Da Liu Ren Charting (大六壬排盘): Casting the Celestial Mechanism of Chinese Divination

Overview

Da Liu Ren (大六壬, literally "Great Six Ren") stands as one of the Three Styles (San Shi 三式) of classical Chinese divination, alongside Qi Men Dun Jia (奇门遁甲) and Tai Yi Shen Shu (太乙神数). At its metaphysical core lies the practice of Pai Pan (排盘) — the meticulous mathematical and symbolic process of casting a celestial chart that captures the cosmic snapshot at the exact moment of inquiry. Unlike simpler divination systems, Da Liu Ren employs a sophisticated matrix of temporal coordinates, heavenly stems (Tian Gan 天干), earthly branches (Di Zhi 地支), and twelve divine generals (Shi Er Shen Jiang 十二神将) to model the tripartite relationship between Heaven, Earth, and Humanity (Tian Di Ren 天地人).

The term Pai Pan translates to "arranging the plate" or "chart casting," referring to the construction of a multi-layered divination board. This cosmic map consists of a rotating Heaven Plate (Tian Pan 天盘) overlaying a fixed Earth Plate (Di Pan 地盘), from which practitioners derive the Four Classes (Si Ke 四课) and Three Transmissions (San Chuan 三传) that narrate the trajectory of past, present, and future events. Precision is paramount — the system requires exact lunar calendar dates and specific double-hour periods (Shi Chen 时辰) to align the querent's temporal reality with celestial movements.

Key Concepts

Temporal Foundation: The Lunar-Time Coordinates

Da Liu Ren demands precise chronological data based on the traditional Chinese lunar calendar (Nong Li 农历):

• Year (Nian 年): The lunar year determines the position of Tai Sui (太岁), or Grand Duke Jupiter, affecting the overall energetic climate of the divination.
• Month (Yue 月): The lunar month determines the Yue Jiang (月将), or "Monthly General," who serves as the celestial pivot for the entire chart.
• Day (Ri 日): Provides the Ri Gan (日干, Day Stem) and Ri Zhi (日支, Day Branch) — the primary subject (主体) and object (客体) of the inquiry.
• Hour (Shi Chen 时辰): The twelve double-hour periods (Zi 子, Chou 丑, Yin 寅, Mao 卯, Chen 辰, Si 巳, Wu 午, Wei 未, Shen 申, You 酉, Xu 戌, Hai 亥) provide the temporal anchor for rotating the Heaven Plate.

Yue Jiang (月将): The Lunar Constellation General

The Yue Jiang represents the sun's monthly position within the Chinese zodiac, functioning as the celestial envoy or "general" governing that lunar period. Unlike the fixed Earth Plate, the Yue Jiang's specific earthly branch assignment determines how the mobile Heaven Plate rotates relative to terrestrial reality. These twelve generals correlate to the twelve earthly branches but follow a specific calendrical sequence:

The Dual Plates: Modeling Heaven and Earth

Di Pan (地盘) — The Earth Plate: This forms the immutable foundation of the chart, representing terrestrial reality, the question's grounding, and fixed spatial directions. The twelve earthly branches occupy permanent positions: Zi (子) at North, Chou (丑) and Yin (寅) at Northeast, Mao (卯) at East, and continuing clockwise through the compass directions.

Tian Pan (天盘) — The Heaven Plate: This rotating layer represents celestial influences, temporal shifts, and the "above" (Shang 上) dimension of reality. During Pai Pan, the practitioner physically or mentally places the current Yue Jiang onto the specific earthly branch corresponding to the inquiry hour (Shi Chen). This act "locks" the heavenly configuration to the temporal moment, allowing the remaining eleven branches to populate the Heaven Plate in their natural sequential order.

Si Ke (四课): The Four Classes of Vertical Relationship

The Four Classes reveal the vertical relationships between stems, branches, and their celestial counterparts — essentially showing what "sits above" (Shang 上) the foundational elements:

1. First Class (Yi Ke 一课): Ri Shang Shen (日上神) — The heavenly branch that sits above the Day Stem (Ri Gan) in the Tian Pan configuration, representing the querent's externalized consciousness or visible circumstances.
2. Second Class (Er Ke 二课): Chen Shang Shen (辰上神) or Ri Zhi Shang (日支上) — The branch above the Day Branch, representing the matter at hand, the objective environment, or the "other" in the inquiry.
3. Third Class (San Ke 三课): The Yang (positive/active) extension of the First Class, found by examining what sits above the First Class's earthly position in the Tian Pan. This reveals hidden potentials related to the subject.
4. Fourth Class (Si Ke 四课): The Yin (negative/passive) extension of the Second Class, showing what sits above the Second Class's position. This reveals underlying conditions or hidden aspects of the object/matter.

San Chuan (三传): The Three Transmissions of Fate

While the Four Classes depict the static structural picture, the Three Transmissions narrate the dynamic temporal flow of events — the story's beginning, middle, and end:

• Chu Chuan (初传): The Initial Transmission — the originating cause, current situation, or "past" influence entering the present.
• Zhong Chuan (中传): The Middle Transmission — the developmental process, transitional phase, and how events unfold.
• Mo Chuan (末传): The Final Transmission — the ultimate outcome, destination, or result toward which events trend.

Deriving the Three Transmissions requires analyzing Ke (克) relationships — the restraining/overcoming interactions between Five Elements (Wu Xing 五行) present within the Four Classes. The hierarchical derivation methods include:

• Zei Ke Fa (贼克法): The "Thief and Restraint" method — prioritizing when the branch above the stem (the "thief" 贼) restrains the stem below, or when the stem restrains the branch above (Ke 克).
• Bi Yong Fa (比用法): The "Comparison and Application" method — employed when multiple Ke relationships exist, selecting the branch that shares the same Yin/Yang polarity as the day stem.
• She Hai Fa (涉害法): The "Involvement of Harm" method — a complex calculation determining which element has historically suffered greater damage when multiple viable Ke options remain.
• Yao Ke Fa (遥克法): Used when no direct Ke exists in the Four Classes, looking for distant restraining relationships.
• Fu Yin (伏吟) and Fan Yin (反吟): Special chart patterns where transmissions repeat or oppose, indicating stagnation or rapid change respectively.

Shi Er Shen Jiang (十二神将): The Twelve Divine Generals

These anthropomorphized celestial forces add qualitative, interpretive texture to the quantitative structural analysis:

How to Cast a Da Liu Ren Chart

Preparation Phase

Convert the Gregorian query time to the Chinese lunar calendar (Nong Li), noting the specific Year, Month, Day, and Shi Chen (double-hour). Critically, determine whether the query occurs during Daytime (卯 Mao to 申 Shen hours) or Nighttime (酉 You to 寅 Yin hours), as this establishes whether to use the Day Gui Ren (昼贵人) or Night Gui Ren (夜贵人) starting position.

Step 1: Establish Di Pan (地盘)

Draw a circular or square template and mark the twelve earthly branches in their fixed directional positions: Zi (子) at North (traditionally bottom), moving clockwise through Chou (丑), Yin (寅), Mao (卯), Chen (辰), Si (巳), Wu (午), Wei (未), Shen (申), You (酉), Xu (戌), and Hai (亥). This plate never changes.

Step 2: Determine Yue Jiang

Identify the current lunar month and assign the corresponding Yue Jiang from the monthly table. For instance, queries during the first lunar month use Deng Ming (登明) at Hai (亥); the fifth month uses Sheng Guang (胜光) at Wu (午).

Step 3: Rotate Tian Pan (天盘)

This is the critical mechanical step: Place the Yue Jiang's earthly branch onto the Di Pan position corresponding to the inquiry's Shi Chen. If the Yue Jiang is Hai (登明) and the time is Si (巳) hour, mentally rotate the Heaven Plate so that Hai sits directly above Si. The remaining eleven branches then populate the Heaven Plate in their natural clockwise sequence (proceeding from Hai to Xu, You, Shen, etc.).

Step 4: Derive Si Ke (四课)

Examine the Tian Pan to identify what branch sits above the Ri Gan (day stem) — this forms the First Class. Identify what sits above the Ri Zhi (day branch) for the Second Class. Then, treating the First Class's earthly position as a new base, find what sits above it in the Tian Pan for the Third Class. Repeat for the Second Class's position to find the Fourth Class. These four positions now reveal the vertical energetic structure of the query.

Step 5: Calculate San Chuan (三传)

Analyze the Ke (restraint/overcoming) relationships among the Four Classes based on Five Element theory (Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, etc.). Apply the hierarchical derivation methods: first attempt Zei Ke Fa (贼克法), then Bi Yong Fa (比用法), then She Hai Fa (涉害法) if multiple options exist. The selected branch becomes the Chu Chuan (初传, Initial Transmission). To find the Zhong Chuan (中传), look at what sits above the Chu Chuan's earthly position in the Tian Pan. For the Mo Chuan (末传), look at what sits above the Zhong Chuan's position.

Step 6: Place the Twelve Generals

Locate the Gui Ren (贵人, Nobleman) based on the day stem and day/night determination (for example, for Jia or Wu day stems, Day Gui Ren starts at Chou 丑; Night Gui Ren starts at Wei 未). Place Gui Ren at that specific Tian Pan position, then arrange the remaining eleven generals in fixed clockwise order: Gui Ren → Teng She → Zhu Que → Gou Chen → Liu He → Qing Long → Tian Kong → Bai Hu → Tai Chang → Xuan Wu → Tai Yin → Tian Hou.

Practical Example

Suppose a querent asks about a potential business partnership on the 15th day of the third lunar month (Yue Jiang: You 酉 / Cong Kui), at the Wu (午) hour, on a day with stem Jia (甲) and branch Chen (辰):

1. Setup: Place You (酉) on top of Wu (午) in the Tian Pan rotation.
2. Four Classes: If Jia stem sits under Shen (申) in this configuration, and Chen branch sits under Zi (子), these form the first two classes. The third and fourth classes derive from what sits above Shen and Zi respectively.
3. Transmission Analysis: If Shen (Metal) restrains the Jia stem (Wood), this Zei relationship makes Shen the Chu Chuan. If Qing Long (青龙) happens to occupy the Shen position in the general arrangement, this suggests fortunate financial developments, though Bai Hu (白虎) in the same position might indicate contractual disputes requiring legal attention.
4. Interpretation: The appearance of Liu He (六合) in the Mo Chuan would confirm successful partnership formation, while Xuan Wu (玄武) might warn of hidden clauses or deceptive intentions in the contract.

Common Pitfalls

• Solar vs. Lunar Calendar Confusion: Using Gregorian calendar months instead of traditional lunar months for Yue Jiang determination produces entirely erroneous charts. The system strictly follows the agricultural lunar calendar.
• Day/Night Gui Ren Error: Failing to distinguish between Day and Night Nobleman positions fundamentally alters the entire general arrangement, leading to opposite interpretations of assistance or obstacles.
• Directional Disorientation: Confusing the clockwise arrangement of the Earth Plate with the conceptual movement of celestial bodies can cause incorrect Tian Pan rotation.
• Zei and Ke Inversion: Misidentifying the "thief" (branch above restraining stem) versus standard "restraint" (stem restraining branch) reverses the transmission derivation logic.
• Neglecting Kong Wang (空亡): Forgetting to calculate the Empty/Void branches based on the day stem's旬 (Xun, ten-day stem cycle) can lead to misinterpreting insubstantial or failed matters as concrete.
• Overlooking Hidden Stems: Advanced readings require noting the hidden heavenly stems (Cang Gan 藏干) within earthly branches, though beginners often focus solely on visible branch characters.
• Confusing Yue Jiang with Monthly Branch: The Yue Jiang (monthly general) and the simple lunar month branch move in opposite directions; using the standard monthly branch as the Yue Jiang creates a reversed Heaven Plate.

Related Terms

• San Shi (三式): The Three Styles — Da Liu Ren, Qi Men Dun Jia (奇门遁甲), and Tai Yi Shen Shu (太乙神数), representing the highest forms of Chinese calendrical divination.
• Liu Ren (六壬): The six Ren waters (壬子, 壬寅, 壬辰, 壬午, 壬申, 壬戌) that form the system's foundational energetic structure.
• Shi Pan (式盘): The physical divination board or cosmic model used in traditional practice.
• Ke (课): The "class" or lesson derived from the relationship between heavenly and earthly stems/branches.
• Chuan (传): The "transmission" or passing of influence through temporal phases.
• Tian Jiang (天将): Alternative designation for the Twelve Divine Generals.
• Tian Yi (天乙): Another name for the Gui Ren (Nobleman) general, emphasizing its celestial nature.
• Xun Kong (旬空): The Empty/Void branches within the ten-day cycle, indicating absence or failure.
• Ma Xing (马星): The Traveling Horse star, indicating movement and rapid change when appearing in transmissions.