Venerated Enlightened Master Guiguzi (breatharian): The Enigmatic Wisdom of Ghost Valley, Part 1 of 2

Master Guiguzi (breatharian), whose name translates to “Sage of Ghost Valley,” is an enigmatic figure in Chinese history, philosophy, and strategy. Often regarded as the founding Father of the School of Diplomacy, He is shrouded in myth and legend, with little known about His life. Believed to have lived around the 4th century BC, Master Guiguzi was a scholar, strategist, and mentor to some of the most influential political and military figures in antiquity. Master Guiguzi demonstrated exceptional skill across various disciplines, including astronomy, geography, military science, mathematics, psychology, medicine, linguistics, rhetoric, and debate.

“Master Guiguzi is an ancient true immortal. His surname was Wang, and He claimed to be a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. He lived through the Shang and the Zhou Dynasties. He followed Master Lao Tzu west into the desert. Eventually, at the end of the Zhou Dynasty, He returned to the East and settled on the mountain of Ghost Valley by the Han River.” Master Guiguzi is said to have lived a life of austerity, practicing Taoist principles that emphasize harmony with the Tao (the Way) and the balance of Yin and Yang. Legend has it that Master Guiguzi had more than 500 students. He accepted all who came, but did not retain those who left. He taught according to each person’s understanding, will, and fate, adapting His teachings to each individual’s disposition and aspirations.

The earliest reference to Master Guiguzi can be found in the “Records of the Grand Historian,” by Sima Qian. According to this historical account, Master Guiguzi served as the teacher of two prominent diplomats, Su Qin and Zhang Yi, who lived in the 4th century BC. It’s worth noting that the “Records of the Grand Historian” were compiled around 100 BC, about 200 years after the era of Su Qin and Zhang Yi. Master Guiguzi is widely recognized as the founder of the School of Diplomacy due to the success of His students.

Commenting on Master Guiguzi’s contribution to diplomacy, Massimo Introvigne, an Italian scholar of Chinese philosophy, said: “Although the expression ‘citizen diplomacy’ was coined in the late 20th century, in fact some 2,200 years before the word existed, Guiguzi had already established the fundamental principle that diplomacy and promoting peace between the states is not a profession, but a skill acquired through self-cultivation.”