Daoist recluse Xiang Chang mastered Dao De Jing and I Ching, rejecting Wang Mang’s official summons. After marrying off his children, he cut off family chores and roamed the Five Sacred Peaks with his friend Qin Qing, vanishing without a trace.
Orphaned Song Shengzhi was famed for filial piety and virtue. He learned the I Ching in Chang’an, declined his cousin’s and Chancellor Kong Guang’s official offers. He herded sheep with Xun Yue, enjoying qin and books, and died of illness in Taiyuan.
Tian He inherited the unbroken I Ching lineage spared by Qin’s book ban. Resettled in Duling, he taught many distinguished pupils. Though old and poor under Emperor Hui, he clung to Dao and refused office; the emperor visited his cottage to learn, making him the ancestor of Han I Ching scholars.
The Master said, “People of the south have a saying: ‘A person without constancy cannot even become a shaman or physician.’ How excellent this saying is!”He then quoted the Book of Changes: “If one does not maintain his virtue consistently, he will surely bring shame upon himself.”The Master added, “Such a person need not…
Mencius said, “Benevolence brings glory, whereas its absence leads to disgrace. Now people hate disgrace and benevolence, just like those who hate dampness but live in a low-lying area.
Gongsun Chou asked Mencius, “If you should hold the power of government in Qi, could you achieve great deeds like Guan Zhong and Yanzi?”
In Journey to the West, gods and demons wield immense supernatural powers, while mortals are typically portrayed as frail and vulnerable. Yet, there are rare exceptions—figures like Liu Boqin, Wei Zheng, and Yuan Shoucheng.