Who are the Three Sages of the East, the Sages of Tao, Virtue and Wisdom?

The title of the Three Sages of the East is the honorific title given by Western scholars to three great ancient thinkers of China, The Three Sages are Laozi, Confucius, and Sixth Patriarch Huineng, of which Laozi is known as the Sage of the Way, Confucius is known as the Sage of Virtue, and the Sixth Patriarch Huineng is known as the Sage of Wisdom. As outstanding representatives of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism in China, these three thinkers have also been recognized by Western scholars as among the world's top ten thinkers.

Lao Zi was a famous philosopher and thinker during the Spring and Autumn Period in China, and his creation of Taoist thought has influenced countless descendants, and the saint of virtue, Confucius, was also taught by Lao Zi, and often asked Lao Zi about his teachings, so Lao Zi has also been made the first of the three great saints of the East. Taoism has a long history and existed as early as the period of the two emperors of Taigu, until the Spring and Autumn Period, when Lao Zi inherited the excellent Taoist thoughts of the ancients and formed the ideological theory of doing nothing, advocating the theory of the Way of Heaven in which the human society and the nature should live together harmoniously and be tolerant of each other. Tao Te Ching written by Lao Zi is considered to be one of the three masterpieces that most y influenced the thinking of our countrymen, and the political propositions and military strategies in the book have had a great impact on the culture of China and even countries all over the world, like the idea of doing nothing has become the theory of governance for countless dynasties later.

The Virtuous Sage Confucius was the founder of Confucianism and a great educator, thinker and statesman during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Confucius was taught by Laozi, and constructed a system of moral thought based on the theory of goodness, and in politics he advocated the rule of the country by benevolence and rituals, and the construction of an ideal society of universal justice, and many modern reformers have been y influenced by this thought. In the field of education, Confucius advocated teaching without discrimination and teaching according to one's aptitude, and recruited students on a wide scale so that the common people could also receive education. Wisdom Sage Huineng established the Southern Sect by inheriting the lineage of the Fifth Patriarch Hongneng, and advocated that Buddhahood depends on one's own nature, and that one should learn to use one's own body and mind to comprehend the Dharma. The Zen style of Sixth Patriarch Huineng, who did not recite the Buddha and recited prajna, and who did not emphasize sitting meditation but self-nature, has had an important influence on our Buddhist culture and Zen culture.

The Three Sages of the East is an important representative of our culture, and their ideas have influenced generations of descendants, but also the most magnificent gem in our culture.