You choose to study Zhou Gong.
Zhou Gong was the major political figure who solidified the power of the Zhou dynasty. He was the brother of King Wu of Zhou. He stabilized the political and social system of Zhou throughout North China. The system he refined was based on blood ties, marriage alliances, and contracts. It helped maintain the relationship between states as well as domestic order. He believed that the power of rulers was also ethical and religious, and the power was given by tianming.
By studying Zhou Gong's success, you conclude that rulers’ authority is empowered by (cycling-link: "tianming", "mandate of heaven"), and that they should act morally and virtuously to acquire and maintain this power. You also admire the system he refined, and when you compare the ideal society under the system with the chaotic and unstable society now, you feel a responsibility of changing the situation and help the society achieve its natural harmony.
Now the three mourning years ends, and you have to consider your future career. Scholars and researchers who work for rulers are the most respected people in the society. You will earn money and a good reputation from aristocrats and other scholars, and most importantly, you can gradually instill the idea of building a general etiquette system in the Duke of Lu by being an officer in the government. However, you believe that a momentous change in society should be started from the bottom of the society, so people will need to be educated to accept the importance of manners and virtue. Being a teacher will allow your ideas to be more influential among not only officers but also common people.
You decide to improve the government system and help the Duke of Lu govern his country by:
[[serving in the government->government I-1]]
[[teaching people->teaching I-1]]
[[teaching people while serving in the government->gov&teaching I-1]] You choose to study Lao Tzu.
Lao Tzu was the founder of Taoism. The central concept of Taoism is the (cycling-link: "Dao", "natural order of the universe"), which is believed to be the foundation and origin of all beings in the universe. The core value of Taoism is (cycling-link: "Ziran", "self so, naturalness"). Lao Tzu advocated that humans should practice naturalness, to let themselves or anything around them remain in their natural states. Then, in this way societies could reach their natural harmony. The method to practice (cycling-link: "Ziran", "self so, natural") is (cycling-link: "Wuwei", "doing nothing"). Wuwei has two aspects: to prevent suppression and foster human potentials instead of forcing and ordering.
Now the three mourning years ends, and you have to consider your future career. By being an officer in the government, you can gradually instill the idea of equity and peace in the Duke of Lu and directly interfere with policies that suppress common people. However, you feel the need of starting the change in people's minds from the bottom of society, so commoners will also need to be educated to accept the idea of (cycling-link: "Wuwei", "doing nothing") and caring less about physical wealth. Being a teacher will allow your idea to be more influential among not only officers but also common people.
To achieve the society you want, you decide to:
[[serving in the government to prevent the suppression->government I-3]]
[[teaching people Ziran and Wuwei to spread Taoism-> teaching I-3]]
You choose to study King Wu of Zhou.
King Wu of Zhou was the first king of the Zhou Dynasty. He inherited the title, Xi Bo, meaning king of the west, from his father. He rebelled against the Shang dynasty. It was said the final battle between him and the ruler of Shang was extremely bloody. After that, he established the Zhou dynasty, known as Western Zhou. He was famous for being warlike, which can be inferred from his name (cycling-link: "Wu", "martial"), which was given by important government officials after his death to commemorate his victory.
After studying King Wu of Zhou, you conclude that for rulers to succeed and establish their own dynasty in a warring era, they have to form powerful militaries and win strategic wars.
Now the three mourning years ends, and you have to consider your future career. The military system is greatly valued by all states since the relationship among them are becoming more and more intense. You can give Duke of Lu adivce on the strategy of wars by being a soldier in the military and gradually gaining merit for promotion. However, people's ideas should also be changed. Being a teacher can allow your idea of promoting military power to be more influential among common people to encourage people to join the army.
You decide to help the Duke of Lu become an ideal ruler by:
[[serving in the army->government I-2]]
[[teaching people while serving in the army-> gov&teaching I-2]] You choose to serve in the army.
You work hard in the army, and due to your father's identity, you are able to become a general in the state of Lu. Although Lu is a small state and is not known for its military power, you are valued by the Duke of Lu because of the firm belief you hold, and you become a general in Lu. You fight against other vassal states for Lu and win many victories. After years, you die in a conflict with the state of Wey on the west border of Lu.
The end.
You choose to serve in the army while tutoring students.
You work hard, and due to your father's identity, you are able to hold a military position in the state of Lu. However, the ruler does not emphasize military power, so the armies of this small state can not support constant conflict with any of their neighboring states. You unintentionally show dissatisfaction and made the Duke of Lu a negative example while you are teaching your students how to better manage a state. Some of your students consider it anti-government and report it to government officials. Your speech is reported to the Duke and suspected to be revolutionary. He was very disappointed, and you were executed.
The end.
You choose to come back to government after the years of mourning. your political career has many obstacles: the Duke is not a sage ruler, and most of his power is controlled by the three noble families in Lu. To help the Duke gain control over the state, you decide to help the Duke fight against the families. Unfortunately, they have been the most powerful family in Lu for decades, and you and the ruler alone cannot overthrow them. You become the enemy of all three families and are exiled in c.497 BCE.
You do not have many political achievements in Lu, so many states do not recognize you, nor do they value your theory. You eventually get a minor position in Qi, a bigger state besides Lu. The Duke of Qi does not implement your theory much, but he is willing to provide an official position for you because of your profound understanding of literature, culture, and art. Although studying culture is also what you are passionate for, it's hard to give up what you've been considering as you purpose of life.
You decide to:
[[stay because although you cannot achieve you ideal, Qi provides a stable environment for you to study six arts->interest I-1 II-1]]
[[leave to seek the opportunity of achieving your ideal->ideal I-1 II-1]] You choose to start your teaching career. You accept students from various social classes and charge little tuition fees. Your theory of being kind and virtuous is widely accepted and makes you prestigious. Although you do not have any political power, you are known by many scholars, as well as government officials. You choose to protect yourself, so you participate little in politics. Therefore, you see teaching as your life and mission, receiving the respect of all your students, and died peacefully in your old age.
The end. You choose to come back to government after the years of mourning and start your teaching career. You accept students from various social classes and charge little tuition fees. Therefore, the social status of your students varies from the aristocrats to the poor people among commoners. Lu is a small state near the state of Qi, which is one of the most powerful states at that time, so Lu is not constantly engaging in fights against neighboring states. Partially because of the barely maintained peaceful atmosphere, your theory of being kind and virtuous is widely accepted and makes you prestigious.
At the same time, your political career has more obstacles: The state of Lu is where you were born and raised. You love this place but discovered disappointedly that its government is not ideal for governing people. The Duke is not a sage ruler, and most of his power is controlled by the three noble families in Lu. To help the ruler make better decisions and to make sure there is only one, the Duke of Lu, in charge, you decide to help the Duke fight against the families. Unfortunately, they have been the most powerful families in Lu for decades, and you and the ruler alone cannot overthrow them. You become the enemy of all three families. You cannot make political achievements under the hostility of three families, and you are exiled in c.497 BCE.
You travel west, wander between various states, and are welcomed by most of them. The Duke of Wey respects you the most. He pays you money for staying in Wey. However, because of your foreign identity, he does not let you hold any government position, nor does he allow you to participate in political discussions of Wey.
You decide to:
[[leave the state because you can't fulfill your ideal here->ideal I-1 II-3]]
[[stay because you have wealth and respect here->interest I-1 II-3]] You decide to serve in the government to prevent suppression of common people in this warring time. During this period, you visit Lao Tzu and gain a deeper understanding of Taoism. However, few people have the same opinion as you. You are not able to fight against other officials, and most importantly, your idea gets in the way of the noble families in Lu who are oppressing people to gain wealth. You are forcibly exiled by them.
However, your theory is appreciated by scholars, and you are known by people in various states. Accepting helps from them, you travel safely and visits Lao Tzu. You want to be a disciple of Lao Tzu, but he is not willing to develop any disciple and said you are still too arrogant and need to foster the stillness in your heart. After that, you wander among states for years and live a plain life. Finally, you feel like you have achieved the stage of ziran. You are not interested in human society anymore, so you retreat and compile the thoughts you came out of during those years, following Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu.
The end. You teach your students the concept of (cycling-link: "Ziran", "self so, naturalness") and (cycling-link: "Wuwei", "doing nothing"), but Taoism is too abstract for common people that care only about interest. You have a small group of students. Although your thoughts are appreciated by scholars, you live a poor life. After years of teaching, you gradually gain a deep understanding of Taoism. You are no longer interested in human society, so you retreat and compile the thoughts you formed during those years, following the Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu.
The end.
You refuse the appealing offer of Wey because you are determined to pursue your goal: reviving the Li of the Zhou dynasty by suggesting rulers implement the systematic practice of Li and by teaching people to perform Li on a daily basis. You leave Wey and continue to travel south and east to other states. You never stop teaching disciples that follow you and new people you meet on your way. However, as the power of Zhou is weakened, the situation is worsened by the turmoil of wars and constant conflicts among states. Your theory of manners and etiquette no longer suits the situation. You wander for 13 years but make no further political achievements. In your later years, one of your students becomes the prime minister of Lu after Duke Ai becomes the ruler of Lu. He manages to plan your safe return. The failures and experiences make you no longer long for political positions and change the whole society within decades, so you go back to Lu and utilize the stable environment the Duke of Lu provides to devote yourself completely to compiling documents and authoring books. You edited the four classics: Classic of Poetry, Book of Documents, Book of Rites, and I Ching. Because you love the state of Lu profoundly, you write the Spring and Autumn Annals, which is the chronicle of Lu. You summarize the events and decisions of twelve kings, from 772 BC to 479 BC, to educate posterity of good governance.
The edition of the four classics you edited is studied and respected by people in modern days, and the Spring and Autumn Annals are studied and interpreted by many Confucian scholars. You are known by everyone including children and the illiterates. You are Confucius.
The end. You stay in Wey, giving up the goals and ideals you had and surrendering to the situation. After years, you are able to get a minor occupation in the government to teach government officials poetry and literature. Meanwhile, you edit four classics: Classic of Poetry, Book of Documents, Book of Rites, and I Ching. The edition of the four classics you edit was studied and respected by people in modern days, but few people remember you, the editor of four classics.
The end. You continue to be a government official in Qi. You live an uneventful life.
The end. You travel among states by yourself. However, not all states are friendly to you. A warring era is extremely dangerous for a lonely traveler. You can die from starvation, robbery, or war... but you continue to go on for the ideal in your heart that never fade. You die in an assassination in the State of Chen.
The end.Life Journey as Confucius
By YZ
[[Your story starts here -> Your story starts here]]
[[bibliography->bibliography]]You were born in c.551 BCE. Your father, Shuliang He, was a soldier and a government official, who governed the town where you were born. Therefore, you were born in the class of Shi, which is lower than aristocrats and higher than commoners. Your father died early, so your mother, Yan Zhen-sai, raised you and educated you. When you were in your teenage years, you were able to learn Six Arts in a school. You naturally had a passion for the ritual and playacting the procedures. Up to now, you have held some minor positions in the government.
Your mother died several days ago, in 528 BCE, and you decide to perform the traditional three years of mourning. You quit your government position and plan to spend the three years developing your study. As the government of Zhou gradually fall apart, people began to commemorate the founders of Zhou dynasty, King Wu of Zhou, and his brother, Zhou Gong, who helped build the system of social management. Also, the thoughts of equilibrium of Lao Tzu, who is a contemporary philosopher, is popular among scholars.
Which historical figure would you want to study as your ideal figure?
[[Zhou Gong -> Zhou Gong]]
[[King Wu of Zhou -> King Wu of Zhou]]
[[Lao Tzu -> Lao Tzu]]
Bibliography
"The Analects of Confucius." In World Religions Reference Library, edited by Julie L. Carnagie, Michael J. O'Neal, and J. Sydney Jones, 125-29. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3448400111/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=6b11758f.
Analects and reasons why Confucius created Confucianism
Buck, David D. "Shandong." In Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, 166. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3403702637/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=7696cacb.
geographical set of Confucius
Cartwright, Mark. "Confucius." In World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Confucius/.
overall introduction of Confucius
"Confucius." In Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of World Literature, 415-16. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2507200132/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=3e372c95.
"Confucius." In World Religions Reference Library, edited by Julie L. Carnagie, Michael J. O'Neal, J. Sydney Jones, Marcia Merryman Means, Neil Schlager, and Jayne Weisblatt, 83-88. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3448400048/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=25a91c51.
confucius timeline
Hay, Jeff T. "Five Classics." In The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of World Religions, edited by Linda Holler, 119-20. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3205600138/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=2a983b15.
"Intellectual and Religious Trends of Confucianism." In Gods & Goddesses of Ancient China, edited by Trenton Campbell, 32-37. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX7024900008/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=9ad783a3.
more about Duke of Zhou
Jeanne, Nagle. "The Reign of the Zhou." In Discovering Ancient China, 18-21. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX6217000008/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=74ba4250.
history background of the spring and autumn period
Jiang, Yonglin. "Han Dynasty." In Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, 482-85. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3403701115/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=1c387ff1.
Han Wudi
Liu, Xiaogan. "Laozi (Sixth Century BCE)." In Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 194-95. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3446801072/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=44c9551e.
Lao Zi
Mark, Joshua J. "Confucianism." In World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Confucianism/.
confucanism and early goal of confucius.
———. "Zhou Dynasty." In Word History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Zhou_Dynasty/.
The history background of Confucius.
Pines, Yuri. "Legalism, Ancient China." In New Dictionary of the History of Ideas, 1260-61. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3424300419/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=40697fa3.
Legalism
Russell, Kirkland J. "Taoism." In Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices, 521-22. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3437900055/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=e0393af6.
Taoism
Sellmann, James D. "Mencius." In Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, 139-40. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3403701949/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=f07b7805.
Mencius
Simeon, Netchev. Warring States of China and Qin Conquest, c.250 BCE. Illustration. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16124/warring-states-of-china-and-qin-conquest-c-250-bce/.
"Wuwang." In Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wuwang.
"Xunzi (fl.295-238 BCE)." In Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by Donald M. Borchert, 856-57. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3446802154/GVRL?u=cinc13591&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=7998f324.
Xunzi