大成至圣先师

Amid the chaos of 6th century BCE China, where warring states fought endlessly among themselves for supremacy, and rulers were frequently assassinated, sometimes by their own relatives, Confucius exemplified benevolence and integrity, and through his teaching,

became one of China’s greatest philosophers. Confucius dissuaded rulers from relying on harsh punishments and military power to govern their lands, because he believed that a good ruler inspires others to spontaneously follow him by virtue of his ethical charisma.