Good Name Brings Good Fortune - The Mystery of a Good Name

Author: Shu Da Feng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-10-01
Features: The Power of a Good Name
A name, from the moment it is created, already demonstrates a strong vitality. A good name is as valuable as gold and can bring fame far and wide. Conversely, a bad name can lead to a life of hardship and misfortune. In ancient times, one of the most typical examples of how a name affected a person's future and fate was Wang Guojun of the Qing Dynasty. The book Qing Ba Lei Chao records an anecdote about "Cixi's Displeasure with Wang Guojun's Name": Wang Guojun, a scholar from Jiangsu, passed the imperial examination in the Wuchen year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty and was ranked among the top ten candidates for the final review. When the list was submitted to Cixi, she was angered by the sound of Wang Guojun's name, which was similar to "king of a fallen nation," and thus touched her own insecurities. She angrily discarded the list and ignored him. Later, Wang Guojun was given a trivial position as an educator in Shanyang for over 20 years. Eventually, due to his outstanding abilities, he was appointed as a county magistrate in Yunnan, but died before even taking office.
On page 2, unlike Wang Guojun, who suffered due to his name, Wang Shoupeng was blessed by it. During the Wuming examination in the 12th year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty, which coincided with Cixi's 70th birthday, Wang Shoupeng, a scholar from Shandong, had mediocre academic performance. However, Cixi was delighted upon seeing his name, believing it to mean "Wang's fortune expands, longevity forever," and that it carried the auspicious meaning of "longevity as long as Pengzu." She immediately selected him as the top scholar (zhuangyuan). During the Beiyang Warlord period, Wang Shoupeng also served as the director of the Shandong Provincial Education Department.
Predicting prosperity or adversity based on names sometimes coincidentally happens. In 1935, when the linguist Huang Kan celebrated his 50th birthday, his teacher Zhang Taiyan gifted him a pair of couplets: "Wei bian san jue jin zhi ming, Huang juan chu cai hao zhuo shu." The saying "At thirty, one should establish oneself; at forty, one should be free from doubt; at fifty, one should know one's destiny" was originally a congratulatory and praising remark for Huang Kan's 50th birthday. Huang Kan happily hung the couplets in his room. However, someone mysteriously pointed out that the couplets contained the words "Huang jue ming shu" (Huang's death book), which was an inauspicious omen. Upon hearing this, Huang Kan was greatly alarmed and immediately took down the couplets. Yet, shortly after, Huang Kan died of hemorrhage. These incidents, when circulated in society, added a mystical aura to the belief that names predict fate.
Confucius said, "If the name is not proper, the words will not be harmonious." These words hold profound meaning. A name embodies a person's essence, vitality, and spirit, inherits their emotions, intentions, and will, and conveys the mysteries of heaven and earth. A good name that suits one can provide subtle guidance. A bad name, however, often leads its owner unknowingly into confusion, self-doubt, low self-esteem, and laziness, making them listless, lacking perseverance and confidence, and unwilling to strive—only waiting for the sky to drop a pie. Can one expect such a person to have good luck and opportunities?