Cultivating Virtue

The conclusion of Tian Yu Jing 天玉經 emphasizes on virtue:

若還求地不種德   穩口深藏舌

If people only want fortunate site ignoring cultivating virtue, then keep your mouth tight with your tongue well hidden.

This refers to selection of virtuous clients but more importantly virtuous disciples.

I have seen people using Feng Shui with an intention to capture fame and fortune from neighbours. I have also seen master and disciple bitterly and openly attacking each other and the cause is also fame and fortune. If these people really possess good Feng Shui knowledge, they would have been enjoying all the benefits of good Feng Shui. Action speaks louder than words. No matter what the wild claims may be, their action brutally tears the mask off to show the true colours.

JY

Five Arts 五術

The five arts are Shan 山(mountain), Yi 醫(medicine), Ming
命(destiny reading), Bu 卜(divination), and Xiang 相(reading
from appearance).

Shan is, in general, spiritual study and training. In
the old days in China, people became hermits living in
the mountains to receive this kind of training or to
self-train alone, totally detached from the outside
world.

It usually includes studying Daoist books like Lao Zi 老子
and Zhuang Zi 莊子 as the first stage. Practicing breathing
exercise (Qi Gong 氣功) and martial arts (Wu Shu 武術) will be the next
step. The third step is the practice of using
talisman (Fu 符), chanting (Zhou 咒) and creating alchemical pills (Dan 丹) for
longevity (Chang Sheng Bu Lao 長生不老).

Yi is the practice of medical treatment. It involves
internal medicine using herbs and accupuncture.

Ming is to study destiny based on the birth data of a
person. It includes Five Star Astrology, Qi Zheng Si
Yu, Zi Ping Ba Zi, and Zi Wei Dou Shu.

Bu is using the Yijing or other forms of communicating
with Heaven to know the picture of happenings in the
future. The earliest form of Feng Shui studies is
called Bu Zhai - assessment of a house by divination.
Later this developed into a special branch called Feng
Shui.

Xiang includes Face Reading, Palmistry and Bone
Feeling (telling by touching the bones).

All the five arts are inter-related. It is not easy to
have a thorough training in all the five arts. It is
enough to have a rough idea of all but specialize in
one or two areas.

JY

A Blessing

To meet a good teacher is a blessing. When I was young, I was lucky to have met an old man who taught me a little Kung Fu, which unfortunately was not my cup of tea. What I benefit most from him is the guidance to study metaphysics. He asked me, "Do you want to learn some secret formulas 秘訣 from me?" I replied, "Of course!"

He smiled, "Study the books with your heart, not with your eyes. Listen to me with your heart, not with your ears. Practise with the analytical mind, not from your memory. Ask questions and you will always get the answer even if you do not hear anything from me."

Well, 90% of what I know is from the books. The remaining 10% is through conversation with my teacher. The 10% is the annotation to the 90%. Sometimes my teacher did not answer my question. Then I knew that I have not prepared myself to ask. When I was ready to ask, I did not, as the answer was already in my heart.

What is most unexpected from my teacher is this: Do not thank me with your words. Thank me from your heart without words. Practice and teach with your heart and this is your deepest gratitude I can feel.

JY

Zi Wei Dou Shu (8) - Life is a Stage

In an introductory paragraph of an ancient book "Zi Wei Dou Shu Fei Xing Mi Yi 紫微斗數飛星秘儀", it is said:

Heaven and Earth are images. They can be traced by the track of qi. Therefore, the images of heavenly bodies can be used to forecast human activities. The reason is because everything is subjected to the law of wax and wane.It is a pity that human beings throughout their lives cannot escape the cage of heavenly images. It is enough to conclude that everything returns to the destiny of qi. The beginning and the end of Zi Wei Dou Shu can only follow this pattern - limited by qi 止乎[氣], ruled by mathematical formulas 法乎[數], flourishing with reasoning 極乎[理] and originated from imagery 宗乎[象].

Unfortunately the way most people learn to use Zi Wei Dou Shu or Bazi today has departed from this guideline.

The natal chart from a person's birth time creates a stage on which the person is to play a part. The mathermatical part is like the script of the play. The qi pattern of the chart limits the quality and ability of the person. The image generated by the chart is the sketch based on which he writes up the story. With reasonable decision a person can choose to live a life in a permitted flourishing way. The value of astrology is the presentation to a person a picture of his life and the guidance to live the best way he can.

JY

Zi Wei Dou Shu (7) - 三方四正

The term 三方四正 (three directions and four proper) is explained in almost all Zi Wei Dou Shu books as the combination of the three palaces (Shen, Zi and Chen), (Yin, Wu and Xu), (Si, You and Chou), (Hai, Mao and Wei) together with the opposite palace to form the four proper directions. Well, this is not convincing as it is awkward. The first part explaining the three directions as one of the four triangular combinations of branches is alright. The second part adding the opposite direction to form the four proper directions is simply awkward.

In fact, the second part when writtin in traditional vertical way has been mistaken as two characters. It is just one character 罡. This character has several meanings. |One meaning is the handle of the Big Dipper. Another meaing is from Daoist belief. There are 36 important stars collectively known as the thirty-six Tian Gang Xing 三十六天罡星. Now 三方四正 should be 三方罡 meaning the stars of the three palaces forming a triangular combination. Since the three palaces are very intimate because of the triangular combination, the stars in these three palaces affect each other much more than stars from other palaces. They should be considered relatives of the same big family. Then what about the opposite palace? Yes, it is very influential but it should be looked at from another angle. It has great impact on the palace considered. The force is direct and powerful.

Examine the pairs:

Life Palace and Travel Palace
Parents Palace and Health Palace
Happiness Palace and Wealth Palace
Properties Palace and Children Palace
Career Palace and Marriage Palace
Friends Palace and Brothers Palace

You will find that they are wonderfully connected. For example, most of our health conditions are inherited from our parents. On the other hand, our parents are most concerned and worried about our health. Right? A palace and its opposite are most affectionately affecting each other. You should see how cleverly the design of the Zi Wei Dou Shu chart was invented.

JY

Zi Wei Dou Shu (6) - Clarity School 明澄派

Zi Wei Dou Shu was exported to Japan under the name "Purple Multiflora Rose Astrology 紫薇斗數". It was introduced as a kind of astrological divination based on purple multiflora rose - 一種紫色蔷薇的星占.

According to this school, it began with the last emperor of Shang Dynasty - Shang Zhou Wang 商纣王. The novel Feng Shen Yan Yi  封神演義 is one of the most popular novels in China. Some of the important figures in this novel were picked with the soul brought to reside on the stars to become the souls of the stars. For example, the tyrant Zhou Wang 纣王 was brought to the star Tan Lang 貪狼 and the star adopts the personality of Zhou Wang. It is a clever way to introduce Zi Wei Dou Shu as it is interesting and considering the stars used as some kind of living spirit that can influence the human mind is quite correct. This was why I wrote several episodes of "Waltzing with the Stars". The series stopped as I found that there could not be a full correspondence between a man in history and a star used in Zi Wei Dou Shu.

The school was brought back to Taiwan with the name Tou Pai 透派 (Transparent School) or Ming Cheng Pai  明澄派 (Clarity School). The worst part of this school is to divide stars into auspicious stars and evil stars:

Auspicious stars:
1. Zi Wei Star 紫薇星 - virtuous and dignity
2. Tai Yang Xing 太陽星 - benevolence and brilliance
3. Tian Fu Xing 天府星 - charity and capability
4. Tian Tong Xing 天同星 - peace and harmony
5. Tian Xiang Xing 天相星 - service and romance
6. Tai Yin Xing 太陰星 - residence and purity
7. Tian Liang Xing 天梁星 - leadership and stability

Neutral stars:
8. Wu Qu Xing 武曲星 - wealth and bravery
9. Tian Ji Xing 天機星 - alertness and wisdom

Evil stars:
10. Tan Lang Xing 貪狼星 - materialism and desire
11. Lian Zhen Xing 廉貞星 - evil and twisting
12. Qi Sha Xing 七殺星 - violence and solemnity
13. Ju Men Xing 巨門星 - suspicion and gossip
14. Po Jun Xing 破軍星 - exhaustion and destruction

Then it gives a description of what one can expect when the Ming Palace is occupied by one or two of these major stars. There follows a description one can expect when the other palaces are occupied by the stars.
Everything becomes rigid and it is easy to computerize the system to give out written reports.

The essence of astrology is totally lost and twisted. Unfortunately most people, including a lot of others who do not follow the Clarity School, also treat Zi Wei Dou Shu with this approach.

JY

Zi Wei Dou Shu (5) - Zi Wei and Zi Ping systems

There are only two important books both claiming to be written by Chen Xi Yi.

(1) The Complete Zi Wei Dou Shui Book 紫微斗數全書
(2) 18 Flying Stars Riding on Heaven - Zi Wei Dou Shu Anthology 十八飛星策天  紫微斗數全集

In the second book, the introductory chapter begins with:

o On time sequence 論次序
o Examine Ba Zi (Eight characters) 看八字
o Establish the type and the useful god 立格用神
o Determine whether the life is full or empty 看命空貴
o Whether relatives are numerous or scarce 六親多寡
o To see the ups and downs of luck cycles 行運興衰
o To see the auspiciousness and inauspiciousness of current year 流年吉凶

This is followed by the methods of charting the stars with 12 palaces and then analysis of each palace etc. The interesting thing is that the analysis of the Four Pillars precedes the establishment of the Zi Wei chart and subsequent analysis. It shows that the inventor of Zi Wei Dou Shu actually knew Zi Ping method very well. The invention indicates the short-coming of Ba Zi system but serves a very good introduction to life reading. Well, to most people, Ba Zi is too abstract and philosophical. Zi Wei, on the other hand, presents a movie in front of you with you as the hero of the story. A good director of the movie will help the actor to perform well with a satisfactory ending.

JY