Has any modern-day practitioner authored a casebook?

[duesouth]

Hi all,

Are you aware of any English language casebook authored by modern day practitioners?

Both the Zǐpíng Zhēnquán Píngzhù (子平真詮評註, Ziping’s True Commentary) Bazi book and Zēngshān Bǔyì (增刪卜易, Additions and Deletions to Divining Changes) Liuyao book each contained over 400 examples. These were published in imperial times.

So I was wondering why in this age of AI and ChatGPT, no modern practitioner has published their experience of a similar number of cases. Maybe I just missed finding such books?

Regards.

[2noBody]

Bhgg. Are you not aware of how the Australian Ministry of Health published statistics showing that smokers have lower rates of heart disease, and then deleted them? Google "paired cases," for example. When two patients with the same rare disease are brought in on the same day. Or, for example, add up all the gastrointestinal cancers and find that the mortality rate is 50%+. They're simply lumped into separate groups. Stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, small bowel cancer. And they also shove laryngeal cancer and esophageal cancer into the lung cancer category. Welcome to the world of evidence-based medicine .

[2noBody]

@nin99

Are you going to write a book? I'd be interested in reading about cancer or skin diseases with birth dates.

[nin99]

@nin99

Are you going to write a book? I'd be interested in reading about cancer or skin diseases with birth dates.

Read many people died when they meet an lp that clash mont pillar after 50 year s or if they meet indirect wealth.

[2noBody]

@nin99

Are you going to write a book? I'd be interested in reading about cancer or skin diseases with birth dates.

Read many people died when they meet an lp that clash mont pillar after 50 year s or if they meet indirect wealth.

I've completed 4 of the 6 bad luck pillars. I know what pain is . I'm interested in medical statistics. For the connection between BaZi and Wu Xing. There are specially made changes to the Wu Xing of the human internal organs. Only extensive medical statistics can help find and correct them.

[ren]

Hey Duesouth,

My thoughts...

The ancient text you mentioned were rare text. They were most likely handwritten and only available to the elite.
Very few people had access to them as some of them were held in great secrecy, as not to reveal the knowledge to just
anybody, especially not a potential rival or enemy.

When I first looked for bazi books, I was attracted to Dr. Lily Chung. Her books are filled with examples. My problem with her was
she did not rely on having the hour pillar to do readings. [https://sites.google.com/site/drlilychung/home/the-meng]

Nowadays, some authors may consider such text as intellectual property. Not likely to be found on the open market.

ren

[duesouth]

@ren,

I understand your point about intellectual property. But it still a little sad that some of the more senior practitioners, who have been around since the 1970s-1980s, have not written out hundreds of case studies to pass down to future generations.

Regards.

[smsek]

You raise an excellent point about the lack of **extensive English-language casebooks** authored by modern practitioners of Chinese metaphysics, especially when compared to the hundreds of cases found in classical texts like the *$Zǐpíng Zhēnquán Píngzhù*$ and *$Zēngshān Bǔyì$*.

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## 🧐 Reasons for the Casebook Disparity

The difference in publication practice between imperial times and the present day can be attributed to several factors:

* **Scope and Tradition of Classics:** The classical texts you mentioned were often the culmination of a master's entire body of work or a comprehensive school of thought, intended to be the definitive reference for future generations. They established foundational rules and covered a vast range of scenarios.
* **Modern Publication Economics:** Publishing a book with 400+ detailed case studies is a massive undertaking. In the modern, niche market for Chinese metaphysics books, the cost-benefit analysis often favors shorter, more focused books (e.g., on a specific technique, a single element, or a limited number of "classic" chart types).
* **Privacy and Ethics:** Modern practitioners operate under stricter client confidentiality standards. While practitioners in imperial times may have used general or historical cases, contemporary authors face challenges in anonymizing or obtaining consent for hundreds of detailed, personal client cases.
* **Shift to Digital and Course Materials:** Many modern masters prefer to share their extensive case studies not through traditionally published books, but through **paid online courses, seminar materials, or private blogs**. These formats allow for easier updates, multimedia explanations, and protection of intellectual property, making them less accessible to the general public than a single, widely available book.
* **Focus on Technique vs. Volume:** Modern English-language books often prioritize teaching the *methodology* and *theory* of Bazi or Liuyao/I-Ching divination, using a smaller number of detailed case studies to illustrate specific points, rather than compiling a huge volume of cases for statistical or exhaustive study.

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## 📚 Notable English Case Study Resources

While a 400-case volume might be elusive, here are a few types of English-language resources that do provide modern practitioners' experiences:

* **Books by Well-Known Authors:** Some of the more prolific English-language authors like **Joey Yap, Jerry King, or Clear and Direct Divination (CDD) authors** often include a section of case studies in their specialized books. However, these usually contain dozens, not hundreds, of examples.
* **Specialized Bazi/Four Pillars Books:** Look for books that focus on a specific technical aspect (like *Ten Gods*, *Clashes and Harms*, or *Special Structures*). These books, by necessity, will provide case studies to demonstrate the application of that specific rule.
* **I-Ching/Liu Yao Interpretation Books:** Books on the *I-Ching* or *Liuyao* sometimes feature a collection of the author's personal divinations, though again, the quantity rarely approaches the classical scale.

It is entirely possible that a major collection exists in a very specialized or self-published format (perhaps one primarily sold at seminars), but it has not gained the widespread recognition of the classical works or been readily indexed in general book databases.

[duesouth]

@smsek,

Thanks for your thoughtful reply.

Agree with your point about “cost-benefit analysis often favors shorter, more focused books”. Modern authors are unlikely to be well compensated for time spent on a book – unless the publication supports their other products/services (i.e. consultations, courses, seminars).

If an author took six months full time to write a book – that’s 26 weeks x 40 hours x $16.50/hour (California minimum wage) = US$17,160. Joey Yap sells some of his books at US$33 each. At this price, an author needs to sell 520 books! Agree, it’s not easy in such a niche market.