Yue Lao Oracle Lot 78 · Fair

欲速則不達，見小利則大事不成。 Rush it, and you will not arrive; chase small gains, and great things go undone.

The lot

Background: what the original says

When his disciple Zixia became a local governor and asked how to govern, Confucius told him not to hurry and not to grab at small advantages.

This exchange appears in the "Zilu" chapter of the Analects. Zixia, one of Confucius's leading younger disciples and known for his learning, was appointed to govern the town of Jufu in the state of Lu and asked his teacher how to go about it. Confucius's answer was brief: do not hurry, and do not chase small gains. Hurry and you will not arrive; fix your eyes on small gains and great things will not get done.

The Analects says nothing about how Zixia fared, or why he received this particular advice. Zhu Xi's commentary quotes the Song scholar Cheng, who thought Zixia tended to fix on what was near and small, so Confucius prescribed accordingly; that is one later reading. In the same chapter another disciple asks the same question and gets different advice, a reminder that Confucius tailored his answers. "More haste, less speed" later became everyday advice, and the oracle carries it from governing a town to tending a relationship.

What it means

Love cannot be rushed. Grasping at what looks good right now can ruin something much bigger.

Reminder: Take it slowly; that is often the faster way.

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 77; next: Lot 79.