《皇極經世》Vol. 7

Volume Three, Part One of The Book of Supreme Ultimate World Ordering, Addition One.

Written by Shao Yaofu of Sanchuan (Shao Yong, courtesy name Yaofu).

Chapters Thirteen through Eighteen of the “Observing Things” section explain, in sequence, “Using a Meeting to Measure an Era,” Parts One through Six.

The Book of Supreme Ultimate World Ordering, Volume Three

“Observing Things,” Chapter Thirteen: “Using a Meeting to Measure an Era,” Part One

“The opening of things begins in the middle of the Yin month; the seventy-sixth position of the regular stars”: The stage at which all things first take shape begins in the middle of the Yin month. What follows lists the sequence of “regular stars” in the calendar count, beginning with the seventy-sixth entry, at the Ji position.

Regular star at Ji, seventy-sixth; regular star at Geng, seventy-seventh; regular star at Xin, seventy-eighth; regular star at Ren, seventy-ninth; regular star at Gui, eightieth; regular star at Jia, eighty-first; regular star at Yi, eighty-second; regular star at Bing, eighty-third; regular star at Ding, eighty-fourth; regular star at Wu, eighty-fifth; regular star at Ji, eighty-sixth; regular star at Geng, eighty-seventh; regular star at Xin, eighty-eighth; regular star at Ren, eighty-ninth; regular star at Gui, ninetieth.

Regular day at Jia, first; regular month at Mao, fourth.

Regular star at Jia, ninety-first; regular star at Jia, ninety-first; regular star at Yi, ninety-second; regular star at Bing, ninety-third; regular star at Ding, ninety-fourth; regular star at Wu, ninety-fifth; regular star at Ji, ninety-sixth; regular star at Geng, ninety-seventh; regular star at Xin, ninety-eighth; regular star at Ren, ninety-ninth; regular star at Gui, one hundredth; regular star at Jia, one hundred and first; regular star at Yi, one hundred and second; regular star at Bing, one hundred and third; regular star at Ding, one hundred and fourth; regular star at Wu, one hundred and fifth; regular star at Ji, one hundred and sixth; regular star at Geng, one hundred and seventh; regular star at Xin, one hundred and eighth; regular star at Ren, one hundred and ninth; regular star at Gui, one hundred and tenth; regular star at Jia, one hundred and eleventh; regular star at Yi, one hundred and twelfth.

The cyclical star marker Bing, arranged by the Heavenly Stems, is in the 113th position.

The cyclical star marker Ding is in the 114th position.

The cyclical star marker Wu is in the 115th position.

The cyclical star marker Ji is in the 116th position.

The cyclical star marker Geng is in the 117th position.

The cyclical star marker Xin is in the 118th position.

The cyclical star marker Ren is in the 119th position.

The cyclical star marker Gui is in the 120th position.

The cyclical day marker Jia, arranged by the Heavenly Stems, is in the 1st position.

The cyclical month marker Chen, arranged by the Earthly Branches, is in the 5th position.

The cyclical star marker Jia is in the 121st position.

The cyclical star marker Jia is in the 121st position.

The cyclical star marker Yi is in the 122nd position.

The cyclical star marker Bing is in the 123rd position.

The cyclical star marker Ding is in the 124th position.

The cyclical star marker Wu is in the 125th position.

The cyclical star marker Ji is in the 126th position.

The cyclical star marker Geng is in the 127th position.

The cyclical star marker Xin is in the 128th position.

The cyclical star marker Ren is in the 129th position.

The cyclical star marker Gui is in the 130th position.

The cyclical star marker Jia is in the 131st position.

The cyclical star marker Yi is in the 132nd position.

The cyclical star marker Bing is in the 133rd position.

The cyclical star marker Ding is in the 134th position.

The cyclical star marker Wu is in the 135th position.

The cyclical star marker Ji is in the 136th position.

The cyclical star marker Geng is in the 137th position.

The cyclical star marker Xin is in the 138th position.

The cyclical star marker Ren is in the 139th position.

The cyclical star marker Gui is in the 140th position.

The cyclical star marker Jia is in the 141st position.

The cyclical star marker Yi is in the 142nd position.

The cyclical star marker Bing is in the 143rd position.

The cyclical star marker Ding is in the 144th position.

The cyclical star marker Wu is in the 145th position.

The cyclical star marker Ji is in the 146th position.

The cyclical star marker Geng is in the 147th position.

The cyclical star marker Xin is in the 148th position.

The cyclical star marker Ren is in the 149th position.

The cyclical star marker Gui is in the 150th position.

The cyclical day marker Jia is in the 1st position.

The cyclical month marker Si is in the 6th position.

The cyclical star marker Jia is in the 151st position.

The cyclical star marker Jia is in the 151st position.

The cyclical star marker Yi is in the 152nd position.

The cyclical star marker Bing is in the 153rd position.

Constellation (Jing Xing) item 154 (Ding), item 155 (Wu), item 156 (Ji), item 157 (Geng), item 158 (Xin), item 159 (Ren), item 160 (Gui), item 161 (Jia), item 162 (Yi), item 163 (Bing), item 164 (Ding), item 165 (Wu), item 166 (Ji), item 167 (Geng), item 168 (Xin), item 169 (Ren), item 170 (Gui), item 171 (Jia), item 172 (Yi), item 173 (Bing), item 174 (Ding), item 175 (Wu), item 176 (Ji), item 177 (Geng), item 178 (Xin), item 179 (Ren), item 180 (Gui).

Day of the scripture (Jing Ri) item 1 (Jia); month of the scripture (Jing Yue) item 6 (Si); constellation of the scripture (Jing Xing) item 180 (Gui).

Hour of the scripture (Jing Chen) item 2149 (Zi), item 2149 (Zi), item 2150 (Chou), item 2151 (Yin), item 2152 (Mao), item 2153 (Chen), item 2154 (Si), item 2155 (Wu), item 2156 (Wei), item 2157 (Shen), item 2158 (You), item 2159 (Xu), item 2160 (Hai).

These are enumeration entries from the third part of the Huangji Jingshi. “Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui” are the ten heavenly stems (Tiangan); “Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai” are the twelve earthly branches (Dizhi), used to mark ordinal positions in the sequence.

The Huangji Jingshi (Classic of Supreme World-Ordering) extrapolates time through hui, jing, yun, and shi. This passage lists the sequence of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the “jing chen.” Here, “jing day,” “jing month,” “jing star,” and “jing chen” are terms in the book’s system of timekeeping. “Jia 1,” “Si 6,” “Gui 180,” and “Zi 2,149,” for example, are the corresponding Stem-Branch designations and ordinal numbers at different levels.

The jing chen begins at the Zi position, numbered 2,149, and lists the Stem-Branch sequence in order:

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

At the Chou position, the jing chen is numbered 2,150, and the sequence continues:

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

At the Yin position, the jing chen is numbered 2,151, and the Stem-Branch sequence starts again from Jia-Zi:

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

At the Mao position, the jing chen is numbered 2,152, and the sequence continues:

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

These Stem-Branch combinations follow the order of the sixty-cycle and mark positions in the Huangji Jingshi system of time.

This is a record of the sexagenary cycle, arranged in order according to the sixty combinations of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches in the Huangji Jingshi. The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are paired in sequence to form combinations such as “Jiazi, Yichou, Bingyin,” which are used to mark time.

“Through the Chen cycle, Chen: 2,153,” “Through the Chen cycle, Si: 2,154,” “Through the Chen cycle, Wu: 2,155,” and “Through the Chen cycle, Wei: 2,156” are entries marking positions in the calendrical sequence. Numbers such as “2,153” indicate the order within that sequence; “Chen, Si, Wu, Wei” are names of Earthly Branches. The sexagenary combinations listed between them are year markers arranged in sequence.

This passage is primarily a calendrical table, without continuous narrative. The preceding group continues from “Dingwei.” At “Through the Chen cycle, Chen,” it lists “Jiazi” through “Guisi”; at “Through the Chen cycle, Si,” it lists “Jiawu” through “Guihai”; the sequence then continues in the same way. After the final entry, “Through the Chen cycle, Wei: 2,156,” it lists “Jiawu, Yiwei, Bingshen, Dingyou, Wuxu, Jihai.”

This passage lists years in the order of the sexagenary cycle, with events or figures noted beside some years. The opening “Gengzi, Xinchou, Renyin, Guimao” continues from the preceding text. “Jiachen” is labeled “Tang Yao,” indicating that this year corresponds to Tang Yao. The numbers from “one” through “sixty-nine” are consecutive year numbers.

“Jingchen zhi Shen, two thousand one hundred and fifty-seven” and “Jingchen zhi You, two thousand one hundred and fifty-eight” are dating expressions used in the Huangji Jingshi to mark positions in a calendrical cycle. The corresponding sexagenary years follow:

• After “Jingchen zhi Shen, two thousand one hundred and fifty-seven,” the sequence runs from “Jiazi, twenty-one” to “Guisi, fifty.”
• After “Jingchen zhi You, two thousand one hundred and fifty-eight,” it runs from “Jiawu, fifty-one” to “Renzi, sixty-nine.”

Beside “Jiachen, sixty-one” is the note “The floods were raging everywhere, so Gun was ordered to control them.” The remaining entries consist mainly of sexagenary year names and numbers, indicating the sequence of years.

In the guichou year, Shun was summoned and appointed.

In the jiayin year, he was seventy-one.

In the yimao year, Shun was recommended to assume the position of receiving Heaven’s Mandate.

In the bingchen year, on an auspicious day in the first ten days of the first month, Yu Shun received Heaven’s Mandate at the Temple of Wen Zu.

In the dingsi year, he was two years old.

In the wuwu year, he was three years old.

In the jiwei year, he was four years old.

In the gengshen year, he was five years old.

In the xinyou year, he was six years old.

In the renxu year, he was seven years old.

In the guihai year, he was eight years old.

This twelve-year cycle reached the xu year, a span of 2,159 years.

In the jiazi year, he was nine years old.

In the yichou year, he was ten years old.

In the bingyin year, he was eleven years old.

In the dingmao year, he was twelve years old.

In the wuchen year, he was thirteen years old.

In the jisi year, he was fourteen years old.

In the gengwu year, he was fifteen years old.

In the xinwei year, he was sixteen years old.

In the renshen year, he was seventeen years old.

In the guiyou year, he was eighteen years old.

In the jiaxu year, he was nineteen years old.

In the yihai year, he was twenty years old.

In the bingzi year, he was twenty-one years old.

In the dingchou year, he was twenty-two years old.

In the wuyin year, he was twenty-three years old.

In the jimao year, he was twenty-four years old.

In the gengchen year, he was twenty-five years old.

In the xinsi year, he was twenty-six years old.

In the renwu year, he was twenty-seven years old.

In the guiwei year, he was twenty-eight years old; Emperor Yao died.

In the jiashen year, he was twenty-nine years old.

In the yiyou year, he was thirty years old.

In the bingxu year, he was thirty-one years old. On the first day of the first month, Shun went to the Temple of Wen Zu to perform the sacrificial announcement.

In the dinghai year, he was thirty-two years old.

In the wuzi year, he was thirty-three years old.

In the jichou year, he was thirty-four years old.

In the gengyin year, he was thirty-five years old.

In the xinmao year, he was thirty-six years old.

In the renchen year, he was thirty-seven years old.

In the guisi year, he was thirty-eight years old.

This twelve-year cycle reached the hai year, a span of 2,160 years.

In the jiawu year, he was thirty-nine years old.

In the yiwei year, he was forty years old.

In the bingshen year, he was forty-one years old.

In the dingyou year, he was forty-two years old.

In the wuxu year, he was forty-three years old.

In the jihai year, he was forty-four years old.

In the gengzi year, he was forty-five years old.

In the xinchou year, he was forty-six years old.

In the renyin year, he was forty-seven years old.

In the guimao year, he was forty-eight years old.

In the jiachen year, he was forty-nine years old.

In the yisi year, he was fifty years old.

In the bingwu year, he was fifty-one years old.

In the dingwei year, he was fifty-two years old.

In the wushen year, he was fifty-three years old.

In the jiyou year, he was fifty-four years old.

In the gengxu year, he was fifty-five years old.

In the xinhai year, he was fifty-six years old.

In the renzi year, he was fifty-seven years old.

In the guichou year, he was fifty-eight years old.

In the jiayin year, he was fifty-nine years old.

In the yimao year, he was sixty years old.

In the bingchen year, he was sixty-one years old; Yu was recommended to assume the position of receiving Heaven’s Mandate.

In the dingsi year, Xia Yu received Heaven’s Mandate on the first day of the first month at the Temple of Shen Zong.

In the wuwu year, he was two years old.

In the Jiwei year, three.

In the Gengshen year, four.

In the Xinyou year, five.

In the Renxu year, six.

In the Guihai year, seven.

The Book of Supreme World Ordering, juan three, part one.