The Continent as Object of Knowledge
149
Zhou Gong teaches the young king that words have consequences: “King
Cheng was playing with his younger brother Tang Shuwu beneath a pau-
lownia tree. King Cheng wanted to play a joke, and he stripped off a
paulownia leaf and made a seal, enfeoffing Shuwu as Marklord of Ying.
When he heard this, Zhou Gong offered congratulations. When King
Cheng said, ‘I was joking!’ Zhou Gong said, ‘The Son of Heaven does
not make jokes.’ And because of this, Tang was indeed made Marklord
of Ying.”
34
Although King Cheng needs time to realize the value of his coun-
cilor, he comes to appreciate Zhou Gong’s sagacity in the end. King Cheng
outlives his mentor, and when his rule comes to an end, so, too, does a
golden age for the Zhou. The Zhou is followed by the Warring States pe-
riod (457–221 BCE), and the scroll concludes with violent entries on the
Qin and its destruction—including the third emperor’s weeklong stew-
ing alive of his conniving and traitorous advisor Zhao Gao (died 207
BCE).
35
At the same time, Buddhism continues to make scattered appear-
ances, reinforcing the links established in the first scroll. In this regard, the
most noteworthy events concerning the Buddha are his birth during the
reign of King Zhao (reigned 977–957 BCE),
36
his death in the fifty-third
year of King Mu’s reign (reigned 956–918 BCE),
37
and an omen of the
Buddha’s birth referred to in the reign of King Zhuang (reigned 696–682
BCE).
38
Further emphasizing Buddhism’s centrality to understanding
34. Hirasawa and Yoshida,
Dostları ilə paylaş: