Chapter 12: Explain the Heavenly Stems in Simple and Easy Ways
Today I will teach Chunlai the basic knowledge of "reading the eight characters", starting with the heavenly stems and earthly branches.
The first thing is to teach him: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui.
I said, "These ten characters are called the Heavenly Stems. They are not just made up, but a perfect explanation of the cycle of life.
First, let's look at the character "甲". It represents a seed, buried in the ground. At this moment, the seed is cracking underground. What is it going to do? It is to break through the soil and sprout new leaves.
The first thing a seed does after it breaks open is to sprout downwards. Only by growing downwards can it absorb water and nutrients, right?
Chunlai nodded.
"Then [甲] represents the first, the first action of the seed breaking open its shell and sprouting new life. Therefore, it is not difficult for us to understand the following terms:
For example: [甲等] means first place. [科甲] means champion, also first place.
The second meaning of "甲" is protection. Imagine the character "甲" as a bean sprout with armor on its head.
The shell of a seed protects the seed. So, armor protects the body, and so does a vest.
Chun said, "I see. Then, can the word 'you' be understood as starting from the seed?"
I said, “Yes, [由] means starting from here and originating from here.
[申] means to be fully connected from head to toe. For example, to stretch one's waist. It means a person stands up straight.
Chunlai marveled: "Chinese characters are truly magical."
I will teach him the second word [乙].
"Why does [B] look like a snake? This is the embryonic bud of a seed, still underground. It's growing crookedly, trying to break through the surface."
Chun said: "This word is very vivid."
"So B stands for second."
"Oh, it's the second behavior of the seed."
I pointed at [C] and said, "The little bud has grown out of the ground. It has finally seen the sun. The sun is the condition for all things to grow.
To Xiaoya, the sun is so huge and warm. The sun is so huge and blazing, it is a huge object. Therefore, it is not difficult for us to understand the following words:
A handle is something that can be held. Can a seedling be held? Hence the term "handle."
There is also the phrase "Biao Bing Qian Qiu". When the seedlings saw the sun, they saw the sun. Is the sun eternal? So it is "Biao Bing Qian Qiu".
Chunlai became more and more interested.
I continued to explain, "Ding means strong and sturdy. The seedlings are getting stronger and stronger. As the seedlings grow stronger and stronger, shouldn't they start to grow branches and leaves?"
Chun said, "Yes, the next one is [Wu]."
I smiled and said, "That's the right understanding. [Wu] looks like the character [Mao]. It means it hasn't reached the level of [Mao] yet, but has grown branches and leaves.
Next, let's look at the character "己," which is the abbreviation of the character "纪." "纪" means something that can be recorded. It means it has taken shape. This means the plant has reached its peak and is ready to be picked and eaten.
Next, [Geng] is homophonic with [Geng], which means something. Collecting seeds, life begins to change.
[Xin] means new, and this seed is the mother of new life.
[Ren] means pregnancy. The seeds fall into the ground and begin the gestation of life again.
Gui (Gui) is winter. All things are hidden. Life lies dormant, waiting for the arrival of spring. This is the beginning of a second cycle of life.
Therefore, when you study the Ten Heavenly Stems, you must learn them based on understanding. Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui represent the cycle of life.
It is the process of a seed growing in the soil and maturing under the sun (representing the sky) throughout the four seasons of the year.
Chunlai said, "Master, you have a deep understanding of the essence of Chinese characters and the ancient calendar."
I said, "Now I will teach you the twelve Earthly Branches, which are [Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai]. These twelve characters represent the alternation of day and night.
The ten heavenly stems represent the cycle of the four seasons, and the twelve earthly branches represent the alternation of day and night.
So, your eight characters are formed.
The year, month, day, and hour of your birth. This is the origin of the Eight Characters.
Chun said, "Master, please teach me the twelve Earthly Branches. I really like the way you teach, explaining the essence of things in such a simple and profound way."
At this moment, a man suddenly came in from outside and interrupted my teaching.
Chunlai felt a little regretful and gave a wry smile.
I know how much he wants to listen, but guests are respected and our job is to help them solve their problems.
The man walked in and asked, "Excuse me, is Master Wan Shanhong here?"
Chunlai smiled and said, "This is it."
The visitor was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "So young, then bowed with both hands: I have long admired you. I have long admired you."
I held out my hand and said, "Please sit down."
Chun Lai was making tea. I glanced at the man who came in. He was in his forties, with a square face, a big nose, a wide mouth, and his hair combed back. He was wearing a white shirt and black pants, which looked of good quality.
The visitor said, "I'm from another province. I read 'The Art of Divining Characters,' which you wrote under the pen name 'Bao Erji,' and I have great admiration for you. I've come to visit you today."
I smiled faintly and said, "You're too kind. I was just itching to do it. I just graduated from high school and wanted to prove to others that I'm a decent writer. I'm just showing off what I need."
He shook his head. "No, sir, you are indeed ambitious and have good plans. A hero is not judged by his origins. Your talent cannot be determined by your academic qualifications."
Chunlai brought him some tea and said, "Sir, please have some tea."
The man nodded to Chunlai in thanks, then said, "Mr. Wan, my last name is Liu, and my given name is Liucun. I'd like to have my fortune told. I'm planning to start a business and see if I can make money."
I said, "It's a good name. There's always light at the end of the tunnel."
Chunlai gave him paper and pen.
He wrote the word "Liu".
I smiled and said, "The word 'willow' doesn't have much meaning. It's the name of a tree since ancient times. If you're doing business, it has to be related to the earth. You need land for trees to thrive. Secondly, it's better to choose a place near water."
Mr Liu said: "Someone told me my fortune in the past and said I was related to the earth element, so I have been working in real estate.
Ever since I read your book, which said that the eighth period is the most profitable for real estate and the ninth period belongs to fire, real estate will definitely decline, facts have proved that what you said is correct.
So, I couldn't sleep, so I wanted to talk to you about whether this real estate industry is still viable.
I laughed and said, "It may be declining, but this industry will still exist. It's just not as easy to make money as before, so you have to put in a little more effort."
He gave a wry smile and said, "I live in a prefecture-level city, and houses are hard to sell right now. I have a piece of land that has been vacant for four years. If I don't develop it, the government will take it back."
Developers are worried about lack of buyers because other people's houses aren't selling well. The more prices drop, the tighter the wallets become for ordinary people.
I said, "Judging from the character 'Liu', you can see that this business won't be a loss."
"Sir, could you please take a look at the feng shui for me and give me some guidance?"
I thought about it and thought this was a good idea. I could take Chunlai to learn about Feng Shui firsthand, so I said, "Okay."
After hearing this, Liucun was overjoyed and said, "Then I'll book a high-speed rail ticket right away."
Chunlai was also excited because he could learn Feng Shui from me in person, so he immediately got up and packed his luggage.
In early August, Chunlai and I embarked on a trip to another province. As for feng shui, what advice did I give him? See you next time.
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