Ancient texts recount stories of abrupt twists of fate, as if reminding us that life’s fortunes can sometimes be as fragile as a butterfly’s wing, shifting at the slightest touch. It points to the profound question: Is there truly some force guiding our destinies from the shadows?
Tao Kan in Chinese history
For readers familiar with Chinese history, particularly the Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern dynasties, the name Tao Kan undoubtedly carries immense weight.
Tao Kan was a pivotal figure who steadied the turbulent times of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Yet few know that this legendary man, who later commanded military affairs across eight provinces, was so impoverished in his youth that he couldn’t even afford to pay for his father’s funeral.
The ox vanished
Tao Kan’s family was impoverished. After his father’s death, their only ox vanished. For a family relying on farming for survival, this was a devastating blow. The young Tao Kan searched anxiously everywhere. At dusk, a solitary figure wandered among the mountains and forests.
Just when despair seemed inevitable, he encountered a mysterious old man who dressed plainly yet possessed an extraordinary bearing, one that seemed otherworldly. He spoke calmly to Tao Kan: “The ox you seek lies by the water pool on the hill ahead, now resting in the pool.”
The test of the two auspicious sites
Tao Kan’s heart surged with gratitude. Then the old man revealed the location of two auspicious burial sites. “At the first site, if the deceased is buried here, the descendants will surely produce a ‘supreme human,’ attaining the highest rank.”
The old man continued: “If the deceased is buried at the second site, although the descendants may not reach supreme nobility, they will enjoy blessed longevity and enduring prosperity for the family lineage.”
Tao Kan relayed this advice to his mother, who ultimately chose the second site — the “blessed longevity” location — for his father’s burial.
What history recorded
Thus, though Tao Kan never became a chief minister, he rose to the position of Grand Marshal, and the Eastern Jin Dynasty’s eastern territories repeatedly relied on him for stability. His family line also endured for generations, its glory unbroken.
Yet the story does not end here. More compelling than fate itself was Tao Kan’s character. Faced with two prime plots bestowed by fate, he did not covetously claim them for himself. Instead, he unhesitatingly shared the other “most precious land” with his close friend, Zhou Fang.
History validated the mysterious elder’s prophecy. Starting as a minor county official, Tao Kan endured decades of political ups and downs before becoming a pillar of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
Zhou Fang, too, proved worthy of Tao Kan’s generosity, rising to become a provincial governor with a stipend of 2,000 stone of grain. His family ruled Yizhou for 41 years across three generations, establishing themselves as a prominent local clan.
Tao Kan’s noble spirit
Looking back on this extraordinary encounter sparked by the “disappearance of an ox,” what moves the heart most is not merely the mysterious old man’s prophecy, but the kindness and magnanimity Tao Kan demonstrated in a single moment of his youth.
Even in adversity, he did not forget his friend nor claim the blessing for himself. This very breadth of spirit was the actual reason he later became a pillar of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, his name immortalized through the ages.
Recounted in just a few lines in the Book of Jin‘s biography of Tao Kan, this tale distills ancient Chinese concepts of “fate, fortune, and virtuous conduct.”
Fate may be likened to the shifting currents of fortune, its pace and direction unpredictable. Yet whether one can truly bear and perpetuate blessings ultimately hinges on character.
Historians recorded him as “loyal” and “diligent,” qualities that determine a person’s destiny far more than any wind-water treasure site. Tao Kan attained his historical stature precisely because he “aligned his virtuous conduct with Heaven’s mandate.”
Translated by Audrey Wang
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