Indirect Wealth

What Indirect Wealth represents

Indirect Wealth belongs to the Wealth group: material resources that can be acquired, managed and used. Traditional analysis still asks whether the Day Master can bear it. Being controlled by the Day Master does not remove the need for the Day Master to sustain that relationship. Numerous Indirect Wealth occurrences are not a direct count of real assets.1

San Ming Tong Hui describes it as “the wealth of many” and associates charts organized around Indirect Wealth with generosity, readiness to spend and social dealings. This connects Indirect Wealth with circulation and distribution in a historical symbolic account; it does not assign a particular modern income category to it.1

“Indirect” does not mean illegal gains. Qian Li Ming Gao explicitly rejects a universal division between Direct Wealth as labor-earned and Indirect Wealth as obtained unexpectedly. Investments, bonuses and side businesses cannot be assigned a Ten God merely from the kind of income they produce.2

How to find Indirect Wealth

Jia Wood controls Earth. Wu and Ji are both Wealth, but Jia and Wu are yang, making Wu Indirect Wealth. For yin-Wood Yi, yin-Earth Ji is Indirect Wealth and Wu becomes Direct Wealth.

The stems contained in a branch are its hidden stems. Chen contains Wu, Yi and Gui: for Jia these are Indirect Wealth, Rob Wealth and Direct Resource. Wu may be hidden in Chen; if it also appears among the pillar stems, it is said to emerge. Hidden and exposed describe positions, while season, support and surrounding interactions determine strength.

Fire generating Earth: Eating God supporting Indirect Wealth

Jia Wood generates Bing Fire with shared polarity, making Bing Eating God. Jia controls Wu Earth with shared polarity, making Wu Indirect Wealth. Bing Fire can in turn generate Wu Earth, adding a generating relationship between Eating God and Wealth:

Jia Wood (Day Master) → Bing Fire (Eating God) → Wu Earth (Indirect Wealth)

Wood generating Fire and Fire generating Earth is called Eating God generating Wealth. If Jia needs a productive outlet and Wu needs support, Bing can connect those functions. The traditional image of Food returning sustenance through Wealth develops from this sequence.1

If Jia is weak while Fire and Earth are already strong, continued generation draws still more energy outward. Eating God generating Wealth remains a generating relationship, but not necessarily one that needs strengthening.2

Earth generating Metal: Indirect Wealth strengthening Seven Killings

After receiving support, Wealth can generate the next phase. Wu Earth generates Geng Metal, which controls Jia Wood with shared polarity and is Seven Killings. Wu generating Geng is therefore Wealth generating Killings: supporting Metal can also strengthen its control over the Day Master.

San Ming Tong Hui's discussion of Indirect Officer distinguishes Wealth supporting weak Killings beside a strong Day Master from Wealth adding to strong Killings beside a weak Day Master. The word Wealth does not turn the sequence into an acquisition of money, nor does the word Killings make every use unfavorable.1

Indirect Wealth controlling Water and being controlled by Wood

Besides generating Metal, Wu Earth controls Water. Ren Water generates Jia and is its Indirect Resource; it also controls Bing Eating God. If excessive Ren obstructs a needed Bing, Wu restraining Ren may restore Eating God’s function, called Wealth controlling the Owl. If Jia instead relies on already weak Ren, the same Earth–Water control damages needed support.2

Wood in turn controls Earth. Another Jia is Friend, while Yi is Rob Wealth; together they are peers. Both can participate in controlling Earth Wealth. With abundant Wood and slight Earth, more peers may over-control Wealth. With weak Jia and heavy Earth, their support may help the Day Master bear it.1

Indirect Wealth as the father in traditional kinship symbolism

Zi Ping Zhen Quan associates Direct Resource with the mother and Indirect Wealth with the father, explaining the latter through the pair's spousal relationship. For Jia, Gui is Direct Resource and Wu Indirect Wealth; Wu–Gui is also one of the five stem combinations. This forms part of that text's kinship reasoning.3

Kinship symbolism is separate from the Ten God definition. Qian Li Ming Gao instead places both parents within Resource. The convention changes which clues are used for the father, but does not change Wu being Indirect Wealth for Jia.4

FAQ

Is Indirect Wealth better than Direct Wealth for making money?

The names do not provide that ranking. Both require consideration of the Day Master's capacity, the source of Wealth and its generating and controlling relationships. Actual income also depends on work, business and specific circumstances.

Does an Indirect Wealth year promise unexpected income?

No. For Jia, a Wu year has an Indirect Wealth annual stem. This identifies a relationship; how the year's stem and branch participate in the existing chart is a further question. It does not promise a windfall, investment return or additional income.

References

• Wan Min Ying, San Ming Tong Hui, Siku Quanshu edition, vol. 5: Indirect Wealth; Indirect Officer; Eating God; Yang Blade.
• Wei Qian Li, Qian Li Ming Gao: Six Gods.
• Zi Ping Zhen Quan, with Xu Le Wu’s commentary: Pillar Positions, Useful Relationships and Kinship.
• Wei Qian Li, Qian Li Ming Gao: Kinship.