Guanyin Fortune Stick 51 (Upper Lot)

"The first days of summer come, and the days are long and bright..." So opens lot 51 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 first days of summer come, and the days are long and bright;
everyone is fretting at the heat from morning into night.
But heaven understands the wishes people hold,
and sends a gentle southern breeze to bring the cool.

The story: Zhuge Liang (Kongming) led his forces into Sichuan to help Liu Bei take the land that became the kingdom of Shu.

The other version

Guanyin lots circulate in two common wordings. For this lot the other version reads 「夏日炎天日最長，人人愁熱悶非常，天地也解知人意，薰風拂拂自然涼」. 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

In the heat of summer everyone is miserable, and heaven, seeming to understand, sends a cool breeze.

A tip: When things are hard to bear, relief often shows up when you least expect it.

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 50. Next lot: Lot 52.