The Inner Transmission (Tianyu Jing)

二十四山起八宮，貪巨武輔雄，四邊盡是逃亡穴，下後令人絕。蔣注：此節反言以見旨，興起下文之意，言一行所作小游年卦例，以二十四山起八官，而取貪巨武輔為四吉，若其說果是，則宜乎隨手下穴，皆吉地矣，何以四邊盡是逃亡穴，下後反令人敗絕哉；則知卦例不足信，而別有真機，如下文所云也。

According to the twenty-four mountains to establish the eight palaces, the stars of Xuanwu, Guimeng, Wugui, and Zuofu are considered the four auspicious stars. However, the result is that all four directions are escape holes, and after burial, it causes the family to become extinct. Jiang Dahong comments: this section is stated in reverse, to highlight the original meaning and lead into the following text. The meaning is: the small year divination example created by Yixing uses the twenty-four mountains to establish the eight palaces, taking Xuanwu, Guimeng, Wugui, and Zuofu as the four auspicious stars. If this method were truly reliable, then any point chosen for burial would be an auspicious site. But how come all four directions turn out to be escape holes, and burial leads to family extinction? This shows that the divination example is not reliable, and there is another true principle, which is what is discussed in the following text.

惟有挨星為最貴，洩漏天機秘。天機若然安在內，家活當富貴；天機若然安在外，家活漸退敗。五行配出九星名，天下任橫行。蔣注：緊接上文。卦例既不可用，惟有挨星玄空大五行，乃為陰陽之最貴者，天機秘密，不可流傳於世，但可偶一洩漏而已。安在內，不出三般卦之內也；安在外，出三般卦之外，出卦不出卦，福禍迥分，安得不貴耶。夫挨星五行，非如游年卦例，但取四吉而已。蓋八卦五行，配出九星，上應斗杓，知九星之作用，便可橫行於天下，無不響應矣，卦例云乎哉。

Only the star of the compass is most precious, as it reveals the secret of Heaven's mechanism. If the Heaven's mechanism is located within, the family will flourish and become wealthy; if it is located outside, the family will gradually decline. The eight trigrams and the five elements are combined to form the names of the nine stars. Once one understands this, one can act freely throughout the world. Jiang Dahong comments: This follows directly from the previous discussion. Since the examples of the trigrams cannot be used, only the compass star and the great five elements of the invisible space are the most valuable in the study of yin and yang. The secret of Heaven's mechanism should not be spread throughout the world; at most, only a little can be revealed. What is meant by "located within" is that it does not go beyond the three trigrams; "located outside" means it goes beyond the three trigrams. Whether the trigram is within or outside makes a heaven and earth difference in fortune and misfortune. How can this subject not be precious? The five elements of the compass star are not like the examples of the year trigrams, which only take four auspicious ones. The eight trigrams and five elements are combined to form the nine stars, which correspond to the handle of the Big Dipper. Once one understands the function of the nine stars, one can act freely throughout the world, and nothing will be ineffective. What is the worth of those trigram examples?

幹維乾艮巽坤壬，陽順星辰輪；支神坎離震兌癸，陰卦逆行取。分定陰陽歸兩路，順逆推排去；知生知死亦知貧，留取教兒孫。蔣注：此節分出玄空大卦干支定位，以足前篇父母子息之義。四維之卦，以天干為主者也，幹維曰陽；四正之卦，以地支為主者也，地支曰陰，此陰陽非交媾之陰陽也。知卦之所主，則父母子息，不問而自明矣。

The four cardinal directions of Qian, Gen, Xun, and Kun are combined with the heavenly stem Ren, and the stars are arranged in order following the yang path. The four primary directions of Kan, Li, Zhen, and Dui are combined with the heavenly stem Gui, and the stars are taken in reverse order according to the yin trigrams. The yin and yang are divided into two paths, one proceeding in order and the other in reverse, to determine where there is birth, death, and poverty. This method is passed down to teach the descendants. Jiang Dahong explains: this section establishes the positioning of the great trigrams in the Xuan Kong system, to complement the previous discussion on parents and children. The trigrams of the four cardinal directions are based on heavenly stems, so "Qian dimension" is considered yang; the trigrams of the four primary directions are based on earthly branches, so "branch spirits" are considered yin. This yin and yang does not refer to the concept of yin-yang in terms of union. Knowing which trigram is dominant, the meanings of parents and children become clear without needing further inquiry.

其陰陽兩路，每一卦中，皆有陰陽兩路可分，非將八卦分為兩路，何者屬陰，何者屬陽也。其順逆推排，即陰陽兩路分定之法，非乾艮巽坤為陽順，坎震離兌為陰逆，若如此分輪，則皆順也，何云逆乎。至於四卦之未，各綴一字，曰壬曰癸，此又挨星秘中之秘，可以心傳，而不可以顯言也。

As for the yin and yang paths, each trigram can be divided into yin and yang paths, not that the eight trigrams as a whole are split into two groups, with certain trigrams belonging to yin and others to yang. The term "shun ni tuipai" refers to the method of determining these two paths of yin and yang. It does not mean that trigrams such as Qian, Gen, Xun, and Kun, which are considered yang, are all arranged in a shun (forward) order, while trigrams such as Kan, Zhen, Li, and Dui, which are considered yin, are all arranged in a ni (reverse) order. If it were divided in that way, in reality, everything would be shun order, and there would be no ni order at all. As for the addition of a character at the end of each of the four trigrams—one being "Ren" and the other "Gui"—this is a secret within the secret of the star arrangement, which can only be passed down through heart-to-heart transmission and cannot be explicitly stated.

天地父母三般卦，時師末曾話，玄空大卦神仙說，本是此經訣，不識宗枝但亂傳，開口莫胡言，若還不信此經文，但覆古人墳。蔣注：曰天地，曰東西，曰父母，曰玄空，曰挨星，名異而實同，若於字義屑屑分疏，則支離矣。此節蓋恐學者得傳之後，以為太易而輕忽之，故極言讚美，以鄭重其辭，非別有他義也。說到覆古人墳，是徵信實著，予得傳以來，洞徹玄空之理，今效注此經文，駁一刖人之謬，直捷了當，略無畏縮，皆取信於覆古人墳，蓋驗之已往，券之將來，深信其一毫之無誤，自許心契古人，而可以告無罪於萬世也。

The three kinds of hexagrams, namely Heaven, Earth, and Parents, are never explained by current diviners; the great hexagram of Xuankong is a term used by immortals, and it is essentially the secret key of this scripture. If one does not understand the distinction between the main line and the branches, he should not casually teach it. If you still do not believe this scripture, then go and examine the ancient tombs. Jiang Dahong comments: speaking of Heaven and Earth, speaking of East and West, speaking of Parents, speaking of Xuankong, speaking of the star arrangement, although the names are different, their essence is the same thing. If one splits them apart word by word, it will become fragmented and confused. This passage is probably to warn scholars who have received the transmission that they may think it too easy and thus underestimate it, so the author strongly praises it and speaks strongly, without any other intention. When it comes to "reviewing the tombs of ancient people," that is the real evidence. Since I received the transmission, I have thoroughly understood the principles of Xuankong. Now I freely annotate this scripture, refute the mistakes of previous scholars, speak directly and without hesitation, relying entirely on the verification obtained from reviewing ancient tombs. All past matters have been verified, and future matters I dare to guarantee with a contract, deeply believing there is not the slightest error. I believe my heart is in harmony with the ancients, and I can be guiltless before ten thousand generations.

分卻東西兩個卦，會者傳天下，學取仙人經二，切莫亂談空，五行山下問來由，入首便知蹤。蔣注：此亦叮嚀告戒之語，而歸重於入首，蓋入首一節，初年立應，尤不可不慎也。

Distinguish clearly the eastern and western trigrams, and those who understand can practice throughout the world. If you wish to learn, learn this classic from the immortal, and do not talk nonsense or discuss empty things. Inquire into the origin beneath the Five Phases, and when you see the first section, you will know its trace. Jiang Dahong comments: this is also a warning and advice, with emphasis on the term "入首." Because this first section will immediately show results in the first few years after burial, and especially cannot be neglected.

分定子孫十二位，災禍相連值，千災萬禍少人知，克者論宗枝。蔣注：此節，直糾時師誤認子孫之害；蓋子孫自卦中分出，位位不同；豈如俗師幹從支，支從幹，二十四路，止作十二位論；若如此論法，必致葬者災禍相連值矣。既遭災禍，而俗師終不知所以災禍之故，胡猜亂擬，或雲下凶，或云支凶，總非真消息也。夫災禍之發，乃龍氣受克所致，而龍氣之受克，實不在干支，蓋有為干支之宗者焉，所謂父母是也。知其宗之受克，則知干支亦隨之而受克，所以不免災禍矣。此深言十二位分子孫之說，其謬如此。

Dividing descendants into twelve positions forcibly leads to continuous misfortune; myriad calamities and countless troubles rarely have people understand the cause. The afflicted should be judged from the "Zong" rather than from the branches. Jiang Dahong's commentary: this passage directly corrects the mistakes of common diviners who wrongly associate descendants with misfortune. Descendants are derived from the hexagram, each position being distinct. How could they be like ordinary diviners who follow the heavenly stems with the earthly branches and vice versa, treating twenty-four directions as only twelve positions? If they were to do so, the buried would inevitably suffer continuous misfortune. Once misfortune has occurred, the common diviners still do not know the true cause, making random guesses. Sometimes they say the heavenly stem is凶 (originally "xia" is a mistake for "gan"), sometimes they say the earthly branch is凶. In the end, they never grasp the real cause. In fact, the misfortune arises from the dragon qi being restricted. The root of this restriction does not lie in the heavenly stems and earthly branches, but rather above them is the "Zong," which refers to the parents' hexagram. Knowing that the Zong is restricted, one knows that the heavenly stems and earthly branches are also restricted, thus inevitably leading to misfortune. This passage thoroughly exposes the absurdity of the notion of dividing the twelve positions into descendants.

五行位中出一位，仔細秘中記，假若來龍骨不真，從此誤千人。蔣注：此節又詳言出卦不出卦之密旨。蓋同一出位，而有卦內卦外之不同，若在卦內時，則似出而非出，若在卦外，則真出矣。此中有秘，當密記之。在卦內，則龍骨真；在卦外，則龍骨不真矣。

In the sequence of the Five Phases, there is an extra position, and this point must be carefully memorized as a secret; if the true ridge of the dragon is not accurately determined, it will mislead countless people. Jiang Dahong explains: this section further elaborates on the secret distinction between "going out of the hexagram" and "not going out of the hexagram." Although both are beyond their original position, there is a difference between being within the hexagram and being outside of it: if it is still within the original hexagram, it is like going out but actually not going out; if it has reached outside the hexagram, then it is truly gone. There is a secret here that should be firmly remembered. If it is within the hexagram, the dragon ridge is genuine; if it is outside the hexagram, the dragon ridge is not genuine.

一個排來千百個，莫把星辰錯，龍要合向向合水，水合三吉位，合祿合馬合官星，本卦生旺尋，合凶合吉合祥瑞，何法能超避，但看太歲是何神，立地見分明，成敗斷定何公位，三合年中是。蔣注：一個排來，變化不一，故有千百個也。龍向水相合，前篇已盡。祿馬官星，在本卦生旺則應，不然則不應；此見生旺為重，而祿馬官星，在所輕矣。

A single hexagram can generate countless variations, so one must not incorrectly match the stars. The dragon should align with the direction, the direction should harmonize with the water, and the water should reach the three auspicious positions. Additionally, harmony with luck, horses, and official stars should be sought within the primary hexagram's thriving and vital areas. As for harmonizing with misfortune, auspiciousness, and吉祥瑞, what methods can be used to avoid them? Simply observe which deity is the current year's sovereign; this will clarify everything. Whether success or failure is in a particular family can be determined by the triple harmony years. Jiang Dahong notes: A single hexagram, when arranged, can have many variations, hence the saying of hundreds. The principles of harmony between dragon, direction, and water have already been thoroughly explained in the previous section. As for luck, horses, and official stars, they only manifest when they fall within the thriving and vital areas of the primary hexagram; otherwise, they do not. This shows that thriving and vitality are more important, while luck, horses, and official stars are secondary.

排星仔細看五行，看自何卦生，來山八卦不知蹤，八卦九星空，順逆排來各不同，天卦在其中。蔣注：五行總在何卦中生，不在干支中定，所謂父母子息也。不知八卦蹤跡，何從而來，則九星無處排矣。蓋星卦之順逆，各有不同，即此一卦入用，或當順推，或當逆推，有一定之氣，而無一定之用，所謂天下諸書對不同也。要而言之，則玄空二字之義盡矣。

When arranging the stars, one must carefully examine the Five Phases and determine from which trigram they originate. If one cannot even identify which trigram the mountain belongs to, then the eight trigrams and nine stars will all be empty. Whether arranging in a forward or reverse order varies, and this is the principle of the Heaven Trigram. Jiang Dahong explains: the Five Phases ultimately originate from a particular trigram, not determined by the heavenly stems and earthly branches. This is referred to as parents and children. If one does not know the origin of the trigrams, the nine stars cannot be arranged. The order of stars and trigrams may be either forward or reverse: the same trigram may be used at times in a forward direction and at other times in a reverse direction. The energy is fixed, but its application is not. This is what is meant by "all books differ in their interpretations." In summary, the meaning of "Xuan Kong" is fully expressed.

甲庚丙壬俱屬陽，順排五行詳；乙辛丁癸俱屬陰，逆推論五行。陰陽順逆不同途，須向此中求；九星雙起雌雄異，玄關真妙處。蔣注：此略舉干神卦氣之例。陽四干，則順推入卦；陰四干，則逆推入卦；一順一逆，雖不同途，而此中有一定之卦氣，可深求而得者。至其每卦之中，皆有一雌一雄，雙雙起之法，乃陰陽交媾，玄關妙處也，又不止一卦有一卦之用而已。舉八干，而支神之法，亦在其中矣。

The heavenly stems Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren all belong to the yang category, and they are arranged in order to elaborate on the Five Phases. The stems Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui are all yin, and they are reversed to discuss the Five Phases. Yin and yang, as well as the order of progression, are not the same path, and the key must be found here. The nine stars must rise in pairs, with distinct male and female aspects; this is the true subtlety of the hidden gate. Jiang Dahong explains: here, only the example of the heavenly stems' hexagram qi is briefly given. The four yang stems are arranged in order to enter the hexagram, while the four yin stems are reversed to enter the hexagram. Although one is in order and the other is reversed, they have a definite hexagram qi in between, and if one seeks deeply, it can be found. As for each hexagram having one male and one female aspect, rising in pairs, this is the subtle aspect of yin and yang meeting and the hidden gate, and it is not simply 'each hexagram has its own use'. Here, eight heavenly stems are cited, and the method of using the earthly branches is included within this.

東西二卦真奇異，須知本向水，本向本水四神奇，代代著緋衣。蔣注：此節又重言向水，各一卦氣兼收生旺之妙，向上有兩神，水上有兩神，故曰四神。

The eastern and western hexagrams are truly strange; one must understand the direction of the primary hexagram and the water of the primary hexagram. The direction and the water together form the "Four Gods" phenomenon, ensuring that descendants will wear red robes generation after generation. Jiang Dahong comments: This passage once again emphasizes that the direction and the water each occupy a hexagram's energy, both capable of incorporating the beneficial and prosperous influences. The direction has two deities, the water has two deities, and together they are called the "Four Gods."

水流出卦有何全，一代作官員，一折一代為官祿，二折二代福，三折父母共長流，馬上錦衣遊，馬上塹頭水出卦，一代為官罷，直山直水去無翻，場務小官班。蔣注：水不出卦，須折折在父母本宮，若折出本官，雖折而後代不發矣。馬上塹頭，即一折父母，便流出卦，如塹頭而去也。本卦水，又以曲折為貴，乃許世代高官，若止直流，雖然本卦，而官職卑矣。

Water flowing out of the primary hexagram leaves nothing more to speak of; at most, it can produce an official in one generation. One bend corresponds to an official in one generation; two bends correspond to blessings in two generations; three bends flow continuously in the parents' hexagram, allowing for a life of wealth and military glory. If the water reaches the trench head and flows out of the hexagram right after mounting the horse, then one can only serve as an official for one generation. If the mountain and water are straight and the water flows away without returning, one can only hold a minor position such as that of a field officer. Jiang Dahong comments: If the water does not flow out of the hexagram, it must remain in the parents' hexagram at each bend; if it flows out of the parents' hexagram, although there are bends, the descendants will not prosper. The phrase "mounting the horse and reaching the trench head" refers to the water just bending once in the parents' hexagram and then flowing out of the hexagram, like the path ending at the trench head. The water in the primary hexagram is valued for its meandering course, which allows for generations of high officials; if it flows straight, even if it remains within the hexagram, the official position will be lowly.

乾山乾向水朝乾，乾峰出狀元；卯山卯向卯源水，驟富石崇比；午山午向午來堂，大將值邊疆；坤山坤向坤水流，富貴永無休。蔣注：此明玄空大卦，向水兼收之法；舉四山以例其餘，皆卦內之純清者也。乾宮卦內之山，作幹官卦內之向，而收幹官卦內之水，則龍向水三者，俱歸生旺矣，非回龍顧祖之說也。或云狀元，或云大將，或云驟富者，亦舉錯以見意，不可拘執。

The mountain of Qian is aligned with the direction of Qian, and the water also faces Qian, with peaks rising from the Qian direction, leading to the emergence of a top scholar; the mountain of Mao is aligned with the direction of Mao, and the water originates from Mao, resulting in sudden wealth comparable to Shi Chong; the mountain of Wu is aligned with the direction of Wu, and the water flows from the Wu direction into the Bright Hall, producing great generals to defend the borders; the mountain of Kun is aligned with the direction of Kun, and the water from the Kun direction flows continuously, bringing enduring wealth and prosperity. Jiang Dahong comments: This discusses the method of combining the direction and water in the Xuan Kong Da Guan system, using these four mountains as examples, with others following suit. It refers to situations where the energy within the hexagram is pure and clear. Using the mountain of the Qian hexagram, setting the direction of the Qian hexagram, and receiving the water of the Qian hexagram, then the dragon, direction, and water all fall into the category of beneficial and thriving energies; this is not the concept of "returning dragon to its ancestor." As for mentioning the emergence of a top scholar, a great general, or sudden wealth, these are merely illustrative examples to convey the meaning, and should not be taken literally.

辨得陰陽兩路行，五行要分明，泥鰍浪裡跳龍門，渤海便翻身。蔣注：陰陽兩路，上文屢見，此重言以申明之耳。下二句，言變化之易。

One must clearly distinguish the paths of yin and yang in order for the Five Phases to become distinct; at that time, even a eel could leap over the Dragon Gate in the waves, and in an instant transform into a dragon in the Bohai Sea. Jiang Dahong's commentary: The paths of yin and yang have been discussed many times before, and here it is merely repeated for further clarification. The last two lines describe how quickly and easily transformation can occur once the secret is understood.

依得四神為第一，官職無休息。穴上八卦要知情，穴內卦裝清。蔣注：前篇本向本水四神奇，是姑置來龍；而但重向水。此節穴上八卦要知倩，又從穴上逆推到來龍，以補四神之不及。穴上是龍，穴內即向也。

The "Four Gods" are the first priority, indicating continuous official positions. The Eight Trigrams on the site should be clearly understood, and the trigrams within the site should be kept clean. Jiang Dahong comments: The previous section discussed "the original direction and the original water are the four divine principles," temporarily setting aside the origin of the dragon, focusing only on the direction and water. This section says "the Eight Trigrams on the site should be understood," which reverses from the site to trace back the origin of the dragon, thus supplementing the insufficient explanation of the "Four Gods." The site refers to the dragon, and the site within refers to the direction.

要求富貴三般卦，出卦家貧乏。寅申已亥水長流，五行向中藏。辰戌丑未叩金龍，動得永不窮。若還借庫富後貧，自庫樂長春。蔣注：前篇甲庚壬丙一節，是四正之卦，此節又補四隅之卦，觀此，則支水去來凶之言，當活看，不可死看矣。辰戌丑末，雖俗云四庫，其實玄空不重墓庫之說，借庫出卦也，自庫不出卦也，是重在出卦不出卦，不重墓庫也。

To achieve wealth and honor, one must rely entirely on the three trigrams; once the trigram is broken, the family's fortune will dwindle. If there is continuous flowing water in the directions of寅, 申, 巳, and 亥, the subtle application of the Five Phases is contained within the direction. If the directions of 辰, 戌, 丑, and 未 are activated to stir the golden dragon, the fortune will never run out. If it is "borrowing the storage," wealth comes first but then declines; if it is "self-storage," one can enjoy prosperity continuously. Jiang Dahong explains: the previous section discussing 甲, 庚, 壬, and 丙 dealt with the four cardinal trigrams, while this section supplements the four corner trigrams. Therefore, when saying that the movement of the earth branches' water is凶, it must be viewed flexibly rather than rigidly. Although 辰, 戌, 丑, and 未 are commonly called the "four storages," the Xuan Kong system does not emphasize the concept of storage.the so-called "borrowing the storage" means the trigram is broken, while "self-storage" means the trigram is not broken—the key lies in whether the trigram is broken or not, not in the storage itself.

大都星起何方是，五行長生旺。大旆相對起高崗，職位在學堂，捍門官國華表起，山水亦同例，水秀峰奇出大官，四位一般看。蔣注：此節言水上星辰，即山上星辰，只要得生旺之氣，在山在水，一同論也。

In general, the stars are considered to originate from a certain direction, and whether they are considered proper depends on whether the Five Phases are in a state of generation and prosperity. For example, high ridges resembling banners standing opposite each other indicate a person will hold a high official position and be in a scholarly office; forms such as gatekeepers, official posts, and ornamental pillars appearing at the water mouth are treated the same whether on the mountain or on the water; beautiful water and peculiar peaks produce great officials, and these four positions are all considered similarly. Jiang Dahong notes: this section explains that stars on water are treated the same as stars on mountains; as long as they receive the energy of generation and prosperity, whether on the mountain or on the water, they are all discussed according to the same principles.

坎離水火中天過，龍墀移帝座；寶蓋鳳閣四維朝，寶殿登龍樓；罡劫吊煞休犯著，四墓多消鑠；金技玉葉四孟裝，金箱玉印藏。蔣注：坎離水火一句，乃一章之所重，其餘星宿，總是得生旺，則加之美名；逢死絕，則稱為惡曜，名非有定，星隨氣變者也。

Heavenly Water and Fire of Kan and Li pass through the central heaven, just like a dragon terrace has moved the imperial throne; the stars of the canopy and phoenix pavilion come from the four directions to pay homage, like ascending the palace hall and dragon pavilion; the Heavenly Gang, Robbery Sha, and hanging Sha should not be confronted, as the four burial directions can dissipate the evil energy; the type of sand called golden branches and jade leaves placed in the four initial positions will contain golden boxes and jade seals within. Jiang Dahong comments: "The sentence about 'Heavenly Water and Fire of Kan and Li' is the main point of this entire passage. All the other names of stars are merely given nice names when they are prosperous and vigorous, and called evil stars when they are dead or declining—these names are not fixed, and the stars change according to the energy."

帝釋一神定縣府，紫微同八武。倒排父母養龍神，富貴萬年春。蔣注：帝釋丙也，八武壬也，紫微亥也。帝釋神之最尊，故以縣府名之；其實陰陽二宅得此，貴之極矣。然其妙用在乎倒排，非正用也。

The deity "Dishi" can determine the prosperity of a county or prefecture, and "Ziwei" and "Bawu" are of the same category; by reversing the parents' hexagram to nurture the dragon deity, wealth and honor will last for ten thousand years. Jiang Dahong explains: "Dishi" refers to Bing, "Bawu" refers to Ren, and "Ziwei" refers to Hai. "Dishi" is the most exalted among all deities, hence it is called "xianfu"; in reality, if a place, whether ancestral or residential, can receive the blessing of this deity, its prosperity will reach its peak. However, its true use lies in "reversing," not using it in its original position.

識得父母三般卦，便是真神路，北斗七星去打劫，離宮要相合。蔣注：上二句，引起下文之義，言識得三卦父母，已是真神路矣，猶須曉得北斗七星打劫之法，則三般卦之精髓方得，而最上一乘之作用也。北斗云何。知離宮之相合，即知北斗之義矣。

Recognizing the three trigrams of the parents is to have entered the path of true divination; further understanding the method of "the Big Dipper Seven Stars fighting off calamity" and combining it with the trigram of fire. Jiang Dahong explains: the first two sentences are meant to introduce the following content, saying that recognizing the three trigrams of the parents means one has already entered the path of true divination, but one must also understand the method of "the Big Dipper Seven Stars fighting off calamity," only then can one grasp the essence of the three trigrams, which is the highest level of practice. What exactly does the Big Dipper refer to? Understanding how the trigram of fire combines with it will also clarify the meaning of the Big Dipper.

子午卯酉四龍岡，作祖人財旺；水長百里佐君王，水短便遭傷。蔣注：取子午卯酉，以其父母氣旺也，言四正，則四維可以例推矣；水短遭傷，以其出卦之故。

The four dragon ridges of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You are used as the ancestral mountains, which bring prosperity in terms of descendants and wealth. If the water flows for a hundred li, it can assist the sovereign; but if the water is short, it will suffer damage. Jiang Dahong comments: taking Zi, Wu, Mao, and You is because their parental energies are strong. Having explained the four cardinal directions, the four secondary directions can be inferred similarly. The reason water that is short suffers damage is because it goes out of the hexagram.

識得陰陽兩路行，富貴達京城，不識陰陽兩路行，萬丈火坑深。蔣注：此即顛顛倒之意，皆上文所已言，而詠歎之。

If one understands the movement of yin and yang, one can achieve wealth and honor and reach the capital; if one does not understand the movement of yin and yang, one will fall into a pit of fire thousands of feet deep. Jiang Dahong's commentary: This is still the meaning of "dian dian dao" (turning upside down), which has already been explained earlier; here it is merely a poetic expression.

前兼龍神前兼向，聯珠莫相放，後兼龍神後兼向，排定陰陽算。明得零神與正神，指日入青雲，不識零神與正神，代代絕除根。蔣注：龍神向首，皆有兼前兼後之法，兼者，父母兼子息，子息兼父母，此即正神零神之義。

The dragon spirit that turns forward should be paired with the forward direction, like linked pearls that cannot be separated; the dragon spirit that turns backward should be paired with the backward direction. After arranging yin and yang, calculations can be made. If one understands the distinction between zero spirits and main spirits, success can be achieved in a short time; if one fails to distinguish between zero spirits and main spirits, the family will face extinction from generation to generation. Jiang Dahong explains: both the dragon spirit and the main direction have the method of "turning forward" and "turning backward."the so-called "turning" means parents include children and children include parents, which is the meaning of main spirits and zero spirits.

倒排父母是真龍，子息達天聰；順排父母到子息，代代人財退。蔣注：父母子息，皆須倒排，而不用順排；如旺氣在坎癸，倒排則不用坎癸，而得真旺氣，順排則真用坎癸，而反得殺氣矣。似是而非，毫釐千里，玄空大卦千言萬語，惟在於此。

The true dragon is found by reversing the parents' position, allowing descendants to achieve fame and recognition even reaching the emperor; whereas arranging the parents in order towards the descendants leads to successive generations losing both people and wealth. Jiang Dahong explains: whether it is the parents or the descendants, they must be reversed, not arranged in sequence. For example, if the prosperous energy is in the Kan and Gui, reversing the sequence avoids using Kan and Gui, thereby obtaining the true prosperous energy; whereas arranging in sequence would use Kan and Gui, resulting in the harmful energy. This is a misleading concept, where a slight error leads to a great mistake; the entire discourse of the Xuan Kong Da Gua hinges on this single point.

一龍宮中水便行，子息受艱辛；四三二一龍逆去，四子均榮貴；龍行位遠主離鄉，四位發經商。蔣注：此節又申言本卦水，須折折相顧，若一折之後，便出本卦，雖然得發，必受艱辛矣，必三四節逆去，皆在本卦，乃諸子齊發也。位遠，即出卦，一出卦，即主離鄉；若出卦之後，又歸還本卦，反主為商，得財而歸，其應驗之不爽如此。

The dragon is in the first palace, and the water flows straight away, leading the children to suffer hardship; the fourth, third, second, and first positions all go back in reverse order, and all four sons will achieve honor and wealth. If the dragon's position is too far, the master will have to leave his hometown; when it reaches the fourth position, it indicates success in business and wealth. Jiang Dahong comments: this section further explains that the water in the primary hexagram must bend and turn repeatedly. If the water only bends once and leaves the primary hexagram, even if success is achieved, it will certainly involve great hardship; only when the water bends three or four times and returns in reverse, remaining within the primary hexagram, can all the sons achieve success. The term 'position is far away' refers to the water leaving the primary hexagram; once it leaves the hexagram, it indicates leaving the hometown. If the water leaves the hexagram and then returns, it instead indicates business success, with wealth coming back. The verification is precise without any error.

時師不識挨星學，只作天心摸，東邊財穀引歸西，北到南方推。老龍終日臥山中，何嘗不易逢，祇是自家眼不的，亂把山岡覓。蔣注：東邊財穀二句乃托喻，即江南龍來江北望之意，玄空妙訣也。嘆息世人不得真傳，胡行亂走，旨哉言乎。

Modern Chinese explanations of classical Chinese divination texts are translated into English as follows: Contemporary geomancers do not understand the study of the Five Stars, and only blindly guess at the "Heavenly Heart." They wrongly direct the wealth and grain from the east to the west, and push the needs from the north toward the south. The old dragon lies entirely within the mountain, how could it be difficult to encounter? It's just that their own eyesight is inaccurate, and they blindly search around the hilltops. Jiang Dahong comments: the two lines about "wealth and grain from the east" are metaphors, meaning "the dragon from Jiangnan looks toward Jiangbei," which is the true secret of Xuan Kong. Master Yang here laments that the world does not receive the true transmission, and people wander aimlessly. This statement is indeed very accurate.

世人不知天機秘，洩破有何益，汝今傳得地中仙，玄空妙難言，翻天倒地更玄玄，大卦不易傳，更有收山出殺訣，亦兼為汝說，相逢大地能幾人，個個是知心，若還求地不種德，隱口深藏舌。蔣注：篇終述敘傳授之意，深戒曾公安之善寶之也。結語歸重於種德，今之得傳者，不慎擇人，輕洩浪示，恐雖得吉地，不能實受其福矣；而洩天寶者，重違先師之戒，其不幹造物之怒，而自取禍咎者，幾希矣。

People who do not understand the secrets of Heaven's mechanisms would find no benefit in revealing them. The teachings you have now received are the divine techniques of the earth, their subtleties are hard to explain, and "turning heaven and reversing earth" is even more mysterious. This great hexagram should not be easily passed on to others. There is also the secret formula of "receiving the mountain and removing evil," which I will now tell you. Few people are truly worthy of receiving the earth's secrets, and those who are must be sincere and trustworthy. If someone only seeks to obtain land without being willing to accumulate virtue, they should keep their mouths shut and hide their tongues. Jiang Dahong's note: the concluding remarks at the end of this passage are a solemn warning to Zeng Gong'an to treasure the teachings carefully. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of cultivating virtue. Nowadays, those who receive these teachings do not choose their successors with care, and they easily reveal them to others. They risk not only failing to enjoy the blessings of a good site but also violating the teachings of their predecessors. Few indeed are those who do not provoke the forces of nature or bring upon themselves misfortune by leaking the treasures of Heaven.

楊公妙應不多言，實實作家傳，人生禍福由天定，賢達能安命，貧賤安墳富貴興，全憑龍穴真。龍在山中不出山，掛在大山間，若是沙曲星辰正，收得陽神定，斷然一葬便興隆，父發子傳榮。蔣注：此一節，專論深山出脈，老龍幹氣，生出嫩枝之穴。

Master Yang's method of profound response does not involve empty talk; every sentence is a genuine family treasure. A person's misfortunes and blessings are determined by heaven, and the wise accept their fate; for the poor and lowly, building a proper tomb can bring about prosperity and wealth, relying entirely on the true dragon and proper site. Some dragons lie within the mountains and do not emerge from them, hanging between great mountains; as long as the sand hands are curved and the star peaks are upright, able to hold the yang spirit's energy and stabilize it, then certainly a burial will bring immediate prosperity, with the father generation achieving success and the son generation continuing to flourish. Jiang Dahong's commentary: this section specifically discusses the sites formed by the emergence of a pulse in deep mountains, where the old dragon's dry qi branches out into a young branch to form the site.

好龍脫劫出平洋，百十里來長；離祖離宗星辰出，此是真龍骨；前途節節出兒孫，文武脈中分；直見大溪方住手，諸山皆不走；個個回頭向穴前，城郭要周完；水口亂石堆水中，此地出豪雄。若得遠來龍脫劫，發福無休歇；穴見陽神三折朝，此地出官僚；不問三男並五子，富貴房房起。津湖溪澗同此看，衣祿榮華斷。大水大河齊到處，千里來龍住；水口羅星鎖住門，似大將屯軍；落頭定有一星形，非火士即金。正脈落平三五里，見水方能止。二水相交不用砂，只要石如麻；更看磷石高山鎖，密密來包裡；此是軍州大地形，細說與君聽。

The heavenly stems are: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui. The earthly branches are: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai. The trigrams are: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth).

蔣注：此一節，專言大干傳變，行龍盡結之穴，謂之脫劫龍，又名出洋龍。雖云城郭要周完，總之城郭都在龍身上見，不必於穴上見。蓋龍到脫劫出洋，雖眾山擁衛而行，前節群支翼張，羽儀簇簇；至於幾經脫卸之後，近身數節，將結穴時，龍之蹤跡愈變，而龍之機勢愈疾，此非左右二砂所能幾及，往往龍只單行，譬之大將，匹馬單刀，所向無言，一時偏裨小校，都追從不及，所以有不用砂之說也。

Jiang Dahong explains: This section specifically discusses the transformation and progression of a great dragon line until it reaches its conclusion and forms a burial site. Such a dragon is called "Tuojie Dragon" or "Chuyang Dragon." Although the classic text says "the city and walls should be complete," in reality, the city and walls are observed on the dragon line itself, not necessarily at the burial site. When the dragon reaches the stage of Tuojie and Chuyang, the preceding sections of the dragon are indeed surrounded by many mountains and have branches spreading out like wings, with many followers accompanying it. However, after several transformations, when the dragon is about to form the burial site, its trail becomes increasingly strange, and its momentum becomes more urgent. At this point, the two flanking ridges can no longer keep up. Often, the dragon proceeds alone. It is like a general riding alone with a single saber, unimpeded in his path, and for a moment, the subordinate officers and soldiers cannot keep up. Hence, there is the saying "no need for ridges."

高山不甚重水，獨此等龍穴以水為證者，何與。山剛水柔，水隨山之行以為行，山不隨水之止以為止，而云直見大溪方住者，非謂山脈遇水而止也；正因山脈行時，水不得不與之俱行，則山脈息時，水不得不與之俱息。故幹龍大盡之地，自然兩水交環，有似乎千里來龍，遇水而止也。

High mountains and dragons do not usually place much importance on water, so why is it that in this particular case, water is used as evidence? Because mountains are yang and water is yin, and water follows the movement of the mountains. The mountains do not stop because the water stops. The classic text says, "Only when a great stream is seen does the dragon stop," which does not mean that the mountain range is blocked by the water. Rather, it is because when the mountain range moves, the water cannot help but follow. Therefore, when the mountain range stops, the water cannot help but stop as well. Thus, when the dry dragon reaches its farthest point, there will naturally be two streams meeting in a ring, appearing as if a dragon coming from a thousand miles has stopped because of the water.

既云不用砂，而又云密密包裡者，何也。夫結穴之處，雖不取必於兩砂齊抱，要之真龍憩息之際，定不孤行，外纏夾輔，隱隱相從；水口星辰，有時出現，大為硤石，小為羅星，近在數里，遠之二三十里，皆不可拘。前所謂砂，指本身龍虎而言；後所謂鎖，指外護捍門而言也。

Since it is said "without the need for sand," why is it also mentioned "coming closely to wrap around"? At the site where the dragon stops, although it is not necessarily required for both dragon and tiger sands to embrace it, when the true dragon rests, it will not be alone; there must be surrounding hills that gently guard and support it. The stars at the water mouth sometimes appear: large ones become narrow rock formations, small ones become the Luo Star. Some are nearby, only a few miles away, while others are farther, up to twenty or thirty miles away, and they cannot be fixed. The "sand" mentioned earlier refers to the dragon and tiger sands of the body itself; the "lock" mentioned later refers to the outer protective gate hills.

只要石如麻，則不止謂水口而已，正言本身結穴之地。蓋幹龍剝換數十節，其渡水崩洪，穿田過峽，不止一處，若非石骨龍行，何以見真籠結體，今人見平地塾阜，誤認來龍，指為大地，正坐此弊也。凡去山數里，即有高阜，或由人工，或出天造，既無真脈相連，又不見石骨稜起，總不謂之龍穴；所以落平之龍，重起星辰，必要石如麻也。有石脈乃為真龍，有石穴乃為真穴。

The phrase "as long as the stone is like hemp seeds" does not merely refer to the water mouth, but actually refers to the actual land where the dragon settles. A dry dragon changes its form dozens of times, passing through rivers, floods, fields, and gullies, and there are not just one or two such places. If it is not supported by stone bones sustaining the dragon's body, how can we recognize the true form of the dragon? Nowadays, people see a mound on flat land and mistakenly take it as the coming dragon, claiming it as a great site. The mistake lies exactly here. Any elevated land within a few miles of a mountain may be artificially piled or naturally formed; since there is no true ridge connecting it and no stone bones rising clearly, they should all be considered not as dragon sites. Therefore, when a dragon reaches flat land and needs to form a new star peak, it must certainly have a large amount of stone, like hemp seeds. Only with stone veins is it a true dragon, and only with stone pits is it a true site.

山龍五星皆結穴。其云落頭一星，獨取火土金者，大約近祖支龍，蜿蜓而下，都結水木；出洋乾結，踴躍而起，都作火土金，雖不可盡拘，而大體有如是者。前章一葬便興，父發子榮，是言山中支結，龍樨而局窄，往往易發。此章言發福無休歇，五子房房起，是言出洋大盡，龍老而局寬，往往遲發而久長，意在言表也。姜氏日，前章言山谷初落之穴，此一言出洋盡結之穴。山龍之法，雖不盡於此，而大略已備於此矣。

The five stars of the mountain dragon can all form a burial site. The classic text says that the star at the head of the fall should only take fire, earth, and metal. This is roughly because: the branches of the ancestral mountain, which wind down, often form water and wood stars; whereas the main dragon that goes out to the sea forms a burial site, often rising vigorously, mostly forming fire, earth, and metal stars. Although this cannot be strictly applied in all cases, it is generally true. The previous chapter says "one burial leads to prosperity, father's success brings son's glory," referring to the burial sites formed by the branches of the mountain, where the dragon is still young and the pattern is narrow, often leading to quick success. This chapter says "prosperity never stops, five sons' branches rise," referring to the burial sites formed at the end of the dragon going out to the sea, where the dragon has matured and the pattern is broad, often leading to delayed but long-lasting success. The meaning is implied in the text. Jiang Yao says: the previous chapter refers to the initial burial site in the valley, while this chapter refers to the burial site formed at the end of the dragon going out to the sea. Although the methods of mountain dragons are not limited to these, the general principles are already included here.

天下軍州總住空，何曾撐著後頭龍，祗向水神朝處取，莫說後無主，立穴動靜中間求，須看龍到頭。蔣注：此節以下，皆發明平洋龍格，與山龍無涉矣。楊公唐未人，唐之言軍州，猶今之言郡縣也。蓋以軍州為證，見城邑鄉村，人家墓宅，凡落平洋，並不論後龍來脈，但取水神朝繞，便為真龍憩息之鄉。夫地靜物也，水動物也；水之所止，即是地脈所鍾，一動一靜之間，陰陽交媾，雌雄牝牡，化育萬物之源。所謂玄竅相通，即丹家玄關一竅也。此便是龍之到頭，非舍陰陽交會之所，而別尋龍之到頭也，識得此竅，則知平洋真龍訣法，而楊公寶照之秘旨盡矣，看龍到頭有口訣。

All the military and administrative regions in the world are situated in empty places; where is the ridge that supports them behind? One should look for the place where the water deity faces and embraces. Do not say there is no main mountain behind. To choose a site for a grave or dwelling, one must seek between movement and stillness. One must also clearly see where the dragon comes to an end. Jiang Dahong comments: From this section onward, what is discussed are the patterns of dragons in flat land, unrelated to mountain dragons. Master Yang was a person of the Tang Dynasty. When Tang people spoke of "junzhou," it was equivalent to what we now call prefectures and counties. He used "junzhou" as an example to show that cities, villages, and the tombs and dwellings of people, wherever they are located on flat land, do not rely on the coming ridges behind them, but instead take the place where the water deity faces and surrounds. That is where the true dragon rests. Land is a still thing, while water is a moving thing. The place where water stops is precisely where the vital energy of the land gathers. Between movement and stillness, yin and yang meet, male and female are paired, and this is the source of the generation of all things. What is called "xuan qiao communicated" is exactly the one place mentioned by the alchemists as the xuan guan qiao. This is where the dragon comes to an end, not a place separate from the meeting of yin and yang, to look for some other place where the dragon ends. Recognizing this key point means understanding the secret method of true dragons on flat land, and the secret meaning of Master Yang's "Baozhao" is fully contained here. As for how to recognize where the dragon ends, there is another secret verse.

楊公妙訣無多說，因見黃公心性拙，全憑掌上起星辰，類聚裝成為妙訣。大山喚作破軍星，五星所聚脈難分，但看出身一路脈，到頭要分水士金；又從分水脈脊處，便把羅經照出路，節節同行過峽真，前去必定有好處。子字出脈子字尋，莫教差錯丑與壬，若是陽差與陰錯，勸君不必費心尋。

Master Yang's secret method is not really complicated, but he explained it in full because he saw that Huang Ju Shi was not very intelligent. He used the method of forming stars on the palm, gathering similar ones together to form a complete secret method. Any large mountain that is generally called the Broken Military Star is a place where the five stars are mixed together and the ridges are hard to distinguish. One should look at the origin of its ridge system, and at the end, it will differentiate into the stars of water, soil, and metal. From the place where the water ridge divides, use the compass to determine its direction. If each section follows the same hexagram, then it is considered true, and there will certainly be a good site ahead. If the ridge comes out from the Zi position, look for it in the Zi position, do not let it be mistaken for the Chou or Ren positions. If it is wrong in a way that is incorrect, I advise you not to bother looking any further.

蔣注：自此章以下，皆楊公平洋秘訣，字字血脈，而又字字隱謎，非真得口口相傳，天機鈐訣者，未許執語言文字，方寸羅經，而妄談二十四山八卦九星之理也。苟得口傳心授，則雖愚夫樨子，可悟楊公心訣；不得口傳心授，縱智過千夫，讀破萬卷，何能道隻字耶。此書乃楊公當日裝成掌訣，傳與黃居士妙應者。

Jiang Dahong wrote: From this chapter onwards, they are all Master Yang's secrets of flat land divination. Each word is crucial and connected, and each word is also a riddle. Those who have not truly received the oral transmission and the key to the heavenly mechanism should not dare to discuss the principles of the twenty-four mountains, the eight trigrams, and the nine stars merely based on a few words and a small compass. If one has received the oral transmission, even a foolish person or a child can understand Master Yang's secret; if one has not received the oral transmission, even if one is smarter than a thousand people and has read ten thousand volumes of books, one would not be able to say a single word. This book is exactly what Master Yang once disguised as palm signs and passed down to the recluse Huang Miaoying.

大山喚作破軍星，言水法渙散迷茫之處，五星混雜，出脈未見分明，概名之日破軍，而不入龍格；祇取龍神一路出身之脈，其脈又分水土金三星，合貪巨武為吉，餘星皆所不取。此三星者，乃形局之星，非卦爻方位之貪巨武也，學者切莫誤認。

The phrase "Great Mountain is called the Broken Military Star" refers to situations where the water flow is scattered and unclear, with the five stars mixed together, making it difficult to discern the main ridge. In such cases, it is generally referred to as the Broken Military Star and not included in the category of auspicious dragon formations. Only the main ridge, which originates from the dragon spirit, is considered. This main ridge further divides into three stars: water, earth, and metal, which correspond to the three auspicious stars: Greedy Wolf, Great Gate, and Martial King. All other stars are disregarded. It is important to note that these three stars refer to their forms and structures, not the positions of the stars in the hexagrams and lines. Scholars must not confuse them.

自分水脈脊以下，乃屬方位理氣矣，故云便把羅經照出路也。蓋看得水神龍脈，既合三吉星格，其地可以取裁，乃將指南辨其方位，以定卦之合不合也；合卦則用之，不合卦仍未可用也。節節同行，卦無偏雜，乃許其為過峽脈真，而知言去定有好穴；不然，則行龍先見駁雜，到頭何處剪裁。

From the sentence 「分水脉脊」 onwards, the discussion turns to the principles of orientation and qi flow. Therefore, it says 「便把罗经照出路」. This means: first examine whether the water dragon and the mountain ridge conform to the forms of the three auspicious stars. If the land is suitable, then use the compass to determine its direction, to check whether the hexagram qi is compatible. Only when the hexagram is compatible can it be used; otherwise, it still cannot be used. Each section must follow the same hexagram, with no deviation in the qi, only then can it be considered a true ridge passing through the valley, and only then can it be known that there will certainly be a good burial site ahead. Otherwise, if the dragon ridge starts off mixed and disorderly, what can be selected at the end?

子字以下，乃直指看龍訣法，而舉坎卦一卦為例。若出脈是子字，須行龍只在於字一官之內，乃為卦氣清純；如偏於左，而癸與丑雜，是子癸一卦，而丑字又犯一卦也；如偏於右，而壬與亥雜，是壬子一卦，而亥字又犯一卦也。此為卦中之陽差陰錯，非全美之龍，故云不必費心尋也。

"Looking for the dragon within the Zi (Water) position" is followed by a direct method for identifying the dragon. Taking the Kan (Water) trigram as an example, if the outflowing ridge is the Zi position, the dragon must remain entirely within the Zi position, ensuring the clarity of the trigram's energy. If it leans to the left, the Gui (Water) and Chou (Earth Ox) positions become mixed in: although Gui and Zi belong to the same trigram, the Chou position intrudes into another trigram; if it leans to the right, the Ren (Water) and Hai (Water) positions become mixed in: although Ren and Zi belong to the same trigram, the Hai position intrudes into another trigram. This is known as the yin and yang discrepancy within the trigram, indicating that the dragon is not perfect. Therefore, there is no need to search for it carefully.

子癸午丁天元宮，卯乙西辛一路同，若有山水一同到，半穴乾坤艮巽宮，取得輔星成五吉，山中有此是真龍。

Zi and Gui, Wu and Ding belong to the Tianyuan Palace. Similarly, Mao and Yi, You and Xin are also in the same category (the original 'west' is a mistake for 'You'). If there is a mountain and a body of water coming together, the site will have half of its location in the four corners of Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun. If it can also obtain the auxiliary star to form the 'five auspicious' combination, then such a pattern in the mountain is considered a true dragon.

蔣注：此承上節羅經照過峽，詳言方位理氣，即天王玄空大卦之作用也。其法分子午卯西為天元宮，寅申巳亥為人元宮，辰戌丑未為地元宮，隱然天元之妙理，引而不發，欲使學者得訣方悟，其敢妄洩天秘，犯造物之忌哉。此取四仲之支為天元宮者，非此四支皆屬天元，乃謂此四支之中有天元龍者存也。

Jiang Dahong explains: This continues from the previous section "Using the compass to check the pass," and now elaborates on directional and qi principles, which is the actual application of the heavenly and earthly trigrams in the Tianyu text. The method of division is: Zi, Wu, Mao, and You belong to the Tianyuan Palace, Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai belong to the Renyuan Palace, and Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei belong to the Deyuan Palace. The profound principles of Tianyuan are hidden within these, and Master Yang only hints at them, intending for scholars to understand them only after obtaining the oral transmission - how could he recklessly reveal heavenly secrets and violate the taboos of creation? Here, using the four central branches as Tianyuan Palace does not mean that these four branches all belong to Tianyuan, but rather that these four branches contain the Tianyuan dragon.

而其本文又不正言子午卯酉乙辛丁癸，必錯舉子癸午丁卯乙酉辛者，此其立言之法，已備出脈審峽定卦分星之密旨，觀一路同三字，同中微異，須知剖別，已在言外。下文乃全露其機云，八宮同到，半穴乾坤艮巽宮矣。一同到，非謂此八官一同到也，亦非謂八宮之山與八官之水一同到也；謂此四支中任舉一支，與此四干中一干比肩同到，即雜乾坤艮巽之氣矣。蓋子午卯酉，本是四正之龍，而與八干同到，即有一半四隅之龍，不可不辨，辨之不清，則欲取天元，而非純乎天元矣。

But the text deliberately does not write straightforwardly about "zi, wu, maowu, yixin" but instead mixes them up as "zi, gui, wu, ding, maoyi, youxin." This way of expression already includes the secrets of identifying the pulse, examining the pass, determining the hexagram, and dividing the stars. Looking at the phrase "one path is the same," the word "same" actually contains subtle differences, which must be understood and separated. This meaning is implied but not explicitly stated. The following text then fully reveals the secret: when the eight trigrams arrive together, the site will have half of it falling into the qian, kun, gen, and xun sectors. What is meant by "arriving together" is not that all eight trigrams arrive at once, nor that the mountains and waters of the eight trigrams arrive together. Rather, it means that within these four earthly branches, any one of them, when paired with one of the four heavenly stems from the other group, arrives together, thus incorporating the qi of qian, kun, gen, and xun. The four earthly branches zi, wu, maowu, and you are originally the four cardinal directions of the dragon. Once they arrive together with the eight heavenly stems, half of them become the four corner directions of the dragon. This distinction must not be overlooked. If it is not clearly understood, one intends to take the heavenly origin, but what is obtained is not pure heavenly origin.

末二句，輔星五吉，指天元官最清者言。蓋天元龍雖包諸，而九星止有三吉，恐日久發洩太盡，末祚衰微，故須兼收輔弼官龍神，合氣入穴，以成五吉，然後一元而兼兩元，龍力悠遠不替矣，故目之曰真龍，極其讚美之辭也。此節言山者，皆指水；蓋平洋以水為山，水中即有山矣。

The last two sentences refer to 'Fu Xing Wu Ji,' which describes the clearest and purest situation within the Tian Yuan Palace. Although the Tian Yuan Dragon encompasses a wide range, among the nine stars there are only three auspicious ones. The concern is that over time, the energy may be exhausted, leading to decline in later generations. Therefore, it is necessary to include both Fu and Bi palaces' dragon spirits, combining their energies and gathering them into the pit, forming 'Wu Ji.' In this way, within one origin, two origins are combined, ensuring the dragon's strength remains enduring and does not decline, hence it is called 'Zhen Long'—a highly praising term. In this passage, wherever it says 'mountain,' it actually refers to water; in flat plains, water is considered as mountain, and within water, there are also mountains.

輔星即是九星中左輔右弼，蓋有二例。一、則九宮卦例，以一白配貪狼，二黑配巨門，三碧配祿存，四綠配文曲，五黃配廉貞，六白配武曲，七赤配破軍，八白配左輔，九紫配右弼，此天玉經玄空大卦之定理也。

"The 'Fuxing' refers to the Left Assistant and Right Attendant among the nine stars. It has two systems of pairing. The first system is based on the Nine Palace Hexagram: one white corresponds to the Greedy Wolf, two black corresponds to the Great Gate, three green corresponds to the Accumulated Wealth, four green corresponds to the Literary Genius, five yellow corresponds to the Honest Official, six white corresponds to the Martial General, seven red corresponds to the Destroying General, eight white corresponds to the Left Assistant, and nine purple corresponds to the Right Attendant. This is the established principle of the Tianyu Jing's Xuan Kong Da Guan."

一、則八宮卦例，將輔弼二星並一官，分配八卦，制為掌訣，二十四山繫於納甲之下，互起貪狼，為立向消水之用，陽宅天醫福德，亦同此訣，竊以之彰往察來，皆無明驗；蓋即天玉所辨二十四山起八宮，唐一行所造，後人指為滅蠻經者也。二說真偽判然，不可以誤認。

The second system is the Eight Trigrams Palace Example: combining the auxiliary and minister stars into one palace, assigning them to the Eight Trigrams, and compiling them into a palm mnemonic. The twenty-four mountains are arranged under the Najia stem assignment, interacting with the Tuanlang star to determine direction and water flow. The "Heavenly Doctor" and "Fortune Virtue" mentioned in the context of residential buildings also belong to the same system. I have privately used it to verify past events and predict the future, but have not obtained clear verification. This is exactly what the "Tianyu" text criticizes as "the twenty-four mountains forming eight palaces," which originated from the Tang dynasty monk Yixing, and later became known as the "Mie Mian Jing." It is clear which of the two systems is true and which is false, and one must not get it wrong.

五吉，即三吉；蓋形局九星，以水土金三星，為貪巨武三吉，而輔弼為入穴收氣之用；方位九星，亦有三吉，雖以貪狼統龍，而每宮自有三吉，不專取巨武。此節天元宮兼輔為五吉，中有隱語，非筆墨所敢盡，既云五吉，則分輔弼作兩星以配九官，其非八宮之訣明矣。若在人地兩元，別有兼法，見諸下文。此節以下所舉干支卦位，俱帶隱謎，若從實推詳，不啻說夢，非楊公言外之真旨矣。

The so-called "five auspicious stars" are actually three auspicious stars. In terms of form and structure, the nine stars are considered as the three auspicious ones—water, earth, and metal—corresponding to the three stars of greed, giant, and martial. The auxiliary and minister stars are used when collecting energy into the site. In terms of direction, the nine stars also have three auspicious ones, although greed wolf leads the dragon energy, each palace has its own three auspicious stars, not exclusively relying on the giant door and martial curve stars. This section discusses the heaven palace combining auxiliary stars to form five auspicious stars, which contains hidden meanings and is not something that can be fully explained in writing. However, since it is called "five auspicious stars," it indicates that the auxiliary and minister stars are divided into two stars to match the nine palaces, which clearly shows that it is not the same as the eight palace system. As for the person's origin and earth's origin, there are other methods of combining them, which will be explained later. The following examples of dry and branch hexagrams all contain hidden riddles. If one takes them literally and tries to deduce them, it is like talking in dreams, not the true meaning intended by Master Yang.

辰戊丑未地元龍，乾坤艮巽夫婦宗，甲庚壬丙為正向，脈取貪狼護正龍。蔣注：此取四季之支為地元龍者，亦謂此四支中有地元龍者存也；此四支原在乾坤艮巽卦內，故曰夫婦宗。此元氣局逼隘，不能兼他元為五吉，止取貪狼一星，真脈入穴，護衛正龍根本。則卦氣未值，其根不搖，卦氣已過，源遠流長，斯為作家妙用。貪狼即在甲庚壬丙之中，故但於此取正向乘正脈，與天人兩元廣收五吉者有殊，不言輔星，輔弼已在其中故也。楊公著書，泛論錯舉之中，其金針玉線，一絲不漏，蓋如此。

The branches Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei belong to the earthly dragon, and they form a union with the trigrams Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun as husband and wife of the same lineage (the original text mistakenly uses "Wu" instead of "Xu"). The stems Jia, Geng, Ren, and Bing can be used to establish the main direction; the pulse should be taken to receive the star Tanlang to protect the main dragon. Jiang Dahong comments: here, the four seasonal branches are used as the earthly dragon, which is also saying that these four branches contain the earthly dragon. These four branches are originally within the trigrams Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun, so they are referred to as "husband and wife of the same lineage." The earthly dragon's energy is limited and confined, unable to be combined with other elements as the heavenly dragon can to form the five auspicious stars. Instead, only the star Tanlang is taken, allowing the true pulse to enter the site and protect the fundamental essence of the main dragon. In this way, when the trigram energy has not yet arrived, the foundation remains stable; when the trigram energy has passed, the source remains long-lasting. This is the subtle technique of skilled practitioners. The star Tanlang is found among Jia, Geng, Ren, and Bing, so only these are used to determine the main direction and ride the main pulse, differing from the method of the heavenly and human dragons, which widely collect the five auspicious stars. The star Fuxing is not mentioned here because Fubì is already included within. Master Yang's writings, although appearing general and with varied examples, are precise and complete, exactly like this.

寅申巳亥人元來，乙辛丁癸水來催，更取貪狼成五吉，寅坤申艮御門開，巳丙宜向天門上，亥壬向得巽風吹。

Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai belong to the human origin path. Water comes from the directions of Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui to stimulate and promote. Then take Tanlang to form the five auspicious stars. Yin pairs with Kun, Shen pairs with Gen, as if the main gate is fully opened. Si is suitable to face the direction of Tianmen (Qian). Hai should welcome the wind from Xun to blow. These sentences are all hidden words from Master Yang, and should not be taken literally.

蔣注：此四季之支，亦屬四隅卦，此四支中有人元龍者存也。天元之後，即應接人元，楊公因三才三正之序，顛倒錯列，亦隱秘其天機，使人不易測識耳。此元龍格亦必兼貪狼，而後先榮後凋，若不兼貪狼，慮其發遲而驟歇矣。用乙辛丁癸水來催者，謂此四水中有貪狼也。此宮廣大兼容，故旁及坤艮，亦所不礙，故日御門開。

Jiang Dahong explains: These four branches belong to the four corner trigrams, meaning they contain the human origin dragon. According to the order, after the heavenly origin comes the human origin; Master Yang, following the arrangement of the three heavens and three principles, deliberately reversed the order, thereby concealing the heavenly secret so that people cannot easily perceive it. The human origin dragon must also include the star of the greedy wolf, only then can it first flourish and then decline; if it does not include the greedy wolf, the prosperity may come late and end suddenly. The use of water from the directions of yi, xin, ding, and gui is recommended because these four directions contain the greedy wolf. This palace has a broad scope and can accommodate various elements, so including kuan and gen is not a problem, hence it is said 'the imperial gate is open'.

若是已丙壬亥相兼，則犯陰陽差錯之龍矣，法宜去丙就已，去壬就亥，以清幹巽之氣。此則專為人元辦卦而言，處處欲要歸一路；蓋一路者，當時直達之機，兼取者，先時補救之道，不直達，則取勝無選鋒，不補救，則善後無良策，二者不可偏廢也。

If the branch Si is combined with the stem Bing, and the stem Ren is combined with the branch Hai, then it results in a disorder of yin and yang in the dragon. In practice, one should abandon Bing and use Si instead, and abandon Ren and use Hai instead, clarifying the qi of the trigrams Qian and Xun. This passage specifically discusses distinguishing the trigrams through the human origin. Everywhere, it should be directed towards the concept of 'one path'. 'One path' refers to the direct momentum of the current season; 'combined use' refers to a remedial measure taken in advance. If one cannot proceed directly, it is like a battle without a vanguard, and victory cannot be achieved; if one does not take remedial measures, it is like lacking a sound plan for after the battle. Neither should be neglected.

總觀三節文義，子午卯西，配乙辛丁癸，辰戌丑未，配乾坤艮巽，為夫婦同宗；而寅申已亥，獨不配甲庚壬丙為夫婦，則其本意，不以甲庚壬丙屬賓中已亥可知矣。此正合天玉大五行作用，而非十二支配十二干為一路之俗說也。

Looking at the meaning of these three sections: the hours Zi, Wu, Mao, and You are paired with the heavenly stems Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui, while the hours Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are paired with the trigrams Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun, and all these pairings are of the same lineage. Only the hours Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai are not paired with the heavenly stems Jia, Geng, Ren, and Bing as couples. This shows that Master Yang's original intention was not to include Jia, Geng, Ren, and Bing within the group of Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai. This is consistent with the use of the great Five Phases in the "Tianyu" text, rather than the common explanation that each of the twelve earthly branches is paired with one of the twelve heavenly stems, forming a single group.

故不曰寅申坤艮，而曰寅坤申艮，非以寅為坤、以申為艮也；已屬巽而反日天門，亥屬幹而反曰巽風，顛倒裝成，其托意微，而且幻類如此。至其立言本旨，不過隱然說出陰陽交互之象，然篇中皆錯舉名目，不肯分明，至後節主客東西，方露出端倪，而終不顧言。蔣之秘慎如此，使我有浪洩天機之懼矣。

Therefore, he does not write '寅申坤艮' but '寅坤申艮,' not because he takes寅 as坤 or申 as艮. Originally,巳 belongs to Xun, yet he deliberately calls it 'Heaven Gate' (Qian);亥 originally belongs to Qian, yet he deliberately calls it 'Xun Wind'—this kind of reversal and recombination expresses a subtle and unpredictable meaning. Investigating the original intention behind his wording, it is merely a hint at the principle of yin and yang interacting with each other. However, the entire passage is filled with incorrect references and avoids clear explanations. It is only in the section about 'host and guest directions' that some hints appear, yet he still does not speak plainly. The elders have been so cautious and conservative, which has made me feel a sense of fear about 'revealing heavenly secrets' myself.

貪狼原是發來遲，坐向穴中人未知，立宅安墳過兩紀，方生貴子好男兒。蔣注：貪狼，諸卦之統領，得氣先而施力遠，何云發遲；此言人地兩元兼收之脈，不當正卦，旁他涵蓄，故力不專，是以遲也。兩紀約略之辭，生貴子，正見誕育英才，以昌世業，隱含悠久之義，非若他官一卦乘時，催官暫發之比。若夫應之遲速，是不一端，烏可執此為典要也。

The greedy wolf is originally slow to manifest, and its direction is located within the pit, a secret known to few. When building a house or burying an ancestor's grave, after twenty-four years (two decades), it will produce a noble son or a good son. Jiang Dahong comments: The greedy wolf is the leader among all hexagrams, it receives energy first and exerts influence farthest. How can it be said to manifest slowly? Here it refers to a pulse that combines both heavenly and earthly origins: it does not directly belong to the primary hexagram, but rather has another one nearby that contains and nurtures it, so the power is not concentrated, hence the slow manifestation. "Two decades" is an approximate term. Saying "producing a noble son" clearly shows its ability to nurture outstanding talents and expand family fortunes, implying longevity, unlike other hexagrams that take a single one to seize the right time and temporarily promote official success. As for the speed of manifestation, there are many reasons, how can one rigidly take this as a fixed rule?

立宅安墳要合龍，不須擬對好奇峰，主人有禮客尊重，客在西兮主在東。

When building a house or burying a tomb, it is important to align with the dragon qi rather than deliberately facing some peculiar peak; if the host is courteous, the guest will naturally show respect. The last two lines use the relationship between host and guest as a metaphor, explaining the principle of yin and yang in the mountains and waters, where they naturally complement each other.

蔣注：山龍真結，必對尊星而後出脈，或回龍顧祖，或枝幹相朝，先有主峰，乃始結穴，故必以朝山為重。非重朝山，正重本身出脈真偽也。平洋既無來落，但以水城論結穴，水自水，山自山，雖有奇峰，並非一家骨肉，向之無益，故只從立穴處消詳堂局，收五吉之氣，謂之合龍，而不以朝山為正案也。

Jiang Dahong wrote: If a mountain dragon is truly forming a site, it must first face a noble star peak and then have a true pulse. It may be a returning dragon looking back to its ancestors, or branches and trunks mutually facing each other. There must first be a main peak before a site can be formed, so facing mountains must be given importance. Actually, it is not the facing mountains themselves that are important, but using them to examine the authenticity of the true pulse. In flat plains, there is no coming dragon or falling pulse to speak of, so one can only judge the formation of a site by the water city. There, water is water and mountains are mountains. Even if there are strange peaks, they are not part of the same family or flesh and blood, so facing them is not beneficial. Therefore, in flat plains, one can only carefully examine the site and its surroundings from the location of the site, and collect the five auspicious energies, which is called "combining the dragon," and does not take facing mountains as the main reference.

末二句乃一篇之大旨，精微玄妙之談。所謂主客，又不止於論向，而指龍為主人，向為賓客也。主客猶云夫婦，實指陰陽之對待，山水之交媾，一剛一柔，一牝一牡，玄竅相通，皆在於此。言有此主，即有此客；有此客便有此主，主客雖云二物，實一氣連貫，如影隨形，如谷答響，交結根源，一息不離，非謂既有此主，乃更求賢賓以對之也。

The last two lines are the main point of the whole passage, expressing extremely subtle and profound ideas. Here, the terms "main" and "guest" do not refer merely to direction, but rather take "dragon" as the host and "direction" as the guest. "Main" and "guest" are equivalent to "husband" and "wife," actually referring to the mutual relationship of yin and yang, the meeting of mountains and water: one strong and one gentle, one female and one male, with a hidden passage connecting them, all of which is embodied here. It means: having this main leads to having this guest; having this guest leads to having this main. Although "main" and "guest" are said to be two separate things, they are actually connected as one continuous force, like shadows following each other, like echoes in an empty valley, their origins interwoven and inseparable at every moment — it is not saying that there was first a main, and then another virtuous guest was sought to match it.

東西蓋舉一方而言，亦可云主在西兮客在東，亦可云主在北兮客在南，主在南兮客在北，八卦四隅，無不皆然，所謂陰陽顛倒顛也。自天下軍州至此，統論平洋龍法，其中卦位干支秘訣，總不出此二語，故於結尾發之，以包舉通篇之義，學者所當潛思而體曲之。

The terms "east" and "west" are merely examples; one could also say the main is in the west and the guest in the east, or the main in the north and the guest in the south, or the main in the south and the guest in the north. The same applies to the eight trigrams and the four cardinal directions. This is what is meant by "yin and yang are reversed." From the line "the whole world's military and administrative regions are empty" up to here, the entire passage discusses the method of dragon patterns in flat land. The secret of the trigram positions and their heavenly stems and earthly branches can never go beyond these two sentences, so Master Yang placed them at the end to encompass the entire meaning of the passage. Scholars should take the time to deeply reflect on this.

姜氏曰，一自寶照發明平洋龍格，開章直喝天下軍州總住空，何須撐著後頭龍，大聲疾呼，朗吟高唱，此為楊公撰著，此書通篇眼目，振綱挈領之處，不可泛泛讀過。蓋平洋龍格，學世所以茫然者，只因俗師聾瞽，將山龍混入，無從剖辨，觸處成迷也。平洋之作法既迷，並山龍之真格亦謬，失其一併害其二矣。

Jiang Yao said: Since the "Baozhao Jing" clarified the pattern of dragon lines in flat plains, it began with a direct statement: "All military and administrative regions are located in empty places, why bother to rely on the dragon lines behind?" It loudly called out and sang aloud, which is the key point and the main thread of the entire book written by Master Yang. Readers should not just glance over it. The reason why the pattern of dragon lines in flat plains is so confusing throughout the world is because common teachers are both deaf and blind, mixing in the methods of mountain dragon lines, making it impossible to distinguish, and causing confusion everywhere. Since the methods for flat plains have been lost, the true patterns of mountain dragon lines have also been misinterpreted - losing one thing has led to the confusion of two.