Jedi in the Chinese history

Table of Content: HOW TO RAISE A RESILIENT KID: I AM NOT RIGHT BUT THAT’S OK

There were many Daoist “Jedi’s” in the Chinese history who came out from the mountain to save the people from chaos and famine. Below are some of the examples. Don’t admire their successes but appreciate their beautiful hearts and inner peace.

1) Guan Zhong (管仲) (725-645 BC): He was a chancellor and reformer of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period. The Qi State was in chaos. When Prince Xiao Bai tried to take over the throne, he was hit by the arrow of Guan Zhong but cheated death. When he became the Duke of Qi, Guan Zhong was pardoned because his intelligence and knowledge were needed by the Duke. He was later appointed as the chancellor in a grand ceremony. He told Duke Huan: “The way to govern a country is to first ensure the people are prosperous.” (凡治国之道，必先富民。) Through Guan Zhong’s reforms and skillful diplomacy, Qi became the most powerful of the feudal states and Duke Huan became the first of the Five Hegemons. Guan Zhong said: “The benevolent Sage is like the Heaven which covers everybody and gives no preferential treatment to anyone. He is like the Earth which supports everybody and gives no preferential treatment to anyone. Favoritism will create chaos to the country.” (圣人若天然，无私覆，若地然，无私载也。私者，乱天下者也。) “You must give the people what they want if you want to get what you want. If you understand this logic, you own the best treasure of governance.” (知与之为取，政之宝也。)

2) Sun Zi (孙子) (545–470 BC) is probably the most famous military strategist in the world, having authored The Sun Zi Art of War. King Helü of Wu State appointed him as the army general to fight against the much bigger neighboring Chu State. In 506 BC, the Wu State was victorious and captured the Chu capital. Sun Zi said: “The five important factors to win a war are: Dao, Heaven, Earth, Leader, and Ways of Administering the Military.” (一曰道，二曰天，三曰地，四曰將，五曰法。) Lao Zi said: “Dao, Heaven, Earth, and People are interrelated in various ways which existed naturally.” (人法地 地法天 天法道 道法自然。) What they meant was the success or failure of any endeavor depended on all the above factors. Considering only one or two factors, doing things by brute force and against the Dao will end in disaster. Claiming credit as if the success is due solely to a leader is a delusion.

3) Fan Li (范蠡) was born in 517 BC. He and King Gou Jian of Yue State became war prisoners after losing a war against the invasion of Wu State. After three years of captivity the two of them returned to Yue, where Fan Li helped Gou Jian carry out a host of reforms aimed to strengthen the Yue State. In 493 BC, Yue used an opportunity to strike back and destroy the Wu State. Fan Li once told Gou Jian: “Use indirect way if we are weaker. Use direct attack if we are stronger. Exhaust the enemy’s strength and maximize our indirect power to capture them. This is the amazing way to use direct and indirect forces in military art.” (后则用阴，先则用阳，尽敌阳节，盈吾阴节而夺之，此兵家阴阳之妙也。) When Gou Jian wanted to accept Wu surrender, Fan Li stopped him and said: “When the opportunity is presented to us, we must grab it quickly and make no mistake because the opportunity will not come again next time. If we don’t accept what is given to us by the Heaven, we will in turn be punished with disaster.” (得时无怠，时不再来，天予不取，反为之灾。) After the victory, Fan Li resigned and retreated to live a secluded private life.

4) Zhang Liang (张良) (250–186 BC) was the most important military strategist of Liu Bang in the rebel against the cruelty of the Qin Dynasty. After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, he soon retired and became a practitioner of Daoism. Liu Bang once said: “Zhang Liang was able to help me win a war from a thousand miles away from the front line. He is one of the Three Pillars of my victory, along with Han Xin, the grand-general of Han forces and Xiao He, the first chancellor of the Han dynasty.”

5) Zhu Ge Liang (诸葛亮) (181–234 AD) was a young man living in a small cottage during the Three Kingdoms period at the end of Han Dynasty. He was well known for his intelligence by his circle of friends. A warlord, Liu Bei (刘备), heard of his name from someone and went to the cottage three times to finally persuaded Zhu Ge Liang to help establish a strong force. Zhu Ge Liang was instrumental in the war against Cao Cao, resulting in the establishment of the Shu State (蜀国) as one of the Three Kingdoms for Liu Bei, and finally became the chancellor of Shu. One of his famous advices to youngsters is: “Taste the tasteless and stay serene to have a clear view of your ambition. Stay comfortable with being unknown and quiescent to be able to reach a great distance in the future.” (淡泊以明志，宁静以致远。) Don’t chase for fame or wealth.

6) Li Mi (李密) (224–287 AD) was an intelligent Daoist who was known to read while riding a bull. He later became the leader of a civilian resistance army (瓦岗军) against the Sui Dynasty. Xu Mao Gong (徐茂公) and Wei Zheng (魏征) were also Daoists who were senior personnel of the rebellion army. They joined forces with Li Shi Min (李世民) who later became the second Emperor of Tang Dynasty. Li Jing (李靖) was a Daoist who was the general of the Tang army. His answers to military questions from Li Shi Min (唐太宗李卫公问对) were made into one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China (武经七书). Xu Mao Gong and Li Jing helped the Tang Dynasty to topple the Sui Dynasty, defeated all the warlords, and also defended China against Turk’s invasion. Emperor Tai Zong regarded Wei Zheng as his invaluable mirror who helped him to reflect and prevent him from making mistakes throughout the “Reign of Zhen Guan” (贞观之治) (627–649). Tai Zong became one of the greatest emperors in China’s history and henceforth, his reign became regarded as the exemplary model against which all future emperors were measured.

7) Li Mi (李泌) (722–789 AD) was a trusted advisor to three emperors of Tang Dynasty — Emperor Su Zong, Emperor Dai Zong, and Emperor De Zong. He declined to formally serve in the governments of Emperors Su Zong and Dai Zong. He was finally forced to serve as Emperor De Zong’s chancellor when he was 67 years old. At a young age, he was assigned to teach Dao De Jing of Lao Zi to the princes of Emperor Xuan Zong (father of Emperor Su Zong). He was perceived to have very peculiar behavior, always playful like a child and never look like a learned adult. In 756, the rebel army of An Lu Shan reached Chang An and forced Emperor Xuan Zong to flee to Cheng Du. Li Mi helped Emperor Su Zong to defeat An Lu Shan but he declined the appointment as a chancellor, stating: “I find it much more honorable that Your Imperial Majesty treats me as a guest and a friend, than as a chancellor. Why do you want me to take an inferior position?” He resigned from the government four times, to enjoy peaceful time alone in the mountain, but always summoned back when a new Emperor took the throne. In 784, rebellions by Zhu Ci and Li Huai Guang forced Emperor De Zong to flee to Liang Prefecture. Li Mi helped Emperor De Zong to defeat the rebels. Also in late 787, Li Mi successfully made counter attacks against Tufan (a nomadic tribe) invasion. One of his famous mantras about a Daoist conduct is: “Be straight and uncompromising like serving justice; be flexible whenever possible like applying intelligence in a roundabout way instead of head-on confrontation; move swiftly like a horse in helping people with your skills; be contented to stay unknown and quiescent when the work is done and don’t claim any credit.” (方若行义，圆若用智，动若骋材，静若得意。) Have a strong integrity inside but show flexibility outside; don’t give an impression to other people that you are arrogant, tough, and unsentimental. Feel satisfied with whatever achievement you have made instead of being eager and ambitious to do more.

8) Miao Guang Yi (苗光义) was born around 925 AD. He was the favorite disciple of Chen Tuan (陈抟), a famous Daoist sage in the history. Due to the civil war among the warlords, he lived as a fortuneteller and Chinese medicine practitioner. He later helped Zhao Kuang Yin (赵匡胤) to defeat all the warlords. Zhao Kuang Yin became the first Emperor of the Song Dynasty. Miao Guang Yi was appointed to a high position in the government. However, learning from the experience of Fan Li (范蠡) and Zhang Liang (张良), he tendered his resignation to the Emperor and returned home. He then set up schools and provided free education to the children in his village.