A verbatim translation of the above passage would be:

Qian mountain Qian facing, water flows to Qian, Qian mountain indicates scholarly achievement

Mao mountain Mao facing Mao water source, will bring great wealth

Wu mountain Wu facing Wu at hall, a great general worthy of safeguarding the borders

Kun mountain Kun facing Kun flowing water, wealth and nobility never ceases.

The San He ( 三合 ) practice of the “Pure Yin Pure Yang ( 純陰純陽 )” theory shares similarities from the above passage from the Heavenly Jade Classic, but in Kan Yu ( 堪輿 ) the Yin and Yang must balance in harmony. The Total Pure Yang or the Total Pure Yin theory contradicts the concept of “the union of Yin and Yang produces”. While the “Pure Yin and Pure Yang” theory is highly regarded as the cornerstone of San He, it contradicts the understanding of “where Yin dies Yang will grow, where Yang dies Yin will grow ( 陰死陽生，陽死陰生 )”.

What is the basis for “Qian mountain Qian facing and water flows to Qian” to imply Guest Mountains at Qian indicate scholarly achievement? One thing for sure is that it is incorrect to assume that it literally means a ‘metal’ mountain with ‘metal’ facing and a ‘metal-direction’ water flow. It is even more absurd to assume that the sitting, facing and water mouth should be aligned in the same current period Gua.

The text implies a Metal structure from the “Four Major Water Mouths” theory. The theory indicates that the structures that make up the ‘Four Major Water Mouths’ are Metal, Wood, Fire and Water. But, the structures mentioned in Heavenly Jade Classic are Metal, Wood, Fire and Earth. Did the classic omit the Water structure, or is the Water structure unimportant? If these structures refer to the ‘Four Major Water Mouths’, is there an Earth structure? Why wasn’t the Water structure part of the formula?

Perhaps this is one of the many secrets that will only be passed down orally through discipleship training of certain lineages, and not to other practitioners. History has shown that the ancient Chinese culture has this habit of keeping the top secrets of real life applications beyond the reach of the everyman; no amount of money can buy those secrets. Absolute understanding is strictly only for the eyes of chosen, favored disciples.

It is therefore clear that the modern understanding, teaching and application of the ‘Four Major Water Mouths’ theory is questionable. There is a general lack of understanding of the classics.

The original classics written by the Great Grand Master Yang Jun Song ( 楊筠松 ) were Qing Nang Au Yu ( 青囊奧語 ), Tian Yu Jing ( 天玉經 ) and Yu Chi Jing ( 玉尺經 ); the first two books were then later commented by Grand Master Jiang Da Hong ( 蔣大鴻 ) according to his understanding and were incorporated into the Di Li Bian Zhen ( 地理辨正 ) .

We have also heard of the concept of “Follow the Dragon Water”. Dragon refers to a range of mountains, and the statement literally means that “Water follows the Dragon”. But if Water were to follow the Dragon, doesn’t the Dragon have to first ‘move’? If we have an unmoving Dragon, then it is rather impossible for Water to follow the Dragon.

In ancient Chinese culture, the female always follows the male. Can we associate the Water with Yin (the female force), the Dragon as Yang(the male force), and therefore say the concept of “Follow the Dragon Water” is correct by association? Also consider that the Dragon releases the vein, also known as the Qi of life, and it is Water that gathers the Qi; Don’t women gather the Qi of life in their wombs?

The Book of Burial states: In the art of Feng Shui, receiving Water comes first, Wind is secondary (” 風水之法，得水為上，藏風次之 ”). Is this another mystery on the scale of the Da Vinci Code?