The Lu Yingxiang 陆应祥

Lu Yingxiang (1261-1333) was a native of Pingjiang during the Yuan Dynasty. His courtesy name was Jingyun. He lost his father when he had just reached boyhood, but he was able to discipline and restrain himself strictly on his own.

At home, he took good care of his mother; outside, he devoted himself to hard work to support and establish his family. No matter the matter was big or small, he handled it in a reasonable and proper way. With his quick wit and practical experience, he was universally respected and admired by the villagers.

He had a indifferent temperament and no strong desires. After managing and accumulating for more than 40 years, his family property finally became substantial, yet he never spent it recklessly and maintained his family with diligence and frugality. He firmly believed in Buddhism and Taoism, and furthermore, he disliked killing living beings. He was fond of giving alms to help the poor and funded the construction and renovation of Taoist temples. Later, he wore the hat of a Taoist priest; the Celestial Master in charge of the Taoist tradition appointed him as a "Virtuous Scholar of the Mysterious Gate" and the founding abbot of Ruiyun Guan (Ruiyun Temple).

Shortly afterwards, he went to Juqu Mountain, paid homage to the Shangqing Ancestral Altar, and received the Shangqing Dadong Scripture and Talisman (a core scripture and ritual symbol of the Shangqing School of Taoism).

He passed away in the first year of the Yuantong reign period (1333) at the age of 72.

(From Collected Works of Huang Jinhua, Volume 29)