《灵信经旨》

During the reign of Duke Ping of Jin, there was a minister, Shi Kuang, who was thoroughly versed in the arts of the Dao (the Way). He expounded to Duke Ping the subtle and marvelous divine methods of the Tianlao Jing (Scripture of the Heavenly Elder)—methods able to comprehend both the unseen realm and the human world and to foresee omens of the future—and by these he guided Duke Ping. After Duke Ping had read them, he could, whenever events arose, know beforehand what was about to occur. This was because he practiced governance by De (Virtue/Power), and so received the attentive regard and revelation of the Heavenly Dao.

These teachings were handed down so that cultivators of the Dao in the world might all come to know them. What is more, ancient classics of the kind known as the “Three Heavens and Nine Essentials” were still able to circulate among humankind; how, then, could the principles of cultivating the self and nourishing life not be compiled into a book, to serve enduringly as a guide for the preservation of life?

Therefore, a gentleman who understood the Dao and was willing to cultivate it transcribed the essential teachings of the various sages and assembled them into a single scroll. By this means he elucidated the classics of former ages, so that the sagely Dao might be made still more manifest, and he named the book the Lingxin Jingzhi (Essential Purport of the Scripture of Numinous Trust).

The “Three Luminosities” (Sanming) of heaven are the sun, the moon, and the stars; the Three Luminosities of the human body are the ears, the eyes, and the heart. Shen (spirit) dwells in the heart and can therefore attain numinous clarity: it can both discern what is hidden and obscure and illuminate what is plain to see. Heaven’s intent is made manifest through the stars, while the things a person knows are examined by the light of Shen. Observing the stars and examining the light of Shen is said to allow one to know past events in advance. To preserve the body, one should carefully discern these signs; the hidden intentions within the heart are invisible to ordinary people.

That Yin and Yang (Yin-Yang) have already become clearly distinguished is a gift bestowed by Heaven; if one would use this to nourish the body and lengthen life, one must hold to it with care. Observing whether the stars are bright is held to foretell good or ill fortune: if everyone else can see them while you alone cannot see them clearly, this is an ill omen and may bring death. Within seven days the matter will certainly be fulfilled. In observing the light of Shen (Shenguang)—an inner numinous radiance spoken of in the scripture—the changes that appear in the eyes are its signs, and pressing with the fingers to examine them is the method of verification. Blue-green foretells illness, red foretells auspicious celebration, white is connected with mourning and injury, yellow foretells joyful events, and black governs treachery and thieves; one should carefully distinguish the true from the false. If the light of Shen disappears after pressing, this is a sign of danger.

Taking one cycle (jie) as the term within which the sign is fulfilled, one must carefully determine when the matter will turn back. “One comes and seven go” is a saying used to clarify the number of fulfillments. When the date arrives it will not be altered, and by this one may know the light of Shen beforehand. These signs are like a lamp that illuminates a dark place. When the Six-One Spirit (Liuyishen)—a term in the scripture for a deity or divine being—is stirred, one must pay close attention to the signs it transmits, and must also examine inner and outer conditions together in order to judge fortune or misfortune. The liver corresponds to official and legal affairs, and the remaining items may all be inferred in the same way.

Within the twelve double-hours, sneezing, yawning, restlessness, heat in the face, a dazed and confused mind, or the smelling of fragrant, foul, or rank odors are all regarded as warnings given in advance. One should concentrate on observing the signs of the body so as to examine Shenming (divine clarity). Sensations such as sourness, acridness, pain, and itching should also be heeded for the messages they convey. Twitching of the flesh, stabbing pain, and the like can be used to recognize signs; ringing in the ears and palpitation of the heart are manifestations that alert one to be vigilant. If the light of Shen appears, one should act in good time, choose an auspicious direction according to the signs, and avoid danger. Whether walking, stopping, sitting, or lying down, by day or by night, one must remain attentive; before and behind, to the left and to the right, one should seek out places of brightness. Where there is no light of Shen, one should not go.

When crossing water, if there is no guidance from the light of Shen, one may meet with drowning. When lodging overnight in the mountains, if the light of Shen does not appear, one should not go rashly, or one may encounter a landslide or fall into dangerous ground. If the light of Shen does not appear while one is on the road, one should not continue; if it does not appear upon arrival somewhere, one should not remain. If one has taken the wrong road, one should look to the light of Shen to discern the direction. The same applies when one is thirsty and seeking water: do not act rashly.

When preparing to join battle, one should first observe the light of Shen: red light foretells victory and celebration, and white light foretells injury; if yellow light appears, one may obtain official rank; if the light of Shen does not appear, one may die in the ranks. When eating food given by another, if the light of Shen does not appear, one must guard against poison. If the heart pounds and the nose feels sour, and this is accompanied by the disappearance of the light of Shen, it may mean that a companion will do harm, and one should withdraw for the time being. When the heart pounds, the nose itches, and the cheeks twitch, one should also observe the light of Shen; if it shows black, this is a sign of thieves. Each time the cheeks twitch and black light appears, one should record the number of occurrences and prepare against danger in advance.

Twitching of the tongue or the navel together with a trembling in the heart, and twitching of the lips together with a dazed spirit, are all signs that the light of Shen has disappeared. If this foretells that a son will harm his father, one must quickly take precautions. If the elbow twitches and the light of Shen disappears, a concubine may be causing disorder; if the palm twitches and the light of Shen disappears, a relative may be acting as a thief. If the heart pounds in alarm and the light of Shen disappears, it may mean that a younger brother is plotting against an elder brother. Twitching beneath the right foot foretells travel on public business; twitching beneath the left foot foretells travel on private business. If the heart pounds, the cheeks twitch, and the light of Shen leaves the eyes, it may mean that a friend will become a thief, and the association should not be continued.

If the heart is restless, the eyelids twitch rapidly, and the light of Shen cannot be seen, one may meet with harm on the road. If one’s wife has an outside attachment, secretly associates with another, and may intend harm, one must guard against this strictly. If the mind is dazed and the feet will not stop, it may mean that the forces above and below are about to separate, and one should prepare in advance. When the ears suddenly cannot hear and the light of Shen disappears, one should rise at once, avoid the place, and depart quickly, and may thereby escape harm from others. Twitching of the soles of the feet foretells thieves on both sides; one should defend left and right and ensure safety before and behind.

If the ears ring, the heart stirs, and the light of Shen withdraws, someone may be plotting against one, though this will not necessarily cause harm. Twitching of the right eye foretells matters concerning others; twitching of the left eye foretells matters concerning oneself. Ringing in the ears and a sour sensation in the nose may mean that an elder is reproaching one. If sudden fear arises while walking, the heart trembles, and the feet also ache, thieves may come to attack, and one may even be robbed.

The scripture then, following the teaching of Qibo, discusses how to recognize thieves and describes their appearance according to the heavenly stem of the day. The person corresponding to a jia or yi day is tall, with a blue-green complexion and eyes like apricots. The person corresponding to a bing or ding day is hasty in temperament, of medium build, red-faced, and eloquent. The person corresponding to a wu day has disheveled hair and a yellow complexion, is of medium and sturdy build, and has a large abdomen. The person corresponding to a geng or xin day has a defect in the lips, is fond of hunting, of proper bearing, and white in complexion. The person corresponding to a ren or gui day is tall, with a black complexion and considerable knowledge. These features should be carefully distinguished.

Neither the Duke of Zhou nor Confucius forgot this method. From ancient times, people of cultivation have studied it, and thus their reputations have spread throughout the world and they have been called sages.

Emperor Gaozu of Han felt a sudden stir in his heart because someone at Boren (a place name) meant to murder him; only because divine light appeared did he escape disaster. Zhao Xiangzi’s horse took fright because an assassin lay hidden nearby. To see a gleam of light and thereby avoid danger is the horse’s numinous efficacy. A youth who will not rejoice wishes to return to the heavenly realm. A ringing in the ear that cannot be heard as sound is the resonance of sorrowful feeling. The twisting of both hands means that one is cupping thunder. The sacred method of the Huangting (a Daoist method related to internal cultivation) naturally causes these phenomena to turn back.

Light is stored in the eyes, Jing (essence) is stored in the genital region, sound is stored in the ears, and Qi (vital energy) is stored in the nose. When the signs of all four places—the eyes, the ears, the genital region, and the nose—appear, they are omens of death.

Perfected Person Liu Gen, Lingxin Jing (Scripture of Numinous Verification)

On a Zi day (a day whose earthly branch is Zi): if the right ear rings in the morning, it foretells joyful news; if it rings in the evening, it foretells a matter involving a woman. If the left ear rings in the morning, the omen is the same as when the right ear rings in the morning; if it rings in the evening, it foretells an encounter with drinking. “Yixiang” (the characters of the original are suspected of error and may refer to an itch on the cheek or a related sign) foretells that something will occur and that there will be joyful news. If the upper and lower eyelids of the right eye twitch in the morning or evening, it foretells that one’s parents will be pleased at heart. If the upper and lower eyelids of the left eye twitch, it foretells that whatever one encounters will be auspicious. Sneezing in the morning or evening foretells joyful news. An itch in the eyebrows foretells that friends will come to invite one.

On a Chou day (a day whose earthly branch is Chou): if the right ear rings in the morning, it foretells joyful news; if it rings in the evening, it foretells an encounter with a gentleman. If the left ear rings in the morning, it foretells meeting a woman and joyful news; if it rings in the evening, it foretells joyful news and also an encounter with wine and food. If the upper eyelid of the right eye twitches, it foretells an encounter with relatives and friends; if the lower eyelid twitches, it foretells that an auspicious matter is at hand, and also means that a woman has long been yearning for oneself. Heat in the face means that one will have cause to worry for one’s parents. Sneezing foretells an encounter with friends.

On a Yin day (a day whose earthly branch is Yin): if the right ear rings in the morning, it foretells an encounter with an eminent person; if it rings in the evening, it foretells the gaining of wealth. If the left ear rings in the morning, it foretells gaining a great deal of wealth; if it rings in the evening, it foretells an inauspicious matter. An itch on the cheek foretells the gaining of wealth and also means that there is news of one’s parents. If the upper eyelid of the right eye twitches, it foretells the gaining of wealth; if the lower eyelid twitches, it foretells an encounter with wine and food. Sneezing foretells that an inauspicious matter is at hand; if time drags on, strife or litigation may arise. Heat in the face foretells a matter of death. An itch in the eyebrows foretells a celebration.

On the Mao day (卯日), ringing in the right ear in the morning foretells that one will meet with something joyful, while ringing in the evening foretells an occasion of wine and food. Ringing in the left ear in the morning foretells that someone in the household has business to attend to, and ringing in the evening foretells that someone will move house. Twitching of the upper eyelid of the right eye foretells a visitor, and twitching of the lower eyelid foretells good news. Pain in the chin foretells wine and food; if it lasts for some time, it foretells a happy event. Heat in the face foretells joyful matters. Sneezing foretells a quarrel. Pain in the eyebrows foretells that a message will arrive.

On the Chen day (辰日), ringing in the right ear in the morning foretells joyful matters, and ringing in the evening foretells the arrival of a traveler. Ringing in the left ear in the morning foretells that one will meet with joy, and ringing in the evening foretells that someone will arrive from afar. Pain in the chin foretells promotion. Twitching of the upper eyelid of the right eye foretells the gaining of wealth or goods, though it may also bring worry; twitching of the lower eyelid foretells anxiety over matters concerning one’s children, and if it continues for a longer time, that worry may involve death. Sneezing carries the same omen. Heat in the face foretells wine and food. Itching of the cheeks foretells something lost.

On the Si day (巳日), ringing in the right ear in the morning foretells a happy event, and ringing in the evening foretells news from afar. Ringing in the left ear in the morning foretells good news, and ringing in the evening foretells a bereavement. Twitching of the upper eyelid of the right eye in the morning foretells wine and food, and twitching of the lower eyelid foretells a celebration. Twitching of the upper eyelid of the left eye in the morning foretells good news, and twitching of the lower eyelid in the evening foretells a lawsuit. Itching on the top of the foot foretells wine and food, and continued sneezing carries the same omen. Heat in the face foretells matters of worry. Itching of the eyebrows foretells a happy event.

On the Wu day (午日), ringing in the right ear in the morning foretells matters concerning fields and dwellings, and ringing in the evening foretells a death. Ringing in the left ear in the morning foretells a happy event, and ringing in the evening foretells a summons from a person of rank. Itching on the top of the foot foretells joyful matters. Twitching of the upper eyelid of the right eye in the morning foretells a happy event; twitching of the lower eyelid carries the same omen and may also concern women. Twitching of the upper eyelid of the left eye foretells that someone will come to make inquiries, while twitching of the lower eyelid in the evening foretells an unusual sign; if the matter drags on, it will cause worry. Heat in the face likewise foretells worry. Sneezing foretells an occasion of wine and food. Twitching or itching of the eyebrows or cheeks foretells a sudden fright.

These passages record, according to the earthly-branch day, bodily sensations such as ringing in the ears, twitching of the eyelids, pain, heat, itching, and sneezing, and interpret them as omens of good or ill fortune. In the original text some sentences are repeated, and individual words and phrases may also be corrupt.

On a Wei day, if the right ear rings in the morning, it portends that one will obtain property and goods; if it rings in the evening, someone will come to visit. If the left ear rings in the morning, an auspicious omen is about to arrive; if it rings in the evening, wine and food will be brought. If the upper eyelid of the right eye twitches in the morning, it portends the gaining of wealth; if the lower eyelid twitches in the evening, one should worry about disputes and litigation. If the upper eyelid of the left eye twitches in the morning, a woman is thinking of oneself; if it twitches in the evening, a happy event is coming, and later there will be feasting and joyful gatherings. If the face grows hot, there will be a happy event; if one sneezes, there will be a gathering; if the eyebrows and cheeks itch, it portends the gaining of wealth; if the chin itches, a person from afar will arrive.

On a Shen day, if the right ear rings in the morning, there will be wine and food; if it rings in the evening, it portends disputes and litigation. If the left ear rings in the morning, [the original is missing here]; if the eyelid twitches in the evening, a happy event is coming, and later there will be feasting and joyful gatherings. If the face grows hot, there will be a happy event; if one sneezes, there will be a gathering; if the eyebrows and cheeks itch, it portends the gaining of wealth; if the chin itches, a person from afar will arrive.

On a Shen day, if the right ear rings in the morning, there will be wine and food; if it rings in the evening, it portends disputes and litigation. If the left ear rings in the morning, there will be a happy event; if it rings in the evening, it portends death and bereavement. If the chin itches, it portends fighting and lawsuits. If the upper eyelid of the left eye twitches in the morning, it portends the gaining of wealth; if the lower eyelid twitches in the evening, it portends disputes and litigation. If the upper eyelid of the left eye twitches in the morning, whatever one seeks will be fulfilled; if the lower eyelid twitches in the evening, one should worry about household affairs, and later one’s parents will arrive. If the face grows hot, one should worry that a woman will die; if one sneezes, one should worry about death and bereavement; if the eyebrows and cheeks ache, news will come from afar.

On a You day, if the right ear rings once during the day, it portends that someone will be in mourning; if it rings in the evening, a person of high standing will arrive. If the left ear rings in the morning, one will encounter wine and food; if it rings in the evening, a guest will arrive. If the upper eyelid of the right eye twitches in the morning, it portends the gaining of wealth; if it twitches in the evening, there will be a happy event. If the upper eyelid of the left eye twitches in the morning, it portends death and bereavement; if the lower eyelid twitches in the evening, it portends that a woman will die, and later there will be quarrels and gossip. If the face grows hot, there will be a happy event; if the eyebrows, cheeks, and head all itch, something good will occur.

On a Xu day, if the right ear rings in the morning, it portends the gaining of wealth; if it rings in the evening, one will encounter thieves. [Continuing from the passage above] If the lower eyelid of the left eye twitches in the evening, it portends that a woman will die, and later there will be quarrels and gossip. If the face grows hot, there will be a happy event; if the eyebrows, cheeks, and head all itch, something good will occur.

Here the character 瞤 (shun) refers to the twitching of the eyelids. The original contains repetitions, missing text, and places where the connection between what comes before and what follows is unclear; the above is rendered according to what the original records.

On the day of Xu, a ringing in the right ear in the morning foretells the gaining of wealth, while a ringing in the evening suggests that one may encounter thieves. A ringing in the left ear in the morning likewise foretells wealth, but a ringing in the evening may bring mourning and anxious sorrow. If the upper eyelid of the right eye twitches during the day, it foretells wealth; if the lower eyelid twitches in the evening, it foretells a happy event. If the upper eyelid of the left eye twitches in the morning, one will meet a kind-hearted person and converse with them; if the lower eyelid twitches in the evening, there will be worry, and it may last for quite some time. A hot face foretells strife among the various countries. Sneezing foretells matters that weigh on the heart. Itching eyebrows foretell a bereavement. An itching chin foretells verbal disputes. Itching cheeks foretell that an illness will take a turn for the better.

On the day of Hai, a ringing in the right ear in the morning foretells that someone will extend an invitation, while a ringing in the evening foretells wine and food. A ringing in the left ear in the morning foretells mourning, and a ringing in the evening likewise foretells mourning. If the upper eyelid of the right eye twitches in the morning, what one seeks will proceed smoothly and according to one’s wishes; if the lower eyelid twitches in the evening, it foretells that someone else will have a happy occasion. If the upper eyelid of the left eye twitches in the morning, one will gain wealth; if the lower eyelid twitches in the evening, there will be litigation. Itching cheeks foretell that a person of virtue is thinking of you. A hot face foretells that someone from afar may fail to arrive at the appointed time, or that a woman may be thinking of you. Sneezing foretells that what has been lost will be recovered. Itching eyebrows foretell that someone will bring glad tidings. Itching cheeks also foretell that one will receive money or goods from others.