Hidden Brightness · fu ming

In brief

Fire falling short. 火曰伏明 — fire is called hidden brightness — and its 紀 is 勝長: 伏明之紀，是謂勝長。長氣不宣，藏氣反布，收氣自政，化令乃衡. The growing qi is not spread, the storing qi is out of its time, the harvesting qi governs of itself, and the command of transformation comes out level — four clauses that each say the same thing from a different quarter, that fire is not doing fire’s work. Then what is seen: 寒清數舉，暑令乃薄，承化物生，生而不長，成實而稚，遇化已老，陽氣屈伏，蟄蟲早藏 — cold and clear weather comes up again and again, the summer’s command is thin, things are born but do not grow, they come to fruit while still young and are old the moment the transformation touches them, the yang qi bends and lies down, and the hibernating creatures go into hiding early. Its 從 is water, 從水化也; its harm falls on the heart, and its 眚 on the south. 升明 is fire rising; 伏明 is the same fire with nothing to rise on.