Yue Lao Oracle Lot 60 · Fair

心苟不愆，何恤於人言？ If my heart has done no wrong, why should I fear what people say?

The lot

Text notes (in Chinese): 流通本作「心茍不愆，何惜於人言」，依《左傳》改「苟」「恤」; 《左傳》原作「禮義不愆」.

Background: what the original says

When Zichan was criticized for his new policies, he quoted an ode saying that as long as one does not stray from what is right, there is no need to worry about gossip.

In 538 BC, the Zuo Zhuan records, Zichan, chief minister of Zheng, introduced a new military levy, generally understood as a tax assessed by rural district. People railed against him, bringing up his father's violent death and calling Zichan a scorpion's tail: with orders like these, what would become of the state? The official Zikuan passed their words on.

Zichan was unmoved. If it benefits the state, he said, he would stake his life on it. Those who do good do not change their standards, and so succeed; the people must not be indulged, and the law must not be altered. He then quoted two lines of a poem not found in the Book of Songs as it survives today: if one does not fall short of ritual and right, why worry about what people say? He would not change course. Zikuan privately predicted that Zichan's clan would be the first to decline. The chronicle keeps both his resolve and the doubts around him.

What it means

As long as your heart is honest and you have done nothing wrong, you do not need to mind idle talk.

Reminder: Put your energy into the relationship, not into the rumors.

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 59; next: Lot 61.