Four Courses and Three Transmissions (四課三傳)
The Four Courses (四課) and Three Transmissions (三傳) are the analytical pillars of every Da Liu Ren reading. Together they provide a complete narrative: the initial situation (Four Courses) and its developmental arc (Three Transmissions).
The Four Courses (四課)
Derived by placing the Day Stem and Day Branch on the Earth Plate and reading the corresponding Heaven Plate positions: First Course (一課): Heaven plate position above the Day Stem — represents the Self, the querent, the subject of inquiry; Yang aspect. Second Course (二課): Heaven plate above First Course — represents the immediate environment around the querent. Third Course (三課): Heaven plate above the Day Branch — represents the Other Party, situation, or external force; Yin aspect. Fourth Course (四課): Heaven plate above Third Course — background conditions of the external force. The Four Courses simultaneously reveal the querent's situation and the opposing or external force, establishing the foundational dynamic of the reading.
The Three Transmissions (三傳)
The Three Transmissions are derived from the Four Courses through one of twelve derivation methods (十二類). They provide the narrative arc of the situation: Initial Transmission (初傳): The beginning — root cause, initial state, how things started. Middle Transmission (中傳): The process — how the situation develops, what intermediary forces are active. Final Transmission (末傳): The outcome — where things are heading, the ultimate resolution.
The Twelve Generals in Context
Each position in the Four Courses and Three Transmissions receives a Spirit General (神將) from the twelve generals, adding character and nuance: Gui Ren (貴人) indicates benefactor assistance; Teng She (螣蛇) indicates fear and uncertainty; Qing Long (青龍) indicates wealth and positive momentum; Bai Hu (白虎) indicates danger or transformative crisis; and so on through all twelve.
The 720 Configurations
Da Liu Ren's precision stems from the vast number of possible configurations — the twelve derivation methods (九宗門) produce hundreds of distinct chart types. In practice, master Da Liu Ren practitioners recognize recurring patterns across these configurations, allowing rapid, accurate reading of even complex situations with multiple competing forces.