Ma Yi's Physiognomy: Liu Heng's Annotation on "Shenyi Fu": How to Read People's Complexion and Spirit

"Four Pillars Prediction" is also known as Eight Characters Prediction. It uses year, day, month and hour as longitude and latitude to combine the conditions of destiny. Specifically, the great fortune is the time and space environment, the combination of the Ten Gods is the hundreds of things in life, and the current year is the period of gains and losses of the Ten Gods. The Heavenly Stems of the Eight Characters represent the sky to determine nature, the Earthly Branches represent the earth to determine changes, and the Ten Gods represent people to determine everything. "Physiognomy" regards the forehead as life direction, the nose as life ambition, the cheekbones as social responsibilities, and the cheekbones as actions. Among many books on physiognomy, Ma Yi's physiognomy should be the basis. Among them, Ma Yi's "Shenyi Fu" is the most profound. Teacher Liu Heng summarized "Shenyi Fu" and made annotations.

Original text of "Shenyi Fu"

If one has bones in the mountains and forests, he will eventually become an immortal. If one has bones in the golden city, he will become a general.

You should also know that it is easy to identify nobility and humbleness, but it is difficult to understand the limits and numbers.

To determine the time of life and death, first look at the body and spirit. To determine the signs of good or bad luck, don’t escape from the complexion.

If the eyes are like fish eyes, death will come soon; if the breath is like smoke and clouds, a disaster will come soon.

It looks like a clay doll and cannot escape its fate. The pillar of heaven is tilting and its phantom body is about to go away.

He looks like an iron coin, with bad luck; he has a spirit like a Zen cloud, with a bright future.

Liu Heng's Notes

Immortals are people who have left the world, here referring to those who are noble and aloof. Mountains and forests, Liu Heng defines them as brow bones, brow bones are mountains, eyebrows are forests, people with high brow bones have unruly personalities and many injustices in their lives; raised Jincheng bones, Liu Heng defines Jincheng as cheekbones, and the cheekbones are plump and flat, which means they are people with great power.

(Limited number: the specific time when good or bad things will happen) The facial bones determine the nobility and humbleness, wealth and poverty, and the eyes determine the social class. This is easy to recognize through facial features. As for the complexion, once the limits of generation and restraint are determined, its image is difficult to understand in detail.

In a person's life, spirit is the most important thing, followed by appearance. If both spirit and appearance are present, one will live a long life. If spirit is not attached to the appearance, then life will be limited. The art of physiognomy is sophisticated, and spirit is the most important. If it is well maintained, the spirit will wax and wane at times, but if it is lost, the complexion will be lifeless. If you observe it carefully, you can determine whether it is good or bad.

(Fish eyes: means round and exposed) Eyes that are round but have exposed flaws are like fish eyes. People with this appearance have no luster and will not live long. The complexion should be bright, not dark. If the complexion is filled with smoky dust, and the face is dull and dim, it indicates that the heart is prone to disaster.

If the body is dry and the face is as dark as earth, and looks like earth, the person will soon fall ill. The Pillar of Heaven refers to the neck. If it is tilted and cannot stand up, it means that the body is illusory and will die soon.

If your face is as gray and black as an iron coin, your body and soul will be separated, and this is the end of your inevitable fate. If the complexion is bright and moist, like auspicious clouds and red and yellow, the future is bright, peaceful and without disasters.

Original text of "Shenyi Fu"

When fame and fortune come, all the Santai Palaces will be filled with yellow light.

The writing is slow and difficult, and both brows are green.

There is less yellow Qi and more stagnant Qi, so fame and fortune come and go.

There is less green air and more joyful air, wealth and honor come but do not yet arrive.

There is clarity in stagnation, and worry turns into joy; there is stagnation in clarity, and good fortune turns into disaster.

If there is red light on the front side, all your wishes will come true; if there is joy on the forehead, all your plans will come true.

May you live a long and bright year and have peace and prosperity.

The golden box shines, and all the auspicious tripods come.