What Does The Chinese Term For Divination Mean?

Divination is a practice that determines the hidden significance or cause of events, sometimes foretelling the future through various natural, psychological, and other techniques. Found in all civilizations, both ancient and modern, divination has played a significant role in shaping the religious life of ancient China. The earliest known Chinese divination, recorded on oracle bones, was elaborate and expensive, while the Zhouyi divination required minimal resources and combined with occult knowledge.

Divination and sacrifice have been the backbone of Chinese religion since the earliest known forms of religious practice. It has flourished in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and even in the People’s Republic, despite sometimes fierce competition. Divination is one of the most characteristic features of ancient China’s religious life, taking many forms, such as interpretations of popular culture, Buddhist and Daoist religious practices, and divination in the lives of Ming-Qing elites. Topics divined included sacrifices, campaigns, hunts, good fortune, weather, harvests, sickness, and more.

In Chinese fortune telling, better known as Suan ming (预), various divination techniques were utilized. Foretelling is prophecy, while 预 is rest+peace (安乐). Chu Hsi’s treatment of the I Ching is best understood as an effort to facilitate individual efforts at self-cultivation. In conclusion, divination is a crucial aspect of ancient Chinese religion, playing a significant role in coordinating knowledge and structuring social and individual activities.

What is divination in religion?

Divination is a practice that employs omens or visions to predict future events, offering spiritual guidance and practical solutions to problems in both ancient and modern cultures. Those engaged in the practice of divination utilize a variety of techniques and signs to attempt to predict future events.

What was the purpose of divination?

Divination is a practice that aims to uncover the source of trouble and remove it through various methods such as sacrifice, countersorcery, or accusation and ordeal. It involves determining the hidden significance or cause of events, sometimes foretelling the future, using natural, psychological, and other techniques. Found in all civilizations, divination is most commonly practiced in contemporary mass society through horoscopes, astrology, crystal gazing, tarot cards, and the Ouija board.

In ancient Roman culture, divination was focused on discovering the will of the gods. Today, divinatory practices and beliefs are more extensive than discerning the will of the gods and the fatalistic view of the human condition. In some societies, divination is a practice that many people resort to, but never in terms of discovering the will of the gods.

Divination is universally concerned with practical problems and seeks information for making practical decisions. The source of such information is not mundane, and the technique of obtaining it is often fanciful. The mantic (divinatory) arts are numerous, and a broad understanding can only be gained by surveying actual practices in various cultural settings.

What is an example of divination?

Divination, a practice that originated in ancient Roman culture, has evolved over time to encompass a wider range of beliefs and practices. In some societies, divination is a common practice but not solely focused on discovering the will of the gods. The concept of godly providence controlling human affairs is unusual, but humbler spirits are often thought to intervene in troublesome ways.

Divination is universally concerned with practical problems, private or public, and seeks information for decision-making. The source of such information is not mundane, and the technique of obtaining it is often fanciful. There are many mantic (divinatory) arts, and a broad understanding can only be gained from a survey of actual practices in various cultural settings.

Divination is attended by respect and the attitude of participants may be religious, but the subject matter is ephemeral, such as an illness, a worrisome portent, or a lost object. Divination is a consultative institution, and the matter posed to a diviner may range from a few lost coins to high questions of state. The casual or solemn nature of the matter is usually matched by that of the diviner in terms of attitude, technique, and style.

The diviner’s art has many rationales, and it is difficult to describe them as a distinctive social type. They may be a shaman, priest, sorcery peddler, or a holy person who speaks almost with the voice of prophecy. To appreciate the significance of the diviner’s art in any culture or era, one must be familiar with prevailing beliefs about man and the world.

What does god say about divination?

Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 19:26, Leviticus 20:27, and Deuteronomy 18:10-11 all prohibit the practice of necromancy, divination, and soothsaying. These laws are portrayed as foreign and are the only part of the Hebrew Bible to mention such practices. The presence of laws forbidding necromancy proves that it was practiced throughout Israel’s history.

The exact difference between the three forbidden forms of necromancy mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:11 is uncertain, as yidde’oni (“wizard”) is always used together with ob (“consulter with familiar spirits”) and its semantic similarity to doresh el ha-metim (“necromancer” or “one who directs inquiries to the dead”) raises the question of why all three are mentioned in the same verse. The Jewish tractate Sanhedrin distinguishes between a doresh el ha-metim, a person who would sleep in a cemetery after starving himself, to become possessed, and a yidde’oni, a wizard.

In summary, the prohibition of necromancy in the Hebrew Bible is a significant aspect of Jewish history.

What does God say about divination?

Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 19:26, Leviticus 20:27, and Deuteronomy 18:10-11 all prohibit the practice of necromancy, divination, and soothsaying. These laws are portrayed as foreign and are the only part of the Hebrew Bible to mention such practices. The presence of laws forbidding necromancy proves that it was practiced throughout Israel’s history.

The exact difference between the three forbidden forms of necromancy mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:11 is uncertain, as yidde’oni (“wizard”) is always used together with ob (“consulter with familiar spirits”) and its semantic similarity to doresh el ha-metim (“necromancer” or “one who directs inquiries to the dead”) raises the question of why all three are mentioned in the same verse. The Jewish tractate Sanhedrin distinguishes between a doresh el ha-metim, a person who would sleep in a cemetery after starving himself, to become possessed, and a yidde’oni, a wizard.

In summary, the prohibition of necromancy in the Hebrew Bible is a significant aspect of Jewish history.

What are the 5 elements divination?

The wuxing system, a metaphysics based on cosmic analogy, has been used in various fields of early Chinese thought since the second or first century BCE during the Han dynasty. It originally referred to the five major planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Mars, Venus) and their combination with the Sun and Moon, creating five forces of earthly life. The word “wuxing” is composed of Chinese characters meaning “five” (五) and “moving” (行), meaning “planets”.

Some Mawangdui Silk Texts also connect the wuxing to the wude, the Five Virtues and Five Emotions. Scholars believe that various predecessors to the concept of wuxing were merged into one system with many interpretations during the Han dynasty.

Wuxing was first translated into English as “the Five Elements”, drawing parallels with the Greek arrangement of the four elements. However, this analogy is misleading as the wuxing are primarily concerned with process, change, and quality. For example, the element “wood” is more accurately thought of as the ” vital essence” of trees rather than the physical substance wood.

In 1987, sinologist Nathan Sivin proposed the alternative translation “five phases” but this term fails to capture the full meaning of wuxing. Historian Manfred Porkert proposed the term “Evolutive Phase” and “the five agents” is the most widely accepted translation among modern scholars.

Is divination an important Chinese religious practice?

The earliest known form of Chinese religion, known as the Shang dynasty’s ritual dyad, dates back to the 14th century BCE and has been a central tenet of popular Chinese religious practice throughout Chinese history.

What is divination in the I Ching?

I Ching divination is a form of cleromancy that involves studying the text of the I Ching, which consists of sixty-four hexagrams. These hexagrams are six-line figures of yin (broken) or yang (solid) lines and commentaries on them. There are two main methods for building up the lines of the hexagram: using 50 yarrow stalks or three coins. Some lines may be designated “old” lines, which are then changed to create a second hexagram. The text relating to the hexagram(s) and old lines is studied, and the meanings derived from such study can be interpreted as an oracle.

Each hexagram is six lines, written sequentially one above the other, representing a state that is either yin (dark, feminine) or yang (light, masculine), and either old (moving or changing) or young (static, unchanging). The usual methods for consulting the I Ching as an oracle produce a “sacred” or “ritual” number for each type of line. The six lines are produced in order using the chosen method, beginning at the first (lowest) one and proceeding upward to the sixth (uppermost) line, each with its corresponding number.

The method used by the diviner to generate the hexagram(s) depends on their circumstances and beliefs. The yarrow-stalk method is usually employed by traditionalists who find significance in its complexity and time needed to manipulate the stalks to produce a hexagram. Coin methods are used by those short of time or fortune-tellers who need a quick reading.

What are the three styles of Chinese divination?

Taiyishenshu is a Chinese art that predicts events like wars and supernovae, as well as personal fortunes. It is similar to other arts, using a rotating heavenly plate and fixed earthly plate, and the 8 trigrams and 64 hexagrams as a foundation. Analysis is conducted from the Taiyi Cosmic Board and the array of symbols found there, with special reference to the position of symbols in specific palaces. Important symbols include the Calculator, the Scholar, Taiyi, and Taiyi.

Spirits rotate around the sixteen palaces of the Taiyi cosmic board, with 72 cosmic boards applied to the Yin Dun period and 72 cosmic boards for the Yang Dun period. Each board contains “counts” or numbers, with the Host Count and Guest Count taking primary importance over the Fixed Count. Numerous examples of Taiyishenshu can be found in classical Chinese literature, particularly in dynastic histories.

Is feng shui divination?

Field’s book explores various forms of divination, including feng shui, numerology, aury, and sortilege. Feng shui is the most popular form of Chinese divination studied and practiced in the West, focusing on the placement of tombs, homes, and businesses based on water flow, mountains, and compass directions. The rules of feng shui can be determined using a compass, allowing for the most auspicious siting for various human habitations. Numerology involves counting objects like milfoil stalks, coins, and bamboo sticks.

Augury interprets portentous signs found in the human face and heavenly bodies. Sortilege, or choosing lots, is widely used in Daoist and Buddhist temples. Field’s book is recommended for teachers introducing students to the essentials of Chinese religion, providing a clear understanding of the critical elements of Daoism and the interplay between Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism within an evolving Chinese culture.

While some Westerners view divination as superstitious and primitive, this book helps understand how divination contributed to the overall framework of Daoism and continues to play a role in religious practice.

What is divination in Chinese culture?

Chinese divination, also known as Suan ming or “fate calculating”, has a long history and is a measure for solving doubts. Two well-known methods include bǔ 卜 (on tortoise shells) and shì 筮 (on milfoil stalks). These methods were sanctioned by the royal practice since the Shang and Zhou dynasties. However, the xiang 相 type of divination, based on appearance, was sometimes criticized by the Xunzi. This type was used in medical, veterinary, match-making, and marketing choices. Several divination techniques developed around astronomic observations and burial practices, such as Feng shui and Guan Lu.

Dynastic chronicles preserve reports of divination being manipulated to achieve political or personal goals. For example, “Saju” in Korea is the same as the Chinese four pillar method. Over time, some of these concepts have moved into Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese culture under other names.