Passing Righteous Principles and Virtue to Future Generations
 
Tao Shu, courtesy name Zilin, was from Anhua County in Hunan Province and lived in the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). The Tao lineage was known for their pure and honest principles, and for carrying out good deeds.
 
Tao Shu's great-great-great grandfather, the revered Bohan, loved to do good deeds and accumulated much virtue. In those days, a convicted thief would be thrown into rivers to drown. One day when Bohan passed by a river, a drowning burglar saw him and called for help, "Please help me! I swear that I will not steal any more." Bohan showed mercy for him and asked people to set him free. Bohan worried that this man would go back to doing unrighteous deeds again, therefore he gave him a small boat and told him to transport travelers to earn a living. Similar to this story, Bohan had given a total of eight such boats throughout his life, and the eight men all gave up evil deeds and returned to being good.
 
To avoid pedestrians being hurt by rocks or broken pieces of porcelain, whenever Bohan went out, he would bring a basket with him. He collected all the rocks and debris in the basket to store at home. Before he passed away, the rocks and debris had filled an empty room in his home up to the ceiling.
 
Tao Shu's great-great grandfather, the revered Wenheng was extraordinarily merciful. One day, when great flakes of snow were falling at night, rice stored in Wenheng's home was burglarized. He followed the tracks of the burglar in the snow and discovered that the burglar was one of his acquaintances. Wenheng didn't make it public; instead he went back home quietly and never touched upon this topic again. It was not until thirty years later, that by chance Wenheng's wife mentioned this story to their children and grandchildren. Then everybody knew about this fact, but Wenheng made sure to keep the burglar's name a secret. This event gives an idea of Wenheng's clemency.
 
In September of the 47th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1708 AD), Wenheng's neighbor's house caught fire and everything was destroyed. Wenheng's house, which was just nearby, was safe and sound. Even more incredible was the fact that Wenheng's barn, which just abutted the neighbor's, was also kept intact. According to statements of those who came to help extinguish the fire, they saw a person in a red robe with long sleeves standing at the wall, with a fan in his hand. This person fanned toward the intense fire and the fire miraculously stopped before the wall of Wenheng's house. Everybody said that it happened because the Tao family had done good deeds and accumulated virtue, so the divine beings blessed and protected them. His neighbor's house was burnt to the ground and nothing was left. Therefore Wenheng's wife gave all the grain they had in their barn to this neighbor.
 
Tao Shu's grandfather Yinliang was born good-natured and his family was not rich. When Yinliang found some money on a river bank one day, he stood there waiting for the owner of the money to return. It was not until the end of the day when a stricken-looking person came toward him in a flurry. This person started searching in the rubble. Yinliang asked him what he was looking for, and the man answered, "I have been working away from my hometown for years and I haven't been home since that time. I have an elderly mother at home and today I was finally able to take all the money I had saved these years to return home to support my mother. But I have lost all my savings on my way." Yinliang asked him the amount of money he had lost, and the person's answer matched the amount he had found. So Yinliang returned all the money to the owner. The man was so thankful that he wanted to give half of it to Yinliang, but Yinliang said with a smile, "If I had the desire to keep your money, I would not have waited here for you." With these words, Yinliang smiled and urged the man to hurry home. The man kowtowed and expressed his heartfelt thanks and then left.
 
There are also many stories about Tao Shu's father, Xiangxian, and his generosity in aiding needy people.
 
It is a universal principle that good is rewarded with good. Tao Shu's ancestors regarded virtue as very important and they were very generous for generations. Why should they worry about the prosperity of their family or descendants? Born into a poor family, Tao Shu became both illustrious and influential. He passed the imperial exam at the provincial level (obtaining Juren) held in the fall of the fifth year of Emperor Jiaqing's reign (1800 AD). Two years later, he became a Jinshi (a successful candidate) in the highest imperial examination, and was selected Shujishi (fellow in the Imperial Academy) in the Hanlin Academy (the Imperial Academy). In 1830, he was appointed as the Governor-General of the Jiangsu-Anhui-Jiangxi region, one of the highest ranking positions in government. Tao Shu was also honored as a grand tutor to the crown prince.
 
Throughout his entire life, Tao Shu was a clear-headed and upright official, because he had inherited his family principles of being willing to do good and be generous. When he was at his post, he distributed his salary to help the people who suffered from natural disasters. On hearing of his stories, Emperor Daoguang was moved and commented, "If every official could be as honest and upright as Tao Shu, I would not have to worry about peace and harmony in the world!" The emperor awarded Tao Shu three-thousand Liang of silver (unit of currency at that time). But Tao Shu still led a simple life and did not use a single penny, instead he distributed it again to the poor and set up 48 non-profit schools in Anhua County.