Why Did God Favor King Wen of Zhou?

By YANG Peng （杨鹏）

【Editor’s Note: The Zhou Dynasty's founding in 1046 BCE, after King Wu's victory over King Zhou of Shang at the Battle of Muye, marked a new era based on the concept of the “heavenly mandate.” King Wen of Zhou’s virtues, such as humility, care for people, and simplicity, were praised in texts like the Book of Documents. Inscribed bronze vessels, such as the He Zun and Shi Qiang Pan, illustrate how the Zhou rulers’ right to rule was divinely justified. The Zhou's political theology emphasized "luminous virtue and cautious punishment" and reverence for the Supreme Deity, who favored rulers possessing moral excellence. This principle, highlighting humility and alignment with divine will, has been lost in modern times. To restore China's spiritual heritage, the author suggests revisiting classical texts to rebuild values centered on reverence and virtue, reflecting the ancient Zhou legacy of ethical governance.】

In 1046 BCE, King Wu of Zhou （周武王）defeated King Zhou of Shang （商纣王）in the Battle of Muye （牧野）, establishing the Zhou Dynasty （周王朝）. Historical records state, "Although Zhou is an ancient state, its mandate is new" (from the Book of Documents 《尚书》), meaning that while Zhou was an old nation, it bore a new heavenly mandate. In the political theology of the Zhou Dynasty, the Zhou people attained sovereignty because King Wen of Zhou possessed great virtue. The heavenly mandate transferred to King Wen, and King Wu shouldered the new mission, fulfilling this mandate and unifying the realm.

The He Zun is a bronze vessel crafted around 1041 BCE during the early Western Zhou period, belonging to the era of King Cheng of Zhou. The inscription on the He Zun clearly expresses this view of "divine right of kings," stating: "Thus, King Wen received this great mandate; only then did King Wu conquer the great city of Shang." (肆文王受兹大命，唯武王既克大邑商。) That is to say, King Wen received the great mandate from Heaven, and King Wu conquered the great city of Shang (the capital of the Shang Dynasty).

A similar idea appears in the inscription on the Shi Qiang Pan, a bronze vessel made during the reign of King Gong of Zhou between approximately 960 and 900 BCE. The inscription states: "The Supreme Deity bestowed virtuous character and a great mandate upon him, enabling him to possess all under Heaven and accept the rule over myriad states." (上帝降懿德大甹，匍有上下，䢔受萬邦。) This means that the Supreme Deity granted King Wen virtuous character and a great mission; he gained the support of the heavenly mandate and the people's hearts, thereby governing all the states.

So, what kind of "virtue" did King Wen of Zhou possess that made the Divine favor him and choose to transfer the heavenly mandate to him? Is there an explanation in ancient Chinese literature? The answer is affirmative.

In the Book of Documents ("Shangshu" 《尚书》), the Duke of Zhou frequently discusses King Wen's virtues, including reverence for the Supreme Deity, love and protection of the people, humility and gentleness, caring for widows, orphans, and the solitary, the ability to accept others' criticisms, personally engaging in productive labor, living a simple and self-disciplined life, never indulging in alcohol, imposing light taxes and labor duties, not arbitrarily increasing the tribute burdens of the feudal lords, and respecting the independence and fairness of the judiciary. I have detailed explanations of these virtues in my courses and book Twenty Lectures on the Book of Documents ("Shangshu Twenty Lectures" 《尚书二十讲》). Interested readers may refer to them.

However, are these virtues the key reasons why the Divine chose King Wen? Not entirely. What is the true reason he received the heavenly mandate? The "Huang Yi" ("August Sovereign" 《皇矣》) chapter of the Book of Songs ("Shijing" 《诗经》) recounts the words the Supreme Deity said to King Wen, revealing why the Divine favored him. The poem is lengthy; I will select the core part:

The Supreme Deity said to King Wen: "I cherish your luminous virtue; you do not intimidate others with loudness and harshness; you do not rely on weapons and force; you do not depend on your own knowledge but follow the laws of the Divine." The original text is: "The Sovereign said to King Wen: 'I cherish luminous virtue, not displaying loudness with countenance, not relying on weapons and force. Unknowing, unaware, following the laws of the Divine.'" (帝谓文王：‘予怀明德，不大声以色，不长夏以革。不识不知，顺帝之则。’)

The phrase "Unknowing, unaware, following the laws of the Divine" (不识不知，顺帝之则) highlights the most crucial aspect of King Wen's virtue: he was not self-centered but centered on the Divine; he acted not according to his own ideas but followed the laws of the Supreme Deity. He was a person who eliminated self-centeredness and adhered to external laws—this is the spiritual characteristic of those who accomplish great deeds and perfect others.

So, what are the laws of the Divine? From these verses, it implies not harming people with hatred and violence but loving and protecting them. Revering the Divine and safeguarding the people. This constitutes the core of Western Zhou's political theology: luminous virtue and cautious punishment, revering Heaven and protecting the people.

The Zhou Dynasty lasted nearly eight hundred years; it was a dynasty that laid the foundational spiritual roots of China. Yet today, we are estranged from such sacred and beautiful spiritual traditions as "Unknowing, unaware, following the laws of the Divine," "Luminous virtue and cautious punishment," and "Revering Heaven and protecting the people." We have lost a sense of reverence, belittled compassion, undermined tradition, elevated self-centeredness, and embarked on a false self-positioning of "my heart is the heart of the universe." This is utterly unreal and only demonstrates the incompetence and shame of us, the unworthy descendants of China.

So, what should we do to rebuild the values of "revering Heaven and loving people," "luminous virtue and cautious punishment"? How can we restore our Chinese identity—the Chineseness of "Unknowing, unaware, following the laws of the Divine," the Chineseness of "Luminous virtue and cautious punishment, revering Heaven and loving people"?

In the history of Chinese thought, the classics that consider the relationship between Heaven and humanity and offer profound insights mainly include the Book of Documents ("Shangshu" 《尚书》), the Book of Songs ("Shijing" 《诗经》), the Analects ("Lunyu" 《论语》), the Dao De Jing ("道德经"), the Doctrine of the Mean ("Zhongyong" 《中庸》), and the Great Learning ("Daxue" 《大学》), among others. I have specialized courses discussing these classics on the "Guoxue in Your Palm" ("掌上国学") platform and have also published corresponding monographs. Those who wish to delve deeper can participate in these course discussions.

The God favored King Wen and chose him because "the heavenly mandate lies in virtue; those with virtue receive the heavenly mandate." Not only was King Wen like this, but Confucius also said: "Heaven has endowed me with virtue; what can Huan Tui do to me?" (天生德于予，桓魋其如予何？) Meaning that Heaven has bestowed virtue upon me; what can Huan Tui do to me? Everyone has such potential. Although we are all flawed individuals, if we believe that "the heavenly mandate lies in virtue," we can all, as Confucius said, "By learning from below and reaching above. He who understands me—is it not Heaven?" (下学而上达。知我者其天乎！), become better people and build a better world.

And you? May you be able to "Unknowing, unaware, following the laws of God."