Interactions and Restraints among the Ten Gods

So when we talk about the positioning of the Ten Gods, we discuss them one by one. We also separately talk about the time periods, personalities, and relatives. Now, we'll combine all these and present them in a table. First, we'll only talk about the formulas of the technical terms. Mr. X said: "The Peer and Robber produce the Output and Talent, the Output and Talent produce the Wealth, the Wealth produces the Officer and Slayer, the Officer and Slayer produce the Seal, and the Seal produces the Peer and Robber." There is no mention of good or bad fortune at all, just like 2 times 2 equals 4 and 3 times 3 equals 9. It's basically about the generation relationship. Skipping one position means there is a restraining relationship. The Peer and Robber restrain the Wealth, the Wealth restrains the Seal, the Seal restrains the Output and Talent, the Output and Talent restrain the Officer and Slayer, and the Officer and Slayer restrain the Peer and Robber. This is the system of generation and restraint. There is no good or bad fortune involved in the relationships of generation and restraint. Once we start talking about good or bad fortune, it means we're incorporating what I previously discussed separately.

In terms of relatives, the "rival for wealth" represents siblings. Well, "siblings" here is just a symbol, and you need to figure out the implications on your own! If the "rival for wealth" appears in the year pillar, indicating siblings, what kind of relationship could your siblings have when you're a child? When the "rival for wealth" is in the year pillar, it means financial loss. But you don't have any money at that time, so you have to think it through by yourself. What if it's in the month pillar? When the "rival for wealth" causes financial loss, you should think that the "wealth" here doesn't refer to money but to girlfriends or one's wife, which is regarded as "wealth" in this context! If the "rival for wealth" is in the hour pillar, and you're already in your fifties and still facing financial loss, it means you're constantly busy, and women will also be nagging! You have to make these associations on your own! Bring in the concept of siblings in the year, month, day, and hour pillars.

For a female's horoscope, the "Shishen" (Eating God) and "Shangguan" (Hurting Officer) represent children. Therefore, when a woman asks about her children, one must look at the "Shishen" and "Shangguan". Well, this first involves a saying. Only when the "Shishen" and "Shangguan" are well - developed, of course meaning prosperous, can there be achievements. Whether you can get along well with them is another matter. Simply speaking, it's about whether the Ten Gods are prosperous or not. Whether you can get along well depends on the conflicts and punishments among the elements. So, for a woman, having "Shishen" or "Shangguan" in the month pillar doesn't really matter because the children are still young! As for a man, the "Shishen" and "Shangguan" have nothing to do with children. They represent personality, which could mean being kind - hearted or being arrogant due to one's talent. The "Shishen" and "Shangguan" generate wealth. Wealth is divided into "Zhengcai" (Regular Wealth) and "Piancai" (Irregular Wealth). If you say you have "Shishen" and "Shangguan" to make money, then you have a wealth pattern with "Shishen" and "Shangguan". You already have money, and people will come to invest in you. You can find people to invest. If you have "Zhengcai" or "Piancai" but no "Shishen" and "Shangguan", you have to rely on your own strength. Wealth generates "Guansha" (Officer and Seven Kills), and "Guansha" represents the spouse, the husband. For a woman, if her husband has money, then she will have money too.

If you have the situation where wealth generates official and killing qi, then you will be involved with your husband's wealth, which means you connect your husband with money! These details will gradually be explored more and more deeply. Well, official and killing qi generate seal qi. Official and killing qi represent power, but I'm not talking about self - cultivation here! For example, the warlords in the early years of the Republic of China had great power but were very rude and looked down upon by others. For example, Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang were high - ranking officials and also well - learned. This is the case of official qi generating seal qi! Seal qi generates peer and robbery qi! Such a person is both humble and polite, and it is beneficial to you no matter where you go. This is about the six relatives, and we've broadened the scope a bit.

Then, the individual personality is the third circle. People with the Biji element are relatively lazy. How lazy they are depends on which pillar the Biji is in. For example, if the Biji is in the Heavenly Stem of the Hour Pillar and you're in your fifties, you'll still be carefree. The Jiecai element is about self - protection. So, if the Yangren Jiecai is in the Earthly Branch of the Hour Pillar, you'll seem to think you're always right even in your old age. The Shishen element represents kindness. So, in fortune - telling, people generally prefer the Shishen. Even if you can't make a fortune, you'll be honest, free from gossip, and in good health. The Shangguan element indicates talent, but those with it are arrogant.

Everyone, please carefully read *Introduction to Basic Principles of Ziping*. The ten gods are clearly written in it. Well, those with the positive wealth are very thrifty. For example, those with positive wealth in the hour pillar are very frugal in their later years. So, some business people also come to learn a bit of fortune - telling. If a salesman wants to sell something to a person with the positive - wealth pattern, it's very difficult. But it's easy if selling to a person with the partial - wealth pattern. It's also easy for those with the peer - rival pattern, as they don't value money highly. This is the positive wealth. People with positive wealth are proper, simple and don't spend money recklessly. As for the personality of those with partial wealth, they are generous. Well, for the positive official, due to the attraction between opposite sexes, everything is just right, just appropriate. For the seven - killing, because of the repulsion between the same sexes, it's a bit excessive. Whether it's managing people or doing things, they are a bit too strict. Then, regarding the positive seal and the partial seal, those with the positive seal are polite and modest.

For example, let me give an instance. If you're in trouble and ask someone with the Qisha (Seven Kills) pattern for help, they'll assist you. But if you ask someone with the Zhengyin (Positive Seal) pattern, they won't. They'll just listen and won't get involved! As for those with the Pianyin (Negative Seal) pattern, they won't even bother to listen. People with the Pianyin pattern are of an artistic nature and like to talk about abstract things. It'd be okay to ask them to go to the Tzu Chi Foundation. To make it easier for everyone to understand, I'll summarize it in a table. Well, this is what we emphasize in fortune - telling, the so - called "Three Attainments".

Well, these are the basic formulas and conditions for fortune - telling, and it can't really be called real fortune - telling yet. Why do we need to memorize the relationships of generation and restraint? We talk about restraint rather than generation because in life, things often don't go as we wish. Since fortune - telling mainly focuses on the negative aspects. If you ask me whether you can make a fortune, in my mind, I first think that very few people can really become wealthy. If you ask about making a fortune, what does wealth fear? Wealth fears the "rival in wealth". If there are two "rivals in wealth" in the Heavenly Stems, it's very difficult to make a fortune. Even if you can earn money, you'll end up losing it.

For example, if you ask whether your son is smart at studying. Well, studying is related to the "Print" element, and there are very few people who can be considered "scholars". If the Heavenly Stem represents "Wealth", and "Wealth" restrains "Print", then he is simply not cut out for studying. Instead, he is suitable for doing business! You don't necessarily need to be highly educated to make money. So I advised him that it doesn't matter which school he goes to, just study there. He'll be a businessman in the future. So you must be able to see the reverse restraint. For instance, if you ask about the situation of your husband, your husband is related to the "Official and Killing" elements. If there is "Hurting Officer" in the Heavenly Stem, "Hurting Officer" restrains "Official and Killing". As for how bad the situation is, we can discuss the details gradually. So for those who can do fortune - telling, they directly use the concept of restraint from this table and then associate it with other issues.

For example, if the earthly branch of the hour represents the peer and rival element, it indicates financial loss. Well, it depends on what he asks. It's not just about financial loss; it also includes your wife and other women! There will be a lot of household chores in old age. Since the wealth is lost, and one can't do without money, one has to earn it back. Then we can think about whether he can retire. The answer is no! In this way, the analysis becomes deeper step by step, getting more profound after one or two rounds. So when an ordinary person asks about one thing, you just need to see where the ten gods are and what they counteract. For example, money, which everyone likes, is a good thing, but wealth counteracts the seal element. He won't have much interest in culture. He may donate money, but he won't get involved himself. Well, this is supplementary information for the positioning of the ten gods. Just understanding it is not very useful. It's best to be able to memorize it.