Research on the superstition of Fuji

Author: Xu Deshan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
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() Divining with the Bì Platform to Predict Events
Divining with the Bì platform is a form of divination that became popular due to the beliefs of scholars and officials. Scholarly divination likely originated in the Song Dynasty, and its peak popularity was during the imperial examination era of the Ming and Qing dynasties, with Bì platforms found in nearly every city in every prefecture and county. Particularly in regions known for their literary traditions, such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang, there was almost an unwavering belief that success in the examinations was impossible without the aid of the Bì platform. The Bì platform was used to ask about examination questions and academic success, and a single instance of accuracy could earn lifelong devotion. When holding office, officials would also turn to the Bì platform for guidance on matters beyond their expertise. For instance, the case of Ye Mingchen, who lost Guangzhou due to his reliance on Bì platform predictions, was likely not uncommon, though records are scarce, leaving later generations with limited knowledge. In recent years, certain officials in Beijing refused to assume office as puppets because of their Bì platform guidance, while others in Guangzhou rebelled based on similar predictions. Although the outcomes differed, the influence of Bì platform predictions remained as strong as during the imperial examination era. Below are some examples of how the Bì platform was used to seek examination questions during that time.
1. Divining Examination Questions
Many answers from the Bì platform used obscure language or riddles rather than direct references to the questions. [31] Direct Revelation of the Question
In The Records of the Western Stone (Volume 43):
"Deng Duanshi, during his youth, learned the Zhaosi incantation and summoned (immortal maidens), enjoying poetry. In the year Shaoxing Jiazi (1144 AD), just before the imperial examinations, he hosted a meal with several guests at his private school. Some invited the Bì platform to reveal the examination topics. As soon as the incantation was completed, the immortal arrived, and he asked with sincerity. The answer was, 'I am familiar with the classics and essays, but the secrets of the heavens are too profound to be revealed lightly. I will instead predict the poetry question to ease your minds.' He then wrote the five characters 'Autumn Wind Gives Life to the Osmanthus.' The guests did not believe it. Later, the prediction proved accurate." [32] Predicting Two Characters of the Essay Topic
In the same book (Volume 21):
" Fang Zhu of Putian, during the Shaoxing Dingji (1137 AD) autumn examinations, often summoned the Zhaosi spirit. He asked about the essay topic. The spirit refused, saying, 'The secrets of the heavens cannot be revealed.' After lighting incense and offering wine, he prayed repeatedly until the spirit wrote the two characters 'Zhonghe.' Fang Zhu was eighteen years old and skilled in poetry and prose. He searched extensively for possible titles, such as 'The Son of Heaven Establishes the Ultimate Harmony,' 'Harmony Through Rites and Music,' and so on, preparing essays for all potential topics. That year, many candidates took the exam, divided into two sessions. The first essay prompt was 'The Sun and Moon of the Revival Can Be Achieved,' and the second was 'Allies with the Barbarians, a Blessing to the State.' Only then did he realize the prediction. He wrote the first essay and won the top prize." [33] Riddle-Like Instructions
In Records of the Unspoken (Volume 21):
"In the Kangxi Wuchen (1688 AD) imperial examinations, candidates sought guidance from the Bì platform. It wrote the two characters 'Unknown.' The candidates bowed and asked, 'How could immortals not know the answers?' The spirit then wrote the three characters 'Unknown, Unknown, Unknown.' The crowd laughed, thinking the spirit was ignorant, but the actual topic was 'He Who Does Not Know His Fate Cannot Be a Gentleman—Three Sections.'"
"Another story from the Jiamu (1714 AD) local examinations: A scholar asked the Bì platform for the topic. The spirit wrote the three characters 'Cannot Be Spoken.' The scholars persistently sought clarification, and the spirit wrote, 'It is precisely about 'cannot be spoken.'" The scholars remained confused and asked for further clarification. The spirit wrote a single character, 'Shu.' Upon further inquiry, it no longer responded. Later, the topic was 'He Who Knows Is Not as Good as He Who Loves—One Chapter.'"
The first story also belongs to predicting two characters of the topic, while the second uses the method of character dissection to predict four instances of the character '' in the essay. However, 'Cannot Be Spoken' borders on the obscure! But upon closer examination, it is also ambiguous. If the topic was incorrect, it could be interpreted as 'Unknown' or 'Cannot Be Spoken,' and no one would dare to claim the Bì platform was wrong. [34] Liang Shaorong's A Collection of Notes from the Rain and Autumn Leaves (Volume 3):
"In the Jiaqing Dingmao (1807 AD) Zhejiang local examinations, someone asked the Bì platform about the essay topic. It replied, 'One great, one great, the first-place essay is four hundred characters.' When the topic was revealed, it was 'What Does Heaven Speak?—Three Sections.' 'One great' refers to Heaven, 'inside' and 'outside' refer to within and beyond the topic, and 'four hundred characters' refers to 'Four Seasons' and 'One Hundred Things.'"
This riddle-like answer made me realize that the popularity of poetry locks and lantern riddles during the imperial examination era was likely a practice among scholars to interpret Bì platform predictions. [35] Xue Fucheng's Notes from the Ordinary Box (Volume 6):
"In the Daoguang Jiamu (1834 AD) examinations, the Jiangnan local examinations had the topic 'Holding the Jade.' Scholars from Hefei County had earlier consulted the Bì platform. The platform wrote the three characters 'Tang Bohu,' and it became motionless. The scholars pondered deeply and one realized, 'Tang Bohu called himself 'Six Like,' so there must be six instances of 'like' in the topic. Upon checking the Analects, they found the passage 'Holding the Jade.' There were ten scholars in the writing session, and seven from Hefei passed the local examinations, with six participating in the session. Only Li Yuquan, an elder, was absent due to living in the countryside."
"Another story from the Daoguang Jimao (1843 AD) examinations, the Zhejiang local topic was 'The Master Said, 'Give Me a Few More Years,' Two Sections.' Scholars in Hangzhou also consulted the Bì platform in advance. The platform wrote the phrase 'Between White Clouds and Red Leaves.' At the time, no one could decipher it. Later, when the topic was revealed, they realized the top of the topic was 'Like Floating Clouds to Me' (the character 'cloud'), and the bottom was 'Ye Gong' (the character 'leaf'), which sounded different but was written similarly. The scholar taught his students to read the Analects by adding a small red circle around the character 'leaf,' reading it as 'leaf' from 'Ye Gong.' Thus, the Bì platform's 'red' in 'red leaves' also had a clear meaning."
The 'Holding the Jade' topic from the Daoguang 14th year used 'Tang Bohu,' but since 'Six Like' did not necessarily refer to Tang Bohu (a Tang Bohu from Quanzhou in the Song Dynasty did not call himself 'Six Like'—see Wang Gong's Random Records), and the passage 'Holding the Jade' actually contained seven instances of 'like,' while 'Entering the Gates of the Palace' also had seven instances of 'like,' the Bì platform's prediction was clearly inaccurate. Niu Yingzhi's Records of Rainy Windows and Melancholy Thoughts (Volume 3) also recorded the 'White Clouds and Red Leaves' topic from the Jimao year. The author mentioned it occurred at Diancheng Pure Yang Temple, with Guandi (the God of War) as the spirit. Guandi is known for his integrity and loyalty, so leaking the topic to only a few people seems somewhat unprincipled. The imperial examinations during the Qing Dynasty had many flaws, so one cannot rule out the possibility that this was a way for the chief examiner or his associates to communicate with outsiders, using the Bì platform to cover their tracks. Lu Changchun's Discussions at the Fragrant Drinking Pavilion contains similar accounts, showing that this Bì platform prediction was highly regarded by scholars skilled in riddles for a long time. [36] Records of the Sky Pot (Volume 2):
"Su Chuan, a group of scholars, consulted the Bì platform for the examination topic. The spirit descending was the 'Jade Pot Immortal,' who said, 'The topic is in the Analects and the Mencius.' Upon further request, it wrote a single 'six' and left. When they entered the examination hall, the topic was 'Marrying a Person of the Same Surname Is Called Wu—Six Characters.' Thinking back, the prediction was indeed accurate."
This is practically no answer at all. The character 'six' has no relevance to the topic beyond its number. Many passages in the Analects and Mencius contain the character 'six' in a six-character phrase, making the prediction even more obscure. [37] Wu Xiangke's Idle Talks at the Guest Room (Volume 1):
"In a certain year, during the preliminary examinations, scholars gathered to consult the spirit. The Bì platform wrote, 'Today, the true immortals have all gone to meet the Emperor of Heaven and are too busy to descend. I have been instructed by the local earth god to take their place. What do you wish to ask?' The scholars replied, 'Tomorrow's preliminary examination, please reveal the topic assigned by the examiner?' The Bì platform wrote, 'The topic is inside my hall. You may find it yourselves.' The scholars then followed, holding incense and entering the local earth god's temple. After kneeling and praying, they searched thoroughly but found no writing. The Bì platform remained motionless. They secretly cursed the local earth god for his mistake. The next day, when they took the exam, the paper was marked with the words 'Local Earth God.'"
This topic was indeed difficult to guess. If the local earth god's temple had no incense burner or candlestick, perhaps they could have guessed the idol of the local earth god. Thus, even guessing topics was not always accurate. [38] Records of the Unspoken (Volume 19):
"Chen Taihui, the prefect of Fuzhou, was a candidate during the Zhejiang local examinations. He asked the Bì platform about the topic. It replied, 'Concrete yet minute.' Later, he passed as a vice-top candidate, realizing that the prediction was not about the topic itself."
This prediction was truly unlucky! If he had not prepared his essay based on the meaning of 'concrete yet minute,' perhaps the first-place candidate would have been him.