Divination and Guidance
Must every line of a divination poem be interpreted literally?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Interpret the poem within the question. Every line need not have equal weight, and reciting the whole literally does not establish understanding. Sometimes one sentence or a few words connect with the immediate problem.
During an early service, my usual requests to divine troops, Guanyin, and Kṣitigarbha did not bring familiar strength. Rather than force onward, I stopped to rest and understand, then consulted through divination and lots to explore omissions.
The opening characters of each line offered another direction, and I later sought Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun’s assistance. This was a particular search for clues, not a requirement to extract every poem’s first characters or apply one technique to every question.
Understand poem and problem together. Wording that appears to advise doing nothing cannot mean abandoning thought. Consider circumstances and how the reminder relates to the question. That is why I share the experience.
Another time at Sanqing Temple, the auspicious first lot delighted me. A disciple noticed the story title, “Emperor Gaozu of Han Enters the Pass,” and reminded me of retreat. Existing wishes for advancement, writing, and retreat connected those ideas then. This does not require everyone reading “entering the pass” to retreat.