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The Prince and My Past and Present Life

Xi Zaochi had extraordinary talent in history, but Xuanwu valued him very much and appointed him as the governor of Jingzhou when he was less than 30 years old. Zaochi also wrote in his letter of thanks, saying, "If I hadn't met you, I would have been an old official in Jingzhou!" Later, he went to the capital to see Jianwen and returned to the capital. Xuanwu asked him, "How was it like to meet the Prince of Xiang?" He replied, "I have never seen such a man in my life!" From then on, he disobeyed the emperor's order and was banished to Hengyang County, where his nature and reason became distorted. While he was ill, he still wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals of Han and Jin, and his comments were outstanding.

Different paths to the same destination

Confucius said, "When the princes marry the emperor, they must announce it to the ancestors and offer sacrifices to the gods. They wear the crown and go out to attend the court, and order the priest to announce it to the gods, the ancestral temples, the mountains and rivers. Then they order the five officials of the state to go out and leave on the road. The announcement should be made every five days. If it is more than that, it is not polite. Whenever an announcement is made, sacrificial offerings should be used. The return is the same. When the princes meet, they must announce it to the gods, and wear court clothes and go out to attend the court. Order the priests to report to the mountains and rivers passing by the five temples. Also order the five officials of the state to go out on the road. On the way back, they must personally report to the ancestors. Then order the priests to report to what has been reported before, and then listen to the court and enter.

A New Translation of Wen Xin Diao Long

Duke Xiang of Song buried his wife with a hundred jars of salted meat. Zeng Zi said, "Since it is said that the utensils are clear, it is also filled." At the funeral of Meng Xianzi, Si Tu Lu returned to Si Bu. The Master said, "Yes." Reading the 赐, Zengzi said, "It is not ancient, it is a second report." Cheng Zigao was ill in bed, and Qing Yi came in and asked, "Your illness has worsened. If it becomes a serious illness, what should I do?" Zigao said, "I have heard that life is beneficial to people, and death is not harmful to people. Even if I am not beneficial to people in life, can I harm people in death? When I die, choose a place where no food is eaten and bury me there."

Death Returns

After Yin Zhongjun was deposed from Dongyang, he began to read Buddhist scriptures. When I first read Vimalakirti, I suspected that there was too much Prajnaparamita. Later, when I read the short piece, I hated that there were so few words.

Urban Abyss Student

Although Huiyuan was old, he never stopped giving lectures in Mount Lu. When some of his disciples regressed, Yuan Gong would say, "The light of the setting sun cannot shine far. I only hope that the light of the morning sun can shine with us." He would sit up and hold the scripture in his hand, reciting aloud with a bitter expression. All the senior students were in awe and showed respect.

Life is like a thing