The Yao Taining 姚太宁

Yao Taining (?–1613) was a native of Chongde, Zhejiang, in the late Ming Dynasty, and he styled himself Gengyanzi (Hermit of Plowing and Mist).

As recorded in Jingai Xindeng (The Lamp in the Golden Hut): When he was young, both his parents passed away, so he was fostered by a family surnamed Zhou. At the age of thirteen, he gained the appreciation of Real Person Wu Chongxu. Yao Taining was not eager to pursue fame and fortune. He once followed the Minister of War (dazimasi) on a military expedition against the Dong and Yao ethnic groups. During a banquet hosted for senior officials, arrows rained down like a shower, and three attending soldiers were hit one after another, yet Yao Taining remained calm and composed—this showed his courage and presence of mind. Later, he lived in seclusion by West Lake, spending his days fishing and singing poems. When Chongxuzi (a title of Wu Chongxu) came to Zhejiang from Henan, Yao Taining then served him as a teacher and fully inherited his teachings.

Hearing that the state affairs of the Ming Dynasty were deteriorating day by day, he sighed, “The dynasty’s fortune is about to shift; the people are suffering unspeakably. It is not easy to survive in this world, and even harder to uphold one’s vows.”

In October of the 16th year of the Chongzhen reign (Note: There is a chronological error in the original text. The Chongzhen reign lasted from 1628 to 1644, so “1613” should be incorrect. The correct year is likely around 1643, the 16th year of Chongzhen), he passed away without illness. He was buried at the Liuhe Pagoda.