Discussing feng shui, there is no perfect situation.

好地無全美。蔡氏云：“欠缺不齊，天地之奇。”圖謂以此，實福善禍淫之機，不使世人易識，大抵亦造化無全功，聖人無全能。故天傾西北，地不滿東南，佛家所謂缺陷世界，如孔孟之不得其位，顏回不壽，由、賜少貧。世無全福之人，又安得有全美之地？或龍眞而穴拙，或龍穴美而砂水有虧，或公位之不均，或先凶而後吉。徧觀名墓，蔑有十全，此所謂物之不齊，物之情也。若欲全美，則世無可葬之地矣。善夫廖公之言曰：“成格龍神最難遇，檢點須從恕。按圖索驥要求純，誤盡世間人。”

Good land is not perfect in every way. Cai Yuan ding said: the lack of completeness is precisely the extraordinary aspect of heaven and earth. The theory of auspicious signs and prophecies is based on this idea, which is actually the mechanism by which heaven bestows blessings upon the virtuous and calamity upon the wicked, preventing people from easily discerning it. Generally speaking, the workings of nature are not entirely complete, and sages also do not possess perfect abilities. Therefore, heaven tilts toward the northwest, and the earth is insufficient in the southeast; Buddhism calls this world the "world of imperfection." Just as Confucius and Mencius did not receive the positions they deserved, Yan Hui did not live a long life, and Zilu and Zigong were poor in their youth. There are no people who have complete good fortune in this world, so how could there be perfect land? Some dragons are genuine but their graves are clumsy, some have both dragons and graves that are excellent but lack fine sand and water, some have unequal distribution of ancestral positions among different branches, and some are initially dangerous but later become auspicious. Looking through the famous tombs of all dynasties, none are entirely perfect, which is exactly what is meant by the saying that all things are naturally varied, which is the normal state of affairs. If one insists on requiring perfection, then there would be no suitable place for burial in the world. Liao Gong said well: truly qualified dragon spirits are very difficult to encounter, and when examining them, one must maintain a forgiving heart; insisting on searching for things according to diagrams is not seeking perfection, but instead misleads many people in the world.

廖氏《洩天機》有辨土色之說曰：“《錦囊經》謂‘土欲細而堅，潤而不澤不澤謂不溼也，截肪切玉，備具五色。’又曰‘幹如穴粟，溼如刲肉，水泉沙礫，皆為凶宅。’又曰‘陰陽沖和，五土四備四原本作兼，言四者，黑不與也。’注云：‘得勢與形，而土色不佳，亦不貴也。’今按：九州島土壤不同，而燥溼亦異，難以概拘。多見形勢不吉，而土色具備，用之者禍不旋日；形勢若吉，而土色不備，用之者常臻富貴。此土色之不必拘也。

Liao Jinjing's "Xie Tianji" has a passage discussing the color of soil, which says: "The "Jin Nang Jing" says that soil should be fine and dense, firm and moist but not wet. The original commentary says: 'Not moist' means not damp. It should be like cut fat or split jade, with all five colors present. It also says that dry soil is like millet in a cave, and wet soil is like cut raw meat. If there is water spring or gravel, these are all signs of a凶宅 (unlucky house). It also says that when yin and yang are harmonious, and four of the five soil colors are present, the original text says 'four' was originally written as 'jian', meaning four colors, because black is not counted. The commentary says that if the terrain is good but the soil color is not, it cannot be considered noble. Now, according to the present view: the soil in the nine provinces is different, and the dryness and moisture also vary, so it is not possible to be rigid about it. Commonly, when the terrain is not auspicious but the soil color is complete, misfortune comes within a few days. When the terrain is auspicious but the soil color is not complete, it often leads to wealth and honor. This is the reason why soil color does not need to be strictly followed."

水泉砂礫，龍眞穴正，自然無之，有則非吉地矣。”按：金精是論，確為至當。九州島土壤不同，如孔林天下至美之地，無以加矣，乃是黑土，稱曰黑墳，此其證也孔氏自周迄今六十四代，世襲公爵，及令陶阜。但人子厝親，必求土色之美，此心乃安耳。

As for water springs and sand and gravel, as long as the dragon is true and the site is correct, they will naturally not exist; if they do exist, then it is not a good site. Note: Liao Jinjing's remarks on this matter are indeed very appropriate. The soil varies across the nine provinces. For example, the Kong Forest is the most beautiful place in the world, and there is nothing better than it, yet it is black soil, called 'Black坟' (Black Burial), which is proof of this. The original book's self-commentary states: The Kong family has passed down from the Zhou Dynasty to the present day for sixty-four generations, holding the title of marquis and also governing the Tao Fu region. However, when a son buries his parents, he always desires beautiful soil, so that his heart may be at ease.

《葬書》云“歲時之乖為二凶”。卜氏云“山川有小節之疵，不減眞龍之厚福；年月有一端之失，反為吉地之深殃。”又云：“龍吉穴吉砂水吉，何以多災？年凶月凶日時凶，犯之罔覺。”又云：“作當依法，須求年月日之良。”楊公云：“好地如巨舟，良年如利楫。”陳圖南曰：“龍眞穴正，又須葬善時宜。”諸公所論如此，可見吉地又須良期而葬之，斯盡善矣。

Guo Pu's "Zangshu" says: The discordance of year, month, day, and hour is the second type of misfortune. "Buying Tian" says: Mountains and rivers may have minor flaws, but they do not reduce the great fortune of a true dragon; however, a single mistake in the year or month can turn a good site into a great disaster. It also says: If the dragon is auspicious, the site is auspicious, the surrounding hills and water are auspicious, why then are there still many calamities? Because the year, month, day, and hour are inauspicious, and the person is unaware of the offense. It also says: The construction of a burial should be based on the law, and it is necessary to seek a good year, a good month, and a good day. Yang Yunsong says: A good site is like a big boat, and a good year is like a good oar. Chen Tuan says: Even if the dragon is true and the site is correct, a good time must be chosen for burial. All these sages have spoken thus, showing that even with a good site, one must choose a good date for burial to achieve perfection.

誠以葬必擇期，如耕者之必當陽春發生之際，而始播百穀焉，則獲穰穰盈倉之效矣。苟於收藏肅殺之時而施栽施植，吾知其凋謝可立待也。辛力徒勞，竟何益哉！是以人子既卜吉地，又卜良期以窀穸之，不使少有後日之悔可也。雖然，龍穴其本，年月為未耳。使地非吉兆，無生氣之可乘，年月盡天下之選無益也。仙翁曰：“鼎內若無眞種子，猶將水火煮空鐺。”此徒狥年月之謂矣。

Burial must choose a favorable time, just as a farmer must wait for the warm spring season to plant all kinds of grains, in order to harvest a full granary. If one plants during the cold and gathering season, I know wither and decay will come quickly. All the effort will be wasted, and what benefit is there? Therefore, after a son has chosen a favorable burial site, he should also choose a good date for burial, so that there will be no regret afterwards. Although this is true, the dragon site is the fundamental, while the year and month are just secondary. If the land itself is not auspicious and lacks life qi, even if one selects the best years and months in the world, it will be of no use. The immortal said: If there is no real seed in the pot, it is like boiling an empty pot with water and fire. This is what is meant by those who only adjust according to the years and months.

卜氏云：“土有餘，當闢則闢；山不足，當培則培。”郭氏云：“目力之巧，工力之具，趨全避缺，增高益下。”蔡牧堂曰：“山川之融結在天，而山水之裁成在人。”固皆指地之有不足者，培之闢之，損高益卑，使適於中，盡其當然，不害其為自然者也。但萬金之璧，必玉人而可琢；千金之裘，豈拙匠所能裁？多見毀瓦畫墁，非徒無益，而又壞之，此不可不慎也。況又有務為觀美者，或廣築牆垣，深開月池，高起牌坊，及為崇臺望柱，砌路建亭等事，莫知禁忌。往往有以此盡其孝敬之心，而反自取禍敗者，是又深可憫也。

Divination texts say: if the earth is excessive, it should be dug out; if the mountain is deficient, it should be filled. Guo Pu said: by the skill of the eye and the completeness of the work, one should aim for perfection and avoid defects, raising the high and filling the low. Cai Yuan Ding said: the convergence of mountains and rivers is determined by heaven, while the shaping of rivers and streams is accomplished by humans. These words originally refer to the fact that when the land is deficient, it can be filled or cultivated, and high places can be raised and low ones filled to make them moderate, fulfilling human duties without harming the natural state. But a jade璧 worth ten thousand gold must be carved by a jade worker; a fur coat worth a thousand gold cannot be cut by an inferior craftsman. Often people break good tiles, paint walls carelessly, which not only brings no benefit but also damages the land, which is not to be taken lightly. Moreover, there are those who are solely concerned with appearance, building high walls, digging deep moon pools, erecting gateways, building high platforms, setting up pillars, paving roads, and building pavilions, all without knowing the taboos. Often people intend to express filial piety, yet end up causing misfortune, which is even more pitiable.

誠以陰陽二宅，居葬已久，切忌妄有築鑿。朱子曰：“祖墓之側，數興土功，亦能挻穴。一或誤傷龍脈，發洩地氣，立招凶禍。廖氏云：“來龍最忌妄穿鑿，旺氣必消鑠。”又云：“後龍過脈忌穿鑿，居民必蕭索。”又云：“開池穿井多有忌，消詳莫輕易。”又云：“塋前切忌妄增高，災禍必難逃。”又云：“明堂裡面要潔淨，有物皆為病。時人不識妄安排，於內起亭臺。栽花砌路供遊賞，禍生如反掌。”凡此皆所以丁寕告誡，欲人知所慎也。茲故特述以告，明者當自謹耳。

After living in a place for a long time, both for the living and the deceased, it is most dangerous to start construction or excavation recklessly. Zhu Xi said: If the land around the ancestral tomb is frequently disturbed, it will affect the spirit field; once the dragon pulse is accidentally damaged and the earth energy is leaked, immediate misfortune will follow. Liao Jinjing said: The coming dragon is most afraid of reckless excavation, which will certainly weaken the prosperity. He also said: The passing pulses of the rear dragon should not be disturbed, as the residents will certainly become destitute. He also said: Digging ponds and wells has many taboos, and one must consider carefully and not act hastily. He also said: It is strictly forbidden to arbitrarily raise the ground in front of the tomb, as misfortune is inevitable. He also said: The area of the bright hall should be kept clean; storing things there is harmful. Nowadays people do not understand this, and they arbitrarily arrange things, building pavilions, planting flowers, paving roads for people to enjoy, which easily brings disaster. These words are repeated warnings to make people be cautious. Therefore, here we specially mention them to inform people, and those who understand things well should be careful.

得地自有緣法定數，不可強求。觀衛靈公沙邱之銘，滕公古壙之記，韋齋寂歷之詩，季通鄉謔之讖，可見自有天緣也。但人子送終，不敢不自盡其心，抑安有坐待之理哉！求而得之，即所謂緣也。惟不可強耳。衛靈公薨，卜葬故墓，不吉。卜於沙邱而吉。掘之，得石槨，銘曰：“不馮其子，靈公奪而埋之。”

One can only attain good land through destiny and fate, not by force. Looking at the inscription on the stone coffin of Duke Wei Linggong at Shaqiu, the stone carvings in the ancient tomb of Deng Gong, the fulfillment of Zhu Weizhai's verse "寂历" (solitary and silent), and the prophecy of Cai Jitong's being mocked by his fellow townspeople, we can see that there is indeed heavenly fortune involved. However, as a son accompanying his father's funeral, one cannot fail to do one's best. There is no sense in sitting idle waiting. If one seeks and obtains it, that is called fate; but one must not force it. Here are four stories. When Duke Wei Linggong died, the divination for burying him in the old graveyard was inauspicious; when they changed the site to Shaqiu, it was auspicious. While digging, they found a stone coffin with an inscription that read: "Without relying on his descendants, Duke Linggong will take this land to bury himself here."

漢夏侯嬰，以功封滕公。及死將葬，未及墓，引車馬跪地不前。掘之，得石室，銘曰：“佳城鬱鬱，三千年見白日。吁嗟！滕公居此室！”因以葬焉。宋韋齋先生詩有“杯酒閒談寂厯中”之句。及文公改葬韋齋，屢遷不吉，最後得崇安之寂厯山。

In the Han dynasty, Xiahou Ying was granted the title of Teng Gong for his military achievements. After his death, when they were about to bury him, the horses pulling the hearse knelt down and refused to move before reaching the burial ground. They dug there and found a stone chamber with an inscription that read: "The peaceful city is deep and hidden, to be seen again only after three thousand years; alas, Teng Gong will now dwell in this stone chamber!" So they buried him there. In a poem by Zhu Weizhai of the Song dynasty, there is a line: "In quiet conversation over a cup of wine." Later, his son Zhu Xi reburied his father, but several relocations were inauspicious. Finally, they found Jilin Mountain in Chong'an County, which matched the line from the poem.

蔡西山嘗同友人劉文簡二人閒步四顧。鄉人善謔者嘲之曰：“蔡季通，蔡季通，出門指西又指東，山中既有王侯地，何不歸家葬祖宗！”季通愀然曰：“山中具有王侯地，爭奈不在我山中。”文簡憫之曰：“使我山有地，即可以奉。”季通謝曰：“君山誠有美地！”劉果以山與之。葬後，季通以孫貴，贈太傅。子文正公沈，以子貴，贈太師，進崇安伯。孫文肅公杭拜相，果符王侯之職。

Cai Yuan Ding once walked with his friend Liu Wenjian, looking around at different places. A local person who liked to joke laughed at him, saying: "Cai Jitong, Cai Jitong, you've been out for a while, pointing east and then west. If there is a nobleman's land in the mountains, why don't you go back to bury your ancestors?" Cai Jitong looked gloomy and said: "There is indeed nobleman's land in the mountains, but it is not on my family's mountain." Liu Wenjian pitied him and said: "If my mountain has such land, I can give it to you." Cai Jitong thanked him, saying: "Your mountain indeed has good land." Liu Wenjian really gave him that mountain. After the burial, Cai Jitong was posthumously honored as Grand Tutor because his grandson became prominent; his son Cai Shen was given the posthumous title of Wenzheng, and was posthumously honored as Grand Tutor and granted the title of Count of Chong'an because his son became prominent; his grandson Cai Hang was given the posthumous title of Wensu and held the position of prime minister, which indeed fulfilled the nobleman's status.

鄱陽餘方伯佑曰：“地理之驗，無如蔡氏者。牧堂父子壽地得地，賢貴迭出，海內莫之與倫，孰謂好地不獲見乎？彼不得者，貪大求全。不知大地有神所司，且多怪異，欠缺不齊。以貪高圖大之心求全責備，安可得乎？明地學者，當知深省雲。”

Poyang's chief magistrate Yu You said: The verification of geomancy is nowhere more evident than in the case of the Cai family. The ancestral graves that Cai Muting and his son had prepared before their deaths were all excellent sites. As a result, generations of virtuous and talented individuals emerged successively, and there is no family in the country that can match them. Who then could say that good sites are not available? Those who fail to obtain such sites do so because they are greedy for grandeur and perfection. They do not realize that the earth itself is governed by divine spirits, and that the earth often has strange forms, which are often incomplete. If one seeks perfection with a greedy and ambitious heart, how could one possibly obtain it? Those who understand geomancy should deeply reflect on this point.

江右山人徐善繼述 同著。此一冊辨證諸家星卦之非理者，以祛世俗之惑。夫自公劉興豳，“既景乃岡”；衛文遷楚，“景山與京”；周公營洛，“揆之以日”，而陰陽之旨實肇厥端。惟數聖引而不發，叔世之下，莫窺涯涘。哲人若楊、曾、吳、廖、賴、董輩，又不世出，管天蠡海之徒，遂家置爐錘，人挾機軸，偽詞誕說，縱橫競起。而星卦各出多門，不勝謬戾。無怪乎吾儒擯為外道而不屑究之耳。

This volume was jointly compiled by the brothers Xu Shanji and Xu Shanshu from Jiangyou. This section aims to examine and refute unreasonable aspects in various schools of star and hexagram doctrines, in order to dispel common misunderstandings. Since Gong Liu established his rule in Bin, using the shadow of the sun to measure the hills; Wei Wen Gong moved his capital to Chuxiu, ascending Jing Mountain and looking towards Jingqiu Hill; and the Duke of Zhou planned the city of Luoyi, using the sun's shadow to correct the directions — the essence of yin and yang studies truly began from here. However, these sages only guided without fully revealing, and thus in later ages of decline and disorder, people lost sight of its boundaries. Philosophers like Yang Yunsong, Zeng Wenchan, Wu Jingluan, Liao Jinjing, Lai Buyi, and Dong Dezhang are not found in every generation; hence, those who see the sky through a bamboo tube and measure the sea with a ladle, each setting up their own furnace and hammer, and each holding their own mechanism, have produced fabricated statements and absurd discussions, flourishing everywhere. The doctrines of stars and hexagrams have branched out into many schools, with errors and inconsistencies beyond counting. It is no wonder that scholars have dismissed them as heretical teachings and refused to study them.

茲輯陰陽旨原，首以星卦、國音、宗廟等說之亂眞眩正者，逐款摭諸名家理論而辨明之，並以斷驗邪術諸弊，及通書神煞，詳述其謬。復著宗旨一篇並三昧論，俾人子開卷即知陰陽正源，而不為旁蹊曲徑所眩誤雲。

Now this volume of "The Original Meaning of Yin and Yang" is compiled. First, it lists the false doctrines such as star divination, national pronunciation, and ancestral temple practices that mislead and confuse the correct path. It then examines and clarifies the opinions of various scholars on these matters. At the same time, it thoroughly explains the various flaws in divination techniques and the numerous supernatural omens found in general books, highlighting their absurdity. After that, it writes the essay "The Main Principles of Feng Shui" and the essay "Threefold Insight," so that those who are descendants can open the book and immediately understand the true origin of Yin and Yang studies, without being misled or confused by wrong paths.

九星雲者，貪狼、巨門、祿存、文曲、廉貞、武曲、破軍、左輔、右弼是也。立名之謬，則牧堂蔡氏曰：“名出於《北斗經》咒文。”按《星經》，北斗之名，一曰天樞，二曰璇，三曰機，四曰權，五曰衡，六曰闓陽，七曰瑤光，八曰輔，九曰弼。無貪狼、巨門之說也。其法以貪為上吉，武、巨次之，輔、弼又次之，祿、文、廉、破皆凶。立法之謬，蔡氏按《漢書》曰：“貪狼，以貪如狼虎為凶。廉貞，以廉而貞潔為吉。無貪狼為吉，廉貞為凶之說也。”

The so-called nine stars are Tanniang, Jumen, Luchun, Wenqu, Lianzhen, Wuqu, Pojun, Zuofu, and Youbi. First, there is an error in their names. Cai Yuan ding said that these names come from the incantation in the "Northern Dipper Classic." However, according to the "Star Classic," the names of the nine stars in the Northern Dipper are: the first is Tianshu, the second is Xuan, the third is Ji, the fourth is Quan, the fifth is Heng, the sixth is Kaiyang, the seventh is Yaoguang, the eighth is Fu, and the ninth is Bi. There is no mention of Tanniang or Jumen. Furthermore, there is an error in their classification. The method of the nine stars considers Tanniang as the most auspicious, followed by Wuqu and Jumen, then Zuofu and Youbi, while Luchun, Wenqu, Lianzhen, and Pojun are all considered inauspicious. Cai Yuan ding cited the "Book of Han" to say that "Tanniang" refers to being greedy like a wolf and tiger, thus being inauspicious, and "Lianzhen" refers to being clean and upright, thus being auspicious. There is no statement that Tanniang is auspicious and Lianzhen is inauspicious.

其為五行，以貪為一木，巨為一土，祿為二土，文為一水，廉為獨火，武為一金，破為二金，輔為二木，弼為九土。五行之謬，蔡氏按《星經》曰：“一星主天，二星主地，三星主火，四星主水，五星主土，六星主水，七星主金。”無貪狼為木，巨門為土之說也。至於以貪狼為生氣，巨門為天醫，祿存絶體，文曲為游魂，廉貞為五鬼，武曲為福德，破軍為絶命，輔弼為本宮。蔡氏曰：“謂生氣、天醫、福德為三吉，絶體、游魂、五鬼、絶命、本宮為五凶，皆非郭氏本說也。”

Further discussion on the errors in matching the Five Phases. The method of nine stars assigns the Star of Greed to one wood, the Star of Great Gate to one earth, the Star of Wealth to two earths, the Star of Literary Talent to one water, the Star of Integrity to single fire, the Star of Martial Valor to one metal, the Star of Destruction to two metals, the Left Assistant to two woods, and the Right Assistant to nine earths. Cai Yuan ding, based on the Star Classic, said: the first star governs heaven, the second star governs earth, the third star governs fire, the fourth star governs water, the fifth star governs earth, the sixth star governs water, the seventh star governs metal, and there is no mention of the Star of Greed belonging to wood or the Star of Great Gate belonging to earth. As for assigning the Star of Greed as 'life qi', the Star of Great Gate as 'heavenly doctor', the Star of Wealth as 'absolute body', the Star of Literary Talent as 'wandering soul', the Star of Integrity as 'five ghosts', the Star of Martial Valor as 'fortune virtue', the Star of Destruction as 'death star', and the Left and Right Assistants as 'original palace', Cai Yuan ding said: calling life qi, heavenly doctor, and fortune virtue as the three auspicious, and absolute body, wandering soul, five ghosts, death star, and original palace as the five inauspicious, are not the original views of Guo Pu.

他如以貪為太常六合，巨為朱雀，祿存為貴人，文為小吉，廉為勾陳螣蛇，武為太陰青龍，破為白虎。又有一家以貪為木星，巨為天財，祿為孤曜，文為掃蕩，廉為燥火，武為金水，破為天罡，輔為太陽，弼為太陰；又有一家以貪為生龍，巨為福龍，祿為病龍，又為狂龍，廉為死龍，武為旺龍，破為敗龍，輔弼為絶龍；又有一家以貪為小吉傳送，巨為大吉，祿為太乙勝光，又為從魁河魁，廉為功曹太沖，武為登明神后，破為天罡；又有一家以貪為樂褥，巨為緑褥，祿為白霧，文為黃霧，廉為黃旗，武為繡褥，文破為黑池，輔弼為河番；又有一家以貪為生龍，巨為太陽，祿為大禍，文為暗曜，廉為螣蛇，武為太常，破為朱雀，輔弼為仗兵。凡此皆執偏見而各立門戶，互相爭競，有不勝其舛錯也。

There are also various other methods of pairing: some pair the Greedy Wolf with the Grand Constable and the Six Harmony, the Great Gate with the Vermilion Bird, the Wealthy Storage with the Nobleman, the Literary Curve with the Small Favor, the Integrity and Rectitude with the Gou Chen and the Snake, the Martial Curve with the Too Yin and the Azure Dragon, and the Breaking Army with the White Tiger. Another school pairs the Greedy Wolf with the Wood Star, the Great Gate with the Heavenly Wealth, the Wealthy Storage with the Lone Star, the Literary Curve with the Sweeping Away, the Integrity and Rectitude with the Dry Fire, the Martial Curve with the Metal and Water, the Breaking Army with the Heavenly Gang, the Left Assistant with the Sun, and the Right Assistant with the Too Yin. Another school pairs the Greedy Wolf with the Life Dragon, the Great Gate with the Favor Dragon, the Wealthy Storage with the Sick Dragon, also called the狂 Dragon, the Integrity and Rectitude with the Death Dragon, the Martial Curve with the Prosperous Dragon, the Breaking Army with the Declining Dragon, and the Assistants with the Terminal Dragon. Another school pairs the Greedy Wolf with the Small Favor and the Messenger, the Great Gate with the Great Favor, the Wealthy Storage with the Supreme Commander, the Bright Light, also called the From Qu and the River Chief, the Integrity and Rectitude with the Commander of Merit and the Rising Momentum, the Martial Curve with the Ascending Brightness and the Divine Queen, and the Breaking Army with the Heavenly Gang. Another school pairs the Greedy Wolf with the Life褥, the Great Gate with the Green褥, the Wealthy Storage with the White Mist, the Literary Curve with the Yellow Mist, the Integrity and Rectitude with the Yellow Banner, the Martial Curve with the Embroidered褥, the Literary Curve and the Breaking Army with the Black Pool, and the Assistants with the River Battle. Another school pairs the Greedy Wolf with the Life Dragon, the Great Gate with the Sun, the Wealthy Storage with the Great Misfortune, the Literary Curve with the Hidden Star, the Integrity and Rectitude with the Snake, the Martial Curve with the Grand Constable, the Breaking Army with the Vermilion Bird, and the Assistants with the Staff and Soldiers. All these are each holding their own biased views, establishing their own schools, competing with each other, and causing confusion that is countless.

其在天星，以貪為天蓬，巨為天芮，祿為天衡，文為天輔，廉為天禽，武為天心，破為天柱，輔為天任，弼為天英。其在卦例，以貪為一坎，巨為二坤，祿為三震，文為四巽，廉為五中，武為六幹，破為七兌，輔為八艮，弼為九離。其在五色，以貪為一白，巨為二黑，祿為三碧，文為四祿，廉為五黃，武為六白，破為七赤，輔為八白，弼為九紫。所謂三白者，初無他憑據，無乃以幹、坎、艮坐後天之壯方云耳。白為吉，紫次之，餘色皆凶。

In the system of celestial stars, the following pairings are made: Tān Láng is paired with Tiān Pén, Jù Mén with Tiān Ruì, Lù Cún with Tiān Héng, Wén Qū with Tiān Fǔ, Lián Zhēn with Tiān Qín, Wǔ Qū with Tiān Xīn, Pò Jūn with Tiān Zhù, Zuǒ Fǔ with Tiān Rén, and Yòu Bì with Tiān Yīng. In the system of hexagrams, Tān Láng is paired with the first trigram Kan (Water), Jù Mén with the second trigram Kūn (Earth), Lù Cún with the third trigram Zhèn (Thunder), Wén Qū with the fourth trigram Xūn (Wind), Lián Zhēn with the fifth trigram Zhōng (Center), Wǔ Qū with the sixth trigram Qián (Heaven), Pò Jūn with the seventh trigram Duì (Lake), Zuǒ Fǔ with the eighth trigram Gèn (Mountain), and Yòu Bì with the ninth trigram Lí (Fire). In the system of five colors, Tān Láng is paired with the first white, Jù Mén with the second black, Lù Cún with the third green, Wén Qū with the fourth green, Lián Zhēn with the fifth yellow, Wǔ Qū with the sixth white, Pò Jūn with the seventh red, Zuǒ Fǔ with the eighth white, and Yòu Bì with the ninth purple. The term 「three whites」 originally had no other basis, and it is likely only because the trigrams Kan, Qian, and Gèn are located in the prosperous directions of the Later Heaven. In this system, white is considered auspicious, purple is next, and all other colors are considered inauspicious.

夫以碧、緑、黃、赤凶者，謂其屬廉、祿、文、破也。紫白取貪、武、輔、弼以為吉，碧、綠、黃、赤因祿、文、廉、破以為凶，猶其術也。何二黑既屬巨門，已為吉星，二黑乃為凶色？星吉色凶，自相水火。又況九星既以文曲為凶，奇門又以天輔為吉；九星既以貪狼為吉，遁甲又以天蓬為凶。是何吉凶之顛倒難憑若是乎？又按翻卦配星，以貪配生氣，廉配五鬼，庶幾同矣。乃又有有移之於山水，以本山起破軍，順行三匝，周二十四位。又有移之於主山，起破軍，逆行九匝，而周七二骨節之說。則今之貪非復向之生氣，安得猶謂之吉？今之廉非復向之五鬼，安得猶謂之凶？

The colors green, blue, yellow, and red are considered凶 because they correspond to the stars 廉贞, 禄存, 文曲, and 破军. Purple and white are considered吉 because they correspond to 贪狼, 武曲, 左辅, and 右弼. Thus, green, blue, yellow, and red are considered凶 based on 禄存, 文曲, 廉贞, and 破军. This forms its own system. But why is the color two-black (二黑), which belongs to 巨门 and is considered a吉 star, also considered凶? This is contradictory, like water and fire. Moreover, the nine stars consider 文曲 as凶, but the qimen system considers 天辅 as吉. The nine stars consider 贪狼 as吉, but the dun jia system considers 天蓬 as凶. How can the concepts of吉 and 凶 be so confused and inconsistent? Looking at the method of flipping the trigrams and matching them with stars, pairing 贪狼 with Life Qi and 廉贞 with 五鬼 is somewhat consistent. However, some people have moved this method to mountains and waters, starting from the main mountain with 破军 and moving clockwise through twenty-four positions; others have moved it to the main mountain, starting with 破军 and moving counterclockwise through seventy-two joints. Once this is done, the current 贪狼 is no longer the original Life Qi, how can it still be considered吉? The current 廉贞 is no longer the original 五鬼, how can it still be considered凶?

其消水法為例亦多。大率申、子、辰、寅、午、戌、壬、癸、艮、甲、乙、巽、丁、坤、庚、辛、等一十六向，皆要水倒左邊。殊不知在左邊如三匝九匝之說，則必吉凶相參，未嘗不置貪、巨於祿、文之先。巳、酉、丑、亥、卯、未、丙、幹八方又要求倒右邊，殊不知其右邊如山水骨節之例，則亦吉凶遷居，未必不排輔、弼於武、破之後。何得便以切近之一字遽分左右之善惡乎？無怪乎蔡氏之黜之曰：“九星之五行所屬不足據，而吉凶無凖。”斯言也，誠萬世不易之定論也。

Its method of water flow is based on many examples. Generally, the sixteen directions of Shen, Zi, Chen, Yin, Wu, Xu, Ren, Gui, Gen, Jia, Yi, Xun, Ding, Kun, Geng, and Xin require the water to flow from the left. However, according to the three circles and nine circles method, when arranged to the left, it inevitably mixes good and bad fortune, and may not necessarily place the star of Tanlang before Guimen and Wenqu. On the other hand, the eight directions of Si, You, Chou, Hai, Mao, Wei, Bing, and Qian require the water to flow from the right. But according to the method of mountain and water joints, when arranged to the right, good and bad fortune also shift positions, and may not necessarily place the stars of Zuofu and Youbi after Wugui and Pojun. How can one determine the good or bad fortune of left and right based solely on a single character? It is no wonder that Cai Yuanding criticized this, saying that the five elements associated with the nine stars are not reliable, and there is no standard for good or bad fortune. This statement is indeed an unchanging conclusion for all generations.

諸家裝卦之例，其說甚繁。姑舉近世最宗尙者，如所謂《玉錀匙》云。其法取山坐某方，得某卦，以後天論穴，坐某方，得本卦之某爻，可變某卦，穴與某水之去合其律，去水與某水之來應本卦，與變卦之子母以為循環變化之妙。又法以山峙之方為貞卦，水去之方為悔卦，合成六畫之卦。以水之納付取干支為卦，之某爻某辭，即斷其吉凶。

Different families have various methods for establishing hexagrams, and the explanations are very complicated. Let us take an example of the most highly regarded method in recent times, known as the "Jade Key." Its method involves determining which hexagram corresponds to the mountain facing the site, using the Later Heaven hexagram to analyze the site. Sitting in a particular direction leads to a specific line of the primary hexagram, which can transform into another hexagram. The site's relationship with the water flow direction is considered in terms of its musical scale, and the water flow is matched with the incoming water direction according to the primary hexagram. Then, the relationship between the primary and transformed hexagrams is used as a principle of cyclic transformation. Another method is to determine the direction of the mountain as the "Zhen" hexagram and the direction of the water flow as the "Hui" hexagram, combining them to form a six-line hexagram. Then, based on the stem and branch of the water, the corresponding line and line statement are determined, and thus the fortune is judged.

至於廿四位陽穴放陰水，陰穴放陽水，在十二支者，取左旋隔八之律呂；在八干者，取五位相得而各自合之說，使之以陰攝陰也。卦之子母，母喜其來，但不喜其去。如干喜甲來，坤忌乙去。震、巽、庚、辛、艮、丙、兌、丁、坎、癸、離、壬皆仿此。卦之三合，愛其入而不愛其出。如震愛亥、未，坎不出申、辰，兌於己丑，離於寅戌，亦仿北。

In the twenty-four directions, a yang grave should receive yin water, and a yin grave should receive yang water. For the twelve earthly branches, take the method of left rotation and mutual generation according to the laws of pitch and tone. For the eight heavenly stems, take the idea of 'five positions being in harmony and each having its corresponding match,' so that yin energy can be gathered and controlled. When discussing the mother and son relationship in hexagrams, the mother hexagram prefers the son to come but does not like the son to go away. For example, Qian hexagram prefers Jia water to come, while Kun hexagram dislikes Yi water to leave. Zhen and Xun, Geng and Xin, Gen and Bing, Dui and Ding, Kan and Gui, Li and Ren all follow this pattern. When discussing the triple harmony relationship in hexagrams, it prefers the flow in rather than out. For example, Zhen hexagram prefers亥 and 未, Kan hexagram does not allow water to flow out of 申 and 辰, Dui hexagram prefers 巳 and 丑, Li hexagram prefers 寅 and 戌, and so on.

卦之子母，不可相破。如取天地定位，則幹、甲不可放水出坤、乙。取雷風相薄，則震、庚不可放水出幹、甲。而他卦之子母亦猶此也。先後天不可相破。如坎山不放坤水，坤山不放坎水，艮於震，震於離，巽於兌，離於幹，坤於巽，兌於坎，幹於艮，皆仿此。又於先天圓圖之對待，以橫圖乾一兌二之數，而合以為九。如干與坤相對，則以幹之一而合坤之八，使成九數是也。又於後天圓圖之對待，以洛書坎一坤二之數而合以為十。如干與巽相對，則以幹之六而合巽之四，使成十數是也。於是坐向放水，如干放巽，艮方坤，以為用中五之數，共成十有五數。

The mother and son relationships in hexagrams should not be mutually destructive. For example, taking the hexagram "Heaven and Earth are positioned," the mountain of Qian (Heaven) with Jia should not release water to the mountain of Kun (Earth) with Yi. Similarly, taking the hexagram "Thunder and Wind contend," the mountain of Zhen (Thunder) with Geng should not release water to the mountain of Qian (Heaven) with Jia. The mother-son relationships of other hexagrams should be treated in the same way. The Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven should also not be mutually destructive. For example, a mountain of Kan should not release water of Kun, and a mountain of Kun should not release water of Kan. The relationships between Gen and Zhen, Zhen and Li, Xun and Dui, Li and Qian, Kun and Xun, Dui and Kan, and Qian and Gen should all be treated in the same way. In the Earlier Heaven circle diagram, the numbers from the horizontal diagram, such as Qian one and Dui two, are added together to form nine. For example, Qian and Kun facing each other, the number one of Qian is added to the number eight of Kun to form the number nine. In the Later Heaven circle diagram, the numbers from the Luo Writing, such as Kan one and Kun two, are added together to form ten. For example, Qian and Xun facing each other, the number six of Qian is added to the number four of Xun to form the number ten. Therefore, when releasing water for a mountain facing a direction, if a mountain of Qian releases water of Xun or a mountain of Gen releases water of Kun, it is considered using the middle number five, making a total of fifteen.

殊不知大易之作，所以定天地之吉凶者，必待揲蓍而後得。其在風水日期之間，朱子所謂“古人之成法也，烏能如彼之牽合哉！”廖氏曰：“卦為宗者誤人多，無龍無穴事如何？任爾裝成天上卦，等閒家計落傾波。”劉氏曰：“下地不裝諸卦例，登山不用使羅經。”正謂此也。其它卦例名目尤多，如所謂天卦、地卦、五鬼、壺中、橫天、紫微、魁星、斗杓、玉函、挨星、紅鸞，及單于梅花三卷，火星飛宮吊替之類，大抵與宗廟九星相伯仲，彼吉此凶，不相繁穢，於理無憑，禍福不驗，流毒天下，感世誣民，初學之士，罔知眞偽，一入其門，牢不可破。惟執其例，曰某來山合某卦某星，下某向，宜某水來，某水去。某星某卦淺若干，深若干。此其迷謬，非謂誤人，且以自誤，可慨哉！

It is not known that the composition of The Zhou Changes was intended to determine the auspiciousness and misfortune of heaven and earth, and it must be interpreted through the method of divining with yarrow stalks to arrive at a conclusion. As for the application of fengshui and selecting auspicious days, Zhu Xi said that these were the established methods of ancient people, how could they be treated as forced and artificial as some claim? Liao Jinjing said: those who rely on hexagrams are most misleading; without a dragon and a grave site, what can they do? No matter how many hexagrams you fabricate in the sky, your family fortune will still be lost to the water. Liu said: when going down to the land, you need not fabricate hexagram examples, and when climbing mountains, you need not carry a compass. This is exactly what he meant. Other hexagram examples are especially numerous, for example, the Heaven Hexagram, the Earth Hexagram, the Five Ghosts, the Pot in the Middle, the Horizontal Heaven, the Purple Micro, the Chief Star, the Dipper Handle, the Jade Manual, the Sequential Stars, the Red鸾, as well as the Three Volumes of Single Yu梅花, the Mars Flying Palace and Changing Positions, and so on. These are mostly on par with the doctrines of ancestral temples and the Nine Stars. One school says auspicious, another says inauspicious, they are all mixed up, without logical foundation, and their predictions of fortune and misfortune are not reliable. They have caused great harm to the world, misleading people and deceiving the public. Beginners who do not know the truth and falsehood, once they enter this door, they can never get out. They only rigidly follow the examples, saying that a certain mountain conforms to a certain hexagram and star, so they should face a certain direction, suitable for certain water coming and certain water going, and the depth of the star and hexagram should be shallow or deep accordingly. This kind of confusion and absurdity not only misleads others but also misleads themselves, which is truly regrettable!

楊氏曰：“定卦番來是夢中，只觀來歷有無蹤。仍將兩手鉗龍脈，莫把三星亂指空。”又云：“天寛地寛眼亦寛，眞龍泊處是根源。不論五音諸卦例，但求主好對賓賢。”又曰：“隔山裝卦泥星辰，下了誤人貧。”曾氏云：“但登財祿君須下，莫用山頭卦。”又曰：“四平八國與天心，世代時師何處尋。不識天心並十道，慢將卦例吐懐襟。”廖氏曰：“巧目神機參造化，透徹玄微貴無價。古傳龍法及砂圖，誰見神仙專論卦？假如龍法不眞奇，豈得偏將卦例推？但要眞龍並正穴，陰陽二路自相居。”卜氏曰：“水若屈曲有情，不合星辰亦吉。山如破碎欹斜，縱合卦例何為？”又云：“既明倒杖之法，方知卦例之非。”斯皆鄙且詭異者之良劑也。

Yang Yunsong said: Determining and changing the hexagrams is like dreaming; one should only look at the origin of the coming dragon and whether there is a trace; instead, use both hands to clamp the dragon's pulse and do not randomly point to the void with the three stars. He also said: When the sky is wide and the land is wide, one's vision should also be wide; the true dragon's resting place is the source; there is no need to discuss the five tones and various hexagram examples, only seeking for a good main mountain and a virtuous opposite mountain. He also said: If one sets up hexagrams across mountains and is overly concerned with stars, burial will only mislead people into poverty. Zeng Wenchan said: Just choose a place that has wealth and officialdom and bury there; do not use the mountain top hexagram. He also said: The four levels and eight states and the heavenly center, where have the generations of geomancers ever found them? Without recognizing the heavenly center and the ten directions, yet recklessly expounding hexagram examples. Liao Jinjing said: Use clever eyes and divine machines to understand the creation and transformation, and thoroughly grasp the profound and subtle aspects, which is invaluable; the ancients passed down the dragon method and sand diagrams, who has ever seen a god discussing hexagrams? If the dragon method itself is not true or extraordinary, how can one insist on using hexagram examples to deduce? As long as there is a true dragon and a correct site, the yin and yang paths will naturally be in their proper places. Bu Ying Tian said: If water bends and is affectionate, it is auspicious even without matching the stars; if mountains are broken and slanted, even if they match the hexagram examples, what use is it? He also said: Once one understands the method of reversing the staff, one realizes the error of hexagram examples. All these words are good medicine for curing those crude and strange doctrines.

俗師有傳三合龍法之術，以五行三合取法。必先於水口之外尋其歸於江者果何絶地。絶地雲者，寅申巳亥也然後泝流而上，以入其鄉，卻求風水為長生、帝旺、墓庫之向。或山雲貴而不富，向雲富貴兩全，然又並須逆兼於維，謂之陰陽得配。否則，女旺於男，弟盛於兄。如落江之水遇艮寅字，則為金絶，而陰陽二宅作巽、乙、庚、酉、癸、丑之向為吉，山次之，巳、丙、酉、辛、丑、艮者又次之。所以然者，金絶於寅，故宜流去。金生於巳，旺於酉，庫於丑，所謂巳酉丑會成金局，故宜向也。木絶申而亥、卯、局，水絶巳而申、子、辰局，火絶亥而寅、午、戌局皆然。

Common practitioners have passed down a method called "Triple Harmony Dragon Method," which uses the Triple Harmony of the Five Phases to determine direction. It necessarily begins by searching outside the water mouth to find where the water falls into a large river, and to determine which of the "绝地" (terminal positions) it lands on—these are the positions of寅, 申, 巳, and 亥. Then, following the water upstream, they enter that area and use the directions of growth, prosperity, and storage in feng shui to determine the orientation. Some say that the mountain behind the site controls status but not wealth, while others say that setting the orientation can bring both wealth and status. However, it is also necessary to go against the combined directions of the four cardinal directions of乾, 坤, 艮, and 巽, called "yin and yang being matched," otherwise there will be female dominance over male and younger brothers surpassing older ones. For example, if the water flowing into the river meets the characters 艮 and 寅, that is the terminal position of metal. Therefore, it is auspicious to set the orientation towards 巽, 乙, 庚, 酉, 癸, and 丑, and to sit facing these mountains as the next best option, and then towards 巳, 丙, 酉, 辛, 丑, and 艮 as the next. This is because metal is terminal at 寅, so it is suitable for water to flow away from that position; metal is born at 巳, prosperous at 酉, and stored at 丑, so 巳, 酉, and 丑 form a complete metal pattern, hence it is suitable to face these directions. Similarly, wood is terminal at 申 and forms a pattern with 亥, Mao, and 未; water is terminal at 巳 and forms a pattern with 申, 子, and 辰; fire is terminal at 亥 and forms a pattern with 寅, 午, and 戌. The reasoning is the same in all cases.

又自謂推演郭氏所謂“源於生氣”，“朝於大旺”，“流於囚謝”之法。殊不知水必順流而下於江，初非寅、申、巳、亥可向。向亦自有天然朝案之情，非生、旺、墓、庫之方可泥，豈郭氏之本旨哉！胡乃又有神其術以誑人者，謂長生墓旺之定局，可預推地之某位山高，某位低陷，某位有路，某位有塘，神廟居某位，流水出某方。其例云：長長帝旺俱高聳，沐浴之方定有塘。若逢冠帶多為路，臨官壇廟屬其方。病胎衰養皆低陷，死墓絶鄉水去長。試入鄉村墓宅按驗之，亦間有中。然於龍穴眞偽何補？適足愚弄俗輩耳。明理君子豈取重哉！

They also claim to be deducing the method described by Guo Pu as "originating from life qi," "facing the prosperous direction," and "flowing into the state of decline." But they do not realize that water must flow downward into the great river, and it is not the directions of Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai that can determine its direction. The orientation of a site has its own natural front and background mountains, which cannot be constrained by the directions of birth, prosperity, grave, and reservoir. This is not what Guo Pu originally intended! How can there still be people who make this art seem so mysterious to deceive people, claiming that by determining the fixed positions of birth, washing, grave, and prosperity, one can predict beforehand which mountain is high, which is low, which has a path, which has a pond, where the temple is, and from which direction the water flows. Their examples state: the positions of birth and prosperity are high, the direction of washing must have a pond; if the position of cap and belt is encountered, it is mostly a path, and the position of officialdom belongs to a temple; the directions of illness, fetal stage, decline, and nurturing are all low, while the directions of death, grave, and end have water flowing far away. If you try to verify this by visiting villages and checking tombs and dwellings, occasionally they may be correct. But how does this help in distinguishing true dragon and tiger points from false ones? It can only fool the common people. A wise person would not value it at all.

四龍分卦之術，出於《天玉經》。大要不過分四方四龍正神零神，前兼後兼而已。其四方江東八卦曰寅、甲、卯、乙、辰、巽、巳、丙，江西八卦曰申、庚、酉、辛、戌、幹、亥、壬。南曰午、丁、未、坤，北曰子、癸、丑、艮是也。四龍者，寅、辰、丙、乙。一龍加子、幹，二龍申、午、坤，三龍加卯、艮，四龍加酉、巽。又為三才六建焉。正神者十二支，零神者八干四維也。前兼山者，如子、丑、癸、艮是也。後兼山者，如壬、子、癸、丑是也。

The method of "Four Dragons Dividing the Trigrams" comes from the "Heavenly Jade Classic." Basically, it involves dividing the four directions, dividing the four dragons, dividing the main deities from the auxiliary deities, and dividing the front and rear directions. The four directions are as follows: the East is composed of寅 (Yin), 甲 (Jia), 卯 (Mao), 乙 (Yi), 辰 (Chen), 巽 (Xun), 巳 (Si), and 丙 (Bing); the West is composed of申 (Shen), 庚 (Geng), 酉 (You), 辛 (Xin), 戌 (Xu), 乾 (Qian), 亥 (Hai), and 壬 (Ren); the South is 午 (Wu), 丁 (Ding), 未 (Wei), and 坤 (Kun); and the North is 子 (Zi), 癸 (Gui), 丑 (Chou), and 艮 (Gen). The four dragons are based on 寅 (Yin), 辰 (Chen), 丙 (Bing), and 乙 (Yi): the first dragon includes 子 (Zi) and 乾 (Qian), the second dragon includes 申 (Shen), 午 (Wu), and 坤 (Kun), the third dragon includes 卯 (Mao) and 艮 (Gen), and the fourth dragon includes 酉 (You) and 巽 (Xun); from this, the concept of "Three Elements and Six Foundations" is derived. The main deities refer to the twelve earthly branches; the auxiliary deities refer to the eight heavenly stems and the four cardinal directions. The mountains that are included in the front direction are 子 (Zi), 丑 (Chou), 癸 (Gui), and 艮 (Gen); the mountains that are included in the rear direction are 壬 (Ren), 子 (Zi), 癸 (Gui), and 丑 (Chou).

夫四方之分，不過曰“山向流水一路行，富貴有聲名。龍行卦外無官職，不用勞心力。”葢欲子、癸、丑、艮之山，仍以子、癸、丑、艮之水；午、丁、未、坤之水，必於午、丁、未、坤之山。謂之南卦關地北關天，江東、江西各不出其八卦之外也。四龍之分，當以一龍為長男，二龍為次男，三龍為三男，四龍為四男。一龍金，二龍木，三龍水，四龍火。

The method of dividing the four directions is simply to say: if the mountain where one sits, the direction one faces, and the flowing water are all in the same direction, then there will be wealth, fame, and status; but if the dragon (mountain range) extends beyond the primary hexagram, there will be no official position, and one need not exert much effort. This means that mountains such as Zi, Gui, Chou, and Gen must be paired with waters of the same Zi, Gui, Chou, and Gen; and waters such as Wu, Ding, Wei, and Kun must be paired with mountains of the same Wu, Ding, Wei, and Kun. This is called the southern hexagram governing the land and the northern hexagram governing the sky, with Jiangdong and Jiangxi each remaining within their own eight hexagram positions. The division of the four dragons is based on one dragon being the eldest son, the second dragon the second son, the third dragon the third son, and the fourth dragon the fourth son; the first dragon belongs to metal, the second to wood, the third to water, and the fourth to fire.

其三才六建者，不過曰“三陽六秀二神當，主人入廟堂。子寅辰逢干丙乙，一龍眞奇特。”葢欲子山寅山辰山各見干丙乙之水也。他三龍而九才十八建者，並仿此。正零二神，不過欲正神為山，零神為水。山過峽合正神為吉，取以定向，向則以零，故曰無龍不作向，水不問來去，合零神則吉。其曰：“山上龍神不下水，水裡龍神不上山”；“若遇正山正向裝，撥水入零堂”，其大意也。前後二兼，不過欲雙山雙水，單山單水。其曰“前兼止下前兼水，後兼仍取後兼裝”，其止歸也。

The concept of the Three Powers and Six Establishments merely refers to the fact that when the two deities of the Three Yang and Six Splendours are in their proper positions, the master can enter the court. When the three mountains of Zi, Yin, and Chen meet the three waters of Qian, Bing, and Yi, this dragon is truly unique. This means that each of the mountains of Zi, Yin, and Chen should be accompanied by the waters of Qian, Bing, and Yi respectively. The other three dragons' so-called Nine Powers and Eighteen Establishments can be understood in the same way. The distinction between the main deity and the auxiliary deity is simply that the main deity should be on the mountain and the auxiliary deity on the water: when the mountain's ridge line aligns with the main deity, it is auspicious, and this determines the direction. The direction should be determined by the auxiliary deity, hence the saying that without a dragon, there is no direction, and the water does not need to be traced back, as long as it aligns with the auxiliary deity, it is auspicious. They say, "The dragon deity on the mountain does not go into the water, and the dragon deity in the water does not ascend the mountain," and also say, "If the mountain and direction are both correct, the water should be directed into the auxiliary hall," which is the general meaning of these statements. The concepts of front and rear combination are simply about matching double mountains with double waters and single mountains with single waters. They say, "Front combination only uses front combination water, and rear combination still uses rear combination direction," which refers to the conclusion of these principles.

今按四龍，不過以幹、坤、艮、巽、丙、壬、庚、甲、乙、辛、丁、癸、子、午、卯、酉、寅、申、巳、亥、辰、戌、丑、未，各四析之，因其次序，類屬而成四龍。其取義粗淺甚矣。且四方不知東西何以皆多，南北何以皆少？巳、丙何以屬東而不為南？亥、壬何以屬西而不為北？況欲山水各不出卦，乃通篇之要說，則如子、午、寅、申四山，則右邊無幾，不知右邊復有何字可以放水。又如巳、亥、丑、未四山，左邊亦惟一字而已，不幸水從左來，尙可以放水使入于于懐乎？何其不思之甚哉！由此言之，則其所謂“亥山若見水流東，代代出三公”者，眞誣矣。

Now, according to the theory of the four dragons, it is merely dividing the twenty-four characters—Qian, Kun, Gen, Xun, Bing, Ren, Geng, Jia, Yi, Xin, Ding, Gui, Zi, Wu, Mao, You, Yin, Shen, Si, Hai, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei—into groups of four, and classifying them sequentially into the four dragons. This interpretation is too crude. Moreover, the division of the four directions is unclear: why do the east and west directions have more characters, while the south and north have fewer? Why are Si and Bing associated with the east rather than the south? Why are Hai and Ren associated with the west rather than the north? Furthermore, the principle of keeping mountains and water within the original hexagram is the main point of the entire text. Therefore, for the four mountains—Zi, Wu, Yin, and Shen—the remaining characters on the right are few, and it is unclear which character can be used to release water on the right side. Similarly, for the four mountains—Si, Hai, Chou, and Wei—the remaining characters on the left are also few. If water comes from the left, how can it be released into the mountain itself? This is not a thoughtful approach. Therefore, the statement that "if a mountain facing the亥 direction has water flowing east, there will be generations of ministers of state" is indeed baseless.

其於五行，一龍何以愛金，金何以不於申、酉、庚、辛愛乎？二龍何以愛木，木何以不於甲、乙、寅、卯愛乎？三龍四龍之於水火，與其所謂本身屬土者，皆無義可推。且其支神與水火土亦不相關，而相反也。其曰“金位一龍家富貴，百子千孫位。二龍行來到木鄉，外保置田莊”等說，可謂誕矣。其三才六建之說，不知午與申、戌何以不納東來之水，酉與亥、未何以不納南來之朝乎？此三陽六秀所以為於一龍言之，而二三四龍之九才十八建者，卒亦不必究竟也。其曰“六建分明號六龍，名姓達天聰”者，可謂妄矣。

Further, it is said that the dragon is associated with the Five Phases: why does the dragon prefer gold? Why is gold not found in the branches of Shen, You, and the stems of Geng and Xin? Why does the second dragon prefer wood? Why is wood not found in the stems of Jia and Yi or the branches of Yin and Mao? The association of the third and fourth dragons with water and fire, as well as the claim that they belong to earth, cannot be logically explained. Moreover, the branches used are not related to water, fire, or earth, and in some cases are even contradictory. It says things like "gold in the dragon's house brings wealth and many descendants; the second dragon comes to the wood land, and the outer protection has fields and estates," which is absurd. Its theory of the Three Principles and Six Foundations is also questionable, as it does not explain why the branch of Wu and Shen, Xu cannot receive water from the east, or why the branch of You and Hai, Wei cannot receive water from the south. This shows that the concept of the Three Yang and Six Beauty is only relevant to the first dragon. As for the second, third, and fourth dragons and their Nine Principles and Eighteen Foundations, there is no need to pursue them further. It says "the Six Foundations clearly refer to the six dragons, and their names reach the heavens," which is sheer nonsense.

既以丑、卯山放子、辰水為兄克弟，子、辰山放丑、卯水為弟克兄，午山放子水為父克子，子山放午水為子克父，則四龍之分，申、戌不宜在前，丑、卯不宜在後。地支既隔一位於維，不宜遠近之不濟也。如廖公“艮山丁向水流癸，丁上尖峰對”之記，則正神零神之說自廢。知卜公“既有生成之龍，必有生成之穴”，不拘作單向雙朝之賦，則兼後兼前之說亦荒。此則其尤下者也。葢與宗廟等術相頡頏，明理君子，必不若是其拘且惑也。

It treats the mountains of Chou and Mao as brothers overcoming younger brothers when placed with the waters of Zi and Chen, and the mountains of Zi and Chen as younger brothers overcoming older brothers when placed with the waters of Chou and Mao; it treats the mountain of Wu as father overcoming son when placed with the water of Zi, and the mountain of Zi as son overcoming father when placed with the water of Wu. Therefore, according to the division of the four dragons, Shen and Xu should not be placed in front, and Chou and Mao should not be placed behind. Since the earthly branches are separated by one position from the four directions, they should not have the problem of being out of proportion in terms of distance. Looking at the example recorded by Liao Gong, "Geng mountain facing Ding with water flowing towards Gui, with a sharp peak on Ding," the concepts of the main deity and the auxiliary deity naturally become obsolete. Looking at Bu Ying Tian's "Xue Xin Fu" which states, "If there is a dragon of generation, there must be a grave of generation," it does not strictly adhere to whether it is a single direction or double direction, so the idea of combining front and back becomes obsolete. This is indeed a more inferior method among various techniques. It is on the same level as the methods used in ancestral temples and similar practices. A wise gentleman who understands things clearly will certainly not be so rigid and deceived by it.

《易》曰：“仰以觀於天文，俯以察於地理。”葢天文易知，故曰觀；地理難明，故曰察。且不徒曰地，而必曰理，明其理者，輙以仙稱，此豈庸俗之所易知易能者乎？故地理，理學也。古之明於此者，自周召而下，若漢之留侯、唐之亞父丘公、大理卿曾公、晉參軍郭公、宋處士陳圖南，及牧堂父子，國朝之劉誠意伯諸公，皆崇儒碩輔，及懐才抱德之隱君子。本自正學中來，故能窮天人之理，探造化之源。

The Zhou Changes, Great Treatise says: Look up to observe the heavens, look down to examine the earth. The heavens are easy to understand, so the character "guan" (observation) is used; the earth is difficult to comprehend, so the character "cha" (investigation) is used. Moreover, it is not only about "earth," but specifically about "ge li" (geographical principles). Those who can understand this principle are often called immortals, how could this be something ordinary people can easily know or achieve? Therefore, ge li is a study of principles. In ancient times, those who mastered this discipline, starting from the Duke of Zhou and Grand Duke Zhao, included Li Hou Zhang Liang of the Han dynasty, Yu Fu Qiu Yanhan of the Tang dynasty, the Grand Minister of the State of Dali Zeng Wenchan, the military advisor Guo Pu of the Jin dynasty, the recluse Chen Tuan of the Song dynasty, as well as the father and son of Cai Muting, and the esteemed statesman Liu Ji of our dynasty. They were either esteemed ministers who revered Confucianism or virtuous hermits. They originally came from the orthodox studies, thus they could thoroughly investigate the principles of heaven and humanity, and explore the origin of creation.

近世儒者，視為末務，而不暇究。傳其術者，類多庸俗，邪正是非，懵莫之辨，惟拘所授而已。得楊氏之書者為楊，得曾氏之書者為曾。至於其書之眞偽純駁，悉無所知。訛謬相傳，而淫巫瞽史徧天下，紫以奪朱，牢不可破。魏仙翁所謂“先入之言為主，正道無由聞耳。”夫天下事有眞則有偽，有正斯有邪。使星卦果於陰陽理無所效靈，則升墟望楚者不必樹臬以揆日，而卜洛造周者，又何必藉土圭測景以相其陰陽乎？

In recent times, scholars have regarded this subject as a trivial matter, lacking the time and effort to study it thoroughly. Those who transmit this art are mostly mediocre people, unable to distinguish right from wrong, and merely clinging to what their masters taught them. Once they obtain the writings of Yang Yunsong, they claim to belong to the Yang school; once they obtain the writings of Zeng Wenchan, they claim to belong to the Zeng school. As for whether these writings are genuine or fake, pure or mixed, they know nothing at all. Errors are passed on as truths, leading to the widespread presence of charlatans and blind historians. Purple has taken the place of the true red, and this situation is unchangeable. This is exactly what Wei Boyang referred to when he said that prior incorrect opinions dominate, making the true path impossible to hear. In the world, there is both truth and falsehood, and righteousness and wickedness. If the theories of stars and divination truly had no connection with the principles of yin and yang, then Wei Wen Gong would not have needed to set up markers to measure the sun's shadow when he surveyed the land, and the Duke of Zhou would not have needed to use a gnomon to measure the sun's shadow when he chose the site for the capital of the Zhou dynasty to determine its yin and yang.

《雪心賦》既云卦例之非矣，又何謂“布八方之八卦，審四勢之四維？”又曰“山分八卦”，又曰“八卦五行，必須參究。”凡此非故自相矛盾，要必有說耳。楊筠松之徒曾文迪，堪輿家宗丘也。文迪以《青囊經》授之陳摶。摶復釋注詳明，稱《天機書》以授吳克誠，傳之景鸞以及廖瑀、傳伯通諸人各有著述，發明青囊。時則有若賴文俊者其學亦出文迪，見《賴布衣本傳》，又著為《催官》之篇，與廖氏諸書若合符節，故世稱廖賴，兒童走卒皆知其為地理名家。今考其術，悉皆天星方位之說也。而顧以星卦為謬，何哉？

The Snow Heart Essay says that the divination charts are incorrect, yet it also says that one should arrange the eight trigrams in the four directions and examine the four aspects of the four cardinal points. It also says that mountains are divided into the eight trigrams and that the five phases must be studied in conjunction with the eight trigrams. These are not contradictions, but there must be another explanation. Yang Yunsong's disciple Zeng Wenchan was a master of geomancy. Zeng Wenchan passed on the Qingnang Classic to Chen Tuan, who provided a detailed commentary called the Tianji Book, which was passed on to Wu Kecheng, then to Wu Jingluan and Liao Yu, Chuan Botong, and others, each of whom wrote commentaries to explain the Qingnang Classic. At that time, there was also Lai Wenjun, whose learning also came from Zeng Wenchan, as noted in his own biography, who wrote the Cui Guan Essay. His work was in harmony with the writings of the Liao family, so people referred to them together as "Liao and Lai," and even children and commoners knew they were masters of geomancy. Now, examining their methods, they are all based on the theory of celestial stars and directions. But why does it say that the star and trigram system is wrong?

蓋陰陽家正學眞旨，術者靳秘不傳。好事者遂杜撰偽書，以至諸家星卦之文紛然競出而雜乎其間，亂眞眩正，不勝繁穢。宜乎君子之厭其鄙陋，而一切擯斥之耳。夫眾惡必察，理貴窮源，學者須以伏羲之河圖、堯之曆象、大禹之洛書、箕子之洪範、文王之後天、周公之土圭、召公之相宅、孔子之天地數，以至周子之太極圖，邵子之《皇極經世》、朱子之《風水議狀》、蔡氏父子之《發微旨要》、曆法律呂諸書，玩索其間，而各究其所以為陰陽之說，俾胸中有見，不為後世邪術所惑，然後取陰陽家之鳴世者，如陳摶所注之《青囊經》、張子房之《赤霆經》、郭景純之《葬經》、陶士衡之《捉脈賦》、卜氏之《雪心賦》、廖金精之《洩天機》、賴布衣之《催官篇》等書，一一有以辨其眞偽，分其純駁，而復征之以仙蹟名墓，則陰陽眞旨，自灼然不待辨而明矣。

The true essence of the genuine teachings of the yin-yang school has long been jealously guarded by practitioners as a secret, not to be shared. Consequently, those with a penchant for novelty fabricated false texts, leading to the proliferation of various star and divination writings that mixed together, confusing the genuine with the false, misleading the correct path, and creating a chaotic and polluted landscape. It is no wonder that virtuous scholars detest its superficiality and reject it altogether. However, something that is universally disliked must be personally examined; the pursuit of truth requires thorough investigation of its origins. Scholars must study the Yellow River Chart of Fuxi, the calendar of Yao, the Luo Writing of Yu the Great, the "Honganfa" (Great Plan) by Ji Zi, the Later Heaven Hexagrams of King Wen, the gnomon measurements of the Duke of Zhou, the site selection methods of Zhao Gong, the celestial and terrestrial numbers discussed by Confucius, as well as the "Taiji Diagram" by Zhou Dunyi, the "Huangji Jingshi" (Imperial Eternity Classic) by Shao Yong, the "Shanling Yizhuang" (Memorial on Mountains and Graves) by Zhu Xi, the "Fameilun" (Commentary on the Essentials) and "Zangshu Zhiyao" (Essence of the Book of Burial) by the Cai family, and other works on astronomy, music, and laws. By repeatedly contemplating and exploring these texts, scholars can clarify why they discuss yin and yang in this way, gaining insight and avoiding confusion from later superstitions. Then, taking well-known texts from the yin-yang school, such as the "Qingang Jing" (Green Bag Classic) annotated by Chen Tuan, the "Chiteng Jing" (Red Thunder Classic) attributed to Zhang Liang, the "Zangshu" (Book of Burial) by Guo Pu, the "Zhu Mai Fu" (Treatise on Pulse Detection) by Tao Kan, the "Xue Xin Fu" (Snow Heart Treatise) by Bu Ying Tian, the "Xie Tianji" (Revealing Heaven's Mechanism) by Liao Jinjing, and the "Cui Guan Pian" (On Hastening Officialdom) by Lai Buyi, scholars should examine each one's authenticity, distinguish between genuine and spurious works, and verify them against famous tombs recommended by past masters. In this way, the true essence of yin-yang will naturally become clear, without the need for further debate.

鄭氏鑑曰：“地理之學，莫不為偽書所誤。作偽者多假先賢名字，托眞以信偽，此風水選擇渭然凡下，列於術數。殊不知精妙一出河洛、太極圖諸書之推驗，果可以術數目之也耶？”曾葛溪曰：“紫陽朱子，崇正學，黜異端，而獨於葬宅一事，以為古人不傳，宜從俗擇。然則地理者，豈非吾儒分內事乎？第其書之亂眞眩正，非得眞旨者，未易辨之。”我緣督翁曰：“得訣歸來好看書。”有味哉其言之也！

Zheng Jian said: The study of geography is never without being misled by false writings. Those who fabricate false texts often use the names of ancient sages, borrowing genuine names to lend credibility to their false doctrines. This has caused geomancy and the art of selecting auspicious sites to appear lowly, being classified among the category of numerology and divination. But in reality, its subtle and profound aspects all come from the Yellow River Chart, the Luo Writing, and the Taiji Diagram, and how can it be regarded merely with the term "numerology"? Ceng Ge Xi said: Zhu Xi revered the orthodox learning and rejected heterodox doctrines, but he alone, in the matter of burial sites and residential sites, believed that the ancient methods had not been passed down, and that one should follow customs in choosing them. Then, is geomancy not actually the proper concern of the Confucian scholars? The problem is that these books mix falsehood with truth, confusing the correct path. Only those who have truly grasped the essence can distinguish them. We Yanyu the True Person said: One should first obtain the oral transmission before reading books. These words are truly thought-provoking!

卜氏云：“宗廟之水法誤人，五行之山運有凖。”此論確也。何則？蓋宗廟即洪範五行，以甲寅辰巽戌坎辛申為水，艮震巳為木，離壬丙乙為火，兌丁干亥為金，丑癸坤庚未為土，乃顛倒五行之法。按吳國師仲祥進呈表，謂用之以審山音、推變運而已。故曰“五行之山運有凖”也。術家誤用以論水法則謬矣。

Bushi Tian Shuo: The water system of the ancestral temple is misleading, but the Five Phases can accurately determine the mountain's era. This statement is accurate. Why is that? The Five Phases of the ancestral temple are the Hongfan Five Phases. It uses Jia, Yin, Chen, Xun, Xu, Kan, Xin, Shen as water; Gen, Zhen, Si as wood; Li, Ren, Bing, Yi as fire; Dui, Ding, Qian, Hai as metal; Chou, Gui, Kun, Geng, Wei as earth. This is a set of inverted Five Phases. According to the memorial submitted by the master Wu Jingluan to the court, this system is only used to determine the sound belonging of the mountain and to calculate changes in fortune. Therefore, Bushi Tian said, "The Five Phases can accurately determine the mountain's era." However, if geomancers use it to discuss water systems, it becomes absurd.

且其謬立九星相配之法，以五行之墓庫起，一位為破軍，次四位為祿存，次四為貪狼，次四為文曲，次四為武曲，次一為左輔，次一為巨門，次一為右弼，而最後之四為廉貞。並順左而旋，凡水之來，遇狼、巨、武、輔、弼之五者則為吉，而收水亦以之；遇祿、文、廉、破之四者則為凶，而放水亦以之。如甲山屬水，水墓在辰，辰即為破軍；巽巳丙午即祿存，丁未坤申即貪狼，庚酉辛戌即文曲，乾亥壬子即武曲，癸即左輔，丑即巨門，艮即右弼，寅甲卯乙即廉貞。

It also incorrectly established a system of nine stars matching: starting from theStorage position of the original Five Phases, the first is破军, followed by four positions of禄存, then four of贪狼, then four of文曲, then four of武曲, then one of左辅, then one of巨门, then one of右弼, and finally four of廉贞, all arranged in a counterclockwise direction. Whenever water flows and encounters贪狼, 巨门, 武曲, 左辅, and 右弼, these five stars are considered auspicious, and water collection follows this principle. If it encounters禄存, 文曲, 廉贞, and破军, these four stars are considered inauspicious, and water release follows this principle. For example, if the mountain is 甲 (Jia) which belongs to water, theStorage of water is in 辰 (Chen), so 辰 is破军; 巽 (Xun), 巳 (Si), 丙 (Bing), and 午 (Wu) are禄存; 丁 (Ding), 未 (Wei), 坤 (Kun), and 申 (Shen) are贪狼; 庚 (Geng), 酉 (You), 辛 (Xin), and 戌 (Xu) are文曲; 乾 (Qian), 亥 (Hai), 壬 (Ren), and 子 (Zi) are武曲; 癸 (Gui) is左辅; 丑 (Chou) is巨门; 艮 (Gen) is右弼; 寅 (Yin), 甲 (Jia), 卯 (Mao), and 乙 (Yi) are廉贞.

而其安排九星，亦且變亂。蓋其序本貪狼、祿、文、廉、武、破、輔、弼。今乃亂之，而乃破、祿、貪、文、武、左巨、右廉，其間多寡乃復不倫，抑又何據耶？蔡西山曰：“野俗之書，專論坐向水路之星辰。其星辰又取於北斗之九星，更無義理。”曾葛溪曰：“驗之仙蹟，亦多不合。大抵立言著述循理，而非狥人。彼升玄者，古稱術仙也。乃曰‘合八卦，依八卦下；合破卦，依破卦下；合陰陽，依陰陽下；合宗廟，依宗廟下。要須通變，不可執泥。’是何言哉！誠如其說，則風水者不過聽其遭遇，本無依據耳。是亦安用卦例為哉！”此其不足信也明矣。

Moreover, the order in which it arranges the nine stars is also disorderly. The original order of the nine stars is Tanlang, Luchun, Wenqu, Lianzhen, Wuqu, Pojun, Zuofu, Youbi. Now it is scrambled into Pojun, Luchun, Tanlang, Wenqu, Wuqu, Zuofu, Jumen, Youbi, Lianzhen. The number of positions each star occupies is also uneven, so what is the basis for this? Cai Yuanding said: rustic books often talk about sitting direction and water flow in terms of the stars, and these stars are taken from the Big Dipper's nine stars, which have no rational meaning. Zeng Geshui said: when verifying with the graves marked by previous master geomancers, they mostly do not match. Generally, when making statements or writing books, one should follow reason, not be accommodating to people's feelings. That person who is called Shengxuan claimed: if the eight trigrams are suitable, then follow the eight trigrams for burial; if the broken trigram is suitable, then follow the broken trigram for burial; if yin and yang are suitable, then follow yin and yang for burial; if the ancestral temple is suitable, then follow the ancestral temple for burial. Always be flexible and not rigid. What kind of words are these! If we really follow what he said, then geomancy is just a matter of chance, with no basis at all. Then why use trigram examples? This clearly shows that the water methods of the ancestral temple are not reliable.