Shen Feng Tong Kao (神峰通考) , written by the Ming Dynasty master Zhang Nan (張楠) (style name Shen Feng), is the "Critical Thinking" manual of BaZi. Zhang Nan was a fierce iconoclast who attacked the "Old Methods" (Na Yin, Shen Sha, purely Year-based reading) as superstitious and unreliable. He introduced the clinical concept of "Illness and Medicine" (病藥) .
Shen Feng Tong Kao (神峰通考)
The Verification of Spirit Peak: Bazi's Critical Reform
✦ ◆ ✦
📜 The Great Critique
Zhang Nan lived in an era where BaZi was cluttered with hundreds of contradictory "Star Gods" (Shen Sha) and rigid formulas. He famously declared:
"The ancients spoke of 'San Ming' (Three Lives), but I see only the Five Elements. If the Five Elements are true, why do we need False Stars?"
He stripped BaZi down to its bare mechanical function: Energy Flow.
✦ ◆ ✦
🔑 Core Methodology: Illness and Medicine (病藥說)
"No Illness, No Nobility"
Zhang Nan's most radical theory was that a "Perfectly Balanced" chart is often mediocre. Great people often have charts with a "Severe Illness" (a massive imbalance), provided they have the specific "Medicine" (cure) to fix it.
"If there is illness, search for the medicine. If the medicine arrives, the person becomes a Marquis. If there is illness but no medicine, the person is poor and short-lived."
Example: A person has a chart full of raging FIRE (The Illness). This is dangerous. But if the Hour pillar contains a strong, rooted WATER element (The Medicine), this person achieves immense success because they have conquered a great challenge.
有病方為貴，無傷不是奇。格中如去病，財祿兩相隨。
釋義： 八字若有嚴重的偏枯（病），一旦行運遇到剋制忌神的藥（藥），往往能發大富大貴。平庸的八字往往是因為「沒病也沒藥」。
The Concept of "Movement and Stillness" (動靜)
Zhang Nan also emphasized that the Chart is "Still" (Static), but the Luck Pillars are "Moving" (Dynamic).
"The destiny is in the Seed (Chart), but the harvest is in the Season (Luck)." A good medicine in the chart is useless if the Luck Cycle destroys it.
✦ ◆ ✦
💡 Legacy for Modern Practitioners
Shen Feng Tong Kao teaches us not to fear "Bad Charts." A chart with "Seven Killings attacking the Self" looks scary, but Zhang Nan teaches us to see it as "Power waiting to be tamed." It shifts the mindset from Fate Acceptance to Problem Solving .
✦ ◆ ✦
🌟 Zhang Nan's Key Innovations / 張楠之創新理論
Zhang Nan (張楠, style name Shen Feng 神峰) was not content to simply repeat the ancients. He made several revolutionary contributions that permanently changed how BaZi is practiced:
| Innovation | Chinese | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illness & Medicine Theory | 病藥說 | A chart's "illness" (major imbalance) paired with its "medicine" (the element that cures it) is the key to reading destiny | Shifted focus from static chart patterns to dynamic problem-solving analysis |
| Rejection of Shen Sha | 去神煤論 | Systematically attacked the hundreds of "Star Gods" (神煤) as superstitious, contradictory, and unreliable | Cleaned BaZi methodology; modern Five-Element-based schools all follow his reform |
| Dynamic Luck Pillar Focus | 動靜說 | Emphasized that the natal chart is "still" (靜) but Luck Pillars are "moving" (動) — timing is everything | Made prediction of specific life events (timing) a central focus rather than just character assessment |
| Five Element Purity | 五行純論 | All analysis reduces to the Five Elements' interactions; nothing else is needed | Established the minimalist, element-focused methodology that defines modern BaZi |
| Rejection of Na Yin | 去納音論 | Argued that Na Yin (Sound-Element) readings are imprecise and inferior to direct Stem-Branch analysis | Most modern schools follow this, though some traditional schools retain Na Yin |
✦ ◆ ✦
🔑 The Yong Shen (用神) Priority System / 用神優先級
Zhang Nan's Diagnostic Method
Zhang Nan established a clear priority system for identifying the Yong Shen (Useful God / key therapeutic element) in any chart. This was more systematic than previous approaches:
The Diagnostic Sequence
- Identify the "Illness" (病): What is the chart's most severe imbalance? Is it too much of one element? Is a critical element entirely missing? Is a beneficial god being attacked?
- Identify the "Medicine" (藥): What single element, if present, would cure the illness? This element is the Yong Shen.
- Check for the Medicine: Is the medicine present in the natal chart? If yes — the native has inherent potential for success. If no — the native must wait for Luck Pillars to deliver it.
- Assess Medicine Quality: Is the medicine strong and well-rooted? Or weak and vulnerable? A strong medicine = great achievement. A weak medicine = partial success with ongoing struggles.
- Track the Luck Pillar Timeline: When do Luck Pillars bring or destroy the medicine? These are the critical turning points of life.
診斷步驟
- 辨病： 八字之最嚴重失衡為何？某元過旺？關鍵元素全無？有益之神被攻？
- 尋藥： 何元素若在則可治病？此元素即為用神。
- 查藥： 藥在命盤中否？若在——先天具有成功之潛力。若無——須等大運送藥。
- 評藥質： 藥力強而有根？或弱而可危？藥強則大成，藥弱則半成而常有掘鬥。
- 追運程： 何時大運帶來或毀滅藥？此為人生之關鍵轉折點。
Zhang Nan's Key Insight: "No Illness, No Nobility"
Zhang Nan's most provocative teaching: 有病方為貴，無傷不是奇 — "Only with illness can there be nobility; without injury, there is nothing remarkable." A perfectly balanced chart (中和) with no severe imbalance produces a comfortable but unremarkable life. The greatest achievers have charts with severe imbalances that are precisely cured by a powerful medicine. The bigger the illness and the more perfect the medicine, the greater the destiny.
✦ ◆ ✦
Comparison with Di Tian Sui / 與《滴天髓》之比較
The Shen Feng Tong Kao and the Di Tian Sui represent two complementary approaches to BaZi. Understanding their relationship helps students see the full picture:
| Dimension | Shen Feng Tong Kao | Di Tian Sui |
|---|---|---|
| Core Method | Illness & Medicine (病藥) — find the imbalance and its cure | Ti & Yong (體用) — understand Substance and Function relationship |
| Analytical Style | Clinical, diagnostic — like a doctor examining a patient | Philosophical, holistic — like a sage reading the cosmos |
| View of Balance | "Perfect balance is mediocre. Imbalance with the right cure creates greatness." | "Seek clarity (清) and harmony (和) in the Ti-Yong relationship." |
| Shen Sha (Stars) | Entirely rejected as superstitious distractions | Mentioned sparingly; downplayed but not explicitly rejected |
| Luck Pillar Focus | Central — the "medicine" often arrives via Luck Pillars | Important but secondary to natal chart quality |
| Na Yin | Rejected as inferior methodology | Not addressed; focuses on direct Stem-Branch reading |
| Best For | Predicting specific events and timing; practical consulting | Understanding character, potential, and the "why" behind fate |
Study Recommendation
Students should study both texts. The Shen Feng Tong Kao teaches you to be a skilled diagnostician — finding what's wrong and what will fix it. The Di Tian Sui teaches you to be a wise philosopher — understanding the deeper nature of each chart. The best practitioners combine both approaches: the clinical precision of Zhang Nan with the holistic vision of the Di Tian Sui tradition.
✦ ◆ ✦
📜 Famous Case Examples from the Text / 經典案例
Case 1: The Seven Killings Tamed (七殺化權)
Chart Pattern: A Day Master with Qi Sha (七殺, Seven Killings) dominating the chart — the "illness" is severe aggression against the self. The "medicine" is a perfectly placed Shi Shen (食神, Food God) that controls the Killings.
Zhang Nan's Reading: "The Seven Killings is like a fierce general. Without discipline, he is a bandit who destroys. With the Food God's discipline, he becomes a loyal commander who conquers. This chart has the illness of uncontrolled power. The Food God is the medicine that transforms destruction into authority."
Outcome: The native rose to high military rank. The "illness" (Seven Killings) was the very source of power, but only because the "medicine" (Food God) properly channeled it.
Case 2: Wealth Destroying Seal (財壞印)
Chart Pattern: A weak Day Master relying on a Seal (Yin) star for survival. But strong Wealth (Cai) in the chart attacks the Seal. The "illness" is that the life-supporting Seal is being destroyed by Wealth.
Zhang Nan's Reading: "This person's Seal star is their education, their mother's support, their position. But Wealth destroys the Seal — meaning the pursuit of money undermines their scholarly foundation. The medicine would be a Bi Jian (比肩, Companion) or Rob Wealth (劫財) to strengthen the self and protect the Seal. But no such medicine exists in this chart."
Outcome: The native dropped out of the imperial examinations to pursue commerce, failed repeatedly, and ended in poverty — having lost both scholarly position and wealth. A textbook case of illness without medicine.
Case 3: Medicine Arriving in Luck Pillar (運至藥到)
Chart Pattern: A chart with extreme Water overwhelming a weak Fire Day Master. The illness is severe — Fire nearly extinguished. No medicine (Wood to produce Fire, or Earth to control Water) is visible in the natal chart.
Zhang Nan's Reading: "The first forty years of life will be difficult — the chart runs through Water and Metal luck pillars that worsen the illness. But at age 40, the Jia Yin (甲寅) luck pillar arrives: Wood (Jia) feeds Fire, and Yin (Tiger) contains hidden Fire. The medicine has arrived! At this point, the patient recovers."
Outcome: The native struggled through poverty and illness until his early 40s, then built a successful career as a minor official — exactly when the Wood luck pillar arrived. Zhang Nan's emphasis on timing proved decisive.