ancient stories, destiny, destiny and fate, ethical dilemma, ethical lessons, imperial examination, moral character, southern song dynasty

Destiny and Moral Character: Insights From Ancient Chinese Wisdom

Backdoor deals can often be effective in trivial matters, such as acquiring scarce goods in the market or facilitating a job transfer. However, when it comes to significant issues of destiny, such as fame and fortune in taking the imperial examination in ancient China, can these under-the-table tactics truly influence what seems predestined? The following ...

Mikel Davis

Wooden path winding through an autumn landscape.

How Beliefs Determine Destiny: The Story of Two Blind Men

The development of any situation is closely tied to one’s mindset. While it’s natural to have moments of negativity, the key lies in quickly shifting our perspective. Here, we will share a story that illustrates the power of beliefs and how they can shape your destiny. The wallet In Texas, a man named Neil was ...

Max Lu

A blind man walking with a cane.

The Grape and the Monk: An Ancient Parable on Shaping One’s Destiny

Throughout history, tales have been told to illuminate the deeper truths of our existence, to guide us when we feel lost, and to remind us of the power that lies within. Such is the ancient parable of Defu, whose name symbolizes fortune, but whose life was marked by anything but. Through an unexpected encounter with ...

Mikel Davis

Two hands holding purple grapes.

Changing Destiny Through Virtue: The Legacy of Dou Yanshan

Is it possible for a person to change their destiny? This is an age-old question. A sentence in the ancient Chinese text Three Character Classic mentions: “Dou Yanshan, a model of virtue, taught his five sons well, leaving behind a legacy.” Today, we delve into the transformative story of Dou Yanshan, a man who rewrote his ...

Emma Lu

Illustration of cranes and butterflies in a forest landscape.

Wealth and Fate: The Salt Merchant’s Ambitious Son

Some individuals amass immense wealth through hard work, talent, opportune moments, or chance. Yet while some are able to retain their wealth, others can’t. Why is this? Is it pure coincidence, or is there an underlying inevitability to it? This can be attributed to the “fortune” predestined in one’s life. Imagine if a person’s life ...

Max Lu

Vintage open chest, coins on a wooden table, and a bright light from inside the chest.

Is Marriage Coincidental or a Predestined Arrangement?

In today’s world, many believe that choosing a life partner boils down to mere chance or random encounters. But is marriage truly the result of a simple twist of fate? Or could there be a predestined arrangement at work? The DNA connection To explore this idea, researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder conducted ...

Tatiana Denning

Silhouette of a bride and groom dancing.

Overcoming Fate: A Chinese Family Reshapes Their Destiny

In the heart of Jiangsu, nestled by the Huai River, lived a man named Zhao. He was the only son in his family lineage and an ominous thread of destiny hung over their lives. This haunting destiny traced back to his great-grandfather, with each generation losing a man to the depths of the river. At ...

Tatiana Denning

The Huai River wetland park.

The 3 Taboos of Wealth and Status: How Behavior Shapes Your Destiny

Regardless of your status or wealth, breaking any of these three major taboos will definitely lead to disasters. In fact, causality and retribution are closely related, though they may seem to be invisible to the human eye. As an old saying goes: “Good begets good, and evil begets evil.”  You may believe that money and ...

Tatiana Denning

On the man's left is an arid landscape with deep cracks in the parched earth and a sandstorm in the distance. On his right is a beautiful expanse of lush, green grass as far as the eye can see with blue sky and a few puffy white clouds overhead.

How a Good Deed Changed One Man’s Destiny

It is often said that a person’s birth date determines the pattern of his destiny based on his past deeds. But if the person starts doing good deeds and accumulates virtue, when the size of the integrity reaches a high enough level, even the destiny pattern of the person will be changed as a result. ...

Tatiana Denning

A life-like artificial lotus flower in a pool of water.

Festinger’s Law: You Can Take Charge of Your Life

American social psychologist Leon Festinger proposed a famous theory later known as “Festinger’s Law,” which states that 10 percent of the troubles in life are caused by what happens to you. The other 90 percent is determined by how you react to them. In other words, 10 percent of life’s events are beyond your control, ...

Hermann Rohr

Leon Festinger.