The Legend of Jiang Tai Gong: Wise Teacher to the Emperors of the Ages

姜太公传奇：千古帝王智慧师

Jiang Taigong, a master of wisdom of the emperors who brought together the great riches of Chinese culture, is famous throughout the ages.

---- Zhuge Changqing

   Jiang Shang (姜尚), known as Wang (汪), Lü (吕), and Ziya (子牙), or simply called Ya (牙), also known as Lü Shang (吕尚).

    He was a native of the East China Sea seashore (Rizhao, Shandong). Born in 1156 BC and died in 1017 BC, he lived to the age of 139 and assisted six kings of the Zhou Dynasty.

   Zhuge Changqing: why exactly was he called Taigong? It was because when King Wen of Zhou met him and listened to his strategies for ruling the country, he praised him as the talent that his predecessor, Taigong, had longed for, so he was called "Taigongwang", commonly known as "Jiang Taigong".

   He assisted King Wen in his quest to "Jian Shang". Later, he assisted King Wu of Zhou in destroying the Shang Dynasty. He became the founder of the state of Qi in the Zhou Dynasty. He is one of the most renowned statesmen, military men and strategists in Chinese history.

   Jiang Taigong, the founder of the Zhou Dynasty, was the first general in Chinese history to command a military force. He was the first general in Chinese history to command a military force. He was named the First Prince of Qi for his great achievements in helping King Wu to conquer the Zhou Dynasty, and became the founder of the Qi state. In the first year of the Tang Emperor Su Zong's reign (760 AD), Jiang Taigong was posthumously named "King Wucheng" and was worshipped in a temple, alongside Confucius, who was named "King Wenxuan".

   Jiang Taigong was a man of great ambition and learning, with a superb intellect and a dazzling record of achievements, and his books on warfare have been handed down to the world. He was introduced in the "Shang Shu", "Yi Zhou Shu", "Six Towers" and "The Records of History".

   Why was Jiang Taigong surnamed Jiang and called Lü?

   Jiang Taigong, that is, Lv Shang (known as Taigongwang in history; known as Lv Shang and Lv Wang in history books; commonly known as Jiang Taigong and Jiang Ziya)

   1. Why was Jiang Taigong surnamed Jiang?

   The ancestor of Jiang Taigong was the descendant of Emperor Yandi and was originally surnamed Jiang.

   2、Why was Jiang Taigong also called Lü?

   Zhuge Changqing: Before the pre-Qin Dynasty, many people's surnames were based on fiefdoms. His ancestors had been fiefed in the land of Lü, so he was called Lü.

  The ancestor of Jiang Taigong, Bo Yi, was one of the Four Mountains appointed by the Emperor Yao. He was a member of the ranking clan at the time of the Emperor Shun and was a member of the Three Rites.

   The Lv clan must be the one who enjoys the sacrifice of the Qi state, so the historical records say: Gai Tai Gong's death more than a hundred years son Ding Gong Lv Kai was established; ----- 26 years Kang Gong died, the Lv clan then extinguished its sacrifice.

   Secondly, how did Jiang Tai Gong become the military advisor and prime minister of King Wen of Zhou?

   By the time Jiang Ziya reached his generation, his family was poor, and by the time Jiang Shang was reduced to a poor man.

   1. Struggle on earth and study diligently. As a young man, Jiang Shang slaughtered cattle and sold meat in the Shang capital of Chaoge (now Qixian County, Henan Province) and went to Mengjin (now northeast of Mengjin County, Henan Province) to sell wine. Although he was poor, he had great ambitions and studied hard, always studying and exploring the ways of ruling the country and raising the state, with the hope that one day he would be able to make great achievements and serve his country.

   2. Visiting famous teachers and aspiring to the world. On the one hand, Jiang Taigong studied diligently and on the other hand, he visited many famous teachers.

   Zhuge Changqing: Jiang Taigong studied diligently and aspired to benefit the world. Later, he entered the immortal realm of Kunlun Mountain to study with the Heavenly Father Yuan Shi (the supreme leader of the immortal world). He studied the mysteries of heaven and earth, the mysteries of the hidden armour and the tactics of governance. Later, in response to the great events of the world, he was ordered by his master to come down from the mountain, publish the list of the Gods and establish a thousand years of greatness. He left behind a legend of Chinese nationalism for all time.

   3. Looking at the world, the teacher of the emperor. Zhuge Changqing: Where there is a will, there is a way. Jiang Tai Gong finally met the opportunity to show his talent until his twilight years. Zeng Zi has said, "He who uses a teacher is king, he who uses a friend is hegemon, and he who uses an apprentice dies." King Wen of Zhou took Jiang Taigong as his teacher and thus became king of the world.

   It was a time when the great Eastern kingdom of Yin and Shang was in decline.

   King Zhou was a tyrannical and despotic king, his dynasty was corrupt, his society was dark, his economy was collapsing, and his people were living in discontent. In the west, the state of Zhou, however, was aided by the benevolent rule of Xi Bo Ji Chang (later King Wen of Zhou), who developed the economy and implemented a policy of diligence, thrift and prosperity for the people.

   When he learned that Ji Chang was looking for wise men and women to help him rule the country, he left the Shang dynasty and came to the Western Zhou territory on the banks of the Wei River.

   One day, while fishing in Panxi, Jiang Shang met Ji Chang, a hunter from the Western Zhou Dynasty, and they met by chance. When Ji Chang saw that Jiang Shang was very knowledgeable and well versed in history and current affairs, he asked him for advice on how to rule the country and prosper the state. This means that in order to rule a country and prosper it must be based on the virtuous and attach importance to the discovery and use of talents.

   Zhuge Changqing: Jiang Tai Gong put forward the idea that "talents and sages determine the victory or defeat of the world", which formed the basis of the Chinese nation's emphasis on talents and laid the foundation of our country's governance in successive dynasties.

   Ji Chang was delighted to hear this and said, "My predecessor, Taigong, prophesied, 'When a sage comes to Zhou, only then will Zhou flourish. You are that sage, aren't you? I have been looking forward to you for a long time!" So Ji Chang personally helped Jiang Shang to his carriage and returned to the palace together, where he was called "Taigongwang". From then on, the hero had a place to use.

　　 4、Operating a tent, assisting the emperor. Zhuge Changqing: King Wen of Zhou was so powerful that he obeyed his military mentor and gave Jiang Taigong full responsibility for domestic and foreign affairs. The foundation was laid for Jiang Taigong to showcase his talents. Soon afterwards, King Zhou of Shang suspected that King Wen of Zhou wanted to conspire against the Shang empire. He had him arrested and imprisoned in the capital.

   So Jiang Shang and San Yisheng sought out beautiful women and treasures from all over the world and offered them to King Zhou to ransom him. When King Wen returned to China, he and Jiang Shang secretly plotted to overthrow the Shang Dynasty. For this reason, Jiang Shang was the first person to be credited with the power of the warriors, and he became the originator of the warriors.

　　(1) Assisting King Wen of Zhou and consolidating the foundation. During his tenure as King Wen of Zhou, Jiang Shang formulated a series of correct internal and external policies to strengthen Zhou and destroy the Shang.

   Internally, he implemented economic policies such as paying one-ninth of the rent for farmers to help cultivate public land, allocating a hundred mu of private land to each of the eight families, and allocating land to officials of all sizes, with their children and grandchildren inheriting it as their salaries, which promoted the development of production and laid the economic foundation for the destruction of the Shang.

   Externally, he insisted on serving Yin in a submissive manner to paralyse King Zhou, while secretly pursuing a strategy to win over his neighbours and gradually draw in and dismantle the allies of the Shang dynasty in order to weaken and isolate them. Under Jiang Shang's active planning, the number of vassal states and tribes that had joined King Wen of Zhou increased, gradually occupying most of the Yin Shang dynasty's possessions and creating the conditions for the final destruction of King Zhou and the replacement of the Yin Shang dynasty.

   (2) Assisting King Wu of Zhou and opening up the world. After the death of King Wen of Zhou, King Wu of Zhou's son, Ji Fa, succeeded to the throne. After his succession, he continued to honour and worship Jiang Taigong, and worshipped Jiang Shang as the state teacher, respecting the title of Shifu Shangfu.

   Zhuge Changqing: King Wu of Zhou worshipped Jiang Taigong as his teacher Shangfu, trusting and supporting him in his strategies, and forging a solid foundation for the establishment of the Zhou dynasty under heaven. Looking through ancient and modern history, the multitude of sages and talents of all will of to the world.

   Jiang Shang continued to assist the dynasty of Zhou.

   Once, King Wu of Zhou asked, "I want to lightly punish but heavy authority, less reward and persuade good more, simple its order and can teach the people, what way feasible?"

   Jiang Shang replied, "If you kill one person and a thousand people are afraid, if you kill two people and ten thousand people are afraid, if you kill three people and three armies are revived, kill them. He who rewards one person and a thousand people rejoice, he who rewards two people and ten thousand people rejoice, he who rewards three people and three armies rejoice, rewards them. He who orders one man to do what a thousand men do is ordered to do so; he who forbids two men and ten thousand stop is forbidden to do so; he who teaches three men and three armies to be right is taught to do so. To kill one and punish ten thousand, to reward one and persuade all, is the blessing of a wise ruler."

   King Wu listened to his words and obeyed his orders, and was careful to enforce his rewards at all times, so that the politics of the Zhou Dynasty became clearer and clearer.

   Zhuge Changqing: Jiang Taigong's strategy came from the Way of Heaven, and the Way of Heaven was long-lasting, so King Wu of Zhou won the hearts of the people.

   At this time, the political situation of the Yin and Shang dynasties became even darker, and more and more people rebelled against Yin and joined Zhou. The Zhou dynasty was gradually gaining strength and power. In the ninth year of King Wu's reign, he went east to conquer the Shang Dynasty in order to see if the lords would gather.

   The Zhou army, under the command of Jiang Shang, marched to Mengjin, where King Wu took the famous "Oath of Mengjin" and issued a diatribe against King Zhou. The 800 vassals who met here (the vassal states were small at the time, but there were over 1,800 of them in the Shang dynasty. The later Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Seven Heroes of the Warring States were larger vassal states formed in the course of mergers and wars), demonstrating King Wu's prestige. Many lords at the time said, "Shang Zhou can be destroyed!" King Wu and Jiang Shang thought that the time was not yet ripe, and that although the Shang dynasty was in a precarious situation, it was not yet in a state of internal disintegration, and that if they attacked the Zhou, they would meet with stiff resistance. So the decision was made to return. This action, which was actually a rehearsal for the destruction of the Shang, had a strong impact on the vassal states and led to more vassals following King Wu's orders.

　　In the eleventh year of the reign of King Wu, there was internal strife at the heart of the ruling clique of the Shang dynasty, with the murder of the good minister Bigan, the imprisonment of Minzi as a slave, the flight of Weizi Qi, and the surrender of the great master Fou and the young master Qiang to King Wu. King Wu asked Jiang Shang, "Can King Zhou be destroyed if his ministers die or flee?" Jiang Shang replied, "If Heaven does not take it, I will be blamed for it; if the time is not right, I will be blamed for it."

   Hearing this, King Wu decided to raise an army to conquer Zhou. He told all the vassals, "Yin has committed a serious crime, so we must not fail to attack." He took Jiang Shang as his commander, with 300 chariots, 3,000 tiger soldiers and 45,000 armourers, and called on the lords and states to attack the Shang capital (see Zhou's battle against the Shang). But the divination was not auspicious, and when the army reached the Niutou Mountain in Bishui, the wind was so strong and thunderous that the flags and drums were broken. Only Jiang Shang insisted on sending out his troops, "Now that Zhou has taken Bi Gan and Ke Zi prisoner, what is the harm in attacking them? If we do it at the right time, then we will not look at the time and the day, but will do it for good luck, without divination, but withered grass and rotten bones, how can we know?" He said that the tortoise nails and yarrow grass used for divination did not know anything about good fortune. The king eventually listened to Jiang Shang and led his troops to wade through the river first.

   On the fifth day of the second month (February 5), King Wu of the Zhou led his army to join the forces of Yong, Shu, Qiang, Wei, Lu, Peng, Pu and other Fang states in a chariot of 4,000 vehicles to Chen Shi Muye (south of modern-day Qi County in Henan Province) and to battle the 170,000-strong army of King Zhou (see Battle of Muye). At dawn, a solemn oath was taken - the historically famous 'Mako Oath' - in which King Zhou recounts his crimes of listening to the slander of his favourites, enticing sinners and fugitive slaves from all directions, and tyrannically brutalising the people, explaining that the purpose of the expedition was to execute punishment on behalf of Heaven, declaring the laws of war and discipline King Wu asked Shang's father to lead a group of 100 brave men in a challenge, followed by 300 chariots, 3,000 thunderbolts and 45,000 soldiers. Despite their numbers, none of them had the will to fight, and the soldiers in front of them turned their guns towards the Shang army to make way for King Wu. Seeing this, King Wu commanded his army to fight and as a result, King Zhou's army of over 100,000 men collapsed that day. The three demons were beheaded by Jiang Shang and the soldiers of the Great Zhou. Seeing that the situation was over, King Zhou threw himself into the fire at the Deer Terrace and thus the Yin Shang dynasty was declared extinct.

　　The battle of Muye was won thanks to Jiang Shang's wise organisation and command. In terms of the timing of the battle, he chose a time when King Zhou was paralysed and lax, and when all the people were in rebellion; in terms of the organisation of his forces, he used the call to "hang the people to expel the crime" to unite the lords to invade the Shang; in terms of the command of the battle, he first launched a surprise attack from the front with chariots and fierce soldiers, and then launched a fierce assault with armourers, disrupting the Shang army and winning the battle. The war was won.

　　Fourth, Jiang Tai Gong became the first king of Qi.

Zhuge Changqing: The beginnings of the state of Qi came when Jiang Tai Gong was made king of Qi.

  After the founding of the Zhou Dynasty, Jiang Shang, who was credited with the destruction of the Shang, was made king of Qi, with the capital city of Yingqiu (north of Linzi in today's Linzi city). When Jiang Shang travelled east to his fiefdom, he stayed overnight on his way and walked very slowly. Someone said to him, "I have heard that time is hard to come by but easy to lose, and as a guest, I am afraid that settling for the pleasures of a roadside inn is not like going to one's own fiefdom." Hearing this, Taigong put on his clothes at night and went on his way, arriving at Yingqiu at dawn, just in time to meet the people of Lai who came to fight with him for Yingqiu.

  After Jiang Shang had stabilised the political situation in Qi, he began to reform the political system again. He conformed to local customs and simplified the red tape of the Zhou dynasty. He vigorously developed commerce and allowed the people to enjoy the benefits of fish and salt. As a result, many people from all over the world came to Qi, and Qi became one of the rich states of the time.

  During the rebellion of Guan Shu and Cai Shu during the reign of King Cheng of Zhou, and the ethnic minorities in the Huai River basin also took advantage of the opportunity to rebel (see the Duke of Zhou's Eastern Expedition), the King of Zhou gave orders to Jiang Shang, saying, "From the east to the sea, from the west to the Yellow River, from the south to Mu Ling, and from the north to Wu Di, you have the power to subjugate them, whether they are marquis kings or bei men, if they do not obey."

  From then on, the state of Qi became a great power with an increasingly vast territory, making it one of the later "Five Hegemons" of the Spring and Autumn Period and one of the "Seven Heroes" of the Warring States. The rebellion was eventually put down by the Duke of Zhou, Ji Dan. Jiang Shang lived to be over 100 years old and died, but his burial place is not known. In order to escape the war, his descendants changed their surname to Ding (because the northern word Jiang has the same sound as the southern word Ding), located in Changde, Hunan.

   The Six Towers, a book on warfare, is said to have been written by Jiang Shang. The book Six Taws is said to have been written by Jiang Shang, the Duke of Zhou, and is also known as the "Art of War" because it is based on a dialogue between the Duke and King Wen and King Wu. The Six Taws are entitled Wen, Wu, Dragon, Tiger, Panther and Dog, and consist of sixty-one articles and nearly twenty thousand words. Its content is very extensive, covering many aspects relating to the military, such as the concept of war, army construction, strategy and tactics, etc. The discussion of strategy and tactics is the most brilliant, and the idea of the power and strategist is also very prominent.

    However, from the extant content, it basically reflects Jiang Shang's military practical activities and his taoist ideas. Sima Qian pointed out in Shi Ji - Qi Taigong Shi Jia: "Later generations have spoken of military and Zhou's yin power as the original strategy of Taigong." In this way, Jiang Shang is the originator of Chinese strategists. Jiang Shang was the first military strategist in ancient China, and his military tactics have played an important role in the history of Chinese warfare and have had a profound influence on the use of warfare in later times.

  V. The Ancestral Hall of Jiang Taigong in the ancient capital of Qi.

   The Jiang Taigong Ancestral Hall is located on the north side of the Taigong's Clothes Mound in Zhangjiazhuang, Yongliu Town, Linzi.

  In the 11th century BC, Jiang Taigong was the first ruler of the state of Qi.

   During his reign, he "opened up the business of commerce and industry, and made fishing and salt profitable, so that many people returned to Qi, and Qi became a great state." When he died and was buried in Zhou, the Qi people thought of his virtue and buried his clothes and crown here. The tomb is 28 metres high, 50 metres long from north to south and 55 metres wide from east to west.

  In 1993, Linzi District built the Jiang Taigong Ancestral Hall on the north side of the mound, with a floor area of 98 square metres, and the main hall is a hutted corridor with three pillars each, which is now an exhibition hall for famous calligraphy and painting.　

   The four characters "Jiang Taigong Ancestral Hall" are inscribed by Mr. Zhao Puchu, a famous calligrapher and the president of the National Religious Association, and the two powerful statues of Qinglong and Baihu on both sides of the main entrance.　

  The main hall is dedicated to a painted icon of Jiang Taigong, and the walls of the hall have murals reflecting his poor life, avoiding Zhou to go to Shang, learning martial arts and writing books, the battle of Muye, sealing Qi for the country, breaking vegetables and fighting for the mound, Taigong ruling Qi, punishing the untrained, authorised by the King of Zhou, passing on his son to return to the country, etc. The mural reflects the extraordinary life of Jiang Taigong.

  Zhuge Changqing: The glorious life of Jiang Taigong demonstrates the profoundness of Chinese culture. Jiang Taigong's literary and martial arts skills made him a master of imperial wisdom for thousands of years.

  References for this article.

    1. Jiang Taigong by Jiao Annan and Li Jianyi

姜太公，文韬武略，汇集中国文化大乘，是名垂千古的帝王智慧师。

---- 诸葛长青

   姜尚，名望，吕氏，字子牙，或单呼牙，也称吕尚。

    东海海滨人（山东日照）。西周初年，被周文王封为“太师”（武官名），被尊为“师尚父”，汉族，生于公元前1156，仙逝于公元前1017年，寿至139岁，先后辅佐了六位周王。

   诸葛长青：具体为什么被称为太公？因为周文王一见到他，听了他的治国韬略后，就赞他是自己先太公渴望已久的人才，故称“太公望”，俗称“姜太公”。

   辅佐文王，与谋“翦商”。后辅佐周武王灭商。因功封于齐，成为周代齐国的始祖。他是中国历史上最享盛名的政治家、军事家和谋略家。

   姜太公，是周朝的开国元勋，中国历史上第一个统军大将。因佐武王伐纣有大功，封为齐太公，成为齐国的始祖，是赫赫有名的“千古一相”。唐肃宗上元元年（公元760年），姜太公更被追封为“武成王”，立庙祭祀，与受封为“文宣王”的孔子并驾齐驱。

   姜太公志大饱学，才智超人，功业炫目，有兵书传世，堪称中国谋略家的开山鼻祖。《尚书》《逸周书》《六韬》《史记》都曾做过介绍。

   一、姜太公为何姓姜、又称吕氏？

   姜太公，即吕尚（史称太公望；史书皆称吕尚、吕望；俗称姜太公、姜子牙）

   1、姜太公为何姓姜？

   姜太公祖先为炎帝之后，本为姜姓。

   2、姜太公为何又称吕氏？

   诸葛长青：先秦之前，很多人的姓氏以封地为主。其祖先曾被封在吕地，故称吕氏。

  姜太公先祖伯夷为尧帝敕封的四岳之一，在舜帝时为秩宗，典朕三礼，佐大禹平水土功劳很大，为禹帝的股肱重臣，受封为吕侯，封地为吕国，为吕氏始祖，后世从其封姓（根据先秦及之前胙土命氏男子称氏的规定），故曰吕尚。

   享齐国祀者必吕氏，故史记云：盖太公之卒百有余年子丁公吕伋立；-----二十六年康公卒，吕氏遂绝其祀。

   二、姜太公如何成为周文王的军师宰相？

   姜子牙到了他这一代，家道贫穷，至姜尚时已沦为贫民。

   1、奋斗人间，勤奋学习。为维持生计，姜尚年轻时曾在商都朝歌(今河南淇县)宰牛卖肉，又到孟津(今河南孟津县东北)做过卖酒生意。他虽贫寒，但胸怀大志，勤苦学习，始终不倦地研究、探讨治国兴邦之道，以期有朝一日能够大展宏图，为国效力。

   2、拜访名师、立志天下。姜太公一方面认真学习，一方面广拜名师。

   诸葛长青：姜太公勤奋学习，立志造福天下。后来入昆仑山仙境拜元始天尊（元始天尊，是仙界的最高领袖）修道。学习天地玄法、奇门遁甲、治国韬略等法术。后来应天下大事奇缘，尊师命下山，发布封神榜，建立千秋大业。留下了中国国学的万古传奇。

   3、放眼天下，帝王之师。诸葛长青：有志者事竟成，姜太公直到暮年，终于遇到了施展才华之机。曾子有言：“用师者王，用友者霸，用徒者亡。”周文王拜姜太公为师从而王天下。

   当时，正是东方大国殷商王朝走向衰亡的时期。

   殷纣王暴虐无道，荒淫无度，朝政腐败，社会黑暗，经济崩溃，民不聊生，怨声载道。而西部的周国由于西伯姬昌(后为周文王)倡行仁政，发展经济，实行勤俭立国和裕民政策，社会清明，人心安定，国势日强，天下民众倾心于周，四边诸侯望风依附。

   壮心不已的姜尚，获悉姬昌为了治国兴邦，正在广求天下贤能之士，便毅然离开商朝，来到渭水之滨的西周领地，栖身于磻溪，终日以垂钓为事，以静观世态的变化，待机出山。

   一天，姜尚在磻溪垂钓时，恰遇到此游猎的西伯姬昌，二人不期而遇，谈得十分投机。姬昌见姜尚学识渊博，通晓历史和时势，便向他请教治国兴邦的良策，姜尚当即提出了“三常”之说：“一曰君以举贤为常，二曰官以任贤为常，三曰士以敬贤为常。”意思是，要治国兴邦，必须以贤为本，重视发掘、使用人才。

   诸葛长青：姜太公提出了“人才圣贤决定天下胜败”的思想，构成了中华民族重视人才的基础，奠定了我国历朝历代治理天下的根基。

   姬昌听后甚喜，说道：“我先君太公预言；‘当有圣人至周，周才得以兴盛。’您就是那位圣人吧？我太公望子(盼望先生)久矣！”于是，姬昌亲自把姜尚扶上车辇，一起回宫，拜为太师，称“太公望”。从此，英雄有了用武之地。

　　 4、运筹帷幄，辅佐帝王。诸葛长青：周文王的厉害，是对军师言听计从，让姜太公全权负责国内外大事。为姜太公施展才华奠定了基础。成为帝王之师 不久，商纣王怀疑周文王欲图谋商之天下。遂将周文王拘捕在都城的监狱里。

   于是姜尚、散宜生广求天下美女和奇玩珍宝，献给纣王，赎出了文王。文王归国，便与姜尚暗地里谋划如何倾覆商朝政权。为此，姜尚策划出许多兵家谋略，由于这个原因，后人言及兵家权谋都首推姜尚，他便成了兵家的始祖，或称鼻祖。

　　（1）辅佐周文王，夯实基础。姜尚在辅佐周文王期间，为强周灭商制定了一系列正确的内外政策。

   对内，实行农人助耕公田纳九分之一的租税，八家各分私田百亩，大小官吏都有分地，子孙承袭，作为俸禄等经济政策，促进了生产的发展，打下了灭商的经济基础。

   对外，表面上坚持恭顺事殷，以麻痹纣王，暗中实行争取邻国、逐步拉拢、瓦解殷商王朝的盟邦，以翦商羽翼，削弱和孤立殷商王朝的策略。在姜尚的积极谋划下，归附周文王的诸侯国和部落越来越多，逐步占领了大部分殷商王朝的属地，出现了“天下三分，其二归周”的局面，为最后消灭纣王，取代殷商，创造了条件。

   （2）辅佐周武王，开辟天下。周文王死后，文王的儿子周武王姬发继位，继位后，继续尊拜姜太公，拜姜尚为国师，尊称师尚父。

   诸葛长青：周武王拜姜太公为师尚父，信任支持姜太公施展谋略，为建立周朝天下铸就了坚实基础。翻阅古今历史，众人圣贤人才的都会的到天下。

   姜尚继续辅佐周国朝政。

   一次，周武王问道：“我欲轻罚而重威，少行赏而劝善多，简其令而能教化民众，何道可行?”

   姜尚答曰：“杀一人而千人惧，杀二人而万人惧，杀三人而三军振者，杀之。赏一人而千人喜，赏二人而万人喜，赏三人而三军喜者，赏之。令一人而千人行者，令之；禁二人而万人止者，禁之；教三人而三军正者，教之。杀一以惩万，赏一而劝众，此明君之威福。”

   武王言听计从，时时慎于行赏，力求令行禁止，使周朝政治愈益清明。

   诸葛长青：姜太公的谋略来自天道，天道长久，所以周武王深得人心。

   而此时的殷商王朝政局更加昏暗，叛殷附周者日多。周朝逐渐羽翼丰满，国势日隆。武王九年,为了探察诸侯是否会集而东讨商国。

   周军在姜尚的统帅下，浩浩荡荡开到孟津，周武王在这里举行了历史上有名的“孟津之誓”，发表了声讨殷纣王的檄文。届时800诸侯会诸此地(当时的诸侯国都很小，商朝国土中竟达1800多个。后来的春秋五霸和战国七雄是在兼并混战中形成的较大的诸侯国)，显示了武王的声威。当时许多诸侯都说，“商纣可伐！”武王和姜尚则认为，时机尚不成熟，殷商王朝的统治虽已陷入内外交困、岌岌可危的境地，但其内部尚无明显的土崩瓦解之状，如果兴师伐纣，必然会遭到顽强抵抗。于是，决定班师而回。这次行动，实际是灭商前的一次预演，在诸侯国间产生了强烈影响，使更多诸侯听命于周武王。

　　武王十一年,殷商王朝统治集团核心发生内讧，良臣比干被杀，箕子被囚为奴，微子启惧祸出逃，太师疵、少师强投降周武王。武王问姜尚：“殷大臣或死或逃，纣王是否可伐?”姜尚答道：“天与不取，反受其咎；时至不行，反受宾殃。”

   武王闻言，决意举兵伐纣。遍告诸侯说：“殷有重罪，不可以不毕伐”。遂以姜尚为主帅，统领兵车300乘，虎贲(猛士)3000名，甲士4.5万人，以“吊民伐罪”为号召，联合诸侯各国，出兵进取商都(参见周灭商之战)。但占卜结果却不吉利，部队行至汜水牛头山，风甚雷疾，旗折鼓毁，群公疑惧，有人甚至请求还师。只有姜尚坚持出兵，“今纣刳比干，囚箕子，伐之有何不可?举事而得时，则不看时日而事利，不假卜筮而事吉，枯草朽骨，安可知乎!”他说那些占卜用的龟甲和蓍（音式）草根本不懂什么吉凶。姜尚亲自援袍而鼓，率众先涉河，武王最终听从了姜尚的意见，，统兵前进。

   二月甲子(二月五日)，周武王率领大军会合庸、蜀、羌、微、卢、彭、濮等方国部队战车四千乘陈师牧野(今河南淇县南)，与纣王的17万大军展开决战(参见牧野之战)。拂晓，进行庄严的誓师——这便是历史上有名的“牧誓”，誓词历数纣王听信宠姬谗言，招诱四方罪人和逃亡奴隶，暴虐地残害百姓等罪行，说明伐纣的目的乃代天行罚，宣布战法和纪律要求，激励战士勇猛果敢作战，武王使尚父亲统百名精锐勇土“致师”——发起挑战，接着指挥戎车三百乘、虎贲三千人，甲士四万五千乘势驰逐冲击。纣师虽众，皆无斗志，而且“前徒倒戈”——前面的士卒调转枪头指向商军，给武王开路。武王见此情景，指挥全军奋勇冲杀，结果，商纣王的十几万大军，当天就崩畔瓦解。三妖被姜尚及大周军士斩首示众。纣王见大势已去，在鹿台投火自焚，至此，殷商王朝宣告灭亡。

　　牧野之战所以能大获全胜，多赖姜尚英明的组织指挥。在作战时机的把握上，选择在纣王麻痹松懈、众叛亲离之时；在力量的组织上，以“吊民伐罪”为号召，联合诸侯共同伐商；在作战指挥上，首先以兵车、猛士从正面展开突击，尔后以甲士展开猛烈冲杀，一举打乱了商军的阵势，夺取了战争的胜利。

　　四、姜太公成为齐国第一任国王。

诸葛长青：齐国的开始，来自于姜太公被封为齐国国王。

  周朝建国之后，姜尚因灭商有功，被封于齐，都城营丘（今日临淄市临淄北）。姜尚东行到自己的封地去，路上每宿必留，走得很慢。有人对他说：“我听说过时机难得而易于失去，作为一个客人，安于路边旅店中的享乐，恐怕不象到自己封地上任的样子。”太公听了，夜里穿起衣服马上前行，天亮时到达营丘，正好遇到莱国的人来与他争夺营丘。

  姜尚在齐国政局稳定后，又开始改革政治制度。他顺应当地的习俗，简便周朝的繁文缛节。大力发展商业，让百姓享受鱼盐之利。于是天下人来齐国的很多，齐国成为当时的富国之一。

  在周成王时，管叔、蔡叔作乱，淮河流域的少数民族也趁机叛乱(参见周公东征)，周王下令给姜尚说：“东到大海，西到黄河，南到穆岭，北到无棣，无论是侯王还是伯男，若不服从，你都有权力征服他们。”

  从此，齐国成为大国，疆域日益广阔，使之成为后来的春秋“五霸”和战国“七雄”之一。战乱最终被周公姬旦给平叛。太公姜尚活了一百多岁而卒，但葬地不详。为逃避战乱，祖孙后代改姓了丁（因北方的姜与南方的丁同音）位于湖南常德一带。

   相传兵书《六韬》为姜尚所作。《六韬》一书，相传为周初太公姜尚所著，全书以太公与文王、武王对话的方式编成，所以又称《太公兵法》。《六韬》分别以文、武、龙、虎、豹、犬为标题，共六十一篇，近二万字。其内容十分广泛，涉及战争观、军队建设、战略战术等有关军事的诸多方面，战略战术的论述最为精彩，权谋家思想也十分突出。

    但从现存的内容看，基本上反映的是姜尚的军事实践活动和他的韬略思想。司马迁在《史记·齐太公世家》中指出：“后世之言兵及周之阴权皆宗太公为本谋。”由此看来，姜尚实为中国谋略家的开山鼻祖。姜尚是中国古代第一个军师型的军事家，其军事韬略在中国战争史上占有重要地位，对后世用兵起了深远的影响。

  五、齐国古都的姜太公祠堂。

   姜太公祠位于临淄永流镇张家庄太公衣冠冢北侧。

  姜太公在公元前11世纪封于齐，为齐国第一代国君。

   他在任期间，“通商工之业，便渔盐之利，人民多归齐，齐为大国。”卒葬于周，齐人思其德，葬衣冠于此。衣冠冢墓高28米，南北长50米，东西宽55米。

  1993年，临淄区在太公衣冠冢北侧建姜太公祠，建筑面积98平方米，主殿为歇山式挂廊配殿，各三楹，现为名人书画展厅。　

   进门所见的“姜太公祠”四个大字是我国著名的书法家、全国宗教协会会长赵朴初老先生题写的，大门两侧两座威武的大将雕像即青龙、白虎二星君。　

  主殿供奉着姜太公彩绘圣像，殿壁有反映姜太公贫困生涯、避纣去商、习武著书、牧野大战、封齐就国、破菜争丘、太公治齐、惩治不训、周王授权、传子归国等到不平凡一生的壁画。

  诸葛长青：姜太公的辉煌人生，展现了中国文化的博大精深。姜太公文韬武略，成为名垂千古的一代帝王智慧大师。

  本文参考资料：

    1、焦安南、李建义著《姜太公》

   2、帝王师、百度网络资料

What are the acts of abstaining from killing and releasing

 戒杀与放生的行为包括哪些

 1. Do not kill a living being with your own hands.

　　2. Do not abet others to kill.

　　3. Do not help others to kill.

　　4. Abstain from eating meat.

　　5. Do not engage in trades related to killing.

　　6、Whenever there is worship, regardless of what is being worshipped, use vegetarian dishes, flowers and fruit, not animal gifts.

　　7. If you see someone killing a human being, you should discourage them or buy the animal to be slaughtered with money and release it. If this does not work, or if the person does not sell the animal, then you should have compassion for the slaughtered animal, and even better if you can recite the Buddha's name or mantra for it.

　　8. Do not abuse the animal.

　　9、Other actions that are contrary to killing.

　　10. Abstain from killing and releasing animals yourself, and advise others to do the same. 

   1、不亲手杀生。

　　2、不教唆别人杀生。

　　3、不帮助别人杀生。

　　4、戒除肉食。

　　5、不从事与杀生有关的行业。

　　6、凡有祭拜，不管拜的是什么，一律用素菜、鲜花、水果，不用牲礼。

　　7、见人杀生，应加劝阻，或用钱将临宰之动物买而放之。若劝阻无效，或他不卖，则应对被杀之动物起同情心，若能为它念佛号或往生咒更好。

　　8、不虐待动物。

　　9、其他与杀生行为相反之行为。

　　10、自己戒杀放生，也劝别人戒杀放生。 

(This article is an original article by Zhuge Changqing, and the pictures are selected from the Internet. Welcome to forward it, and please indicate the source for forwarding)

Introduction to Zhuge Changqing: Zhuge Changqing, the inheritor and promoter of traditional Chinese culture, is willing to "learn from sages, promote virtue, revitalize China and benefit the world" together with people with the same ideals in the world.

(Zhuge Changqing: zhuge8031@163.com ）

Zhuge Changqing mailbox：

zhuge8031@163.com

Zhuge Changqing's Chinese Dream

Learn from sages and carry forward virtue

Revitalizing China for the benefit of the world

 （本文是诸葛长青原创文章，图片选自网络。欢迎转发，转发引用请注明出处）

诸葛长青简介：诸葛长青，中国国学传统文化传承弘扬者，愿与天下志同道合者一起“学习圣贤、弘扬善德、振兴中华、造福世界”。

（诸葛长青：zhuge8031@163.com）

Zhuge Changqing mailbox：

zhuge8031@163.com

  诸葛长青中国梦  

学习圣贤 弘扬善德

振兴中华 造福世界

Selected Articles in Previous Periods

Click the article title to view

往期精选文章

点击文章标题查看

1The wisdom of traditional Chinese culture changes the destiny: filial piety to parents+five in one+self-improvement

1 国学智慧改命运：孝敬父母+五合一+自强不息

2Zhuge Changqing's Three Golden Keys to Changing Destiny

2诸葛长青改命运三把金钥匙诸葛长青施食仪轨 （十五步简洁版）

3Zhuge Changqing's Greeting Ritual (15 Steps Concise Version)

3 诸葛长青施食仪轨 （十五步简洁版）

4How to repent: the ritual of repentance and the method of repentance (full version)

4   如何忏悔：忏悔仪轨忏悔方法（完整版）

5How to read the Dizang Sutra: Methods for reciting Dizang Sutra (complete version)

5 如何念地藏经：念地藏经仪轨方法（完整版）

6How to release? The ritual of releasing life

6怎样放生？放生仪轨

7Zhuge Changqing's Repentance Culture: A Case Study of Repentance Methods for Changing Destiny

7诸葛长青忏悔文化：改变命运忏悔方法案例

8Free Life Culture: Free Life Culture in Ancient China

8放生文化：中国古代的放生文化

9Shocking photo of feeding: Buddha, Bodhisattva and Dharma Protector come to the scene

9施食震撼照片：佛菩萨护法神亲临现场

10Feeding Rite Return: the return is changed to simple return

10施食仪轨回向：回向修改为简洁回向