Confucian Geomancy for Filial Piety 儒门崇理折衷堪舆完孝录

Author unknown.

It was roughly compiled in the mid Ming Dynasty.

Comprising eight volumes, it is included in the Supplementary Daozang, a continuation of The Daozang.

Confucian Geomancy for Filial Piety

This book expounds on the study of geomancy, asserting that selecting an auspicious location and propitious time for the burial of a loved one constitutes the fulfillment of filial piety—hence the title The Record of Fulfilling Filial Piety Through Fengshui. The essence of geomancy lies in choosing favorable topographical qi and an auspicious birth year and month aligned with the Seven Luminaries (the sun, moon, and five planets). The first two volumes, each containing thirty chapters, mostly cite the words of predecessors and briefly discuss dragon lairs, sand formations, water patterns, mountain orientations and configurations, the circulation of Yin and Yang qi, as well as the Seven Luminaries and the Five Elements. The subsequent six volumes elaborate separately on the rules for selecting auspicious locations and times, including the principles of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, the theory of fate formation, the application of the Seven Luminaries, the orbital movements of various stars, the Five Cycles of Qi and Six Climatic Influences, and the Nine Palaces and Three Cycles.

In summary, the content of this book—including judgments on stellar constellations and hours, mountain and river terrestrial veins, the orientation of grave sites, and burial rituals—all embodies the teachings of ancient astrologers and fengshui masters.