What Is Da Liu Ren (大六壬)?
Da Liu Ren (大六壬) is one of the three classical Chinese divination arts (三式): it casts a chart for the moment a question is asked and reads the matter through four lessons and three transmissions, the start, middle and end of the story.
| Family | One of the Three Styles (三式) with Qi Men Dun Jia and Tai Yi |
|---|---|
| Inputs | The moment of asking: day pillar, hour branch, monthly general |
| Plates | Heaven plate rotating over the fixed earth plate of 12 branches |
| Core structure | Four lessons (四課) → three transmissions (三傳) |
| Methods for the transmissions | Nine (九宗門) |
| Generals | 12 heavenly generals (十二天將) |
| Charts | 720 basic configurations (60 days × 12 hours) |
A worked example
Cast for 2027-02-06 10:00 Hong Kong time on Lunar New Year's Day 2027: pillars 丁未 壬寅 丙辰 癸巳, monthly general 子 (神後), method 比用 (知一), void branches 子 丑.
| Lesson | Upper over lower | Relation | General |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson 1 | 子 over 丙 | 上剋下 | 螣蛇 |
| Lesson 2 | 未 over 子 | 上剋下 | 太常 |
| Lesson 3 | 亥 over 辰 | 下賊上 | 貴人 |
| Lesson 4 | 午 over 亥 | 下賊上 | 白虎 |
| Transmission | Branch | Role | General |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | 午 (Fire) | 兄弟 | White Tiger |
| Middle | 丑 (Earth) | 子孫 | Vermilion Bird, void |
| Final | 申 (Metal) | 妻財 | Dark Warrior |
The nine methods
The three transmissions are drawn from the four lessons by nine classical rules (九宗門), tried in order: 賊克 (conquest), 比用 (comparison), 涉害 (depth of harm), 遙克 (distant conquest), 昂星 (rising star), 別責 (separate charge), 八專 (eight specials), 伏吟 (hidden chant) and 返吟 (returning chant). The example above uses 比用.
History
Liu Ren is among the oldest Chinese cosmic boards: it grew out of the rotating shi (式) diviner's board of the Han dynasty and was systematised by the Song and Ming. Its name refers to 壬, the yang Water stem, and the sixty cycle; the "six" points to the six 壬 pillars.
Asking a good question
- Ask about one matter at a time.
- Ask about something you can act on (a meeting, an offer, a trip), not a yes/no about other people's minds.
- Note the time: the chart depends on the hour you ask.
How a reading flows
The initial transmission is how the matter starts, the middle is how it develops and the final is where it lands. Readers look at each one's role (wealth, officer, offspring, sibling, parent) relative to the day stem, the generals that ride on them, whether any is void, and whether the chain feeds or fights itself.
How askjoss computes it
Our Ask Joss tool casts the full chart: monthly general by mid-season solar term, both plates, four lessons, the three transmissions by the nine methods, twelve generals and void branches. Its Clear / Cloudy / Wait verdict is our own written rule set on top of the chart. Full notes, including every simplification, are on How we calculate.
Common misconceptions
- "Liu Ren is fortune-telling about your whole life." It answers one question about one moment.
- "The answer is fixed." Classical readers treat it as a situation report, including what would change the outcome.
Sources
- 《六壬大全》 (Ming): the standard compendium of Liu Ren methods.
- 《大六壬指南》 (Qing, Chen Gongxian): case-based guide to reading the transmissions.
Related: What is BaZi? · Day Master · Five elements · Tong Shu almanac · Qi Men Dun Jia · Zodiac clashes (Tai Sui)
Frequently asked questions
What is Da Liu Ren used for?
Answering a specific question (will this deal close, how will this meeting go) from a chart of the moment it is asked.
How is Da Liu Ren different from Qi Men Dun Jia?
Liu Ren reads the story of one matter through three transmissions; Qi Men maps time and direction across nine palaces and is often used to choose when and where to act.
Can I try Da Liu Ren for free?
Yes. Ask Joss casts a Da Liu Ren chart for the moment you ask and explains it in plain English.
askjoss presents Chinese metaphysics as cultural tradition and a tool for self-reflection. It is not medical, legal, financial or psychological advice, and no reading can promise an outcome.