Chen Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Tree (mù) Dream. Kangxi stroke count: 14. Page 247, Entry 06. This is a common variant form of the character for dream. Pronounced meng (falling tone). The opposite of waking, referring to the scenes and events perceived during sleep. Book of Documents (Shangshu): Dreamed that the Heavenly Emperor bestowed upon me a virtuous assistant. Book of Odes (Shijing): Thereupon I divined my dreams. Rites of Zhou (Zhouli): Divining dreams based on the sun, moon, and stars to interpret the auspicious or ominous nature of six types of dreams: first, normal dreams; second, nightmare dreams; third, reflective dreams; fourth, waking dreams; fifth, joyous dreams; sixth, fearful dreams. Also, the Grand Diviner manages three methods of dream interpretation: first, manifesting dreams; second, strange dreams; third, ascending dreams. The commentary explains that ascending means rising or moving forward, referring to dreams that arise naturally without prior thought. Also written as a variant form. Zhuangzi: Once, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly fluttering about. Suddenly he awoke and was startled to realize he was clearly Zhuang Zhou. Zhang Zai’s Correcting Youthful Ignorance (Zhengmeng): When dreaming, the body is closed and the vital essence is focused internally; dreamscapes are always derived from habitual thoughts—when hungry, one dreams of seeking; when full, one dreams of giving. Also the name of a marsh. Book of Documents (Shangshu): The lands of Yun and Meng can be cultivated. Sima Xiangru’s Rhapsody on Sir Vacuous (Zixu Fu): The State of Chu has seven great marshes, one of which is called Yunmeng. The Yunmeng Marsh is nine hundred miles in circumference. According to the Zuo Commentary (Zuo Zhuan) and Book of Han (Hanshu), the characters Yun and Meng have two pronunciations: level tone and falling tone. Also the name of a river. Dream River, located east of Yichun County in Yuan Prefecture. Universal Geography (Huanyuji): Formerly, Zhong Yi wished to select a site for a county here; he prayed for a dream omen at night, and later events fulfilled his prayers, so he named the county Si County and the river Dream River. Also a surname. Found in the Comprehensive Genealogies (Tongpu). Pronounced meng (level tone). Pan Yue’s Lament for the Departed (Ai Yongshi Wen): Since I witnessed it with my own eyes yet there was no omen, whether awake or asleep, I never dreamed of it. Thus I look back toward the familiar path of home, long entrusting my heart to your presence. Pronounced meng (level tone). Book of Odes (Shijing): I long to enter the dream realm with you. Rhyming with zhang (level tone). Shen Lin’s Rhapsody on the Great Wilderness (Dahuang Fu): Fearing that the signs of divination are confusing, I retreat to the orchid chamber to ponder in silence. My soul is busy encountering spirits, once again revealing a propitious dream to me. Rhyming with mang (falling tone). Daoist Canon Songs (Daozang Ge): Wearing crimson robes to attend the gathering of immortals, the beginning of life is like a long-forgotten dream. Virtue is hidden within the void, reaching absolute stillness without conscious awareness. Read in the falling tone. Shuowen Jiezi: Dream, referring to that which is unclear or obscure. The character is formed with the radical for evening and the phonetic component for blurred vision, with the character for eye omitted.