The Xue Xuanwei 薛玄微

Xue Xuanwei was a native of Putai County in Binzhou (now part of Shandong Province) during the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty.

As recorded in The Stele of Mr. Xue from Anping Town, Binzhou in the Great Dynasty: Xue Xuanwei was extraordinary from birth. When he grew up, he was gentle and elegant, and was well-known for his benevolence and filial piety, as well as his integrity and trustworthiness. When he was over forty (the age of "buhuo" in Chinese, a term referring to the stage of life where one is no longer confused), he resolutely made up his mind to pursue Taoism. He went to Gaoshang Guan (Gaoshang Taoist Temple), paid respects to Master Jin, and became a Taoist monk. He served Master Jin diligently without the slightest disobedience for three years.

After Master Jin passed away, Xue Xuanwei built a simple earthen house for himself, dedicated himself to practicing Taoist arts. People from near and far, upon hearing of his virtue, all followed his example and came to pay their respects to him.

Xue Xuanwei resided in the hermitage, upholding Taoist principles and preserving his true nature. After nineteen years of practice, he thoroughly mastered the essence of "zuowang" (a core Taoist meditative practice involving the forgetting of one’s physical form and mental attachments to attain harmony with the Tao).

Later, he passed away without suffering from any illness at the age of sixty-five.