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The Four Sages, Assessors,[1] or Correlates (Chinese: 四配; pinyin: Sì Pèi), are four eminent Chinese philosophers in the Confucian tradition. They are traditionally accorded a kind of sainthood and their spirit tablets are prominently placed in Confucian temples, two upon the east and two upon the west side of the Hall of the Great Completion (Dacheng Dian).
The Four Sages are:
- Yan Hui (521–481 BC), Confucius's favourite disciple, one of the main characters in Analects
- Zengzi or Zeng Shen (505–435 BC), another disciple of Confucius and author of the Great Learning
- Zisi or Kong Ji (481–402 BCE), Confucius's grandson, student of Zengzi, and author of the Doctrine of the Mean
- Mencius or Master Meng (372–289 BC), student of Zisi and author of the Mencius.
Within a traditional Confucian temple, Yan Hui's tablet is placed first to the east of Confucius.[1]
The families of the descendants of the Four Sages 四氏 still hold hereditary offices in the Republic of China (Taiwan) such as the Sacrificial Official to Confucius, "Sacrificial Official to Mencius", "Sacrificial Official to Zengzi", and "Sacrificial Official to Yan Hui".[2][3][4][5] They use generation poems for their names given to them by the Ming and Qing Emperors.[6][7]
希言公彥承，宏聞貞尚衍；
興毓傳繼廣，昭憲慶繁祥；
令德維垂佑，欽紹念顯揚；
建道敦安定，懋修肇彝常；
裕文煥景瑞，永錫世緒昌。
- ^ a b Legge, James. The Confucian Analects, the Great Learning, & the Doctrine of the Mean. 1893.
- ^ "台湾拟将孔子奉祀官改为荣誉职 可由女性继承_台湾频道_新华网". news.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 2014-12-04.
- ^ "台湾儒家奉祀官将改为无给职 不排除由女子继任_新闻中心_新浪网".
- ^ "Rfi - 台湾拟减少儒家世袭奉祀官职位并取消俸禄".
- ^ http://blog.xuite.net/ahhsiang/TYDA/20446373-【文史雜記】大成至聖先師奉祀官
- ^ (in Chinese) 孔姓 (The Kong family, descendants of Confucius) Archived September 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in Chinese) 孟姓 (The Meng family, descendants of Mencius) Archived January 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine