Book of Burial - Outer Chapter 葬书外篇

This Chapter is an excerpt from the Book of Burial - Outer Chapter, an ancient Chinese treatise on geomancy, the art of selecting auspicious sites for burial. It meticulously details the principles for identifying ideal burial locations based on the surrounding landscape's features, including mountains, hills, and water formations. The text emphasizes the importance of harmonious relationships between these elements, using symbolic metaphors of mythical creatures and the five elements to explain intricate geomantic concepts. Success in geomancy is presented as demanding keen observation and mastery of subtle energetic interactions in the environment, with dire consequences predicted for errors in site selection. The text also describes specific auspicious and inauspicious land formations and soil conditions.