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Ancient Restoration

Five Stratagems

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In the beginning, rulers and subjects lived in nests and caves, exposed to the wind and rain. Relatives and strangers walked the same path, and children did not even know who their fathers were. The five grains were not yet cultivated; people drank the blood of animals and ate their raw fur and feathers. Their reputations were vast and drifting, and their joy was simple and boundless. But once the Sages appeared, wisdom and foolishness were divided. Concepts of ruler and subject, father and son, were established. Alas! As the Great Way original: "Dadao," the natural, primordial order of the universe was abandoned, deceit and craftiness arose, and monsters and demons appeared.

○ Discourse on the Origins of the Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earthly Branches

Take note It was because deceit arose and demons appeared that, during the time of the Yellow Emperor Huangdi: The legendary ancestor of the Chinese people and a culture hero credited with inventing many foundations of civilization, the god Chi You A bronze-headed, four-eyed mythological warrior or deity who led a rebellion against the Yellow Emperor caused great chaos and rebellion. At that time, the Yellow Emperor grieved for the suffering of his people. He fought Chi You at the Wilds of Zhuolu, and though blood flowed for a hundred miles, he was unable to restore order. The Yellow Emperor then fasted and performed sacrifices at an altar to Heaven, and began the rituals to the Earth. In response, Heaven sent down the Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earthly Branches. The Yellow Emperor then arranged the Ten Stems in a circle to represent the image of Heaven, and the Twelve Branches in a square to represent the image of the Earth. Only then was he able to suppress the chaos and rule effectively. This is the origin of the Ten Stems and Twelve Branches. Later, there was a man named Da Nao A legendary minister of the Yellow Emperor who worried for future generations. He said: "Alas! Even the Yellow Emperor was a Sage, and yet even he struggled to control such evil. If such a terrible slaughter should happen again, how will ordinary men endure the suffering? What can be done?" Consequently, he took the Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earthly Branches and paired them together to create the "Sixty Flower-Like Cycles of Time" Sexagenary Cycle: The 60-year, 60-day, and 60-hour system used in Chinese chronology and divination.