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During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang dynasty, Wu Bao’an, a native of Hebei, served as a county magistrate in Suizhou, but had not been promoted for a long time. His fellow townsman, Guo Zhongxiang, was prime minister’s nephew. At that time, a rebellion broke out in the south, and Guo Zhongxiang went with…
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“He who knows others is learned; He who knows himself is wise.” – Lao Zi During the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang dynasty, there was a court academician named Pan Yan who enjoyed immense favour from the emperor. Once, mayor of the capital wished to see Pan Yan but failed to gain an audience…
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“Life is a temporary sojourn, death a return.” – Yu the Great Zhuangzi’s wife had died. His close friend Huizi went to console him, only to find him sitting idly on the ground, pounding a pottery basin like a drum, and singing. Huizi said to him: “When someone has lived with you, raised children, grown…
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After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang engaged in the four-year-long “Chu-Han Contention.” Han Xin, a general under Liu Bang, was known for his intelligence, courage, and skills in warfare. In 204 BC, Han Xin led his army to attack the Zhao state. The two sides confronted each other near…
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Madame Huarui (?—976AD) , originally named Xu (or Fei), was a consort of Meng Chang, the ruler of the Later Shu Kingdom during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. She was beautiful and talented, especially known for her poetry. Meng Chang was an incompetent ruler who indulged in pleasure and ignored Madame Huarui’s advice to…
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One wrong word, five hundred lifetimes as a wild fox. In the Buddhist context, “severing someone’s wisdom life” refers to cutting off another person’s opportunity to attain enlightenment through wisdom by misleading, destroying the Buddha’s teachings, or hindering practice. During the height of Tang Dynasty, Zen Buddhism flourished. When Zen Master Baizhang (749-814AD) gave dharma…