Since ancient times, those mandated by Heaven to be emperors— which one didn't rely on divination to determine their mandate? The Zhou Dynasty especially valued this, as did the Qin Dynasty. The succession of rulers relied on the judgment of diviners. The post of Grand Diviner dates back to the Han Dynasty. Sima Jizhu, a man from the Chu State, was a diviner in the eastern market of Chang'an. Song Zhong served as a mid-level official, and Jia Yi was a scholar. One day, they went out together, discussing the principles of governance from the Book of Changes and the sages of the past, delving into human emotions and worldly affairs. They exchanged admiring glances. Jia Yi said, "I heard that the ancient sages often did not hold official positions in the court but lived among diviners and healers. I have already met the three dukes, the nine ministers, and the court officials. I understand their characters. Why not check out the diviners and see if we find some talent?" So the two of them went to the eastern market in a carriage, browsing the divination stalls. It had just rained that day, and there were few pedestrians on the road. Sima Jizhu sat alone there, with three or four disciples attending to him, explaining the principles of the movement of heaven and earth, the cycles of the sun, moon, and stars, and the fundamental causes of yin and yang. The two officials went forward to pay their respects. Sima Jizhu observed their appearances and felt that they were knowledgeable people, greeted them respectfully, and offered them seats. After they sat down, Sima Jizhu continued the previous topic, explaining in detail the beginning and end of all things in heaven and earth, the rules of the movement of the sun, moon, and stars, and the criteria of righteousness and morality. He listed the signs of good and bad fortune one by one; his thousands of words were all perfectly reasonable. Song Zhong and Jia Yi found his words enlightening, straightening their attire and sitting upright, saying, "Your demeanor and explanations are unlike anything we've ever encountered. Why do you hold such a lowly position and have a job like this?"
Lord Sima laughed heartily and said, "I see that you two doctors strike me as intelligent, so why do you speak so disrespectfully of your superiors? What do you mean? Whom do you hold in high regard? Whose judgment do you trust?"
The two doctors replied, "High-ranking positions and fat salaries are what people value, and talented individuals should occupy these roles. The positions we are in now are not where we belong; thus, we consider them humble. Speaking dishonestly, behaving improperly, and seeking unreasonable things contribute to their lowly status. Diviners and fortune tellers are despised by the world. People say:
- Most fortune tellers boast and flatter others.
- They pretend to know people's official positions and lifespans to please them.
- They deliberately scare people with disasters.
- They deceive people in the name of ghosts and gods.
- They demand gifts for personal gain.
That's what we find contemptible, so we regard them as humble and lowly."
Lord Sima said, "Take your time, have a seat. Do you see those children with messy hair? They walk when the sun shines on them and stop when it doesn't. If you ask them about the flaws of the sun or good and bad fortune, they can't answer at all. This highlights the scarcity of true judgment."
These virtuous individuals always act openly and honestly. They advise sincerely, and if their counsel is rejected after three attempts, they quietly withdraw. They praise unselfishly, dislike others without caring about resentment, and always think for the benefit of the country and the people. Therefore, they refuse undeserved positions, never accept salaries they do not deserve, do not respect those who are dishonest, and do not flatter those with flaws. They do not rejoice in benefits or resent losing them. Even if they face injustice and insult, as long as it is not their fault, they never feel ashamed.
The 'wise men' you mentioned are an absolute embarrassment! They're all groveling and brown-nosing, using honeyed words and flattering looks to ingratiate themselves; they rely on power and collude for profit; they flatter each other, compete for fame and profit, all to seek honor and rewards. They bend the law for their own pockets and bleed the people dry; they abuse their power, use the law to line their pockets, and generally run riot. What's the difference between that and highway robbery? When they first take office, they use all means to deceive, decorate false achievements, and fabricate empty documents to fool the emperor, all to promote themselves and make money. Once promoted, they stifle talent, exaggerate their achievements, and climb the ladder at any cost. They eat, drink, and play all day, indulge in pleasure, disregard family ties, violate laws and discipline, and line their own pockets: they're basically bandits in suits, without the decency to even feel guilty about it. How can they be considered noble and talented?
Everything's falling apart: crime's rampant, the barbarians are out of control, villains are running wild, officials are corrupt, the weather's all over the place, and the harvests are failing. It's treason not to serve your country with your talents; and if you're incompetent and in a position of power, you're just stealing a living. Haven't you seen owls flying with phoenixes, or weeds choking out the orchids – the good guys are pushed aside while the rotters thrive?
Saying "only state the facts, do not add unnecessary comments" is what a gentleman should do. Nowadays, fortune tellers all work with the rhythms of nature, adhere to benevolence, righteousness, and morality, arrange the divination tools, determine the hexagrams, and then speak of the fates of individuals and nations. In the past, kings of old governing the country would first use tortoise shells and divination sticks to foretell the future, determine dates, and only then dare to take office; they would choose an auspicious day and time before moving into a new home; and before giving birth, they would also divine before childbirth. From the creation of the Eight Trigrams by Fuxi to the derivation of the 384 hexagrams by King Wen of Zhou, the world was at peace. King Goujian of Yue used the Eight Trigrams of King Wen to defeat the enemy and ultimately dominate the world. So, where's the problem with fortune telling?
Furthermore, before fortune tellers perform divination, they must first clean up, set up the seats, and put on their best clothes before starting the divination, which is in accordance with etiquette. After divination, the spirits may receive sacrifices. Loyal ministers can better serve the monarch, filial sons can better support their parents, and loving fathers can better raise their children—these are all virtuous people. And through divination, spending just a few tens or hundreds of coins can heal the sick, revive the dying, resolve disasters, achieve success in careers, smoothly marry, and extend life. You can't put a price on that kind of help, can you? This aligns with Laozi's saying, "The highest virtue is not virtuous, therefore it has virtue." Nowadays, fortune tellers make great profits, yet receive little reward—that's what Laozi was getting at, right?
Zhuangzi said, "A person of virtue has no worries about hunger and cold in his heart, no concerns about being robbed outside. When in a high position, he is respectful and cautious; when in a low position, he will not be harmed. This is the ideal of a person of virtue." Nowadays, fortune-tellers in this profession do not need to amass vast fortunes, store it in the treasury, move it, or bear heavy burdens. It can be used anytime and is unending. They possess limitless resources, wandering in the endless world. Even someone as wise as Zhuangzi might not be their equal. Why do you say divination cannot be done? The heavens themselves are not unchanging; the stars shift northwest; the earth is not wide enough, so the sea is used as a pond; the sun always moves westward at noon, and the moon wanes after being full; the way of governing by the ancient kings also goes through rise and fall. Yet you blame the fortune-tellers for their words needing to be true and credible; isn't that very confused?
Have you seen those smooth-talking advisors who can speak eloquently? They formulate strategies and surely have skills, but cannot convince the monarch with a simple sentence. So they always bring up the ancient kings, telling ancient stories; when devising strategies, they boast of the success of the ancient kings, recounting their failures as lessons, to cater to the preferences of the monarch and achieve their own goals. They are masters of rhetoric! However, if you want the country to be strong and successful, you must wholeheartedly assist the monarch; otherwise, it will not work. Those fortune-tellers are just confusing and deceiving people. How can the ignorant and foolish understand with just one sentence? Hence, their pronouncements are often lengthy and elaborate.
So the racehorse does not team up with ordinary donkeys to form a four-horse carriage, the phoenix does not fly with sparrows, and the wise do not associate with the unworthy. Therefore, a gentleman should stay in a humble and hidden position to avoid getting caught up in worldly affairs, hide oneself to avoid getting dragged down by the world, gradually demonstrate one's virtue, eliminate various dangers, display one's true nature, assist the ruler, care for the people, do more beneficial things for the people, and not pursue fame or status. You guys just go with the flow, how would you know what the old-timers are talking about?!
Song Zhong and Jia Yi's faces turned pale instantly, unable to say a word, they stood up silently, bowed again, and left. They walked very slowly, and it was not until they got out of the palace gate that they finally got on the carriage, hung their heads as they rode, and said nothing.
Three days later, Song Zhong saw Jia Yi outside the palace gate, and the two of them pulled each other aside to talk privately, sighing to each other: "The higher the position, the more stable, the greater the power, the more dangerous. Being in a prominent position, there will always be danger. If a fortune teller makes a wrong prediction, at most, it's just losing a job; but if an advisor to the ruler makes a mistake, it could cost one's life. It's a world of difference! It's just like Laozi said, 'The nameless is the beginning of the ten thousand things'! The world is vast, with all things bustling about, some are safe, some are in danger, who can know their own fate? Why should we bother with those people? Those people have been safe for a long time, even Zengzi's righteous deeds may not have a different outcome."
Much later, Song Zhong was sent to the Xiongnu but returned before reaching the destination and was punished. Jia Yi became the teacher of King Liang Huai, who died from a fall from a horse. Jia Yi, died of a broken heart. This is the ultimate fate of those who pursue false fame.
The historian Sima Qian said: The records of those ancient fortune tellers were mostly not recorded. It wasn't until Sima Qian that these stories were written down.
Mr. Chu said: When I was in office, I visited Chang'an City and met a really good fortune teller. He was all proper and polite, the way he sat, stood, and walked. He dressed neatly, like a true gentleman. I saw him telling fortunes for women hoping to find husbands, his face serious and never once did I see him smile. For ages, many talented individuals have hidden themselves away to avoid calamity, some living out in the sticks, some in the city, keeping to themselves, and some simply living in seclusion, telling fortunes for a living.
Sima Ji Zhu was a big shot from Chu; he studied in Chang'an, knew a ton, and had great insight into the Book of Changes and the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. When he conversed with important people, he quoted ancient texts and talked about wise rulers from the past, something not everyone could achieve. People say: "Having money is the best, having power comes next; even if one has power and influence, one should still learn a trade." Huang Zhi, a doctor, and Lady Chen both got famous for their horse-judging skills; Zhang Zhong and Duke Qucheng of Qi were known for their swordsmanship; Liu Changru was famous for judging pigs; and the Chu family of Xingyang made a name for themselves judging oxen. There are many people like this, each with something special, the list goes on and on! Therefore, you gotta plant the tree in the right spot and teach the kid the right way, or nothing's gonna grow. When you're raising your kids, you should observe what they like, because life lessons are hidden in their interests, and they should be nurtured accordingly. Therefore, you can tell if someone will make it by looking at where they're at; kids need a place to call home to really thrive.
When I was in office, my colleagues in the astrology office used to tell this story. They said, "During the time of Emperor Wu of Han, he once summoned many fortune-tellers to ask if it was a good day to get married. The Five Elements guys said it was okay, the Feng Shui guys said it wasn't good, the calendar experts said the day was bad, the astrologers said it was very bad, the historians said it was somewhat bad, the celestial experts said it was somewhat good, and the Taiyi experts said it was very good. Everyone had different opinions, so it was eventually reported to the emperor. The emperor ordered, 'Avoid those unlucky days, mainly refer to the Five Elements.'" So, you see, it all came down to the Five Elements when deciding good or bad luck.
