Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

神數

“Shen Shu”, Spirit Numbers 49-72

Numbers
1-24
25-48
49-72
73-96
97-120
121-144
145-168
169-192
193-216
217-240
241-264
265-288
289-312
313-336
337-360
361-384

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049 One shock

沈沈苛染
不見天心
雷門一震
體健身輕

Afflicted by a severe and lingering illness
Not seeing the will of Heaven
The way of thunder is one shock
The system healthy
and the body relaxed
-

  Many people have something which clings to them. Fickle ideas, unfounded convictions, a wrong love, or misunderstandings between their mind and body. One single shock can pull them out of it. As if a heavy curtain suddenly gets drawn aside and a new landscape appears in front of them.

前標This poem is partly identical to 113.

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050 Follow your nature

財馬兩匆忙
官祿有定力
豬羊牛犬
自去主張

In a hurry to get both wealth and horses
An official salary is reliable
But as a Pig, Sheep, Ox or Dog
One’s nature is to start one’s own business
-

  To have money and possessions is great, but before you try to reach those, ask yourself first what your nature tells you. Go in the direction which agrees with your heart, look at more than just safe profits. Because when money and possessions include happiness, only then they are right for you.

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051 The peach of immortality

空空空
空裏得成功
蟠桃千載熟
不怕五更風

Empty, hollow, void
Being empty inside achieves success
The peach of immortality ripens
a thousand years
Not fearing the wind of the pre-dawn hours
-

  Playing children play life or live what they play. There is no past or future, no true or false, they immerse themselves in the moment itself. They never lost immortality, because for them every second is as big as eternity. Lose yourself, lose your thoughts, and you will be like them.

  五更 5 nightwatches; 5th nightwatch (3-5 AM).

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052 Autumn moon

愁臉放
笑顏開
秋月掛高臺
人從千里來

A worried face relaxes
A smiling face opens up
The autumn moon above the high terrace
People come from a thousand miles
-

  Relax and enjoy this time. You did what you had to do or what you wanted to finish, now you need to give your body and mind a time of leisure in which you can enjoy your accomplishments. Your surroundings will react to it and come and share with you. Everyone needs times like this.

  千里 thousand miles; long distance.

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053 The moon-toad

須著力
莫遠遊
長竿釣向蟾蛉窟
直欲雲中得巨鰲

You have to put forth effort
Not travel far
With a long rod you fish in the cave of the moon-toad
With dedicated desire you catch the giant turtle Áo in the center of the clouds
-

  Do not neglect what is close by, even if all seems to be fine. The other may seem content, but even so, you should reach deeper, find out if there is anything more you can give. Duties and ambitions can often overrule the emotional side of life, so focus your attention again and again on love.

  蟾蛉窟 cave of the moon-toad; the moon. This poem might have a sexual undertone. See story 073.
Áo is the name of a mythical turtle.

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054 A boat in the desert

無蹤無跡
遠近難見
旱海行舟
空勞費力

No tracks no traces
Far and near seeking is difficult
Sailing a boat in the desert
Efforts are wasted in vain
-

  For whatever you do, you need the right goal, the right tools, the right place and the right time. If you skip one of those, you will get nowhere. It is not a matter of adapting to others but of listening to reality. She is the ultimate master of movement, she sets the boundaries and lets you succeed or fail.

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055 When the right wind blows

細雨濛濛濕
江邊路不通
道途音信遠
憑仗借東風

Continuous drizzling rain and dampness
The riverside path is obstructed
Roads and news are far away
He relied on the help of the east wind
-

  Pick your battles in such a way that you will win. It includes not just the adversary and his strength, but also the place, the time, the weather, the prevailing mood. Did you prepare for what you need, or prevent your enemy to do so? A battle is more than a fight and you may lose more than the fight.

  This poem is about 'The Battle of Chibi'

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056 Seeking love *

平地走風煙
時下未能安
高處覓姻緣

From level ground rise clouds and mist
You cannot yet find peace now
In high places you search for your Thread of Fate
-

  It is not really natural for humans to be alone. Not in their life and not in what they do. Hence the legends about fated love, soul mates and helpers which appear from above or below or out of nowhere. Look around and be nice to boys, girls, beggars, animals, pixies, cops and old people. Who knows...

  This poem is about 'The Thread of Fate'

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057 Inside the flower

正直宜守
妄動生災
利通名達
葉落花開

Stay honest and correct
Rash actions give birth to disaster
Profit of the benefit of a name
When the petals fall
the flower opens its heart
-

  When the petals or the show fall off, the integrity inside will show. In ancient China, integrity meant most of all to stay in the Golden Mean. Not to go to extremes, beyond your abilities or your place in life. Live in accordance with your surroundings, your station, the time and your conscience.

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058 The Horse and Ox people of Chu

君子升
小人阻
征戰生離苦
前有吉人逢
信在馬牛人在楚
事要營求妥

The noble man ascends
small people get obstructed
Going to battle causes bitter separation
There are virtuous people ahead to meet you
Trust the Horse and Ox people of Chu
Matters will find their right course
-

  Live in an ethical way but don’t get into battles for it if possible. Choose the sturdy steady way based on hands-on experience to accomplish what you aim for. If you need to fight, then find helpers who can and who are trained. Take care that your decisions are solid and well thought through.

  馬牛Astrol. signs Horse and Ox. Or: horse-people: soldiers, ox-people: farmers. Horse and ox: war and farming.
  楚 Chu Kingdom, today Hunan and Hubei. Known for its strong and enterprising people.

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059 My lamp my partner

紛紛復紛紛
欷虛獨掩門
劍眉望燈火
伴我坐黃昏

Over and over and again and again
Sighing empty and alone I shut the door
With furrowed brows I gaze at the lamplight
My partner who keeps me company in the dusk
-

  If you want tomorrow to be better, you have to let go of all shadows of yesterday. Focus on light and lightness, find friends, explore your surroundings, talk with people. Seriousness is very valuable, but as the base of your life, not its face. It should be the inner fuel which feeds the outward light.

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060 Passing beauty

紅顏美
休掛懷
人在車中
舟行水裏

A beautiful beautiful woman
Stop involving your heart
A person in a carriage
A boat in flowing water
-

  Hankering after the unattainable makes a mess of your life. Unrealistic wishes will chase away the realistic ones. Like spending a day in the casino instead of spending a day looking for a job. Dreaming about Wonder Woman who drives past instead of being nice to the lady next door. Find better dreams.

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061 Accident day

橋已斷
路不通
登舟理楫
又遇狂風

The bridge is broken
The road obstructed
Embark in a boat and pick up the oars
and you encounter a gale
-

  There are those days when everything goes right. But the opposite seems to happen more often. Whatever you do, something goes wrong. Try to dedicate that day to stuff which has no risk at all. Postpone the rest to a better time. Maybe a good astrologer can be of help? Or the Yijing or Shenshu?

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062 A quiet message

深潭月
照鏡影
一場空
安報信

The moon in a deep pool
A reflection in a mirror
It is nothing real
A quiet message
-

  Without imagination and dreams, nothing would come into being. Don’t believe them at face value, but cherish their beauty and inspiration. They can turn into something real through your hands and efforts. Add reality to the dream, make the images become tangible and alive. Create.

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063 Dragon, horse and rabbit

湖海意悠悠
煙波下釣釣
若逢龍與免
名利一齊周

At lakes and seas you come for leisure
Fishing in the mist-covered water
If you meet dragon and horse and rabbit
Fame and wealth simulteaneously surround you
-

  Very often fame has not really much to do with hard work, but rather with following what you like, and with being at the right place at the right time. Doing what you love to do has its own magic. Things will happen which nobody can foresee. Love and luck like each other and tend to join.

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064 Broken bridges

物不牢
人斷橋
重整理
慢心高

The world is not stable
People break down bridges
It is important to put in order
Rudeness and pride
-

  Rules and laws are indispensable to keep things in order among people. But the way people behave towards each other is just as important. It cannot really be caught in rules, it is a way of living and connecting, it has to do with culture and the heart, and the only way to teach it, is to be an example.

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065 Difficult to get out

入而易
出而難
懨懨到再三
交加意不堪

Entering is easy
Getting out is difficult
Over and over again you are mentally weak
Looking closely at what’s happening you cannot bear it
-

  Many things are easy to enter, but not so easy to get out of. A sect, the underworld, a bad marriage, a financial investment, a ravine, a lie, to name a few. You need a strong and clever mind to extract yourself, but it is more than worth the effort. Getting out means finding yourself back again.

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066 The time of harvest

事遲志速
而且反覆
直待歲寒
花殘果熟

When matters are tardy and ambitions urgent
And it happens repeatedly
Then wait until the cold of winter
When flowers are gone and fruits are ripe
-

  Is it true that things are slow - or are you trying to push the river? But if they really are, then wait until the moment when they move easier, and maybe even very fast all by themselves. Increasing an existing momentum is easier than making something move from out a standstill.

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067 The power of graciousness

乘馬前進
所求吉貞
隨時諧美
缺月重明

On horseback going forth
Seeking a lucky omen
Always well-spoken and graceful
The small crescent of the moon is really bright
-

  If you act swiftly and with purpose, and make friends wherever you are, very small possibilities can still turn into promising undertakings. Everyone needs luck, but most of it comes from one’s own attitude. So if you are searching for good fortune then start making it yourself.

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068 Suspicion

船離在渡月離雲
人出潼關可問津
且向前行去求住
何須疑慮兩三心

The boat leaves the ancient crossing place
The moon leaves the clouds
A person comes out of Tong Pass
It is good to make inquiries
For now to go and seek a place to stay
It is unnecessary to have misgivings or to be irresolute
-

  Sometimes there is no need to go on living the same life. Like the moon shines or hides and still stays itself, you can move on and still stay true to yourself. Your home is where you feel at home, and sometimes it can be necessary to leave a place and life behind and to move on to a different one.

  兩三心 two three heart: a heart without focus, fickle.

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069 A rude awakening *

不足不足
難伸心曲
野塘雨過
月如釣
夢斷邯鄲
眉黛愁

Not enough not enough
Difficulties weigh on your mind
Rain floods a dike in open country
The moon is like a fishing hook
A Han dream wake-up
Worried brows
-

  Sometimes you live a dream. Or a dream lives you. Reality has a habit to catch up with dreams, and the transition from false to real can be upsetting. A bad dream lingering on, or a nice one causing disappointment with real life. Don’t let dreams harm your life or upset your people.

  This poem is about 'Han-dream'

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070 Nothing is 'just this'

美有堪
堪有美
始有終
終有始

Beauty has endurance
Endurance has beauty
Beginnings have ends
Ends have beginnings
-

  Nothing can exist without its counterpart. Day and night, good and bad. If you experience something awful, then look for the other side. When you succeed, your ego grows, when things are bad, your character grows. But only if you actually take this chance to grow and you don’t waste it.
  楚 the etymology of endurance: earth + affection + being.

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071 A boat in the waves

湖海悠悠
孤舟浪頭
來人未渡
殘照山樓

Endless lakes and seas
A lone boat in the waves
The one who should come did not cross
The sun goes down behind the mountain range
-

  Organize all things depending on you as the only one to sustain them. Financially, mentally, socially. Then, if you find someone to stand by you, it will be a gift and not a necessity. The other one will find a worthy life to add to, instead of a gap to fill. Your life will be good, whatever happens.

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072 Solid locks

深戶要牢局
提防暗裏人
莫言無外事
縱好定遭

Late at night doors need a solid lock
Be on guard for people sneaking in
Don't say that it will not happen
Negligence is liable to meet with disaster
-

  Close the doors which should be closed. Don’t let thieves in, or bad feelings, or words which hurt or secrets you’d rather not know. But don’t let all those things leak out either. Only confide in those who deserve it and who are discreet. Keep your house, your people, your body and your mind safe.

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