Introduction: The Mercy of Prediction —— The Underlying Logic of Disease Prediction
In the wisdom of Zeng Shan Bu Yi, disease prediction is given a high practical status. Wild Crane Elder and the commentators agree that the purpose of divining about illness is not to frighten, but to "Avoid Harm" (Qu Bi). The records clearly state: "The Sages created the I Ching originally to allow people to seek auspiciousness and avoid harm."
The core of disease prediction lies in clarifying three pairs of contradictions:
Protagonist (Functional Spirit) vs. Disease Demon (Official/Ghost): The Functional Spirit represents life force; the Official represents the symptoms or virus.
Medicine (Children) vs. Disease Focus (Official/Ghost): Children is the God of Fortune that restricts the Official, representing doctors, drugs, and the body's own immunity.
Time (Near Illness) vs. Foundation (Long-term Illness): This is the most important temporal coordinate in Zeng Shan Bu Yi for distinguishing life from death.
This chapter will lead readers through the six lines to see the emptiness, reality, cold, and heat of the body.
Section 1: The Golden Rule for Judging Life and Death —— Near vs. Long-term Illness
This is the most striking theory in "Disease Chapter 99," and the watershed that separates masters from mediocre diviners.
1. Near Illness Heals upon a Clash
Definition: "Near Illness" (Jin Bing) refers to sudden illnesses or those that have lasted for a short time (usually within three months).
Logic: In a near illness, energy is still strong and the blood is vigorous. Meeting a "Six Clash" hexagram or having the Functional Spirit "Encounter a Clash" represents a powerful energy instantly scattering the pathogenic factors.
Practical Verdict: For near illnesses, encountering a clash or a void signifies recovery without medicine. "Void" means the disease is not substantial; "Clash" means the pathogenic factor is scattered.
2. Long-term Illness Dies upon a Clash
Definition: "Long-term Illness" (Jiu Bing) refers to chronic diseases, lingering conditions, or a constitution that is already extremely weak.
Logic: For a person with a long-term illness, their vitality is injured and depends on a thread of "Combination" (He) for support. At this time, if they meet a "Six Clash" or the Functional Spirit is "Clashed," it represents the last bit of the life foundation being scattered. Danger is inevitable.
Practical Verdict: Long-term illnesses hate clashes and voids. Void means vitality is exhausted; Clash means the body collapses. The records say: "Long-term illness encountering a clash is judged as Ominous, regardless of the prosperity of the Functional Spirit."
Section 2: Precise Positioning —— Selecting the Functional Spirit and Disease Correspondence
According to the records, selecting the Functional Spirit is the first step of diagnosis.
1. Selection of the Functional Spirit
Divining for Self: Use the World Line (Shi) as the Functional Spirit. The World line represents your own body.
Divining for Others: Take the relative based on the relationship. Parents for parents, Children for children, Wife/Wealth for a wife, Official/Ghost for a husband.
Analysis Note: In representative divination, the World line represents "the diviner's anxiety." If the World line is prosperous, the diviner need not worry; if it follows the ghost into the tomb, the diviner will suffer great mental anguish due to the family member's illness.
2. Five Elements and Organ Correspondence (Chapter 101)
The records detail which body parts are represented by the Five Elements when they are injured:
Fire (Heart): Fever, dry throat, dry mouth, small intestine issues.
Water (Kidneys): Aversion to cold, night sweats, nocturnal emission, bladder, urinary system.
Metal (Lungs): Cough, asthma, skin/hair, large intestine.
Wood (Liver/Gallbladder): Aching limbs, palpitations, eye diseases.
Earth (Spleen/Stomach): Indigestion, abdominal swelling, skin problems.
3. Six Gods and Symptom Morphology
Soaring Serpent: Palpitations, nightmares, neurasthenia.
Vermilion Bird: Fever, mania, incoherent speech (delirium).
Sky Turtle: Swelling, stones, poor excretion.
White Tiger: Hemorrhage, trauma, fractures, serious illness.
Black Tortoise: Yin deficiency, hidden diseases, depression.
Azure Dragon: Excessive weakness or injury due to indulgence in wine/lust.
Section 3: The Choice of Medicine —— The Children Line and the "Inviting Doctors" Chapter
In disease prediction, the Children line represents "Medicine" and "Doctors."
1. Strength of the Children Line
Prosperous Children: Represents a brilliant doctor and medicine that cures the disease effectively.
Weak, Void, or Broken Children: Represents current treatment being ineffective or the wrong medicine.
Children Transforming into Ghost: This is an ominous sign. It represents medicine producing side effects, or a misdiagnosis where the medicine becomes a poison.
Parent to Child vs. Child to Parent: Parents restrict Children. If the Parents line moves, it represents the medicine being "restricted," or treatment being delayed due to an elder's interference or documentation (hospital formalities).
2. Direction and Characteristics of the Doctor (Chapter 103)
Seeking Direction: Use the Earthly Branch of the Children line to determine the direction. E.g., if Children is Wood, seek a doctor in the East.
Doctor's Name: The commentary mentions a case where Yin Wood generated Fire; Wild Crane Elder judged: "The character 'Yang' contains Wood; it must be this person." This shows how to find the right doctor via Five Elements character analysis.
Section 4: The Ghost and God Chapter —— Psychological Factors and Environmental Energy
While Zeng Shan Bu Yi emphasizes the Five Elements, "Ghost and God Chapter 102" also observes environmental and psychological energy.
1. Dynamics of the Official/Ghost Line
Ghost Holding the World: The disease does not leave the body. In self-divination, this means the condition is lingering and hard to root out quickly.
Ghost Moving to Restrict Functional Spirit: A sign of worsening condition. If the Ghost is on "Vermilion Bird," it is mostly due to disputes; on "Black Tortoise," it is due to hidden anxieties or "unclean" things.
2. Judging Non-Physical Causes
The records point out that if the Ghost is extremely prosperous on special stars and medicine is powerless, one must consider psychological counseling or environmental (Feng Shui) adjustments. The commentators believe that while ancient methods spoke of "sacrifices," the essence was to stabilize the patient's spirit. If the "Ghost enters the Tomb," it means the pathogenic factor is locked away, which is auspicious.
Section 5: Deep Analysis —— Finding a "Glimmer of Life" on the Brink
I have summarized several subtle turning points for judging serious illnesses:
1. Finding Life at the Brink (Jue Chu Feng Sheng)
If the Functional Spirit (life force) is extremely weak, even in the stage of "Extinction" (Jue) in the Month and Day, as long as an Original Spirit (the line generating it) moves to generate it, this is "Finding Life at the Brink." The records say: "Even if the line is punished, clashed, or restricted, if there is a single support from the Month, Day, or a Moving line, there is hope for a cure."
2. The Truth of Following the Ghost into the Tomb
The commentary points out that entering a tomb doesn't always mean death; it represents "mental confusion" or "hospitalization."
Near Illness in Tomb: As long as the tomb is clashed open, the patient will wake up.
Long-term Illness in Tomb: This is a "True Tomb," representing the end of longevity.
3. Functional Spirit Void or Retreating
Near Illness Void: Represents the disease is "Empty"; recovery occurs once it exits the void.
Serious Illness Original Spirit Retreating: This is the most dangerous signal. It represents the patient's spiritual pillar and energy source shrinking—an image of "life's pulse gradually fading."
Section 6: Practical Case Analysis
Case 1: Near Illness Meeting a Clash; Healing without Medicine (Source Case)
Background: Xu Month, Geng-Chen Day. Divining for father's recent illness. Hexagram Li for Fire.
Analysis: The Parents line is the Functional Spirit. Hexagram Li is a "Six Clash" hexagram.
Logic: Wild Crane Elder judged: "Near illness heals upon a clash." Though the condition looks heavy, the hexagram shows the pathogenic factor has already scattered.
Result: He recovered the next day.
Case 2: Children Transforming into Ghost; Medicine is Powerless (Source Case)
Background: Shen Month, Bing-Zi Day. Feeling seriously ill, divining if this medicine can save him. Hexagram Sheng to Shi.
Analysis: The Children line (medicine) transformed into the Official/Ghost (illness) in the changed hexagram.
Logic: Child becomes Ghost means "the medicine has become a ghost." Not only is the drug useless, it adds burden. The outer hexagram is "Fan Yin," meaning the condition is repetitive.
Result: Medicine was indeed useless; he died in the Winter months.
Case 3: Modern Medical Case: Breast Hyperplasia and Adnexitis (Commentary Case)
Background: Mao Month, Ren-Zi Day. Someone divines for his wife's health. Hexagram Huan to Song.
Analysis: The 4th line Children moves and transforms into Brothers.
Logic: Children represents functional organs. The 4th line is the chest; Children represents the breasts. It is on Sky Turtle (swelling).
Conclusion: Judged as "Breast Hyperplasia." The 3rd line is the uterus position, where the Child's "Embryo" stage is restricted; judged as "Adnexitis." Both were verified.
Section 7: Avoiding Harm —— How to Find the Window of Survival
The records in the "General Notes on Timing" provide precise timing for recovery or danger:
Day of Clashing Open the Tomb: If in a tomb (hospital/coma), wait for the day it is clashed (e.g., in a Xu tomb, wait for a Chen day) for a turning point.
Day of Filling the Void: For near illness, recovery happens when the void is filled/exited.
Day when the Restricting Spirit is Subdued: If the Ghost is too strong, wait until it is clashed away or combined.
Day the Original Spirit is on Duty: If relying on medicine, wait until the day of the Original Spirit (generator) for maximum drug efficacy.
Section 8: Ten Practical Golden Rules for Health (Summary)
Near illness loves clash; Long-term illness hates clash: The first rule of life and death.
Prosperous Functional Spirit is fine despite severity: Vitality is the foundation of health.
Ghost holding the World means chronic disease: The illness is merged with the person and hard to root out.
Children moving brings a great doctor: When the God of Fortune acts, a cure must be found.
Children becoming Ghost means misdiagnosis/toxicity: Guard against medical accidents.
Following the Ghost into the Tomb means confusion: Check for a "glimmer of life" on the day of clashing open.
Fan Yin and Fu Yin mean repetitive pain: It torments the patient and extends the illness.
Five Elements correspond to organs: Precisely locate the onset part.
Six Gods describe symptoms: See through the patient's mental and physical state.
Divine twice to decide: In life-death matters, always verify carefully.
Conclusion of Chapter 13
In the system of Zeng Shan Bu Yi, health is not isolated; it is a 博弈 (game) between the body's energy (Functional Spirit) and the environment/virus (Ghost). By observing the timing of the Children line (medical intervention), we can not only predict the trend of the illness but also point the patient toward the right direction for seeking cure. This reflects the deep humanitarian care of Zhou Yi prediction.
Next Chapter Preview: "Chapter 14: Living and Working in Peace: Thematic Predictions for House Feng Shui, Moving/Purifying, and Environmental Energy." We will analyze why "The 2nd line is the house and the 5th line is the person," and how to see secrets of "leaks and clashes" in a hexagram!
