Sui and Tang · Hermit and Religious Figure

Xu Ze 徐則

Born c. AD 509; died AD 590 to AD 600

Passages: 20
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Xu Ze was a Hermit and Religious Figure.

Life and dates

Death

AD 590 to AD 600 晉王召後
Age 82 · Corpse liberation / spiritual transformation
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passages 193, 207
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passages 217, 234

Age

81
AD 590 to AD 600 吾今年八十一 · Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passage 189
82
Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passage 207
Years 81 · Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 214
Years 82 · Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 234

Attested activity

AD 590 to AD 600 晉王廣鎮揚州
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 77, passage 179
AD 581 to AD 604 晉王廣鎮揚州
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 198
AD 569 to AD 582 陳太建中
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 193
AD 569 to AD 582 陳太建時
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passage 175

Family

Kinship Role wives · Count 0 · Negated true
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 192

Key source chapters

Career and standing

deep obscurity 沉冥
Recluse · Held
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passage 253
Maintained
Unmarried
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passage 174
Hermit
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 190

Places and affiliations

At Tan, Donghai Commandery 東海郯
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passage 169
At Tan, Donghai 東海郯
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 187
At Mount Jinyun 縉雲山 · Relation Resided at
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passage 172
At Mount Tiantai 天臺山 · Relation Resided at
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passage 176
At Zhizhen Abbey 至真觀 · Relation Stayed at
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passage 175

Learning and skills

studied under Zhou Hongzheng; Three Mysterious Learning 受業于周弘正，善三玄
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passage 171
Belief Daoism 道 · Relation Adherent of
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passages 195, 216

Works and attributed material

Speech · Author
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passages 189, 214, 232

Events and relationships

Corpse liberation · Transformed
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passages 231, 233-234
Summons to yangzhou · Invitee · With Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝)
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 215
Relation Student of · Person Zhou Hongzheng (周弘正)
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 188; Book of Sui 77, passage 171

Assessments and attributes

aim lay in deep obscurity 志在沉冥，不可親疏，莫能貴賤
Assessment aim lay in deep obscurity; none could draw near or push away, or make noble or base · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passage 253
man who embraced simplicity 抱樸之士
Assessment embraced simplicity · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Sui 77, passage 253
Assessment intent lay in deep obscurity; neither closeness nor distance, nobility nor baseness could affect him; embraced simplicity · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 266
Assessment 屍解地仙 — corpse-dissolving earthly immortal · Mode quoted-speech Source Person Id Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝)
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 224

References in the histories

Search passages

History

20 passages

History of the Northern Dynasties, Chapter 88Volume 88 Biographies 76: Recluses · 10 passages

眭誇馮亮鄭修崔廓子賾徐則張文詡 Suikua, Feng Liang, Zheng Xiu, Cui Kuo, Cui Ze, Xu Ze, and Zhang Wenxu

《隋書》列李士謙、崔廓、廓子賾、徐則、張文詡為《隱逸傳》。 The History of Sui lists Li Shiqian, Cui Kuo, Cui Ze, Xu Ze, and Zhang Wenxu in its 'Biographies of Recluses.'

徐則，東海郯人也。 Xu Ze was a native of Tan in Donghai.

則歎曰：「名者實之賓，吾其為賓乎！」 Ze sighed and said: 'Fame is the guest of reality—am I to be the guest!'

後學者數百人苦請教授，則謝而遣之。 Later several hundred students earnestly begged him to teach, but Ze declined and sent them away.

則謂門人曰：「吾今年八十一，王來召我，徐君之旨，信而不征。」 Ze said to his disciples: 'I am eighty-one this year; the prince has come to summon me—Lord Xu's prophecy is trustworthy and not false.'

晉王將請受道法，則辭以時日不便。 The Prince of Jin was about to request instruction in the Way, but Ze declined on the grounds that the time was not suitable.

晉王下書曰：「天台真隱東海徐先生，虛確居宗，沖玄成德，齊物處外，檢行安身。 The Prince of Jin issued a letter: 'The true recluse of Mount Tiantai, Master Xu of Donghai, takes emptiness and certainty as his standard, forms virtue through pure mystery, aligns with things while standing apart, and restrains conduct to secure his person.

是時，自江都至天台，在道多見則徒步，云得放還。 At that time, from Jiangdu to Mount Tiantai, many on the road saw Ze walking on foot, saying he had been released to return.

然文詡見傷無慍，徐則志在沈冥，不可親疏，莫能貴賤，皆可謂抱樸之士矣。 Yet Wenxu, though injured, was without anger; Xu Ze's intent lay in deep obscurity—neither closeness nor distance, neither nobility nor baseness could affect him; all may be called men who embraced simplicity.

Book of Sui, Chapter 77Volume 77 Biographies 42: Recluses · 10 passages

○徐則 ○ Xu Ze

徐則，東海郯人也。 Xu Ze was a native of Tan in Donghai Commandery.

受業于周弘正，善三玄，精於議論，聲擅都邑，則歎曰：「名者實之賓，吾其為賓乎！」 He studied under Zhou Hongzheng, mastered the Three Mysterious Learning, and excelled in debate until his reputation filled the capital; Ze sighed and said: "Fame is the guest of substance—am I to be the guest?"

後學數百人，苦請教授，則謝而遣之。 Later several hundred students pleaded to become his disciples, but Ze refused and sent them away.

晉王廣鎮揚州，知其名，手書召之曰：「夫道得眾妙，法體自然，包涵二儀，混成萬物，人能弘道，道不虛行。 When Prince Guang of Jin was stationed at Yangzhou, he learned Xu Ze's name and wrote him a personal summons: "The Way gathers all subtleties; the Law accords with nature; it embraces yin and yang and blends them into the ten thousand things. When a man can enlarge the Way, the Way does not pass in vain.

則謂門人曰：「吾今年八十一，王來召我，徐君之旨，信而有徵。」 Xu Ze told his disciples: "I am eighty-one this year, and the Prince has summoned me; Lord Xu's prophecy has proved true."

晉王將請受道法，則辭以時日不便。 When the Prince of Jin was about to receive instruction in the Way, Ze declined, saying the time was not auspicious.

晉王下書曰：「天臺真隱東海徐先生，虛確居宗，沖玄成德，齊物處外，檢行安身。 The Prince of Jin issued a proclamation: "The true recluse of Tiantai, Master Xu of Donghai, took emptiness and certainty as his foundation, subtle mystery as his completed virtue, treated all things as equal while dwelling apart from the world, and disciplined his conduct to preserve his person.

是時自江都至於天臺，在道多見則徒步，雲得放還。 At that time, from Jiangdu to Mount Tiantai, travelers on the road often saw Ze walking on foot, saying he had been released to return.

然士謙聞譽不喜，文詡見傷無慍，徐則志在沉冥，不可親疏，莫能貴賤，皆抱樸之士矣。 Yet Shiqian, hearing praise, was not pleased; Wenxu, seeing injury, was not angry; Ze's aim lay in deep obscurity—none could draw him near or push him away, none could make him noble or base—all were men who embraced simplicity.