Yue Lao Oracle Lot 37 · Fair

求則得之，舍則失之。 Seek it and you will have it, let it go and you will lose it.

The lot

Background: what the original says

Mencius taught that kindness, justice, courtesy and wisdom are already within us: seek them and you gain them, neglect them and you lose them.

This line comes from a dialogue in the Mencius. The disciple Gongduzi arrives puzzled: Gaozi says human nature is neither good nor bad; others say it can become either; still others say some are born good and some are not. If Mencius says human nature is good, are all of these wrong?

Mencius answers that everyone has compassion, a sense of shame, a sense of respect, and a sense of right and wrong, and these are the beginnings of humaneness, righteousness, propriety and wisdom. They are not added from outside; we already have them and simply fail to reflect on them. Hence the saying: seek and you will find them; let go and you will lose them. The same phrase appears again later in the Mencius for things within one's own power, and the lot takes it in that spirit.

What it means

Opportunities come to those who reach for them; give up and you miss out. Success depends on whether you are willing to go after it.

Reminder: If you want it, try; if you never try, you will certainly not get 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 36; next: Lot 38.