[size=150]Tao Hongjing (AD 456-536), whose nickname was Tongming, and who lived in seclusion in Huayang in his later years, was a native of Moling County, Danyang County (now Jiangning County, Jiangsu Province).
His mother dreamed that a blue dragon flew out of her arms, and saw two heavenly beings coming to her home with incense burners in their hands. Then she became pregnant and gave birth to Tao Hongjing. But the green dragon she saw had no tail and flew into the sky alone. It is said that this foreshadowed that Tao Hongjing would never marry or have any children.
Since childhood, Tao Hongjing has had a unique character and ambition. By the age of six he was able to understand the books he read and write articles. When he was seven years old, he read tens of thousands of words of books such as "The Book of Filial Piety", "Mao Shi" (i.e. "The Book of Songs"), and "The Analects of Confucius". Later, when he was ten years old, a fellow villager got a copy of "The Biography of Immortals" written by Ge Hong, a man from the Jin Dynasty. After he saw the story about the Eight Dukes of Huainan and other immortals, he sighed and said: "Reading this book will make people have a high ambition and the ambition to cultivate immortality and learn Taoism." So he studied day and night. , explore the truth in this book, and set the ambition to cultivate immortality and Taoism and live a long life. He once said to people: "When you look up at the blue sky, white clouds and the sun, you no longer feel as far away and out of reach as before."
When he grew up, he was seven feet four inches tall, with a shrewd expression and beautiful appearance. The eyes are bright, the eyebrows are broad, the ears are long and the shape is exquisite. He has read more than 10,000 books, is good at playing the piano and chess, and is proficient in cursive and official script calligraphy.
In March of the third year after Emperor Shun of Song Dynasty was promoted to Ming Dynasty (AD 479), Emperor Gao of Qi became Prime Minister. He was only in his twenties at the time, so he was recommended as a "reader of the kings", and later he was granted the official position of "at the invitation of the court" (which allowed him to regularly attend court meetings). Although he lives in a powerful family, he always hides his presence, does not interact with the outside world, and just reads every day. Most matters related to etiquette and rules and regulations in the court were decided by him.
Tao Hongjing was originally a person who did not seek glory and wealth, and always wanted to resign and go into seclusion. He once said in a letter to his relatives and friends: "In the past, I did not want to live in the world. I was forty years old and wanted to live in the mountains. I am now thirty-six years old, and I cannot borrow time..." In the tenth year of Yongming (492 AD) , he indeed petitioned the emperor to resign and go into seclusion. The emperor granted his request and gave him bundles of silk as a gift. When he left, all the ministers and officials of the court came to the Zhenglu Pavilion to bid farewell to him. They set up many curtains and held a grand farewell banquet for him. There were too many cars and horses going there, crowding each other and blocking the road. People say that this has never happened since the Song and Qi dynasties. Everyone in the government and the public felt that he was very glorious.
He lived in seclusion on Juqu Mountain in Jurong County (today's southwestern Jiangsu, spanning Jurong, Jintan and other counties). He often said: "Under this mountain is the eighth cave palace, called Jintan Huayangzhitian, surrounded by a border of 150 miles. In the Han Dynasty, there were three Maojuns of Xianyang (Mao Ying and his two younger brothers) , they became Taoists and took charge of the mountain, so it was also called Maoshan." So he built a residence in the middle of the mountain and called it "Huayang Hermitage". At the beginning, he studied scriptures and Taoism such as talismans and prophecies from Dongyang County's Sun Youyue. Later, he traveled to various famous mountains in search of elixirs. Whenever he passed through mountain streams, valleys and other places, he would sit or lie there, chant poems, and linger for a long time. His excitement was difficult to calm down. He especially loved the sound of wind and waves among the pines. As soon as he heard the sound of pine waves, he couldn't help but feel happy in his heart. Sometimes he would visit mountain springs and rocks alone. People who saw him from a distance thought he was a god.
At that time, Shen Yue, a famous writer and historian in the Southern Dynasties and the originator of Chinese phonology, was serving as the governor of Dongyang County. Respecting his ambition and integrity, Shen Yue wrote many times inviting him to serve as an official, but he never accepted.
Emperor Wu of Liang (sometimes referred to as Emperor Gao of Qi) once issued an edict and asked Tao Hongjing, "What is there in the mountains?" The implication is that there is nothing in the mountains, so it is better to become an official and have everything. Tao Hongjing wrote "I asked what is in the mountains and composed a poem to answer it": "What are there in the mountains? There are many white clouds on the mountains. It's a pity that the white clouds can only be used for my own pleasure, but I can't hold them in my hands and send them to you!" He cleverly expressed his noble ambition of not wanting to be an official and disdainful of being associated with the people of his time. This poem is spoken smoothly, with plain language but profound connotation. From then on, Baiyun and the hermit were more closely connected in later poetry and articles.
The movements of the white clouds are erratic, coming and going without a trace, free and carefree, just like an elegant hermit.
Another time when Emperor Wu of Liang asked him to serve as an official, he simply drew two cows. One was casually scattered among the water plants, and the other wore a golden halter and was led by a rope. Driven with a stick. Emperor Wu of Liang laughed when he saw it. He knew that he would never serve as an official, so he gave up the idea of ??forcing him to become an official.
In the early years of Yongyuan (AD 499-500), Tao Hongjing built a three-story house. He himself lived on the upper level, his disciples lived on the middle level, and visiting guests lived on the lower level. From then on, he cut off contact with the world and allowed only one family boy to serve him by his side. In the fourth year of Zhaitianjian (AD 505), he moved to Jijindongjian.
Emperor Xiao Yan of Liang Dynasty had a good relationship with him originally. After he ascended the throne, he was even more kind to him. He kept exchanging letters, as many as several letters a month. He often sent special envoys or officials to visit him and often gave him gifts. Whenever the country encountered major events such as good or bad luck, conquest, etc., it would send people to him for consultation. Therefore, people at that time called him the "Prime Minister of the Mountains."
Tao Hongjing was modest and prudent, well-informed but not rigid, and he naturally complied with etiquette whether he was in officialdom or in private. His mind is as clear as a mirror, and he can immediately understand anything he encounters. There is no clutter in his words, and if there is any confusion, he can immediately detect it. By nature, he likes books and novels, advocates strange and extraordinary things, and cherishes natural scenery. The older he gets, the deeper his love becomes.
He is particularly proficient in yin and yang and the five elements, wind angle (the five tones occupy the four winds to determine good and bad luck), star calculation (astrology), mountain and river geography, products from the four directions, and traditional Chinese medicine. He wrote the "Almanac of the Imperial Dynasty" and once created the phenomenon of muddy sky, which he said was "for the purpose of cultivating Taoism and not just for historians."
He is good at the Taoist practice of fasting without food and guiding the light body, and he still looks very strong when he is over eighty years old. He greatly admired Zhang Liang's conduct in the Han Dynasty and said that he was "the most powerful person in history."
During the Jianwu period (AD 494), Xiao Keng, King of Yidu of Qi State, was killed by Emperor Ming Xiao Luan at the age of eighteen. That night, Tao Hongjing dreamed that Xiao Keng came to say goodbye to him, letting him know what happened after Xiao Keng went to the Netherworld and gained many secrets. Later, he wrote these secrets into the book "Dream Notes".
Xiao Gang, who later became Emperor Wen of Jian Dynasty, was serving as governor in southern Xuzhou (AD 520-523). Because he admired his style and qualities, he summoned him to the back hall and talked with him for several days before leaving. go. Xiao Gang respected him very much and thought he was a strange and extraordinary person.
He once dreamed that the Buddha gave him a prophecy, saying that he could realize Bodhi and achieve the right fruition, and cultivate to become a powerful Bodhisattva. So he went to the tourist