Xingge
Gansan Daishi's Kannon oracle (100 poems)
No. 51
Grade
You work hard at self-improvement with great toil;
for all your labor, your time has not yet come.
Leap up and roam the blue sky,
and only then will you find a high branch.
Traditional grade: blessing
Modern reading
The poem describes years of hard, patient effort while the right moment has not yet come. Only when you leap into the open sky do you find a high branch to rest on. This poem is for those who have worked long and hard. What you have built up is enough; what is missing is one bold jump. Apply for the opportunity you think you are not ready for. The answer often comes only after you try.
How should I read the poem I drew?
Recall the question you held when you drew, then look for where the poem's image matches it. The poem speaks to timing and attitude, not a fixed outcome; treat it as a prompt, and the decision stays yours.
Oracle poems are part of folk religious practice; this is a modern reading for reflection.