Tao Yuanming, the great Jin Dynasty poet famous for his pastoral verses, faced a tragic start: his father died when he was eight, his mother when he was twelve, leaving his once-official family in ruin. Yet he refused to be defeated, burying himself in books. But with his family's status shattered, the imperial court took no notice of him.
Tao Yuanming was a man of great literary talent but little skill in managing his livelihood. His relatives and friends urged him to take a minor official post, and though the idea tempted him, he had no connections. Eventually, through his uncle's recommendation, he was appointed magistrate of Pengze (in present-day Jiangxi Province).
Pengze was not far from Tao Yuanming's home in Chaisang (southwest of modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi). Just days after taking office, he longed for his old pastoral life and considered resigning. His true nature loved nature; he became an official only to make a living. While solving food and warmth was important, betraying his own heart was deeply painful. So he decided to wait until the official fields yielded a harvest, then pack up and return home.
Soon after, Tao Yuanming's younger sister passed away in Wuchang (present-day Echeng, Hubei). He immediately wanted to pay his respects, so he resigned on his own accord. In this way, from autumn to winter, he had served as an official for just over 80 days before returning to his pastoral life.
According to historical records, when Tao Yuanming served as the magistrate of Pengze, he received word that a postal inspector from the commandery was coming to inspect his work. The inspector was overbearing and demanded that Tao Yuanming don his official robes to greet him. Tao Yuanming refused, declaring, "I will not bow to such a petty village official for the sake of five bushels of rice!" He then surrendered his official seal, left Pengze, and retreated to a life of seclusion in the countryside.
After retiring from official life, the poet Tao Yuanming wrote a famous rhapsody titled "Returning to Dwell in Fields and Gardens." In its preface, he reflected on his past choices. The opening lines summarize his life's journey: "The past cannot be undone, but the future can still be made right." He admitted that serving as an official had been a mistake, but retreating to a life of simplicity was not too late. "I have indeed lost my way," he wrote, "yet the detour was not far. Now I realize that today is right, and yesterday was wrong." This confession of having strayed and then found his way back became a timeless expression of regret and redemption.
Many of Tao Yuanming's finest pastoral poems were created after he realized he had lost his way and turned back.
Later, the idiom "finding one's way back after going astray" came to mean realizing one's mistakes and correcting them.
Source: *Tao Yuanming*, "Returning Home"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "迷途知返" came to describe realizing one's mistakes and correcting them.