Mazu Fortune Stick No. 39 · Shi Hexagram
我本慈帆大士身，扶危救苦濟紅塵，吉凶禍福雖前定，善念一萌神鬼欽。 I am the Great Being who sails the ship of mercy, saving the endangered and the suffering in the dusty world. Good and ill fortune may be fixed in advance, yet once a good thought sprouts, gods and ghosts respect it.
The poem
我本慈帆大士身
I am the Great Being who sails the ship of mercy,
扶危救苦濟紅塵
saving the endangered and the suffering in the dusty world.
吉凶禍福雖前定
Good and ill fortune may be fixed in advance,
善念一萌神鬼欽
yet once a good thought sprouts, gods and ghosts respect it.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 39 第三十九首 | Shi 師 (The Army) |
Beyond the poem: your own chart Cast a free BaZi chart →
Reminders by topic (written by us)
| Topic | Reminder |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Win people over with virtue; your chance to stand out lies ahead 以德服人，出頭的機會就在前面 |
| Business | Neither grasping nor competing, holding steady is an achievement too 不爭不貪，守成也是一種成就 |
| Pregnancy | For pregnancy and childbirth, please follow your doctor's advice and prenatal checkups 懷孕生產請遵從醫師與產檢 |
| Marriage | Valuing each other's character and talents keeps the bond grounded 彼此看重人品與才德，感情踏實 |
| Travel | The journey is tiring, but you will come home with good news 一路辛苦，最後會帶著好消息回來 |
| Household | Meet people with an open heart and things at home gradually improve 隨緣待人，家中漸漸轉好 |
| Seeking wealth | With a clear conscience, your path to income widens naturally 心思坦蕩，財路自然走得寬 |
| Luck of the times | Things are steady; each bit of kindness makes the way smoother 運勢平穩，多一分善意多一分順 |
| Lost items | Look carefully a few more times and it will turn up 用心多找幾回，會有著落 |
| Farming & livestock | The crops are lush and the livestock healthy 作物茂盛，家畜也健壯 |
| Lawsuits | Hold on to some goodwill and the dispute may simply dissolve 存一點善意，紛爭或許就此化解 |
These short reminders are written by us from the poem and its hexagram; they are not the readings printed on the temple's slip, so for a real reading go by the temple where you drew the lot. The temple's list also has an "illness" topic, which we leave out, and the pregnancy topic is always a reminder to follow your doctor. If you feel unwell, please see a doctor.
What it means
The merciful Guanyin rescues people in danger. Fortune may be set in advance, but even gods and ghosts respect a single good thought.
Background: The Great Being is the bodhisattva Guanyin, the goddess of mercy.
Reminder: One good intention is where a change of luck begins.
This is a plain reading of the words. How it applies to your own question is best settled with the interpreter at the temple where you drew it.
How to draw a lot
- Light incense and tell Mazu your name, birth date and address, then state clearly the one matter you are asking about.
- Cast the moon blocks (jiaobei, two crescent-shaped wooden blocks) to ask whether you may draw. One face up and one face down means yes; then pull one stick from the cylinder.
- Cast the blocks again to confirm that this is your stick. Many temples ask for three yeses in a row; if not, put it back and draw again.
- Collect the poem with the matching number. Read the whole poem, then find the topic below that fits your question. If it is unclear, ask the temple's interpreter.
Ask about one thing at a time; the more specific the question, the easier the poem is to apply.
Common misunderstandings
A gloomy poem means the matter is doomed.
Most poems are reminders and directions. The same poem means different things for different questions, so look at the topic that matches yours.
You can keep drawing on the same question until you get a good poem.
By custom you ask once per matter. If you are still unsure, ask the temple's interpreter, or wait a while and ask again.
Previous: No. 38; next: No. 40.
A straight word: fortune poems are a matter of faith, and the meanings here are ours
The Chinese text and hexagram names follow a widely circulated edition, checked line by line against three other versions; we only corrected obvious copying errors, and every page shows the base text's original wording wherever we changed it. The topic reminders, English translations and plain-English meanings are our own reading of the words and the hexagram, not the temple's readings or official interpretation. For a real reading, ask at the temple where you drew the lot. For legal, medical or financial questions, see a professional, and if you feel unwell, see a doctor. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment.
Beyond the poem: your own chart
Enter your birth date to cast a free BaZi Four Pillars chart and see your Five Elements and Ten Gods.
Mazu fortune stick No. 39: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 39 say?
「我本慈帆大士身，扶危救苦濟紅塵，吉凶禍福雖前定，善念一萌神鬼欽」 In English: I am the Great Being who sails the ship of mercy, saving the endangered and the suffering in the dusty world. Good and ill fortune may be fixed in advance, yet once a good thought sprouts, gods and ghosts respect it. It is paired with the Shi hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 39 mean?
The merciful Guanyin rescues people in danger. Fortune may be set in advance, but even gods and ghosts respect a single good thought. Reminder: One good intention is where a change of luck begins.