General Outline: the Heart Is the Root of Appearance; Conduct Is the Issuing of the Heart

心者貌之根，審心而善惡自見；行者心之發，觀行而禍福可知。出納不公平，難得兒孫長育；語言多反覆，應知心腹無依。消沮閉藏，必是好貪之輩；披肝露膽，決為英傑之人。心和氣平，可卜孫榮兼子貴；才偏性執，不遭大禍必奇窮。

The heart is the root of appearance; examine a person’s stored intention, and his good and evil naturally appear. Conduct is the issuing of the inner heart; observe a person’s doings, and his misfortune and fortune can be foreknown. This opening couplet establishes the purport of the whole book: so-called “physiognomy of the heart” does not look at bone structure and skin appearance, but only at the art of the heart, and the art of the heart must borrow doings to show its traces. In taking in and giving out silver and money, in assigning affairs, if one will not hold to fairness, it is that partiality is already stored in the heart; this measure of harshness will fall on later generations, so descendants are hard to raise to maturity. Speech that reverses and has no constancy, saying one thing today and another tomorrow: one may know that in his breast there is no fixed holding; to associate with such a person is in the end to have nothing to rely on. One fault is in profit, one in speech; both are stored intention that is not sincere. Those whose expression is dejected and withdrawn, who conceal and hide in every matter, are necessarily of the class that covets gain and fears others sharing the profit. Those willing to lay their liver and gall open for others to see are certainly outstanding heroes. One hides, one reveals: the narrowness and breadth of the breast are distinguished here. Those whose heart-ground is peaceful and whose temperament is calm can be forecast to have descendants illustrious and noble, because harmonious qi (氣) of itself invites blessing. Those whose talent is one-sided and whose temperament is obstinate, if they do not meet great disaster, will necessarily be extraordinarily poor, because the obstinate contend with people everywhere, and the road will only grow narrower.

轉眼無情，貧寒夭促；時談念舊，富貴期頤。重富欺貧，焉可托妻寄子；敬老慈幼，必然裕後光前。輕口出違言，壽元短折；忘恩思小怨，科第難成。小富小貴易盈，刑災準有；大富大貴不動，厚福無疆。欺蔽陰私，縱有榮華兒不享；公平正直，雖無子息死為神。

Those who turn the face and no longer acknowledge a person have thin feeling and thin blessing, mostly poor and short-lived. Those who often speak of old acquaintances and remember former friendship are loyal and lasting, and therefore can be wealthy and noble and enjoy the hundred years of “qiyi.” Those who value the rich and bully the poor—how can one entrust wife and children to them? People who follow heat and attach themselves to power cannot be relied on. Those who honor the old and are kind to the young will necessarily “enrich those after and glorify those before,” both making later generations ample and adding luster to the ancestors. Reckless speech, “contrary words” that wound people as they leave the mouth, leave others no room, and the span of life will thereby be cut. Forgetting others’ great kindness while keeping small grudges in the heart: with a measure so narrow, examination ranks and official names are naturally hard to achieve. Those who, with a little money and a little status, are already self-satisfied: this qi of pride will certainly invite punishment, wound, and disaster. True great wealth and great nobility are instead still and unmoving; the bearing can hold steady, and thick blessing then has no end. One overflows, one is settled: being able to keep blessing and being unable to keep it are distinguished here. Those who deceive, conceal, and in the dark do things that cannot see the light, even if they earn glory, descendants cannot enjoy it. Those who hold themselves fair and upright, even if they have no sons, after death will receive shrines and sacrifice and become spirits.

開口說輕生，臨大節決然規避；逢人稱知己，即深交究竟平常。處大事不辭勞怨，堪為樑棟之材；遇小故輒避嫌疑，豈是腹心之寄。與物難堪，不測亡身還害子；待人有地，無端得福更延年。迷花戀酒，閫中妻妾參商；利己損人，膝下兒孫悖逆。賤買田園，決生敗子；尊崇師傅，定產賢郎。

Those who open the mouth and speak of life and death as extremely light, who at every turn claim they do not begrudge dying: when they truly come to a great crisis where they ought to come forward, they will certainly and decisively hide—the daily heroic words are only cheapness of the mouth. Those who call everyone a bosom friend, who pour out the heart at meeting: even if one associates deeply with them, the feeling is in the end ordinary—overflowing friendship was never worth much. Those who take on great affairs and do not refuse labor and bitterness, who do not fear inviting resentment, are fit to be called timber of beams and pillars. Those who, meeting a small matter, hurry to avoid suspicion and protect themselves—how can they be treated as confidants to be entrusted? One takes, one avoids: whether there is responsibility is immediately clear. Those who in treating people and things are only harsh, who make others uncomfortable, will not only themselves meet unexpected calamity, but will also implicate their sons. Those who leave others room, who do not do speech and affairs to the extreme, will obtain blessing without cause, and even lifespan will lengthen with it. Those lost in flowers and willows, greedy for the cup: within the household gate wives and concubines are like the Shen and Shang stars, one rising as the other sets, at odds all day. Those who only regard their own gain and harm others: the sons and grandsons at the knee follow in being unfilial—teaching by example being thus, retribution first answers in the household. Those who take advantage of others’ extremity to buy their fields cheap: starting a household by harshness, they will certainly produce a son who ruins the family. Those who honor teachers and treat generously those who imparted learning will certainly produce worthy sons.

愚魯人，說話尖酸刻薄，既貧窮，必損壽元；聰明子，語言木訥優容，享安康，且膺封誥。患難中能守者，若讀書，可作朝廷柱石之臣；安樂中若忘者，縱低才，豈非金榜青雲之客。鄙吝勤勞，亦有大富小康之別，宜觀其量；奢侈靡麗，寧無奇人浪子之分，必視其才。弗以見小為守成，惹禍破家難免；莫認惜福為慳吝，輕財仗義盡多。

Dull and clumsy people, when they speak, happen to be sharp, sour, and harsh: such people, already poor, will further cut their span of life—talent is not enough to establish themselves, and the tongue further invites disaster for them. Intelligent young men, when they speak, are instead wooden, generous, and willing to yield a step: such both enjoy peace and health, and can obtain the honor of court patents. Thus auspicious and inauspicious lie not in dullness and intelligence, but in the virtue of the mouth. Those who, in hardship, can still keep their integrity: if they are willing to study and advance, they can be pillar-ministers of the court. Those who, in ease and pleasure, are calmly as if forgetting, who do not put wealth and honor on their hearts: even if their talent is ordinary, how would they not be guests of the golden list and the blue clouds? Not losing integrity in poverty, not being proud in success: both are verifications that the heart-ground is steady. Likewise stingy and diligent: within this there is still the distinction of great wealth and modest comfort, and one must look at the measure. Those of large measure can accumulate great wealth; those of small measure get only warmth and fullness. Likewise luxurious and lavish: within this there may not fail to be the distinction of extraordinary people and prodigal sons, and one must look at the talent. Those with talent whose spending is grandeur; those without talent whose spending is ruining the family. Do not take short sight that only regards small present profit as “keeping what is established”—inviting disaster and breaking the household is then hard to avoid. Do not mistake cherishing blessing and being economical for “stinginess”—among those who understand cherishing blessing, those who treat wealth lightly and act righteously are precisely many.

處事遲而不急，大器晚成；見機決而能藏，高才早發。有能吝教，己無成子亦無成；見過隱規，身可托家亦可托。知足與自滿不同，一則矜而受災，一則謙而獲福；大才與見才自別，一則誕而多敗，一則實而有成。

Those who handle affairs steadily, not in a hurry: achievement comes late, yet it is “a great vessel completed late.” Those who, seeing opportunity, can decide at once, and afterward can hold it in and not display it: these are high talents, and they flourish early. One late, one decisive, seeming opposite, both take not being flighty as the root. Those who have ability yet are stingy and unwilling to teach others: with a measure of the heart so narrow, not only can they themselves not become great vessels, their sons likewise have no achievement—those who hide the private simply cannot teach others. Those who, seeing others’ faults, are willing to admonish privately and gently and not expose them in public: person and household can be entrusted to them, and the old and young of a whole gate can be entrusted to them. “Knowing sufficiency” and “self-satisfaction” seem near, yet are opposite: the self-satisfied rely on themselves and are proud, and by pride invite disaster; those who know sufficiency keep their lot and are humble, and by humble withdrawal obtain blessing. True great talent and thinking oneself talented also have their own distinction: those who think themselves talented speak wildly and fail in many doings; those of true great talent are solid and steady, and their doings have achievement.

忮求念勝，圖名利，到底遜人；惻隱心多，遇艱難，中途獲救。不分德怨，料難至乎遐年；較量錙銖，豈足期乎大受？過剛者圖謀易就，災傷豈保全無？太柔者作事難成，平福亦能安受。

The Airs of Bei, “The Male Pheasant,” in the Book of Songs says “neither jealous nor greedy.” Once the thoughts of envy and insatiable craving occupy the upper hand, such people only scheme for name and profit, and in the end are everywhere inferior to others. Those with much compassion and pity, meeting hardship and danger, will always have someone come to save them midway: that is the good affinity planted in ordinary days coming to receive them. Those who make no distinction of kindness and resentment, who act on temperament: one may expect they will hardly live to high age. Those who weigh every zhu of small profit: with such a measure, how can one speak of bearing great blessing and great position? Those too hard and strong accomplish plots easily, yet the extreme of hardness must snap—how can wounds and disasters be guaranteed to be entirely absent? Those too soft often find affairs hard to complete, yet softness can contain things, and ordinary blessing they can steadily enjoy. Hard and soft each have gain and loss; in all things, going one measure beyond is already a disease.

樂處生悲，一生辛苦；怒時反笑，至老奸邪。好矜己善，弗再望乎功名；樂摘人非，最足傷乎性命。責人重而責己輕，弗與同謀共事；功歸人而過歸己，盡堪救患扶災。處家孝弟無虧，簪纓奕世；與世吉凶同患，血食千年。

Suddenly giving rise to grief in the midst of a joyful occasion: the mechanism of qi always goes contrary; such people labor and toil through life. Piling up a smile when they ought to be angry: anger is not issued and the heart’s mechanism is deeply stored; to old age they are treacherous people. Those who like to boast of their own good: once good is self-praised, blessing is cut, and official name need not be hoped for again. Those who like to pick others’ faults: the resentment invited by the tongue is deepest, and most able to wound one’s own life. Those who blame others heavily and themselves lightly must not be plotted and worked with—when the affair succeeds they take the merit, when it fails they shift the blame. Those who push merit to others and take fault on themselves can fully bear the heavy charge of rescuing others from urgency and supporting them in disaster. Those who at home are filial to parents and friendly to brothers without the least deficit: the household can have “official pins and tassels through successive generations,” producing officials generation after generation. Those willing to bear auspicious and inauspicious, fortune and misfortune, together with all under Heaven: after death they have temples and receive sacrifice, “blood food” not ceasing for a thousand years. One is accumulating virtue in the household, one in the world; the retribution has large and small, yet the principle is only one.

曲意周全知有後，任情激搏必凶亡。易變臉，薄福之人奚較；耐久朋，能容之士可宗。好與人爭，滋培淺而前程有限；必求自反，蓄積厚而事業能伸。少年飛揚浮動，顏子之限難過；壯歲冒昧昏迷，不惑之期怎免？喜怒不擇輕重，一事無成；笑罵不審是非，知交斷絕。

Those willing to bend their own meaning to complete others, to make affairs whole: one may judge they have later blessing and later descendants. Those who only follow temperament and fiercely contend with people will necessarily die a violent death. One soft, one violent: the endings differ as Heaven and Earth. Those who at every turn change face are people of thin blessing; why calculate with them? Friends who can be long associated with are gentlemen of capacity, and can be taken as a model. Those who like to contend and strive with people have the root of virtue cultivated shallow, and their prospects are therefore limited. Those who, meeting affairs, necessarily turn back and question themselves have virtue accumulated thick, and only then can their enterprise stretch open. Those who in youth are flighty and floating, whose minds cannot settle: even the “limit of Yanzi”—the pass at which Yan Hui of Confucius’s school died at thirty-two—is hard to get past. Those who in the prime of life are still rash and benighted, who do not know to examine themselves: how can they escape the year of forty, “no longer deluded”? Joy and anger issuing without distinguishing the weight of the matter: temperament used in the wrong place, not one affair can be accomplished. Laughing, scolding, without distinguishing right and wrong: even bosom friends are cut off.

濟急拯危，亦有時乎貧乏，福自天來；解紛排難，恐亦涉乎囹圄，名揚海內。餓死豈在紋描，拋衣撒飯；瘟亡不由運數，罵地咒天。甘受人欺，有子忽然大發；常思退步，一身終得安閒。

Those who rescue urgency and save from peril will themselves at times fall into poverty, yet the retribution of blessing will come of itself from Heaven. Those who resolve disputes and dissolve difficulties for others may, if things go badly, even be drawn into prison, yet their name instead spreads within the four seas: doing good occasionally meets setback, yet in the end one does not lose. Death by starvation is hardly decided by the lines at the mouth-corners in physiognomy books: it is invited by throwing clothes, scattering food, and wasting Heaven’s things in ordinary days. Death by plague is also not by the numbers of destiny: it is drawn by cursing earth and Heaven, issuing evil sounds, in ordinary days. These two sentences most show the purport of the whole piece: disaster is not in the appearance, but in the conduct. Those who willingly suffer others’ bullying and do not calculate with people often have sons who suddenly flourish: that is room left for descendants. Those who in all things often think of stepping back obtain, to the end of their persons, ease and freedom.

舉止不失其常，非貴亦須大富，壽可知矣；喜怒不形於色，成名還立大功，奸亦有之。無事失措倉皇，光如閃電；有難怡然不動，安若泰山。積功累仁，百年必報；大出小入，數世其昌。人事可憑，天道不爽。

Those whose movements never lose their constant measure, who are not panicked or disordered: if not noble, they should still be greatly wealthy, and how the span of life is may then be imagined. Those whose joy and anger do not show on the face can make a name and also establish great merit—yet here the author specially leaves the sentence “the treacherous also have this”: treacherous heroes of deep inner rooms likewise do not show joy and anger on the face, so one cannot look at a person by one appearance alone. Those who, with nothing the matter, lose their composure and are panicked: the edge is exposed and the spirit cannot be kept; even if there is a moment of brilliance, it is as fast as lightning. Those who, facing great disaster, remain calmly unmoved: steady as Mount Tai, the blessing is naturally thick. Households that accumulate merit and pile up humanity will within a hundred years necessarily obtain return. Those who give much and take little, who are willing to scatter wealth and keep themselves frugal: several generations all flourish. The good and evil of human affairs are enough to rely on; the retribution of the Way of Heaven has never been in error. These two sentences are the general close of the first half of the piece.

如何飧刀飲劍？君子剛愎自用，小人行險僥倖。如何投河自縊？男人才短蹈危，女子氣盛見逼。如何短折亡身？出薄言，做薄事，存薄心，種種皆薄；如何凶災惡死？多陰毒，積陰私，有陰行，事事皆陰。如何暴疾而歿？色慾空虛。如何毒瘡而終？肥甘凝膩。如何老後無嗣？性情孤潔。如何盛年喪子？心地欺瞞。如何多遭火盜？刻剝民財。如何時犯官府？調停失當。

Why do some die under knife and sword? The gentleman is obstinate and self-using, not listening to counsel and treading dangerous ground himself; the small man rushes into danger, hoping to succeed by luck. Why do some throw themselves in the river or hang themselves? Men are short of talent, knowing the danger yet forcing through, until at last they have no road; women have temperament too flourishing, pressing others and unwilling to yield, and for a moment cannot think it through. Why do some die young? Only because what they say is harsh speech, what they do is harsh affairs, what they store is a harsh heart—everything is thin. Blessing is originally nourished by thickness; thinning it everywhere, blessing is first exhausted. Why do some meet violent disaster and evil death? Only because the heart has much hidden poison, in the dark they accumulate hidden private, behind the back they have hidden doings—every affair cannot see the light. Why do some die of sudden illness? Indulging in lust, they have hollowed out the essence and qi. Why do some end with poisonous sores? Day after day fat meat and sweet flavors, grease accumulating within. Why do some have no posterity in old age? Temperament solitary, considering themselves lofty, unwilling to be close to people, and the affinity of feeling is then cut. Why do some lose sons in the prime of life? The heart-ground deceives and conceals people; retribution happens to answer in the place they love most. Why do some repeatedly meet fire and robbery? Scraping and exploiting the common people’s money: the source is unrighteous, and naturally it cannot be kept. Why do some often eat lawsuits? Handling affairs and mediating is unsuitable, and both sides are offended.

何知端揆首輔？常懷濟物之心。何知拜將封侯？獨挾蓋世之氣。何知玉堂金馬？動容清麗。何知建牙擁節？氣概凌霄。何知丞簿下吏？量平膽薄。何知明經教職？志近行拘。何知苗而不秀？非惟愚蠢更荒唐。何知秀而不實？蓋謂自賢兼短行。

How does one know who can be chancellor and chief minister? Look whether in his heart there is constantly the thought of relieving the ten thousand things—the weight of a chancellor lies in being able to contain all under Heaven. How does one know who can be appointed general and enfeoffed as marquis? Look whether he alone has a force of qi covering the age—the true color of a commander lies in daring to meet a great enemy. How does one know who can enter the “Jade Hall and Golden Horse,” occupying a pure and important post in the Hanlin? Look whether his bearing and complexion are refined and elegant: that is the pure qi of the literary garden. How does one know who can “plant the ivory standard and hold the staff,” planting flags and holding the staff to garrison a region? Look whether his bearing rises straight into the clouds: that is the awe-heavy qi of the staff of authority. How does one know who can only be a county assistant, registrar, or such small clerks? The measure is ordinary, the courage thin, unable to support a great situation. How does one know who can only obtain a teaching post of a Mingjing graduate? The aim is near, the conduct constrained: they can keep the rules but cannot open a situation. How does one know who is what the Analects, “Zihan,” calls “a sprout that does not flower,” putting forth a sprout yet not heading? Not only is the stuff dull; the doings are further wild. How does one know who is “flowering yet not fruiting,” heading yet not setting fruit? In general they consider themselves worthy, and in virtue there is further deficit.

若論婦人，先須靜默；從來淑女，不貴才能。有威嚴，當膺一品之封；少修飾，準掌萬金之重。多言好勝，縱然有嗣必傷身；盡孝兼慈，不特助夫還旺子。貧苦中毫無怨詈，兩國褒封；富貴時常惜衣糧，滿堂榮慶。奴婢成群，定是寬宏待下；資財盈篋，決然勤儉持家。悍婦多因性妒，老後無歸；奚婆定是情乖，少年浪走。為甚欺夫？顯然淫行。緣何無子？暗裡傷人。

Coming to the appearance of women, first one must look whether she is quiet and of few words—old physiognomy books found their argument on stillness being able to nourish blessing. Those who from antiquity have been called virtuous ladies: what is valued is not talent and ability. Those with a bearing of dignity and gravity should receive the patent of the first rank. Those who do not love painting and powder, who little occupy themselves with adornment, can certainly manage a household estate of ten thousand gold, because the mind does not run outward. Those of many words who further like to contend: even if they have sons, they will necessarily wound themselves. Those filial above and kind below: not only assist the husband, but can also make sons and daughters flourish. Those who in poverty have not the least word of complaint or curse can later receive patents of the class of “Lady of Two States.” Those who in wealth and honor still often cherish clothes and grain: the full hall of descendants share glory and celebration. One is being able to be at peace in hardship; one is being able to be frugal in plenty. Those with slaves and maids in groups: necessarily the mistress is generous and treats those below well, so people are willing to attach themselves. Those with resources filling the chests: necessarily they have been accumulated by diligent and frugal household management. Fierce women are mostly so because of a jealous temperament, and in old age have nowhere to rely. Those who fall to be old servants drifting in other households: necessarily the temperament is perverse, and in youth they already wandered outside. Why would there be bullying of the husband? Clearly the conduct is licentious, and only thus is there no restraint. Why would there be no sons? They have in the dark harmed people, and damaged hidden virtue.

合觀前論，歷試無差；勉教後來，猶期善變。信乎骨格步位，相輔而行；允矣血氣精神，由之而顯。知其善而守之，錦上添花；知其惡而弗為，禍轉為福！

Taking the foregoing items together and going one by one to verify them against the affairs of the world: through the ages there has been no error. Writing these to encourage and teach those who come after, one still hopes people can change from evil and move toward good. The doctrines of bone structure and walking position spoken of in physiognomy do indeed walk as auxiliaries with the physiognomy of the heart, and are not entirely without warrant. The clarity and turbidity, vigor and weakness of blood, qi, and spirit do indeed appear from the physiognomy of the heart—only here does the author gather form-appearance back into heart-appearance: form does not stand empty, it is only the outer showing of the heart. Knowing which things are good and being able to keep them: that is brocade added to flowers, blessing added to blessing. Knowing which things are evil and being able not to do them: one turns already-formed disaster into blessing. The landing place of the whole piece is precisely these four characters: “appearance turns with the heart.”