Strength and weakness of the useful god -1

Then, all the rules about the Ziping method mentioned before are common knowledge. Those who study fate calculation must know four rules, namely, punishment, conflict, combination, and conjunction; the generation and restraint of the ten gods; the representation of the six relatives; and the prosperity and decline of the ten heavenly stems. This is common knowledge. After understanding this common knowledge, there should be no problem with about 60% of any Bazi (Eight Characters, a person's birth date and time in the Chinese zodiac). It becomes increasingly difficult to understand more than 60%. What is being discussed now belongs to the second stage. Ziping fate calculation is divided into three stages. The first stage is what we call common knowledge. The second stage is the history of fate calculation itself and the combination of its regulations, so it is for researchers. The third stage belongs to practice, which means talking to clients, and it is for professionals. What is being discussed now is the process of historical and theoretical transformation.

It was probably around the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty that fortune - telling began. Until the Song Dynasty, the method of fortune - telling was based on the纳音 Five Elements. At the end of the Five Dynasties and the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a man named Xu Ziping. He invented the Four - Pillar Fortune - Telling Method, which is what we now call the Ziping Method. It is said that he wrote a book called "Yong Shen Jing". This book is now lost. The content in "Yong Shen Jing" is the origin of the current fortune - telling rules.

Just like general social knowledge, fortune - telling has large and small cycles. The small cycle is sixty years. For example, the fashion of clothes on the streets now is different from what it was sixty years ago. The large cycle is three hundred years. In the era we are currently in, according to the Ziping method, it just happens to be at the cycle point of both the large and small cycles. Eighty percent of those who generally study fortune - telling, once they fully understand the common knowledge I mentioned before, stop there and can't move forward. They can't come up with a standard rule to extend their study. This problem occurs in the small cycle. Well, I've been teaching fortune - telling for decades. Since the cross - strait opening for family visits, many colleagues on the Chinese mainland have also discussed fortune - telling issues with me. The fortune - telling we are researching today, although it is said to have originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty, in fact, the methods we are really researching are those that have been popular in the past sixty years. In Taiwan, fortune - telling has never stopped in these sixty years, but its scope is quite narrow. The earliest fortune - telling in Taiwan can only be traced back to the time of Zheng Chenggong. So the earliest fortune - telling methods belong to the Fujian system, with a little bit of the Hakka system from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou. Later, during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, which lasted for more than fifty years, the fortune - telling methods at that time were a bit different from ours. What remained is probably more focused on mathematics.

Over the past two hundred years, the cultures of Zhangzhou and Quanzhou have thrived. After the Japanese left in 1945, some major book dealers in Taiwan went to Shanghai to buy books as transportation was convenient. They bought a large number of books, including today's *San Ming Tong Hui* (Comprehensive Treatise on the Three Destinies), *Yuan Hai Zi Ping* (The Original Meaning of the Zi and Ping), etc. These books were brought over at that time, and no new content has been added ever since. It has always remained within this framework. This is the situation in Taiwan. In the Chinese mainland, the scope of fortune - telling is much broader than that in Taiwan. There is a northeastern system in the Northeast and a Guangdong system in Guangdong. Each region has its own system. However, due to the inconvenient transportation at that time, for example, even if someone in Shanghai was very famous, their influence would only cover Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. So each place had its unique system, and it was impossible to have a comprehensive understanding. In the past decade, there has been a fundamental change. Why? Because now there are fax machines, photocopiers, and the Internet, which make it very easy to gather the specialties of different regions together.

Then, speaking of myself, I've always known that *Zao Hua Yuan Yue* is a copied manuscript, and Xu Lewu just annotated this copied manuscript. But I've never seen what the real copied manuscript looks like. It wasn't until ten years ago that with the development of photocopying and the Internet that old books and manuscripts preserved by well - established families over a hundred years were photocopied, which really broadened our horizons. So much new data has emerged. In the past sixty years, after learning the positioning of the ten gods in the study of fortune - telling, according to past habits, people would talk about using gods, the strength and weakness of the day master, and the favorable and unfavorable elements. Although it's just six words, people could spend ten or twenty years on it without getting a proper conclusion. Now, with so much data available, we can reorganize it. The best data source is *Yong Shen Jing* written by Xu Ziping. This book is lost, and only its title remains in *San Ming Tong Hui*. Our study of fortune - telling started in 1949. As for the term "using god", it started in the early Ming Dynasty. The "using god" we're talking about now refers to the favorable and unfavorable using gods. What did the original "using god" really mean? We haven't seriously explored it. Therefore, it's really time to reorganize the academic research in this area. Before *Yong Shen Jing*, it was well - known that fortune - telling was done using the纳音 five - elements, that is, Jiazi and Yichou represent the gold of the sea. It was calculated based on the year and the hour, not the day master. I'm really curious about how they calculated it. What was the "using god" mentioned in the early Ming Dynasty... What does "using god" mean? Now, based on historical culture, I'll explain it to you. The earliest "using god" was not based on the five - elements of the River Chart (where Jia and Yi represent wood, Bing and Ding represent fire). The "using god" started from the 纳音 five - elements of the year pillar. The year was the main factor, the hour was the auxiliary factor, and the monthly order was called the "using".

What does "using" mean? We explain what is useful and what is not. But in popular terms, fortune - telling is just about a person's wife, wealth, children, official rank, and lifespan in the human world. However, from a cultural perspective, it's different. It's about the right time, the right place, and good interpersonal relationships. So in *San Ming Tong Hui* (Comprehensive Treatise on the Three Types of Fate), it's called "Three Fates", which are the celestial element, the earthly element, and the human element. It takes the month as the main reference, and that's why there is the so - called "great luck that conflicts with the month". Therefore, the favorable element in fortune - telling comes from the month, and it takes the month as the main factor. The month is like the sky. Well, when we look up at the sky, we can't see anything; it's just an expanse of emptiness. When we can sense this sky, what can we sense about it? There are only two things: the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter), and day and night. These are the real differences of the sky that we can truly experience. So with these two aspects of the sky! It is translated into fortune - telling. Whether you are born in spring, summer, autumn, or winter, that's about the favorable element for adjusting the climate. As for day and night, the Ziping school is not very good at this aspect. It is mentioned in fortune - telling books, but there are no specific formulas.

Let me give a very common example. Just take it as a joke. Those born in the Year of the Rat. How do rats move around? They are active at night. So, people born in the Year of the Rat should be born at night to be energetic. Rats born during the day are not energetic. This is just a kind of metaphor! However, the Zi and Wu (in the Chinese zodiac and related theories) don't focus on this aspect. They focus on the month. Well, the month is abstract. What's the difference between the first lunar month and the fifth lunar month? In the context of Zi and Wu, the month is taken as the basis. How to make use of it? Well, the month corresponds to the earthly branches! There are twelve earthly branches, which are involved in the current fortune - telling related to Zi and Wu. As we all know, Zi corresponds to Gui, and Yin corresponds to Jia, Bing, and Wu. But our way of using them is different from the original way. Our way is to convert them into the ten gods, such as BiJian (peer), ShiShen (eater), JieCai (robber of wealth), and ShangGuan (offending the official). When they are revealed in the heavenly stems, we use the patterns of ZhengGuan (proper official) and QiSha (seven - killing). There were no such terms originally.

There is a chant in the "Using the Gods". I'll read two lines as an example for everyone. "During the Beginning of Spring, Earth of the Wu Element thrives for five days; on the tenth day, Fire of the Bing Element begins to emerge." "During the Beginning of Spring, Earth of the Wu Element thrives for five days." If you understand one's destiny, you should know that the New Year doesn't start on the first day of the first lunar month, but on the Beginning of Spring. There are thirty days from the Beginning of Spring to the Awakening of Insects. "During the Beginning of Spring, Earth of the Wu Element thrives for five days." If you were born in the five days before the Beginning of Spring, the character "Yin" should be regarded as Earth of the Wu Element! "On the tenth day, Fire of the Bing Element begins to emerge." From the sixth day to the fifteenth day, the character "Yin" should be regarded as Fire of the Bing Element. These two ways of interpretation are different from today's Zi-Wu calculation method. If Earth of the Wu Element is revealed in the first five days, then Earth of the Wu Element is used as the "useful god". The earliest concept of the "useful god" was to use Earth of the Wu Element in this way, which is the precursor of the "regulating and balancing useful god". So, if someone was born from the sixth day to the fifteenth day, Fire of the Bing Element is used. If Fire of the Bing Element is revealed in the Heavenly Stems, the person's destiny will be much more auspicious. This is the earliest concept of the "useful god", which only involves the Heavenly Stems, without considering the Earthly Branches or the Ten Gods.

Now, however, the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are being used in a haphazard way because the original rules have been lost. Initially, the method of determining the useful god was that the Heavenly Stem that emerged was considered the useful one. But this method didn't last long. It disappeared within just a hundred years. Why did it disappear? It was because there were different opinions among a few senior experts. Some said that in the first month of spring (Lichun), the useful ones were Jia, Bing, and Wu; some said Jia, Bing, and Ji. Some said it was for five days, and some said seven days. So, since the early Ming Dynasty, the first time the study of fate - theory felt confused and came to a halt was due to the issue of how many days each Heavenly Stem hidden in the Earthly Branches was in charge, and this issue was left unresolved. Not long after that, around the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty (the time setting of the movie and Peking Opera "The Emperor in Love" we often hear about nowadays), a group of people who were originally engaged in selecting auspicious days (previously, fortune - telling and selecting auspicious days were separate fields) and also understood fortune - telling adopted the method of Jingfang's Yi. They introduced concepts like Biji (peer), Jiecai (rob wealth), Shishen (eating god), and Shangguan (hurting official) into the Heavenly Stems hidden in the Earthly Branches. The problem related to selecting auspicious days was no longer an issue. According to the principle of "what is produced by me is Shishen and Shangguan...", the ten gods that emerged from the Heavenly Stems, which are used today, turned the concept of the useful god into the concept of "ge" (pattern). The useful god became the pattern.

Until the Qing Dynasty, "Zi Ping Zhen Quan" (The True Explanation of the Zi Ping System) completely followed this rule. That is, when the Heavenly Stems hidden in the Earthly Branches emerge, it forms a "pattern". By referring to Xiao Ji's theory of the twelve stages of birth and prosperity, the issue of strength and weakness is discovered. That is what I asked you all to memorize in the basic rules, such as the "Lu" (auspicious position) of Jia is in Yin and its "Jue" (declining position) is in Shen. Since the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty, the set of rules for fortune - telling that we use today began to emerge. The theory of the Five - Element Associations of the Sixty - Jiazi completely faded out and disappeared, and the number of days each Heavenly Stem hidden in the Earthly Branches is in charge also disappeared. Although they disappeared, they are still recorded in "San Ming Tong Hui" (General Principles of the Three - Life System), which can prove this matter. "San Ming Tong Hui" is a book from the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, about fifty to one hundred years after the Zhengde period.

At that time, the fortune - telling method was still a bit different from the current one. How was it different? At that time, the monthly order was given top priority because it represents the celestial timing! The favorable elements for regulating the climate are derived from the monthly order. When it comes to the pattern, the month was given first priority. Then, it changed to not necessarily relying on the month. As long as the elements are revealed in the heavenly stems and hidden in the earthly branches, it would suffice. This mainstream ideology, which is the entire structure of the Ziping system today, is completely transplanted from the ideology of the "Jingfang Yi". If any of you have the book "Gujin Tushu Jicheng", in the "Huangjin Ce", we can see a great deal of information. I have been researching the Ziping system for over forty years. The Ziping system that is popular today is incomplete. What do I mean by incomplete? No one deliberately omitted anything. It's just that when the "Jingfang Yi" was initially excerpted, not all of it was taken. About sixty to seventy percent was excerpted. Well, this is about its evolution process, a purely theoretical historical issue.

Then, secondly, let's talk about culture. Who studies fortune-telling? There are only three types of people: The first type is what everyone can see. There are fortune-telling shops all over the world. This is a commercial activity and also a kind of folk culture. The second type consists of university professors, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners or religious people who conduct research. They regard the principles of fortune-telling, yin and yang, and the five elements as a kind of cosmic rule that humans can understand. That kind of study is just a hobby! For example, the authors of *The True Interpretation of Ziping* and *General Principles of Three Types of Fate* belong to this type. They were all Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and would not open fortune-telling shops. They studied this kind of thing just to explore the rules of life!

What is he discussing? Let me put it simply, and you'll understand. You can interpret the Seven Kills as an inauspicious star, or as representing a very irascible personality. These are all about the good and bad fortune on the third level. Scholars don't think this way. Regarding the Seven Kills, just like in the musical notes of do-re-mi-fa-so-la-si-do, no one can sing an eighth note. Once it reaches seven, it ends. He is discussing this issue. Thus, so-called celestial oddities, earthly oddities, human oddities, etc., and the associated good and bad fortune emerge. He conducts discussions from the core theory, which also includes "Huangdi Neijing" (The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) and the six - element and five - phase theory. He regards a person as a universe. For men, they become sensible at 2×8 = 16 years old and get old at 8×8 = 64 years old. For women, they become sensible at 2×7 = 14 years old and start to age at 7×7 = 49 years old. There is an average lifespan calculated in this way. This is the second type.

The third one is even less so. When it comes to the third one! Whether you believe it or not, it is related to prehistoric culture. Those who study prehistoric culture are philosophers. They don't even want to talk about theories at all. They only study the core ideas.

Now, for some beginners in the study of fortune - telling, there's no need to delve too deeply. I'm just giving an introduction. For example, anyone who has read the I Ching knows that 1 and 6 represent water, 2 and 7 represent fire, 3 and 8 represent wood, 4 and 9 represent metal. There are the interactions of the five elements - metal generates water, water nourishes wood... and so on. You should know that there were 16 emperors in the Ming Dynasty, and the names of emperors in each generation followed the principle of the five - element generation. Zhu Hongwu (Zhu Yuanzhang) represented water, and his son Zhu Di represented wood. This pattern continued until Emperor Sizong of the Ming Dynasty, the last emperor, all following the principle of the five - element generation. You can see that even the emperors believed in it to such an extent. Well, regarding this part, you can refer to The Classic of Using Gods compiled by me. It is written in detail in A View of History.

Well, now I'm going back to the topic. Why is it related to the "Sixteen Waters"? Two hundred thousand years ago, our ancestors had nothing much to do all day long. They sat on the mountaintop, watching the sun, moon, and stars rotating. On the first and sixth days of the lunar month, Mercury was in the north; on the second and seventh days, Mars was in the south; on the third and eighth days, Jupiter was in the east... Just think about how much time those people at that time had to spend to record the rotations of these five stars around the world. Then you guys may ask me, how did they know it was the first day of the lunar month? How was the first day determined when there were no written words yet? Our ancient people's civilization is called prehistoric civilization. I even kind of believe that whether you call it extraterrestrial beings or gods, there indeed exists a kind of super divine being that watches over us and helps us. It's quite easy to determine the first day of the lunar month. Every month, don't you see the moon? When you first see a tiny crescent moon, that's the third day of the lunar month. It's always correct. You just need to count back two days. Then how did we come to know this? I believe it was the extraterrestrial beings or some kind of super divine beings...

Well, what I'm talking about here is fortune - telling. If you don't clarify the fundamental philosophical ideas, you'll be confused. You might wonder if it's all nonsense or just random guesses. It's not. It has a whole set of rules. Then it's quite curious. Why does it tell humans instead of dogs? Why not tell cats? The answer to this question isn't in fortune - telling. The answer is expounded in "Suwen" of "Huangdi Neijing". "Suwen" also talks about the theory of yin - yang and the five elements, and also mentions the Heavenly Stems (jia, yi, bing, ding, etc.) and the Heluo numbers. In "Suwen", it says that there have been more than sixty cycles of life and culture on Earth. We don't even know which cycle we're in now. There have been more than sixty cycles, with countless animals like cats, dogs, dragons, and snakes.

The "Huangdi Neijing" tells us that only five kinds of animals can perceive the rules beyond the Earth. The first kind is the dragon. Nowadays, we can't see dragons. There are only snakes. It was the era of dinosaurs then. The second kind is the phoenix. Now they are birds. We don't know when that was either. The third kind is the turtle. For example, we use turtle shells for divination, right? This is a very long - standing historical culture. Turtles once ruled the world. The fourth kind is the qilin which has four horns. We've never seen a qilin. Anyway, cats and dogs all belong to the category of qilin! The last kind is the "naked" one, which is humans! Humans have no fur, no scales, and no shells. Only these five kinds of animals can communicate with the spiritual world.

Whether you all believe in this or not, I'm just basing on the source of the theory of yin-yang and the five elements. It can be divided into philosophical and scientific aspects, and regarded as an occupation. There are the great three cycles, the middle three cycles, and the small three cycles. Before the Spring and Autumn Period, it was completely about philosophy. During the Han and Tang Dynasties, when people talked about knowledge, for example, the Han learning of the Book of Changes by Jing Fang, the "Tai Xuan Jing" by Yang Xiong, and the works of Shao Kangjie, etc., they were all about knowledge. After the Song Dynasty, it changed to the aspect of human element. Why do I spend so much time explaining this? I've been in the circle of the five arts for over forty years. I've had profound feelings in the past. From philosophers who are so honest that they don't even want a single cent, to university professors and experts who are extremely learned, who occasionally talk about the eight characters of one's birth date and feng shui and just accept a small gift casually, to those you've all seen, throughout the ages, there have been so many troublesome things and those who spread fallacies to deceive people. Why is it like this? I used to distinguish between high and low, but I don't do that anymore. There are the human element, the earthly element, and the celestial element. When looking at the theory of yin-yang and the five elements from the celestial element, it is the rule of the universe; when looking at it from the earthly element, it is the law that humans in the universe can understand. When looking at it from the human element, it has become a service industry, a profession, and has nothing to do with knowledge. Therefore, we should treat these three equally.

After I finish this introduction, we can discuss Yin-Yang and the Five Elements from any angle. Of course, we still need to come back to the practical aspects. After all, it's the era of Renyuan now. In the era of Renyuan, everything is related to the Five Elements and has its business opportunities. As long as it conforms to the right time, favorable location and good interpersonal relationships, it will work. When it comes to fortune-telling itself, it's a kind of result. If you don't care about whether you're lucky or not, what's the point of fortune-telling! So the motivation comes from self-centeredness. Therefore, after all the knowledge is discussed, we still need to return to a reasonable understanding, which is what Mr. Wang Chuanshan of the Qing Dynasty called "the ultimate correctness of heavenly principles", that is, the greatest fairness of human desires. What are heavenly principles? They are invisible! The greatest fairness of human desires is the most just. Human desires are heavenly principles. Wanting to have enough to eat and a place to live, aren't these heavenly principles! Well, let's come back to the topic. Let's go back to the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, the era of the story of "The Emperor in Love". The Nayin Five Elements era has passed, and the hidden Heavenly Stems in the Earthly Branches have changed to what they are now. The rules have changed, but the thinking remains the same! Why do I say the thinking remains the same?

When you all first started researching fortune - telling, I introduced to you that the year pillar governs the period from 1 to 15 years old, the month pillar from 16 to 30 years old, the day pillar from 31 to 45 years old, and the hour pillar from 46 years old until death. At that time, I didn't explain the principle. You just needed to memorize it as such. If you must ask who stipulated that principle? It wasn't stipulated by Ziping. Before the Ming Dynasty, the Nayin Five - Elements had already stipulated it. The year represents the origin, and the hour represents the end. The calculation method is different from the current one. We can't present the entire set of Nayin Five - Elements calculation methods now, but we can still show a little bit. When we talk about whether the Direct Officer is prosperous when introduced to the month or the hour? This is the terminology we use now. I'll give an example of the Nayin Five - Elements. For instance, if one is born in the year Wu (Horse). As we all know, if you are born in the hour Chen, according to the Nayin Five - Elements, the horse transforms into a dragon foal! The horse turns into a dragon, which indicates a very good fortune, by linking the year and the hour. It all starts from the Nayin Five - Elements. The transition from the Nayin Five - Elements to Ziping's theory took nearly two or three hundred years. Still, the old rules are still related to the earthly branch of the hour.

Now what I'm talking about is historical culture. Well, now let's get down to reality. Forget about how many years of historical culture there are! How many categories do the people who come for fortune - telling actually fall into? The ways and explanations vary. For example, when it comes to "losing money", I'm sure everyone can understand that hardly anyone isn't afraid when hearing these two words. Then! Let me put it another way. For instance, when it comes to a candidate running for a legislative council member, is he afraid of losing money? No, he isn't. This kind of thing is inherently about spending money! So there are fortune - tellings for officials, for the middle - class, and for commoners, or even for those in extreme situations. What does "extreme situation" mean? Just like what's described in martial - arts novels: "Starving to death is still death, and breaking the law is also death." The views of such a person are completely different because of his different stance. So today when we talk about fortune - telling, it's not just about wife, wealth, children, official salary, and longevity. As for those who understand the rules of fortune - telling, each rule has its specific application, but they respect the majority. By "majority", nowadays, it refers to people with a monthly salary ranging from thirty thousand to seventy thousand. So when we study fortune - telling, we use this level as the standard. Once it goes higher or lower than this level, the formulas for analysis will be different.

When I talk to my disciples or colleagues, after he understands the basic rules, I especially remind him that when you are doing fortune - telling for others, you must never judge from your own identity, standard, and stance, because you are you and he is he. I always give examples! There is a person who borrows money, participates in a rotating savings and credit association, and tries every means to run for an election. You tell me, is it worth it or not? You can't judge it from your own perspective. You have to look at it from the perspective of the person involved. If you are lucky enough to meet a good husband and have no major troubles in your life, then your sense of ethics will be relatively strong. If a woman has encountered five or six bad men in a row, then her views will be different. Therefore, in the so - called "strange and normal strategies compete with each other", when doing fortune - telling and talking about a person's wife, wealth, children, official salary, and longevity, it should vary according to each person's different background.

Well, here we've only covered the principles. In actual practice of fortune - telling, it's not just this; we need to go into more details. A person who is the most eye - catching in the newspaper was just like you and me when he or she was seventeen or eighteen. How did this person become like this? For the same person, different eras lead to different views. Then this sentence should be related to what I just said - fortune - telling is about your social class. Now I'm narrowing it down, only talking about the present. I don't care what you do or whether you were rich or poor in the past. When I talk to you, I only talk about the present. Your current social background is the real you right now. After discussing these three levels, it's about asking about matters, about the annual luck, and it's also our general fortune - telling. If you can understand this in terms of ideology, then things will be easier. Now let's talk about some practical issues.

Today, we talk about using the gods, discussing the overall situation, and talking about strength and weakness. For fellow researchers, these six words can keep them trapped for ten years. You can only be a little bit accurate, and probably only about 30% sure. So, among so many theories of fortune - telling, regardless of whether you study it deeply or superficially, I'll first tell you the most reliable things. For example, someone asks me, "Can you calculate when a person will die?" Life and death are predestined, but it's not absolute. Life and death are not about time. I have an analogy. If you go out with a bag of money, you'll come back when you've spent it all. How to spend it? You can spend it in an hour or five hours. So, life and death mean that your good fortune is gone. If you eat and drink recklessly and use too much, you'll reduce your good fortune. If you live frugally, then your lifespan will be long. In fortune - telling, there are three main things: fortune, emolument, and longevity. One is about being rich, one is about being an official, and one is about having a long life. If you can achieve one of these three, your life won't be in vain.

So, among the dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of rules in fortune - telling, which formulas can we use to outline 60% of a person's eight - character horoscope within one minute? This is the most important thing. Stop daydreaming. What do I mean by daydreaming? For example, someone asks me what will happen when Zi and Wu clash. Well, you have to specify where the clash occurs! If it's a clash between the year and the month, it mainly affects the period from 16 to 30 years old. If it's a clash between the major fortune and the annual luck, it only lasts for about ten years. If it's a clash between the annual luck and the eight - character horoscope, it only lasts for one year. Even if you can tell it's about one year, you still can't tell the specific content. You need to determine where the content lies. You have to consider the Heavenly Stems and the Earthly Branches. Is it a clash of wealth, an official clash, a clash of the output (eating and hurting), a clash of the peach blossom, or a clash of the traveling horse? After you figure this out, there's still one more thing to consider. How old is this person? What year, month, and time are the most important? For example, if an 80 - year - old has a clash, of course, health comes first. If a child has a clash in the year pillar, since he has no career yet, it might bring bad luck to the family. So, only after considering these things in a chain - like way can we draw a conclusion. However, double - clash is one of the important rules. So, when looking at an eight - character horoscope, the first thing to check is whether there is a double - clash! Even for a good - luck horoscope, if there is a double - clash, things won't be very peaceful. Well, as for the topic of good and bad luck in the eight - character horoscope, I'll add a few off - topic remarks.

We Chinese people always advise others to accumulate virtue. One should have virtue even when doing good deeds. If you do good deeds but lack virtue, it won't work either. This virtue is commonly mentioned. Well, roughly speaking for the poor, it means making money! Once you have money, you'll have a way out in the future. What's the relationship between virtue and good fortune? I have a very simple example for you to understand. For instance, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, there was an emperor called Chongzhen, and there was also Li Zicheng, whom we call a rebel. Here we're talking from a legal perspective. That's what is meant by "the victor becomes the king and the loser becomes the bandit"!

If we talk about it separately, the fortune of Emperor Chongzhen is about the same as that of Li Zicheng. Maybe Li Zicheng even has a bit more fortune. He could do whatever he wanted. The problem lies in virtue! Those with good ancestral virtue become emperors. Even if someone with bad ancestral virtue does good deeds, worships Buddha, and chants scriptures, they'll end up like Li Zicheng. Well, this is just an analogy. That is to say, the merits of doing good deeds will never go in vain! Everything you do as a person won't go in vain either. The two are combined. Now, regarding the first point just mentioned, the most important thing when starting with the eight characters of the birth date is to see if there are double clashes. There's no need to consider the纳音 five - elements, the favorable elements, or the structure. Once there's a clash, everything is nullified. As for where the clash occurs, when it comes to people, it's based on the previous theory of the ten gods' positioning. When the time comes, the relatives will be affected, and the personality will also be influenced and so on.

Second, we should focus on harmony. There are six - combination and three - combination. We should try our best not to divide into different factions or distinguish by years. For example, if the year is Jiazǐ and the major fortune is Jǐchǒu, Jiazǐ and Jǐchǒu are in six - combination. If there are no other clashes or combinations involved, it will be a ten - year good fortune! So when it comes to fortune, I explained it clearly to you the time before last. There isn't really such a thing as fortune; it's just a kind of feeling. This feeling is different between the upper - class society and the ordinary society. For the upper - class society, good fortune means that one can achieve whatever one wishes. For the general society, good fortune just means that you are better off than before. Let's be more specific. In the Qing Dynasty, what did good fortune mean? People at that time didn't dream of becoming emperors; they just hoped to pass the imperial examination and become Jinshi. For instance, when someone who is having good luck asks me, "How much success can I achieve during this lucky period?" If I'm just being polite and talking casually, I might just say, "Oh! You'll have two hundred million!" But what is real good fortune? It means that you can achieve whatever you wish. You can fulfill all your usual wishes. I often use such words when talking to guests. Someone might ask me, "Do you think I'm suitable for doing big business?" But what exactly is "big business"? Is it a business worth tens of millions, hundreds of millions, or even billions? Then I'll tell him, "Don't answer me! Just ask yourself, what's the maximum amount of money you can have? That's the amount you'll get. You won't get more than that." This is fortune! For ordinary people, good fortune just means being better off than before.

Well, there is a difference here. When the Grand Luck combines with the Eight Characters, or the Annual Luck combines with the Eight Characters, or the Annual Luck combines with the Grand Luck, sometimes I tell my friends, "You're going to have good luck next year." Then he asks me back, "Where does this luck come from? Is it from old friends or new friends?" I didn't expect him to ask me this question! This difference lies in the position of the clash and combination. When the Grand Luck or the Annual Luck forms a double combination with the Eight Characters, for example, if there is Jiazi in the Eight Characters and Jichou in the Grand Luck, a double Liuhe combination, it means old things will continue for ten years. What are old things? It means the same group of people as those related to Jichou originally. If it's the Annual Luck combining with the Eight Characters, it's also about old things, but only for one year. Whenever there is a clash or combination directly related to the Eight Characters, it's all about old things, whether good or bad. For example, when the Annual Luck combines with the Eight Characters, I'll tell him, "This person is an old friend you know. You've talked about this matter before but couldn't reach an agreement. You'll succeed this year."

If the current year's earthly branch combines with the major luck period's earthly branch, it's not about the combination in the eight characters of the birth chart! For example, in the Jiazi major luck period and the Jichou current year, when the current year combines with the major luck period, it represents new events. So, when it comes to combinations in the four pillars, we need to distinguish between new and old! The influence of the major luck period and the current year on the eight characters of the birth chart represents old events. Whether the current year clashes or combines with the major luck period, it represents new events. When the current year clashes with the major luck period, we'll remind the person: "Be careful! You'll encounter an unexpected event." If the current year clashes with the eight characters of the birth chart, the way of speaking is different: "You'll have a clash next year. Solve any problems early!" For example, if it's now November, there's still one and a half months left. Don't let the time pass by! In case you can't solve the problem, you should be mentally prepared and be aware that it might last for another year. This is our advice to the guests. This kind of advice isn't about the process of good or bad fortune; in fact, it's about the process of events. Because more than half of the people who come to ask us questions don't tell the real content. For example, they might say "I've been feeling very bad recently" without specifying what's wrong. If someone asks us: "I've recently been owed money and I'm in a bad situation. What should I do?" Our response will be completely different. Well, this is about clashes and combinations, which are very crucial in the four pillars. It's a very simple matter of clashes and combinations. In fact, there can be two elements clashing or two elements combining. Jiazi and Jichou combine very simply. If there are two Jiazi in your eight - character birth chart, isn't it a situation of competing combinations? In my personal opinion, competing combinations are more troublesome than double clashes.

I have a friend. He said that no one can deceive me out of my money. Only friends can. It's about friendship! Dealing with "contending combination" is more of a headache than "mutual clash". In the case of a mutual clash, one can turn hostile. But in the case of contending combination, one can't. For example, if three shareholders cooperate in a business, it can be extremely troublesome as contending combination often occurs. There can also be "contending clash" in the case of a mutual clash! For instance, Jiazi and Gengwu are in mutual clash. If there are two Jiazi, then it becomes a contending clash, and the way to interpret it is different. Contending combination means that three forces come together and create an imbalance. What about contending clash? It doesn't really matter. What do I mean by "it doesn't really matter"? For example, if ink is splashed on me, that's a mutual clash. Since I've already experienced the clash, if you splash more ink on me, it's still the same situation, just an extra mark. So, one doesn't need to fear an additional clash when there's already a clash, but one should be wary of an additional combination when there's already a combination. Don't let a third - party get involved in good things, but it doesn't matter if more bad things happen. Anyway, it's just the way it is. When one has a lot of debts, one doesn't worry anymore.

So for the first group, what you all must firmly remember is the issue of clashes and combinations. Clashes and combinations have nothing to do with the strength and pattern of the favorable elements in the Bazi. Therefore, we should avoid controversial theories and try to use non - controversial ones. For example, when we go to a restaurant, they might ask me, "What don't you eat?" For instance, many people don't eat eel paste noodles, so they'll ask first. It's the same with fortune - telling. If you have taboos about something, you need to find out the truth. If you ask me how your luck will be next year, that's a casual question. But if you ask me how it will be to cooperate with someone, it's different. This is a specific question with a clear target. Whether it's good to cooperate or not is not just about making money or not. Even if there is money to be made, it may still not be good. So that's what we'll talk about in this group first. Understand its historical rules and different classifications. We'll talk slowly and start with what's the same among them.

Well, the term "using the divine" (用神) was not put forward by the Ziping method. It was put forward by Han Feizi. Han Feizi said: "The sage uses the divine in a calm way, while the common people use the divine in a restless way." It means the spirit. A sage is very calm, while an ordinary person is fidgety. This meaning is then applied to the "using the divine" in fortune - telling. Among the eight characters in the Four Pillars of Destiny, there are the Ten Gods, and everything is present. The truly important one is called the "useful divine". Since the concept of "using the divine" in fortune - telling came into being, it has been nearly seven hundred years, and this period can be divided into three stages.

Now, reasoning from the result to the cause, there are three chaotic periods for using the favorable gods: The first chaotic period is what I just mentioned. When the hidden Heavenly Stems in the Earthly Branches are matched with the twenty - four solar terms, each Heavenly Stem accounts for several days. Here, the hidden Heavenly Stems in the Earthly Branches are regarded as the substitute favorable gods, or they are calculated according to the Five Elements of the Rhymed Sounds. However, once the Earthly Branch reveals its corresponding Heavenly Stem, there will be a favorable god. Then the pattern becomes higher. This period lasted less than a hundred years. Because there was a transformation from the Five Elements of the Rhymed Sounds to the Five Elements of the River Chart. Generally speaking, matters related to national culture cannot be ordered; they need to form naturally and gradually. So, in this hundred - year period, the discussions about favorable gods were basically a failure.

However, there are records in *Yong Shen Jing*. *San Ming Tong Hui* clearly mentions *Yong Shen Jing*. Later, another new book emerged, called *Zi Ping Zong Lun*. This book is also mentioned in *San Ming Tong Hui*, but it hasn't been preserved. Instead, it has become many hand - copied versions. These hand - copied versions are very distinctive products. Since it was inconvenient to print and there was no place to buy the book, people just copied it. Naturally, they preferred to keep it as simple as possible. Sometimes they omitted parts or added their own opinions. These hand - copied versions were very popular among the common people for a while. For example, the *Zao Hua Yuan Jian* and *Lan Jiang Wang* that we know later are all hand - copied versions. Whose works did they copy? They copied from *Yong Shen Jing* and *Zi Ping Zong Lun*, but not entirely. In ancient times, there were people called "copying scholars" who specialized in copying books. One would pay someone to copy a book, specifying which parts to copy. Therefore, each hand - copied version has different focuses. So now, when researching *Yong Shen Jing* and *Zi Ping Zong Lun*, a lot of the research is based on these hand - copied versions. Currently, there are at least five or more hand - copied versions. Thanks to the convenience of photocopying and the existence of computers, they have been widely spread.

In the first stage, "Using the Divine" fell out of favor because the days on duty didn't match up, and everyone had their own opinions.

In the second stage, the method of storing Heavenly Stems in Earthly Branches emerged, which is the current situation where Zi stores Gui, Chou stores Ji, Gui, and Xin... After it emerged, it was then influenced by the system of the day's qi - Biji (Peer), Jiecai (Rob Wealth), Shishen (Food God), Shangguan (Hurting Officer), Guansha (Officer and Killing) representing the husband, and Cai (Wealth) representing the wife... So why did the system of the Ten Gods in the "Jingfang Yi" rise? Because among the common people in the whole society, there were very few who could use the favorable gods appropriately and get official positions. Instead, matters like husband - wife relationships and daily necessities were more common. So, in the popularization among the common people, the school that focuses on wealth and official positions became popular. And among the intellectuals, they still followed the school that emphasizes favorable gods. What they cared about was still getting official positions. Although the number of intellectuals was small, those who dominated the entire culture were in the hands of the literati. Then, what about this second - wave rise?

What we can understand today is the "Pattern Based on the Useful Element" mentioned in *San Ming Tong Hui*. For example, in the Jia Shen combination, when the Day Master is Jia and the birth month is You, we know that You represents Xin. Now, instead of using the previous system of the "Day Ruler Method", we directly use the Ten Gods. Since Xin is the Direct Officer, it forms the Direct Officer Pattern! When it reveals at the Heavenly Stem, its intensity reaches the limit. In the past, when discussing the Useful God, people only talked about whether it existed or not, without considering its quantity. Now, when you substitute the Ten Gods into the Six Relatives, the concept of strength and weakness emerges. For example, Xin's Lu is at You. If the husband is prosperous and Xin reveals at the Month Branch, it lasts for fifteen years; if it reveals at the Hour Branch, it lasts until old age. Previously, there was no discussion about quantity. Now, when you substitute the Ten Gods into the Six Relatives, from your twenties to your fifties, your husband has full control, and you have no say at all. This leads to an imbalance in life. You can't be too weak either. The Direct Officer represents the husband. Whether it exists or not and whether it is prosperous or not are two different things. Then the meaning of the Useful God has changed! Originally, the concept of the Useful God was that for a person with Jia as the Day Master born in the Yin month, if Wu reveals, it means a good fortune, without going into details. Now, it has changed. The Earthly Branches are transformed into the "Position of Prosperity" and then into the "Position of the God", and the concept of the Useful Element has evolved into the Pattern. The terms "Useful God" and "Pattern" were confused during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. Whether you talk about the "Use" or the "Pattern", the words seem the same, but their contents are different. If the Useful Element reveals at the Heavenly Stem, and if it reveals from the Month Branch to the Hour Branch, it will influence your whole life for forty years. Whether it is good or bad, if it is used as the main element, if it is the Direct Officer, then the Direct Officer will affect your whole life. If it is Wealth, then Wealth is used as the main element. If it is Food and Injury, then Food and Injury is used as the main element.