..續本文上一頁uth of nonattachment. But in return for preaching, they will require money and luxuries. So they will cause an increase in craving, rather than showing the way towards Liberation from craving. They will preach Truth only so they can obtain worthless things - just like priceless sandalwood traded for spoiled buttermilk.

　　"Now let me hear your 12th dream."

　　"Your reverence, I saw, in a dream, empty pumpkins sinking to the bottom of the water."

　　"Oh king, this foretells a distant future when the world will be upside down. So once again, you have nothing to fear in this life. Unwholesome kings will grant high positions to the low class rather than the high class. The low class will quickly become rich and the high class poor. In all departments and functions, the ignorant words of the uneducated low class officials will be greatly respected - just like empty pumpkins sinking to the depths of the water.

　　"Even among the religious, humble wholesome monks will lose respect, while the unwholesome teachings of shameless monks will be followed and adored -just like empty pumpkins sinking to the bottom.

　　”What was your 13th dream

　　"

　　"Your reverence, I dreamed I saw solid rocks floating on top of the water. How strange this seems. What does it mean, wise one

　　"

　　”This too indicates the future era when the world will be upside down. In all departments and functions, the wise words of the well-educated nobles will be ignored, due to their birth alone.

　　"Likewise among the religious, the words of Truth spoken by humble wholesome monks will be ignored

　　just like solid rocks floating away on the surface of the water.

　　"What was your 14th dream

　　"

　　"Your reverence, it was a frightening dream in which I saw tiny female frogs chasing big long black snakes. When they caught up to them they cut them and broke them in pieces like water lily stumps, and then gobbled them up!"

　　"There is nothing for you to fear in this dream either, oh king. This represents a future time when the world will be declining. The wholesomeness in people”s natures will decrease. Desires will increase in their minds until they are enslaved by their cravings. Because of this, men will be under the orders of their youngest prettiest wives. The servants, bulls, buffaloes and all other household wealth will be managed by the youngest wives - due to the uncontrolled desires of their husbands.

　　"These wives will treat their husbands like slaves. keeping them under their thumbs. If the men ask about family affairs, their wives will say, ”There”s no need for you to ask. Everything in my home belongs to me, not you!” It will be like big long snakes gobbled up by tiny she-frogs.

　　"Now tell me your 15th dream."

　　"Your reverence, I saw a crow, the kind that lives near villages. I knew he was filled with the ”Ten Bad Qualities”. He was being followed and served by golden swans. the kind seen as kings by other birds."

　　"This too indicates a distant time when all kings will be weaklings. They will be no good at riding elephants or horses, or fighting battles. So you can easily see there is nothing for you to fear, mighty king.

　　"Those weakling kings will be so afraid of being overthrown that they will be afraid to give powerful positions to worthy well-educated nobles. Instead they will appoint foot servants, bath attendants, barbers and so forth. And the nobles will have to become the lowest servants of the untrained new officials - just like royal golden swans waiting on a bad village crow.

　　"At last we have reached your 16th dream, oh king. Describe it to me.

　　”

　　"Your reverence, I will tell you my last dream, the only one that still frightens me. Ordinarily, leopards chase and eat goats. But in my 16th dream, I saw goats chasing leopards! And when they caught them they ate them up, making the sound, ”munch, munch, munch!” All the other animals who heard this frightening sound and saw the meat-eating goats approaching, ran and hid in the forest. The memory of this dream still frightens me, holy one."

　　"Alas, even this dream applies only to the far-off time when the world will be ruled by unwholesome kings.

　　The lowly, who are unaccustomed to power, will become closest to the kings. They will gain power while the nobles become poor and unknown.

　　"In the law courts, the newcomers will confiscate the inherited wealth from the nobles - all their lands, homes and possessions. And when the nobles go to the courts to protest, they will be told, ”How dare you argue with us! You do not understand the situation you are in. We will tell the king and have your hands and feet cut off!” The nobles will run away and hide in fear.

　　”likewise, bad monks will injure good monks as much as they please. With no one to support and defend them, the good monks will leave the cities and villages. They will live in the jungle in fear of the bad monks. It will be like all those who hear the sound of ”munch. munch, munch”, and live in fear of meat-eating goats.

　　"Oh king, now you know the meanings of all 16 dreams. The last eight have foretold:

　　overtaxed people fleeing to the borderlands, an unwholesome world with uneven rains, Truth being taught by preachers greedy for money, ignorant and unwholesome words gaining respect, wise words and Truth losing respect, husbands enslaved by desires for their youngest wives, educated nobles in the service of untrained newcomers, noble and good living in fear of powerful and bad."

《The Frightening Sound of Munch, Munch, Munch· (Chap· 3· )》全文閱讀結束。