In divination, determining whether a person's "strong body" or "weak body" is crucial for understanding their personality and destiny. This article will delve into the issue of whether "not receiving the command, not obtaining the land, and not gaining the momentum" indicates a strong or weak body in the Eight Characters (Ba Zi) system, revealing the complexity and methods of judgment in Ba Zi. By analyzing the principles of the Five Elements' mutual generation and control, we will gradually understand how to assess the strength and weakness of a person in divination.

Definitions of Strong Body and Weak Body

In divination, "strong body" and "weak body" do not refer to physical strength or weakness, but rather to the extent to which the seven characters other than the Day Stem (Ri Yuan) in a person's birth chart support or weaken the Day Stem. If there are more characters that support the Day Stem, the person has a strong body; conversely, if there are more characters that weaken or drain the Day Stem, the person has a weak body. This judgment is based on the principles of the Five Elements' mutual generation and control, where "supporting" includes the same element and the element that generates it, while "weakening, draining, and consuming" includes the element that controls it, the element it controls, and the element it generates.

Effects of Strong Body and Weak Body

An overly strong birth chart may lead to stubbornness and inflexibility, while an overly weak one may result in a lack of confidence and poor health. People with a strong body are usually assertive and independent, less likely to obey others; those with a weak body tend to be more amiable, avoid conflict, and prefer to be with family and friends. However, merely judging by strong or weak body cannot fully determine a person's personality and destiny; it also needs to be combined with the combination of the birth chart, the Ten Gods, the Divine Wards, the Major Periods, and the Annual Flowing Years.

The Importance of Judging Strong and Weak Bodies

Judging the strength and weakness of the body is the first step in analyzing the Eight Characters, aiming to help the person achieve balance and moderation. For those with a strong body, the adjustment should focus on weakening or draining it; for those with a weak body, the adjustment should focus on supporting it. Therefore, understanding whether the person has a strong or weak body is essential for targeted treatment and determining the favorable and unfavorable elements of the person's destiny.

Methods of Judgment — Scoring Method

The scoring method is a simple and direct way to judge the strength and weakness of the body. It assigns scores to the seven characters other than the Day Stem, evaluating the strength and weakness of the body. The month branch has the strongest power, worth 40 points; the month stem, day branch, hour stem, and hour branch around the Day Stem are each worth 12 points; the year stem and year branch are worth 8 and 4 points respectively. Points are added for characters that support the Day Stem, while characters that weaken or drain the Day Stem receive no points. A score between 40-60 indicates balance; below 40 points indicates a weak body, and above 60 points indicates a strong body.

Methods of Judgment — Traditional School

The traditional school considers three factors: receiving the command (de ling), obtaining the land (de di), and gaining the momentum (de shi). Receiving the command means the month branch supports or benefits the Day Stem. Obtaining the land refers to the Day Stem having the same element present in the earth branches' hidden stems. Gaining the momentum means that besides the Day Stem, there are three or more characters with the same or generating element as the Day Stem. By considering these factors, one can comprehensively judge the strength or weakness of a person's body.

Through this in-depth analysis, we have learned that determining whether "not receiving the command, not obtaining the land, and not gaining the momentum" indicates a strong or weak body is a complex process involving the principles of the Five Elements' mutual generation and control, as well as various methods of judgment. The scoring method and the traditional school provide different perspectives, and the final judgment may vary depending on the method used. In practical application, it is necessary to combine the specific circumstances of an individual's birth chart and verify through practice which method is more accurate.