Hidden Secrets in Da Liu Ren and the Theory of Stems Stored in the Four Pillars

Text:

In Zi, Gui water is eight parts true; Ren three, Xin metal is first-born,
In Chou, Bing, Ji five, Gui three; Xin metal two and a half are set out together.
In Yin palace, Jia seven, Yi wood two; Bing and Wu three parts each, fire and earth equal.
In Mao, Yi wood is seven parts; Gui water first-born, Jia three.
In Chen, Wu earth stands five parts; Gui and Yi each two and a half true.
In Si, four parts belong to Bing fire; Geng first three, and Wu three equal shares.
In Wu, Bing and Ding are eight parts; Ji earth two and a half, Yi three clear.
In Wei, Ji earth is five parts certain; Yi and Ding two and a half each even.
In Shen, Geng seven, Xin metal two; Ren water first-born only two parts.
In You palace, Xin seven, Geng three exact; Ji and Ding each two, subtle beyond compare.
In Xu, Wu earth sits five parts real; Xin and Ding two and a half each adjacent.
In Hai, Ren seven, Gui three; additionally Jia wood is first-born.

Note:

"Chou Bing Ji"—here "Bing" must be an error; in fact within Chou it is Ji five, Gui three.

In Zi, Gui water is eight parts true; Ren three, Xin metal is first-born,
In Chou, Ji five, Gui three; Xin metal two and a half are set out together.
In Yin palace, Jia seven, Yi wood two; Bing and Wu three parts each, fire and earth equal.
In Mao, Yi wood is seven parts; Gui water first-born, Jia three.
In Chen, Wu earth stands five parts; Gui and Yi each two and a half true.
In Si, four parts belong to Bing fire; Geng first three, and Wu three equal shares.
In Wu, Bing and Ding are eight parts; Ji earth two and a half, Yi three clear.
In Wei, Ji earth is five parts certain; Yi and Ding two and a half each even.
In Shen, Geng seven, Xin metal two; Ren water first-born only two parts.
In You palace, Xin seven, Geng three exact; Ji and Ding each two, subtle beyond compare.
In Xu, Wu earth sits five parts real; Xin and Ding two and a half each adjacent.
In Hai, Ren seven, Gui three; additionally Jia wood is first-born.

	Emolument (Lu)	Longevity (Changsheng)	Imperial Prosperity (Diwang)
Zi	Gui	Xin	Ren
Chou
Yin	Jia	Bing [Wu]	Yi
Mao	Yi	Gui	Jia
Chen
Si	Bing [Wu]	Geng	Ding [Ji]
Wu	Ding [Ji]	Yi	Bing [Wu]
Wei
Shen	Geng	Ren	Xin
You	Xin	Ding [Ji]	Geng
Xu
Hai	Ren	Jia	Gui

For Zi, Wu, Mao, You and Yin, Shen, Si, Hai, all are taken according to Longevity, Taking Office (emolument/Lu), and Imperial Prosperity. This is what is meant by Heaven Origin and Human Origin being the same. For Earth Origin—Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei—Wu and Ji are treated the same as Bing and Ding; this is also called fire and earth sharing the same palace. This is the method used in formulaic techniques.

Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei are treated separately, taking their principal qi: Chou and Wei take Ji, Chen and Xu take Wu. This accounts for the division of Wu and Ji among the twenty-four positions.

Further note: at the Tomb (Mu), Chou takes Geng and Xin, Chen takes Ren and Gui, Wei takes Jia and Yi, Xu takes Geng and Xin; and again from the Yin principle's Capping and Belting (Guandai). Hence within Xu is Xin, within Chen is Yi, within Chou is Xin, within Wei is Ding.

	Five Elements	Tomb	Capping and Belting
Chou	Ji	Xin [Geng]	Gui
Chen	Wu	Gui [Ren]	Yi
Wei	Ji	Yi [Jia]	Ding
Xu	Wu	Ding [Bing]	Xin

The Yang's decline pairs with the Yin's Capping and Belting; the Yang's decline pairs with the Yin's Bathing. The Yang uses decline and illness to form hexagrams; the Yin uses Capping and Bathing to complete hexagrams.

The stem-storing branches in the currently circulated Four Pillars / Eight Characters tradition differ from the above:

First, none take Imperial Prosperity; Zi, Wu, Mao, You do not take Longevity, while Yin, Shen, Si, Hai take Longevity.
Second, Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei contain no Yang stems.

Zi	Gui	Xin	Ren
Chou	Ji	Xin	Gui
Yin	Jia	Bing [Wu]	Yi
Mao	Yi	Gui	Jia
Chen	Wu	Gui [Ji]	Yi
Si	Bing [Wu]	Geng	Ding
Wu	Ding [Ji]	Yi	Bing
Wei	Ji	Yi	Ding
Shen	Geng	Ren [Wu]	Xin
You	Xin	Ding	Geng
Xu	Wu	Ding	Xin
Hai	Ren	Jia	Gui

Thus, discussing stored stems in branches: first all take emolument qi; next Yin, Shen, Si, Hai additionally take Longevity; then Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei take the Five Elements and Capping and Belting.

Yet this is not fully complete. Furthermore, because earth grows with water—water grows at Shen, Zi, Chen—within Shen Wu is also taken; this is Ren and Wu growing at Shen.

What is called "fire and earth growing" and "water and earth growing" is in fact Wu and Ji dividing their qi among water and fire. Thus Gui also carries Ji earth, and Chou and Chen likewise both contain Ji. Only in Chen are the earths of Wu and Ji both complete—this too is where Heavenly Gang transformation resides.

Some, wishing to make the total twenty-eight, therefore do not show Ji earth within Chen.

There is also the monthly command allocation rule:

In examining fate one must first look at the Day Master;
only then can the Eight Characters reveal profound principle.
For example at Zi: first ten days Ren, mid and late ten Gui prevail.
At Chou: after nine days of Gui, apart from three of Xin all belong to Ji.
At Yin: Wu and Bing each seven mornings, only the sixteenth does Jia wood suffice.
At Mao: Yang wood rules the first ten days; mid and late tens are Yin wood.
In the third month nine mornings remain Yi, three days Gui as storehouse, remainder Wu wondrous.
Early summer: nine days Geng metal born, sixteen Bing fire, five Wu periods.
At Wu: Yang fire belongs to the first ten days, Ding fire ten days, Ji nine days.
At Wei: nine days Ding fire bright, three mornings Yi, rest Ji.
Early autumn: Ji seven, Wu three mornings; three Ren, seventeen Geng metal ready.
At You: still ten days Geng, twenty days Xin metal in prosperous place.
At Xu: nine days Xin metal flourishes, three Ding, eighteen Wu earth complete.
At Hai: seven Wu, five days Jia; rest all Ren prosperous—preserve this.
Know that one part is likened to three; this secret the former sages verified and kept.

That is:

Zi: Ren Gui
Chou: Gui Xin Ji
Yin: Wu Bing Jia
Mao: Jia Yi
Chen: Yi Gui Wu
Si: Geng Bing Wu
Wu: Ding Ji
Wei: Ding Yi Ji
Shen: Ji Wu Ren Geng
You: Geng Xin
Xu: Xin Wu
Hai: Wu Jia Ren

Note that the beginning of each month continues from the end of the previous month. Where it differs from the commonly used stored-stem branches: when qi is shared, Zi, Wu, Mao, You discard Yang and take Yin. Thus generally:

Zi: Ren [Gui]
Chou: Gui Xin Ji
Yin: Wu Bing Jia
Mao: [Jia] Yi
Chen: Yi Gui Wu
Si: Geng Bing Wu
Wu: Ding Ji
Wei: Ding Yi Ji
Shen: Ji Wu Ren Geng
You: [Geng] Xin
Xu: Xin Ding Wu
Hai: Wu Jia Ren

Only Shen, inheriting Wei's qi of Ji seven and Wu three, differs slightly in its discussion.

There is also the Sanming Tonghui discussion of Human Origin governing affairs:

First month established at Yin: within Yin, Wu earth governs five days, Bing fire grows five days, Jia wood twenty days;
Second month at Mao: within Mao, Jia wood governs seven days, Yi wood twenty-three days;
Third month at Chen: within Chen, Yi wood governs seven days, Ren water's tomb storehouse five days, Wu earth eighteen days;
Fourth month at Si: within Si, Wu earth seven days, Geng metal grows five days, Bing fire eighteen days;
Fifth month at Wu: within Wu, Bing fire governs seven days, Ding fire twenty-three days;
Sixth month at Wei: within Wei, Ding fire governs seven days, Jia wood's tomb storehouse five days, Ji earth eighteen days;
Seventh month at Shen: within Shen, Kun earth governs five days, Ren water grows five days, Geng metal twenty days;
Eighth month at You: within You, Geng metal governs seven days, Xin metal twenty-three days;
Ninth month at Xu: within Xu, Xin metal governs seven days, Bing fire's tomb storehouse five days, Wu earth eighteen days;
Tenth month at Hai: within Hai, Wu earth five days, Jia wood grows five days, Ren water governs twenty days;
Eleventh month at Zi: within Zi, Ren water governs seven days, Gui water twenty-three days;
Twelfth month at Chou: within Chou, Gui water governs seven days, Geng metal's tomb storehouse five days, Ji earth eighteen days.

Zi: Ren Gui
Chou: Gui Geng
Yin: Gen Bing Jia
Mao: Jia Yi
Chen: Yi Ren Wu
Si: Wu Geng Bing
Wu: Bing Ding
Wei: Ding Jia Ji
Shen: Kun Ren Geng
You: Geng Xin
Xu: Xin Bing Wu
Hai: Wu Jia Ren

In terms of sequence: the former takes Yin where qi is shared, this takes Yang where qi is shared; the four Tombs take Yin's Capping and Yang's Tomb; Wu and Ji divide qi between Gen and Kun—Bing within Gen is fire, Ren within Shen is water. This is the dividing qi of water and fire.

Governing days also differ. In the former formula, within Zi: Ren ten days, Gui twenty; here Ren seven days, Gui twenty-three. Yet in the former, within Hai Ren has eighteen days, so Ren totals twenty-eight; in this formula, within Hai Ren has twenty, plus seven here, totaling twenty-seven. Broadly similar; what differs is due to the waxing and waning of rotation.

Although differences exist here, in actual practice there is almost no distinction. Why?

If we take the Wu and Ji earth of Yin and Shen—Yin is taken as Wealth, Shen as Seal; Wealth and Seal patterns do not distinguish proper and improper, and the four Tombs are the actual tombs of the Five Elements, so without regard for Yin or Yang both may be taken. Let them all be the same—only the Wu within Hai inherits Xu's qi and must be treated separately.