Lot 69 (Middle) from the Guanyin Oracle (观音灵签) draws on the allusion "Plan and Then Act" — The skilled warrior plans before acting; knowing yourself and the enemy, you will not fail in a hundred battles. Think three times before moving to stand undefeated.
Lot 69
MiddlePoem
Throw a stone to test the water — know the depth
Plan before acting — the odds are better
Think three times before moving; do not act rashly
Seeking victory through stability is the best strategy
Móu Dìng Ér Hòu Dòng
Historical Allusion
Plan and Then Act
The skilled warrior plans before acting; knowing yourself and the enemy, you will not fail in a hundred battles. Think three times before moving to stand undefeated.
General Guidance
A middle lot. Plan before acting; think three times before moving. Seek victory through stability and never act rashly.
General Guidance
Career
Plan before acting; seek victory through stability.
Love
Think carefully; do not make hasty decisions.
Health
Understand your condition before making decisions.
Wealth
Fully research before investing.
Travel
Prepare thoroughly before travel.
Litigation
Prepare fully; plan and then act.
- 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