Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

神數

“Shen Shu”, Spirit Numbers 73-96

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

 

073 Six Áo turtles

江海悠悠
煙波下釣
大鰲連獲
歌笑中流

Leisure on rivers and lakes
Fishing below the mist-covered water
Your catch includes six Áo-turtles
Songs and laughter
in the middle of the current
-

  Good fortune does not happen by luck alone. You have to search for it and be open to receive it. Look for it by following your destiny, but also by making friends, being nice and smart and realistic. Be open, enjoy beauty, fun, wisdom, opportunities, empathy and especially welcome love.
  悠悠 remote or leisurely

*

074 Uncertain

欲濟末濟
欲求強求
心無一定
一車兩頭

You want to cross but you don’t cross
You want to request but you demand
The heart is not certain
One vehicle two ends
-

  A lack of courage and self-confidence throws actions off-balance. They become too weak or too strong. Forget your hesitations, the danger you fear does not exist. Think of what you want to happen and not about how difficult it is. It is you yourself and your irresolute brain which are in the way.

*

075 Dao

一得一慮
退後欲先
路通大道
心自安然

Giving each idea a thorough evaluation
Giving way when desiring to be front
Roads toward the Great Way
Your heart at peace
-

  You will not find your dao by being meek. You will have to make big efforts to live the life you feel as your destination, the one you were made for. You have to give it your all. If you don’t, your life will feel wasted. If you do, you will feel fulfilled, even if not all your dreams come true.

*

076 The right mindset

難難難
忽然平地起波瀾
易易易
談笑尋常終有望

Difficult difficult difficult
Suddenly from a level earth big waves rise up
Easy easy easy
Talking and laughing usually ends promising
-

  Success and failure are not fixed and people should not fix them by holding on to them. After Bó, hex.23, comes Fù, hex.24. After the stripping, you can recover and start again. Don’t underestimate your own power. Optimism attracts helpers and succes, but pessimism problems and bad outcomes.

*

077 Song of the wind

心有餘
力不足
倚仗春風
一歌一曲

When the mind has enough and to spare
But the strength is not sufficient
Then rely on the spring breeze
A song a melody
-

  When there was not enough strength to defeat Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang used his wits and the spring breeze. You too have more assets than just strength, so use what you have and fill in the rest with intuition and fantasy. One hunch might be enough to inspire a complete and thorough solution.
  春風 spring breeze: happy smiles, pleasant atmosphere.
  This poem mentions the strategy of Zhuge Liang in a battle

*

078 Relaxing exercise

身不安
心不安
動靜兩三番
終朝事必歡

When the body is restless
And the heart uneasy
Move and pause both three times
All day long things will surely be happy
-

  In order to find peace, you don’t always need peace around you. Create it inside by giving your body peace. Concentrate on your breath and your stillness. Alternate the two, and your body will calm down your brain and heart. Your body can cause but also understand a lot more than you think.

*

079 Shadows on white jade *

事了物未了
人圓物未圓
要知端的信
日影上琅

Affairs settled but in the whole not yet
People satisfied but in the whole not yet
You want to know what really to believe
The sun casts shadows on the Láng tree
-

  Throughout the ages, man has tried to find information beyond logic or linear time. One needs to find a resonance with the greater whole. To make small sounds or look at small signs and hope that universe will answer with its huge symphony from the spheres of eternity.
  琅 Láng: Jade-like stone; clean and white; lithophone. A legendary treasure tree with fruit granting immortality. Information here

*

080 Firewood

木向陽春發
三陰又伏根
樵夫不知道
砍去作柴薪

The tree turns to the yang
which spring emits
Triple yin hides in its roots
The woodcutter doesn’t know
He chops firewood
-

  To waste or misjudge arbitrarily, even when done by a lack of knowledge or intuition, is a shame. Examine always everything you do or think, everyone you encounter, everything you see. There is always more than you expect, and this ‘more’ is what makes life worth living.

*

081 No moon, no mirror

一月缺
一鏡缺
不團圓
無可說

No moon
No mirror
No reunion
Nothing worth saying
-

  Words need light and reflection. When one is absent, they can only convey plain remarks, maybe true, maybe false, or worse, plain stupidity. When both are absent, it is better to stay silent entirely. If you have the light to talk, then find one who has the reflection to make sense of it.

*

082 A big future

車馬到臨
旌旗隱隱月分明
招安討叛
永大前程

Carriages and horses arrive
Banners and flags in abundance
A bright moon
Offer amnesty and enlistment to rebels
and deal militarily with traitors
A glorious future
-

  A great future does not only need great deeds, but also the ability to deal with them. You have to stay fair and correct even when you have the power. Not carry on too far when success comes easy. To win a fight you have to be a good strategist, but even more so to make the victory itself a success.

*

083 Hoping for glory

我何宿
我何宿
海東河北成名錄
一段神光直沖天瀆

Where shall I stay overnight
Where shall I stay overnight
East of the sea and North of the river
famous names will be recorded
One paragraph will be about a glorious spirit soaring up to heaven
-

  Many students are as poor as a church rat. Some study for a secure future, but others study because they love it, they follow their bliss and studying is following this chosen road. Only those will become famous masters in their field. Try to study and work like this and you may reach your heaven.

*

084 Possessions

金鱗入手
得防還走
若論周旋
謹言緘口

A golden scale came into your hands
Now you have to prevent losing it
It seems the theory of how to deal with it
Is to talk with caution or to hold your tongue
-

  Possession is a trickster. Without it you have concerns. With it you have concerns. The golden mean is the solution. Try to get what you need, but not more than that. If you have nothing you don’t need, you don’t make others envious. Even more important is not to have a needy mind yourself.

*

085 Peace in a glass

傾一盃
展愁眉
天地合
好思為

Empty a glass
Relax your brows
Heaven and Earth are in accord
Good thoughts come up
-

  Sometimes you simply should relax. Don’t try to find a reason, just make yourself comfortable with a glass of wine or whatever you prefer. No need to think about anything at all. If you do this every once in a while, you will be amazed at the insight and the energy you have when you need it.

*

086 Demons in the dark

野鬼張弧射主人
暗中一箭鬼魂驚
忽然紅日沉江海
難破空中事不明

A wild demon stretches his bow
to shoot the master
In the dark this arrow startles the demons
Right then a red sun sinks
into the rivers and seas
The disaster reveals dark things in the air
I cannot understand
-

  The mind cannot fathom itself. There are dark places where we cannot shine any light. When one of those hidden emotions hits us, many others will rise as well, and the mood changes color. It can be dangerous, but it is also the only way to learn about those deepest feelings and drives.

*

087 Flying dragon

福星照 吉宿
有日臨青天
真龍飛天現
下載到明庭

The lucky star shines
Overnight auspiciousness approaches
Blue sky appears every day and all day long
A flying dragon descends
towards the bright hall
-

  Prosperous times are coming, but not just for you. It may only last one season, or maybe as long as a decade or even beyond. A new strong and beneficial leader, new capable and honest helpers, new possibilities. Make use of these new times and help to make them last.
  福星 The lucky star: Jupiter.
   青天 Blue sky, clean and upright official.
  龍飛 Flying dragon; ascend the throne.

*

088 No catch

獨釣寒潭
中途興瀾
水塞魚不餌
空載月明還

A lone angler at a cold pond
Halfway great waves rise up
The water is cold and the fish don’t bite
Empty-handed he returns
under the bright moon
-

  Sometimes nothing works out and nobody knows why. You will just have to accept it and return. You did your best, it is a waste of energy to feel guilty, stupid or angry. Keep trying, maybe next time will be better. The result of fishing is anyway difficult to predict. Who knows about tomorrow.

*

089 To borrow strength

不歸一
勞心力
貴人旁
宜借方

No return
Hard mental and physical work
Close to a noble person
It is alright to borrow strength
-

  There comes a time when exploring or re-starting is no option anymore. You have to know what you want and never give up, even when things get very hard. Give it your all, and use the help of anyone who has the power or the means or the connections. Because you have to reach that goal.
  借方 Borrow strength, ask or accept help.

*

090 Going with the flow

雲盡月當中
光輝到處通
路途逢水順
千里快如風

The clouds dissolve around
the moon in the center
Brilliance spreads everywhere
The journey comes upon water
flowing in the same direction as you
Thousands of miles you go fast like the wind
-

  An insight or inspiration or a bout of good luck can give you wings. Follow this flow immediately, it will make you move forward fast and far with hardly any effort. They say: “Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life”. Now you know how it happens.
  快如風 Fast like the wind: the road runs smoothly.

*

091 Capturing the bad

劍戟列山林
盜賊必來侵
敗走擒搜定
封侯蔭子孫

Swords and halberds line up
in the mountain forest
Robbers must be coming
They flee after defeat
capture and collect them
You will be made feudal lord which will be passed on to your children and grandchildren
-

  Any job you are obliged to do or choose to do, no matter if you like it or not, do it well. It will yield fruits in the future. So prepare, organize, anticipate, implement, and everything else which is necessary, and do it perfectly. Even small insignificant jobs will make a difference if done well.
  蔭 yìn: confer privileges on sb.'s descendants in consideration of distinguished service.
  See also hex.64 line 4.

*

092 When the snakes are sleeping *

岸闊水深舟易落
路遙山險步難行
蛇安自有通津日
月上天空分外明

The shore is far and the water deep
the boat can easily sink
The road is long
the mountains difficult to walk
When the snakes are sleeping you can
get through and across in a day
The moon high in heaven is especially bright
-

  For a difficult work or a far journey, or anything else which has to be accomplished, it pays to gain knowledge before and during the work. Many things are only known to a few people, but they can make a huge difference for you. Look around and ask and listen and be smart and think.
  蛇安 Shéān, snake quiet: when the snakes hibernate, which is around the time of the Double 9th festival.

*

093 Transformation

擬欲遷而未可遷
隄防喜處惹勾連
前途若得陰人引
變化魚龍出大淵

You plan and desire to change but cannot change
You are on guard against the happiness
leading to the trouble of a union
In the future you seem to find a woman who attracts you
Transformation like a fish-dragon
coming out of a deep abyss
-

  Many boys and men fear the troubles a marriage and family will bring. Obligations, mortgage, diapers, loss of freedom. They are right. But one day they might meet a woman who turns their fish into a dragon and makes them forget all those fears. It happens like this with many things you shrink from.
  魚龍 fish-dragon: ichthyosaur. More about fish-dragons

*

094 A golden scale

一人去，一人入
清風明月兩相猜
獲得金麟下釣臺

One person leaves
One person enters
A gentle breeze and a bright moon wary of each other
You acquire a golden scale down at the shore fishing spot
-

  Don’t take it too hard when someone’s loss is your gain. A good thing comes usually on its own and it can only fall in one single lap. Enjoy your good fortune. If you can share it, great. If not, so be it. And if it goes the other way, and someone else is the lucky one, then don’t begrudge it.

*

095 End of ancient securities

喜來隱悲
已遭大雨狂風吹
古木當槽
人人盡道不堅牢

Happiness comes concealing grief
Already there are heavy rains and gusts of gale-force winds
Ancient trees are only seen as fit for troughs
Everyone is exhausted and Dao is not firm and fast
-

  When things start to be fake, when values get lost, then problems get a chance to hide below the surface. Could it be that the ancient vessel of wisdom is used as a trough because only ruminants are around? Find the real values back. Show others where the roots of culture can be found.

*

096 The orphan of Zhao

可以寄百里之命
可以托六尺之孤
鐘期既遇
毋遲誤
笑呼呼
他鄉聚首
各自樂康和

Someone may rely on Baili’s destiny
Someone may carry a small orphan boy
The time of meeting is approaching
do not arrive late!
Laughter ha-ha while gathering
in a place that is not your home
Pleasure health and harmony for each
-

  Culture has many faces, but an important one is the distraction of everyday cores and worries. Big stories are turned into plays, books, music, movies, festivals. They bring relaxation and togetherness, beauty and joy, they are an important part of a healthy society.
  六尺之孤 some; orphaned boys or girls under 6 years of age.
  This poem is about three opera's.

*