First Discussion on the Mistake of Confined Pronunciation Trends

國音之法，則朱子曰：“國音之說，自謂無用之談。”又曰：“庸妄之偏說，以五音盡類群姓。而謂冢宅向背，各有所宜，乃不經之甚者，先儒以力辨之。”夫朱子所謂“先儒力辨”者，疑取呂氏之序《宅經》也。其言曰：“近世巫覡，妄分五姓。如張王為商，武庾為羽，似取諧韻。至於以柳為宮，以趙為角，又復不類。或同出一姓，分屬宮商，或複姓數字，莫辨徵羽。此則事不稽古，義理乖僻者也。

When discussing the method of national tones, Zhu Xi said that the idea of national tones is considered by itself to be useless talk. He also said that this is the prejudice of庸人 and妄人, who arbitrarily classify all surnames into the five tones of宫, 商, 角, 徵, 羽, and further claim that the orientation of tombs and residences has its own suitability. This is really absurd, and previous scholars have already strongly refuted it. The "previous scholars' refutation" Zhu Xi referred to is probably the preface written by the Lu family for the "Classic of Dwellings." The preface says that in recent times, the witches and fortune-tellers have recklessly divided surnames into five categories. For example, they put Zhang and Wang into the 商 tone, and Wu and Yu into the 羽 tone, as if taking them according to homophones. As for putting Liu into the 宫 tone and Zhao into the 角 tone, they are not consistent. Some surnames that are originally the same are classified into different tones, such as 宫 and 商. Some compound surnames have several characters and it is impossible to distinguish whether they belong to 徵 or 羽. This is a method that neither refers to ancient methods nor conforms to principles.

今以往躅證之，如曾相公宣，字子布諡文肅。祖地在建昌南豐縣，乾山，寅甲向水去。俗師以為曾氏火音，水破長生。又如黃君謨，遇異人指穴在嶽州平江縣，其向七乙三辰，水歸五丁，又交坤申。俗師亦謂水破商音，谷將主退財。二家富貴綿遠。蘇氏曰：“五姓從來不可憑，因官因地賜為稱。商音黃氏嘗為用，水破坤申愈顯榮。”此其昭昭明證也。廖金精云：“惟有姓音不可憑，謬妄最分明。聲同音異尤無理，鍾宮與終徵。陽屬宮音揚屬商，覆姓更難詳。亦有變姓與賜姓，過房何所定？三十八將最為先，縱合亦徒然。”此達理之論矣。

Now using the old records of predecessors to verify: For example, the prime minister Zeng Ben, whose original book notes that he was named Zibu and posthumously honored as Wen Su. His family's ancestral tomb is located in Nanfeng County, Jianchang Prefecture, facing the Qian mountain, with water flowing from the Yin direction towards the Jia direction. Common, vulgar geomancers believe that the Zeng surname belongs to the fire tone, which is considered water breaking the growth. Another example is Huang Junmo, who met a strange person who pointed out his burial site in Pingjiang County, Yuezhou. The direction was between seven parts of Yi and three parts of Chen, with water flowing to the Wudin position and intersecting with the Kunshen. Common geomancers also said this was water breaking the Shang tone, and predicted that he would lose wealth. However, both of these families have long-lasting wealth and prosperity. Su said: The theory of five tones has never been reliable; surnames are named due to official titles, fiefs, or imperial赐姓. The Huang family, who once used the Shang tone, actually became more prosperous when the water broke the Kunshen. This is clear evidence. Liao Jinjing said: Only the surname tone is not reliable, and its absurdity is most obvious. The same pronunciation is assigned to different tones, which is especially unreasonable. The surname Zhong is considered the Gong tone, while Zhong is considered the Zheng tone. The surname Yang is considered the Gong tone, while Yang is considered the Shang tone. Compound surnames are even more difficult to distinguish. There are also those who changed their surnames, received imperial赐姓, or were adopted, so by what standard should we determine? The so-called "thirty-eight generals" are placed first, but even if they fit, it is in vain. This is truly a rational discussion.

蔡西山先生曰：“世之君子，尋常以地理為鄙事而莫之問。一旦有不得已，則茫然不知所謂，而托之野師巫俗。野師巫俗者，類皆憸邪小輩，能以詭譎小數，多為之巧，密探往事，兼以他術兩為之說，幸中未來。君子既不知本源，以為禍福之權或出其手，委心而聽命焉。使之立宅則生者不得安其居，使之作冢則死者不得安其葬。

Master Cai Yuan Ding said: The world's gentlemen usually regard geography as a trivial matter and do not pay attention to it. But when they encounter unavoidable matters such as funerals, they become confused and helpless, and have no choice but to entrust the task to rustic geomancers and superstitious people. These rustic geomancers and superstitious people are mostly wicked individuals who use cunning tricks and try to show off their skills in various ways. They secretly inquire about people's past affairs and combine them with other divination methods to speak in two ways, hoping to predict future events. Since gentlemen do not understand the fundamental principles, they mistakenly believe that the power to bring good or bad fortune might be in the hands of these people, and thus they blindly follow their guidance. Letting them choose a site for a residence causes the living to live in unease; letting them construct a tomb causes the deceased to be buried in an unstable manner.

《俯察》云：“今之術士，善斷墳者必謬於葬，以斷墳下穴則穴必敗，以下穴斷墳則斷不驗。如浮沙斷、覆墳經、入門斷、透山光、隔山照、望宅斷、搜鬼經、都天斷、望龍斷、隔江斷，與夫鬼靈經、烚屋羅睺、開皇夾竹之類，皆可以一時所見談禍福，而於龍穴初無與焉。予少時嘗見有能地理克應者，雖奇驗如神，而心竊疑其妄，然亦未能窮其所以然之故，因百計求之。及得其術，始信其詭偽可鄙。江湖上謂之撥推行術。

The book "Fuchan" says: nowadays, those who are skilled in judging old graves are certainly not skilled in choosing new burial sites; using the methods for judging old graves to determine a burial site will surely lead to failure; using the methods for determining burial sites to judge old graves will not be effective. Things like floating sand judgment, covering grave texts, entrance judgment, penetrating mountain light, distant mountain reflection, viewing residence judgment, searching for ghosts texts, universal heaven judgment, dragon viewing judgment, river separation judgment, and texts like ghost spirit, smoke house Luo Hui, Kaihuang jiaozhu, etc., are all just talking about fortune and misfortune based on what they see at the moment, and have nothing to do with the dragon and burial site itself. When I was young, I once saw someone who could accurately predict the effects of geomantic practices. Although his predictions were remarkably accurate, I secretly doubted their absurdity, but I couldn't explain why. So I tried my best to learn this art. Only after I had mastered it did I realize how deceptive and false it was, and found it truly contemptible. In the world of the江湖, it is called "bopingshang xu" (literally, "pushing and walking divination").

每觀售術之際，舉止態度，深有可笑者。望之則有矜誇之色，問之則為孔竅之辭，或縱恣而大言，或禁秘而不答，是皆不過以禍福馳騁，聳動視聽而已。或用之驗舊扦新，立宅改路，開門放水，則必以左道為區處，言某日當進財納慶，某年當受祿添丁。其言似若可信，故世之貪富貴、泥禍福者，爭趨慕而信用之。雖聰明之士，亦不免為其所愚弄。智者觀之，則其謬妄有不可掩焉者，益信西山所謂憸邪詭譎為不誣也。鄭氏曰：“山川美惡，吉凶感召，固然也。而區區專以禍福言者，則涉於術數，非理也。”故凡地理之學，但當以理為主，其應驗與否，一聽其自然。若於理外遷就，以取日前克應，是猶詭遇獲禽，君子不為也。茲故特詳其弊，俾世之習斯術者，不可不慎。而人子之求宅兆者，知斷驗小數之無補，而不為其所惑，必從事乎龍穴根本，明理之良師雲。

Whenever they display their skills, their mannerisms are truly laughable: from afar, they appear proud and boastful, but when asked, they speak only in riddles and cryptic phrases. Sometimes they speak recklessly and boastfully, at other times they pretend to be mysterious and refuse to answer. These are nothing more than using fate and fortune as a means to talk endlessly and attract people's attention. If they are asked to examine old graves, select new land, build a house, change a path, open a door, or release water, they will certainly use improper methods, saying that on a certain day wealth and good fortune will come, or in a certain year they will receive official rank and have more sons. These words sound credible, so those who desire wealth and status, and are overly concerned with fortune and misfortune, flock to them and trust them. Even the wise are not immune to being deceived by them. A wise person can see through the absurdity, and thus agrees with Cai Yuan ding's statement that they are indeed deceitful and cunning, not a false accusation. Zheng said: the beauty or ugliness of mountains and rivers can attract good or bad fortune, which is indeed true. However, if one is overly concerned with fortune and misfortune, and focuses only on these, then one falls into the realm of divination, which is against reason. Therefore, the study of geomancy should be based on reason, and whether or not it works is left to nature. If one goes beyond reason to force a connection in order to gain immediate results, it is like driving a cart in an improper way to chase after game, which a gentleman would not do. Here, the faults are explained in detail so that those who study this art will be cautious. It also serves to inform those who seek a burial site as sons, that these small tricks have no real value and should not mislead them. They must instead focus on the fundamental aspects of dragon and tomb sites and seek out a wise teacher who understands the principles.

克應讖兆，大抵皆術家假此神術而已。君子不察，亦往往有入其術者。甚矣，邪說之易惑也！按克應有二，其一謂穴中幾尺下有某物某形某色，如所謂龍肝、鳳髓、猩血、蟹膏、象牙、龍骨、虎珀、硃砂、絲紅、綠翠之類。《玉髓經》取龍形有火焰石，鳳形有紅黃石，虎形有虎威石，獅形有球子石，象形金星石，及將軍大座有劍，美女梳妝有鏡之類。

The so-called "fulfillment of omens" and "prophecies" are basically means by which fortune-tellers exaggerate their abilities to appear supernatural. If a gentleman does not investigate carefully, he may often fall into their traps. How easily false doctrines can deceive people! There are two main types of fulfillment of omens. The first type refers to the prediction that when digging a few feet down into a site, certain things or shapes or colors will be found, such as dragon's liver, phoenix's marrow, monkey's blood, crab fat, elephant tusks, dragon bones, amber, cinnabar, red silk, green jade, and so on. The "Jade Spleen Classic" says that beneath a dragon-shaped site there is firestone, beneath a phoenix-shaped site there is red and yellow stone, beneath a tiger-shaped site there is tiger-aura stone, beneath a lion-shaped site there is ball-shaped stone, beneath an elephant-shaped site there is starstone, and also that beneath a "general's seat" shaped site there is a sword, and beneath a "beauty combing her hair" shaped site there is a mirror, and so on.

崔菊坡謂世俗驟見其說，必致驚駭而反成執泥，然不可謂無此理。若執為常法，則又不然，此亦固有見。予謂開井得紅黃光澤堅實之土，或脆嫩細膩之石，及似石非石、似土非土，《葬書》所謂“裁金切玉，五土四備”之說，理或然也。而必取某形當得某物證應，豈不誕哉！烏可執以為法？又有蝦、蟹、龜、魚、蛇、蟲活物，取為生氣神異等說，皆不足信。固嘗聞之，亦嘗見之，大抵舉不足為地之輕重，縱有亦不可洩露，洩露則龍力減，反為不吉，又安可取之為應哉！

Cui Jupo believed that ordinary people, upon first hearing these statements, would certainly be startled and become rigid and unchangeable. However, one cannot say there is absolutely no truth in this. If it is taken as a constant rule to adhere to, that would be wrong. These words indeed have insight. I think that when digging the golden well and finding red and yellow soil that is lustrous and firm, or brittle and delicate stones, or things that are neither stone nor soil, this is what the "Book of Burial" refers to as "cutting gold and slicing jade, five soils and four preparations." The reasoning may be so. But to say that a certain shape of land must necessarily produce a certain kind of thing as proof, is not absurd? How can it be taken as a rule? Also, there are claims that finding live creatures such as shrimp, crab, turtle, fish, snake, and insect are signs of life qi manifesting as supernatural phenomena. These are not credible. I have indeed heard of such things and have even seen them, but generally they do not add or subtract anything from the weight of the land. Even if there are such instances, they should not be revealed, for once revealed, the dragon power would be diminished, which is inauspicious. How then can they be taken as proof?

其次又有日時克應之說，專取下建時讖兆凖驗，固嘗博訪考求。有以奇門取者，有以斗罡取者，有以氣候孤虛取者，有以方位論卦取者。或曰某方有某色物來，或曰某方有某色雲起，或有響聲至，或有貴人臨。最其神者，曰馬騎人或有人負木馬過應、魚上樹或有以木魚或乾魚掛樹之類，固亦頗凖。第於龍穴美惡無與，地之吉凶何干？徒以此眩弄愚輩之信聽而已，則亦何足尚哉！

The second category is the doctrine of verifying omens through the hour of the day when the earth is broken and the burial takes place. This method takes omens from that specific hour to confirm predictions. I have extensively investigated and sought this out. Some use the Odd-Even Gate (Qimen) to determine the omen, others use the Star of Destiny (Douding), others use the theory of solar terms and deficiency-excess, and others use directional divination. Some say that something of a certain color will come from a certain direction, others say that clouds of a certain color will rise from a certain direction, others say that there will be a sound, and others say that a nobleman will appear. Among these, the most extraordinary is the saying of "a horse riding a person" — meaning that someone carrying a wooden horse passing by is considered an omen — or "fish climbing a tree" — meaning that someone hanging a wooden fish or dried fish on a tree is considered an omen. These have indeed been somewhat accurate. However, they have nothing to do with the quality of a dragon site, nor do they relate to the fortune or misfortune of the land. They are merely used to deceive the foolish and gain trust, and are not worth promoting at all.

夫選擇星曆通於天文，本理學也。古之明於星曆者，自鳳鳥氏、鬼臾蓲與車區、羲和、叔仲諸人，皆弼輔重臣。及春秋、秦、漢以後，亦皆老師夙儒，如王翊、赤松之流，懷才抱德者。迨宋，若邵堯夫、蔡季通，又皆崇儒，其所言論純正無疵。近世以來，流為異術，詭譔神煞之名，務於驚駭，名曰《通書》，蔓延海內，家喻戶曉。雖有臺曆頒行，莫之能正。君子倉卒用之，亦莫能辨。間有知其妄者，不敢獨異，亦各隨俗。是故愈久而愈失其眞，流毒千載，何有止極？茲敢陳其最妄誕者數條，以為明理君子拔茹藥病之張本，俟知崇正學者更詳考之。

Divination of auspicious days and the study of stars and calendars are connected with astronomy and originally belonged to a discipline that deals with principles. In ancient times, those who were proficient in the study of stars and calendars, from the officials of the Phoenix Bird Clan, Gui Yuqu, and Che Qu, to Xi He and Shu Zhong, were all important ministers assisting the court. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the Qin and Han dynasties, they were also renowned scholars and masters, such as Wang Yi and Chisongzi, who were talented and virtuous. By the Song Dynasty, figures like Shao Yong and Cai Yuanzheng further revered Confucianism, and their words were pure and without flaw. However, in recent times, this discipline has degenerated into a strange art, fabricating names of supernatural forces and seeking to shock people, and it is called "Tong Shu," spreading throughout the land, known by all. Although the court has the Qintian Jian issuing official calendars, it has not been able to correct this. A gentleman, when in a hurry, may use it but cannot distinguish truth from falsehood. Occasionally, those who know its absurdity dare not stand out alone, so they follow the crowd. Thus, the longer the time, the more it loses its original truth, spreading its harmful influence for thousands of years, with no end in sight. Here, I dare to expose some of the most absurd parts, as a basis for virtuous scholars to remove the root of the disease and treat it appropriately, waiting for those who value correct learning to examine it in detail.

一、《通書》神煞皆起於郭氏《元經》。楊公云“景純雖說無年月”，則知《元經》亦非郭氏書。《通書》諸神煞又多出於《元經》之外，各家杜譔，巧立異名，使人畏恐。如雲李廣箭，則廣漢武時人。丘公煞，丘公唐人。楊公忌，楊公南唐時。是唐漢之前無其煞與？他如所謂閻王催尸之煞、催尸上馬之煞、血光打足、披頭跌蹼之煞、風波自起之殺，類皆誑世。又有以定位為拾害，以開位為拾財、極富之類，又皆愚弄世人。至於有口鶚快、秋天日、長壽不老之類，是皆巧立異名之尤者。然名愈巧而術愈陋矣。

The first point is that the "shen sha" mentioned in the "Tong Shu" are said to originate from Guo Pu's "Yuan Jing." Yang Yunsong pointed out that although Guo Jingchun had written works, he did not discuss years and months, indicating that the "Yuan Jing" was not Guo Pu's book. Many of the "shen sha" in the "Tong Shu" are not found in the "Yuan Jing," but were invented by various schools, creating fanciful names to scare people. For example, "Li Guang Jian" refers to Li Guang, who lived in the Han Dynasty under Emperor Wu; "Qiu Gong Sha" refers to Qiu Yanhan, who lived in the Tang Dynasty; and "Yang Gong Ji" refers to Yang Yunsong, who lived in the Southern Tang Dynasty. How could there not have been these "sha" before the Han and Tang Dynasties? Other names such as "Yan Wang Cui Shi Sha," "Cui Shi Shang Ma Sha," "Xue Guang Da Zu," "Pi Tou Die Pu Sha," and "Feng Bo Zi Qi Sha" are all talk meant to deceive the world. There are also those who call the "ding" position "Shi Hai" and the "kai" position "Shi Cai," and so on, which are all meant to fool people. As for names like "You Kou E Kuai," "Qiu Tian Ri," and "Chang Shou Bu Lao," they are extreme examples of inventing strange names. The more fanciful the names, the more crude the techniques.

按甘世彥云：“近世《通書》更易，不可盡信，觀其論雌雄、殮鬼殃殺等說，或出某方殺人，或出某方殺畜，或又某日回喪家再復殺人殺畜。此因一人死後而殺數人。數人死後，輾轉殺人之多，不幾於絕滅乎？其不足信也明矣。又觀所著啟攢五音祖墓，乃道神煞，謂正月犯辛煞八人，六月犯癸煞七人，九月犯庚煞七人。如此惑世誣民，見聞之際，莫不驚駭。屢試無凖，不足畏信，適足為明聖者所鄙雲。

According to Gan Shiyuan's view: the modern version of the "Tong Shu" has been revised many times and cannot be fully trusted. Looking at its discussions on yin and yang, soul ghosts, and calamitous influences, it says that harmful qi will exit from a certain direction to kill people or kill livestock, and also mentions that on certain days, the soul will return to the family to kill people or animals again. In this way, because one person's death would lead to the killing of several others, and these others, after their deaths, would in turn kill more people, would it not soon lead to the extermination of humanity? It is clearly not trustworthy. Furthermore, looking at the section on opening graves and gathering ancestral remains and the five tones of ancestral tombs, it speaks only of divine influences. It says that in the first lunar month, if one commits the Xin煞, eight people will die; in the sixth lunar month, if one commits the Gui煞, seven people will die; in the ninth lunar month, if one commits the Geng煞, seven people will die. Such misleading and deceptive teachings cause people to be greatly alarmed when they hear them. However, repeated trials have shown that these predictions are not accurate, so there is no need to fear or believe in them. They are precisely what the wise and enlightened should despise.

二、論年轉諸神煞。考之《通書》，百有二十之多。以歲干起者曰山家困龍、巡山大耗、山家官符、天禁朱雀、坐山官符、穿山羅睺、值山血刃、金血刃、升玄燥火、羊刃殺、都天、太歲、朱雀殺；以歲支起者：坐山羅睺、山家血刃、山家刀砧、皇天灸退、支神退方、千斤血刃、白虎殺、陰中太歲、馬前六害、翎毛禁、向旁殺、的殺、鬼道、兵道、死道、血道、地道、火道、天太歲、地太歲、病符、死符、將軍、士皇、伏兵狼藉、游年五鬼、暴敗、大禍、鐵掃帚、天潑、刀士、游魂、黃旙、豹尾、喪門、弔客、大禁、歲刑、歲壓、牛皇七殺、蠶官、蠶室、蠶命、皇帝入座、帝車、帝輅、帝軸、帝舍、飛廉、怨殺、仇殺、禁殺、哭殺、碎金三殺、年禁殺、宅長殺、宅母殺、長男殺、中男殺、小口殺、媍人殺、天命殺、暗刀殺、淨欄殺、天官符、地官符、田土官符、畜官符、通天大殺、皇天大殺、九良星殺等。

Rule two discusses the various deities and ominous forces that change each year. According to the "Tongshu," there are as many as one hundred twenty types. Those calculated based on the heavenly stem of the current year include: mountain family trapped dragon, patrol mountain great loss, mountain family official symbol, heavenly prohibition vermilion bird, seated mountain official symbol, penetrating mountain luohou, value mountain blood blade, golden blood blade, rising xuan dry fire, sheep blade killer, great heaven, current year, vermilion bird killer. Those calculated based on the earthly branch of the current year include: seated mountain luohou, mountain family blood blade, mountain family knife砧, heavenly fire scorching retreat, branch god retreat direction, thousand catties blood blade, white tiger killer, yin middle current year, horse front six harms, feather feather prohibition, direction side killer, the killer, as well as ghost way, military way, death way, blood way, earth way, fire way, and also heavenly current year, earthly current year, disease symbol, death symbol, general, shi huang, hidden army disorder, year's five ghosts, sudden defeat, great misfortune, iron broom, heavenly spatter, knife soldier, wandering soul, yellow banner, leopard tail, funeral door, guest, great prohibition, year punishment, year pressure, ox huang seven killers, silkworm official, silkworm room, silkworm life, emperor seated, imperial chariot, imperial carriage, imperial axis, imperial dwelling, flying lian, resentment killer, enemy killer, prohibition killer, crying killer, broken gold three killers, year prohibition killer, family head killer, family mother killer, eldest son killer, middle son killer, youngest child killer, woman killer, heavenly destiny killer, hidden knife killer, pure barrier killer, heavenly official symbol, earthly official symbol, land official symbol, livestock official symbol, through heaven great killer, heavenly fire great killer, nine liang star killer, and so on.

或以長生、沐浴取，或以建、破、危、成取，或以三合四正取，或以對宮取，或逆或順，或以五虎元遁取，或以五鼠元遁取。其間吉凶不一，如臨官，金精以為旺氣，《通書》乃謂官符；沐浴，六壬以為生運，金精又為敗氣。成位既為陰中官符、飛廉大殺、白虎、鬼火之凶，又為天喜、生氣、進祿之吉。大概如此，誠何足深泥哉！

The methods of calculating these divine influences vary: some are based on growth and bathing, others on establishment, destruction, danger, and completion; some on triple harmony and cardinal directions; some on opposite palaces; some are reversed or in the usual order; some follow the five tiger遁 method, and others the five rat遁 method. The interpretations of their auspicious or inauspicious nature also differ: for example, "officialdom" is considered a strong influence by Liao Jinjing, but the "Classic of Transmission" calls it an official symbol; "bathing" is regarded as a favorable movement in Six壬, yet Liao Jinjing considers it a declining influence; the "completion" position is both considered asInauspicious Sha such as Yin official symbol, Fei Lian great destruction, White Tiger, and ghost fire, and also as吉神 such as Heavenly Joy, life qi, and promotion of official rank. This is roughly the case, and it is really not worth believing or being overly attached to.

三、論月日諸神殺。夫月日之神殺，《通書》最繁。稽之曜仙《肘後經》所載，諸家神殺、六十花甲、周於一歲十二月之日辰，未有一日全無凶殺。若必欲拘之，卒無可用之日。曜仙不得已，乃折之曰：“神殺如天地之風雲，無日不有。但或在東方，或在西方，智者察其所在而避之耳。”又云：“擇其吉多者用之，如先儒論宋仁宗之朝，未嘗無小人，而不足以勝善類之氣。”斯二論誠為確當之言。如李衛公云“明人不論，闇者拘之。”此使貪使愚，兵家之術，又一說耳。

Third, discussing various deities and ominous influences for each month and day. The deities and ominous influences of the month and day are recorded in the "Tongshu" in the most detailed manner. According to the "Zhoushou Jing" by Yaoshen, each family's deities and ominous influences are paired with the sixty Jiazi, covering every day of the twelve months of the year, so there is no day without some ominous influence. If one insists on avoiding all of them, there would be no day left to use. In不得已, Yaoshen had to adopt a middle ground, saying that deities and ominous influences are like the winds and clouds in the world; there is no day without them. They may appear in the east or the west, and a wise person can discern where they are and avoid them. He also said that one should choose days with more auspicious deities, just as the former scholars commented on the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song dynasty, which was not without villains, but the villains were not strong enough to overpower the righteousness of the virtuous. These two remarks are indeed accurate. As for Li Jing's statement that a wise person does not bother about it, while a foolish person is bound by it, this is a military strategy used to drive away the greedy and the foolish, which is another way of saying it.

四、論山家諸神殺首稱墓龍變運為最凶。唐一行所謂“不得克山家運氣”，為大忌。《通書》以為墓龍變運，不可輕犯半字。注云：“年克山家殺宅長，月克山家宅母亡。日克山家殺新媍，時克山家小口當。”峩山謂見屢有犯之而不驗者。

Rule four discusses various deities and ominous forces in mountain divination, among which "Mù Lóng Biàn Yùn" (Mourning Dragon Changing Fate) is considered the most dangerous. What was described by the Buddhist monk Yixing of the Tang dynasty as failing to match the auspicious energy of the occupied mountain is regarded as a major taboo. The "Tong Shu" (Comprehensive Book) states that violating "Mù Lóng Biàn Yùn" is not even allowed to be mentioned. Its commentary says that if the year's energy harms the mountain, it will injure the head of the household; if the month's energy harms the mountain, it will cause the death of the mother of the household; if the day's energy harms the mountain, it will injure the new bride; and if the hour's energy harms the mountain, it will affect the children. However, Eshan has observed many instances where such violations did not result in the predicted consequences.

太和周東樓氏云：“墓運之說，如水土山墓在辰，若歲遇甲己，墓在戊辰，納音屬木，忌金納音年月日時之類。然如水生在申，旺於子。今獨不思墓運既不可克，而生運旺運乃可克乎？既有墓運，又何得無生旺運乎？夫旺焉而克，或謂如子平推命法，身旺要煞，勿使旺盛無依，猶可言也。若乃生運則如始達之泉，於此乎克，豈不潰散元氣，尚何抵於終窮而有墓哉？逆而推之，則胎養一運且未有生之日；順而推之，則官帶、臨官二運亦未及旺之時。木生未旺，又何使之先受克乎？

Taihe's Zhou Donglou said: The so-called墓运, for instance, the墓库 of water and earth mountains is in辰. If in this year there is 甲 or 己, then 辰 becomes 戊辰, and its纳音 belongs to wood. Therefore, it is forbidden to have years, months, days or hours with 金纳音. However, water's Growth is in 申, and its Prosperity is in 子. Now why don't we think about it: since 墓运 cannot be overcome, why can 生运 and 旺运 be overcome? If there is 墓运, why is there no 生运 and 旺运? If we say that 旺运 can be overcome, perhaps we can refer to the method of Zi Ping's divination: when the body is strong, there should be seven煞 to control it, preventing it from being too strong and having no support. This makes sense. As for 生运, it is like newly flowing spring water. If we overcome it here, won't we scatter its vital energy, making it unable to reach the end and have a Storage to return to? Going backward, the 胎 and 养 stages have not even reached the day of birth. Going forward, the Capping and Officialdom stages have not yet reached their peak. Wood has just begun to grow and is not yet strong, so why should it be overcome first?

其論如此，意謂墓運不足信。然其言似正，實則本然。蓋墓運之說，出自商氏《歸藏》氣候孤虛之易。以《歸藏》為義，故止論墓運。且墓者，歸止之所，居而不移，是其根本之地，可長可久，非若旺、官，只能眩耀於一時。且安有長旺常官之理？惟墓地五行，至此始具眞性，《易》所謂“原始要終”，其此謂也。但歲克墓凶之說，固為傷山之元氣。然亦必以天符為主。若其年月山家得天符之旺，歲音雖傷，何能為害？苟天符弗旺，墓雖克歲，安能為福？此其肯綮耳。

His argument is like this, meaning that the theory of the burial phase is not reliable. However, his words seem righteous, but the matter itself has its origins. The theory of the burial phase comes from the climate theory of the "Guizang Yi" of the Shang dynasty; since it takes the "Guizang" as its theoretical basis, it only discusses the burial phase. Moreover, "burial" is the place of rest and cessation, where one resides without moving, being the fundamental place, which can be long-lasting. It is different from the prosperity and officialdom phases, which can only shine for a short time. How could there be a situation where something remains prosperous without decline and stays in an official position forever? Only when reaching the burial phase does the Five Phases reveal their true nature. What the "Zhou Yi" says, "origin and end," refers exactly to this. However, the idea that the year or the year's cycle being in a position to overcome the burial phase is considered a凶 (evil), although it does damage the original energy of the mountain, but it must be based on the "Heavenly Talisman": if the mountain in that year and month receives the "Heavenly Talisman" strength, even though the annual sound element (Nayin) causes some damage, how much harm can it really cause? If the "Heavenly Talisman" is not strong, even if the burial phase overcomes the annual phase, how can it bring good fortune? This is the key point.

五、《通書》所載行年身運，其例不一。有以卦論行年所值吉凶者，有以三元白紫之例以論行年吉凶者，有所謂羅星、太陽運法者，有所謂通天竅、陰陽二命行年之法者，又有六壬小運行年值公曹、神后、登明、傳送、勝光為吉者，又有老君三元白法，以行年得紫白為吉者。又有五殺年月，又有瓊林血海，又有退神年運及金樓正運、豬頭身運、透天六壬、大運小運、走馬六壬、中運帝星、身運天元、身運集正、三元永定、三元盤古、三元破軍、三元女柳、三元總聖、三元老子、三元九星、大運九星、小運、通天竅白、與夫利田身運，種種不同，彼吉此凶，多相矛盾。

Article five: The methods of calculating the years of life and personal fortune recorded in the "Tongshu" vary greatly. Some use hexagrams to determine the fortune of the year of life, others use the method of the three yuan and purple white to determine the fortune of the year of life, and there are also methods such as Luo Star, the Sun and Moon Movement Method, the method of communicating with the heavens, and the method of yin and yang dual destinies for the year of life. There are also the six rhinoceros small years, which consider the year of life with Gongcao, Shenhou, Dengming, ChuanSong, and Shengguang as auspicious. There is also the Laojun three yuan white method, which considers the year of life with purple white as auspicious. In addition, there are the five killing years and months, the Qionglin blood sea, the retreating god years and fortunes, the golden pavilion correct fortune, the pig head body fortune, the penetrating heaven six rhinoceros, the great fortune and small fortune, the galloping six rhinoceros, the middle fortune and imperial star, the body fortune and heavenly origin, the body fortune and collected correctness, the three yuan eternal determination, the three yuan primordial, the three yuan breaking army, the three yuan female willow, the three yuan total saint, the three yuan Laozi, the three yuan nine stars, the great fortune nine stars, the small fortune, the penetrating heaven white, and the beneficial field body fortune, and so on. Different schools say one thing is auspicious and another says it is inauspicious, and most of them contradict each other.

細考其說，皆非有據。楊公所謂“天機妙訣值千金，不論行年與納音。但看山頭並命位，五行生旺好追尋。”是則選擇之法，當以本命而論祿馬貴人，山頭而取五行生旺，此正理也。何況此等本根之身運哉。矧楊公既不用，則其不足信也明矣。特述以告明者。

Careful examination of these statements finds no basis. Yang Yunsong said: "The heavenly secret is worth a thousand pieces of gold; there is no need to consider the year and the nayin sound element. Instead, only look at the mountain where the house is located and the position of the native's birth year, and seek out the generation and prosperity of the five phases." This shows that the method of choosing a day should be based on the native's birth year and the five phases to determine the benefits, horses, and nobleman. It should also be based on the mountain where the house is located to take the generation and prosperity of the five phases. This is the correct way. Moreover, what is called the fundamental concept of the native's life and fortune is not even considered by Yang Yunsong, which clearly shows that it is not reliable. Here, this is specially mentioned to inform those who are wise.

六、通書《地理大全》所載亡人豬頭身運等一十八條，大原家寳亦謂其浩瀚無據。其可通用者，僅有郭氏《靈轄經》所載論金木水火土五行生數，取亡運歸四墓，及四大魂星入墓之說，頗可從俗。其它如所謂亡人執印入墓，以亡命後五辰為魂，前五辰為印，要印遇長生，魂遇墓絕為吉。又有所謂四大年頭，如亡人寅申巳亥生，則取寅申巳亥年月日時安葬為吉。

Article six: The "Comprehensive Treatise on Geography" contains eighteen items regarding the fortune of the deceased, such as the pig's head and body, which the book "Family Treasure" from Taiyuan also mentions as being excessive and without foundation. Among them, only the two methods from Guo Pu's "Spiritual Jurisprudence Classic" are considered acceptable for general use. These are the method of using the numbers of the Five Phases to determine the deceased's fortune and assigning it to the four tombs, and the method of the four soul stars entering the tomb. These two can still be followed according to custom. Other methods, such as "the deceased holding the seal entering the tomb," take the fifth celestial stem after the deceased's birth year as the "soul" and the fifth celestial stem before the birth year as the "seal." It is considered auspicious if the seal meets the condition of growth and the soul meets the condition of tomb and decline. There is also the concept of "the four major years," for example, if the deceased was born in the year of Yin, Shen, Si, or Hai, then burying the deceased in the year, month, day, or hour of Yin, Shen, Si, or Hai is considered auspicious.

又有所謂九宮魂入墓，又有所謂鬼谷子十干亡運，胡先生《指吉六輪經》、白鶴仙人《枕中記》及有《青龍枕記》、《龍子經》、《地甲宿經》等訣，皆以入墓為言。其間有以一十起於寅者，有以一歲起於寅者，有一十起於亥者，有一十起於坎者，有以一十起於離者，有逢墓而起一十者，有逢長生而起甲子者，推詳吉凶，互有得失。觀楊公所謂亡人命運，有多般不合也。如閒蘇氏所云“課取山頭生氣旺，坐宮入局合星辰，亡人別有推詳處，不用行年泥六輪”之句，其輕重得失見矣。

There are also so-called "nine palaces soul entering the tomb," and the so-called Guiguzi ten heavenly stems' lost fortune, as well as Master Yang's "Six Wheels Classic," White Crane Immortal's "Memoirs of the Pillow," and the "Azure Dragon Pillow Record," "Son of the Dragon Classic," and "Earth Heavenly Stem Classic," all of which are based on the concept of "entering the tomb." Among them, some start the ten years from the寅, some from the寅 for one year, some from the亥 for ten years, some from the坎 position for ten years, some from the离 position for ten years, some start the ten years only when encountering the tomb, and some start the Jiazi when encountering the growth. In terms of seeking auspicious and inauspicious, each has its own gains and losses. It is clear that Master Yang's statement about the fate of the deceased has many inconsistencies. For instance, Su's words during his retirement state: when selecting a lesson, one should take the mountain's life qi as the main consideration, ensure the palace enters the pattern and aligns with the stars, and the deceased should be considered separately, without strictly following the six wheels according to the person's age. From this, one can clearly see which is more important and which is more beneficial.

七、《發微》通書有安山命之法，其例云：“歲歲皆從子起正，逆行數至月辰停。就將其時月上起，順行尋卯安命眞。”其說如此，謂人生八字安命法，以卯定之，彼亦以時尋卯定山之命宮。愚謂山川自洪蒙判而天地分，兩儀形而山川定。山川之干支萬派，氣相流通。葬者察地中之生氣以旺死骨。枯骸得氣，遺體受蔭，此正理也。而乃謂山可以命理八字法論之，而為之安命則陋矣。設使以葬日為亡人再生之命，而年月為造命之術，亦不當安命于山也。

Rule seven: The book "Fa Wei" and similar works have a method called "An Shan Ming" (mountain's destiny). Its principle states that each year begins with the Zi position for the first month, and counts backwards to the branch of the current month, stopping at that position. Then, starting from that position, it proceeds forward to find the Mao position, and only then can the destiny be determined. This method is derived from the way of determining the destiny palace in a person's birth八字 (eight characters), using the Mao position as the standard, and searching for the Mao position through the hour to determine the mountain's destiny palace. I believe that mountains and rivers were formed after the separation of heaven and earth and the establishment of the two principles. Only then did mountains and rivers become fixed. The branches and stems of mountains and rivers are countless, with their qi flows interconnecting. When a person is buried, the purpose is to examine the life qi underground to nourish the dry bones. When the dry bones receive the qi, the descendants will benefit, which is the correct principle. However, to discuss mountains using the method of destiny calculation and to assign them a destiny palace is superficial. Even if we consider the day of burial as the rebirth of the deceased and treat the year and month as part of the destiny-making process, it is inappropriate to assign a destiny palace to a mountain.

八、通書有所謂周堂者，不知其始自誰何？行世已久，泥之愈深。如行嫁周堂，通書所言行嫁白虎，有睡死床堂、灶廚、路門之例，以為擇廚灶日用之。又曰值死乃白虎死，其日吉。值睡乃白虎睡，其日吉。俗則見其日死，遂謂凶不可犯。值睡亦不曰白虎睡，而於新人亦忌於睡，遂舉家坐以達旦。若此者何其惑之甚與！何其愚之甚與！

Rule eight: The book of almanacs mentions something called "Zhou Tang." It is unknown who first established it, but it has been widely popular for a long time, and people have become increasingly rigid in their adherence to it. For example, in the case of marriage Zhou Tang, the almanac speaks of "White Tiger" in the context of marriage, with a set of arrangements including sleep, death, bed, hall, stove, kitchen, path, and door, used to select a good day for setting up the stove. It also says that on the day marked "death," it is considered auspicious because the White Tiger dies on that day; on the day marked "sleep," it is also considered auspicious because the White Tiger is sleeping. However, ordinary people, upon seeing the word "death," think it is inauspicious and avoid it; when they encounter the word "sleep," they do not consider it as the White Tiger sleeping, but instead regard it as a taboo for the newlyweds to sleep, so the whole family sits up all night waiting for dawn. How糊涂 (confused) can people be! How愚昧 (ignorant) can people be!

行之已久，略無議者。謂周堂之說有凖不可犯與？則吾深求其理，而竟無其起例；謂不足信與？世俗信之至周且篤。噫！天下事莫不有理，其於理有未窮，則其知有不盡，無怪乎世俗之惑滋甚也。蓋常俗不知察究其理，而儒者又不暇窮其術，拘於習俗，泥於常見，拘於忌諱，故耳。予謂陰陽之理，皆本於五行，其所以為禍福者，亦莫不以秉其生旺者為吉，而當其衰敗者為凶，遇其相生者為福，值其相剋者為禍，無餘論矣。

This system has been in use for a long time, and almost no one has raised any objections. If we say that the Zhou Tang theory is accurate and should not be violated, I have deeply examined its reasoning and found no origin for it. If we say it is not trustworthy, yet the common people believe it thoroughly and sincerely. Alas! There is no matter in the world that does not contain some reasoning. When the reasoning is not thoroughly explored, our understanding is incomplete, which is why people's confusion is growing deeper and deeper. This is because ordinary people do not take the trouble to examine its reasoning, while scholars have no time to thoroughly investigate this art. Thus, they are confined by customs, stuck in the common, and limited by taboos. I believe the principles of yin and yang are based on the Five Phases. The reason why they can determine fortune and misfortune is that those who receive the vital and flourishing energy are auspicious, while those in decline are inauspicious. Meeting mutual generation brings blessing, encountering mutual control brings misfortune. There is no other explanation.

而通書之設周堂者，既無五行之起例，則無生旺衰敗之可推，無相生相剋之可據，徒執定局，而乃拘於大月小月某日某日吉，某日某日凶，年年不異，月月相同，不幾於膠柱而鼓瑟、刻舟而求劍乎？既無通變之機，又無的然吉凶之驗，則其所謂周堂雲者，禍福無憑，不足準信，削去不惑於君子亦宜矣！世人蹉過吉期，多因拘泥於此。豎造入宅，葬埋上官等日，皆有周堂之例，舉一隅，他可類推，又何足深辨哉！

But the Zhou Tang section in the Tong Shu does not set out the principles of the Five Phases, so it is impossible to determine its prosperity, decline, or strength, nor can it be used to judge mutual generation or mutual control. It merely sticks to a fixed diagram, rigidly following whether a day is auspicious or inauspicious based on the large or small month, and repeats the same pattern every year and month. Is this not like sticking the strings of a zither and still trying to play it, or marking a spot on a boat to fish for a sword? It lacks the flexibility to adapt to circumstances and has no reliable evidence of good or bad fortune. Therefore, the Zhou Tang is unreliable in terms of fortune and misfortune, and it is appropriate to remove it so that gentlemen are not misled by it. Most people miss auspicious periods precisely because they are too rigid about this. In addition, days for activities such as building a house, raising a beam, moving in, burial, and taking up a post also have Zhou Tang arrangements. By analogy, other cases can be inferred similarly, so there is no need for further detailed analysis.

九、通書之最謬者，莫如三十六用。其說倡自祝文夫所譔《袖龍經》，詭立修方應驗，以為修報催官之方，則能使閒居者不日起復；修報黃甲利方之方，則能使白衣者起舉登科；修報火星青龍，則能使在官者轉官加祿；修作極富星月財方，則能使貧者驟獲橫財；修定位魁罡，能舍財獲窖；使鬼運錢來，則修鬼道之位；欲因妻得財，則修三女之方；欲因妻獲官者，則用三臺五庫；欲因軍得寶者，則用魁罡福星；倲兵道將軍，可以因軍得官；修順逆血刃，可以六畜大旺。修蠶命可旺蠶絲，修空亡則除冷退，救人長病修報天醫，救人喪禍修作白虎。謂脩金匱可旺人丁，謂修天瘟可除瘟疫。又有所謂袪鼠盜、解官訟、長壽年等事例，皆以修方為驗，其陋如此。

The ninth point, the most absurd in the book, is the concept of "thirty-six uses." This idea was first introduced by Zhu Wenfu's "Xiu Long Jing," which claims that by constructing certain formulas, one can achieve specific results. For example, constructing a formula for promoting official status can make a person who is unemployed regain his position; constructing a Huangjia Li formula can enable common people's sons to pass the imperial examinations; constructing a fire star and azure dragon formula can allow officials in office to be promoted and receive additional salary; constructing a formula for the most prosperous star and the moon's wealth can enable the poor to suddenly gain unexpected wealth; constructing a formula for the fixed position of the魁罡 (Kui Gang) can lead to the discovery of hidden treasure; if one wants ghosts to bring money, one should construct a formula for the ghost path; if one wants to gain wealth through one's wife, one should construct a formula for the three women; if one wants to gain official status through one's wife, one should use the three platforms and five warehouses; if one wants to gain treasure through military service, one should use the Kui Gang and Fu Xing (Prosperity Star); constructing a formula for the general of the military path can allow one to gain official status through military service; constructing a formula for the reverse and forward blood blades can lead to prosperity of livestock; constructing a formula for the silkworm's destiny can lead to a flourishing silk industry; constructing a formula for the empty void can eliminate cold retreats; to save someone from a long illness, one should construct a Heavenly Doctor formula; to save someone from misfortune, one should construct a White Tiger formula; it is claimed that constructing a Golden Chest formula can increase the population, and constructing a Heavenly Plague formula can eliminate plague. In addition, there are other items such as driving away rats and preventing theft, resolving legal disputes, and increasing longevity, all of which are said to be effective through the construction of formulas. This is so crude.

愚謂安葬墳墓，其地龍眞穴的，融結不偽，眞知其為富地，而用諸富星以助其富，眞知其為貴地，而用諸貴星以催其貴，理或然也。而龍穴不眞，徒狥年月，則亦無益。況修方而可以致富貴，可以使鬼運錢財，可以獲古窖金銀，可以救病，可以添壽哉！此理之所必無者。

I think that for burial, only when the dragon and the true site are genuine and the fusion and consolidation are real, and it is indeed a wealthy land, can various rich stars be used to enhance its wealth; and if it is indeed a noble land, various noble stars can be used to promote its nobility. This reasoning may make sense. However, if the dragon and site themselves are not genuine, and one only adjusts according to the years and months, there will be no benefit. Moreover, how can one claim that by adjusting a direction one can attract wealth, have ghosts carry money for people, dig up ancient hidden gold and silver, treat illness, or add longevity? This is absolutely impossible in reasoning.

茍如其言，則求名之士不必朝讀暮誦，講求書史，是但修其催官之方，則自能取青紫如拾芥；求利之士，不必曉行夜算，坐賈行商，但修其極富之星，則自獲寶窖；病者不必求醫，修天醫而可愈；訟者不必訴官，修天赦而可解矣。天下豈有是理也哉？惑世誣民，適取一笑耳。以上通書諸說之謬，有一人之言而自相矛盾如竅馬之類，有數家之書而各相牴牾如丙丁為獨火又謂三奇者，不能悉具，姑撮其要如此。泰和周氏所著《陰陽定論》，亦頗詳明，崇正學者，自當言下有悟雲。

If it were truly as he said, then those seeking official rank would not need to recite and study classics and historical texts day and night; they would only need to practice the method of promoting officials, and naturally attain high positions as easily as picking up a blade of grass. Those seeking wealth would not need to rise early or stay up late calculating accounts, nor engage in trade; they would only need to practice the method of the most prosperous star, and naturally discover treasure vaults. Sick people would not need to consult a doctor; they would recover simply by practicing the Heavenly Doctor method. Those involved in lawsuits would not need to appeal to authorities; they would resolve their cases simply by practicing the Heavenly Pardon method. How could there be such a thing in the world? This is confusing the people and misleading the common folk, nothing more than causing laughter. The above examples show the absurdity of various statements in almanacs. Some are contradictions within the same person's words, such as "stealing a horse"; others are conflicting statements among different books, such as the combination of Bing and Ding being both "single fire" and "Three Marvels." It is impossible to list all these contradictions, so I will briefly summarize the main points as above. The book "Yin Yang Determined Theory" by Zhou氏 from Taihe also discusses this topic in a detailed manner, which those who value proper learning will naturally understand upon reading it.

天自太極肇分，兩儀既判，立天之道曰陰與陽，立地之道曰柔與剛，統言之曰氣。有氣則有象，有象則有數。天列星辰，地列川嶽。圖出於河，書出於洛，象數備具，變化乃行，吉凶由生，道其昭昭矣。乎世當洪荒，光嶽氣完，神聖迭生。人皇相厥山川，分為九區，兄弟九人各居一方，則相地之法其來遠矣。伏羲仰觀天文，俯察地理，以畫八卦，方位由定。黃帝置六相，以太常察地理，命大撓作甲子，造指南車，於霧中辨方，以滅蚩尤，則羅經之稱神器，信不誣也。

Heavenly principles began with the initial division of the Supreme Ultimate, and the two principles were established, called yin and yang for the heavenly path and flexibility and firmness for the earthly path. In general, they are all called "qi." When there is qi, there is form; when there is form, there is number. The stars are arranged in the heavens, and mountains and rivers are arranged on the earth. The Yellow River Chart emerged from the Yellow River, and the Luo Writing came from the Luo River, with both form and number fully established. Thus, change could proceed, and fortune and misfortune arose, a principle clearly evident. In the ancient primeval era, the original qi of mountains, rivers, peaks, and valleys was complete, and sage kings emerged one after another. The human emperor observed the mountains and rivers, dividing the world into nine regions, and his nine brothers each occupied one area, showing that the method of examining land has a long history. Fuxi looked up to observe the heavenly phenomena and down to examine the earthly features, thus creating the Eight Trigrams, establishing the directions. The Yellow Emperor established six officials, assigning the Grand Master of Rites to oversee the examination of geography, ordered Dà Náo to create the Jiazi system, and invented the south-pointing chariot to determine direction in heavy fog to defeat Chiyou. This clearly shows that the compass is called a "divine instrument," not an empty phrase.

鯀汨五行，帝乃震怒，錫禹洪範九疇。乃莫公劉興豳，陟則在巘，復降於原。既景乃岡，相其陰陽，民繁且宣。文王造周，更置卦位，是謂後天，而以入用。周公卜洛，相宅瀍澗之間，為周匹休。至於衛文，營室楚丘，樹臬揆日，景山與京，此誰為哉？蓋當時列國，皆有史官，如梓慎、甘公、唐昧、尹皐之流，皆以明於陰陽，主司宅兆而任之官。時入戰國，則皆懵然。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Glossary: Later Heaven Trigrams = Later Heaven Trigrams Later Heaven = Later Heaven Five Phases = Five Phases yin and yang = yin and yang Eight Trigrams = Eight Trigrams King Wen = King Wen Duke of Zhou = Duke of Zhou Gou disrupted the Five Phases, causing Heaven to be enraged. Later, Heaven bestowed the Nine Categories of the "Hongan Fan" upon Yu. After that, Gong Liu established his rule in Bin, climbed the mountain peak, and descended to the plain. He used the shadow of the sun to measure the hill, observing its sunny and shady sides, thus enabling the people to flourish in comfort. King Wen established the Zhou dynasty and reorganized the trigrams, which became the Later Heaven Trigrams, and they were put into practical use. Duke of Zhou selected a residence in Luoyi, examining the site between the Cian and Jian rivers, and it harmonized with the state's destiny. As for Wen Gong of Wei who built his palace in Chouqiu, he set up markers to measure the sun's shadow, climbed Jing Mountain, and looked at Jingqiu Hill, who were these people? Originally, at that time, all the feudal states had historians, such as Zi Shen, Gan Gong, Tang Mei, and Yin Gao, who were entrusted with the affairs of residences and tombs due to their mastery of yin and yang. However, by the Warring States period, these people had all become ignorant.

雖有鬼谷，不染世塵；青鳥、白鶴、赤松、黃石，皆避世之隱君子，抱道巖穴，憫惻斯世，演著《青囊》《青囊》乃黃石正經，赤松增傳，希夷補註。圯橋孺子，夜半授書。赤符應運，《赤霆》乃著。高隴原卑，前瞻後顧。相其主客，觀其祖宗，制穴尺寸，定法五行。八卦九變，九星九宮。八方噓吸，以占其風。穴前折水，折東屈西。妙斡造化，出入干支，天下之能事畢矣。功成名遂，鴻飛冥冥，托以辟穀，自卜壽塋在徐州房山。甫及八代，是生道陵，擇居龍虎，稱號天師。五十傳世，盛至於今。身後之謀，乃能如是，此又百代殊絕之傑也。

At that time, although Guiguzi existed, he did not involve himself in worldly affairs; Qingwu Zi, Baihe Xianren, Chisong Zi, and the Duke of Yellow Stone were all reclusive sages who withdrew from the world, embracing the Dao and living in seclusion in mountain caves, compassionate toward humanity, thus composing the "Qingnang Jing" — the original commentary notes: "Qingnang" is the authentic text of the Duke of Yellow Stone, with Chisong Zi adding commentary as a continuation, and Chen Tuan providing further annotations. Long ago, when the young Zhang Liang was on the bridge of the broken bridge, he received the book from the Duke of Yellow Stone at midnight; the red mandate was fulfilled, and thus the "Chiteng Jing" was written. The book discusses high ridges and low plains, looking ahead and behind, comparing the main mountain with the guest mountain, observing the ancestral mountains, determining the size of the burial site, and establishing the methods of the Five Phases; it discusses the eight trigrams and their nine transformations, the nine stars and nine palaces; it discusses the intake and discharge of the eight directions' energies, used for predicting wind directions; it discusses the bending of water in front of the burial site, either bending eastward or westward. It skillfully coordinates the workings of heaven and earth, moving between the heavenly stems and earthly branches, containing all the skills of the world. After Zhang Liang achieved fame and success, he flew away like a wild goose in the vast sky, making an excuse of fasting and pursuing immortality, and himself divined his burial site to be in Fangshan, Xuzhou. Just after eight generations, Zhang Dao Ling was born, choosing to reside in Longhu Mountain, known as the Celestial Master, passing down through fifty generations, flourishing up to the present day. His plans after his death could reach such a level, which is another rare and outstanding figure of a hundred generations.

金華石室，緘藏玄秘。漢尚識緯，義理乖僻。惟京房善易，以卦配六甲，休咎有徵。迨至東晉，間生景純，發為《葬書》，曰“葬乘生氣”，曰“山有四勢，氣從八方”，曰“土圭測其方位，玉尺度其遠邇”。皆妙參造化，默奪神功。惜被兩儒刪訂迷眞。淳風《小卷》，詞約精義。而陶公捉脈之《賦》，似専言乎形局。及其結語，則云“更能配合天星，萬古通行無此妙。”卜氏《雪心》之文，似不論於天星。及其警策，則云“八卦五行，必須參究”；又云“排八方之八卦，審四勢之四維”。此又皆徹上徹下之論，非深造者莫識也。

In the stone chamber of Jinghua, there was concealed a profound secret doctrine. During the Han dynasty, there was a strong emphasis on prophecies and omens, but the principles became perverse. Only Jing Fang was skilled in the Book of Changes, using the trigrams in conjunction with the heavenly stems, and the auspicious and inauspicious signs could be verified. In the Eastern Jin dynasty, Guo Pu emerged, writing the Book of Burial, stating "burial is about riding the life qi," "mountains have four forms, and the qi comes from eight directions," and "using the soil gnomon to measure its direction, and the jade measure to determine its distance." These were all ingenious insights into the workings of nature, secretly seizing divine power. Unfortunately, later two Confucian scholars revised them, causing the true meaning to be lost. Li Chunfeng's "Small Scroll" had concise wording but profound meaning. Tao Kan's "Catching Qi Essay" seemed to focus solely on the form and structure, but in the conclusion, it said that if one could also combine with the celestial stars, there would be no better method than this for all time. Bu Ying Tian's "Snow Heart Essay" seemed not to discuss celestial stars, but in its critical passages, it said that the eight trigrams and the five phases must be thoroughly studied; it also said that the eight trigrams arranged in the eight directions and the four dimensions examined from the four forms must be considered. These are all discussions that connect the upper and lower realms, something that only those with profound expertise can recognize.

聞喜丘公，術本神授。扦立動星，占者以聞。爵以亞父，乃進圖經三卷十章，眞理氣之心印，天機之秘訣也。唐高宗能以金函玉櫃藏其書，而不知翼世即有黃巢之亂，瓊林府庫，皆眞能守禪。一行能撰銅函偽經，以混其眞。而不知其間乃有曾、楊之賢，金函秘書，悉為所得。曾、楊皆奔江南，求已為節制李司空所辟，因鑑丘公之轍，刊石作記，本圖免禍。而不知野歌閒編，聞風雜出，流弊無窮。

There was a man named Qiu Yanhao from Wenxi County, whose methods of divination were bestowed by divine beings. He determined the location of graves in such a way that the celestial stars seemed to shift. Those who interpreted heavenly phenomena reported this to the imperial court, which conferred upon him the title of Second Father. He then presented three scrolls with ten chapters, which truly embodied the essence of the principles of qi and the secrets of heavenly mechanisms. Emperor Taizong of Tang was able to store this book in a golden case and jade cabinet, but he did not foresee that shortly afterwards there would be the Huang Chao rebellion, and all the treasures in the Qionglin palace would be lost. The monk Yixing was able to write a forged copper-case scripture to confuse the genuine one, but he did not know that at that time there were virtuous men such as Zeng Wenchan and Yang Yunsong, who had taken all the secret teachings from the jade cabinet. Both Zeng and Yang went south to Jiangnan, and Yang Yunsong was summoned by the military governor Li Sikong. He, observing the fate of Qiu Yanhao, carved a stone inscription to record his thoughts, intending to avoid calamity, but he did not realize that the folk rhymes and hastily compiled manuals from the countryside would spread widely, mixed together, and cause endless harm.

惟楊公傳於文辿，而龍穴沙水之《心鏡》始作。文辿傳於希夷，而青囊經傳之註解始詳。賴布衣本楊公之儔匹，故《催官》、《旅寓》之論皆協天星。廖金精乃張守之選拔，故陽符陰契之說，皆出景鸞。子微一代偉人，而《玉髓經》専於形象，不得與廖、賴分抗。牧堂道學崇儒，而《發微論》未嘗顯闢天心。及乎朱晦庵、蔡西山，雖酷好風水，而教外別傳，恐亦未究。故其不用某山向之說，遂起後人藉口無窮之弊。不知西山嘗有分金之注，而文公《山陵議狀》，乃專辨於國音。

Only Yang Yunsong passed on his knowledge to Zeng Wenchan, and it was only then that the book "Xin Jing" on dragon, tomb, sand, and water was completed. Zeng Wenchan passed it on to Chen Tuan, making the transmission and commentary of the "Qing Nang Jing" detailed and complete. Lai Buyi was a person renowned alongside Master Yang, so his works such as "Cui Guan Pian" and "Lv Yu" all conform to the celestial stars. Liao Jinjing was selected by Zhang Shou, so the doctrines of "Yang Fu" and "Yin Qie" all originated from the lineage of Wu Jingluan. Zhang Ziwēi was a great figure of his time, yet his "Yu Sui Jing" focused solely on forms and could not match the schools of Liao and Lai. Cai Muting revered Daoist and Confucian learning, but his "Fa Wei Lun" did not openly refute the doctrine of the heavenly heart. When it came to Zhu Xi and Cai Yuanzheng, although they loved geomancy greatly, they probably did not thoroughly explore the secret teachings passed down outside the orthodox schools. Therefore, they did not use the method of specifying a mountain and direction, leaving endless loopholes for later generations. Unbeknownst to many, Cai Yuanzheng once provided commentary on the method of dividing the golden measure, while Zhu Xi's "Shan Ling Yi Zhang" was specifically aimed at refuting the theory of national sounds.

迨夫傳伯通《堪輿要約》，鄒仲容《答汪伯彥書》，皆推明理氣，承吳、廖之旨緒。劉太保《平砂玉尺》，誠意伯釋之而愈明。他如李玄緒之《三易三元編》、司馬大士之《光明大照圖》、陳彥繹之《業珠》、厲伯韶之《分金斷訣》、達僧記司馬頭陀之問答，潛齋述《素書寶鏡》之註疏，董德彰著《四神秘訣》、《天卦青囊》、《金斗算法》、《雪心賦解》等書，雖學有淺深，詞有純駁，然皆能發揮陰陽，推明理氣，而羽翼經旨，不可訾也。夫何謝子期者，定釋四書，執其偏見，闢廢天星。篁墩程公不察，首敘雄文，一倡群和，流毒海宇，深可憫惻。

The works of Chuan Bo Tong's "Kanyu Yaojue" and Zou Zhongrong's "Da Wang Boyan Shu" all clarify the principles of yin and yang and qi, continuing the ideas of Wu Jingluan and Liao Jinjing. Liu Taibao's "Pingsha Yuchè" became even clearer after being explained by the Honorable Master Liu Ji. Other works such as Li Xuanxu's "San Yi San Yuan Bian," Sima Dashì's "Guangming Dazhao Tu," Chen Yanyi's "Ye Zhu," Li Boshao's "Fen Jin Du jue," the records of Dashi on the dialogues of Sima Touduo, the annotations on "Sushu Baojing" by Qianzai, and Dong Dezhang's "Simo Xijue," "Tian Gua Qingnang," "Jin Dou Suanfa," and "Xuexin Fu Jie" all, though varying in depth of learning and purity of language, contribute to the elucidation of yin and yang and the principles of qi, supporting the meaning of the classics and should not be criticized. Unfortunately, Xie Ziqi, in his commentary on the Four Books, clung to his own biased views and rejected the theory of celestial stars. Huangdun Cheng Minzheng, without proper investigation, first composed an elaborate preface for it, leading others to follow, spreading harmful influence throughout the land, which is deeply regrettable.

因嘗慨夫此理之在天地，本無顯晦。但自秦漢以來，每數百年始得一人，上明天道，下察民故，依經循法，為天下建邦立家，能使衰者振，僕者植，淹塞者達，響應神速，如呼谷中。然皆不數十年，其人亡則其術泯，書亦散逸不復見。民無所適從，大事皆委之時師，往往有遺憾焉。豈禍福予奪之柄，默有攸司？即不然，何哲人之生不數，雖縉紳君子，尚不知有堪輿之正學，況其下乎？

Therefore I often lament: this principle exists between heaven and earth, originally without distinction of being manifest or hidden. But since the Qin and Han dynasties, a person with such ability appears only every few hundred years. He can understand heavenly principles, observe the people's conditions, follow the classics and abide by the laws, establishing states and families for the world. He can revive what is declining, lift up what has fallen, and clear what is blocked, with results that appear swiftly, like a cry in a valley that immediately echoes back. Yet such a person only lasts for a few decades. Once he dies, his methods are lost and his writings disappear, never to be seen again. The common people have no guidance, and even major affairs like funerals and burials are entrusted to the current diviners, often leaving regrets. Is it possible that the power to determine fortune and misfortune is secretly controlled by some other force? Even if not, why are such wise men so rare, that even scholars and gentlemen are unaware of the proper study of geomancy, let alone those of lower status?

不侫兄弟初嘗深闢天星，久而罔驗，乃覺偏一之非。嘉靖戊申春，與剛陽子祝君尚用、丹臺子廷輔，及笪景明氏同參玄學，獲遇至人靈陽趙仙翁，因而質之，覺以出世間法。言下有悟，復偕君遷、葉兄博搜吾興諸仙遣文，徵其課驗名地，則皆脗合。於是始知教外別傳，豁然了悟。迄今三十餘年，頗亦眞切。形勢方位，天星巒頭，誠為體用不可偏廢。

We brothers once strongly opposed the theory of celestial stars, but after using it for a long time, we found it often failed, and thus realized that being rigid in one's views was wrong. In the spring of the Wushen year of the Jiajing era, we studied the mysteries of the Tao together with Zhu Shangyu, the master of the DanTai school, Zhu Tingfu, and Ba Jingming, and met the sage Lingyang Zhao Xian翁. We asked him for guidance, and he enlightened us with methods beyond the conventional teachings. At that moment, we had some realization, and later, together with Junqian and Ye brother, we extensively searched for writings left by the predecessors and masters of our hometown, examining the places they had selected and marked. The results all matched. Thus, we finally understood the principle of transmission outside the teachings, and suddenly had a clear realization. To this day, more than thirty years have passed, and my experience has been very genuine: the forms and directions, as well as the celestial stars and the hill shapes, are really related as the essence and the application, and neither side should be neglected.

方位之有東南西北，猶一歲之有春夏秋冬；山家之有二十四向，猶一歲之有二十四氣。六十龍應六十甲子也，七十二龍應七十二候也，三百六十五度即朞之三百六旬有六日也。一歲之中，一月之內，一日之間，既有時日支干孤虛旺相之不同，則二十四向、七十二龍、百二十分金、三百六十五纏度之間，豈無吉凶悔吝寓期間而顧不知審耶？但其理極繁細，極縝密，非粗淺所易知，鹵莽所可測。況雜以諸家星卦之穢陋於其間，是以君子厭其謬妄耳。然太極圖書，理氣之源；八卦五行，陰陽之祖，自有不可誣者。特述宗旨，俾知所察雲。

The directions have east, south, west, and north, just as a year has spring, summer, autumn, and winter; the twenty-four directions of a mountain correspond to the twenty-four solar terms of a year. The sixty dragons correspond to the sixty Jiazi, the seventy-two dragons correspond to the seventy-two seasonal divisions, and the three hundred and sixty-five degrees correspond to the three hundred and sixty-six days of a year. Within a year, within a month, and within a day, since there are differences in the dry and wet, the empty and full, the prosperous and strong of the heavenly stems and earthly branches, then among the twenty-four directions, the seventy-two dragons, the one hundred and twenty divisions of the compass, and the three hundred and sixty-five degrees, can there not be good fortune, misfortune, regret, and hardship hidden within? Why then do people not examine them? However, the principle behind this is extremely intricate and precise, not something the shallow-minded can easily understand or the careless can accurately measure. Moreover, there are also mixed in various schools' star and divination systems, which are messy and vulgar, so the gentleman detests their absurdity. However, the Taiji Diagram and the Yellow River Chart and Luo Writing are the origins of principles and qi, while the Eight Trigrams and the Five Phases are the ancestors of yin and yang, and they have an indelible value. Therefore, this text specially explains the main point, so that people may know where to examine and investigate.

地學之關鍵有三：曰巒頭、天星之說也，正針、縫針之辨也，諸家五行之用也。三者喋喋，迄無定論。蓋術家陰相付受，以為秘傳，逈然與世間常法懸絕。茍非歷涉試驗，灼見眞知，何敢驟信？不侫兄弟囊因先人大事，輟舉子業，苦心究此。初嘗執以世間法曰：巒頭形勢，理也；天星方位，其謬也。子午正針，理也；壬子丙午縫針，其妄也。正五行，理也；洪範、八卦諸家五行，誕也。久而用之罔驗，疑莫適從。

The key points of geomancy are three: first, the theory of hill forms and celestial stars, second, the distinction between the main needle and the interstitial needle, and third, the use of the Five Phases by different schools. These three aspects have been debated endlessly and remain without a definitive conclusion. Because practitioners pass down their knowledge privately through oral transmission, treating it as a secret, which is entirely different from the common methods used in the world. Unless one personally experiences and repeatedly tests these methods, seeing them clearly and truly, who would dare to believe them lightly? Our brothers once stopped their studies for the imperial examinations because of the funeral rites of our ancestors, and devoted themselves earnestly to this discipline. At first, we adhered to the common practice, believing that hill forms are the correct principle, while celestial stars are mistaken; that the main needle is correct, while the interstitial needle of Renzi and Bingwu is nonsense; that the standard Five Phases are correct, while the Five Phases from the Hongfan and the Eight Trigrams are all absurd. But after using them for a long time, they often failed to work, causing us great doubt and confusion about what to do.

幸方外懶雲趙師覺之曰：“子不聞出世間法有顛倒五行之說乎？”於是復取吳、廖、傅、董諸書精詳之，徧徵其所下課驗名墓，果與世間法不合，始大省悟。夫形家也、正針也、正五行也，其言誠直捷正大，豈知其似是實非，足以惑人哉！善乎吳草廬先生云：“世間萬事俱要順，惟丹法與葬法要逆。”此所以與世間法不同耳。語曰“三折肱醫乃良”。不侫兄弟經涉磨挫，顛毛種種矣。管窺有得，各為論敘，名之曰三昧，以闡教外別傳之意，請正於仁孝君子云。萬曆壬午正月，德興天門山人徐善述書於楚雲杜李氏燕山草堂。

Fortunately, the recluse Lao Yun Zhao from the outside world enlightened us by saying: Have you not heard of the concept of "reversed Five Phases" in the teachings beyond the worldly? Thus, we retrieved the works of Wu Jingluan, Liao Jinjing, Fu Botong, and Dong Dezhang and studied them carefully, visiting all the sites they had selected and the graves they had chosen to verify. Indeed, these practices differ from the common worldly methods. We finally had a profound realization. Originally, the idea of focusing only on the terrain, using only the correct needle, and employing only the correct Five Phases is indeed straightforward and upright. Who would have thought that these statements, though seemingly correct, are actually misleading and can deceive people! Wu Cheng said well: All worldly affairs must follow the natural order, but the methods of alchemy and burial must be reversed. This is precisely where they differ from the worldly methods. As the saying goes: After breaking one's arm three times, one becomes a good physician. Our brothers have endured many hardships, our hair has turned white, and with our limited insights, we have each written treatises, naming them "Sanmei," to explain the meaning of the transmission outside the teachings. Please kindly correct us, esteemed and virtuous gentlemen. Written by Xu Shanshu, a man from Dexing Tianmen Mountain, in the year Renwu of the Wenchang era, January, at the Yan Mountain Cottage of the Du Li family in Chu Yun.