Liuren

The Xiao Liuren (Kongming Six Yao Stars) is a notation in the traditional Chinese calendar used to indicate the auspiciousness of each day, primarily for military strategy.

The time is calculated in the order of month, day, and hour. Days resulting in Da'an, Suxi, and Xiaoji are considered auspicious, while the others are inauspicious.

This method was later introduced to Japan and became popular there. Liuren is divided into Da Liuren and Xiao Liuren. Xiao Liuren is considered relative to Da Liuren, where it involves predicting information through six cycles of hexagrams. Each hexagram corresponds to a fixed form of things.

History

The Xiao Liuren (Kongming Six Yao Stars) is a notation in the traditional Chinese calendar used to indicate the auspiciousness of each day, primarily for military strategy.

In Xiao Liuren, the six positions Da'an (Great Peace), Liulian (Lingering), Suxi (Rapid Joy), Chikou (Red Mouth), Xiaoji (Minor Fortune), and Kongwang (Void) are arranged on the index finger, middle finger, and ring finger. The time is calculated in the order of month, day, and hour. Days resulting in Da'an, Suxi, and Xiaoji are considered auspicious, while the others are inauspicious. This method was later introduced to Japan and became popular there. Liuren is divided into Da Liuren and Xiao Liuren. Xiao Liuren is considered relative to Da Liuren, where it involves predicting information through six cycles of hexagrams. Each hexagram corresponds to a fixed form of things.

"The Six Yao" originated in China. According to legend, it was first created by Zhuge Liang and called "Kongming Six Yao Stars," primarily used for military strategy. In fact, it is still uncertain whether the Six Yao originated during the Three Kingdoms period. Another theory suggests that it was created by Li Chunfeng during the Tang Dynasty.

In the earliest calendars, the Six Yao divided a month of 30 days into five parts to distinguish each day, similar to the modern concept of weeks.

From the late Kamakura period to the Muromachi period in the 14th century, the Six Yao was introduced to Japan. Subsequently, its name, order, and meaning changed. The form of the Six Yao used in Japan today originated in the early 19th century.

At the end of the Edo period, the Six Yao began to appear on calendars in Japanese households. In the Meiji era, markings on calendars predicting auspiciousness and inauspiciousness were considered superstitious and banned by the government. However, the Six Yao was not classified as superstition and thus was retained. This allowed it to spread quickly among the populace and become widely known after World War II. The literal meanings of the Six Yao in Japan are as follows: 1. Sensho: the early bird wins; 2. Tomobiki: attracts friends; 3. Senbu: the early bird loses; 4. Butsumetsu: all merits disappear; 5. Taian: everything is peaceful; 6. Shakkou: quarrels. Folk beliefs typically associate the application of the Six Yao with these literal meanings, such as avoiding holding funerals on Tomobiki days to prevent the deceased's friends from being "pulled" to the afterlife.

The Six Yao defines auspiciousness, inauspiciousness, and fortune, and many aspects are related to gambling. It was originally used by gamblers to decide whether to place bets. Therefore, even today, Japan's government-run lottery tickets often include the Six Yao.