Good name brings good luck - The mystery of a good name

Author: Shu Da Feng (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-30
Features: The Magic of a Good Name
A good name possesses a powerful vitality from the moment it is created. A name is as valuable as gold, and a good name brings 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 one's fate was Wang Guojun of the Qing Dynasty. The book "Qing Bailei Cao" 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 palace examination. When his essay was presented to Cixi, she was deeply offended because the sound of his name "Wang Guojun" was similar to "king of a fallen state," which touched her sore spot. Enraged, she dismissed his essay and paid no attention to him. Later, he was assigned a trivial post as an educator in Shanyang for over 20 years. Eventually, due to his outstanding abilities, he was appointed as a magistrate in a county in Yunnan, but he 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 performance in the exam. However, Cixi was delighted upon seeing his name and believed it implied "Wang's longevity expanding, eternal youth," and 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 misfortune 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 stand firm; at forty, one should be free from doubt; at fifty, one should know one's fate" was originally a congratulatory and praise-filled remark for Huang Kan's 50th birthday. Delighted, Huang Kan 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, soon after, Huang Kan died of hemorrhage. These stories, when circulated in society, added a mystical aura to the prediction of fate based on names.
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. An unsuitable name, however, can exert a powerful suggestive force, leading its owner unknowingly into confusion, self-doubt, inferiority, and laziness. It can make them lose their morale, lack perseverance and confidence, and resign themselves to waiting for the sky to drop a pie. Can one expect such a person to have good luck and opportunities?