Numerology 1. Modern interpretation of traditional numerology
Bazi is the mark of a person’s birth time. It consists of eight characters: year, month, day, hour, celestial stems and earthly branches, and ***. In the final analysis, numerology is about finding and revealing the correspondence between an individual's birth time and his or her life potential and life trajectory. This relationship is only a probabilistic correlation and is the result of a large amount of observation, experience and statistics. However, numerology does not stop at the level of summarizing empirical rules. It goes further to construct theoretical models and reasoning systems to interpret the input data and make corresponding descriptions and predictions. The history of traditional numerology is the long history of constructing this black box.
It can also be said that numerology is a science that studies the change process of things such as their creation, development, and demise. The most meaningful one is the study of the destiny of life. The most important significance of this subject is to teach people a way to control their own destiny, so as to achieve better human development. What needs to be clarified here is the essential determinant of "fate", which refers to the sum of the interactions of various factors in a person's living environment that are directly or indirectly related to people.
Numerology is the exploration of the laws of life and destiny. It uses various numbers of people (date of birth, name strokes, etc.) to speculate on a person's personality and destiny and predict what will happen in the future. things. There are relevant theories at home and abroad in ancient and modern times. China's Zhouyi series discusses this aspect, as well as numerology, Ziwei Dou Shu, astrology, etc.
2. The concept of destiny and the basic conditions for the emergence of traditional numerology
The rise of the pre-Qin scholar class gave rise to the consciousness of assertive subjectivity. The feudal unification that emerged in the Qin and Han Dynasties established the hierarchical structure and interpersonal relationship model of China's long feudal society.
The rise of individual consciousness, secular value orientation, and the social background that can be modeled constitute the historical soil for the emergence of numerology. From the pre-Qin scholars’ concepts about destiny to the natural destiny theory of “primarily endowed natural energy” by Wang Yun of the Eastern Han Dynasty, they have provided the theoretical cornerstone and operational entry point for numerology.
3. Yin-Yang and Five Elements Theory and Natural Ecological Model
By tracing the historical formation of Bagua, Yin-Yang and Five Elements, two ways of understanding and describing the world are discussed: A Zhouyi thinking model , a Yin Yang and Five Elements thinking model. The construction of the universe schema by scholars of Qin and Han Dynasties embodies the concept of the unity of nature and man in which "man and heaven and earth are connected".
The stem and branch symbol system originally used to mark time, because it contains the information of yin and yang and the five elements, has the function of depicting the changes of "qi" in the universe in time sequence. At the same time, it reflects the natural ecological model of ancient China. Therefore, traditional numerology chose the stem and branch symbol model associated with the yin-yang and five-element patterns as a tool for analysis and description.
4. Historical stages of the development of traditional numerology
Traditional numerology originated in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. The period from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the middle of the Ming Dynasty was the formation period of traditional numerology. This period is divided into three stages: the gestation period, the ancient law period and the modern law period. The Ming Dynasty's Sanming Tonghui marked the end of this formative period.
From the middle of Ming Dynasty to the Revolution of 1911, it was a period of deepening of traditional numerology. After the Revolution of 1911, modern research entered a period of transformation.
(A). The gestation period: the convergence of divine evil spirits, the four seasons and the Xing Chong
The characteristic of this period is the large collection and establishment of corresponding rules in numerology. The system of gods and evil spirits and the legality of punishment and collision are part of the early exploration of numerology.
The important theoretical achievement during this period was the understanding of the cyclical changes of "the four seasons and the five elements" and the "ten-day dry process of growth, prosperity and death" based on the exploration of natural ecological models. This laid the foundation for the analysis of numerology models that will appear in the future.
(B). Ancient Law Period: Classical Model
In the Ancient Law Period starting from Li Xuzhong of the Tang Dynasty, the basic framework of early fortune-telling - the classical model - emerged. It is characterized by taking "year", that is, the main stems and branches, and using the five elements of Nayin as the main reasoning tool. The early classical model also had the Tiyuan pillar.
The evolution of the classical model gradually introduced the "neutralization principle".
Being noble and upholding the middle is an important part of the Chinese cultural spirit.
(C), Modern Law Era:
Zi: Standard Model
The Modern Law Era began in the Northern Song Dynasty. There has been a major breakthrough in traditional numerology, forming Xu Ziping's numerology framework - the standard model. Its characteristics are: the eight-character structure is mainly based on the day stem, and at the same time, it "focuses exclusively on the five elements, not on the sound." Xu Sheng's "Yuanhai Ziping" at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty marked the basic finalization of the standard model.
Within the eight-character structure, the strength and weakness of the Sun Master (Sun Stem) and its dependence and selection on environmental factors constitute the strength and weakness analysis and climate analysis of numerology. The complete fate structure includes two parts: "fate" and "luck": fate is the innate part; luck (including the passing of time) is the acquired part. On the basis of static analysis of fate, it is necessary to further combine and operate dynamic analysis.
Ugliness: On temperament and disease
The standard model introduces the "Ten Gods" symbol, showing an improvement from the "metaphorical analysis" level to the abstract "relationship analysis" level , thus greatly expanding the breadth and depth of numerology description.
Discussing temperament (description of personality) and discussing disease (description of health conditions) are two aspects of traditional numerology's systematic description of personal destiny.
Yin: Six-parent network and financial-official network
Six-parent network (kinship relationship) and financial-official network (involving personal social status, power and wealth, etc.) are standard models for real life the core content of the description.
Through the historical review of ancient family changes, the feudal ethics of superiority and inferiority and hierarchical relationships reflected in the six-parent network are revealed; through the investigation of official culture, the social and historical background of the financial official network is analyzed. The former is characterized by the superiority of men to women; the latter is characterized by official status. In fact, these two networks were projections of the big stage of life at that time.
Mao: Pattern system
As the most important achievement of the research on the relationship analysis level in this legal period, it is the formation of a pattern-based destiny system based on the "eight patterns". This system was basically completed by "Three Lives Conference". Therefore, by the middle of the Ming Dynasty, a relatively complete eight-character fortune-telling system with both theory and sophisticated reasoning methods had been formed.
(D), deepening period:
Zi: "Shenfeng Tongkao" and "Numerology Promises"
The deepening period began in the late Ming Dynasty, Zhang Shen Feng and Chen Su'an were two pioneers in this period. Eliminating errors is the purpose of the former, and the "theory of disease and medicine" is its main contribution. The latter made a comprehensive and standardized summary of the standard model of the current legal period.
Chou: "Zi Ping Zhen Interpretation"
The main feature of the deepening period is the separate advancement of multi-perspectives in terms of research depth. This book written by Shen Xiaozhan of the Qing Dynasty follows the relationship analysis level and goes deep into the pattern. It uses a more sophisticated set of procedures and rules to identify the success or failure of the pattern, and expands the subtle context of pattern analysis. This book represents the pinnacle of exploration of pattern theory.
Yin: "Drip Tianmui"
A classic among classics. Ren Tieqiao's annotations in the Qing Dynasty are like Pei Songzhi's annotations for the Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms.
This book conducts a comprehensive investigation of the overall structure of the eight characters along the level of metaphorical analysis, especially an in-depth analysis of the "biange". This is a book full of philosophy and "showing people skillfully".
Mao: "Qingtong Baojian" and "Numerology Xuantong"
The former (formerly known as "Lanjiang Net") deeply reveals the Japanese master at the level of metaphorical analysis. A classic work on the relationship between the climate elements corresponding to the monthly orders. The organization and commentary reflect the process of numerology from the arena to the study.
The latter appeared during the Qianlong period and was still in the design stage of "corresponding rules" derived from folk fortune-telling practices. Although it is immature, it can give a glimpse of the times' requirements for the refinement of numerology.
(E). Transformation period:
Zi: From modern times to modern times
After the Revolution of 1911, the eight-character numerology was formed and developed within the feudal society. , entering a new era.
This period can be divided into two stages: the first fifty years were mainly about the compilation, commentary and publication of ancient numerology classics, while trying to establish a general model of modern numerology; after the 1960s, numerology research shifted from doubting the ancients to To innovate and make exploratory developments.
Ugly: Pioneering and Challenges
As the times progress, horoscope numerology, which is in a period of rapid transformation of China's social structure, will face life and death challenges. Whether it can accept the challenge and complete its own transformation, history will draw its conclusion.
5. Traditional Numerology and Traditional Thinking
As a historical and cultural phenomenon, horoscope numerology, developed after thousands of years of hard work, is infiltrated with the wisdom of ancient Chinese culture.
Unity of man and nature, integrity and functional analysis, image and analogy, multi-perspective research, empiricism, value judgment, harmony and dynamic balance, etc., reflect the highly speculative and dynamic nature of traditional numerology. The achievements of ancient Chinese traditional thinking.
6. Re-understanding of traditional numerology
We can re-understand traditional numerology from three aspects: knowledge system, wisdom form and numerology practice.
Traditional Chinese wisdom has a great wisdom of "seeing the big from the small" ("seeing the small to know the big"). Traditional numerology itself is a product of this wisdom. From this point of view, some traditional research fields or disciplines (even certain Chinese technologies and skills) that embody Chinese wisdom still have the value of in-depth research in today's prosperous science.
7. Application of Numerology in Life
One of the foundations of the development of numerology is empiricism.
The ideas directly derived from empiricism must be true and false, and often there are less true and more false. For ideas to become academic, there is naturally a process of selection and processing, preserving the true and discarding the false, and adding new elements as new things emerge in the new era. Such a process is development. The ultimate goal of development is, of course, truth, but that is often an unattainable ideal. It’s amazing to be able to achieve more truth and less falsehood.
So those who claim to be "100% accurate", or who claim not to make mistakes in calculations, and attribute their miscalculations to the "disloyalty" of the seeker, are either bragging or deceiving themselves.
Wisdom can "see the big from the small", but it cannot "see the whole from the small". The changes in things are very, very complicated, and numerology itself, no matter how complex and complete its system, After all, it is an approximate simulation of nature and society. It can be said that it is impossible to be accurate. Moreover, this kind of deduction can only be correct under very limited circumstances. (If it’s really that good, why isn’t there a master who can calculate the next lottery numbers?)
So the scientific nature of numerology itself is very limited, and fortune tellers must try to use this limited utility It is definitely impossible for tools to be used to solve all real problems, and problems will occur.
Furthermore, if there is a so-called "luck", regardless of a person's true destiny, numerology itself has psychological implications in it:
A decadent person People who are hinted that good luck will come will most likely be more positive than before. Their positive attitude will naturally bring about a better change for themselves. At this time, they will think that it is really a "good luck", but they don't know it. , is actually his own efforts.
A person who lacks confidence in the future will naturally give up his efforts if he is hinted that he has been unlucky recently. Then the ensuing failures or dissatisfaction will be regarded as "bad luck". Little does he know that, in fact, It was his own giving up.
These two types of people may really be affected by fate, but in reality, they are actually the result of their own actions.
Human behavior can change the so-called "destiny".
The role of numerology is not to predict, but to enlighten.
The speculation results of numerology can help us understand ourselves and bring some good psychological effects.
Good prediction results can encourage us to face possible opportunities more proactively.
Bad forecast results can warn us to face possible adversities more cautiously and calmly.
This is numerology.
But if you are too obsessed with that result, you think "it has to be this way." That's superstition.