Ye Fashan (616–720), styled Daoyuan and also known by the alternative courtesy name Taisu, traced his ancestral roots to Ye County in Nanyang (present-day part of Henan Province). His family relocated to Kuocang in Chuzhou (present-day Lishui, Zhejiang Province) at the end of the Han Dynasty. He was commonly known as "Heavenly Master Ye" and "True Person of Kuocang and Luofu".
Ye Fashan’s family had a generations-long devotion to Taoism. Starting from his great-grandfather, three consecutive generations were Taoist priests. From a young age, he studied the essence of Taoist teachings, as well as the arts of divination and alchemy.
During the Xianqing era of the Tang Dynasty (656–661), Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi heard of his reputation and summoned him to the capital, intending to appoint him to an official position. Ye Fashan declined, stating his wish to remain a Taoist priest for life. He thus stayed in the imperial vegetarian hall, receiving generous gifts and honors.
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Emperor Gaozong once planned to recruit Taoist priests from various regions to collectively refine golden elixirs. Ye Fashan advised, "Golden elixirs are difficult to successfully refine. They would only waste wealth and resources, hinder governance, and should not be frivolously squandered." The emperor heeded his words, abandoned the idea, and halted the project.
Over more than fifty years spanning the reigns of Emperor Gaozong, the Wu Zhou period, and Emperor Zhongzong, Ye Fashan traveled between famous mountains and Taoist temples, often being summoned to the palace to receive imperial courtesy and answer questions on Taoism.
On one occasion, envoys from Tubo sent a letter, requesting the emperor to open it personally. Ye Fashan, however, suggested that the Tubo envoys should open it instead. Emperor Xuanzong followed his advice and ordered the envoys to open the letter, whereupon a crossbow inside fired. The Tubo envoy was struck by the arrow and died instantly. Having narrowly escaped danger, Emperor Xuanzong grew even more reverent toward Ye Fashan.
In the second year of Xiantian (713) of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong appointed Ye Fashan as Jinzi Guanglu Daifu (Grand Master of Glorious Virtue with a Golden Seal), Honglu Qing (Minister of Rites for Foreign Affairs), Duke of Yue, and concurrently abbot of Jinglong Temple. He also bestowed a noble title on Ye Fashan’s father and granted his ancestral residence as Chunhe Temple, showering him with unparalleled honors.
During the Lantern Festival, Emperor Xuanzong ordered the construction of over thirty decorated pavilions, adorned with gold, jade, and jadeite, rising to a height of more than a hundred zhang (ancient Chinese unit of length), in extreme luxury. He summoned Ye Fashan to view the lanterns, but Ye Fashan remonstrated, "The splendor of these lanterns is unparalleled in the realm. Yet such excessive extravagance is of no benefit to the state."
Ye Fashan passed away in the eighth year of Kaiyuan (720) at the age of 105. Emperor Xuanzong issued an imperial edict to praise and mourn him, posthumously awarding him the title of Dudu (Military Governor) of Yuezhou.
The Ancestry of Ye Fashan: A Family of Stars and Mountains
His roots were as ancient as the Han Dynasty, yet his spirit soared beyond earthly titles:
- Origin: Born in Yexian, Nanyang (modern Henan), his family migrated south to Kuocang, Chuzhou (today’s Lishui, Zhejiang) during the chaos of the Han collapse.
- Heritage: For three generations—great-grandfather, grandfather, father—his kin served as Daoist priests, masters of alchemy, divination, and the "Way of Heaven."
- Youth: As a boy, Ye Fashan devoured texts like the Daodejing and Zhouyi (Book of Changes), but his true teachers were the mountains: their silence, their storms, their way of standing firm yet yielding to the wind.
He once told his disciples:
"A tree that grows too tall invites the axe. A man who seeks too much fame invites disaster. I would rather be a stone in the river than a temple’s gilded roof."
The Path of Ye Fashan: From Hermit to Imperial Counselor
His life was a dance between solitude and service, a refusal to be chained by either:
| Era/Year | Milestone | His Words (Paraphrased) |
|---|---|---|
| Tang Xianqing Era (656–661) | Emperor Gaozong summoned him to the capital, offering titles and wealth. Ye Fashan declined: "I am a servant of the Dao, not of men." Yet he stayed, teaching simplicity to courtiers. | "A mirror needs no crown to reflect the sun." |
| 650s–700s | For 50 years, he wandered China’s sacred mountains—Kunlun, Wudang, Taishan—then returned to the court when summoned, advising emperors on balance, humility, and the dangers of greed. | "A ruler is like a boat; the people, the water. Water can carry the boat—or sink it." |
| Circa 710 | When Tibetan envoys presented a "sealed letter" demanding the emperor open it, Ye Fashan warned: "Let the sender unseal it. A gift should not harm the giver." The envoy died when a hidden crossbow fired; the emperor lived. | "Trust is a thread woven from actions, not words." |
| 713 CE | Emperor Xuanzong granted him titles (Jinzi Guanglu Daifu, Honglu Qing, Yueguo Gong) and built a temple for his family. Ye Fashan accepted but rarely wore his robes of office. | "Titlesm are like autumn leaves—beautiful today, gone tomorrow. The Dao is the root beneath." |
| 720 CE | At 105, he passed away peacefully. Xuanzong mourned, calling him "a lamp in the darkness, a voice of reason in a storm." | "Death is not an ending, but a return to the source. Why weep for the river when it joins the sea?" |
The Wisdom of Ye Fashan: Three Lessons for Today
-
Speak Truth to Power—Gently
- When Xuanzong ordered a lavish Lantern Festival (30+ towers of gold and jade, 100+ feet tall), Ye Fashan said:
"Your Majesty, the light of the moon needs no candle. Extravagance feeds pride, not the people."
- Moral: Courage is not in shouting, but in calmly holding a mirror to excess.
- When Xuanzong ordered a lavish Lantern Festival (30+ towers of gold and jade, 100+ feet tall), Ye Fashan said:
-
Suspect "Miracles" That Flatter
- He refused to perform "magic" for crowds, saying:
"A true Daoist’s power is in seeing through illusions—not creating them."
- Moral: Beware those who dazzle you; seek those who ground you.
- He refused to perform "magic" for crowds, saying:
-
Legacy Lies in Actions, Not Titles
- Though honored as "Celestial Master" and "Realized One of Kuocang and Luofu," he often signed letters simply "Ye, a humble servant of the mountain."
- Moral: Your worth is not in what others call you, but in how you live.
How to Honor Ye Fashan in Modern Life
- Simplify: Before buying something, ask: "Does this nourish my spirit or feed my ego?"
- Question Authority: When told to follow blindly, reply: "Show me the path, and I’ll walk it—but I’ll keep my eyes open."
- Laugh at Yourself: Like Ye Fashan, don’t take titles or praise seriously. A wise person once said: "The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know."
Final Reflection
Ye Fashan was no saint—he drank wine, joked with peasants, and once tricked a greedy official by "conjuring" gold that turned to leaves by dawn. But in his humor, his humility, and his refusal to let power corrupt him, he became a bridge between heaven and earth.
May you walk his path: not by seeking immortality, but by living each day with integrity, kindness, and a light heart.
— A Fellow Traveler of the Way
