Four Sages

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 accounted 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, Confucius's favourite disciple
Zengzi or Zeng Sheng, another disciple of Confucius and author of the Great Learning
Zisi or Kong Ji, Confucius's grandson, student of Zengzi, and author of the Doctrine of the Mean
Mencius or Master Meng, 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。

Sources

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Four Sages

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