六壬法教

Module 1: Historical Origins (历史渊源 — Lìshǐ Yuānyuán)

1.1 The Primordial Diagrams of Chinese Cosmology

The He Tu 河图 (Hé Tú / River Map) and Luo Shu 洛书 (Luò Shū / Luo Writing) are the two foundational mathematical diagrams upon which every branch of the Five Arts 五术 (Wǔ Shù) — Mountain 山 (Shān), Medicine 医 (Yī), Destiny 命 (Mìng), Divination 卜 (Bǔ), and Physiognomy 相 (Xiàng) — traces its numerical logic. The tradition holds that these diagrams are not human inventions but revelations from Heaven 天 (Tiān), transmitted through auspicious creatures to sage-kings at critical moments in civilization.

The He Tu emerged from the Yellow River 黄河 (Huáng Hé) on the back of a Dragon Horse 龙马 (Lóng Mǎ) during the reign of the sage-king Fu Xi 伏羲 (Fú Xī). Fu Xi observed this pattern of dots and derived the Eight Trigrams 八卦 (Bā Guà), establishing the Earlier Heaven 先天 (Xiān Tiān) arrangement. The Luo Shu appeared on the shell of a Divine Turtle 神龟 (Shén Guī) that emerged from the Luo River 洛水 (Luò Shuǐ) during the reign of the Great Yu 禹 (Yǔ), who modeled the Nine Divisions 洪范九畴 (Hóng Fàn Jiǔ Chóu) of governance upon its pattern.

1.2 Chen Tuan (陈抟 Chén Tuán, c. 871–989)

Chen Tuan , styled Xi Yi 希夷 (Xī Yí), was a Daoist hermit of Mount Hua 华山 (Huà Shān) during the late Tang and early Song dynasties. He is credited with transmitting the He Tu and Luo Shu diagrams from an oral lineage preserved among Daoist hermits since antiquity. Before Chen Tuan, the exact number arrangements of the two diagrams were debated — some scholars even reversed them. Chen Tuan settled this debate through his transmission to his student Zhong Fang 种放 (Zhǒng Fàng), which then passed through a chain of scholars to the great Shao Yong. He is also credited with the Wu Ji Tu (无极图 / Diagram of the Limitless) , which influenced Zhou Dunyi's 周敦颐 (Zhōu Dūnyí) famous Tai Ji Tu Shuo (太极图说).

1.3 Shao Yong (邵雍 Shào Yōng, 1011–1077)

Shao Yong , styled Yao Fu 尧夫 (Yáo Fū), posthumously honored as Kang Jie 康节 (Kāng Jié), was the Song Dynasty polymath who systematized He Luo number theory into a comprehensive cosmological and divinatory framework. His two masterworks are the Huang Ji Jing Shi (皇极经世) — a grand cosmic calendar mapping all of history into mathematical cycles — and the Mei Hua Yi Shu (梅花易数) — a divination method using numbers derived from spontaneous observation.

1.4 The Term "He Luo Li Shu" (河洛理数)

He Luo Li Shu 河洛理数 (Hé Luò Lǐ Shù) literally means: 河 Hé — River (Yellow River, source of the He Tu); 洛 Luò — Luo (Luo River, source of the Luo Shu); 理 Lǐ — Principle / Pattern / Reason; 数 Shù — Numbers / Numerology. The system uses the principles embedded within the He Tu and Luo Shu numbers to derive personal hexagrams from birth data, then reads the hexagram lines as a map of the native's life unfolding through time. Practitioners consider it more mathematically rigorous — and for timing, more precise — than standard BaZi (八字).

Module 2: The He Tu (河图 — Hé Tú / River Map)

2.1 The Number Arrangement

The He Tu arranges numbers 1 through 10 in a cross pattern aligned with the cardinal directions. Each direction pairs a Generation Number (生数 Shēng Shù) with its corresponding Completion Number (成数 Chéng Shù) . This embodies the foundational principle that creation requires two phases: the initial heavenly impulse (生 Shēng) and the earthly materialization (成 Chéng).

2.2 Sheng Cheng Shu Theory (生成数 Shēng Chéng Shù)

The core mathematical relationship: each Completion Number equals its Generation Number plus 5. The five Generation Numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) represent Heaven's creative impulse; the five Completion Numbers (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) represent Earth's response and fulfillment. Odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) are Yang / Heaven 天 numbers ; even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8, 10) are Yin / Earth 地 numbers .

2.3 He Tu as Earlier Heaven (先天 Xiān Tiān) Pattern

The He Tu corresponds to the Earlier Heaven (先天 Xiān Tiān) state — the pre-manifest blueprint of creation before it actualizes. It represents body (体 Tǐ) before function, structure before movement, the innate constitution before environmental influence, and potential before actualization. In personal analysis, the He Tu / Xian Tian dimension maps to one's innate endowment — the "heavenly mandate" 天命 (Tiān Mìng) one is born with.

Module 3: The Luo Shu (洛书 — Luò Shū / Luo Writing)

3.1 The Magic Square

The Luo Shu is a 3×3 magic square — the smallest non-trivial magic square possible. The Divine Turtle's shell bore a pattern of dots encoding this arrangement. The classical mnemonic (口诀 kǒujué):

"戴九履一，左三右七，二四为肩，六八为足，五居中央。"

Dài jiǔ lǚ yī, zuǒ sān yòu qī, èr sì wéi jiān, liù bā wéi zú, wǔ jū zhōngyāng.

"Wearing Nine on the head, treading on One; Three on the left, Seven on the right; Two and Four are the shoulders; Six and Eight are the feet; Five dwells in the center."

3.2 Mathematical Properties

The constant sum is 15 — every row, column, and diagonal sums to 15: (4+9+2), (3+5+7), (8+1+6), (4+3+8), (9+5+1), (2+7+6), (4+5+6), (2+5+8). The number 15 equals the days from New Moon to Full Moon, connecting the Luo Shu to lunar calendrical rhythm. The total sum of all nine numbers is 45 . Odd (yang) numbers occupy the cardinal positions; even (yin) numbers occupy the diagonal positions. Opposite pairs sum to 10: (1,9), (2,8), (3,7), (4,6).

3.3 The Nine Palaces (九宫 Jiǔ Gōng) Mapping

The Luo Shu's nine cells map directly onto the Nine Palaces (九宫 Jiǔ Gōng) — the operational framework used across multiple Five Arts systems:

3.4 Relationship to QMDJ and Flying Stars

In Qi Men Dun Jia (奇门遁甲) , the Nine Palaces form the game board upon which Stems, Doors, Stars, and Deities are arranged. The Luo Shu flight path (1→2→3→4→5→6→7→8→9) determines how elements "fly" through the palaces in yang (forward flight 顺飞 Shùn Fēi) or yin (reverse flight 逆飞 Nì Fēi) sequences. In Xuan Kong Fei Xing (玄空飞星 / Flying Stars Feng Shui) , stars fly through the Nine Palaces following the same Luo Shu path, creating the basis for all Flying Star charts. In Tai Yi Shen Shu (太乙神数) , the Nine Palaces serve cosmic-scale divination concerning nations and dynasties.

Module 4: He Luo Li Shu Divination Method (河洛理数推命法 — Hé Luò Lǐ Shù Tuī Mìng Fǎ)

4.1 Overview

He Luo Li Shu converts a person's birth data into a personal hexagram — the Ben Ming Gua (本命卦 Běn Mìng Guà / Life Hexagram) — using He Tu and Luo Shu number transformations. This hexagram's six lines are read as a chronological map of the person's life, with each line corresponding to a specific age range. Unlike BaZi (which focuses on elemental interplay of Stems and Branches), He Luo Li Shu derives meaning from pure number and hexagram imagery .

4.2 Step 1: Converting Birth Data — Heavenly Stem Numbers

Each Heavenly Stem carries a He Tu number, and each Earthly Branch carries a Luo Shu number:

4.3 Step 2: Deriving Upper and Lower Trigrams

The sum of Stem-Branch numbers from the Year and Month Pillars determines the Upper Trigram 上卦 (Shàng Guà); the Day and Hour Pillars yield the Lower Trigram 下卦 (Xià Guà). Each sum is reduced modulo 8 (if 0, use 8) and mapped to the Xian Tian Ba Gua sequence. The Changing Line (动爻 Dòng Yáo) — the total sum of all eight numbers modulo 6 — indicates the most critical life period.

4.4 Step 3: The Ben Ming Gua (本命卦 Běn Mìng Guà)

The resulting hexagram is examined at two levels:

• Xian Tian Gua (先天卦) : The Earlier Heaven Hexagram from He Tu numbers — represents the person's innate constitution, inherent talents, and the "heavenly" dimension of destiny. It reveals what the person is at the deepest level.
• Hou Tian Gua (后天卦) : The Later Heaven Hexagram from Luo Shu transformation — represents how the innate constitution manifests through actual life events: career, relationships, health, wealth. It reveals what the person experiences .

4.5 Step 4: Line-by-Line Life Stage Analysis (六爻分析)

The moving line (动爻) indicates the life stage of greatest change, crisis, or opportunity. When this line changes, the hexagram transforms into a changed hexagram 变卦 (Biàn Guà), revealing the outcome of that critical transition. Each line carries hexagram and line verses from the Yi Jing, read through the specific numerical lens of the He Tu/Luo Shu derivation.

4.6 Integration with Tie Ban Shen Shu (铁板神数)

He Luo Li Shu and Tie Ban Shen Shu (铁板神数 / Iron Plate Spirit Numbers) share the same mathematical DNA. Advanced practitioners integrate the two: He Luo Li Shu provides the macro framework (Life Hexagram and line-by-line stages), while Tie Ban Shen Shu provides the micro precision — specific tiao wen 条文 (clause texts) numbered in the thousands, each describing a specific life event. The Tie Ban system has over 12,000 clauses; He Luo Li Shu narrows down which clauses apply to a specific person.

Module 5: Huang Ji Jing Shi — The Cosmic Calendar (皇极经世 — Huáng Jí Jīng Shì)

5.1 The Grand Cosmic Architecture

Shao Yong's Huang Ji Jing Shi (皇极经世 / Supreme Principles Governing the World) is one of the most ambitious intellectual constructions in Chinese history. It applies He Luo number theory to the entire sweep of cosmic time, creating a mathematical calendar that maps the rise and fall of civilizations across a 129,600-year grand cycle .

5.2 The Four Nested Time Units

5.3 The 12 Hui and the Cosmic Cycle

Each of the 12 Hui in one Yuan is associated with an Earthly Branch and represents a phase of cosmic creation and dissolution:

5.4 Shao Yong's Historical Predictions

Within this framework, Shao Yong mapped Chinese dynastic history to specific Yun and Shi positions. He correlated the era of Yao 尧 and Shun 舜 to peak Yun periods, and mapped the Zhou Dynasty's fall, Qin unification, and Han rise to number transitions. Most famously, Shao Yong predicted the duration of the Song Dynasty through Yun-Shi analysis — his students recorded that on his deathbed, he told them the Song would face crisis in specific periods, corresponding to the Jurchen invasion and fall of the Northern Song, events occurring decades after his death.

Module 6: Applications in Other Five Arts (五术应用 — Wǔ Shù Yìngyòng)

6.1 He Tu Combinations in Feng Shui (河图合 Hé Tú Hé)

In Xuan Kong (玄空) Feng Shui , the He Tu number pairs define fundamental directional-elemental relationships. When two Flying Stars form a He Tu pairing in the same palace, this creates a He Tu combination (河图合 Hé Tú Hé), considered superior to standard Five Element productive cycle combinations because they represent the original generative impulse :

• 1-6 combination : Water energy — Metal generates Water. Highly auspicious for scholarly and career success.
• 2-7 combination : Fire energy — interpretation depends on the Feng Shui Period.
• 3-8 combination : Wood energy — resonates with growth, development, new beginnings.
• 4-9 combination : Metal energy — associated with literary fame and intelligence.
• 5-10 combination : Earth energy — the pivot of all transformations (treated as "5 meeting itself" in the 1–9 system).

6.2 Luo Shu in Qi Men Dun Jia (奇门遁甲)

The Luo Shu provides three critical elements to QMDJ: (1) the Nine Palaces Board (九宫格) upon which all elements are placed; (2) the Flight Path (飞布路线) determining how Stems fly through palaces in yang/yin sequences; and (3) the Palace-Element Relationships that govern interactions between Stars, Doors, and Deities.

6.3 He Luo Numbers in Na Yin Derivation (纳音推导)

The Na Yin (纳音) system — assigning a Five Element nature to each of the sixty Stem-Branch pairs — has its mathematical basis in He Luo number theory. The classical derivation takes the He Tu number of the Heavenly Stem, the Luo Shu number of the Earthly Branch, applies a modular arithmetic operation, and the result maps to one of the Five Elements. This is why Na Yin elements often appear counterintuitive — they arise from a different mathematical layer of the same system. For example, 甲子 (Jiǎ Zǐ) has Na Yin element of "Gold in the Sea" (海中金 Hǎi Zhōng Jīn), a Metal nature, even though 甲 is Wood and 子 is Water in the standard system.

6.4 Number Theory in Mei Hua Yi Shu (梅花易数)

Mei Hua Yi Shu (梅花易数 / Plum Blossom Numerology) , attributed to Shao Yong, is the most direct application of He Luo number theory to spontaneous divination. Any observed number is converted to a trigram using the Xian Tian Ba Gua sequence (Qian 1, Dui 2, Li 3, Zhen 4, Xun 5, Kan 6, Gen 7, Kun 8). Two numbers yield upper and lower trigrams; a third (total sum mod 6) yields the moving line. The hexagram is read using the Ti-Yong (体用 / Body-Function) theory — a direct simplification of He Luo Li Shu for rapid field divination.

Module 7: Case Studies (案例研究 — Ànlì Yánjiū)

Case 1: Personal He Luo Hexagram — Predicting Career Peak

Case 2: Shao Yong's Plum Blossom Prediction (观梅占 Guān Méi Zhān)

Case 3: He Luo Li Shu vs. Tie Ban Shen Shu — Comparative Reading

Case 4: He Tu Combinations in a Period 8 Feng Shui Chart

Supplementary Applications: He Luo in Practice (補充應用案例)

These additional cases demonstrate the breadth of He Luo number theory across constitutional analysis, commercial Feng Shui, historical mapping, and name analysis.

Advanced Applications: He Luo Theory in Depth (深度應用)

The following three analyses demonstrate He Luo number theory at advanced levels of application: palace-by-palace Flying Star chart analysis, detailed dynastic historical mapping using the Huang Ji Jing Shi framework, and He Luo name analysis through Chinese character stroke counts.

Advanced Case A: Luo Shu Annual Flying Star Chart — Period 9 Transition (洛書年飛星盤)

Year context: 2024 marks the transition into Period 9 (九運 Jiǔ Yùn) — the era of Li ☲ (Fire / 离). The Annual Flying Star with the dominant star entering the Center Palace is Star 3 (三碧 Sān Bì / Three Jade) , associated with Zhen ☳ (Thunder / East), Wood element, and the qualities of assertiveness, litigation, and rapid movement.

The Annual Luo Shu Grid when Star 3 enters the Center (2024):

Tracking the shift: In the standard Luo Shu, Center = 5. When Star 3 enters the Center, every palace shifts backward by 2 positions in the Luo Shu cycle:

Advanced Case B: Huang Ji Jing Shi Applied to the Tang Dynasty (皇極經世 — 唐朝分析)

Subject: The Tang Dynasty 唐朝 (Táng Cháo, 618–907 CE) — the most celebrated dynasty in classical Chinese history, analyzed through the Huang Ji Jing Shi framework.

Yun-Shi Position Analysis: Using Shao Yong's calculation with a starting epoch referenced to the legendary beginning of the current Yuan 元 (Grand Epoch), the Tang Dynasty falls within the 午 Wǔ (Horse) Hui 会 — the seventh of the twelve 10,800-year phases. The 午 Hui is designated 極/衰 (Jí/Shuāi) — Zenith/Decline : maximum Yang energy present but simultaneously initiating the long descent. This is the cosmological signature of a brilliant but ultimately fragile apex.

Advanced Case C: He Luo Name Analysis — 春和園 Restaurant (河洛姓名學應用)

Case: Selecting a business name for a restaurant opening in the East sector of a city. The proposed name was 春和園 (Chūn Hé Yuán / "Spring Harmony Garden") .

Stroke Count to He Tu Number Conversion:

He Tu Combination Analysis of the Name:

• The name contains He Tu number 9 (from 春) and He Tu number 8 (from 和). The pairing 3-8 (Wood completion pair from He Tu) is present between 園 (3) and 和 (8). This is the He Tu East/Wood combination — resonating with growth, new beginnings, and development.
• The number 9 (from 春) belongs to the 4-9 Metal completion pair . Having both the 3-8 (Wood) and 4-9 (Metal) completion pairs represented in the name carries a potent implication: the name contains two He Tu combinations simultaneously — a sign of completeness and inter-elemental balance rarely achieved in a three-character name.
• The grand Luo Shu total reduces to 3 — East/Wood — which is the directional element of the restaurant's intended location (East sector of the city). Name and location share the same He Luo elemental resonance .

📖 Key Terminology Glossary (核心術語)

The following terms form the essential vocabulary for He Luo Li Shu study and practice.

📚 Classical Source Texts (經典文獻)

Primary Texts:

• 《周易·系辞传》 Zhōu Yì · Xì Cí Zhuán (Great Commentary) — Contains the original scriptural reference to He Tu and Luo Shu as cosmological foundations
• 《皇极经世书》 Huáng Jí Jīng Shì Shū by Shao Yong 邵雍 — The masterwork of grand-cycle cosmological mathematics (129,600-year framework)
• 《梅花易数》 Méi Huā Yì Shù attributed to Shao Yong — Practical divination manual based directly on He Luo number theory
• 《河洛理数》 Hé Luò Lǐ Shù attributed to Chen Tuan 陈抟 — The specific text on personal destiny hexagram derivation from birth data
• 《铁板神数》 Tiě Bǎn Shén Shù — The Iron Plate system, complementary to He Luo Li Shu (12,000+ destiny clauses)
• 《尚书·洪范》 Shàng Shū · Hóng Fàn (Great Plan chapter) — Records the Luo Shu legend and the Nine Categories of governance

Song Dynasty Commentaries:

• 《太极图说》 Tàijí Tú Shuō by Zhou Dunyi 周敦颐 — Connects He Luo cosmology to Neo-Confucian philosophy
• 《通书》 Tōng Shū by Zhou Dunyi — Extends He Tu/Luo Shu principles into ethical philosophy
• 《观物内外篇》 Guān Wù Nèi Wài Piān by Shao Yong — Philosophical elaboration of the Huang Ji Jing Shi framework

Ming–Qing Elaborations:

• 《河洛精蕴》 Hé Luò Jīng Yùn by Jiang Yong 江永 (Qing Dynasty) — Systematic mathematical analysis of He Tu and Luo Shu
• 《易图明辨》 Yì Tú Míng Biàn by Hu Wei 胡渭 (Qing Dynasty) — Critical analysis of He Tu/Luo Shu diagram traditions and historical transmission
• 《大衍索隐》 Dà Yǎn Suǒ Yǐn — Study of the Grand Expansion Number and its derivation from He Luo theory

🛠️ Connection to Liuren Fajiao

The He Tu and Luo Shu are not merely theoretical curiosities for the Liuren Fajiao (六壬法教) practitioner — they are the mathematical foundation of Liuren ritual cosmology . Every calculation performed within Da Liu Ren (大六壬), every talisman drawn, every Nine Palace arrangement in Qi Men Dun Jia ultimately derives its numerical logic from these two primordial diagrams.

In the Liuren tradition, the He Tu and Luo Shu are the mathematical DNA connecting the microcosm of individual destiny to the macrocosm of cosmic cycles. As the classical axiom states:

"万物皆数。" (Wàn wù jiē shù.) — "All things are number."

To study He Luo Li Shu is to study the source code of the reality that Liuren ritual practice seeks to understand and harmonize with.