Jiang Ziya was a real historical figure who is credited with the writing of
The Six Secret Strategic Teachings (Liutao). His ancestral name was Jiang. Jiang Tai Gong, or Jiang Ziya was a government official employed
during the reign of the last king of the Shang dynasty. The king (named Zhou) was a very bad and corrupt king, and Jiang was either
fired or resigned from his position. As a senior citizen, over age 70,
he spent his time fishing along the shores of the Wei River
.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAun06Jbq0CRma8MnSc-2I0PHWUMyVuYXau0N14ePg1Npq6j2AZoOzRB7NH3BMEoCs-u9qfkAf-xXX3-dD88EEpD9iQdtEwtSXtRlrrmYzOPur3105ct1m_Zc2lYaw4YvT6GPgo5rN9qw/s320/Jiang+Ziya+Painting.jpg) |
The Sage Jiang Ziya Fishing in the Wei River |
Source: Harvardartmuseum.org |
One day, King Wen, the king of Zhou, was hunting on the northern shore of
the Wei River. He
saw an old man quietly fishing by the shore. Wen was curious about this
old man especially since he was fishing without a hook (or in some
versions, with an unbent needle). Why was he fishing in this way which was
impossible to catch fish?
As King Wen began to
chat with him, he thought of a prophecy that his grandfather had made,
that someday he would find a wise and virtuous man that would aid him in
overthrowing the tyrannical King Zhou and bring prosperity to the Zhou
state. He realized that this man was a brilliant political strategist
and the sage his grandfather had foretold.
King Wen gave Jiang Ziya a title of respect, "Jiang Tai Gong", meaning "The
Great Duke's Hope." With the assistance of Tai Gong as a mentor, the
Zhou state became very prosperous and eventually became the ruling
dynasty of ancient China.
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