(Clearwisdom.net) Xu Xun was a well known Taoist during the Jin Dynasty (AD 265-420),. He was a resident of Xu Chang City in Hunan Province. Later, he moved to Nanchang City in Jiangxi Province. He was the magistrate of Jingyang County.
He was a man with wisdom, willing to study, to be truthful, and one who did not seek fame or fortune. He was also a scholar of literature, astronomy, medicine, geography, and science. His daily activities included helping those in need and introducing moral concepts to people. Consequently, he was well respected.
One day Xu Xun bought an iron lamp holder from a marketplace. When he polished the holder, he noticed that underneath the paint was gold, not iron. So, he went back to the marketplace, found the seller and told him that he wanted to return it, because it was an expensive piece of art. The seller was very grateful to him and told him that because of many years of war he could not make a living and had to sell his family belongings, some of which were passed down to him from his ancestors. The high moral standard maintained by Xu Xun was well known throughout the city.
When Xu Xun was the magistrate of Jingyang County, he made sure there was no corruption. He also reduced penalties, encouraged kindness, and used righteous people as role models. When he started his job as magistrate, some people's farms were flooded. He let these people farm on government land to keep them working and remain productive. The flooding also caused plague. He was able to apply his own knowledge about medicine to heal the sick. People living in the neighboring counties heard about how he cared for the people of Jingyang County and many moved to his county.
Xu Xun was a seeker of truth and he taught people to do the same whenever he had the opportunity. He wrote a book, "Essay on Eight Principles" to help people get started. This book refers to character improvements in eight areas: 1) be honest in dealing with people; 2) avoid rebellious tendencies; 3) remove greed; 4) handle daily matters with care; 5) keep an open mind; 6) be compassionate; 7) accept people as they are; and, 8) be tolerant. He believed that by improving one's character, one would be aligning oneself with truthfulness. Due to his own positive actions, the residents in his county were interested in being good citizens. At that time, the eastern part of the Jin Dynasty was at war. Living conditions were bad except for several hundred miles around where Xu Xun lived. In fact, there was peace and prosperity in his county.
Xu Xun promoted compassion and virtue. In a book about immortals, it was recorded that when Xu Xun was one hundred and thirty-six years old, his entire family ascended into heaven. He and his eleven disciples were referred to as the "Twelve Lords". The name of his county was changed to "Deyang County" to commemorate the fact that Xu Xun stressed virtuous conduct, which led to prosperity for all of his citizens. Since ancient times, people with high moral standards are seekers of truth and spiritual teachers. They are the defenders of truth and justice.
Category: Traditional Culture
