Xu Xun: Seek to Understand the Tao, Establish Virtue and Help Others (Part 2)
 
When Xu Xun returned to Nanchang City, he witnessed torrential rains pouring down without pause. He said to his father, “If this rain doesn’t stop, all the people near the river will be devastated.” His father told him, “After you went to Jingyang, there have been non-stop flooding in the Nanchang area. People say that it’s an evil dragon with a group of monsters that are behind this. They create strong winds and choppy waves, flipping over boats and drowning people, or damaging people’s homes, flooding the area with rainstorms, and shape shifting into humans to assault people. They are a big problem.”
 
Upon hearing this, Xu Xun decided to get rid of these demons once and for all. Xu Xun studied under a Daoist master to learn ways of abolishing evil. It’s said that Xu Xun’s vigor to tame the floods for the people touched the gods. They gave him a magical sword and helped Xu Xun and his disciples destroy the evil dragon. Having ended the flooding in Nanchang, Xu Xun proceeded to treat the surrounding areas until they all returned to calm weather.
 
Xu Xun was a seeker of truth and he taught people to do the same whenever he had the opportunity. He wrote a book, "Essay on Eight Treasured Principles" to help people get started. This book refers to character improvements in eight areas: 1) be honest in dealing with people; 2) be filial to avoid rebellious tendencies; 3) remove greed; 4) handle matters with care; 5) keep an open mind; 6) be compassionate; 7) accept people as they are; and, 8) be tolerant. He believed that by improving one's character, one would be aligning oneself with truthfulness. Due to his own positive actions, the residents in his county were led to be good citizens. When people passed by Xu Xun’s household, they often saw auspicious signs such as flying cranes. At that time, the eastern part of the Jin Dynasty was at war. Except for several hundred miles around where Xu Xun lived, conditions in the south were negatively impacted by the war and bandits. In fact, there was peace and prosperity in his county.
 
Xu Xun promoted compassion and virtue. In a book about immortals, it was recorded that when Xu Xun was 136 years old, his entire family ascended into heaven from the West Mountain in Nanchang. He and his eleven disciples were referred to as the "Twelve Lords". The name of Jingyang county was changed to "Deyang County" to commemorate the fact that Xu Xun stressed virtuous conduct, which led to prosperity for all of his citizens. Since ancient times, people with high moral standards are seekers of truth and spiritual teachers. They are the defenders of truth and justice.
 
明道立德　博施济众 (下)
 
许逊回南昌后，见到南昌连降大雨，对他父亲说：“这大雨再不停，江边的百姓就要遭殃了。”他父亲告诉他：“你到旌阳去后，南昌之境水患不断，听人传说这是一条孽龙聚集蛟党在作怪：兴风作浪，或覆人舟船，或坏人屋舍；逆行暴雨，引发洪灾；变化人形，残害百姓，实为人间大患。”许逊知道后决心荡妖除魔，为民除害，当时追随他的弟子很多。许逊拜丹阳黄堂宫谌母学道，谌母授他斩邪之法。相传许逊为民治水的精神感动了天神帮助，天使赠给他斩妖神剑，许逊率众弟子在神兵的帮助下铲除了恶龙，根治了水患。许逊还到进贤、丰城、洵阳、鄱阳、都昌、湖口、余干、武宁、奉新、长沙等地治水，使各地风调雨顺。
 
许逊不仅自己一心向道，还向人劝善。他在《思仙之歌》中写道：“天运循环兮，疾如飞，人生世间兮，欲何为？争名夺利兮，徒丘墟……。”他宣传“夫孝至于天，日月为之明；孝至于地，万物为之生；孝至于民，王道为之成。是故舜文至孝，凤凰来翔。即此论之，上自天子，下至庶人，孝道所至，异类皆应”。许逊写了《八宝垂训文》教化乡里，教人“忠孝廉谨、宽裕容忍”。他解释这八个字的含义：忠则不欺，孝则不悖，廉则罔贪，谨而勿失。宽则得众，裕然有余；容而翕受，忍则安舒。修身如此，即可以成德而进道。乡人被其所感化，“皆迁善远罪，孝悌兴行”。四乡之人经过许逊所居之处，常见鸣鹤翔飞，庆云缭绕。当时东晋战乱不断，江南频遭兵祸骚扰，而许逊居所周围数百余里之内，却是盗贼不入，闾里晏安，人无灾害，丰衣足食。
 
许逊扬善除恶，德著人间，据《神仙传》中记载：晋宁康二年，许逊时年一百三十六岁，在南昌西山举家飞升，得道成仙，他和其弟子十一人也被称为“十二真君”。旌阳县自许逊飞升后，改为德阳，以表其德泽惠民。自古以来的道德高尚之士，都是坚定不移的追求真理，砥砺德行，并感染教化世人从善如流，把高洁、德操作为自己处世立身的准则，维护真理和正义！