(302) Finding an accurate fortuneteller
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By Janet Shin
What do you consider is the most common custom in Korea to open the New Year? One may think of New Year’s resolutions or rituals for ancestors and family gatherings. One of the most frequent events actually for ordinary people is to have their fortune told to see if they have positive and negative happenings forthcoming and to prepare for them.
It is commonly called “Tojeong Bigyeol,” or a secret reading of “Tojeong.” Tojeong was an eccentric but noted scholar of mid-Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). He was conversant with astronomy, mathematics, geology and even medicine, with which he tried to provide aid for the people’s livelihood. He was highly respected for his good will as well as erudition. “Tojeong Bigyeol” is known as a mystic book that he wrote for people to read their fortune for the New Year.
Nowadays, people want to have their fortune foretold through various ways. There are plenty of internet sites where people can get the result of “Tojeong Bigyeol” by simply inputting their birth records. Some of them are even free. However people found out that the free sites or those with computerized data are just for fun and not worth the money and likelihood. So it is still the off-line fortune tellers or shamans whom most people visit.
A television channel broadcast a special feature on great fortune tellers in Korea. They travelled the whole country and took candid shots testing many of them with several well known people’s saju, such as a serial killer or a successful businessman.
To make a long story short, the show initially planned to locate 10 great clairvoyant readers but it ended up with six. Furthermore most of them failed to pass the verification process by a second visit.
What does this suggest? It might have proved that fortune-telling and divination are just absurd for those who are skeptical about it. Nevertheless, quite a few people are still fascinated with peeping into their destiny. The selected six fortune tellers have a mass of clients after they were shown on the show.
It may be all humans are interested to learn about their fate, which is obviously from a primary fear that the humans are born now knowing their destiny. None of us are clear about where our life is heading and which path to choose to reach a happier life. Our fate is like walking on a fog-shrouded journey without any signpost toward the destination. Under these circumstances, we may want some dim light to brighten the dark dusky side of the road. Fortune-tellers have filled that niche for people’s psychological needs.
Those who practice, however, shouldn’t conceive of themselves as being omnipotent prophets so as not to delude people. Those with sincerity should try to help people in their times of loss and hardship by exerting all of their faithful spirit and enlightenment.
Through diverse channels, the truths of our life are being told. One may be an expert in reading face and palms while others have a special ability to sense the nonphysical energy. I don’t deny the existence of ghosts as I can’t prove it the other way round. Saju readings have various methodologies as many scholars have studied them for thousands of years. Some are logical while others not. They may seem irrational.
Sincere readers should try to deliver the truth by making every effort possible. At the same time, they must have modesty about what they read. Oriental teachings always advise us not to be arrogant, and to humbly accept the way our destiny develops.
Information : Are you interested in learning more about the ancient Chinese teaching about the “Four Pillars of Destiny”? For further information, visit Janet’s website at www.fourpillarskorea.com, contact her at 010-5414-7461 or email janetshin@hotmail.com. The writer is the author of “Life’s Secrets.”