author
Kun Lü
1536–1618
A thoughtful Ming dynasty official and philosopher, he is best remembered for writing Shenyin Yu, a work of moral reflection that stayed influential for centuries. His life joined public service with plainspoken writing about character, self-discipline, and government.
1 Audiobook
呻吟語
by Kun Lü
About the author
Born in Ningling in Henan in 1536, Lü Kun was a Ming dynasty thinker, writer, and government official. He earned the jinshi degree and rose through office to become a vice minister in the Ministry of Punishments. Sources describe him as an upright official, and later generations remembered him as an important scholar of the late Ming period.
He is best known as the author of Shenyin Yu (often translated as Groans of a Sick Man or Mutterings of a Troubled Mind), a collection of reflections on ethics, self-cultivation, and practical life. His writing is noted for being direct and accessible, which helped it reach readers well beyond elite philosophical circles.
Lü Kun left office after political attacks during the Wanli reign and returned home, where he continued to write. He died in 1618, but his work remained widely read and helped secure his reputation as both a moral thinker and a literary figure.