The Sleepy Immortal

Chinese fortune poems, one page each

Mazu's Fortune Poems

Mazu Fortune Poem No. 52: A precious mirror lies in dust, long unpolished.

Mazu Fortune Poem No. 52 is paired with the Sheng · Rising hexagram. In plain words: A dusty old mirror shines again once you wipe it. Your talent has been there all along, and a little tidying will let it light up.

Sheng · Rising
A precious mirror lies in dust, long unpolished.Wipe it once, and its light rises again.It was always a wondrous, secret thing.Shadows and goblins slip away from its shine.

Original Chinese

寶鏡塵埋久未磨一朝拂拭起光華本來神物稱奇秘魑魅潛形洵足誇

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Questions people ask

Is Mazu Fortune Poem No. 52 a good fortune?

This set is not ranked from good to bad here. What matters is the reminder: A dusty old mirror shines again once you wipe it. Your talent has been there all along, and a little tidying will let it light up. The choice is yours.

What does Mazu Fortune Poem No. 52 say in English?

A precious mirror lies in dust, long unpolished. / Wipe it once, and its light rises again. / It was always a wondrous, secret thing. / Shadows and goblins slip away from its shine.

Different temples may use slightly different versions.

A fortune poem is a reminder, not an order. The choice is yours.

Chinese poem font: Wang Han-zong Li Shu (GPL v2), with a few added glyphs