The flat face is yang and the rounded, bulging face is yin. One of each landing face-up is the sacred answer.

What does it mean if I get a laughing answer three times?

The usual reading is that the question itself is the problem — too vague, two questions in one, or something you have in fact already decided. Try asking a narrower question.

Can I use coins instead?

At home some people use two coins and read heads and tails the same way. In a temple, use the blocks that are there.

Do I need to be Buddhist, or believe in the deity?

No. Visitors use them all the time. If you prefer, treat the throw as a way of making yourself state the question plainly, which is most of what it does anyway.

Guides

Moon blocks

jiaobei · bwa bwei · poe · 筊杯

Two crescent-shaped wooden blocks, thrown on the floor of almost every Chinese temple. They are the simplest way to put a yes-or-no question to a deity.

What they are

Each block is a half-moon of wood, lacquered red. One face is flat and one face bulges. The flat face counts as yang and the rounded face as yin, and the answer is read from how the pair lands.

They come in pairs, kept in a basket by the altar. Anyone may pick them up and use them; they are not reserved for temple staff.

How to throw them

Hold both blocks together between your palms, flat sides facing each other, and raise them to about forehead height.
Say silently who you are and what you are asking. Phrase it so that yes or no is a real answer — not “what should I do”.
Let the blocks drop from about waist height. They are dropped, not flung; there is no skill in it and no need for force.
Read how they land, then pick them up and return them to the basket when you are finished.

The four results

Sacred answer (聖筊) — one flat face up, one rounded face up. Yes, or permission granted. This is the answer you are looking for when confirming a lot.

Laughing answer (笑筊) — both flat faces up. The traditional reading is that the deity is smiling: the question is unclear, badly framed, or you already know the answer. Rephrase and throw again.

Negative answer (陰筊, also 哭筊) — both rounded faces up. No, or not now.

Standing block (立筊) — a block lands on its edge and stays there. This is rare. Readings vary by temple: some treat it as a very weighty sign, others simply ask you to throw again.

How many throws

For an ordinary question, or to confirm a drawn lot, one sacred answer is enough.

For something serious — a move, a marriage, a large commitment — many people ask for three sacred answers in a row before taking it as settled.

Throwing over and over until you get the answer you want is considered bad form, and is the main thing temple regulars will quietly notice.

Draw a lot and confirm it with the blocks

Common questions

Which side is which?: The flat face is yang and the rounded, bulging face is yin. One of each landing face-up is the sacred answer.
What does it mean if I get a laughing answer three times?: The usual reading is that the question itself is the problem — too vague, two questions in one, or something you have in fact already decided. Try asking a narrower question.
Can I use coins instead?: At home some people use two coins and read heads and tails the same way. In a temple, use the blocks that are there.
Do I need to be Buddhist, or believe in the deity?: No. Visitors use them all the time. If you prefer, treat the throw as a way of making yourself state the question plainly, which is most of what it does anyway.