The Complete Collection of Ice Books

Chapter 46
Facial complexion shows fate
Original text
The face is like fate, and the complexion is like luck.Great fate should be tidy, and small luck should also be prosperous.That's why when the flame does not shine, pearls and jade are the same as rubble; when algae paintings are not raised, bright light and cloth are the same price.The big one is in charge of misfortune and fortune in life, and the small one is also good and bad in March ④.

注释
① Complexion: "Qi" and "color" are collectively referred to as "complexity". ②Great fate should be tidy, and small fortune should be prosperous: Fate is the fundamental direction or basic pattern of life encounters, whether noble or cheap, poor or rich, premature or long, so it is called "big fate"; A specific encounter in a certain state of life, so it is called "little luck".Neatness and balance refer to the balance between congenital observation and acquired encounter.The ancients believed that if one is born too prosperous, one will die, and if one is born too prosperous, one will be mediocre. The two should have a balance of yin and yang.Hentai, smooth.The complexion should be smooth, and should not be dull and dull, otherwise, dullness will shorten your life, and dullness will damage your vitality. ③That's why the flames don't come out, pearls and jade are the same as rubble; algae paintings are not raised, bright light and cloth are equal in price: that's why, so.Flame, brilliance, light, here is a metaphor for complexion.Pearl jade, pearl and precious jade, that is, color, here is a metaphor for complexion.Mingguang refers to high-grade silk fabrics with bright colors and soft texture, brocade, etc. It is a metaphor for the human body.Buge, cloth is cotton fabric, and Ge is linen fabric, here refers to rough textiles. ④The big one is about life's misfortune, and the small one is about good and bad luck in March: the big one is about life's misfortune and fortune, and the "big one" refers to "fate".Since "fate" is innate, innate, and belongs to the nature of nature, it is either interdependent or mutually restrained with the human body. By observing it, one can infer the misfortunes and fortunes of one's life, so it is said that "the greater one will determine the misfortunes and fortunes of one's life".The little one is also good and bad in March. In this sentence, the word "Yi" is inherited and the word "主" is omitted.The small one refers to "luck".March, actually refers to a period of not too long time, rather than exact number.

Translation
If the face symbolizes and embodies a person's great destiny, then the complexion symbolizes and embodies a person's minor luck.Great destiny is generated by nature, but it should still be balanced with acquired circumstances, and minor luck should always be smooth.Therefore, if the brilliance cannot be displayed, even pearls and precious jade are no different from broken bricks and tiles; if the colors cannot be displayed, even silk and brocade are no different from coarse kudzu.Great fate can determine a person's fortune in life, and minor luck can determine a person's good or bad for a period of time.

Interpretation
"The face is like fate, and the complexion is like luck"; "complexion" is the collective name of "qi" and "color", both of which are unique concepts in ancient Chinese philosophy.

1. The meaning and classification of "Qi"

In ancient Chinese philosophy, "qi" is an important concept, which generally includes the following meanings:
(1) "Qi" is the origin or noumenon of all things in nature.Ancient philosophers believed that "qi" is a kind of subtle substance that is constantly moving. This kind of subtle substance has no specific shape, sound, state, etc.That is to say, it is not a specific material thing, but the foundation of the unity of all things and the origin of generation.

(2) "Qi" is an objective entity with dynamic functions, which is always in constant change, or gathers and disperses, or rises and falls, or changes. Movement is the condition or form of "Qi"'s own existence. The reason why "qi" has such a function is that it contains the contradiction and unity of yin and yang.

(3) "Qi" is a material medium that fills the universe.Ancient philosophers believed that: the reason why the existence and operation of the sun, moon and stars in the vast universe are in a long-term harmonious order, and the reason why various things can co-exist in a system is that there is a relationship between each other. There is a kind of thing that can make it interpenetrate, attract and keep it from leaving, repel and keep it from colliding, this kind of thing is "Qi".

(4) "Qi" is the life or vitality of life.It is the air born innately.It can adjust the physiological functions of the human body, promote metabolism, drive away diseases and keep fit, and prolong life.It carries the life information of the human body, and the high and low, high and low, rich and poor, longevity, good and evil, etc. of life are closely related to "Qi".Human beings are born by observing "Qi", and "Qi" has "clear" and "turbid", so the fate of people can be inferred from "Qi".

(5) "Qi" is also a moral realm.Ancient Chinese philosophers believed that "qi" is an ideal born from the collection of "righteousness", which enriches the space between heaven and earth, and connects with the air of heaven and earth.This kind of "Qi" is not a specific blood Qi, but knowing Qi and air, a kind of spirit, and the "Awe-inspiring Qi" cultivated by the day after tomorrow.

In short, ancient Chinese philosophers believed that "Qi" is an objectively existing entity and the moral spirit of the subject, which is related to nature, society, and life.The "qi" of the ancient people's art of knowing people naturally comes from the "qi" of philosophy.The ancients believed that heaven and earth ruled the two qis of yin and yang to form virtues. If the two qis flow smoothly and all things change, they will prosper. If the two qis are turbulent and blocked, all things will decline. Therefore, "Qi" is the driving force of human life.

The ancients believed that "Qi" is the "treasure of the essence" and is closely related to people's health and destiny; "Qi" is also an indicator to test people's moral spirit. Through "Qi", we can see the quality of character and the high moral character Next, that is, "Qi is the foundation of form, and when you observe it, you can see the virtuous and the foolish."

The ancients believed that people are born with qi. "Qi" can be divided into clear and turbid, dim, and virtuous. .According to luck and biochemistry, people have various fates and fortunes. If the "Qi" is strong, the vitality is strong, the mind is easy to be in a clear state, the correct rate of dealing with problems is high, and the mistakes are few; the "Qi" is weak, the vitality is weak, the energy is not strong, and the mind becomes chaotic. Mistakes increase.Whether the vitality is strong or not is closely related to the success or failure of his daily activities.If the vitality is not strong, it is difficult to fight tenaciously against difficulties, and naturally it is difficult to succeed.A person with strong vitality can be full of vitality and refreshed for a long time, which is a necessary condition for overcoming difficulties and achieving success.However, the prosperity and decline of "Qi" is not the same as that of a person who is active and quiet.Being quiet and active is related to personality, but not directly related to "Qi".At the same time, it should be noted that some people are irritable and active, while those who are calm in their "qi" are quiet. That "qi" is not the same as the "qi" mentioned here and should be distinguished.

2. "Color" and "Fate"

Because the expression form of "qi" is "color", the ancients judged people by observing their "color".There is no doubt that "color" refers to the color or luster of the skin in terms of the human body.The color of the skin is white or black, bright or dark.Black, white, red, and yellow skin is firstly related to racial genetics, secondly to climate, and also to the pigment contained in the skin.Therefore, the black and white of the skin is not important, the important thing is to see whether the skin is shiny or not.For example, white without light is the white of Fu Fen, pale, and white with dense bones. Of course, this is not a good "color".Dark and shiny, full of life and energy, this is the best "color".The color mentioned here is not exactly the same as the skin color. It is the expression of Qi on the appearance of skin color, and it is the exterior and interior of "Qi".

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "qi" and "color" are inseparable, the relationship between "color" and "qi" is the relationship between flow and source, "qi" is the root of "color", and "color" is the root of "qi". Miao; "color" comes from "Qi" and is the external manifestation of "Qi". "Qi" is the root of "color". .If there is any change in "qi", "color" will also change.The ancients collectively called it "color".People often say that someone's face is black and something is not going well, which refers to color.When people are sick, their "complexion" is not good, which is a manifestation of the theory of "complexity".

"Qi" can be divided into two types, one is the "Qi" endowed by nature, and the other is the "Qi" cultivated by the day after tomorrow, which is what Mencius said, "I am good at nurturing my awe-inspiring Qi". Since "qi" is like this, "color" is naturally divided into the color of innate and the color of acquired.The ancients used these two philosophical concepts to judge a person's good or bad, good or bad, and predict a person's fate. They believed that "the skeleton controls the prosperity and decline of a lifetime, and the complexion determines the rest and misfortune of the year." "Color" is not only acquired, they must be constantly moving and changing, so there is also the saying of "complexion of the year". "Life lies in movement" also illustrates this truth.

The concept of complexion is very important in traditional culture.Qi and life are opposite, and color and luck are matched.It should be noted that the word "destiny" should be a collective term for "fate" and "luck".

"Fate", what is "fate"?The ancients once said: The distant and ignorant is called heaven, and the helpless is called fate.It can be seen from this that "fate" is an innate endowment, or an innately acquired vitality that reflects the movement and changes of the universe.The British "Encyclopedia of Religious Ethics" believes that fate is a kind of force, which cannot be resisted by our artificial ability.It is a mechanical, material, unconscious force.This kind of power can govern the whole world, even people are governed. "Bingjian" believes that this force is irresistible and does not depend on human subjective will, but it can be inferred and predicted.

"Luck", what is "luck"? "Luck" is also called "Qi Shu", referring to the variables in the operation of Yin and Yang, and sometimes called "Shi Hui", which means opportunities or encounters in different states of the universe that are moving and changing, so another name is "Luck".

Although "fate" and "luck" are often collectively referred to as "fate", when you look closely, the two are not the same thing.It can be understood in this way: Fate is an innate endowment that cannot be changed; luck is an acquired good fortune that can be chosen and changed, but the power does not come entirely from human subjective will.There are many kinds of people, those who have good "fate" and "luck" are the ones who are superior; Those with good "luck" will have a smooth life, but the achievements will not be too great; those with bad "fate" and "luck" will have a rough life and achieve nothing in the end.

"Great fate should be tidy, and small luck should be prosperous": "Great fate" refers to the fundamental trend and basic pattern of life encounters (noble or cheap, poor or rich, young or long, etc.), so "fate" is called "fate". Big life". "Great fate should be neat and tidy", which means that people's blessings should be balanced in proportion and should not be out of balance.If it is out of balance, the wise will often die young, and the blessed will often be stupid. This state is naturally not a good life. "Little luck" refers to the specific encounter of a person in a certain state, so it is called "little luck". "Small luck should also be Hengtai", Hengtai, in "Book of Changes", there is a saying "Yuan Henry Zhen", Tai has the name of "Heaven and Earth", Hengtai means auspicious and smooth, meaning small luck The fleeting time is as smooth and peaceful as it is good.If the luck is dull and sluggish, it is easy to die early, or the vitality is insufficient, and it is difficult to be a blessing.It's like a person who has money but can't spend it, guarding huge wealth, but can't enjoy the joy of abundance in life.The ancients believed that if one's innate endowment is too rich, one's life will be short, and if one's acquired cultivation is too rich, one's life will be mediocre. Therefore, "Bing Jian" advocates that "a great life should be neat and tidy".The complexion should be unobstructed, and should not be dull and dull; dullness will shorten one's lifespan, and dullness will hurt one's vitality, so it is said that "small luck should also be prosperous".

Vibrant complexion, natural luster shimmering.In "Bing Jian", the author uses two metaphors to illustrate this problem.Pearls and jade are a hundred times more precious than rubble, because they have a pleasing flame. If they lose their beautiful luster, how much difference are they from rubble?If silk cotton embroidery loses its bright and smooth color, how different is it from ordinary Gebu?A person's complexion is prosperous and lustrous.Lost luster, can you still say that the complexion is prosperous?Then his fate cannot be said to be "good".

The ancients believed that "color" has a very important influence on a person's fate.From the big picture, it can predict the fortune and fortune of a lifetime; from the small picture, it can also predict the good and bad luck of three to five months. "Great destiny" is innate, innate, and will not change easily. It belongs to the natural attribute of human beings and has a mutual generation and mutual restraint relationship with the human body.Therefore, the investigation of "big fate" can calculate the misfortune and fortune of a person's life, so "Bingjian" says that "the big one will rule the misfortune and fortune of life". "Little luck" is a specific encounter in the state of life. It is endowed by nature and cultivated in the day after tomorrow. It also has a mutual restraint and intergenerational relationship with the human body. It is temporary and changes at any time.Therefore, by examining "little luck", we can calculate the good or bad luck of a person at a certain stage, so "Bingjian" says that "the little ones are also good and bad in March".

According to "Ming Wai Shi Biography of Yuan Gong", there was a man named Yuan Gong in the Ming Dynasty who was a legendary figure.According to legend, he was extraordinary when he was born. He liked learning very much, thought deeply about problems, and could write poems.

When he was young, he liked to visit famous mountains and rivers.One day, he came to Mount Luojia and met a monk named Bieguya.Bie Guya has practiced a magical skill of observing qi and knowing people, and at a glance, he can see that Yuan Gong is a man who can be made, and plans to pass on the technique of aura to him.

The most important thing in Aura is the eyes.Only when the eyes are trained to be sharp and sensitive to colors, can it be possible to distinguish the character's temperament from the complexion.The monk asked Yuan Gong to look up at the sun for a long time.Soon, Yuan Gong felt that the world was spinning and he couldn't see anything clearly, but the monk kept Yuan Gong persistent.After a while, the monk locked Yuan Gong in a dark room, put a small red and black bean in it, asked Yuan Gong to point out the exact location of the small bean, and tried to take it out.At the beginning, Yuan Gong couldn't see anything, it was pitch black.Later, after slowly practicing and adapting, you can still see the faint red light of the little red and black beans in the dark.Later, the monk came up with a more ingenious method. He hung a bunch of colorful threads outside the window, so that Yuan Gong could distinguish the colors of the colored threads in the night.With the training foundation of looking at the sun and looking at Xiaodou, Yuan Gong can easily distinguish the color of the colored thread without any mistakes.

The above training is just to lay the foundation. From then on, the monks officially taught Yuan Gong the method of being a minister.The monk lit two torches, and asked Yuan Gong to distinguish the color of each part of the human body, and then refer to the birth dates of these people to predict good or bad.Yuan Gong felt very strange. He hadn't noticed before that when a torch was irradiated at night, his face could emit various colors.In this way, Yuan Gong learned the magical technique of observing qi.

During the Zhizheng period of the Yuan Dynasty, Yuan Gong traveled to western Zhejiang.Chen Tai, Xiang Xin, Shen Bo, Zheng Wenzu and others who were then constitutional historians were friends with Yuan Gong.One day, these people all got together.Yuan Gong saw the black air surrounding Chen Tai's golden chamber, and asserted that Chen Tai would be dismissed from office at noon.He looked at Xiang Xin again, and saw fish scales on the corners of his face. Within three days, there would be a fire at home.He also said that there was red and white qi running through the center of Shen Bo's face, in the shape of a plum blossom, with little flashes, which indicated that his father passed away within three months.Afterwards, Zheng Wenzu also asked Yuan Gong to observe Qi. Yuan Gong looked at it and said: "Your Yintang and the root of the mountain are faintly glowing with red aura. At the turn of summer and autumn, you have an official presence, and you must be an official in the south."

All of this came true as Yuan Gong said.

We have the right to treat this as a legend, and don’t take it seriously, because this story is not recorded in the official history of the Ming Dynasty, but only in the History of the Ming Dynasty; and people with a little scientific knowledge know that looking at the sun for a long time is very harmful to the eyes. .However, it also tells us that the method of recognizing people by color is not something ordinary people can master, and it requires long-term training to accumulate experience.

Utilize the world
Qi and form are used together, and gas and form are the relationship between source and flow.Qi is the root, and color is the appearance. When Qi is strong, the color is good and lustrous, and when Qi is weak, the color is haggard and dull.The answer can be found in the before-and-after comparison of a well-rested and well-rested state of energy versus exhaustion and emaciation.If the gas changes, the color will also change accordingly.

There is such a famous story about the relationship between "complexion" and health.

In the Warring States Period, there was a famous doctor named Bian Que. Bian Que was very skilled in medicine and had the ability to bring the dead back to life.

Once, when Bian Que passed by the state of Qi, Duke Huan of Cai knew about it and sent someone to receive him as a guest.As soon as Bian Que saw Duke Huan of Cai, he told Duke Huan Cai that he was sick in his skin because of his indulgence, and that he should be treated in time, otherwise his condition would continue to worsen.Cai Huangong felt that he was in good spirits and was not uncomfortable at all. He thought that he was not sick at all, and thought that Bian Que was scaring him.Because of Bian Que's great reputation, Duke Huan of Cai sent Bian Que away politely.

More than ten days later, Bian Que went to see Duke Huan of Cai again and told him that the disease had entered the internal organs, and it was not too late to treat it quickly, otherwise the consequences would be serious.Cai Huangong thought that he could eat and sleep every day, so there would be no disease, but he still didn't believe it, so he sent Bian Que away again.

After a while, Bian Que went to see Duke Huan of Cai again, but saw him from a distance, turned around and walked back without saying hello.The person next to him was very strange and asked him why.Bian Que said that Duke Huan of Cai was terminally ill and there was no cure.Sure enough, a few days later, Duke Huan of Cai fell ill and died.

Bian Que saw Duke Huan Cai three times. He didn't inquire about his feelings or take his pulse, but he knew the severity of his illness. He only used "look" in the four diagnostic methods of "look, smell, ask, and feel" in traditional Chinese medicine.However, this "look" skill is not a simple skill. Apart from talent, it comes entirely from rich experience.What is he looking for?It is to look at the "color" mentioned in this chapter.

The purpose of judging people from their complexion is to examine the relationship between a person's talent, morality and life experience from a macro perspective.Here we might as well discuss the relationship between "talent" and "good luck" that people often talk about.

If people's talents are compared to fate, and timing is compared to luck, then the theory of fate has some modern colors.At least the color of fatalism is no longer so strong, and the talent can be gradually improved.Therefore, fate can be mastered and controlled by oneself, but the timing and environment cannot be chosen by oneself, so luck is beyond one's control.In this way, it can be understood that under the condition of mutual fortune, a person can achieve absolute success.

Talented people can rely on their own efforts and struggles, accumulate experience bit by bit, and move towards success step by step.But how far can he succeed?This is not only related to ability and morality, but also to consider his environment and the characteristics of the times.For example, Zhou Yu is also a great talent, but it is a pity that Zhuge Liang, who is more intelligent than him, stands in front of him, which makes him overshadowed, so there is a lament of "how can he be bright when he was born Yu".If the space-time tunnel replaces Zhou Yu to an era without such a genius as Zhuge Liang, will he have a longer life and achieve more radiant and eternal achievements?This is a question worthy of re-study, because of the timing and environment, the kind of person who is not very talented but is on the crest of history, even if he is unwilling to go up, but the environment pushes him to go up. .

Liao Hua has always been looked down upon by others, because he was born in the Yellow Turban, and later became a bandit, with a low status.Although when Guan Yu rode thousands of miles alone, he rescued Mrs. Gan and Mi, and paid homage to Guan Yu, "wanting to send Guan Gong off as a subordinate", but Guan Yu still "thought that this person would eventually be the remnant of the Yellow Turban Party and could not be a companion, but thanked him." Of".It wasn't until Liu Bei marched to collect Sichuan that Liao Hua led his army to vote, and it was not included.

(End of this chapter)