Page 120 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

A-Z 113

Huang-di, the Lord of the Yellow Earth; the Great Yu, the
controller of the waters; the mythical Emperor Yao, regarded
by the Confucians as the ideal ruler

Virtuous Confucians have always seen Shi-huang-di as the very quintessence of all
that is bad. It is only now in our own times that a reassessment of him has become
possible, as archaeologists gradually reveal the astonishing contents of his tomb.
See also Canopy, Insignia, Left and Right, Middle, Step of Yu, yang.

Excrement

fen; da-bian

Faeces were supposed to be a means of keeping evil spirits at bay. A spirit
masquerading as a man could be exposed if daubed with excrement and urine.
On the other hand, it was considered lucky to dream about excrement, as this was a
harbinger of fortune or riches. In one of the (recently found) earliest Chinese medical
recipes a concoction made of chicken or pig faeces is mentioned as medicine against
boils caused by liquid fresh lacquer or against scabies. While ordinary Chinese used toilet
paper long before Europeans did, Buddhist monks are asked to use the middle and ring
finger of the right hand.