有客论曰。人生之得失。必关乎时运之顺逆。古来英雄。其运未至。饔飧尚属不继。及其至也。则为将为相。别具
一番经天纬地大手段。何其前后相去如天渊也。余曰。此理甚明。客请详之。余曰。汝曷观四时之序乎。百卉秋则凋
零。冬则枯落。春信一至。齐开竞放。至夏则又盛长矣。此即得时失时之征也。况人与天地参。尤为万物之灵。日星
河岳。其来有自。荣辱屈伸岂尽人事。有天运。有气运。有在人之五运。天运关乎时数。气运系乎国家。在人之五运。
则主人之一身。亦名经气。昼夜营运。出入应乎时刻。可定病之进退。伤寒论云。太阳病欲解。从午至未上。又云病
发于阳者夜半愈。发于阴者明日日中愈。又云伤寒六日。六经已周。七日当解。是药之治病也。不过随其偏而调
之。亦待经尽而始愈也。曰。然则五运之盛衰。可用药以调之。如运之失时。则何法以治之耶。余曰。安得无法。病以
药胜。运以德胜。曰。虽然。不如药之速乎。余曰。德较药而有速曰。何所见耶。余曰。昔有一贵人。马上扬鞭而过。
一相
士视之。见其印堂黑暗。法当暴卒。且主恶死。去至半路。见碍石当道。必害人。乃下马去石而返。则相士复见之。面
上已转红润。非但不死。且主富贵。相士拉马惊问其过。曰。适见君去。色现黑暗。必主暴卒恶死。君今返驾。不但不
死。且主富贵矣。不有大德。焉能挽天心于顷刻哉。乃告以故。曰。此即救人以自救也。其余如孙叔敖之埋蛇。裴晋
公之还带。皆能转祸为福。履险如夷。古书所载。斑斑可考。岂非较药而更速乎。客遂唯唯而去。
A guest remarked, "The gains and losses in a person's life are inevitably related to the smoothness or adversity of their fortune. Heroes throughout history, when their time had not yet arrived, could barely afford their morning and evening meals; but when their time came, they became generals or prime ministers, possessing grand abilities to manage heaven and earth. How can the前后 (before and after) be so vastly different, like the sky and the abyss?"
I said, "This principle is very clear. Guest, please allow me to explain in detail."
I said, "Have you not observed the order of the four seasons? Hundred flowers wither in autumn, dry up and fall in winter; once the spring message arrives, they all bloom and compete in full flower; by summer, they grow lush and vigorous. This is the sign of gaining or losing one's time. Moreover, humans participate with Heaven and Earth, being the most spiritual of all things. The sun, moon, stars, rivers, and mountains have their origins. Are honor and disgrace, bending and stretching, entirely dependent on human affairs? There is Heavenly Fortune (Tian Yun), Qi Fortune (Qi Yun), and the Five Movements (Wu Yun) within humans. Heavenly Fortune relates to temporal numbers, Qi Fortune pertains to the nation, and the Five Movements within humans govern an individual's body, also known as Jing Qi (Qi circulating in the meridians). It operates day and night, entering and exiting according to specific times, determining the progression or regression of disease. The *Shanghan Lun* states: 'Taiyang disease (disease caused by pathogenic factors affecting the Taiyang channel) resolves from Wu hour to Wei hour.' It also says: 'Diseases originating from Yang heal at midnight; those originating from Yin heal at noon the next day.' It further states: 'After six days of cold damage, the six channels have completed their cycle; on the seventh day, resolution should occur.' This indicates that drug treatment for disease merely adjusts according to the deviation of the condition, waiting for the meridian cycle to complete before healing begins."
The guest asked, "If so, can the waxing and waning of the Five Movements be regulated by medicine? If the fortune is out of season, what method is used to treat it?"
I said, "How could there be no method? Disease is overcome by medicine, while fortune is overcome by virtue."
The guest said, "Even so, is it not faster than medicine?"
I said, "Virtue is faster than medicine."
The guest asked, "What is your basis for this view?"
I said, "In the past, a nobleman passed by riding a horse and whipping it forward. A physiognomist saw him and noticed his Yintang area was dark, indicating he would die suddenly and miserably according to physiognomy. Halfway along the road, he saw a obstructive stone blocking the path, which would surely harm someone. He dismounted, moved the stone, and returned. When the physiognomist saw him again, his face had turned rosy and red. Not only would he not die, but he would also enjoy wealth and honor. The physiognomist pulled the horse reins and asked in surprise what had happened. The nobleman said, 'When I left earlier, my complexion appeared dark, indicating sudden death and misery. Now that I have returned, not only will I not die, but I will enjoy wealth and honor.' Without great virtue, how could one reverse the will of Heaven in an instant?"
Then the nobleman explained the reason. The physiognomist said, "This is saving others to save oneself." Other examples include Sun Shu'ao burying the snake and Pei Jin Gong returning the belt, both of whom turned disaster into blessing and walked through danger as if on flat ground. These are recorded in ancient books and can be verified. Is this not faster than medicine?"
The guest then respectfully departed.