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占山之法，以勢為難，而形次之，方又次之。千尺為勢，百尺為形，勢言闊遠，形言淺近。然有大山大勢，大寺大形，則當大作規模，高抬望眼，而後可以求之也。勢有隱顯，或去山勢，從東趨形，從西結勢，由左來穴，自右出勢。又有佯詐穴，亦有花假，此所以為最難也。

The method of examining land, the most difficult aspect is to observe "shi" (formations), followed by "xing" (shapes), and then "fangwei" (directions). A thousand feet concern shi, and a hundred feet concern xing; shi refers to broad and distant aspects, while xing refers to immediate and near appearances. When encountering great mountains, grand formations, and large shapes, one should expand the scale and raise the perspective before seeking the right location. Shihas both hidden and apparent aspects: some mountain ranges may seem to recede in the distance, yet their forms approach from the east; some formations may conclude from the west, yet the site falls from the left, while the shi extends to the right. There are also fake sites that appear as if they are the main point, with false and insincere shapes, so observing shi is the most difficult.

其次莫如形。有一二里為一形，此形之大者；也有只就局內結為蜂喋蛙蛤之類，此形之小者也。鵝鳳相肖，獅虎相類，形若不真，穴仍由似？故形亦為難也。又其次莫如方。方者方位之說，謂某山來合坐作某方向之類是也。

Next comes the difficulty of examining the form. There are forms that span several miles before they take shape, these are large forms; there are also forms that are formed within a limited area, such as bees, butterflies, frogs, and snails, these are small forms. A goose and a phoenix may look similar, a lion and a tiger may have similar body shapes, if the form is not recognized accurately, how can the site be truly correct? Therefore, examining the form is also difficult. Then comes the difficulty of examining the direction. Direction refers to the concept of orientation, meaning that when a mountain comes, it should be paired with a certain direction and positioned in a particular orientation.

勢如萬馬自天而下，其葬王者。此下言賓龍降勢大略，可總括天下山成之行度，若欲逐一分類，則反包括不盡矣。其葬王者，言其貴也，不得拘之。勢如巨浪花，重嶺疊障，千乘之葬。峰巒層踏，如洪波巨浪，奔湧而來，當出千乘之貴。

The terrain resembling ten thousand horses galloping down from the heavens can produce a burial site for an emperor. The following discusses the general characteristics of a true dragon mountain range, which can summarize the entire course of mountains across the land; attempting to classify them in detail would be impossible. The term 'burial for a king' merely describes its supreme value and should not be taken literally. 'The terrain resembles great waves, with successive ridges and overlapping peaks, suitable for the burial of a thousand chariots': the mountains rise in layers, one following the other, like surging waves, and are appropriate for the emergence of a powerful state with a thousand chariots.

勢如降龍，水繞雲從，爵祿三公。星嵐撐漢，踏銜而下，如龍之降也。及至歇處，山如雲擁，水似帶播，烏得不貴！勢如重屋，茂草喬木，開府建國。真龍隆勢，層層踏踏，如人家之重屋疊架，所以為貴也。

"The terrain resembles a descending dragon, with water winding around and clouds gathering, leading to the rank of three dukes": The mountain peaks are high and reach the sky, gradually descending in tiers, like a dragon descending from the heavens; when it reaches a resting place, the surrounding mountains gather like clouds, and the flowing water winds like a belt, how could one not attain high status! "The terrain resembles a grand mansion, with lush grass and tall trees, establishing a state and founding a kingdom": The grandeur of the true dragon's terrain is layered and overlapping, like a house with successive floors, hence it is considered valuable.

勢如驚蛇，屈曲徐斜，滅亡家國。橫竄直播，行度畏縮而不條暢，死硬不委蛇，故葬者家亡國來滅。勢如矛戈，兵死形因。尖利如矛葉，直硬如槍桿，故子孫多死於凶橫非命。勢如流水，生人皆鬼。順瀉直流，會無禁止之情，此遊溫之龍也，葬之者主少亡客死。

"The terrain resembles a startled snake, twisting and winding, yet sluggish and slanted, leading to the destruction of family and country": When the mountain terrain is abruptly crossing and moving straight, its flow is hesitant and constricted, stiff and unyielding without any sinuous appearance, thus burying here will lead to the downfall of family and country. "The terrain resembles spears and halberds, with soldiers dying in battle and being imprisoned": The mountain shape is sharp like a spearhead and straight like a spear shaft, thus descendants are prone to die from sudden misfortunes. "The terrain resembles flowing water, with living people becoming ghosts": The mountain terrain flows down smoothly and straight without any retention, indicating a wandering dragon, thus burying here will result in the death of young people and dying away from home.

形如負峙，有城中峙，法葬其止，王侯崛起。幾結穴之處，負陰抱陽，前親後倚，此總相立穴之大情也。負峙形如御屏，壁立崎急，不可扦穴，法當於平地，須龍貴朝真，而後可不謂負峙，便能如是之貴也。形如燕察，法葬其曲，胙土分茅。燕窠多於山腰，龍虎包裹，自成形局，入穴不見孤露，所以為貴。

"The form resembles a screen behind the throne, with a ridge in the center; the method is to bury at the stopping point, where kings and dukes rise to prominence": wherever the site of a grave is formed, it should be back to the shady side and embrace the sunny side, with the front close to the facing and supporting hills, which is the general principle of establishing a grave. The form of "screen behind the throne" resembles the screen behind an emperor's throne, standing upright and steep, so the grave should not be placed on top of it, but rather on flat ground. It is also necessary for the dragon mountain to be noble and the facing hills to be true, in order to match this noble atmosphere, and it is not enough to have merely the form of a screen behind the throne to be so noble. "The form resembles a swallow's nest; the method is to bury at the curve, and the land is granted and fiefdoms are divided": the swallow's nest form is usually found on the mountain waist, with the dragon and tiger mountains surrounding it on both sides, forming its own pattern. When entering the grave site, there is no exposure or isolation, hence it is considered noble.

形如側壘，後岡遠來，前應曲回，九棘三槐。穴形偃詐，如壘之側，玄武來上，前朝後應，委曲周迴，法當就壘口扦之，主三公九卿之貴。形如覆釜，其嶺可富。覆釜如五星中所謂釜金也，唯挨金下水空。今言形如覆金，則合葬麓，陰龍而陽穴也。若葬於巔，乃是以陰挨陰，不幾於獨陰不成之義乎！近來世俗正坐此病，無不葬壠於巔也，固有照天蠟燭及貫頂法多葬山嶺，亦須有天然成穴方可下。

"The form resembles a leaning hill, with the rear mountain far away, and the front response winding and turning, with nine thorns and three槐 trees": The grave site is inclined and sloping, resembling a leaning hill, with the Black Tortoise coming from behind, and in front there is a facing mountain and behind there is a responding mountain, winding and turning. The method should be to choose the mouth of the hill for the grave site, which will bring about the status of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers. "The form resembles a covered cauldron, and its peak can bring wealth": A covered cauldron refers to the metal star known as the cauldron, but when choosing the grave site for the metal star, it should be located at the place of the water star below. Now, if the form resembles a covered cauldron, the grave should be co-buried in the foot of the mountain, belonging to a yin dragon and forming a yang grave. If the grave is buried on the mountain peak, it is yin following yin, which is not far from the principle of "solitary yin cannot form a complete entity!" Recently, the common people have been committing this mistake, burying the grave on the mountain peak. Although there are two methods, "lighting the sky with a candle" and "piercing the peak," which often bury the grave on mountain ridges, it is necessary to have a naturally formed grave site to be suitable for burial.

形如植冠，永昌且歡。植冠言其形穴之尊嚴也。後仰前倚，壁立崎急，宜阡緩中。形如投算，百事錯亂。山形如算，橫直亂投，故凶。形如亂衣，蕩女淫妻。山形剝落破碎，如亂衣之不整，故淫亂。形如灰囊，災舍焚倉。大抵即內篇水泉砂礫之意，言生氣不蓄之穴，得雨暫溼，雨止即幹，如湯之淋灰，故凶。

"The shape resembles a planted hat, enduring prosperity and joy": A planted hat describes a grave site that is upright and dignified. The mountain behind is sloping backward and the front leans forward, with steep and abrupt cliffs. It is suitable to bury in a flat and gentle place. "The shape resembles scattered counting rods, with all affairs in disorder": The mountain shape looks like scattered counting rods, with straight and horizontal rods thrown haphazardly, hence it is凶. "The shape resembles disordered clothes, with a promiscuous woman and an unchaste wife": The mountain shape is broken and fragmented, resembling disordered clothes, hence it indicates the household has women who are immoral. "The shape resembles a gray bag, with disaster, burning houses and granaries": This generally refers to the inner text's "water springs and sand grains," meaning a grave site that cannot retain life qi. It becomes wet with rain and dry when the rain stops, like hot water poured on ash, hence it is凶.

形如覆舟，女病男因。橫岡無脈，中央四凹，無穴可扦，葬之則男女不利。形如橫幾，子絕孫死。玄武縮頭，入首無脈，穴可扦。然有得幾之正形者，乃水之所變，故出文章科第。世有盧相公祖、楊神童祖、方太監祖皆葬幾形，蓋未可以其凶而棄之也。形如臥劍，誅夷逼督。形狹而長，首脫而瘁，純石剝落，丈理枯燥，故凶。然有劍形而出貴者，如石使相祖曾文遺下托手穴是也。形如仰刀，凶祝伏逃。形如魚之攝，無肥厚氣象，故凶。

"The form resembles a overturned boat, with female illness and male imprisonment": A hill lying horizontally with no ridge, the center and all four sides sunken, no suitable place for a tomb, so it is unfavorable for both men and women. "The form resembles a horizontal table, with son's death and grandson's demise": The Black Tortoise is hunched, and there is no ridge at the entrance, which should not be suitable for a tomb. However, there are also truly proper forms of tables, which are produced by the transformation of water stars, and in such cases, there is prosperity in scholarship and officialdom: examples include the ancestral tombs of Lu the Minister, Yang the God童, and Fang the Eunuch, all of which are located in table-like forms, showing that we cannot discard such forms simply because they are considered凶. "The form resembles a lying sword, with persecution and calamity": The mountain is narrow and long, with the tip worn off and withered, entirely made of stone debris, dry in texture, thus it is凶. However, there are also sword-like forms that produce noble persons, such as the ancestral tomb of Shi the Minister and the supporting hand穴 left by Zeng Wen. "The form resembles an upside-down knife, with hidden misfortune and escape": The mountain shape resembles a fish caught in a net, lacking a thick and prosperous appearance, thus it is凶.

牛臥馬馳，蠻舞鳳飛。此言各得其本性而應形真。媵蛇委蛇。委蛇則為話蛇，故吉；直硬為死，則凶。黿鼉魚鱉，以水別之。四者皆水族，故以近水而應形真。牛富鳳貴。牛出於土星，故富；風出於木星，故貴。媵蛇凶危。蛇心險有毒，故多凶。遇蛙蛤則貪婪而為小人，蓋蛇之所陷也。逢蜈蚣、金龜、鳩鳥則畏謹而為君子，用欲陷於蛇也。古今阡蛇形地者何限，豈可例以凶危而不用乎！

Cows should lie down, horses should gallop, phoenixes should dance, and birds should fly: this means that each should conform to its inherent nature, and the form is then genuine. "Tengshe Wishe" (a serpent winding and twisting): a snake that is winding and twisting is alive, hence auspicious; a stiff and rigid snake is dead, hence ominous. "Yu, Tu, Yu, and Bie": these four are all aquatic creatures, so they should be near water, and the form is then appropriate. "Cow wealth, phoenix honor": the form of a cow comes from the Earth Star, hence it signifies wealth; the form of a phoenix comes from the Wood Star, hence it signifies honor. "Tengshe danger": the snake's heart is cunning and poisonous, hence it often brings misfortune; if a snake-shaped terrain meets frogs or clams, which are eaten by snakes, it will bring greed and small people; if it meets centipedes, golden crabs, or pigeons, which can subdue snakes, it will bring caution and virtuous people. Throughout history, how many people have been buried in snake-shaped terrains? How can we universally label them as dangerous and discard them entirely?

形類百動，葬者非宜，四應前按，法同忌之。形勢止伏如尸居之不動，方可扦穴，若有不定，豈可用乎！非惟主山，但目前所見，飛定擺竄、於我無情者，悉當豈之。夫勢與形順者吉，勢與形逆者凶，勢吉形凶，百[缺]一，勢凶形吉，禍不詐日。形勢二者，皆以止伏為順，飛走擺竄為逆。順則吉，逆者凶。勢吉形凶，尤可希一日之福；若勢凶形吉，則禍不待終日。極言應之速也。

Any form that shows restlessness is unsuitable for burial; the surrounding mountains and the nearby formations in front of the site should also avoid this. The shape and momentum should be like a body lying still, remaining motionless, in order to determine thesite; if they are unstable and swaying, they cannot be used. Not only the main mountain should be like this, but also any objects seen before us, or those flying or moving around without regard for us, should be avoided. "When the momentum and form are in harmony, it is auspicious; when they are in opposition, it is inauspicious; if the momentum is auspicious but the form is inauspicious, there is only a small chance of success; if the momentum is inauspicious but the form is auspicious, misfortune will come within a day." Both form and momentum should be calm and settled to be favorable, and movement and agitation are unfavorable; calmness brings good fortune, agitation brings misfortune. If the momentum is favorable but the form is unfavorable, there may still be a day of good fortune; but if the momentum is unfavorable and the form is favorable, misfortune will come before a day passes. This emphasizes how quickly misfortune can occur.

經日：地有四勢，氣從八方。寅申巳亥，四勢也；震離坎兌乾坤艮巽，八方也。若但言地有四勢，只有朱雀、玄武、青龍、白虎而已；氣從八方，只有四正、四隅而已。兩句下證之以寅申巳亥震離坎兌乾坤艮巽之說，則當以方位解之。四勢為四長生，如火生寅、水生申、金木生於巳亥是也，八方為八勢，東方震艮、南巽離、西方坤兌，北乾坎是也。又有所謂六秀六貴，分金三十吉龍並十六貴龍等說，皆原於此，是星勢之所由興也。

The ancient text says: "The land has four directions, and the qi comes from the eight directions."寅,申,巳,亥 are the four directions, and Zhen, Li, Kan, Dui, Qian, Gen, Xun, Kun are the eight directions. If it says only "the land has four directions," then it refers to the four animals: Zhu Que, Xuan Wu, Qing Long, and Bai Hu. If it says only "the qi comes from the eight directions," then it refers to the four cardinal and four intermediate directions. However, the text below uses寅,申,巳,亥 and Zhen, Li, Kan, Dui, Qian, Gen, Xun, Kun to explain, so we should interpret it according to the directions. The four directions refer to the four growths: fire is born in寅, water is born in申, metal and wood are born in巳 and亥 respectively. The eight directions refer to the eight directions: east is Zhen and Gen, south is Xun and Li, west is Kun and Dui, and north is Qian and Kan. In addition, terms such as the six excellent, the six noble, and the thirty good dragons and sixteen noble dragons are all derived from this. The theory of star directions originated from here.

是故四勢之山，生八方之龍，四勢行龍，八方施生，一得其宅，吉慶榮貴。四勢者，陳石壁所謂五行生氣之地；八方，八勢方也。八龍不能自生，要得寅申巳亥五行之生氣之地而後能施生也。其大意自亥位發始，即為生氣之地，或從亥上經過亦是，餘可類推。但此之生氣與內外篇之言生氣不同。

Therefore, the four directions' mountains give rise to the eight directions' dragons, with the four directions' ascending dragons and the eight directions' generating life. Once a suitable burial site is found, it brings good fortune and prosperity. The so-called four directions refer to the five phases' life qi as mentioned by Chen Shibì; the so-called eight directions refer to the directions where the eight forces are located. The eight directions' dragons cannot generate life on their own; they must be connected to the寅, 申, 巳, and 亥, which are the five phases' life qi areas, in order to generate life. In short, it means that the life qi area starts from the亥 position, or if the dragon pulse passes through the亥 position, it also counts; the rest can be inferred similarly. However, the term 「life qi」 here is not the same as the life qi discussed in the inner and outer chapters.

土圭測其方位，玉尺度其遠邇。土圭所以辨方正位，其制見於《周禮》；玉尺所以度量遠跡，其數生於黃鐘。今臺司度日影以定侯，多用此制也。夫葬乾者，勢欲起伏而長，形欲闊厚而方；葬坤者，勢欲連辰而不傾，形欲廣厚而長平；葬艮者，勢欲委蛇而順，形欲高峙而峻；葬巽者，勢欲峻而秀，形欲銳而雄；

Using the soil gnomon to determine directions and the jade measure to assess distances. The soil gnomon is used to correctly determine directions, and its form is described in the "Rites of Zhou"; the jade measure is used to measure distances, and its scale comes from the Huangzhong bamboo pipe. Today, astronomical institutions measure shadows to determine seasonal changes, and mostly still use this system. For burials in the Qian direction, the terrain should be undulating and continuous, and the form should be broad and solid; for burials in the Kun direction, the terrain should be connected and not tilted, and the form should be wide and thick with a long and flat shape; for burials in the Gen direction, the terrain should be winding and smooth, and the form should be high and steep; for burials in the Xun direction, the terrain should be steep and elegant, and the form should be sharp and strong.

葬震者，勢欲緩而起，形欲聳而峨；葬離者，勢欲馳而窮，形欲起而崇；葬兌者，勢欲天來而坡垂，形欲方廣而平夷；葬坎者，勢欲曲折而長，形欲秀直而昂。此言八分之山，必欲合如是之形勢，然後為吉。夫天下山川行度，千變萬化，豈有一定之理哉？何者不欲起伏而長，闊厚而方，寧獨乾之一山如是哉？此只言其大概耳。是以形勢為上，而方位次之。必欲如此，又何異於刻舟求劍者乎！[缺]存之以侯參考。

Those buried in the direction of Zhen should have a gentle slope followed by a rising hill, with a high and majestic form; those buried in the direction of Li should have a swift and far-reaching trend, with a lofty and towering form; those buried in the direction of Dui should have a slope coming from above, with a gentle slope at the foot, and a broad and flat form; those buried in the direction of Kan should have a winding and long trend, with a clear, elegant, and upright form. This refers to the mountains in the eight directions, which must conform to such forms to be auspicious. However, the movement and changes of mountains and rivers are countless and ever-changing, how can there be a fixed and unchanging rule? Is it not the case that every place desires undulating, long, broad, and square forms? Could it be that only the mountain in the Qian direction should be like this? This is merely a general statement. Therefore, it is still better to prioritize the form and terrain, with the direction being secondary. If one insists on strictly following the direction without considering the actual terrain, then it is no different from searching for a boat in a marked spot. Let us keep this as a reference for consideration.

蓋穴有三吉，葬直六凶，天光下臨，地德上載。天光地德前見。藏神合朔，神迎鬼避，一吉也。神，吉神；鬼，凶煞。朔謂歲月日時。言藏神合乎吉朔也。神迎鬼避，得吉年月也。陰陽沖合，五土四備，二吉也。目力之巧，工力之具，趨全避缺，增高舉國下，三吉也。解見前。

There are three kinds of auspicious sites and six kinds of inauspicious burials. The heavenly starlight shines downward, and the earthly virtue rises upward — the meaning of 'heavenly light' and 'earthly virtue' has already been explained before. Concealing the spirit and aligning with a favorable new moon, auspicious spirits come to welcome and malevolent forces retreat, which is the first auspicious condition. Here, 'spirit' refers to auspicious spirits, 'ghost' refers to malevolent forces, and 'new moon' refers to the year, month, day, or hour. This means that burial should be conducted on a favorable day and hour, thus inviting auspicious spirits and repelling malevolent forces. The harmonious interaction and balance of yin and yang, with four of the five colors of soil present, constitute the second auspicious condition. Skilled eyesight and complete human effort are directed toward perfection and the avoidance of defects, raising the low areas and leveling the high ones, which is the third auspicious condition. The explanations of these two points have already been given in the previous text.

陰陽差錯為一凶，歲時之乖為二凶。此言葬日不得方向年月之通利。力小圖大為三凶。生人福力淺薄，而欲圖王侯之地，是不量力度德也。然此亦不可泥。憑福恃勢為四凶。憑見在之福，恃當今之勢，富貴之家，自謂常如今日，而不深慮有父母之喪者，不思盡力以求宜隱之地，但苟焉寵變而已，正程子之所謂唯欲掩其目之不見，反以陰陽之理為無足[缺]，可勝道哉！

Yin and yang being mismatched is the first凶, and the year, month, day, and hour not being in harmony is the second凶 — this refers to the burial day not being in alignment with the direction and the year, month, and day. A small amount of strength but a great ambition is the third凶: living people with shallow blessings and virtue attempt to acquire lands of kings and dukes, which is not measuring their own strength and virtue; however, this point should not be taken too rigidly. Relying on blessings and depending on power is the fourth凶: relying on current blessings and power, wealthy families believe they will always remain as they are, and when facing the mourning of parents, they do not deeply think or make an effort to find a suitable place for burial, but instead handle it carelessly. This is exactly what Cheng Yi said, "just wanting to cover one's eyes so that they cannot see," and in turn, regard the principles of yin and yang as insignificant, which is truly absurd beyond measure!

《魏志》：管輅遇徵東將軍毋丘儉之墓，嘆曰：松柏雖茂，無形可文，碑通雖美，無後可守，玄武垂頭，青龍無足，白虎銜尸，朱雀悲泣，四危已備，法當滅族。後果如其言。

The Records of the Three Kingdoms: Wei Zhì states that Guan Lu passed by the tomb of the Commander of the Eastern Expedition, Guan Qiu Jian, and lamented, saying: The cypress and pine trees on the tomb are although flourishing, their arrangement lacks order; the stone inscriptions are although beautiful, they will have no descendants to maintain them in the future. The Black Tortoise is bowed down, the Azure Dragon is missing its foot, the White Tiger seems about to carry away the corpse, and the Vermilion Bird appears to be weeping – all four ominous signs are present. According to the principles, this portends the extinction of the family. Later, it indeed came to pass as he had predicted.

又《左氏春秋傳》魯文公十三年：邾文公卜遷於繹，史曰：利於民，不利於君。公曰：苟利於民，孤之利也。左右曰：命可長也，君何弗為？公曰：命在養民，民苟利矣，遷也吉莫如之。遂遷。五月，公果卒。然固有數焉。而陰陽之理，亦有所定矣。

For example, the "Zuo Zhuan" records that in the thirteenth year of Lu Wen Gong, Duke Zhu Wen Gong consulted a divination about whether to move the capital to Yishan. The historian said: moving the capital would be beneficial to the people but detrimental to the ruler. Duke Wen Gong said: as long as it is beneficial to the people, it is beneficial to me. Those around him advised: the ruler's life span was originally destined to be prolonged, why do this? Duke Wen Gong replied: the heavenly mandate of the ruler lies in nurturing the people; as long as it is beneficial to the people, moving the capital is most auspicious. So he moved the capital. That same month of May, Duke Wen Gong indeed died. This shows that although there is a fixed destiny, the principles of yin and yang also have their own rules.

僭上帶下為五凶。僭上方庶人墳墓不得如大官司制度，貧家行喪不得效富室眩耀，及不得作無益華靡，亡者無益，存者招禍。逼下為儉不中禮，怪吝鄙澀，父母墳墓不肯即時盡作用之法，因循苟且，致生凶變。作用者，謂如作明堂，通水道，及夫截龐去滯，增高益下，陣水蔽風之類，皆是也。

Exceeding one's station and acting improperly, being stingy and oppressive towards the people, is the fifth凶.所谓僭上 means that the tombs of common people should not be built according to the standards of high officials, and the funerals of poor families should not imitate the extravagance of wealthy households, nor should they indulge in unnecessary luxurious displays; these practices are of no benefit to the deceased and bring misfortune to the living.所谓逼下 means being overly frugal in a way that violates propriety, being stingy and crude, refusing to properly care for the tombs of one's parents in a timely manner, being careless and negligent, which leads to calamities. Here, the term 「作用」 refers to the practices of establishing a bright hall, clearing water channels, removing excess parts, removing blockages, raising low areas, leveling high areas, blocking water and wind, and similar activities.

變應怪見為六凶。上言天時人事本能全美。或有吉地吉穴，主人儒滯不葬，或是非爭競而害成，或貧病兼憂而不能舉。或明師老死不復再來，或停喪久遠而兵炎不測，或子孫參差而人事不齊，或官事牢獄而不復可為，或日怠日忘竟成置，或全家絕滅同歸暴露，是皆因葬不即舉而變見多端也。嗚呼，為人者可不凜凜然而知戒謹乎哉！

The sixth calamity is characterized by frequent changes and strange occurrences. As previously mentioned, heaven and human affairs are inherently difficult to reconcile: some people clearly possess auspicious land and a good burial site, yet the family hesitates and delays, unwilling to bury the deceased; others suffer from disputes and litigation, causing things to go wrong; some are poor and ill, unable to afford the funeral expenses; some have their wise masters pass away, never to return; some leave the body unburied for too long, encountering unforeseen calamities such as war or fire; some descendants disagree, making it impossible to gather the necessary people; others are involved in legal troubles, making it impossible to proceed; some grow increasingly negligent and forgetful day by day, eventually abandoning the burial altogether; and some families are completely wiped out, leaving the remains exposed in the wilderness. All these are due to the failure to bury the deceased in a timely manner, leading to a multitude of misfortunes. Alas, how can people not be deeply alert and cautious in their actions!

經曰：穴吉葬凶，與棄尸同。言形勢雖吉，而葬不得穴，或葬已得穴，而不知深淺之度，皆與委而棄之者何以異哉！《錦囊》一書，其大概專以生氣為主，即太極為之體也；其次分為枝城，即陰陽為之用也；又其次日風水、曰止聚，曰形勢，曰骨脈；又其次則驗文理之秀異，明作用之利宜。學者當熟讀玩味，則知景純之心法矣。

The ancient classics say: Even if the site is auspicious, if the burial method is improper, it is no different from just throwing a corpse away carelessly. This means that even if the form is favorable, the burial may not have hit the true site; or even if the true site has been identified, the depth is not properly understood. In these two situations, there is no difference from abandoning a corpse in the wilderness. The book "Jinnang Jing" focuses on "life qi" as its main principle, which is based on the concept of the Taiji; then it distinguishes between branches and ridges, which is based on the function of yin and yang; further it discusses fengshui, stopping and gathering, form and structure, and the bones and veins; finally it examines the peculiar patterns of the soil at the site and determines the appropriate methods of construction. Scholars should read and thoroughly understand this, and thus grasp Guo Jingchun's method.