Lofty Principles of Dream-Interpretation

(C^en S^i-yuan : Encyclopaedia of Dreams)

Wandering Spirits, Part II (= Outer Chapters), 3-4

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pp. 115-119 – II.3 "Thunder and Rain" [including also rainbow, whirlwind, & stars]

pp. 116-117, nn. 1-3 dreams of lightning & of thunder

p.

n.

dream

result

source

116

1

"the mother of Dou Tai dreamt the violent winds and thunder arose. ... lightning dazzled her eyes".

having altered her residence to southward-facing, she gave birth to Dou Tai

History of the Northern Dynasties

 

2

Zon Ze’s mother "Mistress Liu ... dreamt of immense thunder and lightning from heaven that illuminated her body.

The next day, Zong Ze was born."

History of the Son Dynasty

116-7

3

p. 116 "Administrative Assistant ... Xu dreamt that he was surrounded by a clap of thunder as he was traveling on a river."

p. 117 "Xu became magistrate of Jiangpu."

A Record of Inner Light

p. 117, nn. 5-10 dreams of stars

n.

dream

source

5

"When Yuan Guo was about to take the examinations, he dreamt that he stood beneath the Northern Dipper."

Random Notes

6

"The mother of Li Bo dreamt about the star Changgeng, so that when he was born, she named him in accordance with it."

Old History of the Tang Dynasty

7

"When Grand Master of Remonstrance was young, he once dreamt that his father summoned him ... and pointed up to the sky saying, "There is the star Old Man." He looked up and indeed saw a yellow star". {in constellation Canopus (NBS), Old Man star is God of Longevity (GL); there is also a Sumerian Old-Man star (DBK)}

Leisurely Reading

8

"Huang Kang’s ... mother dreamt that a star descended toward her body. She caught it with her hands and swallowed it."

History of the Son Dynasty

9

"Huang Jin’s ... mother Mistress Zhang ... dreamt that a giant star descended into her body. She subsequently ... gave birth to him after twenty-four months."

History of the Yuan Dynasty

10

"Emperor Gaozu of the Northern Qi dynasty ... once dreamt that he was walking among a multitude of stars."

History of the Northern Dynasties

 

"There was Buddhist priest who dream of a great star ... that ... said to him, "I [wu] am the star Qiao." After he awoke, he sought out Wu Qiao".

Exquisite Words on the Origin of Surnames

NBS = http://www.madisonmorrison.com/books/pandu/ch3.html

GL = http://traditions.cultural-china.com/en/14T987T1159.html

DBK = http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/discb.html

pp. 117-118, nn. 11, 15 dreams of whirlwinds

p.

n.

dream

117

11

(vide pt. I, cap. 5, n. 10 – p. 70) ["the graph for "sophora" [huai] is composed of the elements "tree" [mu] amd "ghost" [gui]" (p. 118, n. 17)]

118

15

(vide pt. I, cap. 5, n. 7 – p. 69)

pp. 117-118, nn. 12, 16, 18-19 dreams of clouds

p.

n.

dream

source

117

12

"Mistress Zang, the mother of Xu Ling, dreamt that multicolored clouds transformed into feng-birds who gathered on her left shoulder."

History of the Chen Dynasty

118

16

"When Zhang Jiong was young, he ... dreamt that a multicolored cloud descended from the sky and that he grabbed a piece and swallowed it. From then on, he was able to master the art of poetry."

Elegant Chants from a Commandery Studio

 

18

"Zhang Zhuo ... went to Huaizhou where he dreamt that auspicious clouds covered his body."

Taiping Miscellany

 

19

"Cui Shaoxuan was the youngest daughter of Cui Gong ... . Her mother dreamt that a divinity dressed in raw silk rode on a red dragon, holding a purple book that he bestowed on her at the edge of an azure cloud."

" "

p. 118, n. 14 dream of rainbow

dream

source

"Mistress Luo dreamt that two rainbows rose up to heaven, but one of them broke in the middle." Of her 2 sons, the younger "Li Xiong became king of Shu."

Record of the Lands South of Mount Hua

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pp. 120-129 – II.4 "Mountains and Rivers" [including also water-springs, palaces, & steeds]

pp. 121-125 , nn. 1-3, 5, 7, 13, 19, 24 dreams of mountains & of hills

p.

n.

dream

source

121-2

1

"Liu Muzhi dreamt that he was sailing ... with Emperor Wu of the Liu Song dynasty when they encountered strong winds. He looked down and saw that two white dragons were carrying the boat between them {cf. Norse "dragon-ships"} so that they soon arrived at a mountain."

History of the Chen Dynasty

122

2

Before Li Xuzhong died, he said "I dreamt that Mount Tai had split open and that a red and yellow substance like gold flowed out."

Collected Works of Han Changli

 

3

"Xue Chu dreamt that Zhang Liang hung silk threads on a mountain."

History of the Northern Wei Dynasty

 

5

"The Well of Our Dream is located at Mount Qian within the Palace of the Pure Source. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang [r. 712-756] once dreamt that he had traveled here, and because of this he bestowed the name."

Compraehensive Gazetter

 

7

"Emperor Wu dreamt one night that he had ascended Mount Song ... . When they reached halfway up the mountain, an emissary in an embroidered robe rode down out of the clouds on a dragon, holding a document. He said, "The Lord Taiyi summons you.""

Unofficial Biography of Emperor Wu of the Western Han

123

13

"One night while traveling I dreamt I saw a cave at Mount Mao at Chuling south of the capital. ... one of the Cave Scriptures ... stated that Mount Mao stands at the entrance to Lake Dongting, from where one can reach Mount Luofu to the south."

Xie Lin-yun : "Praeface" to Rhapsody on Mount Luofu

124

19

"Kong Ji ... dreamt that ... along the road toward the Xuanyuan Gate ... hills had arisen everywhere."

History of the Southern Dynasties

125

24

"Lan Yu dreamt that ... the soldiers ... reached a small mountain where suddenly there was a sound like an explosion, and they found that four springs were spouting forth."

Compraehensive Annals of the Ming Dynasty

pp. 122, 124 nn. 8-9, 14 dreams of rivers

p.

n.

dream

source

122

8

"Emperor Wen of the Sui dreamt that floodwater had inundated the city. He ... consequently moved the capital to Daxing."

Excellent Stories of the Sui and Tang Dynasties

 

9

"A Song dynasty ruler fell ill and dreamt one night that the waters of the Yellow River dried up. ["When the graph for ‘river’ ... loses the component meaning ‘water’ ..., it becomes the graph meaning ‘to be able to’ ... ." (p. 10, n. 9)]

Ocean of Jade

124

14

"Zhao Xiangjing ... said to two administrative assistants there, "A mile or two ahead there should be a river ... ." ... The two assistant asked him how he knew and Zhao replied, "I dreamt about this journey some thirty years ago."" {de’ja` vu}

Record of Excellent Conversations of Liu Binke

p. 124, nn. 15-16 dreams of bathing

n.

dream

source

15

"Sun Zanming ... during the reign of King Wusu of Wu-Yue, dreamt that he was bathing in a hot spring."

Complete History of the Wu-Yue Dynasty

16

"Deng Ai of Wei ... dreamt that he was sitting on top of a mountain where a stream was flowing."

History of the 3 Kingdoms

p. 122, n. 4 -- mutual dreams that one "fell into the privy and died." (In Search of the Supernatural)

pp. 125-126, nn. 26-27 dreams of clouds & of mist

p.

n.

dream

source

125

26

"Emperor Xuanzong [r. 712-756] dreamt that he traveled to the Moon Palace where the transcendents played "The Music of Supreme Purity." ... When he woke, he wrote down the melody for the jade flute and named it "The Music of the Swirling Purple Clouds.""

Reliable Accounts of the Kaiyuan and Tianbo Eras

125-6

27

(p. 125) "Wang Su ... once dreamt that he had arrived at the yellow gate towers of the Jade Capital. There, someone in a purple robe and emerald green hat said, "I am an attendant gentleman of the eastern gate. ..."

(p. 126) "He thought about his dream of the Jade Capital ... and wrote a poem :

Hidden in the azure void is the White Jade Capital.

In a dream, my soul flew inside its golden walls.

When shall I stroll there again beyond the ... mist?

Green Lad, the god with white teeth, has already swept the hall".

Chats on Past and Contemporary Poetry

pp. 124, 126, nn. 18, 28-30 dreams of "graphs" (written characters)

 

n.

dream

source

124

18

"Wang Renyu dreamt that his stomach and intestines had been cut open and that he washed them in the waters of the West River. There, he saw that the sand and stones all resembled ancient graphs, so he drank from the river."

History of the 5 Dynasties

124

28

"Niu Yi dreamt that he arrived at a mansion in heaven where a functionary said, "This is the Palace of Many Jades." He saw a jade stele with vermilion graphs inside a hall there. ... The large graphs read, "Register of Celestial Transcendents in the Central Continent." This was followed by several thousand names".

True Stories from a Government Minister

 

29

"Fang of Putian was seriously ill but still ... dreamt that he arrived at the Jade Flower Palace. A Daoist said, "... the supreme god Di has summoned you to the White Jade Tower. Di had read you composition ... and was very pleased, so you were appointed attendant gentleman of the Jade Flower Palace. But ... you were exiled to the mortal world below. ...""

Yijian’s Accounts

 

30

"Wang Pingfu ... dreamt one night that he arrived at a hall built across the water whose sign read, "Palace of the Divine Augustus." ... Wang suddenly awoke ... and wrote,

I flew in a skiff across myriad acres of waves

To a palace with pipes and flutes named "Divine Fungus."

The calligraphy on the sign seemed not of the human world."

Jottings from the East Belvedere

pp. 126-127, nn. 31, 34, 36-38 dreams of towers & of halls

p.

n.

dream

source

126

31

"Cai Junmo ... became ... ill ... for many days. Every night, he would dream that he was lying down on top of the drum in the city watchtower. After he recovered from his illness, he ... was told that there had been a giant snake coiled on top of the drum for several days ... . Cai then realized that he was a snake demon."

A Record of Events from the Eastern Studio

127

34

"Zhang Huan served as governor of Wuwei. While his wife was pregnant, she dreamt that she wore Zhang Huan’s official seal, climbed up a tower, and boldly sang out."

Encyclopaedia for Literary Composition

 

36

"When future Emperor Shizu was in Xiangyang, he dreamt that he wore sandals of hemp and walked up the steps of the Hall of the Great Ultimate."

History of the Southern Qi Dynasty

 

37

"Fu Youyi dreamt that he ascended to the Hall of Benevolent Dew".

Bo and Kong’s Encyclopaedia

 

38

"Xun Boyu ... dreamt that he climbed up the southern tower atop the city walls of Guangling. ... Xun looked down and saw that there was grass growing on the heads of all the people below the walls."

History of the Southern Qi Dynasty

p. 128, nn. 40-41 dreams of steeds

n.

dream

source

40

"Ding Yuanzhen once dreamt that he and I arrived at a temple. When we exited the gate, we saw a horse with one ear. Later, Ding and I ... visited the Yellow Ox Temple. It was just like Ding’s dream, for outside the gate we saw a clay horse that was missing one ear."

Ouyang Xiu : Remarks on Poetry

41

"Shi Manqing had died, and someone dreamt that Shi said to him, "I have become a transcendent and rule over the Hibiscus City." After speaking, he flew off on a dark mule."

" " " "

pp. 128-129, nn. 42-44, 46, 48 dreams of official appointments in world of the dead

p.

n.

dream

death-date

source

128

42

"Ouyang Xiu’s son Zhongchun once told ..., "I dreamt that a Daoist informed me, ‘I am conveying the command of the supreme god Di appointing you Lord of the Changbai Mountains. ..."

One year later, Zhongchun died."

Commentary on Su Dongpo’s Poems

 

43

"Jiang Ji’s ... wife dreamt that his dead son said, "... I have merely been made a section manager at Mount Tai . ... Sun Ke ... is destined to become the magistrate of Mount Tai after he dies. ...""

a month later, wife dreamt the son was promoted to overseer (at mt. Tai)

Bo and Kong’s Encyclopaedia

 

44

"Zhao Rujian ... suddenly told ..., "... in death why shouldn’t I become the city god? ... Last night I found this out in a dream.""

"a few days later, the elder Zhao passed away."

A Record of Ghosts and Other Strange Things

128-9

46

Lu Ji in Huainan dreamt that he "stopped about a mile west of the Temple of Great Illumination, arriving at a large official building ... . ... Inside the doorway stood two functionaries dressed in green who set up a table. On the table was a document which someone wearing a purple robe and holding a tablet of authority took".

"The next day, Lu died and was buried at Caiman Bay."

A Record of Inquaests into Spirits

129

48

"Xu Jing was traveling far from home. he dreamt that he slept with his wife, who became pregnant with a son destined to become a spirit-medium and, after death, an earth god."

"things were just as the dream had foretold."

Taiping Miscellany

p. 129, n. 47 dream of medicine

medicine

result

source

"Cui dreamt that a woman wearing pearl earrings, pearl sandals, and five layers of clothes all studded with pearls told him, "You should make pills with birthwort root ... . Eat twenty-nine of these with food and drink.""

"He did as she said, and he recovered from his illness."

A Record of Inquaests into Spirits

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Richard E. Strassberg (transl.) : Wandering Spirits : Chen Shiyuan’s Encyclopedia of Dreams. U of CA Pr, Berkeley, 2008.