Liao-Fan's Four Lessons了凡四训

Liao-Fan's Four Lessons is a book written by Yuan Liaofan, was a Chinese official during the Ming Dynasty, born in present-day Wujiang County, Jiangsu Province. Yuan wrote the book to teach his son, Yuan Tian-Chi.The principal idea behind these lessons is that destiny can be changed through proper cultivation of kindness and humility. Thus, one should not be bound by fate, but by one's own actions.

Yuan Liaofan was told by a Taoist monk surnamed Kong that he would only live to the age of 53 and have no son. At first, he disregarded this monk's words as farcical nonsense, but as Kong's other predictions began to occur with great accuracy, he then proactively made an effort to rewrite his fate. In relating his own life experience in changing destiny, Yuan, at the age of 69, wrote and taught these four lessons to his son.

The first lesson shows how to create destiny. The second lesson explains the ways to reform. The third reveals the ways to cultivate kindness and the fourth discloses the benefits of the virtue of humility.

The book, still in circulation after more than 400 years, is said to be a useful foundation in learning both Confucianism and Buddhism.

1533-1606