Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

Sacred status as protective avoidance

sacred_status_as_protective_avoidance

A motif of the Sacred Law and Social Order family, within the sub-family Taboo and Ritual Restriction. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

1 occurrences

1 traditions


daoist

  • Chuang Tzu: Mystic, Moralist, and Social Reformer CHAPTER III. / NOURISHMENT OF THE SOUL. / CHAPTER IV. / MAN AMONG MEN.; lines 2518-2643 confidence: medium

    The apprentice asks why the useless tree became sacred; the artisan replies that sacredness protected it from enemies and from being cut down.

    The artisan explains that the tree became sacred to escape enemies and avoid being cut down.

    read in the book