The Four Lessons of Liao-Fan is one of the most influential guides to transforming fate through virtue and self-discipline. In this second article of our series, we explore how Liao-Fan became convinced of destiny’s accuracy—and how this belief laid the groundwork for his eventual transformation.
🔮 Can We Change Destiny?
The book The Four Lessons of Liao-Fan is divided into four chapters. The first chapter is titled “The Study of Self-Mastery Over Destiny.” This chapter teaches that while destiny is real and predetermined, it is not fixed—it can be changed. Who controls destiny? Oneself. Since we are the masters of our own fate, we also have the power to change it. This is the core principle of the study of self-mastery over destiny.
“I lost my father in childhood. My elderly mother urged me to give up the imperial examination and study medicine instead. She said it would allow me to sustain my life, relieve others of illness, and achieve recognition through learning a craft. It was also your late father’s wish.”
👩👦 A Mother's Wisdom and a Shift in Path
“I” refers to Mr. Liao-Fan himself. The term “imperial examination” refers to pursuing scholarly success and official rank through academic study. Liao-Fan lost his father at a young age, and his family was not wealthy. His mother advised him not to pursue scholarly fame but instead to learn medicine. This way, he could make a living while also helping those who suffered from illness. Moreover, this aligned with his father’s aspirations. A person with practical skills can support themselves. And if someone excels in medicine and becomes a well-known doctor, they’re also considered a great blessing to society.
In ancient times, studying was mainly for passing the imperial exams and serving the public. This was a worthy goal. But if a person lacked talent, blessings, or the right conditions, it wasn't something to be forced.
🧠 Fan Zhongyan’s Childhood Aspiration
I'd like to tall a short story first. During the Song Dynasty, a young Fan Zhongyan—who would later become a famous Prime Minister—once met a fortune-teller. He asked, “Do you think I’ll become a Prime Minister someday?”
The man laughed and said, “You’re still young and too full of yourself!”
Fan then shifted his question: “How about becoming a doctor?”
Surprised by the sudden switch, the fortune-teller asked, “Why the change?”
Fan replied, “Only Prime Ministers and doctors can truly save people.”
The man smiled and said, “With that kind of heart, you’re already a true Prime Minister.”
Sure enough, Fan Zhongyan did become a Prime Minister. This shows that he was committed to helping the world from a young age. He studied hard not for his own gain, but to benefit society and bring relief to others.
🧘♂️ What Is a Sage?
This story reflects the mindset of ancient scholars: they aimed to become sages. So what is a sage? A sage is someone who truly understands the nature of the universe and life, and sees the workings of cause and effect. In Buddhism, such a person is called a Buddha or a Bodhisattva. They aren’t gods or immortals, but awakened human beings. Ordinary people, by contrast, are confused about life and its truths. That’s why the Buddha encouraged everyone to “learn to be a Buddha”—to become someone who truly understands, instead of staying lost in ignorance.
🧓 Meeting Master Kong at Fifteen
Let's continue the story with Lian-Fan. At age fifteen, Liao-Fan visited Ciyun Temple and met a remarkable old man. He had a long beard, a powerful presence, and looked almost like an immortal being. Liao-Fan felt instant respect. From this, we can see that whether a person can succeed often starts with respect. A little respect brings a little success; great respect brings great success. Liao-Fan had been well taught—despite his young age, he was polite, disciplined, and knew how to treat people properly. This naturally made others like and trust him.
The old man told him, “You’re destined to be a government official. You’ll pass the county-level exam next year. Why don’t you go back to studying?” Liao-Fan explained his mother’s reasoning and said she hoped he would become a doctor instead. He then respectfully asked the old man’s name and origin. The man said his surname was Kong, and that he came from Yunnan. He had received the authentic transmission of The Book of Supreme Pole and Universal Order from Master Shao Kangjie. Based on fate calculations, he believed it was time to pass the teachings to Liao-Fan.
The Book of Supreme Pole and Universal Order is a sophisticated system based on the Book of Changes (I Ching). It uses numbers and symbols to predict the fate of individuals, nations, and even the world.
📚 Why Pass On the Teachings?
Why would Master Kong pass on his life’s knowledge to a 15-year-old boy? It was fate—and also because Liao-Fan was eager to learn, respectful, humble, and sincere. These qualities made him a worthy student.
If someone lacks sincerity in learning or has no respect for teachers, even if they meet someone wise, they won’t be able to receive the teachings. The opportunity will simply pass them by.
In ancient times, great monks, sages, and scholars spent their lives searching for a successor. A person might achieve amazing things, but if they leave no one to carry on their work, then their legacy ends with them. True success means someone continues and even surpasses your work. That’s why true masters pour their hearts into training the next generation. There’s no jealousy or holding back—only the wish to pass the torch. This is something we should all learn from.
🏠 Bringing Master Kong Home
“Opening a school” just meant starting a home-based private academy. Liao-Fan brought Master Kong home and told his mother about him. She said, “Treat him well—and test whether his predictions are really accurate.” So they did—and to their surprise, his predictions were spot-on. This gave Liao-Fan full confidence in Master Kong’s abilities and sparked his desire to study again. He talked it over with his cousin and arranged to live and study with Master Yu Haigu. From then on, Liao-Fan formally became his student.
🧮 Accurate Predictions: Exams and Beyond
Master Kong calculated that Liao-Fan would rank 14th in the county exam, 71st in the prefectural exam, and 9th in the provincial-level exam the following year. And when that year came, Liao-Fan took all three exams—and the results matched exactly. Master Kong then went on to predict his whole life in detail: which year he would pass which exam, when he would become a stipend scholar (granary student), when he would rise to contributing scholar status, and later be appointed as governor of a major district in Sichuan. He would serve for three and a half years, retire, and pass away peacefully at home on the 14th day of the 8th lunar month, at the hour of the Ox, at age 53. Sadly, he would have no sons. Liao-Fan carefully wrote all this down as a personal record.
🎓 Understanding Ancient Titles
The title “Provincial Education Commissioner” was similar to a modern-day state or provincial Director of Education. A “granary student” (廩生) received government grain rations, like a scholarship student today. But there were limited slots, and you had to earn one. A “contributing scholar” (貢生) was a rank above that, and qualified to study at the Imperial Academy. The term “Great Magistrate” (大尹) referred to the head of a county government.
📖 The Turning Point
Master Kong told him clearly: “Next year, you’ll be 14th in the county exam, 71st in the prefectural exam, and 9th in the provincial exam.” And sure enough, when Liao-Fan was 16, he took all three—and the results matched exactly. This confirmed how precise Master Kong was. He wasn’t some street fortune-teller, but a serious scholar with real knowledge.
After all three predictions came true, Liao-Fan became convinced that destiny was real. He asked Master Kong to calculate the major ups and downs of his entire life. Master Kong then told him the exact year he would receive each title, when he would be promoted, and when he would retire. He also told him that he would pass away peacefully at 53, on the 14th day of the 8th lunar month at the hour of the Ox, and that he would not have a son. Liao-Fan recorded all of it as a reference for his future life.
🔍 But Then... A Strange Twist
Just when everything seemed to follow Master Kong’s predictions perfectly—something unexpected happened. One prediction didn’t come true.
For the first time, doubt crept into Liao-Fan’s mind. Could fate really be set in stone? Or was there more to this story than even Master Kong could foresee?
Stay tuned for the next installment of The Four Lessons of Liao-Fan series... where the tides begin to shift!
✨ Essential Questions & Takeaways
Here are the central questions drawn from this chapter’s teaching. They are designed to clarify the main ideas and help you integrate the lesson into your daily thoughts and actions.
Why did Liao-Fan accept that destiny truly exists?
Because Master Kong’s predictions were precise in ranking, timing, and detail — far beyond coincidence.
This forced Liao-Fan to recognize that destiny follows laws, and life outcomes are not random. This insight becomes the foundation for later learning how destiny can also be transcended.
What inner qualities allowed a 15-year-old boy to receive rare teachings from a true master?
Not talent, not intelligence — but respect, humility, sincerity, and purity of intention.
Ancient masters only transmit teachings to students whose hearts are upright. Liao-Fan’s character was already aligned with virtue, making him “teachable” in the karmic sense.
What does Liao-Fan’s story reveal about the true meaning of “a sage”?
A sage is not someone with supernatural powers, but someone who:
• understands cause and effect clearly,
• sees through personal desire,
• and cultivates for the benefit of all beings.
Sages arise from awakening, not talent. Fan Zhongyan’s childhood aspiration to “save the world” showed the seed of sagehood — benefiting others above oneself.
Why did Master Kong transmit a lifetime of esoteric destiny-calculation to Liao-Fan?
Because teachers do not “choose” disciples — fate does.
Master Kong sensed that Liao-Fan could carry the lineage forward.
This reveals a truth about spiritual learning:
When virtue, sincerity, and respect are present, the right teacher naturally appears.
If fate was so accurate, why did one prediction suddenly fail?
This single deviation cracks open the entire doctrine:
Destiny may be predetermined, but virtue can override fate.
This moment sets the stage for the core message of Liao-Fan’s Four Lessons:
“Destiny can be changed through goodness, humility, and inner transformation.”
📚 Source: Venerable Master Chin Kung’s lecture on The Four Lessons of Liao-Fan, delivered on April 16, 2001, on Phoenix TV