一切經音義 11.28

11.28

蟠桃 (p-[ang]-'[an] fan. The Shanhai jing says: 'In the Eastern Sea is Mount Taodu. On the mountain is a great peach tree named Taodu. Its roots wind and coil for over five hundred li, and its branches are three thousand li apart. Upon the tree is a golden celestial rooster. When the sun first rises, its rays shine upon this tree, and the celestial rooster crows; all the roosters of the world crow in response.' The Shanhai jing also says: 'There is a great peach tree whose roots coil for over five hundred li, and its branches are three thousand li apart.' Gan Bao's Soushen ji and the Fengsu tongyi both cite the Books of the Yellow Emperor, stating: 'In high antiquity there were two divine beings, one named Shentu and the other Yulei—also named Yulü—at Mount Dushuo. On the mountain was a great peach tree, beside which the two dwelt. To the northeast of the tree was a great cavern through which all ghosts entered and exited. Shentu and Yulei were in charge of overseeing and selecting the myriad ghosts; if a ghost brought unwarranted misfortune upon people, they bound it with reed ropes and seized it to feed to tigers. Thereupon the Yellow Emperor performed rituals to drive them away, erecting peach-wood figurines at doors and gateways, and painting Shentu, Yulei, and tigers to represent them. In current custom, at the close of the year on New Year's Eve, peach figurines are adorned, reed ropes are hung, and tigers are painted on the left and right of doors with two lamps placed to represent tiger eyes, thereby dispelling inauspiciousness').