Mazu Fortune Stick No. 64 · Cui Hexagram
爭名奪利竟何如，鏡裡看花總是虛，處世惟存忠厚好，閉門安樂享豐餘。 Fighting for fame and grabbing for gain: what is it worth? Flowers in a mirror are empty in the end. In dealing with the world, loyalty and kindness are best; close your door and enjoy peace and plenty.
The poem
爭名奪利竟何如
Fighting for fame and grabbing for gain: what is it worth?
鏡裡看花總是虛
Flowers in a mirror are empty in the end.
處世惟存忠厚好
In dealing with the world, loyalty and kindness are best;
閉門安樂享豐餘
close your door and enjoy peace and plenty.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 64 第六十四首 | Cui 萃 (Gathering Together) |
Text notes: line 4: the base text reads 閑門安樂亨豐餘.
Beyond the poem: your own chart Cast a free BaZi chart →
Reminders by topic (written by us)
| Topic | Reminder |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Act by what is right and there is no need to fight for titles 依理而行，名位不必強爭 |
| Business | Treat people sincerely and business will warm up again 誠懇對待客人，買賣會重新熱絡 |
| 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 | You two get along, and good things are quietly taking shape 兩人合得來，好事悄悄成形 |
| Travel | Do not be lured by empty fame, set out when there is real business 別被虛名吸引，有實在的事再出發 |
| Household | The rough patch has passed and home is gradually improving 先前不順已過，家裡漸漸好轉 |
| Seeking wealth | Be honest and decent and you will not lack what is due 老實厚道，該有的不會少 |
| Luck of the times | Things are slowly improving, holding gain and loss lightly brings peace 慢慢變好，看淡得失心更安 |
| Lost items | Ask others to help you look and there is hope of recovery 請人一起幫忙找，有望找回 |
| Farming & livestock | Crops are fair and livestock are faring better and better 作物尚可，牲畜照顧得越來越好 |
| Lawsuits | Stay loyal and decent and someone will step in to help 守住忠厚，會有人出面相助 |
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
Chasing fame and profit is like looking at flowers in a mirror. Be loyal and kind, and enjoy a quiet, comfortable life at home.
Reminder: Take fame and money lightly; peace is its own blessing.
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. 63; next: No. 65.
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. 64: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 64 say?
「爭名奪利竟何如，鏡裡看花總是虛，處世惟存忠厚好，閉門安樂享豐餘」 In English: Fighting for fame and grabbing for gain: what is it worth? Flowers in a mirror are empty in the end. In dealing with the world, loyalty and kindness are best; close your door and enjoy peace and plenty. It is paired with the Cui hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 64 mean?
Chasing fame and profit is like looking at flowers in a mirror. Be loyal and kind, and enjoy a quiet, comfortable life at home. Reminder: Take fame and money lightly; peace is its own blessing.