世之言运气者率以每岁大寒节为今年六之气所终来年一之气所始其终始之交隔越一气不
相接续
余尝疑于是后见杨子建通神论乃知其论已先于余余请以先天后天卦以明之夫风木冬春之交北
东之维艮震也君火春夏之交东南之维震巽也相火正夏之时正南方之离也湿土夏秋之交南西之
维坤兑也燥金秋冬之交西北之维兑干也寒水正冬之时正北之方坎也此主气之定布者也地初正
气子中而丑中震也地后间气丑中而卯中离也天前间气卯中而巳中兑也天中
正气巳中而未中干巽也天后间气未中而酉中坎也地前间气酉中而亥中艮也地终正气亥中而
子中坤也此客气之加临者也主气土居二火之后客气土行二火之间终艮始艮后天卦位也始震终
坤先天卦序也世以岁气起大寒者似协后天终艮始艮之义然而非也子建以岁气起冬至者KT 契先
天始震终坤之义子午岁之冬至起燥金而生丑中之寒水丑未岁之冬至起寒水而生丑中之风木寅
申岁起风木卯酉岁起君火辰成岁起湿土巳亥岁起相火皆肇端于子半六气相生循环不穷岂岁岁
间断于传承之际哉然则终始乎艮者可以分主气之所居位而非可以论客气所行之序也(草庐文
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内经云天明则日月不明近见虞天民解云君火太过热令早行火为离明之象故曰明淫观其所
释
终不了然偶阅医垒元戎云天明则日月不明邪害空窍天所以藏德者为其欲隐大明故大明见则小
明
灭故大明之德不可不藏天若自明则日月之明隐矣所论者何言人之真气亦不可大泄露当清净法
道以保天真苟离于道则虚邪入于空窍风热之害人则九窍闭塞雾露之为病则掩翳精明取类者在
天则日月不光在人则两目隐耀也
世人谈论五运六气，通常以每年大寒节气作为今年第六步气（终之气）的结束和来年第一步气（初之气）的开始。这样，终之气与初之气的交接之间隔着一整个气，彼此不相接续。
我曾对此感到疑惑，后来看到杨子建的《通神论》，才知道他的论述早已先于我。我请允许我用先天八卦和后天八卦来阐明这一道理。风木对应冬春之交，位于东北方的艮卦与震卦；君火对应春夏之交，位于东南方的震卦与巽卦；相火对应盛夏之时，位于正南方的离卦；湿土对应夏秋之交，位于西南方的坤卦与兑卦；燥金对应秋冬之交，位于西北方的兑卦与乾卦；寒水对应严冬之时，位于正北方的坎卦。这是主气固定的分布规律。地之初正气始于子时中位而终于丑时中位，对应震卦；地之后间气始于丑时中位而终于卯时中位，对应离卦；天之前间气始于卯时中位而终于巳时中位，对应兑卦；天之中正气始于巳时中位而终于未时中位，对应乾卦与巽卦；天之后间气始于未时中位而终于酉时中位，对应坎卦；地之前间气始于酉时中位而终于亥时中位，对应艮卦；地之终正气始于亥时中位而终于子时中位，对应坤卦。这是客气加临的规律。主气中，土行位于二火之后；客气中，土行位于二火之间。终始于艮卦，是后天八卦的方位；起始于震卦而终止于坤卦，是先天八卦的顺序。世人认为岁气从大寒开始，似乎符合后天八卦“终艮始艮”的意义，但这并不正确。子建认为岁气从冬至开始，才契合先天八卦“始震终坤”的意义。在子年和午年，冬至起于燥金，而生出丑时的寒水；在丑年和未年，冬至起于寒水，而生出丑时的风木；寅年和申年，岁气起于风木；卯年和酉年，岁气起于君火；辰年和戌年，岁气起于湿土；巳年和亥年，岁气起于相火。这些都肇端于子半（冬至），六气相生循环无穷，难道会在传承交接之际岁岁间断吗？既然这样，那么以艮卦为终始的划分，只能用来区分主气所处的位置，而不能用来论述客气运行的次序。
《内经》说：“天明则日月不明。”最近见到虞天民的解说，他认为：君火太过，热令早行，火是离明之象，所以说“明淫”。观察他的解释，始终不能让人完全明白。偶然翻阅《医垒元戎》，其中说：“天明则日月不明，邪害空窍。天之所以藏德者，为其欲隐大明，故大明见则小明灭。故大明之德不可不藏。天若自明，则日月之明隐矣。”这里论述的是什么？是说人的真气也不可以过度泄露，应当清净守法道以保全天真。如果背离了道，虚邪就会侵入空窍。风热之邪害人，会导致九窍闭塞；雾露之邪致病，则会遮蔽眼睛的精明。取类比象而言，在天则是日月无光，在人则是双目昏暗无神。
Those who discuss the Five Movements and Six Qi (Wu Yun Liu Qi) generally take the Great Cold solar term of each year as the end of the sixth phase (Final Qi) of the current year and the beginning of the first phase (Initial Qi) of the next year. In this manner, there is a gap of one entire phase between the end and the beginning, so they do not connect continuously.
I once harbored doubts about this. Later, I saw Yang Zijian's *Tongshen Lun* (Discourse on Communicating with the Divine), and realized that his discussion had preceded mine. I would like to use the Qian Tian (Earlier Heaven) and Hou Tian (Later Heaven) Bagua (Eight Trigrams) to clarify this principle. Wind-Wood corresponds to the transition between winter and spring, located at the Northeast corner in the Gen (Mountain) and Zhen (Thunder) trigrams. Ministerial Fire (Jun Huo) corresponds to the transition between spring and summer, located at the Southeast corner in the Zhen (Thunder) and Xun (Wind) trigrams. Imperial Fire (Xiang Huo) corresponds to midsummer, located due South in the Li (Fire) trigram. Damp-Earth corresponds to the transition between summer and autumn, located at the Southwest corner in the Kun (Earth) and Dui (Lake) trigrams. Dry-Metal corresponds to the transition between autumn and winter, located at the Northwest corner in the Dui (Lake) and Qian (Heaven) trigrams. Cold-Water corresponds to deep winter, located due North in the Kan (Water) trigram. This is the fixed distribution of the Host Qi (Zhu Qi). The Earth's Initial Correct Qi begins at the middle of Zi hour and ends at the middle of Chou hour, corresponding to Zhen; the Earth's Latter Intermittent Qi begins at the middle of Chou hour and ends at the middle of Mao hour, corresponding to Li; the Heaven's Former Intermittent Qi begins at the middle of Mao hour and ends at the middle of Si hour, corresponding to Dui; the Heaven's Central Correct Qi begins at the middle of Si hour and ends at the middle of Wei hour, corresponding to Qian and Xun; the Heaven's Latter Intermittent Qi begins at the middle of Wei hour and ends at the middle of You hour, corresponding to Kan; the Earth's Former Intermittent Qi begins at the middle of You hour and ends at the middle of Hai hour, corresponding to Gen; the Earth's Final Correct Qi begins at the middle of Hai hour and ends at the middle of Zi hour, corresponding to Kun. This is the application of the Guest Qi (Ke Qi). In the Host Qi, Earth follows the two Fires; in the Guest Qi, Earth moves between the two Fires. Ending and starting with Gen represents the Later Heaven Bagua positions; starting with Zhen and ending with Kun represents the Earlier Heaven sequence. People believe that the annual Qi starts from Great Cold, which seems to align with the meaning of the Later Heaven "ending with Gen and starting with Gen," but this is incorrect. Zijian believes that the annual Qi starts from Winter Solstice, which fits the meaning of the Earlier Heaven "starting with Zhen and ending with Kun." In the Zi and Wu years, Winter Solstice begins with Dry-Metal and generates Cold-Water at Chou; in the Chou and Wei years, Winter Solstice begins with Cold-Water and generates Wind-Wood at Chou; in the Yin and Shen years, it begins with Wind-Wood; in the Mao and You years, it begins with Ministerial Fire; in the Chen and Xu years, it begins with Damp-Earth; in the Si and Hai years, it begins with Imperial Fire. All these originate at Zi Ban (midnight/Winter Solstice), with the six phases generating each other in an endless cycle. How could they be interrupted year after year at the point of succession? Therefore, dividing by ending and starting with Gen can only be used to distinguish the position occupied by the Host Qi, and cannot be used to discuss the order of the Guest Qi's movement.
The *Neijing* (Inner Canon) states: "If Heaven reveals its brightness, the sun and moon lose their clarity." Recently, I saw Yu Tianmin's explanation, which claims: "When Ministerial Fire is excessive, the heat command arrives early. Fire is the image of Li brightness, hence it is said 'excessive brightness'." Observing his interpretation, it remains unclear. I happened to browse the *Yilei Yuanrong*, which says: "'Heaven reveals its brightness, then the sun and moon lose their clarity; evil harms the empty orifices.' The reason Heaven hides its virtue is that it wishes to conceal the Great Brightness; thus, when the Great Brightness appears, the Small Brightness extinguishes. Therefore, the virtue of the Great Brightness must not be revealed. If Heaven reveals itself, the brightness of the sun and moon will be hidden." What does this discuss? It says that human True Qi (Zhen Qi) should also not be excessively leaked. One should maintain purity and follow the Dao to preserve innate truth. If one deviates from the Dao, empty evil will enter the empty orifices. Wind-heat harming people leads to the blockage of the nine orifices; fog and dew causing disease lead to the obscuration of visual acuity. By analogy, in heaven, the sun and moon lack luster; in humans, the eyes become dim and obscure.