Don't Tell Other People's Fortunes (The Dao)

The old Daoist continued his measured explanation. "Everything in this world has yin and yang.

Where there is day, there is night.

Where there are quick tempers, there are easygoing ones.

Where there are hardworking people, there are lazy ones.

Neither kind is absolutely good or bad.

Even arsenic can be used in medicine.

The same goes for viewpoints."

"Master, does that mean when two people argue, it isn't always the other person's fault?

It's actually because we aren't enlightened enough, and the root of the problem still lies within us," Little Bun chimed in.

She's even calling my master 'Master,' I thought to myself.

But this time, the old Daoist didn't respond by calling her his disciple. He merely nodded. "Yes. Rather than blaming others, cultivate yourself.

When you can understand your own viewpoint while also accepting the other person's position, you won't argue with them.

No two leaves in the world are identical, nor are any two snowflakes.

There are differences within similarities, and similarities within differences. That is the way of yin and yang.

Why insist that other people's views be exactly the same as ours?"

Once again, I felt deeply ashamed, but also grateful that I had encountered a wise master.

Only at that moment did I truly submit in my heart, branding the thought into my mind: This is my master.

Something suddenly occurred to me. "Master, should we hold a formal discipleship ceremony? What do I need to prepare?"

Master waved a hand. "I don't have a discipleship ceremony here. There is only one thing you must always remember: all things honor the Dao and cherish virtue.

The Dao cannot be separated from virtue.

The Dao and virtue are one."

"Master, is that like what those cultivation novels say about accumulating merit?" Little Bun asked curiously.

If Master wanted me to remember just one saying, it had to be extremely important. But I didn't really understand what it meant either.

Master explained patiently. "The Dao gives birth; virtue nurtures. The Dao is the core of the universe, while virtue is its outward manifestation, its expression as energy.

Energy can represent vitality. That is why those who cultivate immortality accumulate merit and live very long lives.

Energy can also represent many other things. You can gradually come to understand those for yourselves."

At that point, Master took out three books and solemnly handed them to me. "Everything I intend to teach you is in here. Study them carefully."

One was the Precious Mirror of the Vast and Subtle, one was the Essence of Dripping Heaven, and one was the Tianyi Notes.

I flipped through them. Between them, the three books covered the Eight Characters, Six Lines divination, Plum Blossom Numerology, feng shui, face reading, the principles of qi, Daoist medicine...

Mountain cultivation, medicine, destiny, physiognomy, divination-the whole assortment was here.

Little Bun craned her neck to look, envy written all over her face.

Though she barely had a neck to crane, her face was still practically pressed against the books.

I was delighted too.

Other people generally had to fall off a cliff to discover a secret martial arts manual. All I'd done was walk down the road, and here they were.

"Once you've learned all this, will you become an amazing fortune-telling master?" Little Bun asked, practically drooling.

"No, quite the opposite," Master replied gravely. "Once you've learned it, don't tell other people's fortunes."

What? I can't tell other people's fortunes? I was baffled.

Wasn't telling fortunes the whole point of learning to divine things?

Was I supposed to train until I was invincible, only to perform a few sword flourishes for my own amusement?

I was thoroughly confused.

Even if I didn't make any money from it, surely I should at least get to show off.

Little Bun asked in her soft, sweet voice, "Is it because you're afraid you'll get beaten up if your predictions are wrong?"

The way her mind worked was truly something else.

Little Bun probably hadn't heard the old Daoist boasting earlier that there wasn't a person or event in the world whose fortune couldn't be accurately divined.

I smiled and explained to her, "The Mencius says:

'Seek it and you will obtain it; abandon it and you will lose it. Here, seeking helps you obtain it, for what you seek lies within yourself.

There is a proper way to seek it, but obtaining it depends on fate. Here, seeking does not help you obtain it, for what you seek lies outside yourself.'

Some things are destined, and some aren't. But all of that falls within the scope of divination."

After that whole explanation, she looked even more baffled.