Three Lives Theory - Sanmeisetsu

Japanese: 三命説 - さんめいせつ

A Chinese theory that says there are three types of life (destiny): received, followed, and encountered. Classification of life was already seen in Mencius and Zhuangzi, but the three forms of life began in the Weishu at the end of the Western Han dynasty, and became more or less fixed by the Eastern Han dynasty. "Received" refers to lifespan, as seen in the Xiao Jing Yuan Shenqi, which states that "it refers to longevity." "Fated" refers to a situation in which good or bad actions are properly matched to good or bad luck, and good causes lead to good results, and bad causes lead to bad results, in an ideal way. "Facing" refers to "doing good and encountering misfortune," in which one does good deeds but encounters misfortune, and there is no consistency in cause and effect.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

中国で，命(運命)に三色すなわち受命と随命と遭命があるとする説。命を分類することは孟子や荘子にすでに見られるが，三命のかたちをとるようになるのは前漢末の緯書に始まり，後漢になってほぼ固定した。受命とは，《孝経緯援神契》に〈年寿を謂うなり〉と見えるとおり，寿命のこと。随命とは，行為の善悪に対して禍福が正しく対応し，善因善果，悪因悪果が理想的に現れるばあいである。遭命とは，〈善を行いて凶に遇う〉善事を行いながら不幸に遭遇し，因果の一致しないものをさす。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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