Guanbo 觀博

A guest, boasting of his skill at games of chance, asked me to observe him. At the start, the host brought out the Woshuo (握槊) equipment and set it down under the porch, saying, 'He who begins the game must set the rules.' After the customary greetings, they took their places for the round. There were two dice (博齒 bó chǐ), different from the dice of old. They were made of bone, with perfectly equal square faces engraved with red and black ink. Paired together, they formed numbers corresponding to the months of the year. By observing their rotation and where they stopped, one followed the rules to contest the path on the board. This custom has been practiced for a long time, and no one knows who its ancestor is. Because its use requires a throw, it is called Botou (the game of throwing).

That day, the guest cast the dice onto the board and prayed: 'Let them come like a swift race; let them depart like a release. May my plans be free of hesitation, and may my move be precise, without error. Do not let my opponent’s calls reach me; let them cause me no fear!' The sides were drawn and the tension was high from morning until the sun began to set, yet the results were the exact opposite of his prayers. The guest glared at the dice as if they were sentient, as if a spirit inhabited them. He cursed them without restraint, then trampled and bit them, indifferent to the ten eyes watching him.

He then declared: 'It is not that my technique lacks finesse; it is that these rotten bones are not in my favor. I ask to wash away my shame with a game of Go (弈棋) ! » The host brought candles to continue the match. The guest focused his mind and calculated in silence, his cunning exhausted and his intelligence wearing thin. The scorekeeper recorded the victories and defeats on a tablet; upon seeing his losses, he found they had doubled compared to the previous register. The spectators remarked: 'With a character so narrow, he will surely end up insulting the game of Go and overturning the board.' Yet, he remained calm and unconcerned, wearing the shamefaced expression of a man trying to regain his dignity after missing his mark—which left everyone astonished.

Master Liu declared: 'He who takes the lead controls others; the game of dice (博投 bó tóu) is the prime example of this. He who follows others is controlled by them; the game of Go (枯棋) is the prime example of this. Do numbers truly exert influence over these two games? No, it is merely the situation (shi) in which one is placed that differs!'

Thus, one understands that he who stands at the center of power easily invites suspicion, while he who retreats easily invites praise. Yet, suspicion that arises so easily does not necessarily deserve to be blamed, and praise that is easily won does not necessarily deserve to be exalted. Everything lies in understanding the situation in which one chooses to place oneself.