Crow Diviner Lesser Yaoguais
Description
It is said that the crows gathering in temples, having listened to sutras and teachings every day, developed a spiritual nature and could predict fortune and misfortune. Thus, some fortune-tellers who called themselves “
Crow Diviners” liked to set up stalls in front of temples, using crows to pick fortune sticks for divination. They always lit sandalwood incense, which symbolizes the temple, at their stalls and claimed that their crows were the spiritually enlightened ones from the temple.
One such Crow Diviner had a crow he had raised from a chick, which could communicate with him using specially made fortune sticks. Every day, he sent the crow to various parts of the city to observe people’s lives. When clients came to seek fortunes, he would use the fortune sticks to inquire about information from the crows. He mixed this information with his own understanding of human affairs, weaving prophecies that were half-true, which often managed to deceive.
One day, an official came seeking a fortune, offering a large sum of money. The Crow Diviner told him that his official career would be prosperous and that he would reach a high position. Unexpectedly, the official not only failed to get promoted that year but was demoted instead. Enraged, the official brought his household servants to demand an explanation. The Crow Diviner used the information gathered by the crows to explain that the official had not spent enough money on temple renovation, which magically convinced him. The official, deeply believing in his abilities, even introduced the Crow Diviner to his colleagues.
The Crow Diviner amassed a considerable fortune through this, but he knew too many secrets of the officials and feared for his life. He decided to change his career. One day, he attempted to drive all the crows away, but they refused to leave. The Crow Diviner tried various means to get rid of them, but the crows, unable to endure his mistreats any longer, attacked and pecked him to death.
Afterward, the crows transformed into human forms, donned the attire of fortune-tellers and continued to sell fortunes around the temple, deceiving people as the Crow Diviner had done.
Poetry
He knows the world’s fate through divination,
Yet cannot secure his own salvation.
In what he thought was a place of peace,
Fate’s tangled threads never cease.
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