Yue Lao Oracle Lot 20 · Good

何如？子曰：可也。 What do you think of that? The Master said: it will do.

The lot

Background: what the original says

The disciple Zigong asked whether being poor without flattering others and rich without arrogance was good enough. Confucius replied that it would do, though it still fell short of being poor yet joyful, and rich yet devoted to proper conduct.

This exchange comes from the opening book of the Analects. Zigong, whose name was Duanmu Ci, was the most eloquent of Confucius's disciples and a successful merchant. He asked the Master: what of someone who is poor but does not flatter, rich but not arrogant? Confucius said this was acceptable, but not as good as being poor yet content, and rich yet devoted to propriety. Zigong recalled lines in the Book of Songs about cutting and filing, carving and polishing and asked whether character too must be refined further. Confucius was delighted: now I can talk about the Songs with you, he said, for when I tell you one thing you see where it leads. Zhu Xi suggested that Zigong, who had grown rich through trade, was speaking from his own experience. The lot quotes only the question and the answer, How is it? It is acceptable, turning a lesson into an exchange between the person drawing the lot and the god.

What it means

You ask whether this match is a good one, and the answer is: it will do. There is an even higher level to reach, but what is in front of you is already good.

Reminder: If it works, hold on to it, and do not let the pursuit of perfection make you miss it.

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 19; next: Lot 21.