Ten observations and five methods determine the life of the hemp cloth god

"Ma Yi Shen Xiang" is the earliest existing Chinese physiognomy book that systematically discusses human appearance. A person's destiny is not determined at birth, but it is "amazing" to be able to uncover certain codes of fate from appearance. "Ma Yi Shen Xiang" was written by Li He (now a native of Neixiang, Nanyang, Henan) from the Northern Song Dynasty and the founder of the Ma Yi School. It was written at an early date and is the earliest existing unique work on physiognomy that systematically describes the appearance of the human body. Today, I will tell you about the ten views and five methods of "Ma Yi Shen Xiang" for your reference!

Ten Views

One takes majesty. Like a tiger coming down the mountain, all the beasts are frightened. Like an eagle soaring, foxes and rabbits fight among themselves. The majesty without being angry is not only in the eyes, but also in the cheekbones.

Second, look at the solemnity and spirit. The body is like a heavy boat, riding in the huge waves, not moved by the shakes, and cannot be pulled away. Sitting, lying, or standing, the spirit is clear and alert. The longer you sit, the more wonderful it becomes. Like the rising sun, it is dazzling to the eyes. Like the autumn moon hanging in the mirror, it is bright and clear. His face and eyes are as bright as the sun and the moon. It is bright and naturally lovely; it is clear and clean and you won’t feel dizzy even if you look at it for a long time. People with such a face will be slightly noble if not very rich, and may be rich, but it should not be determined rashly.

Three to remove the clear and turbid. But those with a thick body are naturally rich and noble, and those with a thin body, even if they have a strong spirit, will definitely be considered noble. The turbid ones have spirit and are called thick, and the thick ones are mostly rich. Being turbid and without spirit is called soft. If it is soft, it will be lonely. If it is not lonely, it will die young.

Fourth, look at the round head and high forehead. But the human head is the master of the body and the origin of the limbs. The one with a square head and a high top is the emperor. If the forehead is square and raised, it means that the person will be a good minister. Those with a round head will be rich and live a long life. Those with broad foreheads are noble and worthy of praise. Those with a flat top will enjoy long life and good fortune. Those with flat heads will become dull and stupid at an early age. Those with sunken foreheads will waste their youth. People with low foreheads are prone to stupidity and stubbornness. Those with heavy forehead blemishes will suffer hardships in their early years. For those with sunken parts and uneven hairlines, you should consider the punishment and the inauspiciousness of the physiognomy and it cannot be generalized, otherwise there will be mistakes.

Five views of the Five Mountains and the Three Stops. The left cheekbone is Mount Tai, which must be centered and not rough, exposed or tilted. The forehead should be square if it represents Mount Nanyue, and it should not be low and collapsed like a bamboo. The right cheekbone is called Xiyue, which is the same as the left cheekbone. The chin is the Northern Mountain. It should be square, round and full. It should not be sharp, crooked or curled up. Saturn is the central mountain, and it should also be square and towering. The Five Mountains are formed at the center of the forehead. As the book says, when the Five Mountains are all facing you, you will be more noble than anyone else in the court and you will also have a lot of money. The three parts of the face are the forehead, the tip of the nose, and the corner of the nose. These are the three parts of the face. They are also called three treasures, three masters, and three tables, and all must be equal. The upper part of the face indicates a busy youth, the middle part indicates prosperity and happiness, and the lower part of the face indicates good fortune and luck when one is old. If all three parts are equal, one will have no shortage of food and clothing throughout his life. If the three parts of the body are sharp, crooked, or exposed, it is all unfavorable. You can make a deduction based on the complexion of the part in the current year, but you cannot make a general conclusion based on the whole.

The six are the five sense organs and the six bowels. Eyebrows are the key to longevity. They should be clear, sparse, long and curved. They should also be one inch higher than the eyes, with the tail brushing against the top of the head. This indicates intelligence, wealth, ingenuity, and a long life. This is the key to longevity. If it is thick, yellowish, light, scattered and low-pressure, it means injury and destruction, and this official will not be successful. The eyes are the inspectors, clearly distinguishing between black and white, or they may be wind eyes, elephant eyes, ox eyes, dragon and tiger eyes, crane eyes, monkey eyes, peacock eyes, mandarin duck eyes, lion eyes, and magpie eyes. They are hidden and not revealing, black as lacquer, white as jade, with long wavelengths shooting into the ears, naturally handsome and powerful. This is the inspector. If the eyes of snakes, bees, sheep, rats, chickens, pigs, fish, horses, or fire wheels are covered with red and white gauze, and the pupils are round and black and white are mixed, and the divine light is too exposed and unclear, then this person cannot be a supervisor. Moreover, he is stupid, stubborn, cruel and defeated. Ears are the organ of hearing. Regardless of size, they must have clear outlines and be whiter than the face. They should also have water ears, earth ears, gold ears, ox ears, round chess ears, ears close to the head, ears that are not visible from the opposite side, one inch high eyebrows, thick and firm rims, rosy color, long hairs inside, and small holes. This is the organ of hearing. Or the ears may be mouse ears, wood ears, fire ears, arrow feather ears, pig ears, with flared ears and inverted outlines, which are not good ears, or they are low, small and weak. This indicates that the hearing organ is not functioning well. It is not good for young people and will harm relatives. The nose is the organ of judgment. It should also be plump, straight, and fleshy, with a nose like a rhinoceros, a dragon, or a tiger, a lion, an ox, or a sheep, and it should be straight, not crooked, not tilted, and not thick or small. This is the accomplishment of the official of judgment and appraisal. If the shape is dog nose, fish, eagle beak, sword peak, reverse rhyme, repeated rhyme, three curves, three bends, exposed hole, upturned stove, flat and weak, exposed spine, exposed bones, too big, or solitary peak, the person will be fierce, poor and unsuccessful, and will be punished for evil, treason and greed. This judge is not qualified. The mouth is the cashier. With red lips, white teeth, plump lips, a deep and long philtrum, a crescent-shaped mouth, a square mouth with the shape of an ox, a dragon or a tiger, and lips that are neither turned back nor raised, nor lifted or pointed, this is a successful cashier. Or the mouth of a pig, dog or sheep, the boat may capsize, the swallows, fish may cut fish, the rats may eat the sheep's food, the lips may be short and the teeth may be exposed, the lips may be black and wrinkled, the upper lip may be thin and the lower lip may be turned up, and the beard may be yellow, burnt, dry and rough. This person will not be able to be a good cashier. The book says that if one succeeds in getting an official position, he will enjoy wealth and honor for ten years, but if one fails, he will suffer hardship for ten years. Among the six palaces, the two corners of the sun and the moon in the forehead are Tianfu. It is better to be square, round, bright and clear but not too exposed. Only then will Tianfu be successful. Or if it is cut too low and collapsed, it will not be a perfect place. The fortune in the early years is blocked. The cheekbones are the human body. It is appropriate to wear the hair in a square shape, neither too thick nor too exposed, and to bow with a square bow. This person has a successful fortune. If it is rough, exposed, uneven, pointed, round, or bulging, this person's palace is not healthy. It determines the fortune in middle age. The corners and edges of the ground are the final scene of the underworld. The underworld is happy with the hanging walls of the ground pavilion. The wood is dim but not bleak, not sharp or crooked, not thick or big, and the underworld is complete. If the ears are uneven, rough and exposed, and the cheeks are heavy behind the pointed ears, one will not be able to enter the underworld. The book says that one government will lead to ten years of prosperity, while the opposite will lead to ten years of disaster and failure.

The seventh is a round waist and thick back, a flat chest and a sinking belly, three Jia and three Ren, and delicate skin. The back is thick and broad, the waist is hard and round, the most undesirable thing is the pit in the spine, the thin back and drooping shoulders, the raised shoulders and the narrow neck. The waist should be round and hard, big and flat, not thin and weak, with no buttocks, thin and pointed buttocks that are exposed. The buttocks should be flat and thick, not big. The chest should be flat and full, without any exposed bones. There are two red spots under the neck; the heart is not sunken, and there should be a bag like a gourd in the abdomen. The flesh below the navel should grow horizontally and should not be pointed. Or it may look like a magpie's belly, chicken breast, or dog's belly. This is not clear. The book says. He has a round waist and thick back, and is able to wear a jade belt and court clothes. He suffers from sudden illness and is extremely generous, which means he will become prosperous and wealthy. The chest is flat and the belly is big, so it is suitable to wear a purple robe. Although he will not go out and follow the ordinary, he must be prosperous. The back is like three armors, the flesh behind the neck is thick, the shoulders are thick and tense, the abdomen is like three Rens, the flesh below the navel is long, and the flesh on both sides of the legs is long. The book says, "A person with three mountains on his back is like a piece of armor, his navel is deep and his belly is hanging down. This kind of person will be very noble, and when he is not noble, he can boast of his wealth." But he has a big head without meat, and a big belly without a bag. If he is not a farmer, he must be a butcher. If he is not a rough man, he must be a carpenter. If it is sharp and soft, with a dog belly and chicken breast, it will be fruitless even if you are rich. The book says that if a man has a small waist, it is difficult for him to be rich and he will die young. A woman with protruding breasts and exposed buttocks will be considered poor. The man will be a servant and the woman will be a maid. This should be carefully analyzed in physiognomy and should not be ignored.

The eight signs are hands and feet. They should be tender, thick and robust, with eight trigrams on the palms, distinct lines, or three peaks like blood, strange lines and patterns, joints like chicken bullets, fingertips in proportion, fingers resting on each other, palms as flat as a mirror, or as soft as cotton, with a dragon and a tiger swallowing each other, thick palms and backs, flat wrists and round elbows, flesh on the dorsum of the feet, lines and moles on the soles of the feet, slightly curved palms, the backs of the hands should not be exposed, and the tendons, bones and knuckles should not have gaps. The book says, swollen joints and leaking seams will make one feel dizzy and lazy. The muscles are exposed, the body is happy but the mind is worried. The palm is red and the blood is written, the wealth is endless. Soft hands, free time and rich. Three sharp peaks stand out, marking the evening enrollment scene. The palm is as smooth as a mirror, and the family business is built from scratch. The lines on his face are rough and he will have ordinary food and clothing in his later years. However, the palm-face secrets are recorded later, and should be read together with the previous and the next.

Nine sounds and the heart. The book says, if you want to know what’s in a person’s heart, just look at the eyes. The eyes are the gateway to the heart. By observing the good or evil in a person's eyes, you will know what is in his heart. If his heart is right, his pupils will be right. If his eyes look up, his heart will be high. If his eyes look down, his heart will be thoughtful. The eyes move around without saying anything, and the heart is full of doubts. If a person looks sideways and speaks with a double heart, he will only harm himself and others. His words should not be listened to. If a person looks straight ahead, he is impartial and will join the party without bias. Evil eyes indicate evil, and kind eyes indicate a kind heart. Those who have Yin Yuan may save people from distress, rescue people from danger, help the poor, save people’s lives, and they will not be promiscuous. A person with great wealth and tolerance can accommodate many things. Everyone has a purple, yellow, and red complexion. It is found under the eyes, in the palace of the eye bags and the residence of the forehead and the hall of fortune, even if the appearance is not as good as before. If one has a good heart, he will eventually be rich. If one has a handsome appearance but a treacherous heart, even if he is rich, he will soon become poor. The book says: Before looking at the appearance, look at the heart first. If there is appearance but no heart, the appearance will disappear with the heart. If there is heart but no appearance, the appearance will arise with the heart. In the past, Pei Du returned to his belt, Song Jiao crossed the ant river, and Lian Po helped people in danger to cross the river, but they each refused to accept thousands of gold coins. They were originally not noble, but later they became very noble and were supported by yin and yang. The sound should be loud and come from Dantian, which is one inch below the navel. The sound is like thunder filling the ears, or like the sound of a bronze bell or jade, or like the sound in an urn, or like a gong or drum, or like the sound of gold, or the sound with a long tail and as loud as the sound of a drum. They all must be clear and mellow. Even if the appearance is not as good as others, it also indicates wealth and honor. Some people have a soft voice but a loud one, while others have a loud voice that is powerful. Both require deep and profound sounds, and come from the dantian. This is a sign of lasting wealth and honor. People who die young and are poor have a soft, choking, scattered, low and small voice, or a voice like a broken gong or drum, with a dry and hoarse voice, a loud and burnt-end voice, and a strong but not round voice. The book says that the sound of wealth and honor comes from the dantian, while for people with humble birth, the sound comes from the tip of the tongue, or there may be a lingering sound. However, even if the sound is burnt, dry and strong, it means waste in early years but prosperity in later years. The secret is: if one's face changes before he opens his mouth to speak, and one's breath runs out before he finishes his words, he is a person of lowly character. Observe the sound and know that it is the root of appearance. Observe the Yin and Yang and know the primordial spirit of the phase. Appearance is nothing more than voice. If the yin and yang parts are not good, people with such appearance will be rich and noble. But those with loud voices will eventually become rich even if they are poor, so there is no need to be suspicious.

Ten observations on the shape of the situation and the five elements. The physical situation is a major issue in a person’s life. Or it may be in the shape of a dragon, tiger, crane, lion, peacock, stork, ox, monkey, leopard, elephant, wind, mandarin duck, heron, camel, yellow roc, or sparrow. This is an appearance of wealth and nobility. Or the shape of a pig, dog, sheep, horse, deer, crow, mouse, or fox. This is a sign of cruelty, poverty, and young death. The five elements are gold, wood, water, fire and earth. The book says, "Metal gets diamond and is deep and resolute; wood gets wood and is rich in resources; water gets water and is valuable in literature; fire gets fire and is able to see opportunities and achieve results; earth gets earth and is thick and abundant in the storehouse." Metal likes white, wood likes green, water likes fat and black, fire likes red, and earth likes thick and yellow. These are the five correct shapes. Those who have this combination will be rich, noble, and live a long life, while those who do not will be poor and die young. However, scholars use the five elements and skeleton to infer various aspects of physiognomy.

Five Methods

Choosing friends is based on the eyes. People with evil eyes are often feared and their friendships are harmful. However, the person who revealed himself was unintentional, so we must carefully examine it. If you ask about the value of eyes, then those who have eyes without spirit are valuable and live long. If you ask about wealth, it lies in the nose. The nose is the earth that produces gold. If the nose is thick and plump, then the person will be rich. Ask God about longevity. Those who lack spiritual power but are long-lived and noble, even if they are noble, they are still very rich. To seek perfection, one must have reputation, be it scholar, farmer, merchant or artisan. If one’s reputation is bright, success will come; if it is not, there will be no end. The best fortune teller does not go beyond these five methods. Those who are limited to the mouth, ears, eyebrows, forehead, hands, feet, back and abdomen are mediocre fortune tellers.

Cut-off Song

Only when you see it will you know the secret, and then you can observe the master’s rise. Those who speak slowly will eventually become rich and famous, while those who walk quickly will eventually become poor. Don't keep company with dog eyes and don't meet chicken eyes. If the neck is tilted, it will be sluggish, and if the head is small, it will be untidy. When bones are exposed, wealth is difficult to accumulate; when tendons are floating, diseases must be attacked. A raised lip indicates destiny, a dropped belly indicates abundance of wealth. A fat waist means good fortune, and a broad forehead means a long life like a pine tree. Long feet and thin ears mean you have a hard time on the journey.

On Customs

The people of Shu are good at fortune-telling. The people of Fujian are good at bone reading. People from Zhejiang are kind to each other. The people of Huai respect each other. The Song people talked to each other. The appearance of Jiangxi people. The people of Lu are proud of each other. The Hu people have similar noses. The people of Taiyuan are honest and sincere.

On complexion

There are twenty-four solar terms in a year of heaven, and the complexion of a person's face also changes twenty-four times in a year. Match it with the five elements. All of them are proven to be true. The most difficult to judge is the premature ejaculation. It should be observed when one is lucid and not yet dreaming. One must also be isolated, not drunk, and not close to sexual intercourse before one can make a decision. Be very careful. The complexion changes every half a month, and when a new solar term comes, the weather changes at midnight. The complexion is inside the skin and outside the flesh; the complexion that can be faintly seen is the true complexion. If the complexion is present but calm, the response will be slow, like a flickering flame. Respond quickly. Spring should be green, summer should be red, autumn should be white, winter should be black; the moon should be yellow in all four seasons; these are the colors of the weather. People with wood shape prefer green, people with fire shape prefer red, people with metal shape prefer white, people with water shape prefer black, people with earth shape prefer yellow. These are the colors of the human body. The color of wood is green, and it should be black and avoid white. The shape and color of fire are red, and it should be green and avoid black. Gold is white in shape and color; it should be yellow and avoid red. The shape and color of water are black; it should be white and avoid yellow. The earth's color is yellow, and it should be mixed with red and avoid green. This is the aura of the five elements' generation and restraint. If the color is blue like the sun shining brightly in the sky and is moist, it is positive and auspicious. If it is dry and burnt, it is evil and ominous. Red, like the color of the sun's shadow through a crack, but moist, is positive and auspicious; red, like the color of a wound and burnt, is evil and ominous. If it is white like jade and moist, it is positive and auspicious; if it is powdery like snow and has fine spots, it is evil and ominous. If it is black like lacquer and has a lustrous feel, it is positive and auspicious; if it is dark like soot wax, it is evil and ominous. Yellow like goose and moist. If it is positive, it is auspicious; if the leaves are withered and scorched, it is ominous. The color white represents clothes, red represents lawsuits, scars and financial loss, and the color shaped like a fire bead and flaming like a fire bead represents fire. Green represents shock and illness, black represents serious illness and death, and yellow represents severe disease and loss of vitality. Although the complexion is present, one must also make sure that the expression is positive. If the expression is negative, the complexion will also be empty. If a person has an evil appearance but a strong spirit, he will eventually become harmful to others.

The above is a summary of the Ma Yi divine appearance that can determine one’s life through the Ten Contemplations and Five Methods. I hope it will be of some help to you guys! Please continue to follow Ziwei Mansion Xiong Zhanghao for more information!