INTERNATIONAL TAO CULTURE ASSOCIATION
2025-06-08 Sunday 农历五月十三
Xu Xun
28

     Xu Xun (239-374) was a Taoist priest of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. My name is Jingzhi. From Xuchang. In the second year of the reign of Wu Chiwu (239), the mother was born with the wind pearl following her abdomen. Born intelligent and perceptive, with a graceful and imposing appearance. When one is young and unobstructed, there is no conflict with other things. In Ji Chang, he once shot a deer while hunting. After the deer fell, the mother still looked back and licked it, and thus became enlightened. So he gave up his bows and arrows and deliberately pursued learning. A book that is well-versed in classics, history, literature, geography, calendar, law, the Five elements, and divination and numerology. He was particularly fond of the cultivation techniques of immortals and had already mastered their subtlety at the very beginning. I also heard that Wu Meng in Xi 'an had received a large number of people, and he went there to serve as a teacher. Ding Gong passed on all the secrets and then ordered Guo Pu to visit famous mountains and seek good land. He obtained the residence of the Jin family on the Xianyao Mountain in the Western Mountain. Every day, he devoted himself to cultivation and did not seek fame or popularity among his fellow villagers. Make friends on behalf of his filial piety and socialize to convince him of his virtue. Xu Mu, the chief official, was also his disciple. In the first year of Taikang of the Jin Dynasty (280), he was appointed as the magistrate of Jingyang County (now the north of Zhijiang County, Hubei Province; some say it is now Deyang County, Sichuan Province). He was forty-two years old at that time. During his tenure, he governed with integrity and honesty, and his methods of governance were simple and straightforward, earning the admiration and support of both officials and the people. Later, upon learning that the Jin Dynasty was about to fall into chaos, he resigned from his official position and returned eastward, exploring the world in search of the ultimate truth. Legend has it that he once slayed a dragon to ward off disasters for the people. It is said that in the second year of Ningkang of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (374), the entire family ascended to immortality from the western Mountain of Yuzhang. Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty bestowed upon him the title of "Shen Gong Miao Ji Zhen Jun". Later generations honored him as the progenitor of the Jingming Path. He was called Xu Zhenjun or Xu Jingyang. It is said that he authored books such as "The Supreme Lingbao Jingming Feixian Du Ren Jing Fa", "Lingjianzi", "Shihan Ji", and "Yuxia Ji".