Tao Te Ching

Cheng Tang 成湯 (Tang of Shang)
1675 – 1646 BCE
Tang Dynasty founder and example of just leadership

Founder and first king of the Tang Dynasty, Cheng Tang lowered taxes, decreased the military conscription rate, and after a long drought when parents had to sell their children, he distributed special gold coins to poor families so they could buy their children back. Claiming the Mandate of Heaven because of King Jie’s depravity, he overthrew the Xia Dynasty and united over 40 smaller kingdoms which almost doubled Chinese territory.

Hammurabi
c. 1810 - 1750 BCE
Father to his people and example of good government to us all

In a primitive time and place of barbaric chaos, Hammurabi not only established order, prosperity, and fairness for his own country but set an example and structure for governments of his time, throughout history and all the way to modern times. He used wisdom and irrigation to make Babylon one of the richest cities history had known and then used his power to become “a real father to his people” giving them justice, infrastructure, a higher culture, and a legal system that prevented abuse of power, oppression of the weak by the strong, marital tyranny, protection of orphans and widows, and laws we still use today like “innocent until proven guilty.”

Queen Mother of the West 瑤池金母 (Wang Mu, Niang Niang)
1766 – 1666 BCE
Feminine principle embodiment

Symbol of matriarchal preeminence, feminist role model, Taoist goddess of fertility and life, embodiment of Yin femininity, bringer of longevity, prosperity, and bliss; Wang Mu refused to submissively bow down to male superiority and disdained the typical Chinese attitude of always wanting male children, being disappointed with female births. Mythologized throughout Asia, she became an inspiration for women in China, Viet Nam, and Korea who had trouble passively following in the expected patriarchal role models. Although sited in accounts more than 1000 years before Lao Tzu’s time, she became one of the most popular symbols in Taoist tradition and—in at least one account—inspired and ultimately wrote with him the Tao Te Ching. Her influence and popularity continue today in many parts of the world and she is venerated in the Taoist Shangqing School.

Semele Σεμέλη
c. 2000 -1970 BCE
Early Greek Virgin Mary

Early prototype for the Virgin Mary, “earth mother,” daughter of Cadmus, the first Greek hero, founder and first king of Thebes; Semele gave birth to the early Jesus-figure, Dionysus who was born on December 25th, changed water into wine, was the son of god and a mortal woman, died and resurrected after 3 days. Worshipped by the Athenians, in Roman mythology, she became the goddess Stimula, in Neoplatonic philosophy she personified “intellectual imagination,” and during the Enlightenment became a popular theme for operas. Incinerated because of seeing too deeply into the nature of a god, she represents the Icarus-principle of hazards from too much of a good thing.

Yu the Great 大禹
c. 2200–2100 BCE
Leader of the Five Water Immortals

Philosopher-king, prototype ruler of ancient China, Taoist water deity, and leader of the Five Water Immortals; Yu became famous for introducing flood control, establishing dynastic rule, and for his impeccable integrity. One of the few Chinese rulers to be given “The Great” title, he is often seen in statues carrying an ancient hoe. Imperial emperors including Qin Shi Huang often traveled to his shrine to perform rituals.