Guan Yin lot 9 of 100
A moon straight overhead
Highest (上上). Grade from lot 9 of the related Goodfate edition, whose verse is worded quite differently, so it is not compared line by line below. Grades differ between temples, and many Taiwanese temples print none.
勞君問我心中事
此意偏宜說向公
一片靈臺明似鏡
恰如明月正當空
You take the trouble to ask what is in my heart.
This is a matter best told to you.
The mind's high terrace is clear as a mirror,
Just like the bright moon straight overhead.
What this lot says
Someone asks what is on your mind, and the verse answers with the mind itself, clear as a mirror and as bright as a full moon overhead. Nothing is hidden at that height.
The advice is to speak openly to someone worth telling, and first to be honest with yourself about what you want.
If you are holding back a concern from a manager, a partner or a friend, this lot favors a direct conversation. Before you have it, sit quietly until you can say the thing in one clear sentence.
A lot is a prompt for reflection. It cannot promise a result, and it is no substitute for medical, legal or financial advice.
The story behind it
Kongming assigns his generals (孔明點將)
Zhuge Liang, known as Kongming, was the chancellor and leading strategist of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period, and on his northern campaigns he decided which generals would lead each force. A commander choosing officers needs the clear sight this verse describes.
Source: Wikipedia, Zhuge Liang
Where this text comes from
This verse is a traditional temple text with no known author. No single original edition is known and wording differs between temples, so we compare named witnesses and record where they differ.
Míguāng (覓光) (the text shown above)
勞君問我心中事 / 此意偏宜說向公 / 一片靈臺明似鏡 / 恰如明月正當空
Retrieved 2026-11-08
Jiěqiān Gé (解籤閣)
勞苦問我心中事 / 此意偏宜說向公 / 一片靈臺明似鏡 / 恰如明月正當空
Retrieved 2026-11-08
Where the sources differ
- Line 1 reads 勞君問我心中事 in Míguāng and 勞苦問我心中事 in Jiěqiān Gé.
- The related Goodfate edition has a substantially different verse for this lot.
English translation and commentary are by Cast & Chart.