續一切經音義 5.19

5.19

Great chariot (大輅: the second character is pronounced *luo* + *gu* [= *lù*]; the *Baihu tong* says it is the great chariot of the Son of Heaven; character dictionaries say that in antiquity it had solid wooden wheels, but now it is decorated ornately; the *Da Dai Liji* says that in ancient times the canopies of chariots were round to model Heaven, with twenty-eight ribs to model the twenty-eight lunar mansions, the carriage box was square to model Earth, and the thirty spokes modelled the number of days in the lunar cycle; looking up, one observed the celestial patterns, looking down, one inspected the earthly geography, looking forward, one saw the [movement] and heard the sound of the bells, and looking sideways, one observed the turning of the four seasons; the *Shiming* says that what the Son of Heaven rides is called a *lu*, named according to whether it is adorned with gold, jade, or ivory).