sparhawk
January 6th, 2008, 05:50 PM
These are the last I found interesting in the:
Later Han History
T'ang T'an
T'ang T'an, styled Tzu-ch'an, was a native of Nan-ch'ang in Yü-chang. As a youth he traveled to the imperial university and studied the Book of Changes: Commentary of Ching Fang, the Book of Odes: Nonstandard Commentary of Han (Han-shih wai-chuan), and the Spring and Autumn Annals of Mr. Yen (Yen-shih ch'un-ch'iu), and he showed a particular fondness for omenology and astrology. Later when he returned to his home province, there were at any one time over a hundred disciples under his instruction.
In the seventh year of he Yüan-ch'u period [120], a marvelous 'chih' plant was discovered growing in the commandery. Grand Protector Liu Chih wanted to present it to the throne, so he asked T'an about it. T'an replied to him, "Just at this point the empress' family is rising in strength, and the Yang powers are waning. Is there any way to interpret this as an auspicious sign?" Chih desisted from making the presentation. In the first year of Yung-ning [120], a woman in Nan-ch'ang gave birth to quadruplets. Chih again went to T'an and asked him what was foretold by this strange happening. T'an interpreted it to mean that the capital troops would see military action and that disaster would come from those who appeared to maintain respect for the throne. In fact, in the fourth year of the Yüan-kuang period [125], a palace attendant within the Yelow Gate, one Sun Ch'eng, gathered up troops in the palace district and executed the empress' elder brother, cavalry commandant Yen Hsien, and others of his clique. Hence the King of Chi-yin was established as the emperor. All the events transpired exactly as T'an had predicted.
In the firfth year of Yung-chien [130], T'an was elevated to the rank of Filial and Incorruptible and made a gentleman of the palace. At that time a white rainbow was seen crossing the sun. As a result, T'an prepared a memorial to the throne, observing what the emperor ought to do with respect to the heavens, the earth, and mankind and expounding on this inauspicious sign. After he submitted this document, he resigned his office and left. T'ang T'an authored a book of twenty-eight chapters caled 'T'ang-tsu.' He died at home.
Hsü Man
Hsü Man was a native of P'ing-yu in Ju-nan. His grandfather Chün, styled Chi-shan, was skilled in crack-reading divination. So numerous ware Chün's correct predictions that the people of his time compared him to Ching Fang of an earlier era. By his own account, as a youth he was afflicted with a terrible disease that for three years showed no improvement. He traveled to Mount T'ai, therefore, to beg for his life. On the way he ran into the Taoist Master Chang Chü-chün, from whom he learned esoteric arts. Hsü Chün's book, "Forest of Changes," is still in circulation today.
From the time he was little, Man carried on the teachings he inherited frm Chün. During the reign of Emperor Heng [146-167], the grand protector of Lung-shi, Feng Kun, opened the case of his official seal on the occasion of taking up the duties of his new post. Two serpents rushed out, one heading to the north and one to the south. Kun had Man divide the divining stalks about this event. When the graphs were completed, Man explained, "Three years from now, you, sir will become a general at the border. The post has a word 'east' in its name, and you will travel to the northeast some three thousand li. In another five years, you wll become a great general and conduct campaigns south."
In the first year of the Yen-hsi perios [158], Kun went out to be the Grand Protector of Liao-tung [lit. Liao-east], where he punished the Hsien-pei tribes. After five years, he was promoted to general of the cavalry and attacked the Man barbarian bandits of Wu-ling. All these things fulfilled Man's predictions, and many of Man's other prognostications worked out as well.
Doctors, Diviners, and Magicians of Ancient China: Biographies of Fang-shih
Translated by
Kenneth J. DeWoskin
1983
Later Han History
T'ang T'an
T'ang T'an, styled Tzu-ch'an, was a native of Nan-ch'ang in Yü-chang. As a youth he traveled to the imperial university and studied the Book of Changes: Commentary of Ching Fang, the Book of Odes: Nonstandard Commentary of Han (Han-shih wai-chuan), and the Spring and Autumn Annals of Mr. Yen (Yen-shih ch'un-ch'iu), and he showed a particular fondness for omenology and astrology. Later when he returned to his home province, there were at any one time over a hundred disciples under his instruction.
In the seventh year of he Yüan-ch'u period [120], a marvelous 'chih' plant was discovered growing in the commandery. Grand Protector Liu Chih wanted to present it to the throne, so he asked T'an about it. T'an replied to him, "Just at this point the empress' family is rising in strength, and the Yang powers are waning. Is there any way to interpret this as an auspicious sign?" Chih desisted from making the presentation. In the first year of Yung-ning [120], a woman in Nan-ch'ang gave birth to quadruplets. Chih again went to T'an and asked him what was foretold by this strange happening. T'an interpreted it to mean that the capital troops would see military action and that disaster would come from those who appeared to maintain respect for the throne. In fact, in the fourth year of the Yüan-kuang period [125], a palace attendant within the Yelow Gate, one Sun Ch'eng, gathered up troops in the palace district and executed the empress' elder brother, cavalry commandant Yen Hsien, and others of his clique. Hence the King of Chi-yin was established as the emperor. All the events transpired exactly as T'an had predicted.
In the firfth year of Yung-chien [130], T'an was elevated to the rank of Filial and Incorruptible and made a gentleman of the palace. At that time a white rainbow was seen crossing the sun. As a result, T'an prepared a memorial to the throne, observing what the emperor ought to do with respect to the heavens, the earth, and mankind and expounding on this inauspicious sign. After he submitted this document, he resigned his office and left. T'ang T'an authored a book of twenty-eight chapters caled 'T'ang-tsu.' He died at home.
Hsü Man
Hsü Man was a native of P'ing-yu in Ju-nan. His grandfather Chün, styled Chi-shan, was skilled in crack-reading divination. So numerous ware Chün's correct predictions that the people of his time compared him to Ching Fang of an earlier era. By his own account, as a youth he was afflicted with a terrible disease that for three years showed no improvement. He traveled to Mount T'ai, therefore, to beg for his life. On the way he ran into the Taoist Master Chang Chü-chün, from whom he learned esoteric arts. Hsü Chün's book, "Forest of Changes," is still in circulation today.
From the time he was little, Man carried on the teachings he inherited frm Chün. During the reign of Emperor Heng [146-167], the grand protector of Lung-shi, Feng Kun, opened the case of his official seal on the occasion of taking up the duties of his new post. Two serpents rushed out, one heading to the north and one to the south. Kun had Man divide the divining stalks about this event. When the graphs were completed, Man explained, "Three years from now, you, sir will become a general at the border. The post has a word 'east' in its name, and you will travel to the northeast some three thousand li. In another five years, you wll become a great general and conduct campaigns south."
In the first year of the Yen-hsi perios [158], Kun went out to be the Grand Protector of Liao-tung [lit. Liao-east], where he punished the Hsien-pei tribes. After five years, he was promoted to general of the cavalry and attacked the Man barbarian bandits of Wu-ling. All these things fulfilled Man's predictions, and many of Man's other prognostications worked out as well.
Doctors, Diviners, and Magicians of Ancient China: Biographies of Fang-shih
Translated by
Kenneth J. DeWoskin
1983