Shang – harmonybuddhism.org

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The Shang dynasty (Chinese: 商朝; pinyin: Shāngcháo), also known as the Yin dynasty (殷代; Yīn dài), was a Chinese royal dynasty that ruled in the Yellow River valley during the 2nd millennium BC, traditionally succseeding the Xia dynasty and followed by the Western Zhou dynasty. The classic account of the Shang comes from texts such as the Book of Documents, Bamboo Annals and Shiji. Modern scholarship dates the dynasty between the 16th and 11th centuries BC, with more agreement surrounding the end date than beginning date.

The verse refers to the Shang dynasty which had been at its nadir gave rise to a new era where the bright King emerged as a saviour of the country. The ancient Chinese classics used the image of a phoenix as a propitious herald of peace and prosperity.

Since ancient times, whenever there was a period of turmoil, the phoenix would not appear. During times of peace, if a Holy Lord was born, the phoenix would crow to welcome the Holy Lord. For example, during the reigns of Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun, people could hear the crowing of the phoenix resounding across the fields. But by the time of King Wu, the phoenix disappeared. By the end of the Shang dynasty, transitioning to the era of King Wu of Zhou, the phoenix once again crowed on Mount Qizhou to announce that the Holy Lord was about to appear.

Oracle Vol. II
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Glossary: Zhou and Jie
Looking back at the sentient beings struggling in the sea of worldly suffering, from one disaster to another without end, it is no different from the time of Jie and Zhou, when the people had to lament and cry in sorrow, under the harsh rule of those two kings. Because Jie and Zhou were too weak and inept, some people were burned to death, others lost their lives; the foundation and achievements built by the ancestors fell into the hands of others, leaving a reputation for contempt for generations. One sympathizes with the Holy King, a wise and virtuous ruler, who followed the example of Yao and Shun by cultivating himself and establishing virtue, in order to: 'Build universal harmony across the entire world' so that humanity may benefit.
Glossary: Yao-Shun
SHUN: is Emperor Shun (2256-2195 BC). His clan name was Yao, and his real name was Chong Hua. He was the eighth-generation grandson of Emperor Huang. He was a filial son, ranking first in the "Twenty-four Filial Exemplars" of China.His biological mother died early. His father, Gusou, married another woman, who gave birth to Xiang. (People saw that he listened to his stepmother and intended to kill Shun, unable to discern right from wrong, so they called him Gusou, meaning 'blind person'). Shun was falsely accused by his stepmother and his rebellious younger brother Xiang, so Gusou disliked Shun and intended to kill him. Yet Shun always remained filial to his father and harmonious with his brother.Gu sou sent Shun to the Lishi Mountain to plow fields. This place was known for having many wild animals, so his father wanted the beasts to eat him out of sight. But when he arrived, the heavens sent elephants to plow and birds to gather grass. Seeing that they could not harm him, his father sent him to fish at Leizhe Pond, a place often troubled by large waves and strong winds, but when he arrived, the waves were calm and the wind gentle.

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