Wang Yangming (1472-1529), also known as Wang Shouren, was one of the Ming Dynasty’s most influential thinkers, philosophers, and educators. Born into a scholarly family in Yuyao, Zhejiang, he not only excelled in Confucian teachings but also demonstrated remarkable talent in military strategy and governance. Despite his many accomplishments, Wang remained humble, often attributing his life’s events to divine will.
A name that shaped his life
At birth, Wang Yangming’s grandfather named him “Wang Yun,” which means “clouds” in Chinese. The name reflected his auspicious origins, as his grandfather dreamed of him descending from the clouds, symbolizing a celestial connection and a life destined for greatness. However, despite his brilliance, young Wang could not speak until he was five years old.
One day, a wandering monk passed by and saw Wang Yangming. He touched his head and remarked: “What a good child, but it’s a pity that the name reveals his origin.” The monk explained that the name “Wang Yun” carried spiritual significance that burdened him, preventing him from speaking. The boy was renamed “Shouren,” meaning “to guard benevolence.” From that moment, Wang Yangming began to talk, marking the first of many mysterious events in his life.
A dream of the past fulfilled decades later
At the age of 15, Wang Yangming had a vivid dream in which he met Ma Yuan, a celebrated Eastern Han general. In the dream, he composed a poem praising Ma’s military achievements. The verse remained in his mind when he woke up, and he quickly recorded it.
Forty-two years later, while traveling through Wuzhou (modern-day Guangxi), Wang visited the Fubo Temple along the Li River, dedicated to Ma Yuan. To his astonishment, everything in the temple — the layout, decorations, and atmosphere — matched the details of his childhood dream. Deeply moved, Wang saw this as evidence of divine intervention, a reminder that life’s path is guided by forces beyond human understanding.
He reflected on this experience through poetry, lamenting that even his successes were not of his own doing:
“Forty years ago, a dream foretold this trip,
How can such events be anything but heaven’s will?”
A past life revealed at Jinshan Temple
Wang’s most extraordinary experience occurred at the age of 50 during a visit to Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang. As he wandered the grounds, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. One sealed meditation chamber, neglected and locked for decades, drew his attention. Though the supervising monk explained that it held the incorrupt body of a monk who had passed 50 years prior, Wang insisted on opening the door.
What he saw left him in awe: The old monk’s body was perfectly preserved, seated in meditation, and on the wall was a verse:
Fifty years later, Wang Yangming,
The one who opens the door is still the one who closed it.
When the spirit returns, Zen remains eternal.
A humble acceptance of destiny
Despite his fame as a great scholar and military strategist, Wang Yangming often emphasized humility. His encounters — whether dreams fulfilled decades later or connections to past lives — reinforced his belief that all events are part of a larger divine plan. He warned against arrogance and the pursuit of fame, urging people to remain humble in the face of Heaven’s arrangements.
Wang Yangming’s philosophy of “knowing and acting as one” and his emphasis on innate knowledge made him a revered figure, not just in China, but across East Asia. His extraordinary experiences serve as timeless reminders of humility, self-reflection, and the unseen forces that guide human destiny.
Translated by Joseph Wu
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