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158
THE QUESTIONS AND PUZZLES
IV, 8, 34.
of these, O king, only the last kind of dreams is true; all the rest are false.'
34. Venerable Nâgasena, when a man dreams a dream that is a prognostication, how is it? Does his own mind set out itself to seek the omen, or does the prognostication come of its own accord into the path of his mind, or does some one else come and tell him of it ?''
His own mind does not itself seek the omen, neither does any one else come and tell him of it. The prognostication comes of its own accord into his mind. It is like the case of a looking-glass, which does not go anywhere to seek for the reflection; neither does any one else come and put the reflection on to the looking-glass. But the object reflected comes from somewhere or other across the sphere over which the reflecting power of the looking-glass extends.'
35. 'Venerable Nâgasena, does the same mind which sees the dream also know: “Such and such a result, auspicious or terrible, will follow ?”
No, that is not so, O king. After the omen has occurred he tells others, and then they explain the meaning of it.'
'Come, now, Nagasena, give me a simile to explain this.'
'It is like the marks, O king, and pimples, and cutaneous eruptions which arise on a man's body to his profit or loss, to his fame or dishonour, to his praise or blame, to his happiness or woe. [299] Do
of good or bad things according as the god is kindly or malignant, the fifth of what he has himself seen or heard, and the last of his future gain or loss.
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