Ming Li Tan Yuan (命理探源) · Volume 1

目錄 命理探源簡介 卷一 本原 卷二 起例 卷三 強弱 卷四 宜忌 卷五 化合刑沖 卷六 先賢名論 卷七 潤德堂藏稿 卷八 星家十要 跋

This is the table of contents of the entire book, also a map to understand its structure. "Tracing the Sources of Destiny Theory" is an integrated work of the子平 school during the Republic of China period. Yuan Shushan extensively compiled the theories from "Ziping's Sea of Profundity," "Complete Compendium of the Three Fates," "Ditianmudi," "Shenfeng's Comprehensive Examination," "Qiong Tong Bao Jian," "Zi Ping Zhen Quan," "Xing Ping Hui Hai," and "Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu," organizing them into categories and adding his own annotations to each section. The main text of the book is divided into eight volumes: Volume One "Original Principles" discusses basic symbols such as heavenly stems and earthly branches, the Five Phases, Nayin sound elements, and combinations, clashes, punishments, and harms. Volume Two "Establishing the Method" explains how to arrange the four pillars of year, month, day, and hour, determine the ten heavenly stems, start the big years, and set the position of the命宫 and small limits. Volume Three "Strength and Weakness" discusses the birth, prosperity, decline, and death of the twelve heavenly stems, the prosperity and decline of the four seasons, and the divine omens, serving as a scale to judge the strength of the day's stem. Volume Four "Favor and Avoidance" explains the nature of the ten heavenly stems, the preferences and aversions of the Five Phases in the four seasons, and the favorable and unfavorable aspects of the ten heavenly stems, entering the section on the Useful God. Volume Five "Combination and Punishment and Clash" discusses the patterns of transformed qi, the years, months, days, and hours, the Six Relations, the young and the elderly, and miscellaneous topics. Volume Six "Famous Commentaries of Previous Sages" is a compilation of famous essays from previous generations. Volume Seven "Runde Hall's Hidden Manuscripts" contains Yuan Shushan's own examples of interpreting命. Volume Eight "Ten Essentials of the Star School" discusses the knowledge and ethics that practitioners should possess. Before the volumes, there is an introduction to "Tracing the Sources of Destiny Theory," and at the end, there is a跋. Readers who are beginners should first read Volumes One and Two to become familiar with the symbols and procedures, then proceed to Volumes Three and Four to understand the principles.

甲、乙、丙、丁、戊、己、庚、辛、壬、癸，此為十天干。子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戌、亥，此為十二地支。

The Heavenly Stems consist of ten characters, in order: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui; the Earthly Branches consist of twelve characters, in order: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai. These twenty-two characters form the basic letters of the entire Zi Ping system of divination. The four pillars of a person's destiny—year, month, day, and hour—each consist of eight characters, with each character selected from these. The Heavenly Stems represent the qi that flows in the heavens and is visible, while the Earthly Branches represent the qi that settles in the earth and forms the physical structure. Yuan Shushan lists the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches as the first section of his book, intending for readers to memorize these symbols thoroughly and their order firmly, as all subsequent discussions on the Five Phases, the monthly command, and the ten heavenly stems are built upon them.

《五行大義》云：支干者，因五行而立之，昔軒轅之時，大撓之所制也。蔡邕《月令掌句》云：大撓採五行之情，占斗機所建，始作甲乙以名之，謂之干。作子丑以名之，謂之支。有事於天則用日，有事用地則用辰，陰陽之別，故有干支名也。

Yuan Shushan first cites Xiao Ji's "The Great Meaning of the Five Phases" from the Sui dynasty to explain the origin of the heavenly stems and earthly branches. According to this, the heavenly stems and earthly branches were established based on the principles of the Five Phases. It is said that they originated during the time of the Yellow Emperor, Huangdi, and were created by a minister named Dadi. "The Great Meaning of the Five Phases" further quotes Cai Yong's "Commentary on the Monthly Ordinances" from the Eastern Han dynasty, stating that Dadi collected the characteristics of the Five Phases and observed the direction indicated by the handle of the Big Dipper. He first created names such as Jia and Yi, which are called "ganzheng" or "heavenly stems"; then he created names such as Zi and Chou, which are called "dizhi" or "earthly branches". When recording heavenly matters, the term "ri" (heavenly stem) is used, and when recording earthly matters, the term "chen" (earthly branch) is used. One belongs to yang, the other to yin, clearly distinguished, hence the terms "ganzheng" and "dizhi". This passage aims to explain that the heavenly stems and earthly branches are not arbitrary symbols, but a system of timekeeping established by ancient people in accordance with the Five Phases and celestial phenomena.

支干者，干字有三種不同，一作竿，二作干，三作杆。今解竿字者，此支竿既相配成用，如樹木之有支條莖竿，共為樹體，所以雲竿。有作干者，幹濟為義，支者，支任為義，以此日辰，任濟萬事，故云支干。又作杆字者，亦是竿義，如物之在竿上，能豎立顯然，而亦云干也。世書從易，故多作干支也。

The Great Meaning of the Five Phases continues to examine the writing of the character "干". In ancient texts, this character was written in three different forms: one as "竿", another as "干", and the third as "杆". When written as "竿", it takes the metaphor of a tree, where branches and the main trunk together form a complete tree. The Earthly Branches are like the branches, and the Heavenly Stems are like the main trunk, combining to form a whole, hence the term "竿". When written as "干", it takes the meaning of "干济", which refers to accomplishing affairs. "支" takes the meaning of "支任", which means supporting and bearing responsibility. Using these day branches to undertake and accomplish all worldly matters, they are collectively called "支干". When written as "杆", it still refers to the meaning of "竿", as an object hung on a pole becomes clearly upright, so it is also called "干". Later, for the sake of convenience in writing, it was commonly written as "干支". This passage examines the form and meaning of the character, concluding that regardless of the form, it emphasizes the relationship between the Heavenly Stems as the main and the Earthly Branches as the auxiliary, yet they complement each other.

《群書考異》云：甲者，拆也。言萬物剖符甲而出也，《易》曰：百果草木皆甲拆是也。乙者，軋也，言萬物見初生，自抽軋而出也。丙者，炳也，言萬物炳然著也。丁者，強也，言萬物之丁壯也。故《邦國圖籍》曰：成丁是也。戊者，茂也，言萬物之茂盛，故《漢志》曰：孽茂於戊，是也。己者，紀也，言萬物有形可紀識也。庚者，堅也，言萬物收斂而有實也。辛者，新也，言萬物初新，皆收成也。壬者，任也，言陽氣任養萬物於下也。癸者，揆也，言萬物可揆度也。

Yuan Shushan further cites "Grouping of Divergent Interpretations" and explains the meanings of the ten heavenly stems through phonetic etymology, using homophones to interpret the original characters. The main thread is the entire process of the growth of plants in a year. Jia means "split" (to crack open), as all things break through their outer shells to emerge from the ground, which is exactly the meaning of "All fruits and plants break open" in the "Book of Changes, the Hexagram of Release." Yi means "twist," as all things initially struggle and bend as they grow. Bing means "bright," as all things become bright and prominent. Ding means "strong," as all things reach a stage of robustness, hence "becoming an adult" is referred to as "cheng ding" in "Records of States and Documents." Wu means "prosperous," as all things flourish, as stated in the "Book of Han, the Annals of Measures and Calendars" that "growth is most vigorous at Wu." Ji means "record," as all things have taken shape and can be recorded and identified. Geng means "firm," as all things converge and bear fruit. Xin means "new," as all things have just been renewed and harvested. Ren means "bear," as the yang energy underground bears the responsibility of nurturing all things. Gui means "measure," as all things at this stage can be measured and estimated. Thus, the order of the ten heavenly stems itself represents a life line from sprouting, growing, flourishing, to converging and concealing.

又云：子者，孳也，陽氣既動，萬物孳萌於下也。丑者，紐也，紐者，繫也，續萌而繫長也。寅者，移也，亦去引也，物芽稍吐，引而伸之，移出於地也。巳者，己也，己、起也，萬物至此，已畢盡而起也。午者，仵也，亦云蕪也，萬物盛大，支柯蕪布也。未者，昧也，陰氣已長，萬物稍衰，體曖昧也。申者，身也，萬物之身體，皆成就也。酉者，老也，萬物老極而成熟也。戌者，滅也，萬物皆衰滅也。亥者，核也，萬物收藏，皆堅核也。

The "Group of Book Comparisons and Differences" explains the Earthly Branches in the same way. Zi means "zī," which refers to the initial emergence of yang energy, with all things sprouting underground. Chou means "niǔ," meaning to tie or connect, continuing from the previous sprouting and pulling upward. Yin means "yí," also implying pulling, as the tender sprout slightly emerges and is pulled out of the ground. Si means "jǐ," which also means "qǐ," indicating that all things have completed their growth and now stand upright. Wu means "wǔ," meaning meeting or crossing, also called "wú," indicating that all things are flourishing with dense branches and leaves spreading out. Wei means "mèi," meaning that yin energy has already grown, and all things begin to decline, their forms turning dark. Shen means "shēn," meaning that all things have fully formed. You means "lǎo," meaning that all things have reached their maturity. Xu means "miè," meaning that all things decline and wither together. Hai means "hé," meaning that all things are gathered in and solidified into hard kernels. The original text only explains ten branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai. The explanations for Mao and Chen are not included in the original text, and readers can infer them based on the growth sequence mentioned in the preceding and succeeding texts.

甲、丙、戊、庚、壬屬陽，乙、丁、己、辛、癸屬陰。子、寅、辰、午、申、戌，屬陽。丑、卯、巳、未、酉、亥，屬陰。《協紀辯方》云：陽從陽，陰從陰，子、寅、辰、午、申、戌，六陽辰即先天乾、兌、離、震納之。丑、卯、巳、未、酉、亥，六陰辰，即先天巽、坎、艮、坤納之。

Among the ten heavenly stems, Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren are considered yang, while Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui are yin—this is because the odd-numbered stems are yang and the even-numbered ones are yin. Among the twelve earthly branches, Zi, Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen, and Xu are yang, while Chou, Mao, Si, Wei, You, and Hai are yin, following the same pattern of odd-numbered branches being yang and even-numbered ones being yin. The Qing dynasty official compilation "Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu" explains the reasoning behind this distribution: yang follows yang, and yin follows yin. The six yang branches, Zi, Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen, and Xu, correspond to the four yang trigrams—Qian, Dui, Li, and Zhen—in the Earlier Heaven Trigrams. The six yin branches, Chou, Mao, Si, Wei, You, and Hai, correspond to the four yin trigrams—Xun, Kan, Gen, and Kun—in the Earlier Heaven Trigrams. The division of heavenly stems and earthly branches into yang and yin is the first boundary in arranging a person's birth chart. Later discussions about the order of great years for yang males and yin females, the generation, strength, decline, and reversal of yang and yin stems, and the naming of ten heavenly stems based on whether yang meets yin or yin meets yang—all begin from this distinction.

按《易》云，太極生兩儀。朱子謂萬物各具一太極，五行之木、火、土、金、水，乃萬物之最大最著者，其始也具太極，故甲乙同一木也。其繼也生兩儀，故甲屬陽，乙屬陰也。丙丁同一火也，而丙屬陽，丁屬陰。戊己同一土也，而戊屬陽，己屬陰。庚辛同一金也，而庚屬陽，辛屬陰。壬癸同一水也，而壬屬陽，癸屬陰。寅卯同一木也，而寅屬陽，乙屬陰。巳午同一火也，而午屬陽，巳屬陰。申酉同一金也，而申屬陽，酉屬陰。亥子同一水也，而子屬陽，亥屬陰。土居四維，旺在四季之末，故辰、戌丑、未，同一土也，而辰、戌為陽，丑、未為陰也。

Yuan Shushan says: The "Great Treatise" of the "Zhou Changes" says, "The Taiji gives rise to the two principles." Zhu Xi also said that each thing has its own Taiji. The five phases, wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, are the largest and most prominent categories among all things. Originally, each of them was a complete Taiji. Therefore, Jia and Yi both belong to wood. Then, Taiji gives rise to the two principles, and thus the yin and yang are divided. Jia is yang wood, and Yi is yin wood. Similarly, Bing and Ding both belong to fire, with Bing being yang fire and Ding being yin fire; Wu and Ji both belong to earth, with Wu being yang earth and Ji being yin earth; Geng and Xin both belong to metal, with Geng being yang metal and Xin being yin metal; Ren and Gui both belong to water, with Ren being yang water and Gui being yin water. The earthly branches are the same: Yin and Mao both belong to wood, with Yin being yang and Mao being yin; Si and Wu both belong to fire, with Wu being yang and Si being yin; Shen and You both belong to metal, with Shen being yang and You being yin; Hai and Zi both belong to water, with Zi being yang and Hai being yin. Earth is not confined to one direction, but is distributed among the four directions: Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei. It is strong during the last eighteen days of each season. Therefore, Chen and Xu are yang earth, while Chou and Wei are yin earth. The purpose of this passage is to inform scholars that the yin and yang of the heavenly stems and earthly branches are not arbitrarily assigned, but are natural results of "one phase dividing into two principles."

子鼠、丑牛、寅虎、卯兔、辰龍、巳蛇、午馬、未羊、申猴、酉雞、戌狗、亥豬。王逵《蠡海集》云：子為陰極，幽潛隱晦，以鼠配之，鼠藏跡。午為陽極，顯明剛健，以馬配之，馬快行。丑為陰，俯而慈愛，以牛配之，牛舐犢。未為陽，仰而秉禮，以羊配之，羊跪乳。寅為三陽，陽勝則暴，以虎配之，虎性暴。申為三陰，陰勝則黠，以猴配之，猴性黠。

The twelve Earthly Branches are each paired with an animal, known as the zodiac animals: Zi is paired with the rat, Chou with the ox, Yin with the tiger, Mao with the rabbit, Chen with the dragon, Si with the snake, Wu with the horse, Wei with the sheep, Shen with the monkey, You with the rooster, Xu with the dog, and Hai with the pig. In the Ming dynasty, Wang Kui explained the rationale for these pairings in his work "Lihai Ji," stating that the animals' characteristics are used to symbolize the yin and yang energies of each branch. Zi, representing the extreme of yin, is deep and hidden, so it is paired with the rat, which is good at hiding. Wu, representing the extreme of yang, is bright and vigorous, so it is paired with the horse, which is swift. Chou, belonging to yin, is lowly and compassionate, so it is paired with the ox, which licks its young. Wei, belonging to yang, is lofty and respectful, so it is paired with the sheep, which kneels when nursing its young. Yin, the month of three yangs, has an excess of yang energy, appearing fierce, so it is paired with the tiger, which is fierce. Shen, the month of three yins, has an excess of yin energy, appearing cunning, so it is paired with the monkey, which is sly.

卯酉為日月之門，二肖皆一竅，兔舐雄毛則孕，感而不交也。雞合踏而無形，交而不感也。辰巳陽起而變化，龍為盛，蛇次之，故龍蛇配辰巳。龍蛇者，變化之物也。戌亥陰斂而持守，狗為盛，豬次之，故狗豬配戌亥。狗豬者，鎮靜之物也。

The *Lihai Ji* continues to say:卯 and 酉 are respectively the gates of sunrise and sunset. The animals paired with them, the rabbit and the chicken, each have only one hole. It is said that a female rabbit can become pregnant by licking the fur of a male rabbit, which is a case ofsympathetic response without actual copulation; while the chicken copulates but leaves no visible trace, which is a case of copulation withoutsympathetic response. Thus, they are exactly opposite in their characteristics.辰 and 巳 are the times when yang energy rises and all things undergo transformation. The power of transformation is strongest in the dragon and next in the snake, so dragon and snake are used to match辰 and 巳—both are animals skilled in transformation.戌 and 亥 are the times when yin energy is gathered and all things hold on. The power of guarding is strongest in the dog and next in the pig, so dog and pig are used to match戌 and 亥—both are quiet and steadfast animals. Thus, the pairing of the twelve zodiac animals is based on the correspondence of "energy" and "nature," rather than arbitrary assignment.

《考原》云：十二辰禽象，其說相沿以久。莫知其所自來，雖於經典無見，然以傳記子史考之，則不獨宋以後也。如韓愈《毛穎傳》謂：食之卯地。《祭張員外文》謂：虎取而去，來寅其徵。則唐時有之矣。《管輅傳》推東方朔龍蛇之占，以為變化相推，會於辰巳。又譙周謂：司馬為典午，則漢晉時有之矣。溯而上之，陳敬仲筮者，言當昌於姜姓之國，而釋春秋謂觀之六四。納得辛未，辛為巽長女，未為羊，羊加女為姜，則是周時又已有之也。

Yuan Shushan further cites the "Xing Li Kao Yuan" to use literary sources to examine the origin of the zodiac animals. The "Kao Yuan" states that the twelve earthly branches correspond to twelve animals, a practice that has been in use for a long time, and no one can determine exactly when it first originated; although it is not found in the Confucian classics, examining historical records and writings of the philosophers and historians across generations shows that this concept existed long before the Song dynasty. For example, in Han Yu's "Mao Ying Zhuan" from the Tang dynasty, it says that rabbits "eat at the卯 (Mao) place," and in his "Ji Zhang Yuanwai Wen," it mentions "the tiger takes away, coming at寅 (Yin) as a sign," showing that this idea was already present in the Tang dynasty. Another example is from the "San Guo Zhi · Guan Lu Zhuan," which discusses Guan Lu's interpretation of Dongfang Shuo's divination about dragons and snakes, believing that changes and transformations lead to convergence at辰 (Chen) and巳 (Si). Also, Qiao Zhou of the Shu Han dynasty said "Si Ma is the '典午' (the '典' refers to 'si,' and '午' refers to 'horse'), using the zodiac to refer to the Sima clan in a cryptic way," showing that this concept existed in the Han and Jin dynasties. Going further back, the "Zuo Zhuan" records that Chen Jingzhong consulted a diviner, who said his descendants would flourish in the state of Jiang, and interpreters of the "Chun Qiu" pointed out that this was the sixth line of the Guan hexagram. This line incorporates the heavenly stems and earthly branches, resulting in Xinwei. Xin belongs to Xun, which represents the elder daughter, and Wei belongs to the sheep. Adding the character for sheep to the character for female gives the character for Jiang. Therefore, the use of the zodiac dates back to the Zhou dynasty. The argument in this passage is clear: the zodiac is not a later invention of popular belief, but a concept with very ancient origins.

《空同子》曰：十二支子鼠丑牛等，初皆取象耳，然木人見漆則瘍，貓見寅人則銜其兒走，徙其窠。昨問劉南宮，劉曰：是真有之也，不但取象，朱子論乾馬、坤牛、巽雞、坎豕、艮狗、兌羊，曰此取象自有來歷，非假譬之。由是觀之，十二象真有之矣。

In the Ming dynasty, Li Mengyang's "Kongtongzi" presents another perspective: the twelve earthly branches, such as rat, ox, etc., were originally just symbolic representations. However, people belonging to the wood element get sores when they touch lacquer, and cats see people of the tiger element and carry their kittens to move their nests—these are not mere metaphors. The author says that he once asked Liu Nangong, who replied that such responses are real, not just symbolic. Zhu Xi, when discussing the "Shuogua" section of the "Zhouyi" (I Ching), which associates Qian with horse, Kun with ox, Xun with chicken, Kan with pig, Gen with dog, and Dui with sheep, also said that these symbolic associations have their origins and are not arbitrary metaphors. From this, it appears that the images of the twelve zodiac animals are real. Yuan Shushan recorded this in the "Kaoyuan" after discussing the origin of the zodiac, intending to first present the rationale for the view that the zodiac animals have actual physical responses before addressing the opposing view that they are merely symbols.

按：己酉秋，晤宋午庭先生，詢於貴處東臺。濱海之地，物產必饒。渠云：東海出產，以動物占多數，而尤以閏魚為最奇異。蓋尋常之魚，無論鉅細，形狀不更，每年應時而出。閏魚則閏年不可見也，且形狀不一。按其所閏之年支生肖，而變更焉。如子年則鼠首魚尾，丑年則牛首魚尾，推而至於寅年虎首，卯年兔首，無不酷肖。

Yuan Shushan remarked: In the Jiyou year (1909) autumn, I met Mr. Song Wuting, and asked him about the situation in his hometown, the eastern part of Jiangsu Province, Dongtai. He said that coastal areas must have abundant resources. He replied that the products of the East Sea are mostly animals, among which the most peculiar is the "leap fish." Ordinary fish, regardless of size, have fixed shapes and appear annually according to the seasons; leap fish, however, can only be seen in leap years, and their shapes vary according to the animal sign of the year in which the leap occurs. For example, in the year of the rat, the leap fish has a rat's head and a fish's tail; in the year of the ox, it has an ox's head and a fish's tail, and so on, with the tiger, rabbit, and so forth, all resembling the corresponding animal. Yuan Shushan cited this experience to provide a firsthand account as additional evidence for the previous statement that "the zodiac signs are indeed real creatures."

光緒甲申閏五月，餘會親見閏魚之形狀，猴首魚尾，身長十餘丈，肋骨幾及丈餘者。但此魚非人力所能捕獲，必待海潮驟落，自斃沙灘。乙卯秋，又與葉子實先生，縱談及此，所見亦同，據二君之言，則海隅動物，有若是之靈異，地支生肖，有若是之明證，誰謂干支假設，生肖無憑耶？

Master Song Wuting also said: In the Jiashen year of the Guangxu era (1884), during the leap fifth lunar month, I personally saw the appearance of the leap fish. It had the head of a monkey and the tail of a fish, and its body was several tens of feet long, with ribs almost over a zhang in length. However, this kind of fish cannot be caught by human effort. One must wait for the sea tide to suddenly recede, and it would be found dead on the sandbank by itself. Yuan Shushan then wrote: In the Yimao year (1915) autumn, I again had an in-depth discussion with Master Ye Shishi about this matter. What he saw and heard was the same. According to the words of these two masters, marine creatures can show such miraculous phenomena, and the twelve earthly branches can have such clear verification. Who could still say that the heavenly stems and earthly branches were made up out of nowhere, and that the zodiac signs have no basis? This question is the key point of Yuan Shushan's argument in this section: he first wants to establish the status of the heavenly stems, earthly branches, and zodiac signs as having an original basis. Only then can the various rules used in fortune-telling stand firm.

甲乙屬木，為東方。丙丁屬獲為南方。戊己屬土，為中央。庚辛屬金，為西方。壬癸屬水，為北方。寅卯辰屬木，司春，為東方。巳午未屬火，司夏，為南方。申酉戌屬金，司秋，為西方。亥子丑屬水，司冬，為北方。辰戌丑未四支，單位言之屬土，為四季，為四維。

This is a summary table showing the relationship between the heavenly stems, the five phases, and directions. It serves as a direct reference for determining the abundance of the five phases after arranging the four pillars of a person's birth. Regarding the heavenly stems: Jia and Yi belong to wood and are located in the east; Bing and Ding belong to fire and are located in the south; Wu and Ji belong to earth and are located in the center; Geng and Xin belong to metal and are located in the west; Ren and Gui belong to water and are located in the north. As for the earthly branches: Yin, Mao, and Chen belong to wood, govern spring, and are located in the east; Si, Wu, and Wei belong to fire, govern summer, and are located in the south; Shen, You, and Xu belong to metal, govern autumn, and are located in the west; Hai, Zi, and Chou belong to water, govern winter, and are located in the north. As for Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, when considered individually, they belong to earth. They are located at the end of each season and occupy the four corners: northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest. Therefore, they are called "seasons" and also "four corners." Readers should note that the earthly branches are grouped into three each to correspond to the four seasons, yet each also has its own inherent energy. Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, in particular, are "seasonal endings belonging to earth, yet each contains the residual energy of its respective season." This is fundamental for later discussions on the monthly stem and the concept of storage.

《五行大義》云：夫萬物自有體質，聖人象類而制其名，故曰名以定體。無名乃天地之始，有名則萬物之母。以其因功涉用，故云稱謂。《禮》云：子生三月，咳而名之，及其未生，本無名字。五行為萬物之先，形用資於造化，豈可不先立其名，後明其體用耶。

Yuan Shushan again cites The Great Meaning of the Five Phases, first explaining why the Five Phases need to be given names. All things have their own form and substance, and sages take analogy from them to give them names, so it is said that "names are used to determine the nature of things." The Tao Te Ching says, "Nameless is the origin of heaven and earth; named is the mother of all things." Names arise from function, so they are called "designations." The Book of Rites says that when a child is born, he is given a name when he begins to speak, and before birth, there is no name. The Five Phases are the leading elements of all things, their form and function are drawn from the workings of nature, so how can we not first establish their names and then explain their nature and function? This passage serves as an introduction to the following detailed explanation of the meanings of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Yuan Shushan wants readers to understand that the names of the Five Phases are not empty labels; the original meaning of each character points to the nature of its element. Only by understanding the meanings of the characters can one truly understand the nature and function of the Five Phases.

《白虎通》云：少陽見於寅，盛於卯，衰於辰。其日甲乙屬木。《春秋元命苞》曰：木者，觸也。觸地而生。許慎云：木者，冒也。言冒地而出，字從中下，象其根也。其時春《禮記》曰：春之為言蠢也，產萬物者也。其位在東方。尸子云：東者，動也，震氣故動。

First, we discuss the Wood element. The "White Tiger Treatise" states that the energy of the Young Yang appears at寅 (Yin), thrives at卯 (Mao), and declines at辰 (Chen); paired with the Heavenly Stems, Jia and Yi belong to Wood. The esoteric text "Spring and Autumn Original Mandate Bundle" says that "wood" means "touch," referring to its growth by pushing against the ground. Xu Shen's "Explanation of Characters" says that "wood" means "emerge," indicating its rising from the ground; the character's upper part is "chou" (a symbol for sprouting plants), and the lower part is a pictograph of tree roots. The Wood element governs the season of spring, as the "Rites of Zhou" says "spring" means "movement" (chun), the season when all things begin to sprout. The direction associated with Wood is the East, as mentioned in "Shi Zi," where "East" means "movement," because the East corresponds to the Zhen trigram, which represents movement, hence called "movement." This passage clearly explains the four attributes of the Wood element: its association with the Heavenly Stems (Jia and Yi), its governing season (spring), its direction (East), and its semantic meaning (touch, emerge, movement). Later statements such as "Jia and Yi correspond to寅 and卯, Wood is vigorous in spring and resides in the East" are all based on this passage.

《白虎通》云：太陽見於巳，壯盛於午，衰於未。其日丙丁屬火。火之為言化也，陽氣用事，萬物變化也。許慎曰：火者，炎上也。其字炎而上，象形者也。其時夏。《尚書大傳》云：何以謂之夏，夏，假也。假者，呼萬物而養之。《釋名》曰：夏假者，寬假萬物，使生長也。其位南方。《尚書大傳》云：物之方任也。

Now let us discuss fire. The "White Tiger Treatise" says: the energy of the sun appears at Si, reaches its peak at Wu, and declines at Wei; when paired with the heavenly stems, Bing and Ding belong to fire. "Fire" is "change," for at this time the yang energy is dominant, and all things undergo transformation. Xu Shen says that the nature of fire is "ascending heat," and the character is written to depict flames rising upward, making it a pictographic character. The season associated with fire is summer. The "Great Transmission of the Book of Documents" asks why it is called "summer," and the answer is that "summer" means "to assume," which refers to calling forth and nurturing all things. The "Explanation of Names" also says that "summer" means to generously allow all things to grow freely. The direction associated with fire is the south. The "Great Transmission of the Book of Documents" says that this is the direction where all things are properly engaged in the task of growth. Taken together: the heavenly stems associated with fire are Bing and Ding, the season is summer, the direction is south, and its nature is ascending heat and governing transformation. These points are precisely the starting points for the later discussion of "Bing fire being fierce" and "the fire of summer exercising its power."

《白虎通》云：土為中宮，其日戊己。《元命苞》曰：土之為言吐也。今吐氣精，以生於物。許慎云：土者，吐生者也。王肅云：土者，地之別號，以為五行也。許慎云：其字二，以象地之下與地之中。以一直畫象物初出地也。其時季夏，季，老也，萬物於此成就方老，旺於四時之季，故曰老也。其位主內，內，通也。《禮斗威儀》云：得皇極之正氣，含黃中之德，能苞萬物。

Next comes the explanation of earth. The "White Tiger Treatise" states that earth is located in the central position, and when paired with the heavenly stems, it corresponds to Wu and Ji. The "Spring and Autumn Primary Mandate" says that "earth" is "to emit," meaning that it emits the essence of qi to generate all things. Xu Shen also says that earth is the thing that gives birth to all things. Wang Su says that earth is another name for "earth," and it is listed among the Five Phases. Xu Shen explains the character "土" by saying that the two horizontal strokes at the top and bottom represent the layers beneath the surface and within the earth, while the vertical stroke in the middle represents the moment when all things first break through the soil. The season associated with earth is the last season of summer (June), "季" meaning "old," as all things have matured and are now turning old. Earth is strong at the end of each of the four seasons, so "old" is the meaning taken from this. The position of earth is internal, and "internal" has the meaning of being accessible or connected. The "Rites of the Celestial Pole and Rituals" say that earth receives the most central and upright qi, embodying the virtue of "Yellow Center" (residing in the center and being upright), and is capable of embracing all things. Earth is not confined to one direction or season but is strong at the end of each of the four seasons, which is the basis for later discussions about Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, and the concepts of "earth being strong in the four seasons" and "earth residing in the four directions."

《白虎通》云：少陰見於申，壯於酉，衰於戌，其日庚辛，屬金。許慎云：金者，禁也。陰氣始起，萬物禁止也。金生於土，字從土，左右注象在土中之形也。其時秋。《禮記》云：秋之為言愁也，愁之以時，察守義者也。尸子云：秋，肅也。萬物莫不肅敬恭莊，禮之主也。《說文》曰：天地反覆為秋，其位西方。《尚書大傳》云：西，鮮也。鮮，訊也。訊者，始人之貌也。

Next comes metal. The "White Tiger Treatise" states that the energy of the lesser yin appears at Shen, reaches its peak at You, and declines at Xu; paired with the heavenly stems, Geng and Xin belong to metal. Xu Shen says that "metal" is the same as "ban," meaning at this time the yin energy begins to rise, and all things are restrained from growing. Metal is born from the earth, so the character includes "earth," and the two dots on either side symbolize the appearance of a metal block buried in the earth. The season associated with metal is autumn. The "Rites of Zhou" says that "autumn" is the same as "chou," meaning that according to the season, people feel a sense of melancholy and restraint, thus examining and upholding the principles of righteousness. Shizi says that "autumn" is the same as "sù," meaning all things become respectful and solemn, and it is the essence of propriety. The "Shuo Wen" says that the alternating energies of heaven and earth form autumn. The direction associated with metal is the west. The "Great Transmission of the Book of Documents" says that "west" is the same as "xian," and "xian" is also interpreted as "xun," meaning the appearance of things just taking shape. The four aspects of metal—its heavenly stems Geng and Xin, the season of autumn, the direction of the west, and its nature of being solemn and restrained—are now complete. Later texts say "metal in autumn is in its prime" and "metal is restriction," and their origins are found in this passage.

《白虎通》云：太陰見於亥，壯於子，衰於丑。其日壬癸屬水。水之為言準也。養物平均，有準則也。元命苞曰：水之為言演也，陰化淖濡，流施潛行也。故立字，兩人交一，以中出者為水。一者，數之始，兩人男女陰陽交以起一也。水者，五行始焉，元氣之湊液也。《管子》云：水者，地之血氣，筋脈之流通者，故曰水。許慎云：其字象泉並流，中有微陽之氣，其時冬。尸子云：冬，終也。萬物至此終藏也。其位北方。尸子云：北，伏也。萬物至冬皆伏，貴賤若一也。

The section now discusses water. The "White Tiger Treatise" states that the energy of Taiyin appears at Hai, becomes strong at Zi, and declines at Chou; when paired with the heavenly stems, Ren and Gui belong to water. "Water" is "Zhu," which nurtures all things equally and follows a fixed standard. The "Spring and Autumn Original Mandate" says that "water" is "Yan," meaning that the yin energy transforms into moist and soft substances, spreading and giving out while remaining hidden; thus, the character for water is written with two "people" joined by a single "one," symbolizing the shape of the middle part where the "one" emerges. The "one" represents the beginning of numbers, and the two people signify the union of male and female yin and yang, producing this "one." Water is the beginning of the Five Phases, the essence of the original qi condensed into a liquid. The "Master Guanzi" says that water is the blood of the earth, like the circulation of sinews and vessels, hence it is called water. Xu Shen explains the character for water as resembling flowing springs, with the middle stroke containing a slight yang energy. The season associated with water is winter. The "Corpse Son" says that "winter" means "end," as all things reach their conclusion and are stored away. The direction associated with water is the north. The "Corpse Son" says that "north" means "concealment," as all things are hidden away in winter, regardless of their status. Thus, the meanings of the Five Phases, the heavenly stems, the seasons, and the directions have all been explained. Yuan Shushan includes this entire section to lay a foundation for the book's Five Phases reasoning, ensuring that the names and realities correspond accurately.

甲子乙丑海中金。子屬水，又為湖，又為水旺之地，兼金死於子，墓於丑，水旺而金死墓，故曰海中金。丙寅丁卯爐中火。寅為三陽，卯為四陽。火既得位，又得寅卯之木以生之，此時天地開爐，萬物始生，故曰爐中火。戊辰己巳大林木。辰為原野，巳為六陽，木至六陽，則枝榮葉茂，以茂盛之木，而原野之間，故曰大林木。庚午辛未路旁土。未中之木，而生午位之旺火，火旺則土於斯而受刑。土之始生，未能育物，猶路旁土若也。故曰路旁土。壬申癸酉劍鋒金。申酉金之正位，兼臨官申，帝旺酉，金既生旺，則成剛矣。剛則無逾於劍鋒，故曰劍鋒金。

The following is an explanation of the "Nayin sound element" in groups. The "Nayin sound element" refers to pairing each set of two heavenly stems and earthly branches, and assigning them a Five Phases element and an image-based title. This system is separate from the Five Phases of the heavenly stems and earthly branches themselves, and was traditionally used to examine a person's destiny and divine influences. The first pair, Jiazi and Yichou, is called "Sea of the Sea Gold": Zi belongs to water and resembles a lake, which is the strongest position for water; while gold dies in Zi and is buried in Chou, so water is strong and gold is dead and buried, like gold sunk in the sea, hence called "Sea of the Sea Gold". The second pair, Bingyin and Dingmao, is called "Furnace Fire": Yin is the third month of the three yang months, and Mao is the fourth month of the four yang months, so fire is in its proper position here, and Yin and Mao wood support it. This is the time when the heavens and earth open the furnace and all things begin to be born, hence called "Furnace Fire". The third pair, Wuchen and Jisi, is called "Great Forest Wood": Chen represents the original wild land, and Si is the sixth yang, so wood grows to the sixth yang and becomes lush and full of branches and leaves, growing in the wild land, hence called "Great Forest Wood". The fourth pair, Gengwu and Xinwei, is called "Roadside Earth": The hidden ethyl wood in Wei gives birth to the strong fire in Wu, so the fire is strong and the earth is harmed, and the earth is just formed and cannot nourish all things, just like the floating earth by the roadside, hence called "Roadside Earth". The fifth pair, Renshen and Guiyou, is called "Sword Edge Gold": Shen and You are the proper positions of metal, and metal reaches its officialdom in Shen and its prosperity in You, so it becomes strong and sharp metal. The sharpest thing is the blade of a sword, hence called "Sword Edge Gold".

甲戌乙亥山頭火。戌亥為天門，火照天門，其光至高，故曰山頭火。丙子丁丑澗下水。水旺於子，衰於丑，旺而反衰，則不能為江河。故曰澗下水。戊寅己卯城頭土。天干戊己屬土，寅為艮，艮為山，土積而為山，故曰城頭土。庚辰辛巳白臘金。金養於辰，生於巳，形質初成，未能堅利，故曰白臘金。壬午癸未楊柳木。木死於午，墓於未。木既死墓，雖得天干壬癸之水以生之，終是弱，故曰楊柳木。

The sixth pair, Jia Xu and Yi Hai, are called "Fire on Mountain Peak": Xu and Hai are located at the heavenly gate, and the fire light reaches the heavenly gate, its light being the highest, hence called Fire on Mountain Peak. The seventh pair, Bing Zi and Ding Chou, are called "Water in Gullies": water is strong at Zi but weak at Chou, when it is strong it turns weak, its strength is insufficient to form rivers and lakes, so it can only be the thin stream in mountain gullies, hence called Water in Gullies. The eighth pair, Wu Yin and Ji Mao, are called "Earth on City Walls": the heavenly stems Wu and Ji belong to earth, Yin belongs to Gen in the Eight Trigrams, Gen represents mountain, and earth accumulates to form a mountain, hence called Earth on City Walls. The ninth pair, Geng Chen and Xin Si, are called "White Wax Metal": metal is nourished at Chen and born at Si, its form is just beginning to take shape, and it is not yet hard and sharp, hence called White Wax Metal. The tenth pair, Ren Wu and Gui Wei, are called "Willow and Poplar Wood": wood dies at Wu and is buried at Wei, since it has already died and is buried, although there is water from the heavenly stems Ren and Gui to nourish it, it remains weak, hence called Willow and Poplar Wood. When reading this passage, one should note: the explanation of each Nayin name is derived by combining the directional symbolism of the earthly branches with the twelve cycles of the Five Phases of that element. Once readers master this method, the sixty Jiazi Nayin need not be memorized by rote.

甲申乙酉泉中水。金臨官在申，帝旺在酉。金既生旺，則水由以生，然方生之際，力量未洪，故曰泉中水。丙戌丁亥屋上土。丙丁屬火，戌亥為天門，火既炎上，則土非在下而生，故曰屋上土。戊子己丑霹靂火。丑屬土，子屬水，。水居正位，而納音乃火，水中之火，非龍則神，故曰霹靂火。庚寅辛卯松柏木。木臨官在寅，帝旺在卯。木既生旺，則非柔弱之比，故曰松柏木。壬辰癸巳長流水。辰為水庫，巳為金長生之地，金生則水性已存，以庫水而逢生金，則泉源終不竭，故曰長流水。

The eleventh pair, Jiashen and Yiyou, are called "Water from a Spring": Metal reaches its officialdom in Shen and its prosperity in You, so when Metal is strong and flourishing, it can generate Water. However, the Water is just beginning to form, so its strength is not yet great, only a small stream from a spring, hence called "Water from a Spring". The twelfth pair, Bingxu and Dinghai, are called "Earth on a Roof": Bing and Ding belong to Fire, while Xu and Hai are the heavenly gates. Since Fire rises upward, the Earth generated by Fire is not underground but on high places, hence called "Earth on a Roof". The thirteenth pair, Wuzi and Jichou, are called "Lightning Fire": Chou belongs to Earth and Zi belongs to Water. Water is in its own position, yet the sound element is Fire. Fire arises from Water, which is either a dragon or a god, hence called "Lightning Fire". The fourteenth pair, Gengyin and Xinmao, are called "Cedar and Pine Wood": Wood reaches its officialdom in Yin and its prosperity in Mao. When Wood is strong and flourishing, it is not the same as weak Wood, hence called "Cedar and Pine Wood". The fifteenth pair, Renchen and Guisi, are called "Continuous Flowing Water": Chen is the reservoir of Water, and Si is the place where Metal begins to grow. Since the source of Water is present, the water in the reservoir meets the Metal that generates Water, so the source will never run dry, hence called "Continuous Flowing Water".

甲午乙未沙中金。午為火旺之地，火旺則金敗，未為火衰之地，火衰則金冠帶，敗而方冠帶，未能砟伐，故曰沙中金。丙申丁酉山下火。申為地戶，酉為日入之門，日之此時而藏光，故曰山下火。戊戌己亥平地木。戌為原野，亥為木生之地，夫木生於原野，則非一根一株之比，故曰平地木。庚子辛丑壁上土。丑雖土家正位，而子乃水旺之地，土見水多則為泥，故曰壁上土。壬寅癸卯金箔金。寅卯為木旺之地，木旺則金羸，且金絕於寅，胎於卯，金既無力，故曰金箔金。

The sixteenth pair, Jiawu and Yiwei, are called "Sand-Bedded Gold": Wu is the place where fire is most vigorous, and strong fire weakens gold; Wei is where fire begins to decline, and weak fire allows gold to reach the stage of capping. Although gold moves from a place of decline to capping, it is still too weak to withstand cutting and forging, and can only be scattered gold particles in sand, hence called Sand-Bedded Gold. The seventeenth pair, Bingshen and Dingyou, are called "Fire Below the Mountain": Shen is the earth gate, and You is the gate where the sun sets. At this time, the sun gathers its light, leaving only the remaining glow at the foot of the mountain, hence called Fire Below the Mountain. The eighteenth pair, Wuxu and Jihai, are called "Flat Land Timber": Xu represents the open fields, and Hai is the place where wood is born. Wood growing on open fields is not just a single tree or branch, hence called Flat Land Timber. The nineteenth pair, Gengzi and Xinchou, are called "Wall-Bound Earth": Although Chou is the proper position for earth, Zi is the place where water is most vigorous. When earth meets too much water, it becomes mud, suitable only for coating walls, hence called Wall-Bound Earth. The twentieth pair, Renyin and Guimao, are called "Gold Foil": Yin and Mao are the places where wood is most vigorous. Strong wood weakens gold, and gold is in absolute decline at Yin and in the womb stage at Mao. Gold has no strength, thin as a foil, hence called Gold Foil.

甲辰乙巳覆燈火。辰為食時，巳為隅中，日之將中，豔陽之勢，光於天下，故曰覆燈火。丙午丁未天河水。丙丁屬火，午為火旺之地，而納音乃水，水自火出，非銀漢不能有也，故曰天河水。戊申己酉大驛土。申為坤，坤為地，酉為兌，兌為澤。戊己之土，加於坤澤之上，非其他浮薄之土，故曰大驛土。庚戌辛亥釵釧金。金至戌而衰，至亥而病，金既衰病，則誠柔矣，故曰釵釧金。壬子癸丑桑柘木。子屬水，丑藏金，水方生木，金則伐之，猶桑柘方生，人即採以飼蠶，故曰桑柘木。

The twenty-first pair, Jiachen and Yisi, is called "Covered Lamp Fire": Chen is "Food Time" (the time for breakfast), and Si is "Corner of Midday" (near noon). The sun is almost at its zenith, shining brightly over the world, like a high-hanging lantern illuminating all directions, hence called Covered Lamp Fire. The twenty-second pair, Bingwu and Dingwei, is called "Heavenly River Water": Bing and Ding belong to fire, and Wu is the peak of fire. However, the Nayin sound element is water, which comes out of fire. Except for the Milky Way, there is no other source, hence called Heavenly River Water. The twenty-third pair, Wushen and Jiyou, is called "Great Post Station Earth": Shen belongs to the trigrams of Kun, which represents earth; You belongs to Dui, which represents marsh. Adding Wu and Ji earth to Kun earth and Dui marsh, it is not the same as other thin and weak earths, but is sufficient to carry the great path and post stations, hence called Great Post Station Earth. The twenty-fourth pair, Gengxu and Xinhai, is called "Hairpin and Bracelet Gold": Gold declines at Xu and becomes ill at Hai. Being both weak and ill, it is naturally soft, only suitable for making hairpins and bracelets, hence called Hairpin and Bracelet Gold. The twenty-fifth pair, Renzi and Guichou, is called "Sangzhe Wood": Zi belongs to water, and Chou contains metal. Water begins to grow wood, and metal comes to cut it, just like Sang and Zhe trees beginning to grow leaves, when people cut them to feed silkworms, hence called Sangzhe Wood.

甲寅乙卯大溪水。寅為東北維，卯為正東，水流正東，則其性順，而川澗池沼，俱合而歸，故曰大溪水。丙辰丁巳沙中土。土墓在辰，絕在巳，而天干丙丁之火，至辰冠帶，巳臨官，土既墓絕，旺火復又生之，故曰沙中土。按《考原》云：水長生於申，土亦長生於申，寄生於寅，故土墓在辰而絕在巳也。

The twenty-sixth pair, Jiayin and Yimao, are called "Great Creek Water": Yin is in the Northeast, and Mao is in the East. Water flowing east follows its natural course, gathering from streams, ravines, and ponds along the way, hence called Great Creek Water. The twenty-seventh pair, Bingchen and Dingsi, are called "Sand in the Middle of the River": Earth is buried in Chen and dies in Si. The heavenly stems Bing and Ding, which are fire, reach Chen in the stage of Capping and reach Si in the stage of Officialdom. Since the earth is buried and dying, the strong fire instead generates it, producing only loose, floating sand, hence called Sand in the Middle of the River. Yuan Shushan added a commentary and cited the "Star and Calendar Origin" to explain the origin of "earth buried in Chen and dying in Si": Water is born in Shen, and earth is also born in Shen. Another view says earth is born in Yin. Since earth is born in Yin, following the twelve cycles, it reaches Chen as burial and reaches Si as death, hence saying earth is buried in Chen and dies in Si. This commentary explains the basis of the twelve cycles behind the method of determining the nayin sound elements. Without understanding the birth position of earth, one cannot understand the naming of Sand in the Middle of the River.

戊午己未天上火。午為火旺之地，未中之木，又復生之，火性炎上，又逢生地，故曰天上火。庚申辛酉石榴木。申為七月，酉為八月，此時木則絕矣，惟石榴之木反結實，故曰石榴木。壬戌癸亥大海水。水冠帶在戌，臨官在亥，水力厚矣，又亥為江，非他水之比，故曰大海水。

The twenty-eighth pair, Wuwu and Jiwei, are called "Heavenly Fire": Wu is the strongest point for fire, and the hidden Yi wood in Jiwei comes to nourish it. Fire naturally rises upward, and now it meets a nourishing position, so its power reaches the heavens, hence called Heavenly Fire. The twenty-ninth pair, Gengshen and Xinyou, are called "Pomegranate Wood": Shen is in the seventh month and You is in the eighth month, when the wood energy has already declined, but pomegranate trees bear fruit at this time, hence called Pomegranate Wood. The thirtieth pair, Renxu and Guihai, are called "Great Sea Water": Water reaches its cap in Xu and its official position in Hai. The strength of water is already deep, and Hai itself represents rivers and streams, which are not comparable to other waters, hence called Great Sea Water. The sixty Jiazi pairs' thirty pairs of Nayin sound elements are now fully listed. Observing the entire table, one can see a general rule: although the Five Phases of Nayin are determined by ancient methods, the size, strength, and clarity of each name are derived from the positions and the twelve-year strength and decline of the Five Phases in these pairs. The strong and flourishing are taken as powerful, while the dead and declined are taken as weak.

《淵海子平》云：昔者黃帝將甲子分輕重，而配成六十，號曰花甲子。其花字誠為奧妙，蓋聖人有寓意在焉。夫自子至亥十二宮，各有金、木、水、火、土之屬。始起於子為一陽，終於亥為六陰。其五行所屬金、木、水、火、土，在天為五星，於地為五嶽，於德為五常，於人為五臟，其於命也為五行，是故甲子之屬，乃應之於命。命則一世之事，故甲子納音象聖人喻之，亦如人一世之事也。

Yuan Shushan then cited the "Ziping's Sea of Profundity" from the Xu Ziping school of the Song Dynasty, explaining why the sixty Jiazi are called "Huajiazi." The book says that back in ancient times, the Yellow Emperor assigned the Jiazi according to their light and heavy qualities, pairing them into sixty groups, which were called "Huajiazi." The character "hua" carries profound meaning, representing the sage's deeper intention. From Zi to Hai, the twelve branches each correspond to one of the Five Phases: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Starting from Zi, it is the beginning of one yang, and ending at Hai, it is the extreme of six yin. The Five Phases correspond to the five planets in the sky, the five mountains on earth, the five virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness in human morality, and the five internal organs in the human body. In terms of destiny, this relates to the Five Phases. Therefore, the system of the sixty Jiazi is meant to apply to human destiny. Destiny refers to a person's entire life, so the sages used the Jiazi's Nayin sound element as an analogy, describing a person's life experiences. The key point of this passage is that the sixty Jiazi are not merely symbols for recording years or days; ancient people regarded them as a model to describe the rise and decline of a person's life.

何言乎？如子丑二位，陰陽始孕，人在胞胎，物藏根苗，未有涯際。寅卯二位，陰陽漸闢，人漸生長，物以拆甲，群葩漸剖，如人將有立身也。辰巳二位，陰陽氣盛，物當華秀，人至三十四十，而有立身之地，進取之象。午未二位，陰陽彰露，物已成齊，人至五十六十，富貴貧賤可知，凡百興衰可見矣。申酉二位，陰陽肅殺，物已收成，人已龜縮，各得其靜矣。戌亥二位，陰陽閉塞，物氣歸根，人當休息，各有歸著。詳此十有二位，先後六十甲子，可以次第而知也。

In Ziping's Sea of Profundity, the twelve branches are sequentially associated with the stages of a person's life. Why is this so? The branches Zi and Chou represent the initial stage of yin and yang, when life is still in the womb, and plants only have their roots and sprouts, with an uncertain future. The branches Yin and Mao mark the gradual unfolding of yin and yang, as a person grows gradually, and plants break through their shells, with flowers blooming one after another, just like a person about to establish themselves in the world. The branches Chen and Si represent the flourishing of yin and yang, when plants are in full bloom, and a person in their thirties or forties has already established themselves, showing a dynamic and ambitious phase. The branches Wu and Wei indicate the clear manifestation of yin and yang, when plants have fully grown, and a person in their fifties or sixties has already seen the distinction between wealth and poverty, with the rise and fall of their life clearly visible. The branches Shen and You represent the turning of yin and yang towards decline, when plants have harvested their fruits, and people become reclusive, retreating into quietness. The branches Xu and Hai mark the closure of yin and yang, when things return to their origins, and people should rest, each finding their own resting place. Understanding the sequence of these twelve branches allows one to grasp the order and significance of the sixty Jiazi. Yuan Shushan recorded this to help readers understand the inherent cycle of rise and decline in the order of the earthly branches, through the analogy of "one year has twelve months" and "a person's life has twelve stages."

《瑞桂堂暇錄》云：六十甲子之納音，以金、木、水、火、土之音而明之也。一六為水，二七為火，三八為木，四九為金，五十為土。然五行之中，惟金、木有自然之音，水、火、土必相假而後成音，蓋水假土，火假水，土假火，故金音四九，木音三八，水音五十，火音一六，土音二七。此不易之論也。

Finally, the book "Rui Gui Tang Xia Lu" is cited to explain the calculation of the Nayin sound element, which is the true principle of calculating the Nayin of the sixty Jiazi. It says: the Nayin of the sixty Jiazi is indicated by the "sound" of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. According to the numbers generated by the Yellow River Chart, one and six are water, two and seven are fire, three and eight are wood, four and nine are metal, five and ten are earth. However, among the five elements, only metal and wood have natural sounds. Water, fire, and earth must rely on other elements to produce sound—water relies on earth, fire relies on water, and earth relies on fire. Therefore, when calculating the Nayin, the sound number of metal is taken as four and nine, the sound number of wood is taken as three and eight, the sound number of water is taken as five and ten (relying on the number of earth), the sound number of fire is taken as one and six (relying on the number of water), and the sound number of earth is taken as two and seven (relying on the number of fire). This is an unchangeable conclusion. The key point is: the reason why the Nayin often differs from the element of the heavenly stem and earthly branch itself is because it calculates the "sound" rather than the "substance." The sound numbers of water, fire, and earth are all borrowed.

何以言之，甲己子午九也，乙庚丑未八也，丙辛寅申七也，丁壬卯酉六也，戊癸辰戌五也，巳亥四也。甲子乙丑其數三十有四，四者金之音也，故曰金。戊辰己巳，其數二十有三，三者木之音也，故曰木。庚午辛未，其數三十有二，二者火也，土以火為音，故曰土。甲申乙酉其數三十，十者，土也，水以土為音，故曰水。戊子己丑其數三十有一，一者水也，火以水為音，故曰火。凡六十甲子，莫不皆然，此納音之所由起也。

The Ruigui Hall Leisure Records then provide specific calculation methods. First, determine the numbers for each heavenly stem and earthly branch: Jia and Ji, Zi and Wu, are nine; Yi and Geng, Chou and Wei, are eight; Bing and Xin, Yin and Shen, are seven; Ding and Ren, Mao and You, are six; Wu and Gui, Chen and Xu, are five; Si and Hai are four. When calculating, add the numbers of the four characters in a pair of heavenly stem and earthly branch. Look at the units digit of the resulting number to determine which row's sound element it belongs to. For example, Jiazi and Yichou: nine plus nine plus eight plus eight equals thirty-four, the units digit is four, which belongs to the metal sound element, so the nayin is metal. Wuchen and Jisi: five plus five plus nine plus four equals twenty-three, the units digit is three, which belongs to the wood sound element, so the nayin is wood. Gengwu and Xinwei: eight plus nine plus eight plus seven equals thirty-two, the units digit is two, which belongs to fire, and earth uses fire as its sound element, so the nayin is earth. Jiashen and Yiyou: nine plus seven plus eight plus six equals thirty, the units digit is ten (which is the full number for earth), and earth uses water as its sound element, so the nayin is water. Wuzi and Jichou: five plus nine plus nine plus eight equals thirty-one, the units digit is one, which belongs to water, and fire uses water as its sound element, so the nayin is fire. None of the sixty jiazi pairs fail to follow this calculation method, which is the origin of the nayin. Readers can calculate this method themselves, and thus need not memorize the first thirty nayin names by heart.

甲與己合化土，乙與庚化金，丙與辛合化水，丁與壬合化木，戊與癸合化火。《考原》曰：五合者，即五位相得，而各有合也，《河圖》一與六，二與七，三與八，四與九，五與十，皆各有合。以十干之次言之，一為甲，六為己，故甲與己合。二為乙，七為庚，故庚與乙合。三為丙，八為辛，故丙與辛合。四為丁，九為壬，故丁與壬合。五為戊，十為癸，故戊與癸合。

This passage discusses the "Five Harmony" among the ten heavenly stems. Two heavenly stems combine to form a new element of the Five Phases: Jia combines with Ji to form earth, Yi combines with Geng to form metal, Bing combines with Xin to form water, Ding combines with Ren to form wood, and Wu combines with Gui to form fire. The "Star and Calendar Origin" explains the pattern of pairing: the concept of "Five Harmony" refers to the "five positions interrelate and each has its combination" mentioned in the "Great Treatise" of the "Zhou Changes." The numbers in the "Yellow River Chart" pair as one with six, two with seven, three with eight, four with nine, and five with ten, each forming a pair. When the ten heavenly stems are numbered in order, the first is Jia, the sixth is Ji, so Jia combines with Ji; the second is Yi, the seventh is Geng, so Yi combines with Geng; the third is Bing, the eighth is Xin, so Bing combines with Xin; the fourth is Ding, the ninth is Ren, so Ding combines with Ren; the fifth is Wu, the tenth is Gui, so Wu combines with Gui. Thus, the pairing of the Five Harmony is not arbitrary, but arranged according to the relationship of the generating numbers and completed numbers in the "Yellow River Chart" separated by five positions. In the context of the four pillars of destiny, when two heavenly stems combine, it may lightly hinder the stem's full expression, or heavily result in the formation of another element, which is one of the key factors in determining the success or failure of the overall pattern.

陶宗儀《輟耕錄》云：甲己土，乙庚金，丁壬木，丙辛水，戊癸火，此十干化五行真氣也。其法取歲首月建之干，如甲己丙作首，丙為火，火生土，故化土，餘仿此。又一說亦通，謂遇龍則化，龍，辰也，甲己得戊辰，戊屬土，故化土。乙庚得庚辰，庚屬金，故化金。丙辛以下皆然。

In the Yuan dynasty, Tao Zongyi's "Nancun Chuo Geng Lu" provided two methods for calculating the transformation of the heavenly stems. He first stated that Jia and Ji transform into earth, Yi and Geng into metal, Ding and Ren into wood, Bing and Xin into water, and Wu and Gui into fire; these are the true energies generated by the combination of the ten heavenly stems. The first method involves looking at the heavenly stem of the first lunar month of the given year: for Jia and Ji years, the first lunar month starts with Bingyin, which belongs to fire, and fire generates earth, so Jia and Ji combine to form earth; the other four combinations follow the same logic (for Yi and Geng years, the first lunar month starts with Wuyin, which belongs to earth, and earth generates metal, so Yi and Geng combine to form metal; for Bing and Xin years, the first lunar month starts with Gengyin, which belongs to metal, and metal generates water, so Bing and Xin combine to form water; for Ding and Ren years, the first lunar month starts with RENYIN, which belongs to water, and water generates wood, so Ding and Ren combine to form wood; for Wu and Gui years, the first lunar month starts with Jiayin, which belongs to wood, and wood generates fire, so Wu and Gui combine to form fire). The second method is also valid, called "meeting the dragon leads to transformation," where the dragon refers to Chen. For Jia and Ji, using the five tiger遁 method to reach the month of Chen results in Wuchen, which belongs to earth, so Jia and Ji combine to form earth; for Yi and Geng, reaching the month of Chen results in Gengchen, which belongs to metal, so Yi and Geng combine to form metal; the rest follow the same approach. Both methods lead to the same conclusion, and scholars can choose either one. The key is to remember that the transformation of the heavenly stems must be supported by the monthly stem and the energies of the four pillars, otherwise it is just a hollow combination.

子與丑合，屬土。寅與亥合，屬木。卯與戌合，屬火。辰與酉合屬金。巳與申合，屬水。午與未合，午太陽，未太陰也。

Continuing with the "Six Harmony" of the Earthly Branches. The twelve Earthly Branches combine in pairs to form six sets, each transforming into a specific Five Phase: Zi and Chou combine to form Earth, Yin and Hai combine to form Wood, Mao and Xu combine to form Fire, Chen and You combine to form Metal, Si and Shen combine to form Water; Wu and Wei combine without a separate Five Phase, because Wu represents the Sun and Wei represents the Moon, which themselves are the images of the Sun and Moon. The Six Harmony functions similarly to the Five Phase interactions of the Heavenly Stems—when a branch is combined, it is restricted and cannot act freely; if the combination is successful, the entire branch transforms into a new Five Phase. This must be clearly identified when assessing the actual strength of the month's branch, day's branch, and hour's branch. The title of this section is partially missing in the original text, with only the two characters "Five Phases" remaining. Based on the six pairs of Earthly Branches listed below, the original title should have been "Six Harmony Five Phases."

《協紀辯方》云：天者，日也，月也。星者，日月之餘也。午未者離，子丑者坎。離為日，坎為月。午之為日是巳，子之不為月者何？月者，水之精，懸乎上，而受日之光者，非北方子之位也，子丑之氣沖乎上而與日並，其方固必在未也。地者，水也，土也。子水丑土，丑又比水之土，其為地之體，無可疑也。地，土也，故子丑為土也。

The book "Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu" makes an astronomical argument about the Six Harmony. It first states that "Heaven" refers to the sun and moon; the stars are merely the residual energy of the sun and moon. The branches午 and 未 belong to the Li trigram, which represents the sun; the branches 子 and 丑 belong to the Kan trigram, which represents the moon. The branch 午 representing the sun is without question, but why does the branch 子 not represent the moon? Because the moon is the essence of water, suspended in the sky and receiving the light of the sun. This position is not in the northern direction of 子. The energies of 子 and 丑 rise upward and are in line with the sun, so their direction must be 未, hence 未 is considered the moon. As for "Earth," it is composed of water and soil: 子 belongs to water, 丑 belongs to soil, and 丑 is the soil adjacent to water. As the fundamental substance of the earth, this is unquestionable. The earth is soil, so the combination of 子 and 丑 transforms into soil. This passage aims to explain that the Six Harmony is not arbitrarily designated, but derived from the fundamental nature of heaven and earth, specifically the sun, moon, water, and soil.

天為乎上，地位乎下，行乎兩間者，必木、火、金、水矣。子丑為水土，水土之際，木必生焉。所以寅亥為木。木成而火亦出矣，故卯戌為火也。卯戌為火，則戌為黃今天之氣，戊之所居，黃今天之氣始於辰，辰亦戊也。土旺必生金，故辰酉為金，酉者，金之帝也。酉居金位之極，於其未至於極，而水已生於申，對宮為巳，巳金之母也，水必以申巳者，申巳逼於午未最高之地，無水也，舉母則子歸，水不得舍土而自立，其麗於土者，即子丑之位，土之所攝，命為土而不命為水，若其離土而言水，必納於母氣，故申巳為水也。

Continuing from the previous section, the remaining four trigrams are deduced as follows. Heaven is above, Earth is below, and the elements that move between Heaven and Earth must be Wood, Fire, Metal, and Water. Since Zi and Chou represent Water and Earth, the place where Water and Earth meet must give rise to Wood, so Yin (寅) and Hai (亥) combine to form Wood. Once Wood is formed, Fire naturally follows, so Mao (卯) and Xu (戌) combine to form Fire. Since Mao and Xu form Fire, Xu must be the position of the Yellow Center (黄中之气), which is where Wu (戊) Earth resides. This Yellow Center originates from Chen (辰), which also belongs to Wu. When Earth is strong, it must give rise to Metal, so Chen (辰) and You (酉) combine to form Metal—You is the position of the Prosperity (帝旺) of Metal. You has reached the peak of the Metal position, but before reaching the peak, Water has already been born in Shen (申). The opposite position of Shen is Si (巳), which is the mother position of Metal (since Metal is born in Si). Why does Water appear in Shen and Si? Because Shen and Si are close to Wu (午) and Wei (未), the highest positions, where there is no Water. When the mother position is mentioned, the position of the son (子) naturally follows. However, Water cannot exist independently from Earth; the Earth it relies on is precisely the position of Zi and Chou. Therefore, Zi and Chou are determined to be Earth rather than Water. If Water is to be discussed separately from Earth, it must be included in its mother element, so Shen and Si combine to form Water. (In this passage, the text "黄今天之气" is an error and should be "黄中之气".)

水為生物之源，是以麗乎日月，其次則金，其此則火，其次則木，其次則土。五緯之序水最近日，金次之，火又次之，木又次之，土又次之，此麗乎天者自然之序也。水土所生者木上升而為火，土又上升而為金，又上升而為水，如畫卦之由下而上也。此行乎地者，自然之序也，然則五星五行，具有實理，而非人所能強為也。

The final conclusion of "Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu" states that water is the origin of life, so it is closest to the sun and moon, followed by metal, then fire, then wood, and finally earth. The order of the five planets in the sky corresponds exactly to water being closest to the sun, followed by metal, then fire, then wood, and earth being the farthest away—this is the natural order as it relates to heaven. Water and earth produce wood, which rises to become fire, earth then rises to become metal, and further rising becomes water, just as the trigrams are drawn from the lower line to the upper line—this is the natural order as it relates to earth. Therefore, the five stars in the sky and the five elements on earth each have their own real reasons, and they are not something humans can arbitrarily arrange. Yuan Shushan included this entire line of reasoning in order to establish an astronomical and physical basis for the theory of Six Harmony, so that scholars would understand that the harmonious combinations of the earthly branches are not arbitrary conventions of diviners.

申子辰合水局，亥卯未合木局，寅午戌合火局，巳酉丑合金局。《考原》曰：三合者，取生、旺、墓三者以合局也。水生於申，旺於子，墓於辰，故申子辰合水局也。木生於亥，旺於卯，墓於未，故亥卯未合木局也。火生於寅，旺於午，墓於戌，故寅午戌合火局也。金生於巳，旺於酉，墓於丑，故巳酉丑合金局也。

This passage discusses the "Triple Harmony Formation" of the Earthly Branches. The four groups of Triple Harmony are: Shen, Zi, and Chen forming a Water formation; Hai, Mao, and Wei forming a Wood formation; Yin, Wu, and Xu forming a Fire formation; and Si, You, and Chou forming a Metal formation. The "Star Calendar Origin" explains that Triple Harmony is formed by combining the positions of Longsheng (Growth), Diwang (Prosperity), and Muku (Storage). Water's Longsheng is in Shen, its Dwiang in Zi, and its Muku in Chen, so Shen, Zi, and Chen form a Water formation; Wood's Longsheng is in Hai, its Dwiang in Mao, and its Muku in Wei, so Hai, Mao, and Wei form a Wood formation; Fire's Longsheng is in Yin, its Dwiang in Wu, and its Muku in Xu, so Yin, Wu, and Xu form a Fire formation; Metal's Longsheng is in Si, its Dwiang in You, and its Muku in Chou, so Si, You, and Chou form a Metal formation. Triple Harmony is the most powerful combination in divination that can change the strength of the Five Phases: when all three branches are present in a birth chart, the strength of that element often surpasses the original strength of the month's stem; even if only two branches are present (such as Shen and Zi, or Zi and Chen), it is considered a half formation, with half the strength. When determining the strength of the day's stem and selecting useful gods, the first step is to check whether there are any Triple Harmonies or half harmonies among the four branches.

子午相沖，丑未相沖，寅申相沖，卯酉相沖，辰戌相沖，巳亥相沖。萬育吾曰：地支取七位為沖，猶天干取七位之殺之義。如子午對沖，子至午七數。甲逢庚為殺，甲至庚七數，數中六則合，七則過，故相沖擊為殺也。觀易坤元用六，其數有六無七，七乃天地之窮數，陰陽之極氣也。

The Earthly Branches are paired in six groups that oppose each other and clash: Zi and Wu oppose each other, Chou and Wei oppose each other, Yin and Shen oppose each other, Mao and You oppose each other, Chen and Xu oppose each other, and Si and Hai oppose each other. Wan Minying of the Ming dynasty (whose courtesy name was Yiwu, author of the Complete Compendium of the Three Fates) explained that the Earthly Branches are considered to clash when they are seven positions apart, just as the Heavenly Stems are considered to have a 'seven煞' when they are seven positions apart. For example, Zi and Wu oppose each other, and counting from Zi to Wu is exactly seven positions. Similarly, Jia meets Geng as a煞, and counting from Jia to Geng is also exactly seven positions. Counting to six is still harmonious, but when it reaches seven, it exceeds the limit, so they clash and become a煞. Looking at the 'Use of Six' in the Zhou Changes (I Ching)坤卦, the number only goes up to six and does not include seven, showing that seven is the end of the numbers of heaven and earth, and the extreme position of yin and yang energy. In the eight characters, when two Earthly Branches are in opposition, it may cause instability in the root energy and lead to movement and change, and in severe cases, it may open the storage or damage the useful god, which is an essential factor to examine when determining fortune and misfortune.

按：六沖者，即地位相敵，五行相剋之義。子午相沖者，子藏癸水，克午藏丁火，午藏己土，克子藏癸水也。丑未相沖者，丑藏辛金，克未藏乙木，未藏己土丁火，克丑藏癸水辛金也。寅申相沖者，寅藏甲木，克申藏戊土，申藏庚金壬水，克寅藏甲木丙火也。卯酉相沖者，酉藏辛金，克卯藏乙木也。經云：東沖西不動，殆即卯木不能返沖酉金之義。辰戌相沖者，辰藏癸水，克戌藏丁火，戌藏辛金克辰藏乙木也。巳亥相沖者，巳藏庚金，克亥藏甲木，亥藏壬水，克巳藏丙火也。

Yuan Shushan explains: The essence of the Six Clashes is that two branches are opposite in direction, opposing each other, and the Five Phases hidden within the branches mutually control each other. Let's examine each pair: Zi and Wu clash, with the hidden癸water in Zi controlling the hidden丁fire in Wu, while the hidden己earth in Wu controls the hidden癸water in Zi. Chou and Wei clash, with the hidden辛metal in Chou controlling the hidden乙wood in Wei, while the hidden己earth and丁fire in Wei control the hidden癸water and辛metal in Chou. Yin and Shen clash, with the hidden甲wood in Yin controlling the hidden戊earth in Shen, while the hidden庚metal and壬water in Shen control the hidden甲wood and丙fire in Yin. Mao and You clash, with the hidden辛metal in You controlling the hidden乙wood in Mao, since there is nothing in Mao to control the metal in You. Ancient texts say "East strikes West but West does not move," which probably refers to the fact that the wood in Mao cannot return to control the metal in You. Chen and Xu clash, with the hidden癸water in Chen controlling the hidden丁fire in Xu, while the hidden辛metal in Xu controls the hidden乙wood in Chen. Si and Hai clash, with the hidden庚metal in Si controlling the hidden甲wood in Hai, while the hidden壬water in Hai controls the hidden丙fire in Si. Therefore, when examining clashes, one cannot simply look at the names of the two branches, but must open up the hidden "personally originated elements" in the branches and compare them one by one, in order to determine who is harmed and to what extent.