03 / Reading Room

The Reading Room

Readings forthcoming

Six books connected to Four Pillars study and its wider cultural background. Explore the titles, introductions, authorship, and historical context below. The reading texts have not been published yet.

渊海子平

Yuanhai Ziping

Reading notes forthcoming

Explore stems, branches, the Five Elements, the Day Master, and the relationships behind familiar chart terms. Yuanhai Ziping brings together discussions of chart patterns, luck cycles, and mnemonic verses. It provides an entry into the historical vocabulary of the Ziping tradition for readers beginning with their Four Pillars chart.

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Title: 渊海子平 / Yuanhai Ziping (Early Ziping concepts)
Authorship: Associated with the Song-era tradition of Xu Dasheng; later Ming compilation and additions
Period and tradition: Song-era Ziping tradition, transmitted through Ming compilations

The English title uses Pinyin. The subtitle describes the topic and is not an established translation.

Sources

This card provides checked book information only. The reading text has not been published. The cover is our own typographic design, not a publisher's edition.

三命通会

Sanming Tonghui

Reading notes forthcoming

Use Sanming Tonghui as a broad reference for the language of traditional Four Pillars interpretation. Its collected material covers stems and branches, element relationships, chart patterns, luck cycles, and auxiliary stars. Reading these topics together helps reveal the historical layers and differing approaches within the wider Ziping tradition.

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Title: 三命通会 / Sanming Tonghui (A reference for traditional terminology)
Authorship: Wan Minying of the Ming dynasty; transmitted editions include later additions
Period and tradition: Ming dynasty, with later additions and a Siku Quanshu edition

The English title uses Pinyin. The subtitle describes the topic and is not an established translation.

Sources

This card provides checked book information only. The reading text has not been published. The cover is our own typographic design, not a publisher's edition.

子平真诠

Ziping Zhenquan

Reading notes forthcoming

Follow discussions of the month command, chart patterns, useful influences, and supporting relationships. Ziping Zhenquan examines how a pattern takes shape, changes, and interacts with luck cycles. For readers familiar with the Ten Gods, it introduces a more structured way to study one influential approach within the Ziping tradition.

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Title: 子平真诠 / Ziping Zhenquan (Month command and chart structure)
Authorship: Traditionally attributed to Shen Xiaozhan of the Qing dynasty; later edited versions
Period and tradition: Qing-era Ziping tradition, followed by later editions and commentaries

The English title uses Pinyin. The subtitle describes the topic and is not an established translation.

Sources

This card provides checked book information only. The reading text has not been published. The cover is our own typographic design, not a publisher's edition.

滴天髓

Di Tian Sui

Reading notes forthcoming

Study concise passages on stems and branches, strength and weakness, circulation, and seasonal conditions. Di Tian Sui invites attention to relationships across a chart rather than isolated terms. Its later commentaries offer different readings, making the distinction between the received text and subsequent interpretation an important part of studying it.

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Title: 滴天髓 / Di Tian Sui (Relationships across the whole chart)
Authorship: Traditionally attributed to Liu Ji; original authorship and composition date are uncertain
Period and tradition: Ming and Qing interpretive traditions; composition date uncertain

The English title uses Pinyin. The subtitle describes the topic and is not an established translation.

Sources

This card provides checked book information only. The reading text has not been published. The cover is our own typographic design, not a publisher's edition.

穷通宝鉴

Qiong Tong Bao Jian

Reading notes forthcoming

Explore how the Ten Heavenly Stems are discussed across different months and seasonal conditions. Qiong Tong Bao Jian emphasizes warmth, cold, dryness, moisture, and element relationships. It offers another perspective on month context and seasonal adjustment, helping readers compare the priorities of different texts in the Four Pillars tradition.

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Title: 穷通宝鉴 / Qiong Tong Bao Jian (Seasonal conditions and the Ten Stems)
Authorship: Original authorship uncertain; associated with Yu Chuntai’s Qing-era compilation
Period and tradition: Qing-era compilation tradition, with later Republican-period commentaries

The English title uses Pinyin. The subtitle describes the topic and is not an established translation.

Sources

This card provides checked book information only. The reading text has not been published. The cover is our own typographic design, not a publisher's edition.

易经

I Ching

Reading notes forthcoming

Explore the sixty-four hexagrams and the language of change in one of China’s most influential classics. The I Ching brings together an early divination tradition and later philosophical reflections on timing, conduct, and circumstance. It offers historical context for ideas that shaped Chinese thought across many centuries.

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Title: 易经 / I Ching (Book of Changes)
Authorship: Multiple ancient authors; traditional attributions are debated
Period and tradition: Zhou-era core text with later Warring States and Han commentaries

I Ching and Book of Changes are commonly used English names.

Sources

This card provides checked book information only. The reading text has not been published. The cover is our own typographic design, not a publisher's edition.

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