Question 82: Why is the Triple Harmony Step Dragon Seeking the Repository not based on reasoning and qi?

八十二問：子言看地，首重形勢，既得形勢，再進求理氣，是理氣寓於形勢之中。今三合節節步龍，何字落脈，何字過峽，從水口看是何庫，與山脈相合，然後立向消水，亦是得形勢以求理氣，何嘗不是氣寓於形，子獨力辨三合非是，何也？

A student asked: Master said that in looking at a site, the first priority is its form and structure; once the form and structure are determined, one then proceeds to seek the qi and its patterns, which are contained within the form and structure. But now, the school of Sanhe also examines the dragon line section by section, looking at where the main ridge falls on a particular heavenly stem, where the change of the ridge occurs on a particular heavenly stem, then from the water mouth determines which reservoir it belongs to, combines it with the mountain range, and then determines the direction and water flow. Is this not also first considering the form and structure and then seeking the qi? Is this not also the qi contained within the form? Yet Master insists that Sanhe is wrong. Why is that?

答：看龍之法，原只在龍身，看其是何五行星體。落脈宜柔細生動，不宜粗蠢死硬；過峽宜跌斷，不宜剛直；開帳宜前抱，不宜反飛；起星宜端正，不宜傾斜。自祖山步起，節節分枝，孰為幹，孰為枝，孰為大干傍幹，孰為大枝傍枝。

Ma Taiqing answered: The method of examining the dragon is originally to focus on the dragon itself, determining which of the five phases it belongs to. The falling of the dragon's energy should be soft and fine with life qi, not coarse, dull, or rigid; the passage of the dragon should have broken and bound energy, not stiff and straight; the opening of the account should be forward and embracing, not opposite and spreading out; the stars should be upright, not leaning. Starting from the ancestral mountain, examine each section to see how it branches: which branch is the main dragon, which is the branch dragon, which is the major trunk, which is the side trunk, which is the major branch, and which is the side branch.

大凡祖山必高峻粗雄，開一帳，則山形一變；跌一峽，則土色一變；由高峻而變和平，由粗雄而變清秀。即至成局結穴之時，砂環水聚，穴星呈象，中有似石非石，似土非土，堅細之好土，或五色兼全，或純是一色，與穴外土色，迥乎不同，或生圓暈如太極之形。楊公《擬龍經》中，俱詳言之，何嘗拘拘於某字龍，必與某字向水為三合，餘遍考之，率皆牽強，無一合者。

In general, the ancestral mountains must be high, steep, coarse, and strong. Every time a new range opens, the mountain shape changes; every time a valley drops, the soil color changes. It changes from high and steep to peaceful, from coarse and strong to clear and elegant. When the site is formed and the pit is settled, the surrounding hills encircle and the water gathers, the star of the pit shows its form, and in the pit there is a kind of good soil that is neither stone nor soil, firm and fine. It may have all five colors or be a single color, completely different from the soil outside the pit. Some even grow round mounds, shaped like the Taiji symbol. Master Yang's classic texts explain all these in detail. How could he be so particular about requiring a certain character of dragon coming from a certain direction and a certain character of water to form the Triple Harmony? I have thoroughly examined it, and all the Triple Harmony theories are forced and none of them match.

即所謂合者，其立向，或迎生，或迎旺，或朝御街，或朝墓庫，或以小龍虎為水庫，或以大龍虎為水庫，或以大龍虎為水庫，或以龍虎外，不見之口為水口，或以羅城總水口為水口，盡是李代桃僵，全無把握。殊不知入山尋水口，乃于山之水口，見其交鎖緊密，或兩山來立如門，或山腳交牙，不使直洩而去，或狹如石柵，將山內眾水束住，一口而出，或口外之山，有日月、獅象、龜蛇，各種之形，鎮住水口，便知其內，必結美地，並不問其水向，何方何字出，亦不問其在穴之何方何字出，而指為某庫也。

Even in the examples where they say 'coincide,' the directions they set are all different: sometimes they face the source, sometimes they face the prosperity, sometimes they face the imperial street, sometimes they face the storage; sometimes they take the small dragon and tiger as the water reservoir, sometimes the big dragon and tiger, sometimes again the big dragon and tiger, sometimes they take the water outlet that can't be seen beyond the dragon and tiger as the water mouth, sometimes again they take the overall water mouth of the Luo city as the water mouth — all of them mix up things, with no certainty. They don't know that when entering the mountain to find the water mouth, one should look at how tightly the mountain's water mouth is locked: either two mountains face each other like a gate, or the mountain foot crosses each other like a dog's teeth, preventing the water from flowing straight away; or it is narrow like a stone fence, trapping all the water inside the mountain and letting it flow out only from one opening; or there are images like sun and moon, lion and elephant, turtle and snake outside the mouth to guard it. When seeing these, one knows there must be good land inside, without asking where the water flows, from which direction or which character it flows out, nor where it flows out from in relation to the site, nor pointing to it and calling it a certain storage.

山之氣，陰也，自祖山起伏擺動而下行；水之氣，陽也，自總水口盤旋曲折而上行，同會於結穴之區。水之三叉，抱向穴後；山之龍虎，抱向穴前，山水相抱，即是陰陽相見，此謂之交媾有情者是也。

The mountain's energy is yin, flowing from the ancestral mountain, undulating and descending continuously; the water's energy is yang, flowing from the main water mouth, winding and turning upward continuously. These two energies meet at the location where the mound forms. The water converges at a triple fork, embracing the back of the mound, while the dragon and tiger ridges of the mountain embrace the front of the mound. When mountain and water embrace each other, it is the meeting of yin and yang, which is called "harmonious union."

往前看穴上所見出水之處，一出不再見者，為去逃之方；往後看穴上入首之處，為來脈之方，以元空理氣合之，合吉則吉，合凶則凶。吾得訣以來，考之萬無一失。使三合各法，果靈驗勝於元空，餘豈願棄諸家而專學元空耶。人孰無親，焉敢以無稽以言誤人，而先自誤其身者乎。

Looking ahead from the site, the direction where the water flows out and disappears from sight is the direction of the outgoing water; looking backward, the direction where the incoming energy enters is the direction of the incoming energy. Using the principles of Xuan Kong to harmonize with these directions: if they harmonize with good fortune, it brings good fortune; if they harmonize with bad fortune, it brings bad fortune. Since I have obtained the secret, I have repeatedly tested it, and it has never failed. If the Triple Harmony methods were indeed more accurate than Xuan Kong, why would I abandon all other schools and specialize in Xuan Kong? Who doesn't have relatives? How dare I use unfounded words to mislead others, and first mislead myself?

八十三問：《青囊》云：『山上龍神不下水，水裡龍神不上山』，解者多以此二句，一是看山龍之法，一是看平洋水龍之法，蓋山龍多有龍而無水，平洋多有水而無龍，其說是否？

A student asked: The "Qingnang Jing" says, "The dragon spirit on the mountain does not go into the water, and the dragon spirit in the water does not go on the mountain." Most explanations say that these two lines refer respectively to the method of examining mountain dragons and the method of examining flat land water dragons, because mountain dragons usually have dragons but no water, while flat land areas usually have water but no dragons. Is this interpretation correct?

答：山龍穴前多幹流，幹流何嘗不是水；平洋穴後多低坦，無星峰，其脈伏行迤邐而來到穴，其來處何嘗不是龍。但此二句所言者，山水之理氣是也。蓋山有山之運，水有水之運。山之運，不可為水之運，故云不下水；水之運，不可為山之運，故云不上山。

Ma Taiqing answered: The site of a mountain dragon often has a dry stream in front of it; isn't a dry stream also water? In flat land, the site often has low flat land behind it without star peaks, but its ridge secretly winds its way until the site; isn't the source also a dragon? These two sentences actually discuss the principles of mountains and water separately. Because mountains have their own qi movement, and water has its own qi movement; the qi movement of mountains cannot be used as the qi movement of water, so it is said 'not going down into water'; the qi movement of water cannot be used as the qi movement of mountains, so it is said 'not going up to the mountain'.

八十四問曰：地理之書，遠自《海角》《青鳥》，降及唐宋、元明，為書甚多，子獨沽沾於景純、筠松，及大鴻氏之書，毋仍罔歟？

A student asked: The books on geomancy are numerous, with distant ones like the Sea Angle Classic and the Blue Bird Classic. Then down to the Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, the number is extremely large. Why does the master insist on sticking to the works of Guo Pu, Yang Yunsong and Jiang Dahong alone, is this not a kind of narrow-minded confusion?

答：《海角》《青鳥》二書，託名最古，其書即偽之尤者。不必細論其它，只看其措辭：周秦時之文字，何等古奧，況《海角經》，為黃帝時九天玄女之語，何其酷似唐以後之言耶。《青鳥經》，樗裡子所著，其人為秦王之弟，周時之王候，皆人君也，漢以後，則為人臣矣。

Ma Taiqing answered: The two books, The Sea Angle Classic and The Blue Bird Classic, are said to be the oldest in fabrication, and they are the most typical examples of fake texts. Let alone discuss other matters, just look at their wording: the language of the Zhou and Qin dynasties was so ancient and obscure, yet The Sea Angle Classic claims to be the words spoken by the Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven during the time of the Yellow Emperor. How could it sound exactly like the speech of the Tang dynasty and later? The Blue Bird Classic is said to have been written by Chulizi, who was the brother of the King of Qin. However, the kings and dukes of the Zhou dynasty were all sovereigns of their own states, while only after the Han dynasty did kings and dukes become subjects. The titles used in the book do not match up.

秦以前，從無營葬，欲得地為王候者。宰相於祖龍（秦始皇）時，始為極貴之官，秦以前、宰為宰，相為相，並非大貴之人。沙堤者，乃唐時拜相之禮，周之時，焉得有此乎。豈非皆唐以後人之偽書，天下惟真者不假人之名，假名者，豈有真訣也哉？

In addition, before the Qin dynasty, no one ever sought to obtain a piece of land in order to attain the position of a king or a marquis. The position of "prime minister" became an extremely prestigious office only during the time of the First Emperor of Qin; before that, "zai" and "xiang" were separate roles, each with its own function, and not positions held by powerful or esteemed individuals. As for "sha di," this was a ceremonial practice in the Tang dynasty when appointing prime ministers, something that did not exist in the Zhou dynasty. Therefore, these are clearly fabricated texts made by people in the Tang dynasty and later. The world has only those with genuine ability who do not need to rely on false titles; those who depend solely on false names can never possess true secrets.

雖楊公之書，流傳日久，亦被三合家塗改，以附會其術，幸蔣公得古本，暢為註明，使天下後世復觀楊公之真傳。景純《葬書》，所言者，均是形勢，三合家，亦無從塗改，尚將形勢之生死，注作生旺墓庫之生死，此乃固執不通，至死而不悟者也。

Even Master Yang's writings, due to their long transmission, have been altered by the Triple Harmony school to fit their own theories; fortunately, Master Jiang obtained an ancient version and clearly annotated it, allowing future generations to see Master Yang's true teachings again. Master Guo Pu's "Book of Burial" discusses only form and situation, leaving the Triple Harmony school with nothing to alter. Yet they still interpreted the "life" and "death" mentioned in the form and situation section as referring to the life, prosperity, and storage of theStorage. This is the behavior of stubborn and unenlightened people who refuse to understand.

夫看地之法，最難者形勢，自祖山出脈，奔騰踴躍，閃跌隱現，橫飛逆上，側落回顧，變換不一，愈奇愈真，窮其足力目力，始有心領神會之時，原非一朝所能得。是以古之葬書，乃三合家，以《羅經解》為理氣真傳，奉為至寶，轉視形勢為末務，每與之登山，未曾立定，先用羅經，以談三合四庫，如是看法，究誰為固執之人耶。

In the method of examining land, the most difficult aspect is the form and structure: the dragon pulse originates from the ancestral mountain, rushing and leaping, suddenly flashing and falling, sometimes hidden and sometimes appearing, flying out horizontally, rushing upward against the trend, falling sideways and then turning back to look at the ancestral mountain, changing endlessly, the more extraordinary the more genuine the dragon pulse is. One must exhaust one's physical strength and fully observe with one's eyes before one can have a moment of true understanding. This is not something that can be learned in a day or two. The ancient Book of Burial precisely discusses these matters. However, the Triple Harmony school treats the "Exposition of the Compass" as the true transmission of principles and treasures it as the ultimate secret, while looking down upon the form and structure as a minor detail. Every time they go up the mountain, before their feet have even settled, they pull out their compasses and start talking about Triple Harmony and the four libraries. Who is really the one who is stubborn and inflexible?

八十五問：從來地理書中，言巒頭形勢者有之，言諸家理氣者有之，絕無言及三元為理氣者。自大鴻氏出，始以三元為理氣，世以罕見罕聞，疑信相參，原非得已，子何闢之，罪之之甚耶？且如子言玄空法，至簡至易，何以前此未之聞也。

A student asked: In the past geography books, there were those that discussed the form and shape of mountains and landforms, and others that discussed the various schools of qi theory. But there was never any book that treated the three periods as the theory of qi. It was only after Jiang Dahong appeared that the three periods were regarded as the theory of qi. Because people have seen little and heard little about it, they are doubtful and uncertain, which is natural. Why does the master criticize it so strongly and blame it so deeply? Moreover, according to the master's view, the method of Xuan Kong is extremely simple and easy. Why have we never heard of it before?

答：餘非罪其它，罪其甘受諸家之愚弄，轉為之附會標榜，不知玄空之神奇，竟肆其詆譭阻撓，陷學世之人於水火之中耳。若謂無書，《玉鏡經》即是玉函遺意，非其真耶。三元九宮，非其位耶。但未將何者用之於山，何者用之於水，分別指明，世俗既不解用之法，又不解用之效，書雖存，俱遺而勿論。

Ma Taiqing answered: What I am blaming is not anything else, but blaming them for willingly being deceived by various schools, and instead supporting false methods and promoting them; not understanding the profound mysteries of Xuan Kong, they recklessly criticize and obstruct, pushing all those who study geography into water and fire. If one says that there have been no such books in ancient times, then the "Yijing Jing" is the remaining intention of the "Qingang Yuhang," is it not true? The three yuan and nine palaces, are they not its directions? Only that book did not clearly specify which method is used for mountains and which for water; ordinary people do not understand its usage, nor do they know its effects, so although the book still exists, it is entirely discarded and ignored.

蔣公得秘傳，申明其效驗，其訣雖易，得之最難，必待其人而得語之，否則，奉之千金弗顧也。於寶惜秘訣之中，亦隱喻人以勸誡之意，使人人以孝悌忠信自勉，則斯訣亦可盡人而語之矣。夫遊食者，以此謀生，不得不固執以詆玄空，而無識者，亦喜妄加指摘。余昔初學地學時，看諸家書，則人無言；習玄空，則群起誹笑。餘於地理無所不學，經久是玄空極其靈驗，其諸家書之所以誤人者，皆附會標榜太過之故也。

Master Jiang obtained the secret transmission and clearly explained its effectiveness. Although this诀 is easy to understand, it is difficult to obtain; one must wait until the right person is ready to teach it. Otherwise, even if someone offers a thousand taels of silver, it would be ignored. In cherishing this secret, there is also an implicit warning to the world: if everyone could strive to be filial, fraternal, loyal, and trustworthy, then this诀 could be shared with everyone. As for those who rely on divination techniques to make a living, they are forced to cling to the Triple Harmony doctrine to criticize the Xuan Kong method. Likewise, the uninformed often join in the criticism. When I first started studying geography, I saw no criticism in the works of various schools. But once I began studying Xuan Kong, people started to mock me. I have studied all the schools of geography extensively, and over time, only the Xuan Kong method proved extremely effective. The reason why the works of other schools mislead people is because they exaggerate their claims and overstate their merits.

八十六問：吾子得訣甚秘，立論甚高，些子玄機，引而不發，雖云辨惑，究未能去人之惑也。後之人讀子之書，將毋疑子徒知善辨，實未嘗得訣，誰又為子辨？

A student asked: Sir, your secret teachings are so mysterious, your theories so lofty, always hinting at the subtle points without revealing them fully. Although you say it is 'resolving doubts,' in the end you have not actually helped people to remove their confusion. Later readers of your writings might suspect that you are merely eloquent and persuasive, but have not really grasped the true secret. Then who will defend you at that time?

答：餘豈故為秘密，乃守蔣公及李師之誠耳。昔亦曾為數人言之，或淺嘗而不深信，或得魚而遂忘筌。餘由是三緘其口，必待至誠篤信之君子而語之耳。今試舉略二人：一為同鄉老友，察其心地樸實，因以元運往來消長，山水對待流行，傾心相告，彼亦不考其靈驗與否，去而謂人曰：『豈有秘訣，乃老生常談耳。』

Ma Taiqing answered: I was not intentionally keeping secrets, but rather keeping to the sincere agreement with Master Jiang and Master Li. In the past, I once told a few people: some only tasted a little and did not believe deeply, others caught a fish and then threw away the bamboo basket. Therefore, I kept my mouth tightly shut, and only revealed the secrets to those extremely sincere and earnest gentlemen. Here I will take two people as examples. One was an old friend from the same hometown. I saw his heart was simple and honest, so I told him about the changes and developments of the heavenly stems and earthly branches, and the interactions between mountains and waters. He did not even want to verify whether it was effective, and immediately told others: there is no secret, it's just some old sayings.

一為姻戚，值成豐癸丑，粵賊陷城，其人約與其共患難，且求真訣。餘慮訣之失傳，遂告以天心正運，下卦，起星之旨。無何仇家引賊索餘甚急，非以賄解不可，餘乞援於其人，竟不之顧。如此等人，不一而足，子謂余守口如瓶，不亦宜乎。亦常憫人之疾厄困窮，為之擇地葬親，乃疾老愈，困者蘇，自慶其否運已過，泰運方來，竟忘其俯首乞憐，於誰也。近代人心不古，居家不講孝悌，出外不立品節，欲僥倖於陰地，以濟其無窮之貧，誓不濫傳，悠悠之口，其如餘何。

Another is a relative by marriage. In the year Gui Chou of the Xianfeng era, the bandits from Guangdong attacked and captured the city. This person invited me to share hardships with him and also asked me to pass on the secret teachings. I was afraid the true secret would be lost, so I told him the essentials of the heavenly heart, the lower trigram, and the method of starting the stars. Soon after, my enemies led the bandits to chase me closely, and I could not escape without paying money. I asked him for help, but he didn't even respond. Such people are not just one or two. Can I not keep my mouth shut, then? I often pity others' illnesses and poverty, and help them choose a place to bury their relatives. When their illnesses are cured and their poverty eases, they only rejoice that their misfortune has passed and good fortune is coming, forgetting who they begged for help from before. In modern times, people's morals have declined. At home, they do not practice filial piety and fraternal duty; when they go out, they do not establish proper conduct and principles. They only hope to gain blessings from their ancestral graves to fill their endless poverty. Since I have already vowed not to spread the teachings carelessly, what can those who talk nonsense do to me?

八十七問曰：近見人延師卜地，每每尋得吉穴，倘另延師至，則又指為非是，再延一師，再延一師，更有一番批駁。雖三合與三合不同，元空與元空有異，豈眼力不同耶？抑用法有異耶？

A student asked: Recently, it is common for people to hire geomancers to examine land, and after much effort they find a good site. However, when another geomancer is invited, he says it is not right; another one comes, and another one, each gives a different criticism. Even if they all use the same Triple Harmony method, or the same Xuan Kong method, their conclusions differ. Is this due to differing eyesight, or differing methods?

答：形勢之美，顯而易見，自是千人一律，無可異同。惟作用之法，元空重在乘運乘時，三合不過昧於時運，至於形勢則一也。

Ma Taiqing answered: The good or bad of the situation is clearly visible, everyone can see it, and all people should agree on it, there is nothing to argue about. The difference lies only in the methods: Xuan Kong emphasizes riding the original period and the heavenly time, while Sanhe merely does not understand the time; as for the aspect of the situation, both schools are essentially the same.

近世俗師之批駁，原不在乎形勢之優劣，在乎言人眼力之低小，以誇其本領之高大，使主人翁舍此另圖，遂得居功索謝。此皆各門戶起見，是以三合毀三合者有之，元空毀元空者有之，入主出奴，紛紛聚訟，皆巿儈之心，術士最惡之習。無主見人，未有不受其愚者，要亦其家之陰隙福命所關，冥冥中蓋有使之然也。

Modern-day mediocre teachers criticize others not based on the actual merits of the situation, but by belittling others' abilities and boasting about their own skills, forcing the client to abandon their original site and choose another, so that they can take credit and gain rewards. This is all due to factionalism: thus there are those who criticize triple harmony for triple harmony, and those who criticize the Xuan Kong system for Xuan Kong; they elevate their own and belittle others, quarreling endlessly, all showing the mentality of a merchant. This is the worst habit among diviners. Those without firm convictions are easily deceived by them; however, this also relates to the person's own Yin Virtue and destiny. In the unseen world, there must be some inherent reason for such things to happen.

八十八問：叢葬之處，墳冢之相連，不過咫尺之間耳，乃諸墳不發，竟有一墳獨發者。殆即經云『請看人間舊日墳，十墳埋下九墳貧；惟有一墳能發福，去水來山盡合情。』其合情，當是如何？

A student asked: At a site where many graves are closely clustered, none of the graves produce good fortune, but one particular grave alone brings prosperity. This is what the classic text says: "Look at the old graves on earth, nine out of ten graves leave the people poor; only one grave can bring good fortune, for it has water flowing away and mountains coming to it in harmony." Now, what exactly does "in harmony" mean?

答：非獨山水之形勢合情，乃山水合元運之情耳，不然咫尺之間，何分瑕瑜。在山龍穴小，尚有得穴失穴之說；若平陽穴形寬大，一山數穴，焉有區別？其不發者，必非其元運之時所葬；其發者，必正當元運之時所葬。合情者，即合得天心造化工也。明得天心，則於葬事有何難哉。

Ma Taiqing answered: This is not only about the form of mountains and waters being appropriate, but also about the mountains and waters matching the principles of the great cycle. Otherwise, if they are only a short distance apart, how could one distinguish between good and bad? On mountain ridges, because the tomb site is small, one could say that one site is the true tomb and the other is not. But for flat land tombs, where the tomb site is wide and a mountain can have several tombs, how can one tell the difference? Those that do not bring fortune must have been buried outside the appropriate great cycle and appropriate era. Those that do bring fortune must have been buried during the appropriate great cycle and appropriate era. What is meant by "being in harmony with the situation" is that it aligns with the workings of heaven's will and transformation. As long as one understands the heavenly will, what is difficult about burial practices?

八十九問曰：每與吾子登山覆驗舊墳，即知其吉凶，雖年代遠近，房分公位，所主何事，有如目擊，是用何術，出於何書？

A student asked: Every time we accompany the master to climb mountains to examine old graves, the master can immediately tell whether they are auspicious or inauspicious. He even knows the distance in time, which branch of the family it belongs to, and which direction it is in, and what kind of matter it relates to, as if he had seen it with his own eyes. What method is this, and which book does it come from?

答：豈另有術，豈另有書，皆是以元運之得失，如於龍穴坐向，並各方公位砂水以上，即能知其遠年近代，在何公位，即屬何房，吉則為吉，凶則為凶。至於如何之吉，如何之凶，八卦之中，各有所主，《周易·繫辭》，言之最詳。俗術洪範三合納甲翻卦，謂之《周易》，可丑之極。若元空真無一處可離《周易》者，若謂之術，輕視元空矣。

Ma Taiqing answered: There is no other method or other book besides looking at the gains and losses of the original period in terms of dragon, grave, sitting direction, facing direction, and the sand and water of each position. This allows one to know whether it is an ancient or recent matter, which position it falls into, and thus which family it belongs to. If it should be auspicious, it is judged as auspicious; if it should be inauspicious, it is judged as inauspicious. As for the specific forms of auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, each trigram has its own main aspect, and the Great Treatise of the Zhou Changes explains this most thoroughly. The so-called Hongfan, Sanhe, Na Jia, and Fan Gua schools of the common people also claim to be the Zhou Changes, which is truly laughable. The Xuan Kong method is truly inseparable from the Zhou Changes; if it is called a technique, then the Xuan Kong method is considered light.

九十問曰：嘗見北省地師，至南省看龍點穴，高下失宜；南省地師，至北省看平陽定穴，覺茫然無據。雖素稱好手者，至此亦失其所長，其病在何處？

A student asked: It is common for geomancers from the north to go to the south to examine dragon lines and select sites, yet they often find it difficult to judge the height accurately. Similarly, geomancers from the south go to the north to determine sites on flat land, but they feel lost and lack clear evidence. Even those who are usually considered masters find themselves unable to apply their skills here. What is the problem?

答：餘前已言，地有六樣看法，而理氣作用，總是一法也。其分六樣者，形勢之不同。彼南北地師，果係好手，而犯此病者，乃久閱歷之過也，病在不諳風土情形。倘於初至其地之時，先將地氣厚薄，土脈淺深，覆驗確實，已葬老墳，與理氣絲毫不爽，然後為人作用，焉得有錯誤之理。

Ma Taiqing answered: I have already mentioned before that the earth can be viewed in six different ways, but the practice of li qi remains consistent. The reason for dividing it into six is merely due to differences in terrain. If a master of north-south geomancy makes this mistake, it is due to insufficient experience, and the root of the problem lies in not being familiar with the local conditions. If one arrives at a place and first thoroughly examines the thickness of the earth's qi and the depth of the soil veins, then uses the already buried ancestral tombs to verify the li qi, ensuring that every detail is accurate, and only then proceeds to handle other matters, how could there be any mistakes?

餘生於陝，家於皖，遊燕代，涉齊豫，繼維陽，抵姑蘇，幸於六樣形勢，皆得親見之。是以諄諄語人，首重形勢者，即此六樣之形勢；次重理氣者，六樣形勢，俱不能離此理氣也。

I was born in Shaanxi, settled in Anhui, traveled through Yan and Dai, visited Qi and Yu, later went to Yangzhou and then Suzhou. Fortunately, I have personally seen all six kinds of terrain. Therefore, I repeatedly warn people: when we say the first priority is terrain, it refers to these six kinds of terrain; when we say the next priority is the principles of qi, it is because none of these six kinds of terrain can be separated from the principles of qi.

九十一問曰：凡談元空者，無不以翻卦為主，今讀子之書，從無一字言及翻卦。經不云『翻天倒地對不同，其中秘密在元空』，又云『顛顛倒，二十四山有珠寶；順逆行，二十四山有火坑』，豈秘訣在是，故秘而不宣耶？

A student asked: All those who talk about the Xuan Kong method do not fail to emphasize the practice of turning the trigrams. But in your writings, there is not a single word about turning the trigrams. The classics say, "Turning heaven and reversing earth, the differences are evident; the secret lies in the Yuan Kong." They also say, "Up and down, twenty-four mountains have treasures; in order and disorder, twenty-four mountains have fire pits." Is it not here that the secret lies? So why does the master keep it secret and not reveal it?

答：顛顛倒，順逆行，有珠寶，有火坑，皆是山水辨理氣而言。山有山之運，水有水之運，以二運相較，有似乎顛倒，而實非顛倒也。使山水各得其運，則美有如珠寶矣。蓋山之運順行，水之運逆行，其順也，自然之順；其逆也，自然之逆，非是偽造挨星圖之左旋右旋之順逆。倘不明順逆，則用之皆為火坑矣。

Ma Taiqing answered: "Dian Dian Dao," "Shun Ning Xing," "You Zhu Bao," "You Huo Keng" all refer to the matter of distinguishing the qi of mountains and water. Mountains have their own destiny, and water has its own destiny; when these two destinies are compared together, they may seem to be reversed, but in reality they are not reversed. As long as mountains and water each have their own destiny, they will be as beautiful as jewels. Because the destiny of mountains is in the direction of movement, and the destiny of water is in the direction of reversal; its movement is naturally in the direction of movement, and its reversal is naturally in the direction of reversal, absolutely not the kind of left or right rotation found in fake star charts. If one does not understand this movement and reversal, then using it will lead to many dangers like fire pits.

水之運，天也；山之運，地也，以二者對之，迥乎不同，故曰翻天倒地對不同。非獨一山一水對不同，即此元與彼元對，亦復不同。知得其中秘密，即知理氣矣，何用翻卦。世之慕元空者，最喜在挨星翻卦上著想，枉費心機，故盲解日以多也。

Water belongs to Heaven, and mountains belong to Earth; when these two are compared, they are entirely different, hence the saying "upside down and reversed, they are different." Not only do a mountain and a water differ from each other, but even one unit compared with another unit is also different. Understanding the secret behind this difference is to understand the principles of qi and the laws of reasoning. Then why bother with turning the trigrams? Those who admire the Xuan Kong (Heavenly Division) school often like to think deeply about the star arrangements and turning the trigrams, but they waste their efforts in vain. Therefore, the wrong interpretations have become more and more common day by day.

九十二問曰：北方土厚水深，其葬也，不事版築，不用灰炭；南方地卑水淺，其葬也，堅築石灰，以隔水蟻，加以炭末，以隔樹根，甚至朱紫陽砌以磚槨，豈不與死欲速朽之言相悖？

A student asked: In the north, the soil layer is thick and the groundwater is deep, so when burying the dead, they do not compact the soil or use lime and charcoal; in the south, the terrain is low and the groundwater is shallow, so when burying the dead, they compact the soil, use lime to block water and termites, and add charcoal powder to prevent tree roots, and even Zhu Xi advocated building brick coffins. Is this not contrary to the ancient saying "after death, one only wishes to decay quickly"?

答：毋使土親膚，亦聖人之言也。然餘在南北，亦嘗為人遷移舊墓矣。北方之葬也，以土厚之故，其穴之深，或至丈餘，縱淺亦必六七尺；又北地少雨，葬後堆土之時，只用數人踐踏，不崇朝而事畢矣。其土有枯燥之土，有潮溼之土，皆是無龍穴之地；至掘起之時，其枯燥土中之棺，雖無水浸，亦幹朽如灰，其潮溼土中之棺，必敗毀如泥，但無白蟻耳。

Ma Taiqing answered: "Do not let the soil directly touch the body's skin." This is also what the sages have said. I have once moved old graves in both the northern and southern regions. In the north, the burial pits are dug deep because the soil layer is thick, sometimes reaching more than ten feet, and the shallowest is about six or seven feet. Also, since there is little rain in the north, after burial, the soil is only compacted by a few people, and the work is finished within a single morning. The soil is either dry or damp, and all these places are not dragon graves. When they were dug up, the coffins buried in dry soil were not soaked by water, but had already dried up like ash; those buried in damp soil would certainly rot into mud, but would not produce white ants.

南方之葬也，以土薄之故，其穴之深，僅只五六尺，甚至結盤培土成墳。倘遇風吹水劫之地，其潮溼固不待言，而白蟻先肆咀嚼矣。至於龍真穴的之地，其土如有油潤，見風即幹，其棺與骨，如初葬之時一樣，仍有溫暖之氣，甚至氣出如蒸，對面不相見，南北之美穴，皆是如此。

In the south, because the soil layer is thin, the burial pit is only dug five or six feet deep, and sometimes they simply form a soil disk and build a mound as the tomb. If the site is exposed to wind or water damage, dampness is inevitable, and termites have already begun to gnaw at the wood. However, in genuine dragon-lying and truesite sites, the soil is so moist and lustrous, it seems to have an oily sheen. When exposed to wind, it dries quickly; the coffin and the remains are still warm as if freshly buried, even with a faint mist rising, making it difficult to see people face to face. Good burial sites in both northern and southern regions are like this.

但南方多雨澤霧，有石灰堅築，免令水氣滲入；又南方土松，多樹木之根，有炭末隔之，則樹根遇之即止，皆目擊之事。然富室俱喜蓄樹蔭墳，惟松柏根伸不遠，亦須在二丈以外，防其百餘年，根亦伸遠也。最不宜者，烏柏夜合，楓與栗等樹，其根能串行滿山，雖數十丈外，亦不可留也。

It is because the south has much rain and mist that using lime to compact the soil can prevent moisture from seeping in; the soil in the south is loose and has many tree roots, so using charcoal powder to make a layer can stop the roots from advancing further—these are things I have seen with my own eyes. However, wealthy families often plant trees to shade tombs, and among these, pine and cypress roots do not extend very far, yet even so they must be planted at least two zhang away to prevent their roots from extending far in a hundred years' time. The most unsuitable are the Chinese tallow tree, night-blooming cereus, and trees such as maple and chestnut, whose roots can spread across mountains and even if planted dozens of zhang away, they cannot be left.

邑之南郭，有古墳數冢，地濱大河，皆二三百年者，平洋葬法也。道光年間，邑大水，河遂齧墳，石灰皆現，好善者斂金徒之，柔鑿石灰，其堅如石，棺外並無一些潮氣，乃棺底亦用灰堅築，與上下四旁，連合為一，儼然石槨也，棺仍如新。

There are several ancient tombs outside the southern gate of this county, located near a big river. They are all old tombs, over two or three hundred years old, and were buried using the flat land burial method. During the Daoguang period, the county experienced a big flood, and the river eroded the tops of the tombs, exposing the lime layer. Kind-hearted people raised money to relocate the remains. When they chiseled away the lime, they found it as hard as stone, and there was not even a trace of dampness outside the coffin. Originally, the bottom of the coffin had also been compacted with lime, connecting with the top and all around to form an entire structure like a stone coffin, and the coffin itself still looked brand new.

今葬山者，其棺頭入土尚深，其棺足入土最淺，蝨蟻樹根，往往由棺足而進。今之葬者，亦宜於棺底先堅築石灰一層，然後納棺於上，與四圍及頂，堅築為一，蝨蟻樹根，亦無隙可入矣。

Nowadays, when burying a coffin on a mountain, the head end of the coffin is buried deeper into the ground, while the foot end is buried the shallowest. Often, insects and tree roots enter from the foot end. Therefore, when burying a coffin now, one should first compact a layer of lime on the bottom of the coffin, then place the coffin on top, and then compact the surrounding area and the top together as a single unit. This way, insects and tree roots will have no gaps to enter.

九十三問曰：龍分兩片陰陽取，水對三叉細認縱，是如何分取？如何對認？

A student asked: The classic text says "Dragon divides into two parts, yin and yang are taken, water faces three forks, and the trail is carefully recognized." How are these two parts divided and taken? How are the three forks matched and recognized?

答：兩片者，即一陰一陽，雌雄、夫婦賓主之象也；三叉者，即合襟元辰，零正、動靜、順逆之處也。一言山，分山之運；一言水，認水之運。所謂『地畫八卦誰能會，山與水相對』是也。《青囊序》八十餘句，絕無一字泛言，總括元空，因形求氣，彰往察來之妙，使觀人成敗吉凶，瞭如指掌，神而明之，不啻元珠之在握也。

Ma Taiqing answered: The so-called "two pieces" refer to yin and yang, representing the relationship between female and male, husband and wife, guest and host; the so-called "three forks" refer to the original spring water at the junction, which is the place to distinguish between zero spirits and main spirits, movement and stillness, and order and disorder. The first part talks about mountains, requiring the discernment of the mountain's movement; the second part talks about water, requiring the recognition of the water's movement. This is the meaning of the classic text, "The earth draws the eight trigrams, who can understand it? Mountains and water are opposite to each other." The "Preface to the Green Satchel" has more than eighty lines, none of which are general talk; it comprehensively summarizes the subtlety of Xuan Kong, which seeks qi movement through form and predicts the future from the past. Using it to observe others' success and failure, good fortune and misfortune, is as clear as looking at one's own palm. Those who can integrate it well hold a precious pearl in their hands.