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Sanming Tonghui · A Comprehensive Account of the Three Destinies
On the Three Punishments
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The Scripture of Hidden Accord says: “Kindness arises from harm; harm arises from kindness.” The three punishments arise from two combinations, as the source calls them, like the six harms from the six combinations. Shen–Zi–Chen three harmonies placed upon Yin–Mao–Chen give Shen punishing Yin, Zi punishing Mao, and Chen seeing Chen punishing itself. Yin–Wu–Xu placed upon Si–Wu–Wei give Yin with Si, Wu seeing Wu punishing itself, and Xu punishing Wei. Si–You–Chou upon Shen–You–Xu give Si punishing Shen, You seeing You punishing itself, and Chou punishing Xu. Hai–Mao–Wei upon Hai–Zi–Chou give Hai seeing Hai punishing itself, Mao punishing Zi, and Wei punishing Chou. Punishment arising within combination resembles husband and wife joining yet causing punishment and injury. Creation and human affairs share one principle.
Another account derives the three punishments by counting. At the Imperial Ultimate in midheaven, ten is the Killing number. Accumulating to ten empties the count: Heaven's way dislikes fullness and overturns it. Count forward from Mao to Zi and backward from Zi to Mao, reaching ten, for Punishment Without Propriety. Count backward from Yin to Si and Si to Shen, reaching ten, for Punishment Without Gratitude. Count forward from Chou to Xu and Xu to Wei, reaching ten, for Punishment of Relying on Power. Seven clashes, ten punishes, and six combines: one natural principle.
Why are Yin, Si, and Shen Without Gratitude? Jia Wood within Yin punishes Wu Earth within Si. Wu needs combination with Gui Water; Gui is Jia Wood's mother, and Wu, her husband, is Jia's father. Punishing one's father forgets kindness. Bing within Si punishing Geng within Shen and Geng within Shen punishing Jia within Yin follow the same principle. Another account says Yin's newly born Fire punishes Metal born at Si; Earth lodging its Birth at Si punishes Water at Long Life in Shen; Water born in Shen punishes Fire born in Yin. Disregarding what is generated and conquering at a distance makes it Without Gratitude. At Birth or Flourishing, the person is composed, speaks little, has few desires, and is unfeeling, often attracting trouble through lost righteousness and forgotten kindness. At Death or Extinction, praise to the face and slander behind, ingratitude and unrighteousness. A noble configuration gives cruelty, a liking for killing, and desire to establish achievement. A low one gives deviant words and conduct and insatiable greed and meanness. For women, the source predicts childbirth bleeding and pregnancy loss.
Why are Chou, Xu, and Wei Relying on Power? Chou contains Flourishing Water and is Earth within Water; Xu contains Tomb Fire. Chou relies on Flourishing Water to punish Xu's Tomb Fire. Xu has the honor of the six Jia, Wei the lowliness of the six Gui. Xu relies on Jia's honor to punish Wei's Gui lowliness. Wei has Flourishing Earth and again relies on power to punish Chou's Flourishing Water. Another account has Wei relying on Ding Fire to punish Chou's Metal, Chou relying on Flourishing Water to punish Xu's Fire, and Xu relying on Xin Metal to punish Wei's Wood. Thus Relying on Power. At Birth or Flourishing, spirit and resolve are bold, eyebrows thick and face broad, dealings direct. At Death or Extinction, bones are exposed and form thin and small, spirit perverse, contentious and base, delighting in others' calamity. A noble configuration gives public integrity, fairness, and others' fear; a low one often incurs penal law and obscure calamity. For women it indicates obstruction and solitude.
Why are Zi and Mao Without Propriety? Zi belongs to Water and Mao Wood. Water generates Wood, making Zi mother and Mao child, yet mother and child punish one another. Mao is Sun Gate and Zi where yang is born. Sun emerges at Mao, while Zi and Mao stand opposed without respect or humility. Disregarding generation and advancing into punishment and harm makes it Without Propriety. Another account uses only Gui Water in Zi. Gui's Husband Star is Wu Earth, Defeated at Mao, so Zi punishes Mao. Mao uses only Yi Wood; Yi's Husband Star is Geng Metal, Dead at Zi, so Mao punishes Zi. Both incur punishment through husband, especially unfavorable in a woman's chart. At Birth or Flourishing the person is imposing and solemn, without a harmonious face, strong tempered and violent, excessively observant and intolerant. At Death or Extinction, contemptuous, careless, narrow, and exploitative, with little filial or sibling devotion, harming wife and children and treating the six relations like Wu and Yue. A noble configuration often commands military power but is unsuitable for close attendance and does not remain long in office. A low one is rebellious and violent, attracting penal calamity.
Why are Chen, Wu, You, and Hai Self Punishment? Among Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai, Yin, Si, and Shen punish one another, leaving Hai without punishment. Among Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, Xu, Chou, and Wei punish one another, leaving Chen. Among Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, Zi and Mao punish each other, leaving Wu and You. These four are called Self Punishment because no other thing is added. Another account says Chen is Water's Tomb and surging makes it full; Wu is Fire's Flourishing and violence makes it burn; You is Metal's position and hardness makes it break; Hai is Water's Birth and abundance makes it decay. Each receives excessively strong energy and causes its own calamity. At Birth or Flourishing, quiet with inner malice and a poor, weak appearance; at Death or Extinction, deeply malicious and careless, peering at fish in the depths, with many calamities of limbs, hands, and feet. A noble configuration gives adaptability and strategy; a low one much sorrow, stubborn foolishness, and unfeeling self-harm. With harmful Killings, there is no good end. For women the text predicts sexual dissipation and destructive calamity.
Punishment must not immediately be judged harmful. Inspect the five phases for auspicious positions, Flourishing and Support, Office Star, Seal, the printed Reproaching Spirit, Virtue, Blessing, and other favorable things. Their mutual assistance makes punishment harmless and instead useful. Without them, Death, Robbery, Heavenly Center, Sheep Blade, and other Killings add evil to evil, bringing untellable calamity. Another saying is Three Punishments Fear Metal. Guigu's Transmitted Writings says: “A gentleman without punishment will not rise; on an official path he often advances. A lesser person arriving here must suffer calamity, or else the official whip.” Shen Zhi says: “Self Punishment with Killings is unfavorable; year and month punishing the skin certainly show injury. If not wasting to death in prison, death comes at blade or sword.” Another saying: “Chen, Wu, You, and Hai complete give loss of sight in middle age.” Another: “Self Punishment fears Fire, but with restraint within it, this must not immediately be the judgment.”
Another account says complete three punishments require distinguishing whether punishment enters. Year is host, month, day, and hour guests. Host punishing guest is noble if punishment enters, low if it does not. Guest punishing host requires non-entry for a noble configuration; entry makes it low. For Chou punishing Xu, inspect which Chou and Xu. Yichou punishing Gengxu is same-kind punishment and inauspicious. Punishing Bingxu or Renxu is generating punishment and not judged as punishment. Wuxu and Jiaxu give conquering punishment: it enters Wuxu but cannot enter Jiaxu. Further inspect where calamity and blessing arise. Wuxu is ground where blessings gather; Yichou coming to punish it is greatly auspicious. Inability to enter blessing-gathering ground gives no noble chart. Judge other cases by analogy.
A classic says: “To determine a chart without punishment, first discuss the Grand Duke.” People dislike seeing three punishments, but if month, day, and hour carry Killings and Grand Duke does not participate, do not apply the judgment. Hence Grand Duke first.
Another saying: “Stopping Killings with Killings often gives military and penal responsibility.” Grand Duke receives punishment, but another punishment restrains what punishes it. For example, a Guisi birth obtaining a Wuyin day then a Gengshen hour: Guisi is restrained by Wuyin, but Gengshen Wood restrains Wuyin Earth. Originally punishment exists, yet then there is none. Thus Restraining Killings with Killings.
An old song says: “Three Punishment positions bearing the Three Wonders, with Tianyi also in day and hour: punishments equal in measure and stems meeting Virtue give highest official rank without deficiency.” Thus punishments should be balanced, with Three Wonders, Noble Person, and Heavenly Virtue further making them auspicious.
Translator's note: Every punishment group, reverse counting rule, host/guest example, historical verse, and rescue condition is retained. The opening two-combinations phrase, Reproaching Spirit, and punishing-the-skin wording are irregular as supplied. Wu and Yue is the source's comparison for estranged relatives. Birth, Death, childbirth, disability, and mortality outcomes remain historical claims; the text's repeated instruction against automatically judging punishment harmful is included.
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