First Contact with Gua Pulse — Reading Notes on The True Heart-Method of the Yi (Part 1)

By the Daoist Ma Yi · Commentary by Chen Tuan · Annotations by Hu Yixuan

Between heaven and earth, there is a thing. It cannot be named, cannot be described in words — yet it remains unchanged through ten thousand ages.

The True Heart-Method of the Yi (Zheng Yi Xin Fa) opens with a question:

*Fuxi’s Yi Dao encompasses the ten thousand phenomena. One must know where they land — only then is there practical use.

• Ma Yi, *Zheng Yi Xin Fa

I. “Gua Pulse” — The Key to the Entire Zheng Yi Xin Fa

What is Gua Pulse (卦脉)? Chen Tuan comments:

*Gua Pulse is the principle of motion, flow, and natural spontaneity. When Gua Pulse is discerned, the principles of heaven, earth, and the ten thousand things are obtained.

• Chen Tuan, *Commentary on Zheng Yi Xin Fa

A single character — Pulse (脉) — reveals the entire secret. The human body has blood vessels that circulate throughout; heaven and earth have Qi vessels where Yin and Yang flow everywhere.

Zhuangzi says in Knowledge Wandering North:

*The entire universe is but one Qi.

• Zhuangzi, *Zhi Bei You

II. The Armillary Sphere Analogy

Chen Tuan offers a brilliant analogy:

*These hexagram lines are all means of writing the principles of heaven, earth, and the ten thousand things before our eyes — just like the armillary sphere.

• Chen Tuan, *Commentary on Zheng Yi Xin Fa

The Yi Zhuan·Xici says:

*In antiquity, Fuxi looked upward to observe the images in heaven, looked downward to observe the patterns on earth, observed the markings of birds and beasts — and thus first created the eight trigrams.

• *Yi Zhuan·Xici

III. Yao Position Equals Qi Position

Kan ☵ — The Moon as Earth’s Qi

One Yang submerged between two Yin lines. Yang Qi condenses at the pivot of the Yin body — this is the image of the moon.

*People of today do not see the moon of ancient times, Yet today’s moon once shone upon the ancients.

• Li Bai*

Li ☲ — The Sun as Heaven’s Qi

One Yin attached between two Yang lines. Yin adorns Yang and thus shines — this is the image of the sun.

IV. Knowing Where Things Land

The opening sixteen characters — “must know where they land” (须知落处) form the core of the entire methodology.

V. Observing is Not Inferring

To observe is to face directly and see clearly — like a mirror reflecting form, like water reflecting the moon.

*Attain utmost emptiness, Guard steadfast stillness. The ten thousand things arise together - I thereby observe their return.

• Laozi, *Dao De Jing

VI. Gua Pulse Requires Practice

It requires embodied realization, repeatedly facing the hexagram lines directly. Like the meridians in acupuncture — not mastered in a single day.

*An old book, read a hundred times without weariness - When read thoroughly and pondered deeply, understanding comes of itself.

• Su Shi*

In the next installment, we will examine each of the six children trigrams — Kan, Li, Gen, Dui, Zhen, Xun.

Originally published at https://henrryjoke.github.io.