摩訶止觀 8.180

8.180

今欲分別時獸者，當察十二時何時數來，隨其時來，即此獸也。若寅是虎，乃至丑是牛。又一時為三，十二時即有三十六獸。寅有三：初是貍，次是豹，次是虎；卯有三：狐、兔、貉；辰有三：龍、蛟、魚。此九屬東方，木也。九物依孟、仲、季，傳作前後。已有三：蟬、鯉、蛇；午有三：鹿、馬、麞；未有三：羊、雁、鷹。此九屬南方，火也。申有三：狖、猿、猴；酉有三：烏、雞、雉；戌有三：狗、狼、豺。此九屬西方，金也。亥有三：豕、貐、猪；子有三：猫、鼠、伏翼；丑有三：牛、蟹、鼈。此九屬北方，水也。中央土，王四季；若四方行用，即是用土也，即是魚、鷹、豺、鼈。三轉即有三十六，更於一中開三，即有一百八時獸。深得此意，依時喚名，媚當消去。若受著稍久，令人猖狂恍惚，妄說吉凶，不避水火（云云）。

Now, if one wishes to distinguish the seasonal beasts, one should examine which of the twelve double-hours it frequently comes in; according to the double-hour in which it comes, it is that beast. For instance, the yin hour is the tiger, and so forth down to the chou hour being the ox. Furthermore, one double-hour is divided into three, so that the twelve double-hours comprise thirty-six beasts. The yin hour has three: the first is the leopard cat, the next is the leopard, the next is the tiger. The mao hour has three: the fox, the hare, the raccoon dog. The chen hour has three: the dragon, the flood dragon, the fish. These nine belong to the east, which is wood. These nine creatures, according to the first, middle, and last months [of the season], sequentially precede and follow one another. The si hour has three: the cicada, the carp, the snake. The wu hour has three: the deer, the horse, the roe deer. The wei hour has three: the sheep, the wild goose, the hawk. These nine belong to the south, which is fire. The shen hour has three: the gibbon, the ape, the monkey. The you hour has three: the crow, the rooster, the pheasant. The xu hour has three: the dog, the wolf, the dhole. These nine belong to the west, which is metal. The hai hour has three: the pig, the wild boar, the swine. The zi hour has three: the cat, the rat, the bat. The chou hour has three: the ox, the crab, the turtle. These nine belong to the north, which is water. The central earth dominates the four seasonal intervals; if applied across the four directions, this is the application of earth, which corresponds to the fish, the hawk, the dhole, and the turtle. Triple rotation yields thirty-six; opening three within each of these yields one hundred and eight seasonal beasts. If one deeply understands this principle and calls its name according to the time, the spirit will vanish. If one is possessed by it for somewhat long, it causes a person to become mad and delirious, falsely speaking of good and bad fortune, unmindful of water and fire (and so forth).