Commentary on the "Essay on Revealing Subtleties"

1. Hardness and Softness Chapter

The Changes say: the Way of establishing heaven is yin and yang; the Way of establishing earth is softness and hardness. Master Shao wrote: the Way of heaven is fully contained in yin and yang; the Way of earth is fully contained in hardness and softness. Therefore the essentials of geography lie in nothing higher than hardness and softness. Hardness and softness speak of their substance. At the beginning of heaven and earth, all was like a swirling mass of sand — mountains and rivers could not yet be spoken of. Then wind and qi rubbed against each other, water and earth agitated one another: the hard stood firm alone, while the soft surged and gradually wore away. Thus mountains and rivers took form.

All mountains trace their ancestry to Kunlun, branching into limbs and veins, ever more numerous and fine — this is the one root giving rise to the ten thousand differences. All waters ultimately belong to the sea; different tributaries flow together, ever merging and widening — this is the ten thousand differences returning to the one root. Mountains are hard in substance but soft in function, hence they rise high yet stand still. Water is soft in substance but hard in function, hence it rises and flows. Here again, within hardness there is softness, and within softness there is hardness. Master Shao takes water as too-soft, fire as too-hard, earth as lesser-soft, and stone as lesser-hard — the so-called Four Images of Earth. Water is like the blood of the human body, hence too-soft. Fire is like the qi of the human body, hence too-hard. Earth is like the flesh of the human body, hence lesser-soft. Stone is like the bones of the human body, hence lesser-hard. Joining water, fire, earth, and stone makes the earth; joining blood, qi, bone, and flesh makes the person. Taking analogies from the body near, and from things afar, there is no second principle. Probed further: in all dryness and aridity, within strong haste there is gentle weakness, and within gentle weakness there is strong haste — so softness contains hardness and hardness contains softness. From here onward, one can reason without end; the wise, upon observing this, will have grasped the greater part.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: This hardness and softness lies only in examining qi; it is obtained from the Four Images. The most beautiful are the four in union; next, seek the union of yin and yang. Yet there remains old-yin and lesser-yang, where vitality is hard to speak of; old-yang and lesser-yin, where a little shows through. Only old-yin with old-yang, and lesser-yin with lesser-yang, are true pairings.

2. Movement and Stillness Chapter

Next, nothing surpasses clarifying movement and stillness. Movement and stillness speak of their mutual penetration. Thus the ancients said: water is by nature moving — desire it to be still. Mountains are by nature still — desire it to move. These are words that grasp principle. Therefore in all things under heaven, where one seeks, one wants stillness from movement and movement from stillness — not stillness becoming ever more still, nor movement becoming ever more agitated. Mountains take stillness as constant; only in the absence of movement do they form dragons. Water takes movement as constant; only in the absence of stillness does the site coalesce. Thus mountains that form dragons must leap and dance; waters that coalesce sites must curve and meander serenely.

If they are prostrate, hard, forcing, cutting, charging, splashing, tugging, or shooting — then movement never leaves movement and stillness never leaves stillness; these are where mountains and waters fail to merge and coalesce. Yet one movement and one stillness mutually cycle. Mountains too can reach the extreme of movement and become still; water too can reach the extreme of stillness and become active. One must not cling to a single view — it is in the practitioner's power to blend and transform that lies the subtlety.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: Make still what moves; make moving what is still — this is called the essential subtlety.

3. Gathering and Scattering Chapter

Next, nothing surpasses observing gathering and scattering. Gathering and scattering speak of the overall tendency. When mountains and rivers merge and coalesce, it is naturally heaven-made and earth-set: blocking emptiness and filling gaps, neither sinking nor tumbling. Thus small gathering yields a small site; great gathering yields a great site; scattered and unable to gather, one cannot speak of a site. What is gathering? Where mountains intersect, waters converge, wind and qi nestle and hide. What is scattering? Where mountains depart, waters part, wind and qi spread and stain.

Today's discussions of geography often debate the cleverness or clumsiness of landforms without clarifying gathering and scattering. If the overall tendency gathers, then strange shapes and bizarre acupoints are all the more genuine. If the overall tendency scatters, then clever acupoints that appear natural are in fact false. Surveying the burials of antiquity, for the most part acupoints were clever and strange — not because they loved the strange, but because having obtained the correctness of mountains and waters, even strange acupoints became the norm. Yet there is gathering and scattering of the overall tendency, and gathering and scattering within the acupoint: the former appears at a distance, the latter appears close at hand. These two mutually depend upon one another.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: The key here lies in far and near. Small gathering with great scattering — usable for a time, but in the end it does not gather. Small scattering with great gathering — by relying on the method, one can still prosper.

4. Facing and Turning Away Chapter

Next, nothing surpasses examining facing and turning away. Facing and turning away speak of disposition and temperament. Geography is not far from human affairs. People's dispositions vary, but the Way of facing and turning away can be observed. That which faces me must hold an intention of engaging and associating; that which turns from me must show a countenance of厌弃 and disregard. Though it may temporarily feign decorum, the true bearing is natural and cannot be disguised. So those who observe land observe its disposition's facing.

Dispositions that face are not hard to see: mutually facing like ruler and minister, receiving each other like host and guest, loving each other like brothers and flesh and blood — these are all dispositions of facing. Those that turn away are also not hard to see: mutually regarding each other like enemies, casting each other aside like strangers, mutually jealous like embittered rivals and rebels — these are all dispositions of turning away. Observing form and appearance yields the false; observing disposition and temperament yields the true. When the principle of facing and turning away is clear, the mechanism of fortune and misfortune, blessing and disaster, is plain. Therefore I have often said: the essence of geography is nothing more than the facing and turning away of mountains and waters.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: The principle of facing and turning away cannot be fully judged by form alone — it must be inferred by disposition. Thus there are cases where the form departs but the spirit looks back, like a person traveling far while the heart remains with home. There are also cases where the appearance is united but the spirit departs — these are truly turning away.

5. Female and Male Chapter

Next, one must also examine female and male. Female and male speak of their pairing. Solitary yang does not engender; solitary yin does not complete. All things under heaven must pair and match. Geomancers speak of it as female and male — broadly, nothing more than the principle of mutual correspondence. Why so? Mountains belong to yang, so wherever mountains merge and coalesce, they must meet the winding embrace of water. Though the momentum arrives following the water, the form must settle against the water. This is the female and male of mountain-water pairing. Yet mountains and waters each further possess their own female and male.

Yang dragons take yin acupoints — this is the female and male of dragon and acupoint correspondence. Yang mountains take yin as counterparts — this is the female and male of host and guest. Where the site coalesces, female and male must unite: dragon, acupoint, sand, and water; left and right, host and guest — all must pair and match. If a single female or male does not pair, then even if a site forms, it cannot be true creation. The Classic says: female and male rejoice in each other; heaven and earth commune. It also says: if female and male do not attend to each other, do not bother looking. The ancients often took this as essential — it is also the natural principle of heaven and earth.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: Mountains facing mountains also differ as female and male; waters completing waters also differ as female and male. Judging by mountains: yin mountain with yang acupoint, yang mountain with yin acupoint — these are also correspondences. Judging further by water, one may also speak of the lower gate's guarding as following the same principle — within this there are yet further secrets.

6. Strength and Weakness Chapter

Next, one must further distinguish strength and weakness. Strength and weakness speak of their endowment of qi. The principle under heaven is but the mean. Too hard and it snaps — must be tempered with softness. Too soft and it grows weak — must be tempered with hardness. When hardness and softness temper each other, the middle Way is attained. Those who discuss geography must discuss its endowment of qi.

Endowed mostly with softness, its nature is gentle; endowed mostly with hardness, its nature is urgent. When the endowment is hard and the nature urgent, one should site the acupoint at a gentle place. Yet if one further fears a strong arrival forced down, it harms the dragon; a weak arrival forced down, it loses qi. The method of establishing the acupoint broadly seeks a fittingly balanced middle — not leaning to one side; leaning to one side brings problems. Without a fixed standard of weighing, it is also hard to speak of.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: Contemporary masters know to avoid urgency when encountering it, yet often forget gentleness. When the dragon is very urgent, one uses the offset; but when the dragon arrives very gently, how to use it? This is called leaning to one side. Broadly, hardness is tempered by softness, softness by hardness — understanding this makes it complete.

7. Following and Reversing Chapter

Next, one must further distinguish following and reversing. Following and reversing speak of coming and going. What comes? Where water originates, where mountains rise. What goes? Where water crosses, where mountains end. Those who know following and reversing exist; those who know following and reversing without knowing coming and going — these have never been. On the two paths of following and reversing, like the blind and the deaf: unless one has clear insight, few fail to mistake reversing for following and following for reversing. One must know: mountains and waters that follow are following — the so-called "arriving from where one arrives." Mountains and waters that reverse are reversing — the so-called "going from where one goes."

The method of establishing the acupoint must take reversing within reversing — this is a fixed principle that cannot be altered. Extending further: dragons have following and reversing veins. A following dragon that forms an acupoint must reverse; a reversing dragon that forms an acupoint must follow. This too is the natural momentum of mountains and waters. Broadly discussing reversing and following: one must know the overall tendency of mountains and waters, silently fixed several li out, before one can distinguish following and reversing within the subtle inch-distance between. Otherwise black and white are confused — mistaking reversing for following, following for reversing, is all too common.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: Taking following from a following dragon, and taking following from a reversing dragon — this lies in distinguishing their following and reversing. Mountains have mountains' following and reversing; waters have waters' following and reversing — these must not be conflated.

8. Life and Death Chapter

Next, one must further recognize life and death. Life and death speak of taking and abandoning. A dragon coming a thousand li yields only a single seat of ground. If one does not distinguish life and death, on what basis can one decide? The account of life and death is not one-sided. Broadly: with qi is life, without qi is death; an active vein is life, a coarse hard one is dead. When the dragon's momentum pushes left, left is life and right is death; when it pushes right, right is life and left is death.

Also, as when taking meat from within leanness — the lean place is dead and the meaty place is life; or taking hunger from within fullness — the hungry place is life and the full place is dead. All matters of this sort depend on the practitioner's careful reasoning. Life is what one takes; death is what one abandons. When taking and abandoning are clear, then the acupoint method is set, and then fortune and misfortune respond. If life and death are hard to distinguish and taking and abandoning misapplied, this is not true creation.

9. Subtle and Manifest Chapter

Next, one must further examine the subtle and the manifest. Subtle and manifest speak of qi and vein. Qi is formless and belongs to yang; vein is formed and belongs to yin. Yang is clear and yin is turbid, hence qi is subtle and vein is manifest. Yet qi does not stop itself — it must stand upon vein. Vein does not act of itself — it must form through qi. There are cases of vein without qi, but never a case of vein where there is no qi.

The Classic says: qi rides wind and disperses; vein meets water and stops. Vein without qi: harmed by water. Vein with no qi: harmed by wind. Those skilled at observing qi and vein examine the formless through the formed; the unskilled let the formless obscure the formed. The formless lies only within the formed. The wise see clearly, so from the coarse and shallow they grasp the refined and subtle; the foolish see dimly, so amid the vague and obscure they understand nothing. Who knows: where four waters exchange, there is vein; where eight winds do not stir, there is qi. This is plain to all with eyes, known to all with hearts — and the utmost essentials of the art at first go no further than this. Those who observe qi and vein should seek here, and they will hardly go wrong.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: The vein spoken of here is not merely the vein of mountain ridges. In feng shui, one sees by faint shadows. The exchange of waters is easy to distinguish; the meeting of qi is hard to know.

10. Dividing and Converging Chapter

Next, one must further investigate dividing and converging. Dividing and converging speak of emerging and submerging. The vein as vein does not arise suddenly or appear abruptly. Where it emerges there must be a natural arrival, and dividing waters to guide it. Where it submerges there must be something at which it stops, and converging waters to bound it. Master Guo said: where the earth has auspicious qi, the soil rises with it; where the branch has stopping qi, water follows and compares. He also said: where the branch begins, qi rises with it; where the branch ends, qi gathers with it. This is how the ancients discussed the source and flow of qi and vein.

Qi rises with earth, so where the vein travels there must be a ridge. Qi follows and compares with water, so where the vein is delivered there must be water. Qi rises at the branch's beginning, so above there is division; qi gathers at the branch's end, so below there is convergence. Convergence without division — its arrival is not true, for within there is no living qi to connect with. Division without convergence — its stopping is unclear, for without there is no hall qi to receive. Division and convergence both present — there is arrival and stopping, emergence and submersion; then the dragon's coalescing with the acupoint is set beyond doubt, and only then is it a place of complete qi. Yet there are small divisions and convergences, and great divisions and convergences. Where the site coalesces there are three divisions and three convergences: one division-convergence before and behind the acupoint, from the main rise to where Azure Dragon and White Tiger cross; two, from the ancestor to where the dragon and tiger meet; three, from the ancestral source to where the three waters converge. Small convergence forms a small bright hall; great convergence forms a great bright hall. Converging within the dragon and tiger forms the inner hall; converging outside them forms the outer hall. These convergences are each distinct and not confused — this too must be known.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: Three divisions and three convergences certainly constitute complete qi, yet they do not constitute the complete principle.

11. Floating and Sinking Chapter

Next, one must further distinguish floating and sinking. Floating and sinking speak of exterior and interior. Veins have yin and yang, hence floating and sinking. Yang veins commonly appear at the surface — this is floating. Yin veins commonly hide within — this is sinking. Broadly, geomancers examining veins are no different from physicians examining pulses. Those skilled in geography determine the acupoint by examining the vein's floating and sinking — the principle is one.

Three yin comes from heaven, because yin is rooted in yang. Thus yin veins are necessarily small above and large below, and their mouths must be round. Three yang comes from earth, because yang is rooted in yin. Thus yang veins are necessarily large above and small below, and their mouths must be pointed. Later observers of veins need not ask what each may be: wherever the mouth is pointed, it is yang and the vein floats at the surface; wherever the mouth is round, it is yin and the vein sinks within. This is a fixed, unchanging method. Extending further: protrusions have sinking veins, depressions have floating veins; fine and subtle veins float, coarse and heavy veins sink; among many highs and one low, the vein floats; among many lows and one high, the vein sinks. Combining these, the principle of yin and yang is attained.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: Veins have the distinction of sinking and floating, hence exposure and concealment. Large above and small below is pointed; small above and large below is round.

12. Shallow and Deep Chapter

Next, one must further determine shallow and deep. Shallow and deep speak of the standard and target. When shallow and deep properly catch, wind and water form of themselves. Therefore those who site a site must take shallow and deep as the standard. If it should be shallow but is deep, the qi passes over above; if it should be deep but is shallow, the qi passes under below — the site hits its mark yet the effect does not respond, for this reason. I have often determined shallow and deep by the Eight Trigrams, grasping the essentials. Broadly: first observe the yin and yang of the arriving vein, then examine the following assistance of the four surrounding mountains. For instance, when the arriving vein enters strongly, the acupoint is a depression, and the mouth is pointed — these all indicate a floating vein belonging to yang, to which the Qian trigram corresponds. When the arriving vein enters weakly, the acupoint is a depression, and the mouth is round — these all indicate a sinking vein belonging to yin, to which the Kun trigram corresponds. Qian is pure yang, taking yin for the acupoint; so one establishes the acupoint using Xun, Dui, and Li — the three yins. Kun is pure yin, taking yang for the acupoint; so one establishes the acupoint using Gen, Kan, and Zhen — the three yangs. Whenever the vein is yang: the four mountains higher than the form itself — Dui's image, transforming above into yin, the acupoint should be shallow. The four mountains level with the form itself — Li's image, transforming in the middle into yin, the acupoint should be neither shallow nor deep. The four mountains lower than the form itself — Xun's image, transforming below into yin, the acupoint should be deep.

Whenever the vein is yin: the four mountains higher than the form itself — Gen's image, transforming above into yang, the acupoint should be shallow. The four mountains level with the form itself — Kan's image, transforming in the middle into yang, the acupoint should be neither shallow nor deep. The four mountains lower than the form itself — Zhen's image, transforming below into yang, the acupoint should be deep. In summary: yang veins float and should be shallow; yin veins sink and should be deep. In detail: yin veins also have shallow and deep within them — because the following assistance of the four mountains differs, yin sometimes becomes yang and yang sometimes becomes yin. Only one skilled in transformation can examine this. How could one not examine?

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: A thousand words, ten thousand sayings — it all comes to one sentence: first observe the heights and lows of the surrounding terrain and take that as one measure; next observe the acupoint's depression or protrusion as one measure; then observe the pointedness or roundness of the mouth as one measure — determine shallow and deep from these three measures.

13. Reducing and Adding Chapter

Next, one must further reduce and add. Reducing and adding speak of waxing and waning. Dragon and tiger on left and right each have reducing and adding. But why reduce and add dragon and tiger? This is the meaning of waxing and waning yin and yang. The method of reducing and adding broadly takes the first to arrive as host: if the dragon mountain arrives first, reduce dragon and add tiger — the acupoint must sit on the left. If the tiger mountain arrives first, reduce tiger and add dragon — the acupoint must sit on the right.

This is because mountain and water locking and barring must intersect firmly before qi is whole. With the acupoint on the left, take the left mountain as the bar — the water on the right must pass the palace and lock through. This is called "yin locking, yang barring." With the acupoint on the right, take the right mountain as the bar — the water on the left must pass the palace and lock through. This is called "yang locking, yin barring." Only when facing waters and mountains arrive is it fine to follow the barring and locking. If crosswise water passes the palace, reversing bars and reversing locks are what is good — it absolutely cannot be altered. The slightest error, and fortune and disaster diverge vastly. How could one not be careful?

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: This determines the acupoint's left and right by coordinating the dragon, tiger, and water mouth. What is called the bar: barring on the left sits on the left; barring on the right sits on the right. If the dragon arrives first but the bar is on the right, or the tiger arrives first but the bar is on the left, it falls to the middle. The key here: if water and mountains face toward arrival, barring and locking are unnecessary.

14. Approach and Avoidance Chapter

Next, one must further detail approach and avoidance. Approach and avoidance speak of choice. The Way under heaven is twofold: fortune and misfortune, good and evil, are always half and half. Not all can be fortunate — there must be misfortune; not all can be good — there must be evil. Therefore, when people's encounters are uneven, there must be means to deal with them: approaching fortune and avoiding misfortune, abandoning evil and following good.

Geography is the same. What mountains and rivers gather cannot be wholly pure and refined qi; there cannot help being some impurity. So beauty and ugliness, good and bad, are displayed in confusion — as is only proper. Yet mountains and rivers take many forms: within an inch, the view transforms utterly. Looking from below it is ugly; from above, beautiful. Looking from the right it is plain; from the left, elegant. How can one not know to choose amid such as this? Knowing how to choose, one may roughly attain the Way of approach and avoidance.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: These words are somewhat empty, failing to speak of the substance — though the principle remains.

15. Crafting and Completing Chapter

Next, one must further know crafting and completing. Crafting and completing speak of human affairs. Heaven does not act on people; people do not act without heaven; people do not complete without heaven. Since the cosmos existed, there have been mountains and rivers — the count has not increased, the number of people has not diminished; heaven necessarily engenders them of themselves. So the creations of heaven and earth are also limited. The merging and coalescing of mountains and rivers lies in heaven; the crafting and completing of mountains and rivers lies in people. Where there is excess, one trims the excess.

With the skill of the eye and the tools of craft, in the end one wrests divine function and alters heaven's mandate — and there is no gap between person and heaven. Thus the good exhaust what ought to be without harming what is natural; the unskilled cling to the natural yet ultimately do not know what ought to be. Therefore the Way does not travel in vain — it resides in the person.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: The Way of trimming and tailoring the method.

16. Resonance and Response Chapter

Next, one must further trace resonance and response. Resonance and response speak of the Way of heaven. The Way of heaven does not speak, yet it responds to the good with fortune and to the wanton with disaster — these are all things. As the saying goes: a good yin site is not as good as a good heart. This is a fine word on the principle of resonance and response. Therefore those who seek sites must make accumulating virtue their root. If their virtue is truly thick, heaven will necessarily respond with an auspicious site. The fortune of their descendants comes from the heart, and the auspiciousness of the site will also accord. When evil fruits fill up, heaven will necessarily respond with a site of disaster — the misfortune of one's descendants also originates in the heart, and the site's harm likewise.

Heart is the master of qi; qi is the emblem of virtue. Heaven has never had a mind toward people, yet… if one does not cultivate and merely pursues profit, there are few who avoid entangling their ancestors — let alone hoping to bring fortune to their descendants. Having now expounded this, I therefore set it down at the end of the essay, to clarify that the Way of heaven cannot be deceived and the human heart must be guarded. Ah — readers, know your caution! Here ends the Essay on Revealing Subtleties.

Sanfu Fengyunyong's commentary: Merely the principle that like qi seeks its kind.