Three Punishments三刑
Branches that wound each other, in four kinds.
子卯一刑也，寅巳申二刑也，丑未戌三刑也。
San Ming Tong Hui, vol. 2
What it is
San Ming Tong Hui sets each three-branch group against a direction. Shen, Zi and Chen fall on Yin, Mao and Chen, so Shen punishes Yin, Zi punishes Mao, and Chen punishes itself.
The book compares this to a couple who wound each other: harm grows out of closeness.
The four kinds
The name of each kind.
- 子卯無禮之刑The rude punishment
- 寅巳申無恩之刑The ungrateful punishment
- 丑戌未恃勢之刑The bullying punishment
- 辰午酉亥自刑Each punishes itself when it meets its own kind
Sources San Ming Tong Hui, vol. 2; Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu, vols. 1 and 3.