The following terms form the technical vocabulary of Sanming Tonghui. Each entry includes the Chinese character, pinyin romanization, literal translation, and conceptual definition within the system.

三命通会

Sānmìng Tōnghuì
"Comprehensive Compendium of Three Fates"

The 1592 encyclopedia by Wan Minying

八字

Bāzì
"Eight Characters"

The Four Pillars chart (four pairs of characters)

四柱

Sìzhù
"Four Pillars"

Year, Month, Day, Hour pillars

天干

Tiāngān
"Heavenly Stems"

The 10 qualitative qi phases

地支

Dìzhī
"Earthly Branches"

The 12 temporal-spatial positions

五行

Wǔxíng
"Five Agents"

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water as dynamic processes

阴阳

Yīnyáng
"Yin and Yang"

Complementary modes of cosmic energy

十神

Shíshén
"Ten Cosmic Agents"

Relational archetypes in chart analysis

格局

Géjú
"Life Pattern"

Structural configuration of a chart

大运

Dàyùn
"Great Cycle"

10-year period of dominant qi influence

流年

Liúnián
"Passing Year"

Annual qi influence on the chart

日元

Rìyuán
"Day Master"

The Self-representing Stem in the Day Pillar

Shēng
"Generation"

Supportive, nourishing relationship

"Control"

Restrictive, challenging relationship

Wàng
"Prosperous"

Strong, in-season, supported

Shuāi
"Declining"

Weak, out-of-season, unsupported

Suggested Reading

  • Wan Minying (1592). Sanming Tonghui (三命通会). Available in modern Chinese critical editions; no complete scholarly English translation currently exists.
  • Smith, Richard J. (1991). Fortune-Tellers and Philosophers: Divination in Traditional Chinese Society. Boulder: Westview Press.
  • Csikszentmihalyi, Mark (2006). Readings in Han Chinese Thought. Indianapolis: Hackett.
  • Needham, Joseph (1956). Science and Civilisation in China, Vol. 2: History of Scientific Thought. Cambridge University Press.
  • Porkert, Manfred (1974). The Theoretical Foundations of Chinese Medicine: Systems of Correspondence. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

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