網編案：2011年10月9日接到賴正雄老師自美國寄來的一篇短文，以英文論述東方人的命相觀，極為深刻，很值得分享。（蔡宏明）
People everywhere regardless of race, sex, religion or creed, believe, to a certain degree, in fortune-telling and/ or even follow closely instructions from fortune-tellers, astrologists, or some kind of experts on predictions though they also believe the fact that it is easy to see but difficult to foresee. The extent and intensity to which they believe varies from age to age, time to time or fact to fact. It is widely known that person’s belief in it is disproportioned to his education, (Someone advocates that ignorance is often wed to a groundless belief or superstition) and that the female may have a stronger belief than the male. Or course the female may not necessarily be more fragile or vulnerable in innate nature, or character.
Western parents will not bother to consult a fortune-teller about their new-born children while the Oriental parents do. Because the latter believe that the earlier they learn about the destiny of their children, the better precautions they can take to avoid ill fortunes, (some people may believe “Misfortunes never come singly.”-禍不單行 ) if any, or to expect good fortunes. *『According to Chinese philosophy, there are some proverbs, contradicting to each other. For example, the saying, 「福無双至」means nearly that “Good fortunes do not come in succession(or simultaneously)”. And, the saying「双喜臨門」means “Two good fortunes come in one after the other.” 』Contradictory as the sayings may seem, there contain in them certain kind of wisdom. On the one hand, they want people to be more appreciative of good fortunes, which rarely frequent people; on the other hand, they are warning people of the sequent coming of ill fortunes. Because some people might pessimistically believe that among those happening to human beings are disappointing, frustrating or unfortunate, - nine out of ten, at least.
Most western people consult a fortune-teller, a palm reader, or a Taro Card reader when they are old enough (high school kids or older). Their consultations are more motivated by curiosity than by inquiry about possible solutions to their problems. And they care more about their future than their past. They care whether “they will be rich, handsome, or beautiful; whether there will have rainbow day after day.” And they will not deliberately bear in mind those (good or bad) told by fortune-tellers. Possibly, the moment they walk out of a studio of a palm reader’s, they forget everything. As is often said, or quoted, “Que sera sera. Whatever will be will be. The future is not our eyes to see.” (勿杞人憂天) That’s what some western people’s mental attitude toward a fortune-telling. In a sense, it implies: enjoying the present; forgetting about the past, and letting future take care of itself. – or just let it be.
Compared with western people, the Orientals believe more of a forecast or something told by fortune-tellers. Not only do they spend more time and money on it but they sometimes are more observant of some things connected with a person’s fate, such as time of his birth, his residence, including its directions, floor plan, his tomb site, and Feng-Shui of his ancestors. Besides parents’ consultation with a fortune-teller at a child’s birth or at its early age, most Orientals, as they grow older, will continue to visit him, if necessary, It often happens that they ask a fortune-teller for advice especially when they are confronted with or puzzled about some big events in life, e.g., romantic trouble, marriage, illness, career, etc.. Typically, some standard solutions to problems in these situations are categorized in different stages in their life. A or some suitable answers will be given to those who consult. Because they believe a man’s fate is revolving, ever changing at an interval of about 10-year cycle .Therefore, they believe, a man’s fate is involved in “changes” from good to bad, from bad to good, from good to better, or from bad to worse. They believe the truth -「相隨心轉」-“As the way of a person’s thinking changes, so does that of his look of features. (Which is particularly true with palm or features reading) Believe it or not, some palm-readers insist that a person’s palm print is changeable. That’s maybe part of the reasons why they prefer to consult a fortune-teller at different stages in their life, whether his prophecy comes true or not. However, when a person reaches 60 years of age or even older, as usual, they will discontinue consulting or reduce the frequency of visiting, for they believe, they have walked, enjoyed or suffered most of their life. In other words, the older a person becomes, the less often his consultation occurs.
As mentioned above, there are different ways of telling one’s fortune. The Taro-card reading or Gypsy’s Poker card reading is not popular with the Orientals. Because quite similar to Chinese’ Phu Gua (卜卦), its probability depends on luck, and the very moment and chance when you are drawing a card, something like drawing lot. The result and probability may be different at different date, or time. It is, as someone may argue, lacking in accuracy and consistency. Lately, Zodiac has become more and more popular in Asia with most of the young people. Westerners believe it more than other forms of fortune-telling. In Zodiac, certain features of personality or character are put in a common standard and category for each person to identify himself/herself with. Unlike Chinese’ astrological points of view- 紫微斗數，features-reading, or palm reading, they cannot give specific or more exact prediction or retrospective view of a person’s past.
In the so-called Tz Wei Dou Su紫微斗數 or the八字, associated with one’s horoscope, and mainly based on a person’s birth date, including the year, the month, the date and the hour, which are the Four Main Factors (四大柱), dominating a person’s fate, they believe. Sometimes a professional and experienced master can prophesy something more accurately and minutely about a person’s fate. They emphasize the importance of a man’s destiny, which they believe is usually unchangeable. But, ironically, sometimes it does change because of some unexpected occasions or impacts on life. Notwithstanding the fact that it is no more than one kind of fortune-tellings, it is by far the most dependable way, I believe.
In addition to an overall prediction, Tz Wei Dou Su can do the foretelling in more detail and specifically, of an individual person. For example, they can foretell whether a person dies of a natural cause, or dies an accidental death, in which year and of which cause should he die from an accident. Sometimes, how many times a person get married, the number of children one can have, how long a person’s life span one enjoys, and when he will change his job, etc., can also be foretold. (*These may not make any sense to some western people.)
Most often people are referred to a fortune-teller by others, or by commercial ads. A fortune-teller with good reputation is more looked up to, and has more customers. As regards the accuracy of a fortune-telling is not so much concerned for 100 percent of accuracy of a probability is not always expected. Often the great probability of his prophetic telling regarding a person’s past will often convince his customer of what he foretells about his future. Some people assert it is much related to a fortune-teller’s personal instinct, his knowledge of astrology, (how it affects people,) and people’s mentality, etc... It is perhaps his clever insights into the varieties of a man’s mind, and experience that bring about an accurate foretelling, thus making him enjoy more popularity.
Though sometimes, people say that “a man can be master of his own fate.” But at other times, people are weak inwardly. Admitted or not, people can be easily upset, discouraged or defeated by failure, or set-backs in a row. If they are entangled in these disturbed emotions, it is usually at this point that people turn to their friends, spouses or family people for advice while others prefer going to a fortune-teller.
Besides foretelling a person’s fortunes, he can be a psychologist, a consultant and he can even serve as a psychiatrist as well, rendering service like psycho-analysis, giving nice soothing words, encouragements or precautions to cheer people up or to warn them. His fortune-telling could provide a healthful outlet for impulses and ideas that might otherwise be disruptive to the social fabric. In the Orient, comparatively, people do not need a psychiatrist so much as they do a fortune-teller, God or gods and goddesses in a temple, which may provide to them as a temporary sanctuary or psychological shelter, wherewith to accomplish catharsis of such emotions as bewilderment, confusion, unease or even paranoia. “Paranoia places its faith in exposure,” Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick says. That is to say that the exposure of a disturbing fact or situation does not necessarily alter it, but in fact may further the circular conviction that one can never be paranoid enough.
Someone says, “Fate is the killer” (刼數難逃). Is it true? Well, people are prone to remember the beautiful past, enjoying the fun and pleasure it brought. Some people are apt to claim that they have had a good foresight into an incident which happened later as foretold. They forget to ask whether it coincided with some unknown factors. “Fate is the killer” could be a justifiable excuse for an incident without logical explanation. When something unexplainable happens, it may be referred to as something brought about by a supernatural force. After all, man is potent; God is omnipotent. A Chinese proverb has it,- 『謀事在人，成事在天。』 (Man proposes; God disposes.) However, there is also a forecast or prophecy which does not actually happen at all. Therefore, a conclusion may be reasonably and safely reached- “Fate is not absolutely a killer.”
I have an acquaintance, who is a firm believer of a fortune-teller. He was told that his life will be very miserable toward the end of his life. Influenced and obsessed by such negative prophecy, he is losing his confidence in life by degrees. So much so, an idea of remaining alive seems to be more and more difficult for him. In other words, attempting to die by his own hand is always haunting him. He is quite bewildered and tormented by the predictions made for him. As most of what the fortune-tellers predicted about him came true, he is assuming and making an illogical inference that what is predicted is certain to happen, too. To add to his agony, his family and friend begin to pay no heed to his idiotic way of thinking, to become indifferent to his suffering and view him as a freak. Once he admitted to me to having attempted for several times to kill himself, but failed. Maybe, he is a coward, for “cowards die many times before deaths while the valiant tastes of death once”. It seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come. It is certain that we, human beings will eventually pass from our life on earth, but whether we are so unlucky, so evil, or so malicious as to spend eternity, in our self-torturing world has yet to be determined. However, I do admire those people who are “courageous” enough to commit suicide before their life span would otherwise have been prolonged. As yet, I have no idea what will happen to my friend. Hopefully, he will be disillusioned in time before he ultimately meets his fate.
There are other people who do not take everything at what a fortune-teller says. They are not necessarily dubious or credulous; they are just being sensible enough to re-evaluate and discern with an open mind between what he really is and what a situation is, before making any decision. Those nice things said about him are cheerfully adopted, of course, whereas those misfortunes foretold may be avoided or discarded as nonsensical. Sometimes an obstacle, a blocking force or set-backs may be turned into a stepping stone (who knows) if properly managed, cautiously treated, and with adequate confidence and patience.
Basically, there are two kinds of “fortune-tellers”. One is I’ll-do-it-for-fame -or-money, the so-called professionals; the other is I-do- this-because-it-gives-me-pleasure, or the amateurs. Whichever group they belong in, the former are more businesspeople-like, sometimes, mixing his foretelling with some sort of mild threat, misleading, bluffing, or coaxing people into believing his untrue prophecy; the latter, outnumbered are more sincere, conserved, stressing the importance of theoretic concept, and appealing to more people. In the long run, it is increasingly difficult nowadays for us to tell charlatans from honest fortune-tellers.
We, ordinary people are lived by drives we cannot command. It is inevitable that we meet with unforeseeable challenges in life from time to time. (with the exception of those who are born with silver spoons in their mouths). Therefore, with courage and determination to meet our difficulty and adversity, which most men can stand, will justify our end in life.
Consulting a fortune-teller plays an important part in our life. But some people still can survive and live very happily without having to visit one. As long as one is looking back on his past, making necessary corrections in what he has done, and looking forward with pleasure to his future, his life may be as productive, fruitful, and colorful as he is expecting. However, indulging with fantasy in the belief in what a fortune-teller foretells may not be a remedy for one’s fault or wrong-doing. Building a castle in the air or intoxicating oneself in a fortune-telling that riches are at hand and that good fortunes are awaiting- is futile, impractical, a delusion or day-dreaming. If you are just sitting and waiting all the time, as some people frequently do, Fortune might pass by you with her cold shoulders.
By Justin C. Lai 賴正雄
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