Heavenly Mechanism and Essential Meanings: Red Sack Classic · Volume One

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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