Zang-Shu(『葬書』) - Its Context and Meaning

This study is about Jin Nang Jing (錦襄經), so-called, the most respected canon of feng-shui (風水) .Jin Nang Jing and Qing Wu Jing (靑鳥經) are the representatives of feng-shui texts. I think that 靑鳥經 is the 'metaphoric' description of feng-shui while 錦襄經 is the 'narrative.' They can be referred as "Zang Jing 葬經" and "Zang Shu 葬書" respectively. Kui Zhang Ge (奎章閣) version of 『錦襄經』 is selected for this analysis. Generally, the author of 『錦襄經』 is known to be Guo Pu (郭璞, 晋, 276-324), but according to several datum, this assertion is doubtable. Nevertheless, it can be found that there was a cultural context and a desire to consider 郭璞 as the author of 『葬書』. I have inspected this problem through his biographies and writings. 郭璞 as a historic person came to be considered as the founder of feng-shui because the practice had been already prevalent in the Han (漢) Dynasty and because his academic ability was highly evaluated during the Jin (晋) Dynasty. The contents of 『葬書』 includes Qi Gan Bian (氣感編) as a core section that describes the character and condition of 氣(qi), the metaphysical concept of feng-shui, Yin Shi Bian (因勢編) ․ Ping Zhi Bian (平支編) ․ Shan Shi Bian (山勢編) ․ Si Shi Bian (四勢編) that describes techniques for grasping and distinguishing of expressive form of 氣 Gui Xue Bian (貴穴編) describes Xue 穴 itself as a core of 氣, Xing Shi Bian (形勢編) as a supplementary section of 因勢․山勢․四勢編, and Qu Lei Bian (取類編) as a c oncrete Xiang Di (相地) practice. The result of this analysis is that the most desirable places corresponding with 『葬書』isn't acquired by divine power. Only if 氣 is ensured as a creative power and metaphysical proposition, 『葬書』can be the system of explanation about techniques to find good places and it can be the object of 'knowledge.