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Guan Lu 管輅, courtesy name Gongming 公明, was a diviner who lived during the Three Empires period 三國 (220~280 CE). He hailed from Pinigyuan 平原 (today Shandong province) and was trained in astrology and divination according to the Yijing 易經 "Book of Changes”. Emperor Cao Fang 曹芳 (232-274) granted him the post of a xxx 秀才 and made him 少府丞.
His biography in the official dynastic history Sanguozhi 三國志 (ch. 29) includes some philosophical statements. In Guan's view, the ten thousand things were in constant flux, which resulted in the non-existance of long-lasting patterns and physical phenomena (wu you chang xing, wu you chang ti 無有常形，無有常體). What was large today, would be small tomorrow, and a being with a man's shape could become a snake or a bird in a novel body. These changes were due to the influence of the permanent and gradual change and exchange of the two forces of Yin and Yang:
| 今逃日月者必陰陽之數，陰陽之數通于萬類，鳥獸猶化，況于人乎!夫得數者妙，得神者靈，非徒生者有驗，死亦有征。 | The one who flees today's sun and moon must understand the principles of Yin and Yang. The principles of Yin and Yang permeate all things; even birds and beasts transform, let alone humans! Those who comprehend the principles are subtle; those who grasp the essence are spiritual. It is not only in life that there are signs; even in death, there transformative indications. |
Guan was an expert of what can be called macro-divination, trying to determine good or back luck or the length of a person's life, and also of daily micro-divination investigating the detailed outcome of daily activities like hunting.