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THE TEXTS OF TÂOISM.
BK. XIV.
ing, ‘How is it, do you think, with the course of the Master?' The music-master replied, 'Alas! it is all over with your Master!' 'How so?' asked Yen Yüan; and the other said, 'Before the grass-dogs! are set forth (at the sacrifice), they are deposited in a box or basket, and wrapt up with elegantly embroidered cloths, while the representative of the dead and the officer of prayer prepare themselves by fasting to present them. After they have been set forth, however, passers-by trample on their heads and backs, and the grass-cutters take and burn them in cooking. That is all they are good for. If one should again take them, replace them in the box or basket, wrap them up with embroidered cloths, and then in rambling, or abiding at the spot, should go to sleep under them, if he do not get (evil) dreams, he is sure to be often troubled with the nightmare. Now here is your Master in the same way taking the grass-dogs, presented by the ancient kings, and leading his disciples to wander or abide and sleep under them. Owing to this, the tree (beneath which they were practising ceremonies) in Sung was cut down?; he was obliged to leave Wei 3 ; he was reduced to extremities in Shang 3 and Kâu 4:—were not those experiences like having (evil) dreams ? He was kept in a state of siege between Khăn and Zhâi“, so that for seven days he had no cooked food to eat, and was in a situation between life and death :-were not those experiences like the nightmare ?
1 See the Tâo Teh King, ch. 5. Analects III, xxii.
3 In consequence of the dissoluteness of the court; Analects VI, xxvi; IX, 17. 4 Meaning Sung and Wei.
5 Analects XI, ii, 1.
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| SR No. | 007682 |
| Book Title | Questions of King Milinda Part 02 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | T W Rhys Davids |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1894 |
| Total Pages | 2240 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 38 MB |