Fāwēi lùn 發微論
Disclosure of the Subtle (geomantic-methodological treatise) by 蔡元定 (Cài Yuándìng, Jìtōng 季通, 1135–1198, 宋, zhuàn 撰)
About the work
Cài Yuándìng’s 1-juan geomantic-methodological treatise — among the more philosophically-sophisticated geomantic works of the Sòng period, distinguished from the run of geomantic literature by its grounding in Cheng-Zhū Confucian metaphysics. Cài Yuándìng was Zhū Xī’s principal disciple, persecuted for the Wěixué (False Learning) faction (1196–1198), and exiled to Dàozhōu where he died.
Structure: 14 essays presenting paired geomantic-philosophical principles, each elaborated as a methodological category:
- Dòngjìng 動靜 (Motion-Stillness)
- Jùsàn 聚散 (Gathering-Dispersing)
- Xiàngbèi 向背 (Facing-Turning-Away)
- Cíxióng 雌雄 (Female-Male)
- Qiángruò 強弱 (Strong-Weak)
- Shùnnì 順逆 (Following-Reversing)
- Shēngsǐ 生死 (Life-Death)
- Wēizhù 微著 (Subtle-Manifest)
- Fēnhé 分合 (Dividing-Combining)
- Fúchén 浮沉 (Floating-Sinking)
- Qiǎnshēn 淺深 (Shallow-Deep)
- Ráojiǎn 饒減 (Adding-Subtracting)
- Qūbì 趨避 (Approaching-Avoiding)
- Cáichéng 裁成 (Cutting-Completing)
With a concluding 15th essay Yuán gǎnyìng 原感應 (Original Stimulus-Response) on the principle that auspicious-tomb-siting produces auspicious-descendant-fortunes — providing the moral-philosophical foundation that distinguishes proper geomancy from mere superstition.
The Sìkù 提要 commends the work for its philosophical sophistication: “Geomantic specialists only discuss their numerical [systems]; [Cài] Yuándìng pushes-and-investigates [them] using Confucian principle, so that his arguments do not violate the Way”. Cài Yuándìng’s distinctive theoretical positions (per the 提要):
- Water is fundamentally moving but should be still (analyzed for proper acupoint placement); Mountain is fundamentally still but should be moving (analyzed for proper acupoint placement)
- Gathering-and-dispersing speaks of the great configuration; facing-and-turning speaks of the [intrinsic] nature
- Knowing the great configuration of mountain-rivers silently-determined within several lǐ away, and afterwards being able to derive following-and-reversing within the inch-foot subtle-vague [range]
- The good observer uses the formed to examine the unformed; the not-good observer uses the unformed to obscure the formed
Notably the 提要 records a textual-critical issue: the Dìlǐ dàquán (Geomantic Compendium) attributes the work to Cài Mùtáng 蔡牧堂 — i.e., to Cài Yuándìng’s father Cài Fā 蔡發 (sobriquet Mùtáng lǎorén 牧堂老人). The 提要 considers both possibilities — that the work might originate with Cài Fā with subsequent transmission via Cài Yuándìng — but since most editions attribute it to Cài Yuándìng, the Sìkù follows the prevailing attribution.
For Cài Yuándìng’s biography, see 蔡元定. For the related work by Cài Yuándìng’s son Cài Shěn, see KR3g0012 Hóngfàn huángjí nèipiān.
Tiyao
[Full text in source file. Dated Qiánlóng 46 (1781), tenth month.]