Different Functions of Innate and Acquired Bagua Diagram

The Innate (先天, Xiāntiān) Bagua and Acquired (后天, Hòutiān) Bagua differ fundamentally in their purpose and arrangement. 

The Innate Bagua, also called Fu Xi’s arrangement, represents the primordial, cosmic order of the universe. Its positions are symmetrical and idealized, reflecting the balance of yin and yang, heaven and earth, and the natural flow of elemental forces. For example, in the Innate Bagua, North is Kun (Earth), South is Qian (Heaven), East is Li (Fire), West is Kan (Water), and the corners, Northeast Zhen (Lightning), Northwest Gen (Mountain), Southeast Dui (Lake/Marsh), Southwest Xun (Wind/Wood), are arranged to maintain cosmic harmony.

In contrast, the Acquired Bagua, also known as King Wen’s arrangement, represents the manifest, earthly order and the practical interaction of energies in human life. Its positions are rotated and adjusted for practical purposes, with North as Kan (Water), South as Li (Fire), East as Zhen (Lightning), West as Tui (Lake/Marsh), and corners placed to facilitate the flow and interaction of elements for daily life, feng shui, and divination. Essentially, the Innate Bagua reflects universal, metaphysical principles, while the Acquired Bagua adapts these principles to human experience and the natural world, emphasizing movement, change, and application.