Ma Qian Ke (馬前課)

作者：諸葛亮（白鶴山僧守元解釋）

This book is titled as the work of Zhuge Liang, Chancellor of Shu-Han in the Three Kingdoms, and is appended with the explanations of Monk Shouyuan of White Crane Mountain. The so-called “divinations before the horse” are, by the old account, oracles Zhuge Liang uttered on horseback while on campaign, fourteen lessons in all, each a prophetic verse of four lines and sixteen characters, followed by a “Verification says” that marks the yin and yang of the six lines and the hexagram name they form, and then an “Explanation says” recording Shouyuan’s commentary. The ascription to Zhuge Liang is not found in Tang or Song sources, and scholars generally regard it as a later attribution. Here it is transcribed as it stands in the base text, without a judgment of authenticity.

無力迴天，鞠躬盡瘁，陰居陽拂，八千女鬼。證曰：陽陰陰陰陰陽，在卦為頤。解曰：諸葛鞠躬盡瘁而死，後蜀漢後主降於魏。

This lesson’s line-image is open-solid-solid-solid-solid-open, and the old recension ranks it a “middle-lower” lesson. The surface meaning of the prophetic verse is: there is no longer strength to turn Heaven’s will back; one can only bow respectfully and exhaust one’s strength until death; yin qi occupies the inside while yang qi is brushed against; the four characters “eight thousand female ghosts” combine into the character Wei (the character Wei can be split into wei and gui; wei can further be split into he and nü; old character-splitters habitually called it “eight thousand female ghosts”). The “Verification says” lists the six lines from bottom to top as yang, yin, yin, yin, yin, yang, matching exactly the twenty-seventh hexagram of the Zhouyi, Mountain over Thunder, Yi (頤, Nourishment)—two yangs above and below enclosing four yins, the image of solid without and empty within, awaiting nourishment. Shouyuan explains: Zhuge Liang bowed and exhausted himself until he died; later the Later Sovereign of Shu-Han, Liu Shan, surrendered to Cao Wei. The whole lesson begins with Zhuge Liang himself and the end of Shu-Han.

火上有火，光燭中土，稱名不正，江東有虎。證曰：陽陰陽陽陰陽，在卦為離。解曰：司馬炎篡魏，元帝都建康屬江東。

This lesson’s line-image is open-solid-open-open-solid-open, ranked “middle-lower.” The verse says: there is fire above fire, its light illuminating the central lands; the title came by no rightful name; in the Jiangdong region there is the stance of a crouching tiger. “Fire above fire” is the character Yan, and the old reading refers to Emperor Wu of the Western Jin, Sima Yan. The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yang, yin, yang, yang, yin, yang, matching the thirtieth hexagram of the Zhouyi, Li (離)—Li is Fire, corresponding exactly to “fire above fire.” Shouyuan explains: Sima Yan usurped Cao Wei and founded Jin, hence “the title came by no rightful name”; later Emperor Yuan of Jin, Sima Rui, crossed south and made Jiankang his capital; Jiankang belongs to Jiangdong, hence “in Jiangdong there is a tiger.” This lesson is by the old reading attached to the change of dynasties at the turn of the two Jins.

擾擾中原，山河無主，二三其位，羊終馬始。證曰：陽陰陰陰陰陰，在卦為剝。解曰：五代始於司馬，終於楊氏。

This lesson’s line-image is open-solid-solid-solid-solid-solid, ranked “lower-lower.” The verse says: the Central Plains are in turmoil and unrest; mountains and rivers have no common lord; the imperial seat changes again and again; it begins with “horse” and ends with “sheep.” The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yang, yin, yin, yin, yin, yin, matching the twenty-third hexagram of the Zhouyi, Mountain over Earth, Bo (剝, Splitting Apart)—five yins below eroding one yang, the image of peeling nearly complete, matching an age of chaos in which “mountains and rivers have no lord.” Shouyuan explains: this stretch of chaos begins with the Sima clan and ends with the Yang clan. “Horse” puns on Sima; “sheep” puns on Yang. The old reading refers to the long division after the disorders of the Western Jin Sima clan, through the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Northern and Southern Dynasties, until Yang Jian of the Sui reunified. Shouyuan’s original text says “Five Dynasties,” taking the meaning of the generations after the Five Barbarians’ disorder of China, not the Five Dynasties at the end of Tang later commonly so called.

十八男兒，起於太原，動則得解，日月麗天。證曰：陰陰陽陰陽陰，在卦為解。解曰：李唐起於太原，武曌稱周。

This lesson’s line-image is solid-solid-open-solid-open-solid, ranked “middle-upper.” The verse says: “eighteen male children” arise from Taiyuan; once they move, release is obtained; sun and moon hang high in Heaven. “Eighteen” plus “son” (a male child is a son) combine into the character Li. The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yin, yin, yang, yin, yang, yin, matching the fortieth hexagram of the Zhouyi, Thunder over Water, Jie (解, Release)—the image of danger and difficulty dispersing, answering exactly the line “once they move, release is obtained.” Shouyuan explains: the Li Tang dynasty raised troops at Taiyuan; later Wu Zhao changed Tang into Zhou. The character Zhao was coined by Wu Zetian herself, taking the meaning “sun and moon in the midst of the sky,” matching exactly “sun and moon adorn Heaven.” This lesson is by the old reading attached to the founding of Tang and Wu Zhou’s replacing Tang.

五十年中，其數有八，小人道長，生靈荼毒。證曰：陽陽陽陰陰陰，在卦為否。解曰：五代八姓，共五十三年。

This lesson’s line-image is open-open-open-solid-solid-solid, ranked “lower-middle.” The verse says: within fifty years, the number is eight; the way of small men grows day by day; the common people suffer poison and hardship. The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yang, yang, yang, yin, yin, yin, matching the twelfth hexagram of the Zhouyi, Heaven over Earth, Pi (否, Obstruction)—the Commentary on the Judgments says precisely “the way of small men grows, the way of the gentleman recedes,” and the third line of the verse uses this ready-made phrase, showing that the author founds his words on the hexagram statement. Shouyuan explains: the age of the Five Dynasties ran through eight surnames, fifty-three years in all. The old reading attaches this to the successive chaos of Liang, Tang, Jin, Han, and Zhou after the fall of Tang.

惟天生水，順天應人，剛中柔外，土乃生金。證曰：陰陽陽陰陽陽，在卦為兌。解曰：趙宋黃袍加身，而立敵為金。

This lesson’s line-image is solid-open-open-solid-open-open, ranked “upper-middle.” The verse says: Heaven alone gives birth to Water; above it follows Heaven’s will, below it answers the people’s hearts; within, firm and vigorous, without, soft; Earth in turn gives birth to Metal. “Heaven alone gives birth to Water” uses the saying of the tradition of the Appended Statements, “Heaven’s one gives birth to Water”; the old reading refers to the Zhao Song claiming to carry the Mandate by the virtue of Water. “Following Heaven and answering people” comes from the Commentary on the Judgments of the hexagram Ge (革, Revolution) in the Zhouyi, “following Heaven and answering people,” referring to a change of dynasty that accords with Heaven and humanity. The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yin, yang, yang, yin, yang, yang, matching the fifty-eighth hexagram of the Zhouyi, Dui (兌)—Dui is the marsh; its virtue is “firm within and soft without,” and the third line of the verse uses the original wording of Dui’s Commentary on the Judgments. Shouyuan explains: Zhao Kuangyin, after the Chenqiao mutiny and the yellow robe placed upon him, founded Song; later there appeared the Jin state as Song’s enemy; “Earth then gives birth to Metal” takes the Five Phases meaning of Earth generating Metal to answer the dynastic name “Jin.”

一元復始，以剛處中，五五相傳，爾西我東。證曰：陰陽陰陽陽陰，在卦為井。解曰：元代共十主，後各汗國分裂。

This lesson’s line-image is solid-open-solid-open-open-solid, ranked “middle-middle.” The verse says: one cycle begins again; with the virtue of firmness one occupies the center; five and five are transmitted; you in the west, I in the east. The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yin, yang, yin, yang, yang, yin, matching the forty-eighth hexagram of the Zhouyi, Water over Wind, Jing (井, the Well)—the Commentary on the Judgments says “the town may be changed but the well is not changed, for it is by firmness in the center,” and the second line of the verse takes this wording. Shouyuan explains: the Yuan dynasty had ten sovereigns in all, “five and five” being two fives added to make ten; later the various khanates split, each occupying a side, east and west, answering exactly “you west, I east.” This lesson is by the old reading attached to the rise and fall of Yuan and the division of the Mongol khanates.

日月麗天，其色若赤，綿綿延延，凡十六葉。證曰：陽陽陰陰陰陽，在卦為益。解曰：朱即赤，日月是明，共十六主。

This lesson’s line-image is open-open-solid-solid-solid-open, ranked “upper-upper.” The verse says: sun and moon hang high in Heaven; their color is like red; the lineage stretches on and on; sixteen generations in all. The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yang, yang, yin, yin, yin, yang, matching the forty-second hexagram of the Zhouyi, Wind over Thunder, Yi (益, Increase)—the image of diminishing above to increase below, its way greatly bright. Shouyuan explains: “red” is “Zhu,” referring to the surname of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang; the two characters “sun” and “moon” combine into “Ming,” the dynastic name; the Ming had sixteen sovereigns in all, hence “sixteen leaves” (leaf means generation). This lesson’s method of taking images belongs to the same path of splitting and combining characters as “eight thousand female ghosts” in the first lesson.

水月有主，古月為君，十傳絕統，相敬若賓。證曰：陽陰陽陰陰陰，在卦為晉。解曰：水月有主是清也，古月是胡也，滿清十皇朝最後亡於宣統。

This lesson’s line-image is open-solid-open-solid-solid-solid, ranked “middle-upper.” The verse says: water, moon, and host join together; “ancient moon” is the ruler; at the tenth transmission the orthodox line is cut; they treat one another with the respect of guests. The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yang, yin, yang, yin, yin, yin, matching the thirty-fifth hexagram of the Zhouyi, Fire over Earth, Jin (晉, Advance)—the image of brightness issuing above the earth, the soft advancing and going upward. Shouyuan explains: the three characters “water, moon, host” combine into Qing (the water radical, moon, and host), referring to the Qing dynasty; the two characters “ancient” and “moon” combine into “Hu,” indicating origin beyond the passes; the Manchu Qing ran through ten reigns and finally ended with Xuantong; the “tong” in “the tenth transmission cuts the line” answers exactly the reign title Xuantong. This method of combining and concealing characters is the regular practice of weft and prophetic books; the reader need only know the convention, and need not take every character as having a divine verification.

豕後牛前，千人一口，五二倒置，朋來無咎。證曰：陰陽陰陽陰陰，在卦為蹇。解曰：豕後牛前，辛亥也；千人一口為和；五二倒置是民也；朋者外邦也。

This lesson’s line-image is solid-open-solid-open-solid-solid, ranked “middle-lower.” The verse says: after the pig and before the ox; “a thousand people, one mouth”; “five and two inverted”; companions come, and there is no fault. The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yin, yang, yin, yang, yin, yin, matching the thirty-ninth hexagram of the Zhouyi, Water over Mountain, Jian (蹇, Obstruction)—the image of danger ahead and walking hard. The last line, “companions come, no fault,” is a ready-made phrase from the hexagram statement of Fu (復, Return) in the Zhouyi. Shouyuan explains: among the twelve animals the pig is Hai and the ox is Chou; “after the pig and before the ox” is between Hai and Chou, which he takes as Xinhai; “a thousand people, one mouth” combine into the character He (harmony); “five and two inverted” he explains as the character Min (the people); “companions” refers to foreign states. This lesson’s explanation has the most forced readings; here only the old explanation is transcribed as it stands, with no further extension.

四門乍闢，突如其來，晨雞一聲，其道大衰。證曰：陽陰陽陽陰陽，在卦為離。解曰：當朝之象也，四門乍闢謂為門戶開放；酉年當期時，無人再相信其道理故。

This lesson’s line-image is open-solid-open-open-solid-open, ranked “middle-lower.” The verse says: the gates of the four directions suddenly open; the matter comes all at once; at dawn the cock crows once; its way greatly declines. The four characters “comes all at once” come from the line statement of Li’s Nine in the Fourth, “coming all at once, as if”; the “dawn cock” then answers Li as Fire, as the south, as the image of culture and brightness. The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yang, yin, yang, yang, yin, yang, matching the thirtieth hexagram of the Zhouyi, Li, the same hexagram as the second lesson. Shouyuan explains: this speaks of the image of that time; “the four gates suddenly open” refers to the opening of doors and gates; the “dawn cock” refers to a You year; by that time people no longer believe the principle within. Shouyuan’s explanation here is vague in meaning and does not name what is referred to; it is recorded as in the original, with no supplementary comment.

拯患救難，是唯聖人，陽復而治，晦極生明。證曰：陰陽陽陽陽陰，在卦為大過。解曰：當來之象也，災難當頭之極，其時聖人出現，救苦救難故。

This lesson’s line-image is solid-open-open-open-open-solid, ranked “upper-middle.” The verse says: he who can rescue from trouble and difficulty is only a sage; yang qi returns and the realm is governed; when darkness reaches its extreme, brightness is born. “Yang returns” uses the meaning of the hexagram Fu in the Zhouyi, one yang coming back; “when darkness reaches its extreme, brightness is born” communicates with Ming Yi’s using darkness to become bright; both are the principle of reversal after the extreme. The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yin, yang, yang, yang, yang, yin, matching the twenty-eighth hexagram of the Zhouyi, Marsh over Wind, Da Guo (大過, Great Exceeding)—four yangs in the center and a yin at each end, the hexagram of doing extraordinary things in extraordinary times. Shouyuan explains: this is the image of what is to come; when disaster reaches its peak, a sage will appear to rescue from suffering and difficulty. This lesson belongs to prophecy of the future and cannot of itself be verified; the reader need only know that it is what the old explanation conjectured.

賢不遺野，天下一家，無名無德，光耀中華。證曰：陽陰陰陽陽陽，在卦為大畜。解曰：世界大同之象。

This lesson’s line-image is open-solid-solid-open-open-open, ranked “upper-middle.” The verse says: not one worthy is left behind in the wilds; all under Heaven become one family; there is no need to advertise name and virtue; radiance shines upon Zhonghua. “Not one worthy left in the wilds” adapts the wording of the Counsels of the Great Yu in the Book of Documents, “in the wilds there is no leftover worthy”; “all under Heaven one family” comes from the Evolution of Rites in the Record of Rites, an old phrase of the Confucian teaching of Great Unity. The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yang, yin, yin, yang, yang, yang, matching the twenty-sixth hexagram of the Zhouyi, Mountain over Heaven, Da Xu (大畜, Great Accumulation)—the image of firm vigor and solid substance, daily renewing its virtue and honoring worthies, answering exactly “not one worthy left in the wilds.” Shouyuan uses only one sentence to explain: this is the scene of the Great Unity of the world.

占得此課，易數乃終，前古後今，其道無窮。證曰：陽陰陽陰陽陰，在卦為未濟。

This lesson’s line-image is open-solid-open-solid-open-solid, ranked “middle-lower.” The verse says: when one obtains this lesson, the numbers of the Changes come to an end here; from remote antiquity to the present, the Way within them has no exhaustion. The “Verification says” lists the six lines as yang, yin, yang, yin, yang, yin, matching the sixty-fourth hexagram of the Zhouyi, Fire over Water, Wei Ji (未濟, Not Yet Completed)—the Zhouyi’s sixty-four hexagrams end the book with Wei Ji, taking precisely the meaning that affairs have no final end and circulate without cease; this lesson is used as the close of the whole book, with the same intent as the arrangement of the Zhouyi. In the base text this lesson has only the prophetic verse and the Verification says, and has no “Explanation says” section; Shouyuan’s commentary stops at the thirteenth lesson.