Yue Lao Oracle Lot 17 · Fair

德者本也，財者末也。 Virtue is the root, wealth is the branch.

The lot

Text notes (in Chinese): 流通本作「財者未也」，依《大學》改「末」.

Background: what the original says

The Great Learning teaches that good character is the foundation, while wealth is only a secondary matter that grows from it.

This line comes from the Great Learning (Daxue), a chapter of the Book of Rites, in the final section on governing the state as Zhu Xi arranged it. That section keeps returning to how a ruler wins the people's hearts. A gentleman must first be careful about virtue: with virtue come people, with people comes land, with land comes wealth, and with wealth the means to spend. Virtue is the root and wealth the branches. A ruler who slights the root and prizes the branches ends up competing with his own people for gain and teaching them to plunder one another. When wealth gathers at the top, the people scatter; when it is spread among them, they gather. A state, it says, should count righteousness, not profit, as its true benefit. The lot borrows this order of root and branch for choosing a partner; the original does not despise wealth, only places it after virtue.

What it means

When choosing a partner, look at character first and finances second. A relationship that puts money first will not last.

Reminder: Do not let a checklist of requirements override your judgment of someone's character.

This is a plain reading of the words and their source. How it applies to your own question is best settled with the interpreter at the temple where you drew it.

How to ask Yue Lao for a lot

1. Yue Lao, the Old Man under the Moon, usually has a side shrine inside a larger temple, such as a City God temple or a Mazu temple. Follow the temple's route: pay respects to the main deity first, then go to Yue Lao.
2. Tell Yue Lao your name, birth date and address, describe where you are in love right now, and state the one question you want to ask (for example, "Will this relationship last?" or "When will I meet someone?").
3. 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 and cast again to confirm it. Many temples ask for three yeses in a row; if not, draw again.
4. Collect the slip with the matching number. Yue Lao lots are quotations from old books, so the meaning often depends on the original passage. If it is unclear, ask the temple's interpreter.

Ask about one thing at a time; the more specific the question, the easier the lot is to apply. Yue Lao lots are for love and marriage only; for other matters, use the temple's general fortune poems.

Common misunderstandings

Previous: Lot 16; next: Lot 18.