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Sanming Tonghui · A Comprehensive Account of the Three Destinies
On Combinations of the Ten Stems
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Combination means harmony. Yang seeing yang makes two yang compete and therefore conquer; yin seeing yin makes two yin insufficient and therefore conquer. Only yin seeing yang or yang seeing yin combines, like a man and woman joining as husband and wife.
Eastern Jia and Yi Wood fear conquest by western Geng and Xin Metal. Jia is yang and elder brother; Yi yin and younger sister. Elder brother Jia marries younger sister Yi into the Metal household as Geng's wife. Thus Yi combines with Geng.
Southern Bing and Ding Fire fear conquest by northern Ren and Gui Water. Bing is yang and elder brother; Ding yin and younger sister. Bing marries Ding into the Water household as Ren's wife. Thus Ding combines with Ren.
Central Wu and Ji Earth fear conquest by eastern Jia and Yi Wood. Wu is yang and elder brother; Ji yin and younger sister. Wu marries Ji into the Wood household as Jia's wife. Thus Jia combines with Ji.
Western Geng and Xin Metal fear conquest by southern Bing and Ding Fire. Geng is yang and elder brother; Xin yin and younger sister. Geng marries Xin into the Fire household as Bing's wife. Thus Bing combines with Xin.
Northern Ren and Gui Water fear conquest by central Wu and Ji Earth. Ren is yang and elder brother; Gui yin and younger sister. Ren marries Gui into the Earth household as Wu's wife. Thus Wu combines with Gui.
Why is Jia with Ji called the Combination of Centered Uprightness? Jia is yang Wood, benevolent in nature and first among the stems. Ji is yin Earth, tranquil, sincere, and substantial, with the virtue of generating things. Thus it is Centered Uprightness. It indicates someone honored, dignified, broad, generous, level, and direct. With Killings and five phases lacking energy, it instead gives anger, irritability, and a stubborn nature that cannot be bent.
Why is Yi with Geng called the Combination of Benevolence and Righteousness? Yi is yin Wood, benevolent but excessively soft; Geng is yang Metal, firm and unyielding. Hardness and softness support one another, furnishing benevolence and righteousness. The person is decisive and steadfast, not deceived by soft flattery, acting through benevolence and advancing or retreating through righteousness. Birth and Flourishing give refined bones and clear form; Death and Extinction with Killings give an aggressive love of bravery, unremarkable appearance, asserting oneself and condemning others. Jia–Ji and Yi–Geng combinations are not feared for women.
Why is Bing with Xin called the Combination of Commanding Restraint? Bing is yang Fire, brilliant and vigorous of itself. Xin is yin Metal, restraining blades and favoring Killings in the supplied phrase. Thus Commanding Restraint. The person's bearing is imposing and solemn, feared by others, cruel, fond of bribes and sexual indulgence. With Killings or five phases at Death or Extinction, it gives scant kindness and righteousness and an unfeeling person. A woman receiving it together with Heavenly Center, Great Depletion, and Salty Pool is described as beautiful, low voiced, seductively adorned, and sexually unrestrained.
Why is Ding with Ren called the Combination of Lustful Perversity? The source here calls Ren pure yin Water, beyond illumination by the three lights, and Ding Fire concealing yin, itself dim and unclear. Thus Lustful Perversity. The person has bright eyes and a delicate spirit, is affectionate and easily stirred, does not pursue purity, and habitually remains low. Immersed in bedchamber pleasure and desire, the person is miserly toward oneself and greedy toward others. Five phases at Death or Extinction or bearing Killings, with Salty Pool, Great Depletion, Heavenly Center, and self-Defeat, give the shame of sexual conduct polluting the family, closeness to lesser people, contempt toward gentlemen, greedy and reckless action, and insistence on victory. The text assigns a woman sexual impropriety and deceit, easy temptation and much disgrace, marriage in old age to a younger husband or in youth to an older one, or low status followed by respectable status and the reverse.
Why is Wu with Gui called the Combination Without Affection? Wu is yang Earth, an old and ugly husband; Gui yin Water, a gracefully moving woman. Old yang and young yin combine without affection. The person may be attractive or ugly. Wu obtaining Gui gives charming beauty and a fitting appearance: a man marries a young woman, a woman a handsome husband. Gui obtaining Wu gives an archaic, plain appearance, looking old and worldly: a man marries an old wife, a woman an old husband.
Translator's note: All five marriage analogies and five named combination judgments are retained. The Ren-as-pure-yin statement differs from its yang-Water classification earlier and remains as supplied. Historical moral, gender, class, appearance, and sexual judgments are the author's claims, not categories endorsed by the translation.
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