In search of the "Human Bagua" II

My previous blog has discussed the source of the Bagua or 8-trigrams.  Now comes to the core of the discussion.

Middle Heaven Bagua (MHB) is also called "Yellow Emperor Bagua" because it is based on  Lian Shan Yi which was attributed to the Yellow Emperor.  The first version of MHB that I introduce here is based on Yuan-bao Jing (元包經)-- a classic written in Northern Chou Dynasty (557- 581 CE ).  It is regarded as an elaboration of  Gui Cang Yi (歸藏).

MIDDLE HEAVEN BAGUA BASED ON YUAN-BAO JING 
At first glance, this bagua is clear yin-yang division or sex-segregation.  The gua (trigram) order in this version are as follows:

• Kun to Qian
• Dui to Gen
• Li to Kan
• Xun to Zhen

Yuan-bao Jing model starts with Kun (female/ yin) and ends with Zhen (male/ yang). Females are on the left side and also on top of males. It shows "Yin first and Yang second" or matriarchy ideology. The word "Cang 藏" as in "Gui Cang 歸藏", stands for Kun or the receptive/ storage.   However, the ordering of trigrams still reflects yin-yang balance concept.

MIDDLE HEAVEN BAGUA BASED ON GUI CANG YI

Click over picture to enlarge

This looks like a "gay bagua" because both 90 and 180 degree paths of each trigram always reaches trigram of the same gender.  However, if you look at the neighboring trigram in terms of the yin trigram (e.g, Kun/ Qian, Dui/ Gen and so on),  you will find each "yao" of the trigram pair (the straight and broken lines) is yin-yang balanced.  

There is no accurate information except speculations on the gua order of this MHB.  All we know is it starts of Kun trigram with a right moving track.

Until one day a copy of Gui Cang Yi is discovered or unearthed, we cannot ascertain the validity of existing MHB creations.  This is one major reason that most Feng Shui books do not bother to include or discuss about MHB.  But it does not stop some marketers from boasting about their trove of "MHB secrets".

Anyway, all the bagua models (pre-, post- and Middle) reflect the rules of "yin-yang theory" like confrontation, mutual dependency and balancing.  Bagua models are also the original sources of 5-element theory. Pre-heaven bagua reflects the mutual-controlling aspect of 5-element theory.  Post-heaven bagua shows the nurturing aspect of the same theory.   Middle heaven bagua, if proven, points to the combination aspects of 5-element theory.

SHAO YONG AND MIDDLE HEAVEN BAGUA
The Pre-heaven Bagua diagram that we have today actually shows up LATER than the Post-heaven one.  It was put together by Shao Yong (1011–1077 CE) based on the following entry from Confucian classic Shuo-guo Chuan (說卦傳, Commentaries on Trigrams):
"天地定位，山澤通氣，雷風相薄，水火不相射，八卦相錯，數往者順，知來者逆﹔是故，易逆數也。"

This entry specifies the location and pairing of each trigrams.  It shows the spatial and original aspects of the system.  Trigrams also represent gender locations and relationship, so this Post-heaven bagua also reflects the human aspects of the system, especially in terms of power-relationship.

Shao Yong was probably one of the most talented Chinese cosmologists and Yi-Jing scholars.  He had created Huangji Jingshi (皇極經世, Book of supreme world ordering principles) and the Plum Blossom Divination method.  A logical question will arise:  If Shao was smart enough to figure out the Pre-heaven Bagua sequence from the classics, why did he not reconstruct one for the "Human or Middle Heaven Bagua"?  Did he feel the human aspects are already embedded in the Pre- and Post-heaven bagua?


MIDDLE HEAVEN BAGUA SECRETS???

Shao Yong (1011-1077 CE)

We do not know if MHB exists or not, so is there such thing as a "MHB secret"?  Anyway, someone claims "Turning Qian over to Kun" (扭轉乾坤, reverse the course of events ) is one of the MHB big secrets. I will give you a hint to crack it.

There are more than one way to do  "Turning Qian over to Kun".  Many people in the motivation, life-coaching and destiny-changing (or luck changing) business use similar technique. But people do not call it a MHB secret. It is just one of the basic yin-yang principles.

Here is the hint:  go to my website www.kenlaifengshui.com and click the link for "Destiny and Luck Management: Advanced Bazi Therapy and Enhancement" course.  Look for the DVD box cover image. It is one of the possible answers for  "Turning Qian over to Kun".


Ken Lai

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