This article tells the story of Emperor Wu of Liang, a devout Buddhist ruler who repeatedly became a monk and required huge ransoms to return to the throne. He built hundreds of temples but neglected national defense. His extreme piety drained the treasury and left the realm vulnerable, leading to his tragic death in…
Zhuangzi (c. 369–286 BCE) was a major philosopher of the Warring States period. His given name was Zhou, and he was a native of Meng in the state of Song—traditionally identified either as northeast of modern Shangqiu, Henan, or near Dingyuan, Anhui.
Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322) was a renowned calligrapher, painter, and scholar-official of the Yuan Dynasty. As a descendant of the Song imperial family, he played a pivotal role in reviving classical styles of Chinese art and calligraphy. His work Dao De Jing (The Tao Te Ching), handwritten in small regular script (xiaokaishu), is one of…
Among the world’s most influential philosophical texts, the Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) stands out as a masterpiece of brevity and profound insight. Attributed to Laozi (Lao Tzu), a mysterious sage believed to have lived in the 6th century BCE during China’s Spring and Autumn Period, this small book of just 81 chapters…
Mencius said: “The trouble with people is that they love to act as teachers to others.”
This article traces the formative years of Confucius, detailing his journey from a humble birth to a renowned sage. It recounts his early tragedies, including the loss of his father at age three and his mother at seventeen, which instilled a deep devotion to filial piety. The narrative highlights his resilience against social rejection,…
5.11 The Master said, “I have never yet seen a man who was truly steadfast.”