《黃帝授三子玄女經》

Interpretation of the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Mysterious Maiden for His Three Sons

This text comprises two parts: the Scripture of the Mysterious Maiden transmitted by the Yellow Emperor to his three sons, and the Supreme Scripture of the Three Transcendent Steeds' Numinous Responses. It primarily details ancient methods of selecting auspicious times and divination.

On Divining Auspicious and Inauspicious Hours:

• The positions of Tianyi (the Grand Year Spirit) at different times:
• On days of Jia, Wu, and Geng, the day hours are Daji (Great Auspicious), while night hours are Xiaoji (Lesser Auspicious).
• On days of Yi and Si, the day hours align with Shenhou, while night hours align with Chuansong.
• On days of Bing and Ding, dawn hours align with Dengming, while evening hours align with Congkui.
• On days of Xin, the day hours align with Shengxian, while night hours align with Gongcao.
• On days of Ren and Gui, the day hours align with Taiyi, while night hours align with Taichong.

• Judging scheduled meetings: Observe the position of the Tiangang star. If it falls before the agreed day, the meeting has been missed; if after, it has yet to occur. If the spirit (Shen) is at the gate position, the other party is en route, and the host is nearby. If the spirit is in an outer position, the host is away on a distant journey.

On Summoning Others:

When the Tiangang Daji star aligns with the Wu or Wei directions, the summoned person will surely arrive. Other times are inauspicious. Observe the Wangxiang (ruler-phase) relationship of the hour: if the phases generate each other, the person will come; if they overcome each other, they will not.

On Locating Lost Objects:

• If Tiangang aligns with the Meng position (first direction), the object cannot be found.
• If it aligns with the Zhong position (middle direction), half may be recovered.
• If it aligns with the Ji position (final direction), the object will be found in full.

On Selecting Wedding Dates:

• The initial betrothal date must be remembered as the reference point. The formal wedding date must not overcome (ke) this betrothal date.
• Overcoming the day harms the father-in-law; overcoming the hour harms the mother-in-law (the husband's parents). If both day and hour overcome, the entire family suffers.
• Example: If the betrothal is on Shenzi day, betrothal gifts given on Gengxin days overcome the day; gifts given on Wusi days overcome the hour. If gifts are given on Xinwei day, both day and hour are overcome.
• Auspicious dates should harmonize Yin and Yang, with the presence of the Tianhou auspicious spirit and the absence of inauspicious spirits like Tengshe (Flying Serpent) or Baihu (White Tiger).
• Avoid the groom’s household direction harming the bride’s life-phase (nianming) direction. For example, if the bride’s nianming is in the Chen direction (Earth) and the groom’s gate is in the Zi direction (Water), Earth overcomes Water, which is unfavorable.

These methods reflect the Han-dynasty Daoist application of astronomical calendars and the Five Phases' generative and overcoming cycles in daily life. Terms like Tiangang, Congkui, and Meng-Zhong-Ji refer to ancient asterisms and directional sequences. The wedding section particularly emphasizes the influence of Five Phases interactions on familial harmony.

This scripture discusses ancient taboos regarding selecting auspicious dates for marriage, focusing on how "deities and baleful influences" (shensha) affect marital unions. Here's a simplified explanation:

Several key prohibitions exist when choosing wedding dates:

1. If the bride's astrological orientation (annual deity position) clashes with the groom's household orientation (door position), misfortune may befall the groom's family. For example, a Dragon-sign bride (Chen position) marrying into a household oriented toward Rooster (You) or Dog (Xu) positions creates an inauspicious conflict pattern.

2. Taking a bride is called "entering stubbornness" (ruwan), while marrying off a daughter is called "exiting stubbornness" (chuwan). This resembles moving from square to round (entering) or round to square (exiting). Date selection must avoid days when these orientations' deities conflict with the day's celestial stems and earthly branches.

3. Special attention should be paid to:

• Deities conflicting with the day's branch: harms the bride
• Deities conflicting with the day's stem: harms the father-in-law
• The day's branch counter-conflicting with deities: harms the husband
• Deities conflicting with the earthly branch (Chen): harms the wife

Illustrative examples:

① On Gengzi day during Chou hour: If the "Taiyi" deity occupies Geng position with Vermilion Bird (Zhuque) as the baleful influence, the father-in-law may suffer harm.

② On Guichou day during Si hour: "Shengxian" influence at Gui position meeting Coiled Serpent (Tengshe) may harm the husband.

③ On Jiaxu day during Chen hour: "Chuansong" metal influence overcomes Jia wood, reinforced by hidden metal in Xu branch, potentially causing the husband's death.

④ On Renzi day during Chen hour: "Shengxian" at Zi position meeting Coiled Serpent, with day branch counter-conflicting the deity, may harm the wife.

Additional note: Determining auspiciousness requires examining the deities' corresponding manifestations (Azure Dragon/Qinglong, Vermilion Bird, etc.) and Five Phase interactions. For instance, on Dingsi day, water overcoming fire reinforced by Ren water could cause the wife's death.

(Note: Terms like "Kuigang," "Taiyi," and "Shengxian" refer to specific deities and baleful influences in ancient date-selection systems, while "Azure Dragon" and "Vermilion Bird" represent celestial generals with distinct auspicious/inauspicious attributes.)

This passage originates from the Scripture of the Mysterious Lady Transmitted by the Yellow Emperor to Three Disciples, recounting how the Yellow Emperor imparted the Mysterious Lady's teachings to his three disciples.

The phrase "甲为夫妇死死坐送行酒食故也" conveys that "Jia" (likely representing a specific figure or symbol) as the "married couple" (symbolizing the union of Yin-Yang) sits in "death-like stillness" (indicating unwavering meditative concentration), providing "farewell guidance" (referring to spiritual direction) and "wine and food" (symbolizing the nourishment of Jing-essence and Qi vital energy for cultivation). This reflects fundamental Daoist cultivation principles of harmonizing Yin-Yang and nurturing life through stillness.

The Scripture of the Mysterious Lady Transmitted by the Yellow Emperor to Three Disciples is an important Daoist classic recording how the Yellow Emperor transmitted secret methods from the Mysterious Lady (a major Daoist goddess said to have aided the Yellow Emperor in defeating Chi You) to his three disciples. The text primarily covers knowledge related to cultivation practices and divination techniques.