Chinese Fortune Stick Reading of the Day
~ Stick # 37 ~
A great scholar knows the laws of Nature,
Seeing that as you sow, so shall you also reap.
There is no use praying to Heaven for your sins.
You will only find redemption in righteous living.
TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATION
Words are of no use without deeds to accompany them. You should try to
settle the problems you have now, and (as always) kind deeds are the
best way to assure a good fortune. Wealth and status are beyond your
reach at the moment, but personal relationships are more favored by
fate. Sickness will only pass if you seek some medical assistance.
REFLECTION
This poem seems to echo the words of Jesus. Not only did He say you reap
what you sow, but He also said that those who simply prayed would not
enter Heaven; only those who cared for the sick, the poor, those in
prison, for example, would get there. This poem says the same. Forget
religious practices and rituals, meditation or crystal gazing. Unless
you live a life of service to others, how can you expect Heaven's
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Each day I sit down, take up the cup of sticks and ask the same
question, “What does the Keen community need to know or hear today?” I
shake the cup until a stick (or 2 or 3…) falls out. I then post the
stick number and the meanings for you to get what you can out of them.
The sticks themselves are a form of I-Ching. There are a total of 64
sticks in the set that I use* with a poem and small interpretation/story
to go along with each stick. The poems, meanings and reflections are
meant to be read and (as a good friend of mine once said) marinated in.
In our culture, we’ve grown accustomed to getting instant
gratification. In other words, we’re used to everything being given to
us with little or no work on our parts. These readings are the exact
opposite of that type of attitude.
Chinese Fortune sticks are meant to make us slow down and reflect on
what is being said. As each sticks’ meaning can be profoundly personal
to each person who reads them, it’s more important for you to read them
rather than have someone give you a watered down version. These
readings are meant to sing to a level of your consciousness and bring
you a measure of peace, or at least enlightenment.
The best way to get the most you can out of these readings is to
approach them with an open mind. Before sitting down to read that
morning’s reading, make some quiet time for yourself. Sit still for a
moment and clear your mind. Silence the chatter in your head and take a
few deep breaths, letting them out slowly. Once you feel yourself slow
down a little (or a lot), read through the reading of the day. Go over
it a few times if you feel the need. Then take a moment, sit back and
think about what that reading means for you. Some will be very
straightforward; others require a bit more thinking. Either way, let
the reading from the sticks guide you that day on the decisions or
experiences you have. These aren’t meant to tell you what to think, but
rather to help you look at things in a different way or to allow you to
access truths you already have.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me!!
* written by Zhao Xiaomin & Martin Palmer