Lord Lanto embodied in ancient China as the Duke of Chou, (d. 1105 B.C.), regarded as one of the greatest statesmen in Chinese history and the true founder of the Confucian tradition. The Duke of Chou, his father, King Wen, and his brother established the Chou dynasty. They were the leaders in overthrowing the corrupt Shang dynasty and its alcoholic and psychopathic ruler.
The architect of the new government, the Duke of Chou, wrote manuals on governmental organization, ritual and propriety. He also composed music. The Duke of Chou once said, “I am only concerned with heaven and the people.”[1]
He and his family introduced the concept of “heaven” to the Chinese people and also established the idea of the “Mandate of Heaven,” or the divine right to rule. Those who were granted the mandate to rule had the responsibility to uphold it with integrity and honor. Thus it was their sacred duty to rule with kindness and justice. And if they did not, they would be overthrown and their high office would be taken from them.
Confucius looked to the Duke as his model and believed it was his mission to reestablish the principles and culture of the early Chou era, which was thought to have been a golden age. In his early life, Confucius often dreamt about the Duke of Chou instructing him in the ancient wisdom. In the Analects he lamented, “Extreme indeed is my decline. It is a long time since I dreamed that I saw the Duke of Chou.”
The most famous book by the Duke of Chou is The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine—the oldest known book on medicine in the world. It deals with anatomy and the causes, diagnoses and treatments of diseases. It describes the transformation of energy from yin to yang and back to yin in five stages through the fire, earth, metal, water and tree. Through this circle every organ in our body has its own characteristics, according to the stage of energy by which it is created and the energy that flows through it. These characteristics are expressed physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The principles in this book have become the foundation of the macrobiotic diet.
It is believed that Confucius was embodied at the time of the Duke of Chou and helped him implement his ideals for God-government. When Confucius reembodied in China five hundred years later, he edited the six Chinese classics, including the I Ching, which had been written by King Wen.
