Wong Tai Sin Sign 3魯班伐木Lu Ban Felling Wood
The stick puts you on the same hillside as Lu Ban, looking up at a forest of perfectly good timber.
Beautiful are the trees on Buffalo Mount; Only no hatches are there to cut them down.
Oh, no wood can ever be made into a good raft, Since there's no rule to guide the maker's craft.
Lu Ban Felling Wood
Lu Ban was ancient China's master craftsman, living around 500 BCE during the Spring and Autumn period. Think of him as the patron saint of builders and engineers — every carpenter, architect, and woodworker still honors his memory today. Legend says he invented the saw, the drill, and countless other tools that revolutionized construction. But this sign tells a different story about Lu Ban. Here he stands before a mountain of beautiful trees, yet he cannot harvest them properly. Why? Because having tools isn't enough — you need skill, planning, and the right approach. Even the greatest craftsman in Chinese history couldn't succeed without proper preparation and technique. This story became a classic metaphor: raw materials and good intentions mean nothing without wisdom and method.
Seven Short Readings
- CareerLu Ban standing at the foot of a mountain of perfect timber, unable to fell a single trunk because the axe is missing, is the figure this stick holds up to you.READ
- WealthLu Ban Fells the Timber says your skills outpace your income — shape what you already have.READ
- LoveYour relationship situation has all the right raw materials — attraction, chemistry, maybe even deep compatibility.READ
- HealthYour health situation resembles those beautiful trees on the mountain—there's genuine potential for improvement, but you're missing some crucial tools or knowledge to make real progress.READ
- StudyLu Ban on Buffalo Mount is the patron saint of carpenters standing in front of perfect timber with no axe in his hand.READ
- FamilyLu Ban standing at the foot of Buffalo Mountain, surrounded by timber he cannot touch, is a strange image to draw for a family question.READ
- The whole situationThe stick puts you on the same hillside as Lu Ban, looking up at a forest of perfectly good timber.READ
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