Master Lai’s Method of Orienting by Pure Yin and Pure Yang

In the Longchuan manuscript it is written:

The Classic says: “When yin and yang are mixed and muddled, affairs are hard to fulfill; even if the Heart of Heaven is matched, the outcome is still uncertain. If one palace of mountain-and-water is correct, glory and honor will naturally come—there need be no doubt.” Here, intending the Dui mountain and facing Jia or Yi, sitting Geng facing Jia is the Life-Extinction configuration, sitting Xin facing Yi is the Wandering-Soul configuration—both are inauspicious. Though Dragon Mountain’s Silver Bottle is elegant and lofty, taking it by feeling alone is not fully correct.

According to the Auxiliary Star method, whether sitting Geng facing Jia or sitting Xin facing Yi, one begins the count from the Dui mountain. Zhen receives Geng, and Geng is Po Jun (the Army Breaker); Xun receives Xin, and Xun is Wen Qu (the Literary Melody), that is, the Wandering Soul—hence it is inauspicious.

Again, according to:

“The Classic says: On Dui, wherever one may dwell, distant facing mountains and waters are more than enough. When Wu Qu suddenly the mountain rises and shines, the Five Ghosts of the Kan palace of themselves dissolve.” This speaks of Kan, and also of Gui.

“The Classic says: Zhen is thunder receiving and guarding the Celestial Pass; near and far press forward in court, ridge on ridge. The humanizing wind sweeps a thousand li afar; all people bow to the官 of the Five Marquis.” This speaks of Zhen, and also of Gui.

Kan is the Lian Zhen of Dui—that is, the Five Ghosts. This does not follow the Tang-method Dunhuang texts; moreover it seems more likely that a later scholar erred in revision. For according to other examples, Lian Zhen as Five Ghosts shares a body with Huo Hai; only then does the principle of one square cohere.

Therefore, what is meant by “flipping from the opposite palace” is this: if the upper line of Qian changes, one arrives at Dui—which is in the opposite palace; if the upper line of Kun changes, one arrives at Tan (Greedy Wolf)—which is in the Gen palace. Both embody the sense of the opposite palace.

Furthermore, taking Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li as yang, and Gen, Xun, Dui, and Zhen as yin, water too must use the yin if it is to be auspicious.