Mount Ararat after these had vanished from the popular mind, that the Armenian theologians ventured to locate on its eternal snows the resting-place of Noah's ark." The 13th century Franciscan missionary William of Rubruck is usually considered the earliest reference for the tradition of Mount Ararat as the landing place of the ark in European literature. The 14th century English traveler John Mandeville is another early author who mentioned Mount Ararat, "where Noah's ship rested, and it is still there." Most Christians identify Mount Ararat with the biblical "mountains of Ararat," despite the fact that six other landing places have been proposed,
Way of the Gods according to the Confucian Tradition is worked on in a long process of "cultivating the Way" (Tao), that is the right mode of living through the basic virtues of benevolence ("ren"), righteousness ("yi"), propriety ("li"), and filial piety ("xiao"). Realising the virtues one reaches the state of continuous sincerity ("cheng") and peace and purity of mind ("jing"), proceeding successfully in the cultivation of one's inner numinous nature ("lingxing"). The cultivation of the Way is conceptualised as a path of learning. The symbol of the phoenix represents spiritual renewal of the disciple and the social community. The tradition of the phoenix halls started in 1853 when