Yuan Hai Zi Ping (淵海子平) is often considered the "Genesis Block" of modern BaZi. While its core theories are attributed to the legendary Xu Ziping (徐子平) , the foundational text itself was compiled by Xu Dasheng (徐大升) during the Song Dynasty from his original works, Yuan Hai and Yuan Yuan . It was later combined and expanded by Yang Cong (杨淙) in the Ming Dynasty to form the version widely studied today. This classic marks the historical transition from the ancient Year Pillar-based astrology to the modern Day Master-centric system. An important early variant and source is `Ziping San Ming Tong Bian Yuan Yuan` (子平三命通变渊源).
Yuan Hai Zi Ping (淵海子平)
The Ocean of Zi Ping: The Source Code of Modern BaZi
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📜 Historical Significance: The Great Shift
Prior to this text, the dominant system was the "San Ming" method (preserved later in San Ming Tong Hui ), which treated the Year Pillar as the "King" and used Na Yin elements. Yuan Hai Zi Ping introduced the revolutionary concept that "The Day Stem represents the Person."
- Old Method: Year = Self. Focus on Ancestral blessing.
- Zi Ping Method: Day = Self. Focus on Individual potential and psychological makeup.
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🔑 Core Methodology
1. The Six Relatives (Liu Qin 六親)
Yuan Hai formalized the system of mapping family members to elements based on the Day Master. This is the origin of the logic:
- Element that births me: Mother (Resource)
- Element I birth: Child (Output/Eating God)
- Element I control: Father/Wife (Wealth)
- Element that controls me: Official/Husband (Power)
- Element same as me: Sibling (Parallel)
2. The 18 Structures (十八格)
While later books like Zi Ping Zhen Quan refined the structures, Yuan Hai cataloged the original "18 Standard Structures" (Ge Ju). It also documented hundreds of "Special Structures" (Wai Ge) that defy normal logic, such as:
- Run Xia Ge (Moistening Below): A pure Water chart that must flow freely.
- Yan Shang Ge (Flaming Upward): A pure Fire chart.
- Cong Ge (Follow Structures): Where the Self is so weak it must abandon itself to follow the strongest energy.
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📖 Famous Chapters
Discussion on the Ten Stems
This section provides the primal definitions of the Heavenly Stems. For example, it defines Jia Wood not just as "wood" but as "The Dictator of the East," rigid and upright, aspiring to the sky.
論十干
甲木參天，脫胎要火。春不容金，秋不容土。火熾乘龍，水宕騎虎。地潤天和，植立千古。
The Treasure of the Month Command
It established that the Month Branch is the "Commander" (Ling). If the Useful God is found in the Month Branch, it is the most powerful. "If the Month Command holds the Useful God, the person holds the Imperial Seal."
寶法第一
月令提綱，乃富貴之源。用神在月，力大無比。
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🔄 Xu Ziping's Revolution: The Day Master as Self
Before Xu Ziping (徐子平), Chinese fate analysis used the Li Xuzhong (李虚中) method , which treated the Year Pillar as the representation of self. This older system (sometimes called "San Ming" 三命) evaluated fortune primarily through the year of birth — your fate was your ancestors' fate.
The Paradigm Shift
Xu Ziping's insight was revolutionary: the Day Stem (日干) represents the individual person. This shifted the entire analytical framework from collective/ancestral destiny to individual potential.
| Aspect | Li Xuzhong (Old Method) | Xu Ziping (New Method) |
|---|---|---|
| Self | Year Pillar (ancestors) | Day Stem (individual) |
| Element System | Na Yin (納音) elements | Standard Five Elements (正五行) |
| Relationships | Based on Year Stem interactions | Six Relatives (六親) from Day Master |
| Focus | Ancestral blessing, clan fate | Individual personality, free will within fate |
The Classic Declaration
"The Year is the Root, the Month is the Seedling, the Day is the Flower, the Hour is the Fruit."
This metaphor from the Yuan Hai Zi Ping redefines the Four Pillars as stages of a plant's lifecycle. The Day Pillar — the "Flower" — is the most visible expression of the individual's being, while the Hour Pillar (fruit) represents the final outcome: children, legacy, and old age.
經典宣言
年為根，月為苗，日為花，時為果。
Nián wéi gēn, yuè wéi miáo, rì wéi huā, shí wéi guǒ.
年柱代表祖先根基，月柱代表成長環境，日柱代表個人本性，時柱代表子女與晚年結局。
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✋ The Analytical Framework
Yuan Hai Zi Ping established the fundamental analytical vocabulary that every subsequent BaZi text builds upon. Its approach can be summarized through five key analytical dimensions:
| # | Dimension | Chinese | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stem Relationships | 天干論 Tiāngān Lùn | Define the primal character of each of the 10 Stems | Jia Wood (甲) = "Dictator of the East, rigid and sky-reaching" |
| 2 | Branch Dynamics | 地支論 Dìzhī Lùn | Hidden stems, combinations, clashes, penalties | Zi-Wu (子午) clash = Water vs. Fire confrontation |
| 3 | Na Yin System | 納音論 Nàyīn Lùn | The 60 Jia Zi paired into 30 poetic element types | Jia Zi / Yi Chou = "Gold in the Sea" (海中金) |
| 4 | Six Relatives | 六親論 Liùqīn Lùn | Mapping family members to element relationships | Element I control = Wife/Wealth; Element controlling me = Officer/Husband |
| 5 | Structures (Ge Ju) | 格局論 Géjú Lùn | Cataloged 18 standard + dozens of special structures | Cong Ge (從格) = Follow Structure; Run Xia Ge (潤下格) = Moistening Below |
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📚 Key Chapters Overview
| Chapter | Chinese Title | Content | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| On the Ten Stems | 論十干 | Primal definitions and personality of each Heavenly Stem | Origin of all Day Master characterization |
| On the Twelve Branches | 論地支 | Branch properties, hidden stems, interactions | Foundation for combination/clash theory |
| On Na Yin | 論納音 | The 60 Jia Zi Na Yin Five-Element system | Complete Na Yin poems — poetic fate analysis |
| Treasure of the Month Command | 寶法第一 | Month Branch as the "Commander" — source of the Useful God | The single most important analytical principle in BaZi |
| Collection of Mnemonic Verses | 賦文集 | Rhyming poems for oral transmission of BaZi rules | Five Tigers, Five Rats, and pillar derivation formulas |
| On Structures | 論格局 | The 18 Standard Structures + Special Structures | First systematic categorization of chart patterns |
| On the Six Relatives | 論六親 | Mapping family members, spouse, children to elements | Foundation for all relationship analysis in BaZi |
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🎵 Famous Mnemonic Verses (口訣)
The Yuan Hai Zi Ping preserved critical calculation methods as singable verses, designed for oral transmission in an era before printed tables were widely available.
Five Tigers Escaping (五虎遁)
How to derive the Month Stem from the Year Stem:
"In Jia or Ji years, Bing leads the way;
In Yi or Geng years, Wu takes the head;
In Bing or Xin years, seek Geng above;
In Ding or Ren, Ren-Yin flows with the water;
If you ask where Wu or Gui begin,
Jia-Yin above is the trail to pursue."
五虎遁年起月訣
甲己之年丙作首，
乙庚之歲戊為頭，
丙辛之歲尋庚上，
丁壬壬寅順水流，
若問戊癸何處起，
甲寅之上好追求。
Five Rats Escaping (五鼠遁)
How to derive the Hour Stem from the Day Stem:
"Jia or Ji add Jia again,
Yi or Geng start with Bing;
Bing or Xin rise from Wu,
Ding or Ren — Geng-Zi resides;
Where do Wu or Gui begin?
Ren-Zi is the true path."
五鼠遁日起時訣
甲己還加甲，
乙庚丙作初，
丙辛從戊起，
丁壬庚子居，
戊癸何方發，
壬子是真途。
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🔔 The Na Yin System (納音)
One of Yuan Hai Zi Ping's most distinctive contributions is the complete Na Yin (納音) system — assigning a poetic Five-Element quality to each pair of the 60 Jia Zi. While later texts de-emphasized Na Yin in favor of standard element analysis, the Yuan Hai preserves this ancient layer of interpretation.
| Jia Zi Pair | Na Yin | English | Imagery |
|---|---|---|---|
| 甲子 / 乙丑 | 海中金 | Gold in the Sea | Hidden treasure, unreachable in youth |
| 丙寅 / 丁卯 | 爐中火 | Fire in the Furnace | Contained power, needs proper ventilation |
| 戊辰 / 己巳 | 大林木 | Great Forest Wood | Vast canopy, communal strength |
| 庚午 / 辛未 | 路旁土 | Earth by the Roadside | Accessible, useful, trodden upon |
| 壬申 / 癸酉 | 劍鋒金 | Sword-Edge Metal | Sharp, dangerous, refined through conflict |
| 甲戌 / 乙亥 | 山頭火 | Fire atop the Mountain | Visible from afar, exposed to winds |
| 丙子 / 丁丑 | 澗下水 | Water beneath the Stream | Hidden current, flows underground |
| 戊寅 / 己卯 | 城頭土 | Earth atop the City Wall | Fortified position, defensive strength |
| 庚辰 / 辛巳 | 白蠟金 | White Wax Metal | Delicate beauty, refined ornamental |
| 壬午 / 癸未 | 楊柳木 | Willow Wood | Flexible, graceful, emotionally expressive |
The full system contains 30 pairs covering all 60 Jia Zi pillars.
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🌊 Influence on All Subsequent BaZi Practice
Yuan Hai Zi Ping is not merely one text among many — it is the source code from which every BaZi system derives. Every major classical text that followed built upon its innovations:
- Zi Ping Zhen Quan (子平真詮) refined the Ge Ju (Structure) theory that Yuan Hai first cataloged
- Di Tian Sui (滴天髓) deepened the philosophical underpinning of Day Master analysis that Yuan Hai initiated
- Qiong Tong Bao Jian (窮通寶鑒) expanded the seasonal analysis framework using the Day Master as Self
- San Ming Tong Hui (三命通會) attempted to reconcile Yuan Hai's Day Master system with the older Year-based Na Yin approach
Without Yuan Hai Zi Ping, modern BaZi as we know it would not exist. Its central innovation — the Day Stem as Self — remains the unchallenged foundation of all Four Pillars analysis worldwide.