The Ten Books of Yangzhai “is a classic work in the Ming Dynasty that focuses on residential geomancy, compiled by Wang Junrong. The book selected the most popular academic works on geomancy at that time and compiled them into a rich and targeted content. The following is a detailed introduction to the main content of the “Ten Books of Yangzhai”:
1、 Book Background and Author
Time and author of completion: “Ten Books of Yangzhai” was compiled by Wang Junrong during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. This book is one of the representative works of Ming Dynasty’s Yangzhai geomancy.
Status and Influence: The “Ten Books of Yangzhai” holds an important position in the field of Yangzhai feng shui and has had a profound impact on later works on house law.
2、 Content Structure
Chapter Composition: The book “Ten Books of Yangzhai” is divided into ten chapters, namely “On the Appearance of the House”.
Content features: The book introduces and elaborates on the theory of Yang houses in the form of articles, including the Fu Yuan Law, the Da You Nian Law, and the Four Houses Law, as well as various aspects of Yang house construction elements, such as the external terrain, internal structure, and Yuan Yun Yi Ji of residential buildings.
3、 Main theories and viewpoints
On the appearance of the house:
Emphasize that there is no difference in the requirements of the situation between the Yang and Yin houses, mainly discussing the impact of the surrounding environment and the environment in front of the residential gate on the residents.
The judgment of the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of a residential building is mainly related to its plan shape and the orientation of nearby mountains and rivers. In terms of the environment in front of the gate, the judgment of good or bad luck is mainly based on the shape of the pond, trees, sand and gravel, and roads, followed by orientation and direction.
On Fuyuan:
Elaborated in detail on the relationship between family members and the orientation of fortune telling, as well as how to calculate fortune telling through Yuan Yun.
The concepts of East Four Mansions and West Four Mansions were proposed, and the layout directions of people living in different directions were discussed separately.
On the Year of the Grand Tour:
Discussed the auspicious and inauspicious directions of the fortune telling system, as well as the relationship between the nine stars and the nine palaces.
Proposed the classification of auspicious and inauspicious stars, and elaborated on theories such as the Nine Star Calamity and Fortune Technique and the Whip Breaking Home Technique.
On the Nine Stars of the Palace:
This article discusses the relationship between the main location and the number of floors in Dayou, as well as how to determine the auspicious or inauspicious location of a residence through the method of passing through the palace.
On the Yuan Kong Zhuang hexagram:
Introduced theories such as the auspicious signs of fortune and misfortune in the hexagrams and the divination techniques of the Yuan Kong hexagrams.
Regarding door opening and construction:
Emphasis was placed on the importance and application rules of doors, including the scale, orientation, and month/day of the door installation.
Regarding water release:
This article discusses the auspicious and inauspicious directions of water release in residential buildings, as well as how to improve the feng shui of residential buildings through water release.
On the form of the interior of the house:
This article discusses the relationship between the interior shape of a residence and its occupants, including auspicious and inauspicious signs of the interior shape and the construction sequence.
On Choice:
Introduced how to choose an auspicious day based on the year of birth to build a house.
Lunfu Town:
Introduced talismans or items for warding off evil spirits, such as the Five Sacred Mountains’ talisman for warding off evil spirits.
4、 Practical application and impact
Practical application: “The Ten Books of Yangzhai” is not only a theoretical work, but also has strong practical application value. In ancient times, many people would choose, layout, and build residential buildings based on the theories in books to improve their living environment and enhance their fortune.
Profound impact: The Ten Books of Yangzhai have had a profound influence on the development of Yangzhai feng shui in later generations. Its theories and viewpoints have been widely cited and referenced in later works on house law, becoming an important reference in the field of Yangzhai feng shui.
5、 Modern Values and Controversy
Modern Value: In modern society, the Ten Books of Yangzhai still have certain reference value. It can help people better understand the theories and perspectives of Yangzhai feng shui, as well as how to improve fortune and quality of life by adjusting the residential environment.
Controversy and Criticism: Of course, “The Ten Books of Yangzhai” also faces some controversy and criticism. Some people believe that its theory is too superstitious and lacks scientific basis; But others believe that although it has some truth, it cannot be completely relied upon to predict and change fate. We need to maintain an objective and rational attitude towards these controversies and criticisms, recognizing both their possible rationality and value, as well as their limitations and shortcomings.
The Ten Books of Yangzhai “is a book on Yangzhai geomancy that is rich in content, clear in structure, and emphasizes both theory and practice. It holds an important position in the field of ancient Chinese Yang family geomancy and has had a profound impact on later generations. However, in modern society, we also need to approach its theories and viewpoints with a scientific attitude.