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Xuán Kōng 2B Purple White – Beyond Flying Stars
June 19-20, 2007 saw the gathering in Kuala Lumpur of senior students from around the world to attend Master Joey’s Xuán Kōng 2B course (XK2B). Two-thirds of my classmates had already completed the Academy’s highest modules (i.e. Module 4) of both Fēng Shuĭ and BāZì streams. A number were already successful Fēng Shuĭ consultants in their own right!
What is XK2B about? In brief, it is a post-graduate level course on advanced fundamentals of Xuán Kōng (玄空). Specifically, XK2B covers principles and applications derived from the Purple White Script (紫白訣, Zĭ Bái Jué) classic.
The Purple White Script, said to been written around the Táng Dynasty (618–907AD), was a key source book used by famous Fēng Shuĭ masters, including Jiăng Dà Hóng (蔣大鴻), Zhāng Zhóng Shān (章仲山) and Shěn Zhú Réng (沈竹礽). Shěn is the master whose book, compiled in the 1930s by his son, brought Flying Stars popular attention.
The Purple White Script is composed of Upper and Lower Scrolls – the Upper is on concepts and Lower on applications, including star combinations. Interestingly, Shěn’s Flying Stars appears to primarily draw from just the Lower Scroll. In contrast, XK2B is a study of both Scrolls – we could say that the course, thus, goes beyond Flying Stars.
Interpretation, not just translation
But why doesn’t a student just read the Classic himself? Well, it is one thing to translate a metaphysics text (believe me, I have tried it!), and quite another to interpret its writings. Interpretation requires a key. This key usually takes the form of a paradigm (i.e. a pattern of understanding), and XK2B provides it for the Purple White Script.
Early on, Joey gave the class a heavenly, hearty start by citing a short Xuán Kōng poem reflecting basic principles. A hint – the poem contained the phrase ‘Kūn Rén Yĭ (坤壬乙)’.
We then moved onto the Purple White Script proper by studying a quote from the Upper Scroll:
Using the Map luck as body, Book luck as application. This is the usual.
Using the Map to explore the Book and Book to explore the map, This is the transformation.
After which came a discussion of three critical relationships in Purple White. The importance of these relationships became more and more evident over the two days of the course. In preparation for a fuller review of such relationships, Joey reprised the nature of the nine stars, contrasting them against the eight Guà (yes, there is a difference!).
Relating stars
The class then explored Purple White techniques involving star combinations. Ideas were taken from the Purple White Script, and also other Xuán Kōng classics such as the Flying Star Poem (飛星賦, Fēi Xīng Fù), Mysterious Secrets Poem (玄機賦, Xuán Jī Fù), and Xuán Kōng Secret Meanings (玄空秘旨, Xuán Kōng Mì Zhĭ). Here, we looked at the interactions between palaces, environment, visiting stars, Qì mouth and the individual person.
We next delved into the Purple White Script Lower Scroll in respect of combinations. Joey, demonstrating his ease with the Classics, drew our attention to the Scroll’s consistency with a paragraph in Master Yáng Yún Sōng’s (楊筠松) Heavenly Jade Classic (天玉經, Tiān Yù Jīng). As an aside, attendees were warned against misreading the sequence of numbers as written in classical text. You could say some of our class scholars (4,1) were on fire (7,9) after this part of the session!
Seeing stars
A discussion about the effect of a star encountering another began with an extract from Yáng’s Green Satchel Profound Sayings (青囊奧語, Qīng Náng Aò Yŭ)). This was followed by the topic on ‘Out-of-Guà’, which proved to be a bit of an eye-opener for some attendees! Simply put, ‘Out-of-Guà’ helps explain why the impact of a house’s Fēng Shuĭ may markedly differ between individuals in that residence.
We then returned to the Upper Scroll where Joey sounded out the hidden meanings of further Purple White techniques, namely those of:
- Period Master and House Master;
- 8 Mystical Doors;
- Year Replace Year;
- Month Replace Month;
- Floor Replace Palace; and
- Entrance Replace Room.
The class finished with a flourish as Joey impressed all, in response to a student’s question, with a quick example of Purple White divination (39). Seriously!
What’s next?
The payoff for XK2B students is an ability to apply additional Xuán Kōng techniques rooted in strong fundamentals beyond those previously learnt in their flying stars studies.
For you readers inspired to attend the next XK2B class, may I pass on the advice several Instructors kindly gave prior to the session: ‘prepare, prepare, prepare’. We need to know our basics, and prior modules, well. XK2B is not a class for the less-than-diligent. In passing, you may wish to consider emailing your intentions to the Academy’s Ms. Jaime Shun (jaime@masteryacademy.com). Why? Notice the two year hiatus before this recent class was held. Let Jaime know you want the next course conducted sooner rather than later!
In the meantime, some of my XK2B classmates are looking forward to the next higher Xuán Kōng module. A thousand-petalled lotus, anyone?
By Terence Chan |