In the third century BCE, the Chinese state adopted the Art of Scheduling and Positioning as Imperial orthodoxy. From then until its collapse in 1911, the court continuously employed professional diviners and sanctioned official texts about their art. The reason was simple: the Chinese believed that the universe communicated its assessment of the Emperor’s performance through astral and terrestrial portents—portents that only masters in the Art of Scheduling and Positioning could interpret.
Today, feng shui (the art of positioning) and Chinese astrology (the science of auspicious scheduling) have captured the popular imagination, but in the process those classical disciplines have been diluted sometimes beyond recognition. Now an accomplished scholar of Chinese language;, literature, and philosophy restores them in this remarkable volume, the first and only authentic translation of the original Chinese treatise on the Art of Scheduling and Positioning.
Intellectually accurate and true to the original work, yet written to be accessible to the general reader as well as the specialist, the Imperial Guide:
- reveals the organic connection between feng shui and astrology—a link overlooked by most other books on these two arts
- illuminates the most complex aspects of feng shui and astrology theory in accessible language and lucid imagery
- introduces essential concepts of Chinese cosmology: yin and yang, the five processes, the ten heavenly stems, the twelve earthly branches, the twenty-four seasonal nodes, and the sixty-four hexagrams
- explains how these symbols relate to the whole of traditional Chinese thought — and what they mean for the modern world
Thomas F. Aylward holds a BA and MA in Chinese language and culture and has studied Chinese in mainland China and Taiwan. He specializes in researching and translating classical Chinese texts on Chinese astrology, feng shui, Daoism, and Buddhism. He lives in Hanoi.
Author(s): Thomas F. Aylward
Edition: First
Publisher: Watkins
Year: 2007
Language: English
Commentary: Bookmarked, OCR (Cleartype)
Pages: 340
City: London
Tags: Body; Mind & Spirit, Astrology, Eastern, Feng Shui
Front Cover
Thomas Aylward
Full Title Page
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Foreword
PART I TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE The Importance of Cosmology, Calendars, and Divination in Imperial China
Overview of Chinese Cosmology
From Mythical to Historical Time
CHAPTER TWO Understanding the Art of Scheduling and Positioning
CHAPTER THREE Cosmological Forces and Their Rhythms
Yin and Yang
The Five Processes
The Great Plan sequence of the Five Processes
The Mutual Conquest Sequence of the Five Processes
The Mutual Production Sequence of the Five Processes
The Correlation between the Mutual Conquest and Mutual Production Sequences
Series of Life Cycles
CHAPTER FOUR The Counting Terms of Chinese Astrology and Feng Shui
The Sexagenary Stem-Branch Cycle
The Heavenly Stems and the Earthly Branches
The Trigrams of the Book of Changes
CHAPTER FIVE Astronomical Foundations of Chinese Astrology
CHAPTER SIX Conclusion
PART II THE IMPERIALLY AUTHORIZED TREATISE ON HARMONIZING TIMES AND DISTINGUISHING DIRECTIONS
Introduction
CHAPTER ONE The Roots and the Springs - Part 1
The Yellow River Chart 河圖
Figure 1 Yellow River Chart 河圖
The Luo River Diagram 洛書
Figure 2 Luo River Diagram 洛書
The Sequential Order of the Former Heaven Arrangement of the Eight Trigrams 先天八卦次序
Figure 3 Former Heaven Trigram Order 先天八卦次序
The Directional Positions of the Former Heaven Arrangement of the Eight Trigrams 先天八卦方位
Figure 4 Former Heaven Trigram Positions 先天八卦方位
The Sequential Order of the Latter Heaven Arrangement of the Eight Trigrams 後天八卦次序
Figure 5 The Latter Heaven Trigram Order 後天八卦次序
The Directional Positions of the Latter Heaven Arrangement of the Eight Trigrams 後天八卦方位
Figure 6 The Latter Heaven Trigram Positions 後天八卦方位
Depiction of the Former Heaven Arrangement of the Trigrams Coupled with the Yellow River Chart 先天卦配河圖之象
Figure 7 The Former Heaven Trigrams and the Yellow River Chart 先天卦配河圖之象
Depiction of the Latter Heaven Arrangement of the Trigrams Coupled with the Yellow River Chart 後天卦配河圖之象
Figure 8 The Latter Heaven Trigrams and the Yellow River Chart 後天卦配河圖之象
Numeration of the Former Heaven Arrangement of the Trigrams 先天卦配洛書之數Coupled with the Luo River Diagram
Figure 9 The Former Heaven Arrangement Trigrams and the Luo River Diagram 先天卦配洛書之數
Numeration of the La(ter Heaven Arrangement of the Trigrams Coupled with the Luo River 後天卦配洛書之數Diagram 後天卦配洛書之數
Figure 10 The Latter Heaven Trigrams and the Luo River Diagram 後天卦配洛書之數
The Heavenly Stem-]ia Periods
The Ten Stems, the Twelve Branches, the Twelve Pitch Pipes, and the Twenty-Eight Houses
The Four Sequences
The Six Zodiac Divisions
The Twelve Months Summon Hexagrams 十二月辟卦
Figure 11 The Twelve Months Summon Hexagrams 十二月辟卦
Diagram of the Twelve Zodiacal Signs and the Twenty Eight Lunar Lodges 十二辰二十八宿星象
Figure 12 Diagram of the Twelve Zodiacal Signs and the Twenty Eight Lunar Lodges 十二辰二十八宿星象
The Twenty-Eight Lodges Paired with the Days
The Five Processes
The Governing Periods of the Five Processes 五行用事
Figure 13 The Governing Periods of the Five Processes 五行用事
The Birth and Flourishing of the Five Processes
The Stems, Branches, and the Five Processes
Figure 14 The Stems, Branches, and the Five Processes 干支五行
Figure 15 The Stems, Branches, and the Five Processes
Figure 16 The Stems, Branches, and the Five Processes
The Triune Harmonies 三合
Figure 17 The Triune Harmonies 三合
The Six Harmonies 六合
Figure 18 The Six Harmonies 六合
The Five Hidden Rats 五鼠遁
Figure 19 The Five Hidden Rats 五鼠遁
The Five Hidden Tigers 五虎遁
Figure 20 The Five Hidden Tigers 五虎遁
The Five Harmonies' Transformations of the Vital Breaths 五合化氣
Figure 21 The Five Harmonies' Transformations of the Vital Breaths 五合化氣
The Received Notes
The Received Notes Five Processes as They Correlate with the Former Heaven Chart 納音五行應先天圖
Figure 22 The Received Notes Five Processes as They Correlate with the Former Heaven Chart 納音五行應先天圖
The Received Notes Five Processes as They Correlate with the Latter Heaven Chart 納音五行應後天圖
Figure 23 The Received Notes Five Processes as They Correlate with the Latter Heaven Chart 納音五行應後天圖
The Diagram Depicting the Correlation between the Three Beginnings of the Received Notes Five Processes and the Musical Pipes' Shifting Eight and Mutually Giving Birth 樂律隔八相生圖 納音五行三元應
Figure 24 The Diagram Depicting the Correlation between the Three Beginnings of the Received Notes Five Processes and the Musical Pipes' Shifting Eight and Mutually Giving Birth 樂律隔八相生圖 納音五行三元應
The Received Notes, the Stems, and the Branches Assume Numbers in Harmony with the Five Processes
The Five Processes and the Five Musical Notes
The Received Stem-Jia
The Columnar Chart of the Received Stem-Jia 納甲直圖
Figure 25 The Columnar Chart of the Received Stem-Jia 納甲直圖
The Circular Chart of the Received Stem-Jia 納甲圓圖
Figure 26 The Circular Chart of the Received Stem-Jia 納甲圓圖
The Chart of the Received Stem-Jia Receiving the Twelve Branches 納甲納十二支圖
Figure 27 The Chart of the Received Stem-Jia Receiving the Twelve Branches 納甲納十二支圖
CHAPTER TWO The Roots and the Springs - Part 2
The Twenty-Four Directional Positions 二十四方位
Figure 28 The Twenty-Four Directional Positions 二十四方位
The Standard Five Processes 正五行
Figure 29 The Standard Five Processes 正五行
The Central Needle, Double Mountain Five Processes 中針雙山五行
Figure 30 The Central Needle, Double Mountain Five Processes 中針雙山五行
The Sewing Needle, Triune Harmonies Five Processes 縫針三合五行
Figure 31 The Sewing Needle, Triune Harmonies Five Processes 縫針三合五行
The Great Plan Five Processes 洪範五行
Figure 32 The Great Plan Five Processes 洪範五行
The Buried Dragon and its Transformed Revolution 墓龍變運
Figure 33 The Buried Dragon and its Transformed Revolution 墓龍變運
The Year or Month Conquers the Mountain School
The Correlation between the Twenty-Four Directional Positions and the Twenty-Four Seasonal Nodes 二十四節氣方位
Figure 34 The Correlation between the Twenty-Four Directional Positions and the Twenty-Four Seasonal Nodes 二十四節氣方位
The Eight Trigram's Received Stem-Jia and Triune Harmony Associations
The Lesser Roaming Year Trigram Transformations
Figure 35 The Triune Harmonies of the Eight Trigrams' Received Stem-Jia 八卦納甲三合
Comparison of Names Affiliated with the Stars of the Big Dipper and Roaming Year Line Transformations
The Heaven-Fixed Trigrams 天定卦
Figure 36 The Heaven-Fixed Trigrams 天定卦
The Heaven Father Trigrams 天父卦
Figure 37 The Heaven Father Trigrams 天父卦
The Earth Mother Trigrams 地母卦
Figure 38 The Earth Mother Trigrams 地母卦
The Trigram Transmutations of Trigram-Dui Palace 兌宮翻卦
Figure 39 The Trigram Transmutations of Trigram-Dui Palace 兌宮翻卦
The Trigram Transmutations of Trigram-Sun Palace 巽宮翻卦
Figure 40 The Trigram Transmutations of Trigram-Sun Palace 巽宮翻卦
The Trigram Transmutations of Trigram-Kan Palace 坎宮翻卦
Figure 41 The Trigram Transmutations of Trigram-Kan Palace 坎宮翻卦
The Trigram Transmutations of Trigram-Gen Palace 艮宮翻卦
Figure 42 The Trigram Transmutations of Trigram-Gen Palace 艮宮翻卦
The Trigram Transmutations of Trigram-Zhen Palace 震宮翻卦
Figure 43 The Trigram Transmutations of Trigram-Zhen Palace 震宮翻卦
The Trigram Transmutations of Trigram-Li Palace 離宮翻卦
Figure 44 The Trigram Transmutations of Trigram-Li Palace 離宮翻卦
The Greater Roaming Year Trigram Transformations
The Diagram of the Transformation of the Upper Line 上一爻變圖 小遊年生氣吉 大遊年生氣吉
Figure 45 The Diagram of the Transformation of the Upper Line 上一爻變圖 小遊年生氣吉 大遊年生氣吉
The Diagram of the Transformation of the Upper Two Lines 上二爻變圖 小遊年天醫吉 大遊年五鬼凶
Figure 46 The Diagram of the Transformation of the Upper Two Lines 上二爻變圖 小遊年天醫吉 大遊年五鬼凶
The Diagram of the Transformation of the Lower Line
Figure 47 Diagram of the Transformation of the Lower Line 下一爻變圖 小遊年五鬼凶 大遊年禍害凶
The Diagram of the Transformation of the Lower Two Lines 下二爻變圖 小遊年福德吉 大遊年天醫吉
Figure 48 Diagram of the Transformation of the Lower Two Lines 下二爻變圖 小遊年福德吉 大遊年天醫吉
The Diagram of the Transformation of the Uppermost Line and the Lowest Line 上下二爻變圖 小遊年遊魂凶 大遊年六煞凶
Figure 49 Diagram of the Transformation of the Uppermost Line and the Lowest Line 上下二爻變圖 小遊年遊魂凶 大遊年六煞凶
The Diagram of the Transformation of the Middle Line 中一爻變圖 小遊年絕命凶 大遊年絕命凶
Figure 50 Diagram of the Transformation of the Middle Line 中一爻變圖 小遊年絕命凶 大遊年絕命凶
The Diagram of the Transformation of All Three Lines 三俱爻變圖 小遊年絕體凶 大遊年延年吉
Figure 51 The Diagram of the Transformation of All Three Lines 三俱爻變圖 小遊年絕體凶 大遊年延年吉
Notes
Glossary of Chinese Terms, Titles of Cited, and Names of Individuals
Bibliography
Index
Back Cover
