776 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
143 houses as well as the Palace Granary (Yomulgo). Watching the blaze,
the king lamented: “The drought we have had is already too extreme. Now,
we are struck by fire. What did I do wrong? Because the construction of
royal palaces could not be stopped, it happened that the people had to
suf fer.”As the drought continued, a sermon on the Cloud and Rain Sutra (Unugyŏng)
was delivered at Hŭngbok Monastery. A dharma assembly to pray for the
elimination of disasters was also held at Yŏnhwa Monastery because the
pine trees were withering.The king ordered the Privy Council to distribute thatch to the households
damaged by fire, according to their needs.Remonstrators submitted a memorial to the king:
“The Classic of Poetry says, ‘Revere the anger of Heaven, / And presume
not to make sport or be idle.’^2 It also says, ‘One can preserve himself by
being afraid of the dignity of Heaven.’ As we humbly observe, a series of
floods and droughts during the past few years has destroyed people’s liveli-
hood and many, being starved, have abandoned their homes. This year,
starting from the spring almost to the end of the summer, scorching sun has
persisted, with no rain, and everything on the earth has dried up. As a result,
people lost the sowing season and have no barley to harvest. There are none
among the officials and the people who do not let out a sigh.
“Your Majesty was so worried that you prayed to the gods for rain with
all your heart. Nevertheless, you were unable to move the will of Heaven,
and the drought has worsened. A few days ago, a fierce windstorm erupted,
spreading fire until over a hundred houses were burned down, and the
damage extended to chickens and dogs as well as the Palace Granary, which
provides supplies to the royal family. The drought disaster has reached an
extreme, and the calamity from Heaven is astounding.
“In antiquity, King Tang, faced with drought, showed fear and reproached
himself: ‘Was I rash and reckless in carrying out affairs of state? Did I bring
hardship to the people? What made the drought go to such extremes? Did I
extend my royal palaces? Did I fail to suppress slanderers? Why do we have
no rain for such a long time?’ Even a sage such as King Tang reproached- “Decade of Sheng Min” (translation is James Legge’s).