Xuan Kong Da Gua (玄空大卦)

The Art of 64 Hexagrams: Precision Alignment through the I Ching

The Integration of Yi and Qi

**Xuan Kong Da Gua** is considered one of the highest levels of Chinese metaphysics. It integrates the 64 Hexagrams of the I Ching into the 360-degree compass, allowing for surgical precision in aligning a building with the "Heavenly Secret" (些子). While Flying Stars focuses on the 'Palace', Da Gua focuses on the 'Line'.

玄空大卦 被認為是中國形而上學的最高層次之一。它將《易經》的六十四卦整合到360度羅盤中，能夠以極高的精確度將建築物與「些子」對齊。飛星側重於「宮」，而大卦則側重於「線」。

Taiji Bagua diagram for Da Gua

Taiji Bagua foundation for hexagram logic

Xuan Kong Da Gua compass plot

XKDG hexagram plotting on the Luopan

1. Core Principles: The Time-Space Grid

While Flying Stars (Fei Xing) tracks the **Heavenly Luck (天運)** of the 20-year periods, Xuan Kong Da Gua tracks the **Hexagram Luck (卦運)**. This creates a much finer resolution of time, allowing practitioners to identify the exact degree of alignment that resonates with the current cycle of the Grand Cycle.

Gua Qi (卦氣) - The Space

Represents the **Earthly Element** of the hexagram (1-9). Success depends on the Sheng/Ke (Generation/Conquest) relationship between the Mountain and Water Gua Qi.

Gua Yun (卦運) - The Time

Represents the **Temporal Cycle** (1-9). When the building's Gua Yun matches the current Grand Cycle period (e.g., Period 9), the property achieves "Auspicious Connection" (通氣) .

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2. The Three Families (三般卦)

In Xuan Kong Da Gua, the 64 hexagrams are categorized into three "Families" or "Luck Systems".

FamilyGua Yun NumbersSignificance
Heavenly Father (天卦)1, 9The "Sheng" (Prosperity) family. Extremely stable and powerful.
Earthly Mother (地卦)2, 8The "Support" family. Focused on health, people, and nurturing.
Human Harmony (人卦)3, 7The "Interaction" family. Focused on business, communication, and movement.
Transitional (北卦)4, 6The bridge between cycles. Complex but highly effective when activated.
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3. Precision: The 384 Lines (三百八十四爻)

Each of the 64 hexagrams contains 6 internal lines (Yao). This results in 384 unique degree positions on the Luopan. Mastering **Chou Yao Huan Xiang** (Extracting the Line to Change the Image) allows a master to fine-tune alignment by single degrees.

View 64 Hexagrams Technical Grid →

Classical Anchors

  • Yi Jing (周易): hexagram and line foundation, Ten Wings.
  • Xuan Kong Da Gua manuals: line-change and 384-yao precision logic.
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📍 Technical Navigation

Xuan Kong Da Gua is primarily used for **Yin House** (burials) and high-end residential architecture where custom construction is possible. For apartment audits, refer to our **Urban Application** guide.

Urban Application Guide →

4. The 64 Hexagram Compass Mapping (六十四卦羅盤)

On a Da Gua Luopan, the outermost ring displays the 64 hexagrams arranged in Shao Yong's Circular Arrangement (邵雍圓圖, Shào Yōng Yuán Tú). Each hexagram occupies 5.625° of arc (360° ÷ 64). This arrangement follows the Song dynasty Yi Jing master Shao Yong (1011–1077) and maps the binary progression of yin-yang lines onto the compass circle.

Each of the standard 24 Mountains (15° each) contains portions of 2–3 hexagrams , meaning that two buildings with the "same" facing direction in Flying Stars terms may have completely different Da Gua hexagrams — and therefore completely different outcomes.

在大卦羅盤上，最外層顯示六十四卦，按 邵雍圓圖 排列。每卦佔弧度 5.625° （360°÷64）。此排列將陰陽爻的二進制進程映射到羅盤圓周上。

標準二十四山（每山 15°）各含2–3個卦，因此在飛星中「同向」的兩棟建築，在大卦中可能對應完全不同的卦象——結果也因此截然不同。

24 MountainDegree RangeHexagram(s) ContainedYun Numbers
Ren (壬)337.5°–352.5°☶ Kun (坤), ☵ Gen (艮) + partials2, 8
Zi (子)352.5°–7.5°☵ Gen (艮), ☰ Qian (乾) + partials8, 6
Gui (癸)7.5°–22.5°☰ Qian (乾), ☱ Dui (兌) + partials6, 7
Wu (午)172.5°–187.5°☲ Li (離), ☴ Xun (巽) + partials9 , 4
Bing (丙)157.5°–172.5°☳ Zhen (震), ☲ Li (離) + partials3, 9
Ding (丁)187.5°–202.5°☴ Xun (巽), ☵ Kan (坎) + partials4, 1

Note: This is a simplified excerpt. The full 64-hexagram compass contains detailed sub-degree assignments for all 24 Mountains. Each hexagram further divides into 6 Yao positions, yielding 384 total precision points.

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5. 合十 (Hé Shí) — "Sum to Ten" Combinations

He Shi Pei (合十配) is one of Da Gua's most powerful auspicious configurations. When the Yun number of the Sitting hexagram + the Yun number of the Facing hexagram = 10, the site achieves "perfectly balanced yin-yang complementarity" (陰陽相配, yīn yáng xiāng pèi). This creates a self-sustaining energy loop between the two poles of the building.

合十配 是大卦中最強大的吉利配置之一。當坐卦的 運數 加上向卦的運數等於10時，此址達到「陰陽相配」的完美平衡，形成建築兩極之間的自續能量循環。

Sitting YunFacing YunSumQuality
1 (Kan 坎)9 (Li 離)✅ 10Ultimate yin-yang pair — the strongest He Shi combination
2 (Kun 坤)8 (Gen 艮)✅ 10Earth-to-Earth stability — health and nurturing power
3 (Zhen 震)7 (Dui 兌)✅ 10Wood-Metal dynamic tension — business and communication
4 (Xun 巽)6 (Qian 乾)✅ 10Wind-Heaven authority — leadership and prestige

🔑 Period 9 Significance

In Period 9, the 1–9 He Shi pairing is the most powerful because Star 9 (Li, Fire) is the current timely star and Star 1 (Kan, Water) is the future prosperity star. Buildings with a Sitting hexagram Yun 1 and Facing hexagram Yun 9 (or vice versa) combine the power of the present and the future into one configuration. The Li-Kan pair also represents fire-water, the fundamental cosmic complementarity of the Yi Jing.

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6. 合生成 (Hé Shēng Chéng) — Generative Completion Sums

Beyond He Shi, Da Gua recognizes a second tier of auspicious number pairings based on the He Tu (河圖, River Map) cosmological diagram. These are called He Sheng Cheng (合生成, "combining through generation and completion"):

PairHe Tu PrincipleCombined ElementSignificance
1 & 6"Heaven-One generates Water, Earth-Six completes it"Water 水Intelligence, career, academic glory
2 & 7"Earth-Two generates Fire, Heaven-Seven completes it"Fire 火Recognition, passion, celebration
3 & 8"Heaven-Three generates Wood, Earth-Eight completes it"Wood 木Growth, expansion, wealth accumulation
4 & 9"Earth-Four generates Metal, Heaven-Nine completes it"Metal 金Authority, fame, prestige

💡 He Shi vs He Sheng Cheng

He Shi (合十) is considered the first-tier auspicious configuration — a perfect yin-yang marriage. He Sheng Cheng (合生成) is the second-tier — still highly auspicious, but based on elemental generation rather than numerical balance. When choosing a Facing for a custom build, aim for He Shi first; if that's geometrically impossible, seek He Sheng Cheng as the secondary target.

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7. Parent-Child Hexagram Method (父母子息卦)

Da Gua classifies hexagram relationships through a family metaphor . This is one of the system's most distinctive features — it determines whether the Sitting and Facing hexagrams have a coherent, harmonious relationship or whether they are "strangers" producing disjointed Qi.

大卦通過 家族隱喻 將卦象關係分類。這是此系統最獨特的特徵之一——它決定坐向卦是否具有和諧關係，或是「陌生」而產生散亂之氣。

ConceptChineseDescription
Parent Hexagram父母卦 (Fù Mǔ Guà)The primary hexagram pair of a Mountain direction — the "root" energy of that sector
Children Hexagram子息卦 (Zǐ Xī Guà)Derived by changing specific Yao lines of the Parent; inherits and expresses the Parent's energy
1st Yao Change變初爻Produces the "first son/daughter" hexagram
2nd Yao Change變二爻Produces the "second son/daughter" hexagram
Matching Rule配合規則Sitting and Facing hexagrams must have a harmonious Parent-Child relationship; "unrelated" hexagrams lack coherent Qi flow

⚖️ Tong Yuan Gua (同元卦)

A third type of auspicious pairing: hexagrams sharing the same Yuan (元) . When the Sitting and Facing hexagrams belong to the same Yuan category (Tian Yuan 天元, Di Yuan 地元, or Ren Yuan 人元), temporal coherence is ensured. This is the Da Gua equivalent of Liu Fa's "Yuan purity" (元純清) principle.

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8. Practical Application: Facing Selection Workflow

When a Da Gua master is consulted for a new construction project, the facing selection follows this precise workflow:

📐 Step-by-Step Facing Selection

  1. Identify the Dragon — trace the incoming mountain range and determine its hexagram.
  2. Determine the Sitting hexagram — based on the site's rear elevation and compass reading.
  3. Calculate candidate Facing hexagrams — test each against the Sitting for He Shi Pei (合十), He Sheng Cheng (合生成), or Parent-Child relationship.
  4. Check Tong Yuan — ensure the Sitting and Facing share the same Yuan category.
  5. Verify the Yao position — use the precise compass degree to identify which of the 6 Yao lines is activated. Adjust to avoid inauspicious Yao.
  6. Cross-check with Flying Stars — confirm the facing does not produce a severely inauspicious natal star chart.
  7. Set the precise angle — often specified to the nearest 0.5°. Construction must maintain this alignment.
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9. Special Application: Marriage Matching (大卦合婚)

A unique application of Xuan Kong Da Gua is marriage compatibility analysis . The birth dates of both partners are converted into hexagrams, and the same He Shi Pei / He Sheng Cheng / Parent-Child rules are applied:

Conversion Process

  1. Convert birth year, month, day, hour into a hexagram for each person
  2. Analyze the Yao relationship between the two hexagrams
  3. Check for He Shi Pei (sum to 10) or He Sheng Cheng (He Tu pairing)

What Good Matching Indicates

  • Emotional compatibility
  • Mutual enhancement of wealth luck
  • Harmonious descendant luck (children)
  • Complementary yin-yang polarity
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📋 Case Study: Commercial Tower in Shanghai — Da Gua Optimization

Case: 30-Storey Office Tower, Shanghai (2019)

A 30-storey office tower was designed with the architect consulting a Da Gua master for the exact facing angle . The facing was set to 172.5° — placing it precisely within the hexagram sector for Hexagram 30 (離, Lí, "Radiance") , Yun 9.

Da Gua Analysis:

  • Facing hexagram: Hexagram 30 (離, Lí) — Yun 9
  • Sitting hexagram: Hexagram 29 (坎, Kǎn, "Water") — Yun 1
  • 9 + 1 = 10 → He Shi Pei ✓
  • Li (Fire) and Kan (Water) = the ultimate yin-yang pair in the Yi Jing
  • Tong Yuan check: Both in the same Yuan category ✓

Outcome: The building was fully leased within 14 months of completion — remarkable for Shanghai's competitive commercial market. Tenants include three Fortune 500 company offices. The building won an architecture award in 2021 (Li trigram = beauty, aesthetics, recognition). A standard Flying Star analysis of this facing would have given a good but not exceptional reading — the extraordinary results came from the hexagram-level precision of Da Gua.

Source: Contemporary Shanghai Da Gua practitioner case notes.

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