Is Zhuge Liang’s Eight Formations Really So Magical in History?

Historical Records

"Three Kingdoms·Shu Zhi·Zhuge Liang Biography" records: "Liang is good at ingenuity, making profits and losses with crossbows, wooden oxen and horses, all of which are unexpected; he deduces Qiu's method and makes eight formations. The picture is so important. "As a battle formation and troop deployment diagram in ancient wars, Zhuge Liang's original "picture" is missing today, but there is a legend that it is the so-called "Eight Formation Map" which is the site of Zhuge Liang's military training. Li Daoyuan's "Shui Jing Zhu·Jiang Shui" says that this kind of "map barrier" is made of fine stones. There are three places of worship: one in Mian County, Shaanxi; one in Fengjie, Chongqing; and one in Xinfan, Sichuan, and the one in Fengjie is the most famous. Fengjie was originally Guyufu County, and its administrative seat is Baidi City in the east of Fengjie. During the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Bei changed its name to Yong'an, and in the Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Fengjie. Zhuge Liang's "Eight Formations Fortress" is said to be located on the beach south of Yong'an Palace. According to the Tang Dynasty Li Jian's "Taibai Yin Jing" and Li Jing's "Wen Dui" and other records, as well as the deductions of contemporary scholars (see the back cover of "Sun Tzu Academic Journal" Issue 9, 1994), Zhuge Liang's "Eight Formation Diagram" is now illustrated as follows : According to "Three Kingdoms_Shu Zhi_Zhuge Liang's Biography": "(Liang) deduced the art of war and made eight formations." Later generations studied his relics and drew graphics, which can be found in "Wu Bei Zhi". According to records, there are three relics of the Eight Formations: "Shui Jing_Mian Shui Zhu" and "Hanzhong Fuzhi" say that they are in the east of Zhuge Liang's tomb in the southeast of Mian County, Shaanxi Province (now Mian County); "Huanyu Ji" says that they are in Kuizhou, Sichuan (now today's Mian County) Fengjie County) by the Nanjiang River, "Ming Yi Tong Zhi" said it was in Moumi Town, thirty miles north of Xindu District, Sichuan. Recently, a set of my country's earliest "Fenghou Eight Formations Art of War" was discovered in Mi County, Henan Province. This picture is divided into nine pictures, one is the main picture of the eight formations, and the other eight pictures are the eight formations, namely: the sky-covering formation, the earth-carrying formation, the wind-raising formation, the cloud-hanging formation, the dragon-flying formation, and the tiger-wing formation. Formation, Bird Formation, Snake and Pan Formation. There is a text description next to the picture, which details the tactical application of each formation in offensive and defensive situations under special circumstances. According to "Historical Records", Fenghou was a general of Xuanyuan Huangdi. The stele of "Yunyan Guan Feng Hou's Eight Formations" left by Duguji, a military strategist of the Tang Dynasty and Changzhou governor, remains in Yunyan County, Mi County. It records in detail the deeds of the Yellow Emperor and Feng Hou in developing the "Eight Formations". The discovery of this map pushed forward the history of my country's Eight Formations Art of War by 2,500 years. "Book of Changes"·Zhuge Liang·"Eight Formations Diagram"

Content Record

The "Eight Formations Diagram" created by Zhuge Liang absorbed the arrangement and combination of Jingtian and Taoist Bagua, and was compatible with astronomy and geography. It is a rare combat formation in ancient times. "The Genealogy of the Zhuge Family" by Shen Shen Tang contains poems and hymns about "the eight formations are so skillfully used that they are known as the eight formations." Praise to the Heavenly Formation: The Heavenly Formation is sixteen, square on the outside and round on the inside, with the four winds rising. Its image is the sky, which is the master of the formation and the leader of the troops. Make good use of the three armies, and their shape will not be biased. Praise for the Earth Formation: Twelve Earth Formations. They are square in shape, with clouds dominating the four corners. It is difficult to attack the enemy. Its body is unpredictable, its uses are endless, and it cannot be independent. It is matched with Yang. Feng Yang Formation Praise: The wind has no formal shape, it attaches to the sky and changes into a snake. Its meaning gradually becomes mysterious. The wind can stir up things and surround them. The snakes can surround them and the three armies are afraid. The praise of the cloud formation formation: Clouds attached to the ground are invisible at first, and turn into flying birds, and then their shapes are completed. The birds can stand out, the clouds can be dim, and they are ever-changing, with the sound of golden leather. Praise for the Dragon Flying Formation: Heaven and earth rush behind each other, and the dragon transforms into it, with claws and feet, a back and a chest. The potential is unpredictable, the movement is infinite, the formation is impressive, and the name is dragon. Tiger Wing Formation Praise: The heaven and earth rush forward and turn into tiger wings, and the tiger is about to fight, full of its power. When Huaiyin used it, it became Wuji, and the gathering at Gaixia was unpredictable by Duke Lu. Praise for the Bird Soaring Formation: When a bird of prey is about to fight, it must first soar. The force is approaching the sky, and the birds are hiding. When judged, there will definitely be slander. If one man attacks, the three armies will not be able to do anything. Praise to the Snake and Pan Formation: The wind is a snake and pan, attached to the sky and formed, surrounded by potential energy, and capable of bending and extending. Among the four wonders, it is adjacent to the tiger, and then it becomes a regular mountain, trapped head and tail. The composition of the "Eight Formations Diagram" is based on the four realms of Qian Kun, Xun Gen, and the main formations of heaven and earth, serving as the main soldiers. The northwest part is the dry land, and the dry part is the sky formation. The one in the southwest is the land of Kun, and Kun is the formation of the earth. The southeastern land is called Xunju, and the Xun people are called Wind Formation. The land in the northeast is Genju, and Gen is the mountain. The clouds coming out of the mountains and rivers are the cloud formation, and the four strange formations of dragon, tiger, bird, and snake are made of water, fire, gold, and wood, which are used as surprise weapons. The formation is composed of a blue dragon (formation) on the left, a white tiger (formation) on the right, a red bird (formation) in the front, and a basalt snake (formation) in the back, with the general in the middle. The eight formations are arranged in the general formation, which is composed of the eighty-eight sixty-fourth formation, plus the 24th formation of the rangers. The total formation consists of 32 formations of Yin and Yang, 24 formations of Yang and 24 formations of Yin. There are 24 formations of the rangers. After the 60th formation, all the marching, forming, fighting, setting up suspicions, filling vacancies, and logistics are all done by the rangers. There is a hymn praising the incomparable power of the "Eight Formations": "Arrangements between formations, formations between formations; the past is behind, the future is forward; there is no speed to advance, no rush to retreat; four heads and eight tails, the first is where it touches; the enemy rushes Among them, both ends are saved; the strange and the right are intertwined, and the cycle is unprovoked; the beginning and the end correspond to each other, and the hidden and unpredictable; predicting things like a god, and adapting to the situation. ""The method of eight formations, within one formation, two formations follow each other, one fights and the other defends; The weight of China and foreign countries, the relationship between hardness and softness, the virtual and the real, the order of subject and object, the change of longitude and latitude, just because of the basic cause, the strange cause of sudden advancement, the interaction of multiple causes, the logistics guarantee."

Related poems

The Eight Formations (Tang Dynasty) Du Fu's contribution to the three-pointed kingdom was named the Eight Formations. The stone in the river will not turn, and the regret will be swallowed by Wu. Notes: 1. Cover: exceed. 2. Eight formation diagram: A figure composed of eight formations, used for military training or combat. 3. Three-point Kingdom: refers to the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. 4. The stone does not turn: It means that when the water rises, the stones in the eight formations remain motionless. 5. Devouring Wu by mistake means swallowing Wu by mistake.

Appreciation: This is a poem in memory of Zhuge Liang that the author composed when he first arrived in Kuizhou. It was written in the first year of the Dali calendar (766). "Eight formations" refers to the formations for military drills and operations consisting of eight formations of heaven, earth, wind, cloud, dragon, tiger, bird and snake. It is a creation of Zhuge Liang and reflects his outstanding military skills. Talent. "His achievements cover three parts of the country, and his name is the Eight Formations." These two sentences praise Zhuge Liang's great achievements. The first sentence is written from a general aspect, saying that Zhuge Liang made the most outstanding achievements in the process of establishing the situation where Wei, Shu, and Wu were divided into three parts of the world. There are certainly many factors that led to the coexistence of the Three Kingdoms, and Zhuge Liang's assistance in helping Liu Bei create the foundation of Shu from scratch should be said to be one of the important reasons. Du Fu's highly summarized praise objectively reflects the historical reality of the Three Kingdoms era. The second sentence is written from a specific aspect, saying that Zhuge Liang's creation of the Eight Formations made him more famous. The ancients have repeatedly praised this point. For example, the inscription in the Wuhou Temple in Chengdu reads: "The ambition to unify the economy has not yet been fulfilled, and the formations are laid out with sincere and clever plans." ." This poem by Du Fu praises Zhuge Liang's military achievements more concentratedly and concisely. The first two lines of the poem are written in antithetical lines. "Three-pointed Kingdoms" versus "Eight Formations", with overall achievements and contributions to the military, appear to be exquisite, neat and naturally appropriate. In terms of structure, the first sentence is mentioned at the beginning and gets straight to the point; the second sentence points out the title of the poem, further praising the achievements, and at the same time paving the way for the following to pay tribute to the relics. "The stone in the river will not turn, and the regret will be swallowed up by Wu." These two sentences express feelings about the ruins of the "Eight Formations". The ruins of the "Eight Formations" are located on the flat sand in front of Yong'an Palace in the southwest of Kuizhou. According to the "Jingzhou Picture Vice" and Liu Yuxi's "Jia Hua Lu", the eight array pictures here are made of fine stones piled up, five feet high and sixty in circumference, arranged vertically and horizontally into sixty-four piles, and always maintain their original appearance. Even if it is flooded by floods in summer, and when the water falls in winter, everything will lose its original state, but the stone piles of the Eight Formations remain the same and have remained unchanged for six hundred years. The previous sentence describes the magical characteristics of the ruins very concisely. "A stone does not turn" is adapted from the Book of Songs. Beifeng. The poem "Bo Zhou" has the following verse: "My heart is a stone, and I cannot turn it around." In the author's opinion, this magical color is intrinsically related to Zhuge Liang's spiritual aspirations: he was loyal and unwavering to the Shu Han regime and the great cause of unification, as unshakable as a rock. At the same time, the existence of these piles of eight formations of stones that have been scattered and reunited and remain unchanged for many years seems to be a symbol of Zhuge Liang's regret and regret for his own death, so the last sentence written by Du Fu is "Regret the loss" "Swallow Wu", it is said that Liu Bei made a mistake in swallowing Wu and destroyed Zhuge Liang's fundamental strategy of uniting Wu to fight Cao Cao, so that the great cause of unification died midway, which became an eternal regret. Of course, this poem is not so much about Zhuge Liang's "regret" as Du Fu's regret for Zhuge Liang, and this regret is permeated with Du Fu's depressive feelings of "hurting himself and failing to achieve anything" (Huang Shengyu). This nostalgic quatrain has the characteristics of integrating discussion into poetry. But this kind of discussion is not empty and abstract, but the language is vivid and vivid, and the lyrical color is rich. The poet integrates nostalgia and narration into one, without distinction, giving people a feeling of lingering hatred and endless thoughts. Eight Arrays of Moraine by Su Shi The flat sand is so vast, it’s as if you can see rock locusts. Across the river, sand and water bite every year. Kong Ming has been dead for a long time, who can distinguish the ranks again? Magic weapons cannot be learned, and no secrets have been left since ancient times. The best people have realized it in their hearts, but future generations will only speak nonsense. Since the Han Dynasty has declined, many traitors have emerged. Heroes are as good as each other, and misfortune lasts forever. There is no smoke in the expelling city, and there is blood in the battlefield. Thousands of people gambled and killed them all like fertile snow. If you don't plan for the long term, you will be careless. Kong Ming rose up last, intending to wipe out the evildoers. Roughness is a matter of moderation, and patience is a matter of long-term indecisiveness. Great ambitions turn into detours, and the years pass by like a glimpse. The six divisions are not in order, and once their heroic spirit is lost. There are only eight remaining formations, which are magnificent through the ages.

[Edit this paragraph] Development process

Looking at the entire book "Tang Taizong Li Gongwei's Questions", we can find the whole process of the development and improvement of the Eight Formation Diagrams: Huangdi's "Hou Qi Wen" 》------Five Formations, Seizing the Opportunity Formation, Qiujing's Method↓↓↓ Jiang Shang's "Tai Gong's Art of War"---Tai Gong's Formation↓↓↓ Sima Ranju's "Sima's Method"---Five Elements Formation↓↓↓ Guan Zhong--------Reorganized "Tai Gong's Art of War" ↓↓↓ Sun Wu's "Art of War" -----Bagua Formation↓↓↓ Zhuge Liang's "Eight Formations"----Eight Formations↓↓↓ Han Qinhu ------Ninth Army Formation, also known as the Eight Formation Diagram↓↓↓ Li Jing's "The Art of War of the Duke of Wei"----Liuhua Formation↓↓↓ Li Ji's "The Art of War of the Duke of Wei"----Liuhua Formation It can be seen from the formation that the "Eight Formation Diagram" has a very deep origin, which can be traced back to the Yellow Emperor of ancient China. After continuous improvement and perfection by Jiang Taigong, Sima Ranju, Guan Zhong, Sun Wu and others, by the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang brought him to the top and perfected it into the Eight Formations! In the Tang Dynasty, Li Jing simplified the nine formations into six flower formations because the command was too complicated.

[Edit this paragraph] Related features

Naming and composition

The eight formations are represented by heaven, earth, wind, cloud, dragon, tiger, bird, Named after snakes, plus the Chinese army, there are nine formations. The central army is composed of sixteen small formations, and the eight surrounding formations are each composed of six small formations, totaling sixty-four small formations.

Among the eight formations, the sky, the earth, the wind, and the clouds are the "four righteousnesses", and the dragon (green dragon), tiger (white tiger), bird (suzaku), and snake (tan snake) are the "four wonders." In addition, there are still twenty-four formations deployed at the rear for maneuverability.

Characteristics

The characteristics of the Eight Formation Diagram, as Li Jing pointed out in "Questions and Answers", are that "the big formation surrounds the small formation, the big camp surrounds the small camp, and the corners are connected by hooks. "Zigzags and opposites", "round inside and square outside"; and its conception is inseparable from "The Book of Changes". The arrangement of the eight formations is actually a "King Wen Bagua Orientation Map" (i.e., "The Day After Tomorrow Bagua Map"). Each of the eight formations is composed of six small formations, which means the six lines of the Book of Changes. The eight formations plus the total number of sixty-four small formations of the central army are consistent with the sixty-four hexagrams of the Zhouyi. As for the method of Qi Zheng in the Eight Formations, that is what Du Muzhi said in "Sun Zi's Commentary": "Qi is also the Zheng of Zheng, and Zheng is also the Qi of Qi, which are mutually exclusive, and the cycle is endless." This is even more important in the theory of "Yi" Specific applications in the array. (Lin Huajia, February 2005) The "Eight Formations Village" is located in Dalushu and Xiaolushu Villages in the southeast of Rulin Town, Jintan. Due to hundreds of years of tremendous changes, the "Eight Formation Villages" have long been beyond recognition. . The picture above shows the distribution map of the "Eight Formation Villages".

[Edit this paragraph] Related content

The essence of "The Book of Changes"

Zhuge Liang admired Legalism and Huang Lao thought, and was proficient in the Book of Changes. Mr. Chen Lifu once wrote the inscription "Prophet of Mingyi" for the Eighth National Zhuge Liang Academic Symposium held in 1994, which clearly pointed out that Zhuge Liang's "prophecy" is closely related to his mastery of "The Book of Changes". The essence of "Book of Changes" is to regard heaven, earth, and man as a whole, and to connect things of different qualities and states together to explore the laws of their operation. Zhuge Liang paid great attention to the comprehensive investigation of heaven, earth, and people when he governed the country and used troops. He wrote in "General Garden·Zhiyong": "Follow the sky, follow the time, and rely on people to win." He emphasized that an excellent general should "know astronomy above, personnel affairs above, and geography below. Treat it like a family" ("Jiangyuan·Jiangqi"). "There are three forces for marching an army: the first is heaven, the second is earth, and the third is man. The force of the sky is that the sun and moon are clear and bright, the five stars are in conjunction, the comets are not harmful, and the wind is harmonious. The force of the terrain is that the city is steep and the cliffs are heavy, and the waves are thousands of miles away. The stone gate is a secluded cave, and the sheep's intestines are winding and fertile. The person who has the power of the people is the sage general. The three armies are in order, the soldiers are ordered, and the food and armor are both good. Those who go forward are invincible, and those who attack are invincible." ("Jiangyuan·Bingshi") This really fully demonstrates the idea of ??integrating heaven, earth and man in "The Book of Changes". The Book of Changes talks about the unity of "number, principle, and phase", and "number, principle" is expressed through "phase". The "numbers and principles" are the same as the "heart" that originates from nature. As Lu Jiuyuan said, "My heart is the universe, and the universe is my heart." The essence of Chinese philosophy is also to grasp the "heart", which is used to understand the world and understand life. As the saying goes, "Appearances come from the heart." Zhouyi's predictions are based on the "appearances" of the "heart" and are very accurate and scientific. However, people's "heart" is changeable, and the "heart" and "appearance" will also change accordingly. Therefore, predictions based on past appearances will not be very accurate. But the human "heart" is not fickle; it has a certain degree of stability and changes regularly. Therefore, Zhouyi's predictions on the overall rules are very accurate. Similar to the weather forecast, you can only get the general outline but not the details. The grasp of details can only be made for the not-too-distant time period. But at the same time, it also illustrates another problem. The calculated fortune cannot definitely explain the future. The development of your destiny is ultimately in your own hands. "Appearance comes from the heart". If you really work hard to get rid of the shackles of fate and become a noble person, your "appeal" will also become the appearance of a "noble person".

Divination of hexagrams

Judging from Zhuge Liang's relevant works handed down from ancient times, they not only involve the theory of "Yi", but also reveal Zhuge Liang's proficiency in divination of hexagrams. As the "Yin Fu Sutra Commentary" says: "The sky is hanging like an image, and the sage observes it, pushes the armor, draws the Eight Diagrams, examines the tortoise, and observes the rules and calendars, and then the emotions of ghosts and gods, the principles of Yin and Yang, and the plain images are revealed. The Eight Diagrams are all inexhaustible. The so-called "Xiang of the Eight Diagrams, use it after applying it" refers to the divination method of "Zhouyi".

Sun Bin’s Art of War

Eight Formations (1) Sun Tzu said: If you lack intelligence, you will have to rely on yourself to lead the army. If courage is not enough, the general will be from Guangzhou. I don’t know, a few battles are not enough, but the generals are lucky. He is the only one who knows how to secure the country of ten thousand chariots (2), to be the king of ten thousand chariots, and to protect the lives of the people of ten thousand chariots. Those who know know the way of heaven above and the principles of earth below. They know the hearts of their people internally and the enemy's mood externally. They know the eight formations of formations. They fight when they see victory and criticize when they don't see it (3). This is The king's general. Sun Tzu said: Those who use eight formations to fight should use the eight formations according to the advantages of the land. Use the formation to have three points, teach the formation with a front, and teach the front with a rear (4), all of which are ready to move when ordered. Fight one, keep two (5). Use one to invade the enemy, and use two to capture it. If the enemy is weak and uses (6) to cause chaos, select pawns first to take advantage of (7). If the enemy is strong, use it to control (8), and attack him first (9) to lure him. Chariots and (10) warriors are divided into three, one on the right, one on the left, and one on the back. If it is easy (11), it will have many chariots, if it is dangerous, it will have many cavalry, and if it is bad (12), it will have many crossbows. In dangerous situations, one must know the place of life and death, and stay alive and strike to death (13). (1) This is the title of this article, written on the back of the first brief introduction of this article. The ancients often called the method of setting up formations "eight formations". "Eight formations" does not refer to eight different formations.

(2) A country of ten thousand chariots refers to a large country that can dispatch tens of thousands of troops and chariots. (3) Zhengzheng (zhengzheng) means tranquility. This means standing still if you are not sure of winning. (4) Teaching, borrowing for every doubt. Front, vanguard force. Later, follow-up troops. (5) It means to engage the enemy with one-third of the force and wait for the opportunity with two-thirds of the force. (6) Yi, still say "er". The following is the same as "the enemy is strong, use it to control it". (7) Take advantage of and offend. It means attacking the enemy with elite troops first. (8) Governance, strict management. This means that the enemy has strong combat effectiveness and a well-organized lineup. (9) A pawn, a soldier with weak fighting ability. (10) With, participate in. (11) Easy, flat terrain. (12) E (e hungry) refers to the narrow terrain with steep sides. (13) Life and death refer to the place of birth and death.

[Edit this paragraph] The ruins of the Eight Formations

The ruins of the Eight Formations are located in the southwest of Mimo Town, Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu. It is said that it was used by Zhuge Liang to demonstrate the art of war and train his soldiers. According to records in ancient books: "The eight formations are positioned like the Eight Diagrams, and are shaped according to the well ground, which is also the discipline of the soldiers. Wuhou's deduction is as wonderful as it is." According to the "Eight Formations Picture Stele", it says: "Zhuge Wuhou Of the eight formations, two are in Shu, one is in Yong'an Palace in Kuizhou, and the other is in Mimo Town, Xindu." (Mimu Town was originally part of Xindu County) There are only six earthen forts left at this site, and the style of the time has been lost. live. In 1981, the Chengdu Municipal People's Government announced it as a municipal cultural relic protection unit.