Liu Bin

Historical Record

Liu Bin, styled Lingyuan, was originally named Liu Yan but changed his name to Bin to avoid the taboo on the name of the Jin crown prince. He once held the post of Grand Administrator of Pingyuan and later rose to Supervisor of the Heir Apparent ^c:8433. Liu Bin was a man of pure and even temper, rich in the power of reasoned argument, and well versed in the Book of Changes (Zhouyi), though he never managed to master its deepest mysteries. He himself related that he had spent eight years annotating the Book of Changes, laboring diligently in thought, never resting through all those years, yet feeling that his own talent did not match the Changes and that he had failed to grasp its essentials ^c:8433.

While serving as Grand Administrator of Pingyuan, Liu Bin once invited Guan Lu, famed for his divination, to come and see him. He showed Guan Lu a seal-bag and a pheasant feather and asked him to divine. Guan Lu described the features of these two objects with precision, leaving Liu Bin deeply amazed ^c:8433. Liu Bin then mentioned to Guan Lu the strange occurrences that kept happening in the commandery offices, terrifying people, and asked the reason. Guan Lu explained that this might be because, amid the warfare at the end of the Han, with armies in turmoil and the blood of slain soldiers flowing, the hills had been defiled, so that on dark nights many strange shapes appeared. He likewise praised Liu Bin's lofty virtue, saying that Heaven itself protected him, and urged him to be at ease, for a hundred blessings would come to his door ^c:8433.

Liu Bin deeply admired Guan Lu's talent and insight. He once discussed the essence of the Book of Changes in depth with Guan Lu, and Guan Lu's understanding of the Changes, especially his exposition of the two hexagrams Qian and Kun, suddenly enlightened Liu Bin. Guan Lu pointed out that in annotating the Book of Changes Liu Bin held doubts about the understanding of the pure and the turbid, and that "where there is doubt, there is no spirit"—this was perhaps not the true mark of one who annotates the Changes. Guan Lu also discoursed at length on the way of the eight trigrams and the subtleties of the line images, so that everything Liu Bin understood he thought wondrous, and everything he did not understand he thought divine ^c:8433. Liu Bin himself said that his discussions with Guan Lu surpassed his eight years of bitter contemplation. He even wished to learn from Guan Lu the art of "shooting the hidden" (divining concealed objects), but Guan Lu advised him to focus on the profound principles of the Book of Changes rather than drift into the lesser arts of numerology ^c:8433.

Liu Bin stayed in Guan Lu's company for five days, during which he even neglected his official duties and conversed with Guan Lu in pure discourse alone. He once mentioned that, although in discussing the Changes and the way of Laozi and Zhuangzi with He Ping he could let his spirit roam afar and turn with the transformations of things—clear as gold and water, lush as mountains and forests—he still found Guan Lu's insights extraordinary ^c:8433. Liu Bin's descendants were also accomplished: his son Liu Cui, styled Chunhu, rose to Palace Attendant; his son Liu Hong, styled Zhonghu, rose to Grand Master of Ceremonies; his son Liu Han, styled Zhonghu, rose to Imperial Household Grandee, famed for his pure and modest character and noble discernment, his renown second only to that of Yue Guang. Liu Hong's son Liu Xian rose to Inspector of Xu Province; Liu Hong's son Liu Dan rose to Interior Clerk of Jinling. Liu Dan's son Liu Hui, styled Zhenchang, once served as Intendant of Danyang and was a renowned gentleman of the Restoration ^c:8433.

In the Novel

(No material from the novel.)

Key Relationships

* Guan Lu: Liu Bin's relationship with Guan Lu is the most important intersection of his life. With his consummate art of divination and his profound understanding of the Book of Changes, Guan Lu had a far-reaching influence on Liu Bin. Liu Bin consulted Guan Lu on the principles of the Changes and sought a way to deal with the strange phenomena in the commandery; Guan Lu's answers and expositions not only resolved Liu Bin's doubts but won his wholehearted admiration for Guan Lu's learning ^c:8433. Their pure discourse so absorbed Liu Bin that he forgot to eat and sleep and neglected his official duties—proof of Guan Lu's intellectual pull on him.
* He Ping: Liu Bin once mentioned discussing the Changes and the way of Laozi and Zhuangzi with He Ping, and held that He Ping's insights in these fields still fell short of Guan Lu's ^c:8433. This shows that Liu Bin had much scholarly exchange with the noted gentlemen of his time and held his own independent judgment and views.
* Family members: Liu Bin's descendants included many eminent men in the Jin dynasty, such as his sons Liu Cui, Liu Hong, and Liu Han, and grandsons Liu Xian, Liu Dan, and Liu Hui, all of whom held important offices at court or were renowned gentlemen ^c:8433. This reflects the standing and influence of the Liu Bin family in the society of the time.

Signature Scenes

* Divination at the Grand Administrator's office in Pingyuan: While Grand Administrator of Pingyuan, Liu Bin invited Guan Lu to his residence and first asked him to divine a seal-bag and a pheasant feather; Guan Lu's precise descriptions displayed his marvelous gifts. Liu Bin then asked Guan Lu the reason for the strange phenomena in the commandery offices, and Guan Lu's explanation not only revealed the historical causes behind the phenomena but also showed his insight into yin and yang, the five phases, and the changes of the world ^c:8433. This scene is the heart of Liu Bin's encounter with Guan Lu and an important display of Guan Lu's wondrous abilities, while also highlighting Liu Bin's concern, as a regional official, for the people's welfare and for supernatural phenomena.
* Pure discourse on the principles of the Book of Changes: Liu Bin's in-depth discussion with Guan Lu on the Book of Changes is a most representative episode of his life. Liu Bin related that he had annotated the Changes for eight years without grasping its essentials, while Guan Lu, with his original insights—especially his exposition of the hexagrams Qian and Kun—won Liu Bin's complete admiration, prompting him to sigh that "this talent does not reach the Changes; I no longer wish to toil so long, but gladly receive your refined words, and may thus rest at ease on a high pillow" ^c:8433. This pure discourse shows both Liu Bin's dogged pursuit of learning and Guan Lu's authoritative position in the study of the Changes, becoming a classic moment of the meeting of their minds.
* "Heedless of official duty, sharing only pure discourse": Liu Bin spent five days in Guan Lu's company, indeed "heedless of official duty, sharing only pure discourse" ^c:8433. This detail vividly portrays Liu Bin's admiration for Guan Lu's learning and his absorption in scholarly inquiry. To debate the Way with Guan Lu, he even set aside his official affairs for a time—proof that his pursuit of the world of the spirit far exceeded worldly fame, and a side-glimpse of the great force of Guan Lu's personal charisma.