WHAT IS BAZI (八字)?
Bazi or Phat Chee is the Chinese ancient way of destiny analysis. The history of Bazi began some 5000 years ago during the Chinese Wu Kingdom. The term Bazi is the Chinese term for “Eight Characters” or what many people term as four pillars. Each pillar has two chinese characters, making it “Eight Characters”.
To analyse a person’s life destiny, we need to derive a person’s Bazi chart and his 10 year luck cycle. These can be derived from his date of birth and hour of birth. Once this is done, the most important and most difficult task is interpreting the Bazi chart accurately.
BAZI AND THE LAW OF NATURE
Classical Bazi was founded 5000 years ago. During that time, there was no technology. Nature rules the Earth. Life revolved around nature which was the call of the day. What do we mean by nature? Nature is about seasonal changes, taping natural resources for mankind benefits, and how each element (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water) of nature influences the other elements of nature.
For instance, we know that the Sun (Fire) can warm the sea (Water) and provide food for the plants (Wood). Water is needed to grow the environment with the help of the Sun (Fire). Without the Sun, cold Water cannot grow the environment. Aggressive Water also washes away Plants (Wood) and uproots Trees (Wood). Metal can cut down Trees (Wood) and be used as timber to build houses and make Fire to produce heat. The Earth can prevent flood, and good Earth is needed for sowing and reaping. Rain (Water) is needed to moisture the Soil (Earth). Metal or gold found in the Earth can be used as an exchange of food, etc. These outcomes are the inter-relationship of the 5 elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water) based on the principle of I-Ching (The Principle of Change), the Yin and Yang.
Classical Bazi is about understanding how SEASONS affect nature and the influence of each element of nature and its outcome. It is about how we can make the best of NATURE!
WHAT IS IN A BAZI?
Bazi is a composition of “Heaven, Earth and Man”. It simply means that when we are born, we are destined to have a set of “eight characters” or 4 sets of character based on the year, month, day and time of birth. The complete 4 sets look like this:-
It is also commonly known as the Four Pillars, as each Pillar consists of two characters. The top characters are the Heavenly Stem and the bottom characters are known as Earthly Branch. The Hidden Stems are part of the Earthly Branch and does not form one of the characters in the Bazi.
The Year we are born gave us a set of “Heavenly Stem-Earthly Branch” character. Our birth Month gave us another set, and so did the Day date and the Hour time. So all together, the four sets of pillars form the complete Bazi Chart.
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THE CONCEPT OF YIN AND YANG – THE BIRTH OF “CHANGE”
The term Yin and Yang was derived over 7000 years ago when life was dominated by simple pursuits of survival and overcoming nature. Yin and Yang are opposites, yet they complete each other to form a “whole”.
Yang represents the day, brightness & warmth. Yin represents night, darkness & cold. When Yin grows and strengthens, Yang will decline and weaken, and vice versa. Within Yin, there is Yang, and within Yang, there is Yin inside it. When we talk about balance in life, we are talking about Yin and Yang.
Yang represens Male and strength while Yin represents female and gentleness. The matrimonial union of Yin and Yang gives rise to a family union and birth of children.
Both Yin and Yang are essential to maintain a balance and completeness. Though opposites, Yin and Yang are interdependent to complete each other. Cold weather (autumn and winter) will be followed by warmth (spring and summer), and the cycle continues.
Yin represents the Earth and Yang represent the Heaven (Time). Earth is still, and earth rotation is derived by the influence of Yang which is already contained within the earth. In science, they call it gravity or the influence of magnetic field. In Chinese Metaphysics, it is known as Heaven, Earth and Man.
In Bazi Destiny reading, Heaven represents our social outcome and events. Earth represents our feelings. Man represents our hidden secrets. These three domains are interactive and have an impact of the outcome. The outcome can be peaceful or disastrous. However, if we can truly understand it, we can be the master of our domain.
All things start in this Trinity (Heaven, Earth and Man). Heaven, Earth and Man interact to generate a specific environment and outcome. And Bazi is a composition of “Heaven, Earth and Man”.
THE INGREDIENTS OF HEAVEN, EARTH AND MAN
Our destiny as well as all outcomes and events are influenced by the intereactions of Heaven, Earth and Man. In other words, your Bazi chart tells you about the social outcomes and behaviours obvious to others (Heaven), your feelings and what you are deep inside (Earth), and your hidden potentials or disasters (Man). This trinity plays an important role in determining:-
1) Who we are: our talents, characters, strengths and weaknesses.
2) How we relate to others: our relationship with our spouse, family, bossess, colleagues, etc.
3) What opportunities are presented to us: the comfort we have at birth, family background, siblings, supporters, cycle of luck, etc.
4) Our life’s events and outcomes: marriages, career, health, etc.
5) How our children will be: closeness with our children, are they difficult to bring up, whether they will have a significant standing in society.
So all of us have our individual “Heaven, Earth and Man” determined at the time of our birth. Depending on your character, there is still a scope that can influence the outcome of your life. At the end of the day, within what is “given” to you at birth, you can still IMPROVE your life if you know yourself well. By understanding oneself, and identifying his strengths and weaknesses, a person is able to strategize and plan for his or her future.
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