*71. Chap. II. Pu-shih [OMITTED] (On Divination).
People often neglect virtue and only rely on divination.
They imagine that by means of tortoise shells and milfoil they
can interrogate Heaven and Earth about the future, and that they
reply by the signs of the shells and the straws.
Wang Ch`ung
shows that such an opinion is erroneous, but, whereas
Han Fei Tse
condemns divination altogether, he upholds this science. In his
idea visions, signs, and omens are true by all means, only they
are very often misunderstood or misinterpreted by the diviners.
The lucky will meet with good omens, which, however, are not the
response of Heaven, but happen by chance.
