Yang Gu
(467–523) A scholar of the Northern Wei Dynasty. His courtesy name was Jing'an, and he was from Wuzhong in Beiping (present-day Jixian County, Tianjin).
(467–523) A scholar of the Northern Wei Dynasty. His courtesy name was Jing'an, and he was from Wuzhong in Beiping (present-day Jixian County, Tianjin).
He held successive official positions including Jishizhong (Imperial Attendant) and Prefect of Beiping, where he implemented benevolent governance. He was dismissed from office after offending Wang Xian, the Zhongwei (Censor-in-Chief). Later, he was reappointed as Shangshu Kaogonglang (Evaluator in the Imperial Secretariat) and Magistrate of Luoyang. He was well-read in various books and gifted in literary composition. Politically, he advocated reducing corvée labor, lightening taxes, promoting schools, developing agricultural production, and cutting expenses on Buddhist temples. Ideologically, he incorporated Confucianism, Mohism, Daoism, and Taoist thought, with Daoism as the mainstay.
He wrote: "I recite the Book of Songs to guide my aspirations; the Six Classics are cherished in my heart. I uphold the great teachings of Confucianism and Mohism, and reverence the lofty ideals of recluses" (Fu on Interpreting the Book of Changes).
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Philosophically, he leaned toward Laozi and Zhuangzi, particularly adhering to their views on few desires and non-contention. He wrote: "In advancement, I do not seek fame or success; in retreat, I do not pursue glory or profit. I drift like an unmoored boat; I remain calm like an unused vessel" (ibid.).
Furthermore, he advocated laissez-faire and non-action. He continued: "I do not strive to purify my person, nor disdain official positions. I do not cling to trivial norms, nor seek perfection in every detail. I entrust myself to the movement of spiritual vitality, letting life and nature take their course. Having heeded heaven and surrendered to transformation, neither my form nor will grows weary. I eliminate strife and contention to dwell in peace and silence, maintaining emptiness and stillness through non-action" (ibid.).
He also embraced Taoist ideas of immortality, seeking "the wonderful techniques of eternal life." He advocated swallowing celestial radiance and abandoning grains, grinding jade to refine elixirs, rinsing with spring water to nourish qi, chewing jade marrow to quench thirst, and consuming the vital essence of yang to achieve longevity, among other practices (ibid.).
He has a biography in Book of Wei, Volume 72. His work Fu on Interpreting the Book of Changes is recorded in his biography in Book of Wei and included in Complete Prose of the Later Wei Dynasty, Volume 44.
