Pictured here is but one of the many illustrations of the life of Confucius that one might find in later imperial China (i.e., the Ming and Qing dynasties). This one shows dragons swirling around in the clouds about the house in which Confucius was born. Recall that dragons are a symbol of the cosmic forces in general (and typically appear in water, mist, and clouds). In China, the dragon is always auspicious. So, the basic message of this image is that Confucius's birth was in some way ordained by tian.

In fact, during his lifetime and for many years after his death, Confucius was an obscure figure. It is likely that most people who knew of Confucius while he was alive regarded him as an odd, eccentric antiquarian.

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