Cao Cao Quenches Thirst with Plums曹操話梅止渴
Do not listen to idle gossip about right and wrong;
morning and evening, simply keep your prayer.
If you take wild talk for the truth,
how can a painted cake satisfy hunger?
English rendering: our editorial version.
Beware of empty promises and rumours. Hold to what is real and quiet your mind.
詩意：此卦書餅充饑之象。諸事多虛少實也。
解曰：心中不定，枉看經文。恰似畫餅，食也難吞。
另本 Variant：莫聽閑言與是非，晨昏只好念阿彌，若將妄語為真實，畫餅如何療得飢。
Cao Cao Quenches Thirst with Plums
On a march through dry country, Cao Cao's soldiers were dying of thirst. He pointed ahead and told them a plum grove lay just beyond the hill. Their mouths watered at the thought, and they pressed on until they found water. The plums never existed.
Sweet words are not yet actions. Avoid commiting on promises alone.
Read the contract twice; the project may be thinner than it looks.
This lot invites care with money: high-return offers are illusions. Keep your money where it is. Treat money moves as personal judgement, not a prediction.
Stress may show up as poor sleep or digestion. Ease the pace before it becomes more. For anything lasting, see a qualified practitioner — this is reflection, not a diagnosis.
Gossip or small noises unsettle the house. Avoid feeding rumours; keep the peace.
The traveller is late. Avoid relying on promised arrival times.
Not found for now. Avoid freting; it may surface when you stop looking.
Avoid starting a case. The other side may be bluffing. For binding disputes, a qualified adviser is wiser than any oracle.