Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

神數

“Shen Shu”, Spirit Numbers 217-240

Numbers
1-24
25-48
49-72
73-96
97-120
121-144
145-168
169-192
193-216
217-240
241-264
265-288
289-312
313-336
337-360
361-384

217 The deer *

有一人
獲一鹿
事團圓
門外索

There was a man
He caught a deer
He arranged a meeting
He hung a rope at the door

-

  The best way to make it in the world and in your personal life, is to work hard to achieve things and also to be polite and social. For finding people who become friends and a special one who wants to share your life you also need to show who you are and what you can do.
  鹿 Deer: symbol of fame or riches
  門外索rope at the door: a traditional ceremony of betrothal.

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218 Too late

汝往無攸利
花開又及秋
嚴霜物薦至
退步不存留

You proceed without benefit
Flowers open again in autumn
Severe frost will arrive
for creatures and grass
You fall behind and nothing will remain

-

  You can be full of plans and energy, but if you don’t find the right time to carry them out, it will amount to nothing. Wonderful inventions, great undertakings, even big wars fell into pieces because the time was not the right time. Too early is a problem, but too late is lethal.

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219 Life can be magic

新月如鉤
清風作線
舉網煙波
錦鮮易見

The crescent moon as fishing hook
The gentle breeze as line
Raise the net from the mist covered water
You can easily see the beautiful seafood

-

  Blessed are those who can see the beauty of things. Almost everything you do, even simple little tasks - or especially those - can be art. Train yourself to see, and to be part of it. Life will become beautiful and meaningful, and the difficult parts easier to deal with. Beauty is an essential part of nature.

*

220 Alert

先關鎖謹
提防小節
小節不知戒
因循成大殃

First close and lock up
Cautious and on guard
Not being aware of small matters
Following old routines becomes a big disaster

-

  Routines can be handy, they diminish the work. Their danger is that you overlook the small things which are not the way they should be. Your eyes also follow old routine. Every day every action should be new. Like it is for a dog: he startles at the slightest deviation of how things are day in day out.

*

221 A dream in spring

燕語鶯啼
花開滿院
倚欄春睡覺
無語(歛)斂愁顏

Swallows chirp softly and the Oriole wails
Flowers bloom all over the courtyard
Resting on the fence in spring you doze
Without words or desire or sad expression

-

  Not many people have the gift of relaxing when everything is right. If you can, then you’re blessed. If you cannot, then find a way to learn. It is easy of course, you just have to let go. But it seems letting go is outdated, very few still know what it means. It is not holding still, has no name, it’s nothingness.

*

222 A cool breeze

勞心勞心
勞心有成
清風借方
歡笑前程

You work with your brain on and on
You work with your brain and achieve success
A cool breeze lends you power
Happiness and laughter in your future

-

  There is a time for work and worry and there is a time for relaxation. First use your head and hands, and having achieved your aims, then enjoy the freedom. It is the same for big and for small achievements. Solve a problem, then get a big smile. Fulfill a job, then retire. Plant a crop, enjoy the harvest.

*

223 Willow catkins

進步且徘徊
春風柳絮吹
水邊行客倦
枕畔有憂懷

Progress is wavering for the time being
A spring breeze blows through the willow catkins
The traveler at the water’s edge is tired
Resting his head on the riverbank with a worried mind

-

  Every day needs the evening and night, every hour of study needs a moment of stretching your legs, every journey needs stopping places. Important is that you use them to really relax, so rest and enjoy yourself and feel free. There will always come a new morning or a new spring.

*

224 Smile

玉石猶終昧
那堪小悔多
終無咎
笑呵呵

The jade is in the end still dull
How can one deal with so many small regrets
Ultimately there is no blame
Smiling

-

  Don’t expect anything to be perfect and to stay shiny forever. Everything gets scratched or worse. It is part of life. How stupid have you been at times, and how often did you make mistakes. How many things you’d like to do over and better. Accept your past, it is what made you to who you are now.

*

225 Another spring

垂翼遙天去
皆因避難行
一途經濟意
又是滿園春

With drooping wings leaving for a distant sky
Only because you avoid disaster temporarily
Just by way of attention to being thrifty
Again another spring all over the garden

-

  You think nothing you do is right; your life and finances are hopeless and you gave up that you could do anything to solve it. So, you run. Don’t you know that one little positive and useful action can restore your energy and your joy in what you do? What you need is just a little faith in yourself.
  天 sky or heaven or day.
  行 Perform, move, travel, line of business.

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226 Skyhigh.

佳信至
開笑顏
飛騰一去
披雲上天

Welcome news arrives
Opening smiles on faces
Soaring swiftly upwards in one fell swoop
High in the sky splitting open the clouds

-

  A small joy can make one forget about all other troubles. Maybe not for very long, but at least for a wonderful moment of elation. Your heart and body need those moments, the heart needs to be thrilled now and then, the body needs to move with joy. So let go of all worries and fly!
  披 split open; drape over one's shoulders.

*

227 Decide now

青氈空守舊
枝上巢生風
莫為一時喜
還疑此象凶

The green felt rug is impractical
conservative and worn
A nest high in the branches
in the growing winds
Nothing brings a moment of happiness
Still not certain that this looks bad

-

  Why do you stay where you are? Everything worn out, uncertain and without any future other than more of the same. Get out! Gather your courage and decide. Now. Not some day, or soon, or whatever other excuse you can find. Get up and start and go on until you are in a better place.
  生風 Growing winds: making trouble.

*

228 Birds of mojo

莫言荊棘惡
終為鸞鳳悽
目前應有待
何用早躊躇

Don’t call thistles and thorns evil
In the end it makes Luan and Feng sorrowful
At present do what you should do
Of what use is premature hesitation

-

  Grumbling and complaining don’t solve anything. On the contrary, they chase your luck away. Universe relies on resonance, so make sounds which summon up the good chances, instead of hurting the ears of all spirits, omens, synchronicities, fairies, pixies and most of all your (future?) spouse.
  鸞鳳 Luan and Feng, couple of phoenix-like mythical birds; husband and wife; distinguished talents; handsome; gallant.
  荊棘 Luan and Feng, couple of phoenix-like mythical birds; husband and wife; distinguished talents; handsome; gallant. See story of verse 9.

*

229 Thousand banners

上下和
憂愁決
千幛雲
一輪月

Above and below are in harmony
Worries are resolved
Clouds like thousand silk banners
The single disk of the moon

-

  To be content scores higher than happiness. It is a balanced and restful state of mind, and a way to live life to the fullest. It is of more value than an exciting life, or a rich one, and certainly than an envied one. If you are content, you need no advice, you’re rather the one who can give it.

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230 Origins

玉出崑崗石
舟離古渡灘
行藏終有望
用舍不為難

Jade comes from Kunlun’s rocks
Boats leave from age-old ferry jetties
Your conduct brings finally a promising reputation
You use your humble home without embarrassment

-

  It doesn’t matter where you came from or how lowly you started. What you do and your attitude make you to the esteemed person, partner and relation others appreciate. Your strength to make it from a simple start to where you are now will rather speak well of you. So be proud of your roots and yourself.
   行藏 move and store; conduct.

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231 A tense heart

目下意難舒
有客來徐徐
金車雖歷險
吝心有終與

At present it is difficult to relax your heart
A visitor is coming very gently
In a golden chariot although experiencing danger
Finally the tense heart gets support

-

  Something precious is coming your way. When the mind is challenged in an extreme way, it is as if universe hears. Call it inner wisdom, or intuition, or an angel, there is something coming to your aid. It is you who summons it, but it is also you who can miss it by not trusting it - or not trusting yourself.
   徐徐 very gently; relaxed and dignified.
   歷險 experiencing adventures; having a narrow escape.

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232 Steady

可以寄
可以托
事遲遲
無舛錯

Quite dependable
Quite reliable
Things go very slowly
Without mishap

-

  Doing things in a thorough way is a guarantee that the result will be good. If you are nervous or insecure, then first find your inner strength and calm, before you try to do anything. But even if you cannot get all of that restlessness out of you, then acting step by step will still be a good way to proceed.

*

233 A clear mirror

恐懼憂煎
皆在目前
若逢明鑒
指破空傳

Afraid and in agonies of worry
It is all in front of your eyes
It is as if in a clear mirror
Fictitious rumors are disclosed

-

  Many ghosts can be chased by simply facing them. Fear, insecurity, avoidance, they are all like prison wardens which keep you a captive in your personal jail. Look at them. It takes courage, but then you will see how fake they are. You will also recognize them in others, which sets you free and maybe them.

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234 When the night is dark

月掩雲間
昏迷道路
雲散月明
漸宜進步

The moon hides behind the clouds
Confused and lost on the road
The clouds disperse the moon is bright
Gradual and good progress

-

  When you try to find your path, your own mood and the mood around you are much more important than having directions or a map. Feeling the next step works better than knowing the next step. It is like this in everything you do, so make sure your intuition works before you act or think.

*

235 A greeting on the road

道路在招呼
風波一點無
時乖心緒亂
全仗貴人扶

A greeting on the road
And for a moment wind and waves are quiet
A time in which a clever mind feels chaotic
One relies entirely on the help of valuable people

-

  Some people have a way to put your mind at rest. When you get confused, they can help you, not by actually doing things for you, but by putting you back on your right track. By relaxing you, or ‘guessing’ the clue you need, or answering a question by just listening. It feels like magic.
  風波 Wind and waves, disturbances.

*

236 Turtle of legend

臨淵放釣
清絕點埃
巨鰲隨得
不用疑猜

Looking over the depths
you cast the fishing hook
It is clear with thin veils of mist
You follow and catch the legendary Áo-turtle
No need to have misgivings

-

  Creativity is elusive. One cannot hunt for it, it just happens. Following its faint tracks can help. Wide space and the depth of an ocean can help. Believing in magic can help. What you are looking for is the same force that created universe and all it contains. It deserves our reverence.
  The tortoise is a symbol of long life, both turtle and tortoise of wisdom and peace. The turtle brought Yu the magic LoShu square.

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237 Clouds disperse

無中應有直
心事還成戚
雲散月重圓
千里風帆急

Without a golden mean one needs to know right and wrong
The weight on one’s heart in addition turns into distress
Clouds disperse and the moon is big and round
You sail fast over a long distance

-

  For some people life is not complicated. They know the golden mean and their life is in balance. For others it is a rollercoaster. All the time ups and downs, difficult choices, deciding what is right and what is not, and never a calm moment. But it seems nobody wants to change to the other way.
  千里 a thousand li, a long distance or a vast expanse.

*

238 Snake and rabbit

造化生來信自然
師征千里福綿綿
功名得就神明助
蛇兔相逢定變遷

Good fortune starts with trusting the natural world
The commander marches far with continuous blessing
Honor and rank will be achieved aided by gods and spirits
When snake and rabbit happen to meet vicissitudes get fixed

-

  Act like nature does and follow the natural course of things. Go where a road opens and take what offers itself. Be aware and ready to react. Train your strengths and make them versatile. Combine the cautiousness and speed of the hare with the wisdom of the snake and good fortune will be yours.
  造化 Heaven, mother nature, good fortune.

*

239 The power of ghosts

火仗神威
群魔消滅
滅了又須威神
宜極力牢牢記取
牢免致久後失跌

A fiery battle with an invincible might
A crowd of demons perishes
And again one has to eliminate the threatening spirits
It is good to keep firmly in mind to do one’s utmost
Not being firm incurs for a long time failing and falling

-

  One should always be very careful when accepting help or borrowing. If it is not paid back to the fullest, it will inevitably make you tied to the giver. To shake off obligations is extremely difficult. You have to or you will not be the master of your life anymore and you will lose your self-confidence as well.

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240 The thatched hut *

道必堅心
堅心必道成
建功勳
早回程
造茅庵修真身
一日飛升仙班列名

For Dao the heart must be firm
A firm heart achieves a magnificent Dao
Complete a grand meritorious work
Retire early
Build a thatched hut
Work on a true moral character
One day you ascend to the list of famed immortals

-

Dao means to live the whole of your life. To be strong, to be good, to know how to follow the time, to be able to withdraw, to be wise and ethical. Dao is not a predefined road, it is being and doing the best of what you have been created to be and to do. Your own dao is both a gift and a responsibility.
  飛升 rise, fly up; become an immortal.
  仙班 literary scholars or famed immortals.

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