How Sanmeigaku and Four Pillars of Destiny differ
Sanmeigaku and Four Pillars of Destiny both rest on the eto of the day you were born and on yin-yang and the five elements. They start from the same date of birth, but differ in what information they use and what they call the stars.
On this page
1.The differences at a glance
| Sanmeigaku | Four Pillars | |
|---|---|---|
| Origins | Built on Chinese destiny reading; organised and spread by Takao Gisei in the Shōwa era | Based on the Chinese Ziping method; introduced to Japan in the late Edo period |
| Pillars used | Three: year, month, day (no birth time) | Four: year, month, day, hour |
| What stands for you | Day stem | Day stem |
| Choosing hidden stems | By days since the start of the solar month (the 28 elements) | Some use only the main qi, others choose by days |
| Stars of character | Ten main stars (Kansaku and so on) | Ten gods (Hiken and so on) |
| Stars of momentum | Twelve subordinate stars (Tenpō and so on) | Twelve stages (Chōsei and so on) |
| How it is drawn | Stars placed on a human figure (the yang chart) | Stars written into the chart table |
| The unlucky stretch | Tenchūsatsu | Kūbō |
2.What they share
The ten main stars and the ten gods, and the twelve subordinate stars and the twelve stages, have different names but describe the same relationships. A stem of the same element and the same yin or yang as your day stem, for example, is Kansaku in Sanmeigaku and Hiken in Four Pillars. Tenchūsatsu and kūbō also come from the same mechanism: the two branches left over when the ten stems are paired with the twelve branches.
The correspondences are set out in the tables in the ten main stars and the twelve subordinate stars.
3.Where they differ
The biggest difference is whether the time of birth is used. Four Pillars adds the hour pillar, so its information is finer; Sanmeigaku needs only the date of birth, so it is easier to use.
Sanmeigaku is also distinctive in placing the stars on a human body and reading relationships with people, such as superiors, friends and family, by direction. Even with the same day stem, the two methods focus on different things, so comparing both can show you new sides of yourself.
4.Try both
- Sanmeigaku: the Sanmeigaku reading (Japanese) (date of birth only)
- Four Pillars: the birth chart reading (Japanese) (more detailed if you add your birth time)
For comparison with other destiny methods, see What is suimei?
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