This article draws on Han Feizi, analyzing historical figures Zhufu Yan and Li Si. It argues inner‑driven panic and false “too‑late” urgency can drive capable people to self‑destruction, advocating mental stillness and prudent resource‑conservation.
The pursuit of Daoist cultivation is a recurring theme in classical Chinese literature. For instance, Journey to the West’s Sun Wukong voyages to the Spirit Terrace, Square-Inch Mountain seeking immortality from Patriarch Subodhi (Subhuti).