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Some people were jealous of him and slandered him. As a result, he was demoted and transferred to a faraway place in the Guangzhou region.
There were very few official duties in Guangzhou, but Tao never let up in order to enjoy leisure or pursue comfort. He would carry one hundred bricks from his study to the yard every morning, and then carry the same bricks back to his study in the evening.
People were curious about his behavior and asked him why he did this. Tao replied: "I aim to reclaim Central China during this lifetime. If I am too comfortable and become complacent, I am afraid that I will not be able to accomplish my mission."
Later, Tao was transferred back to Jingzhou. Although he became much busier than in Guangzhou, he still carried the bricks every day to strengthen his will power. People later called him "the brick-carrying old man."
Tao Kan often told people: "Dayu, the legendary founder of the Xia Dynasty around 2100 B.C., was a sage, but he knew how to treasure every minute. We are ordinary people, therefore, we should treasure every second. How can we ease up and indulge in games or pleasure and forget our duties?"
Nowadays, there is a place called Xiyinli (Treasure Time Block) in Kaifu District, Changsha City, Hunan Province. It is said that this name originated from Tao's famous statement about cherishing time.
Mr. Tao held a very responsible position and endured many hardships. He did not pursue leisure. He was so persistent that while serving as governor of Jingzhou, he was promoted to grand general of West Battlefield. He was in charge of military affairs for eight prefectures and was given the title Sir Changsha County, thereby becoming a famous person in history.
During the Spring and Autumn Period (770 B.C.–476 B.C.), Guan Zhong, the prime minister of Qi State, advised the ruler, Qi Huan Gong, "One should not pursue good food, comfort, and wine."
Our ancestors saw leisure as something worse than poisoned wine because leisure can erode man's willpower. There is an ancient saying, "One often survives through hardship, yet perishes in comfort," that refers to the same wisdom.
It is stated in Hanshu (Han Dynasty Historical Records): "The ancients considered leisure as poisoned wine, and trading virtue for wealth as misfortune. From the beginning of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.) to Emperor Ping of Han (1 B.C. to 5 B.C.), among hundreds of dukes, kings, and emperors, most of them were corrupt and morally degraded.
Why is history like that? It was their living environment and their position that caused them to sink into a state lacking self discipline."
This is truly a lesson we later generations should learn from.
