Guanyin Fortune Stick 32 (Middle Lot)

"The road ahead is dim and far, the matter hard to read..." So opens lot 32 in our translation. Below are the Chinese original, the full English, the story behind the poem, the traditional counsel and what it means in plain English.

The poem

In English (our translation):

The road ahead is dim and far, the matter hard to read;
who knows the jade that lies inside the stone, indeed?
One day a good minister will split it cleanly through,
and then you'll see the green jade there, remarkable and true.

The story: Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage three times before the recluse agreed to serve him.

The other version

Guanyin lots circulate in two common wordings. For this lot the other version reads 「歸程杳杳定無疑，石中藏玉有誰知，一朝良匠分明剖，始覺安然碧玉期」. The wording differs in places, but the sense stays close to the version above.

Shiyi and jieyue

The shiyi (詩意, "meaning of the poem") names the image in one line; the jieyue (解曰, "the reading") is a short four-character commentary.

Sacred counsel, item by item

The sacred counsel (聖意) gives a short verdict for each kind of question. Find the row that matches what you asked.

The traditional counsel also has an "Illness" item, which we do not list. If you feel unwell, please see a doctor.

What it means in plain English

You cannot see the road ahead, but there is jade inside the stone. It takes someone with a good eye to split it open and show its worth.

A tip: Work to let people see your worth, and wait for the right person to notice.

This is our reading of the words on the page. For how it applies to your own question, go by the temple where you drew the lot.

How to draw a Guanyin lot

1. Light incense and tell Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion, your name, birth date and address, then state one question clearly.
2. Ask permission by casting the two crescent-shaped moon blocks (筊, jiao). One flat side up and one round side up is a "yes." Then shake the bamboo cylinder until a single numbered stick falls out.
3. Confirm the stick with the blocks. A common custom is to ask for three "yes" throws in a row; if you do not get them, draw again.
4. Collect the poem slip with the same number. Read the whole poem first, then look up the counsel item that matches your question. If it is unclear, the temple staff can interpret it for you.

Ask about one thing at a time. The more specific the question, the easier the poem is to apply.

Common misunderstandings

Previous lot: Lot 31. Next lot: Lot 33.