First Contact with Gua Pulse — Reading Notes on The True Heart-Method of the Yi (Part 1)

By the Daoist Ma Yi · Commentary by Chen Tuan · Annotations by Hu Yixuan

Between heaven and earth, there is a thing. It cannot be named, cannot be described in words — yet it remains unchanged through ten thousand ages.

The True Heart-Method of the Yi (Zheng Yi Xin Fa) opens with a question:

Fuxi's Yi Dao encompasses the ten thousand phenomena.
One must know where they land — only then is there practical use.
— Ma Yi, Zheng Yi Xin Fa

I. "Gua Pulse" — The Key to the Entire Zheng Yi Xin Fa

What is Gua Pulse (卦脉)? Chen Tuan comments:

Gua Pulse is the principle of motion, flow, and natural spontaneity. When Gua Pulse is discerned, the principles of heaven, earth, and the ten thousand things are obtained.
— Chen Tuan, Commentary on Zheng Yi Xin Fa

A single character — Pulse (脉) — reveals the entire secret. The human body has blood vessels that circulate throughout; heaven and earth have Qi vessels where Yin and Yang flow everywhere.

Zhuangzi says in Knowledge Wandering North:

The entire universe is but one Qi.
— Zhuangzi, Zhi Bei You

II. The Armillary Sphere Analogy

Chen Tuan offers a brilliant analogy:

These hexagram lines are all means of writing the principles of heaven, earth, and the ten thousand things before our eyes — just like the armillary sphere.
— Chen Tuan, Commentary on Zheng Yi Xin Fa

The Yi Zhuan·Xici says:

In antiquity, Fuxi looked upward to observe the images in heaven, looked downward to observe the patterns on earth, observed the markings of birds and beasts — and thus first created the eight trigrams.
— Yi Zhuan·Xici

III. Yao Position Equals Qi Position

Kan ☵ — The Moon as Earth's Qi

One Yang submerged between two Yin lines. Yang Qi condenses at the pivot of the Yin body — this is the image of the moon.

People of today do not see the moon of ancient times,
Yet today's moon once shone upon the ancients.
— Li Bai

Li ☲ — The Sun as Heaven's Qi

One Yin attached between two Yang lines. Yin adorns Yang and thus shines — this is the image of the sun.

IV. Knowing Where Things Land

The opening sixteen characters — "must know where they land" (须知落处) form the core of the entire methodology.

V. Observing is Not Inferring

To observe is to face directly and see clearly — like a mirror reflecting form, like water reflecting the moon.

Attain utmost emptiness,
Guard steadfast stillness.
The ten thousand things arise together —
I thereby observe their return.
— Laozi, Dao De Jing

VI. Gua Pulse Requires Practice

It requires embodied realization, repeatedly facing the hexagram lines directly. Like the meridians in acupuncture — not mastered in a single day.

An old book, read a hundred times without weariness —
When read thoroughly and pondered deeply, understanding comes of itself.
— Su Shi

In the next installment, we will examine each of the six children trigrams — Kan, Li, Gen, Dui, Zhen, Xun.