TL;DR: The nine methods for deriving the Three Transmissions (cửu tông môn) in Lục Nhâm are tặc khắc, tỷ dụng, thiệp hại, dao khắc, mão tinh, biệt trách, bát chuyên, phục ngâm and phản ngâm. They are the nine rule gates for selecting the Initial, Middle and Final Transmissions from the Four Lessons. The texts differ slightly in order: the Linh giác kinh puts bát chuyên before biệt trách and moves phục ngâm and phản ngâm to a separate volume, while the Lục Nhâm túy ngôn puts biệt trách before bát chuyên.
What are the nine methods for deriving the Three Transmissions?
The nine methods for deriving the Three Transmissions, called cửu tông môn (九宗門) in Chinese, are nine rules for selecting three transmissions, the Initial Transmission, Middle Transmission and Final Transmission, from the four lessons (Tứ Khóa) of a Lục Nhâm chart. In Lục Nhâm, the four lessons are only four pairs of stem and branch already set in place, while the Three Transmissions are the part used to judge events. The entire technique of deriving the active line (phát dụng) therefore lies in these nine methods. The Đại Lục Nhâm tầm nguyên of Trương Thuần Chiếu (preface dated the 15th year of Gia Khánh, 1810) opens with the legend that Cửu Thiên Huyền Nữ gave three divination boards, Lục Nhâm among them, to the Yellow Emperor during his war against Xi Vưu.
Two layers must be distinguished: the cửu tông môn are rules for deriving the active line, while lesson configurations (khóa thể) are the names given to a chart after the Three Transmissions have been derived. A single chart may both belong to the tặc khắc method and carry a lesson configuration name such as Trùng Thẩm or Nguyên Thủ, so the two concepts do not replace each other.
What are the nine methods specifically?
Below are the nine methods in their usual order, with the conditions of application as the Lục Nhâm texts record them.
- Tặc khắc (賊克): among the four lessons, a lower character overcomes the upper one (called tặc) or an upper character overcomes the lower one (called khắc). Tặc takes precedence; if only one lesson qualifies, its upper spirit becomes the Initial Transmission.
- Tỷ dụng (比用): if two or three lessons all show tặc or all show khắc, choose the upper spirit whose yin or yang matches the day stem: a yang day takes a yang spirit, a yin day a yin spirit.
- Thiệp hại (涉害): if those lessons all match the day stem in yin and yang, or all fail to match, let each upper spirit travel the earthly plate back to its home palace, count how often it is overcome on the way, and take the one overcome most. If they are still equal, a yang day takes the spirit above the stem, a yin day the spirit above the branch.
- Dao khắc (遙克): if no lesson shows overcoming between upper and lower, compare the upper spirits of the second, third and fourth lessons with the day stem. A spirit that overcomes the day stem from a distance is taken as the active line; failing that, take the spirit the day stem overcomes.
- Mão tinh (昴星): with no overcoming, no distant overcoming and all four lessons complete, look to the Dậu palace, home of the Mão (昴) lodge. A yang day takes the spirit sitting on Dậu of the earthly plate; a yin day takes the earthly character on which Dậu of the heavenly plate rests.
- Biệt trách (別責): only three distinct lessons remain and none shows overcoming. A yang day takes the upper spirit over the lodging palace of the stem that combines with the day stem, as on a Mậu day Mậu combines with Quý, Quý lodges at Sửu, and the spirit above Sửu is taken; a yin day takes the character ahead of the day branch in its triple combination, as Hợi for a Mùi day.
- Bát chuyên (八專): the day stem and branch occupy the same position, as on an Đinh Mùi day, so the four lessons shrink to two. If there is overcoming, tặc khắc, tỷ dụng and thiệp hại still apply; if not, a yang day counts three palaces forward from the spirit above the stem, a yin day three palaces backward from the spirit above the branch.
- Phục ngâm (伏吟): the heavenly plate coincides with the earthly plate, and the spirits stay in place.
- Phản ngâm (返吟): each spirit of the heavenly plate sits on its opposing palace of the earthly plate.
Where do texts differ in order and naming?
This is where the texts do not agree, and students need to know clearly which convention they are following.
First, on order. The Linh giác kinh records the cửu tông môn as tặc khắc, tỷ dụng, thiệp hại, dao khắc, mão tinh, bát chuyên, biệt trách, phục ngâm, phản ngâm, then moves phục ngâm and phản ngâm to its lower volume, so the upper volume keeps only seven forms. The Lục Nhâm túy ngôn places biệt trách sixth and bát chuyên seventh.
Second, on naming. Each method yields lesson configurations with their own names: tỷ dụng is also called the tri nhất configuration; thiệp hại divides into kiến cơ when the active spirit passes the strong palaces (Dần, Thân, Tị, Hợi) and sát vi when it passes the middle or last palaces of a season; dao khắc divides into hao thỉ (the spirit overcomes the day stem) and đạn xạ (the day stem overcomes the spirit). These are names of charts, not other names for the methods.
Third, on difficulty. The general notes of the Đại Lục Nhâm tầm nguyên say that phục ngâm, phản ngâm, mão tinh, bát chuyên and độc túc charts are where beginners struggle, so the book lays them out as ready tables following Mao's worked examples.
Table comparing the nine methods and their conditions of application
| Method | Condition | How the Initial Transmission is taken |
|---|---|---|
| Tặc khắc | Tặc or khắc among the four lessons | Tặc first; with one lesson, its upper spirit |
| Tỷ dụng | Two or three lessons all tặc or all khắc | Upper spirit matching the day stem in yin and yang |
| Thiệp hại | Those lessons all match or all fail to match | Spirit overcome most on its way home |
| Dao khắc | No overcoming between upper and lower | Spirit overcoming the day stem from afar, else the spirit it overcomes |
| Mão tinh | No overcoming, no distant overcoming, four lessons complete | Yang day: spirit on earthly Dậu; yin day: character under heavenly Dậu |
| Biệt trách | Only three lessons, no overcoming | Yang day: spirit over the combining stem's lodge; yin day: character ahead of the day branch in its triple combination |
| Bát chuyên | Day stem and branch in the same position | Without overcoming, count three palaces from the spirit above the stem (yang) or branch (yin) |
| Phục ngâm | Heavenly plate coincides with earthly plate | The phục ngâm rules |
| Phản ngâm | Heavenly plate opposes earthly plate | The phản ngâm rules |
Why are all nine methods necessary?
Lục Nhâm has 720 charts (60 days, each with 12 placements of the heavenly plate), and in practice there are days on which the four lessons contain no overcoming relation at all between stem and branch and the upper spirit. If only tặc khắc were used, the active line could not be derived on those days. The nine methods exist precisely to cover those special cases, ensuring that every chart has Three Transmissions.
Three layers when reading a Lục Nhâm chart
In the presentation of Nhật Nguyệt, when reading a Lục Nhâm chart one should separate three layers: the first layer is the four lessons and the Three Transmissions (the structural part, determined by the method of deriving the active line); the second layer is the accompanying spirits and indicators (nobleman, white tiger, green dragon, dark warrior, and so on); the third layer is the interpretation of the specific event. The nine methods for deriving the Three Transmissions belong to the first layer. Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: beginners should master these nine methods before learning to interpret the spirits and indicators, because if the Three Transmissions are derived incorrectly, the entire interpretation that follows will be off.
Practical application of the nine methods
In practice, the nine methods for deriving the Three Transmissions help the student identify the correct active line, from which the spirits and indicators can then be assigned and the interpretation made. For example, on a day when the four lessons contain no overcoming, the student must switch to the dao khắc or mão tinh method; without mastering these methods, the active line cannot be derived.
The Lục Nhâm đại toàn (undated woodblock edition), in its general discussion of lesson configurations, lists many special lesson configurations such as vu dâm, giải ly, độ ách and vô lộc, and these configurations are usually tied to specific methods of deriving the active line[1]. This shows that the nine methods for deriving the Three Transmissions are not only technical rules but also the basis for classifying the entire system of Lục Nhâm lesson configurations.
Conclusion
The nine methods for deriving the Three Transmissions in Lục Nhâm are tặc khắc, tỷ dụng, thiệp hại, dao khắc, mão tinh, biệt trách, bát chuyên, phục ngâm and phản ngâm. Texts differ slightly in order, and the Linh giác kinh moves phục ngâm and phản ngâm to a separate volume. Students need to choose one consistent convention and note which edition they are following to avoid confusion when comparing documents.
