distant case supports and responds. Official rank and noble titles are certain outcomes.

要別陰陽辨風水，龍要十分水十二。山為門戶欲堅牢，水為血脈須秀吉。且尋坐下正龍位，縱少朝山也尊貴。龍來遠遠穴天然，依經點穴勝前堅。三陽六建當墳照，千金莫亂與人扦。若徒按卦推音取，失了楊曾二大仙。陰陽二字詳《雪心賦》第二章。來龍得十分謂全也，水得十二分亦然。水口為龍穴之門戶，山乃明堂之鎖鑰，皆要堅固。水乃龍之血脈，要眷戀。三陽者，明堂為內陽，案山為中陽，案外朝山為外陽。六建者，水抱穴，左為天建，右為地建，前為人建，祿建、命建、馬建。照於前者，推卦例姓音之非是。

To distinguish yin and yang and clarify the principles of feng shui: the dragon should be very complete, and the water should be very thorough. The mountain is the gate of the dragon's dwelling, and it must be solid and firm; the water is the blood of the dragon, and it must be beautiful and auspicious. Moreover, one should first find the main dragon position where the site is seated, even if the facing mountains are fewer, it is still noble. The dragon comes from afar, and the site is naturally formed. Following the classic methods to determine the site is better than relying on previous assumptions. The three yangs and the six constructions should all shine directly in front of the tomb. Such a site, even if offered a thousand gold coins, should not be disturbed. If one only uses the hexagram examples and the pronunciation of the surname to determine the site, then one would be辜负ing the great sages Yang and Zeng. The commentary says: the two characters yin and yang are explained in detail in Chapter Two of the "Xue Xin Fu." When it says the dragon should be very complete, it means complete; when it says the water should be very thorough, it means the same. The water mouth is the gate of the dragon's dwelling, and the mountain is the key to the bright hall, both should be solid. Water is the blood of the dragon, and it should be attached and not leave. The so-called three yangs: the bright hall is the inner yang, the case mountain is the middle yang, and the facing mountain outside the case mountain is the outer yang. The so-called six constructions: water surrounds the site, the left side is the heavenly construction, the right side is the earthly construction, the front is the human construction, and there are also the construction of fortune, the construction of life, and the construction of the horse. All these shine in front of the tomb, showing that using the hexagram examples and the pronunciation of the surname is wrong.

共說前山三與五，笑殺時師全不悟。山頭將取地羅移，便道陰陽居此處。不尋地脈看來龍，空有賢賓無好主。前三後五共為八門，圖見《雪心賦》。若失生氣，空貪秀案也。

Everyone says that the front mountain has three and the back mountain has five, yet it's laughable that today's geomancers completely fail to understand. They move their compasses around on the mountain peak and claim that yin and yang are here. They do not seek the earth's energy or observe the coming dragon, resulting in only capable guests but no good host. The commentary says: the three in front and five behind together make up the eight gates, as shown in the Snow Heart Treatise. If the life qi is lost, then it is merely a futile pursuit of beautiful case mountains.

真龍剝換妙難窮，子細推尋莫失蹤。作穴擔看隈暖處，前有朝山起數重。子孫俊傑天然別，富貴榮華達聖聰。剝換失蹤龍脈，隱隱隆隆，若灰中線、草裡蛇，微茫難認，沒泥龜蛇之類。隈暖處，藏風聚氣也。

The true dragon continuously changes and transforms, with infinite subtleties, requiring careful examination to avoid losing its trail. When choosing a site for a grave, it should be located in a warm, sheltered hollow formed by a mountain bend, facing the sun and avoiding cold winds. In front of it, there should be several layers of mountains rising up. Such a site naturally distinguishes itself through the excellence of its descendants, who will achieve great success and prosperity, reaching the ears of heaven. The commentary explains that where the dragon changes, its energy is easily lost, appearing subtly and indistinctly, like a thread drawn across ash or a snake moving through grass, faint and hard to recognize. It is also like a turtle or snake disappearing into mud. The term "warm and sheltered place" refers to a location that conceals wind and gathers energy.

下穴為父，朝為母，相逢龍勢住。從龍兄弟要相逢，白虎青龍為子乳，鄰姻伯叔護團圓，坐下千金無賈處。下穴當作主，山主為父，案為母，謂夫婦對偶。龍住成形，夾從龍山為兄弟，不可無也，反是者單獨孤露無情。穴為子息，龍虎為奶乳，籍以拱抱，若乳其子也。纏護為伯叔，團圓護衛也。

The main mountain at the site of the burial is considered the father, and the case mountain in front is considered the mother. When these two meet, the dragon's momentum can settle down. The accompanying protective dragons are like brothers, needing to meet each other; the White Tiger and Azure Dragon are like wet nurses, embracing the child. The surrounding mountains are like relatives and uncles, surrounding and protecting. Such a site is worth more than a thousand gold pieces. The commentary says: the mountain at the burial site should be regarded as the main mountain, the main mountain being the father and the case mountain the mother, just like a couple. The dragon settles and forms a shape, with the mountains that accompany and protect being like brothers, which cannot be missing; otherwise, it would be lonely and devoid of affection. The burial site is like children, the dragon and tiger like wet nurses, supporting and embracing, just like nurturing one's own child. The surrounding mountains are like uncles and relatives, surrounding and protecting.

逆龍捲穴難尋討，細脈迎朝福深奧。揚揚大水逆西關，下了還生國之寶。逆虎卷穴上東邊，細脈迎朝福轉深。揚揚大水東宮鎖，下了為官滿國欽。上水抱曰逆，若龍抱虎之地，大水臂外水鎖也，不見其出。

The Azure Dragon reverses to embrace the mound, making the land difficult to find and hard to locate. Fine veins face the case, indicating deep fortune. A vast body of water flows from the west, blocking the passage, and burial here will produce a national treasure, a pillar of the state. The White Tiger reverses to embrace the mound, drawing towards the east, with fine veins facing the case, indicating even deeper fortune; a vast body of water is locked in the eastern palace, and burial here will result in official rank, with all people respecting the person. The explanation states: water coming from above to embrace is called 'reverse'; if the land is embraced by the Azure Dragon and White Tiger, the large body of water is outside the arm, blocking the water mouth, so it cannot be seen flowing out.

山若急時緩處安，臨穴入路似龍蟠。面前秀山並秀水，下了令人出大官。山若慢時急處下，莫遣明堂傾腹瀉。要令當面水陽朝，列土分茅容五馬。小山須去大處尋，教君此訣值千金。大山須去小處尋，高處看眉低應心。急緩脈龍也。大特小、小特大，當下其特。齊應者，避壓也。

If the mountain comes quickly, the grave should be placed in a gentle area, and the entrance near the grave site should be like a dragon winding around. If there are beautiful mountains and flowing water in front, burying here will produce great officials. If the mountain comes slowly, the grave should be placed in a steep area, and avoid having the bright hall like a spilling belly. If the water in front comes from the east, then the territory should be enclosed and the land should be arranged with five horses side by side. In small mountains, look for larger ones; this saying is worth a thousand gold. In large mountains, look for smaller ones; look at the eyebrows from high places and respond to the heart from low places. Explanation: "Quick" and "slow" refer to the pulse and dragon. When a small mountain suddenly appears in a large mountain or a large mountain suddenly appears in a small mountain, it is called "te", and the grave should be placed at this special place.the so-called "qí yìng" is to avoid oppressive energy.

龍若住時便生枝，枝上分枝更□□，□氣脈相連，續下後兒孫著錦衣。生枝分枝言雙龍虎也。有兒者上□□，□水下關去水。

When the dragon stops and takes root, it produces branches, and the branches further divide into smaller branches, with the energy lines connected and unbroken. After burial, the descendants will all wear silk clothes. The explanation says: 'producing branches' and 'dividing into branches' refer to double dragon and tiger formations. 'Having a son' refers to the water from the upper hand and the water blocked off by the lower hand.

捉脈尋龍何者是，此訣憑君須仔細。山山去了不回頭，子賣爺田偷寫契。一名喚作倒莊山，忤逆子孫君須記。山山眾去不顧也。

To find the correct dragon line, you must carefully understand this诀. If every mountain goes straight ahead without turning back, then it indicates that the son secretly writes a contract and sells the father's land. Such mountains are called "reverse ridge mountains," which indicate rebellious descendants. The explanation says: when all the mountains go straight ahead without looking back.

懶龍孤弱臥茅崗，有錢不肯買田莊。牽連公事遭羅網，子息分離出外鄉。更有香花龍最別，蟠帶從頭來不絕。前有香爐禮卯山，又有旌幢並賓節，定知寺觀及僧堂，社廟神壇人祭設。平緩孤單怯弱為懶龍也。蟠幢旌節，圓山出足四五香爐禮拜，圖見《雪心賦》。

A lazy dragon lies alone and weak on a thatch-covered hilltop, wealthy at home yet unwilling to buy land or build estates; it will also involve legal troubles and fall into the law, with descendants scattered and wandering far away. There is another type called the 'fragrant flower dragon' which is particularly distinctive, winding like a ribbon, continuous from head to tail; in front there is a incense burner peak paying homage to the卯 mountain, and there are also banners, flags, and banners with the shape of guests and officials, indicating that a temple, monastery, or hall for monks will be built there, or a community shrine and altar will be established for people to worship. The explanation says: mountain ranges that are flat, isolated, and weak are called lazy dragons. The so-called banners and flags refer to round mountains extending with four or five legs like an incense burner paying homage, as illustrated in the Snow Heart Assignment.

其餘變換幾多般，尤籍時師眼力寬。但恐雌雄交度處，不論逆順盡堪安。此是尋龍端的記，為報時師須子細。若能窮盡此真經，一似楊曾親出世。

There are many other variations, and it all depends on the broad perspective of the geomancer. One must be cautious at places where the yin and yang meet, as regardless of whether it is against or with the trend, the site for a grave can be chosen. This is an accurate and reliable description of seeking the dragon, so I specially inform all geomancers to be careful. If one can thoroughly study this true scripture, it would be as if Yang Yunsong and Zeng Wenchuan had returned to life.

為報山人尋地理，須看《尋龍記》。尋龍先尋寶殿宮，太乙在其中。勿然紫氣山回抱，三臺朝伏好皇宮。寶殿後龍山也，太乙龍之左右，紫氣者青龍來抱也。三臺，山如品字，伏者拜也。

I specially told the geomancer in the mountains: to seek good geography, one must first study this book called "Seeking the Dragon." To seek the dragon, one must first find the "Palace of the Treasure Hall," where the Taiyi Star is located; then check if there are purple qi mountains surrounding it, and three platforms mountains bowing to it, which would form a layout like a good imperial palace. The commentary explains: the treasure hall is the mountain behind the dragon, Taiyi is on both sides of the dragon, and purple qi refers to the Azure Dragon embracing it. The so-called three platforms refer to three mountains arranged in a character "品" shape; the so-called bowing means the mountains bowing to it in a respectful manner.

發跡先看祖宗來，山頂勢排徊。大公若得小公住，雌雄分兩路。左回右抱穴分明，賓主要相迎。發跡者，起祖立宗也。大小者，大剝小山也。兩路，介字也。回抱者，交度也。

To determine whether a family will prosper, one must first examine the origin of the ancestral mountains and the气势 and arrangement of their peaks. If a large ancestral mountain can produce smaller parent mountains that settle down beneath it, the yin and yang energies will divide into two paths. If the left side is round and the right side embraces, thesite will be clear. Guest mountains and main mountains should greet each other. The commentary says: "Prosperity" means establishing the ancestral lineage. "Large and small" refers to a big mountain transforming into a small one. "Two paths" refers to a "介" shaped branch. "Embracing" means the yin and yang energies intersect.

隨龍兩邊俱朝揖，山形諸就集。一山走去一山回，不是正來。亂龍三條五條起，中有一條是。一山拱揖一山親，即是正龍身。隨龍護送山也。一走一回，去住不定。三五條起者，其中拱揖最尊貴者便是真龍。

The mountains accompanying the dragon both bow and pay homage on both sides, and all kinds of mountain shapes gather together. If one mountain moves away and another comes back, it is not the true dragon coming properly. A confused number of dragons arise, three or five, but among them only one is genuine. The mountain that both bows and approaches closely is the true dragon itself. The explanation states: The mountains following the dragon are the protective mountains. One going away and one returning indicates uncertainty about staying or leaving. When three or five rise together, the one with the most respectful bowing posture is the true dragon.

單雌單雄不用看，體要勞心算。大公若得小公龍，旌節起重重。左右若得眾山揖，明堂真龍集。四件團圓似月形，認取正龍行。單者孤露也。大得小者，變換取巧也。若左右抱裹團聚者，是正龍也。

Only in places where there is a single female or a single male form should one not bother to examine, as such forms are wasted efforts to calculate. If a great ancestral mountain changes into a smaller parent dragon, the mountain shapes resembling banners and drums will rise repeatedly. If on both sides there are many mountains surrounding and embracing, the true dragon will gather in the bright hall. If the surroundings are round and full like the moon, it can be determined as the place where the true dragon passes through. Explanation:the so-called single means being isolated without protection.the so-called large turning into small means the transformation and change are skillfully done. If both sides embrace and enclose, gathering together, then it is the true dragon.

大凡看龍先看勢，須用龍樓起。兩邊相揖對明堂，龍虎要相當。水口捍門華表起，穴在天心裡。便有貴人品字形，伴月亂如星。凡祖山起龍樓，對面山峰列如品字。若對面明堂者吉，更水口有捍門華表主貴。

In general, when examining a dragon hill, one must first look at its momentum. There must be high mountains rising like a dragon pavilion. The mountains on both sides should bow to each other and face the bright hall, with the dragon and tiger ridges matching appropriately. If there are mountains standing tall at the water mouth, such as gatekeepers and pillars, the site will be located exactly at the center of the heaven's heart. At this time, there will also be nobleman peaks arranged in a character '品' shape, spreading out like stars accompanying the moon. The commentary says: whenever the ancestral mountains rise like a dragon pavilion, and the opposite peaks are arranged in a character '品' shape, if they face the bright hall, it is auspicious; if there are also gatekeepers and pillars at the water mouth, it indicates wealth and honor.

看取主山何處出，換龍並換骨。龍貴祿馬在何方，拜識要相當。文筆尖峰在左右，火星臨墳照天官。武庫兩邊朝，便出大官僚。來龍須變星換骨。若甲山申子辰山，祿馬居寅之類。拜識者，拜恩謝職山。文筆火星皆尖峰也，若在案山之左右名文官，武庫山主貴。

Identify where the main mountain originates and whether it changes its dragon and bone along the way. The position of the dragon's valuable禄马 should be determined. The mountain for expressing gratitude and resignation should be appropriate. Sharp peaks called 文笔 should be located on the left and right, and 火星 should illuminate the front of the tomb corresponding to the position of the heavenly official. If the 武库 mountain comes from both sides, it indicates the emergence of high officials. The explanation states that the coming dragon must change its star and bone. For example, if the mountain is 甲 or belongs to the water triad Shen-Zi-Chen (Water triad), the禄马 will be located in the寅 direction.the so-called拜识 refers to the mountain for expressing gratitude and resignation. Both 文笔 and 火星 are sharp peaks; if they are on the sides of the case mountain, they are called 文官 peaks. 武库 mountains indicate high status.

要識閃山不作穴，落處何勞掘。回頭望取太陽崗，且用主人長。水口若有交牙石，相似龍蹤跡。星峰旗鼓揖團圓，宰相去朝天。閃者，走竄也。太陽者，屬金體，主長者。來龍遠則左右護送亦長。交牙石者，關固無損益也。諺曰：若要發，水口狹。相似者，不失本類也。

One must recognize that a mountain that runs away or disappears does not form a resting point, and there is no need to dig hard at the place where the ridge ends. Turning back to look at the Sun Mountain, one should also check whether the main mountain is long enough. If there are stones at the water mouth that cross each other like teeth, this matches the trail of the dragon. If there are star peaks, flag mountains, and drum mountains surrounding and supporting each other, then a prime minister may emerge to meet the emperor. The explanation says: "Shan" refers to running away or darting. "Sun" refers to a mountain body belonging to metal, which signifies longevity. If the dragon's coming from afar, the mountains on both sides that accompany it will also be long. "Jiaoya stones" refer to stones that tightly close the water mouth without causing any loss or gain. The proverb says: "If one wishes to become prosperous, the water mouth should be narrow." "Similar" means not losing its original category.

奉勸時師著眼觀，認取真龍度。登山涉嶺望西東，龍識得行蹤。或在高原無空缺，前有圓峰出。若然穴隱便為尊，好惡細推論。或在平田水口裡，落處應龍至。天乙太乙兩邊朝，世出貴人苗。或在路旁人不識，下了令人憶。不是時師眼不開，留與福人來。或在江村或在溪，乃是真龍隱蹤跡。龍樓寶殿兩相當，代代近公王。或似渴龍奔江水，華蓋後頭起。前有頓筆入雲中，四畔起圓峰。或行或去回頭望，應龍尊貴旺。尋取正龍去住場，看落在何方。一要山來二要水，便合陰陽位。停停去住有雌雄，此地足堪逢。正龍行度，夾從護送，多天乙太乙隨行，倉庫劍戟，雌雄自然交度，水口重關，前列秀案。

I urge all geomancers to open their eyes and clearly recognize the true dragon's path. By climbing mountains and looking east and west, one can identify the dragon's movement. It may lie on a high plateau with no gaps around it, and a round peak ahead; if the site is hidden, it is actually more noble, and its good or bad aspects must be carefully analyzed. It may lie within the water mouth of a flat field, with a responding dragon waiting there; with the Tianyi and Taiyi mountains on both sides, the descendants will become noblemen. It may lie by the roadside but be unrecognized, only to be remembered after burial; this is not due to the geomancer's failure to see, but rather heaven's way of leaving it for the fortunate. It may lie near a village by the river or in the midst of a stream; this is where the true dragon hides its trail; the dragon palace and the treasure hall match each other, and generation after generation can approach the ranks of marquises and dukes. It may resemble a thirsty dragon rushing toward the river, with the Huagai star rising behind; ahead, a peak rises straight into the clouds, and surrounding peaks form a circle. It may move or stop, often looking back, showing the responding dragon's nobility and prosperity. To find the place where the true dragon stops or moves, one must see where it finally settles. First, there must be mountains coming, second, water arriving, to conform to the positions of yin and yang; stopping properly, with both going and coming, and the male and female dragons matching, such a site is worth encountering. Explanation: When the true dragon moves, it is flanked by mountains on both sides, accompanied by many Tianyi and Taiyi mountains, as well as mountains resembling granaries and swords and spears. The male and female dragons naturally meet, the water mouth is tightly locked, and in front, there are beautiful case mountains arranged in order.

水即經年猶解轉，山崗勿移換。看取團圓櫃庫崗，便是貯禾倉。不是真龍莫亂說，何用勞心訣。不是真龍把作龍，下了即貧窮。龍行自有龍行勢，落處貴人鄉。四畔峰巒似列槍，龍在裡頭藏。踴起高峰頭背拱，或輕又或重。樓臺鼓角兩邊迎，走馬又屯兵。執杖報衙並插笏，風爐茶具出幞頭，天馬及行街，踏節兩邊排。忽然頓旗前面聳，府帥兵權重。或然魚袋左邊來，金榜御門開。武曲笏山當墳起，不怕頭尖利。展袍誥輔更相隨，代代錦衣歸。水性動易遷變，曰解轉；山體靜重厚，勿移換。方圓磊落者，曰禾倉。正龍不顧他山既止，自有秀案。

Water is fluid and changes course over years, so it is called "transformation" (解转); mountains are solid and quiet, so they do not change. If you see a hill that is round and solid like a cabinet or a storehouse, it is like a granary storing rice. Do not speak falsely about a fake dragon; why waste effort on reciting formulas? If you mistake a fake dragon for a true one and bury someone there, they will become poor immediately. A true dragon moves with its own momentum, and where it stops is where a nobleman will emerge. Surrounding peaks are arranged like spears, and the dragon is hidden among them. High peaks rise, with the head and back embracing, either light or heavy. Buildings, drums, and horns are on both sides, with forms of galloping horses and military camps. There are also peaks shaped like staffs, officials' robes, tea sets, and headgear. Heavenly Horses and processions are arranged on both sides. Suddenly, a peak shaped like a flagpole rises ahead, indicating a high military position and great military power. If there is a hill shaped like a fish bag coming from the left, it signifies success in the imperial examination and being listed on the official list. If a mountain shaped like a military official's tablet stands directly in front of the tomb, there is no need to fear its sharp head; if there are also hills shaped like a robe and an imperial decree accompanying it, generations will return in fine clothes. Explanation: Water is fluid and changes easily, so it is called "transformation"; mountains are solid and quiet, so they do not change. Rounded and solid hills are called granaries. A true dragon stops on its own without considering other hills, naturally having beautiful case mountains.

日月捍門居水口，印山或低小。天關地軸自相迎，宰相入朝廷。更有交床並青蓋，落處相榮帶。垂簾掛幕應墳前，世世代代碧幢眠。龍山雙管進田筆，進氣年年喜。右邊尖射便為凶，千萬莫相逢。虎山須是彎彎曲，此地方為福。惟有左山救得人，世代不交貧。水口兩圓峰，曰日月。水去處中有墩，曰地軸，以字解。左山，青龍也，以理推之逆山也。

The two peaks of sun and moon form a gate at the water mouth, and even if the mountain of the seal star is low and small, it is not a problem. The heavenly gate and the earth's axis naturally meet, and thus a minister will enter the court. If there are also forms of intersecting beds and green canopies, then the place will have a glorious ribbon. Mountains resembling hanging curtains and banners should be in front of the tomb, and the family will generations after generations rest in peace under green banners. If on the side of the azure dragon, two mountains extend like plows, then there will be a steady flow of energy each year, which is pleasing. If on the right side there is a sharp hill shooting towards the tomb, it is凶, and one must not encounter it. The mountain of the white tiger must be winding and curved, only then will there be blessings in this place; only the mountain on the left can save people, and the family will not become poor generation after generation. Explanation: The two round peaks at the water mouth are called sun and moon; in the middle of the flowing water, if there is a mound of earth, it is called the earth's axis, as explained by the characters.the so-called left mountain refers to the azure dragon, and according to reasoning, it is the mountain against the flowing water.

忽然後龍帶倉庫，下了家豪富。金櫃相隨公祖來，疊疊後頭堆。一重山來為一代，說了時師會。龍身帶倉庫者取富。卜氏曰：帶倉庫，陶朱之產可期。

If the dragon mountain carries the form of a warehouse, the family will become wealthy after burial; the mountain of the golden cabinet follows the ancestral mountain and piles up layer by layer behind. Each mountain layer corresponds to one generation, so the geomancer understands this. The annotation says: the dragon mountain carrying a warehouse signifies wealth. The Book of Divination says: "Carrying a warehouse, one may expect the fortune of Tao Zhu Gong."

看他出貴在何方，其命要相當。若在子午卯酉出，此命人逢吉。寅申已亥位方臨，此命抵千金。若在辰戌丑未向，此命興旺。太歲其年應信來，富貴自人摧。如子上有尖峰，主子生人貴；上有倉庫山，主寅生人富，他仿此。太歲鎮則發。

To determine where wealth and status will manifest, it must be matched with the person's life cycle. If the peak of wealth is located in the four cardinal directions, namely Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, then those born under the corresponding branches will encounter good fortune. If it is located in the four directions of growth, namely Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai, then those born under the corresponding branches are of great value. If it is located in the four directions of burial, namely Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, then those born under the corresponding branches will flourish. When the year's sovereign ruler is present in that direction, the signs of success will appear, and wealth and status will naturally be recommended by others. The explanation states: for example, if there is a sharp peak in the Zi direction, it indicates that those born in the Year of the Rat will achieve status. If there is a mountain resembling a granary in the Zi direction, it indicates that those born in the Year of the Tiger will become wealthy. The same logic applies to the other directions. When the sovereign ruler is present in that direction, success will follow.

好地用尋年月利，日時相隨至。淺深下穴用心機，此訣極立微。穴土須逢五色佳，辨取溫溫處。忽然淺露失包藏，下了受災殃。密秘仙人論如此，父不傳於子。學得自要逞神通，識透古人蹤。凡定穴立曏者，要年月日時大利一也，淺深得乘二也，五土四也，反此四者災殃立至。

Even if the site is good, one must also choose a favorable year and month, and the day branch and hour must be in harmony. The depth of the grave should be carefully considered, as this verse is very subtle. The soil in the grave should be of all five colors, and one should identify the warm and smooth areas. If dug too shallow and exposed, losing the containment, then calamity will follow. This is the secret passed down by sages, not even passed from father to son. Once mastered, one can display supernatural abilities and understand the traces of ancient people. Explanation: When determining the grave site and direction, first ensure that the year, month, day, and hour are all auspicious. Second, the depth should be appropriate to capture the energy, and the soil should be of all five colors. If these are violated, calamity will arrive immediately.

殷勤為報時師道，尋龍莫潦草。尋得真龍穴法真，下了救人貧。要識尋龍至妙法，最高峰頂踏。遠望四山龍發枝，血脈要相，節節生峰起。祖宗細認龍行路，擺身直下見真龍，會者此皆通。尋龍之法先觀分水處，起山步其行度，不顧他山，節節起峰，兩邊護送障缺，至結穴處左右周密，堂寬案秀，水口重關為吉也。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Glossary: Mingtang = Bright Hall Warmly advising all geomancers: searching for a dragon ridge must never be done carelessly. When a true dragon ridge is found, the method of selecting a site becomes accurate, and burial there can rescue people from poverty. One must understand that the best method for searching for a dragon ridge is to climb to the highest peak and observe from there: look far out in all directions at the surrounding mountains, and see from where the dragon ridge branches out, ensuring that the ridges are mutually supportive, and each section gives rise to a peak. Starting from the ancestral mountains, carefully trace the path of the dragon ridge, observing how it moves and descends directly, and then one will see the true dragon ridge; those who understand these principles will grasp everything else easily. The commentary explains: the method of searching for a dragon ridge first involves examining the water divide, measuring step by step from the origin of the mountain its course, observing that it proceeds without regard for other mountains, forming peaks section by section, with protective mountains on both sides blocking the gaps, and at the site of the burial, the surroundings are secure, the Mingtang is broad, the case mountain is elegant, and the water mouth is heavily guarded, only then is it auspicious.

廣闊平陽無起處，巨門星為主。尖尖頓起細侵云，敵國上將軍。破輔貪廉星出猛，天下人欽敬。石龍石骨過江河，子息作龍圖。面前若見大溪水，宰相神童出。巨文二位發龍行，寺觀有聲名。六節以來廉貞起，神廟佛場地。祿存磊磊作來龍，扦穴定災凶。武好星，天外起，財帛重重至。

In the broad and level land of Pingyang, where there are no prominent mountains, the main star is Guimen. If there is a sharp peak suddenly rising, finely piercing the clouds, it indicates a general of great power capable of opposing a rival state. The stars Pojun, Fubì, Tanlang, and Lianzhen, when appearing strongly, bring universal reverence. If stone dragons and stone bones cross rivers, their descendants will achieve great success. If a large stream of water is seen ahead, it signifies the emergence of a prime minister and a prodigy. When the stars Guimen and Wenqu appear as dragon-like formations, it often indicates famous temples and monasteries. When reaching the sixth section and encountering the star Lianzhen, the area is usually filled with temples and Buddhist sites. If the star禄存 appears clearly and openly as a dragon, choosing a site there will certainly bring disaster. The star Wuqu is a good star; if it rises suddenly from the sky, wealth will come in abundance.

看貪狼，芽筍侵雲瘦又長，方圓尖秀皆同體，登科黃甲佐君王。看巨門，櫃庫端方體勢尊，方闊卸屏拜負衣，雙全富貴冠鄉村。看祿存，如柞如拳勢不尊，破櫃忽然身帶腳，管教災害滿家門。看文曲，如鱔如鰍隨水曲，鶉衣百結亂紛紛，女色男花皆不足。看廉貞，如刀如劍更如針，斜尖竄足拜粗惡，瘟災家門不暫停。看武曲，覆金覆鍾堆谷，左回右抱勢端嚴，貴可通知金滿壁。看破軍，形如破傘亂紛紛，直竄斜飛生亂石，雖知獄訟絕兒孫。看輔弼，如鍾如櫃如側月，尊重端嚴正富龍，貴至中書富敵國。又有倒地者，大同小異也。

Observing the star Tānláng: The shape resembles a bamboo shoot emerging from the earth and piercing the clouds, thin and tall; square, round, sharp, and elegant all belong to the same category, indicating success in the imperial examination and assisting the sovereign. Observing the star Jùmén: It resembles a cabinet or a storehouse, upright and dignified; broad and open like a removed screen, like carrying court robes when paying homage, indicating wealth and honor, and being respected in the hometown. Observing the star Lùcún: It resembles an oak tree or a fist, with an unsteady form; a broken cabinet shape suddenly with legs extending, causing calamities throughout the family. Observing the star Wénqū: It resembles eels or mud eels, bending with the water; indicating ragged clothes and disorder, with both men and women losing their reputations. Observing the star Liánzhēn: It resembles a knife, a sword, or even a needle; slanting and chaotic, with coarse claws, causing continuous plague in the family. Observing the star Wǔqū: It resembles an overturned golden bell or a piled grain storage, with left and right embracing, dignified and imposing, indicating high rank and wealth filling the house. Observing the star Pòjūn: Its shape resembles a broken umbrella, darting straight or slanting, with scattered stones on the ground, causing legal troubles and cutting off descendants. Observing the star Fǔbì: It resembles a bell, a cabinet, or half a moon, dignified and respectful, indicating great wealth, capable of reaching the position of the Middle Office and rivaling the state in riches. In addition, there are shapes lying on the ground, similar to the above descriptions.

天乙太乙後頭高，代代出英豪。左右從龍來迎接，堆峰三五疊。面前峙立應龍山，代代出高官。龍行恰似開船勢，漿棹兩邊對。山回水曲兩相饒，富貴足官僚。若住時手足亂，恰似船泊岸，兩邊一似船棹橈，對對盡來朝。後龍左右有高峰，曰天乙太乙。案後山出眾，曰應龍。凡龍止結穴者，如舟子之梢卸帆蓬，均下橈棹；若不均，便有偏勝之患。范公曰：吉凶先看左右手，一手不收俱不足。

The two peaks called Tianyi and Taiyi rise high behind, producing heroes generation after generation. On both sides, the accompanying mountains come to greet, with peaks piled up three or five times. In front, the mountain called Yinglong stands upright, producing high officials generation after generation. The mountain resembling a dragon moving forward is like a boat just starting to move, with the oars on both sides facing each other. The mountains wind around and the waters bend, showing mutual respect and affection, indicating sufficient wealth and official rank. When the dragon stops and forms a site, its branches become disorderly, like a boat docking, with the oars on both sides facing the site. The commentary says: the peaks on both sides of the main dragon mountain are called Tianyi and Taiyi; the outstanding mountain behind the case mountain is called Yinglong. Whenever the dragon stops to form a site, it is like the boatman taking down the sails, with the oars on both sides evenly placed; if they are not even, there will be a problem of imbalance. Fan Yuefeng said: "First look at the left and right hands for fortune or misfortune; if one hand is not controlled, both are insufficient."

四神八將山來望，觀見龍神旺。員印面前有吐珠，交仕定無處。尋龍望取迎龍案，拜相分明見。四畔山崗似倒槍，龍在裡頭藏。端正明堂員尊貴，四畔山峰對。四神者，青龍白虎朱雀玄武也。八將者，四正四隅八方。印珠者宜居龍虎明堂處。四畔槍者，龍虎臂外曜氣。詩云：或如槍，或如劍，隨水順流飛冉冉，時師但道主離鄉，不知內有真龍占。四畔山者，四應山也。

The four divine beings and eight generals' mountains all look towards the site, indicating the prosperity of the dragon spirit. A round seal-shaped mountain in front with a spitting pearl shape signifies that one will have no difficulty in official positions and social connections. When searching for the dragon, one should look for the case mountain that welcomes the dragon, clearly showing the dignity of a high official. The surrounding hills resemble inverted spears, indicating the presence of the dragon within. A bright hall that is upright and complete signifies dignity, with surrounding peaks facing each other. The commentary explains: the four divine beings are the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise; the eight generals are the four cardinal directions and four intermediate directions, totaling eight directions. The star of the seal and the star of the pearl should be located at the positions of the dragon and tiger and the bright hall. The phrase "surrounded by spears" refers to the radiant energy outside the arms of the dragon and tiger. There is a poem that says: "Sometimes like a spear, sometimes like a sword, following the water flow, flying gently; the old masters only say the master will leave the hometown, but they do not know there is a true dragon inside." The phrase "mountains on all sides" refers to the mountains that respond from all directions.

前遮後擁似驅羊，世代入朝堂。第一正龍坐正骨，大官從此出。正穴須教出大官，一舉做魁元。第二回龍轉作穴，要識龍骨節。山山來聚穴分明，朱紫滿朝廷。遮擁者，有諸內必形諸外也。正龍骨者，真氣脈也。正穴者，氣脈正、十道明也。回龍者，顧祖穴也。骨節者，星峰也。

There are mountains in front blocking the way and mountains behind embracing it, like a flock of sheep gathering together, indicating that generations will be able to serve in the imperial court. The best is when a dragon sits on the main ridge, and great officials will emerge from here; the main site will surely produce high officials, achieving the top rank. The second best is when a dragon turns back to form the site, which requires recognizing the dragon's ridges. If all the mountains gather together and the site is clearly defined, then there will be many officials in purple robes and red sashes filling the court. The commentary says: "Shade and embrace" refers to the presence of true energy inside, which must be expressed in the form. "Main dragon ridge" refers to the true energy line. "Main site" refers to an energy line that is straight and clear, with ten distinct paths. "Returning dragon" refers to a site where the dragon turns back to look at its ancestors. "Ridge" refers to the series of star peaks along the way.

龍未住時身頭去，認取龍行度。龍若住時穴便知，腳手落遲遲。尋得龍窮在此住，便識龍藏處。龍住送亦住，山水亦齊至；龍行送亦行，折岸似排兵。前雲龍若住時手足亂，恰似船泊岸。

When the dragon has not yet stopped, its body and head are continuously moving forward; one must recognize its path from here. Once the dragon stops, the site is known, because its branches and limbs fall slowly. When the dragon reaches the end of its path and stops here, one can recognize where the dragon is hidden. The commentary says: When the dragon stops, the protective mountain also stops, and both the mountain and water arrive together; when the dragon continues to move, the protective mountain also follows, and the river bends like an array of soldiers. It was mentioned earlier that "when the dragon stops, its limbs are disorderly, just like a boat moored at the shore," which is exactly this meaning.

踏看龍神心裡驚，方是正龍神。更有石脈來龍好，切莫向人道。生處騰騰險峻崗，涼金蓋頭藏四畔，團圓頎庫起案山，前立峙。窮者盡也，住者止聚也，正龍結局自然駭人也。石者山之骨也。騰峻者，聳起也。傘蓋者，遮蔽也。四畔庫者，夾從帶財庫護送也。

When you examine the dragon pulse and feel a sudden shock in your heart, that is truly the main dragon. If there is also a stone ridge coming from the direction of the dragon, it is even better. Do not tell anyone about it. The place where the life qi is located has ridges that rise steeply and majestically, with a golden star like an umbrella covering the top, and the surrounding hills protecting it. A round hill shaped like a granary stands behind as the case hill, standing in front. The annotation says: "Qiong" means to reach the end, and "zhu" means to stop and gather. The main dragon comes to an end naturally, causing a shocking feeling. Stone is the bone of the mountain. "Teng jun" means to rise up. "Sangai" means to cover and shield. "Si pan zhi ku" means to have hills on both sides that accompany and protect, bringing along the treasure warehouse.

功曹傳送起員峰，此地出三公。更有飛龍似鳳翔，萬里回頭揖前去。後起似驅羊，須得主山長踴躍，起伏如征戰，將相朝金殿。恰似瓜藤棚上行，落處看朝迎。山凹絕頂拜翼尾，不用言。有地真龍泊處好山峰，八卦自然通。好地自然穴，六神是閒說。陰管後頭陽管前，會者是神仙。

The two mountains, Gongcao and Chongsong, form round peaks; such land produces officials of the highest rank. If a flying dragon appears like a phoenix soaring, and it looks back from a distance to pay homage, then the surrounding mountains gather like herding sheep. The main mountain should be long and vigorous, with undulating forms resembling two armies in battle. This land produces generals and ministers who serve in the imperial court. The dragon's movement is like a gourd vine climbing a trellis; at the end, observe how the facing mountain approaches. If the mountain shape is like a valley, peak, or the wing and tail of a bowing animal, there is no need to elaborate. A true dragon's resting place naturally has good mountain peaks, and the principles of the Eight Trigrams are naturally in harmony. Good land naturally has a good burial site; the idea of releasing water according to the Six Spirits is just idle talk. Yin governs the back, Yang governs the front; those who can understand this are truly sages.

功曹者龍山也，傳送者虎山也。飛龍鳳翔者，布龍虎重抱也。山凹者脈冷也，絕頂者最高強急也，翼者偏也，尾者尖利氣絕露也。六神者放水法也。例曰：艮看青龍起在豬，巽隨猛虎入京都，坤原尋得蛇為例，乾遂侯枝行順數；辰向青龍起在羊，戌尋牛上正相當，未遇狗位為元首，丑向龍頭支逆裝。此是陰陽分順逆，若流罔類便為殃。

The commentary explains: "Gongcao refers to the mountain on the side of the Azure Dragon, and "transmission" refers to the mountain on the side of the White Tiger.所谓飞龙凤翔, means the Dragon and Tiger mountains encircling repeatedly.所谓山凹, means the mountain ridge is cold;所谓绝顶, means the mountain is too high and abrupt;所谓翼, means the mountain is slanted;所谓尾, means the mountain is sharp and the qi escapes.所谓六神, is a set of rules for releasing water. Its example says: "Gen looks at the Azure Dragon starting at the Pig, Xun follows the fierce Tiger into the capital city, Kun originally seeks the Snake as an example, Qian then follows the branch in a smooth sequence; Chen faces the Azure Dragon starting at the Sheep, Xu seeks the Ox at the right position, Wei meets the Dog position as the head, Chou faces the Dragon head in reverse order." This is based on yin and yang, following or reversing the sequence. If the water flow does not conform to these examples, it will cause disaster.

斷邊云：青龍山主人旺富貴，朱雀主官庫，山高揖吉，風入水去主形獄；騰蛇主田庫，山高抱主壽，風入水流疾病少亡；勾陳主財庫肥，長子滿吉，風入水破凶；白虎祿庫，中子揖抱吉，風入少亡產死；玄武主蠶庫，三子是水口，宜狹繞抱吉。按此不陰，故不全乃陰。後者高也，陽前者平也。

The interpretation states: The mountain in the position of the Azure Dragon signifies a thriving population and wealth; the mountain in the position of the Vermilion Bird represents the official storehouse, and a high mountain that bows towards the center is auspicious, but if wind enters and water flows away, it indicates calamity involving legal troubles. The mountain in the position of the Teng Snake (Teng She) represents the granary, and a high mountain that embraces is favorable for longevity; however, if wind enters and water flows away, it indicates illness and early death. The mountain in the position of the Gou Chen signifies a wealthy treasure store, and the eldest son will be complete and auspicious; if wind enters and water breaks, it is ominous. The mountain in the position of the White Tiger represents the禄库 (Lu Ku, a storehouse of official rank), and if the middle son is embraced by it, it is auspicious; however, if wind enters, it indicates early death and death in childbirth. The mountain in the position of the Black Tortoise represents the silkworm storehouse, and the third son should be at the water mouth, which should be narrow and embracing for auspiciousness. According to this passage, the discussion is not exclusive to the yin aspect, so it cannot be considered complete, only representing the yin side. The higher position belongs to yin, and the flat front position belongs to yang.

有龍恰似朝天子，左右山來止，嶺皆有山，陰裡藏富貴，起官僚。來山有石高聳起，不怕黃並赤，天關地軸要相當，下穴細裁詳，尋得地窮便下穴，莫與時師說。朝天子者，景純謂朝海拱辰，卜氏謂紛紛拱衛紫微垣、尊居帝座，楊公謂譬如至尊坐明堂，列班排衙不撩亂。陰朝者，明拱不如暗拱，明朝不如暗朝，以人力之若露頭，上穿窬之患。窮者止聚也，有一缺露非止聚也。

There is a dragon resembling the gathering of ministers to pay homage to the emperor, with the mountains on both sides coming to this place and stopping here. The ridges are full of mountains, secretly concealing wealth and honor, capable of producing officials. If the coming mountains have stones rising high, it is not a problem whether they are yellow or red; the Heaven Gate and Earth Axis must correspond with each other, and when digging the tomb, it must be carefully measured. When the dragon's energy is exhausted and the qi converges, one should choose the site for the tomb, without informing those ordinary teachers. Explanation: The term "paying homage to the emperor" is called "Chao Hai Gong Chen" by Guo Pu, and "Fen Fen Gong Wei Zi Wei Yuan, Zun Ju Di Zuo" by Bo Ying Tian. Master Yang compared it to the supreme ruler sitting in the Bright Hall, with a line of officials standing in order without disorder. The term "yin chao" means that the bowing from the front is not as good as the bowing from the back, and the morning court is not as good as the hidden court; if it is artificially piled up and exposed, it may result in the danger of thieves breaking through walls and stealing. The term "qiong" means stopping and gathering; as long as there is one opening exposed, it is not considered as stopping and gathering.

扦穴之法最難論，須是暖暖諄諄。要識山頭十二穴，何者為生滅。後學時師莫亂扦，下後絕人倫。識得龍骨及龍身，下著濟人貧。或時換龍，或是正用，識龍心性。穴做之時恰似人般，古正其身。天穴須高莫近頂，但取朝山，正頂頭一穴主離鄉，子細莫憧惶。人穴卻居天穴下，富貴為官也。地穴更低入些些，只是出豪家。地穴號為泥水穴，為官亦卑劣，兒孫久後絕除蹤，更怕水來沖。

The method of selecting a burial site is the most difficult to explain. It must be gentle and meticulous, carefully considered again and again. One must clearly identify the twelve types of burial sites on a mountain peak, distinguishing which is beneficial and which is harmful. Novice geomancers should not act recklessly; once a burial is made, it may lead to the disruption of family lineage. Recognizing the dragon bone and dragon body is essential; if the burial is correct, it can help alleviate poverty. Sometimes the dragon is changed, sometimes it is used directly; in all cases, one must clearly understand the nature of the dragon. When making a burial site, it should be like a person, first ensuring the body is properly aligned. The heavenly site should be high, but not too close to the mountain peak, only taking into account the corresponding front mountains; if the burial is directly at the peak, it will lead to descendants leaving the hometown, so one must be careful and not act hastily. The human site is below the heavenly site, leading to wealth and official positions. The earth site is slightly lower, producing only wealthy families. The earth site is also called the mud and water site; even if one becomes an official, the status will be low, and the descendants may eventually disappear. It is even more dangerous if water flows towards the site.

龍骨者過峽也，龍身行度星峰也，成者成龍也，換者傳送也、分脈也，正者不走竄也，性者陰陽急緩也。穴似人者，以身方之，動處是穴。天地人者，蓋粘倚撞穴也。徐氏可曰：天地人二穴隨其山體而裁之，得宜俱為吉地。曾公但取人穴而不取天地二穴，嫌其過高過低，學者當自得之。

The explanation says:the so-called dragon bone refers to the passage of the ridge;the so-called dragon body refers to the stars and peaks in the course of the terrain.the so-called completion means the formation of a true dragon;the so-called change refers to the transmission and division of the meridians;the so-called correctness means not wandering or deviating;the so-called nature refers to the difference between yin and yang, urgency and slowness. Comparing a grave site to a human body is using the human body as an analogy, where the parts that move are considered the grave site.the so-called heaven, earth, and human grave sites refer to the four methods of covering, adhering, leaning, and colliding. Xu Shishi said: heaven and earth grave sites should be determined according to the mountain body, as long as they are appropriate, they are auspicious places; Zeng Gong only chose the human grave site and did not choose heaven and earth grave sites, because he thought they were too high or too low. Scholars should understand this by themselves.

人穴欲得後龍遠，一起一伏健。若逢正穴為君裁，富貴一時來。人穴須得明堂正，水口圓峰應。人穴莫逢三不來，錢穀變成灰。掌中真訣無人會，度了也須悔。時師不識大官墳，好惡為君分。大官之地龍灣曲，四面水回伏。或大或小，或蜂腰，或住，或如超。起祖行度雄健，起伏來得長遠者最貴。三不來者，左右不抱一也，水不縈紆二也，案山反背三也。腰者腰結也，住者龍止之處，超者餘氣發洩，超超遠去也。

A human site must have a long and strong dragon coming from behind, rising and falling in a strong and vigorous manner. If it happens to be the correct site, it will determine your fate, bringing wealth and honor quickly. A human site must also have a bright hall that is properly aligned and a round peak at the water mouth that corresponds with it. A human site must not be in the situation of 'three uncomings', otherwise money and grain will be turned into ashes. The true secret in the palm is not understood by people, and if the measurement is wrong, there will only be regret. A geomancer who does not recognize the tombs of high officials can help you distinguish good from bad. The land of high officials has a dragon body that is curved, with water surrounding it on all sides, flowing gently and closely. Mountains may be large or small, some forming a waist-like shape to gather energy, some stopping there, and others having the remaining energy extending far away. The commentary says: the most valuable is when the origin of the dragon is strong and vigorous, and the rising and falling extend far. The so-called 'three uncomings' are: first, the left and right sides do not embrace, second, the water does not wind and twist, third, the case mountain is opposite. The so-called waist refers to the waist knot; the so-called stop refers to where the dragon stops; the so-called exceed refers to the remaining energy being released and going far away.

若然龍似水波到，為官世代好。四畔周遮拱一峰，橫案兩三重。龍若橫來排徊落，用別龍好。若二三十里到停停，恰似一龍行。龍若遠時龍身健，拜相分明現。水波到者，來龍如微波盪蕩而來也。俳徊者，和緩也。停者，止也。似龍行者，活動也。遠健者，勢遠力健也，福亦然。拜相者，拜山也。

If the dragon approaches like rippling water, it signifies that one can hold an official position for generations. The surrounding mountains should protect and support it, converging towards a single peak, with a few layers of horizontal ridges. If the dragon comes horizontally and then turns to settle, another dragon should be used to complement it. If within twenty to thirty li everything is properly arranged, it is as if a dragon travels along the entire path. The farther the dragon comes from, the stronger its body is, and the clear sign of high official rank is evident. The commentary explains: "Water waves coming" means the dragon approaches like gentle ripples. "Wandering" means being gentle and slow. "Stopping" means coming to a halt. "Like a dragon moving" means being lively and dynamic. "Far and strong" means having a long reach and powerful energy, with the same fortune following. "Bowing to become a minister" refers to a mountain that bows in submission.

龍若住時有包藏，山水自相當。從前一卷真奇絕，楊公親口訣。時師明掘亂安墳，那解救人貧。若人收得此三卷，讀了人人欽羨。此中義理深且長，莫把作尋常。見此文書人皆喜，收付巾箱裡。要知此本得來由，元出在處州。尋龍經至此終。

When a dragon stops and settles, it shows a hidden and profound nature, with the mountain and water naturally matching each other. This section is truly extraordinary, entirely passed down by Master Yang himself. Today's geomancers only dare to dig and bury recklessly, and they can never save people from poverty. If someone obtains these three scrolls, after reading them, everyone will respect and admire them. The meaning within is deep and enduring, so do not treat it as an ordinary thing. Everyone who sees this book feels happy and treasures it in the inner case. To know the origin of this manuscript, it originally comes from Chuzhou. The "Book of Seeking the Dragon" ends here.

若論大地之真機，須識案山之來意。凡見有面之秀峰，即落何方之坐位。假如金木之真方，必有火龍之正氣。火星高聳水星行，土脈不同他富貴。再窮水法何來合，龍穴不在腰間取。局中一格屬何陰，回看此音回某氣。要審山性孰為真，流水砂頭三度是。度有交兮星有氣，大山莫道穴難藏，識要敲金瓚度取。龍無鱗甲不成龍，龍無生長不成氣。五行生剋成五行，此是天星玄妙理。

If one wants to discuss the true essence of the land, one must first recognize the intention of the case mountain. Whenever one sees a fine peak facing directly, one should determine on which side it falls. For example, in the true direction of the metal or wood formation, there must be the righteous energy of the fire dragon to support it. A fire star towering high and a water star flowing in its path, the earth pulse differs from them, and governs another kind of wealth and honor. One must also investigate where the water flow comes from to be harmonious. The dragon and the tomb are not taken from the middle of the mountain. One should determine which of the patterns in the formation belongs to which yin, and then look back to see its nayin and its nature. One must examine the nature of the mountain to determine its true character, by observing the three degrees of the flowing water and the ridges. When the degrees meet, the stars have energy; do not say that the tomb is hard to find in large mountains. The key to identifying the tomb lies in measuring and selecting it with the precision of carving jade and striking metal. A dragon without ridges and waves is not a dragon, and a dragon without a growing momentum is not a qi. The five elements are formed through mutual generation and mutual control, which is the profound principle of the heavenly stars.

尋龍辨得龍氣真，貧者能富賤者貴。問君何法復何言，隔山取法真，必舉源頭。若有一尖峰，大地定在水中取；水口仍有一尖峰，大地源頭是要知。有地在西傍，水須本是生蛇勢；若見水源前出來，縱然有地終須發。水倒東兮地在北，水倒西兮龍不去。入鄉不見水回頭，莫把心神枉推理。龍要藏兮水要停，水要彎環龍要聚。龍不出身不為龍，砂下出手徒然起。水有情兮龍有停，案有面兮龍有意。龍穴砂水子細推，巒頭好合天屋理。巒頭只是死巒頭，棹不助船何足取。時師謬枉不能明，枉怪真龍不富貴。無根縱是艮亥龍，難使江南顯地理。證破只在一峰，暗藏春色君須記。

If one can clearly identify the true dragon energy, poverty can turn into wealth and low status can turn into high status. So, what method and what words should be used? Taking the method from across the mountain is the true method, but one must definitely trace it back to its source. If there is a sharp peak, the land must be taken from the water; if there is still a sharp peak at the water mouth, one must know where the source of the land is. Some land is on the west side, and the water should naturally flow in a winding, snake-like manner; if the water source comes out from the front, even if there is land, it will eventually produce results. If the water flows east, the land is to the north; if the water flows west, the dragon will not go that way. If one enters a village and does not see the water turning back, there is no need to waste time reasoning. The dragon must hide, the water must stop, the water must flow in a winding manner, and the dragon must gather. If the dragon does not emerge, it cannot be called a dragon. Even if the sand at the lower hand extends its arm, it is in vain. If the water is affectionate, the dragon can stay; if the case has a front, the dragon has intention. The dragon, the site, the sand, and the water must be carefully examined, and the form must also align with the heavenly principles. If the form is just a dead form, it is like a paddle that cannot help the boat; what is there to take? If the master of the land is confused and cannot understand, he will wrongly blame the true dragon for not producing wealth and honor. If there is no source, even if it is a good dragon like the Gen dragon or the Hai dragon, it will be difficult to show its effect in the Jiangnan region. Verification and understanding lie only in one peak, where spring color is hidden; you must remember this.

欲觀大勢之來龍，必以群山亂起、眾水亂流，擇其善者而從之。所謂善者，看龍盤旋起伏，布爪分牙，羅域圍繞，城門緊閉，水口拋梭，應案重疊作穴。審龍不必勉強，吹風竄馬疆繩，或虛應老牛腳蹤，或是雨滴波心，或是風來水面，或是聞雷聲而不見，或尋月影而不隨，或是頭露而失跡，或是磨劍而無剛，或君子而有不仁之處，小人亦有取用之時。或是星淡而云龍月現，或是融雪下而水存，或是灰內線，或是草中蛇，或是蛛絲馬跡，或是鳳毛龍砂，或是水心生火，或是魚背懸釣。

To observe the great trend, one must look within a chaotic landscape of mountains and rivers, and select the favorable ones to follow. The favorable ones are those where the dragon winds and twists, extends its claws and teeth, with surrounding hills arranged in a protective manner, the city gate tightly closed, and the water mouth locked together like a crossing path. The mountains that form the background and the case mountains overlap and form a site. Judging the dragon should not be forced. Some lands are like a horse galloping away when the wind blows; some are like the shadow of an old ox; some are like raindrops falling in the center of a pond; some are like wind on the water; some are like hearing thunder but not seeing lightning; some are like chasing the moon's reflection but it does not follow; some are like the head appearing but the trail is lost; some are like a polished sword that is not sharp; some are like a gentleman who has unkind aspects, and a petty person who has useful qualities. Some are like dim stars but suddenly a dragon in the clouds or a moon in the sky appears; some are like melting snow with water marks remaining; some are like a single line on the dust; some are like a snake in the grass; some are like traces of spider silk; some are like the feathers of a phoenix and the sand of a dragon; some are like fire rising in the water; some are like a fish with a hook hanging on its back.

□□雨過簷初滴，寶鼎香消氣上浮。大門□□茅廬養，白屋龍生樑棟材。正是風頭□頂順，方知鼓瑟自吟詩。世事萬般皆一用，春宵一刻值千金。梅花帶雨風中剪，荷葉傾城靜處尋。梧桐梢上偏生子，楊柳枝頭產正心。木星要識枝和幹，水宿宜知淺與深。金空不可中心下，土實須從角上裁。針尖莫有金邊木，頂氣江南何處尋。地理莫言無妙處，尋龍作穴值千金。

After the rain, the eaves of the house began to drip water, and the incense in the bronze tripod had burned out but its lingering vapor still rose upward. A great family in the main gate, dwelling in a thatched cottage, can nurture talent, and even a humble house can produce outstanding people. It is only when the wind blows from the mountain peak that one realizes the sound of the zither can naturally compose poetry. In fact, all the myriad principles of the world ultimately converge into one principle, and a single moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Plum blossoms need to be pruned in the wind with rain, and lotus leaves, to be found, must be sought in quiet places. Pomegranate trees bear fruit precisely at their branches, while willow branches bear upright hearts. When observing the star of wood, one must clearly distinguish between branches and trunks; when observing the star of water, one must know where it is shallow and where deep. The star of metal is hollow and should not be dug at its center, while the star of earth is thick and must be cut from its corner. A place as small as a needle tip should not have a golden edge enclosing wood; such a place of resistance is where to find it in Jiangnan? In short, do not say that geomancy has no subtleties; if one can find the dragon and choose the site, one formula is worth a thousand pieces of gold.