Lot 11 (Lower) from the Guanyin Oracle (观音灵签) draws on the allusion "Sleeping on Brushwood and Tasting Gall" — King Goujian of Yue endured humiliation after defeat, slept on brushwood and tasted gall for ten years, ultimately restoring his kingdom.
Lot 11
LowerPoem
In the depths of winter, snow falls thick
All trees stripped bare, waiting for spring's return
Plans made now will meet with difficulty
Staying still and calm is the way to pass through hardship
Wò Xīn Cháng Dǎn
Historical Allusion
Sleeping on Brushwood and Tasting Gall
King Goujian of Yue endured humiliation after defeat, slept on brushwood and tasted gall for ten years, ultimately restoring his kingdom.
General Guidance
A lower lot. Things are blocked; stillness is better than action. Endure and wait for conditions to improve before moving.
General Guidance
Career
Career temporarily blocked; hold rather than advance.
Love
Relationship has turbulence; handle calmly.
Health
Watch your health; prevent small ailments from worsening.
Wealth
Poor financial luck; avoid investment for now.
Travel
Avoid long journeys; stay close to home.
Litigation
Unfavorable for dispute; better to yield.
- Tradition
- Guanyin 100 Oracle (观音灵签 / 观音一百签) — a traditional divination practice at Guanyin temples across East Asia, drawing on classical Chinese allusions (典故) as reflective mirrors.
- Source
- Follows the widely circulated 100-lot text commonly printed at Chinese and Taiwanese Guanyin temples. No single canonical edition exists; minor wording variations occur across temple printings.
- Translation
- Chinese preserves traditional phrasing. English renderings are Cihang's adaptations for bilingual devotional reading, not scholarly translations.
- Note
- Reflection, not prediction. The oracle invites contemplation of the lot's historical allusion as a mirror for your present circumstances; it does not claim divinatory certainty.
- Last reviewed