【Description】
We all hope for a smoother, more exciting and more prosperous future. However, expecting life to be a smooth road free of obstacles is expecting the impossible.
According to Grandmaster JinBodhi, fate is a profound force with its own patterns. So how can we influence these patterns? In this teaching, Grandmaster talks about the rise and fall of the Song dynasty and the rule of its emperors in order to deepen our understanding of fate’s patterns. Please tune in to discover the secret to creating a better fate.
【You will learn】
- The story of Zhao Kuangyin, a destined ruler and a founding emperor
- The three myths surrounding Zhao before he became an emperor
- The wisdom of an emperor: peaceful transition of military power
- The unsolved mystery of Zhao’s death
- The main culprit of the Jingkang incident
- The history of Emperor Gaozong moving to the South
- The death of Yuefei and the fall of Southern Song dynasty
- The reclaiming of the throne by Zhao Kuangyin’s descendants
- Examine fate through the names of the rulers of Southern Song dynasty
- Grandmaster Chen Tuan’s 12-character prophecy
- The right way to rule
【Featured aphorisms】
- Only when the emperor has compassion and love for all people can he manage his country well.
【Content】
Hello, everyone. (Hello, Master.) We meet again. It is hard to describe fate in words. I know many people would like to know more about fate, especially their own fate. Some are also curious about other people’s fates. When you are dating, you hope that your partner, looks aside, is capable and lucky. You also hope that your partner’s blessed with a bright future. We all wish for better things for ourselves. We wish for a bright, outstanding life, or to be likable, or capable, or wealthy.
Everyone wishes they were better. But in reality, Nature’s Law is mirrored by topographical highs and lows. If you view Earth from the moon, it will look like a big planet with no topographical characteristics. But if you looked from 300 meters above ground, you would notice Earth’s highs and lows. Not much flat and smooth land, except for small patches. Life is like Earth’s surface. Not absolutely flat and smooth. Thus, fate is very difficult to speak of. Many experts have tried and failed to find the key determinants of fate and the core triggers within fate. Though difficult to get a handle on, through stories, we find that fate has patterns.
Fate is a huge topic. Today, let’s go over Song dynasty’s emperors and overall history. Usually when a new nation or government emerges, there are exciting ups and downs. The first emperor of the Song dynasty was Zhao Kuangyin. Legend says when he was born, his house was engulfed in red light and an otherworldly fragrance lingered for days. His body shone golden for 3 days. Perhaps those were auspicious signs. Later, Zhao met some renowned people who offered him advice.
One of them was Grandmaster Chen Tuan. He was a Taoist practitioner. His understanding of fate and foretelling of important events was incredible and singular. He was commonly referred to as psychic. As such, you could say he was a prophet. He was also an era-defining fortuneteller, Taoist practitioner, philosopher, thinker, scholar, and even artist. Chen Tuan had a chance encounter with the infant Zhao. Upon seeing Zhao, he said, “How rare to see a True Dragon, Divine Son of Heaven.”
During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, there were many princes and kings of small states. Nobody recognized a supreme leader. There were 60 years of warfare with rulers repeatedly overthrown. So, Chen called the newborn Zhao the “True Dragon, Divine Son of Heaven”. Did his parents take Chen seriously? No one knows. So, in the course of growing up, Zhao became knowledgeable in both scholarly and martial pursuits. He left his parents and struck out on his own to achieve something.
He vowed to achieve something big, or else he wouldn’t return home. He was a man. He didn’t want to depend on his parents forever. He had to create something for himself. The little money he took was soon spent, as he got lost. Penniless, Zhao sought shelter at a temple. The temple gave Zhao food and shelter for free. One day, the head monk had a chat with him. He pronounced the judgment, “Dear sir, you are a dragon among men.”
Today, the Chinese can joke around by calling you a dragon, not in Ancient China. Using “dragon” to refer to anyone but the emperor could get you beheaded. The head monk said, “It is fate that we meet. I will offer you some advice and money. I will find you some money for food when you leave.” “You go north”, said the old monk, telling him whom he was to find. Zhao headed north and found a general, to whom he offered his services. It was a war-torn era. A battle quickly ensued, in which Zhao’s leadership and fighting abilities impressed the general. Zhao moved up the ranks gradually.
Later on, he encountered Miao, Grandmaster Chen Tuan’s disciple, who also offered him advice. “When the sun has eaten the sun, the chief royal guard will become emperor.” Miao was talking about a total solar eclipse. In Ancient China, the phenomenon was seen as either a calamity or a blessing. Never could two suns coexist. So, when such a phenomenon occurred, a country would get a new ruler. That was Grandmaster Chen Tuan’s prediction. The children started singing the prediction as a nursery rhyme.
In the late Zhou dynasty, Chai Rong was ruling. He heard the nursery rhyme and sacked Zhang, the chief royal guard. Having sacked Zhang, he needed someone to fill that position. Maybe it was fate. The smart and honest Zhao caught his attention. The emperor made Zhao the new chief royal guard. Bad things come all at once. After Zhao was given his new role, the emperor died prematurely. His son, who was only 7 at that time, took over the throne.
Grandmaster Chen Tuan’s disciple, Miao, also helped Zhao. Because he saw Zhao as the fated new ruler, Miao helped Zhao to the throne. There was no bloodshed. Zhao told the young emperor to step down if he wanted to live. The 7-year-old emperor got scared. “Just let me live”, he said. Thus, a new emperor emerged. The court officials were threatened at knifepoint and told, “You can keep your job. But if you refuse, you will be beheaded.” To keep their heads intact, the officials kept doing their jobs. There will always be an emperor, whoever he is.
Thus, a new dynasty emerged called the Song dynasty. Zhao became the founding emperor, called Emperor Tai-zu of Song. He seemed fated for the throne. Why? He was a general, but beyond martial abilities, he also possessed abilities in management, innovation and strategy. His first act was to dissolve the root cause of sovereign fiefdoms and city-states. City-states were created by people who commanded their own armies. They would make themselves a local prince when the emperor was weak.
Zhao had to strip them of their armies. He did so peacefully, without causing a huge uproar. He invited all the influential army commanders to have drinks with him. When everyone was sufficiently lubricated, he began talking. “I haven’t been feeling well.” “What is the matter, your majesty?” “I haven’t been able to sleep.” “With our army guarding the palace, you should sleep without any worries.” “It’s not that”, Zhao said. “I forced the previous emperor off the throne using my command of the army. I am worried that you people will do the same to me. A new emperor means more upheaval. That is why I can’t sleep.”
Zhao was straightforward and everyone got the message. The next day, all the army commanders surrendered their commander’s seals. They each wrote a letter of resignation, making up excuses such as bad health or family emergencies for their resignation from their army command. Zhao wiped out all private army commands with a night’s drinking. To take a dozen generals’ army commands by force would result in 1,000,000 deaths. All Zhao used was a night’s drinking.
He brought about many reforms to improve people’s lives. Decades of battle had resulted in almost no young men left in the villages. War had killed off most men. The average person was penniless. He had come to realize this. I believe that Grandmaster Chen Tuan influenced and encouraged Zhao to rule compassionately. The Song dynasty’s ruling style was aligned with Zhao’s values, which were guided by ruling with compassion.
When he was 49 years old, one night, something happened in the palace. We are not even sure exactly what. His younger brother came into the palace. Perhaps the brothers spent most of the night talking in Zhao’s chambers. No one knew what happened. The next morning, his younger brother announced Emperor Tai-zu’s death. Zhao, his older brother, had died from an acute illness. Zhao Guangyi claimed that the emperor had entrusted him with the throne.
Emperor Tai-zu’s reign lasted 15 or 16 years. His younger brother, Zhao Guangyi, took over. His reign was not noteworthy; but he still treated his countrymen well. His reign lasted 20-plus years. During his reign, his older brother’s son, along with other influential people, died mysteriously. The throne was passed on to Zhao Guangyi’s son, grandson, great-grandson, etc.
Song Huizong was the eighth emperor of the Song dynasty. We have time-traveled about 100 years. During Song Huizong’s reign, the neighboring country invaded. When the enemy invaded the borders, he couldn’t deal with it mentally. He was a born artist, but quite unsuited to being the leader of a country. Many artists can draw or sing, but they can’t lead a team. Many strong leaders can’t sing or dance. Everyone’s born with a different Divine mission. This is also a concept of fate.
What did the old emperor do? He abdicated and left his son to clean up his mess and ascend the throne involuntarily. In Chinese history, the voluntary giving up of the throne was called abdication. What did Huizong do after his abdication? He traveled. But upon his return, father and son were both caught by invading forces.
Huizong was a multifaceted artist. After he became a hostage until his death, he composed over 1,000 poems. Li Bai’s got nothing on him! Huizong was the master. His poems focused on his regrets about only focusing on the arts and using money to negotiate peace with the enemy. Words of remorse and regret were in all his poems.
His 7 predecessors had been doing a decent job for around 100 years. Their rule was not bad and they were quite capable. The founding emperor, Emperor Tai-zu, had a great start. He paved the way for his successors to rule with the same mindset. Reduce wars. If money could solve conflicts, the emperor would pay up. He prioritized commerce, education, the mind, arts and sciences. He was a people’s emperor who used technology and culture to give his people peaceful, happy lives. That is how the country prospered under him.
（The scroll named “Along the River During Ching Ming Festival” has massive scope and orderly composition. It depicts in detail the life and commerce of Northern Song people, showcasing the prosperity of a Northern Song city. Emperor Huizong was believed to be the first collector of this scroll. But in his lifetime, peace ended when the Jin invaded Northern Song. In 1127 AD, the Jin forces abducted father and son, Emperor Huizong and Qinzong, and brought an end to the dynasty, also known as the Jingkang Incident. In the same year, the ninth son of Emperor Huizong, Zhao Gou, became the founding emperor of the Southern Song dynasty. Emperor Gaozong of Song established his capital in Lin’an, thus marking the start of the Southern Song dynasty.)
The Northern Song dynasty’s capital was in the northern city of Kaifeng, north along the Yellow River. Zhao Gou established the capital of his new dynasty in Lin’an, south of the Yangtze River in Hangzhou. Southern Song dynasty’s rulers were of the same bloodline as those of Song dynasty. Zhao Gou was a controversial emperor. History has labeled him dazed and confused. Firstly, he didn’t know how to rule. Secondly, as a 20-something, he wasn’t prepared for his country’s huge upheavals. Half of his territory was gone. Much of his money, officials and army went with it. If not for the Yangtze River blocking the enemy’s way, he would’ve been dead. So, he was dazed.
Despite this, many of the people and the army still loved their country due to the compassionate reign of previous Song-dynasty emperors. Among the loyal was the famous General Yue Fei. He advocated fighting the invading forces instead of surrendering. First, he endorsed fighting to see who would win. Secondly, he advocated getting back the abducted ex-emperors. He gathered some loyal officials to back him up in asking the emperor for a royal edict to save the ex-emperor. The ex-emperor, a supremely important person for the populace, was living as a slave. It pained his countrymen. “Emperor, please give us your royal edict to save the old emperor.”
Zhao Gou said nothing, fearing for his position if the old emperor came back. He played dumb until the old emperor died as a hostage in a foreign land, today’s Heilongjiang. Bringing him back dead wouldn’t endanger Zhao Gou’s position. All you need is a burial plot. That is exactly what he did. Then, the emperor, at the instigation of the disloyal official Qin Hui, beheaded Yue Fei. I believe he must have had a strong reason to kill the royalist protector General Yue Fei. Why behead him? Because Yue Fei persisted in requesting to bring back the old emperor. That is why he killed Yue Fei at the disloyal Qin Hui’s instigation.
Qin Hui wanted Yue Fei removed because he wanted his strategy executed. Qin Hui preferred to kowtow to enemy emissaries in the emperor’s name, give up the Song dynasty and join the territory of Jin. He was that kind of person. From a country’s perspective, that is a bad strategy. But it depends on your stance. If you give up your country, you can avoid war. It is an option.
In Zhao Gou’s twilight years, one day, he dreamed of his ancestor, the Song dynasty’s founder, Emperor Tai-zu. In the dream, Emperor Tai-zu revealed to Zhao Gou how he died. The dream is referred to as “the sound of an axe in candlelight and shadow.” In it, Zhao Gou’s ancestor killed his older brother, Emperor Tai-zu. Heirless, he passed the throne to a direct descendant of Emperor Tai-zu. That was Zhao Shen, the 11th emperor of the Song dynasty. He was Emperor Tai-zu’s seventh-generation descendant. The throne came full circle back to the founding emperor’s bloodline.
The Song dynasty had a total of 18 emperors. Here is something interesting. That is 9 emperors from Tai-zu’s bloodline and 9 from his younger brother’s. Interesting, right? There is another coincidence you may make note of. The first emperor’s childhood nickname was “Double Nine”. Similar to “Nine Nine”. The “9” in Ancient Chinese numerology has the biggest value. Due to Ancient Chinese numerology, 9 is always associated with rulers.
“Kuang” was the first emperor’s name. Adding a vertical stroke and dot, you get the character “Guo”, or country. The character in the middle means king. “Kuang” represents an incomplete country. Thus there is the loss of Northern Song to the Jin. Also, 2 emperors were abducted. “Kuang” is also a homonym for “cheated”, representing loss via deceit. The second emperor’s name was “Guang Yi”, which represents his lack of righteousness.
The fourth to last emperor’s name was Zhao “Qi”. Remember the “Qi”. The third to last was Zhao “Xian”. The second to the last was Zhao “Xia”. And lastly, Zhao “Bing”. So, “Qi” “Xian” “Xia” and “Bing”. The names sound like “deceit preceding downhill illness” until death.
Among the 18 emperors, more than half had a “sun” character in their names. Because the emperor is the son of Heaven, and inseparable from the sun and light. He would illuminate all sentient beings like the sun. When you are the emperor, you want a name that is aligned with your destiny. So, their names tend to be complex and noble. Coincidence? Fate is mysterious, partly dictated by Divine will, partly manmade, and full of coincidences. Interesting, indeed.
Having founded the Song dynasty, Zhao asked Grandmaster Chen Tuan for advice. Chen said 8 words: first, “Bian”; second, “Hang”; third, “Min”; fourth, “Guang”. “What does this mean?” Chen said, “This is Heaven’s secret. I’ve already said too much. “You don’t get it because it’s not time yet. Let it be. These 8 characters jumped out at me to foretell the future.” Zhao asked, “Please reveal more.” Chen said, “4 words. At cliff, it ends.”
Zhao was asking Chen about the fate of the Song dynasty. Chen said these 12 words, which represented the Song dynasty’s overall fate. First, “Bian” referred to the old capital of Bianliang, today’s Kaifeng. First, “Bian”. Second, “Hang” refers to the invasion 100 years later that pushed the border to Hangzhou and lost the Northern territories. Third, “Min” refers to a later invasion that forced them to Fuzhou, Fujian. Fourth, “Guang” refers to their retreat to Guangdong when the Mongolians invaded.
Their last stand was where? The Battle of Cliff Mountain. The last Song-dynasty emperor died at a few years old. The third to last emperor was captured and sent to Tibet to become a monk. Yuan dynasty ordered him to die by suicide at 53, though he had become a high monk. When the last emperor died, 100,000 citizens, family members and soldiers in Guangdong died by suicide with the young emperor. The sea was littered with corpses. What a tragic sight.
A country’s seismic changes are profoundly affecting. Tears do not suffice in the face of such devastation. That is the history of the Song dynasty. It corroborates what? Grandmaster Chen Tuan’s foretelling. “At cliff, it ends.” After the Battle of Cliff Mountain, Song dynasty perished, replaced by Yuan dynasty.
(The Song dynasty was founded in 960 AD by Zhao Kuangyin. Northern and Southern Song were ruled by 18 emperors, over 319 years, ending in 1279 AD. The dynasty preferred to maintain peace with neighboring countries through financial rather than military means. Song dynasty prospered economically, far exceeding the Tang dynasty. Cultivation of the quick-growing and drought-tolerant Champa rice boosted the population from 37.1 million in 930 AD to 126 million in 1124 AD.
Western and Japanese historians see Song dynasty as China’s cultural renaissance and economic revolution. The renowned Chinese historian Chen Yinke said that Zhao’s Song dynasty was instrumental in Ancient China’s cultural and economic leap. What was the governing philosophy of the emperors of Song dynasty, that made them achieve such rapid development? It was from a commandment tablet left by the first emperor of Song, Tai-zu, to his successors.)
The stone tablet tells us what kind of man the founding emperor was. The tablet was about 1.8 meters in width, 2.8 meters in height, and 15 cm thick. The stone tablet was hidden in a crack at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. It was usually in a protective cover, its writing protected from casual observers. It was a commandment tablet to dictate reminders to his successors. There were 3 commandments on it. After Song dynasty’s defeat, the contents of the tablet became known to some.
There were 3 commandments. 1. Be kind to the Chai family of the previous Zhou dynasty. Do not punish them unless absolutely necessary. Even if punishment is unavoidable, don’t shame them publicly, punish privately. Even though political power was wrested from the Chai family, don’t burn that bridge. Don’t be a petty ingrate. 2. Do not kill officials. No making up excuses to kill court ministers.
People unfamiliar with history might think that’s not much to ask. But if you look around the world, how many court officials lived to an old age? They were either executed by the emperor or framed by rivals. No good endings. How many young, talented and capable ministers ended up executed along with their whole clan? Very few had happy endings. Maybe only 1% of officials in high places had happy endings in court. That is why he prohibited future emperors from killing ministers.
Those who offer advice and counsel to the emperor shall not be killed. Whether a commoner or a scholar, who professes doubt, voices harsh comments, or even says the emperor’s new laws are wrong and irresponsible should be let off the hook. Emperors shall spare their lives. Why? I believe his heart was inclined toward peace and kindness. Secondly, Buddhist concepts of compassion guided and influenced Emperor Tai-zu. Lastly, he was greatly influenced by Grandmaster Chen Tuan.
Taoists and those who study the Heavenly ways all recognize Heaven’s love for all Nature’s creations. As a ruler who leads all people, you must love the people you rule. Only then are you qualified to rule. Otherwise, you will be an unjust, cruel ruler. I believe the founding emperor believed in ruling with compassion and kindness. He hoped his policies would provide peaceful lives to his people. He preferred to pay his war-prone neighbors to buy peace instead of seeing his people go to war. This was Northern Song’s policy.
The emperor must have truly understood Heaven’s way to have this political mission. He controlled himself and his successors in order to rule the country well. For a ruler faced with managing a country well, calming domestic affairs and fending off invaders is not easy. As such, rulers need all the capable advice they can get. Rulers in Ancient China’s warring periods were just as thirsty for capable advisers, like wanting water or watermelon to quench our thirst on a hot day.
It was the same during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period of constant fighting, when rulers were eager to seek advice from anyone capable. Zhou Shi Zong of the late Zhou dynasty sought out Grandmaster Chen Tuan for advice. He was out of funds for war. He wanted Chen to perform alchemy and turn iron into gold to fund his war chest and feed his people. He invited Chen to the palace. Chen said, “Your majesty should know, as the leader of many, that you need to use proper methods to rule your country and feed your people rather than use piddling alchemy and magic to solve national issues. To use such piddling methods would be a mistake.”
Chen thought rulers should have correct methods to rule a country. What is the proper way to rule? Prioritize the people and practice compassion. Treat the people as your parents and children. Love and cradle all sentient beings. That is the way to rule a country well. The 3 reminders on the stone tablet written by the founding emperor of Song indicated how well he understood the way. Grandmaster Chen Tuan influenced Emperor Tai-zu deeply.
Many emperors failed to rule as compassionately and tolerantly as he did. His policies were all geared toward avoiding wars and providing a peaceful life for his people. His 3 reminders showed compassion and his love for his people. Only then would the Song dynasty be ruled well. That period excelled in culture, technology, religion and the arts. Aside from the military, the Song dynasty did well in all areas.
History leads us to think, observe and analyze the patterns in fate. Destiny can be found in birthdays, names, fathers’ names, lifestyle habits, taboos since childhood, etc. All this sheds light on fate. I think we have figured out a lot today. Thank you. (Thank you, Master.)