 Other scholar @-@ bureaucrats were wary of Wang 's heterodoxy , the increasing number of his disciples while he was still in office , and his overall socially rebellious message . To curb his influence , he was often sent out to deal with military affairs and rebellions far away from the capital . Yet his ideas penetrated mainstream Chinese thought and spurred new interest in Taoism and Buddhism . Furthermore , people began to question the validity of the social hierarchy and the idea that the scholar should be above the farmer . Wang Yangming 's disciple and salt @-@ mine worker Wang Gen gave lectures to commoners about pursuing education to improve their lives , while his follower He Xinyin ( 何心隱 ) challenged the elevation and emphasis of the family in Chinese society . His contemporary Li Zhi even taught that women were the intellectual equals of men and should be given a better education ; both Li and He eventually died in prison , jailed on charges of spreading " dangerous ideas " . Yet these " dangerous ideas " of educating women had long been embraced by some mothers and by courtesans who were as literate and skillful in calligraphy , painting , and poetry as their male guests . 
