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Tao Yuanming was content with a simple lifestyle and took delight in being in the Tao.
When living in society, we have to interact with other people. Traditional Chinese culture emphasizes virtue and ethics in balancing our interpersonal relationships, including relationships with our neighbors.
“Citizens who incline toward virtuousness and are compassionate toward their neighbors are a great treasure to the country,” an ancient saying goes.
Another ancient proverb says, “When one helps those in difficulty and cares for his neighbors, he is in adherence to the Tao [the Way]. Those who follow the Tao will have good fortune.”
In ancient China, people believed that treating others compassionately is one of society’s basic principles and that those who do good deeds will receive good returns. Stories about the kind and altruistic deeds of many famous, noble people in China have been passed down through the ages.
Simple at Heart
Tao Yuanming (A.D. 365–427) was a renowned poet in the Jin Dynasty. He wrote in a poem: “I have thought of moving into the South Village but not because I like the cottages there. It is because I have heard there are many simple-hearted people [there], and I would love to spend my days and nights with them.”
Tao Yuanming liked the villagers in South Village for their pure and simple hearts. He was also simple at heart. He worked on the farmland every day and wrote poems about his aspirations. He was content with a simple and frugal lifestyle, and he enjoyed living in adherence to the Tao.
He described his friendship with his neighbors in another poem: “We often get together, and each of us expresses our views openly and frankly. When one has obtained a wonderful article, we read it together; when someone has questions or confusion, we discuss it together.”
Because Tao Yuanming’s neighbors supported one another and maintained harmonious relationships, they created a beneficial environment that encouraged morality and virtuousness.
A Lost Pig
Sima Hui was a well-known scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty who was very good at identifying virtuous and talented young people. One day, one of his neighbors lost a pig. Sima Hui owned a pig that looked very similar to his neighbor’s pig, and his neighbor mistook Sima Hui’s pig for the one he had lost.
Sima Hui did not argue with him, however. Instead he said, “If the pig is yours, then take it.” The neighbor took the pig home straight away.
A few days later, this neighbor found his lost pig. Feeling very ashamed, the neighbor returned Sima Hui’s pig. But instead of rebuking his neighbor, Sima Hui consoled him by saying that it was not unusual for such mistakes to occur between neighbors and praised him for being willing to correct his mistakes.
Upon hearing this, his neighbor was very touched. Later, people came to address Sima Hui as “Mr. Water Mirror”—a compliment to his pure and upright character.
Charity Toward Neighbors
Zi Rudao of the Yuan Dynasty lived in the Qihe region of Dezhou City, in Shandong Province. He was always happy to do good things and was well-known for his kindness.
Upon learning that several people in his hometown were too poor to make a living, Zi Rudao gave them each a piece of farmland so that they could lease the land to farmers to earn some money. Zi Rudao reclaimed the land when these people passed away.
In another incident, when a plague was sweeping across China, news spread that a certain kind of melon would cure the illness by making the patient sweat profusely. Zi Rudao bought many such melons as well as other foodstuff, and despite the danger of contracting the plague himself, he went door-to-door to deliver the provisions to people. Through his actions, many people were saved.
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