Guanyin Oracle · Lot 85

Balanced

What it means

A lot of late reopening. The old chapter closes and a new page turns; though late, reunion and advancement are still possible. Han Yu, exiled to the far south, left a lasting legacy in Chaozhou. Especially favourable for elders and those starting again; be careful on the way, but the ending is worth waiting for.

By matter

Line by line

1. 重開山後藏前事
   Reopening the mountain, setting the past aside.
2. 萬寶園中可再團
   In the garden of treasures, reunion is possible.
3. 醉詠新詩添逸興
   Tipsy, you recite new poems with fresh delight.
4. 貴人引接上雲衢
   A helper guides you onto the road to the clouds.

Classic commentary

此卦春盡花開之象。凡事主后改變也。

老者用求。春殘再開。欲求名利。晚遇橫財。

The image: flowers blooming after spring has ended; things will change later. The verdict: for elders who seek, flowers bloom again after spring fades; fame and gain come late, even unexpectedly.

The story · Han Yu in the Snow

Han Yu of the Tang angered Emperor Xianzong by protesting the veneration of a Buddha relic and was exiled to Chaozhou. Crossing Lan Pass in deep snow, his horse unable to go on, he remembered a couplet his grandnephew Han Xiang had once written, "clouds over the Qin Ridge, where is home? snow fills Lan Pass, the horse won't advance", and understood it at last. In Chaozhou he later built schools and tamed rivers, leaving a fine legacy.

Reference: Lot 85 of the Guanyin Oracle at Mengjia Longshan Temple, Taipei, with its traditional image, verdict, guidance and story. Story summaries are our own.