Figures of Taoism: Wei Zhao 韦肇

Wei Zhao was a scholar and Taoist in the Tang Dynasty. During the Dali period (around 773 AD), he served as a 中书舍人 (a high-ranking court official in charge of drafting edicts). Because he submitted memorials repeatedly to point out the gains and losses of current politics, he was hated by Yuan Zai, demoted to Jingzhao Shao (deputy governor of the capital region), and then transferred to Mishu Shaojian (deputy director of the Imperial Library). After Yuan Zai was killed, he took the position of Libu Shilang (vice minister of the Ministry of Civil Personnel).

In philosophy, he leaned towards Taoism and adhered to Laozi's thought of warning against complacency and preventing excess. He asserted that "if one is full and does not stop, they will overflow; if one is high and does not stop, they will be in danger" (Fu on the Piggy Bank). He pointed out that "the sun begins to set after reaching its zenith, and the moon will wane after becoming full," using this to illustrate that "excess will surely lead to collapse" (Fu on the Tilted Vessel).

He believed that when things develop to their peak, they will topple over, and only by not being full can they last long. He regarded being empty rather than full, and humble rather than arrogant as the highest principles for conduct in life.

He said: "Embodiment holds humility and self-restraint, nature values emptiness and modesty"; "Sages take emptiness and humility as models, and virtuous people take modesty as their disposition" (Ibid.). He concluded that parrots are imprisoned in carved cages because of their intelligence, while turtles can live out their natural lifespan because of their simplicity. From this, he drew the conclusion that wisdom brings misfortune and simplicity brings good fortune (see Fu on the Piggy Bank).

Proceeding from the understanding that "extreme fullness is certain to harm oneself," he stated that "one should not decorate to dazzle the eyes, but rather remain simple and thrifty to preserve oneself" (Ibid.). His deeds can be found in Volume 158 of The Old Book of Tang and Volume 169 of The New Book of Tang. Six of his works are compiled in Volume 439 of The Complete Prose of the Tang Dynasty.